[androdev]

Time for change of thread title?

Get CLA if you don't have much use for rear seat, even if you just park it in the garage you will be happy you bought it Alternatives might be more practical but not as practical as not buying altogether.

[madnish30]

Originally Posted by androdev

Time for change of thread title?

Get CLA if you don't have much use for rear seat, even if you just park it in the garage you will be happy you bought it Alternatives might be more practical but not as practical as not buying altogether.

The heart says CLA. But, the mind is stil confused about the value of overspending - elaborated here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans...ml#post3693599

[Naman_Ferrari]

The 3 Series is going to get a facelift very soon which might make it much better than it currently is. Do consider that in your decision

Related link- http://www.team-bhp.com/news/bmw-3-s...t-reveal-may-7

[madnish30]

Hello,

Looking to replace my 2012 Vento. Have a budget of 30 lacs (OTR) and am looking to make the purchase within the next 60 days. I have a daily drive of 60 KMs on a mix of good (Lutyen's Delhi) and not so good roads (Noida!).

The car will be 95% self driven and the backseat is not important, at the most two occupants and the rare once a month chauffeur driven ride.

I have shortlisted the following cars:

Audi A3 TDI Premium - ~₹28L

Likes: new, compact, comfortable, snappy, stylish and fits in the budget as well as not very common.

Dislikes: No LED on the premium variant, don't really like any of the colours available!

Audi A4 TFSI Premium - ~₹32L

Likes: great cabin, bigger, road presence, those headlamps, Dakota Grey colour and compliments the other cars nicely (and actually feels like an upgrade!).

Dislikes: Petrol!!! (the diesel motor has a premium of 4 lacs, out of budget), going to be replaced by the new-generation A4 within 12 months! Way too common, resale, reliability & availability of parts once the next generation model is here!

(petrol does seem like a deal breaker, unless someone can convince me otherwise).

VW Jetta/Octavia - ~₹20L

Not TD'd either, keeping them in the race just for the sake of it - not too keen, as the badge does matter. Besides, Jetta doesn't feel like an upgrade (psychologically) and I want to stay clear of Skoda in India.

Mercedes Benz CLA CDI - ~₹36L

Likes: the looks and the badge! Checks all the boxes.
Dislikes: lacks power, overpriced and out of budget!

Others

A/B Class/V-40/118d - dont want to get into hatches!
Fortuner - feels dated and fuel guzzler!
320d - TD'd - it feels too dated and not VFM, besides its over the budget.


Look forward to your inputs and help!
PS: I'm open to other segments/makes, but not open to used cars. Also if something is in the horizon - 90-100 days is what I'm willing to wait.

Thanks in advance

[anb]

Since the car is mostly self driven and rear seat comfort is not important, I'd prefer A3 35 TDI over A4 and Jetta . A4 is a very old model and due for replacement next year. A3 is much nicer to drive than A4, it's compact size will become handy during city drives and parking.

[madnish30]

Originally Posted by anb

Since the car is mostly self driven and rear seat comfort is not important, I'd prefer A3 35 TDI over A4 and Jetta . A4 is a very old model and due for replacement next year. A3 is much nicer to drive than A4, it's compact size will become handy during city drives and parking.

I have the exact same thoughts. However, missing out on the DRLs in an Audi (!) is somewhat of a psychological speedbreaker! The premium plus variant is good 3 lacs more than the Premium variant and that's only a lac less than the TFSI A4, which all said and done is:

Bigger
Better
Powerful
A segment higher
Comes in Dakota grey
Has the (option) of a very decent backseat experience - which makes it interchangeable with the C-Class in my garage (more flexibility of usage)!

But, also a petrol at the end of the day! Hence, back to square one.

[IshaanIan]

The A3 is smart but its a tiny car and I'd really only go or it for the badge (you don't need everyone thinking that). The A4 is due for an upgrade so its best not to bother considering it.

Might I suggest the Volvo S60; The car looks really smart and understated after last year's facelift, comes with good dynamics, has that oh so lovely rear end, very ergonomically shaped seats, is cheaper to maintain than any of the German trio and has a tasteful choice of colours

[madnish30]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

The A3 is smart but its a tiny car and I'd really only go or it for the badge (you don't need everyone thinking that). The A4 is due for an upgrade so its best not to bother considering it.

Might I suggest the Volvo S60; The car looks really smart and understated after last year's facelift, comes with good dynamics, has that oh so lovely rear end, very ergonomically shaped seats, is cheaper to maintain than any of the German trio and has a tasteful choice of colours

Yes, A3 is tiny, doesn't feel like an upgrade from a Vento in terms of space. Which is why the A4 seems even more lucrative! Looking consciously knowing that the current A4 is at the end of the road - which is why it's going almost at the same price as the A3, the new A4 will surely be out of my budget.

