[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by Fordmanchau

Hi Mangusta,

1) SX4 from Maruti
2) Manza or Indigo CS from TATA
(Indigo CS is selling like hotcake in Patna)
3) Aveo from GM( 3 yrs no maintenance expense package is a deal maker)

Would go with the above choices in the same order. SX4 is a good choice since you have the budget for it & also Maruti is famous for their good A.S.S

Manza might be a tad huge for city driving, but you cannot go wrong with the Indigo CS. It is spacious and also has a boot with decent boot space and ride quality is good as well. I am hoping there are decent no. of TATA A.S.C in your location

Aveo with the 3 years maintenance free package is a good deal but the availability of A.S.C is also to be factored in. You may not have to pay for the maintenance but you still need to have an A.S.C to service your car or repair them in the event of a component failure.

[krazydriver84]

Couple of suggestions from my side based on personal viewpoints.
If you are looking for a spacious hatch which is almost like a sedan but very maneouvarable like a 800 and yet at the same time classy, then do keep an open mind to the following:
- Punto: I can swear by it, since we just got one in our family, that too the Emotion Pack which comes with the Blue & Me feature and dozens of safety and luxury features that no other car in its segment or the luxury segment can provide without compromising on space and leg room. It gives you information about your car on the HUD as if you are sitting in a cockpit. The Switches and knobs have been placed in the car in a very ergonomic way and within the Driver's reach without distracting the driver. The car has a boot space almost equal to a sedan. If you do not believe me take a test drive at your local dealer and request for TD on the Emotion pack model.

- VW Polo: Just saw it at the Expo, and man its a sweet car which will be competing against the Jazz. Its quite spacious and will also be available in a 1.2 Diesel variant as well with the other petrol options, and will be very competitively priced. Pricing will be out in end Feb or beginning March.

If you are considering Sedans, then look out for the following:
- Ford Fiesta: A total Driver's Car, would term it as one of the most likable sedans due to its muscular styling and the various engine options available.

- Tata Maanza: I test drove it and was in love with it specially when the turbo kicks in at 3000 RPM. It uses similar engines to that of the Punto & Linea. It has tried to incorporate all the features and safety features of the Punto & Linea. But the finish of the plastic quality is not good. However, the space between the rear seats and the front seats is so much that a person can easily lie down in the middle. Boot space is humongous.

- Toyota Ethios: Saw this at the expo, they are going to launch the Ethios Hatch and the sedan, There is no news of pricing on it. However, the car is set to compete with the likes of the fiesta, maanza and linea. If you are wiling to wait then keep an eye out for it.

[jacs]

Having said that you were happily driving M800 for a decade, SX4 would be the best suit for you considering the cost of ownership and maintenence plus the super after sales service of Maruti. It can serve you easily for another 10 years without much troubles. Also go for a Zxi with ABS so that you would get the benefits of a 16 incher feet with latest standards.

There are lot many options from other manufaturers but Maruti SX4 wins when you vouch for resale value, parts availablity, service availability in remote areas, cost of spares, power without compromising much on fuel efficiency, robustness without compromising comfort and offcourse reliability since you have a long term plan.

Also keep your M800 if it would not require any immediate maintenence, it would serve as a learning ground for the teenagers plus your single ferry short trips with fuel savings.

[smooth]

Hi mangusta,
blacksta and khoj has explained all the points as per your requirements.
Just like to add to the point no 5 you have mentioned:

5. Servicing: May get posted to non metros / moffusil places.

Only consider SX4 for the better ground clearance also.
SX4 got the best GC of the lot, so will be very helpful.

[Mangusta]

Originally Posted by akas_chauhan

Equivalent to enfield, i guess it'll be TATA Safari.

Otherwise you can try for SX4, you know the service network, but you do not need it as you do not tgravel much.

Then Accent/ Ikon/Fiesta should do it.

why Safari?

@blackasta
@Khoj
@smooth
@jacs
@abhinav
SX4 is the usual suspect. But i want to make sure i don't miss anything.

@khoj.
Your presumption is spot on. And I thought i took great care to hide it!

@Fordmanchau.
Patna boasts a Ford dealership. Although Patna is my hometown, i haven't stayed there for ages. To move efficiently in the city you don't even need hatchbacks you just have to walk.

@gaurav
@vibhanshu
You are right. Waiting for better options is an attractive option.


After TDing extensively, during which my wife could not resist to be amused by my boy-in-the-toy shop-look, here's my take on each.

