[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.

[Asoon]

Go for Alto800, its a no brainer

- This is the most reliable, cost efficient, and offers the best after sales service in the segment
- Kwid does not age well and I have concerns over long term ageing (10+ years)
- Alto commands a high resale value, hence pre owned alto does not makes sense (this is a plus point if you are getting new and have plans to upgrade in future)
- There will no issues with spare parts, Alto | Maruti 800 have widest foot prints in India and 800 owners [discontinued 2014] have not face this problem. [We had an 1988, 800 which was with us till 2012 (no spare part issues)]
- Even if Alto is not there, 800cc segment will exist in India and Suzuki will have something here. There is a lot of part sharing in Maruti Suzuki cars this also reassures part availability

[grshnehete]

Alto in the used car markets are priced very high and there are reasons for that like very low maintenance & good fuel economy.

-Its better to go with a new Alto.
-As its a Maruti, there will no issues of spare parts, even if the production stops, as there are lots of Alto's running on the roads and Maruti provides spares of their older cars.
-Alto is not a highway car, but if you are going to use it on highways, please ensure to drive it around 70-80 kmph
-On highways, Alto can easily give you upwards of 20kmpl mileage.
-I guess, annual maintenance should not be more than 7000 rupees.

[self_driven]

If you have a flexible budget, stretch and go for the Tiago. There are various threads on the forum that highlight how a superior car makes more sense as one can hold on to it for longer rather than having to upgrade a less expensive car in 4-5 years.

As a beginner, it might not be obvious to you but Alto 800 has very bad highway manners. It is also too long in the tooth now. You can instead consider second hand Honda Jazz, Etios Liva, Figo and the like. These cars are from a segment above and will be much more suited for highway runs. Part availability could be, but maintenance cost is not a major concern with any of the popular models.

Coming to your point about fuel efficiency, Alto 800 will easily deliver in the range of 20-25 kmpl while other models I have suggested will probably max out at 20 kmpl on highway runs.

[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.
Alto’s are ok for city runs but will not recommend for highway drives. Most of the modern cars are reliable and you don’t need to worry about long term ownership as long as you stick to schedule maintenance.

Higher segment cars provides additional safety, driving experience and comfort during highway drives. You get more street creds and will not be a pushover on highways by fellow motorist.

Adding my 2 cents based on personal experience.
I had driven my Dad’s 800 on numerous highway trips and when it comes to my personal choice of picking up a car on a tight budget, opted for used car from higher segment. In 2017, I purchased 2010 Ford Fiesta top end model for 2.3 lakhs at 90k in odo, drove it for 110k kilometers in 4 years.Had safe and enjoyable highway drives.

You will be spending some additional money on maintenance when compared to new Alto’s maintenance but it’s well worth it.

[Viju]

Alto800 is a great car for a beginner, no doubt about it. But considering you will primarily be driving on the highway, I would highly recommend to invest in a safer car like the Tiago.

[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.

Today i got a call from a friend who works in maruti, he told me that there is rs 50000 discount on Alto k10 LXI manufactured on 2022.
Which brings down the price of Alto k10 to 480000.

and 15000 discount on Alto 800 MFD in 2022. Which brings the price to 430000.

Should I buy last year's MFD vehicle with this discount?
If so, which one should i go for?

PS -Thanks to mods for posting my topic.

[Everlearner]

I would strongly suggest that you still consider Tiago and check with Tata dealers if there are any offers on Tiago as well.

On regular price, the difference in monthly EMI between Alto and Tiago is around 2k which is well worth it.

[IshaanIan]

Alto works and if you ever do outgrow it the best part is that it has strong resale value. Go for the K10 you will appreciate it on the highways

[rakesh_r]

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.

Since you would be using the car for highway runs, will suggest to buy the k10, will keep you happy in the long run as it has sufficient grunt for highway runs. Not that the 800 cant, but the k10 will be much more peppy.

[KSTejaswi]

The price difference between 800 & K10 deals you're getting makes the K10 a very easy choice. As an owner and daily user of a 2013 K10, I would say the little darling is more than worth its asking price.

As a self-appointed brand ambassador for this car, I can share my contact details privately and bore you for an hour or two atleast, should you choose that

Then again, if your budget allows a stretch to Tiago, it would also be a very sensible and highway-safe decision.

[kvsneela]

From my personel experience of owning 2014 Alto 800 and using for highway drives , I can vouch for it. Having said that , it is true that cars like Tiago( but I don't trust Tata in reliability front) has a better crash rating. Buying a used car is hit or miss and so it is better to go for new car in lower segment than used one in higher segment for peace of mind. Recently my brother got Alto 800 ( BS6) due to budget constraints and ok with the decision. ( He uses the car only for highways from Chennai to Pondy, Bengaluru,etc.,). Spares parts should be the least of concerns being a Maruti Suzuki even if they change the model. ( The 800 cc engine would continue in some form).
I don't find any positives in going for K10 except for a slightly bigger engine but slightly expensive. Test drive 800 and K10 engines and decide.

[Aroy]

If budget permits, get Alto K10. I bought my one in 2010 and it is still going strong. The USP is :
1. Much peppier engine
2. Low maintenance costs. I spend Rs.2,500 on average for each service at MASS
3. If you do not want to speed beyond 100km/h, it is an excellent highway cruiser. Mine gave 18+ with AC on in highway run.
4. The high revving engine in K10 can rev upto 80km/h in second, so overtaking is a breeze.

Over and above that, Maruti cars have an excellent resale value. I am quoted more than a lakh for my 13 yer old K10. In contrast my 10 year old Honda City (thrice as expensive new) is barely able to get 1 lakh.

So go for Alto K10 with your eyes closed.

[COMMUTER]

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.

Second hand cars are eligible for bank finance i they are less than 5 years old. You can easily get a 4.5 Year old car.

[arjab]

Originally Posted by royjitvish

Should i buy a new Alto 800 now or go for a second hand one?

New. Simple reason you will be enjoying a new car warranty for two years and 40,000 kms. If you take an extended warranty it will be even better. Peace of mind.

Originally Posted by royjitvish

also will it be difficult to get spare parts after it is discontinued?

No. Last unit produced date + 8 years. That is the minium time Maruti will provide spare parts.

Originally Posted by royjitvish

My driving will be primarily on Highways.

Not an issue. I have done Chennai-Calcutta many times in my Nano. Things do not get smaller than that!
Request that you do not try to pull silly stunts, and please observe all rules and drive safely. You will be fine. May i suggest if you can please upgrade the stock tyres of the new ALTO to 165 section tyres. This will give you much better grip on the highways, especially monsoons.

Originally Posted by royjitvish

Can any one owning Alto 800 provide the real world mileage and maintenance cost of Alto 800 please.

Depends on how you drive. But even in a worst possible scenario, you should be getting not less than 14kmpl with AC on in traffic and 19kmpl with AC on on highways(between 70-80 kmph speeds)