Rs 8 lakh Budget | Which car for a 65-year-old?

The new car will replace my decade-old Hyundai i10

BHPian abhatt recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Budget: Rs 8 - Rs 8.5 lakh (on-road) in Mumbai

Current Car: 2010 Hyundai i10

Shortlisted Cars:

• Tata Altroz XM+/XT (Petrol NA)
• Honda Amaze S (Petrol)
• Hyundai i20 Magna - Petrol (Sport would be a stretch)

Usage: Primarily City. Max 4k km a year for a 65-year-old

Requirements

• Good looking and Good interiors. Should feel like an upgrade.
• Smooth engine (typical Hyundai owner requirement)
• Not expensive to maintain

Test drove Altroz today. My FIL is not a smooth driver and was scared to drive a new car which made the experience very poor.

That being said, the SA was terrible. No knowledge of variants and cars in general. Also, Tata never fails to surprise me. They got a 15k driven car which had multiple orange lights on the dashboard (service required being one). The start/stop button was white-washed as ALWAYS. Tata never gives a good impression for someone looking to create one. We were so sure of this car just based on the way it looked. Will be going to another showroom soon hoping for a better experience.

Thanks to the above, we have now added 2 more cars to the mix.

A Turbo engine is not needed. Would request not to suggest as it would extend the budget which is not possible.

Looking for some inputs, especially from existing Altroz owners if possible. My biggest concern is, will the Tata car age well?

Here's what BHPian M5_fan had to say on the matter:

You should consider an entry-level sedan IMO. Have you checked out the Honda Amaze S? I guess it should fit in the 8.5 lacs budget. It is extremely smooth, easy to drive and has a proper 4 cylinder non-turbo engine. Good after-sales and not expensive to maintain. Got a facelift as well recently.

Good space as well. The styling is not to everyone's taste though.

Altroz is also a popular choice (you have already driven it but are not sure about after-sales service experience and smoothness of the 3 cylinder engine. When i drove it, i felt that it was a bit unrefined. The build is fantastic though.

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

• I don't think that should be a concern, we already have quite a few Nexons and Tiagos on the roads for 5 years at least. Check out ownership threads of those cars to get a good idea.
• I am assuming that by upgrade you also mean an upgrade in size, hence the i20 and Altroz make the most sense.

For your requirements, I agree that a NA will be good enough just be sure that your FIL is comfortable with the size of the car.

Your shortlist is good but I would suggest waiting for the Tata Punch as well, have heard that it's based on Altroz's platform and with the higher set driving position will not just be easy to get in and out of for seniors but also inspire more confidence in driving the car. The i20 sits low and so will the Altroz.

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

First: choose an A/T. Your running is low enough that FE won’t matter.

Second: Let the A/T be a non-AMT. Either TC / CVT.

Third: A tall boy format may be more comfortable.

Fourth: Choose something that’s reliable, easy to maintain and has some degree of longevity.

I think the Grand i10 Automatic should fit the bill well. It should broadly meet all of the above criteria.

The only downside is I’m not sure how much this will tick the plush upgrade feeling coming from existing an i10. Given his existing one is a 2010 model, I think the current-gen will definitely feel fresher.

If that is the ONLY reason to look beyond, please see if an automatic Jazz / Amaze / i20 fits the bill, although it might involve “slightly” stretching the budget. All these cars will be great to drive, will last the time and will be predicable to maintain as they age.

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

For a senior citizen, the following points are key:

• Easy ingress & egress
• Good visibility
• Light controls
• Automatic

Consider the Magnite or Kiger CVT (might need to extend budget), Kiger has an AMT (if the budget cannot be extended), Ignis AMT, WagonR AMT and Santro / i10 AMT. Agreed with BHPians that Ignis AMT should be the topmost choice here.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.