Help to decide Family car around 8L

GTO · 17th December 2009, 13:06

Looking at your requirements, its pretty much the i20 diesel or the Fiesta for you. Plus, either of these two cars appeal to the heart....the Fiesta with its excellent dynamics and the i20 with all that quality, features and powerful diesel.

Test-drive both. Can't go wrong with any of them. Personally I'd choose the i20 diesel. And even if you look at the disadvantages as you see them:

Quote:

Cons: Highly priced

True, its a premium priced hatch. But fits into your budget

Quote:

possible high price for spares because of imported engine, and high labour costs.

Go for Hyundai's 5 year complete warranty. You intend to own this car for 5 years only, thus as all set for the duration!

pramodpk · 17th December 2009, 17:04

Go for the Fiesta. Even though you are a sedate driver, you will enjoy the responsive engine (Less gearshifts), nice gear shift and steering. Also with the 75 K discount, you can get a good deal.

The ford Service and cost of parts is not high. Many people have this misconception

INDIAN_VAGABOND · 17th December 2009, 22:53

Why not stretch your budget a wee bit to include the ANHC ??

If not, then i20 Diesel Asta with the 5 year warranty is the right choice.

Nikhil_blr · 18th December 2009, 16:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

Looking at your requirements, its pretty much the i20 diesel or the Fiesta for you. Plus, either of these two cars appeal to the heart....the Fiesta with its excellent dynamics and the i20 with all that quality, features and powerful diesel.

Test-drive both. Can't go wrong with any of them. Personally I'd choose the i20 diesel. And even if you look at the disadvantages as you see them:

True, its a premium priced hatch. But fits into your budget

Go for Hyundai's 5 year complete warranty. You intend to own this car for 5 years only, thus as all set for the duration!

True, the car is fully loaded, and really VFM in the hatchback segment.

The main reasons I've not considered it is that I've heard on t-BHP reviews that the rear seat a bit cramped, and there is a long waiting period. I've not yet taken a test ride, so I'll do this on priority this weekend, and then decide.

The boot size is not mentioned anywhere in the website. Does anyone have any idea?

Quote:

Originally Posted by pramodpk

Go for the Fiesta. Even though you are a sedate driver, you will enjoy the responsive engine (Less gearshifts), nice gear shift and steering. Also with the 75 K discount, you can get a good deal.

The ford Service and cost of parts is not high. Many people have this misconception

I do agree here. Plus the turning radius of 4.9m is also another great plus point - this puts the city driveability in the league of hatchbacks (Jazz). The problem here that is I delayed the purchase decision, and now no colour except white is available! So either I have to forgo the discount and wait till Jan for a good colour, or take white now

cooldude1988765 · 18th December 2009, 17:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikhil_blr

Thanks Mr. Nair. Currently we are three (me, wife and 3 year old kid). So it's just the three of us who will be using it. Here I guess the Fiesta is suitable. But we might have guests (quite rarely) and I would like to have the option open for 3 people at the rear.

IMO no sedan south of 10lakhs is really comfortable at the rear for 3 adults. You can manage for short distances around the city but on the highway it gets pretty uncomfortable.

GTO · 19th December 2009, 12:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikhil_blr

The boot size is not mentioned anywhere in the website. Does anyone have any idea?

295 liters, amongst the biggest in the hatch segment. Ritz = 236 liters, swift = 232 liters & Hyundai i10 = 225.

oss · 19th December 2009, 12:37

If your running justifies (as you say 60% highway driving) still would suggest you to go for Fiesta D. The SXI is priced high, but ZXI is just about 60k more than the petrol version. Only thing you will miss is the airbag; others can be fit in the after market.

If low running, then go for Fiesta 1.6.

Heard Linea plastic quality is being improved and a new version is expected around Feb/Mar 2010 along with the T-Jet version. That could be an option for you.

If you can wait beyond Feb'10, the you will have Polo sedan by the middle of next year.

