[alashkari]

Hello Everyone!

This is my first post on Team-BHP. First of all I would like to thank the community for the knowledge i have gained from the last one year since I have gone through various posts.

Last year in October we bought a Tata Harrier Automatic which is my daily driver & a Tata Punch automatic for my wife. We also have a pre-owned Mercedes S class (V221) which we got 2 years back & is mostly used on Sunday drives by me or when my father goes to his meetings outside the city. Extremely happy with the car but have spent close to 6-7 Lakhs for its upkeep. We also have a 14 year old Honda civic which is mostly used once a fortnight by my father just for the upkeep of the engine & the car. Both the S class & Civic are driven by the driver.

Since the last 2 months there is a itch to get a new car as the Mercedes is also 14 years old. Mostly if in the future there are major issues in the car will keep it for its vintage value . The new car will be mostly used 1-2 days a week (for city meetings) & for Sunday drives, so require it to be well spaced in the back seat as we are now used to comfort of our S class. The car will be driven by me + our driver & we both like normal sedate drivers. We like the car to be filled with lot of gizmos as we have the mentality that paying such a hefty amount we want all the features to be available.

We have checked the below car & on further knowledge gained from the forums & other YT videos have deduced the below observations-

1) BMW 6GT- Quite a stunner & have reclining rear seats which is a big positive for both my father & myself. Also have rear set screens. Car shall be driven by the driver & myself. The only drawback is that I have read that car shall be discontinued from this year onwards. Got quote for OTR @ Rs. 84 Lakhs.

2) BMW 330 GLi- Have read positive reviews on the internet. Have the BMW driving pleasure + rear seat space. The front touchscreen looks amazing. Car luxury feel is not at par with the mercedes.

3) Mercedes E class LWB - Good looking & amazing interior but found a lot of semblance to our S class. No USP for us. Got quote of OTR price for Rs. 85 Lakhs.

4) Audi A6- Went just for checking the car for the sake of it but came out exteremely happy. Timeless design + Amazing interior + lot of gizmos. Got quote for OTR with Matrix light @ Rs. 77 Lakhs.

5) Ioniq 5 - Saw the car on the road & it was mesmerised by the design. Went to the dealership & the car was very unique unlike other cars that we have seen above. Car is full of Gizmos & the rear seat, front seat comfort is quite good. If we go ahead with this car it will be our first EV & then will be our daily driver. Harrier will be relegated to the highway drives. Got quote for On road price of Rs. 48 Lakhs. The only thing is that the car doesn't have the german cars badge value.

We are yet to take the test drive of all the cars listed above.

Request your opinion should we go with the Ioniq or the Audi/BMW.

Thank you!

[GTO]

The Ioniq 5 is a phenomenal EV and technologically ahead of most cars that you've listed. It has a big "wow" factor to it and is an all-rounder too, easily useable as a daily driver or on the highway. I think it is one of the best cars you can buy today for 50 lakhs.

If you love it, go for it. But I can tell you that, as great as the Ioniq 5 is, it won't match the sheer quality & luxury of a car like the 6-Series. End of the day, you are comparing the quality of a 50-lakh car with a 90-lakh one. If you want luxury, then the 6-Series is best for you. Whoever owns the car absolutely loves it.

Since you have experience with the S-Class & used cars, I would actually suggest you get a late model W222 facelift model. One of the best S-Class ever made IMHO. A late model W222 will offer you acceptable reliability too.

If you want to spend 50-lakhs, go for the Ioniq 5.

If you want to spend 80 - 90 lakhs, then the new 6-Series or a late model W222.

[zandot]

I love my Ioniq5, it is the ultimate daily driver and when it boils down to it, it has more features than my ‘22 5 series. Not only does it drive better, cheaper to run, as luxurious inside, turns more heads and gets more comments from people that have much nicer cars.. but when it boils down to it - a BMW is a BMW.

Are you looking for simple badge value? Then a Hyundai won’t cut it, but if you’re looking for an incredible piece of tech that actually delivers almost everything what an EV should be.

Ultimately would you be happy buying a Hyundai instead of an Audi/BMW?

I personally ended up getting a used 5 series instead of a new one just so I could have the Ioniq too. See how you feel after the test drive, EVs aren’t for everybody. Perhaps you could get a lightly used 6 series/A6 down the line as there are some fantastic deals out there to go with the Ioniq.

