[gsurya]

Go for the Honda City, is a superb car, will give you 15+ on highways even with that smooth engine. With price differential between diesel & petrol dropping all the time, you will enjoy the drive more.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by xtremeshock

Hi Guys,

Need some urgent help in deciding which car i should go for? This would be used by my wife mostly. She will be exchanging her Chevrolet Magnum Petrol with this car.

Your wife loves sedans! She's nearly a purist Why push her toward a Creta? The way I see it, the Creta is dynamically less potent and with its lifeless steering, gauging input is a bit of a hassle making this car potentially dangerous in high speed emergency situations. Primary safety is being in control of your car. The Creta simply forgets that a crossover ought have the dynamic edge of a sedan along with the toughness of an SUV. It just gets along by looking butch and snazzy and offers a bunch of gadgets that probably cost the company next to nothing to implement. No substance IMO.

Look around at a few more chevrolet dealerships. You might even be able to find leftover stock of the Cruze from 2015 before the recent facelift. Bargain hard and I suspect you ought to be able to land a 3-4 lakh discount. Cruze may have its rough edges but at the end of the day it is a D-segment sedan and that itself puts it head and shoulders above the rest

[pixantz]

Originally Posted by xtremeshock

Hi Guys,

Need some urgent help in deciding which car i should go for? This would be used by my wife mostly.

Any help would be well appreciated.
Thanks.
M

You made a spot on choice with the Honda. It's the best hands down. And petrol is not all that much costlier in today's date. The gap is ever narrowing. It's got the looks, reliability, performance, efficiency, brand value, driving dynamics, features, space, good interiors and more. And it has better ASS than the Germans in most places. Also spares are way cheaper than the Germans.

I'd strongly suggest against German brands like VW, Skoda, etc especially in that part of the country. Because even people in places like Mumbai have a tough time tackling their ASS.

Second choice I would suggest keeping in mind your petrol concerns, is the Corolla Altis diesel. Here, reliability will be a notch or two above the Honda. Driving dynamics maybe a notch or two down, but given that your wife will not be doing higher than 100kph mostly, that should be sorted. And the best part, you get a very frugal and reliable diesel motor that you can swear on. Top class AC and overall fit and finish to boot. Also the suspension is more family oriented than the Honda so that's an added plus. Cost would be north of the Honda though.

I seriously think that you should not look any further than these two, given your requirements and reliability and safety parameters.

All the best.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by pixantz

I'd strongly suggest against German brands like VW, Skoda, etc especially in that part of the country. Because even people in places like Mumbai have a tough time tackling their ASS.

The guy already owns a Skoda Rapid which is used as a daily driver. The Germans are definitely not as reliable as the Japs but I would not make assumptions on someone else's ownership experience that too in a different city. Skoda in Hyderabad for example has really good A.S.S. especially when compared to Bombay.

Originally Posted by pixantz

Second choice I would suggest keeping in mind your petrol concerns, is the Corolla Altis diesel. Here, reliability will be a notch or two above the Honda. Driving dynamics maybe a notch or two down, but given that your wife will not be doing higher than 100kph mostly, that should be sorted. And the best part, you get a very frugal and reliable diesel motor that you can swear on. Top class AC and overall fit and finish to boot. Also the suspension is more family oriented than the Honda so that's an added plus. Cost would be north of the Honda though.

As far as I know the Corolla Diesel has never been offered with a choice of automatic transmission in India. Anyway, to keep the discussion going, I don't think the dynamics of the Corolla are a notch down on the City (definitely not a couple notches). The City might be more fun to drive and feedback levels in the Corolla may not be that great but at the end of the day, it has more grip from bigger tyres, better braking performance and better high-speed stability. It is definitely not a driver's delight but simply being a segment above, it is armed with enough to beat a stock City in terms of measurable dynamic capability.

Originally Posted by pixantz

I seriously think that you should not look any further than these two, given your requirements and reliability and safety parameters.