Accent. Lovely classical lines. One among the few with an 'excellent' in 'overall reliability' in the T-bhp test drive reports.(Esteem and Optra being the other 'excellent' sedans. To be fair, the new ones are yet to be assesed) Would have loved to own the time honured 1.5L single cam, but gotta to move on i suppose. She reminds you of that stunning dame you may have spent a wintry afternoon during a college fest a decade ago - she is still stunning but you are afraid you will start to look elsewhere any moment.

Ikon. Similar feelings to the Accent.

Feista. More current styling and proportions - long lasting design. The inconsistent service, however, goes against cherishing a long term ownership experience. Also, its USP is not all so relevant to me. Oh,Americans!

Linea. Beautiful. European. But, rattles and niggles will hang like the sword of Damocles. Wife and the boys are all for it. I don't have the courage.

SX4. The Jap all rounder. Indian maintenance. European genes to boot. Just in budget. If you had to complain you could bad mouth its below par(common to entire maruti range) interiors. By far the most serious contender.

Corolla Altis. Top contender. Robust, stylish and built forever. Checks everything to the 'T'. Out of budget. Will have to save for atleast a year. Etios sedan?

Jazz. Practical and classy. Service ownership costs and GC are concerns. Pricey, but within budget. Will have to convince wifey about the boot bit.

ANHC. All rounder with expensive ownership. Will have to stretch the budget. Except the GC bit, it ticks everything. Another serious contender.

So my shortlist in order of preference is:-
Corolla(Buy later or rob bank now!)
SX4(now)/ Etios (Later)
Jazz(now)/ City (Later)

Good grief! Am i more confused than when I began?

The head says SX4. The wallet needs to wait for the Corolla. The heart says Jazz/ANHC. And the ol' M800, given its sparkling health, can't figure what the hurry is all about.

This rudimentary analysis suggests i postpone the decision.
And spend some more time in the toy shop.

Thank you guys.

[khoj]

When Country calls! yes Sir, you did indeed cover it up very well. Having a couple of ex infantrymen, a naval aviator and a serving submariner in the extended family helped otherwise it was really difficult! Thank you for indulging me.

So in the end it has become a head vs, heart situation. Why am I not surprised? It will be interesting to see how this unfolds, take all the time you need but do keep us in the loop. By the way, can I request you to not let go of that M800, the dies have been broken and thrown away and they do not make them like her anymore.

[Mangusta]

Originally Posted by khoj

Having a couple of ex infantrymen, a naval aviator and a serving submariner in the extended family helped otherwise it was really difficult! Thank you for indulging me.

Your extended family is only missing a MIG flyboy to complete the 'buggered' fauji family!

[Fordmanchau]

Originally Posted by Mangusta

@Fordmanchau. Patna boasts a Ford dealership. Although Patna is my hometown, i haven't stayed there for ages. To move efficiently in the city you don't even need hatchbacks you just have to walk.

Hi Mangusta, Patna is my hometown too. I have been in and out of the city since 1998 when I first left to blr for studies.Anyways, I am glad to know that Patna has a Ford dealership now. It must be a recent addition. Where exactly is the location of the showroom. I have not gone to the Boring road and Newbypass area lately.I was there in Patna in March, October and December again last year in 2009 but didn't notice the ford showroom. It's a good news for me as I own an Ikon here in Hyd.

[yogeshnaik]

Hi,

Since you are lokking at Sedans, within your budget there are two good cars which suits you better on comfort, mileage, looks and After Sales and Service which is most important factor.
First is Tata Manza, well built and the best quality car among Tata stable.
Second is Swift D'Zire. This Maruti is best for After Sales and Service.

For well build, solid road appearance like BULLET, you may consider Tata Manza. It gives you lots of features, service from Tata has improved a lot. If usage is less, petrol is generally preferred. As you are tending to keep it for 10 years and will be self driven, suggest to go for Quadrajet90 Diesel (Fiat award winning Multijet diesel engine).

All the best !

[Mangusta]

Originally Posted by Fordmanchau

Hi Mangusta, Patna is my hometown too. I have been in and out of the city since 1998 when I first left to blr for studies.Anyways, I am glad to know that Patna has a Ford dealership now. It must be a recent addition. Where exactly is the location of the showroom. I have not gone to the Boring road and Newbypass area lately.I was there in Patna in March, October and December again last year in 2009 but didn't notice the ford showroom. It's a good news for me as I own an Ikon here in Hyd.

Sugna More, Bailey Road. Look up the Ford India website. Their yank CEO was there a couple of months ago to inaugurate the dealership.

