[anup7649]

Originally Posted by KAMALJHA

Hello.

Have looked at number of options over the last week. And considering two options now.
1. S Cross 1.3 (Zeta)
2. Creta 1.6 VTVT (S)

As mentioned earlier, it will be self driven. And daily 30 KM.

Can someone help me choose one of these?

I would suggest you to go for S Cross. Don't worry about daily usage, with diesel car at home, you will end up doing more than 1.5k kms per month eventually.
Creta Petrol is a slouch.

[anoop.nair]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Or if diesel is ok, you should be able to find the Jetta diesel AT in your budget- As already mentioned above by others.

Interesting & thanks for the affirmation. Was following this thread silently, time to jump in. Would it be advisable buying an used car from Chennai now (June 2016)? I have to chose a ride in a month's time and running out of used car options elsewhere. New car seems out of budget for what I 'want'.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by anoop.nair

Interesting & thanks for the affirmation. Was following this thread silently, time to jump in. Would it be advisable buying an used car from Chennai now (June 2016)? I have to chose a ride in a month's time and running out of used car options elsewhere. New car seems out of budget for what I 'want'.

Hi Anoop, Not very clear on the context. Your profile shows KA/KL and MH. Why a used car from Chennai? Or did you find one that meets your needs in Chennai.

Can you also list your requirements a little bit more in detail?That will help the members provide more specific inputs.

[anoop.nair]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Hi Anoop, Not very clear on the context. Your profile shows KA/KL and MH. Why a used car from Chennai? Or did you find one that meets your needs in Chennai. Can you also list your requirements a little bit more in detail?That will help the members provide more specific inputs.

Sure Rajeev, I've moved to Chennai this year & will be posted here for some time. I'm replacing my ageing Ikon with a better sedan. Fortunately found a customer to buy before rains. So the rush. I'm up-scaling to at least 100 horses. I want diesel as I plan to make long trips ~1600km every 3 months and Daily running should be around 20km with weekends about 200-250 km. Wants nice safety options & mileage 18km + on highways. Powerful AC in Chennai is a must. Budget wise ~6L for an used car & <10L for new.

In used cars I've zeroed in on used Vento, Jetta(2010-11); In new car category Ford FigoAspire, Ecosport ... Any pointers to consider?

[anoop.nair]

I'll be TD'ing an used 2010 vento AT petrol, 40k done. Is 5L a good price to go for? Isn't this the DOHC 1.6 engine? Should I be wary of anything.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by anoop.nair

I'll be TD'ing an used 2010 vento AT petrol, 40k done. Is 5L a good price to go for? Isn't this the DOHC 1.6 engine? Should I be wary of anything.

5L seems pretty high. Yes this is the 1.6. This will probably not meet criteria like performance and mileage.

(missed your earlier post). Both the Aspire and Ecosport are worth a look in the new car space. Aspire would fit into your budget too.

[vivekgk]

Hi all,

Our family currently has a 2010 Indigo CS TDI LX and a 2012 Nano LX. The Indigo has given us relatively trouble-free service over the last six years and 70K kms. What I like most about the car is the heavy feel of the doors, stable handling with limited body roll, comfy ride, and even the performance in the boost zone. Even without ABS, the car always felt stable under braking, and has never given me a scare. The ride, handling and braking were all greatly enhanced by upgrading to alloys and better rubber at 35K kms. Even now, I feel very comfortable driving the car around, mostly because I've become attuned to all its characteristics, good and bad. The reason I'm changing it is because it's completely outdated and outclassed by almost every other car on sale today, and because I find myself at a place in my career where I can afford to upgrade.

So here's the dilemma. Initially, I had set a budget of 7 lakhs, to buy something that would be better in every way than the Indigo. This budget limited me to mostly petrol cars, unless we decided to go for small hatches. CS to small hatch was a no-go, especially since we already had the Nano for such duties. I soon found that there wasn't any car that I really liked in that price range, and after some family discussion, decided to up the budget to 8-8.5 lacs. This brought in a lot more candidates, including some good compact sedans, petrol sedans, and even the compact SUVs. After some research and test drives, I ended up booking the Brezza LDi(O) which was 8.33 lacs OTR. The long waiting period (32 weeks) was the reason I booked so early in the decision process, as I could continue to consider other options during the waiting period.

