[kedar3223]

I have a 15 year old gen 1 Figo petrol. The car was purchased used with 40k km on odo has has been serving me well for the past 11 years. Even though the engine is not the most exciting amongst its peers, the steering, ride, handling and overall solid feel more than makes up for it. All in all, its a car that I truly love. This is something considering that I am a motorcyclist through and through.

Now after all these years, I think its time to move onto something newer, more active safety features. Plus the service experience has become tedious. Just a younger car. As I am being offered just about 50k for the Figo, I might hold onto it. I have made no attempts to sell it off directly.

Just a few months back, my requirements was pretty clear. I am 30 year old, 5'7". I use by bike for daily office commutes of 50kms in summers and winters. The bike was also being used for weekend trips and friend meetups. The car was being used for monthly grocery runs, family function and festival visits, parents doctor appointment, to carry larger items, occasional trip. The car was used for commutes to work only during the initial monsoon months of June, July and August. All in all, the car used to average about 8000-9000km of annual use.

With a budget of something close to 10L and with 12L being an inconvenient stretch, I was set on looking for a car that would give me the same driving pleasure as my figo. I definitely wanted a little more pep for sure. Also given the narrow roads, family of 3-4, parking at home and office, sub 4mt car is what I need and the narrower the width, the better. I was a little confused between manual and automatic. The thing is my commute doesnt see much traffic but it does involve getting through narrow goan village roads. I counted and I used to average about 450-500 clutch engagement-disengagement per commute. Having test driven the cars, i had narrowed down to 1. Ignis zeta mt as the cheap and cheerful option(6 airbags missing), the 2. new swift zxi mt as it felt like a near like for like replacement for the figo(engine was peppy lower down, good handling and suspension, cozy dimensions) although with lighter build, 3. baleno zeta/fronx delta plus and amaze vx mt as the grown up mature choice. But the one that I was most excited for was the 4. skoda kylaq. This in its classic or signature mt form was my top choice. It gave me the fizz as they say and all within my comfortable budget. I was getting to grips with the skoda ownership costs, challenges of having a single service dealer located 30-40kms away and was ready to pull the trigger.

Some cars that I gave a miss-
1. Tiago, Punch, Altroz and Nexon- The service centres and owners first hand experience here has been horrible. https://g.co/kgs/xGruKJx & https://g.co/kgs/iEcUop7.
2. Renault Kiger and Nissan Magnite- not too many cars here and I have heard the spares are priced at a premium. Somehow the other turbo cars felt better value.
3. Toyota's Maruti- the maruti service centre is closer and has multiple options of dealers.
4. Hyundai- not really a fan of the 1.2. Feels souless and not suited to the fun to drive requirement. The venue turbo/n line and i20 n line manuals are really good. But they are priced beyond my budget and the n line suspension is quite stiff for a primary car.
5. Brezza is a sweet non offensive car. But the kylaq just blows it away as an experience.
6. 3XO- same as tata.
7. Kia sonet and syros- over budget for the turbo variant and required features. Found the ride to be stiff in the sonet.

And then came a curveball. I am to get married soon and my wife to be wants to learn how to drive and not always be dependent on me for her mobility. Me having to work from office and her working from home(2 days office close to my place of work), it also made sense for her to learn driving to take care of day to day chores and travel with my parents in case of an emergency.

She is a complete newbie. She is also 4'9". Given these requirments, I have decided to buy a car thats more geared towards her requirement.

Now what would be the best plan of action in this case?

1. If I were to consider AMTs, which companies have the better ones? Having gone through the new swift reviews, the amt seems to receive high praise for what it is. Is the swift amt different from other marutis like the ignis and baleno? How is hyundai and Tata in comparison?
   
2. Will the smaller entry level cars like alto and kwid be way easier to learn on then say a slightly more complete cars like the Ignis, i10 nios, swift, baleno, fronx etc? Ignis zeta amt, i10 nios sportz/exter sx amt, swift zxi amt, tiago xz or punch accomplished plus amt(considering these not as I have no clue which amt tunes are the best) are being considered in the 8-10L range. I have chosen variants with seat height adjustment.
   
