[Bit]

Experts,

What (kind of) cars are currently on the market that should be preferred for cases with long idling periods? I have to stay out of India frequently and the car might remain parked for a month or even two in some cases. The last thing I'd want is to come back home, and frustratingly call the service center for a jumpstart.

While I had set my mind on XUV 700 due to its value for money in the segment, I have read the car being reluctant to start after just 7-10 days of standing still, let alone two months. Is it seriously this bad?

And if the above example is true, does that extend to most connected or ADAS-loaded cars, which means cars like HECTOR, New Safari, etc are out of the question? I feel cursed to have to stick as less techy as possible, since more tech = more battery drain.

My budget is between 15 to 25 lacs for a spacious vehicle across segments, current contenders are i20, XUV 300, Creta, Hector, and XUV 700.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by Bit

- since more tech = more battery drain.

- My budget is between 15 to 25 lacs for a spacious vehicle across segments, current contenders are i20, XUV 300, Creta, Hector, and XUV 700.

- As a guiding principle, sadly yes. Even things like the intrusion alarm are a constant drain when armed, so is the auto sensing of key and auto unlocks going right upto the connected cars like the XUV700(Adrenox)/Hyundai(Blue & Me) and likewise for other manufacturers which constantly maintain a data link with the servers along with geofencing and OTA updates.

- You can try the XUV700 MX with MT as that doesn't have the Adrenox and generally the base, base+1 variants which don't have connected features and even keyless entry to avoid higher battery drain.

But from your shortlist the XUV300 MT would be the best bet. The old school nature is something which will work in your favour. Will leave the variant selection to you. Try to avoid keyless entry if possible.

[GTO]

Buy the car you really like. Then, during long periods of non-usage:

- Use a trickle charger like the Bosch C7 (has many fans on the forum)

OR

- Disconnect the battery

Don't overthink the choices. There is a lot more to cars than buying based on how they will handle long periods of non-usage.

[KPR]

Originally Posted by Bit

Experts,

What (kind of) cars are currently on the market that should be preferred for cases with long idling periods? I have to stay out of India frequently and the car might remain parked for a month or even two in some cases. The last thing I'd want is to come back home, and frustratingly call the service center for a jumpstart.

While I had set my mind on XUV 700 due to its value for money in the segment, I have read the car being reluctant to start after just 7-10 days of standing still, let alone two months. Is it seriously this bad?

And if the above example is true, does that extend to most connected or ADAS-loaded cars, which means cars like HECTOR, New Safari, etc are out of the question? I feel cursed to have to stick as less techy as possible, since more tech = more battery drain.

My budget is between 15 to 25 lacs for a spacious vehicle across segments, current contenders are i20, XUV 300, Creta, Hector, and XUV 700.

I would recommend simple ones like Ignis or a safe Punch. Try how it works out for a year. One of my neighbours come once in a year and starts his swift with local battery shop's help.

[Hatari]

Avoid the Koreans, and stick to the Europeans/Japs.

[rishil.ghurki]

I would like to suggest you make a decision on what kind of car you'd require, before you decide if it's comfortable with long idling periods. The 15-25L market is huge, with a sea of options. I'm sure a lot of us BHPians would be more than happy to share our opinions based on your requirements.

As some of the others suggested, there are several solutions to the battery issue: jumpstarts by local mechanics or battery-shop guys or even jump leads with another car (if you know how to) and of course, detaching the battery.

[surjaonwheelz]

Originally Posted by GTO

Buy the car you really like. Then, during long periods of non-usage:

- Use a trickle charger like the Bosch C7 (has many fans on the forum)

OR

- Disconnect the battery

Don't overthink the choices. There is a lot more to cars than buying based on how they will handle long periods of non-usage.

Does an Electric Vehicle makes sense in this scenario? Re-charge it and drive!
Is it that simple or it has some hidden issues if not used?

Just curious,
surjaonwheelz

[Shreyans_Jain]

Get a Honda City Gen5 CVT. Simple, proven and time tested mechanicals. A solid, reliable, no nonsense family car. There is nothing else that has more chances of starting at first crank, every single time. Year after year.

[AnkitHJain7]

Originally Posted by GTO

Buy the car you really like. Then, during long periods of non-usage:

- Use a trickle charger like the Bosch C7 (has many fans on the forum)

OR

- Disconnect the battery

Don't overthink the choices. There is a lot more to cars than buying based on how they will handle long periods of non-usage.

+1 to this idea, I totally agree with GTO. I travel a lot as well and my cars are often idle for months at end. A trickle charger with a quick connector (mine came with the charger, just had to connect to my battery terminals) is the way to go. Just left my E300 on a trickle charger for 5 months, and it started right up without a single issue. It definitely does require you to have your own parking space that is somewhat close to a power outlet though.

[Games Goblin]

Hi

OP can also think about installing a battery kill switch - it can be installed in the engine bay and before parking the car for extended periods of time, one can easily turn off the power flow from the battery, ensuring the battery does not get drained from idle power draw.

I remember reading that such kill switches are factory installed on some supercars / sportscars as such cars have low usage and a kill switch will come in handy in those cases.

Best Regards

[Asish_VK]

This came into my teambhp feed and i was like "why someone would want to buy a car for non usage ?"

Someone is having fun here

I would suggest a reliable Japanese car with good service support. Even if something goes wrong, you should get it corrected fast and efficient

[Drivaholic@2727]

Originally Posted by Bit

My budget is between 15 to 25 lacs for a spacious vehicle across segments, current contenders are i20, XUV 300, Creta, Hector, and XUV 700.

Go with a Maruti or a Hyundai, cant go wrong with such cars. Mahindra is fine too but recently with all the new tech and gizmos battery drain could be much faster as compared to simple cars with much less technology. As far as Tata goes please stay away from it.

[nishsingh]

Just thinking that a small, petrol Maruti car should be ideal based on my experience:

• My in-laws visit their hometown once every year for a week.
• The car doing duty is a humble Maruti Suzuki petrol Alto
• The car doesn't have a battery; instead, a battery is rented from a nearby battery shop at Rs 50/- per day
• The lack of a battery is also an anti-theft mechanism in a way
• The car starts and works as intended and probably gets service once every 3-4 years.

[IndieGooner]

I am here passing on some second hand information and claim to be no expert. We had a diesel car that saw limited running (1-2 weekends, < 300 km per month). After couple of years of this routine, the car required costly work on its injectors. One after the other all four injectors gave up and had to be replaced. Per service center guys this happens for diesel cars with limited running but not petrol ones with similar usage. I am not sure whether there is any truth in this but if a diesel car is your choice this would worth enquiring with experts.

[kadanaJ]

For a car with extremely low usage and running, you'd want something reliable and simple.

Would recommend any Maruti / Honda / Toyota. Maruti preferably since if an issue ever occurs, it would be very simple for any local mechanic to help resolve it.

Based on the fact that you're looking at the budget range of an XUV700, and you want something spacious, I'd say you could look at the

• Maruti Grand Vitara / Toyota Hyryder
• Maruti XL6 (if a 7 seater is required)
• Innova Hycross (at the high end of your budget)
• Honda City / Maruti Brezza (not as spacious, but you had i20 on your list, so assumed these would be okay)

From your list, the Creta and i20 are also good choices. Avoid the Hector. The connected features may just add unnecessary complications.

Would also recommend only in your case, favour a base-model over a top-spec trim. Less features, means less things to go wrong.

Lastly, as you are worried about battery drain, get a Bosch C7 as GTO recommended