Just turned 18 & want to learn driving: Which used hatch to buy?

Scorpio-N is out of bounds, Glanza is not a manual, and SX4 is too old and dangerous.

BHPian PetrolHead2272 recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Dear BHPians,

I thought I knew how to drive since when I was 10. I always used to ask my dad to give me the keys and let me drive but at that time my feet barely even reached the pedals. Now, I'm finally 18 and not in the mood to waste another day waiting for the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a fun to drive and sexy looking machine.

However, the biggest problem is what car?

The current garage consists of a -

• 2024 Mahindra Scorpio N Z6 Diesel Manual
• 2023 Toyota Glanza S Petrol Automatic
• 2009 Maruti Suzuki SX4 Petrol Manual

The Scorpio-N is absolutely out of bounds for me. It is my dad's car, barely half a year old and I have clear instructions to not even attempt to touch the car till I have logged in a few thousand miles behind the wheel.

The Glanza is more like a secondary beater car. I can drive the Glanza but it is an automatic and I strictly want a manual. Automatic is for when 'budhapa' hits.

Now finally, the SX4:

It's a 2009 model, 16 years old almost and illegal to run in Delhi NCR (Although we got it re-registered in another state). The car has thrown many problems at us over the years and since my family cares about my safety they don't want to hand over the SX4's keys to me. Anyway, everything about that car needs to be changed (Engine mounts, AC filter, repainting, etc).
Honestly, if the SX4 was in a better condition, I would not be writing this thread. Mind you the car looks dent free from the outside, it's only upon close examination you see paint gone from everywhere and the engine just nearing its end.

To sum up: Scorpio N is out of bounds, Glanza is not a manual, and SX4 is too old and dangerous atp.

The question is - what car?

What I need is a petrol manual car, roughly for around 4-6 lakhs and the biggest and most important requirement is that it should be fun to drive. Echoes of V8's play in my ears and petrol flows in my veins I can tell you that. So even if the car doesn't have a touchscreen, AC, etc. it's fine, it just has to be fun to drive.

Options:

• Honda City
• VW Polo TSI
• Skoda Rapid

.....so far just these names have been tossed around, open to your suggestions.

Also, no Ford/Fiat/MS cars. I know they're damn fun to drive but for some reason, I am not considering these brands at all.

Putting another question in the mix -> Is it worth restoring the SX4 (It is insanely fun to drive too) or should I rather spend that money buying some other car?

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:

Congrats on hitting that all important milestone for any young petrolhead - that of reaching legal driving age. It reminds me of the sheer excitement I held while going to get my own learners license to I could finally get behind the wheel of our family car then.

I’m going to go slightly left of centre. You are spending your parents’ money and this is your FIRST car - so maybe it’s not the ideal time for cars oriented towards high performance.

To start with, buy something like a sparingly used Swift maybe. It’ll be economical to own and run (parents’ money remember), it’s powerful enough to be fun and possibly forgiving enough to account for any youthful transgressions. A good car for you to put on some learner miles over the next few years and it’ll do well to serve as a beater for the family as well if / when they need. It’s got a nice youthful look to it as well.

Finally, it’s likely to not break the bank on depreciation either when you finally decide to move on from it. I think a MT Swift can be a nice companion to be that beginner steed for an 18 year old.

Once it sees you through your college years, I’m sure it can pave the way for whatever “first self bought performance oriented car” that you see fit from your early earnings.

Here's what BHPian yedukrishnan199 had to say on the matter:

Considering your garage, I don't think you need a new car at all, Consider your SX4, whether the engine is still in good shape, get it repaired or restored and you are good to go. the SX4 has a good 1.6L DOHC VVT producing 105 bhp of power and 145 Nm of torque, good 170 mm ground clearance and you already own it, so there is nothing to look for besides this. Get an estimate of the repair cost and if it is within a feasible limit, get it done and you are good to go.

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

Congratulations upon your turning 18. Since the Scorpio N and Glanza in your family are not in consideration as your daily driver, you may better opt for a not much used car (2-3 years used) of your choice. Petrol engine should be preferred as a diesel is destined to be used for only 10 years. And since you are in the NCR do not ever think of the SX-4 now as street legal. They are brazenly impounding such older vehicles. Needed to have taken a NOC and disposed it off by 2022 to help it reach a good home.

Here's what BHPian shankar.balan had to say on the matter:

Always nice to see young folks with a passion for automobiles.

I would suggest as follows.

1. First, Sell that SX4. There is no way youre going to be able to drive it in the region in which you live. Yet there is a market for these cars. And there are folks who will happily buy, restore and use it or sell ot onwards. Yes it is a great car. But your location obviates its use.

2. For a ‘starter’ car, consider the following;

A. a relatively newer Maruti Suzuki Swift - from the last lot of the 4 cylindered ones if possible. This is truly one of the best ‘ affordable’ cars in India in terms of joy of handling and responsiveness and makes the perfect car to hone your skills on.

B. an Ignis - an excellently built and highly accomplished car.

C. a second-hand, recent Maruti Jimny - this will encourage you to hone your skills and give you the freedom to explore all sorts of places. And it will give you at least 15 years of legal usage. (I also bought one second-hand) and honestly, it is one of the ‘smarter’ things I did.)

Personally I would advocate that you hone your driving skills on a Manual Transmission vehicle more than on an AMT or CVT AT.

The good thing about these is the Maruti Service, overall reliability, nice little naturally aspirated engines, inexpensive maintenance and the whole lot of possibilities of ‘enhancement’.

D. For the German experience I definitely agree with your liking for the Polo. It is a beautiful looking car and handles very nicely.

E. Since NCR is ‘THE’ place for used fancy cars, if budget permits, you can even aspire to an used Mini Cooper S or similar. That will catapult you into a totally different league amongst your peers and associates. And the handling and feel is sublime.

However, all German cars are going to be more expensive to maintain.

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