Petra?

sivadas · 10th May 2006, 11:09

I am another satisfied petra owner and bought it only because of Team-BHP.
5.54 lacs on road was an absolute steal (as per bangalore standards) for a 1.6 ltr car (though I would have prefered the ELX model which came much later). And I am getting a mileage of 10.5 -11 (with 50% AC) in the horrible bangalore city traffic.
Let me give you Pros Cons of Petra :
First Good Points
1. Looks - For me Petra looks beautiful, compact and muscular. Big enough but not too big to create parking issues
2. Performance - You will enjoy it.
3. Ride - Suspendion is much harder compared to Baleno and many other cars in the class. Which is really good when you are driving fast. You might miss the plush feeling at lower speeds.
4. Boot - Boot is huge (at 500 ltrs. it is probably the largest after Skoda). That really helped me at many of my trips to native as well as Airport.
5. Gearshift - Again a delight to use. It has a reverse gear lock as well.
6. AC - Is excellent.
7. GC - Effective ground clearance is really good and helps me a lot here in bangalore.
8. Comfortable - Front seats are really comfortable and supportive.
9. Spare parts cost - It is very low compared to competition.
10. Mileage - I am getting 10.5 -11 consistently with 50% AC.

Now the negative side
1. Turning radius - This is a tad more than most of the other cars, which is irritating at times.
2. Interior - Is very ordinary.
3. Back seats - Not so good; more flat and less thigh support.
4. Spares availablity - I did not have any serious problem. But understand that few suffered during Tata-Fiat alliance initial stages. Things seesms to be Ok now.

Nothing else comes to my mind now. Any way, please take test drive of all the cars you like. There could be some other point (which is important to you) that could be a decisive factor for you.

And you can checkout my gallery as well
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vbpicg...?do=hall&u=553

greatDrive · 10th May 2006, 11:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by ap9dm

One more point, I stay pretty close to office. So maximum use for the vehicle would be once a week long ride in mumbai and once a month long ride outside mumbai.

thanks

I am another satisfied owner of petra.
I walk to my office ( just .75k from my home) and use my car mostly on weekends, mostly long drives outside Bangalore.

Best thing which I like about Petra was its power, Ride quality and its boot(huge 500 ltrs).

My Son's Pram( full size) easily fits in its boot with still some space left for other Items which are needed for outings.

Will recommend you to take a test ride of corsa, Ikon, Baleno an Petra on highways( wher you will be driving mostly) and see the difference by yourself.

Happy deciding.

GD

pingmepal · 10th May 2006, 12:00

Hi ap9dm,

I know it is tough to decide when investment is huge !!. I am happy owner of Petra ELX for last 6 months. Instead of repeting, have a look at my review on Petra on mouthshut.com http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Fiat_Petra-98383-1.html

regards
Sudhakar

deepakhon · 10th May 2006, 12:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by greatDrive

My Son's Pram( full size) easily fits in its boot with still some space left for other Items which are needed for outings.

Hmmm. My daughter's pram occupying my Palio's boot is one of the excuses because of which I am planning to upgrade either to Petra or Adventure next year.

devarshi84 · 10th May 2006, 12:43

1. trouble-free-I was worried about the current rattling problems in Swift, and I was also curious how bothersome these rattlings are in a Car. I have never owned a car.

I have also heard of that Issue. I last drove the swift in 2005 August. It beloged to my friend who is also a dealer for maruti. The rattle was not present in his car. But I am not too sure.

2. Good looks- The cars I really like in terms of look are Swift, NHC, CRV.
It still depnds on you.
3. Power- I am looking for adequate power.
Palio, baleno and adventure are powerful. lancer has adequate power and all the cars are fun to drive.

4. Space- By space, I meant enough for comfortable ride. The main reason for going for Sedan is status symbol

palio adventure will surely get you some recognition. And Lancer is the most spacious around.

