[Akshay1234]

I am due to get my first car in a few months and i need your help in deciding which one. there are so many options now and i just cant decide what would be the best choice.

Budget - Totally can spend about 8-9 lacs give or take 50k. would like to spend about 7-7.5 on the car so the rest can be used up for mods.

Maintenance - should be good and not very expensive. thats why im not looking at any skodas.

Distance per month - Not much. maybe 1000 kms max.

Where will it be used - 95% city with the occasional drive to lonavla or something.

Driven by who - DUH.. self.

Whether the vehicle will be shared - not if i can help it

Requirements - good acceleration, should be able to handle the power it makes, reasonable fe (7 upwards is cool), enough space for a tall driver (im 6ft 4inches).

whichever car i get i want it to be quick, i love good acceleration but i also want it to have a good suspension, should absorb bumps well and be able to corner decently. i plan on modding it seriously after 1-1.5 yrs of getting the car and before that will only do the normal mods i.e ffe, filter, ecu, rims+tyres, ice, suspension, little things. later i might go forced induction or get other stage 2 and 3 mods. so the car should have adequate modding potential but should be fast enough with stage one mods to keep me happy for a year.

i dont want to go the trial and error way so the car should have enough aftermarket parts for it and should respond well to the mods. do not suggest getting cars and then doing engine swaps since there is no way in hell i will be allowed that, even forced induction only if i am responsible for a while. i dont want cars of a segment below the sx4 (c+ segment) and i am open to used cars of higher segments.

i am the type of driver who will accelerate fully if i am in the first row of a signal, everytime.

here are some of the options i have thought of in my budget -

used accord v6-
i think i can get a 2005 or 2006 model in my budget. its a fast car and nice and roomy. the only problem i can think of it is the autobox and the fact that it would give very low mileage. mods will not be a problem and if i get a standalone + stage one mods it will be pretty quick i think.

used accord 2.4-
same year as the v6. its almost as fast as the v6 + its got a manual. but how much quicker can i make it with a few mods?

used/new cedia-
this car has good aftermarket parts and handles the best out of these if im not wrong. ive heard the engine isnt that good and dosent respond well to mods. seems to have enough space. dont know about the ride.

used camry-
2005 model i think. i just love this car for some reason. i have only driven the auto, is the manual fun to drive? will it be as fun to drive as the accord? this car too has enough of mod potential but the spare prices will be high.

new sx4-
its a segment lower than the accord camry so it would be much smaller. also the engine is less powerful and i dont think it would be as quick unless quite a few mods are done. ive heard its build quality is not too good and rattles start soon.

new anhc-
again a segment lower than the accord/camry. the engine is supposed to be good but same question as the sx4. is it built well? and what about mods for this?

these are a few options i have thought of. please help me with more options. i would like manuals unless it is an accord v6. give me positives and negatives of each option and also anything else you can think off.

i intend to start searching for used cars in a month or 2 so that i can see many examples by the time i actually buy a car. speaking realistically i think i will end up buying the car in the next 4-5 months so i want to figure out all my options by then.

there is no way i am going to keep the car stock. i plan on getting rims+tyres, ice and stage one mods very soon after getting the car. also if it is a used car there will always be some parts that need replacement.

also there are many friends of mine who will get cars like a4s, 3s and some even boxsters. so if we do drag from a signal i dont want to be too far behind.

bottom line - i want a car that is fun to drive, fast, comfortable, gives decent fe, reliable.

please take everything above into consideration and give me your opinions/options.

thanks alot.

[binz]

Why don't you buy vipers b16 beast? Isnt it up for sale?

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by binz

Why don't you buy vipers b16 beast? Isnt it up for sale?

not gonna happen. too powerful. dont want something with such raw power.

[Cyrus43]

Want a Nice TC Swift?? Its going for around 5laks!!

Anywyas, Getting serious. Consider a used Mercedes C Class. You should get one in around 9lacks

[GTO]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Budget - Totally can spend about 8-9 lacs give or take 50k. would like to spend about 7-7.5 on the car so the rest can be used up for mods.

bottom line - i want a car that is fun to drive, fast, comfortable, gives decent fe, reliable.

Your budget and requirement list points towards the Honda City. It is the best all-rounder from the C segment. The quickest, balanced ride and handling, decent interior space and unmatched long-term reliability. Plus, being a Honda, it will receive the best after-market support in terms of modifications when you are ready. The single downside of the ANHC is its cheap feeling interior quality. In a way, I was looking at pretty much the same parameters 7 years back and ended up with the OHC Vtec. I gotta tell you, as an extremely satisfied owner, I intend to retain the car for another 3 - 4 years atleast.

In the used segment, I'd highly recommend the Civic. Supreme mod potential. The only downer is the soft rear suspension (from an enthusiasts point of view), but that can easily be rectified with bolt-on after market kits. Frankly, between a new City and a used Civic, I'd personally go for the used Civic. A 3 year old Civic is easy in your budget, if you're lucky, a 2.xx old specimen too.

Leave aside the Accords & Camrys since you want driving pleasure. These are boats in comparison.

Originally Posted by Cyrus43

Anywyas, Getting serious. Consider a used Mercedes C Class. You should get one in around 9lacks

He'd get a 5 year old C Class in the budget, a car that would be terribly expensive to maintain.

