[Shreyans_Jain]

It is car buying season in the family again! As many of you know, my Honda City is ageing and I am looking for a replacement. The car has done 165000km and will complete 8 years in Feb 2022. NGT rules dictate it needs to be sold off in the next few months, else I will be looking at abysmal resale as the 10 year limit approaches.

Other cars currently in the garage:

1. Jeep Compass (2020): Diesel, manual. Done 19000km. Used almost exclusively by me. Preferred choice for long drives and night outs.

2. Tata Hexa (2017): Diesel, automatic. Done 105000km. The family car, and the most comfortable car we have ever owned. My 93 year old grandma prefers to travel in this only. Driven by everyone. Used locally as well as for family trips.

The 2012 Honda Jazz is now almost exclusively used by my brother.

The requirements

With Hexa and Jeep taking care of the long distance and fancy duties, I want a smaller car for daily city use. It needs to be compact, efficient, low mantainence. It has to be automatic. Petrol or EV only. Dont want to spend too much money. Looking for value instead. Strictly under 20L, ideally under 15 and wishfully under 10. Basically, I need a beater car. It has to be new, no pre loved options this time. Car will be used by everyone in the family.

I expect usage of about 15-20k km annually. I am personally open to aftermarket CNG conversions if needed, if and when allowed for BS6 cars. Running costs are important, that is the only reason why we have persevered with the diesel City for so long.

Good resale value will be nice to have. Might sell this car off if a good EV option is available in future. Other cars I own are depriciation disasters anyway.

Family specific needs:

- Has to be automatic only. Wifey does not drive manuals. Dad also wants a light and easy city drive. Taking Hexa everywhere gets cumbersome.

- Ride comfort needs to be good. Bouncy rear suspensions are simply unacceptable. This was a huge problem with City, mum and wife would get motion sickness.

- Good space for 4 adults. We are used to spacious cars with good legroom.

- Comfortable and supportive seats. Me, mum and dad have weak backs and necks, so ergonomics need to be spot on. Chair like seating position is preferred. Highly reclined rear benches are a strict no no, as are front seats with forward sloping headrests and stupid contours. Refer this for details https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...neck-pain.html (Whiplash protection vs Chronic neck pain) Will be benchmarked against Hexa captain chairs.

- Good ground clearence is preferred. Roads in Faridabad are generally horrible and tend to get badly waterlogged.

- A little street cred, while not necessary, will be nice to have.

- Fancy features are not must haves. My two year old just refuses to sit in her car seat now and loves to press every button on the dash. The fewer the better. Jeep is fully loaded and it gets irritating at times.

- I have a 10kw solar setup, which strengthens the case for EV.

Cars considered

Nexon EV
Spacious and smooth. Minimum running costs. Too expensive and too crude at 18.5L (no benefits in Haryana), wife found rear seat too reclined, front seat contouring made my neck ache after 20 minutes. Dropped.

MG ZS EV
Feels nice and premium. Enough range, minimum running costs. Comfortable seats. Horribly bouncy rear suspension, as bad as City. Too expensive. Dropped

Maruti Baleno/Toyota Glanza
Proven, decent street cred, low running and maintenace costs. Decent seats. CVT. Poor safety, dinge prone body. Old model, will be replaced soon. Dropped

Tata Punch
Looks, upright seating position, good seats, spacious, comfortable, safe and well built. AMC available. Stupid stupid AMT mated with lame NA engine. Expenisve at 10.5L. Had this car come with Nexon EV's powertrain, it would have been perfect. Shortlisted

Tata Altroz
All the attributes of Punch, better engine options but no automatic on offer. Dropped

Renault Kiger
Decent package on paper, Good seats and space. Turbo petrol + CVT, fairly priced. Horrible dealership experience, no test drive vehicle for turbo CVT. Will decide after TD, if they can make it available

Maruti S Cross, Toyota Urban Cruiser
Old models with ancient 4 speed TC, will be replaced soon. Dropped

