What car? Need advice

Praveen79 · 10th August 2007, 14:52

Hi all,
I am looking to buy a new car for couple of months now. I have been pouring over the pages of this forum for two months but still couldn't come to a conclusion and so thought might as well ask your advice directly.

My main requirements are that:
1.) The car must seat alteast 4 adults comfortably (all quite tall). I myself 6 ft 2". Rear seat comfort is also quite important.

2.) I intend to use it to drive back to office (each day my office commute is 2-3 kms stop-go traffic, 12 kms highway) and use it as family car in weekends. I don’t intend to do long trips in the car - may be one or two 300 kms trip to Chennai each year.

3.) Fuel efficiency - since its mainly city driven, would want to have decent fuel efficiency.

4.) My budget is about 6.5 -7 lacs

5.) I intend to go abroad for few years in 2008 during which time car would be chauffeur driven for my parents. so would need something that’s low on maintenance/ownership cost as well.

I am a new driver so not very comfortable to go for large cars/SUVs. I had originally short listed tata indigo XL (classic). But could not get much opinion about the car as not many seem to own it. Another option was Renault Logan but problem is rear seat is broad but not long. Any other car I must consider?

Would greatly help if you all could advice.
regards,
Praveen

Zappo · 10th August 2007, 15:11

I would have happily suggested the Santro or the WagonR for you but then you seem to have a much bigger budget than these cars require. But then you want to travel in-city, want a good FE, not a big car or SUV (why were you looking at the XL then?)... uhuh...

If we forget that budget part for a while I think you seriously need either the Santro or the WagonR. It fits these requirements to a T
1 - Built for 4 tall people.
2 - Mainly meant for in-city travel.
3 - For stop-go type of traffic and just 14-15 km of daily travel these are two of the best cars.

Where these may not meet your requirements,

1 - Your budget is far higher. I think - this should not be a problem unless your budget is to get you a car in a different segment and has issues like snob value attached to it.

2 - Rear seat in a Santro is a bit jarring over rough roads, particularly at high speeds. I think - with your kind of travel (in-city, bumper to bumper traffic) that should not be a problem at all.

Otherwise of course you can look at the Fusion petrol which will cost the kind of money you want to spend will seat 4 tall people pretty well and in general is not very big either (to cause you any problems). However the FE may not be very great. Plus, being a Ford, its maintenance will work out costlier than a Maruti or Hyundai.

himanshugoswami · 10th August 2007, 15:13

if you do not want too much boot space, on car that would be ideal for you IMO is the Hyundai Getz 1.3.

If boot space is a crieteria, then you can look at the sx4 VXI in your budget. but you have to see if you are comfortable with its size.

Praveen79 · 10th August 2007, 15:19

Thanks Zappo! When i meant large car I was having cars/suvs like Innova or even SX4 in the mind. Being a new driver I wouldn't want to bit more than I could chew! :mg:

Lower price is always fine with me - for me the seating was highest priority. And next was FE & ease of driving. What is your opinion on Indigo XL (seem to be VFm with kind of features they r giving).

speedmiester · 10th August 2007, 15:19

As Zappo said since you are driving mainly within city. It would be good if you could go in for a hatchback. You could look at either Swift ZXI or Getz prime 1.3

gopz · 10th August 2007, 15:23

I too suggest the Getz Prime GLX

Praveen79 · 10th August 2007, 15:26

For me boot is nor a criteria...can do without one.

Himanshu - I also had Getz in mind but is the back seat comfort good?

BTW guys what's opinion on Indigo XL since its almost costs same as Getz? How come not many own it inspite of the VFM? I have seen 4-5 SX4s but only one XL so far on bangalore roads.

Zappo · 10th August 2007, 15:29

Praveen I would not suggest a new driver who is still to get his bearing a XL. Its a bit too longish and you may find yourself side-sweeping everything on your way at every turn. Also, for short in-city drives where the major constraint is space (for parking, manoeuvering around etc.) I do not think XL is a great choice unless you are chauffered around most of the times.

What you can do is that if you are not entirely happy with a B seg car you can look at the Getz 1.3 and the Fusion as well. Getz will meet all your requiements as well and will not be too big to cause problems either. However the FE will be around 10kmpl in city and will not be a very nippy car. If those two things are ok with you Getz is also a good candidate for you.

hormaz · 10th August 2007, 15:33

Hi Praveen,

Looking at your requirements, i would suggest you should go for the Logan Petrol, i did see you mentioned about it not being long, according to me its pretty much comfortable for you height,

If still you dont want to go for Logan then i think you should consider Aveo U-VA, low maintainence, good mileage, excellent for 4 people, as you mentioned that you are new in driving and dont want to go for large cars, this fits well.

