[Viju]

I am not sure if you are open to an MUV, but I would suggest going in for a pre-owned Innova (non-taxi) with around 50,000km on the odo. It ticks most of your requirements except may be No.7. But then, it is not that bad to drive either. I don't think many other cars hold their value as well as the Innova. It is comfortable, spacious, reliable and your family will enjoy travelling in it.

[petrolhead_neel]

I would suggest that you go for the Ecosport Ecoboost. Has all the safety features that you want, will be easy to drive in the city and will be very fun to drive too. I think you'll get used to the turbo lag soon. Don't think about leaving the tarmac with the Ecosport though.

If you want off roading capabilities, go for the Duster AWD. In that price range, that would be my first choice. Amazing car, can actually do quite a bit of off roading and is very car like to drive otherwise. Not to forget the magic carpet ride quality.

Third choice would be the S-Cross 1.6. That would definitely satisfy the enthusiast in you. It will also be easy to drive and will handle like a large hatchback. BHPian mi10 has written a fantastic review of the S-Cross, that coupled with the official review, would give you a decent idea of how it will be to live with the S-Cross. No off roading.

Storme 4x4: I personally have a soft corner for this beast. Not sure whether it satisfies your requirements correctly though. Won't be as easy to tackle in narrow city streets as the other cars in the list. Nice off roading capabilities and superb highway machine.

I think you should take your pick out of this lot. Pseudo SUV, SUV with car-like manners, crossover, or a real SUV, take a test ride of each one and decide yourself.

Drive safe, enjoy your stay here and happy shopping.

Neel

P.S: As you are open to buying new cars too, I think the thread title should be altered.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by RubberSideDown

I am coming back to India from the US after 5 years and trying to decide what ride to get. I might go back to the US (if things work out) in about a year to 18 months time. But because of family reasons, I am not sure if I'll want it. And, I want to keep my options open so I can make an informed decision on going back to the US later.

Since you may go back to the US, buying a car that is easy to sell and holds its value is important. Hence, I have the following recommendations for you:

1. You haven't mentioned your usage so a pre owned Honda CR-V (is very well built and has an AT option). Will also hold its value since you will also get it fairly cheap.

2. XUV 5oo. Established, spacious and easy to sell. However, you will need to make do with a manual option.

3. A spacious sedan like an Accord or a Camry. They are not very efficient in the Indian context but can be had for under 8 lac INR, will be well built and have AT options. Also, you have used cars like them in the US so I assume you are comfortable with sedans.

Getting quality petrol is no longer an issue on most of our highways and cities.

[ToyotaFan]

The best bet for you would be a Honda city CVT if you can compromise with a sedan. Automatic and petrol will take care of your NVH concerns and it holds its value well. Good fuel economy and driving pleasure sweeten the deal as well.

Another option is the Ecosport AT. It also has 6 airbags and will be easier to drive especially for your wife. 5th passenger would be a squeeze though.

As far as pre owned cars go the previous generation CRV (specially post 2009 with sunroof) can easily be had under 10lakh make for an extremely good buy. You get a car of a class similar to your Camry along with a good driving experience and hassle free ownership. Most CRVs sold were ATs hence that criteria is covered as well. Only downside is the FE and thus if you don't plan to drive more than 2,000 km a month this is the best best.

All three cars hold their value well and selling after 1-2 years should not be an issue. Hope this helps.

[Rahul Rao]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

2. XUV 5oo. Established, spacious and easy to sell. However, you will need to make do with a manual option.

the XUV is also available with a very well mated Automatic in the top two versions, the waiting is stated at 90 days, but many have received their vehicle within 40 days.

Rahul

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by Rahul Rao

the XUV is also available with a very well mated Automatic in the top two versions,

Not in the budget that the OP is looking at. The OP needs a vehicle within 15 lac OTR.

[RubberSideDown]

Originally Posted by sudev

Preowned or lease hire? If you are not yet sure I would suggest go for self drive hire for inner city driving and Zoom (or equivalent) for less frequent out station trips. Once you settle down then spend money on new car.

With budget of 15lac parked in bank this would fairly compensate monthly hire charges.

