[abhifever]

As this is my first entry into this distinguished Forum,let me start off with a BIG Hi!!
I Have been an ardent reader of this community and a huge afficionado of various Test Drive reports in it.Now,for the obvious reasons that this is a car enthusiasts place,
I have found the information on every entry to be worth my time.Looking forward to be a part of this in the coming years!!

Now coming to my query/concern:-
I am in the US since 2007 and am looking forward to owning a Car once I am back next month.
Have paid advance for a Swift ZDI , but the recent price hikes are demotivating and I was wondering why not think about a Sedan considering the 'not considerable' price difference.

My Picks:-
Have been reading a lot off late about Skoda Rapid TDi(Ambition) and the ANHC(CE).Irrespective of my monthly usage I would prefer one of the below mentioned cars
Why Rapid?
Highly successful Diesel Engine.
'Premium' brand value.Not sure how premium though .
Strong build and planted drive,a driving enthusiasts car.
I like the looks on paper.Haven't seen this car in person.

Why not Rapid?(This is where I need your valuable inputs)
I did read in a forum that the maintainence could be 8 to 10K for the first three years following which it could shoot up to 20K annually.Could you please validate this?
Skoda has discounted itself from a 'Premium' brand to a 'not so Premium' brand in India and considering that it's contained
by VW makes its future more unpredictable-could be for good or bad.Having said that can we speculate the resale value of this car 5 to 6 years from today?

Why Honda City?
A very trusted brand/car in India.
Awesome looks,complimented with an even better engine.Good value for money.
Good resale value.
Maintainence is supposedly much cheaper than Skoda Rapid.

Please help me in making a decision.I know it's not a Black or White answer, but your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Kindest Regards!!
Abhilash

[shankar.balan]

The Rapid is successful for a reason. An excellent package at a nice price. Plus it is at the beginning of its product life cycle world wide. Diesel power does make a difference if you drive a lot, say about 1200 to 1500 Kms per month.
The Honda is reliable and comfortable, but it is still a bit tinny in comparison to a Rapid. Its a petrol engine so you might find it painful to pay big prices for fuel. The Honda City is pretty much at the end of its product life cycle and is due for a revamp sometime in the near future.
Personally I prefer the Rapid, because I like the Skoda Brand more than Honda. One irritant is that they haven't given the option of an AT in the Diesel. I f I were you, I would buy a Rapid and enjoy it for 4 to 5 years.

[condor]

@Abhilash, I'll suggest you drive the cars yourself before you decide - or even discuss. IMO, it's better to discuss your experience & validate your thoughts, than to discuss the information you have gathered and then validate it on the cars.

Till then, you do have the reviews & ownership threads to get more information.

All the best.

[subodh]

Hey, I was in a similar dilemma around an year back, only difference being that I was looking at vento and Honda city. Although city looks like a good option, I went ahead with vento. If this is your first car, I would suggest that you go in for Honda as it will give you trouble free ownership. The vtech engine is still excellent to rev and the car handles well. It has got lots of interior space and the new models come with a sun roof as well.
With rapid, the service will be an issue being a skoda. Its a new vehicle so there might be unforeseen problems and niggles with the car which you would come to know as you start driving it for eg vento has car door squeaking issue which is not getting resolved and is quite annoying. With Honda all the problems have been discussed In length on team-bhp.
At the same time as pointed out, Honda is at the end of its product cycle as next Honda city will be launched next year and Rapid is brand new in market

[nitin.rai]

Originally Posted by condor

, it's better to discuss your experience & validate your thoughts, than to discuss the information you have gathered and then validate it on the cars.

- This sums it up.

After having evaluated the 3, namely, City, Vento & Rapid went ahead with a City. My reasons below.
- my opinion and no offense meant to any product or owners: cant drive around a car which sounds like a tractor (read vento & rapid).
- not that Honda dealers are any great but relatively better than VW & Skoda; throw an attitude during sales then what would you do for A.S.S.!?
- bullet proof engine, much more space inside, the model refresh on the City is about 2 yrs away.
- ergonomic design flaws in the vento/rapid: brake lever messing with the arm rest, wrongly placed switch gear etc, either no safety on the base trim or I can't change ICE on higher variants with monolithic era HUs - warranty etc.

However, if you like your car well built and planted then You won't like the City. Certain body parts like the boot lid feel made out of tin!!
The NVH definitely leaves you wishing if you don't wanna play ICE. Alloys and upgrade to Michelins has helped but that's as much you can do.

Best, try them out for long TDs and take an informed decision.

[_raVan_]

+1 to Condor. Also, do evaluate your daily/monthly/annual running, because you are deciding between petrol and Diesel.

Honda CE is a very stripped down version and after modding it with your requirements, you will be entering the 8L+ category. The price difference, I believe, will be considerable.

Since you were interested in Swift, why dont you look at the new Dzire?

[mayankjha1806]

The only problem with Skodas is their horror stories, and there are many on the forum. Every time there's a good news on Skoda, immediately after we have a horror story coming through. Otherwise Skodas are wonderful to drive, have top notch quality all around, and are solidly built.

Honda City is a fill-it-shut-it-forget-it car, most of the Honda are like that, and if that is important for you, a Honda is the answer.

[advaitlele]

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

The only problem with Skodas is their horror stories, and there are many on the forum. Every time there's a good news on Skoda, immediately after we have a horror story coming through.

This is THE reason I have never even TD'ed any Skoda. Though the cars look built to last forever, the stories - and plenty of them - has always kept me away from this brand; I didnt even walk in to their stall in the consumer expo sometime back. I may sound extreme, but that's how I perceive things.

