[1.2TSI7DSG]

Due to COVID, age & his health, my dad will finally hang up his shoes by March 21. Mom & Dad stay in Mumbai while I stay in Hyderabad. Dad is currently reluctant to move to Hyderabad as he has spent his lifetime in Mumbai.

Hence, we will require a car to be kept in Mumbai even for occasional usage. It will be mainly chauffer driven and occasionally be driven by dad - back seat comfort for a 6 ft is a must; automatic is a bonus. Running will not be higher than 10 k a year with occasional trips to Pune- highway safety becomes a must.

The options are:

1. Retain the company owned 2016 Ciaz by transfering on his name. I am not keen on this
2. Transfer my GT TSI to Mumbai & I hunt for a new car- reliability is a risk hence want to avoid this
3. Buy a reliable new car in Mumbai- not very expensive to run/maintain; should not be bare bones

Budget around 15 lakhs is doable.

My head inclines to Yaris / Honda City despite being a fan of European machines. Am not impressed with the current hatches though Jazz still makes practical sense but not an aspirational. If WRV/Jazz was there in 1.5 l guise, would have picked it up eyes closed. C SUVs/Crossovers are also open- Not Venue - May be Sonnet

Wanting to hear your views/experiences!!

[octane1002]

What is the problem with the CIAZ?It is the perfect car for his use case from what I can see (barring the requirement for automatic).

From your post it seems more like the fact that you (as in you and not your Dad) want to scratch that new car itch.

[sv97]

If you can stretch your budget go for the Seltos/Creta eyes closed as for your parents ease of sitting would be an important criteria I suppose.

So, one amongst them would be the perfect choice and the reliability factor is also taken care of.

[Sahilrai166]

Retaining the Ciaz would be the best option among the other options you have mentioned. Ciaz provides best in class rear seat space combined with the soft suspension setup which will be absent in any of the suv 4 meter SUV's.
That said if you still want to get a new car at a budget of 15 lacs I would suggest you the new Creta S/SX or the Seltos HTK+/HTX or even the XL6 Alpha automatic if you are ok with a Suzuki product.

[Researcher]

Originally Posted by 1.2TSI7DSG

Due to COVID, age & his health, my dad will finally hang up his shoes by March 21.

There is still some time, so maybe you could wait till March end when you may get great deals for FY closing. I have also suggested my opinions below in bold:
[quote]

1. Retain the company owned 2016 Ciaz by transfering on his name. I am not keen on this -

Will agree with BHPian octane1002 below. Best option in my opinion since we do not know when things may return to normal

2. Transfer my GT TSI to Mumbai & I hunt for a new car- reliability is a risk hence want to avoid this -

Keeping reliability aside, the rear space is not great in a relative's Polo as per my experience compared to our Baleno (I am 6 feet tall). And personally, I would prefer a car with a slightly better reliability record for my old folks (both around 60s).

3. Buy a reliable new car in Mumbai- not very expensive to run/maintain; should not be bare bones

Again, would not suggest this as one can get terrific cars from a segment higher if including slightly used ones.

My suggestion would be to get a slightly used Toyota Corolla Automatic, preferably a post-2017 model. Easy to drive (if he is ok with external dimensions), spacious enough and reliable too.
If buying new is a must, I would suggest to get the upcoming Jazz, City and Yaris in that order. You won't go wrong with any.

Originally Posted by octane1002

From your post it seems more like the fact that you (as in you and not your Dad) want to scratch that new car itch.

I totally felt this!
Edit:

Originally Posted by Sahilrai166

XL6 Alpha automatic if you are ok with a Suzuki product.

I missed adding any Suzukis. Yes the XL6/Ertiga have great comfort and space in the back. Even the recent SCross petrol can be checked too. It was spacious enough for me when I checked it out months back.

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

Retired 6' dad, with low commute, including Expressway as well as congested Mumbai traffic? If you are don't care much for public image, I would suggest WagonR AMT.

Well, few can beat the sheer space, manoeuvrability and VFM of the WagonR for the city if one doesn't care about public image and sticks to practical choices.

[RedTerrano]

Originally Posted by 1.2TSI7DSG

Hence, we will require a car to be kept in Mumbai even for occasional usage. It will be mainly chauffer driven and occasionally be driven by dad - back seat comfort for a 6 ft is a must; automatic is a bonus. Running will not be higher than 10 k a year with occasional trips to Pune- highway safety becomes a must.

Retired 6' dad, with low commute, including Expressway as well as congested Mumbai traffic? If you are don't care much for public image, I would suggest WagonR AMT.

1. Smaller footprint. Lesser parking woes.
2. Decent speed on highway. I have clocked 90-100 myself, after which it starts to lean a bit on turns due to tall boy design.
3. Fully reclinable (flat) back seat means it can be swiftly converted to a proper comfortable bed, even for a 6 footer. Let dad relax or even take a nap while the chauffeur does all the hard work. (I am a 6 footer myself who owned a WagonR. Trust me I speak from experience.)

Go for the top variant and you will still save money. Use those savings to splurge on a Bose system/whatever which your dad likes.

[nitinkbhaskar]

Originally Posted by 1.2TSI7DSG

1. Retain the company owned 2016 Ciaz by transfering on his name. I am not keen on this

Replacing 2016 Ciaz doesn't make sense for the intended usage. It ticks the factors like reliability, comfort and safety. Why are you not keen on this ?

