Which Car to buy

[amkhullar 1]

Hi ,
     I currently drive a Santro which gives me a mileage of around 15kmpl in city and my daily usage is around 90 km since I drive from West Delhi to Noida.

Earlier
I was planning to buy a Civic for myself since we are a family of 5 and
Santro becomes a bit too tight for us on the highway for long
weekends.Seeing the fuel prices rushing up by 10Rs I am thinking to
have  a diesel car at my disposal. So what can you suggest me as the
best option in Diesel, probably with good mileage and low maintenance.

Shall I dispose of Santro and buy  a Swift Diesel (daily use) and a Civic (for family outings) or
Ford Fiesta(but have heard Ford doesnt have a good Service Record) / Verna  and a Skoda Laura.

So basically I want a low maintenance car (diesel) with good service support network. like what I have currently Santro.


Can you please give me some options so that I can get best out of them for both daily (100km) as well
family trips (less frequent)

Thanks & Regards

Amit

[sgiitk 0]

90km per day adds to the about 27,000+ km a year. You are in the diesel territory. The best option is definitely the Skoda Laura DSG but then the price is also high. as I have posted elsewhere the diesel howsoever refined does not match the smoothness and linear power delivery of a petrol. On the otehr had the torque is phenomenal, given brilliant mid range performance. You have two options as outlined a Laura, or a Swift (or Fabia) diesel, plus a Civic for family use. However, given its low suspension, five up it may bottom too often for comfort. I would opt for the Laura solution (DSG or not is a matter of taste). If you are short of juice on your diesel,  then after six months or so just plug-in a Pete's box (~Rs.30k) and get another 20% or power and torque with virtually no economy penalty.

[amkhullar 1]

Thanks for your response, but I still have a few queries,

1. The Skoda Laura is a bit pricey
2. Dont you think opting for some other Diesel Car like Verna or Swift can be more economical and maintainable, if yes then which one of these will be better.
3. What do you think about Mahindra Scorpio as a family car or probably some other option (SUV) like Captiva / Safari / Innova / Endevaour etc to be more specific , I myself do love CIVIC but the only hitch I have in my mind is that 5 people family + a small kid would become a bit tight for me as time passes. Thoughts ?

Regards

Amit

[vibhor 0]

if you want a diesel car you can opt for a chevy optra magnum D...and as a family car I think innova is a good choice...

[sgiitk 0]

1. The Skoda Laura is a bit pricey
2. Dont you think opting for some other Diesel Car like Verna or Swift can be more economical and maintainable' date=' if yes then which one of these will be better.
3. What do you think about Mahindra Scorpio as a family car or probably some other option (SUV) like Captiva / Safari / Innova / Endevaour etc to be more specific , I myself do love CIVIC but the only hitch I have in my mind is that 5 people family + a small kid would become a bit tight for me as time passes.

[/quote']

The Laura is a bit pricey but if you take into account the discounts vs. none in the Civic the difference is definitely under 10%. 5 persons + child remove the Swift. The Civic is also dodgy due to the underbody issues.

The Innova will be an excellent option for you. If you are happy with the size and shape go for it. SUVs like the Scorpio have a high centre of gravity and are therefore not so good on the highway. Also, the build quality of Toyota, Honda, Skoda takes some beating.

PS: Pete's box is available for the Innova as well. Adding it may void your warranty.

sgiitk2008-06-09 08:16:12

[bluesapphire 1]

Buy a swift n innova or a captiva alone ....n if not big car like innova then go for a swift n optra magnum d....u can even go for verna n innova ...

[amkhullar 1]

How abt the maintenance of these , which one is the cheaper to maintain (mileage) but with a good service network.

[akj53in 0]

Best option for family car would be the new Toyota Corolla. It should be here in 2-3 months. It is far more comfortable than Civic and should have more modern technology. The quality will be equally good, if not better.

 

Swift or Fabia will be best choice for Diesel

 

[anjan_c2007 1]

Yes I too favour your buying a diesel SUV seeing the chaotic traffic conditions there and 90 kms of daily commuting. An Innova or a Scorpio should  be fit  for your needs. 

[rssh 59]

Well with 90km of daily commuting I say you opt for Swift diesel VDi ABS for weekday's use and when outing on weekend you can go for Optra magnum Diesel or the Verna VGt but I prefer the former one .Also what combined budget do you want . Also if you are in the Civic catergory buyer then you can wait for VW Jetta but then the service is nothing to write home about.

[designersf 0]

Optra magnum is excellent for u

[bluesapphire 1]

U just buy a small car right now i.e.swift or fabia or even palio multijet which is cheap n has good engine same of swift with good comfort n build quality n then wait till diwali or so n go for ur next car i.e sedan or suv in 10to12l or so category

[octane_100 0]

I would also feel going for an Optra Magnum D LT and a Swift Vdi ABS would meet all your requirements.

Else you can choose one among Sonata Crdi (which is spacious and is excellent on the Highway), Laura and the Captiva

[bluesapphire 1]

Ya magnum n swift/palio will meet ur requirements ...but for more comfort u should go for innova with swift/palio ...both toyota n chevy gives good service n maruti has best service network but if u buy palio u can have problem for service n spares..

[sgiitk 0]

All Swift fans. He needs to carry five adults + one child!

[amkhullar 1]

Hi Sgiitk,

               Thanks for your valuable reply and guidance, still more queries ;-)

I can anyways use Swift Diesel for Daily use since I have to goto the office only in that , not sure how much mileage it gives. Probably u can put light on that.

Regarding going out with family I would be interested in a bigger car, will have to test drive the Laura once to see the space / legroom etc for 5 adults + a kid.

Innova is also not a bad option but looks more like a CAB, probably Scorpio , but dont have much info abt its performance / mileage in the Diesel version and the cost to maintain it. Can you shed some light on these questions.

Amit

[bluesapphire 1]

Swift will give you around 12-13 in city and 17-19 or even more on highway....Go for Innova its really a good car..go for V variant it will give you luxuries and safety features like airbags and ABS,etc....Or if you want to buy only one car then go for captiva instead of Laura as its not as comfortable when compared i.e accord,sonata crdi,etc...Go for captiva and afterwards replace your old santro... 

[vibhor 0]

ya...I agree with bluesapphire you should go for captiva and other car can be magnum ,your both car will be chevrolets ,it may be an advantage.. you could get a good deal also...... 

[bluesapphire 1]

ya but his budget is around 18-19 lacs either one car or two cars at that price point only...so no captiva and magnum can be bought together...

[vibhor 0]

Ok........ if so then he can choose chevy tavera (top end varient around 10lacs) and magnum(8-9lacs) or just a captiva ........