indian car buyer's psyche

[manticore]

one thing that ceaselessly wonders me is that why do people plonk their money for a sonata (yuck), camry or a honda instead of a mondeo or a vectra? ok....the new accord is miles ahead of the older one. i've tried all of them and the sonata, camry and the old accord feel like barges. the mondeo and the vectra grip the tarmac like glue. both the europeans also have good build quality. so both the cars go like stink, handle much better than the japs/koreans......then whats wrong?? is it the percieved sense of quality or something? maybe its 'coz the sonata and accord are priced considerably lower...the percieved 'cost of ownership' of an opel is also a deterrent i guess. i think the vectra's interiors are pretty plasticky, but the mondeo's is decidedly tech. maybe ppl like to go for cars with acres of shiny plastic wood all over the insides.....maybe that gives 'em a feeling of richness or whatever.....dammnn!! any clue guys??

[v12]

i guess its bcos the Vectra and Mondeo are expensive. Ditto for the Camry. SOnata and Accord are comparitively cheaper. The Vectra is also small compared to other D seg cars.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ] i've tried all of them and the sonata, camry and the old accord feel like barges.

Rightly said Manticore, and the reason behind this is that all the three "barge" cars were specifically built for the American market...americans who love them big, lofty and soft.

Cars in the D segment are bought primarily on looks (just look at how the Sonata sales initially set the charts on fire)...and the Vectra + old Accord lose out badly on this count. Even if you discount the looks of the Vectra, Opel has ruined its name in the Indian market with horrible support and unheard of costs-of-ownership. Thats precisely the reason why the Optra was launched as the Chevy Optra and not an Opel Optra.
The Opel Vectra was not properly marketed either, how many adverts or mailers did you see of the Opel Vectra, think about it! Maybe if it was launched as a Chevy Vectra...it would have done better.

Me and Revvmaster are self-acknowledged fans of the Ford Mondeo's brilliant handling prowess as also its awesome power delivery, but this car has had disastrous results in the Indian market. One reason was its bland looks, and many non-car guys actually do mistake it for a Ford Ikon!!! Just like Opel, Ford customers have also had some very terrible dealer experiences. I mean, what was Ford thinking when they let a clothes boutique open a car showroom in one corner - WITH LEVIS T-SHIRTS within an arms length of Ikons on display!!! Since the car is not localised at all, parts are also really high (e.g. Rs. 70,000 for the stock cd changer alone, Rs. 50,000 for each headlight) . According to some research done in 2002 (read it in a business magazine), most potential customers did not want to pay 15 lakhs plus for the "plain jane" Ford brandname.

But in the end, how can you argue with a 2004 Honda Accord for just under 15 lacs...fully loaded with leathers and alloy wheels. This car, as of today, has got a three month waiting period. It is the most powerful in its class, the biggest and most comfortable (E Class dimensions), the chrome'd looks appeal to Indian tastes, is relatively fuel-efficient and is a Honda - Reliability and excellent resale value. Honda has under-priced its rivals, while at the same time offering a far more superior product.

All of us over at Formula India had cried over the fact that Honda decided to bring in the U.S. spec Accord instead of the European spec Accord, which they were strongly contemplating.

Well...Honda does do things right now, doesnt it?

GTO

[manticore]

well dude, add me to the list of mondeo fans. actually, (if i remember right) bbc top gear had rated it highly, and i guess it was the european car of the year when it was launched (over even the merc c). for the dough, i'd definitely go for a mondeo or a vectra.

[GTO]

True, the Mondeo had received rave reviews from the European press, and is quite a hot seller out there. Why, even Autocar and Overdrive had gone ga-ga over it.

GTO

[Aditya]

I would personally take a Mondeo or Vectra over a car like the old Honda Accord simply because I like them more - european dynamics and style. But, if you consider the price and specifications, it's going to be difficult to convince people not to go for an Accord and to add to that, the Honda name is big in India. The Hyundai Sonata, as much as I hate it, is sheer value for money and the Toyota Camry is extremely spacious and comfortable. The reliability of the Honda and Toyota is superior to the Mondeo and Vectra. Most people who own these relatively expensive cars are not driving themselves, so handling and braking is considered a non-issue. Anyway, you hardly get to see these cars on our Sumo / Qualis dominated highways, and driving fast in the city is out of question.

[rgowani]

I Love the Mondeo. Mine was the First Petrol Car in Mumbai & used it ROUGH for abt 2 years now. Great Car to drive and VERRYYY Comfortable Seats. I drove the Vectra. I dont think its worth its Price. I mean the Interiors are so Tight. Hardly any leg & head room at all. So I guess Im a Mondeo Fan.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ] Most people who own these relatively expensive cars are not driving themselves, so handling and braking is considered a non-issue.