3. Should i splurge a bit more and get i20 sportz cvt, amaze v/vx cvt or stretch to kylaq signature AT? Did i miss any other sub 12-13L auto that is worth considering?
   
4. We make about 19L combined post tax. So really dont want to stretch too much beyond the 10L mark. Need to find a car thats a balance between ease of driving for her and something thats not dead boring for me. The more the fuel efficiency and ease of maintenance, the better. Also given that we are looking at automatics, wanted to know if I should consider cruise control as a must have feature? Theoretically, I like the idea of being able to use cruise control at 30-40kmph and the car taking care of the gear shifts.

[SRS]

Originally Posted by kedar3223

Now what would be the best plan of action in this case?

1. If I were to consider AMTs, which companies have the better ones? Having gone through the new swift reviews, the amt seems to receive high praise for what it is. Is the swift amt different from other marutis like the ignis and baleno? How is hyundai and Tata in comparison?
2. Will the smaller entry level cars like alto and kwid be way easier to learn on then say a slightly more complete cars like the Ignis, i10 nios, swift, baleno, fronx etc? Ignis zeta amt, i10 nios sportz/exter sx amt, swift zxi amt, tiago xz or punch accomplished plus amt(considering these not as I have no clue which amt tunes are the best) are being considered in the 8-10L range. I have chosen variants with seat height adjustment.
3. Should i splurge a bit more and get i20 sportz cvt, amaze v/vx cvt or stretch to kylaq signature AT? Did i miss any other sub 12-13L auto that is worth considering?
4. We make about 19L combined post tax. So really dont want to stretch too much beyond the 10L mark. Need to find a car thats a balance between ease of driving for her and something thats not dead boring for me. The more the fuel efficiency and ease of maintenance, the better. Also given that we are looking at automatics, wanted to know if I should consider cruise control as a must have feature? Theoretically, I like the idea of being able to use cruise control at 30-40kmph and the car taking care of the gear shifts.

My sibling is 4 feet 10 inches tall and she used to drive the Alto, Wagon-R, our Kwid AMT and now Sonet Diesel AT. Our family as a whole is on the shorter side, and all these cars have been fine.

Now, to your questions, if you are considering AMTs, Hyundai makes the best AMTs in the market currently, followed by Suzuki. Tata AMTs are alright but not as good as the Hyundai or Suzuki, but I wouldn't recommend them owing to the after-sales being a gamble. As regards AMTs in Suzuki, all of them are largely the same, just that the tuning is different. The Swift AMT is tuned to be slightly sportier, while the Baleno AMT is tuned for comfort.

As regards someone learning to drive, we thought smaller dimensions would be better and bought a Kwid, but while the smaller dimensions do help as well with the lighter steering, they aren't as stable at higher speeds, unlike slightly larger cars. Meanwhile, Mid-size hatchbacks and sub-4-metre SUVs offer better stability, comfort, features and are easy to drive. So in my opinion, if you have the budget, go for the mid-size to premium hatchbacks or sub-4-metre SUVs over the entry-level ones.

Moreover, in my opinion, better to opt for cars with "real" automatic transmissions like CVT, DCT/DSG or Torque Converter rather than AMT. I say this because once you learn to drive, you will find the head-nods and slower shifts annoying, moreover, these are smoother than the AMTs as well. However, the current AMTs are not bad per see, unlike how they are in my Kwid, and can be considered as well but in my opinion, a car is a big investment, you don't want to be sorry that you didn't spend that extra lakh or two a few years down the line, so getting the best in your budget even if it means spending a little extra is the way to go.

Considering all these, I would wholeheartedly recommend you go for the Skoda Kylaq Signature AT at 12.65 lakhs OTR Mumbai as it has got a powerful and punchy 1.0L TSI with torque converter, is sub 4 metre, hence manageable, has enough features and fulfils all your requirements, be it for yourself or your wife. Going for alternatives in the hatchback space would feel like a compromise and won't be in your best interests, considering the future.

