[deetjohn]

Since he is 55 and the running is quite low, I would suggest the Corolla petrol CVT. It is spacious, comfortable, easy to drive - the power train is super smooth, easy to get in and out, and you cannot go wrong with Toyota service.

The car is mostly bare bones in the entry variant for that price. But the 1.8 VL (AT) does have some goodies which can be appreciated by senior folks like a reclining rear seat, driver seat with 8 way electric adjustment and lumbar support, smart key, reverse sensor/ camera, tilt and telescopic steering, navigation etc.

[The Brutailer]

Wait for the face-lifted S-Cross and test drive that (you can test drive the current version as well as the new one will have the same engine). It's an absolute blast to drive the car, interiors are very well put together and it's road manners are impressive. The only problem was the looks (and drivability due to turbo lag). The looks part as been fixed with the new face lift (looks like a mini bmw).

Ofcourse, if you want a petrol car then i can understand and in that case, get the corolla as I've heard the rumors that VW is discontinuing the jetta.

[nkghai]

Originally Posted by basuroy

The enquiry is posted on behalf of my father who will be placing the order in the coming fortnight if possible , the idea being to take delivery before Durga Puja . Current vehicle is Swift Dzire ( Petrol ).

Well a quandary faced by many. The important question I think is, how will your dad use the car after three years i.e post retirement?

I am 55 yrs and had the same quandary last year, but my usage for next couple of years, particularly after retirement, which i intend in another year, will be driving around a lot. Planning a trip to Leh, North East etc.etc. Recently when i went to Bhubaneshwar i purposely planned my trip through the Baranawapara Forest Range and from Angul ahead i took the interior road through the villages where the real natural beauty lies. I had this requirement, so went for Creta, which can take in some real rough roads.

Also the car you purchase this year will run maximum from third to tenth year of ownership. The decision should be based on the usage then and not now. In addition, remember that the warranty period is generally three years and till that time your car will be not even 15-18000 kms. So plan carefully.

In case your dad wants to do more local running and few outstation runs a year mostly sticking to highways, then Sedans you mentioned are more preferable than a compact SUV.

Check out the new Elantra. I agree with you that heart goes for Elantra, but IMO you can't beat a Toyota in longevity and hassle free ownership. Maybe some Corolla owners can throw some more light.

[asit.kulkarni93]

I picked up a used Corolla last year. This happens to be our 4th Toyota and the overall experience till date has been fantastic. I got it when it had done 45k kms in October 2015 and now the ODO stands at 62k kms.

Surprisingly the seller replaced his Corolla with a new Altis. He was looking at cars from Creta to X1. His situation was similar to yours, he was getting retired and needed a peaceful ownership experience.

But please note that both the Corolla Altis and Elantra are up for a facelift. Elantra will be launched soon whereas the Altis will receive an update by this year end or 2017. I suggest you wait for these updated cars and then take a decision. If you are keen on the Hyundai Elantra then please get the diesel Auto. If the Corolla Altis then the 1.8L Petrol with CVT is a brilliant combo.

Asit

[Shashankjk]

Originally Posted by Shashankjk

Toyota Innova Crysta (since you have considered a Creta , it implies that you aren't restricted to sedans only) for hassle free long term ownership..

Couldnt edit the earlier post. Wanted to add that if sedan is a must nothing beats altis in this bracket for the parmeters you are looking for. I recommend Crysta because tall boy design typically helps with easy ingress and outgress for the aged. This was the case for my Dad for sure.

[basuroy]

Highly appreciate the kind suggestions everyone

I should mention the original budget was 15 Lakh but it can be stretched up to 17 L if the car is convincing enough. Since it will be purchased through CSD canteen route , it will cost us roughly 2 L less (that is a 19L on road car will cost him 17 L ).

It appears everyone has favourable opinion on the toyota which is quite reassuring .

Earlier today over breakfast , we eliminated the cruze and even the jetta due to expected servicing cost over a decade is running a losing game .

