[sapien]

Greetings to all the lovely folks here at team-bhp. I am writing to seek help for my daily commute which involves total 25 km of city drive with moderate to dense traffic.

Background :

We have 2 cars and 2 two wheelers :

• XUV700 Petrol AT : Primarily used for longer drives, we got it in 2024. I don't mind using it for the commute but the petrol bills and size are deterrents.
  
• Tiago Petrol Manual : Its 8 year old and a manual, I love driving automatics in city traffic. Planning to sell this one soon, just keeping it for wifey's wishes to have a smaller car for her in case of some last minute need. She's not comfortable driving the AT SUV yet.
  
• Dio : Its nearly 13+ years old and suspension has gone to the dogs! Used for super short grocery runs etc. Q : What will be the cost to overhaul the suspension and how long will that last?
  
• Honda Stunner : Its completed 15 years in 2023 and I want to sell it, but registration needs to be renewed which costs nearly 11-14k with all taxes and fines. Max resell value is going to be 15k so its just lying around in the garage due to sentimental value of being the 1st bike - lot of beautiful memories with my then fiancee, now wife

Need :

Till now, I was primarily working from home so there was no such pressing need, but due to a recent job change, I need to go to the office crossing the superb city roads, if you know what I mean! In order to reduce the outflow from my pocket I'm leaning to towards getting a new EV two wheeler but also exploring an idea of selling Tiago and getting a small EV like Comet etc, due to its size advantages. PS : The new place that I am joining is likely to have a paid transport service. Also, we have only 1 car park, using someone else's parking for now to park the XUV. And, it rains for 3-4 months here, so those days I will be only using a car. Now, those of you who are still with me, I have these specific requirements for the EV 2 wheeler if I decide to buy one. Requirements remain the same if you are suggesting to get a smaller car, just that it should be an AT -

• Super comfortable.
• Reliable - spoilt by Hondas in my garage.
• VFM in terms of initial costs as well as service.

Shortlist :

• TVS iQube : Most comfortable from what have understood from the internet / media.
• Ather Rizta : Most reliable brand with a good charging network, but I don't like the looks of Rizta, only if 450 series were available with a comfort suspension.
• Chetak EV : This has everything going for it, but somehow not sure. Convince me How comfortable is it ?
• Classic 350 / Harley 440 : This is a wildcard option to get while we still have some thumping ICEs around, might push me make solo 1 day trips to the country side and enjoy the greenery!

So here's to all the knowledgeable experts,

• Q1 : Is it reasonable to buy a new vehicle? or shall I continue with with whatever I have in my garage? Am I just being materialistic!
• Q2 : If yes, what makes more sense in long run, EV/ICE 2 wheeler or EV car ? Note I am 36 years of age working in IT with somewhat average physical health.
• Q3 : If you were in this situation, what will you buy literally ?

I am open to all kinds of advice, suggestions - pour in!

[salluks]

Had the same situation last year and went with Iqube. If I had to remake the decision today I would honestly sell all 3 vehicles and instead buy MG comet(or BYD Seagull if it existed here). it however depends on children(if u have).

[Sensible_Speed]

If you're replacing the Tiago, an EV might bee a good choice. The Tiago EV or a mid variant Punch EV should fit the bill perfectly. Regarding scooters, I picked the Rizta coz it looks cooler, but all the above are well proven products and you can pick any one of them.

[travelhead]

For long commutes with bad roads, scooters are the not the right vehicles to buy due to smaller wheels and less suspension travel. I learnt it the hard way after I bought a scooter for office and city commutes (45kms a day).

Is the stunner comfortable to ride in city ? If it's in good condition and can handle the bad roads then good to continue with it.

If you want a new vehicle for city (and occasional 1 day trips) I would suggest you to buy something with long suspension travel (like Himalayan, Scrambler 400x etc).