5. FE- FE upto 10 is fine. All the 4 cars will give 10 or more FE.

Esteem, baleno, accent and lancer are outdated
[AP] What are the disadvantages of an outdated model. If resale value is the issue, then would it not be sale the case that 5 years from now Petra may have lower resale value. BTW which cars have the best resale value.

Maruti cars have highest resale followed by others. Outdated models lack resale, lack finesse, lack latest features. Though Baleno has been selling well as maruti keeps on adding a thing here and there at a nominal price. Scale efficiencies help maruti in a big way.

indigo lacks power and petra is better at the price mentioned.
xeta is bettered by palio 1.6 with better looks and power.
WagonR is a superb little replacement but u dont have a budget problem
swift scores on looks,interiors,and just adequate power
[AP] Does swift have better interiors??

Yes certainly better interiors compared to Indigo,wagonR, Baleno, Lancer, palio, Adventure and most other cars below 6lacs.

Getz looks better, low rider but swift and palio take it for a ride
ford fiesta 1.4 is a good option but low on power for your needs
Instead of petra palio adventure rocks

To buy look at palio adventure/palio 1.6. If not a fiat I would look at lancer or baleno.

[AP] I was curious about why everyone is recommending palio adventure/palio 1.6 instead of petra..

For a simple fact that Adventure has more character than Petra and more Space too. petra is just an additional boot to the palio and adds 40kgs. I like palio but am not really a fan of petra. Its the adventure for me.

I would suggest you take a test drive of all the cars.

palio 1.6
Palio adventure 1.6
lancer 1.5
baleno 1.6
Swift

and decide.

See which car you find most comfortable. Is the Visibility around the car good? Are you enjoying to drive the car? Is it comfortable for you to drive the car in the city? IS the space enough? Ultimately take a 1ltr FE test to check the cars FE.

See which car suits best to your personal preferences.

Best of luck

ap9dm · 10th May 2006, 14:03

1. trouble-free-I was worried about the current rattling problems in Swift, and I was also curious how bothersome these rattlings are in a Car. I have never owned a car.

I have also heard of that Issue. I last drove the swift in 2005 August. It beloged to my friend who is also a dealer for maruti. The rattle was not present in his car. But I am not too sure.

I hope someone could tell me for sure that this issue is not present in the present Swifts. In that case I will go for Swift. I have no other issues with Swift.

4. Space- By space, I meant enough for comfortable ride. The main reason for going for Sedan is status symbol

palio adventure will surely get you some recognition. And Lancer is the most spacious around.

Thanks for bringing adventure to my notice.. I had not considered it earlier.

5. FE- FE upto 10 is fine. All the 4 cars will give 10 or more FE.

Esteem, baleno, accent and lancer are outdated
[AP] What are the disadvantages of an outdated model. If resale value is the issue, then would it not be sale the case that 5 years from now Petra may have lower resale value. BTW which cars have the best resale value.

Maruti cars have highest resale followed by others. Outdated models lack resale, lack finesse, lack latest features. Though Baleno has been selling well as maruti keeps on adding a thing here and there at a nominal price. Scale efficiencies help maruti in a big way.

indigo lacks power and petra is better at the price mentioned.
xeta is bettered by palio 1.6 with better looks and power.
WagonR is a superb little replacement but u dont have a budget problem
swift scores on looks,interiors,and just adequate power
[AP] Does swift have better interiors??

Yes certainly better interiors compared to Indigo,wagonR, Baleno, Lancer, palio, Adventure and most other cars below 6lacs.

Cool, I did not know that.

Getz looks better, low rider but swift and palio take it for a ride
ford fiesta 1.4 is a good option but low on power for your needs
Instead of petra palio adventure rocks

To buy look at palio adventure/palio 1.6. If not a fiat I would look at lancer or baleno.

[AP] I was curious about why everyone is recommending palio adventure/palio 1.6 instead of petra..

