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-   -   What's the most disappointing and the most surprisingly fun car you've driven this year? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian-car-scene/273975-whats-most-disappointing-most-surprisingly-fun-car-youve-driven-year-2.html)

I remember being outright surprised by two cars, and outright disappointed by two. The first two were not this year, though I took the liberty to write about them.

Hyundai i10 Nios Turbo MT:
This was an absolute surprise. I test-drove this in a Hyundai showroom in Whitefield in Bangalore (forgot the name). The advisor guided me to an open stretch of road and suggested a downshift. I went to 2nd gear and floored the accelerator, and wham! the thing shot out like a rocket. I remember swearing a bit when the RPMs swung up instantly. Brilliantly chuckable little car with a body that does not really live up to the punchy engine.
Not sure if this particular avatar of the car still exists though. What a pity.

Honda Brio:
I remember being the passenger in the front maybe a decade ago, when my brother drove this one on Palm Beach Road with me grinning like a lunatic. This was from one of the first batches in 2011 and is still a peach of a car, even after 175K kms on the odo. I don't think it's going away from our family anytime soon, unless the government bans it.

Hyundai Venue N-Line DCT:
Perhaps, I was tainted by the memory of that i10 Nios Turbo, but this never came even close to what I expected. I test drove this in two different Hyundai showrooms in Chennai, and both were equally underwhelming.
I had the same passengers in the Brezza and the Venue back-to-back. I expected the Venue to be the faster thirstier car and the Brezza to be the slower, fuel efficient one. The fuel efficiency was on point, but in that route along the GST Road we took, there seemed to be just not much difference between the two. They both seemed to perform equally climbing up flyovers with full load, while the Venue had a visibly smaller cabin. This was a letdown. It could be because my expectations were really high for the Venue, but it is what it is.
I really feel that the i20 is the proper N-Line as compared to Venue, purely based on how the hatchback could pull with a full cabin, and how you could feel the power surging with little lag when you downshifted. The Venue had a lot more tangible lag.

Tata Altroz DCA:
This was a damp squib. I absolutely loved the looks, but that was about it. It was neither fast nor silent. It wheezed along when I tried to climb a parking mall ramp and was not really fuel efficient as well. I don't know who were the intended consumers, but it was definitely not me. It ticked none of my boxes.

Had TDed the XUV7OO Petrol AT when my college was just getting over in early 2023. Few words can describe the package that Mahindra is offering with this car!

The 2.0L mStallion engine is an absolute gem. The advantage of getting to drive the car in a town like Vellore was that the roads are practically empty and the dealership being on a highway helped matters even further! The way the motor revs and makes the car pick up speed is just unreal. And doing this in utmost refinement at that. The car reaches 100kmph in no time at all with a moderate foot on the accelerator. The FSD suspension benchmarked against the best, the Škoda Kodiaq, the potent mStallion motor, the poise with which the car handles around curves and the brilliant brakes make it an indomitable package available today in the market.

Of course not everything is always perfect; the space especially the bootspace with all rows up and the non-sliding 2nd row of seats is a big deterrent for me. The random electronic gremlins still come back to haunt the car and the busy & not upto the mark service centres. The mileage that the Turbo Petrol AT delivers if driven enthusiastically can be tear-inducing, but is not a major dealbreaker atleast for me.


Now this is the exact opposite of how the XUV700 is. I have driven the HyCross thrice till date and eventhough the car has sufficient power the eCVT just robs that feeling. The rubberband effect and the whine that comes when you accelerate for some considerable amount of time with a slightly heavy foot before you yourself lift your foot off the accelerator to let the noise subside is what absolutely bugs me in the overall driving experience.

Not to mention umpteen times the poor interior quality that robs the feeling of paying 35L OTR for this car.

The handling is predictable, body roll for a MUV is negligible, the steering is absolutely effortless and the space and comfort on offer is what sets the car truly apart !!

The Innova has always been less of a driver’s car and the HyCross is no different. The Hybrid and light steering with a monocoque chassis just make it more liveable on a day-to-day basis even if the owner has to drive it on some days compared to the Crysta and OG Innova. Although it lacks the raw feeling of being a BoF coupled with a RWD that the OG Innova and Crysta were known for.

For me atleast the HyCross driving experience was a disappointment. I have driven the Camry Hybrid as well and the more powerful and larger 2.5L motor coupled with better sound insulation makes this car feel much more premium and a better driver’s car.

All points taken into consideration, had the XUV700 had more space and better ASC support across India, (some ASCs are excellent and some are not, making the experience a mixed bag) I would have had the XUV Petrol AT home even overlooking the low mileage that it has to offer. Something that does bug me is how will the XUV700 age down the line, will it have gremlins still or will it be flawless as the odometer and age rises.

