Advice For A New Car

lal-kit · 12th October 2005, 18:05

I have been driving a Cielo for the last 5 years. Its time to change my car since getting spare parts is a major problem. I have scouted about but would prefer to hold my veiws so that I can get un biased veiws from all you fellow BHPians for a NEW car.

I really liked the Cielo. It has an amazing road grip (more noticable on mountain road from Jammu to Srinagar), good acceleration and amazing braking ( had very close shaves twice at speed in excess of 130. Slammed the brakes, tyres smoked but the car did not tail gate even a bit). I drive about 5 kms daily when in Jammu but I do go out on 2000 Kms trips twice a month.

Economy is not really of prime importance as much as road holding, braking and ride comfort.

My budget is Rs.5.25 - 5.75 lacs Ex-showroom road. I am not much of a buff for accessories other than a decent music system.

There is no Honda or Fiat dealership at Jammu so a no no to their cars.

All advice is welcome.

Steeroid · 12th October 2005, 18:09

Baleno it is, from the sound of it. I think you'll find that a majority of the replies concur...

PS: With the stock clearance offer, the Ikon 1.6 is a damn good candidate, too. Especially since you will have fun driving around on the winding roads of your state...

binz · 12th October 2005, 18:17

Baleno baleno baleno......great ride comfort,brakes,power(low end torque..great for mountain roads)Grip is ok on stock tyres,went to ooty last week and the stock tyres(see my avataar) made no fuss on the hills
my 2 cents

binz

caroholic1 · 12th October 2005, 18:58

Dude why dont u check out the Ford Fusion's cheapest version & they might be giving some discount on that also it has that SUV kind of ground clearance.

streetlife · 12th October 2005, 20:25

baleno is the choice... straight away go for it

normally_crazy · 12th October 2005, 21:29

Ford Ikon 1.6 - u drive around hills and boy will you have fun in the ikon around the corners !

and with the recent cuts in price the ikon is even more desirable-

lal-kit · 12th October 2005, 21:34

Thanks for the advice. I have test driven both and found that Ikon may a little more peppy but at higher speeds I found it wavering all over the road as if it was floating in choppy waters

revtech · 12th October 2005, 21:47

since you have test driven both the cars you yourself will have to figure out which one is better for you.i personally feel the baleno would be a better option BUT with wider tyres.the stock tyres are too skinny for the car specially while diving on highways.so if you are getting the baleno the first thing you must do is change the tyres and if budget permits get good rims too with tubeless tyres.let us know what you finally plan on doing.

rev

RX135 · 13th October 2005, 00:57

For hills and winding roads, I would definitely recommend Ikon 1.6. However, please make sure about A/S/S support in your area and, Fords are rumoured to have higher maitenance costs after 3-4 years.

jkdas · 13th October 2005, 01:07

at that price... ikon, hyundai accent, indigo and petra.

cant u want for ford fiesta launch?

coz cielo was a big car, u close choice should haev been a lancer. i heard they give upto 75k discount plus extra goodies like leather seat cover, alloy wheels...

also new NHC on its way by dec or so. and also new octavia. so teh point is coz teh new octavia has 2 have a good price, teh old one's price would be reduced and hence lancer and lot will have more competition and hence a price reduction for lancer.

Insane Devil · 13th October 2005, 02:10

LAL , well, nice to see u living in Jammu! lovely place!

as everyone here is recommending, the Baleno surely is a great car! for ur purpose, u will have to opt for petrol engine, rather than diesel, when economy aint issues, as diesel engines might give u problems in cold starting in winters! if that is not an issue, then u can also give the Accent CRDI and the new FORD Fiesta Diesel/Petrol a go. Even the Lancer is a nice car! it does look luxurious and is very comfortable and nice inside and outside, ride and handling are also just great!

IMHO... you should wait till Ford launches its Fiesta, and have a look at its petrol & diesel engines. then decide for whichever u choose, also once ford launches its car, the other Companies will give u a lil more discounts probably!

