[NaXal]

Originally Posted by novicefreak

Would also like to caution about the HEAVY CLUTCH though as posted by other owners.

The clutch feels heavy if you drive a Swift/Dzire and Figo/Aspire back to back. But the clutch isn't heavy as a truck or such.

With my Aspire, I too felt heavy clutch for first few days but adjusting the seat to a more of a comfortable position solved the issue for me and I got used to it within a few days.

[model-t]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Might I suggest looking at used cars like the Ford Fusion 1.4 TDCi or the Getz Prime 1.5 CRDi? Both well built cars with loads of space and practicality. Fusion shared a lot of parts with the old Fiesta and the Getz was fairly popular so parts won't be an issue. You could pick up excellent post 2009 models of either car for about 2-3 lakhs. Set aside 1 lakh to bring the car up to perfect shape, and there you have it, a brand new-old big car, for 3-4 lakhs. Now that is a solid 30-50% savings on your allocated budget.

Avoid Getz like Plague. I have burnt my fingers with it and sold it last month. Spacious yes, but the parts availability is terrible. God forbid if you meet an accident (I did), you will not get small parts. It took me 4 months to get a windshield washer.

Go for a Ford Figo or Liva. They will fit in your budget +/- a lac.

[npulyani]

Hi Tamarind,
I would suggest you to go for MS Ignis Delta Diesel. The reasons for suggesting the same are following-

1. Comfort w.r.t. to your height: The seats are comfortable & headroom is decent.
2. Fuel Economy: My friend has clocked 12k kms & he gets 20 kmpl (60% highway usage & 40% city traffic) on this early ownership which's anticipated to increase with ODO reading.
3. Maintenance Costs: It'd be approximately 5k-6k per service but the service intervals are 10k kms so there's not going to be much increase from the current 2k bucks per 6k km.
4. After Sales Service: Best in Class!
5. Safety: Decent Safety Kit- ABS, EBD & Dual Front Airbags are standard.
6. Budget: Ex-Showroom price is 6.36 Lacs. I'm assuming 7-7.25 Lacs OTR.

I think this suits you the best as an overall package.

[sandeepmdas]

I drive 400 - 500 kms / week and most of it through the Kollam -TVM stretch of NH. I've been doing this since 2014. This is a single line road and like most of Kerala's roads, it's extremely dangerous. My only co-passenger for half of this distance is my 11-year old son.

Although I own a XUV500, my primary choice for this everyday "mission" was my second car, the Punto 90HP Sport which I bought brand new especially for this task. As (almost) expected, I was met with accidents twice; an Amby hit my door and an Alto K10 rear-ended. The car did it's duty splendidly on both occasions, it inflicted max damage to the culprits and kept me safe.

However, when I reviewed and mentally rewinded both these accidents while sitting comfortably in my living room, I realized that a contributing reason for both these crashes were a degree of lack of visibility of *my* car, the low-profiled Italian beauty. Besides, the car was also having a lot of mechanical tear-and-wear and it was nearing 65K in the odo.

So after considering the Brezza, Creta, EcoSport, WRV and the S-Cross I picked up a 110PS Duster AMT as my daily drive. The car has high visibility, efficiency, ride quality and it has no gears to change either. It has clocked 3600kms and the mileage is 15.14kms / litre diesel.

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

How does the Duster/Terrano fit the safety requirement, pray might I ask? The European version of the car itself is deemed to have poor structural integrity in the most basic of Euro NCAP crash tests. ... 3rd rate manufacturer, Dacia for a 3rd world country, Romania.

Ishaan, while I agree with your question, let me differ with your views. The NCAP is a collision test. My idea of buying a Duster is to *avoid* a collision before it happens. When you drive a car with high GC and high stance the overall visibility and the factors like the critical "see and be seen" improve dramatically. Bikers and auto-wallahs will think twice before doing their antics, the other drivers can spot you and react much early. Not only Duster, any SUV or cross-over can do good. Crash survivability comes second, about which I am not very much worried for the NCAP tested Duster was the base model without airbags etc.

And of course, first-world cars come with first-world price tags and maintenance costs.

[jacobvarughese]

Sorry for the ignorant question- but why not leverage your existing XUV500 instead of going for a brand-new Duster?

[coolmel]

Been driving a Liva diesel for the past 3 years and now average 900 kms a month. In the city I get approx 14 kpl. It's a no nonsense car. Just fill it, shut it, forget it. Plus...Toyota!

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

Ishaan, while I agree with your question, let me differ with your views. The NCAP is a collision test. My idea of buying a Duster is to *avoid* a collision before it happens.

