[Turbanator]

new 320d is faster than the c250d.
on paper, and on the road

Love your style

Also, don't discount possibilities to chip beemer , I am a very happy customer of RaceChip on new X5 and VCRoss.

Rather than going into statistics, I believe what's more important is the way you feel & how car handles at those high speeds. BMW service experience is top notch besides snob value of BMW badge.

[VeyronSuperSprt]

Originally Posted by Arjun Reddy

However the Superb will not fit my garage and that would require alterations to the garage. Also I have decided not to go with Skoda for the ASS horror stories.
I am looking for the right balance (read as good car to drive and family will enjoy it as well) and not just a fast car.

It's about 20 cms longer and 2 cms wider so if it doesn't fit in your garage, you might have a tough time with the other two too.

I forgot to mention, it's a whopping 1 second faster than both the 320d and C250d in the in gear acceleration timings. It isn't a bad car to drive either with the adaptive suspension on tap. (Check out the team Bhp review on the handling bit)

And it's debatable as to who has the better horror stories - BMW, Merc or Skoda.

Ask your family to take a pick between the 3 cars and you could be surprised given the additional luxury on tap.

All of this while you still have loads of money for that Paris trip.

[Mission_PGPX]

Originally Posted by Arjun Reddy

Did some test drives over the week and am now all confused. Honestly there is hardly anything to choose from between the 3 cars here.

Your suggestions will be much appreciated

By the way, by any chance, would you be interested to wait for Jaguar XE diesel? To me, it gives best of both the worlds, drives as good as a beemer and luxuries as merc.

just a food for thought.

[Arjun Reddy]

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

It's about 20 cms longer and 2 cms wider so if it doesn't fit in your garage, you might have a tough time with the other two too.



I forgot to mention, it's a whopping 1 second faster than both the 320d and C250d in the in gear acceleration timings. It isn't a bad car to drive either with the adaptive suspension on tap. (Check out the team Bhp review on the handling bit)



And it's debatable as to who has the better horror stories - BMW, Merc or Skoda.



Ask your family to take a pick between the 3 cars and you could be surprised given the additional luxury on tap.



All of this while you still have loads of money for that Paris trip.

I have just about enough room to put these cars in. Have already done the trial of fitting them in my garage.
Thanks for your inputs. Like I have mentioned the 1 sec faster would hardly make any difference to me in the real world situation.

Have to agree with you that the Skoda will be extremely comfortable compared to the other two in terms of space and more space. Yes and the Paris trip will be the icing on the cake, not to forget the additional umbrellas.

[kartavya]

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

It's about 20 cms longer and 2 cms wider so if it doesn't fit in your garage, you might have a tough time with the other two too.

I forgot to mention, it's a whopping 1 second faster than both the 320d and C250d in the in gear acceleration timings. It isn't a bad car to drive either with the adaptive suspension on tap. (Check out the team Bhp review on the handling bit)

I don't know much but I would be really really surprised if the Superb is quicker than the two (specially the C250). The 3 has great horsepower and I am sure its lighter than the superb? I am sure the torque numbers are also in favor of the Merc and BMW.

I am also sure the 215 profile on the car don't help much in grip compared to the other in contention.

Not saying the Superb isn't good, value for money its definitely the best, but in terms of sheer driving experience the other two would probably be much better.

[rahul_jo]

Originally Posted by Arjun Reddy

Have to agree with you that the Skoda will be extremely comfortable compared to the other two in terms of space and more space.

To add a little snippet to this. Skoda might be extremely comfortable, but will it ever comfort someone in terms of emotions? One could spend 35-40 lacs on a Skoda, but at the back of their mind, that person knows it's still a Skoda. Their friends and family also know it's a Skoda (which sucks the most).

Honestly, the worst bit is when you tell someone oh, I spent 35 Lacs on a skoda and then they raise their eye brows and indicate that with that kind of money why didn't you pick an Audi, Bmw or Mercedes? Mercedes and BMW have done their fair share in the marketing department to position their cars as a high "Social Currency" where as Skoda has a long way to go in that department.