In the meantime, we had another discussion in the household, and decided to further raise the budget to 10 lacs by increasing the loan, as this would bring in the top end variants of a lot of good cars into the arena. We tend to keep our cars for at least 5 years, and it made sense to go for maximum features. With that in mind, the booking for the Brezza was changed to ZDi, which came to 9.94 lacs OTR.

So, now that the budget has been finalised and expectations have been set, I can begin to look for other options without having to worry about the waiting period.

Price Range: under 10 lakhs, OTR
Maintenance expectations: Should be easily serviceable, and inexpensive for regular service.
Average distance traveled per month: Just above 1000 kms a month.
Where car will be mostly used: Kerala, which means unpredictable roads, and a lot of driving on single lane highways. Having strong suspension, good ride and enough power to pass other cars in narrow gaps is a basic requirement. The scenario is improving, but not quickly enough.
Driven by: Myself and my father, a reasonably fast driver.
Whether the vehicle will be shared by other members of family: Rarely
Any specific requirements from car:

• Boat like handling and heavy roll on corners is a definite no. That's why I didn't even consider the Amaze, though it's a brill sedan, especially with the new revised interior.
• ABS is essential, airbags would be a plus. I rarely drive above 95 kph. Though this could change with a powerful car.
• Diesel is the fuel of choice, as I feel diesel engines are better suited to my heavy footed driving. I like the feel of turbodiesels more than NA petrol. Anything less noisier than the original Polo and Vento counts as refined for me.
• Ability to cross humps in second gear.
• Fuel economy should be above 15 kpl, on whatever fuel.
• Manual transmission, as I feel it's the best option in this budget. A light clutch and reduced turbo lag would be awesome.
• Space inside for 5 people to be comfy. Even at the front, I prefer having some space between the seats. Rubbing elbows with the front passenger during shifts isn't fun.
• Enough space for a subwoofer, plus 2-3 medium-large bags. or monthly shopping.
• While I am comfortable with longer sedans, a smaller vehicle would be a boon in the city.
• ICE is important to me. I have good ICE in my Indigo and need a car with ICE that can be connected to my sub, and my components.
• Steering remote controls are welcome but not essential.
• Fat tyres. More than 175 section.

How long you intend on keeping this car (and how important resale is to you): 5 years, and a good resale at that time would be a definite plus. Our Indigo has next to no resale value, and it is forcing us to rely more on finance than we'd like. That said, it wouldn't be a deal breaker.

Cars shortlisted: (In no particular order)

• Baleno DDIS Alpha
• Elite i20 Asta CRDi
• Jazz V Diesel
• Ecosport Trend+ TDCi
• S-Cross Delta 1.3
• Verna 1.4 CRDi
• Zest XT/XTA
• Aspire Titanium+
• Ciaz VDi(o)
• Punto 90HP/Avventura 1.3
• Linea Classic+ 1.3

As you can see, it's quite the eclectic mix. Since only some of them are top variants, and others have received upgrades following the reviews, and some like the 1.4 Verna haven't been reviewed at all, it's all very confusing to me. I can understand what's missing in the feature list, but the utility of said features is something that's understood with personal experience alone. Any and all inputs from you would be welcome and much appreciated.

[longhorn]

If you are not particular about SUVish looks I would be looking at the below 3 vehicles.

1. SCross (base variant+1 at the bare minimum)
2. Ford Aspire Titanium (resale value after 5 years would be questionable)
3. Ciaz Vdi(O)

The Brezza with its under 4m length would not be the best suited for typical winding Kerala roads. The Suzuki SCross would be my pick unless limited by budget.

[autorahul]

Originally Posted by vivekgk

Cars shortlisted: (In no particular order)

• Baleno DDIS Alpha
• Elite i20 Asta CRDi
• Jazz V Diesel
• Ecosport Trend+ TDCi
• S-Cross Delta 1.3
• Verna 1.4 CRDi
• Zest XT/XTA
• Aspire Titanium+
• Ciaz VDi(o)
• Punto 90HP/Avventura 1.3
• Linea Classic+ 1.3

Those are some excellent cars that you have on your list. My top 3 in order of preference is as below.

