[geek]

OK People here goes………

I know this has been asked umpteen number of times......and i am really sorry if i am irritating you.....but i dont want to spend my money without the guidance of you guys.


I am a Chartered Accountant having a deep passion for computers and know nothing about cars.

I have been reading the posts on this site and have zeroed in on two cars (Thanks to the threads posted by u guys). My choices started from Maruti Esteem, I extended them to Ford Fiesta 1.4 EXI, stretched them to Ford Fiesta 1.6 Petrol (ZXI) and now super stretched them Honda City ZX Exi. Can’t go beyond that!

Finally the two choices are Ford Fiesta 1.6 (Petrol) Zxi or Honda City ZX Exi. Somehow the posts on this forum have not been fully able to convince my 2 sides.

My heart is really ‘Fida’ over the Ford Fiesta for its sheer driving pleasure, the jerk free ride over bumpy roads, the raw power, and the masculine looks.

On the other side my brain is on Honda’s side. The fuel efficiency, the Honda Brand, after sales support, the acceptance of the car in the market and bla bla bla.

When I asked the Ford people as to how they compare their beast with Honda City…..they were at a loss of words except the extra 100cc power, the aluminum engine, the stereo and the price. My brain was not convinced.

On the other hand the Honda people had their weapons ready. They had a guy who had just left his job at Ford and joined Honda. His exact words were “Ghar ka Bhedi Lanka Dhaaye”. According to him Fiesta has some serious problem with its gears. He said that there would be hassles when you try to down-shift at high speeds where the engine is running above 3000 rpm. Said that the service and spares of Fiesta are expensive, the electrical sub-system is difficult to repair, that Ford reduced its prices every second year and therefore the resale is very bad.

Now I am totally depending on you guys. decide the best car for me. My present car has done around 32,000 kms on Chandigarh roads in a span of 2.5 years. That comes out to roughly 35 kms per day. I drive 80 % on city roads with AC on 1/2 of the time in summers.

Also please let me know, if possible, as to which institution is providing the cheapest car loans in Chandigarh.

Thank u all for taking out some of your time in advising me

Karan

[devarshi84]

Now that Honda sales person is a real big liar. Have heard this before.

Now lets agree for an instance that jap cars are the best. But even here in N.America Honda is known to bad mouth other companies to sell their cars.

My own experience. I had an option between a black City vtec and a red sfxi.

Cama motors said city vtec is good but lancer has its own strong points. On the other hand HOnda guys exact words then were

" Sir lancer to ab market se bahar hai. Aap Honda se koi kuchh bhi compare nahin kar sakte"

Also he was not ready to accept that infact it was OHC that was going out of market.

On second instance he said that NHC (non-vtec) is faster than OHC.


This was enough for me to seal my deal with HM-mitsubishi and am really satisfied I did.



regarding NHC's strengths, Good to drive inthe city and good looks(for many). Its fuel-efficient too. Build quality is better than fiesta

Fiesta is ........powerful, ride and handling are better, Fun to drive factor is irresistible. For many its good looking. And no, Ford is not some junk that each and every parts needs maintainence every few months.

my heart will say Fiesta but mind will say NHC.

[revharder]

i'd suggest you to stretch it to its extreme and go for NHC ZX GXi M/T.
or if thats really not possible, then only you go for Fiesta1.6 and only if thats not possible too, then settle down for Fiesta 1.4

buttttt, donot try to even think of esteem!

[autozealot]

Originally Posted by revharder

i'd suggest you to stretch it to its extreme and go for NHC ZX GXi M/T.
buttttt, donot try to even think of esteem!

Revharder with you.

az

[tsk1979]

If you are looking at the "head" part, pure logic and practicality, the NHC will give you more peace of mind.
Things like driving pleasure, comfort etc., are pretty subjective but there are some facts which are for honda
1. Reliability - Even die hard honda haters will agree it runs rings around the americans as far as reliability is concerned
2. A.S.S - Ford Ikon, was a inconic car, really. But the sales were not so high as they could have been. For once the quality of the car was not the problem, it was the attitude of the sales support people. True Honda also has lousy dealers, but you will more likely find a bad ford dealer than a bad honda dealer. This is esp true for Punjab and around(dunno how things are down south)
3. F.E - Its an engine detuned for efficiency. And with the same driving style it will give you more kms to your liter. If you are stretching your budget quite a bit, this will help you in saving some EMI

FIDA has a powerful engine, and to get that from a honda you will have to stretch way beyong your budget.

