Thread Starter
#1
Buying Process
Few months ago, my bro decided to buy a new car considering the amount of dust in the streets of bangalore while riding on bike. And also, since now he has a baby now. So, the dilemma of choosing the car began.
First, we decided to go for a second hand used car for under 3 lakhs. He wanted to sell the car in 2-4 years since he always preferred a big better vehicle but couldn't opt them coz the budget was a constrain. So, considering the amount of resale value & trustworthy workhorse in the market, we zeroed it down to MS Alto. The search began & found a lot of cars in the market. But we as a family wasn't much interested in second hand cars especially becos we never know how the car was treated by the previous owner.
As a result, the idea of getting a second hand used vehicle was chucked & we started checking new cars which fit under the budget of max 4 lakhs.
Nano - was considered but weekend highway drive was nearly impossible in it
Alto 800 - Good Proven Vehicle. As we owned one earlier. We found it satisfiable! The new looks though was a huge let down.
Hyundai Eon - Better looking & better interiors. My bro really wanted to take this one. The performance was a bit let down. And also, wasn't much interested in a Hyundai atm.
Honda Brio - my bro didn't like it at all. Was very disappointed with the looks & the interior design. I suggested him to go for a test drive. And tadaa, the magic happened. He felt it really smooth to drive with enough power but I had a bit bumpy ride at the back. Also, the base model EMT costing almost 5 lakhs on road was way out of our budget.
Other than these cars, we really didn't consider anything else. After a bit of research, we thought of going for the Alto 800 since it was a proven vehicle. And the resale value being a MSIL was also good. So, went straight away, booked a Granite Grey Alto 800 & paid the advance.
We had an option to take the 2012 model for a 6k discount. The 6k discount wasn't justified to me for a 2012 model. So went for the new stocks which was going to arrive in a week or so. On 20th April 2013, we received the car from the dealer at about 4:30pm. It was a February 2013 model. Here are the accessories list:
Underbody coating - Rs 3000
Teflong coating - Rs 3500
Floor mats - Rs 1200
Seat cover - Rs 4500
Mud Flap - 350
Total - Rs 12,550 (After discount - Rs 8700)
Initial Impressions
The car looked way better than expected. I feel the Alto 800 looks best in Granite Grey colour.
The interiors looked really good than the earlier model. The plastic on the dashboard was infact almost of the same quality of the old model. The speedometer also looked good in the new avatar. But what really let me down is the door panels. Earlier model had hard plastic but here it is just a cardboard piece covered in a cloth. It feels worse than before. The power window position is also at a really awkward place. It might take time to get used to it. The gear lever & the steering feels a lot better to hold. The seats still isn't comfortable. Not at all suitable for long drives.
Now the performance part. When compared to the old alto. The performance of the vehicle is a whole lot better. With A/C the engine pulls the car even on 3rd gear on inclines. This is a huge boon actually. The car responds well if driven in a spirited way. Or else, it takes time to build speed.
What I was more than disappointed was the roof. Its actually a thin sheet. On heavy rains, it makes a lot of noise. It annoyed me a lot.
Also, MSIL need to provie Left hand mirror as standard. Its quite hard to get it. Had to visit 2-3 dealers to get one.
Other than that, I don't have much complains. If people ask me, whether to go for this car. I will surely tell them to consider the eon too. I feel its more VFM barring some facts.
Other Accessories
Installed a new Pioneer music player with 250-watt single speaker on 4 doors. The effect/bass is good but wasn't much impressed with the sound experience. The car needs a better sound insulation IMO but it isn't bad though. I just compared to the VW Polo at my house which has got a comparatively lesser watt speaker & better experience. Afterall, I can't expect much from a sub 3.5lakh vehicle.
Also since the left hand door key doesn't come on the Alto now. Had to get a new central lock system too. Got a brand named Falcon for 5400 including free parking sensors with 5 years replacement warranty. The total bill came to about 14.5k from a aftermarket shop!
The car is now with bro at bangalore. So don't see it much often now! [:(]
NOTE: I know I suck at writing things.
Here are some pics posted below when NEW..
Few months ago, my bro decided to buy a new car considering the amount of dust in the streets of bangalore while riding on bike. And also, since now he has a baby now. So, the dilemma of choosing the car began.
