[anjan_c2007]

If it fits your needs and suits your budget, by all means go for it. However please know that it's amongst the cheapest of all cars available today, very popular, reliable, nimble and agile. The Alto can be repaired anywhere at reasonable rates just like the Ambassadors, Premiers and Jeeps of the olden days. Spares are plentifully available as on date throughout the country and shall be available for the next 10-15 plus years at least. The Maruti 800/Omni carburettor, distributor and fuel pump spares of the older versions are getting scarce. The MPFI Maruti 800/Omni spares are still available plentifully.

But a word of caution : Its safety rating by the NCAP is dismal and the Alto can be a very unsafe car. Apart from the safety rating, you will find it as the tiniest four wheeler on the roads apart from the leftover Nanos and Maruti 800's. Hence, the Alto needs to be driven very carefully for safety reasons.

[COMMUTER]

I started my car search with focussing on the 2.00L Nano XE in mind but ended up buying the 6.00L Figo in 2016 after two years of wait. I have put in 1.48L Km flawlessly till now .Try putting off the purchase to the point when you can comfortably buy the Tiago.

The EMI load for the extra 1.3L to be spent for the Tiago XE over the 4.2L for the Alto will be bearable and will get offset by the longevity of ownership. Putting off buying the next car by over 5 years will be highly profitable.

[hybridpetrol]

Alto 800's strengths are small dimensions to be able to navigate easily within narrow city streets. In the highways, it goes well up to 80 kmph, but after that it starts to get shaky. Best not to drive it in 3 digit speeds.
You probably would not be asking this question if you are worried about the perceived safety of this car - I understand all you need is a new car within your budget (same as me 8 years back).

As a owner of Alto 800, I assure you that after a few years (may be months) you would feel you could have spent some extra money and bought a better car, that really fulfills highway needs. If your primary use case for this car is highways, I would suggest you to save money and buy a better car - and drop the idea to buy Alto 800.

Reasons:
a) You will find boot space to be very less - and not fulfilling longer trip needs
b) The rear seat is totally uncomfortable for adults for long trips. Seating space is less, and the A/C does not properly reach the rear seat.
c) The vehicle cannot accelerate enough to do overtaking in highways, due to low power & torque figures

Real world mileage of Alto 800 - In highways, normally I get above 20. 22 kmpl is usual with 80 kmph speeds. Within city I get around 15 kmph when driven in peak traffic.

About buying a car for learning - you can learn to drive any time, if you have a car. So unless you really have a need for the car immediately, don't buy a car just to learn it. Your needs will outgrow this basic car sooner than you expect. Instead get a 4m SUV or even a B1 / B2 segment hatchback which will serve multiple purposes and you don't need to immediately replace the car.

[McLaren Rulez]

A used Tiago should fit your budget. Makes way more sense than a new Alto.

Option 2 is to get a significantly older (say, pre-2018) Alto/Wagon R/Celerio, use it till you're confident in your driving and then upgrade. Older cars will have generally bottomed out on the depreciation curve so you will be able to sell them for roughly the same price as you buy them for.

Since you say your knowledge of cars is limited, take someone more experienced with you for the pre-purchase inspection, if buying used.

[PrasunBannerjee]

If you can stretch till a mid variant of tiago, then go for it, else go for the alto. tiago is a much more mature and well built car. but base variant will forever keep you wanting for more, trust me.

Good thing with Alto is fill it shut it forget it maintenance and peace of mind that comes with it. Just drive safe and things will be good to go. You'll also learn 'living with a car' which is crucial and many new experiences that come with it which simply arent possible even if you borrow a car or have any car in family. Also, if you ever plan to sell it, you yourself can see the resale prices which are making things tough for you to buy an Alto pre-owned.


Coming to the spares availability, lets say this car ends production today and isnt continued in any form whatsoever, its a maruti, so you'll get maruti genuine parts as well as non maruti branded parts for a good price across the country in abundance. I own a 2012 Beat and despite chevy shutting shops in 2018, I still am getting genuine parts in 2023. Though slightly higher latency because remember, chevy as entire company has stopped here, which won't be the case with Maruti.

[ganeshk4]

Go for it. Alto 800 is most sold car in india. I was able to get spare parts for my zen (03) which is discontinued in 2006. You should be just fine.

[khanmaj]

Originally Posted by royjitvish

Thank you all for your inputs. I don't have that much cash lying around for buying 2nd hand cars like jazz, amaze etc.

I will pay 80 to 90000 as down payment with maximum 4 lakhs loan. Thus Alto 800.

Here is what I would say.

1 - Go for a new car for the peace of mind and company warranty. Its very exhausting task to search and get a good pre-owned car.
2 - Try to get Tiago XT if your budget permits.
3 - Here is my choice based on your query.

Tiago > Alto K10 > Alto 800

Now, if you are considering new Alto 2022 MFD, then do extensive PDI before finalizing else go for a 2023 MFD.

PS : There is no harm in taking an Alto or any entry level car on highways however, one should be aware of the limitations of the car and his driving skills.
I drive my Tiago on YE and ALE four or five times a year heck even done close to 20K driving on highways in it and never faced any issues.

[royjitvish]

Everyone is suggesting Tiago. I also researched and thought of buying Tiago only keeping the safety ratings in mind. As much as i would Love to, i am on a tight budget and Tiago is way over my budget. Even the Alto k10 is over my budget. Besides i have seen lots mileage issues of Tiago.

I am not into Rash driving Any more. I m 34yrs old. And i am passed my prime with multiple accidents on bikes. Idrive relatively slower now thani was 5 years ago.

