[abheekg]

Dear all
My first posting in this section is in the form of this question regarding which second hand diesel car should I buy with new generation fuel efficient diesel engine.

Reading through the various posts on the forum and matching the specs of various cars with my set of requirements I have been able to short list the following cars for me :

(1) Ford Fusion tdci (either the simple model or the Fusion plus version)
(2) Mahindra Logan
(3) Ford Ikon tdci
(4) Ford Fiesta tdci
(5) Swift/Ritz vdi

My criteria:
1. Car should not be more than mid 2008 model.
2. Engine should be fuel efficient giving 15+ kmpl in city.
3. Should be a comfortable highway cruiser.
4. Should be spacious.
5. Should have good Ground clearance.
6. Should be a proven performer.
7. Should not be too heavy on the pocket to maintain.
8. This will be my daily driving car in city and also a vehicle which will see extensive highway travels, 1000km+ drives every 2 months.
9. My max budget is 4.5 Lakhs.

My heart says Ford Fusion and I have found 2 vehicles - both mid 2008 model - one run for 33000 kms (has seen complete engine change at 10k) and the other that has run for 55000 kms.

But my mind cautions me to aware of supposedly high maintenance cost of ford vehicles in general ( is it true ? ) and the fact that this is a discontinued vehicle (so difficulty in spare availability) and other factors.

On the other hand, reading the 2-3 diesel ford fusion ownership reports here and interacting on yahoo fusion group, I understand that the Fusion is a vehicle that cant be easily pushed under the carpet.

Pitted against the Fusion are the likes of Logan, Ikon, old Fiesta, Swift, Ritz.

Its very difficult to get a low mileage second hand Logan, but if I can get one I think that could be a very good option . Loses out on the GC aspect though.

Ikon and the old Fiesta are also discontinued ford vehicles, also falling short on GC.

Swift - well, I dont feel like buying one, but may be a practical choice in the end, also available in large numbers and customisable.

Ritz - can it be considered as a comfortable mile cruncher.

Both the Marutis will be very easy to maintain though.

Help me decide friends.
Have I missed listing any worthy vehicle here? And no, the Figo doesn't fit a lot of my criteria.

Regards,
Dr. A Ghosh

[archat68]

FE, easy and low cost of maintenance, fun to drive points out to Swift / ritz.
If you want a larger boot space get the Fiesta.

[greenhorn]

I'd suggest a getz crdi if you can find one

[rider60]

get the diesel fiesta, more sensible option considering your requirements, it does give us 15+KMPL in the city, and that is when dad uses it, he revs it a little higher in the lower gears and still manages this mileage. it wont be chucked off any time sooner and the spares and maintenance with this is also reasonable.

well one question though, how long do you plan to keep this car?

[suhaas307]

The Swift would be your best bet. Try and find a good example. There are several battered ones out there.

If you want something with a boot, the Fiesta would be your ideal car. In fact, you wouldn't even have to buy a second-hand Fiesta. If you can wait for some time, Ford should announce the arrival of the new Fiesta, thus dropping the current one a segment below. You could get your hands on a brand new diesel sedan.

Choose wisely.

[dot]

Originally Posted by abheekg

But my mind cautions me to aware of supposedly high maintenance cost of ford vehicles in general ( is it true ? ) and the fact that this is a discontinued vehicle (so difficulty in spare availability) and other factors.

May have been true once, but not nowadays. Ford has localized most parts, so prices of spare parts has come down quite a bit. There was a recent comparison with Maruti and Hyundai regarding prices of common spare parts and replacements. Ford prices, specially for Fiesta were at par with other OEMs. Further, spares for Fiesta and Ikon should be available for next few years. Fusion, I am not sure.

Originally Posted by abheekg

Ikon and the old Fiesta are also discontinued ford vehicles, also falling short on GC.

Ikon and Fiesta does not bottom out unless pitted in extreme conditions.

I would suggest to go for a 08 Fiesta Diesel. The interiors are good, trunk space is vast, FE is super. Ride and handling is also very good. Only it is a bit sluggish on highways.

[torquecurve]

Why dont you consider the Indigo series. You can get a 2010 CS for 4.5 lacs. It has good FE, is comfortable, cheap to maintain, good highway car, safety features also! You could also try for Vista QDJ. You could eve get a new Vista or the indigo ecs if you stretched your budget a bit. That way you can avoid the heartburn of getting a bad used car.

[condor]

Abheek, since you are looking at used cars, I think you dont need to depend completely on A.S.S for support. This is for both, warranty and for controlling costs of servicing. I will suggest you avoid the Ford cars here, unless you can manage the servicing. Ford does not give parts outside. And you have to depened completely on them for even a small part.

Eg: if you want a wiper blade, they will not give it without a job card. And a job card means an additional Rs 60-75 (minimum) for labor.

