Petrol Hatchback Under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

[Anupt]

Hello experts of the TAI world, here is a novice seeking your kind advice.

I am planning to buy my first car shortly. I am looking for a hatchbak, petrol car. My expacted usage is as follows:

Monthly usage: ~700 Kilometers
Usage pattern: 80% in Bangalore mostly during peak hours, 20% highways
Driven by: My wife (40%) and I (60%), both of whom are inexperienced drivers
Occupancy levels: 1 person (65-70% of the time), 2 people (25-30% of the time), more than 2 (5-10% of the time)

Budget: Rs. 5.5 Lakhs. I'd initially decided 5; then stretched it to 5.5 to accommodate worthy options. Cannot stretch beyond this

Priorities:
1. Driveability (especially in city traffic): Since the car is going to be driven by two inexperienced drivers, this is the topmost priority; the easier to drive the car, the better
2. Reliability: Do not want to be spending too much time attending to frequent fixes the car requires
3. Ride comfort: Want to have a good comfortable drive, at least for the front seat passengers. Comfort in the rear seat wouldn't hurt either :-)
4. Value for Money: If the car has features worth paying for, I am fine with it; do not want to be an idiot paying for crappy stuff, though!

If the above are taken care of, I am willing to live with a little lower mileage and/or a little higher maintenance cost if I have to. That said, like everybody else, I do not want to be rearing a white elephant.

I have ruled out Chevrolet and Ford based on poor A.S.S. stories that I get to hear. Fabia, i20 and Punto are out of my budget. I didn't like i10, Eon and Liva much. That leaves me with the lower variants of Polo and Brio and almost all Maruti hatchbacks except Swift. Thus, I have shortlisted 4 cars and obtained priliminary quotes from dealers as given below:

1. Volkswagen Polo 1.2 Trendline: On Road Price (ORP) - INR 5.63 Lakhs, various discounts (including corporate discount of 8K) - INR 40K; Net: INR 5.23 Lakhs. I will get financing@ 0-7% depending on the amount financed. Please assume 3.5% if you want to do any quick mental math.
2. Honda Brio SMT: ORP - INR 5.3 Lakhs, no discounts, no special financing options.
3. Maruti Ritz VXi - ORP - INR 5.35 Lakhs, discounts (including corporate discount of 3K) - 18K; Net: INR 5.17 Lakhs. No special finance deals.
4. Maruti Alto K10 VXi: ORP - INR 3.97 Lakhs, Net: 3.79 Lkahs, No special finance deals.

I know the Alto option might have surprised some of you and that it doesn't quite compare with other options, but I had started to look around with Alto LX (800CC) in mind. If you experts feel that for my kind of usage, this is enough, I am open to this option. However, I keep wondering if it isn't a folly to spend another 1.5 Lkahs and get a better car.

Like you might have guessed, I am planning to avail a car loan, probably in the range of 2.5 to 3 Lakhs to finance the purchase. The ORPs listed above are all initial non-negotiated quotes from dealers. I might be able to bring those down a few thousands, I guess.

Now, dear experts, what do you think of my case? Which car do you suggest? I have more or less made up my mind that I am buying one of the above 4. Your help in making the final choice is really appreciated.

 

[type-r]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

Get the Brio. Looks best, drives best. Fulfills your priorities. Its also comfortable too!!

 

[Surfer]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

Go for Honda Brio: Its new car with fresh design, best driving , nice easy handling, loaded with features, fun to drive.
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...brio-vs-hyundai-i10-vs-toyota-etios-liva.html

 

[simha.k]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

@Anupt

my vote for Ritz Vxi. here are the reasons..

1>It's a maruti!
2>1.2L super smooth,refined K-series engine.
3>cheap spares
4>wide network.peace of mind. bullet proof reliability
5>tall boy design. easy ingress and egress.
6>spacious than swift. has more features than swift.

