Need Advice for First Car - Chevrolet Beat vs Maruti Ritz

[ArunKS]

Hi TAIans,

I am planning to buy my first car ever. Keeping increasing oil prices in mind, I have decided to buy a diesel hatch. I have short listed Chevrolet Beat & Maruti Ritz after doing lot of research. Below are my expectations:

1. Good FE and low maintenance (Highest priority).
2. Best in class riding comfort for both driver & passengers, good drivability/driving pleasure.
3. Should handle well within the city as 90% of my driving is within the Bangalore city traffic. Also I expect decent torque for highway driving.
4. Should have good a/c system. Love to have a good ICE set up but, Ritz don't come with music system and I've heard the ICE set up in Beat is below average.
5. Good fit & finish and build quality will be an added advantage.


Chevrolet Beat LT (Opt): I am totally in love with the Beat!
Pros: Very good FE (claimed by company), three years maintenance free, Feature rich (AAC, Music system, Alloys, ABS, Dual airbags).
Cons: Engine - not sure how the 3 cylinder engine performs after some time, Underpowered, less space. Also I've heard in many forums that the mileage is not as much as advertised by Chevrolet.


Maruti Ritz VDi (ABS): According to me its "fill it, shut it, forget it" type of a car!
Pros: FE, maintenance, performance, ASS
Cons: Design, less features compared to other cars in the segment

Please help me in deciding the right car for me and my family as I am totally confused between these two. I don’t want to regret for spending my hard earned money after I purchase the car.

Additional info (if it helps):
1. I am 6 ft tall & we are a family of 5.
2. I don’t have plans to change the car for next 5 years, at least.
3. I am going for max available loan while purchasing the car.

Thanks in advance..

 

[TATAaventador]

Re: 1st car - Need advice!!!

Hi TAIans,

I am planning to buy my first car ever.

Additional info (if it helps):
1. I am 6 ft tall & we are a family of 5.
2. I don’t have plans to change the car for next 5 years, at least.
3. I am going for max available loan while purchasing the car.

Thanks in advance..

1.you are 6ft tall so ritz is a tallboy car and for family of 5 again ritz has more space then beat.
2. as it is a maruti after 5 years too it may have much resale value then chevy one.
these are some points that indicate you to go for ritz.
MY 2 CENTS HERE :

as beat is 3 cyl it has high NVH levels whereas ritz has low nvh levels being 4cyl and refined DDiS engine is aboon and is known for reliability,
with ritz you get excellent service network.though ritz do have some cons about rear suspension and news that soon new ritz will be launched

 

[Jazzy]

Re: 1st car - Need advice!!!

+1 to TataAventador- totally agree with his points. But my heart beats for Beat! After seeing it in Transformers, I never expected that the production version would end by being this 'cool'!!! Hats off Chevy. Also do keep in mind Chevy has big plans for India & is investing big time. It will be a boon in the long run.

Cheers

jazzy

 

[Thetraveller]

Re: 1st car - Need advice!!!

Ritz fits all the checkboxes perfectly. Though Beat is also not a bad car, but the final decision should be taken based on your TD experience and how you want to use the car. If it is purely for city, then Beat, if you want to put in some long long drives then Ritz.

 

[raj_5004]

Re: 1st car - Need advice!!!

Since it is your first car, I would advise a Maruti or Hyundai. Hence, I have voted for the Ritz.

Good that the Ritz does not come with a music system, you can install your own according to your needs & taste!

 

[Sam Dinkar]

Re: 1st car - Need advice!!!

Hi TAIans,

I am planning to buy my first car ever. Keeping increasing oil prices in mind, I have decided to buy a diesel hatch. I have short listed Chevrolet Beat & Maruti Ritz after doing lot of research. Below are my expectations:

1. Good FE and low maintenance (Highest priority).
2. Best in class riding comfort for both driver & passengers, good drivability/driving pleasure.
3. Should handle well within the city as 90% of my driving is within the Bangalore city traffic. Also I expect decent torque for highway driving.
4. Should have good a/c system. Love to have a good ICE set up but, Ritz don't come with music system and I've heard the ICE set up in Beat is below average.
5. Good fit & finish and build quality will be an added advantage.

Good FE, low maintenance, torque for highway driving, driving pleasure, 6 ft tall, space for 5, holding on to the car for 5 years, taking a loan (on a depreciating asset like a car).....

I wonder why you even bothered to post this poll. There is no confusion at all. Just blindfold yourself and go for the Ritz Vdi. And don't forget to thank us TAIndians later ! Go NOW !

Oh, and a very warm welcome to TAI !

