[Guite]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

So if back-seat space is important get the Vento or Linea. If its the only car at home,then definitely get a sedan only.

Back seat is not important, not at least at the moment. If I go for the Polo I will keep my current hatchback as well.

[novice29]

Yes. Just another What Car thread!

Background :
Looking for a car with a limited budget of 6.5L OTR. This for my father, who will not drive a car but enjoys a co-driver seat. The RHS will be occupied by me, wife or a driver. Or in another words, I am looking for a fun to drive car, in the label of a gift to father.
The car is going to occupy the garage for most of the times. I expect a 500KM run per month to the maximum.

Requirements :
Backseat comfort is not a major concern, we can compromise on that.
Features are not a deal maker/breaker. Almost all the cars are having AC, wiper, headlight and horn - the must have features for me.
FE should be good. By good I meant it should be able to go 10 KMs/L.
We are open to both petrol and diesel options (yes 500KM and diesel).
The reason is quite simple, there is only one requirement,
BEST DRIVER'S CAR WITHIN 6.5L OTR!!!

Since it is a gift, I don't want it to be a used one. He prefers an Alto/800 over a used one. So that option is ruled out. I think I need to mention that specifically as I went through those options already.

Candidates so far :
Only one yet.
When it comes to driver's car I will start with an American, followed by the Italian. Ford Classic 1.6 Lxi. Was perfectly fitting my budget, 5.6L (a saving of 1L is never bad, after all I can fill that much fuel). Unfortunately it's demanding an unreasonable 3 months waiting period. I am planning to get the vehicle immediately, not more than 2 weeks.

Note : Since my choice was a sedan, I was confused where to place this thread, in sedan section or hatchback. But with a limited budget, I decided to place it here. I am open to both, in fact prefer a sedan after moved to US. But driver's car within 6.5L !

[Pedaltothefloor]

It's got to be a petrol if it's going to clock only 500km a month. I think the new Fiat Linea Classic 1.4 Petrol is about 5.8L ex-showroom.

[supremeBaleno]

The fiesta classic 1.6P is indeed the best bet for a new FTD sedan in that budget. It's a hoot to drive - few months ago drove a friend,s car from Chennai - Pondicherry & back - was real fun. And couple days ago read that they reduced the prices by another 20K or so.

[lamborghini]

FTD, not particular about rear seat space or features - seems like the Fiesta 1.6 is the best bet for you. Might have a 3 month waiting period, but no other car in that price bracket - or even higher, can come close to the value the Ford offers.
Pick up the base trim for around 6L, and throw in 185/60R14 Michelins/Yokos for better grip, ride, and braking.

Another option to consider thought would be a Swift.

I am leaving the Fiat out of this due to their lack of service centers - would be great if you could share which city you would be purchasing it in.
No point buying a nice car, and having no one to service it.

[novice29]

Originally Posted by Pedaltothefloor

I think the new Fiat Linea Classic 1.4 Petrol is about 5.8L ex-showroom.

Thanks for the suggestion. It's indeed a good one. I am yet to test drive one. I am familiar with the diesel mill, especially Punto 90HP. But 90 HP did not bring any wow factor when I was using it for a couple of thousands KMs. It felt stable, sturdy and well planted, but not exciting. May be we are good at tuning compared to Italians (DDiS Vs MJD). I don't have any idea about the petrol machines though. Will have a test drive and decide.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

The fiesta classic 1.6P is indeed the best bet for a new FTD sedan in that budget. It's a hoot to drive

Originally Posted by lamborghini

FTD, not particular about rear seat space or features - seems like the Fiesta 1.6 is the best bet for you.

Pick up the base trim for around 6L, and throw in 185/60R14 Michelins/Yokos for better grip, ride, and braking.

Another option to consider thought would be a Swift.

would be great if you could share which city you would be purchasing it in.
No point buying a nice car, and having no one to service it.

Thanks and all are really valid points. Even the most attractive part is that the base variant comes at 5.6L OTR, a nice .9L savings in my budget which will be routed for fuel .

Second option seems to be a Swift. Like Aam Aadmi, play safe which I don't prefer though .

Since some updates are in pipeline for Swift, I may look for some offers/discounts which I couldn't when I bought one 3 years back.

BTW, the car is going to be in Kottayam, the land of letters, in Kerala.

[Pedaltothefloor]

That is not true. 90HP is way more exciting than a DDIS. In fact, I learned to drive on a swift VDI but ended up buying a 90HP as the additional 15 horses and the VGT gave me a far superior experience. However, if you feel that way about it; it is very important to test drive any Fiat extensively before buying one. It is a bit of an acquired taste and reflects in their sales figures.

[novice29]

Originally Posted by Pedaltothefloor

That is not true. 90HP is way more exciting than a DDIS. In fact, I learned to drive on a swift VDI but ended up buying a 90HP as the additional 15 horses and the VGT gave me a far superior experience. However, if you feel that way about it; it is very important to test drive any Fiat extensively before buying one. It is a bit of an acquired taste and reflects in their sales figures.

