Middle class guilt and the car buying decision

vkochar · 6th October 2010, 15:54

The Superb would be my first recommendation.
The Laura would be the second - saves you 5 lacs over the superb.

Cruze AT is a fantastic sedan too !!

vnabhi · 6th October 2010, 16:23

@Car Fan---between the Altis and the Sonata, the latter trumps the former in terms of space and comfort. It also has a light steering like the Altis.It is easy to park also.

I don't think it is much costlier than the Altis. Even the A.S.S. and maintenance will be on par, if not better. Only thing to worry about is the resale value.

noopster · 6th October 2010, 16:54

Get the Superb, dude! If you can afford a CRV, you can afford a Superb. It really is a great car. Search for and check out the Superb vs 3-series thread if you don't believe me.

This is totally in the wrong section, isn't it? Shoudn't it be in "What Car"?

NevGin · 6th October 2010, 16:56

Civic Hybrid or Toyota Prius. I don't know a whole lot on the comfort of a Prius though.

Anand123 · 6th October 2010, 17:10

^^Civic hybrid was a disaster and is no more available.

sumitkalindi · 6th October 2010, 18:21

I suggest you go for Toyota or Honda.
I would advice against Skoda after reading about the horrible maintainace issue associated with it. Believe you can not go very wrong with Toyota.

Torque123 · 6th October 2010, 19:55

Assuming that your father is going to be driven, Sonata transform or a pre owned Honda Accord or Camry is the car according to me. I would say stay away from Skoda. Peace of mind is more important at that age.

sachinj12 · 6th October 2010, 20:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by StarrySky

May I suggest Hyundai Sonata Transform?

Excellent suggestion

. The car is excellent, is understated and non flashy. Also Hyuandi reliability means peace of mind.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

2. Honda Accord - lovely, not too flashy, very nice car indeed.

Though Superb beats the Accord hollow, I would advice against it due to reliability issues.

blackbeast · 6th October 2010, 20:59

[quote=sachinj12;2096818]Excellent suggestion

. The car is excellent, is understated and non flashy. Also Hyuandi reliability means peace of mind.

+1 to that. Think about huge bargains man. Its powerful too.

Car Fan · 7th October 2010, 10:42

Fantastic - will recommend a serious look at the Corolla Altis and Sonata Transform, and they can decide whether they want a more compact or more comfortable sedan.

Since my father is keen on Skoda and will definitely check out the Yeti I will also toss in the Superb 1.8 as a recommendation, but I remain uneasy about Skoda's reliability in the context of my parents being retirees. If I had to get it for myself I may be more willing to take the risk.

No BMW for them I guess!

mobike008 · 7th October 2010, 14:10

@Car Fan, going by the exact parameter of your need. I think the buck stops at Altis. As its supreme comfort in back seat is what your parents would love and ofcourse the second most important parameter being very reliable.

Now the decision should be whether it should be P or D depending on how many kms they plan to gobble up during its ownership.

Happy deciding

Mpower · 7th October 2010, 19:05

You haven't said what your budget is?

I think a Jetta/LauraD DSG or a Cruze AT will make both happy. Both have the Euro feel your dad is looking for and the fuel efficiency and understated (well maybe not the Cruze) image your mum is. AT is something YOU should insist and pay for.

Aroy · 8th October 2010, 17:39

Your requirements are for two diverse vehicles

a) City vehicle, easy to park and maneuver
b) Vehicle for highway trips, with speed, comfort and luggage space

It is extremely difficult to combine these two requirements. The first demands a compact car, while the second required a larger heavier car. In case they will be driven around in the city, then parking a large vehicle should not be a problem. By the way most of the sedans are much larger than hatches, and approach the length of a soft road SUV.

In case you have space for parking think of two cars, one small hatch for short trips around the locality, and another larger car for formal occasions and long distance trips. I have adopted the same strategy, I have a sedan for formal occasions and bought a K10 for trips to market and other congested areas.

A K10/A Star/ i10 / Wagon R for city
An Altis/ Superb/ Sonata for formal occasions and highways.

FlyingSpur · 8th October 2010, 22:21

Only one car comes to mind, which fits all your requirements. New, not too harsh on the running costs (compared to a pre-owned 5), supremely comfortable, loaded to the gills, and a fair bit of oomph and brand value.

The Skoda Superb. And I'm guessing, it's the 1.8 TSI A/T you should be looking at.

Car Fan · 9th October 2010, 12:20

A thought: my father finds the Maruti SX4 quite comfortable, and it's tall profile is of course perfect for older folks. So would the forthcoming Kizashi not be a good contender? It's smaller than the Superb/Sonata but could be a good alternative to the Corolla Altis and would have all the ownership cost benefits of a Maruti.

When is it due in India anyway -- should be soon right?