Am taking Jazz's TD tommorow, here in Calcutta, to decide if it has the spunk to overlook its poor service spread and GC issues. Otherwise it is the SX4.

[Mangusta]

Test drove the Jazz.

Its a quality practical family car.

The boys loved the space. Wife still needs some convincing about the boot. But she'll come around. Its definitely more than a spacious hatch. In the UK, it is classified as a mini station wagon, whatever that means. There is a premium sedan feeling - driving and riding upfront. The band select/ volume switches on the steering, for example, feel top class.So does the nifty sounding click of the glove box closing. The rear is a tad stiff but overall better than sedans with wheelbases lesser than 2.5m. While I find good value in it, it is not inconcievable that there won't be many who'd buy my thinking. The litany of anti price war cries that GTO's test drive report trails, is proof enough.

Despite a firmer suspension the indian version will need care while negotiating higher than ordinary speedbreakers. If need be, I'm prepared to tell the boys to hop out and walk across.

As far as its poor spread of service centres is concerned, the SA, rather smartly suggested that i could always plan a family weekend trip to nearest city with a Honda dealership for servicing! I do hope Honda spreads its tentacles. The roadside assistance, included as standard, is valid only within 100kms of a Honda workshop - essentialy coverage in major cities only.

If Honda can sort out these two issues, Jazz stands a fair chance to become its mainstay in India. The price ,however, may not entirely be taken care of by the volumes. Perhaps the price adjustment will come vide additional gizmos, bells and whistles to metarmorphosize into a VFM premium family car. It is likely to remain 'premium', though.

So, here is the deal. If I get posted (due in the next couple of months) to a place within Honda footprint - it'll be the Jazz. Otherwise its the SX4 ZXI MT.

[chennai-indian]

Some of us have also suggested Tata Manza but somehow it did not figure in the list of cars you considered. Any particular reasons?

[Fordmanchau]

Originally Posted by Mangusta

Sugna More, Bailey Road. Look up the Ford India website. Their yank CEO was there a couple of months ago to inaugurate the dealership.

Am taking Jazz's TD tommorow, here in Calcutta, to decide if it has the spunk to overlook its poor service spread and GC issues. Otherwise it is the SX4.

Hi Mangusta,
Just checked the ford website. So they have opened the showroom very recently in November 09. How is the showroom, seems like it is big.
So Honda is still not there in Patna. You seem to have liked the Jazz. Except for the pricing I have heard only good things about it.So, it's either Jazz or SX4 for you.
I think your shortlisting is good.But didn't you like the Fiesta?It is withing your budget and with ford expanding itself, probably you won't have trouble servicing the car?

[Mangusta]

Originally Posted by chennai-indian

Some of us have also suggested Tata Manza but somehow it did not figure in the list of cars you considered. Any particular reasons?

Manza Petrol was the first car i TDed.

The 1.4 L Fiat engine and Fiat gearbox, stuff that is Tata's bete noir, are superbly refined. As usual, great rear space and comfort. But quality of everything (metal, rubber, plastic and fabric) except paint, is suspect - i'm setting high standards here. With the Manza the Tatas seem to be getting there but will wait for confirmation.

Second, it is a newly designed car - stretching the wheelbase and attaching the boot - will have to see how the structural engineering pans out. On the other hand Jazz/Fit and SX4 have been around for some time (9 and 4 years respectively) and have come up trumps across various terrain and tastes. You see, i plan to own the car forever.

Third, it's mouthwatering price. It may not be entirely correct to attach the VFM tag to everything that is cheaper. Then, it is merely cheaper. Whether it is also value for your money will be decided by what value you see in it.

I believe my money is especially hard-earned. It was, therefore, a heart wrenching decision to reject the Manza.

[Ravveendrra]

Welcome aboard TBHP. To start answering your question, let me start from the other side. You say you might be posted in remote places.

Only 3 companies have dealersips / A.S.C. in remote places - Maruti, Tata and Mahindra.

If you are looking at Maruti, the SX4 is the obvious choice, roomy, decent engine, great suspension and good ground clearance (It has Fiat blood in it).

Mahindra might not have anything decent in your price bracket that is refined enough to call a family car but, you might look at the Scorpios.

Tata has a whole lot of cars that fit your price bracket. If you are going to drive yourself, the Manza is the best bet. As pointed out earlier - if you want a 'Bullet' with 4 wheels, it has to be a Safari!

You can try to find out from Tata if they can service Fiats anywhere. If they do the Linea is the best bet and trust me they do not rattle. Rattling used to be a problem with Fiats once upon a time. Ever since the Palios, the Fiats do not rattle.

Cheers,