The Hindu Business Line : Honda Activa scores on all fronts

I HAVE never used a two-wheeler. So, I am hoping to make a start with a gearless scooter which falls within my budget of Rs 30,000-35,000. I intend using it for 10-15 km daily, and considering the petrol prices it should be able to offer a decent mileage. My options are the Kinetic Zing, Hero Ezee SX, Kinetic Zoom, Kinetic Nova 135, Honda Activa and Honda Dio. Which scooter/scooterette do you suggest?

S. Leeladhar

Since you have not put a number to your mileage expectations, we will start by reminding you that almost all gearless scooters/scooterettes tend to offer lower mileage than their equivalent geared counterparts. Also, vis-à-vis entry-level 100cc bikes, they are less fuel-efficient because of the smaller wheels and self-start option .

As you step up the ladder in terms of size and power of the engine, the mileage that the vehicle offers will tend to be lower. Going by the mileage parameter, the most reliable and the ones with the best resale value would be the TVS Scooty Pep and the Kinetic Zing 80. They are easy to ride and low on maintenance, and both give 50-55 kmpl.

The Kinetic Zing 80 has a slightly smaller 71.5cc engine compared to the Scooty Pep's 74.6cc, but the former is slightly more powerful and torquey. The Scooty, on the other hand, has a better finish and ride quality.

If you are looking for a bit of extra power and better handling than what these two smaller two-wheelers offer, then Honda Activa will be our recommendation for its peppy 102cc engine, excellent finish and ride quality and class-leading resale value. But the Activa will cost about Rs 41,000 (on-road), which would be Rs 6,000-8,000 more than the on-road price of the TVS Scooty Pep or the Kinetic Zing 80.

I am planning to buy a used car. The Daewoo Matiz is going cheap in the second-hand car market. I would like to know about the maintenance cost and availability of spares parts for the Matiz.

I would like to know if the ownership (buying price plus maintenance) cost of the Matiz would turn out to be higher than that of the Maruti 800 or the Suzuki Alto? Also, what will be the ownership cost of the Fiat Palio vis-à-vis the Maruti Zen, and Wagon R in comparison with Hyundai Santro.

Ajay Bangla

The Matiz, Cielo and Opel Astra are all going for a song in the used-car market. But an unbelievably low price tag in the used-car market is probably just that — not believable. So, obviously, there are reasons why these cars are going so cheap, and caution is advised lest you land up with a lemon.

With Daewoo closing shop in India and the future of the Matiz in limbo, since it is not certain if GM will bring the Chevrolet Spark (the Matiz in a new avatar), maintenance costs of this Daewoo small car will tend to be high.

With spare parts supply erratic a number of owners are facing problems with regard to regular maintenance. The maintenance costs of the Matiz are not comparable with that of the Maruti 800 or theAlto. The Maruti duo, still very much in production, are much cheaper to run and maintain.

As regards the Fiat Palio and the other small cars that are all still in circulation and available in the used-car mart, the maintenance costs will more or less be the same. But after-sales service and resale value for the Palio will tend to be lower than the others.

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