6th October 2010, 15:54	#16
vkochar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Delhi / Agra / London Posts: 2,146 Thanked: 819 Times View My Garage	The Superb would be my first recommendation. The Laura would be the second - saves you 5 lacs over the superb. Cruze AT is a fantastic sedan too !!
	() Thanks

6th October 2010, 16:23	#17
vnabhi Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: DC -> DC Posts: 5,958 Thanked: 2,393 Times View My Garage	@Car Fan---between the Altis and the Sonata, the latter trumps the former in terms of space and comfort. It also has a light steering like the Altis.It is easy to park also. I don't think it is much costlier than the Altis. Even the A.S.S. and maintenance will be on par, if not better. Only thing to worry about is the resale value.
	() Thanks

6th October 2010, 16:54	#18
noopster Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Pune Posts: 9,238 Thanked: 12,904 Times View My Garage	Get the Superb, dude! If you can afford a CRV, you can afford a Superb. It really is a great car. Search for and check out the Superb vs 3-series thread if you don't believe me. This is totally in the wrong section, isn't it? Shoudn't it be in "What Car"?
	() Thanks

6th October 2010, 16:56	#19
NevGin BHPian Join Date: May 2009 Location: Bombay Posts: 503 Thanked: 437 Times	Hybrids Civic Hybrid or Toyota Prius. I don't know a whole lot on the comfort of a Prius though.
	() Thanks

6th October 2010, 17:10	#20
Anand123 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: KL-01 Posts: 2,297 Thanked: 5,225 Times	^^Civic hybrid was a disaster and is no more available.
	() Thanks

6th October 2010, 18:21	#21
sumitkalindi BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kolkata Posts: 376 Thanked: 17 Times View My Garage	I suggest you go for Toyota or Honda. I would advice against Skoda after reading about the horrible maintainace issue associated with it. Believe you can not go very wrong with Toyota.
	() Thanks

6th October 2010, 19:55	#22
Torque123 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 453 Thanked: 990 Times	Assuming that your father is going to be driven, Sonata transform or a pre owned Honda Accord or Camry is the car according to me. I would say stay away from Skoda. Peace of mind is more important at that age.
	() Thanks

6th October 2010, 20:59	#24
blackbeast BHPian Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 349 Thanked: 161 Times	[quote=sachinj12;2096818]Excellent suggestion. The car is excellent, is understated and non flashy. Also Hyuandi reliability means peace of mind. +1 to that. Think about huge bargains man. Its powerful too.
	() Thanks

7th October 2010, 10:42	#25
Car Fan BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Delhi Posts: 97 Thanked: 60 Times	Fantastic - will recommend a serious look at the Corolla Altis and Sonata Transform, and they can decide whether they want a more compact or more comfortable sedan. Since my father is keen on Skoda and will definitely check out the Yeti I will also toss in the Superb 1.8 as a recommendation, but I remain uneasy about Skoda's reliability in the context of my parents being retirees. If I had to get it for myself I may be more willing to take the risk. No BMW for them I guess!
	() Thanks

7th October 2010, 14:10	#26
mobike008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 11,705 Thanked: 14,864 Times View My Garage	@Car Fan, going by the exact parameter of your need. I think the buck stops at Altis. As its supreme comfort in back seat is what your parents would love and ofcourse the second most important parameter being very reliable. Now the decision should be whether it should be P or D depending on how many kms they plan to gobble up during its ownership. Happy deciding
	() Thanks

7th October 2010, 19:05	#27
Mpower Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 10,409 Thanked: 1,730 Times View My Garage	You haven't said what your budget is? I think a Jetta/LauraD DSG or a Cruze AT will make both happy. Both have the Euro feel your dad is looking for and the fuel efficiency and understated (well maybe not the Cruze) image your mum is. AT is something YOU should insist and pay for. Last edited by Mpower : 8th October 2010 at 07:34.
	() Thanks

8th October 2010, 17:39	#28
Aroy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,582 Thanked: 2,741 Times View My Garage	Your requirements are for two diverse vehicles a) City vehicle, easy to park and maneuver b) Vehicle for highway trips, with speed, comfort and luggage space It is extremely difficult to combine these two requirements. The first demands a compact car, while the second required a larger heavier car. In case they will be driven around in the city, then parking a large vehicle should not be a problem. By the way most of the sedans are much larger than hatches, and approach the length of a soft road SUV. In case you have space for parking think of two cars, one small hatch for short trips around the locality, and another larger car for formal occasions and long distance trips. I have adopted the same strategy, I have a sedan for formal occasions and bought a K10 for trips to market and other congested areas. A K10/A Star/ i10 / Wagon R for city An Altis/ Superb/ Sonata for formal occasions and highways.
	() Thanks

8th October 2010, 22:21	#29
FlyingSpur Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 3,934 Thanked: 1,422 Times View My Garage	Only one car comes to mind, which fits all your requirements. New, not too harsh on the running costs (compared to a pre-owned 5), supremely comfortable, loaded to the gills, and a fair bit of oomph and brand value. The Skoda Superb. And I'm guessing, it's the 1.8 TSI A/T you should be looking at.
	() Thanks

9th October 2010, 12:20	#30
Car Fan BHPian Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Delhi Posts: 97 Thanked: 60 Times	Kizashi? A thought: my father finds the Maruti SX4 quite comfortable, and it's tall profile is of course perfect for older folks. So would the forthcoming Kizashi not be a good contender? It's smaller than the Superb/Sonata but could be a good alternative to the Corolla Altis and would have all the ownership cost benefits of a Maruti. When is it due in India anyway -- should be soon right?
	() Thanks