[gopinathann]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Even i wonder the same, even after having so many features and at such a VFM package why arent we seeing those many SX4's in the market? Is it just a hype or there is something wrong with the car?

I personally feel for you the choice should be an aveo as you mentioned that your a careful driver and will be using it mostly in the city. GM has launched the new aveo recently with the notchy gearbox problem completely resolved and some changes to the trim. Build wise the SX4 definetly looks stronger but then dont worry about the build quality so much, Aveo is not inferior in any way.

Plus the money that you will save will allow you to go for nice accesories in the aveo like alloy wheels, a good ICE set-up and anything else that you wish

Aveo was launched long ago, but I see more SX4 than Aveo.

[gopinathann]

Originally Posted by gokborki

Yes, I do plan to keep the car for quite a while.
Are you suggesting to go for SX4 based on the resale valure point of view?

When I planned to buy a sedan, I was offered 70k discount for Aveo but I still went for SX4. I get mileage around 12 in City with AC ON. Moreover Ford and GM cars doesn't have good resale value compared to Maruti cars. A 3 year-old Optra can be bought 40% less than its price, so the resale value is very less. In aveo it is difficult to drive in hot sun because the dashboard reflects the light.

[gopinathann]

I think you are lucky to get the car soon. I also bought from Khivraj, Mount road. Got the car after 2 months.

Originally Posted by Venkatesh.C

I recently(2 days back) got my SX4 delivered. I will just share my experiences on why i got this car.
I test drove every car in this segment barring the NHC (with my upper spending limit at 7L) over a standard test route involving
Smooth tarmac for a km and a construction route splattered with dried slush spills from tipper trucks and a stretch with series of small speed breakers, patched tarmac
Mind you i did not want to do slaloms or highway rides
Overall ratings
Best NVH characteristics : Ford Fiesta 1.4 EXI
Best city Suspension : Verna
Best overall suspension : SX4
Best Interiors : Aveo
Practical Seats: SX4 (minus the back seat central hump)
Best steering: Fiesta
Best Gear Shift: hmm.. all of them were pretty much OK. Only the aveo felt relatively rubbery
Best accelerations: Verna
Best Ride: SX4 (Feels very planted)
Best Mileage: Fiesta 1.4
Overall the most practical VFM package : SX4

Let me start from the bottom
1. Aveo: Lovely Beige interiors(Difficult to maintain). On road dynamics are not confidence inspiring. My sudden brake tests locked the wheels and the vehicle skidded for a good 15 meters (thankfully without the tail stepping out). I was quite shaken(The sudden brake tests went well on perfect tarmac.but then....) and that was the end of the interest in the car. Notwithstanding a 25k dealer discount + Stereo. The ride was smooth and the car soaked all bumps pretty well. Gear shift. nothing bothersome.
2. Verna : WHoopey.. what a powerful car. Power delivery is quite brilliant and you are in 70s and 80s before u even know it. NVH are good. Quirky reverse gear (next to 1st gear). Pretty low seating . Getting in and out is a pain. Otherwise sudden brake tests went brilliant (tail stepped out a bit though) and no wheel locks happened. - Hmm was shortlisted for the final list
3. Fusion: - Yuck.. a good car spoiled. The seats rattled and usable leg space was minimal and back seat comfort not good. Expensive spares made it no better. Deleted from the list. I still feel maybe they should have freed up more leg space in the front and back and shaved off a bit of the huge boot.
4. Logan - Yuck .. the looks are silly. Looks like a car from 70s. Why should i blow 6+ on a yucky looking car? But man, it drives pretty well and power delivery is good. and mechanicals are quite sound. But interiors have cost cutting written all over it.. exposed cables, quirkily placed switches, again... 6L is not cost cutting for me.. .so sayanora Logan
5. Fiesta: Again. whoopey.. what a brilliant car.. drives well, Ultra smooth, i was doing 85 in 2nd and the car did not even send vibrations thru the gas pedal/steering. totally insulated. in short brilliant NVH. Steering feedback is brilliant. It is a beauty. Reasonably priced too 6.5 for the 1.4L one. I loved this one. Minus point - Lower seating. Brakes were also brilliant with sound bite and good grip with lovely feedback. You are totally in sync with the vehicle it was like i was 'The One' who can 'See' the matrix
6. SX4 - You walk into the car. You walk out of the car. Being a santro and an alto owner (the two extremes) i know how much difference it makes to just walk in and out of the car. My elderly parents loved it. NVH not so good as the rest of the pack. i can feel the workings of the engine in my hand and foot. Both steering and gas pedal transmit enough to keep u informed about whats happening in the engine. The noise is not bothersome in the city though.Gear shift is lovely. Shocks are relatively hard on slower ride over ruts on the road. Ride them holes and speedbreakers thru at 15-20 + the shocks soak the bumps pretty well. As for the engine there was always power at reserve during my city test drive in any gear. At one point i was pottering around at 30 in the 4th gear the engine pulled without complaining. Low end torque also helps you drive around the ccity in 3rd gear in an u ltra quiet 1100 to 1500 Rpm. Big wheels helped the braking too.. and for a car of this height it did not get rattled or displaced when driven hard over potholes and gave a planted feel. It gave me best confidence next to fiesta.. I loved the gizmos. in-dash stereo was stunning.. i read the mileage might be a bit lesser but it i went for it for the practicality of hte cabin.
Least but no the last. I was called for follow up only by 2 of the dealers . 1 was Maruti and the 2nd was Hyundai. rest of the pack does not seem to care.
The buying experience itself was like never before . I still find it difficult to believe that the dealer kept his promise with unbelievable punctuality as well.
The payment was made on saturday and he promised the car on Monday evening at 6. He called me at 6 to say that the car was ready. I was frankly shocked for i was used to dealers delaying deliveries by days and weeks. Both my santro and alto were delivered 1 week later from the promised date. Oh boy! times have changed eh?
Kudos to Khivraj motors chennai. the best point was when I went to collect the car, he ahd even finished putting in a whole list of accesories i had asked for. Does this happen all the time for all deliveries? Or I just got plain lucky? G.O.K

