You are here : Community » Forums » Reviews - Owners & Users » War of the Petrol Hatches
Today's Posts | Search Forums | My Messages

War of the Petrol Hatches

Pages : 1234
#11 12-Aug, 2009 09:42 PM
Bhardwaj
Legend
Joined Date: 10 Jul 2009
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 2061
Likes: 16

And in this case, no car does it better than the jazz. Its an amazing mastery of interior packaging, with superb head and legroom in both the front and rear seats. And even when the front seats are pulled backward, it is possible to sit one 6 footer behind the other, a major factor since this car is also sold in USA. The front seats are superbly comfortable with adequate thigh and lumber support and do not feel tiring after long drives due to its ergonomic design. The rear seats, though a bit flat, are also pretty comfortable but could do better with more under thigh support, important for elderly. 3 people car sit with adequate width in this car.
Ingress and egress is easy due to wide opening doors and the car feels airy throughout. It has tilt steering as standard but driver’s seat height adjust is not provided, an criticial omission on a car this expensive.

Another car with an amazing rear seat is the indica vista. As tata knows how rear seat is important to us, it is designed superbly with perfect squabs and optimum inclination angle. Sitting 3 abreast is not a problem and does not feel tiring after long journeys. Same goes for the front seat-superbly comfortable and spacious with huge width and legroom.
This is one of the few cars to come with lumber support and even though it is barely effective, it works. In aura, both the steering can be tilt adjusted and seat height raised, so it is easy to find an ideal driving position, even for vertically challenged drivers. Legroom is good, both in front and rear and again, entry and exit is amazing as the doors open 90 degrees wide, enough to make your saas proud.

The skoda Fabia may look small outside, but inside, the seats are amazingly comfortable, the rear, more so. Perfectly shaped with optimum thigh and back support, the way it hugs around your body means you never feel tired even after long journeys. The backrest, though feels a touch upright and could do with a touch more inclination.
The front seats are again outstanding with perfect contours and again, legroom is generous.The seat adjusts for height and the steering both adjusts for tilt and telescopic, so it is easy to find a percect driving position.

The Korean duo of aveo and getz share a similar philosophy as far as their interior comfort is concerned. Legroom is more than adequate at both front and rear, and for the asking price, both cars do not do bad as far as backseat comfort is concerned with adequate legroom and width, the getz more so since its rear seats can be reclined at 3 different angles. The aveo 5’s seat is in comparison, a bit flat and falls short of that crucial lower back support, something present in the getz.

In terms of front seat comparison, the getz again fares marginally better than the aveo, but only just. Legroom is generous but tall drivers have their knees fouling with the dashboard since both cars do not have seat height adjustment as standard, only the steering adjusts for tilt.

The biggest drawback is that on both these cars seats are placed too low means passengers have to sit with their knees up position (especially taller ones) and this can get painful on long drives.




My Punto http://ndtvauto.carwale.com/forums/ViewThread-9707.html
0 members liked this post
 
#12 12-Aug, 2009 09:44 PM
Bhardwaj
Legend
Joined Date: 10 Jul 2009
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 2061
Likes: 16

The newest Korean, the I20, doesn’t do as bad as far as overall comfort is concerned. The front seats are generous and even though they are placed low, a combination of tilt/telescopic steering wheel and height adjust means it is again easy to find an optimal driving position. The front seats are comfy but could do better from the lower back and under thigh support point of view, since they are flat and have an abrupt design near the edges, which means overall under thigh support is compromised.
The rear seats are again, spacious and comfy, but are no match for jazz and vista, due to their flat design and the seats are not contoured enough to hold the body together in a way these 2 cars do. Although the inclination is better, more was expected from a car that has a bigger wheelbase as compared to jazz.

