[aditya.86]

Hello All.

I am currently in a situation which is confusing and need advice of fellow group members in making a decision.

I am currently using a October 2016 i20 magna crdi which has done a little over 25k kms. Car runs great and so far i have had no niggles whatsoever.

We have a 2017 December Honda City S MT petrol in Cochin (i live in Porbandar) which is being used by my dad. The car has done around 7000 kms and as my dad has stopped working (he is 70 plus), there is not much use for the car.

Also he does not drive nowadays due to lack of confidence and has a driver who takes him around. Now comes the confusion. My dad was suggesting to get rid of the i20 and take the city if i want and that he will go in for an automatic hatchback for the small city runs.

Both cars are on EMI and the amount is more or less the same. So i would have to sell the car and close out my loan, bring the city here and continue paying loans on the city for the balance 4.5 years.

Being the basic model of the city, i feel my i20 has better features and i feel it drives better than the city. There will not be a huge impact on monthly fuel bills, thanks to Modiji, both cost almost the same now.

Dilemma is should i go for the City and let go off the i20 considering that it will have a better resale later on and also be an upgrade from a hatchback to a sedan?

Thanks in advance.

[ike]

Why sell the i20? Just pack it off to cochin for your dad to use and bring the city to porbandar. Your dad is being driven around anyway, why sell a car that has plenty of life left and get a new one?

[aditya.86]

Originally Posted by ike

Why sell the i20? Just pack it off to cochin for your dad to use and bring the city to porbandar. Your dad is being driven around anyway, why sell a car that has plenty of life left and get a new one?

He needs a smaller automatic to self drive since he has stopped working now.

[Mu009]

You have already taken the highest hit wrt depreciation/time of usage. It makes no financial sense to sell either - especially given the loan scenario.

I would suggest not even exchanging cars given the hassle of re-registration and the fact that you like the i20 more. There's a driver driving over there, and the City isn't that cumbersome to drive in the, well, city. Do you really think your driver's convenience is worth so much money and hassle?

Also, no matter how close petrol and diesel prices have gotten, petrol is still substantially more expensive. And you have already paid a premium for a diesel engine on your i20. Don't think using the Honda City for yourself won't pinch you. It's fun to say such things in the present scenario, I know, but the reality is still different.

Edit: Just saw your post mentioning the crucial part you inexplicably missed out on your OP, that your father intends to drive himself.
In that case, first I'd say - consider keeping the driver. Still cheaper and less hassle free.
Otherwise, sell the city there and buy a Tiago AMT.

[aditya.86]

Originally Posted by Mu009

You have already taken the highest hit wrt depreciation/time of usage. It makes no financial sense to sell either - especially given the loan scenario.

I would suggest not even exchanging cars given the hassle of re-registration and the fact that you like the i20 more. There's a driver driving over there, and the City isn't that cumbersome to drive in the, well, city. Do you really think your driver's convenience is worth so much money and hassle?

Also, no matter how close petrol and diesel prices have gotten, petrol is still substantially more expensive. And you have already paid a premium for a diesel engine on your i20. Don't think using the Honda City for yourself won't pinch you. It's fun to say such things in the present scenario, I know, but the reality is still different.

Edit: Just saw your post mentioning the crucial part you inexplicably missed out on your OP, that your father intends to drive himself.
In that case, first I'd say - consider keeping the driver. Still cheaper and less hassle free.
Otherwise, sell the city there and buy a Tiago AMT.

Mu009- What you said make a lot of sense. Since my monthly running is high , I would rather keep the i20. And also my city does not have a Honda ASC, nearest being 170 kms away.

Even the grand i10 automatic will be a good option and will be cheaper to maintain as well.

Any experience with the Tiago automatic. Will do through the review sections.

[Mu009]

Originally Posted by aditya.86

Mu009- What you said make a lot of sense. Since my monthly running is high , I would rather keep the i20. And also my city does not have a Honda ASC, nearest being 170 kms away.

