[Motoholik]

Friends,

I am planning for a new car to replace my beloved Baleno. My primary criteria is ride comfort over bad roads and easy ingress as I have a slip disc. I don't care about petrol / diesel or budget as far as it is below 15L on road.

Here are few of the cars I have shortlisted based on reviews. Please help me shortlist the best based on your experience:

1. Fiat Linea Tjet
2. Nissan Sunny Diesel
3. VW Vento Diesel / TSI
4. Toyota Corolla Altis (Petrol)
5. Hyundai Elantra (Pertol)
6. Renault Fluence (Diesel E2)

Please list down any other car that I might have missed.

Thanks

[mints21]

If you can wait till April, then wait for the new Toyota Corolla Altis, the new Altis will be launched at the upcoming Auto Expo and will be available from April 2014 onwards. However, if you are in a hurry and can't wait for four months go ahead for Hyundai Elantra. The car has almost every feature that a person would wish in a car.

My suggestion is based on features, resale value after five years, ease of maintenance and the most important thing is reliable after sales service.

[sandeep3in]

Originally Posted by Motoholik

Friends,

1. Fiat Linea Tjet
2. Nissan Sunny Diesel
3. VW Vento Diesel / TSI
4. Toyota Corolla Altis (Petrol)
5. Hyundai Elantra (Pertol)
6. Renault Fluence (Diesel E2)

Please list down any other car that I might have missed.

Thanks

Based on your requirement and having driven most of the cars listed above.

I would rate Fiat linea Tjet for the best ride/comfort and easy ingress/egress.

The Vento//Rapid siblings are also good in ride and comfort, but you would be uncomfortable with the ingress and egress .

One more vehicle you could look at it is the Renualt Duster/Nissan terrano,both of the them are good in the ride/comfort/ingress/egress.

[RavenAvi]

Originally Posted by Motoholik

My primary criteria is ride comfort over bad roads and easy ingress as I have a slip disc. I don't care about petrol / diesel or budget as far as it is below 15L on road.

1. Fiat Linea Tjet

Primary criteria and the #1 choice go hand in hand.

Just shut your eyes and go for the T-Jet, period. Besides providing the best riding comfort among all sedans your money can buy and reasonably easy ingress/egress due to its now-raised stance due to higher ground clearance, it comes loaded with a plethora of features and has excellent highway dynamics to boot.

Petrol/diesel no bar means you don't give FE a priority, right? All the more reason for you to get the T-Jet. The in-city FE of the T-Jet can be low, specially in B2B traffic, but what it lacks in FE it makes up in ride quality, build quality and zippiness. Small/moderate craters, bumps and speed-breakers are dismissed by the Linea with nonchalant ease.

Only downsides I can see is a new Linea lined up to be launched soon, subsequent resale value and Fiat's A.S.S, which I am told is improving a lot after Fiat went independent from it's joint venture with Tata.

All the best!

[cityvic]

Own the following, the Sunny, the Vento, the Altis and the Elantra.
I can tell you that the Altis offers the best ride quality.

I would suggest you to wait for the new altis to come out in the few months and get that.

[Vid6639]

In your list, the car with the best ride quality is actually the Elantra. In city driving, the Elantra absorbs bad roads the best. The Altis is second and Linea third.

The Linea is on the stiff side and has the best ride/handling package but when it comes to only ride, the softly sprung Elantra and Altis come out on top.

Then there's the rear seats. Both cars have very generous legroom but the seats are better designed in the Elantra and offer better under thigh support. The Altis seat base is shorter and as a result under thigh support is not as good.

Altis will be replaced soon and going by the new Toyota trend the upcoming one may be on the stiffer side.

[ampere]

Any comparisons against of the listed ones against the Fluence ? How does Fluence fare on ride quality?

[Car&me]

My order of pick would be
1. Fluence (best along with good handling as well)
2. Altis (good ride)
3. Vento / Linea (good ride and handling with Linea being a little bit firmer than Vento)
4. Elantra / Sunny (Good for slow speed ride and uncomfortable for long drives)

[H_Dogg72]

Please share some more info ,would you driving alone or with a driver ?
That would help narrow the choices.

[Guite]

Closely watching this thread as it highlights my requirement too. Hope it does not get merged.

I am a bit surprised by the recommendation of Vento by some members. Is the infamous thump of the rear suspension just a sound? Does it not have physically ramification in ride quality?

[HyperRetard]

My primary criteria is ride comfort over bad roads and easy ingress as I have a slip disc.

And yet you go on and list low slung road-hugging sedans.

The car you should buy is either the Sunny diesel or the Skoda Yeti.
Since ingress and egress is a factor, go buy a high SUV/MUV and not a sedan.

[Motoholik]

I have started test driving the above cars on the same stretch of a bad road for true comparison. Will keep posting my experience here.

Yesterday I test drove Elantra. Really nice car. Ride and handling is miles ahead than any Hyundai I have ever driven. Ride is definitely comfortable above small potholes and small speed breakers. But it gets unsettled on bigger craters and speed breakers. Over all good.

Also drove Linea Tjet. Amazing to drive. Handling was better than Elantra. Ride is also decent but on a slightly stiffer side. Overall ride comfort was a little better in Elantra as compared to Tjet, but I felt more connected to a Tjet as a driver. Hmm.

Yet to TD other cars.

Thanks

[SmartCat]

Take a look at the Renault Duster. Doors open wide and you can just about walk-in to the cabin without bending your back. And the low speed/high speed ride quality is better than most sedans you have mentioned.

Set the tyre pressure to 28 -30 psi for the best ride comfort. However, you might shave off 5000 or 10000 kms off the life of the tyre, but you will get a significantly better ride quality. Change the tyres at 40,000 kms to be on the safer side.

[Motoholik]

Originally Posted by H_Dogg72

Please share some more info ,would you driving alone or with a driver ?
That would help narrow the choices.

Hi, This will be my primary ride and daily commute. I will be driving the car alone most of the days and on weekends with wife and son. Occasionally will be taking it out for long drives.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Motoholik

1. Fiat Linea Tjet
2. Nissan Sunny Diesel
3. VW Vento Diesel / TSI
4. Toyota Corolla Altis (Petrol)
5. Hyundai Elantra (Pertol)
6. Renault Fluence (Diesel E2)

From the given list, I would recommend one of these three – Fluence, Corolla, or the Linea. Fluence in my opinion, is the most underrated car in its segment. Its setup is well-suited for Indian roads.

The new Corolla is coming in soon, and the other two are getting a facelift as well. And the first two may not close in at 15 lakhs in their new avatar.