Kia Sonet turbo DCT
Feels good inside out, decent seats, well kitted HTX model for 12.25L. Cramped for space, no test drive vehicle avaiable(diesel only), too many buttons and electronics for my liking, long waiting period. Shortlisted pending TD

Mahindra Thar
Sings to the heart like nothing else. Dad and wifey loved the drive. Top notch street cred and robust enough for all kinds of abuse. Cramped rear with zero boot. High running costs. Not practical for my need. Super long waiting periods and price hikes. Dont really need one, fear might be left with a white elephant once my initial euphoria dies. Dropped, but heart refuses to let the dream die

Skoda Kushaq 1.0 AT
Feels good inside out. Superb engine and gearbox. Good seats. Spacious. Excellent suspension and steering. Decently priced and well equipped mid model. Long term reliability and cost cutting concerns. May not age well (burnt my fingers with City). Perhaps too fancy for a beater car. Intrudes into Jeep's usage case. Had I not had Compass, this would have been a top contender. Poor resale expected. Potential future CNG conversion will be very tricky. Shortlisted

Maruti Celerio AMT - wild card entry
Looks and feels surprisingly decent. Heartech platform brings it mechanically at par with Baleno. Low running and ownership costs, good resale assured. Front seat comfort second only to Punch. Genuinely spacious rear bench, but with stupid fixed headrests - wife and mum found it comfortable enough and I can also make it work over short distances. Significantly cheaper to buy and will serve the purpose. Newly launched model. Promise of much improved AMT.
Typical Maruti cons of poor safety, lousy steering and zero street cred. Test drive not available as yet. Shortlisted, pending TD

Cars not considered:
AMT equipped Hyundais - 1.0 and 1.2. They are just like basic Marutis in better clothes with much higher running costs

Hyundai Venue: Sonet looks and feels better

Hyundai i20: Hate the looks, feels too fancy and fragile. Similarly priced Sonet is more suited.

Nissan Magnite: Prefer the Kiger's looks over it.

Tata Tiago: Too basic.

Hyundai Creta/Kia Seltos: Already shortlisted Sonet, no particular need for these cars.

Honda City CVT: Experience with my current car was nothing great. New City is more of the same.

MG Astor: Too new and unproven. Too many fancy electronics. Concerns over long term running and maintenance costs.

Mahindra XUV300: AMT. If I absolutely have to go down this road, I'd rather take the cheaper and brand new Punch.


Inputs and suggestions for this conundrum are welcome from the community. I am in no particular hurry to buy the car today, but want to be done with it in the next 6 to 8 months.

[comfortablynumb]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Inputs and suggestions for this conundrum are welcome from the community. I am in no particular hurry to buy the car today, but want to be done with it in the next 6 to 8 months.

Checkout the Maruti Suzuki XL6, you might be pleasantly surprised. Alpha AT will comfortably fit under 15L.

[shancz]

The only option I could add is to wait for the Brezza update, hopefully they've got rid of the ancient transmission this time, going by the paddle shifters in the spy shots. I would expect a new year/Jan launch but just a guess.

A relative recently replaced their Xing with the Brezza(MT) for the same use case. I was surprised but it works well as a beater car with the occasional highway usage.

[Dwaipayan26]

Why not look at a Polo GT TSI?
It is small. Will be easy for everyone in the city.
Comes with a torque converter, which replaces the infamous DQ200 DSG. So should be reliable.
Has a simple and clean dashboard. Your 2 year old would miss the buttons but you can enjoy your drive.
Rear is not very spacious, but how about a look and a TD?
Also, with VW planning to pull the plug on the Polo, you could get one at a pretty decent discount.

At the end you have a compact automatic fun city car with a timeless exterior and interior design and is quite some fun for whoever is behind the wheel.

