[Technocrat]

Hi Guys,

A friend of mine needs to buy a car, the following are the things that she has in mind

1) It should be a new one
2) Budget arnd 8 Lacs
3) Car Type - mid size but even an SUV will do

As of now i can only think of followin but am not too sure abt the prices (she's in mumbai)

1) Honda City (which one ??)
2) Baleno
3) Safari (will it come under 8 ??)
4) Accent (which model wud be gud)
5) Ikon( but i think its way below budget)
6) Lancer (again donno which model will come in this price)
7) Optra ( i think the lowest priced model may come under this)
8) Petra (TBHP favorite )

Pls lemme know & also add if i have missed on any model.

Thx

Techno

[Shan2nu]

Considering that your friend doesn't mind an SUV, it's clear that he's looking for a car with good performance, FE and loads of space.

On those terms i'd suggest one off these :
1. Petra
2. NHC
3. Ford Fusion
4. Baleno "Altura" - if it's still being sold.
5. Optra - better if it's the 1.6. Good power and better FE than the 1.8.
6. Accent/Viva CRdi - not much space here, but very good FE and a refined engine ( as per diesel standards).


The ones i didn't choose :

Ikon - it's fun to drive but too compact.

Lancer - for what joy? It's an old design, it's under powered for it's size and weight and it's FE is nothing to boast about.

City1.5 / Vtec - surely not the kinda car your friend would want to be driving. It lacks bottom end torque, which requires regular gear shifts in heavy traffic. Like the Lancer, it's an old design with minimal in cabin space. FE is good, but unless you seek performance, this car is better left alone. Plus, you wont find a single new car (which is important to your friend).

Verdict - Ford Fusion and the NHC seem to be the best options here. They're both new designs, the fusion has more space while the NHC has better FE. I'd say depending on your friends needs he should choose one off these.

If he wants loads of space, then the Fusion. But if he wants a car with great FE and good performance the NHC, no doubts about it.

Shan2nu

[Technocrat]

thx for the input, I dont think she (yeah not he ) will go for a diesel

Even i suggested her an NHC

btw why have u suggested a Honda City separately, is it still available ?? i mean she's lookin for a new car not a preowned one

Howz the Optra 1.6 i mean the performance & the price??

[Shan2nu]

btw why have u suggested a Honda City separately, is it still available ?? i mean she's lookin for a new car not a preowned one

Nah, that was on the "What i didn't choose" list. The Old City was more of a performance toy, "playstation on wheels", the new one......... has everything you would want from a car.

For city driving the NHC is way easier to drive than the Old ones. That steering is sooooo smooth.

And don't let that 77 bhp engine faze you away from it. What it loses in terms of outright power, it pretty well makes up for, with it's amazing drag coefficient of less than .30.

Compare it's 1/4 mile, 0-150 or standing Km times with those of it's nearest competitors and you'll find that this car can not only stay with the bunch but also outperform a few.

Shan2nu

[GTO]

Technocrat,

I would suggest only two for the lady driver

Choice no.1 Chevy Optra 1.6. Fits well in the 8 lac budget
Choice no.2 New Honda City

You cant go wrong with either of them.

Heres a Comparo between the Optra 1.6 and the New Honda City.

You and your friend can check it out.

GTO

[Shan2nu]

Howz the Optra 1.6 i mean the performance & the price??

i guess the Optra 1.6 has around 103 bhp. That'll still translate to good performance, on par with the others (100 comes up in 13.10 secs, top speed - 177kmph). But it's the handling of the Optra, which makes it such a good car to drive.

In B'Bay the Optra 1.6 should cost you around 8.4 lakhs 'x-showroom'.

Shan2nu

[Technocrat]

Thx guys i have passed on ur suggestions to her. lets c, as abt driving i think it wud be her hubby who wud be driving the car.

[normally_crazy]

yup its between the optra and the NHC. i wud say the optra !

[manson]

optra dude , incase fe is a serious issue thaen the nhc or incase diesel is nt a prbm its gotta be an accent crdi , check drifter s review on the same . top speed wud put petrol engines to shame .

manson .