[ampere]

If not an SUV, still not the X1?
Definitely worthy of a thought!

[CARDEEP]

Originally Posted by stanjohn123

Just went through the site and it's pretty clear that there is no 6 cylinder engine. What a bummer :-(.

So I would be ending up paying 24 lakhs for a four pot 167 HP engine. No wonder it's still exclusive.This engine is no match to the competition i believe. The V6 sold internationally is an awesome engine, too bad we dont get it in India.

No plans of buying an SUV. We have the Endeavour now.

Considering your replies, if I were in your place, I would trim my options to Passat HL, Accord V6 & Audi A4.

But, the Germans ought to have an edge, because of the better ride & ground clearance, as compared to Accord V6.

[stanjohn123]

Originally Posted by ampere

If not an SUV, still not the X1?
Definitely worthy of a thought!

Hmm for the brand , X1 could be considered but with options, the price would sky rocket. Reliability is still an issue with Bimmers. So A.S.S would be a big problem.

Thanks for you suggestion anyways.

Originally Posted by CARDEEP

Considering your replies, if I were in your place, I would trim my options to Passat HL, Accord V6 & Audi A4.

But, the Germans ought to have an edge, because of the better ride & ground clearance, as compared to Accord V6.

Yes thanks a lot Cardeep. It's narrowed down to the exact 3 you've mentioned. Now to start the test drives. If the Air-con is good in the Passat, I'll surely take it else its down to the other 2 in this list. Definitely I will have a tough time choosing between snob value and VFM between those 2.

[mdsaab]

If you could point out a few more of your requirements from the car it would help.
Till then.
Japanese
I would take the Camry out of the picture, this leaves us with the Accord and Teanna.
Teanna
If you don't care too much about resale values then the teanna is quite a nice car, especially if passenger comfort is really important to you, features like the Front passenger seat ottomon and a very comfortable rear bench make this quite a good choice. another factor is if you have a Nissan dealership near you.

Accord
There isn't much to say here, it's sort of a no brainer choice. its got a very comfortable rear too, gem of an engine. i would stick to the 2.4 here though, unless you really need a lot of extra power that the v6 offers, also don't forget the difference in fuel efficiency too, though marginal. The facelifted 2.4 is now closer to the v6 in terms of equipment. like sunroof etc. now being available on the 2.4
also a nice feature ala skoda has been added to the accord, and that's the twist the key all windows close / open featured which includes the sunroof too.

Coming to the Euro's

I don't have much to comment here
from the German's i like the A4, followed by the C and 3.
the 3 is going to be replaced soon, so would be better to hold. on the other hand you may be able to get a good deal on the 3, so that's something to think about.

The Passat is a great choice, it's loaded to the gill and has more features than the entry level German trio. Only point of concern will be reliability, as the previous Passat was known to have niggles and malfunctions. as well as the AC as mentioned in @Ajmat's comprehensive review.

Basically have heard about a lot of reliability issues with the Euro's as they age. So i am going to recommend a Jap here.
If it were me i would opt for the Teanna, if not impressed by the Teanna then you can't go wrong with the Accord.

Also to add a little wild card, if you don't need to buy right now and can wait till around Diwali.
Then you can wait for the i45 it is a fantastic looker, and is sure to shake up the segment when launched.

[stanjohn123]

Thanks Mdsaab, the Nissan seems like a good option, it looks exactly like the infiniti's sold abroad, even the interior looks similar but servicing it will be an issue for us plus it seems a bit expensive for it's features and Brand.


Accord is a nice car like others have mentioned here, didnt know that Accord had this many features. Need to check out some reviews if there are any on the new Accord. Is it facelifted ?

Among the Germans it's either the A4 or Passat and that's final. Anyways this car might be with us only for 4-5 years max so what ever reliability problem is there will get sorted out in warranty period itself, well at least that's what i can hope for. Passat is a big question mark on reliability , A4 is good as far as the reviews I've seen till now.

What is this i45 car , is it a Hyundai ? what's its pricing and engine option ?

[dot]

Originally Posted by stanjohn123

The problem is we are in nagercoil(Kanyakumari District) which means we are far away from service centers for Audi, BMW, VW and Benz.

Please note that reliability is a high concern for me.

Originally Posted by stanjohn123

Accord is a nice car like others have mentioned here, didnt know that Accord had this many features. Need to check out some reviews if there are any on the new Accord. Is it facelifted ?