[AulusGabinius]

Personally I always think about the fuel cost vs. the upfront cost when thinking about ICE vs. petrol. A Rizta 2.9 kWh Z carries a premium of 26,000 over a similarly equipped Suzuki Access, and maybe a little more over a TVS Jupiter 125. That's approximately 58 tanks of fuel, or about 15,000 km worth of fuel with the minor hassle of fuelling once a week, vs. initial range anxiety and plugging in every night. So if the cost is what you think you'll save, then that's what's worth considering IMO. Personally I would never consider a four wheeler for a regular office commute, it's much too slow and the creature comforts are not worth it to me at all. My personal suggestion would be:

1. Sell the Dio and buy a Jupiter 110 for errands and to try two wheelers for the commute.
2. Sell the Stunner if you're not planning on running it much, that can be used a little later to get another motorcycle, a Classic or otherwise.
3. Hold on to the Tiago until a hybrid Baleno or a Fronx comes out, otherwise go for the automatic of your choice.

[GTO]

The weather is getting way too H-O-T and I've never agreed with using a 2-wheeler as a daily ride due to safety reasons (especially since you have the option of affording a car).

Sell the Tiago MT. Getting old, and MT is out now.

An EV is perfect for your use case. Either a Tiago EV or even better, the Punch EV . You anyway keep your cars for long, so buy the better car (Punch EV) and enjoy the drive. Wouldn't suggest the Comet EV as it's extremely barebones (even the suspension is way too basic).

[shankar.balan]

If you have the ability to do so, please buy a small city car.

For your usage pattern as outlined, close your eyes and buy the tiny footprint, well designed, super efficient little MG Comet.

MG has a far better service reputation than Tata does.
And the Comet is perfect for the city. Parking. Squeezing through narrow streets. Airy Glasshouse so it is spacious. Great for office commute, weather proof, local loafing, grocery shopping etc. Cheap as chips to charge and run.

My money is absolutely on MG Comet.

[ike]

Since you have a Tiago that is getting old, I'd suggest to go in for an MG comet and let go of the Tiago. I haven't driven one but that size should be super convenient in the city and your wife would be able to manage it effortlessly as well.

[BullettuPaandi]

Should I continue with whatever I have?

The answer is almost always 'Yes', if this question ever occurred.

I don't know how much a suspension upgrade would cost on the old Dio, but surely it is no comparison to buy a new 2W/4W. You have all you need now; except for an automatic city car, which is rather a want. But strictly based on how you describe your need,

- After a suspension upgrade, the old Dio should feel comfortable enough
- You won't find Japanese reliability in any EV 2W
- VFM is at its most when you make the most use out of what you've already spent your money on.

Check if the paid transport service can be availed during monsoon months alone; if not, the Manual Tiago should be doable for the occasional use. On the contrary, if you happened to find a good deal on your Tiago, does Comet EV seem to be a good option. I think keeping the old Dio with upgraded suspension, would still be worth it at least to serve as a back-up.

[100Kmphormore]

Depends on your age and fitness. I would straightaway go for a 2 wheeler considering the maddening traffic these days. Go for the RTR200 4V without hesitation. Decent power and suspension compared to a scooter with the safety shield of dual channel ABS and the racing DNA is a must experience. Since you rode a bike earlier, accelerating away with the wind in your face is a short respite after a long day on an empty section.
Get rid of the Dio. It literally has no suspension travel and my skeleton-like built friend could feel every bit of the road. The Stunner too is too old and not inspiring enough to pick up the keys to.

[arjunsatheesh]

MG Comet would be a good option. You can use it in all types of weather and that car is so easy to drive in the city.
After a long day at work, relaxing in a car with the AC on and some good music is bliss. Since this is a small car, your footprint on the road would not be that large as well.
I know people who are ditching their big vehicles(even 2-wheelers) for the Comet.

