Hello Hi Everyone,
I have been reading (and using) this website for some time, but I registered only a couple of days back.
I am from Chennai and have been driving an i10 Asta 1.2 (manual without sunroof) for the past 5 months, which I upgraded to after having owned a Santro LS Zipdrive for almost 10 years. The decision to chose an i10 was helped partly by Team-BHP (wasn't an avid reader of Team-BHP website at that time). Just to share a few facts on this particular choice and how the other options were eliminated:
What I needed: A petrol hatchback (am not comfortable with sedans), decent fuel efficiency, good service, reasonable space (for a family of two and a half), nice pickup, good handling in the city as well as highways.
The other choices (and reasons for elimination) were
1. Fiat Grande Punto emotion pack - while the engine (1.4l) and structure was certainly worthwhile, some of the interior parts looked distinctly cheap & plasticky and no one could give me an idea of the FE (one blog said < 9 kmpl). Of course, the disappointing treatment at the dealer (prices printed on poorly photocopied sheets of paper, no catalog/brochure available and the fact that I could test drive only a diesel vehicle!) forced me to scratch this option.
2. Honda Jazz - the really ridiculous price tag (Rs. 8.2 lakhs), every thing else being realy fine. Drop the price by Rs. 1.5 lakhs and I would have taken it! With that price tag I would expect a bigger engine. Plus there were too many fancy features that I would perhaps never get to use. The magic seats are wonderful in space management, but considering that I have needed to fold the rear seats of my previous Santro on just three occasions in the past 10 years, it did not seem worth the price tag.
3. Hyundai i20 - extremely pleasing and comfortable in most respects, but I thought the 1.2 kappa engine was too small for it. Getting in and out of the driving seat was also not very comfortable (knee kept banging the steering wheel).
4. Maruti Ritz - except for the rear, everything about this car was great. There was a very long waiting period though and I could not get myself to get past the oddball rear.
5. Indica Vista - although this was perhaps the most done up vehicle with the maximum features for the price, the interiors seemed somewhat inferior. Again, like the Punto, the dealer left a lot to be desired.
6. Aveo -UVA - too scared to touch a GM product. Saw what happened to a few friends with their Matiz after Daewoo collapsed.
That left the i10 as the only option and after 5 months of driving around, I am really happy with my decision. Am already getting 12-13 kmpl. There are a few niggling issues, which I shall post later.
A lot of my observations do tally with the test drive reports of Team-BHP and that strengthened my interest in joining this group.
Of course, I do want to mention that this was my subjective manner and logic of arriving at a decision and this, in no way, is meant to hurt or offend the feelings/logic/reasoning of other owners who have had their own approach to the purchase their vehicles!
Cheers,
Ssbiitm |