[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by jassi_jeeper

I work real hard for my money.

+1 to this. Me too and I value my money. Yet, I bought a Skoda (1.8 TSi Laura) in 2010 and the car is running smoothly for last 8 years without any troubles whatsoever! And every drive is a pleasure. Even today, she feels as tight and fast and fresh as she was back in 2010 when she left the factory! Of course mine an MT so free of the DSG troubles. But still, such a lovely engine and brakes and build quality along with pretty good handling and comfort. Skoda makes very good cars. As far as Superb is concerned I loved the looks of the 1st gen, hated the 2nd gen and absolutely love the current (3rd) gen. And considering it's available with lovely TSi engine (and with a manual gearbox just in case anybody wants to avoid the risk of the DSG), I don't think the other 2 cars can match the driving pleasure. No diesel can match the silky smooth and fast revving TSi. And the rear seat space is huge! You can drive and have fun or you can sit back and relax. Best of both worlds really.

And what's this fuss with handling and cornering here? All 3 cars are FWD with open front diff, right? No amount of suspension trickery is going to change the laws of physics.

Superb - all the way

[Crazy_Bean]

I think the Passat is a great car and exudes class. It is also perceived to be better than the Skodas. If I was out for this kind of car, I would look at bigger brands too as this segment has just become too expensive.
But Given the choices, I will go for the new passat.

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Hah! Your war cry clearly back-fired.

There are more gluttons for punishment here than I ever imagined. Check Manson's DQ200 giving him grief. A fine sight our Skoda/VW backseat saheb will make when his 4 million buck car gets hauled onto a flatbed. LOL! Just kidding.

[Rahul4]

For the hard earned money that i shall be shelling out anything above 25lakh INR, I would get a Merc or a BMW.
Though mind would say get the Toyota for the quality and reliability, the heart would choose a Merc or a BMW which according to me are classes above a volkswagon or a skoda in terms of quality, comfort, engines and reliability.
Also the recent scenario of the above car makers in India
1. Volkswagon -- Emissions cheat device
2. Skoda -- Expensive parts, maintainence and poor after sales support.
My heart would want me to choose a Merc or a BMW any day.

[QuickLink]

Voted for the Superb.

I think that the Passat looks a bit too understated plus the Superb is cheaper too. One thing which I like about the Passat is the interior layout. Those AC vents look really cool.

[Vid6639]

Ok this was a seriously difficult to poll to decide on which car.

Finally I voted for the Camry but I really really like the Passat. The reason is simple, all 3 cars are luxo barges. While the Passat has the best interiors, DCC and will be the best dynamically at the end of the day it's a barge so you can't exactly throw it around corners. It's meant for cruising in comfort and luxury.

When you consider any of these 3 cars, the requirement is back seat comfort, refinement, luxury feel and reliability as well. For that there's no beating the Camry and specifically the Hybrid. The insulation and feeling of calmness from the surrounding is unmatched imo.

I am yet to drive the Passat but I am pretty sure a diesel sedan which our review mentioned doesn't have the best NVH will never match the refinement of a Camry Hybrid.

Now for someone who will drive their own, I would totally discard all 3 and get the Octy vRS or a 3 series. On the other hand, if you want a more practical option to these luxo barges, the Kodiaq gives you everything in one package.

Thinking over it you really can see this segment is middle of nowhere and it's no wonder sales in this segment are so poor.

[navin]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Finally I voted for the Camry but I really really like the Passat.
When you consider any of these 3 cars, the requirement is back seat comfort, refinement, luxury feel and reliability as well.

Speaking as a barge (I don't consider these as luxo-barges - the Maybach, Rolls Royce, etc are luxury, these are just simple barges) owner I totally appreciate that it is rear seat comfort, ASS, and a modicum of refinement is what one (who is looking at a barge) seeks.

The Camry is a few lakhs rupees more but with all the challenges that face VAG (Skoda and VW) today, I would steer clear of both VAGs just for peace of mind.

My own Camry (the non-hybrid one) is about 4-5 years old now and for the first 18 months I just plain forgot to send it for a service. It was an observant employee at a petrol station that noticed oil was a tad low and asked about when it was last serviced. Such is the reliability of this machine.

Back that up with the A.S.S. Toyota offers (at least Shinrai Toyota) and I don't think I would be considering any other barge at this price point. Not even the Accord (that came and went without making a dent).

To top it all, the Camry is not that sluggish. I do drive it once a month or so and it can move when required.

[hema4saran]

Skoda Superb 1.8 TSI MT for me in case if I am buying one in that price. It is good on both terms good legroom all around and features loaded. Also no issues with the notorious DSG transmission. It will be fairly reliable (Can't expect Toyota level though).

The reason for the rejection of Camry is it is completely outdated model and I am not sure whether Toyota will introduce the newer generation in India in one year. The new 2018 Camry looks stunning and it is one of best looking Camry ever made.

[bhavik.1991]

Jetta got my money over Octavia due to lack of multilink suspension in Octavia diesel.
I am sure if I am in market for a car from this segment, Passat will get my money over Superb due to lack of DCC in Superb.

