Need Help in Buying New Car, Now Booked Ford Figo!

[Shynish M]

Oh! I missed it :-(

On-road price for Honda City 2008 1.5 S MT at Delhi is Rs. 9,02,964 /-

anuprav, if you can afford this (I think you can easily) you don't have to consider any other option. Honda engineering is the best any day, with out any doubt. Go for it man !

 

[anuprav]

Okay! Lets see the Plus & Minus of all the cars now

Fiat Linea Dynamic Pk 1.4

This car has a very brilliant Italian deisgn & looks are really good.
The weight of the car makes it bit under powered. But Its a good city car.
Mileage is pretty decent & gives 10kmpl in city & 13 in Highway driving.

Did the TD of linea. The car is good but its a bit under powered and also still reading at various forums that the spare parts are not available and the after sales is not good.

Ford Fiesta 1.6 SXi ABS
Fiesta has already proved to be sucessful car.
This car is really well powered & has got more thirsty engine.
Mileage is pretty decent & gives 9kmpl in city & 13 in Highway driving.
Ford's ASS & cost of spares is a Minus

Done the TD of fiesta. Found out to be a bit cramped. Not sure how is the ASS and cost of spares.

Honda City 2008 1.5 V MT

All time hot seller in the segment for decades. You will not go wrong selecting this car.
Best city car & well powered highway cruiser.

No doubt good car. Is in the list now.

Maruti Suzuki SX4 ZXi(o)

The most Masculine & Bulkier car in this segment.
Mileage is really the down point of this car. You can expect 8 kmpl in city & 12 in highways.
We will recmond you to wait for the New Gen SX4.

Not much change in New SX4. Will test drive it

Tata Indigo Manza Aura (+)

The best ever car from TATA. you can have a look at TAI's Review here.
We dont recommend Manza as your budget is really good.

Dropped from the list.

Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G - 11.65Lakhs
It will be the best pick of all the sedans mentioned.
If you can strech your budget, then go ahead & grab.
The most sophisticated & comforable car in this segment & fastest too.

I can strech my budget but if I go for top model then it will cost me somewhere around Rs.13 Lacs+

Honda Jazz Active

Good Hatch. But overpriced. You have a very good budget.
We will recommend you to stick with sedan.

Hyundai i20 1.4 Asta AT(O)

Its really a decent hatch & most powerful Hatchback.
But its overpriced.

Let me know your feedback on the above cars.
So I can suggest you more suitable car!

I have dropped the Hatch Back from my list.

 

[vijay]

close your eyes and go for ANHC, suits your bill andneed perfectly.Fiat might launch linea with 1.6 or 1.9 but would be in diesel motor.And to say not before mid 2010.Fiesta zxi premium also is a cool buy with a perfect drivers car to own.I would rate
1- honda city
2- ford fiesta zxi premium
3- fiat linea 1.4

 

[anuprav]

Anuprav,
Since your budget is Rs.9-10lakhs and you want the car to accomodate 5 people in comfort, I personally suggest you to opt out the hatchbacks. Also drop the idea of cars like Manza etc which stand below the segment when your budget allows much more.


Some worth considerable cars when looking into your budget and the requirements are:

1. Honda City
2. Chevy Optra Magnum
3. Ford Fiesta
4. Fiat Linea
5. Maruti SX4

Starting with the SX4, Its one of a value for money car and the Maruti Suzuki has a widespread network assuring you complete peace of mind, However the downside includes the low fuel economy, which is one of your main requirement, So you should drop it out from the list.

Coming to the Fiat Linea, Its the car which has succesfully won hearts of many Indians despite the fact that its from Fiat brand which was not-so-popular for its after sales network.
But now as the times have changed, Fiat India has changed as well and scenario is bit different. However, The long term reliability and lack of spare parts availability still might be an issue with Fiat but for the Linea as a car, I give it full on full........................

Thanks for the good points.

I have done the test drive of Optra and found the position of Gear a bit awakward. No doubt it was the old model. The sales guy said about the changes which has been done in the new model i.e., Top end model.

