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Which new car for my 54-year old mom? SUV/Crossoverish stance preferred

1st October 2024, 17:38 by Kanad Kalasur

My mother is 54 years old and all her life she has been putting her desire to drive in the back seat owing to professional and personal commitments.

BHPian Ad_J recently shared this with other enthusiasts:

Greetings BHPians.

Today, I've come here seeking the counsel of fellow members on which car to buy for my mother.

My mother is 54 years old and all her life she has been putting her desire to drive in the back seat owing to professional and personal commitments.

For the last month, we were living in pain and agony because she was misdiagnosed for a life threatening disease by a private hospital. We then went to a tertiary care hospital to double check. After a lot of tests and expert consultations all came out to be okay.

(Now I am thinking of suing that private hospital for all the suffering we have been through. Any suggestions?)

This experience made a shift in her that it's okay to live a little sometimes. Not to take life too seriously as there will always be something 'too important' which needs her time and resources.

Now she is ready to drive and enjoy life a little.

Requirements :

A <4m vehicle with an automatic transmission.

Preferably having the SUV/Crossoverish stance. (Her words)

High GC and easy ingress and egress.

Budget ~10L +/- 1L OTR

Priority order :

Reliability>Safety>Comfort>Driving Dynamics>Fuel Efficiency

No pre-owned route.

Here's what GTO had to say about this:

You will have to settle for one of the lower variants of the below cars, or go for a slight budget increase. But either ways, your Mum will be happy.
Tata Punch EV: Unbeatable city car IMHO. Feels like a premium package. Superb drivetrain. Refinement that no ICE car can match. Main apprehension = Tata niggles which you will have to sort out for your Mom.
XUV3XO AT. Great looks, build, suspension & quality.
Brezza VXi AT. Can't go wrong with a Maruti. Got one for my bhabhi and she is super happy. Will likely be the most fuss-free of any crossover to own.

Here's an update from BHPian Ad_J:

Thank you everyone for their time and advice.
I would like to start by apologizing because I forgot to mention that no EVs are in consideration because of the non-availability of public chargers in my area. Also, we don't have in-house parking. If anybody is from (or has been to) Shimla, he/she knows what I am talking about.
I did some of the research and would like to give my views on the suggestions made by the members in this post.
XUV 3XO: A bit powerful for her. Also have 2019 XUV300 Diesel W8 in house so not looking to buy it over again.
C3: Uncertainty regarding Citroen India and no service centers nearby.
Brezza: Under Consideration
Exter: Under Consideration. However, I am not sure about how AMT. I have never driven one. Moreover, I have a silly doubt as I saw a YT video where the guy said his i10 Nios AMT struggles on steep inclines and gets very confused between 1st and 2nd gear, thus loses the momentum and then starts to roll back. Since Exter is i10 Nios in disguise I am apprehensive about it. Someone please shed some light on it.
Ignis: Mum doesn't like the looks but is open to it.
Nexon: Under Consideration. But not on the top of list as it is a TATA. I have had my few shares of niggles with Tiago (although nothing major).
Venue/Sonet: Out of budget. Also, DCT gearbox. Have read enough stories DCT GB failure.
Punch: Doesn't have hill-hold. And a TATA.
We will also check out Honda Amaze, Swift Dzire, i20.
Till then open to suggestions.