 

[Aviral]

If you want a chevy, be ready to face the horrible after sales experience!
Personally i would suggest going in for the Ritz as it would be more comfortable for you and your family. Plus the DDIs in the ritz Is way much better than the Beat's wheezy 3 pot motor. Other than the ICE setup i dont think ritz is defficient of any feature than the Beat.

 

[vijay]

No brainer to thing about, just go and buy a Ritz Vdi, with abs optional if available do opt for that one.Its your first car and it suits your needs perfectly.You would enjoy that DDiS mill and FE it gives you.Also you can have your own choice of ICE as well.

 

[350Z]

Welcome aboard, Arun. Both the cars have their own set of pros and cons. Chevrolet Beat is feature rich and stylish while Maruti Ritz is overall a better performer and relatively spacious. And then, that’s what you are looking for – Much reliable long term workhorse. Go for Ritz as it ticks all boxes except for the build quality part where I feel Maruti Suzuki has to improve. All said and done, I'm sure Ritz Diesel is a no-nonsense car and will prove to be a capable performer for city as well as highway runs.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[cooldhaya]

Ritz VDi just ticks all your boxes perfectly , but just take a TD and see to that you are also comfortable with the car.

 

[VoyagerDarsh]

I will always go the Ritz, since Maruti ASS and spares are never a problem. It features a wonderful Diesel Engine. Also the boot space and rear seat space is more compared to Beat.

 

[mohan.sharma]

The after sales service of Chevy depends on what dealer to choose believe me. If you want a car with a great mileage, incredible looks and awesome features i would say you should go for the Beat!!

I agree the space is an issue but I am a 6 footer myself and the front seats provide ample room. My brother owns (as tall as me) it and he is very happy with the car.

I personally feel it lacks power, but for a small 1 liter engine, it has incredible low-end torque and surprisingly less vibrations. Dont forget the 3 year Chevrolet promise, thats a winner i tell you.

I might sound a little biased here, but honestly i am not a fan of Maruti!! What matters to me most is the ride quality and Maruti takes a backseat in that area!! Test drive both cars and you will know what i am talking about!!

 

[Aviral]

The after sales service of Chevy depends on what dealer to choose believe me. If you want a car with a great mileage, incredible looks and awesome features i would say you should go for the Beat!!

I agree the space is an issue but I am a 6 footer myself and the front seats provide ample room. My brother owns (as tall as me) it and he is very happy with the car.

I personally feel it lacks power, but for a small 1 liter engine, it has incredible low-end torque and surprisingly less vibrations. Dont forget the 3 year Chevrolet promise, thats a winner i tell you.

I might sound a little biased here, but honestly i am not a fan of Maruti!! What matters to me most is the ride quality and Maruti takes a backseat in that area!! Test drive both cars and you will know what i am talking about!!

Even i dont like marutis, but for all practical reasons the Ritz is perfect for him. Yes beat does have a small 1 litre engine but at the same prize (correct me if i am wrong) in the Ritz you get a lot better 1.3 DDis.
Plus Ritz boast a better boot as compared to beat's which looks like a tiny glove box!

Admit it, being a nicely designed car, beat is not a practical family hauler which is a shame.

 

[sachinj12]

Get the Ritz. The Beat's rear is claustrophobic compared to the Ritz. And you being 6ft will push the driver's seat all the way back. The person sitting behind you will feel chocked. The 3 pot diesel is no match to the Fiat's MJD. Its just fantastic. When you intend to sell your car, the Ritz will sell for more than the Beat as Maruti badge will hold its value better than the Chevrolet. I have seen 3 year old 40k km Optra go for as low as 4Lakhs.

Make no mistake, the Beat is no way inferior and is a very competent product. But for your needs, the Ritz ticks all the boxes and then some more too!

 

[ArunKS]

Thank you so much to all for your prompt suggestions..

I always believed that Ritz is definitely a no nonsense car! I never liked the looks of it from the day it was launched but its performance overshadowed its looks. So it was my first choice when I decided to buy a car as I am looking for a VFM car within a limited budget.

At the same time, I was in total love with the Beat from the day it was launched! It had (and still has) the fresh look among all the Indian cars and is truly a VFM hatch. I was eagerly waiting for the diesel launch. But I was really disappointed with the diesel version when I came to know that it is a 3 cylinder car with 936cc engine. I feel that Chevy compromised too much with performance keeping FE in mind. Also they messed up with the pricing of diesel Beat. I think it is not as much VFM as the petrol one. However, the FE and ride quality are certainly best in the segment.

I started this thread to hear the opinion of all you expert folks.. My wife is not taking her eyes of Beat! Now with the help of this forum, I can try convincing her to go for Ritz..

I will take a TD of both vehicles with my wife and will leave it to her to take the final call. Thanks again!!!