[mpp1]

Wait out a few months till the 6 airbags law goes in to effect. Magnite and Punch might do the trick

[colcol]

I would agree on keeping the Ertiga and getting just one new car. Splitting 15L on two hatchbacks will force you to make too many compromises, especially after having had the Ertiga as your daily driver.

Assuming you have had a good experience with Maruti's service, I would suggest looking at the S-Cross. It is much better built than other cars in the Maruti Suzuki stable and has a very competent and well-priced automatic transmission option. You might even be able to snag a good discount, given that it is being discontinued ( at least temporarily).

[FiatDiesel]

SUV’s offer way better plush ride on Indian roads then hatchbacks. It will be very comfortable for your mother. Ertiga though 8-9 year old can be spruced up by spending 2% of 15 lacs, I assume no issues with its engine. Also you save on insurance on old car.

In SUV’s, I would advice diesel Sonet as your Mother’s daily round trip is 60 Kms. It will save you ~ Rs 200 per trip on estimating the fuel cost difference and mileage difference between diesel and petrol conservatively. In a month assuming 20 working days will save you ~ Rs 4000+ and accordingly you can calculate yearly savings.

If you plan petrol SUV, go for Maruti Brezza facelift about to be launched. Primary reason being frugal Maruti engine’s giving good mileage. And you might get some loyalty bonus as well from Maruti.

You can also consider Nexon EV, which further reduces the running cost but can’t say about niggles.

Happy hunting!!

[CR07]

As a owner of two compact SUVs, I will suggest you to join the bandwagon. Your ertiga is "JUST" (in maruti years=5) 9 years old. Keep it for your dad since he travels a shorter distance and get a CSUV for your mom.

Alternatively you can get two pre owned csuvs for little over 15 lakhs.

[dicor]

2 vehicles means:

• 2 Mediocre vehicles to live with
• 2X parkings
• 2X Cleaning
• 2X Service
• 2X Insurance dates to remember

Would you be able to manage the above?

If I were in your place, I would have evaluated 2 options

Option 1
Keep Ertiga, sell my flat and move to a closer place to mom's office or a metro station. 60KMs per day is insane man.

Option 2

• Trade off Ertiga with a good automatic CSUV for mom.
• Buy a USED stylish automatic car for dad

I don't know what position your mom and dad hold and how important car is in their professional life, but here are segment wise things you can pick-up

1. Around 10 - 13 lakhs - Nissan Magnite CVT, TATA Punch, Renault Kiger, TATA Nexon
2. Around 13 - 15 Lakhs - Brezza, Sonet, Venue, Nexon EV

Used car for Dad, Honda Jazz, WR-V, Ignis, Altroz, VW Polo, i20 Active, Thar?

[dust-n-bones]

Here's an off-beat one.
Not sure how fit your dad is, but 6kms one way seems doable with a cycle. Splurge on your mom, and help your dad hop on the health bandwagon. Ok, maybe spend a bit for his cycle as well.

He of course retains the Ertiga for those cheat days.

[micky]

I would have spruced up the Ertiga with new touch screen, seat covers and maybe a new shade of paint. All this would give a new life to ertiga and should cost around 1-2 lakhs.

The balance amount of money can be used to buy Tigor /Nexon EV. Would be convenient for your mom and cost effective too.

[PrasunBannerjee]

60 kms is quite a distance. At times that's not even my monthly commute. She'd need something which will be safe, good/convenient to drive, and comfortable, as there will be consistent time spent in the cabin.

Here's what I'd suggest:

• Get one premium hatchback for now with good safety rating which can be convenient to drive as well. (Altroz/Jazz). Can also go the pre-owned route if there are good options around.
  
• Keep the remaining balance saved, or even invest it somewhere.
  
• Retain the Ertiga for 1-3 more years, accumulate some more funds in the second car pool.
  
• Sell the Ertiga circa 2024/25 and get a newer car as per the then budgets and markets as well as requirements.

[Durango Dude]

15 L isn't a lot of money these days, an i20N may set you back by almost 14L. I suggest you get a Honda City CVT for your mom and let your dad retain the Ertiga. This I say after owning one for 5 years. I've voted for the 1st option, but feel a Honda City in the CVT form is a blissful drive in the urban environment as well as the highway. It's fuel efficient, spacious, fairly feature rich and very comfortable car to pilot.

