[etrast75]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

October Manufacture means that the cars would have borne the full brunt of the November/December Chennai rains. is this something to be worried about?

If it were me, I would be very careful. I doubt if there is any foolproof way of determining that the car was NOT affected by the floods. Hyundai factory is very close to the chembarapakkam lake area which has been the focus of the chennai floods. Even if we say that the water was only till the tire level, what effect will it have on the brake rotors and pads?
When you are putting down close to 20L on a car, it is better to be safe than sorry.
I thought the OEM tyres in elantra were the nexxen silica ones. Have they changed recently?

[Turbohead]

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Further update and a couple of questions on this. Based on TD's it looks like it is going to be the Elantra. No discussion on offers/discounts yet. Here is the picture

• Dealers here do not have any ready stock
• There are ~35 Oct manufactured cars at the plant (in Chennai). Based on the bookings they will be shipped out as needed.
• Colors include Black, Blue, Red and White. Any other choice will need to wait for the next production batch- delivery sometime in Feb.

My questions/concerns

• October Manufacture means that the cars would have borne the full brunt of the November/December Chennai rains. is this something to be worried about?
• Is there any way to check if the car was standing in water for a length of time?
• The dealership gave a strange offer-They said that you can opt for either JK or Nippon Tyres. I have never heard a dealer offering a choice in tyres. In addition, the official review here and one ownership report shows the tyres as Goodyear Assurance. So I am wondering if the cars were left standing submerged at tyre level during the recent rains and floods and they had to change tyres. Is this a possibility or am I just reading too much into it?

Yes, the Chembarampakkam lake is close to the Hyundai factory buy the factory is located behind the lake. And its not in the path of the river. Only the city faced the wrath. You can check Google Maps. You'll get a perspective.
There must have been flooding at the factory but nothing destructive I believe.
Happy car shopping
Turbohead

[Aniruthan]

Originally Posted by Turbohead

Yes, the Chembarampakkam lake is close to the Hyundai factory buy the factory is located behind the lake. And its not in the path of the river. Only the city faced the wrath. You can check Google Maps. You'll get a perspective.
There must have been flooding at the factory but nothing destructive I believe.
Happy car shopping
Turbohead

Since Chennai has been affected by floods and the City has faced lots of damage and loss of properties, I'd suggest any Chennai people to wait till the next year and buy a car with a 2016 make. This doesn't apply only for D1 segment car, but to any car buyer who is looking out for purchasing a new car. We do not know how the car has been affected and how will it be in the long run. So it's better to wait for the 2016 ones before putting our hard earned money.

[esteemer]

Fish me out of this d1lemma () please.

So my family is thinking of replacing the Esteem (2007 purchase, run around 65k km) and the budget we've fixed is that of around 16 lacs (should NOT exceed 18 lacs)

Requirements: Running will not be very high, as you can judge from the 65k odd kilometres the Esteem clocked in 8 years. It'll be used by my parents for weekend trips(~100 km up and down included) mostly. It will never have to seat more than 4 passengers - parents, me and my sister. Low mileage warrants buying a petrol engined vehicle. Safety is a very big factor.

Here's a list of the vehicles considered and what we think of them:

1. Elantra - Seems to have nice features but when we went to the showroom, they didn't have even a single Elantra (on display/for test drive purposes), plus it looks a bit too 'racy' to be to my parents' liking. Also, it seems to be doing very badly in the market lately. Safe to say, it is out of the race.

2. Corolla Altis - Ticks most of the boxes - reliable (we're used to reliability with the Esteem), comfortable, sells really well. However, it does seem to be lacking in safety features (two airbags, no stability system) in comparison to its competitors, plus it doesn't DO anything for us, doesn't make us want to buy it. Still in the race, though.

3. Volkswagen Jetta - The most favoured one. Has all of the safety features one could ask for at this price point, plus it looks real classy (the Audi lineage peeks). The 1.4 TSI seems more than enough, considering it will be driven very sedately. I have heard that with Germans, diesel's the best way to go. What kind of issues have petrol Jetta/Vento owners faced? Also, is there any news of a newer Jetta around the corner?

4. Skoda Octavia - It looks nice, performs nicely. But the variant within budget (Ambition) has only two airbags in comparison to the Jetta, plus the dealership horror stories are scaring us off.

5. 2016 Honda Civic - We'll be willing to wait for this one. Any idea when it might be coming to India?

Thanks in advance.

