[Aroy]

The Duster or its Nissan sibling is the best option, as it has plenty of space and an excellent ground clearance.

I have a year old Honda City Petrol and its FE in highways is excellent. Think about it as an option.

[Baddychat]

+1 to Ampere's suggestion that you could also look at the Ertiga. Drove a ZDi on an open stretch of road and it sure does feel planted.

If you are at all looking at the Vento do try the Rapid. Even though are genetically the same cars with diff exteriors, I somehow always feel better driving the Rapid. And yes it is cheaper than the Vento. The Rapid though does not have the "fancy" blacked-out headlamps et al. Also the VW 1.6 TDI is phenomenally efficient on highway runs.

+1 to the Verna if you are looking at the resale value.

Duster, I ain't a fan of. The interiors are too basic for the price they charge. You could look at the Terrano if you are planning to the go the soft-roader way.

Cheers

[narsi_6989]

Hey guys, this is my first posting in the 'What Car' section.

I currently own a 2009 Fabia which has completed 77100 kms as on today. I have already planned to sell it and also have posted in the classifieds sections of different forums. I am still a very happy owner of the car and still love the car. In fact I don't get the 'wow' feel even during TD of few new cars (Sedans) out there in the market. The sole reason for me to change the car is need of some more space and gadgets.

Requirements:

1. The car will be driven ~ 15000 kms a year and hence I am looking at oil burners
2. The car will be used both in city and highways equally and will be the only ride for the family
3. The car should offer good driving pleasure. Should pack a punch
4. The car should be equally comfortable for both the front and rear passengers. My elderly parents need more knee room and that is one of the most important reasons for this upgrade
5. The car should be stable at high speeds, able to cruise at 120 kmph easily and the braking should be spot on. I am used to Skoda brakes and they inspire lot of confidence. Same applies for handling as well
6. The car should have decent boot space
7. The After Sales Service should be decent. I have handled the Skoda guys for past 4.5 years and I am confident of handling anyone now . To be frank, Skoda service has improved and I was able to get the things done even before the improvement
8. Safety is a must, hence Airbags and ABS
9. A decent Ground Clearance as I wish to take the car to some off beaten path
10. In our family we always prefer a fully loaded car and not fond of after market additions. Hence it will be the top variant of the car I choose
11. Budget - 10 - 11 Lakh OTR after discounts if any

The new car should be an upgrade in all respects from the current one.

I will help you guys by narrowing down the options. Below I have considered almost all the sedans in this price range and mentioned my comments/reasons for choosing/rejecting. Before starting with this I would like to mention that my family is bit biased towards the Germans (Europeans) than the Japs.

Hyundai Verna: Somehow this car never appealed to me. May be I am not a fan of fluidic design and wish to see clear lines. Moreover the high speed stability of the car was enough for me to rule out this one.

Honda City: New kid in the block. Was really eager to finalize the deal on this one even though it was outside my budget. Took a couple of test drives and found that it was feeling light at high speeds and the sheet metal was not like that of the Europeans. Adding to the woes was the thin tires. Even then this was in the contention till 2 weeks ago.

Ford Fiesta: I don't know why, but I did not like this car. Also I wanted to steer clear of Ford after the company asked the EcoSport buyers to cancel their booking.

Ford Classic: Outdated

Nissan Sunny: This was considered for a brief moment by me but dad ruled this out immediately. He was clear about choosing an European car and if a Jap it should be a brand to be trusted (Honda/Hyundai/Toyota).

Renault Scala: Same as Sunny

Tata Manza: Ruling out this car was completely my decision as I did not want a Tata.

Volkswagen Vento: Wow. This is the reaction when I got on driving this beauty. 3 things that went against this was the OTR of the top end, suspension set up and the presence of Rapid

Skoda Rapid: This is the logical and practical upgrade for me. This ticked each and every box and I took multiple TDs. Projectors on the Elegance trim was icing on the cake. Even my family was very happy with the car and the dealer was also ready to offer few discounts and freebies.This meant that the final price will be 11 lakh after the fitment of reverse parking sensor and camera. If I had sold my Fabia last week, I would have booked this the very next day. But the Fabia is still with me and I am holding back the booking.

In the mean time Skoda decided to launch the limited edition Rapid Ultima with the reverse parking sensors and camera which made me happy. But here is where the twist comes. The ex-showroom price of the Elegance Ultima edition crosses the 10 lakh barrier which in turn increases the RTO. The Final price after discount now is 11.75 lakh which is a big margin considering the discounts I was offered in the Elegance trim. I am skeptical now that the dealer might not accept to offer me the same discounts and fitting the reverse sensors/camera in Elegance trim .

This opened the gates for another option.

Fiat Linea 2014: This is such a capable car which my dad never considered due to the Fiat badge. It took me lot of efforts to even make him take a look at it. The prices were announced yesterday and this is a steal considering it offers me more features like auto headlights, auto wipers, cruise control, Parking Sensors and leather seats. The only thing that Rapid has is the projectors.

