[kmadhok]

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Go for a tall boy for parents - easy ingress and egress. Within 5lakhs you will get a nice ritz diesel sparingly used. Unbeatable Maruti service, low diesel cost and super FE.

Good point there. When considering a car for parents always think about the ingress and egress. (I learnt these words here).
I would +1 for Manza. We have it and I love the rear seat height. Very comfy to get in and out. Apart from the cheap plastic not much to complain about.
If you can wait, I would suggest being patient and searching for a good used car. My impression is that with the recent fuel price hike the sales of used petrol cars will also decrease, and if the car manufactures offer further discounts on new cars this shall put pressure on the second had car market as well. (This is entirely my speculation/ hope/ wish).

[kraft.wagen]

Thanks all for the suggestions on Tata, will surely keep it in mind.

Originally Posted by sindabad.sailor

If you are OK with petrol and think Maruti cars as reliable then you ought to think of SX4.

Not sure how I missed this, will look out for the SX4 too

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

I am not so sure but with 5L budget you can get a decent Honda City, and as you are not particular about petrol/diesel then the City makes a perfect choice.

I did consider the option initially, but not sure why I opted out. How is the A.S.S and maintenance on the City?

Originally Posted by Tejas@perioimpl

Go for a tall boy for parents - easy ingress and egress. Within 5lakhs you will get a nice ritz diesel sparingly used. Unbeatable Maruti service, low diesel cost and super FE.

Totally agree on the comfort of the Ritz, but I opted it out cuz I have never liked its design
Pragmatically it makes sense to choose comfort over design.

Originally Posted by GTO

@ kraft.wagen : 5 lakhs can get you a very good pre-owned Toyota Corolla. I can't think of a better used car for your folks. Super reliability, space, high seating position, boot, ability to take driver abuse and nice air-conditioner.

Corolla for 5L surely sounds a sweet deal, let me look around and see if there are any in CBE.

[mayankjha1806]

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

I did consider the option initially, but not sure why I opted out. How is the A.S.S and maintenance on the City?

Honda A.S.S has been very good everywhere (So i have heard), not sure specifically about Coimbatore, but my guess is it should be as good as in any other city.

Go through some City ownership threads, its a no fuss car, like every other Japanese. The sweet engine only makes it the best of the lot.

BTW, if you get a decent Corolla its also a very good option, only catch is its a segment higher than city so you might have to settle for a slightly older car. This is in no way a problem BTW. Corolla would easily hold itself up for north of 1.5L Kms.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by kraft.wagen

Corolla for 5L surely sounds a sweet deal, let me look around and see if there are any in CBE.

Actually, 5 lakhs is on the higher side. After the recent hike in petrol prices, I'm seeing some great Corollas for 3.5 lakhs...and excellent examples at 4 lakhs. The current-gen Altis is available for 6L in Mumbai. Considering that the car has sold ~1,000 units each month for the past many years, you will have ample choice in the market.

Sample Corolla on Sale

[sanyal779]

Gone through this thread with avid curiosity, perhaps because this is what I do in the vacations with whatever little money I save up for my hobbies. I buy pre-owned cars, restore them and keep them.

The starter post had mention of two hatchbacks and three sedans. I have always thought of the hatchbacks as some kind of compromise for sake of cutting cost . Granted that we do not need to carry a huge boot everyday but I always feel a sedan's boot has a life-saving function in case of rear end hit. When buying a second hand car, perhaps a jump to a sedan is a much better idea in my opinion, as it is a different pricing equation now.

Of the list I would reject the two hatches and the Ford icon right away, if I were to choose for myself. The Icon looks and feels less mature a car compared to the other two sedans mentioned. Only the Ford Fiesta and the Logan appeal to me. I have a 2006 Fiesta and a 2008 Logan, both purchased second hand, and I find the added boot a big help above the only hatchback Zen we had before.

The Logan ranks higher on the VFM scale but the Fiesta 1.4 TDCi is a small notch higher on the driving aspect. Upkeep cost are higher on the Fiesta. Both cars boot is ample.

Logan is comfortable for 5 full sized adults while Fiesta cabin does not accommodate the 5th adult in comfort.

City driving both cars give 14+ kmpl [ diesel] with 50% ac on,but the Logan feels more frugal, though I have not carried out an actual measurement. On the highways the Logan feels a little underpowered above 125 kmph and the Fiesta feels good upto 140 kmph.

Headlight of Fiesta is much better for night highway driving.

The suspension of the Fiesta feels a shade more delicate as compared to the Logan.

The wipers on the Logan is a minor irritant, as it leaves a larger unswept area in-front of the driver due to its opposite rotation.

For city driving, the Fiesta TDCi feels more peppy, also the turbo lag is lesser between the two. Also Fiesta feels a bit more poised. Logan on the other hand is a little sluggish below 30 kmph but feels better above this.

