[Moun10]

There are many people who would have faced the issue of heart over mind while buying a car. Before I get into the details of the car buying dilemma I have been facing, let me go through a bit history.


When you are single and young, you rarely think twice before buying a vehicle. Then it is all about heart over mind. My first car was a white Hyundai i20 CRDI (2012). The car has served me quiet well over the years and has clocked over 87K kilometres. It is my daily driver currently and is doing the job perfectly.

I also owned a white Thar CRDe for three-four months in 2014. Although it was a used car and quiet beat up, it was a dream come true as I always wanted to own a Jeep. My family was against buying a jeep as they felt it did not serve any purpose. The ride was bumpy and not as plaint as i20. But as my marriage got fixed, my family again started pushing me to sell the Thar and buy a family car. Also my to-be-wife at that time preferred i20 over Thar. Therefore I had no choice but to bow down to parents as well as wife. Sold the Thar and bought a used Hyundai accent in exchange. However, I got an assurance from my wife that the next car will be an SUV if not Thar.

Fast forward a year, and Hyundai accent started to give problems to dad, who was driving it on a daily basis. He started mulling the idea of selling the 12 year old car and buying a new one. This was the time when I though my desire to own an SUV/Jeep could come to reality. But as luck would go, my father was against driving a diesel car. Also, as his daily drive was less than 10km within city, he opted to go for either for Alto K10 or Renault Kwid. So had to again let go of my jeeper desire. Went to both Renault as well as Maruti showrooms and Maruti dealer said a granite grey coloured Vxi model is available, but another buyer is pushing ahead for it. Dad paid the full amount and bought the car the same day.

Again fast forward six months and now my wife has learned to drive a car. Now the talk in the family has again started of buying another car. This time the decision for the car will be made by me. I already have discussed with her and she would be using my i20 and I can get a new car.

Till date there are three choices doing rounds in my family. The budget for the next car has been set at 10L.

Option 1:(My Father)

Ertiga ZDi+ SHVS
On Road Price - (10.3L)


According to him, as our family includes 6 adult members, we should go for an MUV.


Option 2:(My Wife)

Ford Ecosport Ti-VCT Titanium
On Road Price - (10.56L)


According to her, it looks like an SUV (which I disagree), which fulfils my criteria and has all the bells and whistles along with AT transmission.

Option 3: (Me)

Mahindra Thar Crde
On Road Price - (9.65L)


Always wanted to own one.


My dilemma is both my wife and father have valid reasons for going for the car they are pushing for. However as I would be driving this car, I feel I should opt for the one which I like the most. Also this car will be doing a lot of Himachal runs.

So what do you think; is this just a mid-life crisis I am going though? Should I just give up the idea of owning a Jeep and go for more practical options as mentioned by my family.
Which car out of the three I should opt for. I know all these cars cannot be compared but these three are the only options available.

[ani_meher]

Create a poll for better help. I would side with your father and vote for Ertiga. The latest version covers most of the points wanted by last version owners. I didn't have any idea that Thar costed 9.65L!!

If you want AT, then even Ertiga has AT version in VXI trim.

[biggrin]

Thar is your want, Ertiga is your need. EcoSport strikes a balance.

If I was in your place, I would pick the Ertiga. It comes with decent dynamics, interiors (though a letdown at 10.3L), a good engine and Maruti's service network and peace of mind.

I can relate to the "Gaddi hove ta Thar hove" feeling but I am pretty sure the excitement of any new car will take away your sorrows of not going for your favorite vehicle for the coming months or, who knows, years also. Ertiga certainly fills and completes your garage, much better than the EcoSport and Thar.

[BHPian thinking] To be true, you shouldn't be getting the Ertiga, or the EcoSport. Thar has been your dream. You should sell off the Diesel i20 (since usage will be reduced now) and move the Alto K10 to the wife. Gift your Dad a used Innova/Ertiga (whichever fits your budget after selling i20, to keep him happy and satisfy family needs also) and get yourself a Thar! Life is too short man. Live your dream. A show-and-go-anywhere vehicle, a petrol compact hatchback and a reliable 7 seater MUV = Perfect garage! [/BHPian thinking].

[Moun10]

Originally Posted by biggrin

Thar is your want, Ertiga is your need. EcoSport strikes a balance.

This was the same thing going through my mind before I posted the question.

If I was in your place, I would pick the Ertiga. It comes with decent dynamics, interiors (though a letdown at 10.3L), a good engine and Maruti's service network and peace of mind.

But the problem is that I will have to drive Ertiga on a daily basis, which I would not prefer. I know my most practicle car for my family needs would be Ertiga, but its practicality would only come when the whole family has to go somewhere together. Most of the time I drive alone or with my wife. So buying a 7 seater does not seem to be the optimal solution.