You really haven't read xtremeshock's post properly have you? Firstly the primary criteria is that the car must be an automatic. Secondly, no where in his post does the mention of reliability come up. Ofcourse every car must be reliable to a certain extent otherwise they would not have undergone testing and be pushed into production but given xtremeshock's garage (he drives a Rapid and his wife will be moving on from an Optra Magnum Petrol), I think he must have done fine so far without having to worry too much about superior reliability. By the looks of it, the Chevy and Skoda have served him well. One man's fears and personal experience in a different city, need not be superimposed on another

[Piyush46]

Hello guys,
I am in similar dilemma. I guess all of us face a lot of confusion when the time comes to buy a new car (more so if one is team-bhpian ). So the story is I have an elite i20 Petrol, which i will be trading off for a new car. Following are the points that I am considering : -

1. Must be automatic. Not that i am not open for manual but automatic is something i desperately want.
2. I am open to any body type with a slight inclination towards SUVs
3. I am open for both new cars and used cars ( a very good condition at that )
4. The car will see 60 % city roads and 40 % highways, but i drive my cars too much. In one year my elite i20 has already covered 31k kms.
5. Then there are the usual things like more the features, the better. As far as driving dynamics are concerned, I want something which if not too enthusiastic, should at least not boring to drive.

Thanks in advance.

[petrolhead_neel]

Originally Posted by Piyush46

Hello guys,
I am in similar dilemma. I guess all of us face a lot of confusion when the time comes to buy a new car (more so if one is team-bhpian ).

How 'bout a Duster Easy-R AMT? Seeing your preference towards SUVs, this seems to be a good option. Superb ride quality for our roads, great highway cruising capabilities, and quite easy to drive in city traffic too, owing to its car-like manners. I think the updated version has ample amount of features too, though a new interior design would've been preferred.

If you like petrols, have a look at the Ecosport 1.5 A/T. Will be very easy to drive in the city and quite good on the highways as well.

If I were you, I would've kept the i20, it just being one year old and go for a used CR-V A/T. Robust, reliable, good to drive, and is a Honda. Might not be very economical to run though. Finding a Grand Vitara A/T would be like laying my hands on treasure!

But I do have to ask you this inevitable question. Why are you tilted towards SUVs? There are superb sedan offerings in this price range.

Do take a good test drive of each one before you finalize.

Hope this helps.

Neel

[Piyush46]

Hi Neel,
Appreciate your prompt reply.

Originally Posted by petrolhead_neel

How 'bout a Duster Easy-R AMT?

I was seriously considering the duster for all of its abilities you listed and an automatic was like dream come true but then its only available in 2wd version and moreover i personally am a bit of apprehensive of AMT transmission. I haven't driven AMT yet but seeing all the reviews of it scares me a bit.

If I were you, I would've kept the i20, it just being one year old and go for a used CR-V A/T. Robust, reliable, good to drive, and is a Honda. Might not be very economical to run though. Finding a Grand Vitara A/T would be like laying my hands on treasure!

I don't need two cars for me myself, thats why selling off i20.
Bang on, I am in fact searching religiously for CR-V A/T, lets see if I am able to find any promising offer. Didn't think of grand vitara, now that you mentioned it I will look for it. Thanks for suggestion.

But I do have to ask you this inevitable question. Why are you tilted towards SUVs? There are superb sedan offerings in this price range.

There is a soft corner inside me for SUVs, I don't know why. Maybe because I always spent my time in big vehicles, initially we had tata sumo, then toyota qualis, then scorpio, innova, captiva and nowadays fortuner. Captiva and fortuner is automatic. I find their go anywhere capability very attractive. But i dont mind sedans or hatchbacks, if something clicks, I will take it.

[Rajeevraj]

Originally Posted by Piyush46

Hello guys,

1. Must be automatic. Not that i am not open for manual but automatic is something i desperately want.
2. I am open to any body type with a slight inclination towards SUVs
3. I am open for both new cars and used cars ( a very good condition at that )
4. The car will see 60 % city roads and 40 % highways, but i drive my cars too much. In one year my elite i20 has already covered 31k kms.
5. Then there are the usual things like more the features, the better. As far as driving dynamics are concerned, I want something which if not too enthusiastic, should at least not boring to drive.

Thanks in advance.

For that kind of running a diesel would be ideal.

• First one that comes to mind is the XUV500 AWD AT. But I see your location as Delhi and am not sure if all variants of the XUV are available due to the diesel engine ban. Would meet all your requirements SUV, AWD, A very good AT gearbox, loaded with features.
  
• The Creta AT is another option, but expensive for what it offers and coming from an Elite i20, may look very familiar.
  
• Duster AMT is also a good choice as neel mentioned. But no AWD and the AMT will not be a match for the regular AT's. Reviews have been okayish.
  
• Ecosport AT is only available in petrol and may not be a good choice considering your running.
  
• if you are open to Skoda/VW, the Rapid/Vento TDI DSG are competent cars to look at.

