[harry10]

Originally Posted by golfdude

On the forum, it has been suggested that City AT is the est VFM. But the City AT mid variant is Rs. 11.05 lacs which has only one airbag. The Vento AT is Rs. 11.37 lacs with dual airbags and I think few other features which are not there in City AT.

So is there any reason I should stick with City AT and not consider the Vento AT ? Both are priced same but looks like the Vento has more features.

Thanks.

The only reason will be good A.S.S which you will get with Honda. If you are leaning towards Vento inquire about the service Centre near you and then make your mind. Also City is a new model and Vento has been here for quite sometime so doesn't generate a new model feel.

As to your original question I will say swap the accord with a new AT and keep Xylo as it has run quite low. From a close friends experience I know if gone wrong Accord presents a hefty bill as parts are expensive.

[StarScream]

Originally Posted by anshul26

IMO City Auto. You can't go wrong with Honda.
GT TSI is super hot car and somehow I have resisted the temptation of buying it. It's gearbox is not reliable and VW is notorious for it's poor ASS. It has been recalled in other countries but not in India. Google 'VW DSG gearbox issues' before considering it.

Originally Posted by SHANKY11

My opinion on your budget: Buy the Polo GT TSI (or Vento TSI if you need a bigger boot)
It has a gem of an engine and the best in class DSG gearbox. The gearbox issues have been significantly reduced in recent times in my opinion. A friend of mine has owned it for the last 2 years and he is very happy with it.

As SHANKY11 says, VW claim to have fixed the issue but time will tell.

Originally Posted by golfdude

On the forum, it has been suggested that City AT is the est VFM. But the City AT mid variant is Rs. 11.05 lacs which has only one airbag. The Vento AT is Rs. 11.37 lacs with dual airbags and I think few other features which are not there in City AT.

So is there any reason I should stick with City AT and not consider the Vento AT ? Both are priced same but looks like the Vento has more features.

Thanks.

If there is hardly any difference price wise, the choice is a no brainer. The Vento TSI is miles ahead in terms of powertrain technology and feel. It is by far the most advanced AT car you can buy in that price range. And you'll have a certain expectation of refinement coming from an Accord, even if its a 2001 model.

Originally Posted by harry10

The only reason will be good A.S.S which you will get with Honda. If you are leaning towards Vento inquire about the service Centre near you and then make your mind. Also City is a new model and Vento has been here for quite sometime so doesn't generate a new model feel.

As to your original question I will say swap the accord with a new AT and keep Xylo as it has run quite low. From a close friends experience I know if gone wrong Accord presents a hefty bill as parts are expensive.

The Vento may not be as new as the City but the TSI leaves you with a better feeling after driving it.

[Pacifica]

Originally Posted by golfdude

Can I use Ecosport AT for long drives to take 3 adults and 2 kids (ages 9 and 11) ? Or do I still need to use the Xylo for that ?

golfdude,

I'm afraid after the Xylo you will find the EcoSport small and cramped.

Maybe you could wait for an AT Ertiga or an AT Mobilio. Comfortable and fuel-efficient in city but with space for highway runs with full loads.

[kanishka88]

Hello fellow BHPians
The problem statement above would have seemed to be an irrelevant and useless if the post would have been seen by someone who is not aware of the Indian car market (my brother included!) However things are very different in India, and the problem becomes more and more relevant in my case as the car will be based out of small town like Bhopal (VW woes anyone?). The OTR price of 9.4L for the hatch and 10.8L for the sedan also comes into play.

Problem Statement:

Bhopal is our center location. The family is scattered everywhere in the country and outside but will centered around bhopal only. Since my parents are the only ones in the family living in the city the car has to be primarily a comfortable car in city traffic with enough capacity for occasional reunions. Bottleneck if you may ask: My mother will also be driving the car and has to be automatic. I took her to all the showrooms and we narrowed on Polo GT Tsi. My obvious attraction towards the hot hatch apart, it was one car she found most comfortable while being at the driver's seat.

