Car & Bike Small car for ~4L (Chevy Beat?)

sydras said:
Have you test driven the new Wagon-R? It is more spacious than the old one.

Looking at your previous car selection and current requirements, I think that the Wagon-R is good fit. Since it's a Maruti, availability of spares won't be an issue. Servicing costs will be cheap. It is a tall-boy so ingress and egress will be easy for your father.

If I'm not mistaken, it has better rear legroom than the Beat. The Beat has a very notchy gearbox and a very claustrophobic rear bench. I did not like the interiors too. The LT version may have a lot of gizmos but after you are done playing with them, the things that matter come into play i.e. proper in-cabin space, legroom, availability of service centres etc.

You may have already decided on getting the Beat but just test drive the Wagon-R with your dad and get his opinion. Since you're purchasing interval is 15 years, increase your budget and get the better variant of any car. The money won't matter after some time.
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The wagon R is a relic of the past. The basic platform is over 15 years old and the body's rigidity and crash worthiness is a big question mark.

Also it has the most horrible ride, handling and gearbox in all hatchbacks - the steering is dead, the gearbox is notchy and vague plus it rolls around like a boat due to that height.

All it has is space and nothing else. I'd not touch a wagon r with a barge pole.

In 4 lacs, get the beat or spark or alto.
 
Supra said:
^^ I guess the problem with Wagon R are :

1. Dated Looks. 90% of the ppl dont like it much because of Boxy Looks.

2. 3 cylinder engine

3. Suspension is not at all good and ride is quite bumpy.

Other then cheap Spares and Maruti Brand/Service...there is no way I can think anyone will recommend a WagonR over a Beat. The build quality, interiors can't even be compared to be honest. Beat Leg Room ...I dont want to talk abt it anymore ...its one of the best in the current hatchbacks as Beat Boot is just 190L and all this was done to have comfy legroom and spacy interiors !

Beat and notchy gearbox !! You need to drive one...its geared short but its butter smooth ! Comparable to nice gearboxes on new Swift/Figo
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What you say w.r.t build quality, quality of plastics esp. window switches etc. in a Wagon-R is true since it's almost in the league of an Alto (I forgot about the 3 pot engine. Thanks for mentioning that. Also I believe it's engine is a 1L which inevitably loses steam when the AC is switched on). But I found it improved over the previous version of Wagon-R in terms of interiors and space.

Compared to Beat, yes the Beat is a newly designed car based on a modern platform. The interiors may be better than the Wagon-R but may not appeal to all For eg: the funky digital speedometer, RPM meter etc. may not sit well with the family. The 190L boot may fail to deliver when that extra luggage is demanded for a family vacation. Since you mention that the rear legroom is good, I will tend to agree with your input but I did feel that the rear was a little claustrophobic.

What I like about the Beat is that it has a decent 1.2L petrol and I like the climate control AC from among it's features.

I did drive the Beat some time ago (while I was TD'ing cars last year before I bought my City) and I found the gearbox to be absolutely atrocious. Of course, it could have been an issue with the test drive car but I immediately drove the Spark after driving the Beat and the gearbox while being a little notchy, felt far better that the Beat (In fact, I drove the Spark from two different Chevy dealers and found similar behaviour from the Spark gearbox).
Chaos said:
The wagon R is a relic of the past. The basic platform is over 15 years old and the body's rigidity and crash worthiness is a big question mark.

Also it has the most horrible ride, handling and gearbox in all hatchbacks - the steering is dead, the gearbox is notchy and vague plus it rolls around like a boat due to that height.

All it has is space and nothing else. I'd not touch a wagon r with a barge pole.

In 4 lacs, get the beat or spark or alto.
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The latest version has had significant exterior changes, an elongated wheelbase, is taller and equipped with a new K-Series engine(which I am not a fan of due to the increased noise btw but is also present in the Alto K10). It's a tallboy so handling won't be very good but if driven sedately, I think it's ok. Why I mention all this is because you have suggested the Alto and I don't think the Alto is a better buy than the Wagon-R in terms of value for money.

I have test drive the Alto K10 and found the gearbox to be rubbery and terrible. The clutch was hard and the clutch travel was too long. Also the in-cabin noise was far more controlled in the Wagon-R than in the Alto. In the Alto K10, the engine sounds like that of a decade old taxi due to poor noise insulation. In fact, I'd test driven the A-Star with the same K-series engine and found the noise far more controlled due to better insulation as compared to the Alto.
 
sydras said:
What you say w.r.t build quality, quality of plastics esp. window switches etc. in a Wagon-R is true since it's almost in the league of an Alto (I forgot about the 3 pot engine. Thanks for mentioning that. Also I believe it's engine is a 1L which inevitably loses steam when the AC is switched on). But I found it improved over the previous version of Wagon-R in terms of interiors and space.
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Previous Wagon R was crap on every level except space and maruti service, part prices, etc.

Current Wagon R is yes better but only when you divide crap into different levels.

But its still crap though for some odd reason its selling like hot cheese cakes.

@WagonR owners: no offense, just attacking maruti.
 
Why isn't anyone suggesting a Maruthi here? Did I miss something?