This weekend was spend test driving all three cars.

The first stop was Maruti and guess what, they did not have the vehicle for a test drive in their showroom. An Ertiga had come for regular service and I asked the owner about the car and his experience. The owner was quiet helpful and even let us drive his car a bit. However he made few points that it is no Innova and fully loaded Ertiga does not fare well on highways. It is a budget friendly 7 seater.

Next stop was Ford showroom and wife was pretty excited as we were going to test drive her choice. But as soon as she sat in the car, most of her excitement dimmed. The space inside was more or less like our i20. It was not an SUV like she was saying all this time. She found it was just a big hatchback. However she was impressed with the features being offered in the car at that price point. ABS, EBD, TCS, ESP, Hill hold, 6 Airbags and on top of that AT transmission. After a nice test drive, we left ford showroom heading towards Mahindra stable.

This is when I was really nervous. I knew after the Ecosport test drive, she was glued to the car, and if she did not like the ride of Thar, my hopes of owning it would diminish. As we went in to the showroom and looked at the Thar, she liked what she saw (Maybe because it was a new vehicle with better interiors than the one I owned before). Although the test drive did not bring much comfort as compared to Ecosport, I knew she was liking the car. Just as we were leaving the showroom, a black modified Thar came in and it was a looker. My wife also liked the looks of this Thar and I told her that this is not a use-as-it-is vehicle. The owner of the car transforms the vehicle as per his/her own taste.

The drive back home was quiet and I knew she is now confused between Thar and Ecosport, with Ertiga nowhere in picture. This week the discussions will continue and hopefully the decision will be reached soon.

[SmartCat]

You bought an used Thar and sold it sometime back. And now you want to buy a new one. It means you are not thinking straight when it comes to car buying process. You will have kids in the future. Will you be asking the mother and baby to sit in the front seat of Thar? Or the side facing seat at the back? Plan for the future, man!

So Thar is impractical. You find the Ertiga boring. Ecosport AT strikes a balance but you don't like it for some reason. You have to expand the cars in your shortlist. Why is the Maruti 800 (2002) in your garage? What is that for?

Can you extend the budget to Rs. 14 or 15 Lacs? Maybe you can check out Duster AT or Duster 4WD? For those Himalayan runs? If you are not in a tearing hurry to buy a car right away and since you said you always wanted a Jeep, how about waiting for a vehicle that is a actually a "Jeep" ?

http://www.autocarindia.com/auto-rev...-401166,0.aspx

[biggrin]

Originally Posted by Moun10

But the problem is that I will have to drive Ertiga on a daily basis, which I would not prefer. I know my most practicle car for my family needs would be Ertiga, but its practicality would only come when the whole family has to go somewhere together. Most of the time I drive alone or with my wife. So buying a 7 seater does not seem to be the optimal solution.

Exactly. That is why said that you might have to rearrange your garage in my previous post.

You drive alone most of the time. You want something which stands out from the crowd. You love Thar. You will use the 7 seater capacity very less during your ownership. Why will you get stuck with the Ertiga then? Since you have the liberty (parking space and funds ) of owning 3 cars at a time, I think you should look at what fills each user's needs completely. Your wife certainly doesn't need a spacious diesel i20 for her city trails. So, there you have money stuck in the form of i20. The Alto K10 used by your father can be given to your wife. A 7 seater might not be the best thing to drive for an enthusiast. In fact, the practicality of a 7 seater will be admired by older people, like your parents. Since their usage doesn't warrant a diesel, you can look at petrol MUV options also. A petrol Ertiga would be a good car, though not a true alternative to Innova, but comes at 30-40% less price with the same peace of mind. Now you have allotted cars to two users and have a chance to opt for any car which you like. Requirements will be yours, as other users are satisfied with their rides, and you are free to choose a Thar or Xenon or anything you like. Do make your decision after thoroughly understanding what it takes to live with an offroad vehicle as a daily drive.

In your current situation, in case you go for an Ertiga, you won't be very happy with a 7 seater (esp. when you are not using all the seats). Your wife wouldn't be using i20 Diesel to its maximum potential. Expenses will keep on mounting and your limited usage of a diesel mill will make the annual expenses feel unreasonable, as you are nearing 1 Lac kms already. Your Dad will be happy with his K10.

In case you move the Alto K10 to your wife, she will be happy as she would have a zippy compact car, which is more controllable and suited to city driving. With the 10 Lacs you have in hand, you can pick up a used Ertiga Vxi for say 5.5-6 Lac. It will be used rarely and trust me, oldies like to travel in simple reliable cars (e.g., my Dad). With these two Maruti cars, maintenance would be reasonable and both your cars would be reliable and suitable for less commute (<1000 km per month). Add the 3.5-4 Lac you get from i20 to the remaining 4.5 Lac from your budget and pick up your preferred car, be it a Thar or EcoSport or anything. Same money, utilised in a better way to keep everyone happy.

