[NerdyMillennial]

Hello everyone!

We are looking to buy a beater car for city use. Preferably hatchback due to Pune traffic and ease of parking when out and about. The said car will be driven by the driver 80% of the time if not more. Yet, non AMT automatics will be preferred over MT but there isn’t much of an option and we are alright with an MT.

The need for this has come after we sold our trusty 2007 Toyota Corolla 1.8 MT which had done ~137000kms a couple of days ago. The Corolla has been our beater ever since we bought the 2017 Honda City ZX to replace our 2008 SX4.

The City which was my daily has now become the family and office beater since the only other car in the garage is our recently acquired pre-owned 2018 G30 530d which I don’t like to take everywhere I need to go due to parking, bad roads and now rain when the City is out on its new beater duties. The bimmer though an excellent daily driver, I just don’t want to take it absolutely everywhere around the city all the time, even if I am able to miraculously find a parking spot every time that it fits in. It’s not fun then, not to mention, the car will be worn out at an alarming rate.

Cars being considered:

- Hyundai i10 NIOS: Test drove the petrol NA engines with AMT and MT. Though people say the Hyundai AMT is the smoothest AMT in the segment, I didn’t like it one bit. This AMT is a massive downgrade from the AT in the previous Grand i10. Will prefer the MT if we go for this car. Gripes are Hyundai quality control issues that only seem to be increasing day by day and also the crash safety rating of the car.

- Tata Altroz: This seemed to be a no brainer especially in its DCA avatar due to its safety rating of 5 stars and our preference of a proper automatic, even though this is means paying a couple lakhs more for it over the i10. But then I took a test drive of the petrol DCA variant (after being made to wait for 40 mins despite having taken an appointment before hand) and the moment I pressed the engine start button, the 3 cylinder engine vibrated the car to life. I actually checked the ODO to see how high the milage of the car was which stood at 3390kms and had to ask the service rep if anything is wrong with the test drive vehicle because of the vibrations (of almost diesel engine magnitude) to which he said this is normal. Note that I had driven the i10 NIOS less than 24 hours before this, so maybe that influenced my perception of the Tata 3 cylinder but Hyundai engine felt exponentially superior when it came to noise and vibrations. Build quality though rougher than the i10 felt solid. However, the car is nowhere as responsive and peppy as the petrol NA of the i10 once you are beyond crawling speeds. Dropped the DCA due to the above observations especially when considering the price premium over rivals considered for our use case. I want to test drive the petrol turbo manual though before we drop the Altroz but dont expect it to be any smoother than the NA.

- Baleno / Glanza: Seems good on paper, has all bells and whistles + 6 airbags on the top end variant which is priced close to Altroz. Gripe is “build quality” and crash safety offered by the vehicle but then again we are also considering the i10 nios so. Yet to take a test drive of the same. It will be of the MT only.

- Honda Jazz: I have driven a friends 2019 CVT variant and well, its a small Honda City! The current model will most likely be discontinued by the end of this year. Also price seems to be on the higher side considering all the factors for this car today. We are also open to the used car market but I am not so keen on getting another Honda CVT (they are fantastic, just that we already have one and might be fun to drive a different transmission on the rare occasion when I will drive the car, silly I know).

Everything said and done, I am genuinely confused between the i10 NIOS, Altroz and Baleno / Glanza in no particular order! However, given the car will be used in the city only, I don’t mind having a car that is not 5 stars and with that in mind, altroz quickly looses it’s charm for our use case. What then remains is the i10 NIOS or the Baleno and Jazz.

[youknowitbetter]

Since it will be a beater car, are you fixated on buying a new one? You should consider an old Polo (though DSG is quite infamous), but the cars can really last long and will be fun to drive whenever you/your family members drive it instead of your driver.. Another idea is to go for S-cross (which is most likely to be discontinued and therefore can lead to an excellent value for money in second hand market if you can wait for couple of months) as it will be super easy to maintain and unlike other Maruti cars, the car is on a safer side.