I heard from everyone that 90 HP is a dream to drive. Seems like my expectations were already set on a higher side when I used this one. As I said earlier, DDiS are never a match when it's comes to the pure driving experience. What I tried to say is that it did not met my expectations which may be on a higher side than fair. Another reason could be the usage was mainly in city conditions and a very few highway miles. May be I could not explore the machine due to this .

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by novice29

I heard from everyone that 90 HP is a dream to drive. Seems like my expectations were already set on a higher side when I used this one. As I said earlier, DDiS are never a match when it's comes to the pure driving experience. What I tried to say is that it did not met my expectations which may be on a higher side than fair. Another reason could be the usage was mainly in city conditions and a very few highway miles. May be I could not explore the machine due to this .

A lot of this could be due to tuning.
I believe the Fiat engines are more linear in their power delivery, whereas the DDIS have a more pronounced turbo kick - but are duds before the turbo kicks in.
I could be wrong on this though.

As for playing safe - the Swift is a safe choice - but there is no denying that it handles well, and has quite a peppy engine.
In fact, I haven't included the Linea simply because of the 1.4L petrol (not T-Jet) which doesn't do justice to the ride/handling capabilities of the car. The Fiesta 1.6 actually has a better performance + ride/handling combo than the Linea.

[novice29]

Thanks.

So as of now, below are the options.

1) Ford Classic 1.6L Lxi
2) Maruti Swift
3) Fiat Linea 1.4

If it is Swift, which will make more sense, K-Series or DDiS? I think the V trims will fall in my budget.

Or I shall ask, which one is more FTD for a Swift, diesel or petrol?

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by novice29

Thanks.

So as of now, below are the options.

1) Ford Classic 1.6L Lxi
2) Maruti Swift
3) Fiat Linea 1.4

If it is Swift, which will make more sense, K-Series or DDiS? I think the V trims will fall in my budget.

Or I shall ask, which one is more FTD for a Swift, diesel or petrol?

If you can get the DDIS - then it is the obvious choice with all the torque - especially given that you can get a fantastic remap.
However, doubt it'll fall within 6.5L OTR.

Word of advise: please keep some moolah aside for better tyres. The least one can do when buying a performance oriented car without safety features!

[novice29]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

If you can get the DDIS - then it is the obvious choice with all the torque - especially given that you can get a fantastic remap.
However, doubt it'll fall within 6.5L OTR.

Word of advise: please keep some moolah aside for better tyres. The least one can do when buying a performance oriented car without safety features!

Let me try a hard bargain once the Classic is ruled out. I will plan for the tyre upgrade for sure.

[ank.nsit]

You could go in for Swift LDi/Punto Active & get it remapped as per your liking.
From what I have read, (yet to experience it myself) Re-mapping will not only increase the power/torque figures, but also provide you the power at the RPM range which you like. So you can completely remove the lag if you want to..!!

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by novice29

Candidates so far :
Only one yet.
When it comes to driver's car I will start with an American, followed by the Italian. Ford Classic 1.6 Lxi. Was perfectly fitting my budget, 5.6L (a saving of 1L is never bad, after all I can fill that much fuel). Unfortunately it's demanding an unreasonable 3 months waiting period.

That's a safe bet, considering your requirement. Ford Classic 1.6 is the best driver's car in that price tag.
But why a 3 months waiting period? Classic doesn't sell in good numbers these days and a couple of months back when i went to Ford dealer for Ecosport enquery I found a classics were lying at their yard and only few colors / variants demand 2/3 weeks waiting period.

I would suggest to try with some other dealers.

[IshaanIan]

I find it tragic to see people buy basic cars just because they want a big sedan. Especially here in India since that usually means that they will be missing out on a lot, most importantly, safety features. Which I guess is alright if one is buying the car as his/her second car that will solely be used by oneself. BUT, the thought of carrying your father and wife in a potentially unsafe car, is frightening. I have to be honest here, I am a bit of a speed freak but when there are passengers in my car, I have a certain barrier which I just don't pass even when friends tell me to show them how fast I can go, I say no. That's just how I feel.

If, by any chance, you feel the same way, then please look at cars like:
VW Polo: All variants now come with ABS and dual Airbags, the three-pot diesel is a bit of a let down (nothing a remap cannot fix), but hey you were considering the 1.4 non-turbocharged Linea.
Maruti Celerio ZXi MT: In top-end ZXi trim with a manual, this car is an absolute hoot to drive with the best 1 liter na petrol motors I have ever experienced. A well calibrated EPS unit is also pretty handy and apart from ABS and dual airbags which support this car in getting a pretty good crash test rating, ZXi trim also entitles you to a host of modern features that give you bragging rights.
Tata's upcoming Bolt: Should be cheap and pretty safe too (just me speculating though)