Now I am in a dilemma between these two cars. I need to know the rear seat comfort of the Fiat if in case I decide to go for it. I would like my parents to be comfortable. Also I have read here in the forum that the driving position is not that great in the Linea. Is that so?

Please help me in choosing between the two by pointing out the merits and demerits. Also point me the merits of other cars listed above. Please feel free to add more cars to the list if I have missed any.

Apologies for such a long post!

Thanks!

[noopster]

^^ You can't really go wrong with the Vento TDI or its alter ego the Rapid. since you are comfortable with Skoda service, just pick up the latter. Linea TJet is a screamer but you have ruled out petrol cars; the 1.3 MJD will be an adequate performer but no match for the 1.6 TDI. I think your choice is clear.

[iliketurtles]

Hah, so you're one of those few Skoda owners I keep hearing about that's happy with the car/service!

All jokes aside, I know several friends that own the car that are quite happy with the Skoda A.S.S. experience, and since you're fine with a Skoda the Rapid really is a decent choice.

The Vento looks better if you ask me, but the Rapid looks much better VFM. Two friends of mine very recently picked up a Vento and a Rapid within a week of each other and I found both to be very similar. Skoda's A.S.S. is the only thing stopping one from recommending it, and you have no issues with it, so go ahead with it!

[IshaanIan]

The Linea is the better car but only in petrol guise which you gave ruled out. Simply get the Rapid if you have dealt with the A.S.S.

On another note, if you are happy with the Fabia and willing to wait, the Maruti Ciaz will be launched sometime this year and it looks like it will be packed with features and offers more leg room than the competition.

[narsi_6989]

Originally Posted by noopster

^^ You can't really go wrong with the Vento TDI or its alter ego the Rapid. since you are comfortable with Skoda service, just pick up the latter. Linea TJet is a screamer but you have ruled out petrol cars; the 1.3 MJD will be an adequate performer but no match for the 1.6 TDI. I think your choice is clear.

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

Hah, so you're one of those few Skoda owners I keep hearing about that's happy with the car/service!

All jokes aside, I know several friends that own the car that are quite happy with the Skoda A.S.S. experience, and since you're fine with a Skoda the Rapid really is a decent choice.

The Vento looks better if you ask me, but the Rapid looks much better VFM. Two friends of mine very recently picked up a Vento and a Rapid within a week of each other and I found both to be very similar. Skoda's A.S.S. is the only thing stopping one from recommending it, and you have no issues with it, so go ahead with it!

Thanks noopster and iliketurtles. The scale is definitely tilted towards the Rapid and as said, Linea T-Jet is a screamer but I am in need of diesel only. Now I need to start honing my negotiation skills to get the better deal for the Rapid. I would be very happy if the SA is willing to provide the same deal I had discussed 2 weeks back.

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

The Linea is the better car but only in petrol guise which you gave ruled out. Simply get the Rapid if you have dealt with the A.S.S.

On another note, if you are happy with the Fabia and willing to wait, the Maruti Ciaz will be launched sometime this year and it looks like it will be packed with features and offers more leg room than the competition.

Thanks IshaanIan for the suggestion. I am not a big fan of Maruti and Tata, hence I don't think I will be waiting for Ciaz.

[ALSUDA]

narsi> infact I was in the same dilemma last year & took test drives of most of the cars you mentioned. Finally went with Rapid & I'm happy with my decision. Even service wise (ASS-Tafe) I've no issues so far. Switched from Swift VXi to Rapid. Same as you wanted, a slightly bigger place & diesel. This's my first sedan & first diesel. Diesel torque is addictive .

[gsurya]

Skoda Rapid is probably the best C1 segment Sedan out there today from a product perspective.

But A.S.S is such a hit or miss & a definite danger for prospective owners. Hope Skoda gets its act together, maybe offer something like the Promise scheme of Chevrolet from GM that gives fixed costs on maintenance.

[ampere]

Guys, if you leave the engine equation apart, how does the new Linea fare against Rapid/Vento? Interiors? NVH? Gadgets etc?

I think services at least in Bangalore seem to have improved. I read many good things about Fiat after sales from Bangalore members.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by ampere

Guys, if you leave the engine equation apart, how does the new Linea fare against Rapid/Vento? Interiors? NVH? Gadgets etc?

I think services at least in Bangalore seem to have improved. I read many good things about Fiat after sales from Bangalore members.

The Fiat rides and handles buckets better than the rest barring the Fiesta The interiors according to me were always nice and the seats felt like sofas but with the new facelift, there can be no arguing that they are really nice to look at too. The car offers far more features too. Can't remember the last time I was in any of these cars so no clue about NVH levels BUT I do remember that in this department, the Fiesta was the best of the lot.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

The Fiat rides and handles buckets better than the rest barring the Fiesta The interiors according to me were always nice and the seats felt like sofas but with the new facelift, there can be no arguing that they are really nice to look at too.

