[headers]

The new Elantra fluidic is apparently good..Pl check it out

[dezrskb]

May be one should experiment with DSG when you are in prime earning age so that you can set aside an emergency rescue fund if it fails out of warranty. By the time you retire you will know whether AT reliability is on par with MT and you can go with another AT if it is reliable as you need some rest for your knees. Or you can go for manual if your left knee is good so that this MT will remain with you forever

[dezrskb]

Guys, need some unbiased opinion with this question.
I have decided to now go for DSG AT of either Laura or Jetta. Now-
1. Laura coming with Skoda shield which extends the warranty to 4yrs/1,00,000kms. Some of my DSG concerns should be rested here as its sort of reassuring.
2. VW jetta coming with 2yrs warranty. Probably not extendable and bit overpriced. But feature wise HL appears well loaded. For that matter even Comfortline too is well loaded if I choose MT. Whereas L&K of Laura is good but one trim lower Elegance is comparatively less featured for eg. Not even front parking sensors. Comfortline of Jetta has that too, but not visual display.

Should Skoda Shield be tilting my balance?
With more discounts available on Laura, engine, drive quality and DSG box being from same origin, Laura better value for money than Jetta as AT available with more trims? So ideally L&K >Jetta HL AT> Laura Elegance AT going by features. But if I listen to horror stories and rumors then I should not be risking a European car (so I have decided not to listen to them and trust my brain to arrange these according to what I feel should be correct). So guys please give your opinions without bias to the brand image and past stories.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by dezrskb

Guys, need some unbiased opinion with this question.
I have decided to now go for DSG AT of either Laura or Jetta. Now-
1. Laura coming with Skoda shield which extends the warranty to 4yrs/1,00,000kms. Some of my DSG concerns should be rested here as its sort of reassuring.
2. VW jetta coming with 2yrs warranty. Probably not extendable and bit overpriced. But feature wise HL appears well loaded. For that matter even Comfortline too is well loaded if I choose MT. Whereas L&K of Laura is good but one trim lower Elegance is comparatively less featured for eg. Not even front parking sensors. Comfortline of Jetta has that too, but not visual display.

Should Skoda Shield be tilting my balance?

Laura L&K comes with more equipment compared to Jetta Highline, which does not even have Leather seats or even Climate control. I feel L&K is better value for money variant.

Both cars have the same Engines and Gearbox, even most of mechanicals are shared. This is absolutely the best combo you can get for this price. You cannot go wrong with either of the cars.

Skoda Shield is a good package, i opted for it when i bought my car.

My car a 2010 end TDI CR 140hp DSG has done ~34kms in more than a year. Overall the ownership experience has been wonderful with zero defects or failure. I take my car to all kind of places, it has seen everything from softroading to flatout drives on expressways, i never found it lacking. Spent my hard earned money for the car in cash, no regrets till date!! For details check my ownership exprience for details.

The new CR engines are extremely reliable, i haven't heard of a single defect. Each and every owner of the newer batch cars on the forum is happy with their cars. The recent 6 speed DSGs are reliable enough, the only failure case i have seen is Manson's car, that too was not an generic known problem, just a manufacturing defect.

Go through all the ownership reviews. It's your money and its on you to decide. You can also go with the generalizations and pick a car which drives like an electric appliance and has as much as character a toaster..

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by dezrskb

Guys, need some unbiased opinion with this question.
I have decided to now go for DSG AT of either Laura or Jetta.

To add to what Anshuman has said, remember that the current Laura sold here is approaching the end of it's life-cycle. It's been through new engines, a substantial face-lift, etc. I'd give it 3 years tops.

The Jetta on the other hand, is an all-new car. It's based on the new Golf platform which will be used to build the new Laura on. In fact, there is speculation that the Laura name will be discontinued and the 'Octavia' brand will be brought back. I'm not entirely sure.

