Car maintenance cost comparison Part 6: Compact sedans

Continuing with sedans, after studying the maintenance costs of executive sedans in Part 2 and the mid-size sedans in Part 5 of our maintenance cost study, we now move on to the extremely competitive compact sedan space.

• Maintenance costs calculated over 60,000km
• Compact sedans maintenance costs compared
• Factors in service life as well as cost of parts and labour (ex-Delhi, inclusive of taxes)

The sub-four-metre sedan or compact sedan is a segment unique to India. Born out of the regulation that gives vehicles under four metres – and with engines less than 1.2 litre (petrol) and 1.5 litre (diesel) – certain tax breaks, the compact sedan was designed to provide the aspiration of a sedan at an incremental price over a hatchback. And although this segment has witnessed an onslaught by compact SUVs, it still remains a populated space with six offerings, namely Tata Tigor, Honda Amaze, Ford Aspire, Hyundai Xcent, Hyundai Aura and the segment leader, Maruti Dzire. With the onset of the stricter BS6 emission norms, Ford, Honda and Hyundai still offer petrol and diesel engine options, whereas Maruti and Tata are petrol only.

Unfortunately, Maruti did not wish to participate in this study. However, we did manage to source the costs for the Dzire from various dealer sources. Thus, the prices for the Dzire should be treated as estimates.

Compact sedans maintenance cost comparison

• One year or 10,000km service interval is a norm in this segment, however, the Tata Tigor has a comparatively longer, 15,000km service interval. Interestingly though, Tata calls in Tigor owners for a routine check-up every 7,500km, which is chargeable from the 22,500km mark, at Rs 850 per visit.
• What’s interesting is that, among the petrol sedans, the Honda Amaze, Ford Aspire and Hyundai Aura (with either the 1.0-litre or the 1.2-litre engine) are the most affordable to maintain, with identical costs of Rs 0.34/km.
• The Ford Aspire and Hyundai Aura also lock horns in the diesel segment and are the two most affordable ones, with near-identical costs of Rs 0.45/km and Rs 0.44/km, respectively.
• Ford’s labour rate is set at a flat Rs 1,926 from the 20,000km service onwards, which is the lowest in this segment.
• Surprisingly, the Xcent, which shares its 1.2-litre petrol and diesel engine with the Aura, is a bit pricier to maintain. Hyundai also charges higher labour rates for the Xcent, at Rs 2,873 per service, while the newer Aura’s labour charges are Rs 2,620 per service, both from the 30,000km service mark. Curiously, the Xcent’s pollen filter costs much more than the Aura’s.
• The Tata Tigor requires the least number of services due to the longer service interval, but it is the second most costly to maintain.
• The Maruti Dzire is the costliest compact sedan to maintain, and while the cost of replacement parts isn’t particularly expensive, it is the labour charges from the 20,000km service, which average at Rs 2,700, that adds to the costs.
• The Honda Amaze diesel is much heavier on the pocket, compared to the Ford Aspire, Hyundai Aura and Xcent. It is the only diesel car that requires a coolant change at the end of 60 months, which adds to its costs. And although not by a big margin, the Honda’s labour costs are also a bit higher than the rest.

Did you find this maintenance cost comparison helpful? Tell us what you think in the comments section and stay tuned for maintenance cost comparison surveys of other segments that are coming soon.