[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by vid6639

As much as I hate the Alto, the handling is it's only saving grace.

When a car is that low, and hardly has any power it will handle well viddy . Just kidding, the alto has a very good chassis. Bring back the 1.1L.

[humyum]

With the AC on in the alto on the highway overtaking is big chore and yes i drove the alto for 600 kilometers plus a week back,loved the razor sharp handling though but as a highway cruiser i would recommend a more powerful car..Alto no fun on the highway with the AC on.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by mclaren1885

When a car is that low, and hardly has any power it will handle well viddy . Just kidding, the alto has a very good chassis. Bring back the 1.1L.

Actually it's the same chasis as the WagonR/Estilo. Only thing Alto is lower and has a much more stiffer suspension setup. Ride quality as a result is very poor. I have 12" 80 profile tyres and the ride is bad compared to the tall boys. The Estilo rides on 13" some 70 profile and rides so much better.

[dockap]

80% highway and 20% city use woudnt it be better to do for a diesel car
palio mjd
vista tdi
more expensive
icon
vista qjd
swift mjd

[akshay4587]

How about Palio Stile 1.1 although low on power but a very capable highway car and very well within the budget.
at around 3.14EX shwroom.

[kpzen]

Originally Posted by dockap

80% highway and 20% city use woudnt it be better to do for a diesel car
palio mjd
vista tdi
more expensive
icon
vista qjd
swift mjd

Do any of these cars cost around 3.2lacs??

[viper_711]

Originally Posted by abhinav.gupta88

1. The Estilo is better than the spark and alto on the highway.

I so don't agree with this! I drove both the cars back-to-back last month on a Sunday. I then repeated this the following Sunday with my father as the cars were being evaluated for him.
The zen felt and I quote my absolute layman father 'like a bicycle'. This may be an exaggeration but it did feel very flimsy and nervous. The spark on the other hand felt quite planted, sure footed and refined.
The only positive about the zen IMO is the cheerful beige interior which makes it look more spacious than it actually is.

At 2000kms a month - the spark with its 3-year/45K kms Zero maintenance package will give a very affordable ownership experience for 22.5 months.

Out of the shortlisted cars - my vote to the Spark!

[dockap]

Originally Posted by kpzen

Do any of these cars cost around 3.2lacs??

sorry didnt notice that
the spark with ac and power steering would be the best one

[GTO - Touring]

Originally Posted by foosa

1) Maruti Alto Lxi.
2) Maruti Zen Estilo.
3) Chevrolet Spark.

Between the three, I'd plonk that deposit on the Spark. It's a fun li'l hatch to drive, I found the engine to be peppy and the road handling pretty good (by hatchback standards). I am fond of the Alto too, but the Spark is undoubtedly the superior.

[Path_Finder]

Alto, let us go – straightforward and simple choice.

[greenhorn]

while i still say get an indica, but among the three, the spark is the best bet from a driver's perspective, the only problem being that the spark's diminutive image doesn't earn it much respect on the highway.

[AviatoR]

As for the Alto-Estilo debate, i can tell you this from first hand experience. I have an estilo in my family and have driven it a few times on the Mum-Pune Exp-way. I always maintained around 100-110, occasionally reaching 125kph. But even at 110kph, i had altos coming out of nowhere and passing me, leaving me stunned.
This was a stock estilo with 145/70 tyres so cornering is compromised. I would obviusly be able to pass them off the line like after a toll-booth, etc. Maybe with wider tyres the estilo would be good even on twisting roads but that means spending more. For 80% highway, my pick out of the 3 is Spark because it offers a lot more than alto as a car. Also comes fitted with tubeless tyres which are a big plus on highway runs.
Just to get you a little confused again, if you want a car with better road presence and make you feel safer (really counts on the highway, Trust Me) you might as well try the indica xeta!

[architect]

Out of the 3 shortlisted cars, my choice would be the Spark. except for the state of GM today. The Alto is a good handler for a small car and that helps on the highway as compared to the tall-boys but overtaking needs some planning.

However, I am curious to know:

1. At minimum 2000 kms a month, assuming a highway FE of 17-18 on the Spark, you would run up a fuel bill of Rs 6,470/-. (assuming Petrol at Rs 55/-)

2. For a diesel, assuming a highway FE of 19-20, you would get a fuel bill of Rs 3,684/- (Assuming diesel at Rs 35/-)

So a clear saving of Rs 2,786/- per month. If you can take a loan of about a lakh for 4 years, you could go for an Indica V2 TDi DLG for 4.25 lakhs (maybe 10k here and there)? That would be a bigger, more comfortable, more stable car for romancing the highways.

I am personally against loans (though I have a 5 yr loan for my car). But just a suggestion. And I would still suggest the Xeta as an alternative to the Spark like many others have suggested.

P.S. What Car section is meant to give you X * n more options when you ask us to choose between X options.

[someshb]

If you want to choose one among your shortlisted cars, go for a Spark its more stable and quiet inside than the other two.
Else Indica Xeta will fit in your budget and is great on the highway too.

[dockap]

on the other hand with 80% highway driving and budget of 3.2 lakhs why not get a second hand diesel palio/swift/indica