[KPR]

Originally Posted by GreasyCarb55

P.S: I know the basics of driving a car but you wouldn't want me behind the wheel any time soon, Will be taking a 21 Day course from Maruti driving school before I get my car.

I think you should learn driving first, clock thousands of Km on the ODO to know the enthusiast in you. No amount of theory can give that experience. The word "Enthusiast" easily the most used and abused word in car forums.

[IshaanIan]

Get yourself a Honda Jazz and call it a day. You will be able to ferry all your friends around and depending on the model, might even have money to spare for all the fuel required

[AYP]

While I do understand that you are swayed by the more swanky cars, an advice from someone who is 10 years older than you, get the 2015-2016 Figo Titanium/Titanium+ diesel, get it remapped to stage 1 and call it a day. It shall be low on running costs and Ford parts aren't going to be an issue in the medium term. You get a fast little car which handles well, has a decent amount of power and will not turn into a money pit.

[GrandTourer]

Originally Posted by GreasyCarb55

Hello there, I turn 18 in about 3 weeks and I'm looking for a first car....

.....

P.S: I know the basics of driving a car but you wouldn't want me behind the wheel any time soon, Will be taking a 21 Day course from Maruti driving school before I get my car.

Get your 21 day course done first and rent a couple of simple self drive cars like an Alto, or Celerio. You'll get a better understanding of where you stand. After that revisit this list.

Like a lot of folks have advised here, get a car that will not knock your socks off when you plant your right foot firmly (trust me this will happen sooner than you expect).

Get an i10, Swift, Brio (this is a brilliant little car that doesn't need too much power to offer that fu quotient, but looks are subjective). Get one which will help you understand the automobile. You get the idea!

Wish you a many happy miles!

[Samba]

Go for an Etios 1.5L petrol and thank me later!

Quite cheap to maintain.
Fuel efficient, if driven with a light foot.
Reliable
Comfortable
Extremely spacious
Fun to drive

As you are not bothered about the interiors, this car should be fine!

Take a test drive, you will surely like it, it’s fun to drive. Plus you will easily get a 4-5 years old car within your budget.

[lamborghini]

As someone who officially started his driving off with the Fiesta 1.4TDCi, I have to say that some posts by BHPians makes sense on picking up a slower vehicle. Not only is it safer, but it gets you a better handle of the dynamics, power delivery, etc. of the vehicle.

Looking at your wishlist, unless you are ready to spend time with mechanics and get your hands dirty, and scrounge around for parts - I would avoid getting something too old or complex like the Octavia / Laura TSi, Gen 1 Honda City VTEC, Baleno, Corolla, etc.
Most of these are nearly 20 years old and even if the engines are bullet-proof, the rest of the car isn't and most would be 2-3 owners down if not older. It's fine if it's an enthusiast owner with full service record, but as the number of buyers increase - the chances of the owner cutting corners on maintenance increases too!
For me, when I was 18 - I wanted a car that I could also take out in the middle of the night for a drive with friends, without any worry in the world while enjoying it!

Today, if I were in the market, I would focus on a good linear engine, good visibility, good dynamics, and a little safety too.
Options that come to mind are :

1) Liva 1.5 Petrol. Safe, reliable, fun engine, good ride & handling balance. A fill it, forget it vehicle that is also zippy to drive though the interiors are a let down.

2) Swift ZXi. ZXi for the safety kit. I personally thought the first gen was the best built but would only look at facelift options towards end of it's cycle or the Gen 2 if there are no good examples. Ton of aesthetic and engine mods that can be done - more so on the 1.3.

3) Honda City Gen 3. If you like the Gen 1 Honda City VTEC, the Gen 3 is it's bigger and more mature brother IMO. Not as much pure fun to drive; but good build, decent dynamics, and safety and parts still available though not as easily.

Since this isn't your primary car, I'd also look at options such as the previous gen Civic which you may be able to get in your budget with a decent amount of change left over for repairs but downtime for spares and higher maintenance need to be factored in and you should find a good independent mechanic to help keep the costs low and car in top condition.