Till then the Innova HyCross is the car to beat if you want an absolute all-rounder and is the car I have booked…

Most fun cars I drove this year -
1. Verna Turbo Petrol DCT - explosive performance, relatively "complete" package - loved it so much that I bought it.
2. VW/Skoda 2.0 cars - both engines are exciting mated to smooth automatics, great ride - handling balance.
3. BMW 330Li, M sport- helped my friend buy a pre-loved specimen. Performance, space, features ( this was the initial batch, before they started dropping features due to chip shortage)
4 Thar Petrol ( both 4*4 and RWD) and Diesel AT- to compare it to the Jimny driving both back to back
5. XUV700 - both engines are powerful and mated well to smooth TC gearboxes. Came close to buying the petrol AT but was discouraged by single digit FE in the city.



Boring cars I drove this year ( no offence to owners)
1. BRV CVT - I own one and have driven 70k till date. Was acceptable till I test drove the turbo petrols and ended up buying one. Excellent beater car though. Also test drove the 5th Gen City CVT, let down by the CVT gearbox. CVT is smooth and refined for urban / sedate use but not for enthusiastic driving. ( Manual is a different story, but I only consider automatics now)
2. Maruti/ Toyota Crossover twins - lethargic engine. Love the Grand Vitara design and suspension but boring to drive
3. Jimny - great small package, ride quality, 4 doors, usable boot et al. Same lethargic engine mated to a 4speed TC gearbox. ( my Corolla Altis in 2011 was a 4 speed gearbox)

Seriously!!

mStallion 2.0 turbo petrol engine is the BOMB. Perhaps the best petrol engine to be had on this side of the BMWs. Power delivery is crazy good, as is the refinement. Can be surprisingly frugal with fuel consumption too if the driver knows what he is doing. I had the opportunity to drive an XUV700 petrol manual on the highway for a long 1000km trip, and fell in love with this motor. I’d rate it higher than VW’s 2.0 TSi as on the Kodiaq.

As an enthusiast’s drive though, I found the 700 lacking. The steering is a pretty vague and provides zero feedback. I found the brakes to be pretty spongy and the suspension too soft. It’s a superb family car, but the fun part starts and ends with the engine. Mahindra has clearly prioritised comfort, which is fine for a mass market product. I’d love to drive this engine in a more dynamic and driver oriented package, something like the Compass.

On a different note, why are some people listing the most obvious fun to drive cars in the list of 'surprisingly' fun to drive? I mean the whole point of the thread is to list the 'surprise' packages, not the obvious ones. For example, almost all VAG cars available in India come under the 'fun to drive' category.

The most disappointing car:

MG Astor 1.5 NA: The car has decent heft and excellent quality interiors. Features are great too. But the engine is anaemic. I wonder how it will perform in hill under full load. Top that off with an extremely soft suspension setup. There's no fun, no feel.

Surprisingly Fun Car:

Ford Freestyle: Drove one back in 2019. Still remember the experience. A punchy petrol engine, sharp dynamics and a sorted ride (for most surfaces). The Only letdown was a slightly heavy clutch. But I'm regular with leg presses at the gym, so 🤣

Most fun car I drove is Mahindra Thar Petrol MT. It fills your heart as well as face with smile. For me it is an emotion and I find excuses to roll out on highways.

Most disappointed is with Creta Petrol NA(2023) which I hold now. Will make sure that those who drive it will end up with high degree of patience l. Too slow to pick up and don't give those punches even on sports mode

Wow..I didn't know this car existed when I brought the new Ford Figo diesel. I sold my City after just one test drive in the new Figo diesel.

If I knew Renault had Pulse in that guise I would have definitely tested it before I brought the City in 2013 and going by what you said I would have loved it too and may be saved the money I lost in the process of selling City and buying Figo.

I love hot/warm hatches and like your Pulse the Figo was a warm little hatch.

Figo made me a loyal Ford follower.

The exact two cars that came to my mind when I read the thread!
The Q8 ETron is a snooze fest while the XC/C40 are proper sleepers that could put some sport sedans to shame!

An addition I wouldn't say "fun" per se but a total shock in terms of value was the Hyundai IONIQ 5. A proper luxury EV that punches far above its price point would suggest in terms of design, quality, space, ride and powertrain.

Most fun cars I experienced this year:

1. Mahindra Scorpio N Petrol AT & XUV 700 Petrol AT:

The commanding view from the driver's seat, the powerful petrol engine that responds to push on pedal with rewarding performance and the road presence that helps you gain respect and attention on the road is super good.