The Italiano punto only suffers from one problem-cramped rear seat for a car that looks big from outside. Clearly, to make more boot space, rear legroom is compromised and its 2 box design does it no favors. But, when it comes to comfort, the seats are well shaped and provide that crucial lower back support for long drives due to optimum cushioning and squab design. 2 persons can travel in utmost comfort but width is in short supply for the ocassional 3rd passenger.
Up front, though, things get a whole lot better with amazing front seat comfort, designed to wrap around your body and suitable to all human frames. Legroom is again more than adequate but the front passenger faces a problem of his knees fouling with the dash’s lower panel. Punto also offers a tilt steering and driver’s seat height adjustment in higher versions and the driving position can best be described as sporty.

The swift, again is supremely comfortable in the front with generous legroom and the driving position feels one of the sportiest in this group. In ZXI, now maruti offers both tilt steering and seat height adjust as standard, aiding optimal driving position.
For a car of this size, the front is very comfy and large seat travel means all shapes and sizes can fit here. But it’s a different story at the rear-though the seat is pretty comfortable, width and legroom is in short supply and it gets worse when 3 people are sitted, the small windows not helping either.When 1 person is chauffeur driven, the left front seat can be raised forward and huge legroom is at your disposal. But for a car that looks wide from outside, better things were expected and the swift falls short in rear seat comfort and space.

The ritz also has a short wheelbase but for its size, the car is very spacious in the front. High seating position means that the visibility outside is amazing and you feel that you are driving a quasi-SUV. Again, the ZXI offers a combination of seat height adjust and tilt steering to find a decent driving position. The seats are very comfortable for a car built on a small footprint and maruti has optimized the under thigh and lumber support for optimum comfort. The high dashboard design means that knees do not foul with the lower part and the passenger feels comfortable.

Sadly, the small wheelbase also has its limitations-the rear seat is not really comfortable and legroom is again short. Though the seats are placed high negating the need to stretch the legs, one can’t help but feel shortage of legroom and width, more so when 3 people are sitting either. The flat seats mean passengers can get tiring after long distances, another area where maruti has its work cut out.

Boot space:

  • Hyundai getz: 7 /10
  • Hyundai I 20: 8 /10
  • Honda Jazz: 9 /10
  • Maruti Ritz: 4 /10
  • Maruti swift: 5 /10
  • Skoda Fabia: 8 /10
  • Chevrolet Aveo 5: 5 /10
  • Tata Indica Vista: 6 /10
  • Fiat Punto: 7 /10



My Punto http://ndtvauto.carwale.com/forums/ViewThread-9707.html
0 members liked this post
 
#13 12-Aug, 2009 09:45 PM
Bhardwaj
Legend
Joined Date: 10 Jul 2009
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 2061
Likes: 16

Again, the jazz wins this contest due to its flat, low loading area and amazing packaging, means 4 suitcases can be placed vertically side by side.
Following closely is the i20 and the fabia with again, similar characteristics but comparatively less space as compared to jazz.

The punto and getz follow next, partly due to their rear suspension towers intrude, more so in the case of fiat.

For a car this big, the vista was expected to have a big boot, but it does not have, though as compared to earlier indica, it is better.

Same case with the aveo. To increase legroom, boot space is compromised and this results in less luggage space as compared to the getz and punto.

Rounding the bottom of the list are the 2 marutis, with the swift having a bit more usable boot due to flat design and better utilization. The ritz, on the other hand, has the least usable boot of all, part owed to its kicked up rear design. Clearly, space has been compromised for style.

Engine and performance:

  • Hyundai getz: 5 /10
  • Hyundai I 20: 6 /10
  • Honda Jazz: 8 /10
  • Maruti Ritz: 8 /10
  • Maruti swift: 7 /10
  • Skoda Fabia: 4 /10
  • Chevrolet Aveo 5: 5 /10
  • Tata Indica Vista: 4 /10
  • Fiat Punto: 6 /10

6 cars out of 9 compared have 1.2 engines to fit into the “small car norms”, all in different states of tune. Remember that many factors like

  • Power to weight ratio
  • Gear ratios
  • Torque
  • Engine rpm etc

Play an important role in overall performance of the vehicle.

