[espraveen]

My office commute has also been around 110km for the last 1.5 years and I'm 6ft tall. So, I guess I can relate to your experience! I've been driving the Figo 1.5 diesel and the drives have been quite comfortable. Of late, service costs of Ford have come down considerably(at par with Maruti in my opinion).
You can check out my ownership experience here :
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...000-km-up.html

[autorahul]

Originally Posted by GTO

Would suggest the Ford Figo diesel.

This was the first car suggestion that entered my mind too but was unsure over its maintenance cost and reliability over 1.5 lakh km.

Also went against Hyundai because of incomplete safety features in any variants other than Asta for both i10 and i20.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by autorahul

This was the first car suggestion that entered my mind too but was unsure over its maintenance cost and reliability over 1.5 lakh km.

Current generation cars are pretty reliable.

All you have to do is fill-in good fuel and go about performing the timely services of the car at ASC or any FNG. Regular fluid and filter changes should keep the car going on and on. Nothing to worry on that.

[sandeepmohan]

I see that you are from Chennai and traffic is probably as bad as any other city. I am also aware you will be driving on a by pass for the most part.

Whatever it is, you might want to get yourself an Automatic. Unfortunately there are no automatic cars out there (At your budget) that combine "Automatic & prioritize Driver Comfort" very well. You have the Suzuki Celerio but I am not sure how good the drivers seat is. The only other car I can think of is the Tata Zest AMT but is way outside your budget post which you much rather buy a Hyundai i20.

[swiftdiesel]

I drive close to ~70 kms everyday in the same chaotic city you live in. I test drove the Figo, Polo and finally settled with the i20 diesel. Driving in the city, these are points that I considered while making my decision:
* Little or no turbo lag in city driving conditions.
* Ease of drive - gear shifts, clutch and manoeuvrability.
* Parking aids to park in tight parking spots
* Diesel, as they are usually torquey and don't have to rev as much. Result: Better fuel efficiency.
* Should cruise well at good speeds on that occasional highway trip.

In my experience, the i20 checked all these boxes albeit being the most expensive of the lot and the service reliability was an added bonus. Based on my requirements above, here's how the i20 scores:
* The first gen i20 diesels were known for their turbo lag. Not anymore. The 2014 and later edition i20s have almost nil lag. Excellent in-city drivability. The flat torque (220 Nm@1500-2750) from as low as 1500 RPM ensures sharp power delivery when you need it. Be it quick bursts, gradients, parking ramps, the flat torque is beautiful. Also, you don't rev as much as there's almost nil lag.

* Very smooth gear shift and light clutch. Steering is very light for tight manoeuvres in the city.

* The top end Asta comes with rear parking sensors and camera with adaptive guidelines based on steering input.

* Out on the highway, the i20 is a fast cruiser, thanks to the 6 speed gearbox and good diesel engine performance.

The almost silent cabin, loads of features (like auto fold mirrors, auto headlamps, premium interiors, satnav etc.) and comfortable driving seat are 'nice to have' features that you'll appreciate in the i20 diesel.

[auto_enthusiast]

As many members have suggested and as I myself have the Aspire, I would strongly recommend the Figo TDCi. Either you should go for ambiente with ABS or if you can strech your budget you can go for the Titanium trim.

The car has excellent driveability whether you are in the city or on the highways. It is super reliable and is very fuel efficient. According to me, it's the cheapest to maintain as well.

P.S. Going by my ownership experience of the Aspire and the first-gen Figo, one of my friend is also going for the Aspire TDCi whereas my uncle for the Ecosport TDCi

Looks like I'm the unofficial agent of Ford cars within my friends and family

[Arjun Reddy]

Why not the Fiat Punto Emotion 1.3MJD, Extremely reliable from a personal experience. 15k service interval. Spot on dynamics for the highway,2 airbags , ABS, 195/60/15 tyres,awesome brakes,best in class ground clearance ,probably the best suspension this side of 20 lakhs and built like a tank.

The front seats are also huge( good width and under thigh support) and can easily take your 6 foot frame. Might also get better discounts over the others. The only drawback is the rear legroom and probably the resale value once you clock close to 150 k kms. Check it out. If not happy my second choice would be the Figo.

[samaspire]

Originally Posted by Tamarind

Parameters for consideration numbered as per priority:

1. I am 6.2" and now ended up with a lope sided butt due to my seating position in Santro (i think). And its really pain in the back on long drives. So want a decent amount of leg room and under thigh support for a 6+.
2. Fuel Economy: 110 Km per liter would be my dream to have :P
3. Maintenance Costs: Looking at a 5 year time period, anything below ~2k in average per service would be awesome
4. After Sales Service: Yes, Please
5. Safety: Out of the 110 Km per day, 90+ km will be in the bypass, So would be nice to have some safety features yes
6. Budget: 5 to 6 L (can go up a bit)

Please Pour in your thoughts guys.,

1. Figo is good for tall people. Though sideways leg room is an issue in the front seats.

2. How about 52.7 kmpl over 172 kilometres through traffic and toll.
https://www.cardekho.com/features-st...-challenge.htm

Or 42 kmpl over 997 kms

https://youtu.be/CC2yTfj4k1w

If you are a patient man, you can extract 25-30 kmpl on the bypass.