Well yes if you compare a Duster to a Santro you are safer but if you actually want to delve into avoiding a collision, there is equal argument for any car in that price bracket. Take a Hatchback or a Sedan for example, their lower center of gravity means that they can out maneuver and out brake any SUV/Crossovers especially at speed. Either way, all I'm talking about is the Duster's crash safety.

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

Crash survivability comes second, about which I am not very much worried for the NCAP tested Duster was the base model without airbags etc.

Whether it comes second to you or not, crash survivability is a component of safety, however you want to dice it. No two ways around that. All I am saying is that to categorically claim that the Duster is a safe car, simply doesn't hold up given its poor crash safety. If you read my post carefully I have mentioned the EuroNCAP tests of the Duster. The one sold there had both airbags, abs, ebd and optional side airbags. Typically cars sold in Europe come with more safety equipment and in some cases better build quality as well, unlike cars tested in the GlobalNCAP which is what you might be referring to. Either way, whatever car it is, and whichever testing agency it is, if a car doesn't have airbags then it doesn't get any stars in its rating. Just double check my previous post if you still doubt me. Car I spoke about was Europen model with far more safety equipment.

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

And of course, first-world cars come with first-world price tags and maintenance costs.

There are several cars that are arguably safer than the duster in it's price range. If one still wants to go out and say it is a safe car in every sense of the word, then who am I to stop them. I am simply stating facts nothing else. If they don't matter to you, then so be it but everything I have stated is true, so it's not really about my view or your view when it comes to facts.

[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by jacobvarughese

Sorry for the ignorant question- but why not leverage your existing XUV500 instead of going for a brand-new Duster?

Now that's totally
... a narrow 2 km road towards my son's school. Thick traffic with numerous drop-off cars and school buses.
... fed up with gear changes (the duster is AMT)
... mileage (I've never got mileage better than 11km/l for the XUV in the said commute)

@Ishaanlan, already we are offroading far from the thread topic. Even my OP was OT, considering the budget given by the thread starter. Having that said, let me explain; in my usual drive, the chances of me colliding with a block of six tonnes of concrete is next to nil. The chances of me getting into an accident is very high in the following order:

1. bikers
2. auto-wallahs
3. wannabe Schumacher alto800/chevy beats

And IMHO, driving any SUV-sh vehicle actually reduce such chances to at least by 1%.
Of course, there are several cars that are cheaper, far better and safer than the Duster, esp. the Polo GT. But it's not a diesel vehicle, the EcoSport auto too is petrol, I can buy another XUV for the price of a Creta D auto and the Brezza/WRV/S-Cross have no automatic option. Which car would yo suggest?

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

@Ishaanlan, already we are offroading far from the thread topic. Even my OP was OT, considering the budget given by the thread starter. Having that said, let me explain; in my usual drive, the chances of me colliding with a block of six tonnes of concrete is next to nil. The chances of me getting into an accident is very high in the following order:

1. bikers
2. auto-wallahs
3. wannabe Schumacher alto800/chevy beats

And IMHO, driving any SUV-sh vehicle actually reduce such chances to at least by 1%.

Yes we are straying away from the topic at hand but that is because regardless of your views, or anyone else's, crash safety is an integral component in judging how safe a car is, and thus forgive me, if I am not going to go right out there and call the Duster a safe car. Like I mentioned earlier, my father and I really wanted to buy it, but we couldn't because of its poor crash safety. One need not have to hit a concrete block for it to come into play, even colliding with another oncoming car, or something that may lose control, come over the divider and crash into you (so many things we are just not in control of on the roads), that too the car performed poorly in a moderate frontal overlap crash test. I can only imagine how it would perform in a small overlap frontal crash test which is far far more common and far more difficult for cars to pass. Until recently, even BMWs and Skodas were failing at the small overlap frontal crash tests, so I can only imagine how catastrophic something like that would be in a Duster.

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

Of course, there are several cars that are cheaper, far better and safer than the Duster, esp. the Polo GT. But it's not a diesel vehicle, the EcoSport auto too is petrol, I can buy another XUV for the price of a Creta D auto and the Brezza/WRV/S-Cross have no automatic option. Which car would yo suggest?