The best performer of the 1.2 brigade is the Honda jazz which has a 16v SOHC i-VTEC engine producing 89 ps and over 11 kg-m of torque, all at high rpms. Despite this factor, the flexibility nature of the honda engine and the use of variable valve timing in both intake and exhaust valves means that throttle response is instant and the car surges forard with an eagerness that belies the engine’s size. Add low kerb weight and well chosen gear ratios means that you can get maximum out of this engine.
0-100 is dispatched in about 12.9 seconds and tall speed is about 165 kmph, above 130, it struggles and labours to its redline with the engine providing no more usable power. So, its best to keep the engine at low to mid-rpms to extract the maximum performance of the engine.on the highway, overtaking manourves are OK but still need to be planned in advance before the engine runs out of breath.

Another superb performer and closer to jazz in terms of acceleration is the new maruti ritz with its new 1197 cc all aluminium 16V DOHC KB engine producing 79 ps. Coupled with low weight and optimum gear ratios, it is an absolute jewel, smooth and refined and eager to perform.
0-100 is dispatched in 13 seconds and the engine keeps enthusiastically revving till it touches about 160 kmph, power band is wide and at only high rpms it sounds strained. Suzuki engineers have truly come up with a gem of an engine after a long time and overall as a package, it is hard to beat the ritz.

Similar in displacement and specification is the I20’s 1197 cc, 16V DOHC kappa engine producing 80 ps and 11.4 kg-m torque. While it is a auperb performer on the i10, remember it has to carry a whole lot of weight on the I20 and for that purpose, it does its job pretty well. Hyundai has tuned this engine more for bottom end response and fuel efficiency than for top end whack and in this parameter, it has its work cut out.
0-100 is dispatched in about 15.6 seconds and till 120, all is well. After that, there is a significant drop in performance and he engine struggles to reach 140 and labours till itstop end whack of 155-160 kmph.




My Punto http://ndtvauto.carwale.com/forums/ViewThread-9707.html
Last Updated: 12-Aug, 2009 09:46 PM, by bhardwaj
0 members liked this post
 
#14 12-Aug, 2009 09:48 PM
Bhardwaj
Legend
Joined Date: 10 Jul 2009
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 2061
Likes: 16

The engine is not suitable for highway and lackness the flexibility of both the maruti’s and honda’s motors at high rpms. Overtaking manouvers need to be properly planned and well in advance in this car.

A major disappointment in this pack is the skoda fabia’s 1.2 3 cylinder HTP petrol made of cast iron block. Though it has 4 valves per cylinder and a DOHC, producing just 70 ps and 108 Nm torque and lugging a heavy car (1050 kg) means that it is a slowcoach, and a significant one at that.
This engine actually is a scaled down version of the 1.6 jetta petrol engine which dates back to early 1990s and this engine also powers come chinese VWs. So, old design has its disadvantages as the cast iron block is heavy and blunts performance.
Though the engine may be dubbed as High Torque Performance (HTP), unfavourable power to weight ratio and inconsistant gear ratios mean 0-100 is diapatched in about 18 seconds and it takes another 20 seconds to touch 130 kmph. Its top speed is estimated to be about 150.
But the biggest drawback is its refinement. Just having 3 cylinders and adding to the woes is the cast iron block construction means unnecessay vibrations filter through the cabin and the engine simply wheezes on the highway crying out “its enough”! There is also hesistant low-rpm response and some jerks can be felt.
Its time that skoda plonked the TSI engine to give it a power it now urgently needs. For a car costing above 5-6 lakhs, a 4 cylinder is a must and this engine is clearly outclassed in this group.

Same is the problem with the vista’s 1172cc “safire” engine (a Fiat design) which has a simple 8-valve cast iron block SOHC unit producing 68 ps which means performance Is sluggish as it has to lug a lot of weight around.
Though the engine is pretty refined and smooth, it wheezes on the highway with 0-100 coming up in about 18.6 seconds and hitting a top speed of 145 kmph.

