Hey everyone.
I took my parents to the nearby VW showroom and make them check out the Vento. We also did a test drive of the car to see how things were like.
Me and my father were all praises for the Vento though after our TD things we're a lot more clear to us. We were checking out the Highline variant.
The car was pretty neatly made and seemed "built- to- last". But on the downside the design of the interiors felt a bit too dull and boring. Is it just me or has VW compromised a bit on material quality on the inside since the launch of their new model? Any info on this one? Last time we went to the showroom(when they had the previous model) the Vento had pretty good materials on the inside but this time it seemed kind of "plasticky"- I'm not sure... maybe it was the lighting.
Well about the TD. We were guided by the SP during the drive. Quite frankly he had no clue whatsoever of the VW lineup. He was blurting out things like "our cars come with an inbuilt tuning kit which makes them develop power like race cars!!".

I was like "uuuh yeahh..". Anyways since I was pretty well informed on the car's technical aspects (at least more than the sales guy) I decided to ignore him and push the Vento a bit.
The + points:
The car seemed quite composed at speed through rough and twisty roads. I really liked the mature ride quality. Overtaking was really a breeze and there was instantaneous power on tap on the right gears. Brakes had a nice (and surprising) bite and worked pretty well. Handling was crisp. Everything felt nice and solid and the car seemed quite dignified as it moved along. Very nice!!
The - points:
Though there were no real "drawbacks" as such, I felt the clutch was a bit too springy on its way back up. I had to be extra smooth with the clutch release or else it would bite (Maybe it was the problem with the TD vehicle). Engine noise was slightly noticeable inside and it was a minor irritant. One could always hear it working but it never got our of hand. The Horn felt a bit too hard to operate. Don't know if its the case in all cars with airbags but this one was dangerously hard to operate. It was a bit of a problem during tight overtaking maneuvers when one really needed to let the guy in front know that we were passing by.
Parents' feedback
Dad: Good car. Well built. Adequate power. Nice ride. Strong brakes. Spacious and well appointed interiors. Difficult clutch. Horrible horn switch.. Gear- shift not so slick. Engine noise.
Mother: Liked everything except the beige interiors!! (Somebody eat me!!)
We also gave a detailed look at the Jetta. Though we didn't go for a TD since buying one was a bit of a doubt considering its price. We are also uncertain about the sort of annual expense it would incur to run and service etc. (Can anyone help me know more about it?) . We definitely liked the car alot!(obviously!). It just exudes quality, and fit- and- finish was superb. It was big and spacious and loaded with practical goodies that we just loved. Except for my mother of course... she loathed the beige interiors. Convincing her that its the industry standard now is of no use. She feels it'll easily get dirty and it'll be a headache trying to clean it! sigh... Though we might consider it, such thought are under quarantine for now!
Verdict on the Vento:
Definitely our top pick if we decide against the Jetta and/ or Cruze. We're yet to TD the Cruze(and Jetta!) so more on that later. The minor niggles of the Vento can easily be over- looked considering the overall package on offer.
P.S. I sincerely hope the sales people get their facts straight and get some amount of technical knowledge into their heads. Most of the time I was going around the car, explaining things to my parents while they were watching me with a dumbfounded face. Can't blame them either cuz I'm backed up with a born passion for cars and a wonderful family called Team- BHP!