Excellent point there

GTO

[Dippy]

Another Mondeo fan myself.. and a good pre owned example of two years vintage can be had for bout 8 lakh rupees . The Mondeo is a sheer drivers car and I love it . But I've heard the Mondeo has reliability problems. Thats the dept where the Accord scores. I know lots of people can vouch for that. The Vectra is a very techy car but too expensive to maintain. Camry is very luxurious but overpriced into C class territory..
Sonta no comments.. So all in all gest me down to the Acoord as the best buy in these cars, though I'd love to own a Moneo . I just love the revvs on that car.

Cheers

[RJK]

I'm also a mondeo fan but would i buy it? i dont think so....bcoz when ur paying arnd 16-18lakhs u expect good levels of service & the car should be troublefree..though mondeo is an excellent excellent drivers car it really suffers from realiability issues..the CD player conks off & costs *75g to replace !! electric seats begin to malfunction!! plus the non availibility of spares...u dont want your pride & joy to be sitting at the service station for months bocz of no spares... & GTO about mistakng the mondeo as ikon is ok especially when u knw ppl mistake SL 55 FOR A SONATA !!!! * *

Abt the vectra..sure it has good road holding manners & handling & as u said sticks to the road like glue but look at it...interiors are so damn plasticky!! all grey..no excitement at all..& its pretty tight at the rear..someone who buys such expensive cars would b more often than not chauffeur driven & it loses out there..

& lastly but importantly japs are more fuel effecient & that matters....even to the D segment owners..believe it or not...Honda has understood the market well & they r making profits over it..if u remember sonata & old accord were launched simultaneously....hyudai guys said they'd outsell the accord 3:1 & they did!!!! but look at it now...accord sells way more!! The newly launched accord V6 has already been booked for next 7months !!! not to mention the 2.4 vtec which has 3months waiting...& where r sonata's sales now...down the gutter!!!

Camry in my opinion is overpriced...sure its big & spacious but not worth 21lakhs.....

M3

[ported_head]

I'm such a huge German fan, i could pass off being a Nazi. The Vectra totally does it for me. The Ecotec engine is fairly powerful enough, the car doesn't feel sluggish getting off the line. The bold new design change the Vectra has incorporated makes it a stunner. The interiors well, it is a bit cramped, but then im not going to crib. The interiors ooze nothing but build quality. Road handling manners are upto the mark too and brakes inspire confidence in me totally.

in the others, the Sonata is not even under considertaion. not even the 2.7 litre V6. the car just pitches and rolls in corners and i have no clue what the front wheels are doing. I have no reason for not choosing the Camry. i just dont see myself driving one, even though it might be the quickest in its segment. The Honda Accord would be my second choice. the driving dynamics certainly better, the interiors are great too, if a bit futuristic. The 2.4 litre VTEC lump is great. It would have been my first choice had the 3.0 VTEC come with a manual. I absolutley love the Mondeo's raspy engine note, and great gearshift too, but i wouldn't take it for the brakes. and the seating position is no good for me.

as far as the cost of maintenance for these cars go...if i had the money to buy one, i would be aware how much it would cost to own one. so no problem there for me. the sales statistics could be totally different because most D-Segment cars are chauffer driven.

[GrimReaper]

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ] I'm also a mondeo fan but would i buy it? i dont think so....bcoz when ur paying arnd 16-18lakhs u expect good levels of service & the car should be troublefree..though mondeo is an excellent excellent drivers car it really suffers from realiability issues

Ok i just want to point out to you that also when you buy a Ferrari for the astronomically high price - the Ferrari isnt reliable!! Car Magazine had taken it for 5 minutes to Manhattan and the engine broke down( the Enzo ). But this isn't only for Ferrari its for Lamborghini, Mercedes even BMW's which people consider build the most amazing engines ever. And also i don't think the CD-Player etc. would cost that much to repair and also the spares would be available pretty easily since Ford has a proper Service Centres set up in India.

[ported_head]

Actually Ferrari's are pretty reliable. The same Car UK, had i think in 1992, taken a Ferrari Testarossa to the Sahara desert. and not one problem. it even took the relatively crude fuel pretty well. not even a misfire. one of my favourite issues yet.

[manticore]

hmmmm.....if i were to buy it, it wud have to be the mondeo (1st) or the vectra (2nd). as long as i own it, the bit smallish and plasticky interiors of the german wouldnt pose a problem at all. the new accord, though it looks sharp, doesnt have equally sharp handling. and moreover, japs dont induce the kind of driver confidence like the europeans, and the feel of a european car is ...... well....... european. need i say more? but then again, for the majority, the head rules over the heart. and i guess thats all what matters.

[v12]

mondeo for me too. guess what. The red Rio Mondeo is right opp my bldg right now .