[vroom77]

Test drove the new Fluence .. the worries on the suspension is resolved, the new one with a working suspension offers excellent ride. Not being a fan of LED running lights I like the look of older Fluence better. I am at a stage in career where things needs to be more elegant at the same time a yong look which Fluence serves well.

Between new and old, except for cosmetic changes and an upgraded audio system - which didn't sound too much different from the old ones quality, overall the old one seems to be a better package with a good amount of discount. Let me go back and give it a good thought before giving the booking amount.

Last few questions for all of you.

1. Skoda - how do you compare it with Fluence ? Ride / Saftey / Interior quality / Overall travel comfort ?
2. Mileage on diesel, I see that Fluence scores very high in this dept.
3. NVH levels are very low and only a low noise turbo whine is all that I can hear in Fluence much lesser than cruze.
4. Ground clearance of 170mm is okay but we scrapped a bit of the under body with 4 people sitting on one speed beaker. How does the competition look here ? Skoda & Jetta ?

I am yet to test drive the new Octavia. Jetta is dropped because of cost and the overall look of the car is more for a senior executive 40+ mark which I am yet to hit.

Thanks for everyone's feedback. Its been very helpful.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by vroom77

Test drove the new Fluence .. the worries on the suspension is resolved, the new one with a working suspension offers excellent ride. Not being a fan of LED running lights I like the look of older Fluence better. I am at a stage in career where things needs to be more elegant at the same time a yong look which Fluence serves well.

Between new and old, except for cosmetic changes and an upgraded audio system - which didn't sound too much different from the old ones quality, overall the old one seems to be a better package with a good amount of discount. Let me go back and give it a good thought before giving the booking amount.

Last few questions for all of you.

1. Skoda - how do you compare it with Fluence ? Ride / Saftey / Interior quality / Overall travel comfort ?
2. Mileage on diesel, I see that Fluence scores very high in this dept.
3. NVH levels are very low and only a low noise turbo whine is all that I can hear in Fluence much lesser than cruze.
4. Ground clearance of 170mm is okay but we scrapped a bit of the under body with 4 people sitting on one speed beaker. How does the competition look here ? Skoda & Jetta ?

I am yet to test drive the new Octavia. Jetta is dropped because of cost and the overall look of the car is more for a senior executive 40+ mark which I am yet to hit.

Thanks for everyone's feedback. Its been very helpful.

Glad to hear you liked it. Yes at this stage with the minimal revisions to the car, it makes more sense to buy a pre facelifted version at a big discount

To answer you questions:
1. Unless you are buying the top-end, it will be just the same in terms of safety. The Fluence is the best in its segment in terms of ride quality so while Skodas are good, they are simply no match. Same goes for travel comfort; the seats in the Fluence are a little more comfy and I have found that in Skoda cars, unless you buy a variant with electrically adjustable seats, they push the lower back support to its maximum in stock form and this gets really annoying. The Fluence's interior quality I would say is on par with a Skoda and materials feel just a tad nicer (or maybe that's just me getting board of VAG interiors)

Not sure what the questions are in 2 and 3

4. With such cars you do need to be careful mate. Apply the brakes at the apex of the speed-hump all the way till the wheels have touched the ground and do the same for the rear wheels too. 170mm is quite generous and as long as you employ the right driving style, it won't scrape speedbreakers as much. My Kizashi offers about 155mm and with a full load in the boot plus 4 passengers, I manage not to scrape the road. Skodas/Volkswagens, while better than my Kizashi, will still need as much care as in the Fluence. It's an art im sure you will master in no time

[vroom77]

Booked the Fluence today Delivery in 10 days so should have it by 15th or so. The overall experience with the dealership was very good - the salesperson was impressive and patient to explain the numerous questions I had.

Even there are options to upgrade the front grills and headlamps to that of facelift version as per him.

4 years warranty, excellent bluetooth integration for phone & music, rider comfort, simplistic design, safety, easy maintenance, space, accessories and its a Fluence finally. White E4 Diesel.

Thanks everyone for helping to decide ... it was pretty easy with you guys around.

[IshaanIan]

Congratulations The Fluence is a pretty reliable steed so I have no doubt you shall have several trouble free miles in it.

Looking forward to a detailed ownership report sometime the forum actually lacks a detailed report on the E4 Renault Fluence.

Cheers! Keep us posted

[drmohitg]

Congratulations. Do post a detailed review as there is hardly any for the Fluence. It will be informative for most of us.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by vroom77

Booked the Fluence today

Congratulations! The package looks even better with the recent facelift. Do post a detailed ownership once you get around the car a bit.

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by vroom77

Booked the Fluence today

Even there are options to upgrade the front grills and headlamps to that of facelift version as per him.

Congrats! It looks like you have gone for the pre-facelifted one. It will be a good idea to check the VIN to see how old the car is. And do a thorough PDI before making the machine yours. Have fun!

