[hamster]

Okay, time to share my confusion.
Been owning a Swift VDi since 2009. Has clocked around 75K Kms in 5 years. The car is still going good, except that with my son's arrival, we were feeling it is short of boot space. Also, my spouse who used to sit next to the driver seat with ample leg room, had to shift to the rear seat, to be along with my son. Rear seat comfort for her has been compromised due to this.
Moreover, to carry my son's kingdom wherever he goes, was looking for a car with sufficient boot space and leg room in the second row.

New Car Requirement
1) Sufficient boot space to carry maximum week's luggage of 2 adults and a KID.
2) should have good ground clearance to handle Bangalore's unscientific humps.
3) should be able to comfortably walk into the car than crawling into it. Have some elders in the family and have to consider their comfort too, even though they do not travel with me very often.
4) Budget 10Lacs. Stretched Budget - 10.5 (to include accessories which I want)
5) Okay with a petrol too, since my daily commute has come down from 30 kms to 10kms per day.
6) Long Drives would be around 6K Kms scattered across the year (quarterly drives to Chennai and half yearly drives to KK). Total Kms done would be around 10K per year (max).
7) Would prefer the top-end with all the features required.

Cars Interested in and TD'd
1) Renault Duster : Awesome driver's car with a tick to all my reqs except for the budget.
2) Ertiga : Didnt want a seven seater, but the rear row seating didnt impress my spouse.

Cars Considering now (Have Not TD'd yet)
3) Ford Fiesta Classic - Fits almost all the reqs. Looks to be the waiting period is 3 months (can anybody confirm this).
4) New Fiat Linea TJet - Concerned about the service, otherwise would go for it.
5) Leaving it to the forum ...

All helps/thoughts to help me overcome this confusion would be much appreciated

[hillsnrains]

Originally Posted by hamster

Okay, time to share my confusion.
Cars Considering now (Have Not TD'd yet)
.....
3) Ford Fiesta Classic - Fits almost all the reqs. Looks to be the waiting period is 3 months (can anybody confirm this).
4) New Fiat Linea TJet - Concerned about the service, otherwise would go for it.
5) Leaving it to the forum ...

You can also add Honda City to your list, but it is little above your budget (fully loaded car only considered).
T jet will be the best fit considering your budget and requirements (as you are open for Petrol car). I heard ASS experience improved after separating from TATA, current FIAT owners please add in your first hand experience. In terms of performance T jet comes right next to VW TSI, so my vote goes for T jet.
All the very best for your hunt.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by hamster

Cars Considering now (Have Not TD'd yet)
3) Ford Fiesta Classic - Fits almost all the reqs. Looks to be the waiting period is 3 months (can anybody confirm this).
4) New Fiat Linea TJet - Concerned about the service, otherwise would go for it.
5) Leaving it to the forum ...

All helps/thoughts to help me overcome this confusion would be much appreciated

Most of the C2 Segment sedans will satisfy your requirements. Unfortunately if the budget of 10L is a hard constraint, then it will mostly rule out the top and top-1 versions of most of them. The top petrol variants (and maybe top-1 variant) of the City, Verna, Vento, Ciaz, Linea are all priced above 10L On Road Bangalore (Unless there are major discounts). If you can extend to ~11 Lakhs, all these should work for you and you can TD and chose what works best for you. Otherwise you have to go for the lower variants.

Within the 10L budget, from full sized sedans you have the Etios and Ford Classic. Both are kind of dated now and may not feel like a good upgrade. The Sunny/Scala twins would also satisfy your requirements and can be had a 10L with discounts. But coming from a Swift Diesel, may be dull to drive.

The other option is to look at the C1 Semi-Sedans like the Dzire, Xcent, Zest and Amaze. Out of these Amaze would meet your requirements best. Spacious, has a 400L boot and is good to drive. The Zest would also be a good option. Xcent may not meet your space requirements. For all these you can probably get even the top end diesel at 10L.

[venkyhere]

Last year, I was looking for a ~10L diesel.
I eventually ended up going for the rapid rather than vento (after narrowing down to these two from my original list of ertiga/linea/verna/classic/fiesta/vento/rapid) ,

These were the things that I think rapid did better than vento :
1) less bouncy over not-so-smooth roads beyond 60 kph
2) much better noise insulation
3) I dont know whether it's the ECU map or actually some bias from my brain, the rapid felt more 'urgent' and 'eager to be punished' when I tried to drive rashly (pedal to metal) over an empty stretch. it just seemed to have more "reserves" when doing 5th gear overtaking. Both cars were tested on the same stretch and both were ~20K run TD vehicles.

my Q is w.r.t the 1.5 TDI versions of both these cars today. Does anyone have anything to report on the differences between the latest models of vento/rapid ? Are they really "same" now ?

[DessertOnWheels]

So well, I ended my quest for a sedan by ending the quest for a sedan. I opted for a used Yeti 4x4 Ambiente instead. Yes, I disputed myself on this & went for a used car. There's a user review being penned & moderated by tbhp & should be out in public soon.

