[petertheo]

Hi


My previous two cars were second-hand Esteem and Baleno, bought for approx Rs. 3 lakhs each. Now I am planning to buy a new car, that will set me back by Rs.7-9 lakhs, which is why I want some expert advice from Forum members. And there is a LOT of expert advice on this forum!!


I live in Mumbai, and clock up about 1200-1300 km per month, out of which 400 km is highway driving (to a farm near Pune), and rest is in the city. I have a chauffeur for weekdays and drive myself only on Sundays. My requirements for a car were – good FE, comfortable rear seats(that's where I sit most of the time), good boot space, safety features, and of course good A.S.S and fairly priced spares. If practical, I intend to retain the car for five years


I shortlisted Logan, Honda City, Fiesta, SX4, Verna.
Logan I crossed out because the interiors looked pretty bad (though the good boot space, three in rear seat and the low price were positives )
Honda City crossed out because with all the safety features (ABS/EBD) it became expensive and also low Ground Clearance. Also heard A.S.S is not very good
Verna crossed out because of lack of safety features, and relatively smaller boot.


That left me with SX4 and Fiesta. SX4 – I think the car is big outside but small inside, reversing is a real issue and the centre bump in the rear seat – need to check it out. But the big pluses are good feature set, large boot size, good after sales service, option to repair the car with outside mechanics at lower cost after warranty is expired, easily available spares and good resale value because of all of the above. Maruti is also offering (through Sai Service) extended warranty covering 5 years, for parts and labour, for all parts except “wear and tear” parts. I feel if I go for this , no headaches for 5 years, unless accident or something like clutch plate wearing out. Rest all seems covered in the warranty.


Ford Fiesta is the car I would really like to buy, but what I am scared about is, after the three years extended warranty expires, I am at the mercy of the Ford dealers/service centre, cant get spares outside, cant get repairs done outside etc. Because of this, even if I sell after three years may not get good resale value. So I am going back to SX4


My questions

• Is my above analysis on the right track or am I missing something or going wrong somewhere?
• What is your opinion about what happens to Ford car owners if they retain the car after three year warranty expires? Do the spares/repair costs mount up horribly?
• Or if I sell, how much do you think I can get as resale value after three years?
• I am thinking about Fiesta Diesel , is that appropriate for me or will Petrol be a better option
• Finally, should I wait for the 1.6 TDCI (am in no particular hurry to buy)
• Thanks in advance for your guidance
• Cheers- Peter

[ajmat]

considering the low amount of travel, a diesel will not give you the returns. You mention a farm so bad roads may prevail.

I recommend the SX4, it is a crossover derivative. The SX4 hatch is positioned as a soft roader. Besides, it is safe will all abs / airbags etc

[rkbharat]

I will recommend SX4... I selected it even after my travel is high

[muralisk]

I would not recommend both as SX4 has pretty bad rear-view (with high back and large ugly rear seat head rests) and Ford's after sales service is pathetic and their service is quite expensive.

From the short list, I would go with Honda City (without ABS) as it caters to all your requirements - from fuel efficiency, large boot, good rear seating, and reliable and cost effective AS.S.

[rider60]

listen to the head, listen to the head, its usually the best decision! but in your case its the best of the two.

in the long run you will be really happy, close yours eyes, hold your heart and go with sx4. he he he.


or you can wait then wait for the 1.6tdci.

[D.V.R]

Listen to your head and go for the SX4.A great vehicle to drive on our potholed roads

[karanraheja]

You have mentioned your budget is upto 9 lacs and you can wait so i would suggest you to wait for few launches which are around the corner : Linea(sept) & New City( Diwali) . Quite surprised you found A.S.S of Honda not to be good. I think you should wait for the New City 1.3 VTEC & 1.5 VTEC. For your running diesel aint necessary so stick to the petrol sedans.
Go for the SX4 if you a die hard Maruti fan.

[GTO]

comfortable rear seats(that's where I sit most of the time),

Actually, neither the SX4 or the Fiesta are great cars to be chauffeur-driven in. The SX4 has stiff ride quality at low speeds and the Fiesta has, well, no space at all at the back!! If you have to buy between these two only, it would be the SX4 but there are better options for rear bench comfort:

1. Verna : Good space + supportive seats.

2. 3rd Gen Honda City : Just around the corner. It will be bigger, more refined and more powerful. Might be worth the wait. Always something special about buying a fresh new model.

[ravibhat]

Among SX4 and Fiesta my pick is SX4 for its safety features with good ground clearance.

If you can wait New Honda City is round the corner, you may check it out If its good.

SX4, Fiesta don't give good rear seat comfort compared to Honday City, Logan, Verna(for tall people seat is bit low but has good space overall).

If you cant wait you can buy SX4 which is good because it comes with fully loaded within 9 lacs.

Think about Innova G4 or Safari, although more than your budget they give best rear seat comfort. You will love them!

Regards,

Ravi.

[Eddy]

Rear space is non-existent in a Fiesta. So please rule that out. Wait for the new city, I would recommend

[Path_Finder]

Peter,
For your usage and preferences mentioned, you are on the right track of evaluation. I also recently tried out all these vehicles amongst others – for you I would strongly suggest to stay with your head! The City will be a drag for you and the Verna lacks boot, safety and agility – so do not even think back.
Rear view is a bit of problem with SX4, but now days you have affordable sensors and cameras to address this.
Happy car selection!

[amit]

If you can wait then please do. Fiat Linea and New Honda City will be out in the next few months which are easily better cars then both SX4 and Fiesta.

If you have to choose between the two, I would say listen to your heart and go for the Fiesta.

Apart from the negitives you have listed for the SX4, I would add poor ride, poor NVH, absolutely rubbish steering feedback and niggling problems to the list.

As for the better service network, I took my car on a saturday for it's fourth service and I was told it will be delivered on Tuesday!

[AirWind]

Also worth trying the Chevy Aveo, Mitsubishi Cedia and the Optra Magnum...
The Logan could be a sensible choice, you could buy the version with power steering and beefup the interiors.

[vnabhi]

I would say go for the Fiesta. But since so many people have commented on rear seat space, I suggest you check it out personally. I always drive my car, and on the rare occasions I sat in the rear, I did not have much to complain about.
However, sitting on the rear seat of both cars on the same day will throw better light on this point.

[bblost]

With a budget of 9 Lakhs and a regular farm trip.
Why dont you check out the Safari 2.2 Dicor.
The base variant comes in under 9 lakhs.

Will soak up the roads and with the rear seats taken care off you may be able to load it with a lot of stuff as well.