[iliketurtles]

Congrats vroom77, may the miles ahead of you be filled with smiles aplenty. Like deetjohn said, please check out the VIN and do a thorough PDI as well.

[vroom77]

Thanks all, I will surely start an ownership thread. VIN, any idea where to find it in a Fluence and how to expand it ?

[Sanjubose]

Originally Posted by vroom77

Thanks all, I will surely start an ownership thread. VIN, any idea where to find it in a Fluence and how to expand it ?

Vroom, the most reliable source of info on VIN would be our WILDON's thread. Else you can look around on net too. for e.g. http://www.vindecoder.net/car-brand-...cturer/renault

[jumanji]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I would say go in for the Fluence ...
========
Do keep us posted
Cheers and good luck!

Just wanted to update the forum that i eventually booked a Honda City V MT (Petrol). Please refer to my earlier posts in the same thread on my TD experiences.

Recently did a TD of XUV500 as well. Steering position was too high and Clutch + Dead pedal combo was giving the same issue as that of Linea - each time i had to shift from clutch to dead pedal it was an inconvenient affair. I am just 5'6"" and slim built, can't imagine bigger folks in the same scenario

Top reasons for picking City:
- Excellent rear bench, good thigh support and acres of leg room with inclined surface for feet
- Decent ride quality (not as good as Fluence though)
- No irritating elements for the driver (unlike footwell issue in XUV or Linea etc). Smooth gear shifts etc. were positive.
- Good A.S.S confidence
- Decent dashboard (though a bit of soft plastics would have made it better)

[SumitBahl]

Hi all

I have booked the Honda City 2014 iDtec VX and the car is scheduled to be delivered next week.

Meanwhile the new Corolla Altis was showcased yesterday. I took a look and here is what I liked in comparison to city:
1. Better build quality/plastics.
2. More roomier.
3. A segment above, One size bigger.
4. Better looking car.
5. Engine is far more refined.
6. Better suspension setup?

Points in favor of city:
1. More power, better BHP/Tonne and is better to drive in city with lesser turbo lag.
2. Far more equipment (sunroof, leather seats, push button start, reverse camera) than base model of corolla (which is the variant that would fall into my stretched budget).
3. Savings of between 3-4L
4. 2.xx secs quicker than corolla
5. I can have the car next week.

[kgkaran]

Folks, have been thinking on this for almost couple of months now... gone over several cars... but now... I need HELP!!

Currently own: Skoda Laura - Ambiente 2.0 Diesel MT
Monthly running: 1500 km
Looking for: Similar segment diesel car, but non-negotiable requirement is an Auto transmission
Test driven: Elantra, Jetta, Octavia
Budget 17-18 lakh (OTR) - no chance of extending this.
Am used to a 17 kmpl mileage from my Laura and realize that auto's will give a lower one, but the question now is... "which is the D-segment sedan that will give the best possible mileage with an auto transmission, excellent ride and handling, back seat comfort and within 17-18 lakh?"

I realize this question itself is a cliche, but still daring to ask

[ampere]

Originally Posted by kgkaran

Budget 17-18 lakh (OTR) - no chance of extending this.

On that budget I doubt if you would get the German DSGs. Elantra would have a lower pricing but we are talking of a 1.6L engine. You need to first set-up that part before looking further.

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by SumitBahl

Hi all

I have booked the Honda City 2014 iDtec VX and the car is scheduled to be delivered next week. Meanwhile, the new Corolla Altis was showcased yesterday.

The base Altis definitely loses out on a lot of equipment vis-a-vis the City top-end. Here's a leaked list of equipment for each variant of the Altis.

You say the Altis is roomier than the City, but really is it that much roomier? I'm not sure it is, and the new City offers plenty of space as it is. I'd go with the City unless you stretch your budget and go for mid-range Altis. I don't see why you should do that though. Stick with the City, that's my advice.

Originally Posted by kgkaran

Folks, I need HELP!!

Test driven: Elantra, Jetta, Octavia
Budget 17-18 lakh (OTR) - no chance of extending this.

Which is the D-segment sedan that will give the best possible mileage with an auto transmission, excellent ride and handling, back seat comfort and within 17-18 lakh?

If you're looking for excellent ride and handling, you should knock the Elantra off your list. It's a good handler/car, but no match for the Octavia/Jetta.

For all purposes, your options are the Octavia 2.0 Ambition DSG and the Elantra 1.6 SX AT. I'm not sure about OTR prices in Noida, but I think you'll have to stretch your budget by a lakh to get either of them.

The Elantra has much more equipment but is down on power. If you can live with that and the slightly less gifted dynamics, it's a good option. If you absolutely must have the best dynamics possible at the price, but don't mind losing some equipment, the Octavia is the car for you.