Finally, the choice is Palio MJD It all started around 2months back. I used to own a zen which I sold off one year back and was happy biking in Bangalore traffic. But car was a must for various reasons,
- I love traveling (my friend owns a swift vdi, so we managed)
- I hate being held up because of rain (more so because I carry along laptop etc.)
- My family badly needed a car once in a while to make a visit to some temples etc.
I was open to anything below 8L. But as I drove, contemplated and compared, the choices seemed really few. Along came the stories of people refraining to buy because of lack of good cars in India.
Finally, it was a diesel that I wanted. I've driven swift extensively and loved the torque/peppy/turbo engine. It was what I called the 'take-off thrust' (experienced before take-off). Petrols were smooth, but new diesels are equally good. Priorities were clear,
- Fun to drive (engine, handling, drive)
- Robust build (I travel countryside quite often)
- Rear leg space (I hate it when people in front are enjoying and people in the rear are struggling to find a comfortable position for their legs)
- Equally fun inside city and on highways
Couple of cars I test drove and these were my opinions,
Swift diesel
+ Very good engine (first love). But, clutch vibrated when idle.
+ Above average looks (may be I'm just bored of too many on the road)
+ Mileaaaaaaaaage
- Cramped and claustrophobic rear
- Rattling (somewhere or the other)
- Waiting period
- Felt poorly built (pure feeling)
Verna CRDI
+ Wow engine, period
- Hyundai A.S.S.
- Wasn't convinced that it was value for money (9L)
- External looks weren't very convincing (I liked it, but none of my friends did)
- Interiors are so so (I liked rear armrest though). Did it feel like a 9L car? Not really.
Indica
- Looks made me never consider this. I particularly disliked the taxi image associated with this. Impression was like a cheap car to commute. More so the diesel version.
Safari
+ Feels good to own
+ New engine is nice
+ Spaaaaaaaaacious
+ Wonderful to drive countryside
- Its big. Inside the city you might end up preferring auto over this (esp. so in bangalore)
- Heard about constant niggles
- Looks are dated (It could be wise to wait for '09 version when you are willing to spend so much)
Palio MJD
+ Good engine. Felt slightly underpowered (compared to swift), but, was smooth and had linear torque.
+ Looked fresh and sporty like swift
+ Good ride and build. Esp over potholes. Good steering feedback
+ Good pricing
+ Mileaaaaaaage
- Poor and dated interiors. See the uncovered metal on the doors, Dash board design, Hand break finishing. I can go on and on. Ergonomic though.
- No ABS. But breaks are good.
- Visibility was poor compared to swift. I liked the high seating of swift. I'm hoping that I'll get used to this as I drive more and more.
- Not confident about the ***
And there were some more things I looked at and thought over which I cannot recollect (adding up to overall impression). But in the end I realized that my heart had made the decision after going through all this research, learning and contemplating. Not to forget, I also read a lot about old palio handling etc. It was very impressive to hear about it.
I also thought about waiting for GP. It sounded like a great car. But, Jan '09 looks too long for me, adding some evaluation and waiting period.
Finally, I booked a furnace red SDX. Manipal motors Bangalore. Expected to arrive in 4 weeks (as they promised). Dealer will give basic accessories like mudflaps/mats/perfume/sunfilm.
Thanks to everyone here. I'm a regular reader of this forum and it had a definitive role in this decision making. In fact I had decided against this car after my initial TD (Prerana motors). After reading here, I went to another dealer (Manipal) and TDed again. This TD car was new and felt so different that it changed my mind. Prerana had taken the car to Mysore road and had ripped it to find the max speed etc.(sales manager mentioned this proudly).
I will update more once I get the car.
Last edited by aah78 : 21st May 2008 at 04:12.
Reason: ***'s changed to A.S.S.
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