Planning My Second Car. EDIT : Final contender, the SX4!

rajatsingh78 · 18th August 2009, 11:33

@amitk - Are you pointing towards Xylo, if yes, then I am sorry but I do not like the car at all
@pramod - why I need a car with high GC....check the attached pics, there were many times I was very frustated because of the low GC, in the last two pics I was returning with a friend of mine (he has a Dzire) and there was a cloud burst in an area, hill roads were washed out, and in the foot hills, small streams were quite flooded, though the water flow was not too strong all the time I was worried about hitting the underbody, then I had to ask the occupants of my car to get out of the car in the middle of the jungle so that I could steer my car without any damage, and at that point of time I thought to myself why I bought a low GC car, if I would had a higher GC car I would have not put the occupants on risk and simply drove away, btw this route was right in the edges of the Jim Corbett National Park and quite popular for elephants

MileCruncher · 18th August 2009, 11:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by rajatsingh78

@amitk - Are you pointing towards Xylo, if yes, then I am sorry but I do not like the car at all
@pramod - why I need a car with high GC....check the attached pics, there were many times I was very frustated because of the low GC, in the last two pics I was returning with a friend of mine (he has a Dzire) and there was a cloud burst in an area, hill roads were washed out, and in the foot hills, small streams were quite flooded, though the water flow was not too strong all the time I was worried about hitting the underbody, then I had to ask the occupants of my car to get out of the car in the middle of the jungle so that I could steer my car without any damage, and at that point of time I thought to myself why I bought a low GC car, if I would had a higher GC car I would have not put the occupants on risk and simply drove away, btw this route was right in the edges of the Jim Corbett National Park and quite popular for elephants

I think you are moving towards the Bolero as Scorpio/Safari seems to be out of your range. PM me if you want more inputs.
Cheers

amitk26 · 18th August 2009, 12:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by rajatsingh78

@amitk - Are you pointing towards Xylo, if yes, then I am sorry but I do not like the car at all

Not Xylo but something which was not in that list that is Safari LX. it is feature rich and extremely comfy in the similar budget you are looking at have a look at travelogues of ADC and tracks he has covered in 4X2.

-ves of Safari LX 4X2 .

1. Can seat only 5 Adults and 2 kids not a people mover
2. May be after a couple of years you will get that itch that I should have purchased 4X4.

rajatsingh78 · 22nd August 2009, 19:10

Hey Guys,

Just came back after test drives of two cars/SUV -

First was the Tata Safari 2.2 VVT, before the actual test drive, let me share the pre-sales experience, I called in the morning and came to know that the guy who scheduled the test drive was on leave so someone else would be coming, I was told that the test vehicle would reach me around 1 pm, till 3 pm I was given "golis" and finally frustrated I left the house without waiting anymore, the guy kept saying that he was in some traffic jam, on the main road I saw a brand new Tata Safari entering my area and I guessed it was him, I didnt stop but kept on driving towards my destination, then the guy called me after 30 minutes and I told him that I already left, finally he came to the restaurant where I was about to start my lunch and gave me the test drive, initial impressions, LIAR is the only word that I can think of.
Drive position is awesome and one literally looks upon the other vehicles on the road, if someone is not giving you a pass, just a blink of the headlight is enough to get noticed, acceleration is moderate but at the same time impressive since the beast is around 2 tonnes. Turning radius is big (as compared to my swift) but again impressive considering the size of the vehicle . Getting in and out of it was like climbing in and getting off, unlike my swift where one lies down.

Over all the Tata Safari is either for those who want to show off, or for serious offroad enthusiasts ( it doesn't wobble like the high center of gravity Scorpio.

Now after this I drove to the nearest Maruti showroom to try the SX4

Initial experience as soon as I got in was clastrophobic, generally the theme for today's designs are "big on inside, small on outside" however I think SX4 was designed keeping in mind the other way round. Swift feels very spacious, even my wife's first impression was that its not at all spacious. Now the good part about the car, very very impressive engine considering that its just over 100 bhp (102 to be precise), it responds like the multijet diesel that does duty on my current car. Very agile handling, superb braking, very nice driving position, amazing ground clearance (190mm !) I think its the max one can get in a sedan in India (though SX4 is sold as a compact SUV with 4X4 in europe...our country's bad luck that its not sold in that avatar).

Just for knowledge's sake I asked the true value guy there to evaluate my car, which he did and confirmed 3,50,000\- after some negotiations the amount was stretched to 3,80,000\- and I think I would get more in case I sell her in the open market.

