Which small car for the ladies at home

My mom says she cannot drive Nexon due to its size.

BHPian dsuman recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A new dilemma has started for me. Which hatchback to buy?

Bit of a background: My 2005 Hyundai Santro Xing has completed 15 years and is still going strong. But it has started showing its age with frequent repair bills of upto 10k per month. So it was decided we will replace it with a new small car. Test drove multiple cars and finalized Nexon AMT and delivered on 24 Aug. 25 Aug morning, my mom says she cannot drive Nexon due to its size. Dont ask me why Nexon. It just happened.

I have a Quanto, Santro Xing and now Nexon added to the garage. Santro has been sold to my cousin. Now I have to buy a Hatchback for my mother and wife. So decided that Quanto too has to go.

Checked out the following today. I will be paying cash this time so maximum budget is 8 lakhs OTR:

• Wagon R - Spacious, Practical. VXi is 7.4L. Within my Budget.
• Swift VXI - Needs no introduction. 7.6L. Within my Budget.
• Grand i10 Nios Petrol Manual Sportz - Built Tighter and Heavier than Swift. 7.93L. Within my budget.

My Dilemma is:

• Any other car I may have missed. No Tata since I have Nexon. No Ford due to uncertainty of India Business
• I always wanted to own Swift. Red Swift is pulling my Heart Strings. i10 Nios is dancing in my mind

After a formal meeting between my Heart and Mind, Wagon R has been terminated.  The two Finalists are Swift Manual in Red Hot Shade and Grand i10 Nios in a Red but Sober Shade.

I am willing to allow two wild card entries to fight it out with both the finalists. Plan is to take delivery mid September when Quanto is expected to find a new home.

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

She'll get used to the size. Just make her drive it more. Take her out for a nice lunch, pamper her with a gift, then coax her into driving the Nexon. It's far superior to all the other options you have listed, save for the jerky AMT experience.

Spend a little bit more for your heart and get the Grand i10 Nios 1.0 Turbo. It's a lot of fun to drive, and the motor is so much better than any 1.2L NA in the market. I've had a mega time with the Aura 1.0 Turbo on the open road. The ladies will be happy, and so will you be.

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

These days, steering is so light (and lifeless I might add) that pretty much all cars are "easy to drive". So you need to look at other factors/features that can help lady drivers/newbie drivers/nervous drivers/elderly drivers:

• Smallish width/length
• Automatic transmission
• Parking sensors & rear view camera/display for ease of parking.
• Seat height adjust (for short folks)
• NOT turbo charged or having too much power. Steady linear power delivery seems better for newbies, especially in stop-go traffic and on inclines. I have seen too many Youtube videos of newbies wrecking their cars, after stepping on the accelerator!

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

If you are ok with looks, Ignis AMT is quite a good option. Compact than Swift, fun to drive and importantly gets you better visibility as you sit higher and more ground clearance. Priced on par with Wagon R and Swift.

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

I bought my wife a Grand i10 Nios last year October and she has been loving it. The kids love it too since their mom can always talk to them while driving and she does not have to concentrate hard. Driving this car is easy thanks to the light steering, light clutch and slick shifting gear box. My wife mostly drives inside the city and uses first three gears only. The seating position is good too and gives a good view of the road. I occasionally drive this car (on Sundays) and rev it till the redline just for some fun with the kids.

My recommendation : Grand i10 Nios. Go for it, you will not regret it.

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

I second GTO's and MCR's recommendation for the i10 Nios Grand. My wife just test drove one for a 86 year old neighbour and he preferred it to any of the Maruti offerings in the same price range. The rear has enough room for his compact wheelchair as well.