So if you're the sort who buys the newest iPhone or in-season clothes, you might want to hold onto your money for now. Or buy the Jetta. But if it doesn't matter to you, the Laura is your best bet. It's difficult to separate the two and it depends on personal preferences. The Laura has turned into a smashing piece of kit over the years, since its launch in 2005. The Jetta is just as good, if not better.

Also, please post such queries in the 'What Car?' section of the forum to avoid going off-topic.

[pganapathy]

@dezrskb - I agree with Anshuman when he says pick the Skoda over the Jetta. Basically the cars are the same mechanically but the more upmarket you go (Seat - Skoda - VW - Audi) the less value for money you get.

@suhaas307 - If you are the type that buys the latest gadgets as you mentioned, then cars will need to be changed every 2 to 3 years because that seems to have become the life cycle of most cars these days. Okay, maybe 5 years tops.

[dezrskb]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

To add to what Anshuman has said, remember that the current Laura sold here is approaching the end of it's life-cycle. It's been through new engines, a substantial face-lift, etc. I'd give it 3 years tops.

The Jetta on the other hand, is an all-new car. It's based on the new Golf platform which will be used to build the new Laura on.

Also, please post such queries in the 'What Car?' section of the forum to avoid going off-topic.

First of all, my post/query may please be moved to appropriate section if it doesn't belong here.
Thanks for sincere advise Suhas307. There are things which pull me towards Laura, as belows-
1. Good value for money.
2. Newer engine /equipment seems to be more reliable
3. Skoda shield (4 yrs warranty)

And towards Jetta
1. Newer car
2. Excellent safety features across all the trims
Other things same as Laura
If Jetta came with something like Skoda shield, I would have booked Jetta by this time already
But I guess, while I'm waiting, something new gets launched and I will be back to square one in terms of confusion.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by dezrskb

First of all, my post/query may please be moved to appropriate section if it doesn't belong here.
Thanks for sincere advise Suhas307. There are things which pull me towards Laura, as belows-
1. Good value for money.
2. Newer engine /equipment seems to be more reliable
3. Skoda shield (4 yrs warranty)

And towards Jetta
1. Newer car
2. Excellent safety features across all the trims
Other things same as Laura
If Jetta came with something like Skoda shield, I would have booked Jetta by this time already
But I guess, while I'm waiting, something new gets launched and I will be back to square one in terms of confusion.

Jetta scores at-

• New Launch, will stay around longer and may retain the value better in long term. Looks fresh too.
• All the safety equipment even for the base variant.
• Rear seat is considerably more spacious.
• Ride is flatter.
• Low stance.
• Feels and is slightly bigger.
• MT variants have the 140hp variant with a 6 speed 'box

Laura scores at-

• More agile and lively handler, with a more feelsome steering and shorter wheelbase.
• Slightly more aggressively tuned engine, tiny bit more eager(Does it matter?)
• Interiors feel slightly richer and have some design flair.
• Automatic Transmission DSG available even in the lowest trim.
• Bigger and more flexible boot, with huge opening, good enough to move your house.
• Better Ground clearance, can cross obstacles without effort where Jetta scrapes(Recent back to back drive observation.)
• Genuinely loaded L&K variant
• Extended warranty option- Skoda Shield 4 years/1,00,000 kms

Observations after back to back drive with my Uncle's Jetta Highline DSG

[dezrskb]

Now if it's MT with Jetta I certainly will go Comfortline way as this trim too is quite well loaded and the differences between this and Highline MT don't mean much to me (for eg cruise control - I don't have expressways anywhere nearby. With highways studded with jaywalkers, cattle and vehicles coming wrong way sometimes I'm not sure about it's value to me. You get steering mounted audio controls too unlike Elegance trim in Laura not getting this though its just a trim lower than L&K)

[GTO]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Extended warranty option- Skoda Shield 4 years/1,00,000 kms

Just wanted to add that the Jetta is also available with a 2 year extended warranty now. My brother got an email from VW this week, asking if he'd like to purchase it for his Jetta (obviously I told him to jump at the offer. European car = Buy all the warranty you can).

And an advantage in favour of the Laura : It's CHEAPER! Same car, more equipment, lesser price.