For a simple fact that Adventure has more character than Petra and more Space too. petra is just an additional boot to the palio and adds 40kgs. I like palio but am not really a fan of petra. Its the adventure for me.

I would suggest you take a test drive of all the cars.

palio 1.6
Palio adventure 1.6
lancer 1.5
baleno 1.6
Swift

Great.. I will certainly try these cars.. I hope I am not missing any other good car here.

Thanks a lot of the response.

and decide.

See which car you find most comfortable. Is the Visibility around the car good? Are you enjoying to drive the car? Is it comfortable for you to drive the car in the city? IS the space enough? Ultimately take a 1ltr FE test to check the cars FE.

See which car suits best to your personal preferences.

Best of luck

RX135 · 10th May 2006, 14:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by ap9dm

I hope someone could tell me for sure that this issue is not present in the present Swifts. In that case I will go for Swift. I have no other issues with Swift.

I really don;t think you should reject the car only based on this reason. Rattles can develop in any car (even in Mercs). So, if that is the only reason why you are rejecting Swift inspite of being your first choice car, I suggest, you seriously reconsider it.

namit · 10th May 2006, 16:23

I would suggest that rather than Petra go for either Palio 1.6 or Adventure bcoz Petra is not available for sale from a FIAT TATA dealer and if you buy it from a FIAT only dealer you may end up with an old stock.

Palio 1.6 and Adventure are all similar to Petra except that Palio is a hatch and Adventure a station wagon ... they all have same engines, same interiors .... everything same.

My suggestion consider Adventure and moreover in Delhi they are offering a limited period discount of 40K on Palio 1.6 and Adventure.

Zappo · 10th May 2006, 16:59

Hey ap9dm, Namit has a valid reason. If you indeed decide to go for a Petra be very very cautious about the car you buy. Petra can only be purchased from one of the counted few Fiat only dealers in the country. They may try to push an old stock car to you. So ensure to check the year of manufacture. In fact we have a documented case here in tbhp where the member took delivery directly from outside of the Fiat's plant in Mumbai (I think) and yet he was given a old car.

I think if boot is what you are looking for do give Adventure a good look. It is not a sedan but does have an impact on people. Its a looker, ok. Else, Swift is also a real nice car. Although there is a space crunch inside the car has a very individual presence. And as far as I understand the rattle problem has been mostly sorted out by the service points during the first service. Also, teething problems are mere irritants that are always there in a new car. They are never the show-stoppers. So give the Swift a good look as well.

RX135 · 10th May 2006, 17:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zappo

In fact we have a documented case here in tbhp where the member took delivery directly from outside of the Fiat's plant in Mumbai (I think) and yet he was given a old car.

Are you serious? With whom did this happen? Boy, is my memory becoming selective? How can one get an old car, since many times you have to wait for the car to arrive?

finneyp · 10th May 2006, 17:30

I guess you are based in Mumbai. There are Fiat-exclusive dealers in Mumbai. If you need a boot, Petra will be the best choice. And if you are not particular about boot, check-out Palio 1.6. It is an awesome machine.

Suggest you visit the showroom, have a look at Petra, Palio 1.6 and Adventure too. Take a Test-drive and then decide!

kvish · 10th May 2006, 18:15

You cant go wrong with the FIAT adventure. It is terrific value for money. Ride is brilliant...Drive the car on a "not-so-good" road and you will know what I am talking about.... and its built to last too...

But its a bit sluggish compared to palio 1.6 ...its by no means underpowered ...
If you are looking for sheer performance hot-hatch, go for the palio 1.6
If you require a spacious car which can ride and handle well, awesome for long drives, check out Adventure....

I would hesitate to recommend the petra "now" for reasons mentioned by other members. However, it must be noted that Tata motors would service petra too... You can wait for a while and see Petra's actually being serviced by them and then decide...

