Buying a new car? Discuss here!

[amtrag 20]

Read in yesterday's DNA that maruti has 1.08 lakh bookings for the new swift!

New entrants should not underestimate maruti.

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[dkaile 1,051]

^

Its MOB mentality at work. Just imagine to book a car without seeing or test driving, seems unbelievable and stupid to me!! Remember, Nano had 1.5L bookings too...

[kshah 452]

Same mob psychology was there for even ETIOS and WV. I know people who booked etios before looking at physical car and bought before test drive. I know a person who booked WV Vento without seeing car in show room. He saw VENTO first time while taking delivery.

[tanveer 59]

Maruti will be launching new desire (based on new swift) in Jan

[abhi.r 95]

Hello All...

Planning to buy Grand Punto Diesel (Emotion)

any suggestion..

Thanks..

I own a punto diesel 90HP.

The best hatchback car I've driven after i20 diesel.

Service and part availability in big cities is not much of an issue.

But true punto has a very bad resale value.

If u plan to change ur car in 5 yrs and worried about resale value. Nothing can beat swift diesel.

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[dkaile 1,051]

Same mob psychology was there for even ETIOS and WV. I know people who booked etios before looking at physical car and bought before test drive. I know a person who booked WV Vento without seeing car in show room. He saw VENTO first time while taking delivery.

Personally, I would never buy a car without completely researching and test driving it. There are many options available today and one should buy based on his driving habits and budget. Though Vento is a solid car in its diesel avatar, its petrol avatar and especially its 'famed' DSG is notorious for the poorest fuel efficiency figures in the industry. Even very good car launches and international favorites have 'flaws' like e.g. The Nissan Sunny has poor gear shift issues, Etiios has poor interiors and New Swift has a claustrophobic rear seat and poor boot.

I own a punto diesel 90HP.

The best hatchback car I've driven after i20 diesel.

Service and part availability in big cities is not much of an issue.

But true punto has a very bad resale value.

If u plan to change ur car in 5 yrs and worried about resale value. Nothing can beat swift diesel.

Swift seems a good rounded package for sure but better products are now available. Punto has the most solid built but dated interior finish. i20 has a poor A/C and has a notorious steering rattle issue (unnoticed by many). Though it's (Maruti's) resale is the highest as of today, things may change 5 years down the line (my prediction).

Edited September 28, 2011 by dkaile

[kshah 452]

^

True, but mob psych is always thoughtless. Car without a test drive is really really unimaginable.

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[gmkarthikeyhan 2]

How about Ford Fiesta Diesel... Throw some lights... !!!

[sougatadc 358]

Experts here especially @Dhiraj Kaile, please suggest the best option around Rs. 14 lakh (petrol/diesel) (exclusive of registration, tax and insurance) to be bought at New Mumbai (by my brother-in-law). He drives a City and wants an upgrade. He doesn't love SUV.

[abhi.r 95]

I would prefer toyota altis or skoda laura.

Both are excellent car. I wud suggest take a test drive first and then consider service availability and convenience in the area he lives.

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[abhi.r 95]

I would prefer toyota altis or skoda laura.

Both are excellent car. I wud suggest take a test drive first and then consider service availability and convenience in the area he lives.

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[dkaile 1,051]

Experts here especially @Dhiraj Kaile, please suggest the best option around Rs. 14 lakh (petrol/diesel) (exclusive of registration, tax and insurance) to be bought at New Mumbai (by my brother-in-law). He drives a City and wants an upgrade. He doesn't love SUV.

You just got me at the last sentence otherwise I would have suggested him to see the New Mahindra XUV 500 immediately. Its a cracker of a SUV at a cracker of a price. Same horde mentality (like Swift) has made it churn more than 3 month's production on 1st day of launch. I would definitely suggest your brother-in-law to at least go and have a look, though I hate it's blingy (read chinese) front. (Speaking of Swift, let me tell the others that Honda Jazz today is superior product than Swift Petrol after the price cuts).

Otherwise for that price in a sedan you just cannot go wrong with a Toyota Corolla. Choose either diesel or petrol according to monthly running, though I would personally go for the fantastic 1.8 Petrol. It now comes with Keyless Push Button Start, HID Lamps, Headlight Washers and Touchscreen Music System. Another good product is the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel which has a cracker of an engine though cramped interiors.

One more offer, if he could stretch his budget, is going on the Skoda Superb Petrol which is available at 18.5L on road. It is Merc Class at half the price, though be ready for some costly after sales with Skoda. Not withstanding that, it's really a class above most cars on the road today at that price. Skoda Laura pi$$ed me off due to it's stalling issues.

My Choice - Go for The New Toyota Corolla Altis and enjoy years of headache free and economical ownership.