[KSTejaswi]

I noted three main points:
1. Office offers paid transport facility
2. Rains for 3~4 months
3. You already have 2W & 4W at home - 2W needs repair and the 4W works well enough

My suggestions are :
1. Please opt for the company offered facility - apart from not having to deal with traffic, it will give you some time to catch up on some "me" time - watch something, chat with family/professional network, or simply nod off.
2. Rains could mean it's a good thing you have company's transport - to wait in peace, while you connect remotely to work. It could also be a hassle if you have to wade through water to get to your pickup spot. I'd suggest taking help from someone going that way, if you only need to go a very short distance (say 100~200m) to the pickup spot.
3. Overhauling the suspension of the Dio shouldn't cost more than 15k (the parts themselves should cost around 10k~11k). While doing this, you might find some other stuff that needs working on, so say 20k. And now you have a fully functional scooter that's fit for the short runs.

If you find these suggestions suitable, there's no need to upgrade the car at all. An 8 year old car is now fully paid for, and as long as it works well, it deserves its spot. Office transport does the daily grind, Dio does the short hops to markets, etc. Tiago does the occassional office or intra-city runs and the XUV does the leisure trips/highway duties.

[rvd8732]

I was in a similar dilemma but chose to use the Honda Unicorn, is 15 years which needed basic service, saving myself from EMI, service cost, insurance cost and out of pocket expenses. I also have planned to keep my 14 year old diesel Ritz for another 5 years before I change it to pocket friendly car.

In the meantime, I have also booked Ultraviolet Tesseract; I have about 10 more months before I decided either to buy or take a refund.

[dicor]

Originally Posted by sapien

[*]Q1 : Is it reasonable to buy a new vehicle? or shall I continue with with whatever I have in my garage? Am I just being materialistic![*]Q2 : If yes, what makes more sense in long run, EV/ICE 2 wheeler or EV car ? Note I am 36 years of age working in IT with somewhat average physical health.[*]Q3 : If you were in this situation, what will you buy literally ?[/list][/indent]I am open to all kinds of advice, suggestions - pour in!

I don’t know which part of the earth you belong to. What are taxes on EV in your state. Let me give you an answer from commercial perspective.

Q1 - What will be the cost to overhaul the suspension and how long will that last?
Not sure what exactly wrong with suspension of Honda Dio. Front or rear both? Sometimes aged tires also reduce the ride quality.
Let's consider 5000 Rs for tyre swap and suspension overall. With this, it can last another 7 years.

Q2 - Is it reasonable to buy a new vehicle? or shall I continue with whatever I have in my garage? Am I just being materialistic!
Answer – It depends upon lot of factors.

Q3 - If yes, what makes more sense in long run, EV/ICE 2 wheeler or EV car ? Note I am 36 years of age working in IT with somewhat average physical health.
Answer – Depends upon usage and infrastructure. What type of charging do we use? Availability of service center.

Let’s talk about possible scenarios now.

CASE 0 - Want to buy RE / HD
This is no no-brainer sir, if this is what you want, go ahead and buy it. We live only once. Commercials will not work here. Case closed.

Common Assumption

• Monthly running 600 KMs
• Price calculations are for Pune
• Inflation is not calculated
• Battery replacement at 8th year

CASE 1 - Want to buy a new EV scooter but already have a scooter in the garage that requires some maintenance.
Assumptions & Inputs -

• Dio needs 5000 to get into action.
• Year 3 & 8 you will need to spend another 3000 for RC renewal

Result - After 9 years, you will hit the breakeven point and EV will become more useful. But you need to consider whether would you be able to ride the scooter on the road after the completion of 20 years. Most probably E20 petrol will kill your engine.




CASE 2 - Trade-off old ICE scooter with new EV or a new Honda Activa
Assumptions & Inputs -

• Dio can be sold at Rs 15000 now

Result - EV is the best bet.



If you like the answer, click “Thanks” below.

[Phantom 510]

I would suggest you to restore the Dio, a fresh coat of paint, set of new tyres, check the electricals, replace the suspension and keep it running. It will be a good project too. These scooters are bulletproof and hardly breaks down. No wonder it served you for so many years. Lastly, saving that money is not a bad thing IMO.