[altius]

I guess none of the cars you are considering could match or beat your Rapid in terms of power, handling and highway stability. They would not really be an upgrade. May be you can consider used octavia's or better continue with Rapid for a while till you are in position to afford the cars you truly desire - Octavia or Jeep Compass.

[Nissan1180]

Originally Posted by motorworks

And now the real conundrum, what next to buy? I always thought that my next car should be again an upgrade, so I had planned that I should buy something in the range of 18 L after 2 years or so. So i actually wanted a Octavia or a Jeep Compass entry level variant, but in reality I Cannot afford more than 11-12 L today. So my options in front of me are simple—Creta base petrol or diesel, S cross Zeta, Verna E petrol or the Honda City base petrol.

Do check out the Nexon and the Hexa. The Nexon is 70% of the compass (2WD) at half the price. You can test drive both back to back and feel this. The Hexa feels much richer than the City, S-Cross, Verna or Creta (feedback from the owners of these cars who sat in our Hexa). The S-Cross in the 90HP version is not worth the price it commands. Unless you're looking for resale value as a priority, there's nothing that Maruti or Nexa offers that makes it the most optimal choice.

The Octavia is great, but it is again a Skoda product which will suffer from ASS issues sooner or later. Thanks.

[vigsom]

I'd strongly recommend the SCross even in the 1.3 avatar, and also believe it is time you parted with the Rapid.

[Prathiiik]

Hello Sir,

None of the shortlisted cars come close to the Rapid in terms of high speed stability and build quality. I suggest you look at the used car market where the number of cars in the 11-12 lakh range is abundant.

You could get a used Skoda Octavia or a used Jetta for under 12 lakhs

Or, if you want only a new car, you can checkout the ecosport or the Nexon diesel.

[androdev]

Keep the Rapid. TDI MT is fairly reliable and will serve you well. Upgrading with that budget won't get you any exciting options unless you just want to run away from Skoda a.s.s

If you are keen for a change, include TSI lineup in your shortlist. They would surely add a spring in your step.

[autorahul]

Originally Posted by motorworks

Need some serious help for shortlisting my next car.

If you are open to looking at second hand car market, look out for S-Cross 1.6. BHPian Benzinblut recently got it and has cronicled his experience quite well.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...1-6-alpha.html

Amongst new, my top pick would be Honda City petrol, while also keeping in mind the soon to be launching Toyota Ativ. City offers good all round refinement, power and space. Ativ is expected to offer more or less of the same too, and with Toyota gradually overtaking Honda in terms of ownership experience, it might be the way to go.

Finally, I also think you should look at the Ecosport. Its petrol engine is amongst the best in the range with excellent power delivery. Space might be slightly less, but its still adequate.

[motorworks]

Thanks for all your quick responses.

Used cars are ruled out, my feeling is that you may end up with some gremlins at a later stage.

I had a quick look at S-Cross, Creta and the New Verna.

Did not test drive any of them, I intend to do so later this evening or the coming week. But the initial feeling was that the Verna seems very well kitted, if I were to buy the SX petrol at about 11.8 lakhs, it has most features like ACC, alloys and the works. I don't have to add anything to it at a later stage.

And similarly the S-Cross Zeta at 12 Lakhs OTR is also well speccd.

But the Creta is in a different planet! The base + 1 variant, 1.6 Petrol E plus, is pretty bare bones at 12L! No alloys, no ACC, no fog lamps l! Pretty basic.

So quick question, in terms of engines, how is the petrol 1.6 from Hyundai? It is the same engine in both Creta and Verna. Am a little wary of the Creta since if I buy the E plus variant, I may end up spending later on something or the other. Just does not feel special, especially moving from the Rapid. And I keep hearing a lot is issues on the Braking of the Creta in spite of ABS, EBD and BA standard.
On the contrary the reviews of the Verna have indicated that the car handles well, is well behaved even at high speeds.
Any feedback on Creta Base Petrol, New Verna Petrol and the S cross would be great!

[Prathiiik]

Hello Sir,

The 1.6 Petrol from Hyundai is an excellent engine. Refinement levels are top notch, power is adequate and it is a moderate performer. Quoting RavenAvi Sir's post from his Creta thread:

On the highways, however, it's a slightly different story. The petrol Creta does gallop on open highways easily upto 100 kmph in no time, with all of it's 123 horses pulling it neatly. Even ghat roads with reasonably wide corner sections are of no problem. But come to a steeper incline (and related cornering section) and the petrol Creta's lack of pull in the higher gears can be felt. A downshift to 3rd is almost inevitable (sometimes 2nd), as the engine hits it's lagging point. Mashing the accelerator pedal hard will get no response from the engine in the 4th/5th gears in such a situation. Best to come down to the 2nd or 3rd gear (sometimes 1st, if the incline is just too steep), and let the engine coast through the incline, before hitting flatter ground and coming back into it's own. This is where a Bolero or a Scorpio can outrun you, simply because of diesel power and that added torque for the extra punch.

