[determinus]

I searched the threads here for this info but couldnt find. If there is a thread, do PM me the pointer. Else, here goes:

A friend is finally looking for an upgrade in the 8-10L range. He has an 8 year old Santro that has seen 3 states and 1.3 lac km, that should give a good idea about him as well as the car he is looking for -- should last really l-o-n-g, good service and cost of running is of highest priority and since spending above 8L, comfort and space as well. Not a gizmo lover, has a family of 4, frequents highways and lives in Trivandrum (if that helps to choose the right manu/ dealer).

Since he is a very satisfied Hyundai customer, with Elantra out of the picture, he is keen on a Verna CRDi. Some other names I suggested were Fiesta and Magnum, but they are not very easy to upkeep beyond the 5 year line. He seems to be looking towards the East for the right diesel car that will stay with him for some years to come. Can anyone offer some help?

[burnt.]

Verna crdi seems to be a good option for him. It has enough space and is comfortable. And Hyundai A.S.S is pretty good here in trivandrum.

With Fiesta, it might not be as spacious as the Verna, but is more refined. But, A.S.S may not be as good as Hyundai and will most probably be more expensive as well (as per my friend who owns a Fiesta here.)

[rider60]

why not look at the getz crdi vgt!, its a proven engine!, the spares of the car will definitely be available for the next 8-9years at least!, its a hyundai so the *** costs wouldnt be sky high at least!

has good FE figures good room, and very good highway cruising abilities!

well the top model diesel with ABS soon to come will be worth buying!,
say the current diesel base version is like 6.5lac on road approx, so the top one with ABS should be like around 7lacs!
and the rest can be put in to the alloys and atleast 195/60-R15 size rubber and alloys i mean any suitable spec with atleast 195 width!, for the monster of the engine certainly demands this! and the rest can be used for the car's ICE!
if your friend doesnot like the idea of hatch back then do go in for the verna top model with ABS! at least right now i dont see any thing close than these for the kind of requirement desired!

see if you are looking for the FAbia diesel let me warn you the *** will cost you a bomb!, as they use only very high quality stuff like fully synthetic oils green filters etc! so every service will cost a bomb in comparison! to the hyundai counter parts! and the car is only 68bhp too less powerful than a swift DDIS(75bhp)!
take my word for the ford in India, they are as costly as the SKODAS! i mean the spares!, the chevy magnum is a good bet, but like you already said it yourself it holds good for only 5 yrs! for the poor brand image here!
also waiting for the suzuki swift ZDI top model to come might still pay off if it is as good as it is expected to be!

[shuvc]

For peace of mind, he probably needs to stick to Hyundai/Maruti.
So Verna CRDI or if he can hang on for some time, SX4 DDIS or if he doesn't mind the looks Swift sedan DDIS. Both Maruti's should be launched this year?

[burnt.]

Originally Posted by rider60

why not look at the getz crdi vgt!, its a proven engine!, the spares of the car will definitely be available for the next 8-9years at least!, its a hyundai so the *** costs wouldnt be sky high at least!

If he is planning to buy it here at Trivandrum, the Getz crdi is not yet launched here. When inquired about it, the dealers have no idea when it will be launched and they are not accepting bookings.

[rider60]

Originally Posted by burnt.

If he is planning to buy it here at Trivandrum, the Getz crdi is not yet launched here. When inquired about it, the dealers have no idea when it will be launched and they are not accepting bookings.

the getz has not yet been nationally launched!, its has not yet been launched in Hyderabad either, but the bookings are open at a few places, and is out to be delivered in the first quarter of 2008, its launched in places like chennai and others so should be launched every where else too soon!

its a better VFM over its competition is what i feel personally! and with ABS option its makes a very very good car at that price for that kind of power, FE and VFM A.S.S.! so the wait is going to be every bit worth the time and the money!

[burnt.]

Originally Posted by rider60

the getz has not yet been nationally launched!, its has not yet been launched in Hyderabad either, but the bookings are open at a few places, and is out to be delivered in the first quarter of 2008, its launched in places like chennai and others so should be launched every where else too soon!

Yup, I agree with all that, but unfortunately the car is not available in Trivandrum. Both dealers are not prepared to give dates as to when the car will be available and both are as of now, not taking bookings.

[rider60]

well for starters look at my avatar pic its a accent viva crdi, i put in all the abuse and it still holds its head high, and never let me down!,
after all the abuse till date its exactly 2days short for it to be two years old!
and already 34K Kms odd on the odo!, and i have never paid more than 2500 for a regular service! and only twice i paid 4000 bucks, once for all the oils change the gear, break, the coolant and the engine! and other time had to get the brake pads changed and the rims staightened with balancing!, thats all never did i pay more so this should give you a good idea and a good reason to wait for getz crdi and buy it!

[rider60]

Originally Posted by burnt.

Yup, I agree with all that, but unfortunately the car is not available in Trivandrum. Both dealers are not prepared to give dates as to when the car will be available and both are as of now, not taking bookings.

dude please go meet the GM of the dealership personally and ask him for the dates!, please show that you are a genuinely interested customer, tell him that its already been launched in other places and ask him for the waiting period for the booking and the launch too, shouldnt be more than 2 months from now, AFAIK for its already overdue!

[kuttapan]

INNOVA or OCTAVIA...Price maybe a little higher than your budget, but these should be really long lasting ones.

[Akshay1234]

you mention comfort and space. why not the innova?

[jkdas]

Originally Posted by kuttapan

INNOVA or OCTAVIA...Price maybe a little higher than your budget, but these should be really long lasting ones.

A person who is used to the amount he has paid for a Hyundai/Suzuki service will find it too much when he pays for Skoda/Toyota service; this applies to first time buyers like in this case.

Verna CRDi is a good buy. Would have suggested Innova but for the about said reason...

Also, he will get a loyalty bonus if he buys another Hyundai.

Wont suggest Getz as he can go till 10lac and hence a bigger SEDAN.

How about Ford Fusion TDci?

[khanak]

I remember reading somewhere that the Getz D handles better than the Verna D, Has anybody driven both cars?

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by jkdas

Wont suggest Getz as he can go till 10lac and hence a bigger SEDAN.How about Ford Fusion TDci?

So, Fusion is a sedan now?

Its just another overpriced hatch, IMO! Fiesta offers a better deal, and Verna seems the most sensible option.

However, both Fiesta and Verna sales are steadily falling (See the sales figures thread). Not exactly sure of the reason though!

Originally Posted by khanak

I remember reading somewhere that the Getz D handles better than the Verna D, Has anybody driven both cars?

I think BUSA has stated that in a report.

[determinus]

Innova does look like a brilliant option that we missed. Very practical, though it is a bit big for city -- but can be an advantage as his extended family is quite large. And I have heard that Innova is pretty stable on the highways. Reliability is well known of, and notwithstanding the service costs in comparison to Hyundai, it is a good option to think of. Thanks.

Verna seems to be getting all the votes. Which is what he started off with. How about the comfort and quality of the build in Verna? I vaguely remember Sam ditching the Verna within a few months due to some reason (not sure exactly what happened though). It may be an odd case, but the candidate has to be trouble free. Can someone fill up on that incident?

Among other options discussed here, Getz and Fusion were ruled out as hatchbacks. He needs the boot, or a large cargo space. He also gave Fabia a thought, but Skoda's (ill)reputation on upkeep costs has curbed his enthusiasm.

So is it Verna CRDi vs Innova? Which model in Innova? What's the landing cost of each in TVM? Can JK or someone advice?