I hope my answer does not leave you even more confused, but to confuse you a little more (Just kidding) why not wait till sept. Verna comes to spoil the party these two guys are having, and looking at hyundai's past record they are pretty good at it too.

[geek]

my heart will say Fiesta but mind will say NHC

devarshi84, This is what I am confused about........should i listen to my mind or my heart!

i'd suggest you to stretch it to its extreme and go for NHC ZX GXi M/T.
or if thats really not possible, then only you go for Fiesta1.6 and only if thats not possible too, then settle down for Fiesta 1.4

So Honda city NHC ZX GXi is better than Ford Fiesta 1.6 ZXI.

hope my answer does not leave you even more confused, but to confuse you a little more (Just kidding) why not wait till sept. Verna comes to spoil the party these two guys are having, and looking at hyundai's past record they are pretty good at it too.

Well tsk1799 u did not confuse me but I am still at square 1........tell me what would you have done had you been in my place. And yes.....cant wait till september......urgent car requirments

[supremeBaleno]

Let me make an attempt to eliminate or atleast reduce your confusion. There are other good cars available in this segment, but since you have already narrowed down to these 2 and so as to not add to the confusion, I will limit my comments to these two.

Originally Posted by geek

Finally the two choices are Ford Fiesta 1.6 (Petrol) Zxi or Honda City ZX Exi. Somehow the posts on this forum have not been fully able to convince my 2 sides.

You will get a wide range of opinions on this forum (or for that matter any forum) which is normal. The money is yours and so the decision is to be yours, which should be made by sifting out the crucial info.

Originally Posted by geek

My heart is really ‘Fida’ over the Ford Fiesta for its sheer driving pleasure, the jerk free ride over bumpy roads, the raw power, and the masculine looks.

With you being a CA, it must be a cakewalk for you to do a detailed analysis of cost-benefits of the available options. Apply the same here. Check out this suggestion by Floyd_de_Souza and you could clear some confusion. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/200828-post11.html

Originally Posted by geek

The fuel efficiency, the Honda Brand, after sales support, the acceptance of the car in the market and bla bla bla.

These are Honda strongpoints and if these matter to you, look no further than the NHC.

Originally Posted by geek

Said that the service and spares of Fiesta are expensive

From the actual owner info posted on this forum and based on what I gleaned from actual owners offline, Ford cars are expensive than Honda when it comes to service and spares costs.

Originally Posted by geek

that Ford reduced its prices every second year and therefore the resale is very bad.

He is quite correct about that, but then that is the case with other cars also (only the extent of discounts offered varies). Contrary to what you would read on this forum, Honda also offers discounts, though it is very rare.

Originally Posted by geek

If I may ask, what exactly are you looking at from your car ? I mean, what are the main priorities ? Is it looks, snob value, low maintenance costs, FE, safety features, brand value, resale value or some combination of these ? Grade them in order of preference and see which car matches your requirements.

[satish_appasani]

What are you priorities?

Exciting to drive vs peaceful mind
Speed vs Mileage
City driving vs Highway driving
Looks & comfort
Ride & Handling

What is your state on the looks and comfort of either of the cars?
How do you drive? Do you like some fun or mileage?

Did you test drive both the cars and what are your like and dislikes?

First please mention all your priorities and then people can help you easily.

[geek]

there are other good cars available in this segment

Please let me know if there is another car worth considering in this category except Baleno.......the looks are too dated

it must be a cakewalk for you to do a detailed analysis of cost-benefits

Already done the analysis......I save approximetely Rs 20000 over a period of 7 years if I buy Honda city considering the initial cost difference and difference in fuel cost. I dont know the difference between the resale price or maintenance cost of the 2 cars so that has not been consiedered.

If I may ask, what exactly are you looking at from your car ? I mean, what are the main priorities ? Is it looks, snob value, low maintenance costs, FE, safety features, brand value, resale value or some combination of these ? Grade them in order of preference and see which car matches your requirements.

Looks ................ Yes Definitely

Snob Value.......... No

Maintenance Cost. Yes that is a factor....what would be the the annual difference in maintenance cost of the 2 cars

FE..................... Yes but as I said I save only 20000 over a period of 7 Years

Safety Features... I think both the cars should be up to the mark as far as safety is conerned

Resale Value....... Yes that is important

Brand Value........ Both are equal from my point of view

What are you priorities?