My now the selection list goes like this:

1. Honda City SMT/VMT

2. Optra

3. Fiesta (Is ford planning to phase it out as its already for long time)

4. Linea (is fiat coming with 1.6 engine)

5. SX4 is being ruled out. I will be doing TD of this by this weekend.

----------Next Post------------

City- The family sedan of the lot. Gentle and smart. but dont expect it to get adventurous.And take my word for it, dont vouch for a factory spec stereo, they are ****py things, unless its linea's 'blue and me' or manzas 'blue 5'. spend 35-40 k, and you will have a rocking ICE. i can help if u need it..............Hey, nobody suggested Fabia? Not many fans here.

Hi Racerdabba,

Thanks for your suggestion. Fabia is noisy car like a tractor. No doubt good car but that too with 3 Cylinder. Bad ASS and costly spares. Skoda is a big no since read horror stories of skoda car owners.

----------Next Post------------

Guys should I wait till Jan 2010 for the new cars to be launched or should I buy it now.

A BIG CONFUSION in my mind.

You will be surprised to know that till date I have done TD's of the following:

1. Honda City both earlier model and the new model.
2. Linea
3. Ford fiesta
4. Optra
6. SX4
7. Dzire
8. Laura
9. Fabia
10. Punto
11. Jaaz
12. Jetta petrol and diesel AT
13. Tenia
14. Passat AT
15. i20
16. Altis
17. Camary AT


The high end luxury cars costing above 20 Lacs+ was ruled out so did not considered those cars.

With the launching of Cruze I booked it well before the launch of the car and now I am the proud first owner of it.

As looking for second car, The mind is not more and more confused

 

[350Z]

Anuprav, I always tell car buyers the more cars you look at, the more you fall in the confusion which results in buying an un-suitable car for your need.
So, Its better to kick out the cars which have nothing to do with your budget and with your needs, Prepare a list of Maximum 5 cars in your budget which you like the most and have already Test Driven.

From the given list above, These are the cars which suit perfectly for your needs and budget :

1. Honda City.
2. Linea
3. Ford fiesta
4. Optra
5. SX4

...And like in my previous posts, I would again stress for the Honda and Chevy.

About the wait for Jan. 2010, There is no harm and you may get a bit more variety but again, You will fall into confusion. So, I suggest you to purchase it by November.
Don't go for one in December because waiting for few days more can make your car a year new on papers which would help when selling it. However, You may see some mouth watering discounts in month of December as most of the dealers are keen to clear the stocks and make space for refrshed models for new year.

Drive Safe!
350Z

 

[anuprav]

@350z Thanks buddy. Now my list stands as per you:

1. Honda City.
2. Linea
3. Ford fiesta
4. Optra
5. SX4

I will be taking decision soon. If the car is not purchased by Novemeber then I will wait till Jan 2010.

 

[350Z]

@350z Thanks buddy. Now my list stands as per you:

1. Honda City.
2. Linea
3. Ford fiesta
4. Optra
5. SX4

I will be taking decision soon. If the car is not purchased by Novemeber then I will wait till Jan 2010.

That is great.
But please note that the list mentioned in my above post has nothing to do with the ranking of cars :

1. Honda City.
2. Linea
3. Ford fiesta
4. Optra
5. SX4

This is the order in which I would rank them, Considering your requirements:

1. Honda City
2. Chevy Optra Magnum
3. Ford Fiesta
4. Fiat Linea
5. Maruti SX4

Drive Safe!
350Z

 

[raj_5004]

hi anuprav, as vibs said, these cars fits your requirements & budget well.

i would rate them accordingly -


1. Chevy Optra Magnum: the most comfortable & spacious car with excellent engine & interiors. GM's service package is icing on the cake.

2. Ford Fiesta: do you love driving? then look no further. this is the car meant to be driven!

3. Fiat Linea: if you are not bothered about brand image or A.S.S, this car is good with its stunning looks, great features & good space.

