[CosmicWizard]

Guys, after having driven sedans all my life, mid-life crisis has struck hard and here I am looking forward to look all cool driving in an SUV

My sweet spot budget is around 60-65L with strong preference for petrol. After having researched team-bhp threads and carwale etc, seems like I have 3 choices:

Merc GLC:

• Most pocket friendly. Got an early OTR quote of around 63L (5L discount)
• Most underpowered engine and only RWD but I doubt I will do much offroading so its okay for me
• Interiors look quite plush. I liked the dash look better than X3

BMW X3:

• Best looking exteriors among all choices (Wifey likes it the most and hated those running boards on GLC and feels they look taxi-like
• Most expensive, Got an OTR quote of around 70L (6L discount)
• More modern looking dash with digital dials and all but overall interiors looked a bit plain jane for a 70L vehicle

Range Rover Evoque:

• Price-wise, it is between GLC and X3
• Yet to TD so not much opinion.

Heart says X3 but mind definitely questions if X3 is worth spending 7L more than GLC? I am not really the kind who will do the twisties at 200 km/hr so its more about comfort, luxury and of-course the snob value.

What do the pros recommend? Is there anything else to look? Do these discounts look okay or more can be bargained?

Thanks in advance!

[lamborghini]

The GLC is probably the only Mercedes that is priced so much below its rivals.

That being said, my pick would still be the X3 - if you can afford it, and from the sounds of it, this car is to satisfy the itch - the difference will pay itself off as you may end up holding on to the X3 longer than the GLC.

Also, in my opinion : the X3 is a great all rounder. Maintenance for most part is more palatable than Mercedes, engine is superior as is the overall ride & handling package, and its very well equipped too.

[Abhi5868]

What about the XC60? If you're ready for a diesel then it's the best overall package imo. If only petrol then X3 is a no-brainer deal. However, do take a look at the Lexus NX if that's viable in any manner. I for one would love that typical Lexus body design and the exclusivity.

[CosmicWizard]

Volvo is a good choice but doesn't quite have the same badge value of the BMW, Merc, Audi. Its somewhat important when shelling out big bucks Lexus NX actually is punching above its weight in India due to high CBU pricing, I believe. In US, it comes 15-20% cheaper than GLC/X3 but similarly priced in India. Then there is the issue with radical looks and sparse dealership.

All the dealers are pushing me to close in December itself and scare talking about the coming price rises in January but unfortunately I can't as it is going to be a company car and I have missed the year end procurement deadline already. I assume unsold 2020 stocks should command an even bigger discount in 2021, no?

[Mahesh1977]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

I assume unsold 2020 stocks should command an even bigger discount in 2021, no?

Yes, stocks of 2020 will be available in 2021 at discounted rates, but the choice of colors, variants etc could be limited.

[androdev]

If you are a keen driver, pay the extra and get X3. You will figure this out in the first few minutes of a test drive. Thankfully X3 is also relatively reliable and popular so you don't have to risk a niche purchase.

What cars do you drive presently and what are you looking for (top two things maybe) in your new car?

Unfortunately in our market, only MB and BMW look attractive to a first time luxury car buyer. Audi, JLR, Volvo, Lexus, Porsche etc give weird vibes when you consider the number of cars they sell, prices and engine options, service network, etc.

[Hayek]

Would go for the X3. Remember that the X3 is a 30i, equivalent to the pre facelift GLC300 - while if I am not mistaken, what you are considering is a RWD GLC200. There will be a perceptible difference in drive quality even if you are a sedate driver not too focussed on driving dynamics. And that is definitely worth ₹7 lakhs. Do bargain hard with BMW - including cross shopping between dealers and emphasising that you may switch brands - the dealers would have the ability to find additional discounts to close the deal.

Also, the Evoque is one segment below the X3 and GLC - sits somewhere between the X1 and X3 in my view and is quite cramped.

