[Crazy4.Cars]

Originally Posted by Epic

The ZDi in Mumbai is 7.43L on road.



Yes looks are a personal choice and I am sort of used to having a fresh model. I bought my Swift in 2005 which was a fairly new model at that time. The way I see it, the Swift seems to be the best choice when it comes to VFM. The Zxi is 6.45L on road with everything including ABS, Airbags, Auto Climate Control, Audio Controls on the Steering Wheel and Electric Mirrors. Some basic features are not available even on a car like Polo which is 7.35L on road!!

I will be test driving the i20 and Figo this weekend.

Figo will please you in the handling department but i doubt it will please you in the looks department.

Plus it is even more outdated than fiesta classic, if you are unaware the current figo is the global fiesta hatch used in UK and europe from 1998 to 2002. figo is realtively new in india, but it is not a global model for ford at the moment.

[Epic]

Originally Posted by Crazy4.Cars

Figo will please you in the handling department but i doubt it will please you in the looks department.

Plus it is even more outdated than fiesta classic, if you are unaware the current figo is the global fiesta hatch used in UK and europe from 1998 to 2002. figo is realtively new in india, but it is not a global model for ford at the moment.

See the problem is that I am currently driving a car, i.e. a Swift Vxi which has a fair amount of features. Now which ever car I go for, in my on road budget on 7L has to be in par or better in the handling and features department as compared to the Swift.

Now Figo may handle well but fails in the features department with no rear power windows even in the top end model. The same case with VW Polo 1.6, no console to control all 04 power windows and a good lakh more than the Swift!!

[shashank.nk]

I was in the same situation as you are, and drove all cars from Figo to the Polo. Finally decided on the Swift ZDI, though a tad-bit expensive it certainly is an excellent car.

I'd say get the New Swift in diesel, even if it overshoots your budget by about 40k. The Swift diesel is more FTD than the Swift petrol, is a bit over your budget but you get diesel economy and for your running works out perfectly.

The Jazz is also an excellent car, but i'm not sure if you'll be happy driving it around, especially coming from a Swift.

Last but not the least, Polo 1.6. It surely is a very good car, best quality of interior plastics, good power on demand and handling is sharp too. The only downsides are spartan level equipment and higher upkeep costs than the other cars your considering.

If the only reason to not buy a Swift is you've already owned one before, then get the Polo. IMHO,Figo and i20 are no match to the Swift in terms of FTD

[Crazy4.Cars]

Originally Posted by Epic

See the problem is that I am currently driving a car, i.e. a Swift Vxi which has a fair amount of features. Now which ever car I go for, in my on road budget on 7L has to be in par or better in the handling and features department as compared to the Swift.

Now Figo may handle well but fails in the features department with no rear power windows even in the top end model. The same case with VW Polo 1.6, no console to control all 04 power windows and a good lakh more than the Swift!!

Understood your point.

Upgrading from swift petrol to another Swift petrol makes no sense at all even if your getting a couple of features more.

Best bet is to buy the Swift Zdi and enjoy it for the next 5 to 7 years. Pick up a different colour than your exsiting swift.

Cheers

[oxyzen]

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

If the only reason to not buy a Swift is you've already owned one before, then get the Polo. IMHO,Figo and i20 are no match to the Swift in terms of FTD

So true! There is no upgrade from Swift unless you step out to the sedan class.


If I were you & I wanted a hatch (which I do) I would invest my money somewhere & wait for a couple of years for new products, like Fiat Bravo, BMW Mini, Audi A1 or the VW Golf.

[danlalan]

Originally Posted by Epic

See the problem is that I am currently driving a car, i.e. a Swift Vxi which has a fair amount of features. Now which ever car I go for, in my on road budget on 7L has to be in par or better in the handling and features department as compared to the Swift.

Now Figo may handle well but fails in the features department with no rear power windows even in the top end model. The same case with VW Polo 1.6, no console to control all 04 power windows and a good lakh more than the Swift!!

Ive joined this club too. Just sold my 2006 swift. And i too am looking out for a car. Although i do still have another 2006 swift with only 13k kms on board ill be getting that onto the market place soon. But for now i guess the best bet is the i20. Iam hoping for a facelift from thei20.
Do let me know what your keen on. Maybe if we land up buying the same car we can push for further discounts.

[Epic]

Hey guys,

Thank you for all the suggestions which have really helped till this day. Today was sort of the decision making day for me as we had only to test drive the Hyundai i20 and the Polo 1.6.

I am sorry to say, but for all those who have suggested the i20, it is no where close to the Swift in terms of driving pleasure or power. My current 2005 G13 Swift drives way better than the i20. This car is totally ruled out.