The last 1.2-the aveo 5, also has a wheezy daewoo mill. Though refined at idle, it sounds strained and doesn’t perform like its claimed 76ps suggest.
0-100 is diapatched in about 17.5 seconds but the problem with the engine is that it has to be whipped to get it to perform and it simply labours and cries loud at its entire power band . this engine, whose scaled down version powers the spark, is superb in the spark but simply aweful in the aveo 5.
Part can be owed to its design which traces back to early 1990s. The S TEC engine is actually a 4 cylinder version of the old 796 cc daewoo matiz engine and is available in 1.0L and 1.2 L in different states of tune. The iron-block construction does it no favours as it lacks tractibality of modern all aluminium powertrains.

Coming to the 1.3 brigade-both the swift and getz are powered by 1298 cc and 1341 cc engines respectively, with their designs dating back to early 1990s.
The getz is powered by 1341 cc alpha engine, having SOHC 3 vavle configuration producing 83 ps and cast-iron construction whose design dates back to 1991 when the engine was introduced in older accent models. It is still a refined, tractible engine, but lacks the flexibility of modern all aluminium 1.2s. the engine performs cleanly but you don’t feel like driving hard just because throttle response is hesitant and inconsistant. It lacks bottom end torque but has a strong mid-range, where it performs best. Power tapers off again at high rpm and it is best to keep this engine between 2,500-4,000 rpm. Drive it sedately and the getz will reward you. Just OK for basic daily motoring needs, not for enthusiasts.
0-100 kmph comes in about 14.5 seconds and the top end whack is about 150-155 kmph.




My Punto http://ndtvauto.carwale.com/forums/ViewThread-9707.html
0 members liked this post
 
#15 12-Aug, 2009 09:49 PM
Bhardwaj
Legend
Joined Date: 10 Jul 2009
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 2061
Likes: 16

For enthusiasts, look no further than the swift’s all aluminium 1298 cc engine producing 87 ps and 11.5 kg-m torque at high rpms. The G13BB engine, though outdated in design (first appeared in esteem in 1994) is a superb performer and just loves to be revved. This long stroke nature of the motor means that you never find wanting for lack of power at mid and high range, one of the engine’s strengths. Its only at the bottom end that lack of torque can be felt making you to downshift often.
0-100 kmph comes in about 12.3 seconds and it has a top speed of 160 kmph. Another trait of the motor is that it is superbly refined at idle and soetimes you have to look at the tacho to see if the engine is on.

The most powerful engine in this lot is fiat punto’s all aluminium 16V DOHC FIRE engine producing 90 ps and 11.5 kgm-torque. While on paper these figures look promising, it’s a different story on the road.
Producing power and torque at high rpms coupled with the car’s heavy kerb weight (1190 kg) means that it doesn’t perform as enthusiastically as it should and is a bit hesitant at low revs. Mid range is strong and again, power tapers of at high rpms. Though the engine has that characterictic italian sound and loves to be revved, the different gearing as compared to linea means that it is actually slower, Fiat hving tuned this engine more for driveability and fuel efficiency than performance.
0-100 kmph comes in about 16.5 seconds, pretty competant and it hits it’s top speed of 165 kmph.
Overall a decent performer, but uninspiring considering the figures othe paper.

Gearbox (shifting quality):

  • Hyundai getz: 7 /10
  • Hyundai I 20: 6 /10
  • Honda Jazz: 8 /10
  • Maruti Ritz: 8 /10
  • Maruti swift: 7 /10
  • Skoda Fabia: 9 /10
  • Chevrolet Aveo 5: 4 /10
  • Tata Indica Vista: 4 /10
  • Fiat Punto: 6 /10

Skoda fabia may have a pathetic engine but its gearbox simply shifts superbly without any hesitation and baulkiness, and it is simply enjoyable to use at any ratios.

Honda’s jazz gearboz, as with many honda boxes, is smooth shifting but it lacks the crispiness of the fabia’s box, especially while shifting on 3rd and 4th.

