Hi All,
To start with, I had been looking to buy a car for the past 1.5 years. But kept postponing because of various reasons... My plans got a new life after the release of the new Ford Ikon Flair 1.3 ROCAM and Tata Indigo. The moment I read about them, I new I was going to get one of them.
I had fixed by Budget to be 5 lakhs with a variance of 10%. My requirements were :
1.) Good power and highway mileage,
2.) Good Comfort and space,
3.) Pride of owing a big car,
4.) Good support.
I had been considering Indigo, Accent GVS, Ikon Flair, Accent Viva (used), Sienna 1.6 and Corsa 1.4.
Sienna 1.6 -- I had ruled out Sienna because I heard that it was being stopped. That was the reason why dealer was offering a discount of 1 lakh.
Accent Viva (used) -- It was very poor in mileage. Also has lesser boot space.
Accent GVS -- Again a very good car. Got real decent looks. But is a little cramped w.r.t space. Also the cost was on the higher side for me. Moreover, the mileage was just 12-13 on highways.
Corsa 1.4 -- Pretty good car. Robust, got good looks. But is a little cramped and also not very good with mileage.
Indigo -- This again is a very good car but for its looks and the brand name. It really doesnt give the impression of owning a big car.
Hence I chose Ikon Flair. It gives pretty decent power and mileage combination - the JOSH Machine!.70PS with a highway mileage of 14 AC as claimed by the dealer.
It gives me the pleasure of owning a Ford, and big car. Also, I had been reading reviews that Ford has long term plans for India. hence gauranteed support for a longer period of time.
Now I have been using it for about 4.5 months I find it fully satisfying!!!.
It is giving me a mileage of about 16.5 with a mixture of AC/non AC driving at speeds of 130-140.
It reached 140 with ease with AC switched on. Iam waiting for the next occasion where I can try the max speed!!
As for the comfort, its really cooool with the AC vent for the back seat. Also the angle for the back seat rest is perfect.
Here are some of the disadvantages I have found :
1.) The road noise is pretty high. You will feel the road. I overcome that by playing songs at a very high volume ;)
2.) The gear shift mechanism is not as sophisticated as you find it Accent
3.) The Interiors also are not as rich as the Accent.
4.) The price is a good 60k higher that Indigo.
5.) Risky with steep curves at higher speeds.
But over all, I believe, it is a Good Value for Money Car.