Indigo XL is a good car too, but isn't that big for you.

Zappo · 10th August 2007, 15:35

Praveen why not many people own the XL has a reason in the theory of segmentation. It is a neither here nor there kind of positioning thats not making it hugely popular. It is fit for a top end C seg car in terms of feature, space etc. In fact it rivals most cars (from most segments) when it comes to space. It is an ideal car for the honchos who are driven around. But then those guys do want some exclusivity. A Tata does not bring up that. Moreover they would rather spend a good few lakhs more and buy a Honda or Corolla even if the space is lesser than a XL. The pricing is not big enough for such people to give the car an exclusivity.

And yet for those who want to spend that kind of money (Read - not with a huge budget) this is a tad too big. Not only to drive around as a personal car but also to park it anywhere. In fact parking it may be a problem in many of the basements of regular apartments as well. Also, I have this nagging suspicion that if someone sees me driving this huge barge around all alone, with my sunday dress of a chaddhi and t-shirt they may just take me in for the driver of the car or the mech may be.

So you see...

Dippy · 10th August 2007, 15:46

I second Zappo on his points. An XL would be too big for you. Why not the normal Indigo? In the hatches you could consider the Getz which has a decent back seat. Another suggestion would be the NHC Exi. Good FE and perfect for city driving and its a saloon too. Comfy at the rear considering it will be chauffeur driven later. This goes for the Indigo too.

Praveen79 · 10th August 2007, 16:04

Nice explanation Zappo!

Makes sense why XL doing so badly.

You would be suprised about what all cars I began with at first. Originally had no fixed budget (though coud'nt afford more than 10 lacs). First it was NHC but OTR in Bangalore is almost 9 lacs that too with no additional features! Then it was SX4 since it was brand new "boy" in town. But only when saw one on road realized it was way too big for a newbie. Besides the huge waiting period was dampener.

In small car segment, I had rule out Swift, Alto, Estem, Ikon etc cos I found it very difficult getting behind the wheels even with seat pulled fully back.

After some retrospection I have now decided not to spend more than 6.5 lacs on the car (not worth it) and also go for something I am more comfortable driving!

777 · 11th August 2007, 10:53

I think for your specific set of requirements, you shouldnt go over 5 lacs. You need rear space, comfort and mileage as the prime criteria. These would be met by Santro, UVA, or Getz Prime, and a Palio 1.6 Sport to th maximum. All these, especially the last 3 have considerable rear seat comfort and space, decent mileage figures and excellent for bumper-bumper traffic; minimum parking problem, good steerability, and wont go over 5 lacs on-road, for a decent enough version. And once after you complete some 5-6 years, you could well go for the sedans, if you feel so, and also for the newer versions that would be available at that time. These would fetch decent resale values too. Its always better to start your driving in below 5 lacs', for many reasons.

Nimz · 11th August 2007, 15:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Praveen79

Hi all,
I am looking to buy a new car for couple of months now. I have been pouring over the pages of this forum for two months but still couldn't come to a conclusion and so thought might as well ask your advice directly.

My main requirements are that:
1.) The car must seat alteast 4 adults comfortably (all quite tall). I myself 6 ft 2". Rear seat comfort is also quite important.

2.) I intend to use it to drive back to office (each day my office commute is 2-3 kms stop-go traffic, 12 kms highway) and use it as family car in weekends. I don’t intend to do long trips in the car - may be one or two 300 kms trip to Chennai each year.

3.) Fuel efficiency - since its mainly city driven, would want to have decent fuel efficiency.

4.) My budget is about 6.5 -7 lacs

5.) I intend to go abroad for few years in 2008 during which time car would be chauffeur driven for my parents. so would need something that’s low on maintenance/ownership cost as well.

I am a new driver so not very comfortable to go for large cars/SUVs. I had originally short listed tata indigo XL (classic). But could not get much opinion about the car as not many seem to own it. Another option was Renault Logan but problem is rear seat is broad but not long. Any other car I must consider?

Would greatly help if you all could advice.
regards,
Praveen

Given your requirements I feel the UVA would be great. You can go for the top end with tilting steerting et al.
Its big on space and ride comfort as well.
Mileage is decent.
Will fit in ur budget
ANd GM is going all out to woo the Indian customer so you can expect good A.S.S.

COns would be its exactly not a highway star and not very peppy.. but as a good family car it will do.

Nimz
Nice looking car.. no one will mistake it for a taxi.

rajneeesh · 11th August 2007, 19:59

Praveen,

You could look at the following cars:

1) Aveo 1.4 . Good interiors and looks . Great for being drivn around in. Has decent cabin and luggage space .
2) Fiesta 1.4 if you can do with slightly dull interiors but want a car that is fun to drive.
3) Uva would save you money to buy . The boot is a bit limited, the interiors a bit dull but lots of room in there.