This is a very interesting idea. When I first read your comment I thought there is no way it can make financial sense. But a quick back-of-the-napkin calculation proved otherwise. I looked at a few self-drive car rental sites and got an estimate for monthly rental rates. For Baleno/i20 range of cars, over a 12 month period, renting does compare very well to 15 lac parked in the bank and depreciation on resale. This was based on a very conservative 7-8% bank interest rate. But, if I go one segment higher to EcoSport or Creta, renting ends up being more expensive. I know you are just suggesting giving myself more time by going the rental route initially, and that makes very good sense. Never would have thought about that myself. Thank you for bringing this up.

Originally Posted by Viju

I am not sure if you are open to an MUV, but I would suggest going in for a pre-owned Innova (non-taxi) with around 50,000km on the odo. It ticks most of your requirements except may be No.7. But then, it is not that bad to drive either. I don't think many other cars hold their value as well as the Innova. It is comfortable, spacious, reliable and your family will enjoy travelling in it.

Yes, I did consider the Innova. About 6 years back, in India, we had a very memorable trip from Pune to Goa in an Innova. And I really liked the car at that time. I have not completely ruled out Innova, but looking at other options first.

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel

Drive safe, enjoy your stay here and happy shopping.

Neel

P.S: As you are open to buying new cars too, I think the thread title should be altered.

Thanks Neel. The mods took care of the title thing. Sorry about that and appreciate the mods merging my thread here. It is much more relevant here and will also help others going through a similar decision making process.

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Since you may go back to the US, buying a car that is easy to sell and holds its value is important. Hence, I have the following recommendations for you:

1. You haven't mentioned your usage so a pre owned Honda CR-V (is very well built and has an AT option). Will also hold its value since you will also get it fairly cheap.

2. XUV 5oo. Established, spacious and easy to sell. However, you will need to make do with a manual option.

3. A spacious sedan like an Accord or a Camry. They are not very efficient in the Indian context but can be had for under 8 lac INR, will be well built and have AT options. Also, you have used cars like them in the US so I assume you are comfortable with sedans.

Getting quality petrol is no longer an issue on most of our highways and cities.

Yes I didn't mention my usage, did I? Typical usage would be city driving of about 50 km daily with either my wife or myself at the wheel. And, short trips on an average once a month, ~400 km. And, longer trips every 2-3 months ~1000 km.

I have driven CR-V, Rav4 range of cars and don't mind them at all (quite like them actually). But I am not finding many of them in the used car sites filtering for Pune. Maybe if I widen my search to Mumbai i'll get more hits.
Having driven a Camry for a long time, I do want to avoid Accord, Camry, Sonata kind of cars. Not because they are bad cars or I don't like them, it's simply because I want a different kind of ride now.

Originally Posted by Rahul Rao

the XUV is also available with a very well mated Automatic in the top two versions, the waiting is stated at 90 days, but many have received their vehicle within 40 days.

Rahul

Like BHPian @n.devdath already mentioned, the XUV AT it is clearly over my budget if buying new. If it was even 16 lacs OTR in Pune, I would have sprung for it. In the pre-owned market, I am not finding any XUV AT models. I am however finding some W8 AWD ones which also works for me very well. But thanks for mentioning because now I will be on the lookout for used XUV AT models.


From what I have been suggested so far (thank you all), I think Duster AWD and XUV make it to the top of the list; considering availability in the pre-owned market also. Or, a CR-V if I manage to find one in good condition.

Also, what should be the max age/running of a CR-V that I should consider for a mostly hassle free ownership for the next 12-18 months?

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by RubberSideDown

I have driven CR-V, Rav4 range of cars and don't mind them at all (quite like them actually). But I am not finding many of them in the used car sites filtering for Pune. Maybe if I widen my search to Mumbai i'll get more hits.

Also, what should be the max age/running of a CR-V that I should consider for a mostly hassle free ownership for the next 12-18 months?

Yup, you will. In fact, Bombay has a lot of CR-Vs and it is pretty easy to find one or a Grand Vitara for that matter. Also, not everyone lists their cars online these days so putting a word out to dealers and visiting a few big pre owned outlets is not a bad idea too.