Try the Maruti / Tata. If original Logan spares are available outside the A.S.S, then Logan will also be a good choice.

[roy_libran]

Logan:
- Easily get it below 3.5 Lacs in very good condition, because of big depreciation
- Built to last
- Gem of an Engine
- Best in Class Space
- Excellent Driveability and Handling
- Fuel Efficiency of around 17 KMPL in City with AC
- Cheap Spares
- Comfortable Highway Cruising at 120-130 kmph
- Excellent performance on Hill Driving, due to good low end

Not just recommending this, because I own one, but because I have driven almost all the other cars extensively, and still believe that this delivers maximum bang for the buck.
The Fusion is a better car, but maintenance costs can get high due to high Ford Spare Part Cost. Fusion starts getting rickety after 4-5 years of ownership. Ikon is built to last, but space? Swift is great, if you can live with a hatchback and hardly any space for luggage. Ritz, IMHO, is a No Go. Indica / Indigo again become unreliable with age. If you can find one of the Quadrajets, that may be a good buy.

[v&v]

Abheek,if hatch suits your need i would suggest ritz. It will not carry the premium of swift and 09 model with reasonable milage should be in your budget. Do test drive it once.

[muni]

A new Indica Vista QJD is your best bet in my opinion. It is a highly underrated car for the price it comes and the comfort it offers. Fit and finish is decent and on par if not better than its rivals (better than swift). Check it yourself with a test drive.

[archat68]

If you are going to drive the car - look no further , get a Swift D / Ritz D. The peppy engine will make smile while driving.
As suggested by Greenhorn Getz CRDi is also a good option but very hard to find. I was looking for one for a long time but failed come across even one in Kolkata. So, finally settled for Swift Vdi.

[mdsaab]

The logan is quite a car. Its extremely spacious especially at the rear and can seat 3 abreast in comfort. As far as how frugal it is, it seems the digital fuel gauge never wants to go down. Its one of those cars you should have if you love to travel, as its so fuel efficient you will be left amazed.
All this and a few other factors make the logan absolute VFM. A proposition IMO you just cant go wrong with.

If you want something with a bit more driver involvement then there is no looking away from the dirsel fiesta. Well balanced with great handling characteristics. Is quite fuel efficient too.

[abheekg]

Originally Posted by archat68

FE, easy and low cost of maintenance, fun to drive points out to Swift / ritz.
If you want a larger boot space get the Fiesta.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

The Swift would be your best bet. Try and find a good example. There are several battered ones out there.

Originally Posted by condor

Try the Maruti / Tata.

Originally Posted by roy_libran

Swift is great, if you can live with a hatchback and hardly any space for luggage. Ritz, IMHO, is a No Go.

Originally Posted by v&v

Abheek,if hatch suits your need i would suggest ritz. It will not carry the premium of swift and 09 model with reasonable milage should be in your budget. Do test drive it once.

Originally Posted by archat68

If you are going to drive the car - look no further , get a Swift D / Ritz D. The peppy engine will make smile while driving.
As suggested by Greenhorn Getz CRDi is also a good option but very hard to find. I was looking for one for a long time but failed come across even one in Kolkata. So, finally settled for Swift Vdi.

There are definitely certain very strong points for the Swift/Ritz.
I don't mind a hatchback, infact prefer one but the very fact that every second car that you come across on the road tis days is a swift puts me off.

If its maruti, I am more inclined to the Ritz.

Originally Posted by greenhorn

I'd suggest a getz crdi if you can find one

Getz crdi... thats an interesting option ! time to do my homework I guess.
How's the fuel efficiency of maybe a 3 year old getz and maintenance costs ?

Originally Posted by rider60

well one question though, how long do you plan to keep this car?

I plan to keep the car for atleast 3-4 years.

Originally Posted by rider60

get the diesel fiesta, more sensible option considering your requirements, it does give us 15+KMPL in the city, and that is when dad uses it, he revs it a little higher in the lower gears and still manages this mileage. it wont be chucked off any time sooner and the spares and maintenance with this is also reasonable.

Originally Posted by dot

I would suggest to go for a 08 Fiesta Diesel. The interiors are good, trunk space is vast, FE is super. Ride and handling is also very good. Only it is a bit sluggish on highways.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

If you want something with a boot, the Fiesta would be your ideal car. In fact, you wouldn't even have to buy a second-hand Fiesta. If you can wait for some time, Ford should announce the arrival of the new Fiesta, thus dropping the current one a segment below. You could get your hands on a brand new diesel sedan.

Choose wisely.

Ford just announced the new fiesta 3 days back. I am still not sure of the on road pricing of the new car though. Good highway manners and comfortable mile cruncher is definitely a must have criteria on my shopping list. I will definitely not prefer a sluggish highway car. Have already registered for the TD of the new fiesta.

