I started out with a budget of upto 10 lakhs. Fuel efficiency, after
sales service, inside space, drivability and resale value were my prime
concerns. I needed a car with atleast 100+ BHP and basic features like power windows, ABS, keyless entry etc. I short listed four cars maruti sx4, fiat linea, all new Honda city.
I took out linea due to a few reasons.
Linea: Very good car. Has got everything I wanted. Scored high on 80% of
my parameters (Except Power). However, I doubted about Tata’s service and also feels insecure after reading past fiat behaviors in India( I mean what happened to fiat sienna, palio, Uno?). Tata has always been criticized for their lack of after sales support
Now, I have two options – Maruti SX4 and Honda City.
Hi Anmol, a million congrats for buying a car that costs a million bucks.
However, you took out the
Linea from your consideration on somewhat flimsy parameters. I have a Linea 1.4 Petrol and have done more than 26 K without a hitch. The Linea's servicing interval is
15000 km, you don't need frequent visits to a TATA facility at all. I live in a small city in Punjab and find it easier to get TATA services here, the nearest Honda showroom is 120 km away.
Ah, the power! First up, I am a bit of a loose nut who freaks out on high velocities. I rarely drive below 130 kmph on the highway unless the kids are with me (you might go through my thread on this forum for a few high-speed pics). To me, even this regular petrol Linea is a rocket even though above 150 kmph, the engine noise increases appreciably which might be a clue that the engine is feeling strained. The pick up is rapid as well, at least as rapid as the ANHC owned by a close friend of mine.
However, let us assume that the figure of 90 BHP was not enough for you, you could have considered the
Linea T-Jet which trumps the ANHC on most performance parameters, is superbly equipped and costs the same or may be, a shade less even. And you could have sampled the complementary Italian wine that comes with it!!!
And you didn't even consider the
Vento, another beautiful car inside-out.
Of course, I appreciate that it all comes down to personal likes and dislikes. The ANHC is a good car and even I had doubts when I plonked for the Linea about 2 years back.
Guess most guys like to play safe when it comes to purchasing a car, after all it is their hard-earned money! Only surprise for me here is that Honda asks for and gets away with a huge premium on their cars. So it is great to hear that they at least gave you free insurance!
Congrats again, wishing you lakhs of miles of joyous rides!!!