[lancer_rit]

Having looked at all these cars over the past ~3 years and compared in detail several times (older Passat initially, and then after the new launch), my vote goes to the Superb! Indeed I did buy a 1.8TSI MT Style last September. After the Passat was launched, I did not find a good reason to regret my choice!

It is simply the most well rounded and versatile offering in the market having options for all - 3 petrol variants, and 2 diesel variants from ~32l to 41l on road BLR, where Passat has 2 diesel variants, and Camry now has only 1 hybrid petrol variant.

The Superb range provides:

* Wow Petrol and Diesel engines - Passat (with only a diesel loses), Camry has no diesel, but does have a very good hybrid (super expensive though)

* MT and AT - No competition to the Superb MkII or MkIII

* High focus on safety (though Passat & Camry Hybrid now have a knee airbag). For ages, the regular Camry had 2 airbags, and the Camry Hybrid had 4 airbags, and only the 2017 update moved it to 7 and 9 respectively.
Also, Superb always had all the ABS, EBD, ASR, EDL, ESC, HHC etc aids (as does the Passat), and Camry was and is still lagging overall.

* Looks are subjective but I really like the Superb's elegant yet chiseled looks, gives it character. The Passat's rear is a letdown, and the front is good looking but evolutionary. New Camry's front not to my taste, though its an elegant car.

* Most VFM option, feature for feature. The Camry petrol (Discontinued now) misses many features of Superb Style, yet costs ~4.5l more on road (BLR). Camry Hybrid has less features/functions than Superb L&K on balance - and the current OTR would be 47+ lakhs in BLR. 1.5 years back, even the Camry Hybrid struggled against Superb Style in equipment. Passat has its plus points in Highline trim like DCC, 4motion, 360 area view, front seats with extensible thigh support - the Comfortline loses to the Superb Style though. Both Passat and Camry Hybrid have LED headlamps though compared to Bixenons in Superb. Camry and Passat CL misses a sunroof as well.

* Updated infotainment with full touch screen and (in L&K) the better music system over the Passat.

* Special Superb features like the 2 umbrellas in the front doors, the tablet holder in front armrest compartment, best-in-class rear leg space and boot space, and highly streamlined aerodynamics. Superb MK II had the unique twindoor boot (missed in Mk III).

In short the Superb always set the benchmark for features and VFM in India, and gave a wide range of choices - literally forced Toyota to upgrade their somewhat spartan Camry offerings. VW was also forced to bring high amount of kit in the Passat. The Camry does have impeccable quality and reliability that is way above any Euro car.

One thing omitted by VW India is the GC of the Passat in their tech specs, and I believe it is not the raised rough road variant as the Superb, as the DCC option is not available on raised suspension. So, even with stiffer sports mode suspension, I would worry about scraping BLR mountain speed breakers and moon craters.

[harsha.muvva]

I have been toying with the idea of purchasing Camry hybrid for our chauffer driven needs. Having experienced the skoda service here in Hyderabad which was strictly average, I am trying to avoid the new superb as the usage of new car will be average 30k kms per year and we are planning to retain the car as long as it lasts.

One thing I could not find in reviews/ownership experiences is the effectiveness of AC for rear passengers in Camry vs superb. With my limited travelling in the new superb the AC especially for rear passengers is not effective unless it's winter/early mornings/late evenings (just like the first generation superb which we own). This is very important especially in the region where we live considering that the temprarature in summer lies very close to 50 degrees

I was also considering the new corolla altis but the absence of rear blower is a deal breaker for me.

PS : Just to make it more clear we have a budget upto 35L ex showroom with priority being rear seat comfort/experience, along easy ingress/egress, reliability and yeah excellent AC

[Prathiiik]

Originally Posted by harsha.muvva

I was also considering the new corolla altis but the absence of rear blower is a deal breaker for me.

Do reconsider the Corolla Altis. We test drove it around 6 months back while looking for a new car. Initially, even I felt that the lack of rear AC vents is a deal breaker. But after having sat in the car, I realised the AC was a chiller, an absolute chiller, the best AC I have ever experienced in ANY car in India.

Honestly, the Corolla does not require rear AC vents at all!

[ACM]

Voted for the Superb:

1) Looks
2) Price
3) All 3 have equal brand value in India. Skoda might actually have an edge as far as brand value is concerned in this Large Sedan Space.
4) Would consider the Superb petrol or diesel either at that point of time.
5) If Audi, Merc, BMW has to considered it has to be in the EClass, 5 Series, A6 segment with 3Ltr engines. That is all at almost twice the price point for the same size.

[ashwinmanuk]

Voted for the Superb. It kinda stands out with its design. When you are paying this much for a proper lux sedan, you better arrive in style when you do. With the Superb that is guaranteed.

I would have picked her even if I was not a Skoda owner ❤️

[androdev]

Last night I saw the new Passat for the first time on the road. It was raining a bit and there was a lot of congestion. It looked fabulous. Current Superb is good as well but Passat wins the looks department by a big margin.