[creative420]

This requirement is primarily for my wife who drives in the infamous bumper to bumper traffic of ORR-Bellandur area in Bangalore. We have a Ritz Zxi, that has served well over the last seven years, but the lack of AT has taken a toll on her back and leg. She thinks this can be sorted by buying any AT car, but the biggest thing she has to deal with is the cacophony of horns during her commute. Hence looking for a car with minimum NVH levels.

I wanted the expert opinion from this forum because, well, honestly, as middle-class Indians who've spoken to other middle-class friends and family, we're left hopelessly and utterly confused. Also, my wife hates going to car showrooms for inspections and test-drives because she thinks I turn into Sir Talks-a-lot or Sir Take-my-money. She suggested we take the guidance of this forum and then decide our limited showroom trips. Still Yay!

So I'll keep this short and share with you guys the usage of this car.

1. It'll be driven by her during the weekdays and me over weekends.
2. Daily run of this car will be under 20 kms.
3. We do at least 2 road trips to the usual ex-Bangalore destinations: Goa, Pondicherry, Kerala and the hills & forests around. We would like to do start doing a minimum of 3 road trips in a year starting 2020 to farther and newer destinations.

And the following is what we want from the car.

1. Super quiet cabin (IMO Ritz fares poorly in NVH department in city and terribly when you hit the highway.)
2. Great automatic transmission
2. Good seating comfort for long drives and in-city particularly
3. Good fuel efficiency - I would like these figures to be in at least lower double digits in city driving conditions.

It can be a hatch. Or a sedan. Or a S/M/L/C-UV. It can also be that awesome car which'll fade away once the BS-VI effect kicks in. Or it can be the one to watch-out-for around the sweet December deals. We're looking at owning this one for at least 7 years.

Looking forward to your suggestions. And hopefully once we've done a few test-drives, I'll update you guys.

[Nav-i-gator]

I would suggest Baleno CVT. Coming from Ritz (Maruti Stable), you would find similarities in basic character of the car (esp. looking at some parts like Power window controls), nothing can beat a Maruti in terms of mileage and the engine is quite silent too.

[Ajaybiz]

I think as per your need you have only one option and trust me its the best.
Just test drive the Polo 1.2 TSI.
But you need to stretch your budget a bit.

[arindambasu13]

Look no further than the Ford Aspire automatic petrol. Fantastic 1.5 liter Dragon engine paired with a nice gearbox. Smooth drive, great comfort, chuckable size while being pretty spacious in its class.

Will serve your wife well during the week, and will plaster a grin across your face on the weekends. And yes, no DSG gremlins to factor in.

Or if you want an even smaller size, the Figo AT, provided you can get your hands on one. Same engine, pocket rocket, AT.

Another good option is the Jazz AT. Refined 1.2 liter iVTEC mill which is legendary for its reliability, as well as being very spacious and practical. Typical Honda mastery at packaging big space into a small footprint. You should also get some good deals from Honda this time of the year.

The usual suspects, Swift and Baleno are there, but then you are already coming from the same engine on your Ritz. These are fail- safe options, nonetheless.

[silverado]

You have a good Budget.
Go for Baleno CVT it fits your requirement to the T.
Get your car damped all round by Wurth or 3M.
Also get underbody coating done.

Would also suggest IGNIS if you are ok with AMT, since its compact and slightly easier to drive and park than Baleno.

If you want a cheaper option which I don't think you want, you can check the Datsun range which comes with CVT as well.

[Ajaybiz]

Warning against Maruti's, one of my friend wanted to book Baleno and he just leaned on the car with one hand and the body was nicely pressed inside. Immediately he came out of the showroom.

[BeantownThinker]

Here are a few observations:

1. Petrol AT and efficiency usually do not go together. If you want a petrol AT in Bangalore and want to drive around ORR-Bellandur area, you can expect real world efficiency of 8 to 8.5 kmpl

2. NVH in AMTs are somewhat higher than in CVTs

3. For additional sound deadening, you can get under-body coating done and acoustic damping done. I don't recommend under-body coating as a water protection measure (at least in Bangalore) but they have a tremendous effect in reducing road noise.

And finally, test drive all the cars in your budget. It will help you better understand what works for you.

[Lambydude]

Originally Posted by creative420

And the following is what we want from the car....

If it is hatchback, i would suggest you give the Japanese a miss. Focus on Polo 1.2 TSI or Ford Figo petrol AT.

If it is sedan try Vento 1.2 TSI.

Among compact SUVs, try Ford ecosport petrol AT. Not sure how the NVH is for Hyundai Venue DCT. It is also worth a try.

[creative420]

Originally Posted by Nav-i-gator

I would suggest Baleno CVT. Coming from Ritz (Maruti Stable), you would find similarities in basic character of the car (esp. looking at some parts like Power window controls), nothing can beat a Maruti in terms of mileage and the engine is quite silent too.

