subject: Tips For Buying A Small Car [print this page] You may want just a small car, but the task is big. To cross a road, this is what you need to do. Look left, look right, left again, proceed. Its something similar while going for a new car. The Indian car market is crowded with small cars. Its not just the Maruti 800 and Zen that roam around the Indian streets. The choice is vast and you need to select the best from the crowd. Heres how you do it.
What do I want from my car?
Are you looking for a stylish car, or something that will accommodate your family of four? Are you looking for a car that will return an impressive mileage, has low running costs, has a service centre in almost every block, or a car that will return almost everything that you have spent on the purchase while selling it five years down the line? Confused as to which car will buy you the best deal? Read on for more tips!
How much can I afford?
The Indian car market has cars ranging from Rs. 1,00,000 to over Rs. 6 Lakh. You need to know how much you can afford on your new small car. When you know your limits, your choice automatically gets simplified. Let not the loan lenders compel you to stretch your budget. Next, note down the cars that fall in your price bracket.
What fuel to choose?
Do you want a petrol or diesel car? If you have a lot of driving to do, you would of course choose a diesel car. And, if youve chosen diesel, your choice is further limited to cars; Zen, Indica Diesel, Palio D, Figo Diesel, Ritz Diesel and a few others. Try going for a petrol car and you have a bigger list of cars like Maruti 800, Indica Petrol, Santro, Zen, Alto, WagonR, Palio, Getz and Corsa Sail.
Entry Level Cars
If you are thinking of shifting from a two wheeler to a brand new car, entry level cars like the Maruti 800 and the Alto LXi can serve as great options. The Maruti 800 has been phased out of 13 cities though. For beginners, the entry level models are the best. They offer absolute value for money, return great mileage figures, are high performance and most importantly are very easy to drive and handle even on the humpy bumpy roads in India. Not to forget, Indias largest car seller Maruti Suzuki largely owes its high sales figures to its best seller, the Maruti Suzuki Alto.
Premium Hatchbacks
Do not want to settle for a basic model? Reserve a few more lakhs and you could get your hands on the more advanced hatchbacks like the Nissan Micra, Chevrolet Beat, Ford Figo, Hyundai i10, Volkswagen Polo, Hyundai Santro, Maruti Zen, Maruti WagonR, Tata Indica Vista and Fiat Palio. These hatchbacks are not just more powerful they are more beautiful with better designs.
Options in premium hatchbacks include power steering, power windows, body-coloured bumpers, booster-assisted brakes with ABS, rear wipers, rear defoggers, leather seats, wood-finish interiors, and sporty gear knobs. Their lavish interiors are a visual delight.
These cars, though smaller than the mid-sized sedans, are more muscular than small cars and usually offer the power that motor enthusiasts desire. Yet, they are small and can be driven around with ease even on the crowded Indian roads. Premium hatchbacks best suit buyers who want enhanced power and performance in a small package.
So what have you decided?
Plenty of choice will certainly confuse the prospective small car buyer. The choice gets tougher when you almost make an uninformed decision and realize that another car is better than yours. So, it is advisable to take your time and perform a complete market research. Read customer testimonials written by existing owners. Read up reviews on popular web sites. With the right info at hand, nothing can come in between you and your small dream car.