Among the Germans it's either the A4 or Passat and that's final.

As you have said, if reliability and proximity to service center are key parameters, then best to go for Accord than A4 or Passat. However, I was surprised to hear that Audi and VW does not have presence near by. They dont have a showroom/service center in Madurai/TVM? (which should be closest to you).

Originally Posted by stanjohn123

What is this i45 car , is it a Hyundai ? what's its pricing and engine option ?

With your budget, it will be a let down to consider the slanted H, IMHO.

[stanjohn123]

Originally Posted by dot

As you have said, if reliability and proximity to service center are key parameters, then best to go for Accord than A4 or Passat. However, I was surprised to hear that Audi and VW does not have presence near by. They dont have a showroom/service center in Madurai/TVM? (which should be closest to you).



With your budget, it will be a let down to consider the slanted H, IMHO.

I think VW has a service center at Madurai, Audi is only at Kochi or Chennai.

None of the biggies are in Trivandrum :-( . And one more thing, we have a slight preference for Diesel now than petrol.

Lol, yeah guess you're right about the slanted H's poor snob value, but heck if it's a new car and is a Luxury car beater at good VFM, its wiser to check it out at least i guess.

If it's Hyundai Genesis sold internationally and re badged here in India. I think it's worth waiting for. It's a very successful car internationally.

[stanjohn123]

Hi guys,

Just booked the Audi A4 2.0 TDi for a test drive. Surprised that I couldn't book a test drive of the Passat. They just have Vento , Jetta and another car for test drive. No mention of the Passat anywhere :-( . Anyone have any idea on this ?

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by stanjohn123

Hi guys,

Just booked the Audi A4 2.0 TDi for a test drive. Surprised that I couldn't book a test drive of the Passat. They just have Vento , Jetta and another car for test drive. No mention of the Passat anywhere :-( . Anyone have any idea on this ?

Probably the TD vehicle just hasn't reached VW there ? I dont see any other reason for there being no Passat for TD. Anyway between the A4 and Passat i would like to remind you that the 2.0 TDI in the updated state of tune (140bhp to 170bhp) has not yet found its way on the A4 in India, while the Passat has been launched with it. Before considering the A4, i would suggest you wait it out till that re-tuned engine makes its debut in the A4. The A4 2.0 TDI in its current 140hp avatar is a bit too sedate and so the 170bhp would definitely make a world of a difference.
Having said that, i surely feel that the Passat is a more practical buy here by miles, snob value excluded. In the non-quattro Audi's the only thing you have going for yourself is a more prestigious badge. As of now the Passat pips the A4 in many departments on the inside for sure. I mean, features like ventilated seats etc which are options on the A4 are offered as standard on the Passat, which anyway is ridiculously loaded (self park assist isnt even an option on the Audi). On the top of that, i think you will end up paying substantially less for the passat than the A4. Yes, exterior looks, presence , interior plushness wise i think the A4 would still hold its own against its cousin.
Summing it up -
A4- More prestigious buy, if i may and more of a heart over head buy.
Passat- The more practical buy

* If these things have been suggested to you before in this thread, am sorry for repeating as i have not had the time to go through the whole thread.

[mdsaab]

Originally Posted by stanjohn123

Thanks Mdsaab, the Nissan seems like a good option, it looks exactly like the infiniti's sold abroad, even the interior looks similar but servicing it will be an issue for us plus it seems a bit expensive for it's features and Brand.


Accord is a nice car like others have mentioned here, didnt know that Accord had this many features. Need to check out some reviews if there are any on the new Accord. Is it facelifted ?

Among the Germans it's either the A4 or Passat and that's final. Anyways this car might be with us only for 4-5 years max so what ever reliability problem is there will get sorted out in warranty period itself, well at least that's what i can hope for. Passat is a big question mark on reliability , A4 is good as far as the reviews I've seen till now.

What is this i45 car , is it a Hyundai ? what's its pricing and engine option ?

Ok, so let's throw the Teanna out the back.
and back to the Accord.
Yes believe it or not, the Accord has been facelifted. Extremely hard to tell from a glance, and be sure to take your magnifying glass to the dealership to spot the minute changes.
Anyways back to the point. You will not regret buying the Accord, it's fairly loaded for the price and is extremely reliable and comfortable. My experience with Honda's A.S.S has always been good. which is an extremely important part of your purchase decision too. You want a fabulous car, but you need top notch support for it too. being pocket friendly is just icing on the cake.