[aaggoswami]

Have a look again at SX4. There is a thread with poll on SX4 named " Does your SX4 rattle " and the poll results indicate not many face the problem of rattles. A family friend recently bought this car ( around 3 months back ) and he is getting around 11 in city ( vadodara ) and around 16 on highway ( max 110 kmph ).

The driving position is nice and front seats are good. Although the engine is not that powerful, its the 2500-5000 rpm band that is torquey. Many parts shared with Swift and overall the car is not very expensive to maintain.

Also consider Linea.

On the other hand, I suggest you drop the idea of sedans if the car is not to be utilized as a family sedan. Go for Hyundai i20 diesel. Good FE, easier to drive in city and it has got the diesel torque. You can also go for some power upgrade with Pete's box. This way you have a nice car that is just about OK to drive, but overall a good package.

[greenhorn]

fiesta 1.6S anyone?

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...-petefied.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...view-pg10.html

[Ramsagar]

I would say CEDIA/CIVIC.If its diesel,then comes Magnum.

[Vid6639]

You should consider any of the following:

Used Cedia: They are available for cheap and also open to basic mods in the future. The handling and ride combo is perfect and FE is usually around 9kmpl. Maintenance is also not very expensive.

Used Accord: Awesome VFM as you get a really premium sedan. Mileage is around 8kmpl. Ride is good but handling is no fun at all. Higher mileage vehicles may need some expensive maintenance.

Used Civic: AFAIK these are a little difficult to find, but at around 8L it will be a very nice buy. Fun to drive and sporty seating. FE is not bad and car is not heavy on the pocket for maintenance as well.

For new cars in your budget, I can only think of 2 that make sense.

The Fiesta 1.6S and the Cedia. The cedia would mean stretching your budget by 2L.

Why aren't you considering any premium hatches? I would opt for the i20 CRDi in that budget.

[VOiLA]

The Fiesta 1.6S or the Cedia. I say wait for VW Polo.

[vkochar]

Do not waste your time on second hand expensive cars.

If you have that Budget I'd suggest the following -

ANHC - Excellent car, now with a powerful engine, good looks and With some alloys, Filter & ICE - one hot looking car this can be.

Fiesta 1.6S - Again a great looking car and with good driveability.

Cedia - New - This one is good but will not fit in the budget probably.

And then as GTO suggested a second hand Civic would be a great buy ( if you want to go second hand that is )

[cooldude1988765]

I would get a used accord or cedia or civic (in that order). Dont touch camry, corolla etc.
Might as well buy used, no point buying a brand new car to mod.

[iceman7]

Why not an Optra Magnum? Coupled with a tuning box and air filter mods, I reckon it is a fast car and meets your other requirements too. Only downside I see with the Magnum is that it's kinda old (looks wise).

Else the ANHC or the Cedia should be your best bet.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by GTO

Leave aside the Accords & Camrys since you want driving pleasure. These are boats in comparison.



He'd get a 5 year old C Class in the budget, a car that would be terribly expensive to maintain.

thanks for the suggestions. i definitely think the city is a great car but i dont think it justifies the price. thats just IMO. though it seems to be a stonker.

about the accord, what if i get a new set of shocks and springs, or coilovers? i intend on doing that. wouldnt that make the handling much better?

c class?? lol i wouldnt even think of owning one.

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Have a look again at SX4. There is a thread with poll on SX4 named " Does your SX4 rattle " and the poll results indicate not many face the problem of rattles. A family friend recently bought this car ( around 3 months back ) and he is getting around 11 in city ( vadodara ) and around 16 on highway ( max 110 kmph ).

Also consider Linea.

On the other hand, I suggest you drop the idea of sedans if the car is not to be utilized as a family sedan. Go for Hyundai i20 diesel. Good FE, easier to drive in city and it has got the diesel torque. You can also go for some power upgrade with Pete's box. This way you have a nice car that is just about OK to drive, but overall a good package.

i find the sx4 feels a bit cheap, maybe because of the poor quality interiors, and it is due for an engine upgrade next year i think.

linea? such a big car with such a small engine? no way.

i want a sedan, no hatches for me unless the polo or fabia vrs comes out. but the i20 isnt that powerful, getz diesel would be my type of hatch but i hate the driving position of the getz and i want abs.

Originally Posted by vid6639

For new cars in your budget, I can only think of 2 that make sense.

The Fiesta 1.6S and the Cedia. The cedia would mean stretching your budget by 2L.

Why aren't you considering any premium hatches? I would opt for the i20 CRDi in that budget.

how is the fiesta for mods? i have seen the peted fiesta thread. but that has minimal mods and later on i would like to have a much more powerful car. also the fiesta dosent have goodies like climate control etc.

i20 like i said above isnt that powerful, even with petes it wont put out more than 115bhp or so.

Originally Posted by VOiLA

The Fiesta 1.6S or the Cedia. I say wait for VW Polo.

hopefully the polo will come out with some great engines.


thanks for your opinions guys, keep the thoughts rolling.

[neotraveller]

The fastest sedans on this side of10lakhs today are:
Fiesta 1.6S - Overall best bang for buck
Verna CRDI - Bad handler but powerful engine + diesel mileage
ANHC - Most powerful petrol. Decent mileage. Overpriced
Cedia - Good one but poor brand/resale

I would recommend the Fiesta .. some good deals going on too.

or pray for Linea 1.6 MJD or the 1.4TJet @ 120bhp