[asit.kulkarni93]

Frankly for 12k kms/ year a petrol be it Swift or the Corolla wont be cheap.Looking a the current petrol prices and your budget why dont you look for a used Diesel sedan/ fully loaded hatch? Ypu could get a 1-2 year old i20, Swift (Zdi), Ritz, Amaze, Dzire, Punto and Polo in your budget.
I wouldn't recommend converting your car to CNG as you will end up spending a lot on the upkeep and on the highways CNG will spoil the performance.
I see a lot of Fiat dealers have the old Punto in stock. A friend of mine in Mumbai had picked up an Emotion pack in August for 6.3 Lakhs. If you can get one such offer it would be good.
Please Do not go for the Swift L/V variants, they have no Safety features which is quite risky on the highways.
Finally if you are keen on a Petrol hatch then you should also have a look at the Gi10 and the Brio. Don't worry modern hatchback's with good safety features are safe to drive on highways.
All the Best

Asit

[agbenny]

You can ask yourself if you require a Sedan with a big boot or a Hatch?
Swift is dated, and you see it almost everywhere on roads. No matter when you buy it, it has almost a decade old design. If that isn't a matter to you, I would suggest Fiesta classic instead of a Swift.
For 6L, you have few good choices like an entry level i10 Grande, i20 and Ford Figo or Tata Zest (if you need a more mordern Sedan). All Petrols.

PS: I bought an used car 15 years ago as a first time car buyer, and It was a horrible experience. So, I am not in favor of used cars! If you want to avoid such risk as a first time buyer, go for a new one.

[arjunbagga7]

Thanks a lot for your suggestions everybody.

This is going to be my first car and so my previous knowledge of four wheeled machine is next to nothing( except a few highway kms in civic or city drive in i10, a star or wagonr)

The reason why i want a sedan is because the features (like abs, airbags etc) which are available in the topmost hatchback are available in the base model of sedan.
But what I'm afraid of is the maintenance cost and repairs if there is an accident.


The deals I'm getting from individuals( not dealers because i don't want to be a prey of their clever tricks) are 2009 altis g around 50-70k and priced around 5.1 to 5.5 laks. Are these good or should I try for lower price?( the images look good , but i haven't test driven them, still I need to have an idea about whats the correct price.

I want to know the model and stats(year g,gl,j and kms) of the altis that would be best suited for my budget.
Also, I would like to know what should be the price of 2010 altis g.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

Hi everybody. I'm new to tbhp and this is my first post. For the past 3months I'm regularly following tbhp forum. Reason being that at the moment I do not have any car.
I wish to buy one under 6lakhs. The options I have is either to buy a good hatchback(swift, i20, ford figo etc) or go for a good sedan( 2009-10 civic, corolla altis etc).

Since this is going to be your first car, buy something which is more driver-oriented and also reasonably good on safety (dual airbags, ABS etc.). I would suggest to start with a Swift ZXI or Figo D Titanium variant. The pricing should be in the vicinity of 6 lakhs.

[alpha1]

To offer a counter-view to the thread's view:

Let me give you my perspective.
Around 2007-08 I was in a similar situation as yours. I had about 3 lacs budget. I had two options:
a) go for Alto/Wagon R/etc
b) go for used Honda City/Lancer/Accent/Swift/etc (take your pick from one-two segment higher from (a)

I ended up with Honda City. And it is still running absolutely fine. In the hindsight, if I had taken Alto, the entire experience (driving feel, comfort) over these 7 years would've been starkly different! The only place Alto would've scored above is fuel expense and parking space.

And this is coming as a hindsight, not a view as an initial buyer (which is mostly based on hearsay and friend's friend's opinion).

Of course be realistic, a brand new car will have less wear and tear issues than a vehicle which has run 50-60000 km. You can't expect totally rust free experience. Engine and transmission wise a vehicle's life can last 5 lac km easily. Body and chassis too. Electronics may not. Suspension will not.

My advise would be to take help of trusted mechanic or authorized service centers and run up a diagnosis on your shortlisted vehicle before even starting price negotiations.

[arnabchak]

Dear Arjun

Sincere advice-Stick to the Swift(new).

Reasons:

1) You are a student so a frugal, easy to maintain and repair car is of utmost important.

2) Maruti ASC is responsive and still reasonable in comparison to the competition.

3) Corolla, though a excellent car, is a sedan from the D segment. A 50K-70K kms on the odo will result in high ear and tear for a no. of parts. Even changing the tyres would set you back by an amount that could equal 03 months of your Swift EMI.

4) Swift can be operated on CNG and the engine will remain strain free. Else, you could stretch and get the ZDI. Alternatively, you could buy the Figo Zxi TDCI/ Punto E MJD at almost 6 lacs or so.

Dont go into a pre owned. You never know when your budget just goes hay wire.

