[Mtv]

Originally Posted by speedy

If i were in your place i would take the ML. They look good and perform very well. The right price would be 35 to 40 lakhs as the new ones are around 55 lakhs. I have the 320cdi and she has clocked about 90,000kms and still behaves and looks like she has come out of the showroom, the Range Rover on the other hand would have given you bills worth an Altis.

The M's sold, I was too late
I saw your M in your garage, very nicely maintained.
This is , but i loved your 6!
Didn't Overdrive publish an article about it a few years ago?

[speedy]

Originally Posted by Mtv

The M's sold, I was too late
I saw your M in your garage, very nicely maintained.
This is , but i loved your 6!
Didn't Overdrive publish an article about it a few years ago?

Thats sad..a lot more cars would be in the market, so not to worry.

Thank you, the 6 was a complete beauty to drive and to look at. That would be Business Standard Motoring in which she was featured.

[saketa]

Hey guys,
In light of the huge discounts which are being given on petrol cars; the fact that my daily movement is restricted to 10-12 kms a day; and that the petrol linear rev (to me) is a far superior driving experience to the torquey diesel engine rush, I decided to go in for the Audi A4 1.8 Base trim which is coming to about 30L or maybe lesser if negotiations do go well. I also gave in my booking amount but apparently black interiors could stretch the delivery time by about 3-4 months according to Audi Gurgaon so i started reconsidering their offer.

Around sometime last week i came across this Mercedes petrol car offer under which you can pay half the value of the car and pay the rest 2 years later without incurring any interest so i thought I could give it a shot. I drove the C200 CGI and found the 7Gtronic gearbox very impressive. Moreover because their offer frees up so much liquidity, I could even hope to buy the Avantgarde trim because it would entail only a 17.something L downpayment.

A lot has been said about their segment's diesel counterparts but i could not find any comprehensive shootout/comparo between the petrol cars in this segment. I don't think it would be fair to include the 328i or the Volvo T6 because of the sheer difference in their OTR price. From my limited experience of driving both the cars, i felt that while the Audi A4 scores over the C200 in terms of Interior quality, Front end exterior (LED lines/Xenons) and a softer suspension. The C200 definitely felt sharper around corners, overall looked much better thanks to the 17 inch rims and Panoramic sunroof had a slightly superior grunt ( and performance) when the accelerator was floored and more importantly came with the stunning 50% now 50% later offer!

So here goes my list of positives and negatives of the A4 1.8 and C200 CGI
Audi A4 +: Exceptionally refined engine, Class leading Interior quality, timeless front end design and lines, Steering feels a little too light but weighs up nicely as you go faster, most value for money in this segment
Audi A4 - : Sales team remain non committal on delivery deadlines; CVT gearbox is not particularly exciting; Base trim gets a low end MMI software and 15 inch rims; :(

Mercedes C200 +: The 50% offer , Stunning panoramic roof and the overall design with 17 inch rims, planted suspension and goes into corners nicely without feeling too "flighty", Not sure how much it shows in the 0-100 times but the 186 Bhp engine feels noticeably quicker than the 170Bhp A4 1.8

Mercedes C200 - : COMMAND display is pretty much a joke when compared to the advanced I Drive or MMI; T & T/Mercedes questionable after sales service and reliability (Although the salesman pointed out that the 3 year warranty/unlimited mileage is standard)

So pretty confused as to which one I should pick. Any thoughts suggestions/corrections would be welcome!

Thanks in advance!

[sameerg001]

My pick would be Audi among both of them, The interior quality and the looks are enough to pick it over C.

Plus, In Audi you can get service package ( correct me if i am wrong ) for 5yrs and 1l kms, Which you don't get in C.

My suggestion- Pick Audi with Black interiors, You can add bigger alloys later on also

Cheers,
Sameer

[dipen]

You kind of missed the BMW bus. The E90 330i were going for 31-32 lakhs OTR before the launch of the ULTIMAT3.

For the Audi, loot at 2.0 TFSI and not the one with a Laura engine.

[amitoj]

No recommendations here but just wanted to say that its nice and refreshing to see someone going for a petrol car after so long!! That too in the luxury segment.