With the ritz, maruti has gifted a superb gearbox along with the engine and except from the 2nd gear balk, shifts superbly. Its brother, the swift, though sporty shifting, feels a bit heavy on the 2nd and 4th gears and lacks the crispiness of the ritz gearbox.

Out of the Hyundai siblings, surprisingly it is the getz that has better shifting gearbox as compared to that of the I20. In fact, the getz’s box is simply butter smooth as compared to that of the I20 which balks at 4th and 5th gears and overall shift quality is a bit clunky.

Similar gearbox is that of the punto’s which has long throw and lacks the crispiness of the skoda’s gearbox. Shifting into 3rd and 5th is a bit hesitating and again, the swifts are not so smooth.

The worst gearboxes belong to that of the vista and the aveo. Both are heavy, balky and have more long throws than any other car in this group, which detracts from the driving experience.




My Punto http://ndtvauto.carwale.com/forums/ViewThread-9707.html
Last Updated: 12-Aug, 2009 09:50 PM, by bhardwaj
0 members liked this post
 
#16 12-Aug, 2009 09:53 PM
Bhardwaj
Legend
Joined Date: 10 Jul 2009
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 2061
Likes: 16

Fuel efficiency:

On typical Delhi traffic with 90% AC on, expect these figures:

Skoda fabia- 4 /10

•City-8-9 kmpl

•Highway-11-12 kmpl

Fiat Punto-5 /10

•City-9.5-10 kmpl

•Highway-12.5-13 kmpl

Honda Jazz -7 /10

•City-12 kmpl

•Highway-15-16 kmpl

Hyundai getz- 6 /10

•City-10.5 kmpl

•Highway-14 kmpl

Hyundai I20- 7 /10

•City-11.5 kmpl

•Highway-15-16 kmpl

Tata indica Vista- 4 /10

•City-8-9 kmpl

•Highway-12.5 kmpl

Chevrolet aveo 5- 6 /10

•City-11 kmpl

•Highway-14-15 kmpl

Maruti swift-7 /10

•City-11.4 kmpl

•Highway-15-16 kmpl

Maruti Ritz- 8 /10

•City-12.5-13 kmpl

•Highway-17 kmpl




My Punto http://ndtvauto.carwale.com/forums/ViewThread-9707.html
0 members liked this post
 
#17 12-Aug, 2009 09:54 PM
Bhardwaj
Legend
Joined Date: 10 Jul 2009
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 2061
Likes: 16

Ride quality and stability:

  • Hyundai getz: 7 /10
  • Hyundai I 20: 7 /10
  • Honda Jazz: 7 /10
  • Maruti Ritz: 6 /10
  • Maruti swift: 5 /10
  • Skoda Fabia: 8 /10
  • Chevrolet Aveo 5: 5/10
  • Tata Indica Vista:6 /10
  • Fiat Punto: 8 /10

The skoda fabia and fiat punto are evenly matched when it comes to ride quality on our roughest of roads. The skoda’s rough road suspension package swallows all bumps and craters with aplomb, with only the roughest of craters settling it a bit. Due to low pro tyres, low speed ride is a bit jiggly and you can feel every pothole. However, as speeds increase, ride improves dramatically and even at high speed, the skoda tracks dead straight, key to its composure remains with the superb European VW chassis.

The fiat punto is also blessed with a soild chassis and it rides better than skoda even at low speeds and ironing out all bumps and potholes with perfection, something which it is designed for.Nowhere the ride is jiggly and you remain unfazed at all types of roads, even the harshest of them, with just a “thud” noise coming out of the suspension. High speed stability is superb again, and you can drive with confidence at any speed, the punto being one of the few cars that offer an anti-roll bar at both front and rear.

Its an even match between the hyundai siblings and both the getz and i20 ride superbly, the i20 more so due to its modern stiff chassis. Only at low and medium speeds the ride is less than perfect, but Hyundai’s biasness towards suspension tuning more for ride comfort as compared to handling pays dividends at high speeds,where the car feels stable and secure, if not in the league of the Euro duo.

