Buying a Car For Beginner (Budget Rs.4 Lakh)

[roman]

I am starting this thread because my niece who has been staying with me for the past four years ( my sister is in U.K) has passed her B.Tech with flying colours and has secured admission for M.Tech from TKM college where she did her B Tech. I am really happy for her because though I did my B.TECH from REC calicut(now NIT calicut) I joined the course after a three year B.Sc Physics course and her grades are much superior to mine. So I think she deserves a good gift. She could have joined better out of state colleges like the NITs but she really gets home sick.

My wife and I want to reward her with a car which she can drive to her college which is around 7 Km from our home. She is a new driver and acquired her license recently. She drove my safari well when we were with her but is still nervous to take it to really busy areas alone, as she still relies on handbrake to move the car from standstill on inclines. But other than that she is very cautious and has good control of the vehicle.
She knows how to ride a two wheeler well but I insisted on a car for safety reasons

As per the forum template I am giving you all the finer details.

Budget- Around 3.5-4 Lakhs.

Condition-Used or New

Location-Kollam(Kerala)

Priority-Safety,Reliability and ease of driving.

Fuel- Any(Petrol given slight preference for ease of driving)

Purpose- Learning basics of driving and short commutes.

Seating-5

Body type- Hatchback or saloons only

Some Models that come to my mind( other suggestions also welcomed)

Used-Mitsubishi Lancer,old city,Ritz or Wagnor
New-Alto or eon with driver airbag

I really want safety to be the prime focus. I learned to drive on a Tata Estate and had a few minor mishaps but felt very safe in the old truck.

Since she is a new driver I want a car that is safe and robust do not mind poor fuel economy or looks.

I checked a friend's 2010 diesel Lancer which has done around 1.4 Lakh Km. It needed a clutch overhaul and a tyre change. The engine was still o.k and the body was perfect. He is ready to depart the car for 2 Lakhs if I can fix the clutch and get new tyres and other minor works for something like 40 K will it be a good buy?

Saw a 2008 wagonr which had done something like 78k Km but had a poor body shell that needs a lot of body works. He asks a price of 2.5 Lakhs

New cars we are considering are the eon or alto but We are worried that since she over revs even my safari on inclines with handbrakes the new engine may not run in properly. She drove my safari exceptionally well on flat roads without any issues but once rolled back at a signal with a steep inclination and hit the mudguard of a bike only mildly because my wife pulled the handbrake immediately. They settled the issue with a very small amount but left her really shaken as some onlookers were mocking her for driving a safari insecurely that too with my wife on her side. From that point she uses the handbrake and revs the engine slightly higher. I still ask her to use the handbrake on steep inclines and she does a good job with the handbrake on.

I think the lancer though awfully dated and lacks performance is easiest to drive with a pike on the hood like the one we have on the safari. My wife says this car is too long for a new driver. Since I kept my hands first on the estate's steering which is even longer than the innova, i hardly believe it. Lancer with its long hood is the safest I assume.

Wagonr is having just too many dents for it to be considered well maintained.

Cant find a good Ritz or old city in kollam.

Hope you guys help me. We will buy this car after onam.

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Vehicle for a beginner

Sirji, get the girl an Alto k10 AMT and all your worries about her driving style, ease of driving etc etc are gone.

If you want slightly bigger car then get her a Celerio ZXi AMT, it gets a bigger cabin, higher seating, more features and a driver airbag too but you will have to stretch a lot for that.

No issue of revving or car rolling back, and no worries for you because this small automatic kid is by every way well suited for a new driver.

 

[Mr.Boss]

Re: Vehicle for a beginner

Lets be clear on few facts,
1) Safety:
Having ABS & Airbags (what ever may be the count) doesn't make the car to be safe. It is only the probability of being safe is higher. Airbags can never help when rear ending a truck (with no RUPDs) or any high platform vehicles. Driver & Passenger airbags are of no help during side impact on cross roads / junctions. Google for n-number of cases where airbags failed to deploy (for various reasons) even in premium segment vehicles.
2) AMT / AT / CVT:
In simple, these are Boon to drive in city and easy for learners / beginners. But I don't recommend for learners. My cousin who started learning on a Wagon-R (MT) switched to Honda City CVT immediately after getting his Driving License. He is driving CVT for past 4 years and he couldn't drive their old Waggy in City traffic now.