[Gypsian]

Honda Jazz, as you rightly mentioned it’s a small Honda City. Honda engines are hard to beat when it comes to beater type. Those N/A high revving engines which are pocket rockets too, can certainly last for more than a decade or a minimum of 200,000 with periodical maintenance. The new turbo petrols though tempting are not as tried and tested as Honda B series engines.

[SanjayW]

Do consider i20 IMT as well, It is a very good car, loaded with features, reasonably fun to drive.
I20 IMT will be better option than i10 nios and Baleno/glanza.

[Benoit]

If the car will be used within the city limits, you can consider the Tigor EV. The running costs and maintenance would be absolutely low. Since you already own two cars for long distance running, going the EV route wouldn't be a big issue. The instant torque is very helpful in the city.

[Shreyfiesta]

If you have a slightly higher budget, you should consider buying an i20 1.2 Kappa IVT. It isn't exactly rev friendly to drive like say a Swift 1.2 Dualjet, but is decent for the beater-car purpose of yours. The IVT automatic transmission is butter smooth, not for quick shifts, but for sedate power delivery. Handling is average only for the fact to be told, an usual Hyundai trait. Fuel efficiency on 1.2 is substantially better than the 1.0 Turbo IMT version in city.

[itsmeparvathy9]

You could consider the Nissan Magnite XV Executive Turbo CVT which costs 10.38 lakhs on road in Pune. It's a 4-star safety rated car, smooth CVT and has great ground clearance too, could be a change for you from the sedans you had. The convenience and jerk-free nature of a "real" automatic gearbox will always be better than any "AMTs".

Although the Magnite is built to a cost and Nissan as a brand isn't selling many cars and its future may be uncertain, this is a car you may try out, get a test drive and see how it goes.

Considering your needs, you could also get a used VW Polo, small yet powerful, good for the city.

[VPJ74]

I am exactly in the same boat. We have a Superb B8 and looking to replace an Alto with a city warrior (automatic) hatchback for Mumbai mainly for errands/gym/school-drop. I have TD the i10/i20/Baleno and waiting to TD the Jazz and Altroz.

My main dilemma is whether to pick an entry hatch (i10/Swift) vs. a safer and premium hatchback (i20, Baleno/Glanza or Altroz) all AMT/CVT's.

The i10 Grand NIOS 1.2 AMT was spacious, airy, modern and easy to drive around the crowded streets but sluggish and had a serious lag.

The i20 CVT felt smooth, comfortable to drive but also had a slight lag.

The surprise was the Baleno AMT. The new Baleno has a sweet and smooth AMT. It felt effortless to drive with minimum lag at low speeds. The car felt well built but the dark interiors and black/blue felt horrendous. I will consider the Glanza just for the interiors and Toyota service.

However, the biggest challenge today are the wait times! Baleno has a wait time of 4 months and i10/i20 automatics are around 2-3 months.

[ajayc123]

If one intends to keep a car for a decade or so, should a wait time of 3 or 4 months be a big concern, unless it is an emergency situation?

[Durango Dude]

Originally Posted by NerdyMillennial

- Tata Altroz: This seemed to be a no brainer especially in its DCA avatar due to its safety rating of 5 stars and our preference of a proper automatic, even though this is means paying a couple lakhs more for it over the i10. But then I took a test drive of the petrol DCA variant (after being made to wait for 40 mins despite having taken an appointment before hand) and the moment I pressed the engine start button, the 3 cylinder engine vibrated the car to life. I actually checked the ODO to see how high the milage of the car was which stood at 3390kms and had to ask the service rep if anything is wrong with the test drive vehicle because of the vibrations (of almost diesel engine magnitude) to which he said this is normal. Note that I had driven the i10 NIOS less than 24 hours before this, so maybe that influenced my perception of the Tata 3 cylinder but Hyundai engine felt exponentially superior when it came to noise and vibrations. Build quality though rougher than the i10 felt solid. However, the car is nowhere as responsive and peppy as the petrol NA of the i10 once you are beyond crawling speeds. Dropped the DCA due to the above observations especially when considering the price premium over rivals considered for our use case. I want to test drive the petrol turbo manual though before we drop the Altroz but dont expect it to be any smoother than the NA.