Nikhil_blr · 21st December 2009, 19:10

Hi Guys,

I cannot thank you all enough for all the inputs!! After a lot of see-sawing between SX4, Fiesta, i20 and Jazz, I decided to take the plunge and finally booked the SX4 "French Eclair" yesterday.

I booked from Mandovi Motors since I've been dealing with them for a long time - have already bought 2 cars from them (my M800 and my FIL's WagonR). I had actually started the search from Kalyani Motors, and frankly, their dealing was quite nice. However, in the end, it is the deal that matters, and Mandovi was offering me a good deal which Kalyani could not. Sadly, I had delayed the purchase decision too long, and I didn't want to waste more time running around more dealers for a better deal.

What did I get? I bargained for the following based on the post of a fellow t-BHPian ( I forget who, but I owe one to him), and got most of it.
1) Basic Body kit (mud flaps, floor mats, idol and perfume): this is given to all customers
2) Car body cover from MGA
3) Reverse parking sensors
(I asked for Red Soul, but not sure which one they will give)
4) Under-chassis (anti-rust) coating
(Here I asked for 3M, and he confirmed he will give that, but he said he will not give a warranty card for any free items!!!)
5) Sunfilm for side and back (Garware)

What he did not agree to:
- Seat Covers
- JBL speakers

I have a few worries here:
a) My only worry is that he is not giving any warranty for the under-body coating. He says this is a Dealer guarantee, and that it is only valid for Mandovi. Is this ok? How do I make sure that he is actually using 3M? Or is there a better alternative?
b) What are the suggestions for the Sun-film? Is Garware OK? Should I ask for something else?
c) Has anyone else from Bangalore got Red Soul fitted from the Maruti Dealer itself? Any suggestions here?

Now over to the background on why I chose the SX4:
1) Fiesta: I read a lot on t-BHP that the underbelly scrapes speed-breakers when loaded. This was a very important factor for me because the road conditions are VERY BAD in Bangalore, and right outside my house, I have to go over 3 HUGE speed-breakers everytime I take my car out (24th Main Road in JP Nagar 6th Phase for anyone who knows Bangalore). Secondly, the colour available was only white, and wifey was against it. So had to let go of it with a heavy heart.

2) Jazz: Wifey and I really liked this car (it had almost everything we wanted), and even the GC was not an issue - I was able to ride over these 3 speed-breakers with 2 people without any problem during the TD. I even negotiated a very bad patch of road without any problems. The interaction with Dakshin Honda (Hosur Road) was very very good and professional to say the least. The Sales Team Lead (Chandrashekar Reddy) was professional and did not at any time force me to take a decision. Their follow-up was also good. At no point did I feel they were arrogant or condescending. Quite a surprise!
The negatives of this car were:
- the low-pickup at low rpm and the consequently frequent gear changes,
- the high cost of maintenance (I'm looking for something VFM),
- and of course the price was something I felt I could not put up with, even though they offered me a good deal (under-body coating, sun-film and seat covers).
I really feel like

to reject this car. If only Honda had priced it reasonably!! Even the Sales guy could not justify the price. I feel as a car, there is nothing to beat this one! Quality of features is more important to me than the quantity of features. But then the price also matters!!! So another car struck off the list. Just imagine, if the Govt did not have the Excise Duty rebate, how this car would be priced!!!

3) i20 Diesel: The perfect car, fully-loaded and the one suggested by many. It even had full 3-point seat belt for the rear center passenger! But what turned the tide was that the seats were low-set, and since my parents and my In-laws are both quite old, I did not want to buy a car which is a pain to get into (and out of). Secondly, I found diesels with their turbo-lag a bit of a hassle to drive! I've never driven a diesel (except for a short TD of the Manza). Since this car would be for my wife too, I needed something convenient to drive, and a petrol would be the best.