With your budget (3~4L) consider the following cars
New:
- Wagon-R
- Alto
- Eon

Used:
Hatchback
- Swift
- Ritz
- i10
- Wagon-R
- Beat
- Figo
Sedan
- Fiesta (Petrol / Diesel)
- City ZX
- Manza

I don't recommend Old City & Lancer for a beginner as a minor mis-hap will put a bigger hole in pocket as the cosmetic parts for these cars are priced higher than the current vehicle in production. Otherwise these 2 are good choices.

 

[roman]

Re: Vehicle for a beginner

Sirji, get the girl an Alto k10 AMT and all your worries about her driving style, ease of driving etc etc are gone.

If you want slightly bigger car then get her a Celerio ZXi AMT, it gets a bigger cabin, higher seating, more features and a driver airbag too but you will have to stretch a lot for that.

No issue of revving or car rolling back, and no worries for you because this small automatic kid is by every way well suited for a new driver.

I have driven automatics. What's the difference between the AMT and conventional automatic. I think she should drive a manual first because then she can drive any car at any point in her life. She can drive manual well but gets scared when stopping on steep inclines. Now she puts the hand brake and drives off no issues. The half clutch at steep inclines is indeed a bit tricky at first.

Anyway automatics were a good suggestion but I think I will limit to manuals.

I am thinking of a slightly bigger car. Perhaps a Fiesta or an old verna.

I have heard that Lancer diesel can be fixed easily even if something goes wrong,
The car I have mentioned has clocked 1.4 lakhs the clutch needs to be done. Local garages usually fret on seeing a city or fiesta but they usually do a good job with Lancers. I am looking for a sturdy car which is easily serviceable even in local garages.
That's why I have ruled out the Octavia,one of the best cars at this price point.

She won't drive an indica which would have been practical. Indica is a sturdy little car though void of airbags.

Again will a new car have run in problems if she uses the throttle a little more than usual ?

 

[Akash1886]

Buddy in New cars I would say go for Alto K10 AMT. That is a reliable and low maintenance hatchback. In used cars go for 2009-10 Honda Ivtec AT. A neighbor of mine is planning to sell his AT City which is 2010 model I guess and wants 3.5L for it. However, told him a bitter truth i.e as the car is accidental nothing beyond 2L you'll get as any person would like to know history of the car. Apart from that, you can try for a top model SX4 petrol its a powerful big balloon car.

Regards

Akash

 

[kasscon]

Look out for grand i10 petrol if it fits in your budget or Tata bolt petrol. As safari is a big and top heavy diesel vehicle lot of drivers do the same as she is doing in inclines and as time passes she would learn the trick with experience and petrol engine would help her learn faster:)

 

[Vishwas]

For beginners usually hatchbacks are preferred as they are short in length, have less bonnet length to assess (especially with ladies and senior citizens).

It's better to buy them cars when budget permits as two wheelers are very risky.

As your wife rightly said about the longer bonnet or car's length, it will be quite uneasy to take turns, judge the bonnet and distance between the vehicle in the front in initial stages of driving.

Would suggest to look for used hatches like Swift, Alto K10, i10 as these are proven for better divisibility,easy maintenance and proximity of service centres.

As far of safety features concerned, do look out for i10 Asta variants or Swift ZXI.


Since you had mentioned that she drives Safari and already have the idea of driving, it makes good sense to buy a new car too as there won't be much of reliability on clutch.

In the mentioned budget, I'd recommend Eon Era+, if driver airbags are needed then Sportz, however it will go beyond the budget. So an alternative would be your Alto 800 VXI with driver airbag.

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: Vehicle for a beginner

I have driven automatics. What's the difference between the AMT and conventional automatic. I think she should drive a manual first because then she can drive any car at any point in her life. She can drive manual well but gets scared when stopping on steep inclines. Now she puts the hand brake and drives off no issues. The half clutch at steep inclines is indeed a bit tricky at first.

