Sedan under 10L - narrowed down to 2 choices

[SkyWalker]

Originally Posted by AnujJain

@Skywalker,
Your dilemma has been a boon for myself and I guess many others, really charged up, informative thoughts on this thread by everyone. Keep it going.

You are welcome dude - am glad to be of any help . A guess a lot of people are looking at 10L sedans. This has been a good experience for me too - i have considered two sedans which i wouldn't have seriously considered before - Optra & Cedia.

Originally Posted by AnujJain

Eagerly waiting for your TD experience

that should be in another 2 hours. The Lathangi salesperson was very eager to do it on Friday itself - but i wanted to check highway performance too and decided to wait until Sunday morning to get a free Outer Ring Road.

[SkyWalker]

Originally Posted by devarshi84

The new lancer ex is wayyyy better car than the cedia but will be priced in competition to the civic

Yep - thats what i know too. But the real question is - would Cedia move a little down to fight with City after that? It may not - Select is fantastic value for money.

Originally Posted by devarshi84

I would still suggest you wait for the linea. If managers at Fiat are intelligent, expect the new linea to be fully equipped at a delicious price. I have liked everything about the car until now.

i must say - i liked the looks but wasn't impressed to read about the performance. Its a FIAT - so road manners and ride should be guaranteed though.

Originally Posted by GTO

Come to think of it : I have been waiting for 12 months already, for my next sedan. Dont ask....just wait and watch.

hmm... what can it be ? Bemeer's are already here. Accord?

Originally Posted by GTO

Not yet, though Honda wouldn't really break their winning formula. You can expect it to be an evolved version of NHC.

GTO, coming to think about it - yes - they wont break their winning formula. Should get an efficient engine, good cabin & interiors, lotsa boot and space. And i hope for safety features, a peppier engine. I guess thats not asking too much.

[sudarshansarma]

Dude,
Test drive the Optra 2.0 DIESEL Magnum and you will DIE. It is amazingly addicitive and i saved 6 months to buy though i had to slog it out in autos(and screwed my back as a result)..but 1 minorly compressed vertebrae is worth the magnum diesel..trust me!

[SkyWalker]

Ok, so here goes the TD of Cedia

We (me-n-my wife) did 20+ Kms test drive on our predetermined route - congested Koramangala roads, reasonably free outer-ring road, and then back to congested airport road via old madras road. Also tried being chauffeured around by the salesman to test backseats for a few Kms.

Surprise #1: I thought my wife wont like this after the city. After the TD she remarked its a great car, she appreciated the eagerness of the engine in 4/5 gears,way it handled the corners, sturdiness and space. Says she will choose it any day over the City! DUH moment for me!


Here's my take:

• Sweet engine, pulls brilliantly in any gear
• don't run out of breath in 4/5 gear unlike City
• Good ride, next to Innova in the cars i tried so far
• Handles like a dream
• Good space - leg & shoulder in front & back.
• I liked the front center armrest, though small - nice touch.
• ? cabin old fashioned but classy. I liked it. your mileage may vary - especially if you like techie/modern cabins like Civic.
• no noises,no creaks on a 30Kms+ car sounded good
• steering had a good feel and was precise at 100+

Major crib:

• rear seats not comfy - i miss the thigh support - bad job Mitsu.

Minor Cribs: (just for the heck of it):

• no climate control even on top end?
• my wife complained the handbrake needed brute force to operate - i didn't feel it though.
• ? gear shift was good but not as silky smooth as City - but it was a 30K+ car, so not sure on this

In Skywalker terms: "the force is strong with this car" . Will choose this anyday over City.

caveat: If you are driving around with an extended family rethink the backseat comfort.

One last point: the salesman from Lathangi was exceptionally good.Good follow ups, turned up precisely when he said he would, explained things well. Sales part was smooth, miles ahead.

A Big thanks to the TBHP team for encouraging me to TD this car.

next Steps: have to decide after Optra Magnum TD.

[SkyWalker]

Originally Posted by sudarshansarma

Dude,
Test drive the Optra 2.0 DIESEL Magnum and you will DIE.

thats on menu - next Sunday

[SkyWalker]

Originally Posted by SkyWalker

• no noises,no creaks on a 30Kms+ car sounded good

sorry - i meant a 30K Kms+ car. It was Red Cedia Sports model, and not so nicely maintained.

[Flying Bong]

Originally Posted by SkyWalker

In Skywalker terms: "the force is strong with this car" .

Then you must believe in the force O jedi

[SkyWalker]

oh - and i missed another thing. The model TD'ed had a Kenwood ICE and the quality just sucked. The sales guy told me newer models come with Balupunkt and sounds much better. Something for me to verify if i zero down on this car.