[vattyboy]

If you have a budget for E class or 6 series or A6 then go for one among them. They will provide you with luxury and you will earn some respect from the public on the roads, your relatives and friends.

If you are price-conscious then connect to 3- 4 Audi dealers in your state or nearby states, and you will get a good deal on it surely below 77 lakh.

[neeravnaik]

Personal opinion - To really enjoy a really great car you have to use it extensively and for long drives where you can see it really perform. Currently range issues with EVs make it of a limited with constraints. If you are spending a lot on a great car there should really be no shortcomings and do things like go on multi day trips on great roads if you wish to.

[Vijay T]

Your garage allows to have Ioniq IMO instead of German sedans.

As many have pointed out,it's badge value is less but you will have fun driving it with all those gizmos available at your disposal along with sheer pulling power.

Ultimately it should be a decision of heart over head when one has such a fantastic garage.

[Actuator]

From your garage, it is evident that you tend to keep your cars for a long time. Although EVs have captured many enthusiasts' attention, ICE cars, ostensibly in their swansong, are still the purists' choice. While the Ioniq 5 looks futuristic and striking, I don't see it justifying its price tag in the long run, especially with an unproven track record of EVs' battery degradation, replacement timeline and cost. However, if you have your heart set on switching to electric, you could probably check out the Volvo XC40 Recharge which should provide a better badge value in the same price band.

The W214 has already been launched internationally and is expected on our shores next year, so you should probably hold off buying the last-gen facelift. The A6 looks like an ideal proposition and considering the quoted price, seems value for money too.

[shyampsunder]

Originally Posted by Actuator

From your garage, it is evident that you tend to keep your cars for a long time. Although EVs have captured many enthusiasts' attention, ICE cars, ostensibly in their swansong, are still the purists' choice. While the Ioniq 5 looks futuristic and striking, I don't see it justifying its price tag in the long run, especially with an unproven track record of EVs' battery degradation, replacement timeline and cost. However, if you have your heart set on switching to electric, you could probably check out the Volvo XC40 Recharge which should provide a better badge value in the same price band.

1. It's a terrible idea to buy the Volvo XC40 Recharge now given that we have the older generation on sale in India. It's efficiency and range is very poor and you will end up wasting a lot of time on our highways. Check out this post (Volvo C40 Recharge Review) by me describing it in detail.

2. We have EVs running for decades now. With even first generation leafs with no active battery management system still out there. Tesla's using the same battery technology as the Ioniq 5 have run many lakh KMs on the original battery. Here is an example Model 3 which has run 4.5L+ KMs on its original battery. Link

Luxury EVs maybe relatively new in India but we have plenty of information about their reliability and durability from other countries. Manufacturers are putting money behind this by offering default warranties of 8+ years which are unheard of for any ICE vehicle in India.


The Ioniq 5 lacks the badge value but is superior to most of the cars on the list by OP. It's a great car for long drives as well because with a quick 40 min charge even on a basic 25 KW charger while having a meal allows you to easily cover 500+ KMs in a day which is pretty much the max you can cover in a day of driving here. It's one of the best VFM cars in India at the moment and something I will definitely recommend since OP already has the luxury badge in the garage.

[GoBabyGo]

Hi, my boss at work lives in Noida and is looking for an EV. He asked me for advice regarding the Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 AWD. I simply told him to buy either since he has the capacity to buy any of these two. He owns a Mercedes E class (7 years old), BMW M Jahre edition (last year's), Audi A4, XUV 5OO (6 years old), Kia Carens (this year), Skoda Octavia (5 years old), VW Vento (5 years old), Ford EcoSport (6 years old), Maruti Omni, Maruti Wagon R CNG (this year).

He has zeroed on the Kia EV6 AWD in Moonscape colour, however, is not sure of spending 5 lakhs extra compared to the EV6 RWD. He is yet to take a test drive of the Ioniq 5, which I am forcing him to do so asap.

He has to buy the car before 29th Sep (due to Shraad days starting); he will get 40% depreciation benefits if he buys before 30th Sep as well.

