[aakash1412]

Option 2 seems very practical to me.
As very rightly pointed out in the previous posts, maintaining the A3’s exterior would be quite a task considering the amazingly civilised and considerate people on the road especially the two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws.
Driving the DSG Vento in city traffic would not be so much a hassle in my opinion. Even performance-wise the 1.2TSI seems pretty decent.

[DIV17]

I would have suggested to sell the vRS and buy the Countryman as a replacement, but since you don't want to sell the vRS, it would be better to sell the Vento, keep the A3 and the vRS. And then upgrade to the Countryman few years down the line.

[androdev]

Go for the real deal. Buy 3 door Mini. Why on earth would you want to be so pragmatic and practical in a family full of car enthusiasts? Downsizing the wheels and putting some thick tires is all you need to address the ride issues.

Other cars, keep whatever is serving you well. All your cars are VW, not exactly known for cheap ownership, so there is very little to differentiate in terms of cost of ownership. I guess vRS would be a sensible car to keep.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by mango_pal

Thanks
2. Would love some more thoughts on the Countryman S. Will it be a special car to drive and put a smile on our face each time we sit in it? Will it be reliable? Is Mini service at the Skoda end or the Lexus / Toyota end?
.

No German brand can actually match the Japanese when it comes to the ‘service ethic’ and despite the famed ‘teutonic efficiency’, the Japanese simply have better processes in place.

The Countryman S is bulkier, larger and has 4 doors compared with the Mini Cooper. It is the practical option for the family man who wants to enjoy atleast in part, the feel of owning a Mini Cooper but who also needs luggage space and all the rest of it. It is the modern Mini attempt at a soft roader/ SUV ish thing. So far we have not got the All4 with its full time 4wheel drive etc in India even as an option because the price will simply be prohibitive.

Personally, if I were to choose a Mini keeping in mind family and elders etc, I would be hard pressed to decide between the Clubman and the Countryman. I prefer the form factor of the Clubman (yes it looks a bit like a Dachshund compared to the Countryman which looks more a Bulldog!), largely because of the immense practicality in terms of the barn doors at the rear and the flat and long loading bay when the seats are folded down and still that quirky Mini styling. The Countryman however, is more sensible for India because of the higher ground clearance and it is also nice and spacious.

Certainly both the Countryman and the Clubman are essentially Mini. The chassis tuning makes for great, tight handling despite the longer wheelbase in the case of the Clubman and the higher GC and tall stance in the case of the Countryman. The engine puts out sufficiently adequate power, being the same Twin Scroll Turbo which does duty in most modern BMWs including the 3 and 5 Series cars. These facts definitely contribute a great deal to the more ‘easy-to-live-with-maintain-and-run’ character, of the newer 3rd Gen F series of Mini Coopers as compared to the older 1st and 2nd Gen R series.

All this being said, for me personally, the true and raw essence of the Mini comes through perfectly, in an undiluted manner only in the case of the R Series and F Series 3 door hatch hardtops or convertibles.

No other Mini Cooper, with or without the S badging, really floats my boat.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by mango_pal

Very valid points, thanks. Didn't think about the ergonomic bit especially as my parents are getting older. Though they're in their mid 60's now and this will (hopefully) not be a factor for the next reshuffle or two.

Ingress egress definitely would matter if your parents are in their mid 60s I am not saying that they may not be fit however a car that is easy to get in and out of with a chair-like seating where the seat base is near hip level, definitely makes itself noticed in this regard. Even I myself enjoy the easy ingress and egress that my WagonR offers after a hard workout at the gym or a long game of football so I'd wager that even if your parents at the age of 60 don't make a fuss about it, they still definitely would appreciate it. Besides, at that age they would definitely enjoy getting their first choice of vehicle. The next one can always be a low-slung sedan if something catches your fancy down the line to replace the Octavia.

[mango_pal]

We have finally decided to sell the Audi A3, retain the Vento as the city beater and the vRS for everything fun!

Link to A3 ad:
https://classifieds.team-bhp.com/buy.../Audi/A3.html/

[mango_pal]

Sold the A3… got a fair deal on it. Took 2 months to sell. But patience pays off to get a good deal

Refreshed the vento and vrs. Both cars were treated to a detailing day with Kamyo. Those guys are awesome!

Upgraded the head unit of the vento and treating it to new tyres as well. It looks and drives like it did on day 1. Hard to believe it’s 7 years old.

Sold the A3 over the vento because we didn’t need two ‘premium’ cars and wanted to move away from diesel. The vento is just such a no-nonsense zippy city car, inexpensive to maintain, and a still fun to drive.

Paused the decision to buy a new car for the time being. Will enjoy these for the time being until the itch to upgrade comes back…

[parsuv]

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all doing well!

I'm in my late 30s and have a family of four: myself, my mother, my wife, our 4-year-old son (who shares my passion for cars), and another little one on the way. I've been feeling the urge to add a "fun" car, or perhaps a combination of cars, to our collection. Our budget can stretch to around 1.5 Crore (with a margin of ±25L). However, I'm torn between whether to replace one of our current cars (the Swift) or buy an additional car altogether.

Here's a breakdown of our current garage:

- April 2021 Honda City Zx CVT 5th Gen (27k Kms)
- February 2011 Maruti Suzuki Swift Vxi (69k Kms)

The confusion began in 2021 when I purchased the Honda City. Initially, I had my sights set on a luxury car, but due to various factors such as the pandemic and waiting lists, I opted for the City. It's now our primary vehicle, with my driver handling most of the driving duties, although I enjoy taking the wheel whenever I can. Given my involvement in the construction business, most of my sites are within a 5-10km radius of my home. Additionally, my office is within walking distance. My wife, who has taken a break from work since our first child, is not planning to return to work for at least another year. When she does, her workplace will also be within approximately 5km of our home. While we love to travel, we haven't had many opportunities since the pandemic, but we anticipate taking 2-4 trips per year, each around 500km, starting in about a year's time. Our approximate annual run of the vehicles combined is around 15k kms and might increase to 20k next year.

Now, my dilemma is compounded by the fact that the Swift's registration in NCR will expire in the next two years. Currently, we only use the Swift when the City is unavailable or for site work handled by my staff.

I have a few options in mind:

1) Purchase a 2-seater car like the BMW Z4 and a hatchback.
2) Invest in a 7-seater luxury car like the BMW X7 or Defender now, while keeping the Swift for another 18-20 months.
3) Opt for a 5-seater luxury car and an Innova Hycross.
4) Select a 5-seater luxury car and a hatchback (such as the i20 or similar).
5) Simply replace the Swift with another hatchback and postpone the luxury car purchase for a later date.

Apologies for the lengthy explanation; I wanted to articulate my thoughts clearly. I'm open to any suggestions or alternative car options you may have.