2. Mahindra XUV 400 EV:

The performance alone on offer is unbeatable. Instant power at any speed, this thing goes like a rocket in "Fearless" mode. Infact, I don't remember any car coming close to the XUV 400 purely in terms of straight line performance in < 20lac catagory.

3. Honda Elevate CVT:

Yes, the CVT. Even though its a bit whiney and loud, its super comfortable to drive in our crowded cities and very practical. The CVT combined with VTEC gives the Elevate ample power to potter around the city and occasional highway runs, while the size of the vehicle is perfect for our roads. The best part is the visibility from the driver's seat. Nothing comes close in the driver's view that the Elevate has, this side of 20 lacs.

4. Maruti Ignis MT:

This little budget Maruti is a gem, purely because of the older K series (K12B) without the dual VVT and light weight, coupled with a sweet gearbox, the Ignis just flies after 1800 rpm in any gear, revving freely all the way upto 6000 rpm and still more. A very practical urban hatchback , coupled with sweet 180 mm ground clearence makes everyday driving so much stress free. What's more, the size of the vehicle is nearly perfect to fit into any tight parking space without any hassle.


Most disappointing cars I experienced this year:


1. Maruti Jimny:

While it maybe a good offroader, there is nothing else on offer , be it outright performance, fuel efficiency, comfort, space or road presence. No offence to any owners, but this is a very niche vehicle and not very much specific use cases for typical Indian consumers.


2. Hyundai i20 N-Line:

The performance on offer is good, but the turbo lag is irritating to the core. Given that small hatchbacks are driven inside cities, the Turbo lag is something I personally can't live with.

3. Tata Harrier (Pre-facelift):

Because this SUV doesn't have any petrol engine option, and mainly becaues the knee room for a lanky person is so bad that the left knee touches the lower part of dashboard. Not sure if this has been corrected in the facelift.

I can think of only 3 cars I have driven this year apart from my good ol' Storme.

Tested a 2017/18 Tucson AT. Was meh.

But the Volvo V40 CC - loved the car.

Both these were TD for a friend, who took the V40 CC. However the one I have been enjoying is the Gypsy King. Rides well on good roads, the 4x4 if stuck, used regularly to carry stuff, while it can squeeze through gaps in traffic. And that NA petrol mated to that slick shifting gear box.

That was the issue with Renault. The Pulse, Scale and Fluence were all good global products. But they were hardly advertised anywhere. Even the Micra/Sunny had some ad campaigns that were memorable but none for the Renault cousins. And the RXZ came pretty loaded for its price. In 2013, you could get power folding mirrors, keyless entry and push button start for just 8 lakhs. They are still pretty good as reliable, fuel efficient city cars. And highway stability wasn't too bad for a car its size. It felt sketchy only at about 110-120 kmh. Pretty similar to the Duster. They pulled the plug only in 2017 so good used examples shouldn't be too hard to find.

But I must say the Ford does have a vastly better interior imho. The cheap, beige plastics in the Pulse/Micra have not aged well at all. Sticky interior on a hot summer day is not something you want to experience.

Most fun - car : 530d, Duster 110 ps DCi bike : 1st gen Duke 390
Meh - hard to say! All were good, even the Nano or the 800. Bike - anything in the commuter range. But love them for their simplicity and rugged nature.

Not sure if this is the right place but we are looking at getting one of these as a beater. How easy is it to drive around the city? As in ease of maneuvering, smoothness, clutch feel, etc. Fuel efficiency is not really a concern because Suzuki.

Asking because its for my wife and she isn't too keen on getting something that is a hassle to drive. She's getting back into driving after a while. My kids need to learn to drive as well. One of them will be turning 18 around this time next year and I can't have them learning on the Laura or the D-Max. We aren't looking for a brand new one as dings and scratches might happen and honestly who gets a brand new beater? All of us in the family like the Ignis. Funky looks and a pretty solid equipment list as well. Should we get this or a safer bet like a Baleno, Swift or WagonR?

Most disappointing car I drove this year award has to go to creta sx cvt during my recent goa trip. The cabin felt cramped compared to my expectation, the pickup was absolutely not fun and the handling felt a bit nervous.

A close second in this category will be jeep compass which is a gem to drive on empty roads but my God it is irritating and lackluster in city traffic. Moreover it's advertised adaptive suspension makes you expect too much when you approach a bad road and leave you with disappointment.

Most surprisingly fun to drive will be the car that I bought recently, my MG Comet plush. It is a sweet little gem! All the drawbacks I expected was obviously there, but I never expected this tiny car to be so good in city traffic, power wise, and especially the hill handling is so good along with an Easter egg of hill hold control!

Apart from that, not so surprising fun experience has to be with Volkswagen taigun, which is so so so fun to drive anywhere and the cabin looks so no-bullshit and we'll thought out!