[rajanmehta 4,056]

Skoda after sales service horror stories and robbery for part cost is legendary in India.

Probably would compensate for half the price of Skoda Superb compared to Merc.. Not to mention the poor resale value.

In comparison, New Toyota Corolla Altis option would be as good as "Can buy safely with your eyes closed"

[siddh_2011 0]

go for FORD FIGO diesel very good ca, spacious fully loaded model with Air Bag & ABS and1.4 Fiesta engine is just superb.

Put some more Vitamin M (Money) and buy this car.

[dkaile 1,051]

go for FORD FIGO diesel very good ca, spacious fully loaded model with Air Bag & ABS and1.4 Fiesta engine is just superb.

Put some more Vitamin M (Money) and buy this car.

Did you even read what he wanted before commenting!! He wanted an "upgrade" from Honda City in the the 14L category not a "degrade" to a Figo. No pun intended to any Figo owners; its a good product in "its" category.

[sougatadc 358]

Thanks a lot @Dhiraj Kaile, Rajan Mehta and Abhishek for suggestions. I'll ask my brother-in-law to see the new Mahindra XUV 500, still the choice is narrowing down to Altis. He have already had a test drive on Cruze and disliked it. He was telling me about Laura but taking into account its poor after sales service, costly parts and low resale value, the choice surely takes a backseat. Today I rode a Superb, but it was so noisy, may be the particular car required maintenance. If it is 18.5L on-road, the budget of 14L is still to be extended, even if the registration, one-time tax and insurance is not to be paid by my brother-in-law, am I right?

[sougatadc 358]

Please also take into account Civic, Renault Fluence, VW Jetta, MS Kizashi and Sonata Transform.

Can you throw some light on ensuing launch of Sonata 2012 version which is selling at around $20.8K in the USA?

Does Altis supersedes all these cars vis-a-vis price/after sales/resale value/mileage/cost of parts?

[dkaile 1,051]

Thanks a lot @Dhiraj Kaile, Rajan Mehta and Abhishek for suggestions. I'll ask my brother-in-law to see the new Mahindra XUV 500, still the choice is narrowing down to Altis. He have already had a test drive on Cruze and disliked it. He was telling me about Laura but taking into account its poor after sales service, costly parts and low resale value, the choice surely takes a backseat. Today I rode a Superb, but it was so noisy, may be the particular car required maintenance. If it is 18.5L on-road, the budget of 14L is still to be extended, even if the registration, one-time tax and insurance is not to be paid by my brother-in-law, am I right?

If you want long term peace of mind, I would suggest you to stay away from Skoda. It's a fantastic product but the Skoda horror stories are growing day by day. Just recently I came to know about 7-8 DSG failures on the Skoda Superb. Its 18.5~19L on road price all inclusive (with Uttaranchal registration and insurance)

Please also take into account Civic, Renault Fluence, VW Jetta, MS Kizashi and Sonata Transform.

Can you throw some light on ensuing launch of Sonata 2012 version which is selling at around $20.8K in the USA?

Does Altis supersedes all these cars vis-a-vis price/after sales/resale value/mileage/cost of parts?

Civic - Though a fantastic machine suffers from low ground clearance and bottoming issues which is not at all suitable for our Indian roads. That's why the sales have bombed after the initial surge. New Civic is around the corner in jan-Feb but with no diesel I dont see much of a future for it.

Renault Fluence - Loaded in Petrol, domestic in diesel. Upgraded Diesel version at par with Petrol coming in November. Petrol gives average of 6~7kmpl in the city. Diesel is same 1.4 mill that does duty on Logan/Verito. Overall not as good as the Altis.

Jetta - Overpriced (16~20L on road). Looks like Vento (a 10L car). No Auto A/C even on the 20L model. Solid built but some cost cutting is there even after price increase (like no hydraulic boot opening like the previous model). Costly to maintain.

Kizashi - Sold only 8 units in August. That tells the whole story. A good product but would have done better with a diesel mill and a 5L price cut.

Sonata Transform - Again sold just 12 units in August. They are phasing it out and the new Sonata/i45 (at 16L) and Elantra/i40 (at 14L) is on the way in Jan~Feb. Best looking Hyundai's ever. Jack of all trades (master of none) like most Hyundai's.

Altis is boring and unflashy but will drive and drive till you drop (that is why it is selling 1000 units every month). It's maintenance in the long run (if properly maintained) is cheaper than a Santro. Whether it supersedes all the others is a personal choice. It's Clutch Plate costs 6K while the Laura's costs 45K. You/Your B-I-L should test drive all the cars before reaching the final decision. Links to my long term ownership reports for 2 Toyotas are already given on this forum. Read them and then make your own decision.

