[iTNerd]

Hi all,
Here is a brief situation. My parents live in Imphal, Manipur along with two of my younger brothers. They had been using a Mahindra Scorpio for the past 7-8 years. The Scorpio has clocked around 1 lac kms and is our workhorse, from ferrying passengers, to farm goods/loads. Imphal is mostly valley/plain and the road condition is kinda mixed of good and bad ones. Mostly the roads though tarred do not have balanced/uniform surface. And that leads for a very bouncy ride on the Scorpio. In fact, on one journey, my father while seated on the front passenger seat without wearing seat belt, bumped his head against the windshield leading to crack.

So, now to the main purpose of this thread - I am gifting a new car for my parents. The budget is 10 lacs. There are limited dealers in the whole of Manipur. In fact, there are no Honda, Toyota, Fiat, Renault, Nissan dealerships in this part of the world. So, out goes the City, Scala, Duster, Linea etc. Therefore, the choice of cars I am left is from Maruti, Hyundai, Mahindra, TATA and FORD (which opened recently).

At this budget, I am thinking - Hyundai Verna, Ford EcoSport, Ford Fiesta Classic, Maruti Ertiga/SX4. As we plan to retain the Scorpio as our main workhorse, I am thinking of going for a Petrol car. Besides, the monthly running may not exceed 800 kms. I guess this does not actually warrant an oil burner.

I have shortlisted the following cars:
Hyundai Verna 1.6L P SX, Ford EcoSport 1.5L P Titanium, Ford Fiesta Classic 1.6L P Titanium and lastly Maruti Ertiga 1.3L ZXI.


So, the requirements:

1) Comfortable ride in backseat
>> We don't have very good roads out here, and my parents seldom venture out on the highways. And most of the journeys my parents take are short ones, say, 15/20 kms a day, all within the City/suburb. And the average speed may not go beyond 60-70 kmph. So, the priority is for a car that will give the best ride quality in city condition. Did I miss, there are roads filled with potholes though there are less speed breakers (and those there are, can't break Bangalore's record).

2) Service and Spare Parts
I plan to keep the car for 7-8 years or more and hence, the service should be pocket friendly and readily availability of spares parts (reasonably priced) even after new models are launched are a priority.

3) Safety Features
Even though the car would be chauffeured driven most of the time at city speed, I would prefer that the car comes with ABS + EBD at the least. Particularly because, inn Monsoon seasons, the rains can last for days continuously and often the roads become very slippery. Presence of Airbags preferable.

4) Spacious and Comfortable Rear Seats
The car should have sufficient leg rooms at the rear with comfortable seats for the parents. My dad is in 60's and mom in 50's and they are all under 5'5". So, the car should provide sufficient under thigh support and should have the feature to recline the rear seats if required, to arrive to an comfortable inclination.

5) At least 10 kmpl mileage in City
The car should provide at least 10 kmpl efficiency. The engine don't have to provide outright performance. However, it should have good mid-range power.

6) Good Build Quality
Considering the roads conditions (average, not so good, not so bad), the car should have good build quality (don't have to German quality), but at least should have a feel of premium-ness and well put together)

7) Lastly, I am only interested in a Sedan or Crossover or SUV. No hatch.

So, considering the above requirements, which one of these four cars would be the ideal chariot for my parents:

1) Hyunda Verna 1.6 SX ~ 9.5 Lacs onroad
2) Ford EcoSport 1.5 L Titanum ~8.7 Lacs onroad
3) Ford Fiesta Classic 1.6L ~7 lacs onroad
4) Maruti Ertiga 1.3 L ~ 7 lacs onroad

(I am considering the Ertiga solely because of the 3rd row seats, as sometimes, when I and my other siblings visit parents (once or twice a year), it could possibly seat us all)

Kindly help me zeroing to the one car (from the above) based on the listed requirements. Cheers!

[a4anurag]

My vote goes for Maruti Suzuki Ertiga ZXi.

My dad has one at home and he is very happy with it and now my grandmother doesn't complain of ingress/egress as she does when she is asked to sit in my Swift

Of all the points (Requirements) you are looking at the Ertiga fulfils without any hitch.

Anurag.

[M35]

Ground Clearances of the cars that are featured here:

• Ford Ecosport =200 mm
• Hyundai Verna =163 mm
• Maruti SX4 =170 mm
• Maruti Ertiga =185 mm

Considering the driving conditions mentioned, the best bet is the Ecosport IMO, the long waiting period could be a put off though.

For me, if time permits it's the Ford, otherwise Ertiga.