[Turbohead]

Originally Posted by Aniruthan

Since Chennai has been affected by floods and the City has faced lots of damage and loss of properties, I'd suggest any Chennai people to wait till the next year and buy a car with a 2016 make. This doesn't apply only for D1 segment car, but to any car buyer who is looking out for purchasing a new car. We do not know how the car has been affected and how will it be in the long run. So it's better to wait for the 2016 ones before putting our hard earned money.

That's why you do a PDI And you really can't skip it if you're planning to buy 2015 manufactured car for the huge discounts.

[lamborghini]

Honestly, the Corolla seems to be the best bet.
It is a car for someone who thinks with their head, and not their heart - and that is it's biggest drawbacks.
Spacious, Easy to live with (I assume you will keep this for 8 years too), and surprisingly tough (given the number of abused corolla taxis).

If you are worried about Skoda A.S.S., the VW will not be much better (if at all) as is the case in most parts of the country. The 1.4TSi has sold in limited numbers, but should be a reliable car for most part. Excellent ride/handling, and safety guaranteed. However, be warned that if something goes wrong - the spares are expensive, and if not in stock can take weeks to procure!

The 2016 Civic doesn't seem to be coming to India any time soon. Honda's next launch should be the 2016 Accord.

[kkkkkaran]

My pick would be from the jetta or corolla.
The corolla is supremely reliable, but slightly low on safety as compared, and not very interesting to drive.

The jetta in the other hand is the exact opposite. An amazing car, and trust me, the 1.4tsi is no slouch either. But, VAG group service is not that great. I personally have had no issues with my vento, or our family a4, but perception is not that great.

Make sure you buy extended warranty for the jetta though. Parts are really expensive since most are imported.

Octavia i would consider only for the 1.8tsi trim, which is clearly out of budget.

[VW2010]

Is Superb out of reach

Corolla makes all the sense for the no-nonsense car that will server another 100 years.

Unless you want to risk with a German car(High risk, high dividend though) you are better of with Corolla which is now loaded with all new age attractions yet Toyota reliability and life and also mostly a hassle free service experience.

Do check out Ford Eco Sport 1 LT engine. Stunning value for money and yet better overall stance, comfort and feel. I know you have not requested about SUV but i am sure you will reconsider once you test drive the Ford engine. BEAUTIFUL one.

[Tanveer_2558]

Since you have already (Almost) ruled out the altis and elantra, Even though i think elantra would have been the best bet, But its a no brainer buying something which your eyes doesn't like, If you would have planned to keep this car too for a long period, You cant go wrong with the german built quality, I would suggest 1.4 tsi jetta, Ticks all your boxes, Nothing wrong with the octavia too, But the skoda horror stories just doesn't make me want to suggest a skoda to anyone.

[Aniruthan]

I'd suggest you to go for the Corolla Altis buddy. A car that is perfectly suited for both you and your parents. Reliable, easy to drive and very spacious. If you can extend your budget, go for the CVT variant. It'll be much more fuel efficient. Toyota's after sales is good and you won't have a bad time. Yes, VW is planning to replace the Jetta with a new one in the end of 2016 or early 2017. VW Jetta also sounds like a great deal but few points to note. The TSi is extremely sensitive to the way it's driven. If it's driven hard, then fuel efficiency will reduce and vice versa. Even though VW's after sales is far better than Skoda, its still not in the league of Toyota. So I'd recommend you the Altis first and the Jetta second. But if you're looking at the Diesel variants, then go ahead with the Jetta with the transmission of your choice as both Manual Transmission and Automatic Transmission perform flawlessly.

Originally Posted by Turbohead

That's why you do a PDI And you really can't skip it if you're planning to buy 2015 manufactured car for the huge discounts.

Yes, you're right. Most people might do a stringent PDI but there might be a hidden flaw some where down there (Not always, rare chances). So to be on the safer side and instead of saving few bucks on a flood affected vehicle, its better to wait and have a more satisfactory time with a 2016 make

[iliketurtles]

Like the others on here, I'd recommend the Altis over the Jetta for your needs, even though there is no doubt in my mind that the Jetta is the better car on the whole. The only fly in the ointment is that service could be a mixed bag (luckily, I haven't had much to complain about), and given your family being used to no-nonsense ways of Maruti, VW might be a stretch too far.

Are SUV's out of the question? I'd definitely recommend giving the Creta a dekko. Great build quality and fit and finish, tons of features and it's one of the best translations of Hyundai's fluidic design, not nearly as swoopy as the Elantra.

[esteemer]

Thank you lamborghini, kkkkkaran, VW2010, Tanveer, Aniruthan, and iliketurtles for the prompt replies.