The S60 is a great car, I'm yet to TD it, but it's out of my budget by a good 7-8 lacs - same range as the CLA I believe, if not more. But, I'll TD and try to bargain and see where I get with the S60!

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by madnish30

Yes, A3 is tiny, doesn't feel like an upgrade from a Vento in terms of space. Which is why the A4 seems even more lucrative! Looking consciously knowing that the current A4 is at the end of the road - which is why it's going almost at the same price as the A3, the new A4 will surely be out of my budget.



The S60 is a great car, I'm yet to TD it, but it's out of my budget by a good 7-8 lacs - same range as the CLA I believe, if not more. But, I'll TD and try to bargain and see where I get with the S60!

With the premium car prices headed north and the big 3 Germans making space for their hatchback and entry level sedans, upgrading to a premium badge with good space has become an expensive affair. 30 lakhs OTR in Bangalore is only a wild dream.

The CLA costs 47 lakhs OTR in Bangalore and the new C class is 54 lakhs.

If you have to at this point the Audi A3 looks a sensible choice. I would say spend the extra 3 lakhs and go in for a fully loaded version. You won't be disappointed. Else you will have an Audi with Vento features.

Also try out the X1. Some great deals seem to be available. You might be able to get one within your budget. Don't forget it's a 3 series in an SUV ish form. It drives and handles like its sedan sibling.

Volvo is not known to give any serious discounts.

If you remove the Skoda mind block. The Octavia TSI DSG is also a superb car. You will also have spare cash to buy yourself another C segment diesel run around.

I am waiting for the new superb. It's one car which will trounce all the cars in the luxury segment at the price of an A class.

[jkrishnakj]

Since you mentioned "Fortuner" in your first post, i was curious to see if you may want to do a TD of the Pajero Sport, Auto, amongst all others. Though it does appear that you are inclined towards the Audi badge for now.

[kartavya]

Go for the CLA. I think you will be able to get one for around about 35 OTR. I would have taken the A4 but there are just so many on the road and it is due major design changes. I have seen a CLA around and trust me it looks a segment above the Audi cars. Right now I think CLA or Octavia would make most sense.

[ManojVM]

Having driven a 3.0 TFSI A6 as well as a 3.0 TDI A6, I would say that I prefer the petrol version.
Its the quieter of the two, the more powerful , and it has features like auto start-stop which are not found on the diesel.
I also felt that the petrol model had better throttle response, but maybe that was because it was supercharged.
The petrol motor never felt like it didn't have enough torque.
The mileage was better on the diesel, but not by a large margin.
In the long run, the diesel would be more economical, but the petrol motor would bring a smile to your face every time you put your foot down.

Considering your budget, why don't you try for a pre-owned car. Audi sells pre-owned cars under the badge of Audi-Approved. You get a 1-2 year old car for around 60-80% of the price of the brand new one. Audi will give you a warranty on these cars, and you look at the service history to ensure that it has never had a crash, or any major work done. (lemon car?)

[Abhi_Automobile]

Three recommendations (in the order of priority):

1. BMW 3 Series: The ex showroom for the basic model is around 34 lacs. However, they run on MASSIVE discounts every now and then. I think with hard bargaining, you may be able to tug one in for around 32-33 lacs. I am talking about the 320d.

2. Volvo S60: Very nice elegant and understated car. It does lose out in badge value a lil bit but these days Volvos are well recognized as luxury cars, even though slightly non aspirational ones.I was offered one for 31 lacs OTR a while ago (8 odd months ago). Worth a try. Bargain hard. There guys tend to oblige. Also, the new one comes with lovely 181 bhp 2.0 lil mated to 8 speed ZF gearbox.

3. Audi Q3: In case you are open to smallish SUV (but a proper one unline GLA and more so, BMW X1). The base model ex showroom starts from arnd 28 lacs.


I would personally not recommend A3. It is a brilliant lil car but it will not feel like an upgrade in terms of size at all. I was contemplating all of the above in case I wanted to plonk more money. I eventually settled for Jetta TDI. If you can get one of the top two, consider it a major coup - after all you get a C Class competitor (that retails for some 47-50 lacs these days?), just because they are slightly older in the product lifecycle (in fact the bimmer is not even older)!


Regards,
Abhi

[heydj]

Mod Note : There are several spelling & grammatical errors in your posts. This negatively affects the forum experience for other readers.

Kindly ensure that you proof-read your posts prior to submission. Also, it would be a good idea to use spell-checkers.

[amartyasg]

Have you considered looking at the facelifted Passat? A good car overall, and should be around the same ballpark as the A3. The CLA feels very overpriced, the A3 is probably more VFM. If you want the A3, and need the LEDs, well you can always try pushing for a discount. 1-1.5 lakh discounts are not uncommon.