Even the grand i10 automatic will be a good option and will be cheaper to maintain as well.

Any experience with the Tiago automatic. Will do through the review sections.

No no no. If you can spring for the grand i10 AT, go for it - it's a proper torque converter AT, and the experience will be very smooth, let alone when compared to a jerky AMT. I personally hate AMTs, but I thought a small size would be paramount, and hence suggested a car from an even smaller segment. The Tiago is one of the best there IMO.

But if the size of a grand i10 isn't an issue, there's no question of comparing it with the Tiago or any other AMT. As the smallest car with a proper AT in India, it's the option to go for.

[aditya.86]

Originally Posted by Mu009

No no no. If you can spring for the grand i10 AT, go for it - it's a proper torque converter AT, and the experience will be very smooth, let alone when compared to a jerky AMT. I personally hate AMTs, but I thought a small size would be paramount, and hence suggested a car from an even smaller segment. The Tiago is one of the best there IMO.

But if the size of a grand i10 isn't an issue, there's no question of comparing it with the Tiago or any other AMT. As the smallest car with a proper AT in India, it's the option to go for.

Will look at all options. Would rather ask him to TD each one of them and see what he is comfortable with.

Thanks a lot.

[deep_bang]

If buying a used car is an option then there are many i10 ATs in the market. Usually they would be driven less too considering that the mileage is on the lower side.

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by aditya.86

Mu009- What you said make a lot of sense. Since my monthly running is high , I would rather keep the i20. And also my city does not have a Honda ASC, nearest being 170 kms away.

Even the grand i10 automatic will be a good option and will be cheaper to maintain as well.

Any experience with the Tiago automatic. Will do through the review sections.

On the topic of Automatics, I agree with what the others have said on the Grand i10 Auto. It is the smoothest one in that segment. However there is a catch - Hyundai skipped ABS on the Grand i10 Automatic ... Also, please plan for single digit mileage figures on this car.

After a detailed evaluation of multiple automatic cars, I went ahead with the Ignis Delta AMT. The Tiago is a good value for money car and comes a close second in my evaluation. What tilted the balance was the Tata unreliability which unfortunately showed up during the test drive itself. The Test Drive car got locked in a lower gear and would not shift. After that experience, I simply went ahead with the Ignis which is also a 4 cylinder engine as compared to the Tiago which is a 3 cylinder engine.

You can read my ownership report here: URL

If you scroll thru my ownership thread you will find an image with detailed comparison of most automatics in this price range.
All the Best with your car hunt!

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by aditya.86

Also he does not drive nowadays due to lack of confidence and has a driver who takes him around. Now comes the confusion. My dad was suggesting to get rid of the i20 and take the city if i want and that he will go in for an automatic hatchback for the small city runs.

Honestly - the above is what you need to think about.

The City and i20 would both have horrible depreciation if you sell them today, and unless he is guaranteed going to drive more often - it makes no sense to buy a smaller automatic.
My father too wanted a couple of small cars that he could self-drive when needed (he used to enjoy driving a lot earlier, but with the crazy traffic + bikers, he prefers to be driven now - he only drives when on holidays), and both the smaller automatics we bought have never been driven by him till date except in case of emergency.

With this in mind, if he is 100% going to fire the driver and start driving - it makes sense to get a nice compact crossover - think Ford Eco-Sport AT for better visibility, ease of ingress, and compact dimension.

If not, better to maintain status quo instead of making him sit in a more uncomfortable car.

As an option - why not look at a small pre-owned AT that he can use, and if it works out then replace the city and this pre-owned car with a new AT.

[aditya.86]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Honestly - the above is what you need to think about.

The City and i20 would both have horrible depreciation if you sell them today, and unless he is guaranteed going to drive more often - it makes no sense to buy a smaller automatic.
My father too wanted a couple of small cars that he could self-drive when needed (he used to enjoy driving a lot earlier, but with the crazy traffic + bikers, he prefers to be driven now - he only drives when on holidays), and both the smaller automatics we bought have never been driven by him till date except in case of emergency.