[iTNerd]

Originally Posted by M35

Ground Clearances of the cars that are featured here:

• Ford Ecosport =200 mm
• Hyundai Verna =163 mm
• Maruti SX4 =170 mm
• Maruti Ertiga =185 mm

Considering the driving conditions mentioned, the best bet is the Ecosport IMO, the long waiting period could be a put off though.

For me, if time permits it's the Ford, otherwise Ertiga.

Thanks. Didn't know the Ertiga has 185mm clearance! That's good. However, the wheelbase might be tad longer than all of the rest, and won't that be an issue of scraping/bottoming?

I forgot to mention, my brother informed me sometime ago, there is an EcoSport Trend 1.5 Diesel available right now for delivery at 8.7 Lacs on-road (after the excise duty cut). I am more interested at Petrol that too, in Titanium variant with all the bells and whistles and safety features. For Petrol variants, it would take 3 months for delivery. And that has dashed all my hopes as I want the car immediately.

One other option my younger brother suggested was the base variant of Tata Safari Storme LX. However, it is slightly out of budget @ 11.5 Lacs onroad. Moreover, we already have the Scorpio, so my feeling is not another Indian SUV/MUV...

[M35]

Originally Posted by iTNerd

Thanks. Didn't know the Ertiga has 185mm clearance! That's good. However, the wheelbase might be tad longer than all of the rest, and won't that be an issue of scraping/bottoming?

Yes, in terms of wheel base it's a bit stretched considering the overall length. We do have a Zdi in our family and it drives great on highways.
A M-Hawk Scorpio being my regular, occational drive in Ertiga makes me more cautious when driven fully loaded on broken roads, never bottomed out though.

Originally Posted by iTNerd

One other option my younger brother suggested was the base variant of Tata Safari Storme LX. However, it is slightly out of budget @ 11.5 Lacs onroad. Moreover, we already have the Scorpio, so my feeling is not another Indian SUV/MUV...

I too was thinking of suggesting a Storme LX which comes equipped with ABS and offers great ride quality too. If your father an enthusiast, it's worth stretching your budget a bit. They may have to "climb in" to a Storme rather than "walk in to" an Ertiga.

[Vid6639]

SX4 and Fiesta Classic are just too outdated now. Best to ignore these from the list.

Ecosport should be ruled out since you are looking for ride comfort. Ecosport is really stiff and for older people not the best when it comes to ride.

Leaves with you the Ertiga. No nonsense and a perfect package.

[Sedate]

Ecosport is not the best option for an aged parent. Getting in and out is a bit of a problem for second row seats. Also the ride is not too plush(or should I say less comfortable).

Have not received any complaints from old people in Fiesta.

Haven't used the other two cars for old people.

[noopster]

I would say either Verna or Ertiga. The EcoSport is not an older person car: too flashy, not enough space in back etc. Ford Classic is a great enthusiast budget buy but hardly something that will excite a grandparent. SX4 is meh- it's a decent enough car but nothing stands out particularly.

There is something wrong with your pricelist: Ertiga Zxi will certainly be more than 7L on the road, probably around 10L. I test drove this car once and the K14 engine is quite awesome. Higher seating position, more space for luggage or the occasional third row passenger makes this top of my list.

[motionfreak]

My friend bought Ertiga (ZDi) exactly for the same purpose, except the daily running is about 80-100 Kms
His dad with arthritic knees is very happy.
you get everything in Ertiga, ABS, EBD, Airbags and bullet proof service (important for peaceful ownership). bonus is the adjustable rear knee room.
With what your dad is going to do in a month, ZXi makes most sense.
just one thing, if you can afford to do it right away, replace the tyres with the ones with better water channeling. As bonus, they will reduce the road noise too, stock MRfs make a lot of noise.
VXI does come with optional abs+ebd, but lacks rear wash-wipe(important in monsoon rain).

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by noopster

There is something wrong with your pricelist: Ertiga Zxi will certainly be more than 7L on the road, probably around 10L.

The 7L price is in the Swift/Ritz category but the Ertiga should be 8-8.5L ex-showroom and OTR could be between 9.5-10L.

My dad bought a White Ertiga ZDi which was 10.74L OTR, Hyderabad.

Originally Posted by iTNerd

4) Maruti Ertiga 1.3 L ~ 7 lacs onroad

If your looking at Petrol then it is 1.4 K-Series and not 1.3L. The 1.3L is the DDiS engine.

Anurag.

[carwatcher]

My vote goes to Ertiga.
At the same time I couldn't stop myself from posting that that Renault Duster is way too good to be ignored as far as comfort is concerned. Nowadays all cars are needed to be serviced once a year, so check that how far is the nearest dealership. You will anyway have Scorpio as backup.
Edit: Checked that nearest dealer is in Assam that is around 500kms, so not worth it.

