[spanner777]

I am in the market for a new car now and I find the base model of the xcent a value for money option. It has ABS, though it misses the airbag, has the Hyundai fit and finish, though the service cost would be on a higher side. I already have the 15'' alloys in mind and I know what is the audio set up I want (certainly not the OEM one)

Another option would be the zestXM which also has ABS. I have had a pleasant experience with the v2 indica 15 years back. But back then what we expected from a diesel car was also much different. I am apprehensive about the service reach, as I see a lot of Tata dealerships getting closed or ramping down the operations.

[Revy]

My vote was for Aspire, may be I'm biased as I own a Figo TDCi :-)
I love the handling and steering of my Figo and Aspire has added extra power, which I always wished in Figo. Read in the test drive for Aspire that Handling and steering feedback is not at same level of Figo, still I hope Ford would be much better in these departments than many of the competitors in this segment.

[NiInJa]

I haven't driven any of the above except Amaze, so my vote was based purely on knowledge. It was a tough call between Aspire and Zest. One of the biggest reasons for voting Aspire was the safety aspect. If Zest were to offer airbags as standard, I would have not voted because it would be very difficult then

Going by the reviews of petrol versions, I 'think' Zest might be better than the Aspire. Will be happy if one of our experts does a back to back comparison !

[girimajiananth]

I want safety features from Aspire, other creature comforts and looks from zest , FE from honda amaze and the service of Maruthi. This is quite a tough decision. If I were to buy a sedan , I will be really confused.

[nijelj]

Had Voted for the Zest, because
1. Partiality : I'm a Tata Fan boy

2. Luck : Haven't burned our fingers yet on Tata products which started in 1992 (experience from 3 tata estates, 2 indica's, 1 nano and 1 zest).Touch wood. Of course I had issues, but it was solved to my satisfaction. Though, I can't say the same about my Brother-in-laws Safari niggles and his resulting A.S.S experience. But then I do not know how other SUV's compare.

3. VFM : I feel the Value for Money that the Zest offers which seems to be matched only by the Aspire (for now) . I haven't done a drill down of all the features, but whenever I read about a feature offered on a particular vehicle in this segment, I'm able to see that it is already offered by the Zest at a lower price point. Noted feature exception is height adjustable front Seat belts and the rear cooling vents.

4. Looks and uniqueness : I parked my vehicle recently in my company parking and was not able to resist looking at it while I walked away. I nowadays wake up early to go to office, so that I can take the Zest, just so that I can see how she stands out amongst the other riff-raff.

A problem here is that I do not have much experience with actually using other brands (Dzire, Amaze,Xcent, Aspire) but when I get a chance to sit in one, I readily find faults in it. For example I had travelled in a relatives DZire and immediately felt the space crunch. Another time I got to ride in an Amaze and it felt like I was riding in a open car. I could feel the road noise through the the windows and the AC.I haven't sat in an Xcent or an Aspire yet, but I'm sure my partiality to Tata would find an excuse to deride something. I can already think of , Xcent = overpriced and Aspire = Gimmicks i.e Price is low now, but what about 6 months later? also Airbags on a car without ABS? Pfft.

Another problem is Denial. Whenever I face an issue with my lovelies, I say to myself, TASS will take care of it (and they have), other brands most probably will have it too. Then I head to the internet and read horror stories of other cars, to feel smug.

Do other car owners go through the same problems? It happens to new parents universally (The 'my kid is the cutest' phenomenon) so it is not inconceivable that car owners feel the same way.

Regardless, I still don't think that I've voted with only my heart and not with my mind. It is difficult to find a product that pleases the heart and mind at the same time, in the Nano and the Zest, I've found that.

[BlackPearl]

I have voted for the Zest because -
1. The place where I stay gets water logged frequently and there are quite few bumpers. The owner of an Amaze in our compound is fed up with the GC of the Amaze as it scrapes those bumps when loaded and also due to some problem with the engine after going through water. The car was in the workshop for more than 3 weeks. The Zest is much better in this regard.
2. I don't like the looks of the Dzire and the Xcent.
3. Aspire is a very close competitor and looks better than Zest, but overall as a package I think it is hard to beat the Zest.
My friend has got one of the first Zests in Kolkata and he is so happy that he got another one for his family. He has done several long distance trips with the Zest, even to the remote North East, and has not faced a single issue till date.

