A good balance between comfort, performance and economy.

I was buying my first car so went around the dealers of all makes Hyundai, Maruthi, Chevrolet, Fiat... Shortlisted Getz, Palio, U-VA and Vista. Though I liked the practicality of getz, I fell in love with Palio. It is just what I wanted my car to look like, but alas, from outside only. The dull interiors and longer turning radius kept me off my first love. I liked UVA but since Chevy is in financial trouble and not knowing whether they will pull the plug on indian operations, I kept off UVA. Between Getz and Vista it was an easier choice - an older, expensive Getz Vs the latest from the Pride of India - it is a no brainer. The sales intro and test drive were done excelently by Concord. I wanted Safire since I drive mostly city and around 1000km per month. I was extremely impressed by the smooth and silent test ride. However the color I wanted (red - my 10 yr old son's choice) was available in Vista Quadrajet Aqua only with immediate delivery. I took it after a test drive. Since Aqua does not have audio system, took a Blaupunkt. Delivery of car was smooth affair - in fact I took delivery on a sunday (though a holiday for them) since it was an auspicious day! It is more than a month now and I did the first servicing also. My feelings bout the car: Looks - good but nothing great. Interior ok, except for cheap plastics; (the sharp edge of the inner door handle almost cut my finger) Performance - Excellent pick up, gearing. Brakes could have been better. Handling - though several reviews praised it, i felt the power steering feedback was not good. I felt the Maruti 800 and Santro were one of the best in this department. Otherwise everything else was good. Ride comfort - outstanding! Soft suspension, good legroom, silent cabin, good air con, good music.... A bit of pitch and roll though. Mileage - before the first servicing it was 13-14 in Hyderabad city conditions with AC on power most of the time. Yet to check after the servicing. Before the first service I felt the gear shift has become harder. Also the high-mounted brake light was making too much noise due to vibration. These problems were rectified during servicing.Ride Comfort, Space, Airconcheap plastics, small boot, visibility