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Old 22nd July 2010, 20:20   #1
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Best Chauffeur Driven Car (18 - 25L)

Hey Guys,

Sorry if someone's asked this before, I searched but couldn't find anything substantial. I'm looking for a extremely comfortable chauffeur driven car (aka amazing back seat/ legroom/ cushioning, soft ride quality, low noise levels). The price range is between 18 - 25, and I would prefer if it's not a Merc/BMW/Audi because I want to keep it low key and not stand out too much. I also want it to be a A/T (in case I need to drive it from time to time), petrol/diesel doesn't matter, and have good creature comforts.

So the options ultimately come down to
- Superb
- Passat
- Accord
- Camry
- Sonata?

What do you guys think? Am I missing out on something?

Thanks for your help guys!
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Old 23rd July 2010, 10:33   #2
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Superb is the best bet. Second would be Accord.
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Old 23rd July 2010, 11:12   #3
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Yep, Superb & Accord would be your best bets, both being comfortable enough and with acres of legroom. IMO the superb would offer a more comfortable ride whereas the accord would offer slightly more legroom.
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Old 23rd July 2010, 11:25   #4
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I second the other's opinion. You should look at Superb and you would not regret.

Cheers,
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Old 23rd July 2010, 11:31   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo View Post
Yep, Superb & Accord would be your best bets, both being comfortable enough and with acres of legroom. IMO the superb would offer a more comfortable ride whereas the accord would offer slightly more legroom.
Actually, its the opposite. The accord probably offers a better ride for the city. But if you are going at anything above 30-40 kmph, then the ride on the superb is better. The accord has a lot of body roll due to the soft suspension. The superb is more loaded with gizmos, umbrellas(sam,), and has more legroom, while the accord's rear-seat is wider.
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Old 23rd July 2010, 11:45   #6
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I would also add the Teana to the list, it should just about fit in to your budget.
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Old 23rd July 2010, 11:47   #7
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It has to be the Superb, look no further! Great car to drive, to be driven in. Lots of legroom, very comfy seats with ambient lighting and everything, feels like sitting in a RR(having sat in one I'm saying). Also the most insulated cabin of all and not to forget the VFM.
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Old 23rd July 2010, 12:10   #8
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Maybe PASSAT

I will beg to differ from almost everyone here:

I think you may want to consider PASSAT. It is not as much value for money as SUPERB. However, can you live with the SKODA A.S.S? Well, it could be tricky.

Look at it like this, the PASSAT gives you almost everything that a SUPERB does. It is a little costlier than the SUPERB. But gives you a lot more peace of mind since it is a VW and not a SKODA.

It does not have an A/T but then you will not need the A/T most of the times since it is chauffeured. You may actually enjoy shifting gears every now and then as this one has a belter of a gearbox.

Also, Indians love HONDAS; The by default choice could be ACCORD. Else, you can try a TEANA as well. Does it need to be a 'car'. If you are open to SUVs, I will recommend an X-TRAIL. Highly under rated, but such a good vehicle.
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Old 23rd July 2010, 12:26   #9
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If it does not have to be a car you could consider the Outlander as well.
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Old 23rd July 2010, 12:34   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jatinahuja View Post
petrol/diesel doesn't matter
For what it's worth if you are using teh car less then 2000km per month get a petrol. Diesels can be noiser.

Quote:
Originally Posted by PlatzdaTurbo View Post
Yep, Superb & Accord
The Camry and Teana have better comfort but might strech your budget 2-3Lakhs.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile View Post
I think you may want to consider PASSAT. It is not as much value for money as SUPERB. However, can you live with the SKODA A.S.S? Well, it could be tricky.

Does it need to be a 'car'. If you are open to SUVs, I will recommend an X-TRAIL. Highly under rated, but such a good vehicle.
Skoda and VW are both group companies. Their A.S.S might be similar.

If SUV's can be considered and you can wait a few months BMW's X1 promises to be under 30L.
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Old 23rd July 2010, 12:38   #11
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Look out for the Superb - it has recently launched a manual version of the 1.8 TSi, which is about 1.5 L cheaper than the Automatic one.
It might end up at less than 20 OTR.

Excellent ride and unbeatable value for money.
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Old 23rd July 2010, 13:13   #12
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Quote:
Skoda and VW are both group companies. Their A.S.S might be similar.
Agreed! I theory, this should be true. However, there seems to be some problem with the way SKODA dealers deal. It is a case of mismanagement, not an issue with quality. Also, I haven't heard of any cheating cases for any of VW vehicles (please lighten me if I am in dark).
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Old 23rd July 2010, 13:31   #13
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Accord 2.4 AT or Sonata Transform 2.0 CRDi A/T. Both extremely reliable and comfortable cars. Suit your requirements to the T.
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Old 23rd July 2010, 14:20   #14
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Quote:
Sonata Transform 2.0 CRDi A/T
Hey Siddy!

Wouldn't a Hyundai at this price feel like too much of an also ran! I mean there is a lot of value for money to be had but the quality in anything is not great.

There is nothing in the car (maybe other than than the better than average engine) that will make you sit out and say, WOW!
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Old 23rd July 2010, 16:17   #15
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The Teana is without a doubt the best in this range! Great pick Akshay!

It always gets overshadowed by the Superb and Accord but that has nothing to do with their product offerings. Nissan is far superior to Skoda in quality and at par if not better than the Accord IMHO. But because of the history both these brands have built in India and that Nissan hasn't really been around long enough, you don't see many of these around- Give it a shot and you will not be disappointed.

Its the newest of the entire lot (Passat, Accord, Camry, Sonata), has as much space as the Accord in the rear, better comfort than the Superb, arguably is the best looker & best self-driven. The 2.5 V6 packs a punch yet is quite frugal compared to the Accord & Superb 3.5/3.6 engines.

The only problem you may face is that there is only a single dealer and that also somewhere in West? Delhi. Between the two trim levels, you will end up at around 24 OTR for the lower version and 27.5 for the higher one. Don't write this one off until you take a test drive!

Last edited by Speeding@160mph : 23rd July 2010 at 16:19.
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