Well if you must have a diesel automatic then there is the Rapid and Vento. Skoda and VWs tough suspension componentry has proven time and again that it can take on Indian roads. Then you've got the Verna which has been updated a lot since it was first released, all within the cost of the Duster, and all with better transmissions (DSG or Torque Converter vs Duster's AMT) if you pay slightly more there's a sleuth of other options as well. Besides, the point here is not to tell people not to buy the duster. No way. To each his own, if you feel Duster suits yours or anyone else's requirements then cool, buy it, recommend it. I simply cannot accept it if someone out and out says that it is a safe car, because I'm sorry but after spending over a million bucks on a car, if it cannot withstand a crash as well as a much cheaper hatchback, regardless of it being a diesel or it being an automatic or it being a tall SUV or it being intimidating or whatever, that is not the mark of a safe car to me.

Perhaps you are defending the product too much since you own one, but come on, seriously, in light of the fact that it performs poorer in crash tests than several cheaper hatchbacks that cost much less than 10 lakhs, are you seriously gonna say that it is a safe car? Buy it, cool. Recommend it on its strengths like build and ride quality, cool. BUT got out and say that it is a safe car? That aint fooling me mate

Once again, just so that there aren't any misunderstandings: I am not saying don't buy the car or that it is not a good car in it's own right, just forgive me if I don't agree with anyone on it being a safe car.

[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Perhaps you are defending the product too much since you own one

Certainly note . Read my opinion about the Duster here and check out the date posted.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post4234922

As I said, I bought the my Punto exclusively for this circuit. Fact is, this is my second Punto, I exchanged my old Punto EP for a new Punto Sport. The old Punto had a GC of only 165mm and it was constantly scraping its engine guard on the way to school, a pocket road. The Vento/Rapid are all low GC vehicles, and whatever road handling they can demo, I am sure my Fiat too can demo with poise.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Aroy

For such long drives, I would advise you to consider hiring a cab on monthly basis.

There was a time, some 8 years ago, when I was laid up with a bout of back pain for many months, and was advised against driving. For a couple of weeks, I tried a variety of other options to go to work - hiring a cab, keeping a chauffeur, sharing ride with a friend.

One thing was common to the cab & chauffeur options - the feeling of terror as the drivers tailgated on the highway, drove at double the speed limit, overtook with millimetres to spare, and braked & cornered hard enough to make my back protest in pain. After those 2 weeks, I figured that a heart attack would kill me first before my back would ever heal. No more cabs for me on long-distance trips if I can avoid it.

I figured that it was uncomfortable for me to drive my own car, an Accent Viva CRDi, and the pain was due to the seating posture. I bought myself the Scorpio, and all was well. The high & straight seating position meant that the back did not hurt anymore while driving, and despite one more bout of back pain a couple of years later, driving was something I could still continue to do.

[Sanidhya mukund]

Hello all!

This is regarding a query for my next car purchase. I plan to purchase the car later this year, but given the waiting period on some models, decided to ask right now.
My car usage, up until now has been very low. in 20 years, my Ford Ikon has done only 68k and my 7 year old W204 C-class is currently at 25k. However, I soon expect my running to increase exponentially. I will soon be travelling 100 Kms every day. I cannot use my Ikon anymore thanks to the NGT order. I also do not want to inflict the torture of such high running on my Merc. Also, the Merc being a big turbo petrol engine + lazy auto box, the KM/L figures would mean that fuel bills go through the roof. Thus, I am looking for an addition to my garage. The requirements are as follows;

1. Reliabilty and durability- These are very, very important to me. I do not want to adopt a white elephant that loves to spend time at the dealership.

2. Safety - Minimum of 2 airbags, ABS and a minimum of 3 stars NCAP.

3. Fuel efficiency- I am mostly open to all fuel types, but I would really appreciate as high fuel efficiency as possible.

4. Comfort- The car will mostly be chauffeur driven, so the rear seats have to be supportive. It will also be driven by me when the chauffeur is not available.

5. Would truly love to get an automatic if I can, but I guess most A/T cars have low fuel efficiency.

6. Competent service and part availability- I would like to have minimum down time for service and repairs.

7. Boot space- Should be enough for those airport runs/ carrying light farm produce.

8. Budget- 10-11 Lakhs on-road, Delhi. lower the better.

9. Ground clearance- Shouldn't give up when NCR roads become rivers every year.

Based on the above, I have rejected the following. [please point out if I have unreasonably ruled out a good alternative]


1. Nissan, Datsun, Renault- Good products, but most of them are yet to prove their long term reliability. Haven't heard great things about their service experience either.

2. Skoda/VW- Great cars, but the new 1.0 TSI engine is a complex bit of kit. I don't think it would be great on Fuel efficiency either. Further, parts seem to be expensive for these brands. Not ideal for a secondary car, then.

3. Kia/Hyundai- The thread about various suspension/steering/brake issues makes me very apprehensive about their long term durability.