CR-Vs last very long with minimal maintenance so ideally speaking, a single owner, well maintained CR-V less than 7 years old with 50-70k on the odo should fit your bill.

[Veels n Rhodes]

Dear Bhpians,

This is my first own thread, to post my requirement and select my first car after returning to India.
First of all, a big thanks to TEAM-BHP for all the things it does every day and to be part of our daily life.

After marriage, I was moving abroad intermittently and was not able to buy my own car till now. Now at 37 , I want to come back and stay back in India.
April 2016, I will be back in Hyderabad.

I was Car Admirer, and member of team-bhp since 2010.

I never owned a car in my life, but started driving my (Late) dad's M800 at age of 18.

Last car driven was my Father-in-law's Wagon-R(2005 make), in 2011 when our little one came to our life, That is for one year in Bangalore.
During that period - I was trying to buy a car but due to other reasons could not buy, I have test driven Polo, Figo, Punto, i20, swift. Liked the Figo and Swift. VW Polo was my all time favorite, due to classy lines, simple design, premium build quality. The old diesel engine had turbo lag, which I found it very unsatisfactory after driving Wagon-R.

In 2014 - I was in Hyderbad, test driven - Elite I20, Polo , Ford Ecosport, booked Elite i20 in 2014 december, but later cancelled due to one more assignment abroad.
Polo with new engine was good - but lacked in back seat space which my better half complained.
Elite i20 engine was very refined - rich in features, interior dash layout was fresh and beautiful.
Ecosport drive was good, always like the design of ecosport, even though it is under 4m, the designers have done a wonderful job to hide its lesser dimensions.
I like it because -
It looks modern with character lines flowing across,
butch with it's large front grill,
practical with generous ground clearance,
well laid out seats (I am 5'7'') which were very comfortable.
Also felt solid with build quality - the doors are heavy.
Minimal Turbo Lag ( I did not feel any Lag)
Titanium has Airbags and ABS
black cladding all over
Sleek Head lights
Funky interior (not very practical though)
NVH levels - it completely isolated the outside world

Few things which I did not like
Boot space of 345 Ltr was little less - but with 60:40 split and the fully fold-able back seats - It looked practical
When I sat on back seat while other person was driving, I felt body roll , I could understand there will be little body roll due to it's height, but the person who was driving was from the Ford Showroom and he was driving fast within the city turning left and right - which left me with little bad impression for back seat.

We selected Elite I20 over Ecosport due to budget of over 2 lakhs between top end models.

Fast forward to 2015 April, I am in abroad again(Singapore), I was closely following IX25 chinese threads and other Korean ads of IX25 , I was in love with that design , perfect dimensions for city (no wonder why it was called Perfect Suv in their ad campaign)
For me length of 4400 (read Honda City or Vento) , will be bigger to maintain in city for driving to malls/ marts - every day groceries
Around 4300 will be perfect - here comes Creta (4270mm), Ford ecosport (4280mm) with spare wheel, S-cross(4300mm) - Not taken other cars due to various reasons ( duster - did not like interior and little wider for city drive width 1822 mm , no boxy design Scorpio, Tuv3oo).
Recently released Vitara Brezza - I found little conservative design - I think I need to see it in Flesh to feel the design, I did not find the interior (the dash layout) to my taste.

Why Suv - One fine day in Hyderabad, rains lashed out the city road, We were completely drenched out in city while we were in two wheeler and saw few cars just stopped due to water logging on roads (including BMW 7-Series ) , decided to go with SUV with atleast 180 mm ground clearance.

