[gibikote]

Hi

I presently have a 2003 Palio Sport that has done 42K kms and is doing well. The car is reliable with no major service related needs (touch wood!). I am dreaming of an upgrade to a car with equally comfortable seats and rideability, some more power which would not require the AC to be switched off while overtaking, and more boot space; in other words a sedan.
Heres the catch; It would need to be a used one, within 1.5 lakhs. Ofcourse, it should not have been abused. This usually translates to less kms and single owner.
The ones on my radar are Petra 1.6, and Corsa 1.4. Both these are visible online in the 2004/2005 vintage and within my price range. There are many Corsas with TN registration online, but I have not seen a petrol Petra with TN registration online for sale in the last month.
I would like hear from persons who have owned or have first hand information of Palio and Corsa, or Palio and Petra. The Palio is known to have probably the best back seat and seats 3 adults comfortably.
1. Is the Corsa back seat ‘smaller’ than the Palio?
2. Is the Petra a heavier guzzler and does it return considerably less per km than the Palio 1.2 (~ 10kmpl)?
3. Both these are probably costly to maintain – if and when they develop service issues. This is a taken. I am thinking short term (2-3 years max) and similar useage – mainly within the city and an odd trip of 500kms max once in 4 months.
What are your thoughts and suggestions based on experience? Which one should I target? Being a Palio user I am favouring Petra, but as I said earlier, they seem to be much rarer. I am seeing KL, AP and Delhi registration vehicles online. The TN registered ones are diesel – which are of higher budget and not warranted with my useage. Is the Corsa to be avoided? And I am not in a hurry: the Palio is doing well.
Thanks in advance.
GB
(in Vellore, ~ 140 kms from Chennai)

[.anshuman]

Palio and Petra are not much different. Even in the 1.6 versions except for the slight difference in gear ratios i do not see anything major to set them apart, obviously except the extra luggage space from the boot. I'd pick Palio GTX/S10 over Petra 1.6 anyday.

Corsa in all probability has a tighter back seat and the interior is nowhere as airy as the Palio. The only advantage i can see in favor of Corsa is a more comfy ride compared to the Fiats, overall dynamics are better in Palio/Petra.

Finding a low mileage, well maintained examples of either cars will be a tough job. Upgrade only if you need more power.

[anupam00]

I would suggest stay away from Corsa- GM's car are higher when it comes to maintenance cost-spare part cost & service cost is huge,If your drive is lesser than 600 km/a month- go in for petrol vehicle else diesel fits the bill- if you want calculation details I would show you that,

Petra is a good option anyday much better than Corsa,


Thanks & Regards
Anupam00

[Turbokick]

I would definitely not buy a Corsa for sure !
Spares and maitenance can be a big problem. BIG one.
Petra/Siena over Corsa anyday. Petra is a better car overall and ofcourse fuel economy won't be too bad compared to your Palio.

[cranky]

The Corsa does have a smaller (narrower) back seat but has more legroom than the Palio. Seating is lower though, so overall feel is quite similar with a tall person upfront. Not so sure about the Petra

Both cars would be fairly expensive to repair if you get a lemon or abused car. OTOH, both are good for about 60k without major repair needed.

The dynamics of the Corsa are softer and there is a fair bit of body roll. However in its own way it's a pretty fun car to drive. I've driven all over Maharashtra in mine (including lots of twisties) and if you get on top of the car - not literally - you can really enjoy the drive.

I would not call either of the cars you selected as an upgrade unless you really need a boot, though. The Corsa 1.4 has a good engine on paper, but it needs to be worked hard. The clutch/steering is fairly heavy and may be an issue in traffic, and the mileage is not so great either. I still have mine and it does duty well as a mule for my old folks, and is a good standby vehicle. However I would not use it as my primary vehicle.

[GTO]

Baah, for 1.5 lakhs, there are only three used sedans I would recommend.

Mitsubishi Lancer : An absolute all-rounder. Decent engine, space, ride & handling. A lot of fun to drive. Extremely reliable car. What works to your advantage is that they suffer from poor resale. Aditya bought a pristine example for ~1.5 lakhs (IIRC) which is serving him very well.

Chevrolet Optra : You might have to stretch to 2 lakhs for a good example. Another example of a reliable all-rounder that suffers from poor resale. I've seen well maintained 5 - 6 year old Optras trading hands for ~2 lakh rupees.

Hyundai Accent : Good entry-level sedan that you can't go wrong with. But honestly, doesn't come close to the Lancer and Optra as a used buy.

[anupam00]

Originally Posted by GTO

Baah, for 1.5 lakhs, there are only three used sedans I would recommend.

Mitsubishi Lancer : An absolute all-rounder. Decent engine, space, ride & handling. A lot of fun to drive. Extremely reliable car. What works to your advantage is that they suffer from poor resale. Aditya bought a pristine example for ~1.5 lakhs (IIRC) which is serving him very well.