[Yash98]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! Really appreciate the valuable insights TBHP always provides.

An update from my side:

We tried the following cars:

1. Kia Sonet: Put in a request on the website and received a call from the dealer the next day. They brought the car home for a test drive. Drove the GT Line Petrol and was mighty impressed by the fit and finish of the interior and the drivability of the engine. This remains a top contender. Kudos to the dealer here too for continuously following up and also providing stock updates. Is currently a top contender.

2. Grand i10 Nios: This was a wildcard entry that I chanced upon while reading up about the Swift. Thought of checking out the car since it appeared to be a VFM package. Dealer was courteous however seemed reluctant to offer a home test drive. Checked out the car at the dealership eventually and had a good experience. Engine drivability, features and space were great. Mom also loved the car for its compact size. But the 2 star safety rating coupled with it not really feeling like an upgrade is what is holding us back. This remains a top contender though.

3. Honda City: Also received a home test drive of the ZX MT Petrol. What an amazing car. Has improved leaps and bounds in terms of the interior from the previous generation, but is still very fun to drive. However, dad is kinda skeptical due to the reduced popularity of sedans and his belief that it looks VERY similar to the City ZX we previously owned.

4. Maruti Baleno: While I am not a Maruti fanboy, I am mighty impressed by their customer service despite having the largest volumes. Put in a request to the dealer and received a callback in one hour. Car was at home for a test drive within 2-3 hrs from the initial request. Is an impressive package, but 10L+ for a hatchback and the not so great safety reviews of the old model keep us worried.

So here we are, even more confused than before. Would appreciate guidance of fellow BHPians to move forward from here.

A note here to Tata and Skoda: Your dealers seriously need to step up on their game. Parents were both very keen on considering the Nexon EV. Despite multiple follow ups and promises by the dealer for a home test drive so we can check the fit in our parking space and the possibility of installing an EV charger, the car was never made available and neither did anyone follow up about the request. Eventually we dropped the plan since parents were unsure about the post-sale ASC experience and potential niggles.

Skoda Slavia was another top choice but the local dealer seemed disinterested in making the sale, so this remains on the backburner at the moment.

[jinojohnt]

Two cents from a person who bought 2 small cars in 3 years thinking that it is the most practical option-
1. You cannot practically live with 2 small cars, you will need a bigger car even for short highway runs.
2. Living with 2 mid-size/bigger cars is also a pain - A small car will be a blessing for short runs (Especially true for short runs where taking the car out of the garage/parking on the road takes more time than the actual drive.)
3. Best combination would be a hatch and a bigger car.
4. Back seat of a (budget) CSUV can never match the ride comfort of the middle row of a seven seater (except may be the old gen Duster)
5. If you plan to keep each car for 12 years, better to space the purchases at 6 years apart (that way you will always have at least one fairly new car)

PS: Hope you have also evaluated the possibility of daily Uber for your less travelling parent - this might make more sense financially.

[anirbanjoy]

Originally Posted by Yash98

Criteria:
-Comfortable front seats (the car will mostly have 1 or 2 occupants 90% of the time)
-Good fit and finish of interiors (our 2013 Ertiga has aged in typical Maruti fashion)
-Preferably a peppy yet frugal petrol engine (Thanks to 110+ rupee fuel prices in Mumbai)
-Android Auto, Reverse Camera, 2 or more airbags, ABS+EBD as mandatory features
-Minimal Niggles (since my parents do not have the time to keep visiting the showroom during the week)
-Mom's car will preferably be an automatic
Looking forward to hearing from you guys!

I would suggest S-Presso Automatic since as per your requirement, the car will have only 1-2 occupants.

• S-Presso is good car for four six-footers.
• It has peppy yet frugal engine. Unique combination I must say.
• Except camera everything else is available in VXI+AGS. Maruti will fit the camera for an additional 5000 INR.

Now that is 6L OTR leaving you with 9L. Couple that with the 3L exchange value of the 9-year-old Ertiga, you suddenly have 12L for your CSUV.

VXI AT of new Breeza will smoothly fit in under 12L. However given that Maruti Suzuki Brezza got 4,400 bookings within 24 hours, you may need to face 2 months waiting period. Check here:
https://www.financialexpress.com/aut...ne-30/2568867/