[rajshenoy]

This is for my Father in law who lives in the coastal area(Near mangalore)

Let me tell something about his driving first

Well, the man is 60+ but he is of type "18 till i die" he always liked good old M800 and currently he is planning to replace this with a bigger car.

About his driving style, well, i have never seen him drive below 80 in his 800. he definitely has F1 genes.

About the requirements:

1. Usage will be around 1500kms per month.

2. My wife is pushing him to keep a driver(he wont listen though). so basically a chauffeur driven car, occasionally driven by himself(60+)

3. He is somehow inclined towards diesel


So with above requirements, can you suggest some good car which will suit him?

I can think of Tata indigo. as i have heard its one of the best when it comes to being chauffeur driven.

other options for him are, SX4(lucky driver!!),Ford fiesta and verna.(i dont know if they have Chevy in their area)

Any other suggestions?

I suggested Swift VDI as well, but i dont know about the back side ride of Swift.

the terrain we drive is slightly hilly

so guys, please help me out in choosing a car for my FIL.

Thanks

raj

[rajshenoy]

Forgot to include Ford Fusion diesel. any idea abt this baby?

From this forum i came to know abt Fusion coming with 1.4 TDCi of fiesta

[goldie_malhotra]

Hmmm - as I see, your requirements are

- Diesel? 1500 kms/m should warrant a petrol
- 6-7L
- Mostly chaffeur, but it should be driver-oriented enough for your FIL.

I think diesel sedans like Fiesta and Verna would be beyond budget anyways. Though the lowest model of the Fiesta which does creep into budget, it's no fun to drive.

I would suggest him to stick to Swift Vdi - great to drive, excellent A/S/S from Maruti, superb mileage, and has a good ride over bad surfaces, its rally suspension is of good help.

Downsides could be cramped rear - so make sure the driver is vey short - should have no issues then.

If he wants a petrol, the SX4 should be it. Dont count on Ford/GM A/S/S in remote areas.

PS - Fusion with that weak 1.4 mill would be no fun either. forget it.

[dadu]

6-7 lakh with a decent diesel engine should be a tough one specially if you are looking at a saloon and in small cars the options are limited, although 1500 km/M is good enough for a Deisi.

[RX135]

How about Dicor or TDi Indigo?

- It will be good as chauffeur driven vehicle with ample space and excellent ride.
- It is diesel, so he saves on Fuel costs too.
- It may not be scorcher, but still you get diesel torque in hills and it will always be decent upgrade to 800.

I would rule out VDi for want of space in rear seat. Swift is more of driver's car than chauffeur driven car.

Have you considered Maruti Esteem and Ford Ikon Flair?

[rajshenoy]

I know 6-7 is tough..thats why i mentioned the word TATA in it.

I have heard the rear seat comfort is one of the best in indigo.
Since he is 60+ even if he wishes, very soon he has to give the keys to the driver..so i am not too keen on a driver oriented car(but car should be drivable )

Swift is very well in his budget. and VDI is great drivers car. but how good/bad is the rear seat comfort?

[benbsb29]

@ raj : The Indigo would be a good bet if he was looking at diesel, and rear seat comfort. Since the fun to drive factor is essential here, i think the chances for the car go down.

Other possible choices here would be the SX4 VXi (not sure if it would fit at 7lakhs on road), and you could also check out the Ikon Flair as suggested. I have provided quite some info on the same on Sivadas's thread.

[rahul_intlad]

I too second the tata indigo,the rear seat is very very spacious and comfortable.

Between the dicor and the tdi did not really feel any difference[significant],so cant really point out which is the better one but I was in a similar predicament a while back and we opted for the TDi version.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by rahul_intlad

I too second the tata indigo,the rear seat is very very spacious and comfortable.

Between the dicor and the tdi did not really feel any difference[significant],so cant really point out which is the better one but I was in a similar predicament a while back and we opted for the TDi version.

So how do you like this car?

I dont think FIL will drive often(though he wants to) so it will be the driver who will be driving it the most.

But then, it should be too much for a 60+ guy who has driven M800 his entire life.(he had some 4 M800s)

Since he mentioned Diesel, i can think of only Indigo LX and Swift VDI

[Sush]

Hi rajshenoy,

The rear seat of Swift is not something that you would like much to be in.

I would advice that whatever car (diesel or petrol) your FIL buys should atleast have a decent leg room in the rear.

In your case, Indigo dicor does seem like a good option.

[tsk1979]

Indigo DICOR has decent performance, nothing earth shattering but will do your 0-100 in around 16 odd seconds.
I would recommend the Swift VDi, but he will be using back seat. So that option is out.
In 6-7 lakh range diesel car, indigo DICOR makes the most sense. Test drive the TDi also, its more value for money than DICOR, but DICOR is definitely quieter and has better low end drivability.
If its going to be chauffeur driven 90% if the time then the DICOR XL is perfect. Leg room is so much that you have to see it to believe it. You can stretch your legs like in a living room and arguably, this is the best back seat in business in anything below 10L(maybe even above that).
But such a long car is no drivers paradise.

[rahul_intlad]

Its really speaking a brand new car[the thread posted earlier about friend requiring a car],so absolutely no problems till now.Mileage so far is around 13kmpl in city, on the highways getting 18[expected to improve after servicing].

The ac is fantastic.If it's going to be a chauffeur driven car then this car suits the bill perfectly.Love the way it handles bad roads.The boot space is another plus point.Dont think your FIL will have any problem adjusting to the indigo[clutch is really smooth as well],yes the engine is not as refined as the swift and definitely nosier if that matters to you.

However think tanveer's post sums it up best,check it out:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/423425-post15.html

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Indigo DICOR has decent performance, nothing earth shattering but will do your 0-100 in around 16 odd seconds.
I would recommend the Swift VDi, but he will be using back seat. So that option is out.
In 6-7 lakh range diesel car, indigo DICOR makes the most sense. Test drive the TDi also, its more value for money than DICOR, but DICOR is definitely quieter and has better low end drivability.
If its going to be chauffeur driven 90% if the time then the DICOR XL is perfect. Leg room is so much that you have to see it to believe it. You can stretch your legs like in a living room and arguably, this is the best back seat in business in anything below 10L(maybe even above that).
But such a long car is no drivers paradise.

Thanks alot..but dont you think Indigo XL will be way over his budget?

i dont know the performance difference between Indigo TDI and indigo Dicor.

but on paper, it sounds so similar...so why not save some money?

[tsk1979]

You said 6-7 lakh, I guess the Indigo XL classic is within budget, atleast in Delhi. Don't know how much they charge in Bangalore, but you can get nice discounts on the Indigo if you bargain hard.

[gopz]

My vote goes for SX4 - stretch your budget