[akash_v12]

Go for the X3. It's a better overall package than the GLC & way, way better than the Evoque in all aspects. Also, the current-gen Range Rover's have not been the most reliable anywhere in the world.

The X3 is a proper driver's car, has a good feature list and if I may, looks a tad bit better than the GLC too (no offence to GLC owners).

Another car you may might considering is the XC60. Although, the engine might not be as good as the Bimmer, it is a very good package.

[CosmicWizard]

Wow! looks like team-bhp unanimous and my wife are all united to see the stingy me shell out that extra 7L X3 definitely looks more attractive and has more powerful engine, AWD etc to command extra price. Its just that I am not sure how much would that matter.

One minor irritant in X3 is lack of android auto support :( I can always buy a 2nd hand iphone and keep that permanently in the car for google maps traffic data but that will be more of a jugaad. I read in the news that BMW worldwide is rolling out android auto to cars with iDrive7. Has anyone gotten it done in India yet?

[lamborghini]

Congrats!
We too seem to have narrowed down to the X3 as our next car.
Do let me know the final deal you receive.

[the_skyliner]

I would suggest to wait for a few months and get X3 for GLC price. BMW is low on stock due to closer of production in November and December. Hence this year end the deals are not as good as usual.

March may be a much better time to buy X3 as almost all dealers would receive new stock and they would like to offload it as quickly as possible.

[CosmicWizard]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Congrats!
We too seem to have narrowed down to the X3 as our next car.
Do let me know the final deal you receive.

I am being quoted 5L off ex-show price. This is without too much bargaining but the offer is only for December purchase. In today's new, I see BMW plans price rise of upto 2% starting Jan 4th so need to factor that also in decision making.

Originally Posted by the_skyliner

I would suggest to wait for a few months and get X3 for GLC price. BMW is low on stock due to closer of production in November and December. Hence this year end the deals are not as good as usual.

March may be a much better time to buy X3 as almost all dealers would receive new stock and they would like to offload it as quickly as possible.

Thanks for the tip. You mean offload the old 2020 stock or fresh 2021 stock? I thought there will be no discounts on fresh 2021 stocks for first few months and any discount will be on old 2020 stocks only, no?

[GTO]

Mod Note: Poll added to the thread to spice things up. Please vote

[vjbox]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

Volvo is a good choice but doesn't quite have the same badge value of the BMW, Merc, Audi. Its somewhat important when shelling out big bucks Lexus NX actually is punching above its weight in India due to high CBU pricing, I believe. In US, it comes 15-20% cheaper than GLC/X3 but similarly priced in India. Then there is the issue with radical looks and sparse dealership.

All the dealers are pushing me to close in December itself and scare talking about the coming price rises in January but unfortunately I can't as it is going to be a company car and I have missed the year end procurement deadline already. I assume unsold 2020 stocks should command an even bigger discount in 2021, no?

Voted for others and I would actually dare to argue against your opinion and still recommend you consider the XC60. There is no other car in the segment which offer the package that XC60 offers. With changing times, the badge value of Volvos has been steadily increasing too and with whatever I have seen and heard from the technicians at Volvo, this is one car they vouch for. On another radical note, how does a F-Pace work fair for your requirement -not sure if its in the price range ?

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by vjbox

Voted for others and I would actually dare to argue against your opinion and still recommend you consider the XC60. There is no other car in the segment which offer the package that XC60 offers. With changing times, the badge value of Volvos has been steadily increasing too and with whatever I have seen and heard from the technicians at Volvo, this is one car they vouch for. On another radical note, how does a F-Pace work fair for your requirement -not sure if its in the price range ?

Agree on the XC60. It's a very nice package : not the enthusiast pick, but a very good all rounder.
Plus some very tempting discounts on offer!
Would've probably been top choice for us, except the diesel is a no-no for a daily round trip run of 15km.

F Pace again a good option but let down by uninspiring interiors and ambience in my opinion. Nothing great to drive either.