Chevrolet Optra : You might have to stretch to 2 lakhs for a good example. Another example of a reliable all-rounder that suffers from poor resale. I've seen well maintained 5 - 6 year old Optras trading hands for ~2 lakh rupees.

Hyundai Accent : Good entry-level sedan that you can't go wrong with. But honestly, doesn't come close to the Lancer and Optra as a used buy.

I would surely have suggested Lancer- but was afraid that do you really get good maintained car @1.5 lacs.As there are very few Maintained lancer at least in NCR.

Ascent : yes you can get one - surely due to average & resale.

Thanks & Regards
Anupam

[gibikote]

Thanks to everyone for the inputs. I shall try to delete the Corsa from my thoughts. Had not considered GTO's options I guess mainly as I would not have found these options within my budget - costs in Chennai/TN higher than in Mumbai/NCR.
The upgrade is not 'needed' and best explained as an itch for more power and boot space. Shall wait and look patiently for the Petra and also consider other otpions mentioned.

[libranof1987]

Are you considering Corsa 1.4 or 1.6?

I have a 1.4 SAIL and I get a FE around 10 kmpl without a/c in the city. Highways, the car is much more generous and I get 16 kmpl.

When it comes to the ride, Corsa is wonderfully stable and you feel quite comfortable inside the cabin. I rate the ride and overall comfort in Corsa better than even Honda City!

Spares are quite expensive - Eg. the clutch assembly costs ~12k at A.S.S. Spares availability could start being an issue.

I don't have much idea about Petra but if it is better than Corsa on the parameters above, go for it.

And of course, there are plenty other options you can consider - why go for discontinued models.

[gibikote]

I was thinking of the 1.4, as it was available till 2005/2006, and would be a bit more frugal than the 1.6 I guess, in terms of kmpl.

The models I have presently on my radar are purely based on my present budget. Petra especially as it is a Palio-with-boot, and I am comfortable with my Palio
Lancer and Optra, here (Chennai/TN) are for 2L or (much) higher.
Although I have not driven a Lancer, it seems quite low slung and I wonder if it would be difficult for the elderly to sit in or get out.

[mayankjha1806]

Originally Posted by gibikote

I was thinking of the 1.4, as it was available till 2005/2006, and would be a bit more frugal than the 1.6 I guess, in terms of kmpl.

Corsa 1.4 or 1.6, both were very heavy are are known to be guzzlers. So if you are looking at decent fuel efficiency then stay away from Corsa (both 1.4 and 1.6).

Lancer is a good car and i don't think elderly would face any problems with low seating or in getting in/out of the car. Not sure, as no one seems to have recommended, Have you considered Baleno. Although its out of production spares are reasonably easily available and nothing goes wrong with the car (usually).

[SDP]

If I was in this situation, I would stay away from models which are discontinued.

Do you really need to sell your Palio sport? Its a good car. In the budget that you have mentioned, you will most likely buy trouble.

[gibikote]

Originally Posted by SDP

In the budget that you have mentioned, you will most likely buy trouble.

Very well said; nice quote
Shall definitely be v.v.careful.
Yes, the Palio is doing well and I dont 'need' to upgrade.

[Nissan1180]

Petra is a great car, quite similar to the palio in terms of maintenance. However, in addition to the suggested alternatives, have you considered the Esteem and the Baleno?

You could get an excellent esteem for around 1.4l which would give you absolutely bulletproof reliability. The engine is great, the boot space is optimal. Interiors belonging to the stone age and cramped seating are the downsides (but you would get used the low front seat). It's surprisingly frugal as well.

Baleno is another all rounder, if you can live with the lackluster looks (I perfer calling it understated elegance, but that's not how everyone perceives it). The engine is marvelous, so is the interior space and comfort. The AC is among the best in the mid segment sedans, and road dynamics are very good. It's not a guzzler and maintenance costs are similar to that of the esteem. We bought a 2 year old Baleno in 2009 and so far, other than the routine service and oil changes, there have been no maintenance costs.
Do give these cars a thought. There's nothing that can beat a Maruti when it comes to maintenance, performance and reliability.

I am a big fan of the Palio, but somehow, I wouldn't trust a used Fiat.

[greenhorn]

Is your life so much fun that you actively seek out punishment

If i were you, I'd be happy and hold on to that palio. What do you suppose the odds of finding a petra without any hidden problems are ? Not that sure of the corsa.

The whole point of playing the second hand market is that you take advantage of the information assymetry to get yourself a good deal. Are you confident that given your experience as a palio owner, you can spot the symptoms of lemon-hood within a petra?
Are you willing to let go of a known and good working palio for a sedan which would at best match its reliablity, or potentially be worse ?

Like GTO Said, unless you are looking at the japs, it doesnt make sense. Apart from the value, have a good look at the risk you're taking up before going into this decision. You've won the lottery once. Want to flirt with lady luck again?