For any pre-owned car : Try and find first / second owner cars, with full service records, and a proper inspection by a trusted mechanic / A.S.S. And if your budget is 4L, I'd keep Rs. 1L as a buffer for repairs unless you go in for a newer & lower segment car like the Liva 1.5.

[varadha_r]

what about the fiat linea t-jet - more reliable than octavia vrs mk1 and you get great support and far more reliable than vag cars. Well built and has good safety too and very mod friendly.

[nikhilthegunner]

Like many BHPians here, I too would recommend getting some practice and experience first before driving in nice, chuckable enthusiast cars. Though I haven't chucked cars around much as I find cruising to be very pleasurable. I'm 24 now but I started out in a 2008 diesel Indica vista in 2015. Drove it for a few thousand km before being allowed to graduate to bigger, more powerful cars. The marutis recommended by others would be good starting points. There's always time later on to drive more enthusiastic cars. Hope this helps, cheers!

[navin]

Originally Posted by GreasyCarb55

What car would you suggest?

If I were to go for the Swift would you recommend getting an early Gen 2 Swift or should I go for a later Gen 1 Swift?

I would get the car that is the youngest (in the number of years) and has the fewest kilometers on the odometer. It will give you the least trouble.

[2500cc]

My recommendation would be Linea/Punto diesel for:
- Extremely well built.
- National engine, easy on service and maintenance.
- ABS/Airbags are standard.
- Extremely good suspension and steering.
- Mod friendly.
- Decent mileage.

Also, Ford fiesta TDCI fit your bill but service and sourcing parts could be challenge.

Drive responsibly.

[Equus]

Old Honda Civic!! You can find one around 4L quite easily!

[mac187]

First, wishing you on your upcoming birthday.

As others have mentioned, get something simple and nothing too complicated as that will help save money. That being said some of my best memories of road trips with friends are when things didn't go as planned. Back then there was no GPS, no Agoda, no cell phone. I am talking about the early 2000 here!

Coming to the question at hand, my vote will be for a Gypsy #YOLO. No one in their right mind would drive one daily to college, that's exactly the reason why you should buy one. You can get your hands dirty by servicing and fixing it too, as there is nothing too complicated in it to break in the first place. I would recommend that you join the 4X4 groups in Blore, a whole new world will open up for you with that. I enjoyed every bit of the offroading events I attended and the people I met. Also its safe as its not capable of insane speeds or acceleration! As mentioned by you, there are other conventional cars at home, which I am sure you can borrow when needed.

[Poitive]

Agreeing with the general sentiment here, I'd say focus on:

• Hatch (easier for a learner)
• Only moderate engine power
• An easy vehicle to control under duress.
  (A good handling car would typically qualify on this front)
• Good brakes. This is often undervalued.
  Ensure good tyres. Change if needed (and keep TP in check)

I might not be able to give specific car names with confidence, but would start with Fords. Since it has packed up sales (and it is quite like an extra car for your family), you'll get a better VFM option for used, and it is likely to have the above covered. Possibly Ford Figo, or the Ford Freestyle (higher stance might make it easier for you to drive), as suggested by @DicKy in another thread with this video. It is damn stable for a highish vehicle, and probably more powerful than you need.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf62GQOcE6U

Keep safe!

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by GreasyCarb55

Hello there, I turn 18 in about 3 weeks and I'm looking for a first car that is also a good enthusiast car, I'm one of the emotional guys when it comes to Automobiles so drive feel/emotional connect is very important...

Whatever you buy, please ensure to have ABS atleast and preferably 2 air bags.

Go for something which was a sales super hit, so parts are available abundant. This will also mean the vehicle was reliable. Swift is one, Santro can be another - go for something which is cheap to fix, you are bound to have few scrapes here and there.

If you buy cars which are service nightmare, you'll soon keep it in garage or sell it off out of desperation.

PS - Brio is another fun car

[revsperminute]

Get something with 100-120hp. Those cars are fun to drive in India. I'm 20 and I have a Honda City and an Octavia TSI. Trust me, the City feels so much better to hoon around in. You can floor it and not die. Don't buy a WagonR brother geez.

All the best and looking forward to see what you end up with.