When it was time to replace my 6 year old Hyundai Accent I went to Concorde Motors and did a test drive of the Manza, I was satisfied that my 6 year old Hyundai Accent was in better condition than that test drive Manza, they served some great tea as courtesy, that was the last time I visited a Tata Motors showroom. Except for the 5* GNCAP rating there's really nothing refined the way a Tata product drives or behaves in long term ownership. If I were you, I'd get the Baleno or Glanza manual and be done with it.

[VPJ74]

I want to share my experience with a Toyota Dealer (Madhuban) in Mumbai regarding the Glanza test drive.

I am in the market for a premium Hatchback so considering among others the Baleno and Glanza. The Maruti dealer is a bit far away so I visited the Toyota showroom nearby and looked at the Glanza and Urban Cruiser. I liked the display model of Glanza so asked for a TD.

Today, I received a call from the dealer asking about any questions which I might have. I reminded them about the TD and he calmly said that the TD of Glanza is not possible because they don't have a TD car! I was speechless for a while and then asked again. The dealer replied that there is no Glanza TD car made available from Toyota itself, yet! I was too shocked and muttered something like "how do you expect me to buy a car without TD" and hung up on him.

BTW - I had visited the NEXA showroom a couple of days back and did TD the Baleno AMT. I liked the car but not the interiors, so wanted to take a longer TD from Toyota.

I know that there is a huge waitlist on Baleno so a few thoughts:

1. Toyota feels that car is so good that customers don't need a TD.
2. Toyota thinks that serious buyers will TD the car at Maruti so they don't need a TD car.
3. Toyota's attitude and service towards non-Toyota cars is of poor quality and internally they want to discourage its sales.
4. The dealer is lying or is not keen on selling non-Toyota cars or wants to minimise their expenses in selling Glanza/UC etc etc

Whatever may be the reason it has left a bad taste in my mouth and dented my trust in the massive Toyota brand. I haven't made a decision about my car but with the above experience and Jazz also dropping out - maybe we are left with only MIAL and Hyundai in the hatchback market.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by NerdyMillennial

I am genuinely confused between the i10 NIOS, Altroz and Baleno / Glanza in no particular order

Some points to consider, if you haven't already :
- Since you already drive a low and mature sedan why not look at the beater car with higher GC and easy ingress/egress being top factors, FTD in a way.
- IMO either get a MT or proper AT especially since you would be driving top line ATs simultaneously. The AMTs won't cut it for you, IMHO.

Considering these points and I am considering a 12 lakhs on road(since you were okay with an Altroz DCA), some cars to consider, variants with you :

MT :
- Ignis MT : should be a better beater than the i10, higher seating and easier ingress/egress
- Tiago MT : competent beater car with good safety, might not feel as refined/peppy as the others
- i10 Nios MT : already mentioned in the OP

AT :
- i20 1.2 CVT/1.0 DCT : based on the budget and how you feel post the TD.
- Altroz DCA : already mentioned in the OP

My preference would be to keep MT to smaller cars and look at the larger hatchbacks only due to the need of a proper AT.
The Baleno doesn't make my list. If you're paying Baleno money then why not spend a bit more and get a proper AT.

[NerdyMillennial]

Originally Posted by youknowitbetter

Since it will be a beater car, are you fixated on buying a new one? You should consider an old Polo (though DSG is quite infamous), but the cars can really last long and will be fun to drive whenever you/your family members drive it instead of your driver.. Another idea is to go for S-cross (which is most likely to be discontinued and therefore can lead to an excellent value for money in second hand market if you can wait for couple of months) as it will be super easy to maintain and unlike other Maruti cars, the car is on a safer side.