However, if you are considering a petrol, I suggest you have a look at the Honda City 1.5 i-vtec. The engine is extremely refined, power is more than adequate and the car itself is very smooth and fun to drive. The space in the rear seat is also abundant and much more than the Hyundai Verna.

[motorworks]

@ Prathiiik, thanks for sharing that link on the 1.6 Petrol engines of the Verna and the Creta.

Just got back from test driving all three cars—S cross, Creta Petrol, Verna Manual and Auto.

My impressions:-

First up was the S-Cross. Very good Allrounder, the Diesel engine did better than I expected, pulled to 3 digit speeds without any hassle. Braking was also good and sharp.

Ride was good as well, went over some bad roads and the car felt good over some undulated surfaces.

But somehow the car lacked some wow factor, not in terms of interiors of features, but in general.

Next up was the 1.6 Petrol Creta, drives like a SUV, ride quality at par or slightly better than S-Cross. Compared to the S-Cross the Creta felt better put together, right from now the door handles feel and everything else inside.

But the petrol motor was very sluggish. I could not pull with ease, was very surprised considering this was 1.6 Petrol!

Next up was the manual Petrol Verna. And surprisingly the same engine performed beautifully in the Verna. The car felt quick, agile and had sharp braking. Ride obviously cannot be compared to the SUVs but was fairly ok for a sedan.

Last up was the Verna Automatic Petrol, somehow I did not get used to the auto and had a very off experience. I have only driven Vento TSi and Polo TSi before. But the Verna Petrol Auto has manual shifts too, so I used that in the short run.

Overall, I felt that the Verna was the best of the lot, offered fun and sharp braking.

In a dilemma now. The Verna is more or less similar to my current Rapid in terms of performance or feel. Yes, it is new and better kitted. My wife feels that if I switch from the Rapid, then I should either switch to the Verna Auto considering my daily 2 hour commute in Bangalore Traffic or the Creta which offers a SUV feel. Else the whole aspect of vehicle switch is defeated, at least as per her.

And to make the dilemma worse, when I drove home in my Rapid, the question was should I really switch from this car?

But the harsh Truth is, my car is entering the 7th year next month and just about to touch 50k, so re-sale is going to go Deep South from here. And my car does not have Passenger Air bag, EBD. If and when safety regulations kick in 2020, dual airbags become a taking point.

So still thinking about the whole thing, but need to take a decision in the next 24 hours since the person who wants to buy my Rapid wants to do it sometime in the next 2 days.

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by motorworks

@ Prathiiik, thanks for sharing that link on the 1.6 Petrol engines of the Verna and the Creta.

Overall, I felt that the Verna was the best of the lot, offered fun and sharp braking.

In a dilemma now. The Verna is more or less similar to my current Rapid in terms of performance or feel. Yes, it is new and better kitted. My wife feels that if I switch from the Rapid, then I should either switch to the Verna Auto considering my daily 2 hour commute in Bangalore Traffic or the Creta which offers a SUV feel. Else the whole aspect of vehicle switch is defeated, at least as per her.

And to make the dilemma worse, when I drove home in my Rapid, the question was should I really switch from this car?

But the harsh Truth is, my car is entering the 7th year next month and just about to touch 50k, so re-sale is going to go Deep South from here. And my car does not have Passenger Air bag, EBD. If and when safety regulations kick in 2020, dual airbags become a taking point.

So still thinking about the whole thing, but need to take a decision in the next 24 hours since the person who wants to buy my Rapid wants to do it sometime in the next 2 days.

I can see the reason you want to sell the Rapid is fear of what prohibitive cost will come next with all the problems you have had so far. Unfortunately Skoda ASS has earned itself a reputation that only the brave take on. SELL.

In terms of what car you are going to buy next, the budget or 10-12 L is roughly the same as you would spend on a car like the Rapid. The only advantage is you get a car that is 7 years newer with the associated modcons. If space and the need for GC is not an issue why get an SUV. I personally prefer a sedan and would recommend that. Look at your daily commute and see if the AT actually makes sense for you.

Another option you can consider is the Fiat Linea, though service is an issue as compared to Hyundai or Maruti.

