Car & Bike Please suggest family hatchback under 5L

[vigilante]

First time car buyer looking for a petrol hatchback for a small family for city driving.

Purpose – Weekend drives in city (Pune – 20km), sometimes to office (15-20km) and occasional trips to surrounding locations (100-200 km).
Drivers – Me and my wife. Although we learnt driving some years back consider us complete novices since we have no experience of driving in traffic.
Passengers – 2 + 1toddler. Parents visit occasionally. No one is heavily built.
Budget – Max 5L. 1L down payment. And rest EMI (I already have a home loan).
Cars considered – Hyundai i10 Magna, Wagon R vxi. Would prefer a Hyundai/Maruti because of ease/cost of service/parts.
Please give other suggestions and things to consider.
How much sense would it make to stretch the budget for Grand i10 or Swift? (This would mean I’ll be increasing the loan or postpone the car for 2-3 months).

 

[edge111hussain]

I would have said get a second hand but, considering cash constraint thats completely ruled out??

I give huge emphasis to the actual cabin space. Considering that and overall performance, the honda Brio is a clear winner here. Im not sure that it will fit in 5L.

Maruti Ritz? renault kwid? Celerio? mahindra tuv100?

Your budget is a bit tight bro. Increase a lac and you can get yourself a proper hatchback. i.e swift, figo, i20, zica etc

 

[vigilante]

I would have said get a second hand but, considering cash constraint thats completely ruled out??

I'm a bit averse to buy a used one, since I plan to use this for 3-4 years. But still I am on the lookout and if I find some 2014 model that's not driven much, I can give that a shot.

I give huge emphasis to the actual cabin space. Considering that and overall performance, the honda Brio is a clear winner here. Im not sure that it will fit in 5L.
Maruti Ritz? renault kwid? Celerio? mahindra tuv100?

Brio is on the costlier side. My wife likes the looks. Ritz not so much. As I said IF I can increase the budget, i'd go for Swift. But that's a big IF.
What's celerio's advantage over i10/wagon r?
Kwid is priced very good. But the reviews mention too platicky and long waiting periods. Also no long term ownership reviews.

Your budget is a bit tight bro. Increase a lac and you can get yourself a proper hatchback. i.e swift, figo, i20, zica etc

As I mentioned, increasing budget clearly means I increase the loan which I'm a bit afraid of. Even IF I do increase, that can only be 5.5L.

 

[chetansha]

Dont even think of going wagon r way . nothing wrong with it but very poor power. Better stick to swift . you will get good resale value even after 4-5 years of usage

 

[edge111hussain]

2014 will cost you a premium. Try getting a under 25000 kms driven car. Unless its had an accident and significant damage, you are good to go.

Celerio, cheaper, auto gears. Wagor R is dated and most cabbies are using it now. i10 again a cabbies car in mumbai and FE not as good.
Swift too is dated now, look at the Figo or the new zica from tata. Else an i20 elite will go a long way (but the petrol is nothing great)

I said brio reading your first post. Its clicks on all the things you might want in a car.

A swift has no advantage over a brio IMHO. Drive a brio and you will know why i am recommending it to you. Frankly i think the car looks a bit feminine. If you can live with that, thats the one

 

[vigilante]

As far as used ones are considered, then maybe I'll look if I can find some 2013 Swift or i20. How much should that cost and what else should I be looking for?
But still my first priority would be a new one. I'll go ahead and check out Celerio and see if I can warm up to it's looks.
The trouble is since I'm a novice driver, I'm not sure if I can just test drive and pick one over another. So looks and people's opinions are what I'm basing my choices on.
Brio's looks don't convince me (wifey loves it though).

Dont even think of going wagon r way . nothing wrong with it but very poor power. Better stick to swift . you will get good resale value even after 4-5 years of usage

Even though I like Swift, getting it would mean increasing the loan and getting the base variant or getting a used one. Still thinking on it.

 

[drkrack]

Novice driver stay away from Tata. I'd chose automatic transmission over manual for city like Pune.

New Figo, Grand i10 are a better alternative to Swift , but I doubt it will fit in your budget. If you are buying on loan, its couple of thousands more on EMI, so opt for a costlier car.
If you're strict on budget of 5L, go for Wagon R AMT.

 

[vigilante]

Any specific reason against tata? The new Zica looks good. But I'm not sure about a newly launched car.
I agree that a couple of grands more on EMI does not look much on paper, but then I've already added those couple extra, since I started my search with Eon/alto K10.
Also, What would be the best mileage I should expect from this class for city driving? Forgot to add in the initial requirements, but fuel efficiency is also important.

Apart from initial cost, any drawback of an automatic? Is the maintenance more?

 

[Chaos]

Any specific reason against tata? The new Zico looks good. But I'm not sure about a newly launched car.
I agree that a couple of grands more on EMI does not look much on paper, but then I've already added those couple extra, since I started my search with Eon/alto K10.
Also, What would be the best mileage I should expect from this class for city driving? Forgot to add in the initial requirements, but fuel efficiency is also important.

Apart from initial cost, any drawback of an automatic? Is the maintenance more?

The zica looks like a fantastic hatch overall on paper. The only question that remains is what about long term reliability.

Any tata owner knows that the car falls apart after 3 years and the maintenance bills pile up. Whether this one is better is anyone's guess.

As for AT, the mileage will be lower than the corresponding manual especially for entry level hatches that come with age old 4 speed autos. Expect no better than 9-10km/l.

 

[i_rock098]

I would say get a manual instead of a automatic since you don't know how to drive. Spend good 6-7 years learning and driving a manual car and you would never have a problem driving a car in your life. Learning manual after years of driving a automatic is difficult

 

[vigilante]

Expect no better than 9-10km/l

That's a downer.

you would never have a problem driving a car in your life

Yeah that makes sense since when I visit my hometown I would be driving an Accent. Also driving any other car wouldn't be an issue then.

