This is me with my first ever query on "What car?". I had been through a lot of similar threads but they actually confused me because none of the queries were similar to mine. So here it goes-
I need to buy a sedan in Faridabad to be used on a daily basis. The running would mostly include drives from Faridabad to Greater Kailash II where my father works. The running in figures would then be nearly 46Km (courtesy Google Maps) daily that makes it 1012Km per month. So, I think I qualify to buy a diesel. But, mind you all, my father strictly wants to stay away from diesels. Plus, I personally feel the prices of diesel and petrol shall be declared same in a few years. So, diesel sedans are ruled out (although I would have loved to wait for the Linea T-Jet). Anyways, I’ll tell you of what all I am looking for in my second car (the first one being the FIRST year 2000 MOONBEAM SILVER Maruti Suzuki Zen in Faridabad which clocked 1,00,000Km lately)-
1. SPACE- My dad and me, both are above 6 feet in height and it is quite intriguing to me that my dad finds the Zen’s driver seat OK for him:eek: although I always slide the seat all the way back to accomodate my legs while my dad makes do with the seat in the middle of the slider, hehe. Also, the car would be driven primarily by my dad and me and occasionally by my mom and my sister. Plus, either me or my dad would always be sitting in the rear, so rear seat space (especially legroom must be roomy). I need a sedan for a family of four adults.
2. POWER and FUEL EFFICIENCY- See, the car’s engine must be of the kind which adapts to the driver’s style. What I mean is that I want the car to prance like a mighty horse when I am driving (where I know the fuel efficiency would suffer) but, on the other hand, I want it to be sedate and give a good fuel efficiency when my father drives it (I seriously don’t know if my dad would consider driving "hard", but you never know when that sprout of youth shoots! haha).
3. ACCESSORIES- I also want to know that whether it is advisable to go for the Manufacturer’s leather for which they charge more or the aftermarket ones which look better or "maybe" perform better. So please guide me if it is good to go for something like- "an SX4 vxi with leather or without leather" (just an example)
4. SERVICE- I live in Faridabad and all dealers and workstations are not quite far and are located mainly beside the Mathura Road, but just for the record, there are plenty of Maruti dealers here. Also, the cost of spares must be considered too.
5. Now, as far as our choices go, we like the SX4 and Fiesta 1.6. My dad told me a couple of times that he likes the SX4 in white. My sister says she loves the Fiesta. My mom likes both of them but also tells me she likes the bigger wheels in the SX4. I personally like both the cars but am confused as to which one fits the bill. But there is something else that haunts me. Are their newer models of the above two cars planned this year? I would buy this car to use for another 10 years or so, the car should be long-lasting and low on maintenance.
6. TEST DRIVES- As of now, me and my dad have not taken any test drives as we dont find time. So, test drives are planned in the near future but not quite immediate. So, as of now I shall rely on personal experiences of you guys.
7. EQUIPMENT- The more the better but reasonably justified.
Concludingly,
Are their other petrol sedans in this price range that are better and suit my requirements?
Is the Honda City good or is it overrated (and over-priced) as I keep hearing. Anyways, I know it’s a Honda and is very reliable just by the namesake. But such a high price to me is not justified (no offense to anybody).
So, is my choice of the above two cars fine or should I look further?
Please guide me as to which car is better?