 

[shubham]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

1. Driveability (especially in city traffic): Since the car is going to be driven by two inexperienced drivers, this is the topmost priority; the easier to drive the car, the better(i think small car like alto k10 is easy to drive park and total V.F.M)
2. Reliability: Do not want to be spending too much time attending to frequent fixes the car requires(again go for maruti, my take alto k10)
3. Ride comfort: Want to have a good comfortable drive, at least for the front seat passengers. Comfort in the rear seat wouldn't hurt either :-)(IN THIS DEPARTMENT ALTO K10 WIL BE LACKING)
4. Value for Money: If the car has features worth paying for, I am fine with it; do not want to be an idiot paying for crappy stuff, though!(MARUTI CARS ARE VALUE FOR MONEY ,as you can see that the best deal you are getting are on vw polo but let me tell you that A.S.S and spare parts are on quite expensive side)
FINAL VERDICT : as you said both you and your wife are new and inexperience drievers so its better to start with small car like alto which are easy to drive and park , total V.F.M(ride comforts are compromise ) if u can live with it then go for it ,if not then i will highly recommend maruti ritz. good luck choose wisely

 

[simha.k]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

Sorry for back to back post.

Anupt, you said that Ritz VXi after all discounts come up to 5.17L on-road B'lore.
Pls check this link Maruti Suzuki Ritz Price in Bangalore - Buy New Maruti Suzuki Ritz at Bimal
Ritz has flat 25k cash discount. Add 3k more to it for corp discount. So, it should come up to 5.06L on-rad. My advice, pls upgarade to Ritz Vxi ABS. You can get it for 5.35L on-road.

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

@Anupt:
Firstly answer three questions of mine,and then the discussion may proceed even in a smoother manner:-
1):What type of roads and traffic conditions do you frequently encounter?
2):What is your daily running?Do you make highway trips too?If yes then how ling and what's the frequency(in how many days)?
3):Do you have kids?How many people are there in the family?

And fourth is:
Can you stretch even 20k,I know its tough but still,can you?

 

[Thetraveller]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

I would go with what Simha.k has mentioned. Ritz comes out the best option for you! It has all the tickmarks checked for you. Also this being your first car, you do not want to end up in unknown territories with Honda Brio or VW Polo. Although Polo has had decent sales till date but still its long term is unknown.

With Maruti you can be dead sure that you will have plenty of options for After sales service and spares will be comparatively cheaper than VW or Honda. Also, resale would not be an issue.

I also want to throw in another option which you should consider, ie Used cars. You can easily get a Swift VXI version of 2-3 years old for around 3.25 - 3.5 lacs. It will give you an option to get a car in a segment higher also it is most desirable hatchs around.
But just my opinion.

 

[powerpacked]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

@Anupt
What is keeping you away from diesel vehicles?

You say monthly running is ~700KMs
Say petrol vehicle average is 15
You will consume 46.6 ltrs of Petrol with price ~75 so your average fuel bill is Rs3500
Considering Diesel average again 15Kmpl overall
You will consume 46.6 ltrs of diesel with price ~45 which goes to Rs2100
Per month you will save 3500-2100=1400

And Diesel Hatchbacks are available within the budget you have mentioned.
If streched

If stretched little more you get top end FIGO If not ZXi for sure.

 

[Surfer]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

If stretched little more you get top end FIGO If not ZXi for sure.

Yes Agree, what about Beat Diesel ?

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

@Anupt:
Well,first of all,my advice may sound somewhat different from all,but still my work is to share my experience and ideas,rest is upon you:-
Before anything else,my first words are Safety is a must for me in the cars and I am very keen about it,a car without at least ABS is no car for me(As I'd never buy it),and remember "Money spent on safety features is not a waste instead its a long term investment".

First of all,let's get to the list provided by you:-


1):VW POLO:
Only base model will be in budget,simply leave it.Why?You will buy the car only for 5.5 lacs and after that ICE etc etc etc will make you jump your budget.

2):Honda Brio:
Since you are beginners and this is going to be your first car,then you can go for this car with your closed eyes,opt for the 'S'(O) variant which comes with all the features including ABS and airbags too for your safety.The pros and cons are as:
1):Being a Honda,what you can expect is a very predictable handling which is a must for novices.
2):The i-Vtec is a hi-tech engine which is quite a performer too.
3):The small dimensions make it quite enjoyable to punt around in the town/city.
4):The FE is also simply great and with careful driving you can obtain even 20 kpl figures.
5):With ABS and airbags the safety is also good.ABS in my views is mandatory for especially novices because if something comes in front,then you can handle it if you have enough experience but if you are a novice then you will simply do panic braking which will result in the collision which could have been avoided if the car had ABS,so ABS is a mandatory.
6):There is plenty of space and the seats are really comfy,especially the front ones.
7):You get everything like electronic adjustable mirrors,music system etc..I mean a fully loaded car.
8):The car lacks low end power which can make it quite painful for novices to drive in city/stop-go traffic.
9):The boot is really small and loading lip is quite high and narrow,rest everything is all-right.

