[acidkill]

Your not considering the scorpio automatic?

I too am in the market for a 7 seater for my daily business use, and the only reason i am waiting is for the new scorpio shape to be launched.

Heard a lot of AMT's are going to be launched sooner than later. However, whether these will make it to the MPV segment or not, is not clear yet.

[aseem]

Originally Posted by acidkill

Your not considering the scorpio automatic?

I too am in the market for a 7 seater for my daily business use, and the only reason i am waiting is for the new scorpio shape to be launched.

Heard a lot of AMT's are going to be launched sooner than later. However, whether these will make it to the MPV segment or not, is not clear yet.

Nope. Scorpio is not fun to drive by a long margin. If I am willing to compromise on FTD factor, I wouldn't have sold my Honda City AT or I could have easily considered new Corolla CVT. It is the FTD offered by DSG plus the fact these cars practically drive as if on rails that makes it well worth it.

I have a question regarding petrol manual 1.8 Tsi. For lakhs in good condition, how much money should we park for repairs. What can likely go faulty and what is the approximate cost to repair it.

[supercars]

I want to advice people not to buy Automatic Transmission cars as when they break down, they break the bank.

[aseem]

Originally Posted by supercars

I want to advice people not to buy Automatic Transmission cars as when they break down, they break the bank.

Whole US is running on automatics, so its not really a giant technical leap. Its like saying lets prefer analog TV to LED's as LED panels are costly to repair.

Coming back to the topic, in the Laura DSG, does the complete gear box fail or is it only the mechatronics? How much does the mechatronic cost. Is it worth to buy a 2011 Skoda Laura for 10-12 lakhs and park 2-3 lakhs as budget for repairs?

[ampere]

Originally Posted by supercars

I want to advice people not to buy Automatic Transmission cars as when they break down, they break the bank.

Some car manufactures provide Waranty on the AT gear box. For example Fiesta Dual Clutch AT box comes with a 2 year 100K km warranty. Apart from the infamous VW DSG boxes, I have not heard any major disasters on AT cars. (I myself own an i10 AT for 5+ years)

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by ampere

Some car manufactures provide Waranty on the AT gear box. For example Fiesta Dual Clutch AT box comes with a 2 year 100K km warranty. Apart from the infamous VW DSG boxes, I have not heard any major disasters on AT cars. (I myself own an i10 AT for 5+ years)

LOL Ford provides a 10 year 2,40,000kms warranty on their DCT gearbox

[aseem]

The choice unfortunately is very limited in Indian Car Scene. The choice boils down to a drivers car with less resale or an uncles car that has good resale but no go.

I mean thats the reason Honda & Toyota sell so well in our market. They have the pulse of the Indian buyer set. Give them something thats all show no go, and they would lap it up. The VWs and the Skoda's are overpriced, costly to repair & have poor resale. Its almost paying 4 lakh a year when you buy them. Look at the 2-3 old petrol Superb's selling for 10 lakhs with DSG. Thats quite a telling fact.

I am confused, sad, disappointed and frustrated that there are no cars that drive like a Skoda & offer peace of mind of a Toyota under 20 lakhs. It is so sad that we don't have any choice :(

[aseem]

I am very close to making a decision. The following are the cars I evaluated:

Polo Tsi: Its just an amazing car to drive. If I was alone in an island and given a choice between Polo Tsi & other C Segment cars, I would take Polo TSi hands down and drive all day. Unfortunately we live in a world where we are also judged by the car we drive. My wife is actually a good barometer for me of how "normal" people think. And Polo was a strict no no for her no matter what engine/gearbox combo it had. Aided with the fact that I have to drive a car that gives 10 kmpl as opposed to my Ford Fiesta that gives me 16 kmpl on diesel made it a very hard decision to let this one go!

Vento Tsi: This would have been the next best thing... but rear space is still cramped compared to other cars in its segment. The car is more softly sprung then Polo and has more weight to pull. Both Polo and Vento are due a "big" refresh and the small upgrade here offers a lot to be desired. Therefore I had to let this one go, as with 12.75 lakhs on road it was precariously close to D segment sedans. Putting this kind of money on Vento was not approved by my family members at this lifecycle stage of the product.