Anyway automatics were a good suggestion but I think I will limit to manuals.

I am thinking of a slightly bigger car. Perhaps a Fiesta or an old verna.

I have heard that Lancer diesel can be fixed easily even if something goes wrong,
The car I have mentioned has clocked 1.4 lakhs the clutch needs to be done. Local garages usually fret on seeing a city or fiesta but they usually do a good job with Lancers. I am looking for a sturdy car which is easily serviceable even in local garages.
That's why I have ruled out the Octavia,one of the best cars at this price point.

She won't drive an indica which would have been practical. Indica is a sturdy little car though void of airbags.

Again will a new car have run in problems if she uses the throttle a little more than usual ?

Sirji, although this suggestion of mine may sound weird to you but my work is to give it, taking or not is your choice

Either get a Wagon R 1.1 or an i10 Kappa and most of your problems will be solved. I won't go deep into technicalities but one thing for sure, Waggy is a very practical, tractable and brilliant city car. The 1.0K has a poor low end but the 1.1 was a brilliant engine; ask any owner and he will tell about it.

You will easily find d good examples with low odo reading for 1.5-2 lac and I can bet that it is a brilliant answer to most of your queries. And yes, there is plenty of them in used car market too and finding a good example of 2008-09 will be easy.

BTW you though of Etios petrol? I guess a used one can be bought for 3 lac and is having a very torquey petrol engine which very easily pulls the car on inclines or in stop-go traffic.

 

[krishnavamshi24]

Why don't you get her a Punto, i think you should find good decent second hand Diesel Punto with low running

 

[Mr.Boss]

Why don't you get her a Punto, i think you should find good decent second hand Diesel Punto with low running

Solid build & efficient but with too many blind-spots. Not recommended for beginners (personal opinion)

 

[roman]

Now I am ruling out cars like 800,nano, and k10 because they are too small and even with airbags they are relatively unsafe. Wagonor is a good choice,but the once I saw were really old 2004 and 2006. Indica is ruled out because of it's image.

I took her for a test drive of a Wagonr and she liked it and commented that it was a toy compared to the mammoth what the safari is. But the model is very old and has dents all over. Cant' gift such a car.

Mitsubishi Lancer- The car is owned by a close friend of mine. I know that this car was maintained well but it has done 1.4 Lakhs. Perfect body no dents. She drove the car with ease and did not mention any difficulty. I think she is impressed by the car's looks. I wasn't intending on buying that car because always hated the Lancer as it was crude. Anyway it was nice to see her driving a proper 3 box saloon with such ease. The training on the safari really paid off,I guess.

Now I am personally inclined towards a post 2010 Wagonor or a even a santro or an i10 because of the ease to drive.

Will the Lancer be a white elephant if the kid really insists on it ? My trusted mechanic says it's a simple machine much like my old 3.0L safari which was simple to work on. This guy knows his diesels well and says a Lancer is a safe bet. My wife had warned me not to take her to the Lancer as she would insist on it based on the looks of the Lancer. Is that car worth inspecting ? Are Lancer diesels reliable ?

 

[TSIVipul]

Now I am ruling out cars like 800,nano, and k10 because they are too small and even with airbags they are relatively unsafe. Wagonor is a good choice,but the once I saw were really old 2004 and 2006. Indica is ruled out because of it's image.

I took her for a test drive of a Wagonr and she liked it and commented that it was a toy compared to the mammoth what the safari is. But the model is very old and has dents all over. Cant' gift such a car.

Mitsubishi Lancer- The car is owned by a close friend of mine. I know that this car was maintained well but it has done 1.4 Lakhs. Perfect body no dents. She drove the car with ease and did not mention any difficulty. I think she is impressed by the car's looks. I wasn't intending on buying that car because always hated the Lancer as it was crude. Anyway it was nice to see her driving a proper 3 box saloon with such ease. The training on the safari really paid off,I guess.

Now I am personally inclined towards a post 2010 Wagonor or a even a santro or an i10 because of the ease to drive.