4) So finally what's left is the SX4. My wife did not like the interiors one bit, and frankly, neither did I. It looked bland and boring, and the faux wood door armrests were real yuck! The interiors did not look much different from the Swift Dzire! But functionally, it was ok, and the seats were comfortable. And from t-BHP reviews, I gathered that the car was comfortable, and good VFM without any major problems. Maruti A.S.S. and low cost of spare parts were more +'s. The GC was another major reason since in Karnataka (where I plan to use the car mostly), the roads can get really really bad. Plus it had the "badi gaddi" look

.
One thing for sure: neither of us loves this car, so it's completely a decision with the head.

So that's it... I'll let you know more about the booking process soon...

HammerHead · 21st December 2009, 20:02

Hey Nikhil, So its SX4 right?
Man with 8L in pocket I wont even go anywhere near to any hatch!

Great choice.

INDIAN_VAGABOND · 21st December 2009, 21:07

Great Choice Nikhil..
Congrats

sanjayc · 21st December 2009, 21:09

Congrats, Nikhil. Happy SX4ing. Keep us updated.

One more congrats for "One thing for sure: neither of us loves this car, so it's completely a decision with the head."

BTW, I got my Fiesta delivery on 18th. Did you TD the Fiesta on the humps you have mentioned near your home? And, did it, bottom out. Will like to know since on the way to dropping my kids at school, have to go thru a congested area with some 3 big humps in a 100m stretch. Have not got a chance to go thru that patch yet becos of vehicle puja/sunflim installation/Sunday etc. but since I was driving an 1.3 Ikon thru the same route so far, did not face any issues..Fiesta has the same GC as Ikon, but since the car is heavier than Ikon, let me check out tomm.

Praying that your HUMPS are bigger than mine;-}

Nikhil_blr · 22nd December 2009, 15:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by sanjayc

Congrats, Nikhil. Happy SX4ing. Keep us updated.

One more congrats for "One thing for sure: neither of us loves this car, so it's completely a decision with the head."

BTW, I got my Fiesta delivery on 18th. Did you TD the Fiesta on the humps you have mentioned near your home? And, did it, bottom out. Will like to know since on the way to dropping my kids at school, have to go thru a congested area with some 3 big humps in a 100m stretch. Have not got a chance to go thru that patch yet becos of vehicle puja/sunflim installation/Sunday etc. but since I was driving an 1.3 Ikon thru the same route so far, did not face any issues..Fiesta has the same GC as Ikon, but since the car is heavier than Ikon, let me check out tomm.

Praying that your HUMPS are bigger than mine;-}

I went by the comments of marathp in this same thread (pg 2) who is also from Bangalore, and found the underbody touching the horrible speedbreakers during his TD. The ones near my house cannot be any better (they don't just break the speed!!), so I took it I will have the same problem. In Bangalore, even small by-lanes have humps!!! On the other hand, I've seen the roads in Chennai and TN, and on the whole, the conditions are much better than in Bangalore and Karnataka respectively. So I guess in general, you should not have a problem.

---------
The dealer informed today that the car (in French Eclair) has been despatched from Gurgaon (or wherever), and is expected to reach in 10 days (right around New Year!!). Now he is asking me to make full payment even before I can get my hands on the car, otherwise he might be tempted to give the car to anyone else who makes a full payment. This is a surprise! I said I'll get back to him tomorrow.

nandans2005 · 26th December 2009, 16:38

no need to make the full payment before the car arrives and you check it. I feel its a grave mistake to make full payment. Refrain from doing it.

The dealer is trying to pull a fast one on you, if he has told you the way he has.

dhrishikesh · 26th December 2009, 19:06

The good & affordable ride will be:
Fiat Linea 1.3MJD : A spacious car with good acceleration & pick up & also good mileage in city as well as highways.

mkh · 26th December 2009, 22:04

Go for Hyundai's 5 year complete warranty. You intend to own this car for 5 years only, thus as all set for the duration![/quote]
Not that its relevant anymore- but i am not sure if they offer extended warranty for diesel beyond 3rd year...maybe it would be relevant for folks who are deciding to buy a diesel in future..

