Help me choose between Linea T-jet & Vento Diesel Highline

[manishvaid]

Hi All,
Pls help me to choose the right car as I’m very confused.

After trying all the cars in 8-10Lac segment; I narrowed down my choice to VW Vento Diesel Highline but then one day on wife’s persuasion I went & tried new T-jet model of Fiat Linea petrol, which I have to admit feels like an awesome car with rectified AC, bigger wheel etc. Now I’m confused as which car to buy? In terms of feature & luxury Fiat is better but in terms of brand reliability I feel VW is better

Need your help to decide the right car for me. I’m listing down my opinions/thoughts & requirement as non professional car owner:

Vento Pros –

• VW name
• Steady car
• Great performance of Diesel car (at least on papers)
• More than sufficient cabin space

Vento Cons –

• Poor quality upholstery
• Small front
• Absence of many small features like Steering control, USB port etc

Linea T-jet Pros –

• Latest technology (at least that’s what the Salesman told me)
• Heavy car
• Better ground clearance
• Steering control
• USB port
• Much better upholstery

Linea T-jet Cons –

• Fiat brand
• Petrol car at the price of Vento diesel
• Less storage space in cabin (can’t even put 1ltr bottle or any large coffee cup anywhere standing, also glove box can’t even a swallow CD holder)

About me –

• I live in Mumbai
• My daily driving is not more than 35km a day with weekend driving tops to 100km max. We do take at least 2 long driving trips a year where total driving would be for around 1500km/trip.
• I would like to sell this car in 4yrs.
• I drive a Santro right now.
• My wife is insisting on buying Linea L

Thanks
Manish

[Autocop]

This is a tough choice man, but given your requirements and monthly running Tjet is a complete package for you.

If you go for Vento you would always feel left out on quite a few luxurious features (Blue&Me, Steering Mounted Controls, All 5 16" alloy wheels, Leather Upholstry).

For your requirements I would recommend Tjet for being a more complete package than Vento.

[madhukar_n]

I was in the same confusion for 3 weeks !! Difference being T-Jet and Vento Petrol Highline. I completely agree on your pros and cons of the cars. The other cons i mention on the Vento is the back seat space(3 people fit is an issue).
Looking at your requirement, petrol should be sufficient. Even mine is around the same kms/day commute. If you are looking for good resale value after 3-4 years, then maybe you should consider a diesel more seriously.
I finally booked the T-Jet plus.

[v&v]

@manishvaid - I suggest go for Vento as you yourself has answered the pros. VW brand is still premium in India. Also will be economical.

As for T-jet , i have my apprehension of after sales service issue with it.

[RemingtonSteele]

Linea T-jet & Vento TDI Highline, both are at par with some pros/cons here n' there; I would suggest just go by looks and make the decision.
If looking for Petrol car then ANHC is a much better choice. Look out for the current ANHC deals with free insurance and discounts that works out lucrative + much better looks than Linea and Vento (no flaming please; its my personal opinion).

[oxyzen]

Both the cars have awsome power and torque. But I think Vento has the edge here. It has excellent low end torque and mind-blowing midrange. Although I have driven only diesel linea, I dont think T-Jet will be that that brilliant.

Handling wise Linea is simply superb. The 16" wheels with the stiffened suspensions should work wonders. Vento though pretty good is not upto the mark. There is some amount of body roll under hard cornering. Steering is too light. Whereas Linea's steering needs no mention here. The ride is also better in Linea.

If you are driving a lot in city and if you think gear shifting is a delight then it is definately Vento. Vento;s gearbox is much much better than the linea's.

All everyone has mentioned, you get a lot of features in Linea. Whats disappointing in Vento is even the ICE lacks AUX/USB/BT.

If you think VW service will be better than Fiat then you are absolutely wrong. For the time being I believe... sorry I know... Skoda sales team is even better than VW. VW do have reliability problems like Fiat. Jammed brakes is reported here. One of my friend's POLO's gear stick got stuck at 2nd. So nothing much to choose btwn the 2.

Vento will provide you more space. Linea inspite of being a bigger car has an astonishingly small cabin inside.

Linea is the the longest car with a huge turning radius. Not so easy to turn or park in small congested lanes.

Rear seat of Linea is very comfortable. Driver's seat is pretty akward. VW seats could do with some support. Rear seat is not perfectly reclined.

Both have boring interiors but at least VW used good quality materials.

Looks wise there is no match to Linea. It is the most beautiful princess od India. Vento is just a polo with a boot.

SO the ANSWER is T-JET.