As far as your Euro choices are concerned, well we have narrowed it down to German's actually.
I think you are spot on. either the A4 or Passat.
I am leaning more towards the A4 here, your going to spend a lot so might as well go all the way. and as @platzda turbo mentioned. Wait for the 170 bhp update before plonking your cash. Unless ofcourse you can live with 140 and get a great deal on it.

Lastly, the i45 is indeed a Hyundai.
Ofcourse it's a huge step down from the Audi.
but it's going to be spacious, have a great engine up from, the latest gen from hyundai is what i heard. and it looks killer. has a lot of styling cues from the Merc CLS. and i personally feel a bit of BMW as well.
This may satisfy your needs in what you are looking for in this purchase. and save you a lot of cash too. worth a shot, only downside is that it is probably going to be launched only around Diwali. But do check out the Hyundai i45 thread on the forum.

The i45 is the new Sonata. But whether Hyundai sticks to the Sonata badge or instead goes with the i45 is anybody's guess. i feel they might go with Sonata. we shall soon find out.

[stanjohn123]

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

Summing it up -
A4- More prestigious buy, if i may and more of a heart over head buy.
Passat- The more practical buy

* If these things have been suggested to you before in this thread, am sorry for repeating as i have not had the time to go through the whole thread.

No, thanks a lot. Really appreciate everything you've said. You're feedback is really very valuable since its coming from an Audi owner.

My mind is in a dilemma for the exact same reasons you've mentioned here. One good option is to wait it out for the Audi to bring its re tuned engine too like you've mentioned, but I have a question. Won't the prices still go further up ?

Audi is clearly more exclusive since they don't have cheaper variants like in the Passat so that's another advantage from the other points you've mentioned.

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by stanjohn123

My mind is in a dilemma for the exact same reasons you've mentioned here. One good option is to wait it out for the Audi to bring its re tuned engine too like you've mentioned, but I have a question. Won't the prices still go further up ?

Audi is clearly more exclusive since they don't have cheaper variants like in the Passat so that's another advantage from the other points you've mentioned.

Well the A4 in 2.0 TDI guise is a CKD and CKD prices have anyways gone up post the budget. Whether they would go further up after the re-tuned engine comes in ? Probably not. Not sure though.
From your posts, clearly your heart craves for the 4 rings so why not just go for it post the engine upgrade ? It would be minus a few features vis-a-vis the Passat yet it would keep you more than just satisfied !

[stanjohn123]

Originally Posted by mdsaab

Lastly, the i45 is indeed a Hyundai.
Ofcourse it's a huge step down from the Audi.
but it's going to be spacious, have a great engine up from, the latest gen from hyundai is what i heard. and it looks killer. has a lot of styling cues from the Merc CLS. and i personally feel a bit of BMW as well.
This may satisfy your needs in what you are looking for in this purchase. and save you a lot of cash too. worth a shot, only downside is that it is probably going to be launched only around Diwali. But do check out the Hyundai i45 thread on the forum.

The i45 is the new Sonata. But whether Hyundai sticks to the Sonata badge or instead goes with the i45 is anybody's guess. i feel they might go with Sonata. we shall soon find out.

Yes I've seen the new Sonata in flesh(In Kuwait). Looks good but it ages really very fast plus I guess spending so much for that badge doesn't seem so sensible. Less than 15 Lakhs is ok for a Hyundai, above that, I don't think so.It's a known fact that they make great cars too, we've had 2 Hyundai's already and their really great to drive but snob value is very very low sadly.

Yeah about the A4, Platzda Turbo also advised the same thing, to wait and check out if Audi is coming with an improved engine rather than going for the old engine.

If the germans don't work out it has to be the Accord. The head wins in that case :-(.

[stanjohn123]

Just found out that there is a service center for Benz at Madurai. Although not much interested in it opted for a test drive nevertheless since I have taken the plunge for German cars.

I totally have no idea about the variants, features, or price about the C. Have to search our forums for any reviews now.

[shuvc]

Although given your budget it probably should not be in this list, but then it'll surely be verrrry exclusive yet with low low snob value - Kizashi !