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-   -   Help in deciding on a new Car 30L OTR Mumbai (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/luxury-imports-niche/104972-help-deciding-new-car-30l-otr-mumbai.html)

Greetings! This is my first post and after finally getting admitted to this esteemed team !

I would like to seek your inputs as I am trying to decude on a new car for replacing my 2003 Lancer.

Budget 30L , willing to do 10-15L down , rest on loan.

Current shortlisted:

X1 20d CE, 320D CE & 220CDI Executive.

Commercials:

All 3 cars are in the range of 29L-32L OTR mumbai

Navnit has offered 5 and 7 year EMI option for the X1 after DP ( approx 10K) comes to approx 40k and 33k respectively.

On the 320d they have an interest free scheme, where for a loan of 18 L emi comes to 50k odd ( 3 years) , rest I have to shell out as DP.

Similar scheme is available for the 220D CDI Exec from Autohanger, where they are offering a 15L zero interest loan for 3 years for about 40k EMI for 3 years.

No zero interest scheme yet on the X1 offered to me, but good part is all 3 cars are available ex-stock ( colour permiting).

My Evaluation:

X1 looks the best and is the freshest, but only con is that BMW has taken off the idrive , stripped the internal accessories, has issue with backseat space and the hump in the middle and also has the mandatory irritant 'run flat tyres'

320D CE, as I hear in this board and elsewhere, is getting replaced and that along with the CE attributes and the mandatory irritant 'run flat tyres'

C220 CDI Executive , seems fairly reasonable, has a good engine ( more torque on paper) , better fuel efficiency and perhaps a bit more roomy. And they are willing to replace the grill with the star in the middle one for some 25k.

Overall, X1 seems apt for Mumbai roads but I believe mercs will give me a better exit options 2 -3 years down the line.

My usage is moderate, once a quarter off city drive and otherwise city use.

In my lancer , over past 8 years done some 80,000 kms, so I believe won't cross 12,000 km a year.

Shall i expand the choice say include the Accord or Passat ? I fancy the Germans, and know to be expensive to maintain over others.

Look forward to hearing from team-bhp fraternity!

I don't see any mention of Audi here, any particular reason?
The A4 and the soon-to-be-launched(?) Q3 fit in the price bracket as well!

If a new 320D will be launched, you might get a good deal closer to the date the new car will be launched. They would offer you a discount. X1 is the most practical but I think you should go for the 320D. You will love it particularly if you will be self driven. I too dislike their policy of providing only run-flat tyres. But, if that is not too much of an issue for you I suggest you go for the 320D. Also, check out the new Passat. It seems to be rich in features. I would not suggest the Accord as I feel it is a bit over-priced for whats on offer. I would not suggest an Audi as a couple of my friends have been complaining about its reliability and service. Best of luck!

Do you really want the BMW or Mercedes badge? If not then look at the Passat/Superb.

Do you drive or does your driver drive?

The Passat makes much more sense as an overall car compared to the BMW CEs and the Merc C220. It has many more features and actually is VFM at 30l.

Another option is to try and push for a big discount on the 320d highline. Since the car is on its last stages I think you can get a good discount. It might push your budget by 1-2 lacs but I think it will be worth it.

Thanks, mate for your quality inputs.

Audi, I felt was not real value for money at this range, you need to pay a bit more to get something out of them.

I like the merc c220 cdi exec for it's value and perhaps the better resale value perception.

But X1 is a choice from the heart, albeit the space issue.

help me decide please: !

Yes the A4 is an excellent car. Try it out.

PLs visit this link started by akshay1234
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...car-guide.html

There are so many cars in that price segment today. Why are you limiting yourself to a Mercedes and a few BMWs?

Is there any way you could 'up' that budget of yours? If you can, then I suggest you give the Volvo S60 a look. It's a great looking car that comes loaded to the gills with features and is a very very comfortable car. Not to mention that it packs quite a punch and is more spacious than most cars in its class.

It is the perfect family-man's car with a fun-streak to it, while on the other hand, the 3er is a predominantly fun car with a martyr approach to the family-oriented.