Also note that Adventure is just about 50-60K more than swift Zxi

extreme_torque · 10th May 2006, 18:35

If you dont really require the "third" box... go for Palio 1.6, drive it once and you will be hooked... try it!

directinjection · 10th May 2006, 18:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by namit

My suggestion consider Adventure and moreover in Delhi they are offering a limited period discount of 40K on Palio 1.6 and Adventure.

That's news to me because the dealer I spoke to (A One Motors) only offered me Rs 5000 discount on the Adventure. Could you please provide more details about this offer?

ap9dm · 10th May 2006, 18:58

Hi Everyone
Thanks for all the help.
So Adventure seems like a nice car going by reviews. I just have two small queries now:
1. Is there any new car model under 6lakh which is worth considering.
2. Are there any big problems with Swift.

10th May 2006, 11:09	#16
sivadas BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 507 Thanked: 237 Times View My Garage	From another Petra owner I am another satisfied petra owner and bought it only because of Team-BHP. 5.54 lacs on road was an absolute steal (as per bangalore standards) for a 1.6 ltr car (though I would have prefered the ELX model which came much later). And I am getting a mileage of 10.5 -11 (with 50% AC) in the horrible bangalore city traffic. Let me give you Pros Cons of Petra : First Good Points 1. Looks - For me Petra looks beautiful, compact and muscular. Big enough but not too big to create parking issues 2. Performance - You will enjoy it. 3. Ride - Suspendion is much harder compared to Baleno and many other cars in the class. Which is really good when you are driving fast. You might miss the plush feeling at lower speeds. 4. Boot - Boot is huge (at 500 ltrs. it is probably the largest after Skoda). That really helped me at many of my trips to native as well as Airport. 5. Gearshift - Again a delight to use. It has a reverse gear lock as well. 6. AC - Is excellent. 7. GC - Effective ground clearance is really good and helps me a lot here in bangalore. 8. Comfortable - Front seats are really comfortable and supportive. 9. Spare parts cost - It is very low compared to competition. 10. Mileage - I am getting 10.5 -11 consistently with 50% AC. Now the negative side 1. Turning radius - This is a tad more than most of the other cars, which is irritating at times. 2. Interior - Is very ordinary. 3. Back seats - Not so good; more flat and less thigh support. 4. Spares availablity - I did not have any serious problem. But understand that few suffered during Tata-Fiat alliance initial stages. Things seesms to be Ok now. Nothing else comes to my mind now. Any way, please take test drive of all the cars you like. There could be some other point (which is important to you) that could be a decisive factor for you. And you can checkout my gallery as well http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vbpicg...?do=hall&u=553
	() Thanks

10th May 2006, 12:00	#18
pingmepal BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 48 Thanked: 0 Times View My Garage	Hi ap9dm, I know it is tough to decide when investment is huge !!. I am happy owner of Petra ELX for last 6 months. Instead of repeting, have a look at my review on Petra on mouthshut.com http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Fiat_Petra-98383-1.html regards Sudhakar
	() Thanks