These cars should make for a good city car.

10th August 2007, 14:52	#1
Praveen79 Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 14 Thanked: 0 Times	What car? Need advice Hi all, I am looking to buy a new car for couple of months now. I have been pouring over the pages of this forum for two months but still couldn't come to a conclusion and so thought might as well ask your advice directly. My main requirements are that: 1.) The car must seat alteast 4 adults comfortably (all quite tall). I myself 6 ft 2". Rear seat comfort is also quite important. 2.) I intend to use it to drive back to office (each day my office commute is 2-3 kms stop-go traffic, 12 kms highway) and use it as family car in weekends. I don’t intend to do long trips in the car - may be one or two 300 kms trip to Chennai each year. 3.) Fuel efficiency - since its mainly city driven, would want to have decent fuel efficiency. 4.) My budget is about 6.5 -7 lacs 5.) I intend to go abroad for few years in 2008 during which time car would be chauffeur driven for my parents. so would need something that’s low on maintenance/ownership cost as well. I am a new driver so not very comfortable to go for large cars/SUVs. I had originally short listed tata indigo XL (classic). But could not get much opinion about the car as not many seem to own it. Another option was Renault Logan but problem is rear seat is broad but not long. Any other car I must consider? Would greatly help if you all could advice. regards, Praveen
	() Thanks

10th August 2007, 15:11	#2
Zappo Team-BHP Support Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 5,922 Thanked: 2,699 Times	I would have happily suggested the Santro or the WagonR for you but then you seem to have a much bigger budget than these cars require. But then you want to travel in-city, want a good FE, not a big car or SUV (why were you looking at the XL then?)... uhuh... If we forget that budget part for a while I think you seriously need either the Santro or the WagonR. It fits these requirements to a T 1 - Built for 4 tall people. 2 - Mainly meant for in-city travel. 3 - For stop-go type of traffic and just 14-15 km of daily travel these are two of the best cars. Where these may not meet your requirements, 1 - Your budget is far higher. I think - this should not be a problem unless your budget is to get you a car in a different segment and has issues like snob value attached to it. 2 - Rear seat in a Santro is a bit jarring over rough roads, particularly at high speeds. I think - with your kind of travel (in-city, bumper to bumper traffic) that should not be a problem at all. Otherwise of course you can look at the Fusion petrol which will cost the kind of money you want to spend will seat 4 tall people pretty well and in general is not very big either (to cause you any problems). However the FE may not be very great. Plus, being a Ford, its maintenance will work out costlier than a Maruti or Hyundai.
	() Thanks

10th August 2007, 15:13	#3
himanshugoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: !!!! Posts: 2,303 Thanked: 2,619 Times	if you do not want too much boot space, on car that would be ideal for you IMO is the Hyundai Getz 1.3. If boot space is a crieteria, then you can look at the sx4 VXI in your budget. but you have to see if you are comfortable with its size.
	() Thanks

10th August 2007, 15:19	#4
Praveen79 Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 14 Thanked: 0 Times	Thanks Zappo! When i meant large car I was having cars/suvs like Innova or even SX4 in the mind. Being a new driver I wouldn't want to bit more than I could chew! :mg: Lower price is always fine with me - for me the seating was highest priority. And next was FE & ease of driving. What is your opinion on Indigo XL (seem to be VFm with kind of features they r giving).
	() Thanks

10th August 2007, 15:19	#5
speedmiester Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: bangalore Posts: 2,387 Thanked: 6,631 Times	As Zappo said since you are driving mainly within city. It would be good if you could go in for a hatchback. You could look at either Swift ZXI or Getz prime 1.3
	() Thanks

10th August 2007, 15:23	#6
gopz BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: India Posts: 452 Thanked: 6 Times View My Garage	I too suggest the Getz Prime GLX
	() Thanks

10th August 2007, 15:26	#7
Praveen79 Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 14 Thanked: 0 Times	For me boot is nor a criteria...can do without one. Himanshu - I also had Getz in mind but is the back seat comfort good? BTW guys what's opinion on Indigo XL since its almost costs same as Getz? How come not many own it inspite of the VFM? I have seen 4-5 SX4s but only one XL so far on bangalore roads. Last edited by Praveen79 : 10th August 2007 at 15:32.
	() Thanks

