Going by my almost utilitarian ‘demands’ I am perfectly ok with a Citroen C3 turbo but I really want to hear what people have to say about other brands.
BHPian HereticHermit recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
TLDR; The post is more of chin-wagging about a replacement car than trying to zero down a car model.
I have had 3 Santros in possession since 1999, first was bought and the other two came second-hand simply because I got them so cheap that it would be an insult to turn them down. I have been somewhat provided with Company vehicles with drivers so my last Santro of personal use has aged gracefully though hardly used; but it is time to move on.
What it means for me is that I am using a kind of car that hasn’t changed much for the last 24 years and I am not in tune with the ‘latest and greatest’. So naturally I have a blank canvas in front of me and a plethora of choices. But I am feeling a bit overwhelmed at the number of disconcerting complaints or ‘expectations’ not met by many BHP members with one single major concern that modern cars tend to offer a lot of technology but are not very reliable.
While I am no Luddite or against technology, I am mindful that a lot of noise about lack of electronic dimming OVRM and rear defogger is different from sensors that have mind of their own or a vehicle being built and passed on with substandard QC thereby impacting overall Sum Total experience of ownership.
I don’t have any bias or any favorites under consideration, but Hyundai seem to have their business sorted really well after Maruti. But I am overall leery about cars gone so much ‘assisted’ by tech that it may rob off the tactile feel we were so much used to during the 90s and 00s. It is probably impossible and unwise to turn down the helpful change in the way new cars are being driven but within the envelope, I am looking for general pointers wrt what to avoid when buying a new car nowadays.
Going by my almost utilitarian ‘demands’ I am perfectly ok with a Citroën C3 turbo but I really want to hear what TBHPians have to say about other brands. All I am looking for is an ICE vehicle that is not a sedan but something of an SUV/pseudo SUV having 4 cylinders, 1200 cc to 1600CC on turbo (not very convinced with 3 pot engines) a sorted suspension (don’t mind a harder setup, the Gypsy never bothered me as such), good if it has creature comforts but their absence is not deal breaker for me.
I am no audiophile but if stock audio is just pants then I will invest a little money and live life. A sorted engine that doesn’t go too extreme of Toyota for a long haul of 2 lakh kilometers or like (I find Toyotas to be generally uninspiring and insipid in stock trims) so I would like to have a spirited engine. I don’t mind spending money on parts/repairs if they are not as rare as hen’s tooth. I recall selling my RD350 one fine day because while I was willing to pay Rs 1500 for a pair of piston rings, I was not ok putting up with the dealer acting like a god doing favor to me even when he was charging 10 times the normal price.
One last very important thing that I am looking at is, which car is MOST mechanical as of today? Given my old-school expectations, the TBHP complaint box has successfully eroded any confidence I had in VW or similar brands in the respective price range. I see no value in riding a thoroughbred Arab horse only when it is willing to go out when a poor mule is simply available all the time. A simple, mechanical, dependable engine on a lonely highway makes far more sense to me than an enviable stair some exotic turbo popper might get in South Delhi.
You may notice that I haven’t brought up the safety concerns in discussions so far, not because it is the least of concerns, but because I have seen so many born idiot drivers in my life that now I know, most of the time my own life is in my hands, I am going to squander away my life only when I am driving carelessly and without commonsense. Not to mix fate with safety, those 8 airbags probably won’t save your life in a 1300Kg car when a full freight loaded trailer driven by a drunk slams full speed in your rear. That is fate. Commonsense karma might have saved your life if you had invested 20 seconds of SWOT for a parking spot when driving a Maruti Omni with zero safety.
Your thoughts gentleman.
Update
I am ok with under 16-17 Lakh budget. Prefer the SUV style simply because of the ease of ingress and egress (54 yr old now). I have driver assistance and a car when in the office so this is purely a personal car. Mostly but twice a year-long highway runs, say 6-8 thousand KM per year including hilly terrains, it won’t run more than 300-400 Km in the city even if I have to use it often, living in a two-horse town, there is simply no space to let horses loose here. I am a light traveler so not much fussed about space and ok with 5 seater + any boot.
Despite being in a small town I do have Audi, Merc showrooms but at best the experience is very unprofessional and they don’t do anything other than ‘change parts’ at your cost and private market/mechanics have not matured beyond being grease monkeys experimenting at your time and cost. The same culture drifts down to the Maruti level too. So it is important that irrespective of brand, the engine is reliable and simple. Frankly, I don’t care about features over ease of mind but after all these years spent on field vehicles, I can’t see myself driving a Bolero.
I won’t be looking at e-vehicles, only manual/stick shifts on IC. I am not sure if there are a lot of choices in turbo engines up to 1500cc in 4 cylinders. Hill Hold is nice to have but if I am cornered into having more tech, I won’t have much option and submit to tech gods, which I am just trying to avoid.
Here’s what BHPian Jeroen had to say about the matter:
What is a simple mechanical car? I have a 1982 Mercedes W123. It came factory-equipped with an electronic ignition!
Any car these days is likely to have fuel injection and that means it will have an ECU and a bunch of sensors.
Again, even on my 1982 W123, the carburettor has some electrical systems!
My 1986 Alfa Romeo sports two computers, one for the ignition, and one for the fuel injection.
And the list goes on. There have been no real 100% mechanical cars made for a very long time, with the odd exception. You might end up with something like an ambassador, or similar.
It might be helpful if we had a better understanding of what you would call a mechanical car. What electronic bits are allowed?
Here’s what BHPian bijims had to say about the matter:
Considering your requirements for SUV body style, reliable engine, and gearbox, low maintenance, 4-cylinder, 1200cc to 1500cc, under 17 lakh budget, I would recommend the following:
Maruti Brezza
The Brezza comes with a tried and tested, 1.5L N.A. Petrol has been around for quite some time, considering your budget, you can get the top-end automatic too, it has a 6-seed torque converter and is one of the most reliable automatics too, if manuals are your thing, the manual ain’t bad either, but it now misses out on the mild-hybrid functionality.
Honda Elevate
Hondas are known for their reliability and the Elevate MT would be a good choice considering your requirements, the tried and tested 1.5 NA IVTEC is a gem of an engine and would last you as long as you want it to. It is a no-nonsense car and suited for those who prefer a hassle-free ownership experience.
Both of the above options are reliable, fuss-free naturally aspirated models, with proven engines and good reliability, even their automatics are good choices. Moreover, they are based on safe platforms (earlier gen Brezza scored 4 stars in GNCAP, Elevate is based on the City and should score well in NCAP tests [assumed])
Although most cars nowadays are filled to the brim with the latest technology and features, the above are two examples of ones that have proven to be reliable nonetheless, I am not saying that turbo petrol, 3-cylinder engines, and DCTs are unreliable, but based on your preferences, I feel that the above two would cater to your needs the best.
Here’s what BHPian 46TheDoctor had to say about the matter:
Your requirements make me suggest only one car to you, Honda Elevate top variant!
It should be reliable for 15-20 years at the least given your less running.
Get one in AT which adds tremendous convenience over MT. MT is definitely sportier than AT but you arent looking for that, so Covenience over Sportiness.
Here’s what BHPian IshaanIan had to say about the matter:
The S-Cross 1.5 would have been the perfect car for you but alas it is discontinued. That said, the Elevate makes a strong case for itself with the 1.5 VTEC motor and what looks like extremely comfortable seats (haven’t test driven one yet but the pictures have had me wondering about those seats) also the 1.2 K series Fronx should do you well if you feel like the Elevate is too big or too expensive.
Keyword: Simple & reliable 5-seater SUV with manual transmission under 17 lakh