[Harishwar]

Oh Boy! the thread of bajajm's ( Help me decide: Automatic Car under 20 lakhs ) reflects my requirement and my dilemmae. (Happy. I have company)

I am looking to buy an automatic Diesel Sedan around 20L. But willing to stretch upto 25 - 26 OTR if it is VFM. I wish to own this car Long term - 7-8 years. I spent quite a lot of time browsing the pages of Team-BHP. Really enjoyed every bit.

Here are some which I shortlisted and my comments.

Liked:

Cruze Diesel AT - Lack of rear Seat Space. Rear Seat Comfort is paramount!

Laura/Superb - Read real scary A** horror stories in our forum - I admit these cars have captured my imagination.

Sonata Transform Crdi AT - A Compromised and practical Choice - Liked many features and also we have a dealer in Town (hurray!) but real worry is on resale value once New Sonata is launched in India. (Also deep inside the feeling of helplessness once the new one comes along )

Also checked:

Chevy Captiva - No rear vents - Real turn Off.

Not Keen:

Some how not keen on the Passat. VW in general.

Hmmmm.
I have a strong lean on Transform but have this storm inside urging the wait for 2011 Sonata but how long? I need to buy before end Jan 2011. also not sure if Diesel version would be launched.

Any news on the 2011 Sonata yet friends?

Apart from Sonata, I am quite impressed by Laura L&K AT and Superb Diesel AT. Like to hear from Skoda Owners in trivandrum on the cars and A**.

I come from the Town Nagercoil - 70Kms from Trivandrum, I guess this is the nearest I can expect to have a skoda dealer!. If I can get good feedback on dealers in Trivandrum from BHPians it would be of great help.

Any other Suggestions most welcome!

Cheers.

[Aroy]

Are you going to be driving it, or will you be at the rear seat? How many passengers do you expect in normal drives?

If you are going to be the sole driver most of the time, then I would suggest getting the BMW 320d CE, this the best you can get in terms of performance and FE. Otherwise Skoda is a better all round choice.

For maximum rear seat comfort nothing beats the Sonata, but its suspension is a bit soft and will wallow on curves.

[Akshay1234]

Well do let us know if you will be driving, and what you want from the car i.e a powerful engine or a comfortable back seat or gadgets? With that info we can help you out.

The VWs are out since they dont come with ATs anymore. Though the new Passat next year might be worth waiting for.

As for the Skodas, the Superb is a brilliant all rounder. You get the great back seat, nice car to drive (paddle shifts etc), gadgets, basically everything.

The Laura is like a mini Superb. Buy it if you want to save on some cash or need a smaller car. Its a Superb - Paddle shifts, sunroof and space.

[Harishwar]

@Aroy, @akshay1234 - Thanks Much. Nah. It would be chaffeur driven most times of the year except for about a month when I will be in India. I like a engine with good power but not over expecting. Comfort and convenience rank pretty high.

BTW, I had visited the Skoda Dealer to take a look at the Superb. I was really impressed by it.Here in Lagos, it comes with only Petrol variants: 1.4 TSI, 1.8 TSI, 2.0 TSI and the 3.6 V6.

The one I saw was a 1.8 TSI AT with

Black fabric interiors - called Ray Fabric Trim
Manual Seat Height adjuster
No parking Sensors
Bolero Radio - Music System with 6 CD Changer - No touch screen or Navigation.
No Xenon Lamps only Halogen.
No Paddle Shifts

Above are some variations from the trims that is available in India.

I have some Pictures of the Superb.. and Also a Surprise. Yes !
The same dealer here is also dealing with Hyundai. And there it was the Sonata 2011. But unfortunately could see from the outside only as the Key was not available being saturday it was off for Hyundai Staff! Enjoy the pics.

I hope to be back there on Monday to have a feel of the Sonata 2011 and hopefully some pics. Cheers.

[VMC]

I have been waiting for the new Sonata.
@Harishwar- please post the interior pics if possible.
Let me try to also get a sneek preview here in BLR.

[Akshay1234]

Im not sure when the Sonata will be launched here.

But the Superb here is certainly much more loaded than the one you saw. It has the touchscreen (12 speakers), xenons with cornering function, nappa leather, paddle shifts, blah blah fully loaded.

Why not consider the 1.8tsi? The diesel is a good 2-3 lacs more, so check it your usage requires a diesel.

