Dilemma: Replace my Alto with a Jimny or my Ecosport with a 25L SUV?

The Ecosport is the primary car and Ford service has also been top notch. I don't see it as a problem for the next 4-5 years.

BHPian fiat_tarun recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

My garage today consists of 2 cars:

My car : Ford Ecosport S TDCI (Wolf Stage 1+ remapped)

• 2018, 65k km run

Wife's car : Suzuki Alto K10 AMT

• 2018, 26k km run

Both cars are 5 years old, in perfect condition and I foresee no major problems coming up.

The Alto is wife's car and the city runabout and never sees the highway (apart from the highways running through the city) and hence the low running. Being a Maruti, there is no risk in keeping 'Lord Alto'.

The Ecosport is the primary car and Ford service has also been top notch (in fact I think it's gotten a little better here in Pune after they stopped retail !) and I don't see it as a problem for the next 4-5 years.

Then why this thread you might ask ?! - Well, it's the Jimny

There is something about the Jimny that tugs at the heart, and the inner child in me is getting excited at the prospect of owning a 4x4, venturing into some casual off-roading on the weekends, the Leh / Spiti trail, etc. I've been on quite a few OTR's with friends with a Gypsy and more recently a Jeep Compass which was quite good fun.

The other reasons I am giving myself is since the Jimny will replace the Alto, it's a proper upgrade for wife and also safer, especially since we are expecting our little one later this year.

So what is stopping me with going ahead with this plan ?

Well, the other scenario is that we keep the Alto for city duties and upgrade the Ecosport to something under 25 Lakh so we have a proper 'premium' vehicle in the garage. For the record, the Ecosport has been flawless over the past 5 years with just regular service requirements. I love the drive experience (even better with the remap now) and the negatives of space and the stiff suspension are not deal breakers for me.

The points in favour of this scenario are;

• The Jimny craving is just a passing fad !
• We will need the space of a bigger car once the baby arrives ?
• A nicer ride than the stiff Ecosport
• Of course the Ford situation with the service / spares situation bound to deteriorate with time

The biggest problem here is that no vehicle under 25Lakh really appeals to the heart which I see as a proper 'drivers car' upgrade to the Ecosport. The one that appealed to the heart - The Compass is now out of reach.

• The VW-Skoda twins are not a real upgrade, especially for the price. My biggest gain will be power with the 1.5TSI but I'm content with my Wolf remap (running ~130hp, 295Nm) and the amazing diesel FE
• The Koreans, especially the Seltos is a brilliant package but I'm not a Hyundai - Kia guy (yes I have a bias !)
• The Maruti-Toyota sisters are just too underpowered & bland to replace an Ecosport diesel
• That leaves me with the Harrier / XUV700 which honestly is just too big for us and my heart isn't really pulling me toward them if you know what I mean !

So this brings me to my predicament - Replace the Alto with the Jimny and have 2 sub 4m cars in my garage. The Jimny will stay as the permanent 2nd car for a lonnnnng time OR keep the Alto for a lonnng time and replace the Ecosport with a ~25Lakh replacement that will give the same smiles per drive

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

Go for it, Tarun . Pull the trigger & get the Jimny home. I would anyday have a 2-car garage with an EcoSport + Jimny (both excellent cars), rather than a 25-lakh car + Alto. The Alto is too bare & basic, and has an AMT which I personally hate.

The Jimny is the kind of car that will make you smile. This breed punches way above its weight in terms of the "feel-good" factor. For more of this preaching, check the ownership review of my own 4x4 out. A BHPian who owns an S-Class & a Porsche 911 seems to be having a blast in his Jimny. The Jimny will make you laugh, giggle & provide you sheer joy. All backed by Maruti's dependable reliability & service. It also has a smooth AT, 4 doors & isn't bumpy, unlike other offroaders. A rare enthusiast car that appeals to the head as well as heart.

Get a Jimny and start modifying it. Don't worry about Ford etc. The EcoSport is a fantastic car and has sold in such high volumes that there will be ample spare parts support for it in the market (even without Ford).

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say on the matter:

I’m going to go against the tide here a bit and purely because you have a baby coming on the way. I’d say go for the XUV 7OO as your 25L upgrade car - sacrifice the Alto for it and let the Ecosport fill the Alto’s current role.

This way you’ll have a powerful, super comfortable and safe car for your family - one that can take some adventurous trips too and even the Alto in which you might do city runabouts - sometimes with a baby - will be substituted by the relatively safer Ecosport.

Small babies also increase your luggage requirements when doing road trips so the extra internal footprint of the XUV will check that box too.

The Jimny can always follow suit in a few years when its time to replace the Ecosport, perhaps even a sparingly used one from someone who may want to sell early. These super niche cars often hit the used car market within a couple of years when some buyers realise it wasn’t really fit for them once they live with it.

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

The Jimny AT is ideal then as a second car at home to OTR over the weekends and for your wife too as an easy-to-drive urban compact SUV. It may lack the torque that you are used to with the diesels you own and have owned. But there's nothing like the Jimny today (compact 5-door 4x4) and probably no rival too for the next couple of years or decades ! The fact that it's always sold out across the world is enough proof. Besides, we get theore practical version in India.

However, the Ford will eventually have to be replaced in a few years and you have time to decide on the right vehicle that way. So, if I was you, I'd get the Jimny now and then wait and replace it with a premium SUV in a few years, by then there may be a machine that matches Paprika's heart appealing character!

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

You never need a Jimny, you want it. And you most certainly do.

Get the Jimny. It’s a huge step up for the wife, and will keep you happy as well. Far superior ride quality than Alto, and it is spacious enough for the 3 of you + all the paraphernalia a baby needs. Just make sure she is comfortable with the non height adjustable driver’s seat.

Upgrading the Ecosport will be far trickier. They don’t make cars like that anymore, unfortunately. The closest like for like replacement is the Jeep Compass. Everything else is either nowhere as nice to drive or two sizes too big. And costs big money, either way. So, let’s leave that for another day.

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

Keep a good highway car - that's safe, comfortable and fun to drive. Ecosport is a very good car. Don't get carried away by the bling or horsepower and waste your money on cars that don't drive as well as Ecosport. Manufactures are getting really clever at packaging and window dressing cars without a soul. It would be better to hold on to your Ecosport till you find the right car as an upgrade/replacement instead of rushing the decision.

Jimny is a niche expensive car and in my very honest opinion, makes sense only to:

1. city dwellers who are romantic/passionate about a car of this category willing to put up with it as a daily driver.

2. folks in rural/hilly areas that need a 4x4

3. folks looking to add a hobby/weekend car to an already well stocked garage

At the moment, there is too much hype going on about Jimny and it's better to avoid any impulsive purchase. If you are not one of #2 or #3 above, sleep on it for few months and see if you still feel so strongly about buying it.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.