Cheers,
D

[sam264_2000]

Since you have shortlisted Maruti Celerio AMT, may I suggest Ignis AMT? We overlooked this one when we got the Celerio ZXI (O) AMT in 2017 and I rue this sometimes. My wife loves her Celerio since it's her first car and I like it too but the 4 pot 1.1 K-series on Ignis is much better than the 3 pot 999cc Celerio. Also, it's compact, efficient and easy on maintenance. With the EV ecosystem building up in the coming years, I won't suggest spending 15L now given you already have much capable cars in your garage. Ignis AMT should definitely cost you less than 10L and the money you save from your budget can take care of fuel expenses for the next 5-7 years.

[AjinkyaP]

Since you are considering Punch and Celerio AMT , I would suggest Ignis Alpha AMT , perfect beater car in less than 8.5Lakh OTR.

Practical.
Quirky Looks.(Looks sexy in Nexa Blue shade)
High GC than most hatchbacks.
Super compact yet spacious for 4 adults.
Better engine than Punch and Celerio AMT.
fuss free ownership.
Unbeatable fuel efficiency.

[akash_v12]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

It is car buying season in the family again! As many of you know, my Honda City is ageing and I am looking for a replacement. The car has done 165000km and will complete 8 years in Feb 2022.

EVs don't make sense in the current market, but they might make sense within a few years. I think since this is a beater car to replace your City and will rarely see the highways on long-trips, it makes more sense to get a hatchback. However, from my very recent personal experience with AMTs, they don't deserve to be in ₹15L cars. A relative of mine has a Kwid AMT. Moving from the DSG to drive that thing was making my dad cry. The time between moving from one gear into another is very, very prominent. Hence, I'd recommend not getting an AMT. The only non-AMT hatches on sale included the Ford Figo, which leaves the Polo as the only one IIRC.

I know a bad dealership experience can put a sour taste of the brand as a whole in a customer's mouth, but I'll seriously request you to consider the Kiger CVT (even if it's not in top-spec form). I have not seen a more VFM product in a long-long time. If Renault doesn't cut it, you could check out the Magnite as well.

If you're still not convinced, get the Polo with the 1.0L+TC combination. It'll make you enjoy driving even more. Don't go for the GT since it's only a sticker job on the Polo now.

[car_guy1998]

I'd suggest you to go for Sonet GTX+ DCT as it has 6 airbags as well as extra safety like ESP, TC, VSM. But, one should be mentally prepared to buy a car with DCT transmission as the DCT transmission is not as reliable as TC or CVT.

My second choice would be Kiger Turbo CVT as you'll get the top-end RXZ CVT version within 11.5L and has good performance too.

And, may I suggest you the Polo GT TSI? It might be old but still fun to drive despite having TC gearbox and it'll be easier for your wife to drive in the city traffic. But, the only grouse with Polo is less rear seat space.

Even we might be in similar situation when we replace our pre-owned 2014 City Diesel next year, which has run 1,23,000 Kms as of today, with a Petrol AT car within 12-16L of budget as the running might get reduced after I move out of country (mom will be using the car when I move out of country) or an EV since we are getting the solar installed at our newly constructed house soon.

And, since you have the solar panel installed at your house, why not get an EV?

[asit.kulkarni93]

Given the annual usage, the Amaze Diesel CVT should be perfect. If you are still keen on Petrols then get the outgoing Scross AT and get it CNG'ed if required.

[voldemort]

How about the Skoda Slavia?

I don't know how reliable it will be, but since the Kushaq is in your shortlist, I think the Slavia might be worth considering.

We too are in a somewhat similar boat. We too have a diesel City for, well, city drives, and another luxo barge for the highway.

City is starting to get long in the tooth, but it's very efficient, relatively cheap to maintain, low running costs, and one of the most reliable cars we have ever owned. Yes the ride quality isn't its strength, the engine is noisy, and interior material quality leaves a lot to be desired, but I can't think of any car to replace it without making too much compromises. New diesel cars in the lower segments tend to have BS6 issues (not to mention the fact that diesels are a dying breed), and no petrol car can match the low running cost of a frugal diesel.