Go for City. but why CE? That's a stripped down version and as many commented earlier, you end up adding things and enter in different category. Go for S-MT.

But before you close on anything, have a detailed and long test drive. I am on the hunt and as per my habit would take at least 2-3 TDs for every vehicle and in different time of the day and road conditions before I sign the dotted line.
All the best.

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

The Honda City is pretty much at the end of its product life cycle and is due for a revamp sometime in the near future.

Originally Posted by subodh

At the same time as pointed out, Honda is at the end of its product cycle as next Honda city will be launched next year

How d'you guys figure this? If anything, the City is in the middle of its product life cycle. The City has a 6-year life cycle for a complete model change, with a mid-life facelift at the middle. Hence, launched in Sept. 2008, mid-life facelift in Sept. 2011, which leads us to a full model change in Sept. 2014.

Abhifever, if diesel or petrol is not a factor, I would choose the City over the Rapid any day. Honda will offer better after sales, cheaper parts, supreme reliability and the most interior space in the segment. The CE is a good deal if you want to mod the car with exactly the accessories you want. Otherwise, the S trim makes more sense.

[Abhinav667]

The Rapid is a great option, but why not go for the Volkswagen Vento instead? Its the same car only with steering mounted controls and a better audio-unit. The price difference is also negligible and since you are even worried about Skoda no-more being a premium brand, the Vento makes of as a better buy.

Coming to the City (CE), well the car barely gets any kit and hence IMO,even the Dzire ZXi makes of as a better buy. If you are looking for a proper sedan, do consider the Nissan Sunny as an option. It is long, well equipped and decent enough to drive.

[ajay_satpute]

Out of the two, I would prefer the Honda City CE. The only reason being that Honda provides all safety features as standard, whereas to get all those safety features in the Rapid, you will need to shell out a lot of money, comparatively.

I agree with what most have mentioned here regarding the superior build quality of Skoda, but their A.S.S. is still not 100% confidence inspiring.

If you have some spare time, then go and check out the new Ford Fiesta and the Nissan Sunny. Someone on TBHP picked up the top-end Titanium+ model at the ex-showroom price of the lower variant Titanium, ofcourse petrol. Fiesta has FTD factor (not as much as the Classic) and Ford A.S.S. is not too bad and not too good.

Nissan Sunny is astonishingly spacious, has very well put interiors (though they look dull to few), its feature-loaded and price-point-wise its good too.

All the best!

[Altocumulus]

Abhifever, I would echo everyone who votes for the City. Rapid is new in the Indian market so you definitely need to wait and check the long term reviews. No use being a guinea pig. Also the A.S.S of Honda is far better than that of Skoda followed by comparatively lower maintenance costs of the Honda. Frankly, experience has made me an ardent fan of Honda refinement. Had an OHC Type 2 AT when I was in Mumbai, and now my close friend has the new once. Both cars are an absolute delight to drive.

[arup.misra]

If getting a car is not on an immediate priority, I'd suggest you test drive the vehicles personally and see which car ticks off most of your requirement. Then if you club what you experienced in the TD with ownership reports you'd be much better placed to arrive at decision

Nonetheless on your query my two cents

I was in a similar spot few months back having to choose between Vento & ANHC (Rapid, Nissan weren't launched then yet). I chose the City based on the following

a) Low running (max 800km per month) - hence petrol
b) Ergonomics of City definitely better than Vento (e.g. access to handbrake)
c) No USB/ Aux in Vento
d) Proven & Reliability of Honda
e) Few service issues

As much as I like the build quality & driveability of Skoda end of the day you need peace of mind in the eventuality that you do need to visit service points. Too many horror stories on Skoda.

These are my personal opinions no offence meant to respective owners.

[karanraheja]

Originally Posted by Abhinav667

The Rapid is a great option, but why not go for the Volkswagen Vento instead? Its the same car only with steering mounted controls and a better audio-unit. The price difference is also negligible and since you are even worried about Skoda no-more being a premium brand, the Vento makes of as a better buy.

I too prefer the Vento to a Rapid , but the price diff is too much now IMO. The price diff in OTR in my city is a whooping 1.5 lacs !!( Vento top end vs Rapid top end) . VW have goofed up with Vento's pricing IMO and it definitely needs a Vento Comfortline.


@Abhifever- I would suggest you go ahead with the Rapid Ambition. With the current scenario we can only expect petrol to go up after Election results. Rapid is a great VFM , i would suggest you opt for the Skoda Shield which would give you peace of mind to an extent. Also keep in mind that VW MIGHT launch a middle version (Comfortline ) for the Vento as per reports in the Vento thread. All the best with the hunt !

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by abhifever

Why not Rapid?(This is where I need your valuable inputs)
I did read in a forum that the maintainence could be 8 to 10K for the first three years following which it could shoot up to 20K annually.Could you please validate this?

Km for km, cost of maintenance of a Honda City is lower than that of a Rapid / Vento. Rapids' cost of service is around 8-10k INR per service (15k km intervals - includes engine oil changes, which constitute the major expense, since Skoda/VW insist on using only synthetic oil), extending to 20k INR per service after 30k km. Honda City service costs would be around 30-40% cheaper than the Rapid's, but Honda insists on meeting your car every 5k km (though the costs are nominal) and replace oil every 10k km (mineral oil). Spares such as filters & brake pads, or damageable items like ORVMs & bumpers are far more expensive for the Rapid than the City. That said, the City does not offer you a diesel option (though between the petrol Rapid & the City, the latter outperforms the former in both FE & acceleration departments).

Edit: Skoda service experience is certainly poorer than Honda service. No two opinions anywhere about that!