10th May 2006, 12:43	#20
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad - Tor Posts: 4,024 Thanked: 211 Times View My Garage	1. trouble-free-I was worried about the current rattling problems in Swift, and I was also curious how bothersome these rattlings are in a Car. I have never owned a car. I have also heard of that Issue. I last drove the swift in 2005 August. It beloged to my friend who is also a dealer for maruti. The rattle was not present in his car. But I am not too sure. 2. Good looks- The cars I really like in terms of look are Swift, NHC, CRV. It still depnds on you. 3. Power- I am looking for adequate power. Palio, baleno and adventure are powerful. lancer has adequate power and all the cars are fun to drive. 4. Space- By space, I meant enough for comfortable ride. The main reason for going for Sedan is status symbol palio adventure will surely get you some recognition. And Lancer is the most spacious around. 5. FE- FE upto 10 is fine. All the 4 cars will give 10 or more FE. Esteem, baleno, accent and lancer are outdated [AP] What are the disadvantages of an outdated model. If resale value is the issue, then would it not be sale the case that 5 years from now Petra may have lower resale value. BTW which cars have the best resale value. Maruti cars have highest resale followed by others. Outdated models lack resale, lack finesse, lack latest features. Though Baleno has been selling well as maruti keeps on adding a thing here and there at a nominal price. Scale efficiencies help maruti in a big way. indigo lacks power and petra is better at the price mentioned. xeta is bettered by palio 1.6 with better looks and power. WagonR is a superb little replacement but u dont have a budget problem swift scores on looks,interiors,and just adequate power [AP] Does swift have better interiors?? Yes certainly better interiors compared to Indigo,wagonR, Baleno, Lancer, palio, Adventure and most other cars below 6lacs. Getz looks better, low rider but swift and palio take it for a ride ford fiesta 1.4 is a good option but low on power for your needs Instead of petra palio adventure rocks To buy look at palio adventure/palio 1.6. If not a fiat I would look at lancer or baleno. [AP] I was curious about why everyone is recommending palio adventure/palio 1.6 instead of petra.. For a simple fact that Adventure has more character than Petra and more Space too. petra is just an additional boot to the palio and adds 40kgs. I like palio but am not really a fan of petra. Its the adventure for me. I would suggest you take a test drive of all the cars. palio 1.6 Palio adventure 1.6 lancer 1.5 baleno 1.6 Swift and decide. See which car you find most comfortable. Is the Visibility around the car good? Are you enjoying to drive the car? Is it comfortable for you to drive the car in the city? IS the space enough? Ultimately take a 1ltr FE test to check the cars FE. See which car suits best to your personal preferences. Best of luck Last edited by devarshi84 : 10th May 2006 at 12:46.
	() Thanks

10th May 2006, 14:03	#21
ap9dm BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 32 Thanked: 0 Times	1. trouble-free-I was worried about the current rattling problems in Swift, and I was also curious how bothersome these rattlings are in a Car. I have never owned a car. I have also heard of that Issue. I last drove the swift in 2005 August. It beloged to my friend who is also a dealer for maruti. The rattle was not present in his car. But I am not too sure. I hope someone could tell me for sure that this issue is not present in the present Swifts. In that case I will go for Swift. I have no other issues with Swift. 4. Space- By space, I meant enough for comfortable ride. The main reason for going for Sedan is status symbol palio adventure will surely get you some recognition. And Lancer is the most spacious around. *Thanks for bringing adventure to my notice.. I had not considered it earlier.* 5. FE- FE upto 10 is fine. All the 4 cars will give 10 or more FE. Esteem, baleno, accent and lancer are outdated [AP] What are the disadvantages of an outdated model. If resale value is the issue, then would it not be sale the case that 5 years from now Petra may have lower resale value. BTW which cars have the best resale value. Maruti cars have highest resale followed by others. Outdated models lack resale, lack finesse, lack latest features. Though Baleno has been selling well as maruti keeps on adding a thing here and there at a nominal price. Scale efficiencies help maruti in a big way. indigo lacks power and petra is better at the price mentioned. xeta is bettered by palio 1.6 with better looks and power. WagonR is a superb little replacement but u dont have a budget problem swift scores on looks,interiors,and just adequate power [AP] Does swift have better interiors?? Yes certainly better interiors compared to Indigo,wagonR, Baleno, Lancer, palio, Adventure and most other cars below 6lacs. *Cool, I did not know that.* Getz looks better, low rider but swift and palio take it for a ride ford fiesta 1.4 is a good option but low on power for your needs Instead of petra palio adventure rocks To buy look at palio adventure/palio 1.6. If not a fiat I would look at lancer or baleno. [AP] I was curious about why everyone is recommending palio adventure/palio 1.6 instead of petra.. For a simple fact that Adventure has more character than Petra and more Space too. petra is just an additional boot to the palio and adds 40kgs. I like palio but am not really a fan of petra. Its the adventure for me. I would suggest you take a test drive of all the cars. palio 1.6 Palio adventure 1.6 lancer 1.5 baleno 1.6 Swift Great.. I will certainly try these cars.. I hope I am not missing any other good car here. Thanks a lot of the response. and decide. See which car you find most comfortable. Is the Visibility around the car good? Are you enjoying to drive the car? Is it comfortable for you to drive the car in the city? IS the space enough? Ultimately take a 1ltr FE test to check the cars FE. See which car suits best to your personal preferences. Best of luck
	() Thanks