However, when we do sell it, I'll seriously consider the Slavia, provided it's reasonably reliable as per other bhpians' reviews.

[Bibendum90949]

Renault Triber AMT isn't found in your list. It can be a really good city car despite it having 3 rows. It's not as big as it appears. Recently, I watched a lady parking it effortlessly in a tight spot that can typically be a Wagon R, i10 sort of space. If you've short listed Celerio AMT, Triber is worth looking at too. It's a relatively safer car with a 4 star rating. It's compact enough, spacious and has higher ground clearance.

Nissan Kicks CVT can be a wild card entry too, but resale value isn't guaranteed. It's a mechanically sound car, doesn't have as much electronics to your liking.

[harry10]

Shreyans if you are looking at Sonet DCT than why not HTX D-AT variant. It's just 50k more than DCT. More reliable, more fuel efficient, fun to drive. I am using one so i can highly recommend it. Like you I sold out our diesel City in July and finalized Sonet and its been a very good decision so far. Do take a TD for the same. I don't recommend AMT to anyone unless there are budget constraints. You have a good enough budget for a proper automatic so dont compromise on this front no matter which segment you finalize.

Polo tsi is a good option but you won't be happy with the lack of space especially coming from Honda City.

For a beater car nothing beats a Tata car. I use Tiago diesel and in a city like Faridabad it's a perfect beater car and still holds its own. Try Nexon AMT and see how it feels. My cousin has a petrol one and it's good enough plus it's safe considering the crash tests.

[ike]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

I am personally open to aftermarket CNG conversions if needed, if and when allowed for BS6 cars.

Wouldn't the CNG conversion take up most of the boot? A beater without adequate boot space is a little bit of a compromise when it comes to practicality I feel.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

Checkout the Maruti Suzuki XL6, you might be pleasantly surprised. Alpha AT will comfortably fit under 15L.

Need a small car. No need of another minivan, already have Hexa.

Originally Posted by shancz

The only option I could add is to wait for the Brezza update, hopefully they've got rid of the ancient transmission this time, going by the paddle shifters in the spy shots. I would expect a new year/Jan launch but just a guess.

An updated Brezza, if they can launch in the next few months, will certainly be worth checking out. They really need to spruce up the cabin and provide a modern automatic.

Originally Posted by Dwaipayan26

Why not look at a Polo GT TSI?

Nice suggestion.

From what I am given to understand, Polo GT is no longer available. It’s a great car to drive. I took one from Zoomcar a few weeks back and loved it.

Originally Posted by sam264_2000

Since you have shortlisted Maruti Celerio AMT, may I suggest Ignis AMT?

Originally Posted by AjinkyaP

Since you are considering Punch and Celerio AMT , I would suggest Ignis Alpha AMT , perfect beater car in less than 8.5Lakh OTR.

As someone used to proper automatics, AMT is kind of a deal breaker. Punch is on the shortlist only because it aces every other criteria. Celerio is on the short list because many reviews say the AMT is much improved, but since there is no TD available, I can’t confirm. If it is anywhere near as bad a Punch AMT, the car is dropped.

As for Ignis, my experience with the AMT when the car was launched was nothing great. It’s a 4 year old car already. No harm checking it out again, certainly. But if the drive is similar to Punch, Punch will get preference. It is brand new, safer and has much better ride quality. And a steering which self centers. Maruti’s lousy steering is another potential deal breaker for people used to better.

Originally Posted by akash_v12

EVs don't make sense in the current market, but they might make sense within a few years.

I know a bad dealership experience can put a sour taste of the brand as a whole in a customer's mouth, but I'll seriously request you to consider the Kiger CVT (

As much as I want to jump on the EV train, I do realise that both EV options in the market today will not work for me. Maybe next time.

I really want to drive the Kiger turbo CVT. This car is potentially THE car for me. Unfortunately, there is only one dealer in town and they seem to have zero interest in making a sale.