A quick data sheet:-
Yeti 4x4 Ambiente.
Sept 2011
140 bhp/ 320 nM
<34K on the odo
New tyres (Falken)

The car, oops, crossover, has been maintained really well. On the outside I discovered just two inconspicuous scratches.

Am I liking it? I'm loving it. I've been intermittently driving a Yeti 4x2 for the past two years & it grew on me gradually. Test drove the Duster AWD & was convinced to put my money on the Yeti instead. I liked the Duster quite a bit, but couldn't bring myself to get one home.

Its been 10 days & we've been to Pune & Surat already. Goa is planned next week & Bangalore + Ooty next month. The Yeti is meant to woo the highways & shines there. Since a lot of highway travel is anticipated, I'm glad I forewent the desire for a sedan.

The Yeti is a cleverly designed car & shines in the city too (with its compact size). Negotiating traffic is really easy & parking is a breeze too (the park assist helps a lot). On the highways its a different story altogether. She shines on the highway with the eager & able engine, adequate ground clearance, stubborn stability & amazing acceleration (for a car its size).

Others contemplating a sedan may want to try out a used Yeti before taking a decision. But yes, its not too common on used car sites.

A lot more to share, but on the thread being penned.

Happy motoring :-)

[petrolhead_neel]

Back on this thread after some months. While most of you who had replied to my earlier posts think that we already have bought a car-- the truth is something else. Fact is that every time there is something or other comes into buying a car. But being a petrolhead, this doesn't stop me from researching on more and more cars.

A brief intro of the car we need once again. I live in a family of four. We are yet to buy our first car. I being a car enthusiast and Dad being a biker and lover of dynamically sorted cars with free-revving petrol engines, we sure need a car that drives well and has a stonker of an engine. It has to comfortably seat four on long highway rides. Running will be pretty less at <500 km/month, consisting of city rides and some really long weekend highway drives. High speed stability is a major factor, Dad being a RE biker, the king of stability. FE is not a priority, but good FE appeals to all! The car should have good build quality as we intend keep the car for many years to come. And yes, one major concern is safety. It should be a solidly built car designed to absorb impacts and should have ABS and airbags.

Now the cars shortlisted are as follows-
Ford Classic 1.6l Petrol Duratec Titanium
Now, we have been eyeing this car for quite a long time. We just love this car. Doesn't matter whether it's terribly outdated, it just ticks all the right boxes. Also, this car belongs to a family of an almost extinct, dying breed of cars. You know what I mean- free-revving NA petrol, Hydraulic power steering with that lovely feel et al. It has good boot space too. And yes, we have an authorized Ford dealer and service center in our locality.

VW Polo GT TSI
OK, so we don't have an authorized dealer or A.S.S, but does it matter if we truly love the car? Packed with cutting edge tech, built like a tank, what more do we need? But it does lack in rear bench legroom, which is a great concern. Also, no boot space compared to the Classic.

Upcoming Fiat Punto T-Jet
Gets all the points the GT gets plus some more, for the manual tranny and the HPS. But we don't have Fiat A.S.S in the locality again, not sure about the service in Kolkata too, which is a mere 110 kms.
Upcoming Honda Fit/Jazz 1.5
Don't know much about this car, so won't write anything here.

We would probably be booking th car in March, after my semester exams finish(yet to start).

So, again need help from the gurus here.

Cheers,
Neel

[H_Dogg72]

GT TSI all the way!
Since your running in less, it's the best option. Make sure that you have a proper service station. Because with the ESP and the DSG a proper VW service center is a must.

[petrolhead_neel]

Originally Posted by H_Dogg72

GT TSI all the way!
Since your running in less, it's the best option. Make sure that you have a proper service station. Because with the ESP and the DSG a proper VW service center is a must.

That's the only problem minus the rear legroom.
The showroom/A.S.S is like 115 kms. away. Out of the cars mentioned above, we have only got Ford service. Other dealers in my locality are Tata, Maruti, Hyundai, Mahindra and Chevy.
Seems like all the BHPians are bored of answering my queries so only one reply I got till now.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel

That's the only problem minus the rear legroom.
The showroom/A.S.S is like 115 kms. away. Out of the cars mentioned above, we have only got Ford service. Other dealers in my locality are Tata, Maruti, Hyundai, Mahindra and Chevy.
Seems like all the BHPians are bored of answering my queries so only one reply I got till now.

If Ford service is nearby, I'd strongly recommend the Fiesta Classic. I agree with your points about the strong points of this car. You can read my LTO thread on what a delight this car is.

However, be warned that the car will be phased out this year, though parts will be available for another 10 years.

The GT TSi is another great car, though its steering lacks feel. And boot space is less than the Fiesta Classic.

[petrolhead_neel]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

If Ford service is nearby, I'd strongly recommend the Fiesta Classic. I agree with your points about the strong points of this car. You can read my LTO thread on what a delight this car is.

However, be warned that the car will be phased out this year, though parts will be available for another 10 years.

The GT TSi is another great car, though its steering lacks feel. And boot space is less than the Fiesta Classic.