The Polo 1.6 is in a different league all together. My parents and I fell in love with the looks and by the feeling of just opening and shutting the doors. The feel was magical and screams toughness and top notch quality. Interior space is better than the Swift and I feel slightly better than the i20 too. The trunk space was also pretty good and the 60/40 split seats added to it. Took the test drive and was blown away by the sheer power that this car churns out. Handling is superb and the steering very responsive and precise to my liking. This is a pure enthusiasts car!! The drive made me forget the missing features like the power window console, auto climate control and the price. Besides, they are offering a 50k discount on the 1.6 and I have not even booked the car yet. So after this discount, the car would be 7L on road.

So ladies and gentlemen, a black Polo 1.6 it on the cards!!

Oh and by the way, one is allowed to upgrade the ICE or add any other electrical without voiding warranty as long as no wires have been cut. Wheels can be upgraded or upsized without voiding warranty as long as the specifications are right. This has been confirmed by the sales guy and he is willing to give me this in writing.

[Epic]

There has been a twist to the decision all of a sudden now. Just back after test driving the Skoda Fabia 1.6. Ofcourse it is the same in all aspects of the Polo 1.6. But here are some of the differences worth mentioning which I observed when compared to the Polo.

1. Polo felt a notch better when it came to handling
2. Fabia felt taller inside as well as with its ground clearance.
3. Fabia interior colour combination looked better than the Polo
4. Fabia had the console to control all 04 power windows from the driver's side but not electric adjustable mirrors. The Polo had the opposite.
5. Fabia had more interior space than the Polo.
6. The current Fabia doesn't have the rear defogger and wiper even in the top of the line version but apparently the new models will. Polo is fully loaded.

Now the main issue of after sales. I was very candid in asking the representative on the lack of after sales support to which I was assured that this was the problem in the past as parts were imported and hence expensive. There has been a huge improvement in after sales and costs of parts as they are no localized.

What do you guys think?

[morphique]

As we are on the same boat, let me put my views. Polo 1.6 test drive was as amazing for me as you explained earlier. But when I thought practically, I was more in favour of Fabia 1.6 due to the exact same points you mentioned (although the new features will be available later in the newer models). As far as the after sales support is concerned, at least the VW facebook page is as scary as we hear about the experience of Skoda owners! And it does seem that Skoda is improving after all because we do not see as many complaints now as we used to see earlier.

What is the exact OTR price difference between the two and what are the exact offers you are getting? Can you put details here? Is 50k straight cash discount on Polo 1.6? Last when I checked, there was a 60k cash discount on Fabia 1.6 and around 40k on Polo 1.6 so Fabia (6.2L OTR IIRC) seemed a better deal overall as it was cheaper than Polo (6.75L).

Originally Posted by Epic

There has been a twist to the decision all of a sudden now. Just back after test driving the Skoda Fabia 1.6. Ofcourse it is the same in all aspects of the Polo 1.6. But here are some of the differences worth mentioning which I observed when compared to the Polo.

1. Polo felt a notch better when it came to handling
2. Fabia felt taller inside as well as with its ground clearance.
3. Fabia interior colour combination looked better than the Polo
4. Fabia had the console to control all 04 power windows from the driver's side but not electric adjustable mirrors. The Polo had the opposite.
5. Fabia had more interior space than the Polo.
6. The current Fabia doesn't have the rear defogger and wiper even in the top of the line version but apparently the new models will. Polo is fully loaded.

Now the main issue of after sales. I was very candid in asking the representative on the lack of after sales support to which I was assured that this was the problem in the past as parts were imported and hence expensive. There has been a huge improvement in after sales and costs of parts as they are no localized.

What do you guys think?

[IQBAL VEERJI]

Originally Posted by Epic

Hi all,

I currently own a December 2005 Swift Vxi Petrol. It has done around 63k kms till date and still running strong. It is shod with 15" X 6.5" OZ Racing rims with 205/55/R15 Yokohama S-Drives. I mostly drive in the city and do around 100 kms a day. I drive out of town probably once in 6 months or so. I am totally in love with the car and love it specifically for its handling and stiffer suspension as it is driven by me alone almost 90% of the time. The rest of the time is with my parents or friends.

I would now like to go for a bigger car and looking for a sedan with similar or better characteristics of the Swift in terms of feel and handling. I was first looking at the hatches and my choices were the Hyundai i20, VW Polo 1.2/1.6, Honda Jazz and even the new 2011 Swift due to launch soon.

However, since I already experienced a hatch, I though of going in for a sedan instead. My choices are - Ford Fiesta, Maruti Suzuki SX4, Skoda Octavia, VW Vento, & Hyundai Verna.

Other than the sporty feel and handling that I get in the Swift, my main requirements and most important are the after sales service. I am so used to the flawless after sales of Maruti Suzuki that I don't want to experience anything less!

