[amol4184]

Skoda is not and was never a premium car brand. Same for VW. Both are equivalent of Suzuki and nothing else.


Tata and Mahindra get more flak for after sales service than they deserve, team-bhp included. Hyundai should get roasted for poor experience not Tata.


Electric cars interiors look terrible. Why don't those cars have normal looking interiors, I don't want ultra minimalist polished titanium utopian hellhole inside my car. Oh and I can't wait for the day manufacturers stop putting silly blue and green accents on electric cars.

[adityaNview]

1) I find Toyota Fortuner far more value for money than 80 Percent cars on Indian Roads.
2) VW 2.0 is more watered down than they claim. The build quality has taken a massive hit.

[Pythonista]

Interesting thread! My opinions here:

1) New age cars are just so characterless. Look at the Hyundai Creta for example: it looks futuristic and stuff, but just doesn't look good. Same goes with the Tucson. I prefer the old gen looks. Many companies like Maruti Suzuki, Tata and BMW are just degrading in terms of looks.

2) India should mandate at least 4 star safety rating. Safety is one of the most important things in a car, but sometimes both people and manufacturers overlook it. At least a 4 star safety rating in all cars of India would help reduce deals caused by road accidents.

3) Stringent quality control should be undertaken.
Look at Mahindra: cases of the wheels coming out! That's just outrageous. Manufacturers like Tata and Mahindra are just rushing to release cars without proper quality control, resulting in such scary incidents.

4) Cars are getting expensive.
Well, cars have gone REALLY expensive now. An i20 top end costing 10 lakhs! Jeez, cars may be completely inaccessible for some people in the future.

That's my controversial opinions out
Pythonista

[Iyencar]

1. Hybrids:
The govt, industry and customers dropped the ball when it came to hybrids. I’m sure there were some domestic manufacturers who successfully lobbied against the tech and those who had the tech expected the govt to bend over backwards. The govt let itself get robbed in the name of “mild hybrid” fame subsidies. We’re paying a premium of 10 lakhs or so for an EV over the similar counterparts but get aghast at paying a 2-3 lakh premium for a hybrid. If we had gotten used to hybrids the impact would’ve been tremendous on:
a) Environment
b) Our forex going towards crude and us being at the mercy of the crazy fuel prices we see today
c) Easier adoption of EVs which are the next logical step from hybrids. If you get used to a hybrid you’d never move to a gas guzzling petrol or a noisy diesel

2. Smaller turbo engines touted as being performance oriented.
Three cylinder turbos have no place in a modern car. No, they’re not sporty. All they do is bring in the added complexity of a turbo while sounding like an autorickshaw being wrung by the neck. The manufacturers just marketed these as sporty. In reality, the only reason we’re being burdened by these are the environmental norms. Give me a 1.2 NA over a 3 cyl 1.0 turbo anyday

3. If the govt can ban sun films then they can bloody well ban lights above certain lumens in vehicles

[ron178]

• Every car manufacturer is trying to mint money no matter how hard they work to project an aura of being 'responsible'.
• Toyota should not have let Maruti have the Innova, a product that's so quintessentially Toyota in India.
• Maruti's ridiculous new rear seatbelt reminders will actually encourage sitting over a perpetually buckled belt.
• The Virtus and Verna may not be incredibly popular buys but are somehow becoming household names.
• It's a disgrace that Stellantis thinks Indians would want to buy some of the stuff Citroën is coming up with.
• Safety is spectacle; the industry is cashing in on it, and pretentious consumers are using it to shame others, so in a short period consumers have come to expect much more than any consumer test can reasonably do, but both the industry and independent testers care too much about their own interests to be honest about it.