[Harishwar]

@VMC will try

@akshay1234, Yes, 1.8tsi is also a good bet as the running will not be more than 12 -15K kms a year as we have another car a Tata Indica Dicor(2008). But how will be the resale value after 3-4 years?

[sidindica]

Why ins't Hyundai launching the new sonata in India? why? and in Africa this car is now available..

[VMC]

I think these pictures are of the Avante( Elantra replacement). I do not understand why this is badged as Sonata?

[GTO]

Let me summarise the choices for you:

Superb DSG : Suspect reliability, and the fact that the nearest dealer is 70 kms away, eliminates the car right away. If you knew you were going to have a heart attack, would you live 3 hours away from the nearest hospital? Sorry, but keeping in mind your location & the 7 years you'll keep the car, I can only recommend a brand with a 100% reliability track record to you. As much as the Superb meets your needs to the T.

Recommendations:

- Accord AT : Stupendously high reliability, zero nonsense ownership, good power & automatic gearbox, awesome space & comfort. Main downer : No diesel, and the equipment list looks naked compared to the Superb.

- Sonata common-rail diesel : A highly under-rated car. Excellent torque, sofa of a backseat, high on reliability. Disadvantage : Model replacement is around the corner

- Avoid the Cruze AT. If you have that kind of a budget, you'll never be happy with the space, interior quality or lazy automatic.

- Suggestion : How about the Captiva AT? The slushbox isn't DSG-calibre, but it's one of the most car like SUVs you can find.

[vincy_30]

Dear GTO ,

You think i should get my laura AT out of my garage 4 year old giving host of poroblems < and go for SUperb , or just get my laura service and overhauled

Please suugest ... awaiting your call ,

Originally Posted by GTO

Let me summarise the choices for you:

Superb DSG : Suspect reliability, and the fact that the nearest dealer is 70 kms away, eliminates the car right away. If you knew you were going to have a heart attack, would you live 3 hours away from the nearest hospital? Sorry, but keeping in mind your location & the 7 years you'll keep the car, I can only recommend a brand with a 100% reliability track record to you. As much as the Superb meets your needs to the T.

Recommendations:

- Accord AT : Stupendously high reliability, zero nonsense ownership, good power & automatic gearbox, awesome space & comfort. Main downer : No diesel, and the equipment list looks naked compared to the Superb.

- Sonata common-rail diesel : A highly under-rated car. Excellent torque, sofa of a backseat, high on reliability. Disadvantage : Model replacement is around the corner

- Avoid the Cruze AT. If you have that kind of a budget, you'll never be happy with the space, interior quality or lazy automatic.

- Suggestion : How about the Captiva AT? The slushbox isn't DSG-calibre, but it's one of the most car like SUVs you can find.

[selfdrive]

If I were in your shoes, I would wait for the upgraded Sonata. If this wasnt feasible, I would go for the Captiva. I am not sure if you can have an aftermarket AC vent fitted, no harm in trying to find out. Good luck with your buy!

[Harishwar]

@GTO, @Selfdrive Many thanks for Reco and suggestions.

@GTO
I liked the captiva but for the rear vents.
Coming back to Superb, Could you please throw more light on the reliability interms of failure % of the DSG both 6 Speed and 7 Speed. Cos I don't want to discard this choice if the numbers are low (Maybe my heart is with this one - I don't mind between petrol and Diesel). Appreciate your inputs.


@ Selfdrive I am checking with Chevy dealer in our area about the mod for rear vents without affecting the warranty.

Cheers

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by Harishwar

@GTO
I liked the captiva but for the rear vents.
Coming back to Superb, Could you please throw more light on the reliability interms of failure % of the DSG both 6 Speed and 7 Speed. Cos I don't want to discard this choice if the numbers are low (Maybe my heart is with this one - I don't mind between petrol and Diesel). Appreciate your inputs.

Cheers

The 7 Speed is certainly supposed to be much more reliable, since it is a dry clutch DSG compared to the 6 speeds which are wet clutch. I havent heard of too many problems with the 7 speed. Everything just makes the 1.8tsi seem like a more sensible buy than the other variants.

[Sahil]

The Superb 1.8TSi is the best option by far. Whether it's performance or features, it wins hands down. I have no problems on reliability. Skoda has had issues in India but from things seemed to be back in shape now. The car feels solid and I don't reckon it should give problems in long run as well.
Since the car is going to be mainly chaffured most often you could get the manual version too and save a few lakhs.

Yet if you must look at another option the it would the captiva or endeavour 4x2