However, since no cars in my budget provide better safety features, i decided to go for the cheapest one available.

i am willing to go for k10 only thinking about the price difference between k10 and 800. Is it better to go for k10 by paying extra rs 60000 or should I stick to Alto 800? Which one would be better VFM?

I would have happily bought the 800 if the k10 was not available at this price range.

Thanks.


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[KickassPenguin]

After doing multiple Raipur - Hyderabad trips in the last 2 years (800 kms in 15 hrs), I can firmly attest to the durability of the car and to concept of "if a thing can be done, that doesn't means that it should be done."

The alto is great zippy, nimble and frugal vehicle which is very reliable but it's very unsafe, also one highway runs, one will definitely feel pity for its audibly overworking engine if it's pushed beyond 70-75 with the AC on.

However with an excellent highway milage of around 22-25 kmpl, chilling AC and overall reliability and low cost of ownership, it's a good VFM and I do personally like it's overall character and rawness over the over-smoothened Hyundais.

As you have already mentioned your budget constraints, I will not convince you buy a Tiago outright but I would suggest you to wait for some more time to accumulate some more moolah to be in a financially comfortable position and then get a safer car, if you aren't stuck in complex personal situation.

What I believe is that Tata's budget cars are reliable enough, it's their Harrier-Gravitas duo which is riddled with seemingly unsolvable issues.

In the end, I would say, Alto 800/K10 is a good vehicle and can serve your needs effortlessly but as a highway runner, there are safer options available.
As the famous tyre advertisement says, the road is filled with fools and you need to save them to save yourself.

[MahindraThor]

Originally Posted by royjitvish

Hello to all. My knowledge about cars is limited also I have recently learners to drive from a driving school. As I am a newbie, I want to buy Alto 800 LXI which falls in my budget. Second hand Alto is costly where i live hence thinking about going for a new one. But recent news suggest that Alto 800 is going to be discontinued after March 2023.
There fore Should i buy a new Alto 800 now or go for a second hand one?
also will it be difficult to get spare parts after it is discontinued?
Of not, which car should i go for? My driving will be primarily on Highways.
Can any one owning Alto 800 provide the real world mileage and maintenance cost of Alto 800 please.

Thankyou for your suggestions.

I will suggest you to go with a segment higher as most of your driving is on highways so safety is the prime concern. Tiago is an option to invest (if you can strech the budget) , else go with a preowned car in 4 to 5 lac bracket.

[dolphinjazz]

Originally Posted by rainmaster

Since you will be driving your car mostly on highways, I would strongly recommend considering one or two segments higher cars in preowned market. Between 4-5 lakhs, you will be able to get Jazz/Amaze, Liva, Figo or I20.

100% agree to this point. So if you buy a pre-owned car from segment above, you will get better safety for highways, better space, better feel and comfort.

My suggestion would be to go for such a pre-owned car and keep it for a year or two, be comfortable behind the wheel. Till then you don't need to worry about minor scratches even if you get some, which may not be the case for a new car. After a year its your call to keep the car and rejuvenate it (you can refer to GTO's threads on pre-owned cars) or to go for a new one.

Whatever you choose, my best wishes.

[ChandraSekarMN]

Originally Posted by royjitvish

I am not into Rash driving Any more. I m 34yrs old. And i am passed my prime with multiple accidents on bikes. Idrive relatively slower now thani was 5 years ago.

[/b]

Trust me, this statement would be laughed at, by none other than yourself after few years. Most of us in the respectable forum are no more boys (assuming most of the members are 30+) by age. But we all love driving / riding to whatever maximum age possible (can only be limited by health / other specific reasons). So don't consider that you are old enough to become a driver with Paranoia. We should just ensure that we are careful, responsible, considerate and conservative while driving. These need not necessarily translate to Slow Driving. So don't get to the notion of SLOW is CAREFUL.

Just my 2 cents. Experts may agree / disagree / elaborate / argue though.

And I too support the point already mentioned above by few others - your requirements may outgrow Alto more earlier than you think.

[Shobhitsaxena]

Please go for a Tiago. It's much safer and I strongly recommend that if budget is an issue, please wait and buy a safer car. It is much more needed for a newbie rider who would mostly be riding highways.

Remember, you don't need to do a mistake on Indian roads to be in a bad situation. A safe car is to protect you from other's mistakes.

[Piyush Kanthak]

I do understand the budget constraints,but investing in a strong chassis and good safety rating vehicle is a wise choice. Please wait it out for a few years and then get a Tiago, and please go for the second base model and don't risk any aftermarket stuff.

A well build, safe vehicle will increase the chances of survival in an accident. It's not just you driving on the roads,there are others too.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by royjitvish

Everyone is suggesting Tiago. I also researched and thought of buying Tiago only keeping the safety ratings in mind. As much as i would Love to, i am on a tight budget and Tiago is way over my budget. Even the Alto k10 is over my budget. Besides i have seen lots mileage issues of Tiago.

You should definitely go with the K10 or even the 800 if you'd rather save the money and it suits you well enough, since at the end of the day their motors are strong and reliable and the gear ratios and power delivery are always well matched regardless of which you go for. The Tiago is certainly a good chassis but Tata's poor quality control can occasionally cause troubles to pop up that you would not otherwise expect in a Maruti even after 15 years. Also the petrol mill is nowhere near as competent as the Suzuki's. A Japanese motor just feels more robust, more durable and least bothered how you drive it even if it is being red-lined all day. Going for a car from last year's stock is perfectly acceptable but make sure it is actually last year's stock and not older than they claim, ensure that it is a good example and insist that the battery be replaced with a new one and that brake discs and pads get replaced if there is any issue to be found with them.