Exciting to drive vs peaceful mind - Cant I get both?

Speed vs Mileage - I drive only 20% on the highway and the maximum speed would be 120 I guess

City driving vs Highway driving - 80 % city and 20% highway

Looks & comfort - Initially when NHC was launched I did not like its looks, but now I guess I am used to the car. Fiesta, on the other hand, has a very masculine look. Also I found Fiesta more comfortable

Ride and Handling The power steering of honda was good but overall the Fiesta was a pleasure to drive

[suman]

Originally Posted by geek

According to him Fiesta has some serious problem with its gears. He said that there would be hassles when you try to down-shift at high speeds where the engine is running above 3000 rpm.

Well, I can tell you that is absolute B******T, the gears are like a dream in the Fiesta, downshift at high speeds above 3000 rpm from which gear to which??? The guy must be carrying a major chip on his shoulder, maybe he was booted out from Ford and hence his grouse

Its too early to comment on the electrical subsystem in the Fiesta but if its anything like the Ikon's well, mine's almost five & a half years old now and I've had no issues whatsoever.

Spares & maintenance, I'd gathered information and sent to GTO, he was to compile a comparative chart once other owner members sent him information, I suppose they haven't yet so the chart is not up. But based on what I saw there, Fiesta costs were very reasonable vis a vis the Baleno (which had been put up earlier by Venkat Rx).

I have a Fiesta 1.6 SXI which has done almost 6.5k so far, PM me if you need any specific info.....I'm ENJOYING my experience, what more can I say.....?

[yogi1771]

same here own a fiesta1.6sxi and its a pleasure driving it the gears r just great and even the service done is good so no complaints

[tsk1979]

hmm what would I have done at your place?
I would have written a perl script which runs for exact 2 hours doing a version of "enee meeni mini...." you get the point.

On a serious note, you have to decide here really.
NHC = reliability, peace of mind etc.,
Ford = Power, Josh.
Its never ever easy to choose.
I was once in your place. I went for the "head" over "desire". Not that I regret it(saving cash is always a good thing?) but sometimes I do muse over what would have happened if I had chosen desire.


If you can overstretch to the VTEC, then you can have the best of both worlds and burn a hole in your pocket too. Time to tell your boss to give you a raise or you will replace him with a very small shell script.

[yogi1771]

go for the fiesta1.6 i was in the same dilemma as u if u enjoy driving go for the fiesta1.6 as regarding the f.e i get 11-12 in city with ac 100% and on highways 14-15 with ac 100%

[amit]

His exact words were “Ghar ka Bhedi Lanka Dhaaye”. According to him Fiesta has some serious problem with its gears.

Tomorrow this guy may work for Skoda and start talking crap about Honda. Maybe it's the dealer policy. Like Dev said, Honda dealers have a reputation for talking crap about other cars. It's happened to me in India and happened to one of our clients here in Toronto too. Responses from real owners, I am sure has made the facts about Fiesta clear and exposed the nonsense that the honda salesguy spoke about Fiesta. I am sure you will give more emphasis to them rather then to some unprofessional salesguy.

Secondly, I don't buy the honda=peace of mind and reliablity and ford= josh. When was the last time we saw any ford or for that matter non-honda car broken down by the side of the road or being towed because it just died. Anyone can make a bad car. If you are unlucky you will get a lemon and that lemon maybe a Honda too.

Already done the analysis......I save approximetely Rs 20000 over a period of 7 years

Great. The problem with CA's is they dont pay attention to intangables . Since this decision is about heart v/s head, what is the monetary value you are going to place on intangables like fun to drive and how the car makes you feel. What is the monetary value of that feeling you get in the morning when you actually look forward to getting into your car and driving to work?

[roms]

Originally Posted by amit

Secondly, I don't buy the honda=peace of mind and reliablity and ford= josh. When was the last time we saw any ford or for that matter non-honda car broken down by the side of the road or being towed because it just died. Anyone can make a bad car. If you are unlucky you will get a lemon and that lemon maybe a Honda too.

HAHA,Amit i just saw a relatively new black Honda City ZX being pushed by the owner and two friends in Bandra while I just whizzzzed past him in my S10 .Ok that was kiddish,but ya point taken,I totally agree with you that generalising a car as good or bad based on its nationality or make is not correct