Steeroid · 13th October 2005, 02:25

For all those of you recommending the Lancer, the Accent CRDi, the NHC and even the new Fiesta, please note that his budget is Rs.5.25 to Rs.5.75 lakhs (he said Ex-showroom Road & I'm not sure whether that means ex-showroom or on-the-road).

Assuming he meant ex-showroom, lets try and stick to or around that budget...unless the gentleman indicates otherwise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkdas

coz cielo was a big car, u close choice should haev been a lancer. i heard they give upto 75k discount plus extra goodies like leather seat cover, alloy wheels...

JK, Cielo looked big on the outside but wasnt as large inside as its looks suggested.

devarshi84 · 13th October 2005, 02:37

ford ikon if you are want to enjoy driving

maruti baleno if you have a family to lug around.

opel corsa is the safer and more comfortable car if you are a family of four with average height and build.

accent with abs makes a good choice for you though.I would reccomment the accent as it is cheap and comfortable and newer than the above mentioned cars. The engine though is nothin to write home about.

I dunno if crdi has abs but the 103ps petrol with abs is an able performer and will be more safe.

zulfikar · 13th October 2005, 09:24

caroholic1 any idea how much is the chepest version on fusion and what is the discount they are offering...

typeOnegative · 13th October 2005, 12:54

Tata Indigo? You mentioned that you do 2K trips twicea month. You also dont seem to mention speed. An Indigo Diesel may just be over your budget, but I think it will be worth it in th elong run. Otherwise in petrol the logical choice is the Baleno. The Ikon 1.6 is good, but as RX mentioned, you may start getting those service pangs pretty soon.

12th October 2005, 18:05	#1
lal-kit Newbie Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: JAMMU Posts: 2 Thanked: 0 Times	Advice For A New Car I have been driving a Cielo for the last 5 years. Its time to change my car since getting spare parts is a major problem. I have scouted about but would prefer to hold my veiws so that I can get un biased veiws from all you fellow BHPians for a NEW car. I really liked the Cielo. It has an amazing road grip (more noticable on mountain road from Jammu to Srinagar), good acceleration and amazing braking ( had very close shaves twice at speed in excess of 130. Slammed the brakes, tyres smoked but the car did not tail gate even a bit). I drive about 5 kms daily when in Jammu but I do go out on 2000 Kms trips twice a month. Economy is not really of prime importance as much as road holding, braking and ride comfort. My budget is Rs.5.25 - 5.75 lacs Ex-showroom road. I am not much of a buff for accessories other than a decent music system. There is no Honda or Fiat dealership at Jammu so a no no to their cars. All advice is welcome.
	() Thanks

12th October 2005, 18:09	#2
Steeroid Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: N.A Posts: 7,046 Thanked: 2,751 Times	Baleno it is, from the sound of it. I think you'll find that a majority of the replies concur... PS: With the stock clearance offer, the Ikon 1.6 is a damn good candidate, too. Especially since you will have fun driving around on the winding roads of your state... Last edited by Steeroid : 12th October 2005 at 18:19.
	() Thanks

12th October 2005, 18:17	#3
binz Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,306 Thanked: 431 Times View My Garage	Baleno baleno baleno......great ride comfort,brakes,power(low end torque..great for mountain roads)Grip is ok on stock tyres,went to ooty last week and the stock tyres(see my avataar) made no fuss on the hills my 2 cents binz Last edited by binz : 12th October 2005 at 18:18.
	() Thanks

12th October 2005, 18:58	#4
caroholic1 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Delhi Posts: 407 Thanked: 31 Times View My Garage	Dude why dont u check out the Ford Fusion's cheapest version & they might be giving some discount on that also it has that SUV kind of ground clearance.
	() Thanks

12th October 2005, 20:25	#5
streetlife BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: New Delhi, India Posts: 219 Thanked: 22 Times View My Garage	baleno is the choice... straight away go for it
	() Thanks