Now the worst part, Safari rejected because 4X2 as good as useless for off-roading (I might sound an idiot but if someone can correct me on this please do), and secondly its way beyond my budget,
SX4's interior space is so cramped that while driving around it never felt like a sedan, very very disappointing so this goes off too.

You know guys, I am facing the same confusion as I was 2 years back when I had 2.5 lakh cash with me and I was deciding which car to buy, started with a Wagon R, tested Santro, almost decided on the Honda City, then settled for Swift VDi, its the same confusion, and earlier I thought buying a second car would be like a walk in the park

MileCruncher · 22nd August 2009, 21:37

I suggest checking out the Bolero CRDe.

rajatsingh78 · 22nd August 2009, 21:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

I suggest checking out the Bolero CRDe.

I tried locating their dealer near Miyapur, but the only one they have is in Secundrabad, which would be very far from my place

rajatsingh78 · 31st August 2009, 15:37

As some of you might have read in another thread of mine, I have decided on a Grande Punto Emotion Pack and convinced my wife for buying a decent second hand Gypsy King MPFI as the hill/offroad car,which would then be loaded with creature comforts, the parking issue for a second vehicle has been solved as well

harishnayak · 6th September 2009, 08:29

How much is your VDi going for? Also have you found the Gypsy?

rajatsingh78 · 6th September 2009, 11:13

I have quoted 4.25L for which buyers are ready to have a look, so I guess it can easily fetch me 4L and I have yet to locate a gypsy

rajatsingh78 · 21st March 2011, 15:29

A little recap - After getting engaged in Feb 2007, I thought of buying a car, we (my then wife to be and myself) started looking at the various options. Our budget was around 4 lakhs, so we shortlisted Santro, Wagon R and Swift P. Santro was dismissed by me (don't want to get into reasons because it might offend the Hyundai owners here), Wagon R was too removed from the list due to asthetical reasons though its has one of the best in class interior space and boot. At that point of time neither me nor my better half liked the design of the Swift, specially the rear end. But still we thought of checking it out again. At this final test drive the showroom guys turned up with a Swift D "by mistake". One test drive and I was completely swept by its performance. But the price on road was 5.5 lakhs a whole 1.5 lakhs more than our budget. Anyways to cut the long story short, I chose the car and my wife chose the color. In 2008 we moved to Hyderabad and like most IT guys here from other states, we were almost instantly harrassed by the RTO officials for road tax. We paid around 40K and since we were planning atleast 3 years here, we also got the car transferred here with AP number.

Present - Got a good opportunity back in Noida and planned to sell the car (the entire experience will require a separate thread). Fixed the deal with a guy and in 2-3 days the car will be no more with me.

Confusion - What car to buy? Almost 4 years of diesel ownership has taught me that paying that 1 lakh extra is good enough only if your mileage is approximately 60-70 kms per day (average). Good Torque, less gear change are other benefits.
In my initial ownership of the Swift D I completed 24000 kms in the initial 1.5 yrs. However in Hyderabad it took 2.5 yrs to complete the same amount of kms.
I am planning on two cars, one gypsy MPFI (second hand) for weekend/hill/forest getaways and one diesel hatchback for city driving and trips to Agra. Currently I have 4 lakhs of funds (from my Swift D sale) and some savings. Planning on minimum car-loan to make the liabilities least.

My Take - Buy a second hand small car like Alto for the time being, later sell it and buy the new Swift (me and my wife really liked it with respect to the youtube videos)

Any suggestions ?

rajatsingh78 · 11th April 2011, 17:05

Guys, finally back in Delhi NCR (Ghaziabad) and went yesterday to the new VW showroom in sector-6 NOIDA, the staff was courteous, as expected from VW. Test drove Polo TDI, went with 3 family members and all echoed the same sentiment about cramped rear seat (as compared to Swift), good points were the peppy engine (not as smooth as the Swift D) but very expensive. Even the sales rep said that its ownership is 25% more expensive then the Swift D, plus no free services

Went to Hyundai showroom, and they wanted me to book the i20 without a test drive, according to the sales rep they do not have any i20 diesel for test drive and neither is the company providing them with one!! what nonsense...

