Team-BHP - Volvo S60 2012 vs Skoda Superb vs Sonata 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreamtheater39 (Post 2697365)

So finally, i'm left with the Sonata 2012 only from my original list. Can you guys suggest any other cars that are great overall and would be a good buy in the 15-25L budget?

I would suggest you to look at the new 3 (and wait for it). But it would go beyond the 25L barrier if you want its gizmos. Thinking of which, I think you should try the new Passat. Accord can be ruled out as it lags behind in terms of equipment when compared with other cars of its segment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreamtheater39 (Post 2697365)

- Volvo S60 - ruled out - end of the day lacks brand value, and I'd rather hinge towards a 3 series BMW instead even if it lacks a few cool gizmos

So finally, i'm left with the Sonata 2012 only from my original list. Can you guys suggest any other cars that are great overall and would be a good buy in the 15-25L budget?

San

Still cannot understand the logic. Do you mean that you will rule out Volvo because it has low brand value (compared to German trio) and are okay with Hyundai, which has <negative> brand equity in the luxury car market:Shockked: Or do did you simply mean that if its a car without badge value (none of the cars listed above has any *real* badge value), then you are okay with a Hyundai.

I'd say consider the Passat too. If you are stretching a bit and will like to exercise a bit of constraint then you can also look at Jetta and Fluence. Both are bigg-ish cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile (Post 2697675)

+1 to that. Volvo enjoys higher value than Hyundai in the luxury market anyway.
Given your requirements, S60 seems a good bet, followed by the Passat.

As for Sonata, Hyundai may have improved, but I'm still not sure about the handling.

Cheers,
Tapish

At that pricepoint one generally starts looking at the 3 series.

If rear seat is hardly going to make a buying point here, its should be between S60 and Hyundai.

Skoda's *** is not really giving a great picture(Any german manufacturer) for that matter. Nor does S60 have any major feedback on ***. The risk of *** hitting you later is still the same with S60 or Skoda.

Hyundai - All said about hyundai they have a better *** and the build quality will not be a compromise. They may not beat the living life out of S60 or SKoda by performance nor the fall too far behind.

Reliability has never been a major issue with Hyundai as well and the new Skoda looks refreshing.

But for me when I am at SKoda or S60 i am mightyly tempted to push for and go for the 3'series.

Odd that you are ruling out volvo because of its brand value and choosing a hyundai instead?! IMHO, Superb still offers the best overall package (after discounts the OTR price of the superb automatic is 23laks for the TSI and 26laks for the TDI).
Just because the superb has been here for a while, its wrong to assume that its technologically inferior. The DSG gearbox and CR diesel engine is really advanced in terms of technology and is miles ahead of any jap or korean car.
The s60 d3 looks awesome..buts that about it. The reviews seem to suggest that it isnt that much fun to drive, and the cramped rear seats with a shockingly small boot are big turn-offs!
Also do some research into the quality of A.S.S offered by dealership your buying from.
If you can stretch your budget go for the passat or wait for the new 3 series.
If not, go for the jetta or the superb.

Volvo is the best self driven car amongst all the other options listed here. Yes, it's full one size smaller than Superb and Passat but the Volvo comes with a premium feel which these cars cannot match. If front seats are more important than the rear ones, pick the Volvo.

Keep in mind GC is low and there is no spare tire.

Superb and Passat are good all rounders, very roomy and practical cars, though not as fun as the smaller Volvo.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreamtheater39 (Post 2697365)

So finally, i'm left with the Sonata 2012 only from my original list. Can you guys suggest any other cars that are great overall and would be a good buy in the 15-25L budget?

Since your choices are crossing over 2 different segments, you actually have other options to look at (IMO, size-wise the S60 sits in the luxury C+ space, whereas Sonata and Superb are D-segment cars).

Some suggestions, and these could result in some good savings as well:
1) VW Jetta DSG
2) Renault Fluence E4 diesel
Both the cars above are reasonably luxurious, good on safety, and have decent space as well.

Happy shopping! :)

Thanks guys...been really helpful! :)

I have a few more questions -
1. Is the Skoda superb really as unreliable as few people have posted here? Also, can someone give me any insight on A.S.S in hyderabad, which dealer is the best to choose from while buying a Superb?
2. Can you give me a realistic comparison on maintenance costs per annum for BMW 320d vs Superb vs Jetta?

With regards to the passat, the comfortline has too many nice features stripped off (but somehow manages to squeeze into my budget) while the highline is awesome but way off my budget :(

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreamtheater39 (Post 2696379)

Hi guys!