With this in mind, if he is 100% going to fire the driver and start driving - it makes sense to get a nice compact crossover - think Ford Eco-Sport AT for better visibility, ease of ingress, and compact dimension.

If not, better to maintain status quo instead of making him sit in a more uncomfortable car.

As an option - why not look at a small pre-owned AT that he can use, and if it works out then replace the city and this pre-owned car with a new AT.

First of all, thanks for the detailed reply. He basically needs a smaller car to drive himself, considering age, traffic and ease of parking. This is the first sedan that we have got which replaced the Jazz and i guess he would prefer a hatchback to a sedan.

Since there would hardly be much running, i dont think it is wise to replace the city with an Ecosport almost costing the same price wise when most of the time it is going to be parked at home.

Currently I am evaluating small hatchback automatics which might be the best possible solution as of now.

[AYP]

The i20 Magna 2016 doesn't come with either ABS or Airbags. That alone is the reason why I'd suggest you to sell the i20 and get your dad a Grand i10 AT or the Baleno Delta CVT (wouldn't suggest any other AMT equipped hatchbacks).

[aditya.86]

Originally Posted by AYP

The i20 Magna 2016 doesn't come with either ABS or Airbags. That alone is the reason why I'd suggest you to sell the i20 and get your dad a Grand i10 AT or the Baleno Delta CVT (wouldn't suggest any other AMT equipped hatchbacks).

I have decided to keep the i20. It does have airbags but no ABS. We are getting rid of the City soon and looking at the Grand i10 AT.

[morecrap]

Originally Posted by morecrap

So I live in Delhi/ NCR and drive a LOT in traffic. My average daily run is around 60 Km per day; and my time spent driving is about 4 hours (Delhi traffic, what are you going to do).

Background:
I have an Ecosport (Ecoboost) T(O) which I bought for 10L (on-road back in 2013) and I had no issues with it till I moved to Delhi (from a T3 town, where the Ecoboost was a pleasure to drive). The problem with this car is that I need to shift the gears a LOT and that can be frustrating. Though still solid fun to drive on weekends, I get an average fuel consumption of about 10 Km/ L or less. I love this car, the whistling engine, the stable confident drive even at 180 Km/ h.

I also have an Ertiga VDi (non-SHVS), which I am driving on a regular basis because of fuel economy (17+ Km/ L in Delhi traffic with AC on.. HAAAH!). This car is terrible to drive though. I don't mind he occasional Maruti rattle (we're probably used to it) but I have absolutely no confidence when attempting to overtake any other vehicle with this car.

Next steps:
I plan to give my Ecosport to my brother who stays in the T3 town as it is perfect for his use. And I plan to get a new car. The good part is that I can wait for a while before making my purchase as I have the Ertiga as well. I see two options: 1) Keep the Ertiga and buy a smaller automatic transmission car (Auto Hatch); 2) Sell the Ertiga, get a new sedan with automatic transmission. Since I am the only one driving, we can do with one car as well. The reason why I need my Ertiga is for my grandmother. She's easily able to enter/ exit the vehicle without a problem. She has issues when doing that in a lower seated sedan. I use this car for going to Jaipur, etc. (I know it doesn't have airbags or any safety features; those would be a welcome change in case I sell this car). Also, I am 6'3" tall.

