[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

You forgot Hyundai Verna 1.4 CRDi? Almost 2.2 lakh cheaper than Vento and still the advantage of diesel.

The Verna loses out on the rear seat comfort. So ruled out. Also the huge waiting period is a put off. Overall it didn't click with me.

[k2max6]

Although the diesel contenders are good, but for a running of 1200 km per month paying premium for a diesel isn't justified IMO.
Let alone the vento You pay 1 lac extra for the Sunny as compared to the Corporate MT. That means a break even period of 4 years excluding the difference of higher maintenance costs.
City would be a worry free choice.
City wins every where except on interior space as compared to the CAAAR

[karanraheja]

My reply in bold :-

1. Built and reliability. Car should not give me any reason to go to the service centre outside the normal schedules and also should stay rattle free for the next 5-7 years.

The build quality of the Vento will be a class higher but then it does come at a premium,among the two brands i do expect Nissan to be more reliable.

2. Safety features with atleast ABS and Airbags.
I think the Nissan XL comes with driver Airbags only?

3. Good after sales.
Again its tough to choose between VW and Nissan. Since many members have questioned the dealership attitude at VW and Nissan still has to expand its dealership network.

4. Interior space specially the back seat.
No doubt that THE CAAAR will win it hands down.

5. Driveability is the last in the list. We are all relatively sedate drivers and don't find the need to zoom on the red lights. It should be a decent peppy car to drive but need not be a stonker.

From all the above requirements i feel you should go ahead with the Sunny D . It might not be a sheer VFM(IMO) or a looker. But it does tick most of your requirements.

[bluevolt]

If it's not Verna then I will suggest you to go for either City or Sunny. At 10.40 lacs Vento is not VFM IMO and you still have to upgrade the ICE as it is below par according to Vento owners. Add another 30-40K depending on what ICE you want.

Nissan Sunny is a good car but I am not sure about it's long term reliability and existence (6-7 years down the line).

Honda City is reliable and trusted. 1000-1200 KMs per month running don't require/need a diesel. Go for diesel if it is over 1500 KM per month.

And City gives very good mileage so it should not be a problem to own and run.

Do TD both cars and see which one suits you more.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by k2max6

Although the diesel contenders are good, but for a running of 1200 km per month paying premium for a diesel isn't justified IMO.

The difference is easily 3000 Rs per month even with a 1000 km run. This is according to the present Fuel prices in Delhi. Very soon I am guessing that the Petrol prices will be increased by 3-4 Rs once the elections get over.

Originally Posted by karanraheja

2. Safety features with atleast ABS and Airbags.
I think the Nissan XL comes with driver Airbags only?

Nope comes with 2 airbags. The only difference in this and the XVD is Smart key entry, engine start stop button, Electrically foldable ORVMs, Fog lamps and some chrome.

Originally Posted by bluevolt

If it's not Verna then I will suggest you to go for either City or Sunny. At 10.40 lacs Vento is not VFM IMO and you still have to upgrade the ICE as it is below par according to Vento owners. Add another 30-40K depending on what ICE you want.

Well I can live with the OEM ICE. I am just an average music listener in the car.

And City gives very good mileage so it should not be a problem to own and run.

The current 2005 City fails to give us more then 11 kmpl. If pushed or went through a lot of bumper to bumper traffic the FE easily drops to 10. This is why I am a little apprehensive on the city.

I am surely going to take back to back TD of the Sunny and Vento tomorrow morning. Somehow right now the heart wants the Vento but the mind says Sunny.

[DevilsCry]

drmohitg,
Sorry if this is off-topic but why you have not considered Etios? I see that you are a Toyota Altis owner so I think that you can trust Toyota for 7 years. I know that Etios is a class below but I find it far more comfortable than Vento and even a bit better than Altis. In fact, I was about to buy an Etios myself but cancelled since I didn't have much trust in its long term reliability.