10th May 2006, 16:23	#23
namit BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 402 Thanked: 55 Times	Hi ap9dm I would suggest that rather than Petra go for either Palio 1.6 or Adventure bcoz Petra is not available for sale from a FIAT TATA dealer and if you buy it from a FIAT only dealer you may end up with an old stock. Palio 1.6 and Adventure are all similar to Petra except that Palio is a hatch and Adventure a station wagon ... they all have same engines, same interiors .... everything same. My suggestion consider Adventure and moreover in Delhi they are offering a limited period discount of 40K on Palio 1.6 and Adventure.
	() Thanks

10th May 2006, 16:59	#24
Zappo Team-BHP Support Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 5,923 Thanked: 2,707 Times	Hey ap9dm, Namit has a valid reason. If you indeed decide to go for a Petra be very very cautious about the car you buy. Petra can only be purchased from one of the counted few Fiat only dealers in the country. They may try to push an old stock car to you. So ensure to check the year of manufacture. In fact we have a documented case here in tbhp where the member took delivery directly from outside of the Fiat's plant in Mumbai (I think) and yet he was given a old car. I think if boot is what you are looking for do give Adventure a good look. It is not a sedan but does have an impact on people. Its a looker, ok. Else, Swift is also a real nice car. Although there is a space crunch inside the car has a very individual presence. And as far as I understand the rattle problem has been mostly sorted out by the service points during the first service. Also, teething problems are mere irritants that are always there in a new car. They are never the show-stoppers. So give the Swift a good look as well. Last edited by Zappo : 10th May 2006 at 17:01.
	() Thanks

10th May 2006, 17:30	#26
finneyp Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,725 Thanked: 333 Times View My Garage	I guess you are based in Mumbai. There are Fiat-exclusive dealers in Mumbai. If you need a boot, Petra will be the best choice. And if you are not particular about boot, check-out Palio 1.6. It is an awesome machine. Suggest you visit the showroom, have a look at Petra, Palio 1.6 and Adventure too. Take a Test-drive and then decide!
	() Thanks

10th May 2006, 18:15	#27
kvish BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 627 Thanked: 195 Times	You cant go wrong with the FIAT adventure. It is terrific value for money. Ride is brilliant...Drive the car on a "not-so-good" road and you will know what I am talking about.... and its built to last too... But its a bit sluggish compared to palio 1.6 ...its by no means underpowered ... If you are looking for sheer performance hot-hatch, go for the palio 1.6 If you require a spacious car which can ride and handle well, awesome for long drives, check out Adventure.... I would hesitate to recommend the petra "now" for reasons mentioned by other members. However, it must be noted that Tata motors would service petra too... You can wait for a while and see Petra's actually being serviced by them and then decide... Also note that Adventure is just about 50-60K more than swift Zxi
	() Thanks

10th May 2006, 18:35	#28
extreme_torque Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Melbourne Posts: 4,391 Thanked: 5,190 Times	If you dont really require the "third" box... go for Palio 1.6, drive it once and you will be hooked... try it!
	() Thanks

10th May 2006, 18:58	#30
ap9dm BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 32 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi Everyone Thanks for all the help. So Adventure seems like a nice car going by reviews. I just have two small queries now: 1. Is there any new car model under 6lakh which is worth considering. 2. Are there any big problems with Swift.
	() Thanks