[dezrskb]

Originally Posted by GTO

Just wanted to add that the Jetta is also available with a 2 year extended warranty now. My brother got an email from VW this week, asking if he'd like to purchase it for his Jetta (obviously I told him to jump at the offer. European car = Buy all the warranty you can).

And an advantage in favour of the Laura : It's CHEAPER! Same car, more equipment, lesser price.

Thanks GTO,
But are you sure? That would be ideal if extended warranty is available for Jetta. I called 2 showrooms yesterday and they are not aware of it. Will mail VW India and find out

[dezrskb]

In fact the website of Volkswagen India says they offer option of extended warranty. The exact wordings are
"Stay assured even when you go the distance. It’s not the end of the road when your car’s warranty expires. Continue to enjoy your peace of mind as the warranty period on your Volkswagen car can be extended for another 2 years or 100,000kms. This is applicable from the date of sale of vehicle at a nominal cost*.

For further information, please consult your local Volkswagen dealer"


Its funny that all the dealers whom I have contacted have denied existence of any warranty like this. There is something fishy? I called Volkswagen India customer care, but they requested me to contact local dealer. Folks, when I took a test drive of Skoda Laura, I received the price list which prominently highlights the Skoda Shield and the 4 yr / 1L kms warranty and rightly so. This would be a selling point and should be highlighted. But any members in this forum who have Volkswagen have got this extended warranty? Did any one go through their website? (obviously everybody must have at one time or other). Anybody questioned the discrepancy between what VW india advertises in their website and what local dealers are offering?

[dezrskb]

I had mailed VW India regarding extended warranty. Received a reply saying they are working on a revision in currently existing EW and should be available by sep end

[animeshb]

Hi All,

This is my first thread here and I need some inputs to clear my current predicament of which driver's car to buy within 15 Lakhs. I own a 4.5 year old Ford Fusion 1.6 (2008 Model), a Honda CBR250R and am looking for a second car which should be an upgrade from the Fusion in terms of performance, handling, driving experience and better interiors. Overall I feel that the Indian consumer doesn't really have much options with my set of requirements but some of my detailed requirements are in here:

1. As I stated earlier, the car should feel like a proper upgrade.
2. A sedan because there aren't many choices among SUVs in this price bracket.
3. I have a budget of 14-15 lakhs and my monthly running doesn't need a diesel. After months of dilly-dallying I have decided to buy a car finally. Was thinking of a budget of around 10 lakhs but there is nothing in that price bracket which would have felt like an upgrade for me and hence had to increase the budget.
4. Has to be a Manual.
5. Safety is of paramount importance (the more the merrier).
6. We have ruled out Used Cars though we understand how it makes sense financially. Thanks to living in Gurgaon for over 5 years now - the land of "Soshe-baazi"!

I have shortlisted the following in order of preference:

1. Skoda Laura TSI Ambiente
2. Skoda Laura vRS.
3. Skoda Yeti 4x4 Ambiente (know it's not a Sedan but the features are astounding and drives like a car).
4. Maruti Suzuki Kizashi MT
5. Honda Civic 1.8V MT Sunroof
6. ??

Here is how the options stack against each other:
1. Skoda Laura TSI Ambiente

Advantages:
- Stonker of an engine with decent enough handling. I did feel the difference from the Fusion in terms of the Engine though I wouldn't say that the Laura handles better than the Fusion.
- Getting a wonderful deal on a 2011 Model. About 1.3 Lakhs off the On-Road price.
- Good Interiors though our 3-year old son will find the fabric seats his favorite place to leave behind handprints/footprints/etc. Skoda genuine Leatherite Seats would be a must.
- Good enough OEM ICE. A Entire HU replacement with Caska HU for Laura would be perfect.
- Service intervals of 15K or 1 year.
- Good Enough features but a TSI Elegance would have been perfect.
- Two Airbags, Good brakes, amazing european build.