[noopster]

Oh come on...get the C class already. It's a Mercedes!

The A4 is a very middle-of-the-road car for me. CVT gearbox will just kill the driving experience, even if the 1.8TFSI engine may be quite a beast.

Have you considered the 1.8TSI Superb? It's available in a manual transmission as well these days in case you're worried about DSG-7 reliability. And it's MUCH cheaper than either of these. Equipment levelswill surely match up or be even better.

[saketa]

Originally Posted by sameerg001

My pick would be Audi among both of them, The interior quality and the looks are enough to pick it over C.

Plus, In Audi you can get service package ( correct me if i am wrong ) for 5yrs and 1l kms, Which you don't get in C.

My suggestion- Pick Audi with Black interiors, You can add bigger alloys later on also

Cheers,
Sameer

I agree. The White Audi with black interiors looks smashing. I'm suprised that they have hardly sold any in that combination. I guess its the Indian love for beige interiors. But is it worth waiting till Dec or even Jan 2012. In that case it would have made sense for me to go shopping in December for look around for year end discounts of pretty much most of the 35L cars.

Originally Posted by dipen

You kind of missed the BMW bus. The E90 330i were going for 31-32 lakhs OTR before the launch of the ULTIMAT3.

For the Audi, loot at 2.0 TFSI and not the one with a Laura engine.

Tell me about it! The facelift only comes with a 1.8 engine but with bumped up power.

Originally Posted by amitoj

No recommendations here but just wanted to say that its nice and refreshing to see someone going for a petrol car after so long!! That too in the luxury segment.

Thanks! I wouldn't say im an out and out enthusiast (not willing to stretch my budget into 328i territory but given all the factors i mentioned above, petrol definitely makes financial sense as well!

Originally Posted by noopster

Oh come on...get the C class already. It's a Mercedes!

The A4 is a very middle-of-the-road car for me. CVT gearbox will just kill the driving experience, even if the 1.8TFSI engine may be quite a beast.

Have you considered the 1.8TSI Superb? It's available in a manual transmission as well these days in case you're worried about DSG-7 reliability. And it's MUCH cheaper than either of these. Equipment levelswill surely match up or be even better.

Conventional wisdom on this forum does strongly recommend the Superb but the truth is i don't think it makes any sense for me because its going to be 100% self driven and while the Superb is an exceptionally well rounded car, its just feels like a huge boat somehow. Definitely looking for something more compact.

PS: Laura RS (i'd prefer an automatic so that takes it out of the running anyway) makes the most financial sense but I don't think any one else will understand that itch for a german car better than the ones on this forum The build quality, interiors and exterior looks of the Germans/Scandinavians cannot be matched by either of the Skodas IMHO. (No offence to anyone)

[vb-saan]

Oh wow, there is an absolute lack of petrol options in this segment. We have gone too far as a diesel nation!

Frankly, the two options listed – the A4 1.8 and the C200 CGI looks a bit of compromise. For the Merc, even leather seats are available only in the Avantgarde trim, and even for the A4, I guess it’s an option available on additional cost. But of the two, I feel the Merc have an edge.

Alternate options – if you are a keen driver, check out the Skoda Laura vRS, or if you need something bigger, check the Superb Elegance 1.8 MT.

And if you want to stick to the big 3, probably you can check the X1 sDrive18i as well.

[Sheel]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Alternate options – if you are a keen driver, check out the Skoda Laura vRS, or if you need something bigger, check the Superb Elegance 1.8 MT.

The Kizashi would make as a good petrol sedan as well. I would anyday pick the vRS over Superb

Any discounts for the petrol S60? That would be my pick. Have a look http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...ve-review.html

[BoeingDriver]

Budget: 20-30L.

Requirements: Diesel, Comfort, Looks & Brand Value.

Mission: City use (may not be everyday) and long pleasure drive(s) once in a while.

Looking for a car that suits the image of an single guy in Mid 20s.

Need Help

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by BoeingDriver

Budget: 20-30L.

Requirements: Diesel, Comfort, Looks & Brand Value.

Mission: City use (may not be everyday) and long pleasure drive(s) once in a while.

