The first-car experience.

Turn the key in the ignition, put left hand on the stick shift, left foot on the clutch, right on the accelerator. As you gently ease into first gear, it’s time to get, set, go in your first car!

Driving your first set of wheels — your “first baby” as most debut car owners put it — is a special moment, filled with thrill, fraught nerves and buoyed by a sense of independence. Who cares about the not-so-easy EMI when you feel as though you can fly?

The early-morning driving lessons, learning to park in a tight spot — “the worst part about driving”, our first-car owners say — and suffering from panic attacks about every time another car comes within a five-inch vicinity of you (as happens all too often) are some of the trials you will go through.

But it’s all worth it when you’re in the driver’s seat.

Before the buy

A buyer’s immediate considerations are budget, usage, maintenance, size and aesthetics, not necessarily in that order. “A buyer should always find out basic details in advance like the service centres, availability and cost of spare parts and how much money is needed for the general maintenance of a car. These factors differ from car to car,” says Praveen Tiga, territory sales manager, Maruti.

Most buyers look around and weigh the options before zeroing in on a particular model. After deciding the budget, they ask friends and colleagues about the cars they drive. Family experience also counts and many choose to stick to a brand they have seen on the road, confident in its strengths and aware of the weaknesses.

Behind the wheel

With a first car comes new-found freedom, the ability to speed off anytime without being dependent on public transport or a friend’s last-minute favour. It’s a thrill of a lifetime — even if it doesn’t compare to the high Ron Weasley and Harry Potter experienced soaring in their flying car in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

But the first drive in a car, nose filling with that “new-car smell” that some hate and some love, is a flushed and anxious one. Calcutta’s roads are just waiting for a new car to scratch or shake-up with a sizeable pothole. The first thing you are likely to do is not zoom off into the sunset but step on the brakes.

“I remember the first time I drove out of Dewar’s Garage in my own car. I was so careful, I kept a distance of at least five metres from the next car. For the first month, you drive at such incredibly slow speeds that you’ve probably been abused by a hundred other drivers,” laughs 26-year-old Priyanka David, who started driving at 15, practising on her father’s car (like most do).

Delhi-based Abhishek Sharma cracks up when he recalls his first drive in his new Alto: “After the car was delivered home, I picked up a friend, who had more confidence in me than I did! Then I drove so slowly that I believe I was single-handedly responsible for creating the most number of traffic snarls in south Delhi that day.”

The just-turned 18 category has the largest number signing up for driving lessons. And it is much more than an essential document. “Many of our younger customers are those who will soon drive their first car — second-hand, hand-me-downs from parents or siblings or brand-new vehicles. Learning to drive is your first step to freedom and feeling all grown up, as though you’ve won a million dollars,” smiles Rishiraj Kapur of Glamour Motor Training School on A.J.C. Bose Road.

Emotional connect

Some may call a car an asset; others, a luxury. For GeNext, it’s almost a necessity. And for the first-car owner, it’s pure passion.

We can’t be sure what it is, but cars inspire incredible loyalty, possessiveness and even passion. Forget friends, not even family is allowed to sit in the driver’s seat. “We were like a newly-wed couple,” smiles Priyanka. “I was so possessive about my Alto that I didn’t even let my parents drive it.”

“The relationship that a person shares with his car is very emotional and for a first-car owner, it is going to be more intense,” explains Debasis Ray, spokesperson for Tata Motors.

Then there are some like 36-year-old Arnab Shah who still hasn’t been able to say goodbye to his first car, which was a hand-me-down from his father. “I still pay garage rent for the Fiat, even though I drive it once in two months, only to keep it running, and then I feel like Archie in his old jalopy,” he admits.

Though there are plenty more women driving than before, it is still an added kick for the girls. “Every second man knows how to drive but for a woman it’s still special,” says 27-year-old Shradha Robert.

The bond is strengthened by all the tender love and care that cars demand. “I got my first servicing done the other day and though it’s a pain to maintain your car, one has to realise that car care comes with the package. It’s almost like keeping a pet,” smiles Shradha.

Pop picks

“Not very long ago, the Maruti 800 used to be the first car that one would think of buying but, over a period of time, with the softening of loan parameters and double-income families, things have changed,” feels Gagandeep Singh, regional manager (east), General Motors. In the recent past, several cars have picked up speed for first-timers, like Santro, Wagon R, Alto and Spark. “Industry figures indicate that monthly figures for a Santro or a Wagon R is 11,000,” says Gagandeep. “The Alto and the Maruti 800 alone contribute more than 45 per cent of our total sales in the east. Next is the Maruti Omni,” says Praveen of Maruti.

In years to come Tata’s Nano, with its Rs 1 lakh price tag, may emerge as the first choice for many car buyers. “It is expected that some of the first-car buyers will go for the Nano, including two-wheeler users. It’s price and fuel efficiency of 20 km to a litre makes it that much more affordable for the owner,” says Debasis.

Money matters

Are you worrying about how much you will have to shell out for your EMIs, fuel and maintenance? You probably won’t feel much pain. “The amount I pay for a taxi is what I end up paying for the maintenance and EMI of my car,” reveals Priyanka. “It’s been more than two years now and even though I pay an EMI, it doesn’t pinch.”

And just imagine being able to shut out the noise, dust and fumes of the city streets, switching on you’re air-conditioner and cooling off to the sound of your favourite music as you drive to your destination. Priceless.


Karo Christine Kumar, t2