First, we decided to go for a second hand used car for under 3 lakhs. He wanted to sell the car in 2-4 years since he always preferred a big better vehicle but couldn't opt them coz the budget was a constrain. So, considering the amount of resale value & trustworthy workhorse in the market, we zeroed it down to MS Alto. The search began & found a lot of cars in the market. But we as a family wasn't much interested in second hand cars especially becos we never know how the car was treated by the previous owner.
As a result, the idea of getting a second hand used vehicle was chucked & we started checking new cars which fit under the budget of max 4 lakhs.
Nano - was considered but weekend highway drive was nearly impossible in it
Alto 800 - Good Proven Vehicle. As we owned one earlier. We found it satisfiable! The new looks though was a huge let down.
Hyundai Eon - Better looking & better interiors. My bro really wanted to take this one. The performance was a bit let down. And also, wasn't much interested in a Hyundai atm.
Honda Brio - my bro didn't like it at all. Was very disappointed with the looks & the interior design. I suggested him to go for a test drive. And tadaa, the magic happened. He felt it really smooth to drive with enough power but I had a bit bumpy ride at the back. Also, the base model EMT costing almost 5 lakhs on road was way out of our budget.
Other than these cars, we really didn't consider anything else. After a bit of research, we thought of going for the Alto 800 since it was a proven vehicle. And the resale value being a MSIL was also good. So, went straight away, booked a Granite Grey Alto 800 & paid the advance.
We had an option to take the 2012 model for a 6k discount. The 6k discount wasn't justified to me for a 2012 model. So went for the new stocks which was going to arrive in a week or so. On 20th April 2013, we received the car from the dealer at about 4:30pm. It was a February 2013 model. Here are the accessories list:
Underbody coating - Rs 3000
Teflong coating - Rs 3500
Floor mats - Rs 1200
Seat cover - Rs 4500
Mud Flap - 350
Total - Rs 12,550 (After discount - Rs 8700)
Initial Impressions
The car looked way better than expected. I feel the Alto 800 looks best in Granite Grey colour.
The interiors looked really good than the earlier model. The plastic on the dashboard was infact almost of the same quality of the old model. The speedometer also looked good in the new avatar. But what really let me down is the door panels. Earlier model had hard plastic but here it is just a cardboard piece covered in a cloth. It feels worse than before. The power window position is also at a really awkward place. It might take time to get used to it. The gear lever & the steering feels a lot better to hold. The seats still isn't comfortable. Not at all suitable for long drives.
Now the performance part. When compared to the old alto. The performance of the vehicle is a whole lot better. With A/C the engine pulls the car even on 3rd gear on inclines. This is a huge boon actually. The car responds well if driven in a spirited way. Or else, it takes time to build speed.
What I was more than disappointed was the roof. Its actually a thin sheet. On heavy rains, it makes a lot of noise. It annoyed me a lot.
Also, MSIL need to provie Left hand mirror as standard. Its quite hard to get it. Had to visit 2-3 dealers to get one.
Other than that, I don't have much complains. If people ask me, whether to go for this car. I will surely tell them to consider the eon too. I feel its more VFM barring some facts.
Other Accessories
Installed a new Pioneer music player with 250-watt single speaker on 4 doors. The effect/bass is good but wasn't much impressed with the sound experience. The car needs a better sound insulation IMO but it isn't bad though. I just compared to the VW Polo at my house which has got a comparatively lesser watt speaker & better experience. Afterall, I can't expect much from a sub 3.5lakh vehicle.
Also since the left hand door key doesn't come on the Alto now. Had to get a new central lock system too. Got a brand named Falcon for 5400 including free parking sensors with 5 years replacement warranty. The total bill came to about 14.5k from a aftermarket shop!
The car is now with bro at bangalore. So don't see it much often now! [:(]
NOTE: I know I suck at writing things.
Here are some pics posted below when NEW..
![[clap]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Clap.gif "Clap [clap]")
![[drive]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Drive.gif "Drive [drive]")
![[frustration]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Frustration.gif "Frustration [frustration]")
![[:)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Smile.gif "Smile [:)]")
![[:D]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Big%20Smile.gif "Big Smile [:D]")
![[confused]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Confused.gif "Confused [confused]")