If the budget cannot be changed, then I suggest you close your eyes and buy the top-of-the-line VW Passat. You don't need anything else, honestly. It has and does everything you'd want. :)

The Accord is a great car, Jap reliability and all. But it could do with more features. And it lacks something you'd expect in a 30 lakh car and that's snob-value.

Thank you once again.

I love the S60 but they have two drawback, no dealer in Mumbai .. nearest and only one around is in Thane. That scares me. And offcourse, it's OTR is almost 36L. But I have seen that they are advertising a zero emi offer, maybe I should try them once.

Audi A4, again costs more, if one does an apple to apple comparison. But yes, it's a great car, no doubt.

Passat, hmm.. interesting, didnot consider that. Let me think through on this.

Q3 sounds interesting though, wonder when is it coming ?

I was talking to Navnit guys today and he claims they have no news on the new 320d and when is the current 320d discount expect to go deep :)

PS askshay1234's link is a superb read.

Volvo has a showroom on Veera Desai Road, Andheri West. Check it out

Interesting, almost sounds like the car dealership are cartelized !

Volvo has a showroom/dealer in mumbai, yes, off new link road , next to Yashraj studio .. operating out of the Jaguar Land Rover showroom. But the registered dealer is Shreenath Motors, Thane ( yes, the same as Shreenath Hyundai, Mumbai).

And then when i spoke with the Shreenath Volvo rep, he asked me if I am comparing the S60 with any other car and when I mentioned BMW, he immediately asked if he can help, as Navnit Motors is a sister concern!

Aargh!

Anyway, got a quote for S60 D5 SUMMUM (top end ) comes to 40 lacs OTR , the Kinetic is not readily available. It's CBU , so got a shock on the RTO charges 6lacs ! The interest free options for 3 years is 25 lacs down, 15 lac loan comes to 41k EMI ... so 10 lacs over budget.

They are to send me some more finance options with 85% finance @ 6%.

On paper S60 D5 SUMMAM looks terrific.

Maybe saturday, I may go for a test drive, rain permitting:)

@barua: Did you check out the discounts offered on the A4? I was getting a 4L + discount on it last month from the dealer, and the total price was coming to 2-3L more than the 320d CE and C220 CDi Executive. In fact, given that it had a sunroof, real leather seats, more space, and a better music system with MMI for the additional price, it actually felt quite VFM.
However, the engine and dynamics didn't impress me much, though the overall car was superb!

Also, as akshay1234 mentioned, do check out the Passat. Out of all of the cars, I enjoyed the Passat the most. It had the most equipment, a powerful engine, decent leg space, and good interior quality. The only thing missing was the brand value, but if that is not a concern, it is a good deal!

If you want good power and reasonable mileage, go for the Merc C250 CDI . It offers 207PS of power and a very decent mileage considering its diesel.. With regards to the X1 or the superb, its offering around 180PS with reasonable mileage (hate to think about the After SS of Skoda here, BMW x1 hasn't been a head turner in our region), Superb offers an excellent engine with good performance and is worth considering certainly.

Am not really in for the A4 or BMW 320d considering that, the badge value when considering a merc. Also, personally haven't had a great experience in these considering even A6's (the basic version with the MMI) didn't offer me much value for money.

An outside bet can be on the Passat or the Captiva/Pajero (if you have an idea for these).

Did a TD of X1 great car to drive, but it's rear seat is an issue, very ordinary for a price bracket.

C220CDI looks promising, good discounts on the C250 CDI ... all because of the impending new model. But I guess it's worth buying the new one. Got a decent bullet scheme too , 5 years @ 40k-47k odd emi with 9L down and 6L as bullet. else 10L and 33k odd for 7 years.

Understand the new one, will be 42L OTR.

Tough choice, lucky that the rest are out of budget.

By the way , the merc dealer is saying Star Ease Comprehensive 3year/60k service plan is available for corporate buyers only? What is this all about?

Bit nervous on service costs, after reading about some of fellow members horror stories with autohanger & others.

You could add another contender to your already long prospective car list - Audi Q3. If you have been following the threads off late , it has been spotted at different places in Mumbai on multiple occasions and trust me it is 1 sweet looker. Much better than the X1 IMHO. For 1-2 lakhs over the X1 it would come pretty loaded with the MMI pop-up screen, option of having Quattro yada yada. Think about it. Makes sense in my books.