Maruti Baleno or Hyundai i20: Which one should I buy as my first car

The car will be my daily driver. My budget is Rs 7-8 lakh & I'm not considering Tata Motors or any other brands.

BHPian KadiNiSikhiya recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi all,

I'm planning to buy my first car, and it will be my daily driver. Budget is 7-8 lakhs OTR. Will be usually driving alone, but at times would include up to 4 adult passengers and their luggage. It would see 30% city driving and rest on the highway, totalling up to almost 300-500 Km per month, so need space in the boot and room in the power band to pull on highways.

Short version questions

• Baleno vs i20, which would be better (lower running and maintenance costs)?
• In the case of the i20, Diesel or Petrol?

Longer version

Wanted to stick with MS, but contenders here leave one thing or the other missing.

Ignis is fun to drive but has less space for rear passengers and even lesser space in the boot.

Swift too compromises on boot space and rear seating space. Plus, its low GC makes one wary of taking it on potholes riddled roads.

Baleno/Glanza 2022 ticks most of the boxes, but I'm sceptical about its build quality and its lower trims miss out on some very important features that are hard to come by even in after-market retrofit, such as rear AC vents. Plus, its engine's highway performance has also been questioned by many.

Not considering Tata Motors or any other brand besides Hyundai. That's because a friend of mine left me the keys to his 2nd gen i20 Asta (Petrol) and I drove it for 3 weeks. Folks in my family too had nothing to complain about it. Although initially, I thought it to be a diesel and when I drove it like one, it had the power to deliver but when I realized it's a NA Petrol, I couldn't understand why its engine was so sluggish in pulling from lower speeds (30-40) in 5th gear. As long as the gear shift came in the 2000+ rpm range, it had the power, if done so, at a lower speed or rev, it would peter out.

Now, looking at the offerings of the current i20, I'm confused at various levels.

If I'm to look at mileage then the diesel offering is a no-brainer, but then that takes me out of my budget range. If I stick with Petrol then while 1.2 NA Magna would be OK, the Sportz would stretch my budget, but I'll be happy with it and would just need quality foot mats whilst Magna would require some after-market job down the line.

Here's what BHPian SanjayW had to say about the matter:

I'll advise you to consider the Tata Altroz diesel. It has very good build quality, very good interior and exterior, is fun to drive, has very good ride and handling on highways, and 5-star safety rating.

No harm in taking a test drive. Also, you won't have any DPF issues as 70% of your driving is on the highway.

BTW I own a Tata Altroz diesel XZ plus. It is 4 months old and has covered 4300 km. I am very happy with my purchase.

Here's what BHPian na_agrawal had to say about the matter:

Considering all of those above points that you yourself have already tried and tested, why don't you give the Honda Amaze a shot. It's fun to drive, that i-Vtec is silky smoothy, with good fuel efficiency, the boot is ample for a car of that size, and is decently kitted (not the fancy features). Hondas are reliable and generally safer than an MS/Hyundai. You don't need to opt for a diesel at that kind of running, so it should fit into your budget give or take 50k.

Do let us know what you finally decide on.

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