[rugsrags]

Originally Posted by Bluebeem

The new Skoda Octavia is worth considering. It comes with a nice engine, Loads of interior space. The top spec model is sub 20 lacs ex showroom and comes packed with a lot of E class level goodies like front parking sensors, Panoramic sunroof, lumbar support, Electronically adjustable seats. The DSG gearbox is wonderful and the interior of the car is simple yet beautiful.

The car looks and feels sturdy and solid, the suspension isn't as soft as the civic, but i reckon it should be comfortable on broken city roads.

The biggest problems with skoda Octavia - The harsh backseat, the maintenance and unreliability have been addressed to some extent as they've introduced an all inclusive service program similar to BMW's BSI. The backseat (as per auto car's review) is now a very comfortable place to be in.

I Have driven the jetta many times with the same engine. Its amazing ! And whatever was wrong/missing in the jetta, has been introduced in the Octavia.

Well thanks so much for your advice. Will check the Octavia out though i do think i forgot to mention that i also own a Laura in my family and the automatic DSG diesel is just superb. Thankfully the only grouse i'v faced as yet is a failed compressor which was luckily changed under goodwill warranty. I don't like the rear seats at all in the Laura lets see what they have done in the Octavia. Apart from that even though its a nice solid car it does run up some hefty maintenance bills. Every time it scrapes its belly on the lack of roads in the city i stay at i wonder what part will break now. (Its had its engine cover plate replaced 2-3 times)

Seems to me that the choice is pretty limited in my budget range. Should i just go lower down and pick up an eco-sport automatic. The money saved could help with the fuel bills too because apart from the Octavia the only car coming to my head is the Cruze and one doesen't see any new cruzes on the road these days. The corolla is a very reliable car and i think i should wait for the new one and pick the automatic petrol whose performance i guess would be adequate too. The issue is that there is no confirmed date of launch yet.

[Bluebeem]

Originally Posted by rugsrags

Well thanks so much for your advice. Will check the Octavia out though i do think i forgot to mention that i also own a Laura in my family and the automatic DSG diesel is just superb. Thankfully the only grouse i'v faced as yet is a failed compressor which was luckily changed under goodwill warranty. I don't like the rear seats at all in the Laura lets see what they have done in the Octavia. Apart from that even though its a nice solid car it does run up some hefty maintenance bills. Every time it scrapes its belly on the lack of roads in the city i stay at i wonder what part will break now. (Its had its engine cover plate replaced 2-3 times)

Seems to me that the choice is pretty limited in my budget range. Should i just go lower down and pick up an eco-sport automatic. The money saved could help with the fuel bills too because apart from the Octavia the only car coming to my head is the Cruze and one doesen't see any new cruzes on the road these days. The corolla is a very reliable car and i think i should wait for the new one and pick the automatic petrol whose performance i guess would be adequate too. The issue is that there is no confirmed date of launch yet.

Here's your options

1. Stretch your budget - Stretch the budget to 23-24 lacs in which case you can try the Audi Q3 Sport, BMW X1 Base Model or Even a passat. Discounts are huge these days. Q3 and X1 are both advertised at 24.99 lacs ex showroom. Going by the kind of discounts available on higher models, I reckon you should be able to get at least 2-3 lacs discount on the advertised price. Passat is also being offered at similar discounts.

2. Wait for 6 - 12 Months - If you can wait, then wait. A Honda Civic, Accord, CRV and City Diesel are all expected in the next 12 months. The exciting new A3 is also expected soon. It has the same engine as the octavia/laura/jetta.

3. Buy Now - If you absolutely have to buy now, I recommend across the price range of 10-20 lacs you only consider Innova, Octavia,duster/terrano, corolla.

Skodas can rake up massive repair/service bills, thats why i only recommended the new one as they now give you the option of taking the complete cover service package. Puts a cap on your maintenance bills at least.

Cruze is a complete NO for me. You'll start loving the backseat of your laura once you sit in the back seat of the cruze. Plus chevrolet/ford have horrible resale values in north india. Don't know if the trend is same elsewhere.

For the same reason i'd recommend you go for an Innova or A Duster/Nissan Terrano Diesel instead of the Eco Sport. Personally i haven't seen any cars as dependable and low maintenance as japanese cars.

[avisidhu]

Hi guys, need your inputs on a buying decision I need to make soon.
I am looking for a petrol hatchback (new or used) within a 4L budget. Let's say, around 3.5 so that I have some juice left to spend on it. The lookout for a used vehicle is not yielding much success, so I might have to end up buying a new one.