[Satish Pari]

1. Tata and Mahindra have a long way to go - fancy features make no sense
2. I would never buy a Hyundai or a KIA even if I got it for free (totally against Korean brands)
3. Most Maruti models are fit for city driving and not for highways
4. EV's are over-rated (real time range matters). For example I wouldn't trust an EV for a long journey - above 400kms. Charging options may be available, but just not worth the effort
5. Like it or not MG isn't a British company anymore (Chinese)

[uditanshh]

Originally Posted by saikishor

1. Despite of the strides Tata motors has made, their cars are still crap. The number of complaints I see on Team-BHP itself is a testament to my statement. Every alternate day I see a complaint on a Tata car on the website. I sometimes get a feeling T-BHP was made especially for these Tata owners to cry out their problems. I don't understand how people buy these cars after looking at them in the showroom with such sub par showroom experience. The cars have no feel good factor(unlike lets say Kia which is a cheap brand elsewhere in the world somehow carved a niche for itself in India) except for the fact that they are made in India.

Finally someone echoes my opinion.
Tata Motors has one of the worst showroom experiences till date, not to mention countless niggles even on their Flagship products(Safari, Harrier) and the questionable reliability as no one wants a used Harrier or Safari( as they do not age well) as per a thread a I saw sometime earlier on this very forum. Many would prefer a Mahindra within the same price bracket due to its robust mechanicals.

Another question to TaMo, why did they discontinue the 2.2L Dicor only to go begging to Jeep Stellantis for another Diesel engine? Couldn't they have updated it to BS6 or BS6.2? Their Revotron 3Cyls are lethargic and low on refinement at best, jerky AMTs and EVs have a whole host of EPC and god knows what errors.

Tata motors are on a rebound though, the 7DCA Nexon, 6DCA Altroz and 1.2L & 1.5L T-GDi engines at Auto Expo23 are a testament that they can do good R&D. Just spend some more on R&D for robust mechanicals and then brag about those mechanicals. Instead of just bragging about 5Star Desh ka Loha and Loading cars with unnecessary electronics with borrowed mechanicals.

[venkyhere]

Team-BHP community dishes advice/strong opinions on :

1. A car model's features and gizmos distribution across variants - why it's not optimal
2. A car company shutting shop in India or not launching one of their international models in India
3. Car companies deciding to cut costs in various ways - mechanical strength / gizmos / gadgets / screen size etc etc - how it's sacrilege
4. How a car business should be run, what to focus on for the Indian market etc

Controversial opinion 1 - many (not all) BHPians think gaining membership in an 'exclusive' community by writing an SoP form and knowing some mechanical/electronics bits about cars, or knowing some aspects from the world of finance, immediately makes them qualified enough to think they know better than automotive giants, about to how to effectively run their car business.

Controversial opinion 2 - There is nothing in it, to argue back angrily or feel sad or feel elated when we read/hear positive/negative comments about the car model/brand that one owns. We own the particular car we have and have every right to be possessive about it, modify it, abuse it, preserve it in a museum etc etc. But we don't own the car brand or the car company. It's not worth the time spent, defending our buying decision in public or trying to justify why some criticism against the model we bought is incorrect.

[ram1kv]

This is a great idea.
Let me drop mine too..
In to this open space with no fear,
Well before, the next year!

1. Every high-school kid should be taught First Aid, CPR and swimming unless they are congenitally unable to master any of these. Too many people are dying prematurely around us for lack of these skills.

2. A points system on our licences for illegal manoeuvres, should be introduced and strictly enforced (like in many western and middle eastern countries). This will dramatically solve most of the problems on our roads and make life easier for pedestrians too.

3. Vehicles of people who drive/ ride in the opposite direction on one way stretches should be impounded.

4. Brand fanboys who gang up and viciously attack an opinion to the contrary are doing the motoring community no good.

5. The next generation of humans (including the kids and grand kids of many here) are going to face frequent unspeakable tragedies due to drastic climate disruptions.

6. Nothing can replace TATA HEXA XTA in that segment for a similar price!

[RD410]

• All this waxing, polishing, ceramic coating, PPF, engine decarbonization, engine flushing, oil additives, etc. are just a waste of money. It's over-caring that leads to no where. Indian cars are tough, their paint is durable.They don't require any special care. Service it every 10000 kms, pressure wash it once every month, replace parts when needed, park it in shade and any Indian car will last like new for a really, really long time.