I don't know how Sunny compares with Etios in comfort but reading T-BHP official review, I see that Sunny has headroom problem in rear seats. This is something I find deal-breaker in a lot of cars.

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

The current 2005 City fails to give us more then 11 kmpl. If pushed or went through a lot of bumper to bumper traffic the FE easily drops to 10. This is why I am a little apprehensive on the city.

The current gen i-VTEC easily gives 14-16 KMPL. The 2005 model is quite old with dated engine technology.

Anyhow best of luck!

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

drmohitg,
Sorry if this is off-topic but why you have not considered Etios? I see that you are a Toyota Altis owner so I think that you can trust Toyota for 7 years.

I don't know how Sunny compares with Etios in comfort but reading T-BHP official review, I see that Sunny has headroom problem in rear seats. This is something I find deal-breaker in a lot of cars.

Firstly I hate the central dash of the Etios. Then the looks are kind of bad. Thirdly and most importantly I already have 2 Toyotas in my garage. Don't want a third one. Plus the overall feel of the C segment cars is much better then the Etios/Dzire/Manza.

I didn't find the headroom to be a problem. In the official TD report the person sitting on the back seat is 6.3 ft if I am not mistaken. I am 5'11'' and didn't find any problem with the head room. The leg room is never ending. This is the only car in which I could sit cross legged if I wanted to.

[ninjatalli]

I believe you know the Vento in and out for me or any other Vento owner to give you any gyan about this car.

On almost every feature you have mentioned below, both the cars would clear your requirements except the after-sales. On this matter, with the replica Rapid available in the market, I am very clear that VW after-sales should be getting better only; after all they'll have to differentiate somehow, and that's the only area left. As for the Jap, even with its thin dealer network, I have absolutely no doubts about the A$$ of Nissan or the reliability of Nissan cars; I'm pretty sure it'll be as good as any of the other Japs in the market.

Plus if you aren't going to go outside city roads, why would you have the need of a full-fledged dealer network? One or two service centers within the city should be more than enough. (assumption : There is a Nissan dealer in Delhi? Couldn't find it on their website)

1. Built and reliability. Car should not give me any reason to go to the service centre outside the normal schedules and also should stay rattle free for the next 5-7 years.
2. Safety features with atleast ABS and Airbags.
3. Good after sales.
4. Interior space specially the back seat.
5. Driveability is the last in the list. We are all relatively sedate drivers and don't find the need to zoom on the red lights. It should be a decent peppy car to drive but need not be a stonker.

Honestly speaking if you have the moolah to spend, I'd suggest you go for the Vento over any of the options. However, leaving aside that point, Sunny seems the better option.

P.s. Just musing out here, but why not Fiesta Classic? Or the Optra Magnum? Not suggesting Linea simply because of the A$$ woes.

[noopster]

As a Vento owner I'd recommend that to you blindly. The TDI is a solid performer and its engine specs and interiors are spot-on (especially after the refresh provided the much needed steering mounted controls). I personally like the fact that I've only had to take it into the shop once in the first year of ownership, rather than the mandatory services for most Japanese/Korean carmakers (assuming Nissan is one of them). Service has been consistently above-par by all accounts including my own, though admittedly the pre-sales experience was awful.

Nissan is a great car to own anywhere in the world but in India they just don't seem to have got it right yet. The Sunny may be a great car but it just lacks any sort of personality for me (and the ridiculous caaaar adverts haven't helped change my opinion). The ONLY reason I'd recco the Sunny over the Vento is for that rear seat space (but then again ONLY if you are going to have 3 passengers in back most of the time- Vento is more than adequate for two).

Premium for the VW is well-deserved if you ask me and another poster made the good point about you already having a couple of Japs in your garage. Give the Germans a go this time. You can't really go wrong with the Vento!