Confusion prevails between diesel vs petrol, hatchback vs sedan...need some help here guys, when I owned the Swift D, I did 24000 kms in 15 months of ownership

libranof1987 · 11th April 2011, 18:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by rajatsingh78

Guys, finally back in Delhi NCR (Ghaziabad) and went yesterday to the new VW showroom in sector-6 NOIDA, the staff was courteous, as expected from VW. Test drove Polo TDI, went with 3 family members and all echoed the same sentiment about cramped rear seat (as compared to Swift), good points were the peppy engine (not as smooth as the Swift D) but very expensive. Even the sales rep said that its ownership is 25% more expensive then the Swift D, plus no free services

Went to Hyundai showroom, and they wanted me to book the i20 without a test drive, according to the sales rep they do not have any i20 diesel for test drive and neither is the company providing them with one!! what nonsense...

Confusion prevails between diesel vs petrol, hatchback vs sedan...need some help here guys, when I owned the Swift D, I did 24000 kms in 15 months of ownership

24k kms in 15 months : that is quite a bit! You should rather consider petrol then. By the way, is this mostly city driving or highway?

About sedan or hatch, depends mostly on whether you'd be using the car for everyday use (office) or weekends/trips. If it's mostly for family outings, you could consider a sedan; else a XL hatch should do fine.

rajushank84 · 11th April 2011, 18:18

Hi,

Buying two cars is one thing, but are you prepared to maintain both? (not only in terms of cost, but also everyday things like cleaning etc take time and effort).

If yes, I would suggest a few options:
1. Slightly used Nano or 800, this side of 1.5 lakhs (for the city runs)
2. Used Gypsy / Jeep / Bolero for those hill runs you mentioned for 3 to 5 lakhs

I myself want to do the same in future, but I cannot afford it right now, and besides I find it too much of work to keep one car clean, I don't know how I will keep two in decent condition

rajatsingh78 · 18th April 2011, 17:41

Re: Planning My Second Car - Suzuki SX4 Finalized

@libranof1987 - Yes everybody advised for a petrol motor, because in anycase I will use public transport for office commute.

First I was planning for Ford Figo Diesel and a second hand Maruti Gypsy, but like most members here said that maintaining 2 cars is tough, I parked this idea for later, plus I won't be doing hardcore offroading for now, and SX4 provides some decent GC for bad patches and hilly non-tarmac roads

The majority of the run would be -

1. Monthly trip to Agra (400 kms) which in some cases might be bi-monthly
2. Once in 2-3 months 400-600 kms trips to the hills
3. Weekend trips within NCR

Zeroed in to the VXi variant, most dealers offered the following -

1. 3rd year warranty - Rs.3990 included in the price
2. Rs.11000 - Gift Cheque
3. Rs.3550 - Corporate Discount
4. Rs. 5000 worth of MGA
5. Other accessories - Floor mats, mud flaps, steering cover, car cover, 3M film

Final on-road price would be -
Rs.760,000 (approx.)
Rs.765,000 (with 4th year warranty)

Any suggestions? Thoughts?

Aroy · 20th April 2011, 12:35

Have you thought of the SX4 VDI, though it is around 80k more it may give you that diesel feel you are used to in the Swift, as well as save some money on the fuel.

18th August 2009, 11:33	#31
rajatsingh78 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Agra/Ghaziabad Posts: 291 Thanked: 29 Times	@amitk - Are you pointing towards Xylo, if yes, then I am sorry but I do not like the car at all @pramod - why I need a car with high GC....check the attached pics, there were many times I was very frustated because of the low GC, in the last two pics I was returning with a friend of mine (he has a Dzire) and there was a cloud burst in an area, hill roads were washed out, and in the foot hills, small streams were quite flooded, though the water flow was not too strong all the time I was worried about hitting the underbody, then I had to ask the occupants of my car to get out of the car in the middle of the jungle so that I could steer my car without any damage, and at that point of time I thought to myself why I bought a low GC car, if I would had a higher GC car I would have not put the occupants on risk and simply drove away, btw this route was right in the edges of the Jim Corbett National Park and quite popular for elephants Attached Thumbnails Last edited by rajatsingh78 : 18th August 2009 at 11:38.
	() Thanks