[autorahul]

Originally Posted by motorworks

So still thinking about the whole thing, but need to take a decision in the next 24 hours since the person who wants to buy my Rapid wants to do it sometime in the next 2 days.

In my opinion, you should go for it. 5 lakhs is a good amount for a 7 year old Rapid. Verna has satisfied you, and you have found a car, you would be relatively happy with. Now comes the part about testing others in the segment, and getting more and more sure of your choice. Primarily, the long time leader Honda City and the Toyota Ativ which shall be launched in next couple of days.
Link. You also can test Nexon and Ecosport meanwhile as you can look for fully kitted top end version of them at this price.

[jetsetgo08]

Originally Posted by motorworks

Anyway, I received an offer just yday for 5 L, and now in a complete confusion whether to sell the car or not. On one side, I have spent quite a bit on the car, so those costs I cannot recover. I love the car too much to just give it away as well.. but on the other side it is 6 years old and now due yearly service and insurance etc. and considering abysmal resale values of skodas and VWs, 5 L did seem fair.

5L is a very good price. Please check if you could retain the accessories( at least the headunit) and still get a quote nearer to 5L. Alternatively, if you still love the car and are having fun with it, there is a good reason to hold it, unless it has done more than 1.5-2 lakh km's.

Originally Posted by motorworks

And now the real conundrum, what next to buy?.... So i actually wanted a Octavia or a Jeep Compass entry level variant, but in reality I Cannot afford more than 11-12 L today. So my options in front of me are simple—Creta base petrol or diesel, S cross Zeta, Verna E petrol or the Honda City base petrol.

To be honest, coming from a Rapid Tdi, most cars that you have mentioned would feel as a downgrade, at least from the drivers perspective. And I would not suggest a compromised purchase either. Though it might be a financially wise decision to replace a car now, you will not have the same fun with the cars that you have mentioned.

Also, I would not suggest any of the petrol Manual transmission cars despite low running. Coming from a diesel, you will regret the lack of bottom end torque every time you take out the car in the city traffic.

[aadya]

Originally Posted by ptushar

Interesting topic indeed. And a dilemma every car owner faces. Like I do currently. Do I sell my 7 year old i10 Auto and buy a new one? It runs perfect. No issues whatsoever. Then why do I sell it. Because pretty soon it's maintenance costs will start going up.

Well, here's a guy who has done some serious analysis on this. Read his article; he also has an analyser to help you ascertain your costs. Interesting way to analyse this issue. No emotions attached.

http://www-math.bgsu.edu/~zirbel/carcosts/index.html

But what do I do? How do I take the emotions out of the equation when it comes to my decision making. I love my car!

How much kms your car has done? How is your maintenance schedule?

Originally Posted by motorworks

So still thinking about the whole thing, but need to take a decision in the next 24 hours since the person who wants to buy my Rapid wants to do it sometime in the next 2 days.

Verna or City automatic would be fine for you for next five years at least.

1.No VW/SKODA due to your past experience but if your commute is mostly in the city try not to be too picky.
2.If majority driving is office commute in bangalore then a petrol automatic is good for you. Imagine 2 hrs a day for 300 days an year in bangalore traffic which moves at snail pace, you require good seat, comfortable ac, good ergonomics and all other bells and whistle which keeps your stress level low, Not a great engine or superior dynamics.
3.No need for Jetta or Octavia as they do not add value to your expectation.

[motorworks]

Quick update, sold my Beloved Rapid TDI finally this morning! Closed it for 5.1 L.
The value might have been +\- 20-30k, but i thought it was ok since Insurance and yearly service are both due next month and both of them could be easily around 30-40k. Regretted selling it the minute I handed over the keys, loved the car way too much! But that is life, guess I have to move on.
Considering TD of the S-Cross once again. And in addition might test drive the 1.4 diesel of the Creta.

Lets see how it goes!

[aadya]

Originally Posted by motorworks

Quick update, sold my Beloved Rapid TDI finally this morning! Closed it for 5.1 L.
The value might have been +\- 20-30k, but i thought it was ok since Insurance and yearly service are both due next month and both of them could be easily around 30-40k. Regretted selling it the minute I handed over the keys, loved the car way too much! But that is life, guess I have to move on.
Considering TD of the S-Cross once again. And in addition might test drive the 1.4 diesel of the Creta.

Lets see how it goes!

Creta 1.4 is way too expensive for what it offers. S cross though the only well built vehicle from Maruti stable would be a pain to drive long in Bangalore traffic. Take TD in typical peak hour BLR traffic to assess the turbo-lag of this otherwise excellent engine. And also the money spent on the diesel engine can be very well spent on the auto-box and other features considering your mileage.