Advice to buy a car
Sep 27th, 2006 by Karthick
I am planning to buy a small car.
Here are my requirements,
- Seat 4 persons comfortably.
- Mileage of 14 to 16 kms per litre of petrol.
- Easy to drive in Chennai’s traffic.
- Less maintenance charges.
I have Alto LXI in mind. Which car do you suggest? Will appreciate your time and advice.
how abt a santro. that fits into all ur needs.
Hi, the Alto Lxi is a good car(i have the same) but you may feel grossly underpowered while driving with the ac on in traffic. But that would not be the case either with the WagonR or the Santro. Why dont you look at the new WagonR, i am sure it would be good keeping in mind you dont mind spending a few bucks more. I am sure u r looking at the car for keeps for atleast 3-4 yrs(of hassle free driving)
Anand,
Welcome to karthickraghavan.com and thanks for your comment. I appreciate your input. By the by, I am very much attracted towards Alto than anything else. I suppose the last time I stepped into a Alto was in 2001. I liked the car very much that time. Anyway, I am worried about the rear and front leg room in Alto. A lot of people suggest that Santro has more leg room than Alto has. I would say that I may use the car for a minimum of 200 Kms per week. What do you say?
Deepak,
Yes! I may go in for a Santro. But I am not sure when I may buy it. For the time being, I have deferred the plan due to some personal reasons.
I may buy it by end 2007. I am gonna research up a bit before buying. Hence this post.
Hi Karthick,
Before deciding to go for a car, I would request you to stick on to one thing, that is Usage. If you are tall enough, I feel Santro or New Wagon R is the best bet. If you are not concerned about the looks, then New Wagon R would be the right choice. Its more powerful than Santro, Spares are also cheaper with a wider network. Moreover new variant comes with a LPG option which will be really cut down the costs. Since LPG is company (Maruti) provided, it is fully insured (incase of Pvt., LPG conversion, it is not so). Electronic Power steering gives more comfort with 1.1L engine… If you would like to test drive the new wagonR you can drop into any of the Maruti showroom….
Karthick,
If it is so necessary to buy a car then buy a Maruti product. For one simple reason, its Japanese Technology. Please do not believe in any of the Korean technology. Before buying a car check out all the options, is it so necessary to go for a new car? Hope you have lot of call taxis around in India…Because the Parking space is a very big headache. Maintenance is the next headache. But, this is my opinion…
Badri,
Welcome here and thanks for the comment. Yes, I am aroung 6 ft tall. As far as usage, I need a car that will take me from A to B, seat 4 people comfortably and give a good mileage. A lot of my friends have started suggesting Wagon R or Santro. Let me check both and decide. I have ample time now as I have deferred to purchase the same after a year. And regarding LPG, I have heard that it is not safe. Is it true? I have seen call taxis operate out of LPG cylinders. Are you speaking about the same?
Arul,
Welcome and thanks for the comment! It is true that parking space is a lot difficult now a days. Hope the government spends more on infrastructure and get things built before I purchase a car.
The best 4 wheeler for you is a wooden plank with 4 iron wheels and two wooden holders so that you dont hurt you hand
Adv:
No maintaince
One time investement
No pollution
Can navigate easily during traffic jams.
Disadv:
Can accomodate only one person
But the kinda of person u r I dont think you will be willing to take any one with you (friends etc) and of course ur family members wont not dare to come with you.
So in all probability the vehicle i suggested suites your requirements.
Sarayu,
thanks for your suggestion. It is worth trying.
Karthick,
Both Santro, Alto are very good cars.. you can take alook at Swift (Cheap, good space) cost/car ratio is verygood.
You can expect a Diesel version of it this year end or early next year.
But mileage wise Indica is the best. There are some glitches in the vehicle ( like suspension noise) but you can get over it by proper maintanence. I heard the mileage is above 15kM/lit.
Hey Ananth! Thanks for your visit and comment. Yeah, a lot of people suggest Indica but I have enquired drivers and they say that if I ride the car for more than 70 kms, Indica is the best bet. I do like Indica’s design and it is very spacious. Regarding Swift, I am still considering the price. Is it not 4.5 to 5.5 lacs?
And by the by, does any of you have heard about TATA rolling out cars for Rs.1 Lac by 2008. Is it true?
Here! Boing Boing’s report on the one Lakh rupees TATA car .
Not sure about this Rs 1 lakh car. will not believe it until hits the markets. Remember Maruthi udyog bavan was infact started to build cars for cheaper rates. Brainchild of Sanjay Gandhi(Late). They endedup in releasing a car for 2 lacs (it was supposed to be 30 thousand rs). you never know!!!!
Lets try a wait and watch game..
coming back to About Swift. Yes its about 5.5lacs but its fully loaded (Airbags and added safety features). But reason for choosing indian/indian based manufacturers is bcos the spares are cheaper than Korean cars..
4 both the cars(indica/swift) interior space is More. Thats More car per
Thanks for the inputs! will consider when buying.
yar!
I TOO IN THE SAME CONFUSION …………….TO BUY AN ALTO OR INDICA OR WAGON R OR NANO OR SANTRO OR SWIFT……SUGGEST UR ADVICE…….
[...] The Den of Iniquity â Youâre amusing, in a âWhat the hell is wrong with you?… wrote an interesting post today on Comment on Advice to buy a car by deepikaHere’s a quick excerpt…yar! I TOO IN THE SAME CONFUSION …………….TO BUY AN ALTO OR INDICA OR WAGON R OR NANO OR SANTRO OR SWIFT……SUGGEST UR ADVICE……. [...]
[...] – by Gary Denness wrote an interesting post today on Comment on Advice to buy a car by Buy » Comment on Advice to buy a…Here’s a quick excerpt…today on Comment on Advice to buy a car by deepikaHere’s a quick excerpt…yar! I TOO IN THE SAME CONFUSION …………….TO BUY AN ALTO OR… [...]