Dis-advantages:
- Not much color choice. Already have a black car and have quite a few scratches done by kids to show (don't have very safe parking, live in a multi-story apartment). The two other color options are worse (White and Silver), strictly my opinion though, no offense meant.
- No Sunroof
- Skoda *** and Horror Stories. Had to mention this!!
- Some Essentials like Climate-control and Steering mounted controls missing!

Deal:
- Around 14.3 on a 2011 model with PMS thrown in. Now whats PMS is the big question. The Sales guy says its a Maintenance program for 3 years which includes everything that a regular service would require. The Customer needs to pay 10,000 and 25,000 in this case will be paid by the Dealer. I have asked the sales guy to provide me with documentation which he hasn't yet and I have my doubts whether this is something country wide or dealer specific and whether it makes any sense.


2. Skoda Laura vRS

Advantages (over the TSI):
- vRS moniker!
- Way better handler than the Ambiente
- Quite a few additions over the Ambiente
- Better choice of colors (my choice "Race Blue")
- Plus all the above advantages from the Laura Ambiente.
- Sunroof

Dis-advantages:
- Some Essentials like Climate-control and Steering mounted controls still missing
- No discounts says the sales person but I don't really believe him.

Deal:
Haven't yet discussed commercials with the sales person as he had said no discounts the first time itself. And it would be quite a budget stretch for me without any discounts.

3. Skoda Yeti 4X4 Ambiente.

Advantages:
- Diesel
- Good Handling, drives like a car.
- Amazing interiors
- Feature packed.

Dis-advantages:
- Too similar to the Fusion in terms of driving and size and costs 2.5-3X as much.
- Not a very comfortable rear seat.

Deal: Getting a 1.2Lakhs off on a 2012 model and 1.8 Lakhs on a 2011 model on the Ambiente trim. A bit more for the Elegance.

I test drove and figured out that it is not much larger than the Fusion with a similar driving position and similar size. I was immediately at home in the Yeti but figured that since we want to retain the Fusion we don't want to end up with two similar cars. Also, there would be times when we would be in the back seat with the driver driving the car, the rear seat isn't a very comfortable place to be compared to a sedan.

4. Maruti Suzuki Kizashi:

Advantages:
- Big and sporty
- 2.4L Engine
- Enough features
- Good Ground clearance and 17" wheels
- Suzuki ***
- Japanese Reliability

Disadvantages:
- Low fuel economy

I am not really concerned about brand snob value but the fuel economy is a killer plus you get almost everything in the Laura at a lesser price. I haven't yet TDed the Kizashi due to lack of time so everything is hearsay till now.

Deal: The dealer is giving a 1.4 Lakh discount but the sales person (in fact the assistant manager of sales at the dealer handles queries about the Kizashi) mentioned that he can speak to the manufacturer and see what can be done.

5. Civic MT

Advantages:
- Quite feature rich and comes with sunroof (again)!
- Getting a Touch-screen Multimedia system as a freebie.
- Sporty
- Japanese Reliability

Dis-advantages:
- Too many civics around
- A bit dated though the interiors are still quite good.
- Almost end of life and the current model is an older one internationally
- A weaker engine compared to the Laura.

Gurus and current Laura TSI/vRS owners, I am more inclined towards the Laura and I see from the recent ownership threads that *** has improved significantly though sometimes dealers attitude of ripping off customers during repairs, etc don't inspire too much confidence.

It would be great if you folks can provide your inputs and also if you have heard discounts being offered on the vRS. I would love if I was able to fit the vRS somehow in my budget!!

Thanks,
Animesh

[.anshuman]

^ Read some where on the forum, current discounts upto 5 lakh available on Kizashi, if you can find a car nothing like that. With 5 lakh off Kizashi is one nice car.

Your other option is Laura TSI or VRS, depending on the level of kit + VRS has slightly stiffer suspension.

Both are fun to drive cars, with powerful engines and well sorted dynamics. Civic is also a nice car but too dated now and the engine is not as potent as the VRS. Since you have included YEti Diesel in the list, also try out the base Jetta Diesel MT.