[iTNerd]

Wow, never seriously thought about Ertiga! But looking at the suggestions from most of you, I just went through the Ertiga Official Review page. And its warming up to me, more so due to the 'utilitarian' nature with '3 rows' and of course, the higher GC and ride quality. We are a big family (Parents, 5 brothers and 2 sisters with 5 nieces/nephews). My elder sisters, brother and their children (and me) all have settled outside of Manipur and only twice or thrice a year, they visit our parents and usually stay for a month or two. So, it is an interesting proposition having a car that could accommodate 5+2 or more (with little ones) when the need arise. Even when my parents or one of them are the only passenger (70% of the time), they can slide back the 2nd row all the way back and enjoy the leg room.

oh, yes, the ZXI trim comes around 8.7 lac onroad. Mistakenly qouted the Lxi price earlier. I am planning to have a closer look of Ertiga tomorrow here in Delhi (even a test drive). I hope this just might be the one!

My vote goes to Ertiga.
At the same time I couldn't stop myself from posting that that Renault Duster is way too good to be ignored as far as comfort is concerned. Nowadays all cars are needed to be serviced once a year, so check that how far is the nearest dealership. You will anyway have Scorpio as backup.
Edit: Checked that nearest dealer is in Assam that is around 500kms, so not worth it.

Even I was very interested at Duster as it seems to be the ideal car for the kind of terrains/roads we have in Imphal. However, the nearest dealer/service center is Dimapur in Nagaland, which is around 210 kms (mostly hill drives with pathetic conditions. takes 9-10 hours). So, its complicated!

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

EcoSport gets my vote. It will be just lovely for those places that you speak about!

I took a test drive of Ford EcoSport few days back and I came our all impressed! From a Yeti's owner, I can easily relate to it. However, the back seat is cramped and seating position is too upright and I am guessing elders may not like the stiff ride. Moreover, if my parents were here and if I was driving, I would gotten it as it is more geared towards the comfort/pleasure of the driver and front passenger. That is not the case, and I am now sensing my parents would prefer the back seat of the Scorpio more.

Originally Posted by a4anurag

My vote goes for Maruti Suzuki Ertiga ZXi.

My dad has one at home and he is very happy with it and now my grandmother doesn't complain of ingress/egress as she does when she is asked to sit in my Swift

Of all the points (Requirements) you are looking at the Ertiga fulfils without any hitch.

Anurag.

Interesting! Glad I put up this thread before deciding on the Ecosport or the Verna (top contenders I had in mind. well, the idea was, if I couldn't get a Ecosport rightaway without waiting period, I will fall back to verna 1.6 petrol, which is readily available)

Originally Posted by noopster

I would say either Verna or Ertiga. The EcoSport is not an older person car: too flashy, not enough space in back etc. Ford Classic is a great enthusiast budget buy but hardly something that will excite a grandparent. SX4 is meh- it's a decent enough car but nothing stands out particularly.

There is something wrong with your pricelist: Ertiga Zxi will certainly be more than 7L on the road, probably around 10L. I test drove this car once and the K14 engine is quite awesome. Higher seating position, more space for luggage or the occasional third row passenger makes this top of my list.

Thanks! Yeah, now I came to realize, my leaning towards the EcoSport was more about the coolness factor when I drive. However, I visit 2-3 times a year, stay 1-2 weeks and come back. So, was not really seeing the overall picture of the actual use of the car. Ertiga ZXI comes around 8.7L on-road (just 4% tax), so, its pretty much within my budget. With the excise cut, I guess it should be available for 8.5L all inclusive.

[iTNerd]

Regarding Hyundai Verna, I test drove it few days back in Delhi and felt very comfortable in city/traffic condition. I really liked the overall packaging sans for the steering feedback. And as we don't do any high speed run (due to lack of good roads) or venture to highways, the handling and stability at high speed is of little significance for us. I was wondering, how good is the verna build quality? Though there are many vernas in Imphal alone, I can't really know how it would behave on bad roads and potholes, slippery conditions which are typical in my ancestral home state. The only concern that I have is if it would scratch, bottom out when there are 5 people with 2-3 luggages on our road conditions. Would it be more prone to rattling, loose panels etc because of the stress on the car? The reason I am asking is that I am getting a good deal on the 1.6 SX variant and my siblings/parents like it too. However, I want to be certain that it could take some fair share of beating/abuse from the kind of roads we have here.

[Steeroid]

In similar sort of predicament, leaning towards the Ertiga myself. Most sensible choice.

[F150]

Originally Posted by iTNerd

Regarding Hyundai Verna,

I am not sure if your parents would like this.



Ertiga ZXi is a no nonsense purchase, fill it and forget it, kind of ownership.