Edit: Just noticed the bit about the rattles. Since you are mostly going to use this in the city, you can expect a rattle-free experience. If your Vento is goin to roughroad most of the time (as fellow member subodh's does) it may develop a nasty rattle and groan in the rear doors that is most unbecoming.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Hi,

We are looking forward to buy a new car and the after all the calculations the cars shortlisted finally are:

1. Nissan Sunny XLD
2. VW Vento TDI HL

A 3rd but very distant option is the Honda city Corp Edition or the E MT.

The car will be driven exclusively in the city with almost no highway runs. The priorities in order are:
1. Built and reliability. Car should not give me any reason to go to the service centre outside the normal schedules and also should stay rattle free for the next 5-7 years.
2. Safety features with atleast ABS and Airbags.
3. Good after sales.
4. Interior space specially the back seat.
5. Driveability is the last in the list. We are all relatively sedate drivers and don't find the need to zoom on the red lights. It should be a decent peppy car to drive but need not be a stonker.

Mohit, If you are ok with the looks of Sunny, I don’t find anything wrong with the Nissan. Their cars have decent build quality, and scores quite high on the safety and reliability scale. I personally will not consider one – because of the looks

Saw your comments on Rapid and hence not recommending that. But from what I know, the Vento is going to get one more refresh soon + price hike around 25-30K. What we got to know from the dealer is that leatherette seats will be standard on highline, and no other updates. Having said that, every other review of Rapid (including our own in-house review) have stressed on the point that VAG have bettered the Vento in the new skin. So my guess is probably those minor corrections could transfer back to the 2012 Vento as well – just something for you to consider.

Any idea of giving a thought to the new Fiesta? As of now, feature-wise the Trend variant should be a match to the Vento Highline (minus reverse sensors).

Lastly, out of your original choices, my pick is the Vento, but probably the 2012 version – even though there will not be any advantage of the discounts. Happy shopping

[Turbokick]

I will still insist to have a look at Hyundai Verna.
It will qualify most of your criterias except maybe rear seat.
Light controls/easy driveability make it a good city car.
Service and reliability shouldnot be an issue
Equipments and safety features are given.
Sound build quality.
Comfort is decent too

[drmohitg]

Guys thanks for taking out the time and posting on the thread. It means a lot.

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Plus if you aren't going to go outside city roads, why would you have the need of a full-fledged dealer network? One or two service centers within the city should be more than enough. (assumption : There is a Nissan dealer in Delhi? Couldn't find it on their website)

Yup there is a dealer. Infact more than one I think. Anyways in my case all the car dealerships except Audi are withing 2 kms from my house. So this is not an issue at all.

P.s. Just musing out here, but why not Fiesta Classic? Or the Optra Magnum? Not suggesting Linea simply because of the A$$ woes.

I intend to buy a new car man. Both these cars have already become too old. Ruled out surely.

Originally Posted by noopster

Premium for the VW is well-deserved if you ask me and another poster made the good point about you already having a couple of Japs in your garage. Give the Germans a go this time. You can't really go wrong with the Vento!

That is something playing heavily on my mind too. Why not try something different.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Mohit, If you are ok with the looks of Sunny, I don’t find anything wrong with the Nissan. Their cars have decent build quality, and scores quite high on the safety and reliability scale. I personally will not consider one – because of the looks

Don't kill me for this but I actually liked the looks. It kind of looks good to me except from a certain angle from the side where it looks stretched.

Any idea of giving a thought to the new Fiesta? As of now, feature-wise the Trend variant should be a match to the Vento Highline (minus reverse sensors).

I didn't really like the fiesta. Some of the interior stuff really put me off. The space inside the car is also nothing spectacular. And it looks quirky to me.

Lastly, out of your original choices, my pick is the Vento, but probably the 2012 version – even though there will not be any advantage of the discounts. Happy shopping

The 2012 Vento will cost me close to 80k more Sir. That will take the OTR price close to 11.5L. Do you really feel its advisable to wait for that? In that case I will probably have to go and buy the car from Chandigarh. Road tax there is 3% as opposed to the 9% in Delhi. Infact after the price hike the road tax in Delhi will increase to 11-12% ( for cars costing above 10L).

