Which Car?? German Beauty, Korean Princes or Japanese King of Roads


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Hi TAI-gers,
I am a new member to this enthusiastic group of petrol-heads. And I am on a look out for a new hatch.

Why Hatch?
The practicality of a compact car in our city lives. It will be be used transport two people most of the time, Sheer usability of tumble- down seats to fit in large items. If it can carry my cycle ( merida big9) i would be pleased to no extent, but then that is just a good to have feature, and will not be the primary criteria.

THE list:
I listed down all the available hatches in India and even those that are in the pipeline to be released soon: Brio, Ritz, Etios, Polo, Swift, Grand i10, Punto, Elite i20, and Figo. Please note that my budget is around 7-8 lakhs. So i am considering only the B2 segment hatches.
Brio VX MT: I liked the way this car rides, I was even ready to overlook the evident cost cutting and bare minimum instrumentation, oh wait! Where is the boot?? I need space to keep at least 4 duffle bags.
Ritz Zxi: Refined and powerful engine, well balanced chassis and good handling, decent boot as well, at least better than brio. Somehow we did not like the overall look and interior also seemed very basic.
Punto Emotion 90hp: Looked good on paper, but felt sluggish and would have to work the gears much more often to get the juice out of it. And I couldn’t see the new looks growing on me. I simply loved the way the old Punto looked.
Figo: A good overall car, but looks a bit dated. And a new version is coming sometime next year.
Elite i20 asta: Hyundai take luxury in hatches to new level. Stunning design, I would have blindly gone for it, but 3+ months waiting. I can’t wait that long, pretty excited about getting my new ride.

The Shortlist
Now comes the awesome trio which has messed up my head
1) VW polo Comfortline 1.5 tdi
2) Hyundai Grand i10 asta(o) 1.2 P
3) Maruti Suzuki swift Zxi

1 VW polo Comfortline 1.5 tdi/ 1.2 MPI,
The only diesel i am considering, petrol fits my requirements perfectly, and i had gone to take TD the 1.2 MPI but the SA asked me to take a look at 1.5 tdi also. I drove 1.2 and 1.5 back to back. Man.! Diesel is more refined and takes off like a hoot.
So i am confused because, VW seems to be a little thirsty car and i think i would able manage it with a diesel oil burner.
+ Good build quality
+ Manageable interior space.
+ Decent feature list in the Comfortline variant and the standard ABS and Airbags ticked off CL as more VFM.
+ Mammoth boot.
+ Very comfortable ride (I deliberately took the car over a crater ridden road to see how it performs)
- Ingress and egress a slight challenge
- Clutch pedal placed a little too high for my liking
- Cost of ownership over the long run i have heard is on a higher side
- Have read about various ownership experiences of ASS guys trying to increase the cost of service, like deliberately braking ac vents, this is something the VW guys should confirm.

2 Grand i10
+ Mature look
+ Plaint ride, compared to older hyundais
+ Felt more responsive than i20
+ Pretty loaded
+ I can get a much more comprehensive feature list for almost the same price of VW CL 1.2 MPI
+ Good quality interiors
+ And i was surprised; the i20 is not eons away from grand. Grand quite matches upto the i20.

- The only negative I found was the absence of adjustable head rests for front, I touching 6 feet, my head don’t get support.

3 Maruti Swift Zxi
+ Man the petrol is a so much fun
+ Really powerful and refined
+ Best fuel efficiency in this class
+ The new version ( i won’t call it facelift) has additional features like keyless start, Bluetooth streaming and 60:40 foldable seats, retractable ovrms
- Damn i can hardly fit at the back
- Windows are small, as small as an owl hole.!
- Boot,seriously ritz which is smaller boasts of bigger boot.!
- A tad too costly, the new hike takes it nearer to elite i20


My requirements
- It will be extensively used by my home minister within city, and is comfortable with all the above three. I prefer two-wheelers for city commutes. On the whole it will travel at max 60 kms on weekdays.
- Highway riding: forms an integral part, we love to travel. And will end up going atleast 2 long trips, around 500 -1000 kms/ month.
- Overall about 1500 kms per month.
- Good ASS, and reasonable maintenance, i do not want to end up spending more than 10-15k/year on service costs.
- Spares availability: At any point if any part needs replacement, i would want it to be readily available or atleast to be source within a couple of days.

