[StarVegabond]

Hi Makesh,

Great to know that you are going to become a DAD in 60 days.
I know the wait is difficult, but i can assure you it is worth the wait.
secondly you are upgrading to a new car. congratulations on both the accounts.

I would request you to consider the following

1. your new born would be on board quite regularly. hence safety is of great importance. i suggest that you go for the cars that have airbags, ABS, safer cabins tubeless tyres etc.

2. next 4-5 years, your life will be filled with lots of fun due to the new born. you would want to spend each moment if possible with your bundle of joy. I am sure you would sure go on longer drives. What you need is spacious both within the cabin as well as boot/storage area, reliable car that has great road grip, comfortable drive as well as great (at least best in class) after sales service that helps you keep the car on the road more often than in the service station

3. Your budget (affordability) would be key. i am sure you would also like to focus on your new born's future and prepare for the same. a good value for money car which delivers all above is what i suggest you to consider.

ofcourse, choices you have are all great, i suggest that you test drive all, consider your driving needs, calculate total cost of ownership and then make your decision.

keep us posted on both the count downs (1) buying the car (2) arrival of your bundle of joy.

[Makesh]

Thanks Ravveendrra, that's a valid point as 14k is low for diesel but once we get a good car I am sure long trips will increase!

geeash, the only cause of worry in Linea is the rear seat space and leg room, is it good as I failed to notice during TD, hope to try it again.

[Makesh]

Thanks a bunch starVegabond!, yep its a feeling of once in a lifetime especially for first timers, hope to cherish each moment.

Space and comfort are the main prioraties that's the reason I first considerd Inova but 10.5L for G was a bit too much, isnt it?

[aaggoswami]

The cars you can consider are :

1) SX4 :
It has space, reliability, good A.S & S., good dynamics, good comfort and is reasonably quick for you as already you have mentioned you are not pedal to the metal kind. Also note that this car has got good GC, an important parameter once the car is loaded. The driving position is also good and after Santro you wont feel awkard as the driving position is high as compared to G3HC i.e. ANHC.
About FE, FE depends a lot on driving. If you are able to get 19 on a trip with four people, then you are not a driver who wants to hear then engine screaming.

2) Jazz : Its a hatch and you can read GTO's and other thread on how they felt during test drive of Jazz.

3) Have you considered Xylo. Its not very expensive, now comes with ABS and is IMHO, better than Scorpio as far as handling goes. Very spacious, comfortable tourer and its diesel.

4) Have you considered Swift Dzire ? Its a saloon with enough boot space and is available in diesel too. Very VFM package.

[StarVegabond]

Originally Posted by Makesh

Thanks a bunch starVegabond!, yep its a feeling of once in a lifetime especially for first timers, hope to cherish each moment.

You are welcome. Yeah, I have gone through this once in life time experience 7 years ago.

Space and comfort are the main prioraties that's the reason I first considerd Inova but 10.5L for G was a bit too much, isnt it?

Innova is great w.r.t. space and suitble for large families.
It is my choice whenever i hire a car for official purpose for longer drives.
it is worth every Rupee provided you have a driver + parking area

[indiandevil]

I suggest you wait for the new Golf/Polo being launched by Volkswagen in September of this year. This car will be a four-door premium hatchback with similar interior size comparable to that of an SX4. I know this cause I owned one in the US, last year. This car has better quality interiors and is overall a better drive than any of the current 7-9 lakh sedans sold in the indian market today. You could proabably find more info on this im sure, just though I'd let you know before you make your decision

[muralisk]

I would suggest you wait for all the new cars/ models to come out with their launches and then get back to the drawing board.

From the list, I would recommend you Linea followed by Honda City.

[geeash]

geeash, the only cause of worry in Linea is the rear seat space and leg room, is it good as I failed to notice during TD, hope to try it again

The rear leg room is very good in linea. who said it is crampy???

Wait ill take a picture of the rear leg room with my front seat fully pulled back and post it for you. then you can decide!!!!!!!

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by geeash

The rear leg room is very good in linea. who said it is crampy???

.....

Answer: Somebody suffering from elephantiasis or filaria or, someone who is dyslexic and thinks F-I-A-T spells M-O-N-S-T-E-R.


Cheers,

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

The common consensus regarding Diesel engines seems to be that if the running is going to be above 24000 Km in a year, then they are worth it. Unless your running is going to double (from the present 14000 Km a year in the Santro) please stick to a petrol engined car.

That is not necessarily true. Now days most people are converting from Petrolheads to Diesel aheads because of the huge amount of torque present and ofcourse the bump in bhp is also quite reasonable.

Another couple of reasons being the difference between diesel and petrol not being so high and when you get addicted to that torque you tend to drive more miles

[adithyav]

I agree with most of the posts here but I'd say choose between the Linea, the ANHC and the Jazz. It is a close run thing between them as personally I feel these would be inmportant factors with respect to your needs
ANHC : more fun to drive, gorgeous front end looks (neighbour's envy), grea interiors.
CONS: Low height would make getting in and out harder, not all that spacious or comfortable at the rear seat

Linea: For your price range is the best chauffeur driven car because I would say it has the most comfortable rear seats of the lot.

Jazz: A do it all vehicle that can fulfil a whole bunch of needs. Some feel it is overpriced but I think it is an extremely capable vehicle that can serve your needs for a long time. Also, the higher stance would make it a lot easier to get in and out especially for older people (or if you are carrying a baby)

The SX4 is a decent vehicle with a long equipment list but I feel the interiors and the overall quality isn't top notch.

You mentioned inlaws and back problems in your first post so I'd say avoid an SUV like a Safari (or a Scorpio as others suggested) for now as getting in and out might be a problem for older people.

If comfort and space is the order of the day, you could look at a Innova which would be extremely comfortable and practical (and not as hard to get in/out as SUVs) but would fail to live up to the neighbour's envy that you might be looking for.

My vote, being a Honda fan, would go for versatile, "can do anything" Jazz. Good luck deciding and congratulations in advance for the new member of your family

[k2max6]

I just got some news that might be useful here.
SX4 would be launched with VVT-i around October.
Better FE.

I was wondering if one should go for SX4 at this point of time.

[Makesh]

Sorry for the delayed reply Guys, was out of town.

Hei geeash, are you still pushing the seat back!

Mobike008, Rightly said.

adithyav, yep the vechicle has to be comfortable and I would love to go for Inova but price :(

K2max6, is it only engine change or a cosmetic makeover?

aaggoswami, Swift Dizire is out of question, for that I would better go for the Punto.

Thanks for the tip indiandevil, but I may need a vechile within next month so wait too long is not an option.

muralisk, as I said have to select from the current lot, may be your choice is what comes first.

[k2max6]

Only the Engine with VVT-i.

[geeash]

Here are the pics

The legroom with front seats pushed totally back to the fullest to the maximum. (When the seats are pushed to maximum it feels like it has the same leg room as that of punto.)

These are the pictures with front seat comfortable positioned for front seat sitting.

It definitely has a great leg room than contemporary cars.