In my view, Ioniq 5 is the best choice under 50 lakhs and Kia EV6 is one of the best EVs under 1 Cr. My company's Director owns a BMW i7 and whenever I see it, I find it out of the world; it is so beautiful (it is for 2.30 cr. in Delhi).

Most probably, my boss will go for the EV6 AWD but in my personal view Ioniq 5 is perhaps the best EV one can buy.

I would like to add that Kia EV6 & Ioniq 5 are no match to BMW 6 series or Mercedes S Class.

[inwester]

Originally Posted by alashkari

1) BMW 6GT
2) BMW 330 GLi
3) Mercedes E class LWB

Are these the petrol variants of these cars, or diesel?

[alashkari]

Hello!
All are petrol cars.

[Pythonista]

Seems like a heart vs head decision. The choice is simple - if you have the budget and want ultimate luxury, brand value and performance, go for the Germans.

If you want a cheaper EV with all the gizmos you'll ever need, but don't mind the badge, for the Ioniq 5.

Whichever you choose, it'll surely put a smile on your face!

[Jamsukh]

Hi folks,

I too am in a similar predicament where I am planning my next car. Currently using a Vento TSI thoroughly enjoying it for the past 9 years. Now have an itch to add a 2nd car to the stable and my budget is within 50 lakhs.

Following are my key criteria with which am evaluating in the said budget:

1. Should have easy ingress and egress for senior citizens.
2. Sufficient boot space (comparable to the Vento which is really usable) for outstation trips.
3. Have a sporty and made to last feel.
4. Given that senior citizens would be travelling in it as well, to have a suspension which can isolate the undulations on the road.
5. Ability to sit 3 medium sized folks in the back seat.

With the above criteria in mind am evaluating the following given the budget constraints:

1. Audi Q3 - Really great drive with the Quattro but does not have the plushness and luxury feel of the A4. Rear bench is tight for 3.

2. Audi A4 - fantastic sedan with a plush ride and luxurious feel. ticks most of the boxes.

3. BMW X1 - xline petrol. Test drove it but was not elder friendly. Took a lot of effort to get my mom get into it due to her short height. Drive of the test drive vehicle was extremely bumpy in nature. So seems to be out of the list now.

4. Hyundai Ioniq 5 - Read rave reviews of it. Plan to do a test drive.

5. BYD Atto3 - Again born EV platform vehicle with great tech and sorted ride behaviour. Plan to do another longer test drive of it.

Key decisions to be made are whether continue with Petrol or shift to EV? And if in EV then which would give best of all worlds in a competitive price with reliable service support life-cycle.

The Audis are very tempting and have a rich feel but the EVs bring in next level of smoothness, comfort, performance & tech.

Would request thoughts from you folks on how should I go about making the decision.

Thank you!

[inwester]

Originally Posted by alashkari

Request your opinion should we go with the Ioniq or the Audi/BMW.
Thank you!

I think GTO and zandot summed it up perfectly.

If you don't care about badge go with IONIQ 5. It is feature rich, has one of the best ADAS in business (level 2), ventilated & heated front seats, memory seating for front and rear, very practical ingress/egress, 163 mm ground clearance, great range etc. all for under 50 lakhs!

However, at 80-90 lakhs, I would go with the BMW 6 GT (its a 2021 model btw, check with BMW on what is the year of manufacture), which is a special and unique car even though it only comes with the turbo 4, end of life, and has no ADAS or any other modern features so to speak (which is a shame).

Originally Posted by Jamsukh

Hi folks,
Now have an itch to add a 2nd car to the stable and my budget is within 50 lakhs.
Thank you!

For you I think the decision is a lot easier, I would just go with the Hyundai! Unfortunately, most of the entry level luxury cars in India these days only provide badge and styling (no features, no real power, no ADAS). Most of the cars you mentioned are cheaper and a segment below than the IONIQ 5 in developed markets and here in India the price makes it a no brainer. Go for it.

Source: https://ioniq5.hyundai.co.in/

[DevD]

Originally Posted by Jamsukh

Hi folks,
Now have an itch to add a 2nd car to the stable and my budget is within 50 lakhs.

I would recommend to test drive Toyota Hycross ZX(O). It ticks most of the boxes. It has an excellent road presence. It's strong hybrid, range anxiety won't be there.