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Inspired by the post I got really excited about posting a poll on this topic!
Which one would the fellow BHPians would go for?
1. Top Variant of the a particular segment
2. Entry/ Mid variant of the next segment
3. Others: Like a car configurator or something

Honestly, my requirements will make up for my decision.
Like I bought an Ignis Zeta than a Baleno Delta last year because we wanted a small footprint car which is easy to drive for my father. Whereas I bought a Creta E+ than say EcoSport Titanium because it was a next segment car (and I love the car in general alot stupid: )

What will be you take, BHPians?
P.S Pardon for any mistakes in the post :)

Cheers!
Ankit

This is a very subjective topic. It would be difficult to select one option as a norm for every selection. It would depend upon the actual product(s) being compared. Also, if someone has already stretched their budget to a maximum for a particular top variant of a car, it may not be possible for him to stretch further. A few cases-

1. Let us consider the Hyundais i10 and the i20. While I was scouting for a car back in 2017, I checked both of them out. The Grand i10 petrol Asta was coming out to be around 50k cheaper than the i20 Sportz which was quite barebones. Coupled with the very average performance of the i20, it was easy to pick out the winner here. However, offer me the same variants but in their diesel avatars and I would go for the i20 and enjoy the turbo spooling everytime after 1800 RPM :D.

2. I would gladly pick the i10 Magna over the Santro Asta. Similarly, I would pick the Ignis Delta over something like a Celerio ZXI(O).

3. I would pick the Ecosport top end over the Creta unless I can get the SX variant. So for the Creta vs the Ecosport, the entry level variants are not acceptable to me but the mid variant is.

4. I would be hesitant to trade in a Verna SX(O) diesel for the base Elantra S. However, bring in the Octavia TDI and I would happily make peace with the missing features for what I am getting as a driver's package. But then, while the Elantra is priced at only 2L more than the Verna, the base Octavia is priced almost 5L more than the top end Verna. So, the crux of this thread may not even be applicable to this scenario.

So, my opinion is that the answer to this poll is a dynamic one and depends on the actual products being compared. Also, these scenarios would be difficult to comeby once you cross the C-2 segment. If given a choice, I see myself opting for the mid variants of a higher segment more often than the top variants of the same segment. But I can't say the same about the entry level variants of the higher segment because unless you reach the D segment(D-2 to be more precise), the entry level variants are quite basic with a few exceptions.

Even though one may stretch or find a car from the next segment, the deleted features would always remind the compromise one has made. It can be said that the missing equipment can be installed aftermarket, but one has to risk the warranty and the finishing levels leaves a lot to be desired. Things like music system, covers and cameras can be upgraded but safety systems like roll over protection, airbags etc cannot be installed aftermarket.

Just for an example, the EcoSport titanium+ petrol gets 4 more airbags, leather seats over similarly equipped creta petrol sx and still costs roughly 2 lac less.

Therefore I would settle for a top variant in a lower segment.

Time for some reading material for this forum. Although I remembered my father's words that a bigger vehicle is better , my final purchase decision had nothing to do with it. It was an illogical decision seemingly at that time , it's primary user being my wife.

While It is true that a top variant even when it comes at a price difference of 30-40K adds a lot more kit than lower variants , let's not forget safety features as well , it is worth skipping the top and going for the lower non compromised variant of the next segment. Let us not forget that many of us buy vehicles based on a budget, the day I can buy whatever that suits my purpose and greed it would probably be an LR discovery.

Example: if the choice is between an Ecosport top variant vs Duster mid , I would gladly take the duster , or the Creta low variant.

i20 top variant or Verna base? I'll take the bigger one please.

After the initial oh-ahs, most of the features are left to themselves while more space however is not. Ours is not a nuclear family but 5 seats are enough.

There are times where you can go many segments up, I am taking ecosport here because it was my first choice back when I was shopping. So size wise you can go from an Ecosport to Duster to Scorpio within more or less the same budget. The utility of a bigger vehicle is very well worth it(additional running costs) for those who travel a lot with family.

Those who have voted , go ahead and tell your stories too.

I would look for safety and build quality first. Especially if it is a B,C,or D segments.

A- segment generally distinguish variants based on power windows, touch screen audio etc.

The build and safety equipment like number of airbags, ESP, traction control, ABS, hill hold , all wheel disc brakes etc become important.

The top spec variants will normally have the full safety kit and hence gets my vote.

I think we should vote for safety rather than buying an aspiration.

IMO, AYP's post which OP has used as a starting point for this poll is based very much in Europe where safety standards are high.
There, it makes so much sense to go for a VFM mid-trim from a segment higher than a top trim of the previous segment. They make the very sensible, persuasive argument (over and above bigger car, better engine and platform) with things like "It's not that hard to adjust your seats manually - and this way you get a passenger's seat that can completely fold to aid practicality".
All of which is very true, and I tend to agree with it - if a buyer I'd budget conscious (most cases), makes more sense to sacrifice some luxury and get the better car with adequate creature comforts.

But in India, there is no debate since it's a question of safety. Safety is a luxury here. Even some 30L cars come with 2 airbags only - 6 and 7 are for top trims. So I always say - buy the smaller/less powerful/less comfortable car, but give your family the best chance on the most death-prone roads in the world.