Octavia DSG:
Petrol -> This car has everything I need and more. It gives the so called snob value plus it has all the bell & whistles. Whenever you get behind the wheel its fun to drive with the horses waiting to be unleashed. It gives almost the same mileage as Polo Tsi thats what makes it drool worthy.
The things going against it were, I had to stretch. Stretch by a good 5-6 lakhs with this car being 23 lakhs on road. This car has a very poor resale as not many folks who are an "enthusiast" & can truly appreciate the car are around. I can only imagine when I goto sell this car, the dealers & those looking for a great car at throwaway prices would flock to me. If after 4 years it sells for 10 lakhs, than the cost per year is almost 4 lakhs. I am better of increasing the budget, buying a Fortuner and driving costs would come down to 2 lakhs per year given the great resale of Toyota.
This coupled with the fact that Skoda is notorious for its after sale support and that I can't afford 6 lakhs for a gearbox made me let go of this car. Had it been Delhi, the car closer to my budget, I would have given this a big & heavy look.

Octavia Diesel DSG:
This was another choice given that Diesels command a much better resale. However after driving my friends Jetta Diesel (Trendline) I was not floored by the power. If it had to be a compromise, than I was willing to compromise more towards my budget.

Honda City VX Diesel:
Love the interiors and the space. The engine noise and unrefined nature of the engine made me averse to this. This car was also ruled out as I had the Honda City 2011 AT model and I remember selling it because it was not a drivers car.

Hyundai Elantra:
Not considered because of the reviews on TBHP saying its a bad handler. Plus that there is very little to distinguish this from Verna on a casual look, and looking at what happened to first gen Elantra in India, I had to pass.

Toyota Corolla Altis:
So when it became clear I had to compromise, I realised that if I am ok for a manual I have a host of options available to me. In came the new Corolla which in the minds of average folks is one category higher than the City so would give me the upgrade that I was looking at. Plus its gorgeous looks and terrific resale made me take a hard strong look at this car. I would be going for the petrol which although naturally aspirated has enough oomph to keep me marginally satisfied. At least unlike Polo GT Tsi, I wouldn't have to explain to ppl where I spent the 15 lakhs. So I have just about decided to give this one a go.

To sum it up, I sold my iPhone 5 last year to buy HTC One. I remember everyone used to ask me why did I sell iPhone or how cheap HTC One was, if it was for 20k. I used to tell them its for 42k, and they used to say, why didn't you buy an iPhone 5 for the price.... I got fed up answering those questions. Buying a Polo GT TSi would mean answering where did the 10 lakhs go to each and every person. And the fun part is, those driving normal Petrol Polo's for 5.5 lakhs would think they have the same car... I didn't want to live through that nightmare again. Explaining to ppl over and over again.


Fiesta is up for sale... Its very sad to let this one go. I know I haven't got a replacement for it that would tick all boxes. I am not yet rich enough to afford 30k EMI's without my mental block coming into picture. Corolla is a safe conservative choice, if after 3 years it fetches me 8-9 lakhs, than the cost of running it would be 2 lakhs per year (its 15 lakhs inroad or thereabouts). I am going for the G model in all likelihood as I really like the projector lights... but will make a decision on that later.

Thanks for all those who supported me to arrive at this decision.

[aseem]

Quick calculation of the net outflow with 10% principle on loan closure. This is tax adjusted net outflow:

Model EMI (4 Years) Downpayment
Toyota Corolla Base (JS) ₹ 19,976 278000
Toyota Corolla Mid (G) ₹ 22,692 315000
Toyota Corolla AT (G AT) ₹ 24,807 344000

I think from a resale standpoint the JS is the ideal model to go for. From a comfort standpoint its the G AT. The G makes no sense as either do it all or don't do it at all. What say guys, please suggest.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by aseem

The choice unfortunately is very limited in Indian Car Scene. The choice boils down to a drivers car with less resale or an uncles car that has good resale but no go.

I am confused, sad, disappointed and frustrated that there are no cars that drive like a Skoda & offer peace of mind of a Toyota under 20 lakhs. It is so sad that we don't have any choice :(

Buddy I am sorry, but I simply cannot sympathize with you. There are several options out there in the market. To name a few:

Renault Fluence: I know I have mentioned this several times, but it is just worth mentioning. The car looks big and opulent, is supremely comfy, has loads of space, the best ride quality in the D segment IMO, loads of features in terms of safety and gizmos that you can boast of, and at the same time, it is pretty involving to drive. Certainly not as lifeless as a Corolla or Elantra.

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz: This one again, will not drive as well as a Fiesta or Linea since engineers have openly said that they tuned it's suspension keeping in mind comfort of back-seat passengers. However, I am confident the steering will be well calibrated and precise and that it will be far more involving to drive than a City, Verna or Vento/Rapid. The car is also going to be far larger than anything in its segment, thus offering loads of space, will have some sharp design cues and loads of features. It will also be brand new as a product.