[ashishmathur14]

Ford Aspire takes my vote.

Always been a Ford fan since my Figo ownership.
Zest comes next for me, When the zest was launched i expected it to do well, with a good build quality, space and features. Unfortunately in a Dezire driven country its tough to make your space. Hope Aspire does that for Ford.

[jowes]

I have voted for Aspire. I am now an owner too of the Petrol Titanium+ version. It was a tough call between Zest XT and Aspire Titanium+. In the end it was the practicality that mattered. From build and engine wise Zest will easily beat Aspire. I was ready to compromise slightly on the build for other practical features in Titanium+

1. Speed Limit setting, Seat belt warning
2. Lots of cup holders in the front
3. Better designed boot except for the visible bare metal
4. Better looks

[rohitnp]

Close call between Aspire and Zest. I have good experiences with multiple Tata vehicles and can see they are much more VFM and quite practical IMHO even with little niggles and irritations. But seeing the Aspire in flesh I'm just vowed by the design! Had a fiesta before and handling was superb. But the reviews say the Aspire doesn't drive like a Ford. Yet... I think I'll go for the Aspire just for the front grille.

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by spanner777

I am in the market for a new car now and I find the base model of the xcent a value for money option. It has ABS, though it misses the airbag, has the Hyundai fit and finish, though the service cost would be on a higher side. I already have the 15'' alloys in mind and I know what is the audio set up I want (certainly not the OEM one)

Another option would be the zestXM which also has ABS. I have had a pleasant experience with the v2 indica 15 years back. But back then what we expected from a diesel car was also much different. I am apprehensive about the service reach, as I see a lot of Tata dealerships getting closed or ramping down the operations.

Try to get a version with airbags at all cost. Safety is more important than alloys and music system upgrades that you are planning.

[carbhaari]

I voted Tata Zest just because of the Quadrajet offering. Although Aspire has powerful diesel engine, Fiat sourced engines are the ones on which India runs.

Yeah Tata A.S.S. is still debatable topic but IMHO they are making efforts with improved product quality and on right path for services improvement.
In city like Pune, if you're not satisfied with one dealer, there's always an option of checking with other dealer.
Besides, if you buy Gold AMC for around 8.5K, there is no need to spend any rupee further on servicing of the car for three years. Not even Oil change. (I think only wheel Balacing weights are charged) So I believe Zest is worth spending money for as Zest is VFM car. XMS variant is worth every penny.

Second choice would surely be Aspire for it's 1.5 L diesel engine. 6 airbags is segment first and good to see Americans giving importance to safety in sub 4m segment.

[arunmichael]

My vote goes for Honda Amaze. Almost zero lag making it an ideal candidate for city rides. Spacious interiors which can accommodate 3 at the rear. Powerful midrange making highway cruising a breeze. Superb stability at triple digit speeds and still returning 21+ kmpl at those speeds (with 100% ac).

[raka1987]

From all the options, my choice will be Tata Zest. Really an honest try by Tata to reclaim the market with VFM options. It's sad to see so less sales number in the monthly sales chart for such a car.

Ford Figo aspire has really given "food for thought" to Maruti Suzuki. They really need to pull up their socks as competition is gearing up.

[Hickstead]

I have voted for Honda Amaze. I have been using petrol Amaze happily from almost two years. Luckily, I had good experiences with my dealership, "Pride Honda" Hyderabad till now. I have short listed Xcent and Amaze initially as Aspire was not there in market at that time and Zest was a new entry into market. Interior space was our major criteria which pushed us towards Amaze.
As I am a sedate driver, got habituated to the low end torque of i-vtec quickly.

[BoeingDriver]

I intend to purchase a vehicle with prime purpose of commercial usage (OLA/UBER) . Am confused between Zest or Indigo. Personally I found the Zest to be refreshing in looks and needless to say the quad engine. But I am not sure if it would match Indigo in terms of Commercial Viability. Any opinion is highly appreciated.