Originally Posted by Turbokick

I will still insist to have a look at Hyundai Verna.

The thing is many of you might not know but we recently bought the Toyota Altis in end of sept, 2011. I did a very detailed analysis of all the cars that time. So this time I kind of know what cars I can consider. The Verna's rear seat made me extremely claustrophobic. So I am considering only the Vento, Sunny and the Honda City.

[tbppjpr]

As you are located in Delhi, I don't find any reason for not to get good service from VW. There are many dealerships within/near Delhi and few of those have good reputation. Getting good or bad service backup depends on your dealer (atleast in case of VW).

One thing I can say about a VW is that more you will drive it, more you will love it. Vento is a driver's car. I also "used to" be a sedate driver but wanted a driver friendly car (Hatchback was only preference) as an upgradation. Fabia was my first choice due to its driving dynamics, space and interior quality but after seeing Polo I felt in love with it and bought a TDI in April'11. no problems so far. After driving Polo I got to know what is called driving pleasure. I have only one dealer in my city and will rate them so-so. You have advantage of having many VW dealers/workshops in your city.

Here are few point from my side regarding VW:
- Service costs are on higher sides but intervals are of 15000km/year.
- Car may stay for longer period of time at the workshop in case of some sophisticated/uncommon part's break down.
- I never had to visit workshop except for two times minor accidental repairs.
- It handles very nicely at high speeds and feels cursing even at 120-130 (I don't recommend to do those speeds in our country's driving conditions).
- In-cabin noise insulation is great. German engines are known for their vocal nature, but when I am inside the car, no annoying noise disturbs, I just hear engine roar which I love.
- I love engine sound when it is revved hard.
- AC is great and has silent blowers. Vento has true rear AC vents, whether Sunny has just a blower which circulates cabin air (As far as I know).
- I find rear leg room adequate considering mine is hatch, Vento has increase legspace over the Polo and its more specious.
- I don't need to talk about built quality, everyone knows how different is that.
- I get too much engaged in driving that I don't feel lake of any feature/gadget.
- Don't know about Vento, but Polo TDI has lower oil sump, so it may get damaged if something hits in middle of front tires on bad roads.
- Headlights are not suited for hardcore night driving.
- VW logos are popular in thieves, I have lost mine car's front logo once and it costs Rs. 1800/-
- I never felt requirement of a subwoofer for the bass after installing components in all doors, doors are built in that way that these work as enclosure for speakers and help in producing good bass
- And last one - I love to spend time in my little VW.

I think you should consider the Rapid too, try to find if there is any Skoda dealership/workshop near you which has good reputation in terms of A.S.S. Rapid is almost a Vento but there are few significant differences in nature of both the cars. One major difference is suspension setup which counts in riding comfort. Rapid has softer suspension compared to Vento, but performs equally well as Vento on high speeds. Few people like Rapid's suspension whether few others prefer Vento's stiff suspension, its matter of liking. Another difference is engine performance, engines are same but behave differently in both the cars.

Few days back I was talking with someone who has Vento TDI, he got chance to drive a Rapid too and told me that he liked torque performance and suspension of Rapid over his Vento. If you haven't read Team-BHP official review about Rapid, than it would be good to read that once, as well as few other ownership reports too. It will tell you more clearly about other significant differences in both the cars.

For a petrol, I would say go for Honda City over a Nissan, that is a proven car and has a great engine. Honda cars and A.S.S. have good reputation in terms of ownership costs and reliability, I don't think Nissan can provide you this kind of A.S.S. in near future.

I would strongly recommend you to have good enough test drives of every car you are considering. Don't choose any car without test drive, it matters. Every car has its pros and cons. It depends on you to decide which "pros" matters to you most and which "cons" you can't bear in your car.

[nfsfreak]

Any reason for leaving out Optra Diesel & a fully loaded Fiesta Classic Diesel? Both are having a bit dated looks but are proven vehicles and suits your requirements with decent A.S.S reputation.