Edited October 2, 2011 by dkaile

[sougatadc 358]

Thanks for your detailed suggestions.

My Brother-in-Law will surely test drive the cars, but as per your experience, the Altis is going to be THE choice, most likely. Wait for i45/i40 doesn't seem that worthy as per your suggestion.

Since he will be required to pay the ex-showroom price only, what are the features that can be added to reach around 14Lakh? And what about the colour of the body you suggest (metallic vs non metallic as black/white Altis looks astoundingly good)?

And any other suggestions on Altis those I'm failing to ask you?

[dkaile 1,051]

^

Are you interested in Petrol or Diesel? Top ends of both are near 14L ex-showroom. Check out the price list here - http://www.toyotabharat.com/inen/forms/price_list.aspx . They come fully loaded (except GPS), There is no Push Button start on the Diesel (only in the Petrol). 1.4 Diesel also has a turbo lag below 1.5K rpm which is especially noticeable if you are upgrading from a heavier car (like my Fortuner's 3.0L mill) or even a zippy Petrol. Do test drive it. It's not a racing car in diesel (the 1.8 petrol is another thing all together) and will not beat the Cruze in a highway racing duel.

Champagne Mica Metallic is my favorite colour (Gold to me) followed by Silver Mica Metallic.

The G variant makes most economic sense and is 12.5L in Petrol and 13.5L in Diesel, if you can live without leather seats, Push button start, powered driver seat, HID headlamps, Headlamp washer and Cruise Control (impractical in India). Otherwise its 14.83L in top end VL in Petrol and 14.74L in top end GL in diesel (which has less features than the petrol model).

[sougatadc 358]

For a drive max of 800km/month (average 600km), is it better to go for the petrol? He is inclined for petrol.

What is the mileage in petrol & diesel if considered against new Mumbai conditions (he gets 13-14kmpl on Honda City)?

Do you suggest the VL considering its features against price?

[csmart 472]

Guys I need suggestion to upgrade my cars. I need to replace honda city and swift. Earlier had plan to replace swift for newer swift and also booked it. But now decided against it.

One will be hatchback and were thinking of etios liva and other vento. Will consider only diesel.

My family will not entertain any petrol vehicle. avg yearly running will be about 13000km.

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[kalpeshaparmar 66]

@dkaile I would love to have your review on Renault Fluence Diesel...

I won't be purchasing any now.... But i liked the car looks very much....

[dkaile 1,051]

For a drive max of 800km/month (average 600km), is it better to go for the petrol? He is inclined for petrol.

What is the mileage in petrol & diesel if considered against new Mumbai conditions (he gets 13-14kmpl on Honda City)?

Do you suggest the VL considering its features against price?

For your driving condition, Diesel is a strict NO NO. Diesel doesn't make sense less than 20~25K kms per year. He can expect an average of 11~13kmpl with the Petrol Altis. Diesel would give him around 15; My suggestions I have already given, but if he can afford it, why not go for the best... You have to live with it for at least 5 years.

Guys I need suggestion to upgrade my cars. I need to replace honda city and swift. Earlier had plan to replace swift for newer swift and also booked it. But now decided against it.

One will be hatchback and were thinking of etios liva and other vento. Will consider only diesel.

My family will not entertain any petrol vehicle. avg yearly running will be about 13000km.

For 13K kms Diesel is NOT recommended. You won't be able to recover the differential in cost (1~2L) for at least 3~4 years. Plus petrols are more plusher to drive and easier on maintenance. Upgrade Honda City to a Corolla Altis. For the Swift I would recommend you have a look at the Honda Jazz. It's a highly versatile vehicle and now more attractive than ever with the price cuts.

If you are still adamant on diesel, then Vento is in a class above the Etios. It is a solid reliable vehicle (only in its diesel avatar). Etios is built to a price. If you can live with it's bland interiors it will last you a while and save some heavy moolah over the Vento. Do give the XUV 500 a serious look if you have the parking space...lolz

@dkaile I would love to have your review on Renault Fluence Diesel...

I won't be purchasing any now.... But i liked the car looks very much....

The car is what I would say "different". And that is it's selling USP. Though I doubt it is selling (It sold 171 units in total of petrol and diesel in Aug against a 290 figure in June). It's Petrol has a lot of bling and equipment level. Civic like digital meters, keyless push button start, dual zone a/c et al. But it is not an efficient car. It's mechanicals are yet to be proven in Indian conditions. Its diesel is a 1.4 that does duty on the Logan/Verito (that does not mean it's bad; its quite good in fact). But service support is limited. Resale will be negligible. Go for it only IF you want to prove to the world that you are DIFFERENT...

Edited October 2, 2011 by dkaile

[kalpeshaparmar 66]

Thanks for the review.... Even i feel the looks are quite diff.....