3. Check out this ownership review by auto_enthusiast
His total maintenance cost for 50,000 kilometers is just 15,000. And that for a taxi that is used by his drivers.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ml#post4214839

Also read espraveen's review linked above for detailed maintenance cost logs.

4. Check out any of the new Figo / Aspire threads (or any Ford for that matter) and the one common thing you will find in them is the acknowledgement of good support and low service + part costs. Definitely cheaper than Maruti.

5. Airbags, ABS + EBD standard across all variants. And it has the Ford DNA of having a safe structure (though, the metal skin is not like other Fords). Has 3-star rating from NCAP. I have yet to come across any accident involving the Figo that had resulted in fatalities or major injuries.

6. The post gst prices should be close to your budget.

My suggestion, Ford Figo TDCi Trend or Ford Aspire TDCi Trend if you want a boot (about 50,000 more)

PS: Also check out moderator mobike008's Blue Bombardier to know how much fun this car can be to drive.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by GTO

Would suggest the Ford Figo diesel. It's well-priced and has a lovely engine (max bang for the buck). Also check out the Baleno (1.3L engine feels ordinary now though) and the Elite i20 (a premium all-rounder - my top choice). You'll have to extend your budget for the latter, but it'll be well worth it. Test-drive these three, read the official reviews & ownership reports, then make your choice.

Pick the car with the most comfortable seats as well. Figo Diesel wins hands down in this scenario.

Mostly agree with GTO on buying new with your use case. Though even if used - there's plenty of under 3 year / ~ 20k km type cars that you can get that should feel like new. (eg I recently picked up a 2014 fiesta that is in pristine condition and had run like 20k km for 6.4 lakhs - a new figo top end would cost 8 lakhs).

[Rahul Rao]

What type of traffic conditions will you be driving in. If most of it is on open roads highways you can consider a pre owned Ecosport Diesel too. If you are going to face lot of traffic I would suggest that you go in for a diesel automatic.
Dont go in for a hasty plan. Decide on tentative cars, then take the same car on rent for two days zoom car or something, and only then buy the car.

Rahul

[hserus]

Originally Posted by Rahul Rao

What type of traffic conditions will you be driving in. If most of it is on open roads highways you can consider a pre owned Ecosport Diesel too. If you are going to face lot of traffic I would suggest that you go in for a diesel automatic.

Yeah - for me, I got a 2nd car as in my job I now have to frequently drive to a part of bangalore that would take me about 1.5..2 hours to reach from the airport or railway station. Amaze didn't have comfortable seating for long drives so that was a primary consideration in picking up the Fiesta, the second being a punchy diesel engine rather than petrol in my amaze.

[bijuiser]

Every tall person will have a peculiar or eccentric thing which disturbs him when he thinks about comfort/discomfort. I am just 6" still I dislike the ingress and egress in cars with lower seats. I have to drop myself into the seat and do a squat with every egress. Again this is not generic feeling but changes from person to person. Since your present car is a Santro, you must consider this point in your test drives.

[i74js]

I would go by following:

"Diesel" -"Driver Safety & Comfort" followed by "Reliability" rest everything can be compromised to some extent. Here is my list of suggested cars

Ford Figo, Toyota Etios Liva, Hyundai i10 Grand, Honda Jazz,

All these cars are great with only Figo diesel being the driver's car yet others are equally close. All these cars are very reliable and easy to maintain. Even Honda has increased the service interval so that should not worry you.

I would have also suggested Punto, as I own it, yet lack of service centers is always there to consider and I for one would want to have a complete peace of mind.

Pick any of the above four machines and you will stay happy for next 5 - 7 years in terms of affordability and reliability and not to forget comfort.

Ford and Toyota will give you some handsome discounts too !

[sub.g84]

From my personal experience, I would suggest you the Fiat Punto Emotion MJD 90HP.

-Comes with all the bells and whistles that Fiat provides
-Plonked with India's national engine (for obvious reasons)
-Tank like build quality, airbags, ABS, immobilizer, auto locking doors, etc.
-3 years warranty with an additional 2 years available on purchase
-Good service intervals

Its such a joy to own this car especially when you are out on the highway. The steering is best you can get and the heaviness of the car simply keeps it so stable at high speeds that you don't realize it until you see the speedometer.

Coming to after sales service, I see you are in Chennai as per your location mentioned on your profile. As long as you are in the southern states of our country feel relaxed about the after sales. Good amount of spare parts and dealers to do the after sales.

[arjithin]

You have already got a lot of suggestions - but here are my 2 cents. I am not suggesting any new cars to the list, but a different thought process. (by the way - I am also 6'2")

You should look for automatics if budget allows- GIven you are going to use it for 1.5L km, your left knee will thank some time later for that decision

Secondly plan for about 3 years now, not 5 years and not one car for all 5 years. 5 years is too long a time and many things can change in that timeframe. Get a good diesel used car for 5L ( you can find almost new Ritz or Liva in that price range.) and use it for 3 years. After 3 years you can decide if you want to change the car or continue with the current one based on your situations at that point in time.

Assuming you can find a 30k driven used car, you will be at ~1.1L km at the end of 3rd year. from 1.1L to 1.6L in the next two years is NOT going to make an exponential change in your maintenance cost.

This way your overall cost of ownership ( running cost + depreciation cost + others like insurance cost will be less)