S-Cross Delta 1.3
This is the most well rounded car of the bunch, and one of the most under rated. Has a good feature set, a wonderful engine, a very spacious cabin, and a very comfortable ride. Ownership would be hassle free too as its a Maruti with the 1.3 MJD. Ground clearance is an added boon, and you would almost certainly get it before Brezza. The owners have reported ride to be significantly improved further on tyre upgrade in the official review thread.

Baleno Alpha
Compact vehicle, but still spacious, which will be a boon in City. Would save you some cash and give you more features. Has quickly become a common sight on our roads Long waiting period though might put you off.

Aspire Titanium+
Very competent diesel engine, spacious, and one of the few cars with fun to ride. Their service guarantee is looking promising, and you might be able to get some offers too. Its sibling had the best price-performance ratio followed by Baleno and this shouldn't be far behind.

Other cars, which you may want to consider

Ertiga Zdi+
It has a lot of features, but an unassuming exterior. What lies underneath is a very capable diesel engine, good ground clearance which will be a boon on the unpredictable Kerala roads.

[ampere]

With the space requirement that you put, it has to be the S-Cross 1.3. But I dont think it may fit the budget. You may want to check on that. Aspire top end is another good option, well within your budget. The 1.5L diesel is awesome one to drive. The other one is Beleno. Brilliant in every respect and it will beat Aspire on the service part as well. But beware of the waiting period.

[anb]

The most suitable car for you is Figo or Aspire diesel titanium +.

Reasons
1. Best in class engine performance and efficiency
2. Good ride quality
3. Ford A.S.S is good, service is cheap
4. ABS+6 airbags
5. Best in class ICE
6. Reasonably spacious.

[autorahul]

Originally Posted by autorahul

Other cars, which you may want to consider

Another car, which I forgot, and suits your requirements well is TUV300 in the mHawk100 variant. Its very spacious, and is more power has added the much needed grunt to the car, along with host of cool features.

[AYP]

If you are keen on a sedan, then I think that the Ciaz is the best option. It has loads of space, decent power, and Maruti reliability. Though you should try to stretch for the VDI+ as the difference between the VDI(O) and the VDI+ is hardly 30k IIRC. And you get quite a lot in the plus variant over the normal one.

Among the hatchbacks, I would suggest you to go for the Jazz due to its spacious interiors which can accommodate 5 people most comfortably.

When it comes to the compact sedans, I think that the Amaze is the most spacious and perhaps the all rounder in its segment. It may not be excellent when it comes to driving dynamics but it is definitely not as bad as you say IMO. The Aspire is a great choice especially in the top-end trim.

If you are interested in going for a cross/mini-SUV, then the S-Cross delta fits your requirement the best.

Alternatively, you can check out the base 1.4 Creta diesel, though it will breach your budget by atleast 75k. It is a bit basic though and does not come with an ICE, which may be good in your case if you are planning for a big ICE upgrade.

[TheARUN]

Let me try and help here.

Going by your list, I think we should start there because it is evident that you have taken the trouble to get the list up and it would cause more confusion than what is there now, if I were to add a wild-card entrant

What the market dictates is that you go for the Elite i20. Its the largest seller on your list and it has held onto its sales for quite a while now. Hyundai cars are feature list and the top-end model you have chosen would keep you more than happy. Its a all rounder, its got looks that will not age with time, which tilts the balance in its favour more, since you like to keep your cars for a long time with you

The EcoSport also makes a good case for itself if you do not have a positive vibe on the i20 before signing the cheque. The only thing it misses out is on re-sale value, not a big miss since you keep your cars with you for a long period

Let me bring that wild card in now, since all have had the patience to read my post thus far. The Tata Safari. 2.2, not the Storme since the Storme would bust the budget. You should be able to haggle and get it for under 10 lakhs. It would keep you in the Tata family and would get jaws to drop when friends/relatives/colleagues/acquaintances/neighbours see it in your drive-way

[vivekgk]

Thanks for all the replies and comments guys!!!