17th December 2009, 17:04	#32
pramodpk Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,089 Thanked: 580 Times View My Garage	Go for the Fiesta. Even though you are a sedate driver, you will enjoy the responsive engine (Less gearshifts), nice gear shift and steering. Also with the 75 K discount, you can get a good deal. The ford Service and cost of parts is not high. Many people have this misconception
	() Thanks

17th December 2009, 22:53	#33
INDIAN_VAGABOND BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: MAXIMUM CITY - BOMBAY Posts: 107 Thanked: 124 Times	Why not stretch your budget a wee bit to include the ANHC ?? If not, then i20 Diesel Asta with the 5 year warranty is the right choice.
	() Thanks

19th December 2009, 12:37	#37
oss BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Chennai Posts: 683 Thanked: 6 Times	If your running justifies (as you say 60% highway driving) still would suggest you to go for Fiesta D. The SXI is priced high, but ZXI is just about 60k more than the petrol version. Only thing you will miss is the airbag; others can be fit in the after market. If low running, then go for Fiesta 1.6. Heard Linea plastic quality is being improved and a new version is expected around Feb/Mar 2010 along with the T-Jet version. That could be an option for you. If you can wait beyond Feb'10, the you will have Polo sedan by the middle of next year.
	() Thanks

21st December 2009, 19:10	#38
Nikhil_blr Newbie Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 19 Thanked: 2 Times	The SX4 it is! Hi Guys, I cannot thank you all enough for all the inputs!! After a lot of see-sawing between SX4, Fiesta, i20 and Jazz, I decided to take the plunge and finally booked the SX4 "French Eclair" yesterday. I booked from Mandovi Motors since I've been dealing with them for a long time - have already bought 2 cars from them (my M800 and my FIL's WagonR). I had actually started the search from Kalyani Motors, and frankly, their dealing was quite nice. However, in the end, it is the deal that matters, and Mandovi was offering me a good deal which Kalyani could not. Sadly, I had delayed the purchase decision too long, and I didn't want to waste more time running around more dealers for a better deal. What did I get? I bargained for the following based on the post of a fellow t-BHPian ( I forget who, but I owe one to him), and got most of it. 1) Basic Body kit (mud flaps, floor mats, idol and perfume): this is given to all customers 2) Car body cover from MGA 3) Reverse parking sensors (I asked for Red Soul, but not sure which one they will give) 4) Under-chassis (anti-rust) coating (Here I asked for 3M, and he confirmed he will give that, but he said he will not give a warranty card for any free items!!!) 5) Sunfilm for side and back (Garware) What he did not agree to: - Seat Covers - JBL speakers I have a few worries here: a) My only worry is that he is not giving any warranty for the under-body coating. He says this is a Dealer guarantee, and that it is only valid for Mandovi. Is this ok? How do I make sure that he is actually using 3M? Or is there a better alternative? b) What are the suggestions for the Sun-film? Is Garware OK? Should I ask for something else? c) Has anyone else from Bangalore got Red Soul fitted from the Maruti Dealer itself? Any suggestions here? Now over to the background on why I chose the SX4: 1) Fiesta: I read a lot on t-BHP that the underbelly scrapes speed-breakers when loaded. This was a very important factor for me because the road conditions are VERY BAD in Bangalore, and right outside my house, I have to go over 3 HUGE speed-breakers everytime I take my car out (24th Main Road in JP Nagar 6th Phase for anyone who knows Bangalore). Secondly, the colour available was only white, and wifey was against it. So had to let go of it with a heavy heart. 2) Jazz: Wifey and I really liked this car (it had almost everything we wanted), and even the GC was not an issue - I was able to ride over these 3 speed-breakers with 2 people without any problem during the TD. I even negotiated a very bad patch of road without any problems. The interaction with Dakshin Honda (Hosur Road) was very very good and professional to say the least. The Sales Team Lead (Chandrashekar Reddy) was professional and did not at any time force me to take a decision. Their follow-up was also good. At no point did I feel they were arrogant or condescending. Quite a surprise! The negatives of this car were: - the low-pickup at low rpm and the consequently frequent gear changes, - the high cost of maintenance (I'm looking for something VFM), - and of course the price was something I felt I could not put up with, even though they offered me a good deal (under-body coating, sun-film and seat covers). I really feel like to reject this car. If only Honda had priced it reasonably!! Even the Sales guy could not justify the price. I feel as a car, there is nothing to beat this one! Quality of features is more important to me than the quantity of features. But then the price also matters!!! So another car struck off the list. Just imagine, if the Govt did not have the Excise Duty rebate, how this car would be priced!!! 3) i20 Diesel: The perfect car, fully-loaded and the one suggested by many. It even had full 3-point seat belt for the rear center passenger! But what turned the tide was that the seats were low-set, and since my parents and my In-laws are both quite old, I did not want to buy a car which is a pain to get into (and out of). Secondly, I found diesels with their turbo-lag a bit of a hassle to drive! I've never driven a diesel (except for a short TD of the Manza). Since this car would be for my wife too, I needed something convenient to drive, and a petrol would be the best. 4) So finally what's left is the SX4. My wife did not like the interiors one bit, and frankly, neither did I. It looked bland and boring, and the faux wood door armrests were real yuck! The interiors did not look much different from the Swift Dzire! But functionally, it was ok, and the seats were comfortable. And from t-BHP reviews, I gathered that the car was comfortable, and good VFM without any major problems. Maruti A.S.S. and low cost of spare parts were more +'s. The GC was another major reason since in Karnataka (where I plan to use the car mostly), the roads can get really really bad. Plus it had the "badi gaddi" look . One thing for sure: neither of us loves this car, so it's completely a decision with the head. So that's it... I'll let you know more about the booking process soon...
	() Thanks

