Budget Rs. 10 lakh: Looking for an AT hatch to drop my kids to school

I have a Fortuner currently and I have no intention to sell it. But driving 24 km daily will ensure that my finances will take a hit and cause unnecessary pollution in addition.

BHPian hajaar recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello all,

I will be moving my house to a place which is about 12km from its current location. Unfortunately, my childrens' school and wife's office are very close to my current house and it is not possible to move those.

It takes about 25 min (about 24k both ways) to drive from my new home to school to drop my kids there. Pickup will be through a known auto driver, so that is taken care of.

I have a Fortuner currently and I have no intention to sell it. But driving 24 km daily will ensure that my finances will take a hit and cause unnecessary pollution in addition. Public transportation is a no-no since it is hit or miss.

I thought that I could instead look at a cheap (maybe beater) hatchback to drop my kids at school and use my Fortuner for longer runs on highways. I am looking for an AT (so that my wife can drive) hatchback which is either electric or CNG or a petrol sipper at worst. Maintenance should be cheap. I am also ok with a second hand vehicle.

Suggestions welcome.

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

Your usage pattern seems to be perfect for a Tiago/Tigor EV, as you will be keeping your Fortuner around for the longer runs. Assuming that charging at home would not be an issue, you could go right ahead with it. I'd say a Nexon EV would be overkill; just my two cents.

Good luck with your decision.

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

If you want to go the EV route, You have one choice, The Tata Tiago EV, A good small car with enough space, a 4-star NCAP safety rating, and an adequate range for city commutes.

Automatic transmission CNG vehicles are not yet commonplace in India, so they are not an option.

If you are looking at petrol options, quite a few are available. The Honda Amaze, Maruti Baleno, Hyundai i20, and Honda Jazz are all great options to consider whether new or used.

As you haven't specified a budget, I have assumed a budget of around 10 lakhs as you can only consider EVs from this price range.

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

A Brio T\torque Converter, Jazz/WR-V CVT and Micra CVT are the best second hand deals if a petrol automatic is being considered. They are all reliable being Japanese, and their automatic powertrains are also competent and reliable as well. if you don't mind going a step lower, the A-Star or even a Ritz automatic also makes for a good deal matching the Brio Jazz and Micra in all quality and reliability areas except in terms of autobox performance and competency (reliable but not the smoothest or the best by any means).

Here's what BHPian anjan_c2007 had to say on the matter:

After reading your post regarding concerns about driving 24 kms daily on the Fortuner to drop your children, I feel you can surely afford to microscopically dent your budget, keeping the fact on your mind that safety of the little ones is the prime concern for their parents. When you have spent Rs 40-50 L for buying a Fortuner, the budget etc should not bother you.

12+12 kms in any city or around any town will be treacherous as you will encounter morons and also road zombies of many hues on their two, three, four and six or six plus wheelers. A SUV is the best bet on such treacherous roads to keep us cocooned from these road zombies and morons.

As a second vehicle for your Mrs for her driving, nothing beats a Maruti 800 or next a Tata Nano, but unfortunately these have gone or are soon going into the RIP category.

Any good and best selling hatch from Maruti or Hyundai (they have models that have failed to sell that should be avoided) should be a preferable buy in your case.

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

Keep first choice as Tiago Ev (8-12L on road with subsidies).

Maruti Celerio is a really good petrol car (6-8L on road).

Lower variants of Ignis.

Maruti’s should give you around 15-18 kmpl average very easily.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.