The Hindu Business Line : Question & Auto

I am planning to buy a new car for about Rs 8 lakh. When I almost decided on the Honda City ZX (i-DSI engine) Tata Motors launched the Indigo XL. Now I am confused. The Tata car comes with all the comforts that no other car in this price segment offers and costs Rs 75,000 less than the City. But the Honda definitely has brand value and a technological edge. Of course there are no significant safety features in either. Many say that Tata cars are not long-lasting. It will appear old, say, after about three years of use. The Honda City, on the other hand, I am told is not good for village roads as the ground clearance is very low. Are these impressions right? Which car will be a better choice based upon parameters such as comfort, fuel efficiency, value for money, long-term running cost and reliability?

Syam Sundar K

It is a difficult decision to make when you are asked to choose between the Honda City ZX and the Tata IndigoXL. The City is one of the competing cars that is being targeted by the new long wheelbase version of the Tata sedan.

To choose between the City ZX and the IndigoXL, is brand image, refinement, fuel efficiency, and reliability versus value for money, low maintenance costs and a higher number of premium features.

Relatively, there is a quality compromise to be made in the finer details of the cars interior in the IndigoXL, but the number of premium features that the car comes loaded with makes it a big draw. The new twin-cam, 16-valve, 1.4-litre petrol engine is better than its predecessor, but it still lacks in refinement and fuel-efficiency when compared to the City's i-DSI (intelligent dual sequential ignition) engine.

The Tata car is cheaper and also offers a little more legroom for rear passengers, but the overall finer aspects of comfort may be better in the City. There is not much of a difference between the two cars in terms of ground clearance — IndigoXL's is 65mm and the City ZX's, 160mm. So, the cars are pretty much similar in their ability to handle bad roads.

Similarly, the paint job and finish quality in both the cars are almost on a par, so the longevity of the two cars will also be identical. Age will show just as much on either of them.

Of the list of parameters that you have given, think about which of them are the most important to you and, accordingly, make the choice between the two cars.