We booked the car a couple of months back with a committed 1st slot delivery during the 1st week of October. Any delay would mean buying a 2015 car will be sensible decision.

The dilemma: With the family reunion scheduled during dushera, I was all excited to pick our new car. However the showroom rep calls up a week before and says the delivery will be possible only during Diwali. This all the time while being promised a delivery during Dushera didnt go down well with me. I am absolutely bonkers about the car but the high price tag and close proximity to City took me to the showroom yesterday.

I test rode the manual SV petrol city and I loved the car. There have been only few cars I fell in love during my 1st ride - Ritz diesel, GT Tsi, and now the city they had all that character which I found missing in earlier Punto, 2nd gen Honda City, SX4 and even the previous generation Swift

Difference: 1.4L on road price difference and the expected delivery in Jan / Feb 2015. I am fine with the later part as it eases the extra financial burden thought my parents are going through. The car feels more premium then Polo and have almost all the features of GT TSi as well (all 4 window power / auto up, alloy wheels missing, and no leather upholstery which are present in TSi!!). My mother is also apprehensive about driving a big sedan in a city like bhopal.

Help me: With its big boot and a capacity to sit 5 people Polo is also not a bad deal. Add to it the hill assist, it will be a great ride for my parents who are not well versed with driving. The flip side: VW maintenance costs and poor leg room at the back. Leg room at the back is not something which will be required daily, but it will always irritate whenever there are more than 2 people in the car.
On the other hand, city seems to tick every possible mark. The only thing I dont like is the missing auto up and down feature on all windows controllable through the remote lock. With parents I would want the car to be safe and it is very easy to forget small things like closing all the windows after leaving. Also, I am not sure how the lack of hill assist will be a problem with a conventional CVT. I test rode the brio AT and the ample power available in D mode without the accelerator seemed sufficient enough to hold the car on the incline. I might be wrong here! . Again a safety feature which is in favor of Polo.

I am not considering any other automatic. The seating comfort for mom was the bottleneck criteria and she liked these 2 cars only. Your inputs will be highly useful

[IshaanIan]

If your parents are going to be using the car, then the Honda City is the one you want to buy them. Reliable, Comfortable, Spacious, airy interiors, V-tec, smooth CVT box (in my experience older people like CVTs)

Just can't go wrong here.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by kanishka88

it will be a great ride for my parents who are not well versed with driving.

This itself would be one reason I would consider the City against the Polo GT TSi. Honda City, even though has niggles in the current generation, still has very reliable mechanicals that can take a bit of abuse. I'm not sure of the same with the infamous DQ200 box in the GT, even though no issues have been reported with the lighter tune in this application.

Moreover, for their use - a CVT will prove to be just as good as well.

But - are you sure you would be getting a Jan delivery of the City? I think there is a good number of backlog orders for city because of the shift in production to the new plant.

[kanishka88]

Thank you both for your swift replies. It is further making me book the City. However I will have to make my parents pass on the inertia that was created due to polo booking a couple of months back. The question I have to answer "Isme dikkat kya hai?"

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

But - are you sure you would be getting a Jan delivery of the City? I think there is a good number of backlog orders for city because of the shift in production to the new plant.

The showroom is saying 3 months booking time. For CVT with low demand in Bhopal it is probable that the car might be delivered even earlier. Though totally speculative.

[rpunwani]

I have a Polo 1.2 for over 2 years now. The car has never given a problem and service is once a year or 15,000 km, whichever comes earlier. Average cost of service is approx. Rs. 8,000/-. One of the reasons for this cost is that VW only uses Castrol Magnatec Professional Synthetic 5W-40 Oil, which costs approx. Rs. 4,000/-. The rest is various filters, incl a pollen filter for the A/C Unit.

I am not aware of the Honda City service costs, but IMO should be comparable to the Polo/Vento.

