[rahul016]

Hey guys thanks for your responses.I thought a lot about both Superb and Passat but was not able to make up my mind.So instead i asked my Dad to re-work his budget and extend it little.So finally i got the extension and now its between the Bmw 320i,Audi A4 1.8 Tsi and Mercedes C200.My preferences are that the car should be good to drive,should have a good equipment level,comfortable and good after sale service.
What will you suggest?

Thanks

[noopster]

Originally Posted by gkoneti

Please read the below "Superb"ly written article. True in every aspect.

The Skoda Conundrum | The Truth About Cars
<snip>

Originally Posted by rahul016

The only problem why i am evading skoda is because of the dealer in my city.

That pretty much nicely sums up the Skoda paradox in India: great-looking and awesomely performing cars with all the rights bells & whistles priced just right BUT possibly the worst bunch of pains in the a.s.s. ever (No pun intended ).

With VW getting competitive with the Polo and now the Vento, the battle within is going to be more interesting. It's nice to see the odd positive post on Skoda service these days (ajmat's in this one, the guy who got his refund in another). Maybe there's hope yet for all the Skoda-lovers out there!

[ecclipse78]

Originally Posted by ivar1951

Push-button hand brake; blue tooth. Good features to have but the Superb is still the better buy.

The new Superb's have a different head-unit (Bolero) and are now coming with blue-tooth built it for your mobile.

[FlyingSpur]

Originally Posted by rahul016

...now its between the Bmw 320i,Audi A4 1.8 Tsi and Mercedes C200.My preferences are that the car should be good to drive,should have a good equipment level,comfortable and good after sale service.

Ummm. I would have to say C200 CGI. Or the Audi A4 TSI? Has anyone TD'd that? The BMW is definitely out, don't consider it now. It's at the sunset of its life cycle and the 320i isn't much of a performer. I suspect the A4 1.8 TSI might just be the best performer here?

The base petrols aren't much fun, honestly.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by rahul016

Hey guys thanks for your responses.I thought a lot about both Superb and Passat but was not able to make up my mind.So instead i asked my Dad to re-work his budget and extend it little.So finally i got the extension and now its between the Bmw 320i,Audi A4 1.8 Tsi and Mercedes C200.My preferences are that the car should be good to drive,should have a good equipment level,comfortable and good after sale service.
What will you suggest?

Thanks

Frankly I would suggest you stick to your original budget and buy the superb. These cars will give you nothing over the Superb besides a badge. The C200 cgi is the best performer of the lot, but the C class has less features than the Audi (which again, the 1.8 is no point. look at the 2.0 tfsi). The BMW 320i? No comments.

You will not get your moneys worth spending 10 lacs over a Skoda Superb 1.8tsi DSG.

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by rahul016

Hey guys thanks for your responses.I thought a lot about both Superb and Passat but was not able to make up my mind.So instead i asked my Dad to re-work his budget and extend it little.So finally i got the extension and now its between the Bmw 320i,Audi A4 1.8 Tsi and Mercedes C200.My preferences are that the car should be good to drive,should have a good equipment level,comfortable and good after sale service.
What will you suggest?

Thanks

"fun to drive" ---> by that if you mean you want thrilling performance levels then dont expect that from the 1.8 tsi. The engine is good but @ 160hp is far from the kind of performance that would make you jump in your seat. The C200 CGI with the new engine is no doubt the best "performer" here. 180 odd hp engine and the most comfortable ride of the 3 mentioned. As far as equipment levels go, i think the Audi would offer maximum tech here.
Here is something i would surely look at had i been in your place. As far as i remember, the price difference isnt much between the A4 1.8 tsi & A4 2.0 tsi. Infact if im not mistaken, the 1.8 T was widely considered as an impractical buy as for some minuscule premium one could get his hands on the much powerful 2.0 T ,which by the way , is a great engine ! ( 200bhp i think ). Contact your Audi dealer , look at the tags on both the A4s and take your pick.
However, if you simply wish to pick strictly among the 3 you have mentioned above ( 200, 1.8, 20i ) ,for your requirements of best dealer network, good to drive etc...i would say the c200 fits in best. good luck !

[GTO]

Originally Posted by holysmoke

I have a superb, and it's a fantastic car. If you do get one, MAKE SURE you get the automatic. That 7-speed DSG is mind-blowing.