Well I am not finished. 1 thing I missed. Diesels will have much less running cost. T-Jet will cost you 5 Rs/Km. Vento 3 Rs/Km. So you save 2 Rs/Km. Even with your kinda of running 15K km you will save 30K/year. Isnt that incredible. For 4 yrs it will be 1.2L. Also resale of VW will be better as it is a diesel. It will sell for 1L more. So you have to decide if 2L extra is worth going for T-Jet. Also you wont have to wait 6 months here.

[vasanthn21]

If you think VW name is better than FIAT, it might not be true in India.

In our case, it is not a proven brand unless proven in India (Look at Skoda).

Though FIAT does not have as good a name as Maruti in India, they have been around, VW is not yet proven in India. There is more unpredictability in the future of VW in India than in the future of FIAT!

[GTO]

Here's how either fair on various parameters:

Performance : Equal in acceleration. The Vento diesel's mid-range will blow the T-Jet away

Efficiency + Cost of running : Vento. That's the beauty of modern diesels. You can have your cake (performance) and eat it too (diesel economy)

Fit & Finish : Vento. By a mile

Interior space : Vento. Much better packaged. Ergonomically superior too

Handling : T-Jet, though the Vento is no boat. The difference in outright grip levels is marginal, though the difference in feel (thanks to the Linea's steering) is huge.

Ride quality : You won't complain with either. Linea has advantage in terms of high speed composure & "staying flat"

Steering : T-Jet. The Vento's EPS unit isn't fun. No competition

Some other points. The Vento (with its negligible turbo-lag & light controls) is easier to drive in the city than the T-Jet (weird driving position, heavier steering, rubbery gearshift). The T-Jet is way more satisfying to drive on a fast ghat section and will have you smiling wide. T-Jet also has more features, but the Vento offers an absolutely all-rounded package.

Good luck choosing!

[surd_biker]

@GTO: How would you compare the engine refinement of both these cars? I've heard the TDi is a bit noisy.

[u_chill]

These cars are a bit too varied for comparison sake. Why not first make up your mind about petrol vs diesel? A VW will likely hold better value over a 4-5 year usage period, while TJet makes sense only if there is an enthusiast in you.

[surd_biker]

Originally Posted by u_chill

These cars are a bit too varied for comparison sake. Why not first make up your mind about petrol vs diesel?

@u_chill: Probably the author is not really concerned about petrol/diesel. I would perceive that his mindset is that if I have 10.5 lacs to spend what is the best I can buy? And that is exactly what is also going on in my mind at present. I am not very choosy about petrol/diesel for my next car. It can be any type. What matter is that it should be able to satisfy the buyer.

@manish : If I can guess from GTO's reply, it seems that he would recommend the Vento TDi to you?
You nearly have the same requirements as I do except that I would not be selling the car for quite some time (>7-8 yrs). I drive a santro right now. I plan to purchase in the next 6-8 months - not right now so I have a little time to decide. My two choices would also be the same as you have mentioned. I am getting inclined towards the vento tdi coz of the better fit and finish and brand value. However it remains to be seen how good is their service. One con is that I've heard that spare parts are costly. The linea would be cheaper in that aspect. There is negligible weight diff between the two Linea 1230kgs and vento 1220 kgs. Interms of resale value, Linea may not enjoy the same resale value as the vento. So the vento would be better if you plan to sell it off after 4 years.

[manishvaid]

Thanks everyone for replies.

While I’m still not decided, what car to go for, I went ahead & booked the Vento so that I won’t loose out on the waiting period. My personal inclination is towards Linea because of drive, features & family’s preference but Vento is making more economic sense (especially after reading oxyzen’s & GTO’s note).

I still have 2-3 months to decide now, hopefully by then I will gain some more wisdom on carsJ. But as of now I have one more question – Vento is 1598cc whereas Linea is 1368cc, How much importance should I give to this considering both cars are costing the same?

Thanks!!!

[HammerHead]

Manish,
I think you should go for a diesel car as your annual running is crossing 20K kms.

[Ricky_63]

Vento diesel is a hoot to drive. Returns good mileage relative to the T-Jet. Resale is bound to be much better. Visually the Linea looks larger & more appealing. Cost of running is much lower in Diesels.

Actually both have their pros & cons. All in all they are both good cars. T-Jet may though be more a "niche" car.



Cheers

[ghodlur]

@Manish,

Whats the OTR price difference between the two opted models. Apart from the performance part would you not be interested in after sales, maintenance cost etc?

As said by GTO, Vento is a great car to drive and add diesel as fuel means svaing on the fuel cost but maybe increased maintenance costs. T-jet on other hand - may not be that fun to drive but still has been a refresher from Fiat with all bells and whistles. Moreover petrol - high fuel/low maintenance costs. You need to make a choice which suits you.

BTW why haven't you considered Fiesta 1.6 S, I am sure you will suprisingly find it more enthusiastic to drive or are you one of those Ford apprehensive lot.