The DSG coupled with the 1.2 L Tsi engine is the USP of the car

[iliketurtles]

I'd go with the Honda if i were you. I have no doubts the Polo is the better car to drive, but the City is more reliable, has now space at the back and service levels will be better than Volkswagen, which is something I would be concerned with in Bhopal. The larger size of the City is no concern really as it is something that a regular driver will get used to in a weeks driving, maybe less.

[D4D]

For your parents who will use the car, just buy a city.

Simply because it's more reliable and easier to maintain. And it also has a lot of space!

You just can't go wrong with a Japanese car!

[suhas_raj]

Well.. A lot of people have already warned you against the VW so I'll try to say something for VW for a change !!

Buying a CVT while you have a choice of TSI is like buying a cassette player in the age of USB and Internet Radio. I know its a crazy parallel to draw up, but hey if u still like driving then go for the kill. Go for TSI !!!

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by suhas_raj

Buying a CVT while you have a choice of TSI is like buying a cassette player in the age of USB and Internet Radio. I know its a crazy parallel to draw up, but hey if u still like driving then go for the kill. Go for TSI !!!

That's very true, the TSI's gearbox and engine combo is hands down better than the Honda's. It's definitely more fun to drive. But I'm not sure someone's parents will value that, it's more for guys like us. The Honda's reliability should make it the car of choice. I say that as a fan of VW's

[suhas_raj]

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

That's very true, the TSI's gearbox and engine combo is hands down better than the Honda's. It's definitely more fun to drive. But I'm not sure someone's parents will value that, it's more for guys like us. The Honda's reliability should make it the car of choice. I say that as a fan of VW's

I don't know buddy, but current Honda city is not bullet proof as it used to be. The official review thread should give you that indication. If I had to take a chance then I might as well do it with a fun to drive VW than the boring old CVT. Why compromise ? U live only once

[D4D]

Posting on behalf of my uncle who's driving an '05 pre-owned Getz 1.3.

He wants to upgrade to a petrol AT new sedan(not compact sedan). Budget being around 12 lakh INR on road in Chennai.

Usage Pattern:

• 20 km (total distance) a day commute in peak hour traffic
• Average use of 550-600 km a month
• One(in rare cases two) highway trip per year, amounting for about 800 km(total distance)

Requirements:

• Automatic Transmission
• ABS and D+P airbag
• Spacious (No one above 5'10" in his family)
• Decent FE. His Getz gives around 9.8 kmpl in the city. He'll be satisfied with the same number.
• Good boot space
• Ride comfort
• Easy maintenance. He wants to keep the car for ~10 years
• No compact sedans
• Good handling. Need not be completely sporty. But predictable and safe. He's used to the HPS of Getz.
• He's not a very aggressive driver, so power isn't too important.

I've suggested him to stay away from VW and Skoda. And he finds the design and backseat of Vento not so impressive.

Options tested:

• Honda City CVT: He liked it overall. The top choice right now.
• Hyundai Verna AT: He wasn't impressed with the Verna sagging down when he went for a TD with 5 people. But liked it otherwise. He didn't specify any limitation due to the 4-speed AT box.
• Vento TSI: He's not a fan of the design and backseat. And I told him to stay away from VW/Skoda
• Nissan Sunny CVT: Felt it's underpowered. Also he hates the brake pedal feel.

Also,

• Also there's no fiesta petrol AT right? A Chennai dealer told him that it may launch soon.
• Since he has no problem in waiting for a few(6-8) months, he seems too keen on the ix-25. Are there any details on the iX-25? And will it have a petrol AT? He seems too interested in that.
• I've also told him to check the new Verna.(When it releases )

Does it make sense to wait for the new Verna and ix-25 OR go ahead and buy City now?
And what are the options I've missed?

Rejected options:
Ford Ecosport. Too cramped compared to equal price sedans. Also, the boot is very small.

Thanks in Advance.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by D4D

And what are the options I've missed?

I20 Elite AT? Is that an option? I agree the Gear box is not all that great. But the car is awesome to have. I know I am suggesting a hatch here. But I think its worth a look.