Will the Lancer be a white elephant if the kid really insists on it ? My trusted mechanic says it's a simple machine much like my old 3.0L safari which was simple to work on. This guy knows his diesels well and says a Lancer is a safe bet. My wife had warned me not to take her to the Lancer as she would insist on it based on the looks of the Lancer. Is that car worth inspecting ? Are Lancer diesels reliable ?

Sirji, I already mentioned Wagon R 1.1 and that can be a good 2008-09 model. There are plenty of them available and some good examples too.

Lancer, no matter how good is but is a discontinued car and personally I don't believe in giving girls or even my younger cousins the vehicles which can have reliability issues(this car has 1.4lac on odo after all) You really want your (I guess she is like your own child) child to be stranded on the road some day? The guys do get jhol jugaads done but a girl will simply call you to tell the story and leave the place in an auto or some ola maybe.


Be sensible at least even if you love the Lancer.

Swift 1.3 is an another awesome option. 2008-09 swift petrol.
Just find low mileage examples from 2008-2010 and you will easily find a sweet deal lying in some corner of your city or some neighbouring city.

 

[roman]

Yup, the lancer's reliability is a problem. I knew that she would be flattered by the car's looks.(I am not a Mitsubishi fan).I think I will convince her not to demand that car. Young people still like those saloons. I simply hated that car. I took the same model last year to a cochin trip and had to really struggle to overtake cars thanks to the car's underpowered engine and gears that are hard to shift. She has taken a considerable liking for this car and was pestering me about it's performance this whole afternoon

Swift petrol I think is a bit jumpy, it really is too powerful for my liking. Hard on the pedal and that thing really flies. Though the safari is something like 130 bhp,it's 2.6 tonnes of metal so it takes it's sweet time to cruise.

Ideally I want a new Wagonr post 2010 and less than 50 K Km in good condition. I10 or a newer santro may also be good.

By the way how about a new Wagonr I think entry trims will stay within 4 Lakhs. I don't think her driving is that bad to influence the running in. The tall stance of the car should aid her.

 

[TSIVipul]

Yup, the lancer's reliability is a problem. I knew that she would be flattered by the car's looks.(I am not a Mitsubishi fan).I think I will convince her not to demand that car. Young people still like those saloons. I simply hated that car. I took the same model last year to a cochin trip and had to really struggle to overtake cars thanks to the car's underpowered engine and gears that are hard to shift. She has taken a considerable liking for this car and was pestering me about it's performance this whole afternoon

Swift petrol I think is a bit jumpy, it really is too powerful for my liking. Hard on the pedal and that thing really flies. Though the safari is something like 130 bhp,it's 2.6 tonnes of metal so it takes it's sweet time to cruise.

Ideally I want a new Wagonr post 2010 and less than 50 K Km in good condition. I10 or a newer santro may also be good.

By the way how about a new Wagonr I think entry trims will stay within 4 Lakhs. I don't think her driving is that bad to influence the running in. The tall stance of the car should aid her.

Sirji, going by the description; the girl should be of my age or a year or two younger maybe (I passed my B.Tech in 2014 and with a bit of flying colours too) At this age, I can understand that the bling factor is a must, definitely not with the cars like Lancer. But what to do, women think of only the form and not factor when it comes to choosing a car.

She wants a sedan? Get her an Esteem, it will be better than a Lancer at least. Or a Hyundai Accent; Accent is having a good low end and Esteem and Accent can be found for 2-3 lac easily ; that also good examples.

Hatchback will work?

• Swift 1.3, not the 1.2k engined one. It was a gem of a car with a good 1.3 engine that had a vey good torque delivery throughout and yes, it can satisfy the enthusiast in you too.
• Wagon R 1.1, old faithful is the word.
• Hyundai i10 1.2 Kappa or Kappa2, tall stroke petrol with good low end and hence has fantastic city drivability.

New Hatchback:
Stretch a bit and go Brio or Grand i10. Wagon R 1.0 is not that good IMO.

 

[vikyjoshi]

bolt revotron start from 3.99 lacs. if its a new car why not check that out. If you want under 4 OTR prices, then Alto Eon and our home grown Nano AMT would suit the bill.