Originally Posted by dot

May have been true once, but not nowadays. Ford has localized most parts, so prices of spare parts has come down quite a bit.

Ikon and Fiesta does not bottom out unless pitted in extreme conditions.

Originally Posted by roy_libran

The Fusion is a better car, but maintenance costs can get high due to high Ford Spare Part Cost. Fusion starts getting rickety after 4-5 years of ownership. Ikon is built to last, but space?

Originally Posted by condor

Abheek, since you are looking at used cars, I think you dont need to depend completely on A.S.S for support. This is for both, warranty and for controlling costs of servicing. I will suggest you avoid the Ford cars here, unless you can manage the servicing. Ford does not give parts outside. And you have to depened completely on them for even a small part.

Eg: if you want a wiper blade, they will not give it without a job card. And a job card means an additional Rs 60-75 (minimum) for labor.

So, I guess the Fusion loses the race and goes out of contention. I don't want to be stuck with a lemon and something thats very expensive to maintain.

Are ford spares not at all available in the markets. I reckon that since I am buying a second hand car, most of my servicing will be done by the friendly roadside mechanic. Will the roadside mechanic be competent enough to handle such cars if I am not depending on Ford A.S.S. ? Thats a big question

Originally Posted by dot

There was a recent comparison with Maruti and Hyundai regarding prices of common spare parts and replacements. Ford prices, specially for Fiesta were at par with other OEMs. Further, spares for Fiesta and Ikon should be available for next few years. Fusion, I am not sure.

Where was this study published? Can you give me a lead so that I could check it up.

Originally Posted by torquecurve

Why dont you consider the Indigo series. You can get a 2010 CS for 4.5 lacs. It has good FE, is comfortable, cheap to maintain, good highway car, safety features also! You could also try for Vista QDJ. You could eve get a new Vista or the indigo ecs if you stretched your budget a bit. That way you can avoid the heartburn of getting a bad used car.

Originally Posted by roy_libran

Indica / Indigo again become unreliable with age. If you can find one of the Quadrajets, that may be a good buy.

Originally Posted by muni

A new Indica Vista QJD is your best bet in my opinion. It is a highly underrated car for the price it comes and the comfort it offers. Fit and finish is decent and on par if not better than its rivals (better than swift). Check it yourself with a test drive.

Indigo CS may be a good option. But isn't the engine on this car a e-Series engine ? How good is this engine with regards to fuel efficiency and maintenance. If I include the indigo cs in my list, that throws up a lot of interesting and I believe low budget options.

Originally Posted by condor

If original Logan spares are available outside the A.S.S, then Logan will also be a good choice.

Originally Posted by roy_libran

Logan:
- Easily get it below 3.5 Lacs in very good condition, because of big depreciation
- Built to last
- Gem of an Engine
- Best in Class Space
- Excellent Driveability and Handling
- Fuel Efficiency of around 17 KMPL in City with AC
- Cheap Spares
- Comfortable Highway Cruising at 120-130 kmph
- Excellent performance on Hill Driving, due to good low end

Not just recommending this, because I own one, but because I have driven almost all the other cars extensively, and still believe that this delivers maximum bang for the buck.

Originally Posted by mdsaab

The logan is quite a car. Its extremely spacious especially at the rear and can seat 3 abreast in comfort. As far as how frugal it is, it seems the digital fuel gauge never wants to go down. Its one of those cars you should have if you love to travel, as its so fuel efficient you will be left amazed.
All this and a few other factors make the logan absolute VFM. A proposition IMO you just cant go wrong with.

If you want something with a bit more driver involvement then there is no looking away from the dirsel fiesta. Well balanced with great handling characteristics. Is quite fuel efficient too.

I am a big fan of the original Logan too. One of the most fuel efficient and comfortable highway cars that I have driven. The only problem I face is that I am unable to find any logan (2008) with low mileage of less than 50,000 Kms.

Logan spares, I believe is available in the open market.

What do you have to say about the GC of the Logan ,sir ?

Finally , is the Logan CS - a reality or a myth ? When are we expecting the shortened Logan? How will it be priced? ? Will it be my ultimate solution ?

So is it going to be old Swift/Ritz 'vs' New Ford fiesta 'vs' Logan cs ??


Thanks for all the inputs friends, and I am sure that with all the right pointers, I will be able to crack this dilemma soon. My projected buying period is in the next 3 months.

regards,
Dr. A Ghosh

[rider60]

^^^

all right since you have chosen logan, there is a small con it comes with, small to some, but for city traffic drivers it can be a nightmare.

the thing and only one i really dont like about logan is the really hard clutch!!!

if you think you can live with it its an excellent allround car, i wish you a happy car hunting.