It has been narrowed down to Corolla versus the new elantra (2017) and creta (this is fallback option ). So far he says automatic is not necessary , both price and preference are influencing his decision . Lets see whether a test drive of an automatic convinces him .

The reason I feel my father insists on keeping creta in the list is the compact size and because he has started liking it but it is currently a fallback option . The larger SUVs or Innova are not considered because of their size and running cost. One gentleman mentioned the new facelifted s-cross which we didn't know about ( the facelift part) , we will test drive it and pitch it against the creta .

So coming to corola versus elantra 2017 , which the better package overall ? I suppose the deciding factor here will be the expected decade long ownership. His annual usage post retirement may peak at 8000km a year . We all find the elantra to be more attractive car here , it also appears to be loaded with a host of bonus goodies and even as I type , I feel its appeal to our heart will make it win . But the toyota brand pull is really strong as well - dilemma dilemma


Another query he has is that more than one colleague told him they suffered unnecessary airbag deployment in their cars due to minor city traffic bumps , he wishes to avoid this if possible and hence his question is whether this is a prominent problem in any particular brand or the probability of this happening is even across all brands ?

Can traction control be considered a deal making/braking feature in the same sense ABS can be considered that ? it appears the corolla has no traction control system . We are not sure how critical is its absence.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by basuroy

So coming to corola versus elantra 2017 , which the better package overall ? I suppose the deciding factor here will be the expected decade long ownership. His annual usage post retirement may peak at 8000km a year . We all find the elantra to be more attractive car here , it also appears to be loaded with a host of bonus goodies and even as I type , I feel its appeal to our heart will make it win . But the toyota brand pull is really strong as well - dilemma dilemma

Hyundais generally don't hold up well in terms of long term ownership. D-Segment sedans are never really engineered keeping in mind Indian road conditions and the Corolla is one of the few cars that can tackle the roads. An Elantra's suspension linkages like the lower arm ends could need constant replacement. Also part supply for big Hyundais as they age hasn't been all too good in my experience. Don't be too floored by drls and gizmos. At the end of the day you need the car to be in a derivable state for a decade.

Originally Posted by basuroy

Another query he has is that more than one colleague told him they suffered unnecessary airbag deployment in their cars due to minor city traffic bumps , he wishes to avoid this if possible and hence his question is whether this is a prominent problem in any particular brand or the probability of this happening is even across all brands ?

There are a few cases of this happening here and there but generally it doesn't. I have personally never experienced this.

Originally Posted by basuroy

Can traction control be considered a deal making/braking feature in the same sense ABS can be considered that ? it appears the corolla has no traction control system . We are not sure how critical is its absence.

ABS ensures your brakes don't lock up under emergency braking situations which allows you to have control over the car when braking and prevents it from skidding without you needing to be a professional driver. Traction Control prevents the wheels from slipping by individually monitoring each wheel. Big cars come with big power and you don't want to be spinning out because of a puddle or sand on a curve. Eletronic Stability Control/Program encompasses all of the above and monitors which way the car is headed in relation to which way the steering is pointed and if the car is oversteering or understeering, it adds corrective inputs by individually braking wheels and feeding input to the steering to ensure the car is under control and stable. All of these are a huge boon especially in a country like ours where you may have to avoid many number of obstacles, especially since you will not be expecting most and even if you are extremely talented, it becomes difficult to immediately react if your having a relaxed drive, and when you are shelling out so much cash, you must get all these features. The Corolla lacks TC and ESP currently but they will be added along with more airbags when the facelift is out. I would suggest waiting for it.