4. Tata/ Mahindra- The better offerings are beyond my budget. Also, their past record makes me apprehensive about niggles and issues cropping up every now and then.

5. Toyota- They have discontinued their low cost offerings. If I wanted a Maruti, I would rather buy it at a Maruti Dealership.


That essentially leaves me with Maruti, Honda and Ford.

1. Ford-
i. Ecosport- My budget only gets the base variant, which doesn't have a height adjustable seat. I am also not very comfortable with the limited visibility.

ii. Figo/ Freestyle- Boot is too small.

iii- Aspire- LOVED it. The top of the line model comes within my budget.

2.Honda-
i. City [4] and City [5] are too big, and probably not as efficient as I would have liked.

ii. Jazz and WRV- The ARAI figures suggest that they are not all that efficient. Being Petrol only models, the fuel bills are likely to sky rocket.

iii. Amaze- Seems to fit the bill.


3. Maruti- Alto, S-presso, Celerio, WagonR, Swift and Dzire are out because they do not meet my safety rating criteria.
-Rejected Ignis for looks and Baleno because it is very very common on NCR roads. Also, the cars shape means that I am not comfortable with the outside visibility.
-XL6, Brezza, S-cross and Ciaz- 1.5 Litre Petrol engine- probably not very economical to run and large dimensions would pose a challenge when I drive on my own.

Ertiga CNG- Very economical to run, good visibility, comfortable rear seats and Tremendously flexible cabin.


Thus, I have narrowed down to:

1. Ford Aspire Titanium+ Petrol/Diesel
2. Honda Amaze S CVT Petrol/Diesel
3. Maruti Ertiga VXI CNG


Each of the 3 options offers something that the other doesn't. Aspire gets me 6 airbags, Amaze gets me an Automatic gearbox while Ertiga CNG gets me great practicality coupled with really low running costs. Please help me make a choice among these. Also, If I end up buying Amaze/Aspire, does it make sense to get a diesel variant?

thanks
Sanidhya

[karan0009]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Thus, I have narrowed down to:
1. Ford Aspire Titanium+ Petrol/Diesel
2. Honda Amaze S CVT Petrol/Diesel
3. Maruti Ertiga VXI CNG

Amaze Diesel CVT fits your requirements:
1) Mile Muncher - You can easily get 20-25 kmpl on highway drives.
2) Reliability - No major reliability issues apart from minor rattles.
3) Safety - Has 2 Airbags, ABS & export version has 4 star safety rating as well (let's assume even domestic market gets the same car).
4)Boot Space - Best in segment of 420 litres.
5)Honda service is pretty decent.
6)Automatic - Will be breze to drive in NCR traffic.
7)Ground Clearance - 170mm ground clearance is decent enough.
8)Budget - Yo can easily buy a diesel cvt combo within your budget of 10-11 lakhs.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by Sanidhya mukund

Hello all!

Thus, I have narrowed down to:

1. Ford Aspire Titanium+ Petrol/Diesel
2. Honda Amaze S CVT Petrol/Diesel
3. Maruti Ertiga VXI CNG

My choice would be the Aspire TDCI. Reasons:

1. Superb engine and drivability, tried and tested, lovely power delivery. Easily remapped if you really need even more power a few years down the line. Great highway mile muncher as well.

2. Full safety pack variant which fits within your budget. Clean looks though somewhat dated. Comfortable interiors.

3. Pricing is very good, and good discounts can be wrangled out of the dealer since the Aspire is not a hot seller - to your advantage.

If for some reason you are able to stretch to the Ecosport Titanium diesel, pick it up eyes closed. The extra money would go a long way to wards superb build quality, good looks, sturdy build, equally god engine and superb highway mannerisms.

[Turbokick]

My choices from the cars mentioned would be :

1. Amaze CVT Diesel
* CVT gearbox would act like a boon for a person doing 100 kms per day. Even for a chauffeur driven car, I wouldnt mind the driver taking less toll in our taxing conditions.
* Rear seat of Amaze is reasonably comfortable. Better than Aspire.
* Boot space is pretty good at 400 litres or so
* Reliability generally isnt a problem with Honda cars
* idtec is extremely fuel efficient. I am sure even the CVT version would be good
* Latin ncap ratings for Made in India Amaze (not made for India) is 4*.


2. WRV Diesel
* Even better space management than Amaze. Fixed headrests are problem though
* Feels more well built. NVH is better (important if someone travels a lot)
* 18+ kmpl is possible for 80% of the time from this engine.
* Boot space is good