[Flying Bong]

Originally Posted by SkyWalker

oh - and i missed another thing. The model TD'ed had a Kenwood ICE and the quality just sucked. The sales guy told me newer models come with Balupunkt and sounds much better. Something for me to verify if i zero down on this car.

@SkyWalker:

The Cedia comes with a Blaupunkt Bahamas HU which sounds pretty decent.

Stock speakers in the Cedia are 2 pairs of rather cheap-looking dual-cone 6.5" speakers (dont know who the supplier is for these) and are average sounding at best.

Am guessing that the vehicle you TD'ed would have had the SAME speakers, or something very similar in terms of type of speaker & materials/build quality - they are probably responsible for the bad SQ you experienced and not the Kenwood HU per se.

[Rodeo]

Originally Posted by SkyWalker

thats on menu - next Sunday

A small test drive in Magnum is not going to help so make sure you have enough time and distance to cover... Magnum requires sometime to get use to after that only you can enjoy the car.

[drpullockaran]

I gather that at present you drive the Palio and with that in mind I can only suggest two cars below 10 lakhs and they are the Optra Magnum and the Mitsu Cedia. You will not have peace of mind in any lesser car as far as ride and handling is concerned. The Honda city and the dezire are an absolute no no if you have been used to the Palio.

I am planning to upgrade from my GTX and only the Magnum and the Cedia fit the bill but the price is a detterent for me though at the present moment.

Bye and wear your seat belts.

[diabloo]

Basically, the choice is between Petrol & Diesel.

Originally Posted by SkyWalker

Honda City Gxi 8.38L on road, after discounts and freebies
Swift Dezire Vdi 6.60L on road, no freebies/discounts

. Never heard this.

? heard storied about breaks locking, i tried breaks and found it to be ok. can someone elaborate?

0~120Kmph with full luggage, 5 people, AC full speed is well within NHC territory. If you want to hit 160s all the time on any road, NHC is not for you.

? i heard performance is an issue with all 5 passengers/full luggage/ac

Last month NHC sold in excess of 6Ks. With that numbers why won't Honda support it?

If City is replaced this Nov, how badly will it affect spares/service/resale?

If the speedbreakers scraps the NHC, then it will scrape many other cars too.

How bad is the GC problem, and assuming it hits speedbreakers every once in a while, would it affect the car badly?

Whatever the GC, you have to slow down to take the speedbreaker.

Amazing ground clearance of 190 mm means i don't have to slow down for innumerous speedbreakers.

[SkyWalker]

Originally Posted by diabloo

. Never heard this.

There's always a first time

Originally Posted by diabloo

0~120Kmph with full luggage, 5 people, AC full speed is well within NHC territory.

thats good enuff for me!

Originally Posted by diabloo

Last month NHC sold in excess of 6Ks. With that numbers why won't Honda support it?

I never said Hond awont support it - i was thinking aloud if the spares will get costlier. But that question has already been answered - as people say even OHC owners are happy

Originally Posted by diabloo

If the speedbreakers scraps the NHC, then it will scrape many other cars too.Whatever the GC, you have to slow down to take the speedbreaker.

Hmm... Lets call a spade a spade. City is a fine car - and for all you know I might buy it too. But GC is a problem - because with 4 adults on board - it hits the speed breakers even at low speeds. And for the record i can comfortably go over some of these nasty speed breakers in SX4 without slowing down to a crawl.

That doesn't mean i will buy SX4 over City. Both are fine cars - but i would still choose the City. Different strokes for different folks

[SkyWalker]

Originally Posted by diabloo

Basically, the choice is between Petrol & Diesel.

not really. If there's any other petrol car as smooth as NHC in the city i will consider that too. In fact i am considering Cedia.

Originally Posted by diabloo

. Never heard this.

there was some reference in autocar about one guy who had a major problem with his NHC Vtec's breaks locking up. I have read at least ownership reports here which complained of poor break performance. I must say i tried breaks at reasonable speeds but never seen the problem myself.

[SkyWalker]

good to have you here doctor. I remember reading your long threads in PUG - though i am no longer subscribed to that group for above 3 years.

Originally Posted by drpullockaran

The Honda city and the dezire are an absolute no no if you have been used to the Palio.

well - I do feel City is a good car. Only its strong points are different - nimbleness, space and refinement. Perfect for a crowded city like Bangalore!

Originally Posted by drpullockaran

I am planning to upgrade from my GTX and only the Magnum and the Cedia fit the bill but the price is a detterent for me though at the present moment.

Bye and wear your seat belts.

good luck.