CR V is a Petrol car and has very poor mileage. With a 31K running in a year, will kill you with fuel bills.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by Piyush46

1. Must be automatic. Not that i am not open for manual but automatic is something i desperately want.
2. I am open to any body type with a slight inclination towards SUVs
3. I am open for both new cars and used cars ( a very good condition at that )
4. The car will see 60 % city roads and 40 % highways, but i drive my cars too much. In one year my elite i20 has already covered 31k kms.
5. Then there are the usual things like more the features, the better. As far as driving dynamics are concerned, I want something which if not too enthusiastic, should at least not boring to drive.

With such a high running, would advise you to look out for a pre-owned Hyundai Santa Fe if you are able to spot one.
Diesel + AT!

Otherwise the Creta is honestly a no-brainer - worth the premium over the Duster IMO owing to a better engine + GB, interiors, features, etc. Yes - it won't handle or ride like the Duster, but will be an upgrade from the i20.

Originally Posted by xtremeshock

Hi Guys,

Need some urgent help in deciding which car i should go for? This would be used by my wife mostly. She will be exchanging her Chevrolet Magnum Petrol with this car. Little bit about her requirements.

• Automatic, she does not care if its an petrol or diesel, however I would prefer a diesel as I do stay on the outskirts of the city, so for our new born a year from will need to go for his regular school runs, school would be approx 9kms from our home.

• She loves the Sedan shape and hates hathbacks and also SUV's, trying to convince her for a Creta though

• It has to have Start-Stop Button

• It has to have blue-tooth, basically the more features the better.

Just a thought - have you looked at the Ciaz?

Yes - it isn't as fast as the City, nor does it have a fancy AT gearbox.
But, it meets all your other criteria, is very good VFM, and IMO ride / handling balance is just a little bit better than the City.

Also, I found it much more easier to drive than the City - owing to better visibility.

Lastly, even the Ecosport would be worth an option, especially with the price cut. It would be the safest AT you can pick up!

In terms of diesel ATs, sadly the only other option apart from the VWAG twins, is the Verna. It has a better suspension than the older models, very refined, feature loaded, etc. Again, the negative is the 4 speed AT gearbox.

[Piyush46]

First one that comes to mind is the XUV500 AWD AT. But I see your location as Delhi and am not sure if all variants of the XUV are available due to the diesel engine ban. Would meet all your requirements SUV, AWD, A very good AT gearbox, loaded with features.
The Creta AT is another option, but expensive for what it offers and coming from an Elite i20, may look very familiar.
Duster AMT is also a good choice as neel mentioned. But no AWD and the AMT will not be a match for the regular AT's. Reviews have been okayish.
Ecosport AT is only available in petrol and may not be a good choice considering your running.
if you are open to Skoda/VW, the Rapid/Vento TDI DSG are competent cars to look at.

With such a high running, would advise you to look out for a pre-owned Hyundai Santa Fe if you are able to spot one.
Diesel + AT!

Otherwise the Creta is honestly a no-brainer - worth the premium over the Duster IMO owing to a better engine + GB, interiors, features, etc. Yes - it won't handle or ride like the Duster, but will be an upgrade from the i20.

Thanks Rajeevraj and lamborghini for your prompt replies.

XUV500 is perfect in my opinion too. Its a very strong contender in the list. Just trying to explore other options too before hasting into any decision.

Creta as rajeevraj mentioned and as I feel, is a bit expensive for what it offers and hence doesn't feel like VFM porduct.

Ecosport in the automatic tranny, I personally don't like it much, but the diesel variant is a great product. How I wish it had diesel automatic.

As far as german fraternity is concerned, I love their products a lot but its a big no-no owing to their high maintenance biils and the quality of their after sales service.

I am in love with the santa-fe too. PLEASE if anyone is willing to sell their well maintained santafe preferably the new one or come across such offering, do let me know.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by Piyush46

Creta as rajeevraj mentioned and as I feel, is a bit expensive for what it offers and hence doesn't feel like VFM porduct.

True about that, but sadly - looking at the options available, the Creta has managed to pull off it's premium price tag solely due to lack of a good competitor.

I was in the market for an A/T as well - and though a big fan of the Duster Ride and handling - everything else was below average, especially their service.
The Creta was the one vehicle that actually ticked all the boxes and had the least amount of compromise (justifying the price tag to an extent).

Do note though we didn't end up booking the Creta. Nothing really made me go WOW about it (like the Duster's ride, S-Cross's performance and interiors, etc.)

