Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   What Car? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-car/)

-   -   Fiesta 1.6S...what next? Fun-to-drive car upto 10 lakhs (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-car/139423-fiesta-1-6s-what-next-fun-drive-car-upto-10-lakhs.html)

I started off with a Ford Ikon, moved onto a Lancer and then the Fiesta 1.6 S. Clearly, I have a thing for cars that are fun-to-drive!
The Fiesta 1.6 S has served me very well for the last 3.5 years or so. I am looking to upgrade with a budget of upto 10 lacs in mind. I know there are not many new cars (that are fun to drive) in that budget hence, I am not averse to considering a used proposition.

What are my options?

Note to Mods: If there is a similar enquiry, I'm happy for this topic to be merged into an existing thread.

If space and manual transmission are not priorities, I think the Polo GT will be a good bet. But if your budget can be extended a bit, go for the linea t-jet. Superb handling and a good turbo petrol motor!

Looking at your budget and preference of an enthusiast's car, only Fiat Linea TJet comes to mind.

The VW Polo GT TSI will be within your budget. If you can stretch it just a teeny tiny bit, the Dynamic variant of the Linea T-Jet can be yours.

Or, if you can wait a year and up your budget to around 15L, the Abarth Punto option might present itself ...

Is there any preference on the Type of Fuel ?

Frankly, speaking there isn't a car that can replace an S in today's market. T-Jet does have some nice power and comes as the closest replacement but steering feedback is a long way from Ford.
From a Suspension and Ride Quality Perspective T-jet is more or less equal to the likes of 1.2 TSI / Vento / Rapid.

I currently own a S and the Rapid TDI. Frankly speaking, in a typical tight right hander, the Rapid is all over the place (Needs constant steering correction + very easy to have the tail out) where a Fiesta S would just be doing its normal duty.

However the Torquey 1.6 TDI Motor makes up for every other handling blemish the Rapid is !

Give you a comparison:
My Remapped 1.6 S hits 0-100 in 10.4 secs (on Vbox)
My Remapped 1.6 TDI hits 0-100 in 9.1 secs (on Vbox)

Top speed measured in 1.6 S is 181.2 on GPS (200 on Speedo)
Top Speed measured in 1.6 TDI is 192.6 on GPS (210 on Speedo)

Combined FE for 1.6S is ~ 10 kmpl
Combined FE for 1.6 TDI is ~ 17 kmpl

Think about it. Like everyone said;
Polo 1.2 TSI / Tjet if you are a Petrol head
Vento / Rapid TDI if you are open to Diesel's

@wanderlustindia.
Hi!. Let me say you've got a really nice collection of cars. Now, considering your requirement, I would suggest you to have a look at the polo gt tsi. Its a wonderful car to drive!. And the DSG gearbox makes it even more desirable.

If you are comfortable with a used car, then its the Honda Civic you should look for. The motor is very free revving and delivers a great performance in the higher revvs. Its also very mod friendly and you can tune to your performance requirements easily.
Good luck!
Cheers.

Steering feedback long way from Ford? No way. I have had many drives on the Fiesta S and whist I would term its handling as "tight," the T-Jet provides excellent handling. You really need to take the T-Jet on twisties (hills) to see how it handles; it is 100% accurate, not a degree off the mark. You won't be disappointed with it. Not one bit.

Ride quality. Not as stiff as the S, but I am am amazed at the ride quality every time I take the T-Jet for a spin. And the ride quality is much more superior to the Vento and Rapid. Performance, grip, handling, excellent ride - I think there isn't a car in this budget that comes close.

I think the only car which will perfectly compliment your portfolio is the Civic. But since you dont want to go for a used car (as civic is discontinued, plus was out of budget in new condition), my vote will go to the Linea TJet (as I get a feeling that you will not like to own a Hatch, read Polo)

What! Dude, I would say take a test drive before you easily write the TJet off. The steering feedback of the TJet is as good as S and it times it feels a lot better than the S!

The Linea has better brakes than the Ford or the VAG cars too!

I think you should take a test drive of the Linea TJet. The VWs in India cannot hold a candle to the ride quality and handling of the Linea/Punto. Even the Fords are better handlers because of the stiffer suspension and lose out badly on ride quality, but the Fiats have the benchmark for offering the best of handling/ride in the sub-10 Lakh segment.

Yes!

There is a famous quote "Power is nothing without Control", if I was you I would fix the handling first.

Those are awesome figures for the TDi, is the S up & running now?