We were feeling that the Kwid would be better for a newbie driver but somehow the Sonet helped her more to gain confidence than the Kwid and I am sure you can't go wrong with the Kylaq in your case.

[ashis89]

Originally Posted by kedar3223

And then came a curveball. I am to get married soon and my wife to be wants to learn how to drive and not always be dependent on me for her mobility. Me having to work from office and her working from home(2 days office close to my place of work), it also made sense for her to learn driving to take care of day to day chores and travel with my parents in case of an emergency.

She is a complete newbie. She is also 4'9". Given these requirments, I have decided to buy a car thats more geared towards her requirement.

Many congratulations and best wishes in advance for your marriage.

Now onto the car query. Take your wife and test drive the cars in your budget. Pick one which you like and more importantly, which she likes. Amaze CVT would be a good choice as a long term purchase if the size/form factor works for both of you. If you need something smaller then i10, ignis and Swift would be the next best suggestion.

[drive_in_peace]

My Wife is 5'1 and had problems in seeing the road ahead in my old i20 car. It affected her confidence to take the car out, though she was comfortable driving other cars like Nexon. I think i10 or any other hatchback with low stance might not be the best bet for you.

[SRS]

Originally Posted by drive_in_peace

My Wife is 5'1 and had problems in seeing the road ahead in my old i20 car. It affected her confidence to take the car out, though she was comfortable driving other cars like Nexon. I think i10 or any other hatchback with low stance might not be the best bet for you.

Low-slung vehicles sometimes pose a problem, and higher-seated SUVs like the Sonet, Kylaq, etc, are better for shorter drivers, provided the seats have height adjustment as well.

[Shreyans_Jain]

You are overthinking and over complicating this. The cars you had initially short listed are all competent small cars for regular city as well as occasional highway use. There is no need to alter the list because your would-be spouse is also in the picture now. That doesn’t affect the utility. It’s not as if you had zeroed on to a two seater sportscar. Just make sure whatever car you buy comes with a height adjustable driver’s seat. From your list, I’ll recommend the Škoda Kylaq. Preferably automatic.

[Hatchback_dude]

Hi, please give the new Dzire amt a try. Also the amaze CVT. Both of these cars come with height adjust for the drivers seat should you need that.

Among the C-Suvs, you can surely look at the Sonet imt, brezza vxi torque converter is a no- nonsense option. If you want to try the hyundai amt, look no further than exter amt. It's nimble and a breeze to drive in the city.
Many congratulations on your marriage and let us know what car you finally pick.

[salluks]

I know u said no TATA, but how about TATA PUNCH EV, seems perfect for you both and being an EV, service centre trips will be minimized as well.

[lamborghini]

1. Highly suggest getting an automatic. Would be much more convenient for her and you! Not a fan of the AMT but for the value proposition it offers, is worth considering.

2. Size doesn't matter - get a car with adjustable seats and good visibility. The Kylaq could tick the boxes and it comes with a proper AT as well! That being said most ATs are fairly thirstier than their manual counterparts so do keep this in mind.

3. Cruise control is ok - it makes sense when you're on a long highway trip with sparse traffic, but otherwise just an automatic is good enough given your commute

4. Any reason for not considering electric? The current tax savings on electric cars in MH + the reduced cost of commute could make something like the Tata Punch a wild card entry. Do the economics: maybe the MG Windsor could work out to be affordable. Middle of the road could be the Mahindra XUV400 - last I heard there were some massive discounts on the vehicle so if stocks are still there, you could luck out.

[somersault]

Congratulations for your upcoming marriage. Also your thought process is correct. You have to consider your better half in every decision now. I would suggest to let her test drive the vehicles.

Given the requirements, I will settle for Kylaq signature AT for 12.47 on road Pune. With your own insurance and may be tradeoff for Figo, you could go 11.75.