Am aware of it Ishaan. What I wanted to know was if any one recently in the hunt had done this analysis? Would be good to go through the buyer's perspective. Because many reject Linea for the VW twins many a times. How is that equation now?

[VMB]

I would suggest you to go with Linea. Having test driven all the cars in this segment, I can assure you that Linea is the best. Go for it & you won't regret..

[narsi_6989]

Originally Posted by ampere

Am aware of it Ishaan. What I wanted to know was if any one recently in the hunt had done this analysis? Would be good to go through the buyer's perspective. Because many reject Linea for the VW twins many a times. How is that equation now?

Earlier this month I was in the same dilemma, but I went on to book Rapid. Awaiting delivery now. As you have already mentioned that you do not need engine comparison, I would like to talk about features and interiors. These are completely my opinion and perspective.

Interiors look and feel similar in both cars. Could not find any major difference or deal breakers. Few people not fond of chocolate brown dashboard might go against Rapid. In certain places, the finish was better in Rapid. The Key hole for example. The ICE looked better as well.

As for the feature list is concerned, Linea edges out Rapid. Linea is kitted with auto headlights and wipers. It also comes with cruise control and reverse parking sensor (audio support only). As for Rapid is concerned, the above options are not present but the top end comes with projectors and the lighting is really good. As for the parking sensors and camera is concerned, they are offering as official accessory which will not void warranty.

These are my observations, but I would suggest you to personally TD both the cars extensively and decide.

Hope this helps!

[amit_mechengg]

Originally Posted by narsi_6989

Fiat Linea 2014: This is such a capable car which my dad never considered due to the Fiat badge.

Now I am in a dilemma between these two cars. I need to know the rear seat comfort of the Fiat if in case I decide to go for it. I would like my parents to be comfortable. Also I have read here in the forum that the driving position is not that great in the Linea. Is that so?

Please help me in choosing between the two by pointing out the merits and demerits. Also point me the merits of other cars listed above. Please feel free to add more cars to the list if I have missed any.

Apologies for such a long post!

Thanks!

I can tell you from my experience of owning a Vento and Linea.
Linea is more car per car - i.e you get way more than what you pay.
Vento - many times i feel the car is not worth 11 lacs. The front glass and catastrophic feeling makes me cry in the cabin as if i am driving a cramped hatch back. The small dash the small windshield the small seat back all makes you feel as if you are driving a cramped hatch.

Steering feedback - once you hold a Fiat or the Ford steering you will never ever like other steerings.

Ride quality - Vento and Linea both have great ride quality. Vento feels a bit stiff on small pot holes and kind of jumps off if road is too rough. Linea with the 1300 kgs of sheet metal and one awesome suspension set up gulps anything you throw at her + the advantage of 16" wide tyres which VW doesnt give us.

Rear seat comfort - i often carry elder people with me. The protrusion in the centre of vento on the floor is the main problem. Seat is comfortable though. Linea has a problem that tall people may end up toughing their heads to the roof if they sit too upright.
On rough roads and long highway runs surely linea is comfortable than vento. Worst is Verna which my cousin has and people avoid to sit at the rear in this car.

Service - VW is costly in all matters. Be it simple labor work or part change. They also deny to sell parts over the counter which leaves you no option than to buy from them. Recently i was denied the front bumper which i had to change. So i had no option than to handover my car to VW and allow them to loot me. The even charged me 2500 for just the front number plate and the front bumper painting and rear bumper painting costed me 45000.

Fiat - in some cities the service is good while in some cities its very bad. Pune is the best for Fiat service.

Warranty glitches - Fiat has given it in written in the manual. Fitting external accessories is allowed and to be done with good engineering principles.
You dare do that on VW cars and gone is your warranty.
Vento - 4 years warranty , Linea - 5 years.

Power - Linea is no close to the 1.6 TDI mill on Vento. Its a pocket rocket. Engine noise on Vento is way higher than the smooth MJD engines. Mileage on both cars is almost same.

If you want more power on the linea there is one great way. Just spend 20k and get yourself a Remap. The wolf remap specialized for MJD engines will give you 5 different switchable maps with 112 bhp and 270nm torque.
The slow coach stock linea which does 0-100 in 15.6 seconds suddenly transforms to one cheetah doing 0-100 in under 11.2 seconds.

High speed cornering and comfort - Fiat and Ford , no one else. Be it 120 or 190 kmph Linea feels the same, no fuss no sweat. high speed cornering and cuts on highways is extremely comfortable on Fiats. Vento kind of gives me false feedback from the steering which takes me away from road reality.
The steering mechanism on Jetta however is way better and similar to Fiat/ Fords


I would say drive all the cars for atleast 15-20 kms on highway and inside the city, take the potholes route, drive fast on flyovers, try cornering etc and then take a plunge.