I'm currently stuck at deciding between these three options :(
I'd really appreciate if you could help me with my decision making process! What i'm looking for is -

1. Lots of gizmos and gadgetry in the car!
2. Great interiors and comfort

The S60 D3 looked like my best option, comes loaded with features. But I then realized once i checked with the dealer that most of the cool features such as "Pedestrian detection", "Adaptive cruise control", "Lane change detection" etc. have been stripped off for the indian buyers.

Now, after knocking off these features, it comes close to the skoda superb...so could someone help me decide what's a better choice and why? Also the new sonata has a great engine (201 bhp!), great design and features to go. But, if the pricing is going to be above the 20L figure, paying sooo much for a Hyundai car makes me feel a little unjustified.

On our roads, things like pedestrian detection, cruise control (adaptive or not), lane change detection make no sense at all. Volvo is the first pick, brand value, overall good build quality, better to drive (personal opinion) and imagine all the girls going nuts over the car from twilight.

I'm not gonna go on about Skoda reliability or the Hyundai brand but with the Sonata and Superb, you get more car for your money. Both are bigger than the S60 and have more space, equally long (small?) equipment list, refined diesel engines but they're ideally chauffeur driven cars.

So S60>Superb>Sonata. With your budget, don't go below these segments.

Alternative: Buy a 3 CE at good discounts now, the new 3 (F30) may not have a corporate edition at launch but will definitely be available within a year if not earlier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreamtheater39 (Post 2698221)

The A.S.S for skoda here in chennai has really impressed me. Make sure the centers in hyderabad are reliable. And honestly, apart from the issues the 2010 superb had with its 7 speed DSG gearbox (which has been sorted out) its reliability has never been in doubt (and the 4 yr skoda shield definitely helps in giving you that piece of mind).

If you love driving and dont really care about the rear seats , boot space etc, then the s60 would be a good choice.
Passat and the superb are perfect all rounders.

But 25lakhs for a jap or korean car ?? That would be a strict "no no" in my opinion!

The new 3'er will be out of your budget even without all the bells and whistles, leave alone the option of all gizmos included, hence a waste to wait for it.

As pointed out by GTO, the new sonata is surely a stunner and reliability wont be biting your back with every single drive.

As per my opinion, the superb would be the best vfm car in this segment unless and until you have preconcieved that you too are going to get a lemon from the germans.

Its one of the best fit for your budget, although not being the 'best' drivers car, it does have one of the best rear seat to be chauffeured in.

All in all , if you beg for a drivers car, you can go in for the superb v6 or the 3'er ie if you can stretch the budget a bit.

Good luck with your buy and do keep this thread going.

I use the Superb as my daily drive, its a seriously awesome car, the A.S.S has moved leaps and bounds in my opinion, especially from my recent experience with the mumbai dealership service centre (autobahn). But i believe she up for a face-lift, with LED and some other cosmetic changes this year. However, lacks the exclusivity (if youre looking for it), comfort and gadgetry is fantastic.

If you are to drive youreself, the Volvo would be a good buy or the New 3..

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan (Post 2696460)

To me the Superb is the most luxurious by a long chalk.
The Volvo is simply lovely as a car but lacks that awareness in India. Plus there is a challenge of not many service centres. I still like it a lot though.
The Hyundai to me, just doesnt cut it, in comparison to the above two.

Agree with him completely. The Superb would satisfy your fetish for features very well, however if you can stretch, the VW Passat would be a better buy. Buying a Hyundai in this segment would be like, spending 10k on dinner at a Haldiram's outlet. The Other options are more like a buffet at Marriot for the same price. The Volvo again is a respectable buy, but with limited features on the base variant , I think the German's here have done a better job. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abhinav667 (Post 2699524)

The Volvo again is a respectable buy, but with limited features on the base variant , I think the German's here have done a better job. :)

What missing features are you talking about? It comes with most of the safety equipment, real leather seats.....the equipment list, feel & ambiance of interiors is still way better than any of cut cost BMW corporate variants.

The only major issue i can think of in comparison to Germans is Volvo's lack of service infrastructure. Somehow i feel Volvo is not really serious about their car business in India, they don't have local manufacturing/assembly setup, meaning all the cars are CBU which are easy to withdraw in case they are not doing well in market. Existing sales figures do not boost confidence.

Alright guys, a crazy flash decision was made! I went for a test drive, stretched my budget like craaaaazyyyy....and just went for it! Any guesses??? Well....the BMW 320d Dynamic!!!! Should be getting it in a weeks time and I just can't seem to wait!

Crazy power, amazing driving experience, awesome auto shift gearbox, extremely high attention to detail on every inch of the car - flawless!

Thanks all for helping me out here :) And will post in pics when I get my baby!