Advantages -
1. Fun to drive car for you with great handling and superb suspension. Great High speed stability. Fastest among the lot in the same segment ICE cars.
2. Automatic for your wife (and you as well). 400-500 clutch disengagements are way too high for a normal drive. Give your left foot some needed rest. Also this automatic is fun to drive.
3. Space inside is good for 4 people with good space for luggage. With the marriage, expect some road trips in future. This will help.
4. New car and wow style. This is always a brownie factor, if not for you then for your wife. Competitors are already existing and you see tons of these cars around.
5. SUVish stance. -Visibility will be better.

Disadvantages -
1. Skoda service network is 30 KM away. - Hey you need to technically visit only once per year here. You can very well manage that. But the happiness of driving this car far supersedes this so called pain.
2. So called Skoda ASS issues. - Skoda is trying to work on this image hard by offering the Extended Warranty for every car. Go for the EW and have a peace of the mind.

[Newtown]

What matters most for a new driver is that the car is boxy rather than riddled with shapes and curves all over. It makes it easier to judge, builds confidence faster and of course helps to a larger extent in avoiding scrapes and scratches. Some of them are even better to judge upfront if the driver is new which is true in your case. Good luck!

[Utopian]

I would go wither for the Kylaq Signature AT or the Fronx 1.0 AT basis the criteria you had detailed out. I don't think any change is required in your list basis the new requirement of wife wanting to learn a car and drive. Actually since you have the Figo, it would be perfect for her to learn since power is low and dimensions compact. Although height might be an issue and would need to be corrected with an intervention.

[gauravanekar]

Get a Jimny AT, it is perfect for a newbie.

[kedar3223]

Originally Posted by drive_in_peace

My Wife is 5'1 and had problems in seeing the road ahead in my old i20 car. It affected her confidence to take the car out, though she was comfortable driving other cars like Nexon. I think i10 or any other hatchback with low stance might not be the best bet for you.

Originally Posted by SRS

Low-slung vehicles sometimes pose a problem, and higher-seated SUVs like the Sonet, Kylaq, etc, are better for shorter drivers, provided the seats have height adjustment as well.

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

It’s not as if you had zeroed on to a two seater sportscar. Just make sure whatever car you buy comes with a height adjustable driver’s seat. From your list, I’ll recommend the Škoda Kylaq. Preferably automatic.

This is exactly what I am worried about and the reason for overthinking. I can adjust with any car, but if she becomes fearful or hesitant of driving due to a particular car choice, it is going to be either a costly correction or high inconvenience.

Originally Posted by salluks

I know u said no TATA, but how about TATA PUNCH EV, seems perfect for you both and being an EV, service centre trips will be minimized as well.

Frankly, I did consider EVs. But the ones which allow me with a comfortable margin in terms of range on my longer drives are way beyong my budget. Additionally, we had horrible powercuts over the past 3 monsoons, where my car usage is at its peak. Feels like a risk at this point in time.

Originally Posted by lamborghini

1. Highly suggest getting an automatic. Would be much more convenient for her and you! Not a fan of the AMT but for the value proposition it offers, is worth considering.
2. Size doesn't matter - get a car with adjustable seats and good visibility. The Kylaq could tick the boxes and it comes with a proper AT as well! That being said most ATs are fairly thirstier than their manual counterparts so do keep this in mind.
3. Cruise control is ok - it makes sense when you're on a long highway trip with sparse traffic, but otherwise just an automatic is good enough given your commute

Would be getting an automatic for sure. Having driven most of the cars, except for the baleno and i20 with their low slung driving position, and long sloping bonnets, rest all were near about equal interms of ease of driving if i pretended to be a noob. The large and small footprint does make a psychological difference to her though. Dont know how to evaluate this without her driving the vehicles.

[SithDefender]

Definitely the Kylaq as it is the freshest in the segment! The dimensions and pricing are just right, and is a very safe car too.

PS: Congrats on your marriage!