The getz on the other hand, rides decently at low and medium speeds. However, it lacks the stability of its elder sibling and the suspension gets noisy at high speeds with clunkiness prevailent all the time.

Tata’s engineers have worked to iron out the imperfections of the indica in the vista’s ride and it shows.
Despite switching from an independent one to a convectional twist beam, the suspension tuning is more biased towards ride with soft spring and damper rates and the vista rides competantly at medium speeds. The major drawback is that the 13’ rims are too small for comfort and at low speeds every inch of the pothole and bump can be felt, which is absent in the quadrajet that rides on 14”. Same is the story at high speed which lacks the stability that is expected from a car of this size and it is outclassed by other bigger rivals in this respect. The car seriously needs bigger 14 inch rims.

The jazz, riding on 15 inchers, is also pretty competant at low speeds with only big potholes unsettling it. Increase the speed, and the limitations of the lightweight chassis begin to show. Though the suspension works silently, the ride is pretty fidgety and inconsistant. High speed stabilty is again superb for a car of this weight and the aerodynamic design pays dividends, but still it lacks the overall cohesiveness of the fabia and the punto.

Out of the marutis, it is surprisingly the smaller ritz that rides better then swift.Low speed ride is good but at high speeds, the tallboy design has serious limitations-one, that you not feel confident enough to drive it and another-bumpy unsettled ride at the back, a common problem with the swift also. At high speeds, the swift is a bit more stable but again, the suspension is clunky and noisy and you can feel every pothole and bump that you encounter.

Overall, the ritz ride is clunky and the swift-more so-its fidgety.




My Punto http://ndtvauto.carwale.com/forums/ViewThread-9707.html
0 members liked this post
 
#18 12-Aug, 2009 09:55 PM
Bhardwaj
Legend
Joined Date: 10 Jul 2009
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 2061
Likes: 16

The aveo is again outclassed in the high speed ride. Despite having a 188 mm ground clearance, the decade old chassis means that ride quality suffers at high speeds with the car getting unsettled easily. Though low speed ride is pretty good,the suspension tuning is unsorted and it does not inspire confidence, more so in the versions equipped with 13 inch wheels (the top model comes with 14 inch alloys).

Handling and braking:

  • Hyundai getz: 6 /10
  • Hyundai I 20: 7 /10
  • Honda Jazz: 7 /10
  • Maruti Ritz: 6 /10
  • Maruti swift: 6 /10
  • Skoda Fabia: 8 /10
  • Chevrolet Aveo 5: 5/10
  • Tata Indica Vista: 4 /10
  • Fiat Punto: 8 /10

None of these cars are meant to handle like sporty roadsters but given their diminutive dimensions, some of them provide a nice driving experience.

The fiat punto easily has the best steering in this group. Superbly accurate and weighted, it responds to the driver’s command in exactly the manner that it is demanded. It feels communicated with the chassis at any speeds and this is one hatch that you will love to drive, save for the atrocious turning radius which make simple U turns 3 pointed ones.
Braking again is OK with ABS providing decent stopping times but the pedal feel is spongy and artificial.

Coming close second is the fabia. Again, the steering feel is amazing but what detracts from driving experience is the underpowered engine. Clearly, for a chassis like this, it cries for more power to extract its full potential.
Braking is better than the fiat overall with no complaints.

Maruti’s swift also handles superbly and is a favorite with tuners and enthusiasts alike due to its stiff suspension. But what detracts is again the EPS which has a bit of artificial feel and feels very light at low speeds, like it is disconnected with the chassis. Only when the speeds increase then the full potential of the chassis comes into effect with the steering being communicative.

Strange as it may sound, the ritz actually handles better than swift and for a tall boy, it handles pretty well. This EPS is better tuned than that of the swift’s and provides the driver with some degree of feedback at low and high speeds.
Braking, again in both marutis is similar but ABS kicks in early and pedal feels overservoed.