[urban legend]

I was discussing this on the innova crysta thread, but have now decided to go for a D segment sedan. I dont need 7 seats and would prefer a sedan over a muv for highways.
My requirements:
Annual running is maximum 10 k.
6 days a week -10 km per day in the city. But over short distances of 2.5 km with gaps of few hours in between. Self driven with no one on board.
Most weekends 50 km drive to , gap of few hours and 50 km drive back. 4 people on board with minimal luggage
For the above my requirement was a D segment car , petrol , automatic with good reliability , minimal down time, luxurious interiors packed with features. Size not an issue as I have lots of parking space both at home and my work place and I rarely need to park on roadside spots.
Annual road trips -1500 km. These would be over a mixture of national highways , village roads , broken roads etc. 2-3 adults and 2 kids on board. Lots of luggage space needed.
For this my requirement was a big family car with lots of safety features , good grunt for overtaking and an easy top speed of 140 kph. (I rarely cross 150), good dynamics. It will be mostly self driven , occasionally chauffeur driven.
Car must have bullet proof reliability , wide service network and good ground clearance. I plan on keeping the car for 8-10 years.
I had shortlisted the corolla petrol automatic. When is the facelifted version likely to be launched? Will it get additional airbags? Autocar says it might get some passive safety features and a lot of cosmetic changes and better quality interiors.
I am getting a 2014 used camry hybrid. But considering the poor sales, it will be difficult and expensive to maintain over such a long period.
I am not considering the skoda and Volkswagen group cars due to reliability and after sales service issues. The new elantra looks promising but the low seats and small boot is not suitable for me. Still, i am waiting for the launch and test drive.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by urban legend

I am getting a 2014 used camry hybrid. But considering the poor sales, it will be difficult and expensive to maintain over such a long period.
I am not considering the skoda and Volkswagen group cars due to reliability and after sales service issues. The new elantra looks promising but the low seats and small boot is not suitable for me. Still, i am waiting for the launch and test drive.

Honestly, the Camry Hybrid, if well maintained should be a steal!
The reliability of the Camry is very good so there shouldn't be high chances of anything going wrong, plus the Hybrid has sold quite well in Mumbai - so though there might be a wait for major parts, most of the routine parts should be easily available.

[urban legend]

The 2014 Camry was sold with 2 airbags. From 2015 it got 7 airbags. Even the Corolla is still sold with 2 airbags and it seems unlikely that will change in the face lifted version. I don't want to compromise on safety specially as I ll be carrying kids on the highway runs. In that sense the Jetta and Octavian trump the Japanese cars when it comes to safety.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by urban legend

The 2014 Camry was sold with 2 airbags. From 2015 it got 7 airbags. Even the Corolla is still sold with 2 airbags and it seems unlikely that will change in the face lifted version. I don't want to compromise on safety specially as I ll be carrying kids on the highway runs. In that sense the Jetta and Octavian trump the Japanese cars when it comes to safety.

Camry hybrid came with 4 airbags I think. The Camry will never be difficult to maintain either. I'd suggest going for it if the price is right. Another brilliant car is the Nissan Teana. Easily the most comfortable and plush ride this side of 50 lakhs

[urban legend]

Another brilliant vehicle which fulfils most of my requirements is the HONDA c r v. Maybe with the trend swinging slowly towards petrol cars it might start selling.

[asit.kulkarni93]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Camry hybrid came with 4 airbags I think. The Camry will never be difficult to maintain either. I'd suggest going for it if the price is right. Another brilliant car is the Nissan Teana. Easily the most comfortable and plush ride this side of 50 lakhs

The Camry is indeed offered with 7-airbags. VSC is another good thing to have.




I feel Toyota will add safety features to the upcoming Altis in 2017. If you can't wait then the Camry Hybrid is your best Bet.

Asit

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by asit.kulkarni93

The Camry is indeed offered with 7-airbags. VSC is another good thing to have.

That move was made only on the facelift early this year. Highly unlikely that the used car in question would be just a few months old. At launch the car was equipped with only 4 airbags AFAIK.

[mav2000]

Guys, does anyone know whats the warranty on the battery on the Jetta.

I had given my Jetta for service and everything was fine when I gave it. When they asked me to pick up the car, it would not start and gave a whole lot of errors. The person at the service station jump started it, saying that maybe someone left some lights on or something and battery has got drained.

Drove home and today morning again the car started giving errors and again would not start. Battery seems to be completely drained. I told the SA to change the battery and give me a new one. But he says the warranty is only 1 year. My car is about to finish 2 years on the 24th, which is tomorrow.

I was not able to find any data online on battery warranty so just wanted to check here.