Maybe I would have been happier with fiesta but my family would have grumbled every time they got in and out.
and that is my story.

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by gokborki

I have seen a few posts but there have not been many replies, hence starting this thread again.
Could you help me in choosing between the SX4 and Chevy Aveo?
Many questions are unanswered in my mind like:
1. SX4 has airbags and ABS, but are they really required? My highway driving and driving at high speeds (mainly inside city) are very limited.
2. How does the build quality of Maruti compare with Chevy? I have heard many complaints about rattling in Maruti cars (especially swift).
3. Engines - Sx4 has a new series engine while Aveo has effectively an older Daewoo engine. Which is better?
4. which is more Value For Money?

I test drove the SX4 and found the steering to be very springy. Does not feel like true power steering. Any comments on this?

Thanks

Sx4 not coz i have a maruti product, but for the addtional goodies you are getting, esp Air Bag & ABS

[Venkatesh.C]

the difference is that you went in for a zxi and i went in for a vxi (remember my budget was a upper limit of 7L). VXi is available off the shelf.

[Venkatesh.C]

EPS can never equal tthe feel of a hydraulic steering. EPS' are vague at best. Springy, spongy, too light, removed from the ground.. we can give it a dozen other names.. but thats what it is. SX4's damping thankfully reduces as speeds build up improving feedback to some extent. Otherwise, it is not as involving to drive as ..say a Fiesta..

[rajneeesh]

Aveo 1.4 may be a good car but if you can afford it the SX4 ZXI makes more sense. ABS and Airbags are not just for Hi Speeds. I have my doubts if the Airbags will be of much help in a head on collision at 80KMPH plus speeds. At those high speeds the cars no matrer what the safety features usually get wrecked completely. ABS can prevent accidentsat all speeds specially when the roads are wet and slippery due to the muck.

Moreover SX4 will hold on to its value better. My friend got just got Rs 1.55 L for his 3 year old Cors that had don only 35 K KM where as he had spent over 5 lacs on buying it. The Optra which is a good car does not command a very good resale value either. Lastly GM internationalyy does not have a very strong reputation for quality /engineering. Japanese brands like Honda, Toyota, Nissan beat them in almost every market.

Maruti offers most of these benefits in India at a good price.

Still in case you are considering an Aveo, the 1.4 makes more sense than the 1.6 as the difference in performance is negligible and you pay much higher price for the 1.6.

Originally Posted by breezydrive

In may this year, both SX4 & Aveo were bought by two office colleagues of mine.
Both the guys are happy with their cars & have driven 4500 - 5000 kms.But i find AVEO guy more satisfied. Ocassionally,the guy with SX4 thinks about NHC due to FE issues. I have driven both the cars, my opinion :

AVEO wins : comfort, better interiors , FE , lesser cabin noise

SX4 wins : in handling, top speed

which model does he have in aveo.. is it 1.4 or 1.6.. ?

[Sagittarian]

I have contemplated buying an SX4 before I settled for an Aveo 1.4. In fact, I took a test drive also on SX4. It is good car indeed, commanding road presence, quiet engine, wonderful brake...but a few other things really put me off. I (so did my wife) felt it was more of an executive car (you know what I mean)..one you can drive to your office, but not one in which you can carry your family (mother in law included) around. The central spine buster in the rear seat and the high rear section (impairs rear visibility) were not its strong points. Added to that a cost difference of >1 L. Aveo won my heart with its enchanting looks, super quiet engine and solid build quality. Believe me, both cars feel a bit sluggish in early gears, but I guess that's how their electronic controls are designed to perform. With SX4 you have peace of mind (large network) but in the other case you are in unchartered waters (I guess GM is doing extra work to overcome that). FE would be roughly the same for both (14-15 outside city with A/C off and you keep the needle below 90-95). One good thing I find with Chevy is that you can drive on 5th gear at 35 without the engine knocking (though did not check that on SX4). My suggestion is don't shy away from Chevy because of reports of gear, power problems - they are history. Take a TD and buy it if you like and spend the left out 1.5 L on your wife/girlfriend. She will love the car as much as you do!