[rahul016]

Hi guys I am Rahul and i am stuck in a dilemma.I am looking for a car and my budget is 18 to 21 lac rupees.Now i have seen the Skoda Superb 1.8 TSI manual and VW Passat 1.8 TSI manual.Both are great cars and evenly matched.I am more inclined towards the Passat because of a better A/c and its more fun to drive as i prefer driving car myself whereas the Superb is great for being chauffeured around.The Passat also has some added features that justifies its premium price over the Superb.

Now the main problem is that i have seen some spy shots of an upgraded Passat on the web.Now will the new Passat be making a debut anytime soon in India maybe by next year.Shall i wait for the new car or go ahead with the current version. But looking at the May,Jun,July sales figures the Passat is not even selling half the units of Superb.

What will you suggest?Will Camry be a better buy?

Thanks in advance.

[ajmat]

Base it first on the service point available.

If you need to buy now, I would go for the superb as it is the newest and is good value.

The Passat is due to a facelift so hold out if you must.

By the way, what features does the Passat have that the skoda does not offer/ am curious

[ppr]

Both cars would be better than the Camry which is ridiculously overpriced. The Superb has tons of space and a wider dealer network. You should also check out the Accord if ground clearance is not an issue where you live.

[vasoo]

I would also go for Superb. To me, it looks better and have more features. After all which other car gives a free umbrella .

From the comparison report at Carwale site, Superb looks far better equipped than Passat. I would also suggest you to consider the AT version if you plan to drive it yourself.

[rahul016]

The features that i found more and matches the premium prices are:

Both brands have dealership in my city.

1.Superb has a 60 ltr fuel tank and Passat has at 70 ltr tank.
2.Superb comes with 205/55 Goodyear NCT 5 tyres and Passat has 215/55 Pirelli tyres.
3.Passat has electronic rear blind.
4.Passat has Start/Stop Push Button feature.Key work as a button.
5.Bluetooth mobile connectivity is available in the car which on Superb one has to import from Germany.

These were the features i found.Correct me if i am wrong.

Thanks

[Abhi_Automobile]

Hmm!

I knew that we would have this response. Well, Car to car, the Superb may be a better car and more value for money; but is that the only thing that contributes to your car buying experience?

I do not know the truth about the SKODA horror stories. But certainly don't think that there is any smoke without a fire. If so, stay away from the costly replacement parts. Thats the only reason why I will incline towards the Passat.

However, the new car is doing round elsewhere around the wold. If that makes you feel short charged, go for superb.

Camry is a mediocre car with inflated price tag. fun to drive, toyota--> Diametrically opposite!

[maven]

have myself been considering passat for some time now. they have done some changes. my only grouse-- i think there was an auto option earlier. Only a manual option is available now.

[navin]

Originally Posted by Abhi_Automobile

I do not know the truth about the SKODA horror stories. But certainly don't think that there is any smoke without a fire. If so, stay away from the costly replacement parts. Thats the only reason why I will incline towards the Passat.

a. there is 'some' evidence that Skoda is addressing the Service issues.
b. The Skoda brand is part of VW

[Speeding@160mph]

Superb is the better bet - Passat is slated for a complete overhaul within the next year. I wouldn't want to drop 25 lacs for a car to look a generation old within 12 months!

Accord/Camry - While they are solid, comfortably reliable cars, neither pack anything in terms of luxury except the price.

The 320d Corp Edition - @24 lacs, if you don't care much for the gizmo's and want an incredible engine which just happens to be covered in the shell of a BMW - this is your baby! Don't know about dealer network in DDN - so excuse me if logistics will be an issue.

Avoid the Passat in my opinion, the 12k upgrade for the Bluetooth connectivity to the Superb is the only thing you are going to need to realistically fill the void between the two. Although nothing like the Bimmer if can stretch it!

[PlatzdaTurbo]

Originally Posted by vasoo

I would also go for Superb. To me, it looks better and have more features. After all which other car gives a free umbrella .

From the comparison report at Carwale site, Superb looks far better equipped than Passat. I would also suggest you to consider the AT version if you plan to drive it yourself.

yup, if you have gone through the comparison report he has posted, you should be opting for the superb eyes closed. after all, if driven a bit carefully, how many times would you have to visit the skoda service centre anyways to experience their infamous services ?
& if u simply MUST go for the VW , y not wait for sometime ?

[FlyingSpur]

The Camry is totally out of question.

Between the two, I'd have to say Superb, although I love the Passat and almost bought it. Frankly, the only thing going against it is age and therefore resale value (it will plummet). Better to go with a much newer car which will hold it's value and also looks the part even 3-4 years down the line.

[.anshuman]

I would suggest the Superb AT. It drives like a dream in our congested country will choked roads.

The Passat and Superb are very similar to drive with similar euro robustness and very good dynamics. The Superb feels more luxurious and fresher.

The Honda Accord comes with lesser equipment and does not have dynamics as impressive as these Europeans but its much more relaible and is cheaper to maintain. The Camry is overpriced as it is a CBU.

[Mpower]

Originally Posted by rahul016

.I am more inclined towards the Passat because of a better A/c.

Why is that? Should be pretty much identical componentry under the skin. Plus, Superb is the one with rear seat vents.

With Superb you new the option of the new CR diesel AT which makes a great car even better.

Passat first of all looks v.goofy and will age v quickly after the new one comes in.

[joshguy]

2.Superb comes with 205/55 Goodyear NCT 5 tyres and Passat has 215/55 Pirelli tyres.
3.Passat has electronic rear blind.
4.Passat has Start/Stop Push Button feature.Key work as a button.

IMO these are not features which will change your decisions,Do you use them daily?the tyre's can be upgraded any time

I would suggest you to go for the Superb which had a luxury feel and i agree that Passat too looks cool.But Superb stands out

[rahul016]

Well guys i had went to Skoda and VW dealerships today.Though superb is very comfortable at the rear but its A/c is not effective.Otherwise the car is really good and has good road presence,people give it a second look.The service is not a issue as i have talked to many Skoda owners and they quoted that service has improved from past.Skoda is even offering 4yrs/100000 km warranty which indicates that they are getting serious.

I also drove the Passat and i must admit it was little more fun to drive maybe because of slightly being shorter than superb.Now the head of sales told me that the new passat will be debuting at the Paris motor show in Oct this year and it will launch in India after the Jetta is launched in March 2011.Its will share the same motors as in Superb the 1.8 Tsi and a 2.0 Tdi.

Well on returning back i came across the Toyota dealership and saw a Camry.Went to check out the car.Its good in terms of looks and build quality and the A/c is Superb.You have give the Japanese credit they are really good.They know how to make good cars its only the prices at which they are blank.now the dealer told me that they can provide me a good discount which they will tell me tomorrow.Its was i guess W3 model with manual transmission and moonroof.What do you say about Camry compared to others.

Honda Accord was considered by me.But its a featureless car and even the salesman was not able to answer my queries when i asked him to compare it with Superb.He had only one answer that Superb is expensive to maintain when compared to Accord.Plus there is an upgrade coming early next year and this thing is also mentioned in the August issue of Autocar.

I went to see the BMW 320d CE in Chandigarh.Its a really nice car to drive but when its comes to features it feel a long distance cousin of Accord.The car was costing somewhere around 25 lacs on road without the BMW service select package and it was becoming more an more expensive with additional stuff.

When one is buying a car in this segment one will desire to get some buttons and Gizmos to play with.