Looking for a car that suits the image of an single guy in Mid 20s.

Need Help

Depends which city. Either the Passat Highline or the 320D base.

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by saketa

Hey guys,
In light of the huge discounts which are being given on petrol cars; the fact that my daily movement is restricted to 10-12 kms a day; and that the petrol linear rev (to me) is a far superior driving experience to the torquey diesel engine rush, I decided to go in for the Audi A4 1.8 Base trim which is coming to about 30L or maybe lesser if negotiations do go well. I also gave in my booking amount but apparently black interiors could stretch the delivery time by about 3-4 months according to Audi Gurgaon so i started reconsidering their offer.

Around sometime last week i came across this Mercedes petrol car offer under which you can pay half the value of the car and pay the rest 2 years later without incurring any interest so i thought I could give it a shot. I drove the C200 CGI and found the 7Gtronic gearbox very impressive. Moreover because their offer frees up so much liquidity, I could even hope to buy the Avantgarde trim because it would entail only a 17.something L downpayment.

A lot has been said about their segment's diesel counterparts but i could not find any comprehensive shootout/comparo between the petrol cars in this segment. I don't think it would be fair to include the 328i or the Volvo T6 because of the sheer difference in their OTR price. From my limited experience of driving both the cars, i felt that while the Audi A4 scores over the C200 in terms of Interior quality, Front end exterior (LED lines/Xenons) and a softer suspension. The C200 definitely felt sharper around corners, overall looked much better thanks to the 17 inch rims and Panoramic sunroof had a slightly superior grunt ( and performance) when the accelerator was floored and more importantly came with the stunning 50% now 50% later offer!

So here goes my list of positives and negatives of the A4 1.8 and C200 CGI
Audi A4 +: Exceptionally refined engine, Class leading Interior quality, timeless front end design and lines, Steering feels a little too light but weighs up nicely as you go faster, most value for money in this segment
Audi A4 - : Sales team remain non committal on delivery deadlines; CVT gearbox is not particularly exciting; Base trim gets a low end MMI software and 15 inch rims; :(

Mercedes C200 +: The 50% offer , Stunning panoramic roof and the overall design with 17 inch rims, planted suspension and goes into corners nicely without feeling too "flighty", Not sure how much it shows in the 0-100 times but the 186 Bhp engine feels noticeably quicker than the 170Bhp A4 1.8

Mercedes C200 - : COMMAND display is pretty much a joke when compared to the advanced I Drive or MMI; T & T/Mercedes questionable after sales service and reliability (Although the salesman pointed out that the 3 year warranty/unlimited mileage is standard)

So pretty confused as to which one I should pick. Any thoughts suggestions/corrections would be welcome!

Thanks in advance!

If you choose the Audi, dont settle for the 1.8. My info on the pricing isnt updated, far from it infact but last i remember the price difference between the 1.8 and the 2.0T was meager and since its a petrol you can push for heavy discounts. I am sure they will be offered with the 2.0T

Middle of the road car or not, drive the 2.0T and let the car do the talking.
Annoying comments dismissing Audi will always exist sadly but drive the 2 TFSI and then if you feel the Merc is better then i would say the deal is fair.

[BoeingDriver]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Depends which city. Either the Passat Highline or the 320D base.

Thanks akshay. Am based out of Chennai. Was considering X1 S20D. Just out of curiosity is I Drive an absolute must have ?? 320 D base is an interesting option. But I guess OTR price + BSI would over shoot the upper limit a bit.
I should have mentioned the 20-30 L was OTR price band.

[saketa]

Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo

If you choose the Audi, dont settle for the 1.8. My info on the pricing isnt updated, far from it infact but last i remember the price difference between the 1.8 and the 2.0T was meager and since its a petrol you can push for heavy discounts. I am sure they will be offered with the 2.0T

Middle of the road car or not, drive the 2.0T and let the car do the talking.
Annoying comments dismissing Audi as a brand will always exist sadly but drive the 2 TFSI and then if you feel the Merc is better then i would say the deal is fair.

Hey! They seem to have done away with the 2.0 because on the price list they gave me the only engine options available are the 1.8 Tfsi and 2.0 TDi