Do give it a thought.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by Moun10

However as I would be driving this car, I feel I should opt for the one which I like the most.

This .

What are you working for? Go and buy the car you want. If you love the Thar (especially after having owned it), clearly, nothing else will keep that heart of yours happy. If you want a Jeep, buy a Jeep (this coming from an owner of a 20 year old Jeep).

To all those who suggested other options, read this:


Your wife has just learned how to drive. We always recommend used cars for newbie drivers, hence your i20 is perfect. Plus, at <90,000 kms, it has a long healthy life ahead of it.

You smile in the Jeep, wife can smile in the i20 and Dad in his Alto K10.

The new Thar is awesome, Mahindra has continuously improved it over the years. Nicer ride, chilling air-con, power steering - I drove the facelifted version at the time of our official review and man, I didn't want to give it back to Mahindra!

According to him, as our family includes 6 adult members, we should go for an MUV.

Hire a Zoom Car / Myles UV when you want to seat 6 adults. They anyway can't fit in the Ertiga (which IMHO is a 5+2 car).

Originally Posted by smartcat

You will have kids in the future.

He does have an i20 for that.

[AYP]

The Ecosport comes across as the perfect balance between the other two vehicles. I'd suggest you to go for it. But then, I do not understand the Jeep thing, yet.

You can also look at the Creta 1.6S petrol. Will cost you around 11.5 lakhs and it does come with ABS and dual airbags now.

[phamilyman]

Originally Posted by Moun10

My dilemma is both my wife and father have valid reasons for going for the car they are pushing for. However as I would be driving this car, I feel I should opt for the one which I like the most. Also this car will be doing a lot of Himachal runs.

Go with what the wife says. I mean no disrespect, but domestic peace everyday is worth more than most cars.

Hire a SUV from myles to satisfy your SUV urges every now and then. Please don't ignore the lesson from history.

[Motoringlover]

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Go with what the wife says. I mean no disrespect, but domestic peace everyday is worth more than most cars.

Hire a SUV from myles to satisfy your SUV urges every now and then. Please don't ignore the lesson from history.

Now that's experience. I agree with Phamilyman, get a car which checks the most from the list, unless you have other cars. Ecosport seems to fit the bill.

Rent a thar or consider replacing the I20 with a thar at a later date.

All the best

Motoringlover

[forester]

Having multiple cars already in your garage to take care of the usual needs, I'd also suggest that you go ahead with what your heart desires. And moreover, even your wife has kind of started liking the Thar a bit. Who knows, she might as well be loving it just as much as you do in the near future.

Another option would be to look out for an XUV AWD in the used car space and find a clean example. These are aplenty up north and coming across one would not be that difficult. It's an SUV, has got the looks, has 7 seats and is much bigger than the Ecosport as well as the Ertiga. It will almost please everyone.

[The Brutailer]

I'd say get a Duster AWD (manual). It's rugged and tough with a superb ride quality and can probably do many himachal runs with all the bells and whistles of a modern car. Engine is quite powerful as well. Downside? Not so premium interiors according to some people. I think it's quite premium and has all the features. Anyway, since you were going for Thar, you probably don't care about any interiors anyway.

One more great thing about Duster is that it's not a nonsense sub-4 m oversized hatchback. It's a proper suv and will suit your needs well.

And everyone will be happy as well. Go for a test drive and find out yourself. Good luck!

[landcruiser123]

If you need to ferry 6 adults comfortably, the Ertiga is not the best option. As GTO suggested,you could always hire a UV from the self drive rental agencies.

You should go buy yourself a jeep.

If you have to make a compromise, don't settle for anything less than a Pre-Owned Fortuner or a new Duster AWD.

WRT Fortuners, Here's a link to a thread on the homepage: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...0l-4x4-mt.html

Here's what the owner had to say:

A full size proper SUV for price of base-variant Hyundai Creta! Awesome VFM

[ecosport rules]

Hey Moun10,

Consider the XUV 500 automatic which is now available in W4 variant too.
It will satisfy the needs and urges of all the family members.

And as someone has suggested that what heart wants is important but harmony with the home minister is paramount

[autorahul]

You should have a look at S-Cross 1.6. The Delta is a small stretch from your price point considering Chandigarh taxes, and if available it will satisfy all. It will be a large comfortable car to keep wife and father happy, and you have that wonderful engine to keep you smiling.

Yes, it no Thar. But consider this. If your wife and father are not comfortable in it, whenever you guys have to travel together, it will be the i20 that will be used and not the Thar. So if you are fine with this, the Thar is the way to go amongst these 3.