I'd like to add the Brezza ZDi to the earlier list. I've already booked it, and forgot to add it to the final shortlist. The Linea/Punto/Avventura are off the list for now, as they don't have service in Trivandrum anymore. Pinnacle Fiat of Kochi have promised that their ASC would be up and running in less than 90 days, but that isn't done till it's done. So I'm taking them off the list, for now. I'm also replacing the Baleno Alpha with the Zeta, as the features on the Alpha don't seem to me to be worth the additional 82K premium over the Zeta.

So the new list is:

• Vitara Brezza ZDi (booked - Cerulean Blue - Rs. 21K)
• Baleno DDIS Zeta (booked - Urban Blue - Rs. 11K)
• Elite i20 Asta CRDi
• Jazz V Diesel
• Ecosport Trend+ TDCi (booked in White for token amount of 1000/- on a whim)
• S-Cross Delta 1.3
• Verna 1.4 CRDi
• Zest XT/XTA
• Aspire Titanium+
• Ciaz VDi(o)

Originally Posted by AYP

If you are keen on a sedan, then I think that the Ciaz is the best option...And you get quite a lot in the plus variant over the normal one.

My budget is extremely stretched as it is, and if the VDi model of the Brezza were a bit better equipped, I wouldn't be stretching it this far. I'm counting on any discounts and buying insurance from outside + NCB to reduce the costs a bit. I'm eligible for corporate discounts and can also save a bit on finance as I work at a bank.

The Jazz is something that I'm yet to drive. If the engine is better than in the Amaze, and the V trim which doesn't seem to lack anything other than the touch screen navigation gets any discounts, I'd be tempted.

I had a look at the S-Cross Delta, and while it does come with audio system and steering controls, it doesn't have rear wash/wipe which even the Baleno offers in the second variant and upwards. It's an essential feature in such a big car, especially one that costs more than a million. I haven't test driven it though, as the dealership's TD vehicle will be here only tomorrow. They've promised me a TD of the 1.3. Incidentally the 1.6 is only available now on booking basis. All they have in stock are 1.3s. IMHO, the lower priced BRezza looks decidedly more premium. Perhaps a TD will prove me wrong.

Originally Posted by autorahul

Another car, which I forgot, and suits your requirements well is TUV300 in the mHawk100 variant. Its very spacious, and is more power has added the much needed grunt to the car, along with host of cool features.

I did TD the TUV, both the 100 and 80 versions. While I felt that the grunt was sufficient in the mHawk80 itself, especially in the city, what I couldn't stomach was the SUV like handling, and the rocking at low speeds on bad roads. I can't even imagine what going over a rumbler strip will be like. (Experienced TUV drivers probably don't brake for rumblers and speed bumps, I guess). I didn't shortlist it, mainly because my parents would find it hard to get into.

Originally Posted by anb

The most suitable car for you is Figo or Aspire diesel titanium +.

I need to TD the Aspire. I've arranged for a TD this week, and should be able to rate it better then. I did find it a bit too cozy inside, same as the ecosport.

Originally Posted by ampere

With the space requirement that you put, it has to be the S-Cross 1.3. But I dont think it may fit the budget. You may want to check on that.

The S-Cross Delta is 10.40 lacs OTR. They will give me a corporate discount of 10K, plus I can save an additional 15k on insurance. That brings it down to 10.15, which I might be able to manage. Next month might bring up some offers, so finger-S CROSS-ed.

Originally Posted by autorahul

Other cars, which you may want to consider

Ertiga Zdi+
It has a lot of features, but an unassuming exterior. What lies underneath is a very capable diesel engine, good ground clearance which will be a boon on the unpredictable Kerala roads.

The Ertiga ZDi+ is priced completely out of my reach even with the 13K cashback. Have to enquire about any other discounts. The VDi though seems to be reasonably well equipped and within reach. The question is, whether I need those extra seats or not.

Originally Posted by longhorn

The Brezza with its under 4m length would not be the best suited for typical winding Kerala roads. The Suzuki SCross would be my pick unless limited by budget.

I don't really understand what you mean here. Wouldn't a shorter car be better for narrow roads and tight turns? Could you please elaborate?