Small car + 2600 km/month + novice driver + Old Delhi traffic + lowest TCO

Dear Krishna,

I did not understand as in your above threads you mentioned "Can go any lower?" Is it specific to the mentioned car or in general. I feel Alto is the cheapest car available (expect Nano) & any any lower may end up you buying a used car or a two wheeler.

Can you pl explain your above question?

The objective is lowest TCO - one way or other. Car no bar, fuel any except LPG. And you now know how I would calculate TCO.

Is everyone on board fo putting Alto FE at 16? (normal driving, novice driver, good roads, 60-70% highway)

Is my method to calculate TCO ok? Do I need to modify? Maybe Loan interest is a factor needed to be added. (I could simply add to the TCO the consolidated interest over tenure given by CarWale loan estimate, just as an illustration - wotsay?)

Krishna, any car with CNG? or else you can go with LPG option? Depends on availability. Why not you pick my favourite small car? Spark? a better car than Alto for sure and LPG option is too good (running cost). No maintenance, No oil change, no service cost for next 3 years atleast. Why an Alto?

Vista Vs Alto? No comparision. If you are calculating then pick diesel & petrol of same segment. Vista is much better than Alto (in size, space & interiors) and definitely a better car and for a better car you have to pay more

And mileage of Alto is around 15kmpl in busy city traffic

Rajiv, you should sign up as brand ambassador for GM/Spark

I am pretty impartial to brands, I am only looking at TCO minimization, as the feasibility of buying or not depends on whether I think it is justified to buy based on TCO. So when the Alto option is already calculated, then the next one has to beat Alto, or get out of the way.

LPG I have a serious issue with - The filling station is not close by and I heard the cost-effectiveness of LPG is also under question, particularly considering the upfront kit cost/OEM option premium.

CNG I am seriously thinking of considering, and maybe next post will put in the Alto CNG calculations, but I need to know the CNG prices in Noida and Alto CNG FE figures.

Any help friends?

Krishna:

If space is never a constrain for you, why not consider A-STAR? It has got the K-Series Engine. Gud to drive and offers better mileage as well!!

Cheers,
Sai

Sai - thanks for the A-star suggestion - could you please give some basic information about A-star?

1. FE 2. Average service cost 3. oil change expenses.

Do you think it would beat Alto in total cost of ownership? I have my doubts... but we will see once this info is available.

Well well a warm welcome to you Krishna after a long gap.

I could not have been as active as i am right now without you inviting me to the meet.

Alto just like 800 has a lot of effective powerloss with CNG.

Running cost is cheaper but then technology has become more advanced these days.

About A-star,it cant be fitted with a CNG kit,well thats what i know of the compatibility issue.

If at all you need a minimum investment =then try out some year old vehicle from True value and get it fitted with CNG.

In this regard old Estilo and wagon R fits very well.

I am personally ruling out Wagon R for being outdated and not at all refined engine compared to even the old estilo[Engine noise,wague steering wheel and Gear box]

Estilo old or new both gives a very good mileage.

Making a female drive a second hand or even a new Diesel is not the a good idea owing to little care and knowledge that goes into driving them.

Krishna i think The new Estilo would be a great pick amongst the lot,needless to mention the ease of ingress.

The tall boy is not just practical but more comfortable to drive as well.

Considering the new design of the Estilo,i think no man would ever feel shy to drive it.

CNG is a thing that you can opt for later once you overcome the initial investment in the new vehicle.

CNG is a very good option considering the amount of money one can save evryday,but the compatibility factor also matters.

Following are the vehicles that suit best for a CNG conversion

1.Santro

2.Wagon R

3.Estilo/new Estilo[Provides best utility for females]

4.Spark

Well these are few i would suggest as per your needs.

Any comments would be appreciated.

Note:

As far as going for a Second hand or first hand vehicle is purely dependent on you.Besides do make a note that Second hand vehicles might not turn out to be a good deal most of the times and even if the car would be in good condition,you might end up spending money close to the price of the new one especially when you picking Estilo/Wagon R/Spark

Krishna:

A start to A Star...

Good fuel efficiency [K Series Engine] 13 - 15 in City, 18+ in highway
Fun to drive hatch, Cheeky styling, Great handling, Roomy front seats
High floor makes the tiny boot that much less usable.
Great as a city car. Terrible for those who travel with a full load of passengers + luggage on the highway, though foldable seats do help if & only if two passangers go a long drive.
Maruti’s after-sales service

Cheers,
Sai

Hey Aby - thanks!

I am specifically concentrating on the total  cost of ownership  as calculated in two of the earlier posts. Could you give your comments in line with that focus? It appears the total ownership cost won't go below 6L, however you dice it, so it is ~2L/a, implying an outgo of ~17k/mo, which makes the idea of buying a car for such commuting very unattractive.

Wotsay?

Here are some Figures.

Total number of KMs in 3 years

2600X36=93600 KMs

With CNG running cost for 3 years

93600kmX1.25 Rs/KM=Rs1,17000

considering Estilo 3.5 lakhs+Rs1,17000[RC]+Rs30,000[CNG kit]=Rs 4.97 Lakh

[only roughly=repairs,breakdowns,troubleshoots will cost extra ]

Considering that an Alto is not suited for CNG conversion and that the driving becomes more or less like a bullock cart [thanks to 3 cylinder engine]

The running cost of Alto not inclusive of the Car cost comes to be:

93600KM/14kmpl[FE]XRs45=Rs 3,00,857.