[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by Aurum

Had a few questions as I'm exploring this path.
- Whats the difference between BMW certified cars and those that arent? (This one isnt for example)
- What happens to warranty?
- Anything I should be careful about when looking at a demo car?

BMW gives few cars to their Dealers for Demo at reduced rates. This appears to be one such car. Normally, they have to be used for some distance before these can be sold. Sometimes, dealers just keep in stocks and will get these run by their own drivers to cover mandatory mileage and then sell. No harm in checking the exact situation with dealership directly.

This particular car is unregistered, will be sold as a New car with Dealership Invoice so it’s not a used car . Warranty date will, however, start from the time dealership bought this car from BMW, unlike a new car where warranty start date is the date of dealer invoice to the customer. You can negotiate to get another Year of warranty without charge usually.

Won’t suggest considering demo car for multiple reasons but this one with low mileage should be ok if you save a lot.

[Aurum]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

BMW gives few cars to their Dealers for Demo at reduced rates. This appears to be one such car. Normally, they have to be used for some distance before these can be sold. Sometimes, dealers just keep in stocks and will get these run by their own drivers to cover mandatory mileage and then sell. No harm in checking the exact situation with dealership directly.

This particular car is unregistered, will be sold as a New car with Dealership Invoice so it’s not a used car . Warranty date will, however, start from the time dealership bought this car from BMW, unlike a new car where warranty start date is the date of dealer invoice to the customer. You can negotiate to get another Year of warranty without charge usually.

Won’t suggest considering demo car for multiple reasons but this one with low mileage should be ok if you save a lot.

BMW has outdone itself here. As you know, I have jumped hoops only to find out that the new car I am looking for is not available now or in the near future.

Now, to the demo car story. If you go to their website, there is only the one same number listed for every car. I thought, thats smart, they have streamlined the process. Turns out nobody answers that number. I have tried once every hour for the last 4 hours.

I then tried the dealer route. There are two X3 30is on the site. One of them in Mumbai in Blue! Called up the dealer. He says the car has been sold for a month, else he would have offered to me. He has no idea why its on the website. Great!

The Jaipur dealer told me they would call me back, but haven't. Wouldnt be surprised if they are searching the parking lot for a car they sold a couple of months ago.

Wah, BMW, wah!

[the_skyliner]

Originally Posted by Aurum

The Jaipur dealer told me they would call me back, but haven't. Wouldnt be surprised if they are searching the parking lot for a car they sold a couple of months ago.

Wah, BMW, wah!

Going behind one particular car in another city is usually full of hassles and doesn't translate in to a good deal.

Did you TD Q5? I have a feeling that it is going to be your next car.

[Aurum]

Originally Posted by the_skyliner

Going behind one particular car in another city is usually full of hassles and doesn't translate in to a good deal.

Did you TD Q5? I have a feeling that it is going to be your next car.

TD tomorrow evening. There was something about the Q5 diesel that didn't click with my wife and me. So lets see how this goes.

On the other city car, just taking it to a logical conclusion. Not much hopes.

[abs182]

Originally Posted by np23

Well, my two cents.
.

Further, I have just last week picked up the X5 Edition X 30d (Really wanted the 35i but that's been out of production since last year) to replace our aging Captiva as our family SUV, and it is a brilliantly priced car at the moment with the offers I got,
NP

I too am considering the X5. Just am worried about the generation change which is coming next year. Do you mind sharing your X5 deal via PM. It would be really helpful.

[ACM]

My vote goes for Kodiaq:

1) The 30d is the engine to get in the X3 - No longer available. (Even more than the 30i)
2) 20L is a good bit of money - effectively the difference will be about 30L over the file of the vehicle.
3) The third row of seats that you get now for your kids will not matter after 6 years when the kids are much older so you need a 6-7 seater today not in the future.
4) I agree Andriod Auto is important.
5) BMW service is very slow in my experience - others may debate. (if you are considering 6 years of ownership.) You would need to buy 6 yrs warranty and that will take the price much higher.
6) The I did feel fairly pampered in the Kodiaq even compared to the X3.
7) Kodiaq was always 40-42 OTR. now with the L&K 1L more roughly.
8) Kodiaq does loose out on water wading capacity relative to X3 by a fair bit, but if the X3 gets stuck in water only insurance will help.
9) The X3 alloys are not suitable for rough road if you really do drive on any rough roads, there is a constant fear of damage to alloys and tires. (My experience)
10) The Kodiaq drive while not exciting the ride is indeed more comfortable.
11) The X3 power would be forgotten by you in about 6 months.
12) The X3 and Kodiaq are roughly the same physical dimensions on the road though there is a 2 seat difference.
13) Yes you would look wishfully at X3 as it passes by you if you go for kodiaq, and yes you will regret the unnecessary extra amount spent if you go for the X3. Both these are eternal issues.

