May 17, 2011 09:21 AM
10151 Views
I am planning to buy a family car for my nuclear family. (Husband, wife and two children). This will be my first car. My budget is under 5 lakhs. and looking for car with characteristics with following order.
Good mileage
Driving and Riding comfort
Spacious.
Good looking.
I read a lot of stuff from internet (including mouth shut) about different review. Ritz was out of my list and I used to reckon it as a worst looking car in India. I used to hat maruti for their not good looking cars based on some review.
Figo: a big car with full of limitations
My first priority was figo. But after reading following complains I got disheartened.
Low mileage
Underpower
Ground clearance problem (Very serious problem I felt myslef).
I want to test drive the car in our colony (Anushaktinagar, Mumbai) which is very big colony and ample roads for testing the vehicle.I called the Figo guy and managed the test drive in our colony which is hardly 5 kms from their showroom.
I was impressed with the driving and riding pleasure of the figo. Its awsome package for the middle class family. I asked the guy about mileage , he told 12 km in city and 15 km in highway. My friend has a figo and claimed that car is giving mileage of 16km in highways. The AC is very powerful & in-fact best in class. The space and boot space both are biggest in class. But guys when I was driving over a speed breaker I heard a sound of striking of chasis. I confirmed that with the sales guy sitting in the car. He told with innocence (or foolishness :-)) that yes you drove fast over speed breaker so chasis striked with braker. Man! I was shocked and decided that I would not go for this car with such poor robustness in Indian road conditions.
I10: a beautiful compact car:
I called the i10 guy for test driving in the colony. He even didn't care to receive the phone call many times. Finally I was able to contact him. He was not at all interested/enthusiastic to send car for test drive ( distance form colony is 10kms). However he agreed that he will manage car on Monday ( as this is off day so car can be spared). I was not expecting that he will send the car and really he didn't. I again requested that guy to come to showroom but he was not ready to manage on same day he was asking me to come after couple of days and he was not bothering about my request.
I requested my neighbor for experiencing his car.
This car is awesome for driving and riding pleasure. The car parts shows amazing integrity while driving. It absorbs path holes with amazing efficiency. Fuel efficiency is 12 km in city and 15-16 km in highway which is very good. But it feels lady's car to me in place of RITZ. ( in look as well as space). But overall its a great package. I can understand why this car is selling like bananas in the market. But I am really disappointed with the lethargic attitude of salesman. Anyway its not a mans car for me.
Ritz: a overall performer.
Based on 98% satisfaction level of mouthshuttians I was tempted to grab this car as early as possible. But my friend told me that this may be a market strategy of the maruti people. I called Vittese showroom which is around 16 kms from my colony. Thier response was very quick and enthusiastic. They send me the sales guy on same evening. He just gave me pamplet and ratelist. Ritz is giving 25000/- (common discount)+3000 (corporate discount to me ). I will get VXI model for 4.8 lakhs in Mumbai on road.
I visited nearer another showroom SPECTRA which is hardly 4 kms from our colony. I just sat inside. It was feeling roomy and spacious. White color was beaming with beauty. The guy explained and gave their quotation also which is exactly same as the previous guy. I called the guy for test drive on following Saturday. He managed easily but I was not impressed with the tight gear and clutches. the rattling of body is highest among i10 and figo. But space is really awsome. The performance of engine is really good. The sales guy was tellling that clutch is set hard for test driving but he could not answer me satisfactorily for my why!
I asked the vittese-guy for test drive on next day (Sunday). He efficiently managed the car within one hour from 15 kms. I am impressed with the salesguy of Maruti. They are angles. I drive the car and found the car's cluthes and gears smoother that previous RITZ. But i10 has ultra smooth gears and clutches ( Best in the class). The sales guy show me the amazing utility of turning radius buy revolving the car in small circle with high speed (like circus). I am overall satisfied with this beauty -RITZ.
Plus points which is responsible for deciding RITZ are following:
Good engine performance
Driving and riding pleasure
Great Milieage
Sporty look
short turning radius.
Great VFM. (getting 28000/- discount)
Maruti's brand name
Negative points I am compromising:
Rattling of body on uneven ground.
Hard cluthe and gear.
I would appreciate if any body can point out some other (plus or minus points). The price of i10, figo and ritz are almost same. because i10 and figo has increased their prices while ritz has decreased. I would appreciate even some body goes for i10. But before going for figo please check its ground clearance on speed breakers.
I am gong to book ritz within couple of days if any body can give their perspective and experiences on this car I would appreciate it hearty.