Thanks. How's the overall NVH level of this vehicle? I get that the engine is quite silent, what really got me, in my Ritz, when we drove to Goa was the road noise creeping into the cabin.

Originally Posted by Ajaybiz

I think as per your need you have only one option and trust me its the best.
Just test drive the Polo 1.2 TSI.
But you need to stretch your budget a bit.

Polo is what I wanted to go for the first time around, but we had to settle with Ritz as our budget didn't allow for the VW gem. This car will be test-driven for sure even though the DSG and low-mileage issues keep coming up.

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Look no further than the Ford Aspire automatic petrol.

...if you want an even smaller size, the Figo AT, provided you can get your hands on one. Same engine, pocket rocket, AT....

Another good option is the Jazz AT. Refined 1.2 liter iVTEC mill which is legendary for its reliability, as well as being very spacious and practical...

Gee thanks. You've given me almost a pick from each stable. But which one of these is the most quietest?

Originally Posted by silverado

You have a good Budget.
Go for Baleno CVT it fits your requirement to the T....

...Would also suggest IGNIS if you are ok with AMT, since its compact and slightly easier to drive and park than Baleno.

...you can check the Datsun range which comes with CVT as well.

Another Baleno suggestion. Wife does have a thing for Maruti, so this will be test-driven too for sure. Hope it's a quiet car.

Ignis won't really feel like an upgrade to Ritz IMO. I should've mentioned in my post. Not sure about the road-trip capabilities too. Haven't really followed up on Datsun CVT reviews. I think I should educate myself about it before I pass any comment on it.

Originally Posted by Ajaybiz

Warning against Maruti's, one of my friend wanted to book Baleno and he just leaned on the car with one hand and the body was nicely pressed inside. Immediately he came out of the showroom.

Yeah. I was having a cuppa tea in Ahmedabad a few days ago when one of my well-nourished friend leaned onto the Baleno parked by the kitli (roadside tea stall in local language) and the owner of the car who was sitting inside got so startled that he spilled the tea on himself. He walked up to my friend almost about to bash him up, but refrained from doing so as my friend was sincerely apologetic and ready with his wallet (I'm sure he also noticed that there were 7 of us). The dent popped back to normal, but yeah, I get your point. Thanks.



MODS: Can you please move this to "What Car?" sections instead of "What Car? > Sedan" as I'm not restricted to a particular body-type. Apologies for this.

[LazyDriver]

If " quietest cabin" is the most important criteria then there is nothing that comes closest to cars from Hyundai's stable.

I would suggest Grand i10 nios. Though it will not be fun to drive with that AMT gearbox.

With the new i20 coming, the current gen model should be available at discounted price.

If you can stretch a bit the Hyundai venue with DCT will also be good contender.

Though all of these don't meet your criteria of fuel efficiency.

[revverend]

Originally Posted by creative420

T

And the following is what we want from the car.

1. Super quiet cabin (IMO Ritz fares poorly in NVH department in city and terribly when you hit the highway.)
2. Great automatic transmission
2. Good seating comfort for long drives and in-city particularly
3. Good fuel efficiency - I would like these figures to be in at least lower double digits in city driving conditions.

You should definitely consider the Jazz CVT as it ticks 3 out of 4 boxes on the requirements you are looking for. Honda petrols are known for good NVH and Jazz is a breeze to drive. In terms of the CVT, yes it does have a rubber band effect when you stomp the pedal but otherwise, with a sane foot and ample power on tap, the CVT is perfect. Seating capacity and comfort matches that of sedans and there is no other hatchback that comes close in capacity.

On the fuel economy front, I get around 9-10 in city driving conditions and see it improving as I go further (Currently clocked only 5K kms). Highway mileage is definitely better and the car is planted on the road even at the upper end of highway speed limits.

Do take a test ride and I am sure it will check the boxes on your requirement. I own a 2018 Jazz VX CVT and predominantly use it for city driving

Revverend

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by creative420

T
Gee thanks. You've given me almost a pick from each stable. But which one of these is the most quietest?

The Swift/ Baleno or the Jazz. Both are pretty quiet. Cabin insulation is a smidgeon better in the Honda than in the Marutis.

[KL01toKA03]

I think you should seriously consider the Yaris. The 'acoustic & vibration control window glasses' should keep the cabin quiet, and you will enjoy reliability and inexpensive service that comes along with most Toyota cars.

Since it is not exactly selling like hotcakes, you should be able to get a nice discount.

[Guna]

One thing to keep in mind is, in general, the CVTs have typical 'whine'. This is obvious at the low speeds as the engine noise is less at that moment.

[Kosfactor]

Quiet cabin and a car that lasts for a long time , I would go with Hyundai.

1. Cabin is well insulated.
2. Exterior body panels stay in good shape over the years.
3. Paint quality is usually good.
4. Interior is pleasing, well put together and lasts long without creaks \ rattles.
5. Exterior plastic bits do not fade.
6. Overall the car wont feel 'loose' & old after many years.