I am in the lookout for a new car in the range of 7-8 lacs. My test drives and experiences with various cars is as follows,
Mahindra Logan:
Super tough and strong body
Looks sleek but not very stylish
Extremely compact on outside, yet very spacious on the inside
Excellent boot space
Very basic and cheap looking and feeling interiors
Lots of road and engine noise inside the car
Too many Logan taxis hence image takes a beating
Good diesel engine - quiet and efficient
Average petrol engine - not efficient at all(the test drive car display showed 7 kmpl!)
Cheaper spare parts
Excellent pricing - Value for Money
Skoda Fabia
Tough and strong body(Galvanised)
Excellent interior quality
Cannot seat 5 comfortably due to rear middle seat issue
Average boot space
Noisy diesel engine
Not so great petrol engine
Expensive spare parts
Not good value for money
Maruti Swift Dzire
Exteriors look good, but boot is too high - limits rear visibility
Interiors are very dark hence give impression of not being spacious
Both petrol and diesel Engines are great
Build quality is a big issue - Rattles and noises come up very soon
Long waiting time - not worth it!
Big boot space
Cheaper spare parts
Excellent pricing - Value for Money
Maruti SX4
Huge exterior dimensions - can be a pain to drive and park in city traffic
Interiors are very comfy but seats are bit too soft, hence may get soggy
Build quality is a big issue - Rattles and noises come up very soon
Petrol engine is very good but lower on fuel efficiency
Big boot space
Excellent pricing - Value for Money
Hyundai i10
Beautiful exterior looks
Well finished and good looking interiors
Enough space for 5 people to sit comfortably
Great engine(Kappa)
Limited boot space
Hyundai Getz
Formal European exteriors
Well finished interiors
Very poor seating comfort at front and back
Old model - going to be replaced by i20
Petrol engine - poor efficiency
Good Diesel engine
Hyundai Verna
Stylish exterior
Low on interior space especially headroom for front seats
Very low seating - almost sitting on floor
Average interior design and quality
Average boot space
Average build quality
Good Diesel engine
Not great value for money
*Honda City(2007 model)
*Stylish exterior
Excellent interior space and seating comfort
Excellent interiors quality - plush and comfortable
Excellent boot space
Excellent engines
Excellent resale value
Overall the Best Buy in the entire segment