The hyundais are no nonsense, benign handling cars. They get the basics done but if you ask too much from the chassis, you will be disappointed. Handling is docile in both the getz and the i20 and it is the getz’s hydraulic unit that has a bit of better steering feel than the i20, whose MDPS feels artificial and disconnected to the chassis at high speeds.

Braking in I20 is better than the getz with short stoppage time. The getz with ABS provides decent stoppage times but again, pedal lacks feel.
Though Honda has equipped the jazz with a space efficient EPS, it handles well in the city and is pretty chuckable and actually fun to drive. Only at high speeds the chassis feels disconnected due to inconsistent steering feedback and feels pretty artificial again, as compared to punto.
Braking is good with ABS aiding in short stoppage distances.

The aveo has a typical daewoo chassis-completely devoid of any steering feel, even though it has hydraulic unit. It just doesn’t feel special enough to drive in bends and twisties and the steering reacts in almost opposite manner as commanded. Overall, a very dull driving experience. Braking with ABS is just OK with brake pads showing signs of fade pretty early.

It gets worse in the vista. Riding on short 13” wheels, body roll is imminent at twisties and it doesn’t encourage spirited driving.
Smooth sedate driving is all that required in the vista to get the basics right.




My Punto http://ndtvauto.carwale.com/forums/ViewThread-9707.html
Last Updated: 12-Aug, 2009 09:57 PM, by bhardwaj
0 members liked this post
 
#19 12-Aug, 2009 10:00 PM
Bhardwaj
Legend
Joined Date: 10 Jul 2009
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 2061
Likes: 16

Braking, as expected is not-so-competent with wheels getting locked easily and rear end getting skittish and loosing composure under heavy braking.

Buying and owning

  • Hyundai getz: 8 /10
  • Hyundai I 20: 8 /10
  • Honda Jazz: 6 /10
  • Maruti Ritz: 9/10
  • Maruti swift: 9 /10
  • Skoda Fabia: 3 /10
  • Chevrolet Aveo 5: 5 /10
  • Tata Indica Vista: 4 /10
  • Fiat Punto: 5 /10
This forms the mot important criteria in the purchase decision because for most families, this will be their only car and hence, has to perform all the tasks that an average Indian car buyer demands.

And it is Maruti that has understood this aspect very well and all their parts are cheap, easily available and workshops at almost all the territories means that buying a maruti means peace of mind. Moreover, many workshops also show interest towards customer satisfaction which automatically reflects on its resale value, on par with the industry best.
Maruti offers a 2 year 40,000 km warranty, which can be extended to 4 year 80,000,km on nominal charge.

Hyundai dealers also provide competent, hassle free ownership experience but some workshops charge very high labour rates, so it makes sense to scout for a decent workshop before getting th car serviced. Though many Hyundais have decent resale price, the getz doesn’t command a good price in the seconds market due to low demand, although it makes for a decent second-hand buy.
The I20 is expected to offer better resale due to its recent design and reasonable demand.
Hyundai offers a 2 year unlimited mileage warrenty which can be extended to 5 years or 1 lakh km depending upon the model.

Chevrolet, freshly emerged from bankruptcy is making every effort towards gaining custmer confidence by giving best in industry standard warranty (3 years/1,00,000kms) or cashless ownership offer (9 free services –both parts and labour for Rs. 10,000 for 3 years/ 45,000 kms) but still the network is limited and sometimes parts are not available. Dealer attitude in general has to improve at all counts.
The biggest problem with chevrolet is the high rate of depreciation which translates it into poor resale value the moment the car is driven out of showroom, not a good sign for the brand.