So other than the specs, this element makes a massive difference. In some cases, all the difference.

[Arjun Reddy]

+one. As children we have all dreamt of owning a Mercedes. At least when I was a child it was Mercedes all the way. We hadn't heard about Audi or BMW in those days. Totally agree the aspirational value will always be associated with the big 3 Germans.
As the market matures it will be down to best performers and not just the brand, inspite of a mature market the big 3 may still hold their own in aspirational values.

[ac-cobra]

Originally Posted by rahul_jo

To add a little snippet to this. Skoda might be extremely comfortable, but will it ever comfort someone in terms of emotions? One could spend 35-40 lacs on a Skoda, but at the back of their mind, that person knows it's still a Skoda. Their friends and family also know it's a Skoda (which sucks the most).

Honestly, the worst bit is when you tell someone oh, I spent 35 Lacs on a skoda and then they raise their eye brows and indicate that with that kind of money why didn't you pick an Audi, Bmw or Mercedes? Mercedes and BMW have done their fair share in the marketing department to position their cars as a high "Social Currency" where as Skoda has a long way to go in that department.

So other than the specs, this element makes a massive difference. In some cases, all the difference.

The flip side to this is that once your friends and family sit inside your Superb they will never cease to gush on about how much larger and comfortable it is than any BMW/Merc they've sat in (unless they are used to an S Class). Once they sit in your 3-series or C-Class they aren't really going to say much but in their minds wonder where all the money went!

On a serious note, you don't need to spend money on the 35L L&K Superbs, I think the Style Variants are very feature packed. My point here is: don't disregard the Superb based on brand value alone. I also feel that the new Superb in L&K trim is a head-turner and probably has as much appeal as a base 3-series.

[VeyronSuperSprt]

This is a post on another thread that emphasises the disappearing lines between the base models of 3, C, A4 and its competitors. Badges cease to become relevant when markets mature and informed customers realise that they aren't getting their money's worth anymore:

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

150 BHP FWD Audi

Yesterday, I had to drive to Mumbai and an A4 started tail-gating me and blinking/honking at me. There was traffic and potholes and speed breakers but this guy was impatient. Finally, after a speed-breaker, I stepped on gas just to get away and then move out of his way if possible but to my surprise, he was reduced to a small picture in my rear view mirror. I don't like to accelerate and brake and waste petrol when there are periodic speed breakers and red signals but this guy was really irritating so I had no choice. After a few min I got a chance to move out of the lane and let him pass just to confirm which A4 it was and it was 2.0 TDi. No wonder...:-) Every time I meet these posers, my love and respect for my Laura doubles. What a gem of a car this 1.8 TSi and at 1/3rd the price of this lame A4! I feel sorry for Audi...

[rahul_jo]

Originally Posted by ac-cobra

I also feel that the new Superb in L&K trim is a head-turner and probably has as much appeal as a base 3-series.

I beg to differ with this slightly. Sure looks are subjective, however, a Superb looks pretty plain in comparison to the aggressive front and low road hugging stance of a 3 series.

Based on appeal and head turns alone, the Superb can't match a 3 series. Once again, this could be argued till the cows come home as different people might have had different experiences personally.

But, based on mass appeal, badge value and fan factor alone, a BMW is quite a few spots ahead. On top of it, you can't discount how a BMW is positioned in the mind's of the average consumer. I've had some mad reactions from people on the road. The kind which actually make you feel special. I still get a lot of finger points, head turns and smiles on the road (I doubt a Superb will get similar reactions).

Originally Posted by ac-cobra

The flip side to this is that once your friends and family sit inside your Superb they will never cease to gush on about how much larger and comfortable it is than any BMW/Merc they've sat in (unless they are used to an S Class). Once they sit in your 3-series or C-Class they aren't really going to say much but in their minds wonder where all the money went!

