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| Would you buy a Tata Nano? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 30 2009, 07:58 AM (1,229 Views) | |
| tmaxmetro | Mar 30 2009, 07:58 AM Post #1 |
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Advanced Member
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Finances aside, i.e. assuming you had the money to spare, and assuming you needed a vehicle, and assuming the Nano was available here in N.A. : would you consider a Tata Nano? Why or why not? I must admit that the same part of me which makes me appreciate the Metro, also makes me appreciate the Nano. Small, efficient, cheap, simple. For those that don't know : a Tata Nano is a econobox being built in India - which will sell for a little over $2000 U.S. in India. There are plans to bring it to North America, but I'd assume the price will be much higher (safety standards, emissions, ect.) - so probably closer to $6000 in N.A. (just guessing). Would I buy one - not at $6000, I'd still choose the Metro. But somewhere down the road, a cheap used Nano would be on my list. I'm sure that most of us have scratched our heads and wondered why N.A. auto makers do not offer anything small, cheap, efficient. Perhaps the answer is the minimal profit in producing these ultra-cheap vehicles - who knows. |
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| Johnny Mullet | Mar 30 2009, 08:09 AM Post #2 |
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Fear the Mullet
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![]() If they could offer that car in the US for around $5000.00 or less, then I might consider it, but then again, I have about $1000.00 invested in my Metro and very happy with it. |
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| tmaxmetro | Mar 30 2009, 08:24 AM Post #3 |
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I can remember reading, on various forums, folks comments that $2000, $2500, $3000 is too high for a Metro - but in reality, if that Metro is in close to mint shape - its not such a bad deal, value wise. On the Nano - it may be another Lada or it may catch on, especially if its as efficient as is claimed. Lots of "green aware" folks looking to save the planet, but not wanting to invest the big bucks in a hybrid or electric. |
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| 3tech | Mar 30 2009, 08:32 AM Post #4 |
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Not me. They don't offer cars like that because nobody wants cars like that. Look out on the roads. Very few people are driving small cars. I would buy one, not for $6k, but for the $2500 they're selling for in India. |
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| Johnny Mullet | Mar 30 2009, 08:52 AM Post #5 |
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Fear the Mullet
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You are correct. Especially Americans. So many people I know drive huge, massive vehicles for daily use. Why would you purchase a Ford F-350 Super Duty long bed four door and never haul or tow with it? I have many customers who will drive nothing but a truck. I own a truck also, but I'll be damned if I am going to use it for transportation back and forth to work. |
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| Ghino | Mar 30 2009, 08:54 AM Post #6 |
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Looks like a mitsubishi colt wassed in to hot water. |
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| tmaxmetro | Mar 30 2009, 09:45 AM Post #7 |
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I think the North American public buys into whatever the automakers lead them to buying into - for so long the automakers have pushed the big trucks and SUVS - they're bigger, they're safer, they're more comfortable, they're powerful, they're more efficient than ever .... and the sheeple just follow along. Very True, people don't want tiny cars - but you have to wonder why. I think the "bigger is safer" mantra plays a big role in all of it. Even the Smart Car, which apparantly is comparitively safe, had a real struggle here in Canada, and there was even talk of pulling it from the Canadian market due to weak demand. So much talk of these tiny fuel efficient vehicles, but will anyone actually buy them in numbers high enough to keep them around? |
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| Johnny Mullet | Mar 30 2009, 09:59 AM Post #8 |
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Fear the Mullet
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Let's suppose the Nano came to the US market for a price tag of around $5000.00 and was advertised for it's fuel economy. Do you actually think Americans would want it? Just like the Metro, these cars in this country would be deemed........... Unsafe Disposable Cheap Ugly The car would be a flop in my opinion. Not because of it's economical attributes, but because we are all a bunch of fat, lazy, stupid Americans who need a large vehicle to haul their 2 kids to the soccer game. I am a member on many Automotive forums and I will never forget the guy on Volvoforums.com who posted this.............