Sorry for such a long post. But this is my situation now. I need you TAI-gers advice to help me choose.
 
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Re: Which car?? German beauty, korean princes or the japanese king of roads

My suggestion would be that you should go the the Grand i10. The car has a great engine and delivers good FE and it a HYUNDAI! So no need to worry about the availability of spares after sale service etc. There are many options about the headrest problem and the Grand i10 with satisfy your heart and head.
 

Akash1886

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Re: Which car?? German beauty, korean princes or the japanese king of roads

Hi, All the three are good and decent choices. Europeans are known for strength but definitely high on maintenance. Have 1st hand experience with Skoda and VW (now both are one).

I would have suggested you Swift Zx since it has 60:40 rear split seats now so the boot space can be increased as needed but since its to be driven by your wife mainly then Hyundai's Grand i10 is a good one. It looks much better than previous i10.

For a monthly use of 1500 to 2000 kilometer, petrol is best and diesel is to be avoided.

Regards

Akash
 
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Re: Which car?? German beauty, korean princes or the japanese king of roads

That's fantastic and crisp analysis Arvin. Sorry, I mistook you for a novice in your other thread. I generally like to decide based on the theory of elimination. Applying same to the (-)ves you've mentioned, Grand i10 is the choice. It is also one of the few no-nonsense hatchbacks (along with i20, Swift and Ritz) when you factor in the ownership issues.

Yet, don't buy now. December is THE lean month for every Car Dealer. Come December, Hyundai dealers will be begging you to say I Do and even throw in a few extra freebies apart from the standard "Free Insurance" [clap]. They always fall short of Sales Target. For Car manufacturers too it is a difficult month. I bought my Car in December, and they agreed to ALL of my demands (posted in my ownership thread). Car Showrooms are bereft of Customers in Dec. Make your move on the 1st week of Dec. Book and take delivery during December 14.

But, WAIT, WAIT. Why not an Elite i20 Asta in Dec '14 ? It WILL be DELIVERED and the showroom will worship you, if you agree to take delivery in the final week of Dec 14 [:D]. Also check out this comparo Hyundai Elite i20 vs Honda Amaze vs Ford EcoSport Diesel Comparison Review Page - 1| ZigWheels.com. Good luck Arvin.
 
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Hi TAI-gers,
The Shortlist
Now comes the awesome trio which has messed up my head
1) VW polo Comfortline 1.5 tdi
2) Hyundai Grand i10 asta(o) 1.2 P
3) Maruti Suzuki swift Zxi
It has to be the Swift, amongst the three cars shortlisted. The other one I would suggest is the Toyota Liva. Don't know if you're comfortable with Tata stable, if yes, the upcoming Bolt can be a good contender.
Hyundai maintenance cost is on the higher side, and I did not like the steering and suspension setup on any of the Hyundai cars I have driven, at all.
 
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December would be the month of maximum discounts and offers along with price hike applicable from january 2015, as all compaines does that.
As vijay_968 suggested, wait till december if you can wait and try to get the best offers.
I would suggest you either grand10 or elite i20 either of the one which suits your needs.
Try to test drive both these vehicles and see which one fits in perfectly.
 
Thread Starter #7
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That's fantastic and crisp analysis Arvin...
No problemo, we will get to know each other better in days to come :). Thanks for the suggestion vijay, I shall wait for december :)

I would suggest you either grand10 or elite i20 either of the one which suits your needs.Try to test drive both these vehicles and see which one fits in perfectly.
I did take TD of both, grand i10 feels more responsive, while elite i20 is sooper smooth with its 16 incher stance. I would definitely be tempted to go for i20, if only the waiting time reduces. I can wait one month not for 3 months.