10th August 2007, 15:29	#8
Zappo Team-BHP Support Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 5,922 Thanked: 2,699 Times	Praveen I would not suggest a new driver who is still to get his bearing a XL. Its a bit too longish and you may find yourself side-sweeping everything on your way at every turn. Also, for short in-city drives where the major constraint is space (for parking, manoeuvering around etc.) I do not think XL is a great choice unless you are chauffered around most of the times. What you can do is that if you are not entirely happy with a B seg car you can look at the Getz 1.3 and the Fusion as well. Getz will meet all your requiements as well and will not be too big to cause problems either. However the FE will be around 10kmpl in city and will not be a very nippy car. If those two things are ok with you Getz is also a good candidate for you.
	() Thanks

10th August 2007, 15:33	#9
hormaz BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Bombay Posts: 103 Thanked: 2 Times View My Garage	Hi Praveen, Looking at your requirements, i would suggest you should go for the Logan Petrol, i did see you mentioned about it not being long, according to me its pretty much comfortable for you height, If still you dont want to go for Logan then i think you should consider Aveo U-VA, low maintainence, good mileage, excellent for 4 people, as you mentioned that you are new in driving and dont want to go for large cars, this fits well. Indigo XL is a good car too, but isn't that big for you.
	() Thanks

10th August 2007, 15:35	#10
Zappo Team-BHP Support Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 5,922 Thanked: 2,699 Times	Praveen why not many people own the XL has a reason in the theory of segmentation. It is a neither here nor there kind of positioning thats not making it hugely popular. It is fit for a top end C seg car in terms of feature, space etc. In fact it rivals most cars (from most segments) when it comes to space. It is an ideal car for the honchos who are driven around. But then those guys do want some exclusivity. A Tata does not bring up that. Moreover they would rather spend a good few lakhs more and buy a Honda or Corolla even if the space is lesser than a XL. The pricing is not big enough for such people to give the car an exclusivity. And yet for those who want to spend that kind of money (Read - not with a huge budget) this is a tad too big. Not only to drive around as a personal car but also to park it anywhere. In fact parking it may be a problem in many of the basements of regular apartments as well. Also, I have this nagging suspicion that if someone sees me driving this huge barge around all alone, with my sunday dress of a chaddhi and t-shirt they may just take me in for the driver of the car or the mech may be. So you see... Last edited by Zappo : 10th August 2007 at 16:57.
	() Thanks

10th August 2007, 15:46	#11
Dippy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai, India Posts: 7,561 Thanked: 2,469 Times	I second Zappo on his points. An XL would be too big for you. Why not the normal Indigo? In the hatches you could consider the Getz which has a decent back seat. Another suggestion would be the NHC Exi. Good FE and perfect for city driving and its a saloon too. Comfy at the rear considering it will be chauffeur driven later. This goes for the Indigo too.
	() Thanks

10th August 2007, 16:04	#12
Praveen79 Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 14 Thanked: 0 Times	Nice explanation Zappo! Makes sense why XL doing so badly. You would be suprised about what all cars I began with at first. Originally had no fixed budget (though coud'nt afford more than 10 lacs). First it was NHC but OTR in Bangalore is almost 9 lacs that too with no additional features! Then it was SX4 since it was brand new "boy" in town. But only when saw one on road realized it was way too big for a newbie. Besides the huge waiting period was dampener. In small car segment, I had rule out Swift, Alto, Estem, Ikon etc cos I found it very difficult getting behind the wheels even with seat pulled fully back. After some retrospection I have now decided not to spend more than 6.5 lacs on the car (not worth it) and also go for something I am more comfortable driving! Last edited by Zappo : 10th August 2007 at 16:54. Reason: Not more than 2 smilies per post please.
	() Thanks

11th August 2007, 10:53	#13
777 Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 13 Thanked: 0 Times	I think for your specific set of requirements, you shouldnt go over 5 lacs. You need rear space, comfort and mileage as the prime criteria. These would be met by Santro, UVA, or Getz Prime, and a Palio 1.6 Sport to th maximum. All these, especially the last 3 have considerable rear seat comfort and space, decent mileage figures and excellent for bumper-bumper traffic; minimum parking problem, good steerability, and wont go over 5 lacs on-road, for a decent enough version. And once after you complete some 5-6 years, you could well go for the sedans, if you feel so, and also for the newer versions that would be available at that time. These would fetch decent resale values too. Its always better to start your driving in below 5 lacs', for many reasons.
	() Thanks

11th August 2007, 19:59	#15
rajneeesh Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: noida Posts: 1,114 Thanked: 542 Times	Praveen, You could look at the following cars: 1) Aveo 1.4 . Good interiors and looks . Great for being drivn around in. Has decent cabin and luggage space . 2) Fiesta 1.4 if you can do with slightly dull interiors but want a car that is fun to drive. 3) Uva would save you money to buy . The boot is a bit limited, the interiors a bit dull but lots of room in there. These cars should make for a good city car.
	() Thanks