[Aurum]

That's a lot of thought that you have put into this recommendation. Thank you!

However, after I recently test drove the Kodiaq again, I put it on hold for now. The main reason was that if I am to retain the car for 6-7 years, I didn't want to drive something so similar to the Jetta all over again (which I have driven already for 7 years now). I will be close to 50 by the time I buy the next car. I am OK to buy the Kodiaq RS, but I don't know if thats coming. On each of your points below...



1) The 30d is the engine to get in the X3 - No longer available. (Even more than the 30i) - While I really liked the 30d when I drove the X5, it would likely cost 10l more. If I couldn't take the call of buying the X5 at 10l more now, I doubt I would have stretched for the X3 30d.

2) 20L is a good bit of money - effectively the difference will be about 30L over the file of the vehicle. I am fully aware that its a lot of money, even more so over lifetime. Thats why this debate sprung up in the first place. A Kodiaq RS would have settled it.

3) The third row of seats that you get now for your kids will not matter after 6 years when the kids are much older so you need a 6-7 seater today not in the future. Absolutely right. Again, a Kodiaq RS would likely have settled this.

4) I agree Andriod Auto is important - Yes, but this should not be a deal breaker.

5) BMW service is very slow in my experience - others may debate. (if you are considering 6 years of ownership.) You would need to buy 6 yrs warranty and that will take the price much higher. Yes, thats part of the calculations on both fronts.

6) The I did feel fairly pampered in the Kodiaq even compared to the X3. So did I, but not by much.

7) Kodiaq was always 40-42 OTR. now with the L&K 1L more roughly. Thats right, the L&K is great value for money for the equipment.

8) Kodiaq does loose out on water wading capacity relative to X3 by a fair bit, but if the X3 gets stuck in water only insurance will help. - Not important for me.

9) The X3 alloys are not suitable for rough road if you really do drive on any rough roads, there is a constant fear of damage to alloys and tires. (My experience) - I am assuming this is true of the Kodiaq as well, but Kodiaq wheels will be cheaper.

10) The Kodiaq drive while not exciting the ride is indeed more comfortable. The new X3 is pretty comfortable. Wouldnt fault it on that front.

11) The X3 power would be forgotten by you in about 6 months. Sounds like the voice of experience. However, I would remember the lack of power on the Kodiaq for 7 years.

12) The X3 and Kodiaq are roughly the same physical dimensions on the road though there is a 2 seat difference. We wondered about this. The difference is the bonnet length. The Kodiaq engine is mounted transversely I think.

13) Yes you would look wishfully at X3 as it passes by you if you go for kodiaq, and yes you will regret the unnecessary extra amount spent if you go for the X3. Both these are eternal issues. I want to go through the full agony of decision making before making the plunge, so that I don't look back. I'm literally imagining what it would be to live with each decision. Hopefully that helps me reach the right conclusion.

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[Aurum]

No X3 30is anywhere, new or used across the country. I guess with the X4 coming in Feb, all BMW priorities are there.

Test-drove the Q5. Drove it from work to home in Mumbai rush hour - my wife joined. We both really liked it. Very quiet inside with no engine noise. The petrol is surely much more eager than the diesel, and responds beautifully. This is a nice car to drive. There is an ever so slight lag at really slow speeds (I dont remember this in the X3), but I am really nitpicking here.

The steering didnt feel light today, and in any case that is easily customizable. The Android Auto is just so convenient, though the lack of touch is a bit non-intuitive. Takes just 5 minutes to get used to it though. The music system is strictly OK. The Virtual cockpit looks really nice, but I think the novelty will wear away pretty quickly.