Except for the VWs, the above hatches & sedans mentioned have also aged now. What do you guys suggest I do? My budget is 10L max and I plan to buy this car by December 2011 or January 2012.

Hi, till yesterday I had a 2008 SWIFT VDI with 40000 kms on odo, I wanted to upgrade my car and then this beauty of 2003 Toyota Camery was introduced to me by my brother-in-law's very close freind. It was brought home yesterday.
It has all all all goodies which a high end car has , includs sensor wind sheild, which wipes the glass when there is a trace of little water without switching on the wipers.I was told the earlier owner to reset the wiper switch sensor to OFF mode.
I am yet to read the manual to study more of the features.
Yesterday I pressed a button on the steering wheel and the clock display turned to AVG.XXKMS/LTR shows F.C. per ltr at that time and also kilometer range it can cover with that much petrol in the tank.

I am not botherd for the F.E. but I will enjoy all goodies in the car.
I will post some photos as of now, later more photos will be posted after it comes back from some refurbishing needed on it,It will be sent to my best friend VISHWANATH (a Team Bhpian) for the same.

[Epic]

Originally Posted by morphique

As we are on the same boat, let me put my views. Polo 1.6 test drive was as amazing for me as you explained earlier. But when I thought practically, I was more in favour of Fabia 1.6 due to the exact same points you mentioned (although the new features will be available later in the newer models). As far as the after sales support is concerned, at least the VW facebook page is as scary as we hear about the experience of Skoda owners! And it does seem that Skoda is improving after all because we do not see as many complaints now as we used to see earlier.

What is the exact OTR price difference between the two and what are the exact offers you are getting? Can you put details here? Is 50k straight cash discount on Polo 1.6? Last when I checked, there was a 60k cash discount on Fabia 1.6 and around 40k on Polo 1.6 so Fabia (6.2L OTR IIRC) seemed a better deal overall as it was cheaper than Polo (6.75L).

Ok here is the catch to the entire situation. The Polo 1.6 is 7.45 lakhs on road (with a standard 04 year/1 lakh km warranty - I think don't remember) with a 50k discount and the Fabia 1.6 is 7.24 on road (with a standard 04 year/1 lakh kms warranty) with 70k discount (corporate discount). Now this discount on the Fabia is only available on the current model without the rear wiper and defogger. I will get only a 10k-15k discount on the new model which will be available in Jan-Feb 2012. So it is obvious that Skoda is trying to get rid of their old stock.

Also, what I forgot to mention in my earlier post is that in addition to the regular standard warranty, VW is giving a 06 year anti-corrosion/perforation warranty on the car while Skoda is giving only a 03 year anti-corrosion warranty on the car. Now this warranty is very very important for me as I live opposite the sea.

The major confusion is that both cars are from the same family/factory. VW seems to be the better company and the Polo has a better look, better ride, has a couple of features that are not available in the Fabia and probably has better after sales.
The Fabia on the other hand has more space, has a couple of features that are not available in the Polo and probably not as good as the VW in after sales.

The gurus or actual owners of a VW and Skoda need to help us out here with the after sales feedback.

Also another thing that was being discussed at home was that if we decided to buy the Polo 1.6, it would be the black colour. Now, is it true that a black colour vehicle tends to make the air conditioning in the car work harder since black absorbs heat?

[procircuit_234]

think again before buying skoda/VW.you wont get super reliability as compared to your swift.if you are looking for long term use like more that 50k please go for Japanese.there is no sense to get swift again.why not jazz?hw about micra?sorry for confusing you again.

[v.anand]

^^Don't agree with lack of reliability of VW/Skoda products compared to Japanese. Only difference could be FE but I am happy with my Polo 1.6 that delivers 10 average in Bangalore. Another reason for reliability is 1.6 engine is not any cutting edge, super modern current VW one but a recently discontinued from Europe and proven one for years. It hurts it has just been replaced by the terrific 1.2 TSI in EU, but what the heck, its good enough and better than anything else you get in hatches here.

I was very much at the same confusion but the deciding factor for me was my other car is Skoda Laura TSI. I simply wanted a different brand but high quality, not to mention the amazing exterior looks of VW drew me to it. Where Polo scores on the outside, Fabia wins back at the interiors. To add to lack of features in Polo, it does not come with any soft touch plastic and no vanity mirrors at the sun shades in India. Fabia scores on both these and probably the only car in its segment to possess soft touch material dashboard. The music system is also better in Skoda but may require addition of rear speakers that dealerships will do gladly. If the service is reliable and one can live with the exterior shape (looks bad only in front of Polo that is), my vote goes to new Fabia with rear wiper and 15 inch wheels. Its got all the features of Polo and more. Parts wise, its all the same mechanically. Skoda dealer in Bangalore is actually better than VW.