My idea of the cost is based on the regular study of the internet classifieds , I have a feeling that pre-owned cars are a little cheaper in Kolkata. In my study 3.75L is the maxm that I would agree as a fair price for these sedans, if available in flawless condition.

Both these cars are discontinued models, but thanks to Fiesta Classic and Verito, there is good availabilty of OEM spares. Ford spares are a little more expensive.

The body shell of Logan is a bit more stronger with steel reinforced bumpers underneath the plastic bumper. Fiesta is is also has quite a strong body. My fiesta was rear ended by a Wagon while I was waiting at a signal. The Wagon R's front was completely smashed while I suffered a minor buckling of the boot. Compare with Dzire or SX4 these are much stronger- an important quality in Kolkata traffic.

The above is just a few user comments, would like to learn more from the inputs of experts. I will be very happy if these inputs are helpful to some one. Thank you all for this thread.

[paulprv]

Im trying to decide between Fiesta and Logan!
My budget is 3lacs... stretchable to 3.5 at the most.
I have seen listings for 2007 Logan DLX (67500km) for 3.25, single owner and 2006 Fiesta (87500 km) for 3.5, single owner.
I also saw a 2003 Skoda Octavia Ambiente (85000km) for 2.8.

Considering I am selling my 2001 Lancer SLXd, which will be the best to buy?

I heard a comment that many who sell Lancers go to Skoda (don't know how true), but I do like the sturdy feel of the Octavia.

What I am looking for is
1. Spacious back seat - legroom and seat room
2. Decent mileage. My Lancer gives me 15-17 on highway and I'm happy with it.
3. Available spares, not too pricey. I found Lancer spares a bit difficult to get (had to go to Chennai or Coimbatore) but not too pricey.
4. Driving comfort. Compared to Linea, the Lancer is soooooo comfy to drive. I've become a little spoiled, so the car has to be comfy for me. I mean the posture, seats, handling, all matter.
5. Good family car - ample boot, child safe, suitable for frequent long drives like 1.5-2k km trips.
6. Preferably not too much depreciation in 1.5-2 years, so I don't lose too much on resale.

Comments are very appreciated.

[vishygk]

Originally Posted by paulprv

Im trying to decide between Fiesta and Logan!
My budget is 3lacs... stretchable to 3.5 at the most.
I have seen listings for 2007 Logan DLX (67500km) for 3.25, single owner and 2006 Fiesta (87500 km) for 3.5, single owner.
I also saw a 2003 Skoda Octavia Ambiente (85000km) for 2.8.

@paulprv : If you read the post last post from Sanyal, you will get a good comparo, however i'm going to add some points as well (note that my exp comes from having driven a Fiesta for close 100K Kms and having extensively travelled in Logan)

What I am looking for is
1. Spacious back seat - legroom and seat room
Advantage Logan, however for the odd occasion Fiesta is fine for 5 avg adults.
2. Decent mileage. My Lancer gives me 15-17 on highway and I'm happy with it.
Both are good and will easily give 20+ in Highway if driven sensibly.
3. Available spares, not too pricey. I found Lancer spares a bit difficult to get (had to go to Chennai or Coimbatore) but not too pricey.
Not a problem in either, however from what I have heard Logan may be slightly cheaper.
4. Driving comfort. Compared to Linea, the Lancer is soooooo comfy to drive. I've become a little spoiled, so the car has to be comfy for me. I mean the posture, seats, handling, all matter.
Handling, INterior & "feel" means Fiesta - no comparison, also Logan in my opinion has very dull interiors, however ride is good in both (Fiesta being slightly stiffer)
5. Good family car - ample boot, child safe, suitable for frequent long drives like 1.5-2k km trips.
Not much difference
6. Preferably not too much depreciation in 1.5-2 years, so I don't lose too much on resale.
I got 3.6 L for a 2007 Fiesta which had done 110K Kms, so resale is good, I believe even Logan will give you good resale.

To Summarize please drive both (all cars) and then decide based on the condition of the respective specimens, you cannot go wrong with either for your needs.

[supercars]

I suggest a W124 E Class. It is a very good car.

If you do not want to buy the Merc then Fiesta is a good choice.

I have never driven the Logan but I drove the engine in the Sunny and liked it.

The Skoda Octavia is also a great car to drive but I have heard of horror stories of A.S.S so maybe best avoided.

[pulsarmaniac]

I voted for the Ritz Diesel since I have been driving one for over 2.5 years. No nonsense family car. I've had no issues with the MJD so far, touchwood. Family has been happy with the ingress and rear seating. I haven't had issues with the trunk either with respect to space. Others in the list have their own advantages. Ritz holds it for the cost and the experience I mentioned.