Best cars under Rs 25 lakh ideal for low usage & long idling periods

Open to cars across segments, from i20 to XUV700.

BHPian Bit recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Experts,

What (kind of) cars are currently on the market that should be preferred for cases with long idling periods? I have to stay out of India frequently and the car might remain parked for a month or even two in some cases. The last thing I'd want is to come back home, and frustratingly call the service centre for a jumpstart.

While I had set my mind on XUV700 due to its value for money in the segment, I have read the car being reluctant to start after just 7-10 days of standing still, let alone two months. Is it seriously this bad?

And if the above example is true, does that extend to most connected or ADAS-loaded cars, which means cars like HECTOR, New Safari, etc are out of the question? I feel cursed to have to stick as less techy as possible, since more tech = more battery drain.

My budget is between Rs 15 - 25 lakh for a spacious vehicle across segments, current contenders are the i20, XUV300, Creta, Hector and XUV 700.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Buy the car you really like. Then, during long periods of non-usage:

• Use a trickle charger like the Bosch C7 (which has many fans on the forum)

OR

• Disconnect the battery

Don't overthink the choices. There is a lot more to cars than buying based on how they will handle long periods of non-usage.

Here's what BHPian shancz had to say on the matter:

As a guiding principle, sadly yes. Even things like the intrusion alarm are a constant drain when armed, so is the auto-sensing of key and auto unlocks going right upto the connected cars like the XUV700(Adrenox)/Hyundai(Blue & Me) and likewise for other manufacturers which constantly maintain a data link with the servers along with geofencing and OTA updates.

You can try the XUV700 MX with MT as that doesn't have the Adrenox and generally the base, base+1 variants which don't have connected features and even keyless entry to avoid higher battery drain.

But from your shortlist, the XUV300 MT would be the best bet. The old-school nature is something which will work in your favour. Will leave the variant selection to you. Try to avoid keyless entry if possible.

Here's what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

Get a Honda City Gen5 CVT. Simple, proven and time-tested mechanicals. A solid, reliable, no-nonsense family car. There is nothing else that has more chance of starting at the first crank, every single time. Year after year.

Here's what BHPian nishsingh had to say on the matter:

Just thinking that a small, petrol Maruti car should be ideal based on my experience:

1. My in-laws visit their hometown once every year for a week.
2. The car doing duty is a humble Maruti Suzuki petrol Alto
3. The car doesn't have a battery; instead, a battery is rented from a nearby battery shop at Rs 50/- per day
4. The lack of a battery is also an anti-theft mechanism in a way
5. The car starts and works as intended and probably gets service once every 3-4 years.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.