To get this car in 'S'(O) variant,you may have to stretch for nearly 20k but the car you get is simply great.In fact investing on a Ritz VXi seems to be a foolishness in front of this car.If you feel it high on price then go for 'S' variant without ABS and airbags.With this variant you will not have to buy anything after market as it will come fully loaded with ICE system etc.

THAT WAS WHAT I HAD FOR YOU IN TERMS OF BRIO,NOW ITS YOUR WORK TO GO OUT AND CHECK THE PRICES OF 'S' AND 'S'(O) VARIANTS THERE IN BANGALORE.If the S(O) variant suits your budget then its great else you can go for 'S' variant,even this is far-far better than a Ritz VXi and is nearly same price too.


Now comes my hot favorite:
3):MS RITZ ZXi:
Since you will be taking a loan,that means you can extend for 20-25k and same is what will get you the best thing money can buy in this segment,why?The reasons are as follows:
1):A brilliant 1.2K engine which is good in all fields power,performance and fuel economy.
2):The ZXi is a fully loaded car that you can get for about 5.75 lacs,this includes ABS,airbags,EBD,Alloy rims with good 185 section tyres(Its a fact that Swift/Ritz VXi are under tyred cars with those),inside you get automatic climate control,steering mounted audio controls and a music system(ICE) for you.
Now if you invest 5.35 lacs on a Ritz VXi ABS then you have yourself proved yourself a fool because by investing just 40k more you can get Alloy rims,wider tyres,Auto AC,Music system,ABS,EBD and airbags,rear wiper,rear defogger and fog lamps too...the hence now you yourself tell me which car to buy a VXi ABS or a ZXi.
3)If you buy a VXi ABS,then also you will spend some money on music system and other goodies which will jump your budget,while the ZXi comes fully loaded.
4)The boot of Ritz is also enough for small trips ride and handling is also great.
5)The ride and handling of the Ritz is also great,and the ZXi with wider and low profile tyres really drives enthusiastically and very predictably.



Hence my final word of advice:GO FOR EITHER RITZ ZXi OR BRIO S(O) ACCORDING TO YOUR WISH,BOTH ARE GREAT CARS,I know that they will jump your budget,but once be quite tight and after that a hassle free ownership experience is also there for you,what is 20k when you are spending 5.5 lacs,just do it 5.7 and see what you will get..why to buy inferior thing when you can get superior with a small adjustment?

Alto K10is also good but simply out of my advice,but it only if everything else is out of reach.

WHY DON'T YOU CONSIDER AN A-STAR ZXi if you want a good fully loaded car in your budget?

 

[Surfer]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

Just a small thought - If he can stretch budget then why not Jazz ?
And in that budget (say 6L) you can get Ritz,Vista ,Figo,Liva,Punto diesel as well.

 

[TSIVipul]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

@Surfer:
Let me intrude in between..
Jazz:On-road Bangalore is 6.5 lacs+.
Ritz:Already mentioned.
Vista:Who needs it in petrol?And diesel is in territory of Swift..Leave it..
Figo:already rejected by the guy.
Punto Diesel:My hot favorite and can be considered if 6-6.25 lacs is okay.

Rest if stretching is possible till 5.7 lacs then Brio S(O) and Ritz ZXi have no match..if they have,then tell me.

Okay,tell me if you put ABS,Airbags,EBD,ICE,ACC,Alloys and 185 section tyres and fog lamps and remote locking and defogger and rear wiper..how much will it cost?I am sure over 70-80k for all this.

 

[Anupt]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

type-r, Surfer, simha.k, shubham, TSIVipul, Thetraveller, powerpacked, et al: Thank you very much for your replies

@Anupt
What is keeping you away from diesel vehicles?