I would suggest Wagon R Vxi which is a notch wider than Lxi and comes fully loaded without ABS or airbags. Its a pretty decent option for tall people.
 
Buy the PS or LT. The LS is not worth the extra 25-30k over PS. For the additional 25-30k you get:
1) Front power windows - 4.5k from accessory shop with auto roll-up module
2) LHS ORVM - 1.6k dealer fitment
3) 60:40 split seats at rear : can be fabricated or swapped later(tricky)
4) Chrome grill lining : can be retrofitted for 750 INR aftermarket(not sure)
5) Digital clock on MID : Big deal
6) Did i miss something else?

Anyways, i seriously believe the above does not justify the additional 30k, which you can use in accessorizing your Beat. The LT is the most VFM feature wise.
 
+1 to Chevy Beat.
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My vote for chevy beat too. A good modern hatch and is certainly far ahead of Estilo/Wagon R IMO. If you can, stretch your budget a little and get the LT version, loaded with goodies. Since you're gonna use it more than 10 yrs, it makes sense.
 
DarkAngel said:
as i said before the two dealers in my town are maruti and chevy. Mine is a small 'c' grade town and even chevy set shop only last diwali. Before that the only option was maruti.
Its highly improbable to ta,e the car for a 120km round trip and waiting there till evening for getting it serviced.
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Hi DarkAngle,
I want to share something that before taking any decision just check out the new hatchback Hyundai EON, its fantastic in small car segment as compare to any other car in price and mileage will bound you to think over it. As its Price range is Rs Rs 2,69,999* - Rs 3,71,869* and gives the mileage of 17.3kmpl in city.
 
Get beat, Chevy cars are good. I am proud spark owner from past 4years, never faced any shortage of spares:) Plus, the service center network is excellent.

good luck with your purchase
 
So finally got the loan processed and will get the Car on Wednesday (Dec 21) :)

Bought in december since there is max discounts this month and anyways we plan to keep the car for 10+ years so it doesnt matter whether its 2011 model or 2012 model!

Got an extra ~18k discount since it was december.

Final quotes:

Chevy Beat LS ~ 4.39L(OTR)

Less insurance discount ~ 0.13L

Less old premier padmini exchange discount ~ 0.20L

Final amount ~ 4.06L (Almost in line with my initial budget)

Other than this free goodies like free floor mat, keyless entry etc.. for ~ 0.1L

Now please recommend a speaker + music system (USB would suffice. If CD player is present then that too is ok) for ~ 10k
 
Try to get JBL GT-X333. No CD player. Only USB,Aux-In and SD Card. They have a very nice set of connectors. 3 4V pre outs and good sound quality. Should be under 4.5k. Spend the rest on good quality speakers and a subwoofer if possible.
 
JBL GTX 333 Car Stereo Speaker - Buy Online in India, Best Price ,Best buy, Deals, Discount, Offer, Features, Reviews, Online Shopping, Shop Online ~ @2.9k!!! (Typo?)

New JBL 300W 3 Way Full Range Speaker GT6-S699 | eBay ~ 3.5k -> So is this just a single speaker for the back. So do i need another set of cheaper speakers for the front for good effect?

So how much will it usually cost for wiring and fixing it in the car?(In a local store) Do stores usually do such stuff when the components are bought elsewhere?
 
That's an awesome price, the one I quoted was last years. At that price, it's a no brainer. I'd suggest do get speakers on the front too. And try to get a tray with speakers at the back. I personally find it better.

Wires should be included. Installation would depend on the area.
 
manu1991 said:
That's an awesome price, the one I quoted was last years. At that price, it's a no brainer. I'd suggest do get speakers on the front too. And try to get a tray with speakers at the back. I personally find it better.

Wires should be included. Installation would depend on the area.
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New JBL CS-4 4 inch Co Axial 2 Way Speakers | eBay -> For front?

I have zilch knowledge about car speakers. By tray you mean I should get a tray and put that speaker in it :ashamed:

Some links of the models that you bought for your car would be helpful for me to understand.
 
Generally installation is included in the charges.

Get good speakers for both the front and the back. 6"x9" for the back and 6" for the front.

After you check the final price of the HU and rear speakers see if you can find component speakers for the front with the money left. This would be the best case scenario.

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

If Beat LS does not come with a rear parcel tray then any good auto shop will get a parcel tray for you.

Beat has been there long enough for cheap OEM size trays to be available.

--- Updated Post - Automerged ---

Do not go to any random auto accessories shop. Ask around and find the best shop around.
 
DarkAngel said:
New JBL CS-4 4 inch Co Axial 2 Way Speakers | eBay -> For front?

I have zilch knowledge about car speakers. By tray you mean I should get a tray and put that speaker in it :ashamed:

Some links of the models that you bought for your car would be helpful for me to understand.
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I have pioneer speakers, found them better sounding when the shop owner gave me a demo. No idea about the model number, didn't check. Costed ~3k for the rear ones and ~ 1.5k for the front ones. Most good audio shops will give you a demo so choose the one you think sounds better. The tray is basically a parcel tray they put in the boot and put the speakers on it. Like this:

JGS8q.jpg
 
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