Thanks a lot sir. Yes, I have read your LTO report of your Red Injun and it was very inspiring. You also proved that if done meticulously, maintaining a Ford car is not expensive.
Glad to know that spares will be available for another ten years!
One question - when you take your car out for a ride and in the plethora of modern feature loaded cars, do you ever feel outdated?
Cheers,
Neel

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel

One question - when you take your car out for a ride and in the plethora of modern feature loaded cars, do you ever feel outdated?
Cheers,
Neel

No, never! Just wait for a chance to spot an opening in city traffic, and with pedal to metal, nothing comes close! You gotta feel it to believe it!

[IshaanIan]

The Ford Fiesta and the Polo GT are both extremely good cars to drive (my vote between the two going to the Fiesta), however, as a family car, you might have complaints about space somewhere down the line. They both come with very cramped rear benches and as the years pass your family might begin to regret that.

I would suggest the Linea T-Jet. If there are apprehensions about spending a lot on a Fiat, then the Etios Liva 1.5 trd should do perfectly. Otherwise wait for the Honda.

As a first car, the Etios Liva makes the most sense to me being reliable, spacious, uncomplicated and cheap to maintain

[599gto]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel

I live in a family of four.....
need a car that drives well and has a stonker of an engine..... Running will be pretty less at <500 km/month......
High speed stability is a major factor.....
It should be a solidly built car designed to absorb impacts and should have ABS and airbags......

Hi petrolhead_neel

The Volkswagen Polo GT TSI meets your needs perfectly.

The engine is probably the best petrol engine one can buy for less than 10 lakh rupees.

It will comfortably seat 4 medium built human beings and the boot is big enough too.
(If you find it short on space, the Vento TSI is not too much of a stretch and performs equally well.)

High speed stability of the Polo is well known, I can vouch for that, my daily drive is Polo TDI Trendline, and it is nothing short of rock stable at well above 100 KMPH.

The car is solidly built, well designed and definitely good to look at!

The GT TSI is equipped with airbags and abs too.

Regarding the After Sales Service issues, I for one genuinely think its not all that bad, most cases are over hyped! I don't know about the dealer in your area but I am sure blessed to have BU Bhandari as one of the two VW dealers in Pune, never had a bad experience, at least nothing to write about.

And, that is one car you would happily want to inherit from your dad in the next 5-6 years, you can mod it to your happiness and it'll still be competent 5-6 years down the line! (Plus, VWs and Skodas are perfect cars to be ICE'd, so as and when you acquire a liking towards good music, and want to plonk in decent ICE equipment, owning one of these cars will make you really happy!)

PS: Everytime I read anything written by you, I go, I wish I was that good when I was 12-13. Way to go young man!

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel

Back on this thread after some months. While most of you who had replied to my earlier posts think that we already have bought a car-- the truth is something else. Fact is that every time there is something or other comes into buying a car. But being a petrolhead, this doesn't stop me from researching on more and more cars.

A brief intro of the car we need once again. I live in a family of four. We are yet to buy our first car. I being a car enthusiast and Dad being a biker and lover of dynamically sorted cars with free-revving petrol engines, we sure need a car that drives well and has a stonker of an engine. It has to comfortably seat four on long highway rides. Running will be pretty less at <500 km/month, consisting of city rides and some really long weekend highway drives.

From your list, I would recommend the Polo GT TSI. Although the Punto T Jet is also a very good option, considering the way our cities and traffic is headed, I personally believe an AT is the way to go.

Having said that, since you are a family of 4 and planning long weekend drives in the new car, the rear seat space and boot space may become a constraint with the hatchbacks. What ever said and done, there is nothing like the convenience of a big boot on those long highway drives.

With that in mind, I recommend to try out the Vento TSI also. It overcomes the rear space and boot constraints of the polo without compromising on drivability and performance in real world scenarios.

[anand.shankar82]

Dear TBHPians

I currently own a Mahindra Scorpio SLE MHawk which has been with us for 5 years and has served us perfectly well all this time.

We have had several long road trips with "Ironhide" (what we call him) over these years

However, not one of these trips has gone without one of my little girls always requiring us to pull over to the side of the road because they get car sick in about an hour of travel

My better half seems to think this has to do with the excessive body roll which is associated with the Scorpio and hence wanted to see what other alternatives are best suited to travel with kids without facing too many such car-sickness problems

Requesting your expert advise on what is the best car around (keeping in mind below parameters)

1. Minimal to no body-roll (basically do not want the car to behave like a boat over bumps or under braking)
2. Seats 5 comfortably
3. Adequate boot capacity
4. Budget of under 10 lakhs
5. Sedan preferred but hatchbacks are also OK I guess if the boot is large enough
6. Maintenance and service should not become a major worry
7. Fuel efficiency (not the most important factor but good-to-have)

My shortlist so far is as below
1. VW Vento
2. Honda City
3. VW Polo
4. Ford Fiesta Classic
5. Chevy Aveo
6. Maruti Ciaz
7. Fiat Linea
8. Hyundai i20 Elite
9. Tata Manza

Thanks
Anand

PS: Sorry if this post is irrelevant or wrongly worded in any way