Ecosport vs Baleno: Which used car to replace my 2008 Honda Civic AT

I plan on keeping this car for a long time and will be doing road trips as well. I love driving, so more than features, the engine and the ride quality matter to me.

BHPian zaid_ames recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians,

I sold my Honda Civic AT 2008 few months back due to ingress and egress issues for my parents and was on a hunt for a used car. After a lot of painful waiting and searching, 3 weeks back came across a 2016 Ecosport diesel with 35k on ODO. The owner lives in my uncle's building and as per my uncle this car was not used much. I went with my dad and took a test drive and the car was buttery smooth, felt like a heavy car. BUT the price quoted was slightly higher than the market. Tried negotiating but owner did not budge. Loved the car, paid a token amount. Yesterday my younger brother informed me that one of his friends was planning to sell off his 2019 Baleno which is hardly 18k driven and the price quoted is lesser than the EcoSport as he facing some financial difficulty and wants to sell off the car to settle off some debts.

Both the cars are in really good condition and via reliable sources. I am really confused as to which one to be consider. I was never a fan of the Baleno for its poor build quality though Maruti engines are revv happy and smooth & I have never driven a Baleno before. On the other hand, the Ecosport diesel is a gem of a engine and its body shape makes it easier for my parents to get in and out & I fell in love with its drive quality while test driving.

I plan on keeping this car for a long time and will be doing road trips as well. I love driving, so more than features, the engine and the ride quality matter to me. Need your advice and suggestions in helping me making a good long term decision.

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

From what your requirements are, the choice is obvious. But how much are you getting these cars for? That really matters before one finally decides and gonna mess the heart decision. The ingress need you mentioned, do check with folks on both Ecosport and Baleno coz that should not again become an issue.

All that apart, I would bargain again and close on the Ecosport.

Against Ecosport:

• Ford shut shop.
• 2016 model vs 2019.

Against Baleno:

• Not as tough as Ford.

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

As a car, Ecosport anytime against Baleno. Ecosport is build tough, good tourer and a great city car too. Will be more safer car also.

But Baleno will be easy to live with considering Maruti ASS. And while Ford support now will be okay, considering you are planning to keep the car for long, it might not be easy later. So it depends whether you are prepared for that uncertainity.

Logical decision will be Baleno, as it is newer, lesser kms run and priced lesser.

But then Ecosport.

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

We own a Baleno used by my parents, so I can safely say that it is not going to be a very comfortable car for people above 5'10" with respect to rear headroom or for long trips due to the lightweight body which isn't easy on the back of passengers, even on slightly uneven surfaces.

As for the EcoSport, Ford's exit puts uncertainty on aftersales support and I personally felt the rear a bit too cramped with respect to leg room compared to Baleno.

My suggestion will be to look for a used S-Cross. It is reasonably ok to drive and the suspension is good enough for bad roads. You will get the ease of ingress/egress as well as Maruti support for long term. I own a used SX4 and a friend recently picked up a used S-Cross 1.6. We both have senior citizen parents and they have had no issues with the ingress/egress unlike Baleno (slighly low, not as much as Civic) or Hexa (too high, now sold). It sort of is a safe middle way between the Baleno and EcoSport. And you will probably find older ones going at lower prices than Brezza and about the same prices as Baleno, unless you're getting a really great deal with the Baleno. Good luck with your hunt.

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