22nd August 2009, 19:10	#34
rajatsingh78 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Agra/Ghaziabad Posts: 291 Thanked: 29 Times	Hey Guys, Just came back after test drives of two cars/SUV - First was the Tata Safari 2.2 VVT, before the actual test drive, let me share the pre-sales experience, I called in the morning and came to know that the guy who scheduled the test drive was on leave so someone else would be coming, I was told that the test vehicle would reach me around 1 pm, till 3 pm I was given "golis" and finally frustrated I left the house without waiting anymore, the guy kept saying that he was in some traffic jam, on the main road I saw a brand new Tata Safari entering my area and I guessed it was him, I didnt stop but kept on driving towards my destination, then the guy called me after 30 minutes and I told him that I already left, finally he came to the restaurant where I was about to start my lunch and gave me the test drive, initial impressions, LIAR is the only word that I can think of. Drive position is awesome and one literally looks upon the other vehicles on the road, if someone is not giving you a pass, just a blink of the headlight is enough to get noticed, acceleration is moderate but at the same time impressive since the beast is around 2 tonnes. Turning radius is big (as compared to my swift) but again impressive considering the size of the vehicle . Getting in and out of it was like climbing in and getting off, unlike my swift where one lies down. Over all the Tata Safari is either for those who want to show off, or for serious offroad enthusiasts ( it doesn't wobble like the high center of gravity Scorpio. Now after this I drove to the nearest Maruti showroom to try the SX4 Initial experience as soon as I got in was clastrophobic, generally the theme for today's designs are "big on inside, small on outside" however I think SX4 was designed keeping in mind the other way round. Swift feels very spacious, even my wife's first impression was that its not at all spacious. Now the good part about the car, very very impressive engine considering that its just over 100 bhp (102 to be precise), it responds like the multijet diesel that does duty on my current car. Very agile handling, superb braking, very nice driving position, amazing ground clearance (190mm !) I think its the max one can get in a sedan in India (though SX4 is sold as a compact SUV with 4X4 in europe...our country's bad luck that its not sold in that avatar). Just for knowledge's sake I asked the true value guy there to evaluate my car, which he did and confirmed 3,50,000\- after some negotiations the amount was stretched to 3,80,000\- and I think I would get more in case I sell her in the open market. Now the worst part, Safari rejected because 4X2 as good as useless for off-roading (I might sound an idiot but if someone can correct me on this please do), and secondly its way beyond my budget, SX4's interior space is so cramped that while driving around it never felt like a sedan, very very disappointing so this goes off too. You know guys, I am facing the same confusion as I was 2 years back when I had 2.5 lakh cash with me and I was deciding which car to buy, started with a Wagon R, tested Santro, almost decided on the Honda City, then settled for Swift VDi, its the same confusion, and earlier I thought buying a second car would be like a walk in the park
	() Thanks

22nd August 2009, 21:37	#35
MileCruncher Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: MH01 Posts: 4,235 Thanked: 592 Times View My Garage	I suggest checking out the Bolero CRDe.
	() Thanks

31st August 2009, 15:37	#37
rajatsingh78 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Agra/Ghaziabad Posts: 291 Thanked: 29 Times	As some of you might have read in another thread of mine, I have decided on a Grande Punto Emotion Pack and convinced my wife for buying a decent second hand Gypsy King MPFI as the hill/offroad car,which would then be loaded with creature comforts, the parking issue for a second vehicle has been solved as well
	() Thanks

6th September 2009, 08:29	#38
harishnayak Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: DELHI Posts: 1,396 Thanked: 125 Times	How much is your VDi going for? Also have you found the Gypsy?
	() Thanks

6th September 2009, 11:13	#39
rajatsingh78 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Agra/Ghaziabad Posts: 291 Thanked: 29 Times	I have quoted 4.25L for which buyers are ready to have a look, so I guess it can easily fetch me 4L and I have yet to locate a gypsy
	() Thanks