Tata motors may have the second largest chain of workshops across the country but their service standards leave a lot to be desired, especially their workshops which are pretty incompetent in handling customer satisfaction, often a war of words have to be carried out to get even the basic of job done at TASS workshops.
Tata offers an extended warrenty of 3 years on all its vehicle.
Again, the vista petrol will depreciate heavily due to poor demand and the perception of tata motors more of a diesel car maker rather than a petrol car maker.
Fiat’s tie-up with tata looks promising but again, still it has to do a lot of climbing up the ladder with competent workshops that restore faith in the brand that has completely lost its sheen. The linea and the punto are positive signs, but still many gripes like parts availability and poor dealer attitude remain, something fiat has to work upon as soon as possible.
Fiat offers 2 year/ unlimited mileage warranty on the punto which can be increased to 4 years on nominal payment. Service intervals of 15,000 km again look a step in the right direction

Skoda, on the other hand, the less said the better. Fraudulent dealers, expensive spares and maintenance costs, reliability issues with fabia petrol and worse, the parent company’s lack of involvement means that dealers are having a jolly good time looting customers, stealing parts and swapping them with fake counterfeit ones, making false profits by forging signatures etc.
Its time for skoda to wake up or else, the fabia will doom pre


My Punto http://ndtvauto.carwale.com/forums/ViewThread-9707.html
0 members liked this post
 
#20 12-Aug, 2009 10:01 PM
Bhardwaj
Legend
Joined Date: 10 Jul 2009
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 2061
Likes: 16

Summing up:

It all boils down to the requirements of the customer that whether he/ she prefers being self driven/ chauffer driven, he wants performance or mileage/ comfort or utility/ family carrying criteria etc.

So, the winners will be those cars which do a combination of most of these things right and very few wrong, that is, the winner is the car with the least compromises.

First up is the vista. It looks decent, has good space and comfort and comes with cheap price.But as a complete product it does not excel in every single area and is hopelessly outclassed in important areas like performance and mileage, maintenance costs, quality/ fit and finish and resale value.At best, avoidable. Buy only if you really want a tata product and even if you are tempted towards the vista, only the quadrajet diesel makes sense.

Next-the aveo 5. Other than decent space and comfort and ride, again, it feels hopelessly outclassed in every single area. poor resale value, inconsistent after sales service and outdated design and mechanicals means again, it is avoidable. Its biggest problem is that it lacks the overall feel that most cars in this segment now provide. Dull driving experience and wheezy engines are another chinks in its armor. GM needs to come out with its replacement-the viva-fast.

Next to go is the fabia. It looks good, has the best fit an finish, ride and handling and space and comfort and is packed with features not usually found in some D segment cars. Surprised? Then start counting its negatives and you will never give it a second look again as the cons like pathetic engine configuration, vibrations, reliability issues, electrical gremlins, stratospherically priced spare parts and maintenance and the worse of all, dealers almost zero commitment to customer satisfaction means that this car is also off from the buyer’s radar.

The hyundai getz also ticks most of the right boxes-like practical nature, decent ride, space and comfort , after sales service etc but again, it fails to deliver what car buyers want-value and feel. Poor depreciation means that the getz’s resale value will be abysmal and despite hyundai’s resorting to brutal discounts, demand has not really picked up and now there's a word that the vehicle may get phased out by the end of this year doesn’t help the matters also. Only recommended for the best price to size ratio and those who can live with an outdated 7 year old product.

The Honda jazz-modern design, practical and spacious interiors, best in class performance and good mileage with industry best resale value and the “H” badge on the nose-suddenly the whole package looks tempting and the right choice.
But, factors like inconsistent after sales service by honda dealers, high purchase price and most importantly, skimping on essential equipment means that the jazz is not as good value in long term as you have better alternatives available.

It’s a close call between the swift and the punto, which are declared as joint runner ups.
The punto ticks almost all boxes right-sexy design, solid build, ride and handling, decent interior space, competitive pricing and equipment that would make a jazz look like a stripped down model making it fantastic VFM.It loses out due to mediocre performance from its claimed 90 bhp 1.4, below par fuel efficiency, so important in a car of this segment and poor interior quality with sme small parts falling off. Questionable after sales service is also a cause for concern.



My Punto http://ndtvauto.carwale.com/forums/ViewThread-9707.html
0 members liked this post
 
Pages : 1234