• Installing big top boxes, panniers, saddle bags, tank bags etc. on a motorcycle upsets it's center of gravity & weight distribution, thus badly affecting it's stability and dynamic capabilities. You cannot enjoy the motorcycle if you are carrying lots of luggage. If you want to tour on a motorcycle, carry minimum luggage, just a backpack if possible. If there's too much luggage, then tour on a car.

• Having EPS is overall much better than having HPS. Sure HPS offers superior feel and feedback, but that is needed only when you are pushing the car or driving spiritedly. For 99% of driving, EPS makes life way more convinient. Also, EPS is super low maintenance compared to HPS. So no wonder why most of the manufacturers have moved on to EPS even for their bigger vehicles.

[DIV17]

Well I have a few opinions, controversial or not.

1. I don't really like Toyota India. While I understand that it is a brand that wants to make profits, with the Fortuner they are just pushing the limits on how overpriced a car can be. Not to forget the Prado and the Land Cruiser that costed over a crore. Overseas these cars sell for less than half of the prices. They have zero interest in the Indian market and are trying to reap as much money possible from the Innova and the Fortuner.

2. Quality control and After sales service of Tata cars is a joke.
The poor image of Tata motors among the masses won't go unless they improve in this regard.

3. Crossovers are great alternatives to sedans on our roads. Since they are based mostly off hatchback platforms, they don't compromise much in terms of ride, handling and comfort. I drive a crossover everyday on broken roads and I can't imagine driving a sedan on those roads without
worrying. But just call them crossovers and not SUVs.

4. Diesel cars still deserve a chance. The government is being unnecessarily harsh on diesels. Modern diesels are pretty much are on par with petrols in terms of emissions. The efficiency and performance balance of a diesel can never be matched by a petrol engine or a hybrid.

[FAIAAA]

Thank you for this fantastic thread. Infact it's therapeutic to be able to share freely without any concern of retaliation, judgement etc. This is usually recommended by therapists for counseling in relationships. If only people can do this properly in family/social settings, it could be transformative.
Back to the topic, here are my opinions:

1. Rs 50 lac+ cars are overrated and certainly not VFM. Yes, they do excel in a few areas but come with several compromises which seem a lot to accept at that price. What's more, they are impractical for our roads. And then when you calculate the total cost of ownership ( rs/km), you realize that it's indeed a purely emotional decision which needs a lot of conviction to see it through.

2. VAG 2.0 cars are German only in name. You don't get that same engineering finesse we were used to. The only constant has been the inconsistent reliability and ASS.

3. Toyotas are boring. Yes they are super reliable and low on maintenance with good ASS, but boring to drive and some to look at. And certainly not worth the price unless you do 2 lac+ kms.

4. Tatas haven't got their quality right ( product and ASS) and probably will never do. Mahindra (initial batches) is similar. At least they give proper drive trains and SUVs

5. An SUV should have 4*4 or AWD at the minimum. Not that one would need it in 99% cases when touring- decent power and high GC would suffice. (most 4*4 owners need to find trails to use the 4*4 hardware). Still, Everything else is a crossover or a hatchback /sedan on stilts.

6.Ideally I would want a safe, reliable and fun car. Not many mass market options address all 3 parameters. If I could choose only 2 of the parameters, I would choose reliable and fun. If I had to choose one, I would choose fun. Life is too short to drive a boring car (should be min 150 hp+, turbo)

7. ADAS is over rated for India. I personally dislike it and won't buy a car with ADAS. I feel it should be optional on trims rather than an integral feature. In skipping the trim with ADAS, you miss out on other features.