21st December 2009, 20:02	#39
HammerHead Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Goan in Pune Posts: 1,247 Thanked: 641 Times View My Garage	Hey Nikhil, So its SX4 right? Man with 8L in pocket I wont even go anywhere near to any hatch! Great choice.
	() Thanks

21st December 2009, 21:07	#40
INDIAN_VAGABOND BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: MAXIMUM CITY - BOMBAY Posts: 107 Thanked: 124 Times	Great Choice Nikhil.. Congrats
	() Thanks

21st December 2009, 21:09	#41
sanjayc BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 952 Thanked: 8 Times	Congrats, Nikhil. Happy SX4ing. Keep us updated. One more congrats for "One thing for sure: neither of us loves this car, so it's completely a decision with the head." BTW, I got my Fiesta delivery on 18th. Did you TD the Fiesta on the humps you have mentioned near your home? And, did it, bottom out. Will like to know since on the way to dropping my kids at school, have to go thru a congested area with some 3 big humps in a 100m stretch. Have not got a chance to go thru that patch yet becos of vehicle puja/sunflim installation/Sunday etc. but since I was driving an 1.3 Ikon thru the same route so far, did not face any issues..Fiesta has the same GC as Ikon, but since the car is heavier than Ikon, let me check out tomm. Praying that your HUMPS are bigger than mine;-} Last edited by sanjayc : 21st December 2009 at 21:10.
	() Thanks

26th December 2009, 16:38	#43
nandans2005 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Bangalore. Posts: 640 Thanked: 42 Times	no need to make the full payment before the car arrives and you check it. I feel its a grave mistake to make full payment. Refrain from doing it. The dealer is trying to pull a fast one on you, if he has told you the way he has.
	() Thanks

26th December 2009, 19:06	#44
dhrishikesh BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Mumbai / Pune B Posts: 806 Thanked: 214 Times	The good & affordable ride will be: Fiat Linea 1.3MJD : A spacious car with good acceleration & pick up & also good mileage in city as well as highways.
	() Thanks

26th December 2009, 22:04	#45
mkh Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,072 Thanked: 133 Times View My Garage	Go for Hyundai's 5 year complete warranty. You intend to own this car for 5 years only, thus as all set for the duration![/quote] Not that its relevant anymore- but i am not sure if they offer extended warranty for diesel beyond 3rd year...maybe it would be relevant for folks who are deciding to buy a diesel in future..
	() Thanks