The Turbo Charged 112bhp TJet engine does make over 160bhp in the Abarth versions. A remap will only make things more better and its a gasoline and can rev a lot more than the diesel engines so it should have better 0-100 timings and even better top speed if anyone wants to do a remap!

If new it must be the Tjet, its a great cat. If only the gearbox could have been more precise.

If used is an option look out for used Laura TSIs, you can bargain great prices on them, and the 1.8 tsi is a gem of an engine. The steering feedback in this won't be as good as the Fiat or the Fiesta that you had. But it will still blow both of them away with its sheer power.

Thanks fellas, really appreciate your words.
So far it appears the options are:
1. VW Polo GT
2. Linea T-Jet
and
3. Honda Civic (used)

Personally, a hatch is not ideal for me because I need the boot-space to carry stuff around on long drives. I have heard great things about the Polo GT but I suppose I will have to rule it out straight-away.

The Linea T-Jet is an option worth considering. The question though is whether it is a serious upgrade to the Fiesta 1.6 S in terms of handling, fun-to-drive factor, power etc? Also, A.S.S is a bit of a concern going by whatever I know of from various threads on this forum. Perhaps a visit to the showroom and a TD would give me a better idea on these aspects.

The Civic was one car that I considered buying used when I was in the market for a car in 2009 (eventually went for the 1.6 S). I ruled it out back then because the S ticked all the boxes for me and I had the budget to buy it brand-new. I am willing to consider the Civic now and I reckon I should be able to find good examples under the 10 L mark. How good is the Civic AT? I would not be averse to an Auto-tranny if the driving experience is not compromised much! I understand an Auto will not have the same feel as a manual but then I realise that I am not getting any younger, and that in Mumbai traffic an auto could be a boon!

My fuel preference is petrol. I prefer the free-revving nature of petrol engines than the torquey diesels. My running is approx. 1000 kms on an avg. every month and isn't likely to change in the foreseeable future, don't think it warrants a diesel option. Which is why I will have to rule out the Vento/Rapid. Are the petrol variants of the Vento/Rapid good enough to consider vis-a-vis the other options we've discussed here?

What would a pre-worshipped Laura vRS cost like? I would not hesitate to stretch the budget by a lac or thereabouts if a used Laura vRS comes in that price bracket (I am not all aware of what kind of prices it commands in the used-car market nor have I seen many examples around!).

Any other options?

Book a TD for the Tjet and compare is back to back with your Fiesta S. If you feel that the car would be a serious upgrade, go for it. If not, then I would suggest to keep the S for some more time if its running well and save some more money and increase your budget for a better upgrade.

@wanderlustindia.
Well, the Laura vRS is a great car indeed. That's a nice upgrade too. The engine is definately a beast!. One can safely assume it as an affordable sportscar!. It would be great if you manage to get one. As for the pricing, it should be easily available in the 10-14 lakh price bracket. All depends on the condition, kms covered etc. Do a thorough research and you'll surely get a good deal.

One more thing, let me tell you that you can easily get an Octavia vRS under 10 lakhs. You won't even have to stretch your budget. But again it depends on the condition of the car. Do give it a second thought!.

Cheers.

Try looking out for a Mitsubishi Cedia if any dealers still have a few in stock. Otherwise simply get the Linea T-jet. It is the benchmark in terms of ride and handling characteristics. However the Fiat will not give you the go-kart like feel that you must be used to from your Fiesta since the suspension isn't as hard.
Drive the Linea T-jet and see for yourself because I believe that is the only proper upgrade to a Fiesta 1.6, currently in production. :thumbs up

The Civic Automatic is an excellent option. It has really smooth gear changes and downshifts like a charm allowing you to go from high speeds to sharp brakes and immediate pickup without feeling any loss of power. It has to be one of the best auto transmissions out there. Plus the Civic Auto comes with a Sports mode with F1 style paddle gears that will allow you to switch to manual override mode when you feel like you wanna use the free-revving engine to the max.

In Auto mode the transmission is really responsive to your throttle pressure and will accordingly shift up anywhere between 2000-5000 rpm. Go for a test drive and drive around normally at first in normal city traffic and then take it to an empty road and floor it a bit and then floor it completely and you will feel that the transmission really understands you and you will also see the gears changing at different rpms based on your throttle pressure.

And in the pre-owned market you could get a very well maintained Civic 1.8V AT from 2008-09 around 5-6L. 2006-07 Civic ATs are available at around 4-5L. And its a Honda engine and if well maintained will give you no trouble till 120,000-150,000 KMS

Check out BrokerDalal, Classic Motors and Big Wheels in Mumbai for reliable pre-owned cars