4. Maruti SX4: a good car but not the best in any specific department! it offers good space, high seating, good G.C. but ride quality & FE is bad. if you can, wait for the diesel SX4. also, the new VVT SX4 has been launched, you can have a look.

5. Honda City: this is a great car but comes last in my list because of its price. its so highly priced that for 25,000 less, i am getting a bigger car with more spacious interiors & a powerful diesel engine, named magnum! city is a petrol car & if we consider the magnum, the petrol magnum costs a whopping 2 lakhs less!

 

[350Z]

Its correct that the City is an over priced car and that too comes without the Alloys which is a shame for a car at this price range but the solid reputation, dealership network and after sales service the company has, It compensiates everything and if I think that I'm going to buy the car, Then In my opinion Alloys aren't a big deal or good a reason to leave such a car, After All, Its the brand image and After Sales Service which counts after the specs, features etc of a car.

At an extent, Same implies on GM's Optra as well but when I personally compare its looks with Honda, The City always wins the match. Also, I feel that the car won't last much more, GM will give it facelift or all new model with in 2-3 years so that it remains in competition.


Drive Safe!
350Z

 

[RSM]

Its correct that the City is an over priced car and that too comes without the Alloys which is a shame for a car at this price range but the solid reputation, dealership network and after sales service the company has, It compensiates everything and if I think that I'm going to buy the car, Then In my opinion Alloys aren't a big deal or good a reason to leave such a car, After All, Its the brand image and After Sales Service which counts after the specs, features etc of a car.


Drive Safe!
350Z

Then Jazz should be selling same as City. Price does matter my friend.

 

[350Z]

Then Jazz should be selling same as City. Price does matter my friend.

Is Honda Jazz a sedan?
You must be aware of Indian thinking.
Most of the people here expect to pay lower price when they buy a hatchback.

Drive Safe!
350Z

 

[vroom]

Is Honda Jazz a sedan?
You must be aware of Indian thinking.
Most of the people here expect to pay lower price when they buy a hatchback.

Drive Safe!
350Z

So very true. When I started looking to buy a hatchback, I have had umpteen suggestions from my friends at the office saying why look at a higher end hatchback when I could get an entry level sedan at that price.

Eitherways, there are loads and loads of Honda Citys selling. Practically, every other car that I see on roads is a Honday City here in Mumbai.

Cheers,
Vroom

 

[cooldhaya]

i would also like most of the people suggest you to go for a new HONDA CITY. the car has an excellent engine backed up good dealers and ASS from honda. i suggest you to not look at any more cars and confuse yourself. go book your honda city and enjoy the ride.by the way happy to know that you have bought a cruze,i liked the car the first time i looked at it.if u can give a detailed report of your car in the ownership report forum it would be nice!!

 

[RSM]

Is Honda Jazz a sedan?
You must be aware of Indian thinking.
Most of the people here expect to pay lower price when they buy a hatchback.

Drive Safe!
350Z

I agree to some extent, but see sales chart of i20, i think the price difference with jazz is small, but it is selling 6-7 times more.
Now hatchback has multiple segments, like premium hatchback (or Hot Hatch).

Anyway, my point was Honda City has its own merits. In my view, its a very nice car to drive, engine is responsive, plus its has made its image. Only being Honda (Brand & Image) is no guarantee for success.

 

[raj_5004]

Its correct that the City is an over priced car and that too comes without the Alloys which is a shame for a car at this price range but the solid reputation, dealership network and after sales service the company has, It compensiates everything and if I think that I'm going to buy the car, Then In my opinion Alloys aren't a big deal or good a reason to leave such a car, After All, Its the brand image and After Sales Service which counts after the specs, features etc of a car.

i do agree that honda has a good brand image compared to GM & fiat but still i wont recommend anyone their cars as they are literally fleecing us indians.

yes, city can be considered only if budget is not an issue & you can live with a smaller car for a price of a bigger car. in that case, its a great car with a superb engine, etc.!