About my Polo 1.6, absolutely no regrets. In my case though I was coming from Palio GTX and I know how difficult it is to replace that car. Palio was a little more powerful, had lot more well thought out engineering touches and heavy build but VW Polo reeks of quality. Palio's steering was miles ahead and that is the only thing I really miss in EPS equipped Polo. Fun-to-drive is more than compensated with much better FE, really glad thanks to petrol prices now. Space-wise, my need is only at front and rear seats are rarely used (hence the hatch) and I am very happy with the supportive front seats.

Go for either of the two and you won't regret it.

P.S. Agree with i20 experience, coming from Palio I was so disappointed, it was the only car from my entire TD experience I wanted to leave it on the road and walk back. Just don't understand what it is all about that it sells in hordes. All its got is features and no substance.

[F150]

Polo without a hint of doubt. The overdrive comparision between new SWIFT and all other rivals spoke good about POLO 1.6. In the looks department as well, POLO score overs Fabia.

And the additional anti corrosion warranty on the POLO, should close the deal.

[Epic]

Originally Posted by procircuit_234

think again before buying skoda/VW.you wont get super reliability as compared to your swift.if you are looking for long term use like more that 50k please go for Japanese.there is no sense to get swift again.why not jazz?hw about micra?sorry for confusing you again.

Well as mention in my posts earlier, the Jazz has a waiting period of 09 months. I don't want to wait that long and I do not think the Jazz is worth the wait. As I had also mentioned before, I am looking at a fun to drive car and I am not convinced that the Jazz will be able to offer that.

Micra?? You want me to shift from a 1.3L, 04 cylinder and 88bhp engine to a 1.2L, 03 cylinder and 76bhp car? This is the main reason why I even ruled out the Polo1.2 and Fabia 1.2 in the first place. My neighbour moved from a Swift to a Polo 1.2 and she strictly swears that the Swift is a way better car.

So not confused at all

Originally Posted by v.anand

^^Don't agree with lack of reliability of VW/Skoda products compared to Japanese. Only difference could be FE but I am happy with my Polo 1.6 that delivers 10 average in Bangalore. Another reason for reliability is 1.6 engine is not any cutting edge, super modern current VW one but a recently discontinued from Europe and proven one for years. It hurts it has just been replaced by the terrific 1.2 TSI in EU, but what the heck, its good enough and better than anything else you get in hatches here.

I was very much at the same confusion but the deciding factor for me was my other car is Skoda Laura TSI. I simply wanted a different brand but high quality, not to mention the amazing exterior looks of VW drew me to it. Where Polo scores on the outside, Fabia wins back at the interiors. To add to lack of features in Polo, it does not come with any soft touch plastic and no vanity mirrors at the sun shades in India. Fabia scores on both these and probably the only car in its segment to possess soft touch material dashboard. The music system is also better in Skoda but may require addition of rear speakers that dealerships will do gladly. If the service is reliable and one can live with the exterior shape (looks bad only in front of Polo that is), my vote goes to new Fabia with rear wiper and 15 inch wheels. Its got all the features of Polo and more. Parts wise, its all the same mechanically. Skoda dealer in Bangalore is actually better than VW.

About my Polo 1.6, absolutely no regrets. In my case though I was coming from Palio GTX and I know how difficult it is to replace that car. Palio was a little more powerful, had lot more well thought out engineering touches and heavy build but VW Polo reeks of quality. Palio's steering was miles ahead and that is the only thing I really miss in EPS equipped Polo. Fun-to-drive is more than compensated with much better FE, really glad thanks to petrol prices now. Space-wise, my need is only at front and rear seats are rarely used (hence the hatch) and I am very happy with the supportive front seats.

Go for either of the two and you won't regret it.

P.S. Agree with i20 experience, coming from Palio I was so disappointed, it was the only car from my entire TD experience I wanted to leave it on the road and walk back. Just don't understand what it is all about that it sells in hordes. All its got is features and no substance.

Well you are a VW and Skoda owner so your feedback is important. You don't seem to have issues with after sales then? I am just wondering which would be the better option between the Fabia and Polo though. I somehow feel that the Fabia has better features?

Originally Posted by F150

Polo without a hint of doubt. The overdrive comparision between new SWIFT and all other rivals spoke good about POLO 1.6. In the looks department as well, POLO score overs Fabia.

And the additional anti corrosion warranty on the POLO, should close the deal.

Well, I am not comparing the Polo 1.6 and Swift here as the Swift is no match to the build quality, engine power or the handling of the Polo and Fabia. So the Swift is totally out of the list.

I have to decide between the Polo 1.6 and Fabia 1.6 and as you rightly mentioned, the Polo comes with that 06 year anti corrosion warranty which is like a zero tension for me as by the time the warranty is over, it would be time to buy another car.