Hi everyone. So I finally took the plunge on an Imperial Blue 3GT Sportsline - sort of an impulse buy and really made up my mind literally within 3 - 4 days.
I’m not very good with reviews so I’ll briefly outline the decision making process that led up to the 3 GT purchase.
The garage (pre-purchase):
Sunny D (Aug ‘12): workhorse
Civic A/T (Aug 09): Largely for self-use although the driver chauffeurs me around in it as well when required.
City A/T (Aug 09): The easier to drive A/T option around the city. Comfortable sedan with a big boot for airport trips plus compact enough to self-drive such that you don’t miss a hatch in the garage.
The requirement:
In a perfect world, I’d like my garage to comprise the following vehicles. I’d like every car to be an A/T if possible so I don’t begrudge getting behind the wheel of any vehicle that’s at my disposal.
- A nice luxury sedan that I would largely self-drive and give to the chauffeur only when required (maybe 50/50 eventually but 80/20 initially with 80 being self). Should not be TOO large since I’d like to drive myself very often (e.g: Octavia, Jetta, Altis, Superb, 3, C, E etc). Ideally within 40/42 lakhs. Diesel is really nice but not an absolute must.
- A workhorse. My perfect ask would be the 2016 Innova in A/T guise. If not that, perhaps a Creta D-A/T. It’s the kind of car that is respectable enough to be chauffeur driven in even to a meeting or to work. That would mean typically C segment / 12-13 lakh and up. Examples – Vento D-A/T; Creta D-A/T; Innova D-A/T. Ideally should be a diesel since it will bear the brunt of the mileage clocked in our house. I might consider sacrificing the A/T bit so long as its diesel. But then the car should be a reasonably fun to drive manual should I ever choose to drive it. Examples: S – Cross D; Baleno D. If that too fails, in the interest of 7 seat flexibility and Diesel, I would also consider options like Honda BR-V (D) and Mobilio (D).
- The Honda City A/T as long as it survives (8-9 years) which if 1. and 2. are acquired as per plan, could be replaced with a suitable A/T premium hatchback like Polo TSI, Jazz, Baleno or even Grand i10 (or whatever is the equivalent in the market at the time of change). This HAS TO be A/T since my mom should also feel comfy driving it.
I don’t have the budget to replace 1. and 2. too close to each other, would need at least 12 – 18 months space between the upgrades. Ideally, that would have meant changing the Sunny next year with an Innova A/T and changing the Civic later with a premium sedan. But I can’t bear to wait that long for the premium sedan and therefore I started looking for a premium FTD sedan right away but by selling the Sunny workhorse. In the interim, I will use the Civic as the workhorse and simply absorb the increased fuel consumption. I simply love my civic and couldn’t bear to sell it even though its 6 years old. The Sunny on the other hand I was delighted to get out of my house.
The options:
Octavia
This is what started it all actually. I was actively considering the Anniversary Edition of the Octy in top of line trim. So we’re talking an accomplished sedan with great boot space, notchback flexibility, 5 tyres (call me old fashioned), paddle shifters and a palatable price tag of 26 lakh on road. Downside - SKODA!! I was otherwise pretty sold on the vehicle.
The Pros:
- Fun to drive.
- Diesel A/T
- Looks – I simply love the understated class that the Octy exudes. Much better looking than the outgoing Laura (it also helps that its not called ‘Laura’).
- Paddle shifters on the anniversary edition (I love paddle shifters)
- Notchback flexibility
- Proper spare wheel.
- Excellent boot space.
- Not prohibitively expensive. I can easily combine it with an Innova as well next year and still be within 45 lakhs on outflow.
The Cons:
- Will I really feel like I’ve upgraded after 6 years of the Civic. It is undoubtedly superior to my Civic but how long will it keep me happy. In that sense, the new Superb would be perfect although the downside would be it’s a pretty big vehicle to pilot for self-drive. Genuine no questions upgrade (the Superb).
- Inferior suspension with D-A/T.
- The VAG factor – reliability issues, poor after sales experience and generally a sub-par approach in addressing customer issues.
- The petrol engine is simply explosive in power delivery. However that can’t be said of the diesel. While its powerful enough to bring a smile to the face, it won’t contort your face into a stupid grin like the petrol does. Although I’m not hell bent on diesel, the economy (as well as resale advantage) that comes with it are very welcome. To that extent, I would have picked the Octy diesel over the petrol. Not to mention the DQ 200 factor in the petrol.
Skoda Superb (2016):
Pros - Drop dead stunning looks. I simply loved the new design language that is like the Octy. I don’t care too much for the odd ball proportions of the current Superb. The new Superb makes a VERY compelling case for itself on every front.
- No doubting that it represents an upgrade in every sense.
- Diesel A/T
- Notchback flexibility
- Proper spare wheel.
- Excellent boot space.
Cons - Size. All things being equal, I actually prefer the size of the Octy – its perfect for self-drive on every front.
- The VAG factor – reliability issues, poor after sales experience and generally a sub-par approach in addressing customer issues.
- I don’t know about engine options but after spending what I assume would be 35 L or thereabouts, I would want the diesel engine to be in the 160+ BHP range. Anything less and it would make me question the purchase. The current 140 BHP offering is a bit of a downer.
New C class Pros - Love the looks. It is simply gorgeous.
- Sitting inside (front) there’s no mistaking you’re in a very luxurious sedan. I simply love the Mercs from the inside. Much better than any equivalent BMW for sure and many times than the comparable Audis too.
Cons- Very cramped at the back.