8. While I spoke about why Crossovers should not be called SUVs in my earlier post, here are two more points -
8.1 Personally don't get the price premium one pays for -
A. Harrier / XUV700 5 seater etc over 4.3 M cross overs
B. 4.3M crossovers viz sub4M cross overs.
C. Crossovers in general over their sedan / hatchback counterparts
8.2 Sedans, hatchbacks and MUVs over Cross overs anyday for me

9. Sunroof - consider how many times do we keep our windows down? And therefore the sunroof open?
Also the loss in heat insulation/ AC effectiveness other issues due to a sunroof in a country which is hot and dusty. And the most annoying and unsafe sight of kids /adults standing out of a sunroof!

10. New age LED headlights which are all show and no use. Prefer halogens and yellow lights. Powerful low beam yes. High beam NO - all they do is blind the traffic coming towards us

11. Space saver steel wheel/ donut tyres or no tyres and a puncture kit. 1 is cost cutting and 2&3 impractical in India.

12. Luxury brands bringing anemic or small sized engines - think X1 and C class respectively

13. I know this is a car thread, but I feel super bikes and rash bikers cause more damage themselves to and other travelers than anything else. And cattle especially when you pass through central and north India.

14. Car brands that don't seem to be learning despite being in India for years - Stellantis, VAG, Renault-Nissan, Honda, MG etc. At this rate, not sure how many of these will stay in India in the future?

15. While I have nothing against more electronics, I urge Manufacturers - get your mechanicals and basic electrical and electronics package sorted before adding shiny, new yet failing features to your cars.

16. Declining QA levels - almost every manufacturer is using their early adopters as beta testers.

[mkumar79]

My controversial car opinions:

1. These service feedback calls are increasingly becoming a farcical exercise. They all start so very friendly. Guess what - I am already prepared with written notes and start to share what went good and what went lacking. Their interest wanes within minutes and they quickly want the rating (out of 10) and close out the call. Then an hour later, my service advisor calls me with sweet words and promises. Same story gets repeated during every service. Their mantra: Earn money and reputation with super-polished sweet words.

2. Midsize, Compact and Micro SUVs without 4x4 capability are in for good and they will keep the industry afloat for decades. I do find lots of Sport in my Ecosport. Call your Thar an SV or ADV, I find no 'U' in it.

3. Mahindra should not sell electric cars please. Electric Bullocks? sure go ahead.

4. MG's micro EV is the new Alto. Starting slow but a decade later magically showing up in every family garage.

[shrinz.vivek]

1. I will drive a diesel car as long as crude oil exists in the world. All cars pollute. Even the EVs at the manufacturing stage. Its highly unfair to put all blame on diesels.

2. Maruti is the best car maker in India. Who else has the guts to make a 5 lac rupee car which will outlast its owner. You dont need doors made of titanium to drive at 20kmph in bumper to bumper traffic. You need a car which works every time you take it out and nobody does it better than Maruti.

3. Safety depends more on the driver's skills/judgement than on technology. Our grandfathers toured the entire country in an Omni and still lived. Even 20 airbags will not save you if you drive at 120kmph at 2am with white LED lights.

4. I drool over previous generation mechanical cars inspite of being Gen X/Y/Z. There is something magical about cables, levers & buttons which touchscreens and sensors cannot replicate

And........

5. Easy car loans create stupid drivers. Phew....

[sassid]

I’ve been employed for 26 years.

Every year, I’ve driven to office - on a two wheeler for the first three years and on a car for the last 23!

Lived in the suburbs through the period so the daily commute has ranged between 40- 60 Km every day.

It’s hard today, to recapture the joy of driving on a two wheeler on near empty roads, or driving back in a car in the early 2000’s listening either to the only radio channel that had some good songs or listening to the same set of cassette tapes on repeat! It’s also hard to recapture the lap time of 30 odd minutes that it used to take for a commute.

Today, I drive a car that is in a different stratosphere compared to my old Fiat Uno, I have access to the best of modern entertainment, the engine in my current car is almost 100 BHP over my old Uno - but the traffic is murder and on a good day my commute takes nearly an hour now

My Unpopular opinion

Day to day driving nowadays is way less enjoyable than it was 10 years ago and way lesser than it was 25 years ago - despite the cars being way better!