Hyunda Creta - Why Base model
1. I want the overall budget of car to be around 12 L as I will be taking the car through Company Lease and wanted to minimize EMI, I could have moved to 1.4S but the new budget which would put On-road price in Hyderabad greater than 13 L with no Airbags

2. ABS was standard in base
3. I am going to change the tyres and wheels - 17 inch with 5-Spoke or twin-Spoke alloy wheels - I have large fascination on alloy wheel mods, but due to budget constraints have to restrict myself. (e.g cannot go to Oz Racing/MSW or Borbet) , I have to settle down to MOMO drones, or Lenso Raiden Project D PD1 or AVA HS-227 or HRS Alloys ) - Even If I take Ford ecosport or S-cross I am going to change the alloys.
4. I have driven Elite i20 1.4 CRDI , the engine was so refined , The power to weight ratio will be little lesser in Creta, but I am not enthusiast driver ( also - my first own car)
5. I will do other modifications - (may go for black top, 3M Car Care Paint sealant and UV protection)
6. I may go with other accessories - as they will not come under EMI (Rear view camera in IRVM, rear parking sensors, Fog lamps, chrome handles, Speaker upgrade if needed after checking the quality)
7. White is my first choice followed by red.

Only thing against Creta - is no Airbags

See the base model below with Momo Drones ( Picture taken from Web - not my Own)


Ford Ecospost Titanium 2016 model
With reasons mentioned above
The newer model has now 100 bhp engine , with good low end torque compared to previous as per reviews read.
(See the ford ecosport mars Red with Lenso PD1. )

S-Cross 1.3 Zeta
I found the exterior looks very bland, or else a very nice car,
The interior (dash layout with carbon fibre touch) and build quality was good ( I checked them in Singapore car show)
1.3 Zeta is well loaded , only thing need to get the alloys changed , our bhpian Volkman got beautiful set of MSW wheels which completely changed the profile of car.
Back seat was spacious
I need to test drive to understand the engine.

My daily drive to office would be lesser , week end travels around city and few highway travels ( around 500 km per week).
As this is my first car - looking at maintenance perspective, I am new to ownership - need to learn a lot , to maintain it , wanted to have best After Sales Service. (In this Maruti > Hyundai > Ford)
We are family of 3 ( me, my wife and 5 year kid) - not very tall family


Please help me making this decision on my first car.

[Rahul Rao]

Whichever car you choose select a model that has at least front Air-bags six will be even better. Safety comes first, mag wheels, and other mods can wait. The Creta 1.4 doesn't feel underpowered, in fact I noticed that it needs lesser gear changes than1.6 as it comes into the turbo boost range much earlier due to sorter overall gearing.

Rahul

[Rajeevraj]

You don't want to spend 12L and get a car with no airbags and very little features. I would always look to buy a top end or close for the budget I have rather than the base variant of the next segment.

So i would suggest drop the Creta from your list and pick up either the Scross or Ecosport.

[IshaanIan]

Drop the Creta with no airbags and a lifeless Hyundai steering, that should not be in the contention in the first place.

The way I see it, you go for the S-Cross for the Maruti support and space and ride quality that the car offers unless those factors don't matter as much as having more features and better safety kit in the Ecosport

[shreyak_ss]

We were in a similar quandary in sometime June last year when Creta and S-cross were due to get launched. Our budget was also of 12 lakhs but in our case it was supposed to be a second car. Safety was the key aspect in our decision so we went in for the Ecosport.
I knew Creta was going to be priced more than the Ecosport so it was out of contention. Then I got a good discount on Ecosport as well. In your case, well, I don't think Creta makes sense with its base model with dearth of safety features and normal creature comforts. You'll always find something lacking. As others have suggested, decide between the Ecosport and the S-Cross.
You should also checkout the upcoming Vitara brezza.

[emperorofindia]

S cross should suit your needs perfectly. It's loaded to gills (safety or gizmos) and has a sweet, sweet engine (I've driven the 1.6 version, can't comment on the lower displacement one). It's very premium from inside and add Maruti's service muscle and you'll have a very satisfactory purchase.

TBH, I dont like the looks either, but then how long will you actually be looking at the exterior ?

[Veels n Rhodes]

Thanks Friends for your valuable suggestions, With heavy Heart, I will remove Base Creta CRDI from my list, I will consider S-Cross 1.3 Zeta & Ford Ecosport TDCi Titanium , Also - I will check out Vitara Brezza once I am back in India. I will look for other options including Elite I-20 ASTA(0) seems to be also a good buy even it is segment below, considering touch screen infotainment system and smooth 1.4 CRDI engine with 90 bhp and 220 NM torque (more torque than Ecosport and S-cross 1.3) and also can modify it