Summary of requirements:
Case 1 (retain the Ertiga):
1. Automatic (TC/ CVT/ DSG, no AMT)
2. Budget under 10L
3. Fuel efficiency - this will be my daily use car
4. Diesel/ Petrol doesn't matter for registration as I will register my vehicle outside Delhi anyway (10 year diesel rule won't matter)
5. Moderately fun drive (as much fun as you can have in the city anyway)
6. Safety

Case 1 (sell the Ertiga):
1. Automatic (same as above)
2. Decent ground clearance and height for easy entry/ exit for my grandma
3. Budget under 15L
4. Fuel efficiency
5. Preferably diesel
6. Good storage and legroom
7. Fun drive (as much as the Ecoboost at least)
8. Safety (preferably 6+ airbags)

Common requirements (kind of goes without saying but I like to ):
1. Low or negligible ownership issues
2. Hassle free service

If there's something coming soon, I can wait for it. I plan to keep whatever I buy for at least 7-8 years (maybe more, if I'm also selling the Ertiga).

Note: If I've posted this incorrectly, please let me know.

Thanks!

Thanks for all your inputs. I reassessed my requirement and took the advise of not maintaining two cars. Finally selling my Ertiga (MS has amazing resale; I'm getting 6.5L for it!).

Bought the Verna CRDi Automatic SX+. Great car for the city or the highway; punchy when it needs to be. Today was my first drive to work and I feel less fatigued by the Delhi traffic. I can not sit in the rear seat of this car but I probably never will.

Why I did not buy the Creta - Almost 2.8L more for the same engine did not make any sense to me. Creta offered nothing extra in terms of features. Ground clearance was an improvement but I did not think paying that much extra made much sense. Moreover, Hyundai dealerships offer no discount on the Creta. I almost booked it but couldn't help feeling like a sucker.

Why I did not buy the Yaris/ City - Petrol for one. The body is as light as other Jap cars. Paying 1.5L more for a petrol engine just did not appeal to me. Same reason for the Honda City.

Why I did not buy the Nexon - I loved the car. Probably the best value on the road as of now. It is an AMT but still packs a decent punch. Loads of storage and an overall smooth ride. Diesel AMT was costing me 11.5L on-road. My wife wouldn't let me even discuss it. She wouldn't even accompany me on the test ride. Honestly, I had no other reason to not get this car instead. I would highly recommend this car to anyone wanting a city warrior with a punch (the petrol AMT isn't great though).

Thankfully my grandma is comfortable getting in and out of the Verna.

Again, thank you all for your inputs. As of now I feel satisfied with my purchase.

Please let me know any concerns I should be having while owning the "Next-Gen" Verna.

[ron_9191]

The 2006 Baleno VXi that I have is something that makes me wonder all the time why on earth the car was an utter failure. Few lucky people like me have it in a shape the company made it others have it tastefully modified and then there are the others who just didn't care and still drive around some on the verge of inevitable death.

For me, the car has been an absolute trust worthy companion. It never put a foot wrong anywhere and just keeps chugging along whether I am shoving it through some of the worst and unruly traffic on the face of the planet or on a smooth cruise on the highway.

Although this particular example was manufactured in 2006, since I bought it on December 29th, 2006 I had to get it registered on 2007. Since then, this machine had been a part of my life. It took my fiancee (of course current partner, significant and most of the time the better and sensible half) for the first time. The car became my wedding car, it took us to the hospital when my wife was expecting our daughter. After she delivered it became our primary mode of transport for the trips to the hospital for vaccinations, emergencies and what not. The point I wanted to stress here was that the car is an extension of my family. My daughter loves it for its space, my wife loves it for the comfortable seats and the ride quality on the highways and me... I just love the fact that the Baleno has never let me down anywhere through out the situations I have mentioned. It performed flawlessly and in almost 12 years of ownership, she never gave up or broke down.



However, times have changed. After countless number of mostly long drives, the poor old thing has started to show its age even though after 12 years I have clocked only 68000km on the odometer

1. Squeaks from the suspension from all 4 wheels have become annoying
2. Alloy wheel rims are no longer usable, thanks to the roads we have here, they are done and needs replacement
3. The steering mechanism makes a lot of clunky noises while going over bad roads
4. All the 4 shock absorbers are finished

Considering most of the parts I might have to replace will put the car's current market value to shame, I simply cant decide what to do. Looking for different perspectives on this.