Budget Rs. 15 lakh: Should I buy one compact SUV or 2 hatchbacks

My father was initially keen on buying a new compact SUV for about 15 lakhs for my mom and continuing to use his 2013 Ertiga for his daily commute.

BHPian Yash98 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello BHPians,

This thread is for my parents who live in Mumbai. They are both corporate employees who drive themselves to work, with my mother traveling 60 kms per day and father traveling about 12 kms per day to and from office.

We are currently in the process of buying a new car and are faced with a dilemma. My father was initially keen on buying a new CSUV for about 15 lakhs for my mom and continuing to use his 2013 Ertiga for his daily commute. However upon discussing further we also began considering buying two new hatchbacks for both mom and dad. So we are now in a dilemma and need your guidance to help us make the correct choice. I have outlined some key points below:

Criteria:

• Comfortable front seats (the car will mostly have 1 or 2 occupants 90% of the time).
• Good fit and finish of interiors (our 2013 Ertiga has aged in typical Maruti fashion).
• Preferably a peppy yet frugal petrol engine (Thanks to 110+ rupee fuel prices in Mumbai).
• Android Auto, reverse camera, 2 or more airbags, ABS+EBD as mandatory features
• Minimal Niggles (since my parents do not have the time to keep visiting the showroom during the week).
• Mom's car will preferably be an automatic.

Pro hatchback:

• Congestion in Mumbai has made driving a nightmare and hatchbacks are much easier to maneuver and maintain.
• We believe that hatchbacks offer 80+% features of a CSUV at half the price, so why pay extra.
• City drivability of most hatchbacks is good due to the engine being tuned for city driving.
• If we do need to switch to EVs in the future, we can easily sell one car and upgrade, thus reducing the initial investment today.

Pro CSUV:

• It will be a true upgrade and we can also become part of the recent hype around this segment.
• They offer better road presence and dad feels can command more respect on the road.
• Taller driving position and ability to better maneuver potholed roads in Mumbai monsoons.
• The neighbors will like this option more.

Top Contenders:

Hatchbacks:

Hyundai Grand I10 Nios, Suzuki Ignis, Suzuki Swift, Tata Tiago (though worried about niggles).

CSUV:

Kia Sonet, Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon (Possible niggles).

Looking forward to hearing from you guys!

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Car prices today are insane. 15-lakhs isn't a lot of money to buy two good cars. A garage with an Ertiga + Compact SUV is superior to one with two 7.5-lakh rupee hatchbacks.

Retain the Ertiga, it's only 9 years old anyway, and spend the entire 15-lakhs on a great compact SUV. That way, you have two nice cars in the garage. My top choice would be the Kia Sonet. Avoid the AMTs.

Here's what BHPian lamborghini had to say on the matter:

If the Ertiga is in good condition, it makes sense to retain it and get a new auto CSUV, but at the same time it's 9 years old and maybe lacking some safety kit (depending on trim) and creature comforts : if not today, you may have to replace it in the near future.

Personally, I would look for 2 good pre-owned automatics: low run, within warranty, with clean service and accident / flood / damage history.

Main reason: better value, you get to avoid the bane of the AMTs.

My pick would be a low run 2020 Honda Amaze diesel CVT (the width will be easy for your mother to drive + diesel for her higher running) for around 9L, paired with a manual Brezza / Ertiga lower trim but newer model with safety kit for around 7L.

Here's what BHPian condor had to say on the matter:

My suggestion - one hatchback, one slightly bigger for when the need comes up. One of these can be a used one. You should be able to do it in the 15L range this way.

You have not mentioned if the re-sale value of the two cars is being included in the 15L. The Ertiga is a bit old now, apart from the ageing. Time to let it go.

Here's what BHPian sunilch had to say on the matter:

What niggles are you referring to from both Tata products? These both are selling since long and in good numbers. I don't expect niggles but ASS can be a gamble I guess.

I don't the see S-Cross there. It is a good car and AT available in petrol. It isn't an SUV but a good hatchback with good space and fit-finish as you desire.

Do consider a pre-owned one - S-Cross AT might be rare in the pre-owned market so MT can be considered. A new Tiago can be combined with it.

Sunil

Here's what BHPian mkumar79 had to say on the matter:

Ertiga, even if aged, is immensely practical and can surely hold up the overall fight against any of the new CSUV kids. Your Dad seems happy with it as well.

In my view, it would be better to be dealing with the one known good service center and even better if it's a Maruti Suzuki. So the new Brezza with the 6AT and subdued front stance fits best for your Mom.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.