Oh. But there IS a debate - with a fancy poll and all! And we're in India? No wonder there were 34.5 deaths an hour in 2016 (as per fair WHO estimates not the Indian government's eyewash). Can't wait for the 2017 and 2018 numbers! Fingers crossed for 40+ ab hour guys, wish us luck! (he said sarcastically)

If you can afford a mid variant Creta, go for a 6 airbags equipped EcoSport. If you can afford mid-variant EcoSport, go for a Freestyle or i20. If you want a diesel auto, don't buy a Creta. I could go on, but you get the gist. Hardly anyone significant percentage will act like this, of course.

I think I asked the question which triggered the response from AYP that was quoted in the OP.

My confusion was from the fact that I was not sure which car to pick out of i10 Asta and i20 Sportz, given they are pretty similarly priced on road.

I'm no further to having a definitive answer to this than I was yesterday. I would like to see some different perspectives from all the seasoned experts here before making a decision one way or the other.

To folks advocating a lower segment, top end due to safety features - here is some food for thought.


Petrol Swift ZXi+ : Top variant, costs ~8.3 on road Delhi.
Petrol Nexon XM : Mid variant, costs ~8.4 on road Delhi.


Now, we all know which will be a "safer car".


My point being, this should be evaluated on a case-to-case basis and we should not generalize it into a poll. :)

BHPian Mu009 post on safety shows a slightly biased opinion of safety IMO. It is not always important that the higher variant of a car would be much safer than a mid variant of a higher segment. For e.g. the above example quoted by BHPian Dry Ice. As far as Fords are concerned, truth be told, even I would feel safer in a Freestyle or i20 with 6 airbags compared to the Ecosport with 2 airbags. But unless we have the NCAP results for both of these, we can't say this for sure. Similarly, what about the Nexon vs the Freestyle Titanium+? I'd say the Nexon would be safer though I maybe wrong. Basically, what I mean to say is that this is a grey area and not something which can be generalised even in India.

Also, since in the sub 10L segment, only Fords(and i20) offer 6 airbags in each and every of their car and only Tata Nexon has scored 5 star NCAP, what about the people who aren't keen on any of these brands? How should they be advised? My answer was much more generic and as I said, the choice of the car will depend upon the actual products which are being compared to each other.

I guess this post pretty much sums up my motive-

I will chose the car which is more fun to drive and has more power.

Few examples-

I chose Etios G over Dzire Zxi in 2011. Reason- 1.5L vs 1.2L

My last buy was a Duster AWD Rxz. Had to buy the top end trim because in no other trims they offer the AWD.

I always preferred the top end of a lower segment vs base of the next simply because of safety features and other features which I am used to.

Some examples other than airbags and ABS are
1. If it's a hatch, it has to have a rear defogger and wiper
2. Electric adjustable and folding mirrors
3. Steering mounted controls
4. Cruise Control if it's a sedan and above
5. Keyless entry and go (preferred). Else am okay with normal remote and company fitted security system.
6. Fun to drive, non negotiable.

Keeping this in mind, it's not the same as 5 years back where all these above features were only available in the top variant. Mid variants also offer them and safety features are standard. So instead of going for the top variant and thinking if I should buy a base in the next segment, I settle for a mid variant and save some money. Like I did when I bought the 2017 Honda City VMT, 2012 Civic SMT and my latest acquisition the Ignis Zeta Petrol MT. So in short none of the above options apply for me today. If this was a question asked 5 years back then I would have said the top variant of the previous segment.

Although it differs from case to case, I generally prefer advancing a segment above provided basic safety is ensured. My reasoning is...

1. Dual airbags, ABS and EBD are becoming a norm already in segments above B2 regardless of variant. Some models even come with 7 airbags as base.
2. Segment above car is likely to be structurally stronger.
3. Base variants are preferred for customisation. It can be as basic as alloys, the top variants leave you no choice.
4. They have lowest depreciation.
5. I value mechanicals more than fancy apps. A smartphone has pretty much everything I need.
6. Not all features that differentiate variants are deal breakers for example, I don’t see value between turning a key vs push start button.

The mechanicals of a car matter more to me than features. And usually, the higher the segment, the better the power + suspension + safety + space etc. Hence, in most cases, I would pick the lower variant of the higher segment. I can always spice it up with additional equipment later (not all features will be possible, but some are).

Well, there is no hard answer to this that will be applicable everywhere and every-time.

And usually, the purchase process would not include such consideration to start with. I would, for example, decide on the desirable budget, and the max (read: stretched to the full) budget, then list out all the cars fitting in there. After test drives and all other selection/rejection filters, we usually end up in a choice of two (maybe 3 at most) choices. Its' at this point that variant and comparisons between features set in (many a times the SA will harp on the additional features to convince you).

And at this point, usually the top end variant wins unless the entry/mid variant of other car has a significant upper hand (like, a bigger engine, better resale, more seating capacity, better "social standing" etc).

Couple of people asked my opinion about Automatic hatches ~ 10 L. Available options are Jazz, i20, and Baleno. I suggested them to take a look at Yaris J CVT variant. After discounts, 2018 variant comes around the same price. You get bigger engine, 7 airbags, and bigger boot. Even I was thinking of getting one!!