 

[mithun]

Hyundai i10(old gen) and MS Wagon R would be the most novice driver friendly car in your budget. I feel you have already shortlisted the right cars.

 

[drkrack]

Any specific reason against tata? The new Zica looks good. But I'm not sure about a newly launched car.
I agree that a couple of grands more on EMI does not look much on paper, but then I've already added those couple extra, since I started my search with Eon/alto K10.
Also, What would be the best mileage I should expect from this class for city driving? Forgot to add in the initial requirements, but fuel efficiency is also important.

Apart from initial cost, any drawback of an automatic? Is the maintenance more?

Tata cars still lack the reliability of Maruti, drivability isn't on par either. It'll ruin the enthusiasm of the new driver. Stick with Maruti, Hyundai etc.

If your budget is 5L buy Wagon R AMT or Celerio AMT or i10 auto. Wagon and Celerio are not traditional automatic (read CVT) but automated manual transmission ; it'll have a better mileage over conventional auto. Google for further information on AMT. Expect a mileage above 15kmpl +, as official claim is above 20kmpl. Wagon R if space is required for weekend drives added passengers & especially for a toddler , but Celerio, K10 AMT and i10 should be fine if space isn't that important. Since you sit tall in Wagon R, road visibility is good for a new driver.

Final Tip, don't take mine or any other forum members word very seriously on drivability of the car ; go for a test drive with spouse and take a call. There's no car that suits everyone, individual preferences vary. You'd hardly go wrong with any of the above cars.

 

[vigilante]

There's no car that suits everyone, individual preferences vary. You'd hardly go wrong with any of the above cars.

That's good to hear. So i10, Wagon R and Celerio. These are the ones I'll check out this weekend. Will also try to gather more info about AMT.

 

[pratzgh1]

I have a Celerio CNG (I live in Navi Mumbai, where we have several CNG pumps all around, making my car a cheaper commute than my bike) and although the car feels sufficiently large when it comes to cabin space, it lacks the finesse of a quality hatch. Suffers a lot at NVH levels thanks to the poor damping allowing for outside noise to creep in easily. All said, the engine is smooth and feels snappy on most roads (due to the newer k series unit which also has 10k service intervals and car's light weight body panels). Thanks to the swift like steering and dash, it feels a bit premium than the Wagon R. It also comes loaded with a lot of goodies for the price. Rear bench can easily have 3 Indian bodies sitting in comfort. Most importantly, it returns superb fuel economy when driven in safe mode. One thing you should know is that the A pillar is relatively thicker than any other hatch in this category and taking tight turns will require cautiousness.

Celerio and other VFM cars are a good option is you are looking for your first car and would want to upgrade in the future. Although, I would personally suggest you to stretch your budget a bit and go for a pricier hatchback like the i20 or the likes of it. Consider it to be better in every term than the options you have shortlisted. The satisfaction level also goes a notch above your current choices. Quality comes at a price. Choice is ultimately yours. All the best on whatever you choose. Do post pics of your beauty when you get her.

 

[vigilante]

Thanks for the quick Celerio review. Have you driven the i10? How would you compare the two?

Celerio and other VFM cars are a good option is you are looking for your first car and would want to upgrade in the future. Although, I would personally suggest you to stretch your budget a bit and go for a pricier hatchback like the i20 or the likes of it.

I would like to keep the car for at least 3-4 years. I'm trying to give some serious thought to increase my budget. I still have this month before I finalise so yeah I'll keep this is mind.

Bit OT...Learnt some more new terms, NVH and Pillars (yesterday it was AMT). Can some motorhead (is the term correct?) guide me to link that explains the terminology I need to know?

 

[rakesh_ic]

I know you are much inclined towards the Maruti but if you are by any chance planning to increase the budget for a Swift, I would suggest you to get figo instead for the following reasons -
1) Drive comfort
2) Boot space both front and rear seats

If you are still sticking to the budget, you already have your choices mentioned above

PS:: I own a swift and my cousin has a Figo

 

[bigbyte]

For your budget and requirements I'd suggest that convince your wife to buy RITZ. It ticks all your requirements, and cabin space is also good due to a tall design. The engine is K12, same as swift. Infact, the two car differ only in looks rest all is mostly same. Celerio/Wagon R are low on power due to K10 engine. If not RITZ, then go for i10 Magna.

 

[vigilante]

I know you are much inclined towards the Maruti

Actually, I'm more inclined towards Hyundai currently. i10 magna for 5L and grand i10 for 5.5L if I manage to increase my budget.
I'll definitely look at Figo as well. How is Ford for service/spares ease and cost as compared with Maruti/Hyundai?[DOUBLEPOST=1454058092][/DOUBLEPOST]

I'd suggest that convince your wife to buy RITZ

Didn't give Ritz any thought till now, but I definitely find it better looking than Celerio.

 

[rakesh_ic]

Actually, I'm more inclined towards Hyundai currently. i10 magna for 5L and grand i10 for 5.5L if I manage to increase my budget.
I'll definitely look at Figo as well. How is Ford for service/spares ease and cost as compared with Maruti/Hyundai?

Considering the petrol varient, Hyundai and Maruti turns out cheaper compared to Ford cars on the maintenance cost.
But these days the petrol cars are mostly trouble free and you wont have to spend for spares etc much for at least 3 years on any of the car. Not counting in the oil filters etc that goes int your regular servicing (petrol car servicing can be done once in a year for the low usage you specified unless you plan for regular long trips).