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by Piyush46

1. The car will see 60 % city roads and 40 % highways, but i drive my cars too much. In one year my elite i20 has already covered 31k kms.

31K kms is a lot of running. The first option of a reliable, no-nonsense vehicle is the Toyota Fortuner. You could find good used examples.

What is your exact budget range? That could narrow down options.

Other options to consider:

New:

• XUV 500
• Creta (smaller than the XUV 500 though)
• Rapid/Vento (slight risk with the DSG)
• Honda City
• Toyota Corolla
• Hyundai Elantra (diesel AT)
• Duster Easy-R

Used:

• Santa Fe
• Fortuner
• CR-V
• Camry
• Accord

Just note that certain cars like the CR-V, Santa Fe, Accord and Camry might be a little troublesome to fix if anything goes wrong.

[Piyush46]

Do note though we didn't end up booking the Creta. Nothing really made me go WOW about it (like the Duster's ride, S-Cross's performance and interiors, etc.)

See that's the point, as far as competition is concerned creta seems like the most promising product, but when one (well, me) tries to narrow down on creta, it just doesn't feel right. The problem, what I feel, is that creta is not a VFM product in itself but the competition (or the lack of it) makes it look so.

31K kms is a lot of running. The first option of a reliable, no-nonsense vehicle is the Toyota Fortuner. You could find good used examples.

What is your exact budget range? That could narrow down options.

Hi landcruiser123,
Thanks for your reply.

We already have a six month old toyota fortuner 4WD automatic, and believe me or not it has already clocked around 26k kms.
So buying one more fortuner may not make real sense. The budget hovers around 15 - 17 lakhs. The options you mentioned actually is the list that I have in my mind right now. XUV500 being in the priority. Toyota corolla is a very promising and reliable product but the engine feel underpowered and boring to me on paper, that's why haven't yet taken a test drive. Others cars you mentioned, I have already mentioned my thoughts on the same in my previous posts.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Piyush46

Hello guys,
I am in similar dilemma. I guess all of us face a lot of confusion when the time comes to buy a new car (more so if one is team-bhpian ). So the story is I have an elite i20 Petrol, which i will be trading off for a new car. Following are the points that I am considering : -

Having read the replies to your post, including yours where you had mentioned that you already own a Fortuner, I guess there would then be no need to suggest rugged ladder-on-frame trucks.

If you are inclined towards SUVs then I think you might also be inclined to the way one is allowed to drive one am I right? In which case no sedan will satisfy your needs.

Softroaders are your best bet and you have already taken a step in the right direction by looking at the Honda CR-V. That and the Nissan X-Trail are two softroaders that you simply cannot go wrong with.

Now, onto the more interesting options out there: If you are okay with petrol and you want a softroader that does everything the CR-V would do but just a little better, then look at the Mitsubishi Outlander. It feels better to drive on the road and can tackle more abuse off it. If the thought of running a petrol car 30k kms a year seems daunting, then I'd suggest looking out for a used Renault Koleos. I know the car has received a lot of hate from journalists and us enthusiasts even on this forum, but honestly it is quite a brilliant softroader. It feels fun to drive as far as softroaders go (the autobox saps a bit of fun away from it though), is loaded with features, comes with that excellent bose stereo (or arkamys depending on which MY it is both are excellent stereos) and comes with fresh interiors and pleasant looking exterior design along with strong build and a suspension setup that can take quite a bit more abuse than any CR-V would ever dare to endure the car was overpriced at launch but second-hand deals on it ought to be lucrative.

[Piyush46]

If you are inclined towards SUVs then I think you might also be inclined to the way one is allowed to drive one am I right? In which case no sedan will satisfy your needs.

Hello IshaanIan,
Thanks for your reply.

Yes, you are correct, but i am open for sedans too as whenever i would want to have that SUV's fun, fortuner will be at my disposal.

Regarding your suggestion on softroaders, yes cr-v is a gem of a product. X-trail is equally competent. Outlander has always attracted me. But the problem with the above three is that while i can find plenty of cr-vs, the other two are very hard to find, especially in a good condition. Moreover, I was itching to lay my hands on the facelifted cr-v rather than the old one.

As far as renault koleos is concerned, after reading your post, i did some casual research in youtube and our own forum, while everything else inspired me, its the turbo lag that everyone mentioned is a deal breaker. I will have to test drive one before jumping to conclusion. Any comments on the same ?