TDing the Magnite is only half a solution. It is my understanding that the suspension tune on both cars is different and this is something that matters to me. A bouncy rear will be a deal breaker. My mum will be signing off on this aspect of the car.

Originally Posted by car_guy1998

I'd suggest you to go for Sonet GTX+ DCT as it has 6 airbags as well as extra safety like ESP, TC, VSM. But, one should be mentally prepared to buy a car with DCT transmission as the DCT transmission is not as reliable as TC or CVT.

GTX+ costs 15L, and Škoda Kushaq is a more attractive proposition at that price. ESP and traction control, while great to have, are not exactly critical in my case where the car is a city use beater and will hardly ever get to cross 80kmph in its life.

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

Given the annual usage, the Amaze Diesel CVT should be perfect. If you are still keen on Petrols then get the outgoing Scross AT and get it CNG'ed if required.

Amaze diesel CVT costs 13.5L on road. 13.5L for that dabba. What is Honda smoking? City’s well kitted automatic base model costs 14.

Originally Posted by voldemort

How about the Skoda Slavia?

Kushaq will work better in my case. The smaller and higher riding one. The concern with Kishaq is how it will age. It has been ‘Indianised’, and that word haunts me. No test drive can unearth internal cost cutting, that only becomes evident after 2-3 years of use. I am super wary of this, having burnt my fingers with the City. Kushaq, as impressive as it is, is not proven enough to be a family beater car as of today.

Originally Posted by Bibendum90949

Renault Triber AMT isn't found in your list. It can be a really good city car despite it having 3 rows.

Nissan Kicks CVT can be a wild card entry too, but resale value isn't guaranteed.

I am avoiding AMTs and am being forced to short list them only if the car ticks all other boxes AND if no other automatic option is available. Triber is not considered. Too basic and utilitarian, no need of 3 rows. My budget allows better options.

Kicks is a dead car and is not an option.

Originally Posted by harry10

Shreyans if you are looking at Sonet DCT than why not HTX D-AT variant.

For a beater car nothing beats a Tata car. I use Tiago diesel and in a city like Faridabad it's a perfect beater car and still holds its own. Try Nexon AMT and see how it feels. My cousin has a petrol one and it's good enough plus it's safe considering the crash tests.

Already have 2 diesels, man. Love the refinement of petrol. Sonet diesel AT, I was told is touching 15L. That doesn’t really make sense considering city mileage is 13-14kmpl, only a little better than the DCT. Highway economy is a moot point for me. Will recheck if it is available for 13. Still, DPF concerns will remain for the 95% urban usage case. How has your experience been in this regard?

The seats of the Nexon did not work for us, front or back. Else, I would have got home a Nexon EV. Seat contouring and comfort is a critical point for us as it is one of our main gripes with City. All of us are prone to getting neck pain.

Originally Posted by ike

Wouldn't the CNG conversion take up most of the boot? A beater without adequate boot space is a little bit of a compromise when it comes to practicality I feel.

Boot space is a moot point for me as the car will almost always be used in city conditions. Regardless, there is always some space left for putting in a few shopping bags even after the conversion.

[Sheel]

Hi Shreyash!

I too am looking forward to change the '18 Swift ZXi+ to something more safe. While Swift has maybe seen 3 or 4 highway drives yet (barring the 20 kms of highway driving to my farm) the car's build & overall finesse leaves a lot to be desired. It still is fulfilling my usage to a T, but, I am scared to drive it on good roads at speeds, feels fidgety, is too fragile and picks up nicks / dents at smallest touch. I don't have the heart to get another Maruti, unless its the Suzuki Grand Vitara 4WD.

I really loved the Astor's looks, but there is no dealership yet and the top end is expensive. I am thinking to get the Sonet as of now. We checked out the Kushaq and it did not feel we were inside a Skoda, the rear seat is spacious though, unlike Skoda and maybe one of the Indianised aspect.

I need to get an AT, don't have any particular preference for fuel type, but if it will be diesel, it might be used more for few airport runs when there is single passenger occupancy (350 kms both ways).