21st March 2011, 15:29	#40
rajatsingh78 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Agra/Ghaziabad Posts: 291 Thanked: 29 Times	The Vortex of Confusion A little recap - After getting engaged in Feb 2007, I thought of buying a car, we (my then wife to be and myself) started looking at the various options. Our budget was around 4 lakhs, so we shortlisted Santro, Wagon R and Swift P. Santro was dismissed by me (don't want to get into reasons because it might offend the Hyundai owners here), Wagon R was too removed from the list due to asthetical reasons though its has one of the best in class interior space and boot. At that point of time neither me nor my better half liked the design of the Swift, specially the rear end. But still we thought of checking it out again. At this final test drive the showroom guys turned up with a Swift D "by mistake". One test drive and I was completely swept by its performance. But the price on road was 5.5 lakhs a whole 1.5 lakhs more than our budget. Anyways to cut the long story short, I chose the car and my wife chose the color. In 2008 we moved to Hyderabad and like most IT guys here from other states, we were almost instantly harrassed by the RTO officials for road tax. We paid around 40K and since we were planning atleast 3 years here, we also got the car transferred here with AP number. Present - Got a good opportunity back in Noida and planned to sell the car (the entire experience will require a separate thread). Fixed the deal with a guy and in 2-3 days the car will be no more with me. Confusion - What car to buy? Almost 4 years of diesel ownership has taught me that paying that 1 lakh extra is good enough only if your mileage is approximately 60-70 kms per day (average). Good Torque, less gear change are other benefits. In my initial ownership of the Swift D I completed 24000 kms in the initial 1.5 yrs. However in Hyderabad it took 2.5 yrs to complete the same amount of kms. I am planning on two cars, one gypsy MPFI (second hand) for weekend/hill/forest getaways and one diesel hatchback for city driving and trips to Agra. Currently I have 4 lakhs of funds (from my Swift D sale) and some savings. Planning on minimum car-loan to make the liabilities least. My Take - Buy a second hand small car like Alto for the time being, later sell it and buy the new Swift (me and my wife really liked it with respect to the youtube videos) Any suggestions ?
	() Thanks

11th April 2011, 17:05	#41
rajatsingh78 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Agra/Ghaziabad Posts: 291 Thanked: 29 Times	re: Planning My Second Car. EDIT : Final contender, the SX4! Guys, finally back in Delhi NCR (Ghaziabad) and went yesterday to the new VW showroom in sector-6 NOIDA, the staff was courteous, as expected from VW. Test drove Polo TDI, went with 3 family members and all echoed the same sentiment about cramped rear seat (as compared to Swift), good points were the peppy engine (not as smooth as the Swift D) but very expensive. Even the sales rep said that its ownership is 25% more expensive then the Swift D, plus no free services Went to Hyundai showroom, and they wanted me to book the i20 without a test drive, according to the sales rep they do not have any i20 diesel for test drive and neither is the company providing them with one!! what nonsense... Confusion prevails between diesel vs petrol, hatchback vs sedan...need some help here guys, when I owned the Swift D, I did 24000 kms in 15 months of ownership
	() Thanks

11th April 2011, 18:18	#43
rajushank84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,116 Thanked: 1,098 Times View My Garage	re: Planning My Second Car. EDIT : Final contender, the SX4! Hi, Buying two cars is one thing, but are you prepared to maintain both? (not only in terms of cost, but also everyday things like cleaning etc take time and effort). If yes, I would suggest a few options: 1. Slightly used Nano or 800, this side of 1.5 lakhs (for the city runs) 2. Used Gypsy / Jeep / Bolero for those hill runs you mentioned for 3 to 5 lakhs I myself want to do the same in future, but I cannot afford it right now, and besides I find it too much of work to keep one car clean, I don't know how I will keep two in decent condition
	() Thanks

18th April 2011, 17:41	#44
rajatsingh78 BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Agra/Ghaziabad Posts: 291 Thanked: 29 Times	Re: Planning My Second Car - Suzuki SX4 Finalized Re: Planning My Second Car - Suzuki SX4 Finalized @libranof1987 - Yes everybody advised for a petrol motor, because in anycase I will use public transport for office commute. First I was planning for Ford Figo Diesel and a second hand Maruti Gypsy, but like most members here said that maintaining 2 cars is tough, I parked this idea for later, plus I won't be doing hardcore offroading for now, and SX4 provides some decent GC for bad patches and hilly non-tarmac roads The majority of the run would be - 1. Monthly trip to Agra (400 kms) which in some cases might be bi-monthly 2. Once in 2-3 months 400-600 kms trips to the hills 3. Weekend trips within NCR Zeroed in to the VXi variant, most dealers offered the following - 1. 3rd year warranty - Rs.3990 included in the price 2. Rs.11000 - Gift Cheque 3. Rs.3550 - Corporate Discount 4. Rs. 5000 worth of MGA 5. Other accessories - Floor mats, mud flaps, steering cover, car cover, 3M film Final on-road price would be - Rs.760,000 (approx.) Rs.765,000 (with 4th year warranty) Any suggestions? Thoughts? Last edited by rajatsingh78 : 18th April 2011 at 17:43.
	() Thanks

20th April 2011, 12:35	#45
Aroy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,582 Thanked: 2,741 Times View My Garage	re: Planning My Second Car. EDIT : Final contender, the SX4! Have you thought of the SX4 VDI, though it is around 80k more it may give you that diesel feel you are used to in the Swift, as well as save some money on the fuel.
	() Thanks