The prime requirements are space, being elderly friendly, reliability and resale (in that order).

Is the Micra Active a good option at this price point? The other option I'm thinking is the WagonR, but the heart just doesn't seem to agree. This car will be primarily driven by my Dad, mostly within city limits and I'm not expecting the monthly running to exceed 500 KM a month.

Would appreciate your inputs, and any other options I should consider within this price point.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by avisidhu

Is the Micra Active a good option at this price point? The other option I'm thinking is the WagonR, but the heart just doesn't seem to agree. This car will be primarily driven by my Dad, mostly within city limits and I'm not expecting the monthly running to exceed 500 KM a month.

Would appreciate your inputs, and any other options I should consider within this price point.

The Micra active is an excellent car at that price. Its practically the same car as its elder sibling Micra. I would totally recommend it. But would it fit in your budget of 3.5L OTR?

Also check out the Hyundai Eon. Another very handsome car and it has tall seating so getting in and out would be much easier. BTW would you be willing to consider the Nano? Do check that out as you might be pleasantly surprised by the package!

[sameerg001]

Originally Posted by avisidhu

Hi guys, need your inputs on a buying decision I need to make soon.
I am looking for a petrol hatchback (new or used) within a 4L budget. Let's say, around 3.5 so that I have some juice left to spend on it. The lookout for a used vehicle is not yielding much success, so I might have to end up buying a new one.

The prime requirements are space, being elderly friendly, reliability and resale (in that order).

Is the Micra Active a good option at this price point? The other option I'm thinking is the WagonR, but the heart just doesn't seem to agree. This car will be primarily driven by my Dad, mostly within city limits and I'm not expecting the monthly running to exceed 500 KM a month.

Would appreciate your inputs, and any other options I should consider within this price point.

Don't buy eon, if space is what you're looking forward too. The wagon r is better, but I guess you'll still be spending 4l on it. I'll suggest you to go ahead and buy the micra active, it was 4.15 on road, when I last enquired. At this price point, nothing compares with it.

Or, if not micra, then try i10. It has some discounts running on it. Not as spacious as micra, but better then eon and wagon r.

Check them and decide which one makes most sense to you

[avisidhu]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

The Micra active is an excellent car at that price. Its practically the same car as its elder sibling Micra. I would totally recommend it. But would it fit in your budget of 3.5L OTR?

Also check out the Hyundai Eon. Another very handsome car and it has tall seating so getting in and out would be much easier. BTW would you be willing to consider the Nano? Do check that out as you might be pleasantly surprised by the package!

Thanks drmohitg. I'm not sure how much Eon will satisfy the space criteria, will take a look once nevertheless. Does it really have a tall seating? looks pretty low slung from outside.

The Nano, oh well, not sure if my parents have the heart to hear the same comment from all and sundry, "You got a Nano? but why?".
We younger lot have the patience and knowledge to argue, but dad and mom would probably ask me to sell it off after a few months.
Sad but true.

Originally Posted by sameerg001

Don't buy eon, if space is what you're looking forward too. The wagon r is better, but I guess you'll still be spending 4l on it. I'll suggest you to go ahead and buy the micra active, it was 4.15 on road, when I last enquired. At this price point, nothing compares with it.

Or, if not micra, then try i10. It has some discounts running on it. Not as spacious as micra, but better then eon and wagon r.

Check them and decide which one makes most sense to you

So 3.5 will translate to 4.15 on road? I guess my estimates are not in sync then, when we got the City we ended up spending just 18K extra, thanks to the free insurance and the fact that we got the car registered ourselves. As long as it veers around the 4L mark I'm ok with it. Will check the i10 too, thanks.
And congrats on the Figo

[sameerg001]

Originally Posted by avisidhu

So 3.5 will translate to 4.15 on road? I guess my estimates are not in sync then, when we got the City we ended up spending just 18K extra, thanks to the free insurance and the fact that we got the car registered ourselves. As long as it veers around the 4L mark I'm ok with it. Will check the i10 too, thanks.
And congrats on the Figo

Don't remember the exact figure but it was for sure above 4L. With handlig charges, zero dep insurance and extended warranty and all, It was around 4L mark. Also, SA told me its on 6 months waiting , This was at Pal Nissan Haldwani, Where i went to checkout the car for my relatives.