On a lighter note, save some money there, sell your TSI and get the European you always wanted

[1.2TSI7DSG]

I Should have mentioned this in the opening post

Ciaz is running at 95k now, minor niggles keep propping up. I don't find it as tight as it was a couple of years earlier.

Originally Posted by octane1002

From your post it seems more like the fact that you (as in you and not your Dad) want to scratch that new car itch.

Not an itch at all...

Originally Posted by Researcher

There is still some time, so maybe you could wait till March end when you may get great deals for FY closing. I have also suggested my opinions below in bold:
My suggestion would be to get a slightly used Toyota Corolla Automatic, preferably a post-2017 model. Easy to drive (if he is ok with external dimensions), spacious enough and reliable too.
If buying new is a must, I would suggest to get the upcoming Jazz, City and Yaris in that order. You won't go wrong with any.
I totally felt this!
Edit:
I missed adding any Suzukis. Yes the XL6/Ertiga have great comfort and space in the back. Even the recent SCross petrol can be checked too. It was spacious enough for me when I checked it out months back.
Well, few can beat the sheer space, manoeuvrability and VFM of the WagonR for the city if one doesn't care about public image and sticks to practical choices.

This helps. Even I had the corolla in mind. Mom will need convincing though. I explore a lot of options before we close the car - Ciaz took 6 months (Options considered were from Baleno to Jetta), GT took a full year later than I deciding to replace Indica(options were from new indica, Brio(original choice before driving the GT for the first time ). Nevertheless deal windows of December/March will be kept on the radar

Originally Posted by RedTerrano

Retired 6' dad, with low commute, including Expressway as well as congested Mumbai traffic? If you are don't care much for public image, I would suggest WagonR AMT.

Haven't driven the new one, but the earlier generation does not have a very comfortable ride. Will try it out for sure!

Originally Posted by nitinkbhaskar

On a lighter note, save some money there, sell your TSI and get the European you always wanted

What do we say to the Death... Not today...
Tried looking at cars to upgrade; didn't find a worthy replacement though skoda rapid comes close.

[IshaanIan]

Do please consider a used Nissan Teana. Connect with other bhpians from Bombay to find out a good independent garage to keep it maintained. Your dad will thank you endlessly.

New cars that are comfortable and suit tall people would be the WagonR, Jazz, City and if you can stretch the budget, a Corolla

[Traveler]

Go for the new Honda City or Jazz for a really trouble-free and reliable car. Easy and economical to run and maintain and oodles of space in the back seat. The Jazz will also be better to get in and out due to its higher seating.

The WRV Diesel is also a very practical car for seniors and the mileage is amazing. Space for 6 footers is no problem for the WRV, City or Jazz.

[padmrajravi]

Honda City Automatic is the typical retirement car in my family. Three of my uncles who retired from various government services bought it as their last car after their retirement. They look elegant whether your drive or is being driven in. None of them seem to suffer from the rattles which late Honda Citys are famous for. May be because they are all very relaxed drivers and do not trash it around. The service seems hassle free and there is a certain stately vibe associated with the City which Verna and Ciaz does not seem to match.

I will advise against anything used. You don't want to be running around to fix problems when you want to take rest and attend family matters after a long career.

[akash_v12]

In the case of your dad - Retirement Age, Chauffeur-driven, the best options will be sedans or C-segment SUVs.

1. Honda City - Reliable, Great Legroom, Decently good engine.
2. New Ciaz - It's a Maruti!, Great Legroom & Service.
3. Volkswagen Vento/Skoda Rapid - Build Quality, Engine & Decent Legroom
4. Kia Seltos/Hyundai - Service, Engine & Decent Legroom

I don't think the Sonet will hit the brief since it's pretty small which would translate to less legroom (maybe a bit more than the Venue.)

[Thermodynamics]

Since rear seat comfort seems to be the primary criteria, C-SUVs are out of equation. When it comes to rear seat legroom, the first C segment sedan that comes to mind is Sunny, next is Ciaz. The former is not advisable for obvious reasons and the latter is ruled out by you.

Then I guess the following might suit you
- XL6 Zeta AT : for captain seats at rear, reliable, ease of ownership
- City ZX CVT : a tad less legroom, nevertheless it is comfy, reliable, ease of ownership
- Sparingly used Camry Hybrid : Amazing legroom and comfort, kind of difficult to find but will put a smile on face
- Since you have time may be wait for Team-BHP COTY

[Cessna182]

I cannot suggest a car, but would say that any form of high GC SUV can be a difficult proposition down the line. As age increases, people find it difficult to get in and out of the car. Sedans or hatchbacks are good.

Also, if you are trying to replace a Maruti, would suggest you explore brands that have a proven safety record.


Last suggestion- be very careful about driver selection. Conduct their driving test yourself. When slightly older people are in a car, I have noticed that some drivers take a lot of liberty and drive paying less attention to the road because they think that the passenger would be scared to protest.

[avdhesh15]

Considering peace of mind is required, I had bought my dad (similar age bracket) a Dzire 6 years back. This year when we change, it's going to be the Sonet most likely but that's because it's only self drive, the budget will be 10-12 and daily running is 8-9 km (Dzire has run 21k in 6 years with zero out station trips). If the budget was 15, the winners would have been either City or Creta / Seltos.