12th October 2005, 21:29	#6
normally_crazy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,369 Thanked: 528 Times View My Garage	Ford Ikon 1.6 - u drive around hills and boy will you have fun in the ikon around the corners ! and with the recent cuts in price the ikon is even more desirable-
	() Thanks

12th October 2005, 21:34	#7
lal-kit Newbie Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: JAMMU Posts: 2 Thanked: 0 Times	Thanks for the advice. I have test driven both and found that Ikon may a little more peppy but at higher speeds I found it wavering all over the road as if it was floating in choppy waters
	() Thanks

12th October 2005, 21:47	#8
revtech Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,992 Thanked: 38 Times View My Garage	since you have test driven both the cars you yourself will have to figure out which one is better for you.i personally feel the baleno would be a better option BUT with wider tyres.the stock tyres are too skinny for the car specially while diving on highways.so if you are getting the baleno the first thing you must do is change the tyres and if budget permits get good rims too with tubeless tyres.let us know what you finally plan on doing. rev
	() Thanks

13th October 2005, 00:57	#9
RX135 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: pune Posts: 2,106 Thanked: 75 Times	For hills and winding roads, I would definitely recommend Ikon 1.6. However, please make sure about A/S/S support in your area and, Fords are rumoured to have higher maitenance costs after 3-4 years.
	() Thanks

13th October 2005, 01:07	#10
jkdas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Thiruvananthapu Posts: 9,687 Thanked: 1,492 Times View My Garage	at that price... ikon, hyundai accent, indigo and petra. cant u want for ford fiesta launch? coz cielo was a big car, u close choice should haev been a lancer. i heard they give upto 75k discount plus extra goodies like leather seat cover, alloy wheels... also new NHC on its way by dec or so. and also new octavia. so teh point is coz teh new octavia has 2 have a good price, teh old one's price would be reduced and hence lancer and lot will have more competition and hence a price reduction for lancer.
	() Thanks

13th October 2005, 02:10	#11
Insane Devil BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 987 Thanked: 173 Times View My Garage	LAL , well, nice to see u living in Jammu! lovely place! as everyone here is recommending, the Baleno surely is a great car! for ur purpose, u will have to opt for petrol engine, rather than diesel, when economy aint issues, as diesel engines might give u problems in cold starting in winters! if that is not an issue, then u can also give the Accent CRDI and the new FORD Fiesta Diesel/Petrol a go. Even the Lancer is a nice car! it does look luxurious and is very comfortable and nice inside and outside, ride and handling are also just great! IMHO... you should wait till Ford launches its Fiesta, and have a look at its petrol & diesel engines. then decide for whichever u choose, also once ford launches its car, the other Companies will give u a lil more discounts probably!
	() Thanks

13th October 2005, 02:37	#13
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad - Tor Posts: 4,024 Thanked: 211 Times View My Garage	ford ikon if you are want to enjoy driving maruti baleno if you have a family to lug around. opel corsa is the safer and more comfortable car if you are a family of four with average height and build. accent with abs makes a good choice for you though.I would reccomment the accent as it is cheap and comfortable and newer than the above mentioned cars. The engine though is nothin to write home about. I dunno if crdi has abs but the 103ps petrol with abs is an able performer and will be more safe. Last edited by devarshi84 : 13th October 2005 at 02:38.
	() Thanks

13th October 2005, 09:24	#14
zulfikar BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 532 Thanked: 18 Times View My Garage	caroholic1 any idea how much is the chepest version on fusion and what is the discount they are offering...
	() Thanks

13th October 2005, 12:54	#15
typeOnegative Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vikhroli, Mumbai, India Posts: 1,503 Thanked: 27 Times	Tata Indigo? You mentioned that you do 2K trips twicea month. You also dont seem to mention speed. An Indigo Diesel may just be over your budget, but I think it will be worth it in th elong run. Otherwise in petrol the logical choice is the Baleno. The Ikon 1.6 is good, but as RX mentioned, you may start getting those service pangs pretty soon.
	() Thanks