And, Thanks for the wishes

[ank.nsit]

Originally Posted by avisidhu

Hi guys, need your inputs on a buying decision I need to make soon.
I am looking for a petrol hatchback (new or used) within a 4L budget. Let's say, around 3.5 so that I have some juice left to spend on it. The lookout for a used vehicle is not yielding much success, so I might have to end up buying a new one.

The prime requirements are space, being elderly friendly, reliability and resale (in that order).

Is the Micra Active a good option at this price point? The other option I'm thinking is the WagonR, but the heart just doesn't seem to agree. This car will be primarily driven by my Dad, mostly within city limits and I'm not expecting the monthly running to exceed 500 KM a month.

Would appreciate your inputs, and any other options I should consider within this price point.

I would say do consider Santro as well. I know its like ages old & everything & most people don't even consider it an option, but in my personal opinion, I would STRONGLY recommend you to go in for Santro.
(With all due respect to our parents & elderly)With age the driving skills tend to deteriorate. My dad has been driving for the past 25 years, but off late he has started using the clutch a tad more than required. Also, he many a times misses the pot holes of the roads at night.
Santro is one car that will take all such abuses with ease & even its repair would turn out to be pretty cheap with the option of getting it repaired at local garages easily available.
It is one hell of a maintenance free, reliable & a spacious car with decent resale value.

If still the heart says no to Santro, I would say go for Brio base model. With the discounts going on, especially on the year end models, you should be able to get it in your budget.

[wilful]

Originally Posted by ank.nsit

I would say do consider Santro as well. I know its like ages old & everything & most people don't even consider it an option, but in my personal opinion, I would STRONGLY recommend you to go in for Santro.
Santro is one car that will take all such abuses with ease & even its repair would turn out to be pretty cheap with the option of getting it repaired at local garages easily available.
It is one hell of a maintenance free, reliable & a spacious car with decent resale value.

I would also recommend the Santro for elderly folk. Like ank.nsit said, it is easy to maintain as well. Else I would say the Wagon R.

[Bluebeem]

Looking to buy a proper SUV in the Rs. 20-25L range. Diesel automatic is a must. Very good Ground clearance is a must so crossovers are a complete No. The options seem limited to Nissan X trail. Any suggestions are welcome please.

Also considering the Volvo XC60 Is anyone aware of any good deals on Volvo XC60?

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by Bluebeem

Looking to buy a proper SUV in the Rs. 20-25L range. Diesel automatic is a must. Very good Ground clearance is a must so crossovers are a complete No. The options seem limited to Nissan X trail. Any suggestions are welcome please.

Also considering the Volvo XC60 Is anyone aware of any good deals on Volvo XC60?

Don't bash me but why don't you go for the Toyota Fortuner 4x2 AT

It meets the below as you mentioned:

1) Proper SUV: Check
2) Diesel AT: Check (4x2 variant)
3) GC: 221 mm, plenty for our roads.

Anurag.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Bluebeem

Looking to buy a proper SUV in the Rs. 20-25L range. Diesel automatic is a must. Very good Ground clearance is a must so crossovers are a complete No. The options seem limited to Nissan X trail. Any suggestions are welcome please.

Also considering the Volvo XC60 Is anyone aware of any good deals on Volvo XC60?

X-trail is due for a replacement, with the new model recently unveiled internationally. Also, the new Santa FE could roll in early next year, which maybe another option to consider.

XC60 should be far off from the price you mentioned, but there maybe some deals going on the pre-facelift stock (if available).

[wilful]

Originally Posted by Bluebeem

Looking to buy a proper SUV in the Rs. 20-25L range. Diesel automatic is a must. Very good Ground clearance is a must so crossovers are a complete No. The options seem limited to Nissan X trail. Any suggestions are welcome

The Fortuner is an obvious choice but there are a couple more at the price range you are looking for (or a tad more). One is the Chevrolet Captiva and the other is the Ford Endeavour. I think both have a 4 wheel option with AT.

[Bluebeem]

Sorry for not mentioning this earlier. The car is for my dad. And he does not like the fortuner at all because of the overtly large presence and size. If it were me I too would go for a fortuner hands down.

Captiva has horrible ownership experience and high maintainence coats.

We were considering the XC 60 only because of the lac of choices. Willing to spend upto 30-32 if we get a very good deal on the Volvo.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by Bluebeem

Sorry for not mentioning this earlier. The car is for my dad. And he does not like the fortuner at all because of the overtly large presence and size. If it were me I too would go for a fortuner hands down.

Alright.

What about Hyundai Santa Fe?

Anurag.