Yes, but these are the same folks who later down the line will definitely ask you - "Why didn't you consider a BMW/Mercedes?". We buy based on emotion and later justify it with logic. It's not about which car makes the most sense, it's all about which one makes the most social sense, at least in our society. A Superb won't earn you those extra brownie points socially regardless of how much logical sense it makes over a 3 series.

[pganapathy]

If the badge doesn't matter to you (prestige matters a great deal to some people), go for the "lower brands" which offer better performance and at a slightly lower cost. I will not advocate any specific brand, bu consider options like:

Skoda Superb / Hyundai Sonata / Toyota Camry / Honda Accord etc.

The question really is what matters to you. Based on OP's first post, I would recommend against the 3 series purely because it is difficult for your mom to get in and out. That can only get harder with time. If used cars are not a problem, get an E / S class or its equivalent. You get much better quality all round at the same price

[ais]

Originally Posted by androdev

Bangalore has plenty of slow moving traffic and tons of speed breakers. C has a good combination of AT and brakes for smooth stop and take off. 320d gearbox always 'launches' and brakes always 'bite' - good for enthusiastic driving but tiresome in a crawling traffic.

Eco Pro mode is comfortable enough for city use in my opinion.

Originally Posted by mrinmoy_s

The BMW 320d does have the adaptive suspension - when you press the 'Sport' button the screen shows the suspension set-up as well. And this is quoted from BMW website: "COMFORT mode guarantees an extremely comfortable driving experience by suitably adjusting the settings of the suspension components. In the SPORT and SPORT+ modes, all drive and suspension settings are adjusted for more dynamic driving."
The link is: http://www.bmw.in/en/all-models/3-se...fficiency.html

The suspension of the 320 does stiffen up in Sports mode. However, if we select 'Drivetrain only' in settings, the steering and suspension will be unaffected on selecting Sports mode. In settings we need to choose 'Chassis only' or 'Drivetrain and Chassis' for suspension to harden up. Personally I have set the Sports mode on 'Chassis only'. That way I get adequate power (of Eco pro or Comfort mode) for state highway driving, with handling of Sports mode without guzzling fuel at too much power. If power is required for overtaking or shaking off wannabe bimmers tailgating us, we have only to flick the gear selector to the left!

As for the purchase decision, if you are passionate about driving, go for the BMW. Also consider the Jaguar XE. It's handling is better than any. BMW doesn't like that of course, and their new 3 series coming next year or so will set the record straight again.

[rahul_jo]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Also they will probably help you get a mistress!

This might be a little off topic but it reminded me of a pretty funny incident I had during the early stages of owning my 3 series. While I was showing my car to one my cousins during the early days, his immediate comment was - "You must have gotten a lot of attention from the ladies after buying this."

With the most calm look on my face, I replied - "Not exactly! I am planning on taking it back to the dealership and asking for a refund".

He asked - "Why?"

I replied - "Because, something is not working properly in this car."

He asked - "What's that?"

I replied - "Well, the chick magnet functionality is clearly broken. All I get is guys staring at me. I wonder if they cover that under warranty."

And both of us laughed out loud.

[Arjun Reddy]

We now have the C250d,M320d and the Superb L& K fighting for my garage space ( though the Superb doesn't fit. Stupid). How about we add the X1 M sport too and see if it makes makes the cut. Honestly I haven't driven it but will do shortly. It should be also cheaper by around 6-8 lakhs post discounts.

[ac-cobra]

Originally Posted by Arjun Reddy

We now have the C250d,M320d and the Superb L& K fighting for my garage space ( though the Superb doesn't fit. Stupid). How about we add the X1 M sport too and see if it makes makes the cut. Honestly I haven't driven it but will do shortly. It should be also cheaper by around 6-8 lakhs post discounts.

I think you have a tough decision on your hands. Also add the 3GT to the mix as its more spacious and has a higher seating position than the 3 and C.