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| 3tech | Mar 30 2009, 10:11 AM Post #9 |
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Nonsense. The automakers build that stuff because thats what people want. Even the small car companies, the Japanese started building big stuff, because thats what people were buying. It was always U.S. thing, but more and more, Canadians are abandoning their thrifty ways, and buying bigger, more expensive vehicles. |
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| 2000Firefly1.3L | Mar 30 2009, 10:58 AM Post #10 |
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throw some D's on that |
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| z34-5speed | Mar 30 2009, 12:31 PM Post #11 |
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Formerly "Tech Certified"
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I really wish they would have never stopped making the Mk3 Metros/Swifts here in NA. They continued to at least 2000 in Europe, with minor updates. Just imagine, a brand new-ish Mk3 Metro... |
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| SeattleJeremy | Mar 30 2009, 03:46 PM Post #12 |
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If the US is to get a version of the Tata Nano, it would be more like the "Europa" model, and come closer to $6000USD. http://www.autoblog.com/2009/03/04/geneva-2009-bodacious-tatas-indian-automaker-debuts-nano-euro/ From what I've read Tata and Fiat have been working on an distribution setup for the European market. Fiat and Chrysler just penned a deal to buddy up to sell Fiats at Chrysler dealers. So if the Tata Nano does come to the US it will be on Chrysler lots. Would I buy one with a 2cyl 4speed? Defiantly not. Would I buy one with a 3cyl 5speed like the Europa model, and features like Central locking, Power Windows, Air Conditioning. I'd consider it. Edited by SeattleJeremy, Mar 30 2009, 03:47 PM.
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| jeff | Mar 30 2009, 06:34 PM Post #13 |
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Yes. Since we have multi vehicles, the TATA would be a point A 2 B vehicle........sorta like my Metros. (Except for tomatoes possibly in Tenn.). |
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| dimetrodon | Mar 30 2009, 10:38 PM Post #14 |
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No car I have ever had is as easy to work on, or as cost-efficient as the Metro. Nothing I have ever owned comes close - including a range of motorcycles of various shapes and sizes. I would not consider paying $5K for any car (new or used), to serve as my commuting vehicle, as long as I can keep my Metro running*. If you really look seriously at all the costs of ownership, and make the decision on "pennies-of-operating-cost-per-mile", the Metro reigns supreme. I wish I had known about them 20 years ago. I'd be much better off financially right now than I am. But some things don't show up in that calculation: like the comfort during summer driving with the window rolled down. I have never had a car that was as quiet in the cabin, with the window down, as the Metro. Since I have a long commute without many traffic jams... I find do NOT need, or want, AC in my Metro. Besides quiet running with the window down, the cabin is also very quiet with the window rolled up. The seating position is also more comfortable than my Chevy S-10. (I think Chevy does that intentionally to punish me for buying a small pick-up truck.) I also like the fact that small tires are cheap compared to larger ones. And on a light, under-powered vehicle, they last a long time. * I should state an exception. If someone offers a car with similar simplicity and reliability that gets around 75-100 mpg.... THEN... the subject re-opens for consideration. But what are the chances of any car in the near future getting such extreme mileage while also being so cheap that the initial purchase price does not swamp the mileage advantage? In other words, if they sold a car that got 100 mpg for $10K, but you could get 50 mpg from a $2K Metro, how many miles will you have to drive, and how long will it take you get back the $8K difference? Probably a very long time. Only extreme gasoline prices can push you towards some other alternative solution. |
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| tmaxmetro | Mar 31 2009, 09:43 AM Post #15 |
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Where I'm at, insurance is partly based on the "booked value" of the vehicle. If I were to purchase a vehicle of higher value, my insurance rates would rise. A new Nano, even if it is as efficient as a Metro, would certainly cost far more to insure. For those folks that don't drive much, fuel efficiency may be far less important than insurance rates, because insurance is the same every month, regardless of how much you drive. My Mazda 323 is actually cheaper for me to drive, total monthly cost, compared to my Metro. Value wise, when all the costs are considered, I'd agree that for most folks, a Metro is going to be impossible to beat. Cheap to purchase, cheap to drive, cheap to maintain and cheap to insure. Although most everyone here is interested in small efficient vehicles - the general publics interest in small vehicles really appears to follow the price of fuel. When gas was at its peak, lots of folks were interested in small efficient vehicles. Now that the price of fuel is much lower, not so much interest. I've no doubt that in large, folks in NA want big vehicles. I suppose the big question is why? Most Automakers (especially the Big 3) have no reason to promote or even build simple, small, efficient vehicles - as these vehicles are relatively cheap, and cheap means little profit. They'll push/promote a $45,000 hybrid as their "efficient" vehicle, but we already know that being efficient is easiest achieved by being small & light - like the Metro, the Nano, Smart, ect. It will be interesting to see what happens with the Nano. |
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