Sure, right now grandi10 is the favourite to win the race.

Hi, All the three are good and decent choices. Europeans are known for strength but definitely high on maintenance. Have 1st hand experience with Skoda and VW (now both are one).

I would have suggested you Swift Zx since it has 60:40 rear split seats now so the boot space can be increased as needed but since its to be driven by your wife mainly then Hyundai's Grand i10 is a good one. It looks much better than previous i10.

For a monthly use of 1500 to 2000 kilometer, petrol is best and diesel is to be avoided.
Wow, could you share your VW experience, first hand viewpoints are always the best.
She is comfortable with both, infact she was quite happy with swifts driving position.
Swift new one has got whatever i10 has and some more like ACC, better ride, and nice and comfy front seat. But the quality is several notches lower than grand i10.

It has to be the Swift, amongst the three cars shortlisted. The other one I would suggest is the Toyota Liva. Don't know if you're comfortable with Tata stable, if yes, the upcoming Bolt can be a good contender.
Hyundai maintenance cost is on the higher side, and I did not like the steering and suspension setup on any of the Hyundai cars I have driven, at all.
Did consider the two swapnil, bolt started as favourite, but zest did not impress me much. Yeah its definitely better than previous indigo. But still feel more wanting. And to top it, TATA's have been procrastinating the launch to eternity.
I haven't yet got chance to check out etios, any additional info would be surely welcome.
 
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Hi Arvin
I am also a new member. If you are shelling out 7 - 8 lakhs then I suggest you to go for the new elite i20 (diesel) as it :
1. is great value for money
2. has more features
3. Good Highway cruiser and highway stability
4. has 6 speed manual transmission which will be more fuel efficient than the other 5 speed manual transmission cars in India.
5. has more space than the grand i10 or the swift.

But, if you are more concerned about the waiting period of your i20 then please go in for the grand i10.

But the waiting period for your i20 will be a worthy wait.
For example, if you want to own a Royal Enfield then the wait for 4 - 5 Months will be a worthier one as it is a long lasting product. So like that your new i20 would be a better one. (Apologise me, I am not comparing the i20 with the two wheelers but the point is if you want a product that is well built then it is worth to wait for the product)
Thank you [:)]
 
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Hi Arvin
I am also a new member...
... if you want to own a Royal Enfield then the wait for 4 - 5 Months will be a worthier...
...Apologise me, I am not comparing the i20 with the two wheelers
What an idea Sirji. You are new; so is your concept of example. Fantastic.
Royal Enfield is the BEST Example anyone in India can easily relate to. Bulls eye, Madurai maappillai. Konar kadai parotta is doing overtime, I think [:D].

Welcome to TAI.
 
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Thread Starter #10
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Yes elite i20 (diesel) is an awesome prospect. But my running doesn't justify an oil burner. While when i compared i20 petrol and grand i10, the latter was more peppy. And even featurewise grand is pretty loaded, it does miss out on ACC, Adjustable head rest, auto headlamps and the monstrous 16" alloy, But still at 6.7 it is a VFM. Sorry for late reply, was a little held up.

I am really excited, I just booked by grand i10 asta(o). But will be getting it delivered in JAN.
 
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Mr.Arvin,Please also check out the Chevrolet Sail UVA.She is a better buy than the Swiftt but People keep underrating Chevy here.Please take a Test-drive the Petrol mill.
 
Thread Starter #13
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Mr.Arvin,Please also check out the Chevrolet Sail UVA.She is a better buy than the Swiftt but People keep underrating Chevy here.Please take a Test-drive the Petrol mill.
Rightly said bharath, I have sat in sail which my friend owns, it definitely rides well, is spacious. But I felt it really feels like its built to a cost.
And my home minister felt its a little big.and coming to the point I have already booked grand.
Thanks for ur suggestion though.

how much is the on road price for asta optional...?

does it has all saftey features...?
Yep it does have. OTR 6.7 lakhs around 25k discount on year end deals
 
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