Overall, in city driving, I dont think there's going to be much between this and the X3, though the X3 might be slightly better. However, this car will be easier to live with due to Android Auto, which I suspect I will use quite a lot. This car is already cheaper by 3-4 lakhs vs X3 at current deals, but if I assume that the X3 could be 3-4 lakhs more expensive in 4 months (due to price increase and lower discounts), then the difference will be 7-8 lakhs.

Just as we are about to decide, a curveball from unexpected quarters. As much as my wife likes the Audi, she really loves the BMW. Of course, she's the home minister because she can easily smother automotive love in favour of practicality and savings. But its the first time, I've really seen her fall in love with a vehicle.

And so it turns out that the Q5 is the new Kodiaq in this comparison now. Nearly as fun to drive but not quite, somewhat more practical and around 10% cheaper. We might be leaning towards the Kodiaq (Q5).

[Aurum]

Am now seriously considering the Q5. The 5 year extended warranty seems to make sense. I've averaged around 12k a year mileage over the last 7 years. Does the Comprehensive Service Plan (Audi's BSI equivalent) makes sense at around 5 lakhs? Any Audi users here?

[Axe77]

Audi tends to give massive discounts, Negotiate hard. Plus its last week of December. You should ideally have him against the wall.

[graaja]

Originally Posted by Aurum

Does the Comprehensive Service Plan (Audi's BSI equivalent) makes sense at around 5 lakhs? Any Audi users here?

1. How many years and kilometres?
2. Does this cover extended warranty or just service?
3. Does it cover wear and tear items like brake pads, rotors, wipers, suspensions etc.?

[Aurum]

Originally Posted by graaja

1. How many years and kilometres?
2. Does this cover extended warranty or just service?
3. Does it cover wear and tear items like brake pads, rotors, wipers, suspensions etc.?

5 years, 80k km, extended warranty and service. Seems to cover all the above. I don't think the math makes sense. The total of the service costs for 5 years is around. 2.5l. The extended warranty is 1l. This service plan is close to 5.5 l.

[Aurum]

Paid the booking amount yesterday for the Q5 petrol (Navarra Blue) including the 5 year Comprehensive Service Plan (Want a zero headache experience with my first luxury car).

Thanks to all of you for helping me along the way!

Every single input makes you think, whether you agree with it or not, and this whole thread has resulted in a lot of thinking. As a result, when I was booking it yesterday, I was pretty comfortable with the decision.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Aurum

Paid the booking amount yesterday for the Q5 petrol (Navarra Blue) including the 5 year Comprehensive Service Plan (Want a zero headache experience with my first luxury car).

Lovely and congratulations. What is the final final exact costing you managed to get? Car and service plan separately? And which variant is this? No idea if Audi has multiple variants or just one for the petrol. Thanks

[Epic]

Originally Posted by Aurum

Paid the booking amount yesterday for the Q5 petrol (Navarra Blue) including the 5 year Comprehensive Service Plan (Want a zero headache experience with my first luxury car).

Thanks to all of you for helping me along the way!

Every single input makes you think, whether you agree with it or not, and this whole thread has resulted in a lot of thinking. As a result, when I was booking it yesterday, I was pretty comfortable with the decision.

Hey congratulations!! So just wanted to know the reason for your decision. I am a Jetta owner too and I am so in love with this car that as of today, I can't seem to think of replacing it but there is a possibility.

As of today, in my mind, I am telling myself to keep the car till at least 2020 (my car is a Feb 2015) but there is a possibility of replacing it earlier than that. I am not a fan of SUVs and prefer the sedans over it. This preference has been confirmed after driving our 2017 Mercedes GLC 220d. It is nowhere close to the driving experience the Jetta offers. I would love to replace the Jetta with either the BMW 530d or the Audi A6. The Skoda Superb is also a contender here.

So was your decision on the Audi Q5 due to its price or driving experience as the discussion (and even title of this thread) was between the BMW X3 and Skoda Kodiaq. So where did the Q5 score over the rest and what were the key factors that made it win as a replacement of the Jetta which is a very difficult car to replace?