While I would love to get the GT TSI, everyone else at home found the interiors a bit too cramped, not to mention the DSG woes especially with our use case. S-Cross can be considered!

Originally Posted by Benoit

If the car will be used within the city limits, you can consider the Tigor EV. The running costs and maintenance would be absolutely low. Since you already own two cars for long distance running, going the EV route wouldn't be a big issue. The instant torque is very helpful in the city.

Believe it or not, the first car that came to my mind for this was the Tigor EV. However, inspite of their low running costs, we could not justify the price premium for entry level EVs like the Tigor over their ICE counterparts.

Originally Posted by itsmeparvathy9

You could consider the Nissan Magnite XV Executive Turbo CVT which costs 10.38 lakhs on road in Pune. It's a 4-star safety rated car, smooth CVT and has great ground clearance too, could be a change for you from the sedans you had. The convenience and jerk-free nature of a "real" automatic gearbox will always be better than any "AMTs".

Although the Magnite is built to a cost and Nissan as a brand isn't selling many cars and its future may be uncertain, this is a car you may try out, get a test drive and see how it goes.

I have driven a friend's Magnite and liked the car quite a bit especially for its price point. Nissan's service and uncertain future in india are the reason we dropped this.

Originally Posted by shancz

Some points to consider, if you haven't already :
- Since you already drive a low and mature sedan why not look at the beater car with higher GC and easy ingress/egress being top factors, FTD in a way.
- IMO either get a MT or proper AT especially since you would be driving top line ATs simultaneously. The AMTs won't cut it for you, IMHO.

Considering these points and I am considering a 12 lakhs on road(since you were okay with an Altroz DCA), some cars to consider, variants with you :

MT :
- Ignis MT : should be a better beater than the i10, higher seating and easier ingress/egress
- Tiago MT : competent beater car with good safety, might not feel as refined/peppy as the others
- i10 Nios MT : already mentioned in the OP

AT :
- i20 1.2 CVT/1.0 DCT : based on the budget and how you feel post the TD.
- Altroz DCA : already mentioned in the OP

My preference would be to keep MT to smaller cars and look at the larger hatchbacks only due to the need of a proper AT.
The Baleno doesn't make my list. If you're paying Baleno money then why not spend a bit more and get a proper AT.

You've made some excellent points especially about either getting a MT or spending slightly more and getting a proper AT. Since we do tend to keep our cars for 10+ years easily, it will actually make more sense to go for proper AT now itself.

I'll TD the i20 as well since a lot of you have recommended it.

[VWAllstar]

An offbeat reccomendation - Tata Tigor CNG. Since the car will be used within city limits and chauffer driven, it will be a lucrative option. Pune has several CNG outlets and your driver can have an additional duty of getting it filled as and when needed.

If you wish to stick to the tried and tested brands for reliability and long term ownership then it has to be Jazz. Honda is discontinuing the car next year so may be you can negotiate hard for a great VFM proposition.

[itsmeparvathy9]

Originally Posted by NerdyMillennial

I have driven a friend's Magnite and liked the car quite a bit especially for its price point. Nissan's service and uncertain future in india are the reason we dropped this.
You've made some excellent points especially about either getting a MT or spending slightly more and getting a proper AT. Since we do tend to keep our cars for 10+ years easily, it will actually make more sense to go for proper AT now itself.
I'll TD the i20 as well since a lot of you have recommended it.

The Kiger and the Magnite are some good VFM choices in the segment, but as regards a fun and responsive hatchback goes the i20 DCT would be a great pick but be sure to get the maximum warranty available. You know it's a DCT and the reliability of DCTs have been a bit of a concern. This was the major reason why I changed my booking of the Kia Sonet Petrol DCT to Kia Sonet Diesel AT. However, the same DCT does its job on Verna, i20, Sonet and Venue, so Hyundai-Kia have great faith in this engine-gearbox combination.