Insightopedia: February 2011

Being grown up as a car fanatical, I really find it refreshing when it comes to reading, discussing and driving cars.

In India it’s the passion/dream for every class of people to have their dream car. The dream can vary from Maruti Alto/Tata Nano of middle class to BMWs, Rolls Royce of rich class. But the common linkage of all classes is obsession about cars.

As the rising economy of India changing the cars from luxury to necessities, I have observed family members, office colleagues, friends and almost everybody to talk about cars. The decision to buy a car is not a simple one, people look for various perspectives and opinions. Some consider looks, while others look on engine displacement (CC) and there are some who want the economical package.

After having constructive discussions (almost fight) with my brother, colleagues and friends, I finally decided to make things simpler for everybody and come out with something which can somewhat help in deciding (criticizing) various car options available in Indian market.

The below tables will surely help in knowing various options available based on required price bands. The typical problem I face while shopping is remembering very few brand names and alternatives available for my usage. Mostly it’s the popular ones which we remember because of better marketing and old presence.

At times we are not aware of all the options in our required price range. With all the globalization happening there are likely chances that we may get our “DREAM CAR” in our budget.

Though the ideal process of buying a car should be somewhat like:

For fuel options, ideally if you drive not more than 1000km in a month, don’t get attracted by fuel options other than petrol. The best fuel for this mileage is petrol only. In case you are diving more than 1000km, you can go for other fuel options.

The various options/models available under different price ranges are provided below. This will surely be of some help in shortlisting various options.

(Note: All prices mentioned below are Ex-Showroom prices in Delhi. The actual price will vary from state to state and additional taxes also apply)

Price Range I: Below 2 Lakh Rupees