In the end, I have always found that being confident in displaying to your peers that you never make a bad decision, bodes well. I have managed to sway more than a couple of die-hard iPhone users into buying Androids and even preaching its qualities to others (namely the Moto X). I have even managed to impress a few with a recent whimsical move of mine, which is to start using an old Nokia 808 Pureview with Symbian Belle on it. I pulled something like that a couple of years ago when I started using a Palm Pre Plus. I have impressed everyone with the cars I own (while everyone makes jokes about it, no one questions my Kizashi's abilities infact I've even convinced a couple of people into buying the car). My most recent achievements have been to convert the ideologies of some of my friends' parents who are from business backgrounds, into appreciating the economics of buying a petrol car when running is less, not being delusioned into buying an SUV, and buying a Teana over an Audi Q3.
I am very proud of these as I'm sure even you will agree they are all unconventional moves for the average person.

Quit whining, be strong, and let the heard take note. Whether they follow or not, shouldn't cloud your judgement.

[iliketurtles]

Wait, you've been evaluating all cars from a purely fun to drive perspective and somehow nix everything else and land up with the Corolla? That is just bizarre.

It really shouldn't matter what people think of your car, it's your money and your ride and for you to drive everyday. If, as you say, you flip cars every 2 years because you get bored of them, the corolla won't be any different because it is what it is; utterly reliable and utterly uninvolving.

The way petrol prices are diesel cars make the most sense, for better or worse. I'd heartily recommend the Octavia or Jetta diesels in manual guise for your needs. And if you feel either car is underpowered, you can always remap the car and take the power quotient up to 178 BHP, as it is on the A4, Passat, et al.

For the love of all things holy, don't go for the Corolla just because you're bothered what everyone will say about your choices. That's no way to live or drive. It's your money and your decision. Don't bother about the junta's opinion, it's not going to be their car, it's yours. Make yourself happy first and everyone else after that.

[aseem]

See I have been on both sides of the isle. I have bought HTC One, I have had iPhone 5, and now I own Samsung S5 and am itching to buy an LG G3. Whilst all this time my wife has been happy with her iPhone 5. And the fact of the matter is that she will get more resale when she sells her iPhone than I would selling my S5. So from purely a sensible point of view she made a better choice. Yes I enjoyed new things, had fun, but my choices weren't practical. And end of the day the differences between the smart phones was not night and day.

I love to drive, I love the drive to be involving as well. But unfortunately I simply don't have the money to buy a Skoda Octavia DSG because I won't be able to afford the maintenance or take the hit on resale. I mean I could, but do I really need to?

I am not even discussing Kizashi or Teana as I won't recommend them even to my enemies. The amount of financial loss involved in owning this cars makes no sense.

I guess I am simply not rich enough. Even Nicholas Cage sold his Ferrari as he couldn't afford it. At this moment in my life spending 22 lakhs on a car that would fetch me peanuts when I sell is not feasible. God I wish I will earn more and make this happen.

In the meantime I am thinking a petrol Corolla with the new look would be a good choice. It will remain fresh for next 3 years, go from point A to point B. I like the external looks of the new avatar. I am thinking Petrol as in Bangalore my daily drive would be 10-20 km at max. I can definitely consider diesel but 88 bhp is seriously underpowered. I am reconsidering Petrol only by suggestions made by Bangalore friends that no need for Diesel in that city. Please advise.

[Axe77]

@Aseem

If neither the corolla nor the honda city are FTD, you might want to compare which feels plusher as well as more vfm between the top of line City and G variant of Corolla. Having said that, I'm sure corolla will feel that tad bit bigger engined as well as more comfortable when you're in the back. The rest is optics and friends' perceptions of course that are totally your call so can't really comment there.

You can still wait for Vento DSG diesel that should ideally feel much better to drive than the two petrol automatics above. Then there are the Elantra automatics that are in both petrol AND diesel. Check final price difference there compared to the corolla.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by aseem

I am not even discussing Kizashi or Teana as I won't recommend them even to my enemies. The amount of financial loss involved in owning this cars makes no sense.

Any chances to consider manual? A Linea T-Jet? Would solve all your requirements except for the AT aspect. Also its in the budget you are looking at.

[aseem]

Originally Posted by ampere

Any chances to consider manual? A Linea T-Jet? Would solve all your requirements except for the AT aspect. Also its in the budget you are looking at.

Linea is also plagued with poor resale which is a big factor for me to begin with.