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.

Compact sedan maintenance costs (in Rupees)
	Tata Tigor	Honda Amaze	Honda Amaze	Ford Aspire	Ford Aspire	Hyundai Aura	Hyundai Aura	Hyundai Aura	Hyundai Xcent	Hyundai Xcent	Maruti Dzire
Engine	1.2P	1.2P	1.5D	1.2P	1.5D	1.0P	1.2P	1.2D	1.2P	1.2D	1.2P
COST OF PARTS
Air Filter	602	437	390	358	360	184	184	184	184	184	290
Oil Filter	163	175	395	132	148	89	89	425	89	425	90
Fuel Filter	NA	499	1250	595	1140	397	397	975	397	1249	265
Washer Drain Plug	22	36	36	42	9	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	6
Spark Plug (for entire set)	342	705	NA	375	NA	NA	302	NA	282	NA	800
Coolant	848	1042	1256	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	338
Engine Oil	1925	1011	2024	1224	2041	1368	1368	1633	1368	1669	1735
Brake fluid	218	165	165	489	489	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	355
Pollen / HVAC filter	232	NA	NA	163	163	198	198	198	394	394	NA
Service Intervals	1 year or 15,000km	1 year or 10,000km	1 year or 10,000km	1 year or 10,000km	1 year or 10,000km	1 year or 10,000km	1 year or 10,000km	1 year or 10,000km	1 year or 10,000km	1 year or 10,000km	1 year or 10,000km
1st Service Cost (parts+labour)	3634	1222	2455	1398	2198	1457	1457	2058	1457	2094	1832
2nd Service Cost (parts+labour)	7103	3878	6762	3487	4287	1824	1640	3324	1820	3792	5145
3rd Service Cost (parts+labour)	8671	3322	5004	4171	6113	4077	4261	4678	4514	4967	4546
4th Service Cost (parts+labour)	7103	4586	6762	3487	4287	4444	4260	5944	4693	6665	6653
5th Service Cost (parts+labour)	NA	3157	6095	3324	4124	4077	4077	4678	4330	4967	4452
6th Service Cost (parts+labour)	NA	4503	7510	4815	5787	4810	4810	5944	5503	6666	5298
Total Cost	26511	20668	34588	20682	26796	20689	20505	26626	22317	29151	27926
Maintenance cost per km (up to 60,000km)	0.44	0.34	0.58	0.34	0.45	0.34	0.34	0.44	0.37	0.49	0.47