[arjunbagga7]

Ok. So if I decide to go with the hatchback segment or the compact sedan (dzire, xcent etc). What would be the best choice. Strictly under 6lakh OTR and should I install CNG kit?

Today I visited msi showroom and the salesman told me even if I get the kit installed from them, the warranty stands VOID. Also, for my usage he told not to go for the diesel model.
The OTR prices quoted by msi are:
Swift vxi 550000
Zxi 630000

Dzire vxi 610000

[ToyotaFan]

I think getting a 2010 Honda city 40-50k run a manual or auto whatever you prefer would be better since it will give better mileage (only 10-20% lesser than swift) and considering the numbers it sold it would be easy to find spares even outside the ASS. Airbags and ABS are standard and the petrol engine is fun to drive. Keep 50k for tyres and a Bluetooth enabled HU and you have a car that will keep you smiling for a long time. Corolla is a great car for the chauffeur driven as the back seat is better than the city but I still feel city is better for your use.

[arjunbagga7]

Hi toyotafan
I too want a better engine and drive experience. But, the thing that fears me is the maintenance cost, servicing and repairs.
It would be great if you could comment something on that as well.
Thanks.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

I too want a better engine and drive experience. But, the thing that fears me is the maintenance cost, servicing and repairs.

It would be great if you could comment something on that as well.
Thanks.

Why not look at Maruti True Value?

There should be something that suits your needs.

Anurag.

[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

@Sumeethaldnath .

Ehh.. Who ?

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

can u share what was the model and its cost. Also, what was the repair cost and maintenance? and are civic parts easily available in the market? How is the driving experience of the car?
....And sorry I forgot to mention. I would probably upgrade after 2.5-3 yrs

It's a 2007 SMT Civic. I had issues with the Power steering hose and the steering rack. Some common problems include these two mentioned above, the engine mount & the cooling coil all which are weak spots in the civic.At Hass a Power steering & Rack overhaul would cost around 30k, the power steering hose which causes the leaks itself would cost 14K, the engine mount 10K and the cooling coil 14K.Brake pads cost around 6K again Honda prices.

You can get most of the stuff from after market vendors for eg i got the brake pads from outside for around 3k , the cooling coil at 8k and the power steering hose pipe for around 7.5KIf you going to go the used car make sure you have a trusted & competent independent garage.Most of the stuff at authorized centers can be done outside at roughly half the cost of the A.S.S

As for the driving experience well it's a Honda Civic. I-Vtec growl,fast oncoming scenery,disappearing vehicles in rear view mirrors, fighter cockpit dashboard etc etc.

[arjunbagga7]

Oops. Sorry @sumeethaldankar
Thanks for sharing the details BTW.:thumbup:

Well due to the issues of the maintenance and also the amount of efforts needed to be put in for an old car, I'm making up my mood for the smaller first car. It would either be the swift or the desire.
I know what I would be losing by saying no to the altis but still I guess according to the conditions, requirements and the advice of moat tbhpians I would go with a new small car.

[amansanc]

Originally Posted by arjunbagga7

I wish to buy one under 6lakhs. The options I have is either to buy a good hatchback(swift, i20, ford figo etc) or go for a good sedan( 2009-10 civic, corolla altis etc).

Hey Arjun,

I would suggest you to go for a low mileage Toyota Corolla Altis petrol. It would serve your purpose well, is extremely reliable and cheap (comparitively) to maintain as well. We own a Toyota Corolla (2005). Run 65k kms. I can vouch for its reliability. No problems till date. Only regular servicing once every year and that's it!!
Service cost (At Toyota ASC): With mineral oil: Under 3k. With synthetic oil: About 5.5k. Lesser than most hatchbacks!!

Talking of major parts like suspension, clutch, brake discs, they aren't that expensive too. Changed all 4 shock absorbers, Brake discs with brake pads (all 4), clutch with pressure plate and bearing. Billed a little under 35k at Toyota Jaipur. The parts are cheaper outside.

Hope you find a decent Corolla Altis in your budget.


Cheers
amansanc

[arjunbagga7]

MODERATOR NOTE

Do not make back to back posts in the same thread. USE EDIT FEATURE

Amansanc
Well that is something pretty much in the favour of altis
The impression i have about this car was much above this.
But, still I guess swift would be better,definitely not in terms of ride experience but the maintainance repair and also the effort to be put in for finding one.
Though I had shortisted around 10 altis out of a list of over 60.

Please check this
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/showthread.php?t=155417

[IshaanIan]

Wait for the facelifted Swift to launch and then snag the current model in zxi trim, with bigger discounts.

If you aren't a complete novice, you can still consider the used car market. Do check out early model SX4s. It has a good steering that weighs up well and offers feedback, lots of grunt from the good old normally aspirated M16a unit, loads of grip from the 205 section 16inch tyres, better suspension setup than the later SX4, and just offered quite a good experience overall. This car will easily fit your budget.