Originally Posted by VW2010

Is Superb out of reach

Do check out Ford Eco Sport 1 LT engine. Stunning value for money and yet better overall stance, comfort and feel. I know you have not requested about SUV but i am sure you will reconsider once you test drive the Ford engine. BEAUTIFUL one.

SUVs are pretty much out of the question.

Originally Posted by Aniruthan

Yes, VW is planning to replace the Jetta with a new one in the end of 2016 or early 2017. VW Jetta also sounds like a great deal but few points to note. The TSi is extremely sensitive to the way it's driven. If it's driven hard, then fuel efficiency will reduce and vice versa.

Could you point me to an article or source that talks about the Jetta update?

Well, the fuel efficiency issue shouldn't come up, considering it will be driven very sedately, no harsh acceleration, rarely exceeding 90/100 kmph. But anyways, thanks for the pointer, would love to know other little things about the car, or owning a german car in general.

Originally Posted by iliketurtles

Like the others on here, I'd recommend the Altis over the Jetta for your needs, even though there is no doubt in my mind that the Jetta is the better car on the whole.

Are SUV's out of the question? I'd definitely recommend giving the Creta a dekko. Great build quality and fit and finish, tons of features and it's one of the best translations of Hyundai's fluidic design, not nearly as swoopy as the Elantra.

Yes, SUVs are pretty much not an option.

Ok, so the popular opinion seems to be, go for the Toyota for its no nonsense nature, even though Jetta is the 'better' car.

I have a few questions:

1. How bad is the Corolla's build quality in comparison to the solid German? I mean, it's already lacking a few airbags, another few safety systems. How much would we be compromising on actual physical strength of body?

2. I would really like to understand this part about german cars more. I understand parts are costly, and sometimes unavailable. Are they prone to niggles - say electrical faults, and stuff like that? What exactly do we mean when we say the Corolla is reliable and the Jetta is not. (I mean I have a rough idea of this, but a concrete discussion should help not only me, but a fair number of newbies too afraid to ask)

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by esteemer

1. How bad is the Corolla's build quality in comparison to the solid German? I mean, it's already lacking a few airbags, another few safety systems. How much would we be compromising on actual physical strength of body?

It's not bad, it's more the fact that the Jetta feels more solidly put together. The doors are heavier, as is the steering feel, and the Corolla just feels lighter. Then, as you said, it's not as big on safety as the Jetta purely in terms of the kit on offer.

To compare the strength of each body you can perhaps compare two like for like studies of the car, such as the Euro NCAP.

Originally Posted by esteemer

2. I would really like to understand this part about german cars more. I understand parts are costly, and sometimes unavailable. Are they prone to niggles - say electrical faults, and stuff like that? What exactly do we mean when we say the Corolla is reliable and the Jetta is not. (I mean I have a rough idea of this, but a concrete discussion should help not only me, but a fair number of newbies too afraid to ask)

The Jetta has far more electrical components than the Toyota, increasing the likelihood of failures, and some parts are just prone to failing. My door lock module has failed on me twice, the water pump has failed on me too (a known issue with Jetta's). The Corolla is simply more of a mechanical monster and that's perhaps why Toyota's take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.

[ToyotaFan]

I know that Honda city is not a D1 segment car but considering your 16L budget and upgrading from an esteem I believe you should have a look at the city iVtec VX CVT trim. You will get a fully loaded car (sunroof too) with a good engine and gearbox combination. All this should be around 14L considering the city you reside in. There's a reason the D1 segment is shrinking with the city and ciaz proving good space and features. As for the corolla great car with a better snob value however you won't be able to get a top end AT in your budget. I would not recommend the 1.4 TSi as it has hardly sold and spares will be an issue in a few years. You should go for the 1.8 TSi if you want driving pleasure but that would be 20L+ on road and not meant to be driven sedately. I would recommend going for Honda city or corolla AT for years of fuss free motoring. Hope this helps.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by esteemer

Fish me out of this d1lemma () please.

If you are okay with a diesel, then why not look at the Fluence (you would easily be able to squeeze good discounts too) if not, the Jetta 1.4tsi would be my pick but you will definitely have to shell out a lot of money to maintain a German car especially after the warranty expires they rely too much on electronics and even some of their mechanical parts are simply prone to failure. Germans spend their money on loading their cars with the latest tech while Toyota spends its cash on quality and durability. The Corolla is a vault and even things like tie-rod-ends and such which require replacement quite often on most D segment sedans given our road conditions, would last just as long as your average hatchback would maybe even longer in a Corolla.