Per month you will save 3500-2100=1400

Power, at 1400 per month savings, it will take 6+years to break even the initial purchase cost (assuming~1 Lakh extra when compared to a petrol car), and the higher maintenance cost of diesel vehicles will prolong this further. Besides, I do not like the high-vibration feel of the diesel engine. Hence, the petrol choice.

Safety is a must for me in the cars and I am very keen about it,a car without at least ABS is no car for me(As I'd never buy it),and remember "Money spent on safety features is not a waste instead its a long term investment".

MS RITZ ZXi:

1)A brilliant 1.2K engine
2)The ZXi is a fully loaded car - Now if you invest 5.35 lacs on a Ritz VXi ABS then you have yourself proved yourself a fool
3)If you buy a VXi ABS,then also you will spend some money on music system and other goodies which will jump your budget,while the ZXi comes fully loaded.
4)The boot of Ritz is also enough for small trips ride and handling is also great.
5)The ride and handling of the Ritz is also great

I appreciate your advice, Vipul. Frankly, ABS and Airbags were not in my consideration, for cost reasons and also considering the fact that I do not driver very fast. However, your point that safety comes first is well taken. And if VXi ABS is being considered, it might be a foolish choice because, like you pointed out, ZXi becomes a lot more sensible option then. But the final on-road price between VXi (without ABS) and ZXi is 83K, which is quite a substantial sum in my thinking. If I buy VXi, I might just add an ICE and that will be the only additional spending. So, the question is, should I be spending some 70-75K on features such as ABS, Airbags, alloy wheels, wider wheels, etc.

Hence my final word of advice:GO FOR EITHER RITZ ZXi OR BRIO S(O) ACCORDING TO YOUR WISH,BOTH ARE GREAT CARS,I know that they will jump your budget,but once be quite tight and after that a hassle free ownership experience is also there for you,what is 20k when you are spending 5.5 lacs,just do it 5.7 and see what you will get

WHY DON'T YOU CONSIDER AN A-STAR ZXi if you want a good fully loaded car in your budget?

I think Alto K10VXi is a lot more value for money if I should settle for a smaller car. I wanted to consider Ritz ZXi and S(O)MT, but kept them out because of budget constraints. There is no ending to the loosening of strings, no? If I stretch it to 5.8, then suddenly I will think - why not extend it by another 30K and consider XXX car. Remember, I started with Alto 800 LX

Firstly answer three questions of mine,and then the discussion may proceed even in a smoother manner:-
1):What type of roads and traffic conditions do you frequently encounter?
2):What is your daily running?Do you make highway trips too?If yes then how ling and what's the frequency(in how many days)?
3):Do you have kids?How many people are there in the family?

Vipul, the roads I drive on will be quite good; less than 2% will have pot-holed conditions. However, the traffic will be very nasty most of the time. Daily usage will be mostly within the city to commute to office and back. Highway trips on some weekends is expected. I do not have kids as of now - my wife and I form the family.

And fourth is:
Can you stretch even 20k,I know its tough but still,can you?

Yes, it is tough, but I can do that. There is a saying in my mother tongue that translates roughly as:

"Even if the ground is fully packed with people, when an elephant comes in, space will get created"

I assume you wanted to know this to suggest Ritz ZXi and Brio S(O)MT. If so, your point is taken. Considering all that you explained above, I will add those to my options too. And I am dropping Alto from my list. So now I have to choose from:

1. Ritz VXi and ZXi
2. Brio SMT and S(O)MT and
3. Polo 1.2 trendline

I know, none of you have suggested polo, but I am still keeping that in the list considering that the interior quality, ride confort etc. are top notch in Polo. I will probably not choose that one finally, though.

Finally, a word of thanks to all those who contributed. Really appreciate your help.

 

[powerpacked]

Re: A petrol hatchback under 5.5: Polo, Brio, Ritz or?

1. Ritz VXi and ZXi
2. Brio SMT and S(O)MT and
3. Polo 1.2 trendline

I know, none of you have suggested polo, but I am still keeping that in the list considering that the interior quality, ride confort etc. are top notch in Polo. I will probably not choose that one finally, though.
.

So keeping Polo aside what’s your pick out of the Ritz and Brio.