- No spare wheel. The awkward size and shape of the boot makes it virtually unusable once the space saver is kept. Simply not practical for anything beyond a basic in-city commute. This alone makes it a deal breaker.
- Really pricey even after the discounts.
- Merc reliability is still a notch lower than BMW in India (my anecdotal understanding).
- No BSI type assurance with the Merc. When it comes to owning an expensive German, the BSI factor played a BIG part in my ultimate decision.
Any Audi
Not even worth considering. I refuse to pay that much money for a glorified VAG product with underwhelming CVT gearboxes (the new A6 with DSG is well beyond my budget). I like the looks of the Audi but simply don’t care to be subjected to VAG ownership at that price point. Too much money to risk on the group.
3 series
Much more spacious than the C but still cramped boot once you put in the space saver. Also, both the 3 and C (and 5 for that matter) make you sit really low, are fairly cramped (not the 5), and come with very limited boot space. For all the plushness and driving pleasure they provide, a Superb / Octy / Camry just give you a much more complete car experience compared to this.
Camry Hybrid Pros - Beautiful car in every sense
- I found it reasonably satisfying to drive as well
- The comfort is just superlative.
Cons - Size. This is much better as a chauffeur driven car. Self-drive is quite cumbersome
- Boot. Moving that much real estate around and getting a 400 litre in return makes you feel a bit short changed.
- I won’t be surprised if 6 – 7 years later I pick this as a 3 GT replacement. I’d be in my mid 40s by then and it would be perfect. At this time, I would rather see myself enjoying the Joy of Driving than the Luxury of the Camry.
E class - Literally ticks every single box.
- Proper full size sedan unlike the 3 & C etc.
- Big boot
- Full size spare wheel (alas I suspect that will no longer be with the new E next year)
- Luxury, space, driving pleasure all superlative.
The only fly in the ointment – price. I simply did not feel up to making the extra cash stretch to go up to E class even on the discounted values. On an unrelated note, if I were to consider spending the 53 – 55 odd lakh asking price for this, I would have picked the E over the 5 hands down. Reason? Full boot with no space saver hassle, more comfortable to sit at the back than the 5. Generally, I find the inside of a Merc a nicer place to be than the corresponding BMW.
Budget is the only reason I did not go for this car since the 3 GT was already a bit of a stretch.
BMW 3 GT
Enter the 3 GT (sportsline) now. This car just blew me away. Had it not been for the GT, I would in all likelihood put my money down on either the Camry or the new Superb.
At only marginally more money than a C (and a little more gap to a 3), I got a car that checked most of the boxes for me.
Pros - I like the extra space the car brings in many ways.
- You sit a little higher and therefore more comfortable
- Leg room is better.
- Boot space is much better than 3, C and 5 (both 5 series and 3 GT have 520 litre boots but the 3 GT is much more usable because its taller instead of deeper. The 5 series boot is deep and shallow so pretty unusable with a spare wheel.
- You get notchback flexibility that further absorbs the disadvantage of the space saver. Available boot space can really be played around with because of this factor, dropping seats, using the space above the parcel etc.
- BSI / Secure peace of mind (5 years 60,000 km). I’ve paid well under 50 lakh ALL inclusive and going forward, I only need to pay for fuel and annual insurance / secure. Everything else pre-paid for with peace of mind for every single nut and bolt that can misfire. Coming from a family that’s only owned Jap (& some Korean) cars, this was a HUGE comfort factor in taking the German plunge.
- BMW reliability as well as after sales has possibly the best reputation amongst the hallowed trio. Also better than the VAG offerings.
- It does stand out as slightly unique and is not as common as many other luxury cars out there.
- Genuine high performance purchase. Absolutely no feeling of comprise on the driving pleasure aspect.
Cons - The space saver in the boot nuisance factor is still there.
- Looks. I quite like it and certainly don’t find it offensive. I still acknowledge thought that it’s a bit of an acquired taste and won’t be surprised at all if someone finds it plain dowdy or even awkward.
- I think the info display on dashboard could have been livelier. Doesn’t look as premium as the Mercs, Audis and the BMWs that are 5 / X3 and up.
- Missing sunroof on the sportsline. Barring that one aspect, I prefer the sportsline over the luxury line in many respects. Front seats have the extra bolstering, red stitch on the steering, missing chrome around the door frame (I prefer that), the alloys – much better on the sportsline.
For all the above reasons, from the available options the 3 GT made absolutely the most sense for me at this point. I’m not that experienced at these high end cars, still coming to terms with a lot of the gadgetry so I may or may not have responses to a lot of the technical questions. However, if there’s any input from a decision making standpoint, I’d me more than willing to address this.
Short note on the dealership experience: Navnit, Andheri
I bought my car from Navnit Motors Andheri (Mumbai) and must make it a point to mention that I found them absolutely fantastic. My primary point of contact was Darshan (and supported briefly by his senior Ayaz) both were absolutely fantastic. They were proactive, facilitative, prompt (without being pushy) and gave me a better deal than Infinity quite quickly. My pal and I both were in the market to pick up a 3 GT each and even though both dealers knew we were potentially a 2 car purchase, Infinity was still a little
thanda in comparison to its approach. My experience with Navnit from first conversation right up to delivery has been stellar and I would have no hesitation in recommending Navnit (and Darshan & Ayaz at Navnit) to anyone on the lookout for a Beemer.
I'm posting a few initial pictures that I took at the time of delivery and shortly after. I actually haven't clicked any pics of the interiors. Will try and put those up later.
Cheers,