Worthy advice. The Superb's 1.8 TSI has poor low rpm throttle response. I stalled a MT Superb several times over a 15 km drive. It's the DSG that is the gearbox of choice.

Originally Posted by razor4077

I somehow didn't like the 320D CE... lots of features missing, including some basic things like an central armrest in the back! If I'm buying a BMW, I don't want it to be bare-boned. But, that's just me.

Has BMW raised the CE prices recently? Bombay on-road (individual registration) now works out to about 28 lakhs (without service packages).

Originally Posted by rahul016

So finally i got the extension and now its between the Bmw 320i,Audi A4 1.8 Tsi and Mercedes C200.

Family use = C200.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by GTO

Has BMW raised the CE prices recently? Bombay on-road (individual registration) now works out to about 28 lakhs (without service packages).

Seems like it. But they do have a deal going on - 10l downpayment and 20k emi. Dont know more details, sorry.

[FlyingSpur]

Originally Posted by GTO

Has BMW raised the CE prices recently? Bombay on-road (individual registration) now works out to about 28 lakhs (without service packages).

Nope. Before the "official" launch in the last week of February (i.e. when it was being sold only to fleet customers apparently) the ex-showroom was 22.95L implying an OTR of 27.53L.

But after that official launch, the only addition to the feature list was the electric seats for both front seats. Effect on pricing was 23.95L ex-showroom and 28.71L OTR, which is where it stands currently, am I correct?

The 5 year / 100,000 km BSI worked out to 2.98L (Navnit) and 2.85L (Infinity).

[holysmoke]

If's its going to be a car in which a family is going to travel, get the superb with DSG.

Else, if it's just you driving, get the C200 CGI.

[rahul016]

Thanks guys for your responses.Well i think i will be going in for Superb I.8 TSi.Well i will be using the car for going to college so the rear seat will be used occasionally.Now the problem is that i have never driven an automatic.Plus my dealership doesn't even have a manual Superb for TD it will be stupid to expect a Automatic TD vehicle from them.

So shall i go in for the manual?Another thing is that i read some where that DSG gearbox is great fun to use but have some reliability issues.Is it true?

Thanks

[holysmoke]

Automatics are not a big deal to learn.. if you know how to drive a manual, you will have no problem with the Automatic.

With regards to the dealer, check.. he might have the automatic for TD.. I think a lot of people go for the automatic, possibly even more than the manual.

I would only recommend the Automatic to you.. I've driven the manual as well, but the DSG is too fantastic a gearbox to miss out on.

[.anshuman]

Compared to the MT version the DSG AT version in all Skoda cars is a better choice. DSG is a brilliant AT 'box, it does not sap power, is very intuitive, has lightning quick gear changes and delivers FE close to MT versions. However due to lack of torque converter it has a slight lag at start up.

I drove the Superb Tsi AT last year, i was really very impressed with the car. It has a amazing ability to chew miles. The only downside i felt was the AC was not cooling well, even after switching off dual mode and fresh air intake.

My Recommendation is either Superb Tsi DSG or 320d(any variant you like).

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by rahul016

Thanks guys for your responses.Well i think i will be going in for Superb I.8 TSi.Well i will be using the car for going to college so the rear seat will be used occasionally.Now the problem is that i have never driven an automatic.Plus my dealership doesn't even have a manual Superb for TD it will be stupid to expect a Automatic TD vehicle from them.

So shall i go in for the manual?Another thing is that i read some where that DSG gearbox is great fun to use but have some reliability issues.Is it true?

Thanks

The newer 7-speed DSGs on the 1.8TSI are much more reliable than the earlier 6-speed ones.

Dont worry about driving an auto, it is very easy. But you might not like other auto boxes after the DSG. Also in dehradun with hilly terrain it will be a boon since you wont have to keep slipping the clutch. It will make your drive much more pleasant.

[issigonis]

GTO, akshay1234, flyingspur,

here, but I've been wondering about this for some time.
I get the feeling that in the respective brands ( 3,C and A4) there is a paucity of choices for inline sixes, especially petrol engines.

I feel that for a first time entry level buyer of any of these three Teutons ( I am ignoring the 1 and the A Class here), who will use the car for thrilling (highway) runs (and for occasional daily use) and hence might like to opt for a petrol engine, there is not much choice for the extraordinary combo feel of acceleration, smoothness and handling that one will get in an inline six. Even the oil burners have very few in line six options (the Merc has a V6 I think).

Any reason(s) as to why this is so?

Regards