A first car is nothing less than a first love. And even as I do believe in the concept of love at first sight, I never forget to take a closer second look.
With the budgetary constraint, and my need from the vehicle for me the choice was between Santro Xing, Wagon R and Palio. Frankly as I see it, the automobile market is completely commoditized, and most of the products on offer are value for money. It’s just a matter of what set of features do you want.
For me the first car was to be a reflection of my personality. I wanted it to be stylish, cozy, fun filled and performer. After lots of deliberation I opted for Palio 1.2ELX petrol, And with around 2000 odd KM of driving, I am not complaining.
Very Very spacious. I have made two weekend trips with five people, and without any trouble. Ample boot space. The interiors are well laid out, one feature which I found missing in WagonR & Santro, where the plastic looks cheap. The door trim, arm rest etc really add to the luxurious. Specially the EXL that I own, comes plush with all feature, power steering, power windows (all four), centralized locking, body coloured bumper, body coloured side mirrors and dorr handle. Overall you get a luxurious feel once you are inside. doesnt make you feel like a small car. All you need to add it a music system (WagonR fails), and it comes out the best in the category. In fact its rich feature make it more luxurious than some of the sedans. AC can be a bit noisy, but really powerful, and with defroster and rear wiper...... what else do you need?
But what is most stunning about Palio is it’s handling. This piece of machine simply cruises. Pickup is great, I simply wonder what GTX would be like. On the highways, the only other machine that comes near it is an IKON. For me this is my first car, and I cant actually tell how it compares to others, but all my friends who have Zen, WagonR & Indica, have told, me that it is worth the extra bucks you spend.
Personally for me, I only wish if the seats were a bit higher. Service does depend upon your luck and your dealer. Mileage is something I am not much worried about, as long as it’s around +10% of WagonR or Santro, and my experience has proven the same.
Overall worth the first love.
Only regret is that, mebbe I could have waited for the NV model. If NV retains the same features, then I am sure with Improved mileage, it will be an unbeatable proposition.