[sam_78]

Hey guys ,i am a newbie to this forum and need you advice in buying the right car for myself .

I currently own a Ford ikon and i would be selling this car very soon to make a way for a good c+ segment car .
My budget is 10-12 lacs and i am very vey very confused between the sonata embera,corolla,optra and civic .
I 've test driven all the four cars and still not able to make up my mind .

I 've done a bit of homework and would like to share my views with you .

Corolla : The brand toyota for its reliability is enough to buy this car .Though ,i felt gearbox bit notchy and high speed stability not great. Rest excellent .

Optra : It was the Royale 1.6 vgis i had driven . And the car is beautiful to look at . Seems a good buy for 9 lacs but the engine is unenthusiastic and the gearbox somewhat same like corolla . rest everything GREAT .

Civic : The newest of the lot with the best exteriors and interiors and high snob value and the Honda legendry service is enough of areason to buy this Beautiful car .I love Honda .

Sonata embera : I had almost finalised on Civic until i drove this car . I felt like a King after taking the drive, its soooo big with a powerful engine and fantastic road holding makes this car stand out of the rest and guys i am getting a whopping Rs 3.5 lacs Discount from the dealership ,so it turns out to be cheaper than civic and top end corolla...BUt the downside is ITs a Hyundai

All these car are great in their own way but i am unable to decide ..

Guys, since i 've run out of thoughts ,only you can help me out .

My requirements :

1) Reliable ,Cheap to maintain .
2) Luxury
3) Good ***
4) should have a good ride and tough built quality.
5) should be easily compatible with CNG .

I am not too worried about the resale cos i 'll be keeping the car for atleast coming 5 years .

Note : please keep in mind that i drive 100 kms a day (from delhi to G noida) and after 4-6 months i 'll be getting the CNG kit fitted in whatever car i buy . I know i 'll miss the fun factor but i cant afford the cost of petrol .

Thanks .

[ravibhat]

Either go for civic or sonata, I prefered corolla for its large inside space since huge cars I won't drive and I will be back seat travellor and enjoy the ride

Over all corolla is best car compared to other cars you have listed but civic is modern thats all, thats why people are buying instantly like how
swift has got good sales from past 1 past since its launch. but civic won't have any on going issues like swift i am sure.

Ravi.

[shuvc]

The Optra has a factory fitted CNG option .. why go for an aftermarket fitting if you get it built in ?
Lack of performance is what you did not like about the Optra - but then you'll anyway lose it in any of the cars, once you convert to CNG.

If you can live with the gearbox of the Optra .. go for it .. you get CNG, it'll save you a few lakhs with which you personalise the car .. deck it up in the way you want.

[Boom Shiva]

Optra CNG comes with the full 3 year bumper to bumper warranty, which I think is extendable for another 1 or 2 years. That's a damn good option for practicality.

Otherwise it's a toss up between the Civic and Embera. I don't think you should look at Corolla, since it's reaching the end of it's cycle and a new one should be due soon.

[navin]

Sam 78 I drive an RS and I too found the Sonata fun to drive. Hyundai A.S.S is not bad. Besides if I were you I'd get the Auto. At these prices I would have done the same.

[sam_78]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Originally Posted by shuvc

The Optra has a factory fitted CNG option .. why go for an aftermarket fitting if you get it built in ?

Shuvc the optra does not come with a factory fitted CNG ,its a dealer end fitting and i very well know the supplier . GM has authorized this dealer to supply and fit the CNG kits in all the optras .

Originally Posted by shuvc

Lack of performance is what you did not like about the Optra - but then you'll anyway lose it in any of the cars, once you convert to CNG.

I agree but i guess in big cars with powerful engines like the embera ,civic and corolla ,the lack of performance is felt very minimal.

@Navin :I 've also driven the Auto Embera but i didn't like the auto much .

My only worry is that the Embera ,corolla nor civic is yet certified for the CNG .So i 'll not be able to get it endorsed on the RC .
Out of these four ,the only car that is certified from the ARAI is the CNG optra .
whereas , i 've spoken to a Toyota and a Hyundai dealer ,they 've promised me that if i purchase a car from them ,the warranty 'll stand still .

I am not too worried about the warranty part but the insurance part does worry me cos i am told if CNG details are not endorsed on the RC the insurance co. may reject the claims, if any.
But when i asked the same from the CNG Supplier ,he gave me a piece of advice ,he said ,before intimating about the claim to the insurance co ,i should first come to his workshop and get the CNG kit uninstalled and then show the car to the Surveyor . He told me that the surveyor would not come to know about it as there's only one thing that seperates from a CNG and Non CNG car and that is the Holes made at the trunk for fitting the cylinder .
He said he is an expert and has done this many a times with his clients and there has been no problems yet .
Fortunatly ,i met with one of his costumers in his workshop who had got CNG fitted in his new Accord and he looked a happy customer .

Guys i need your advice very badly ,please let me know whats your take on this ....

Thanks

[Sahil]

I agree with Navin..........at 3.5 lakhs discount its unbeatable!!
Hyundai may not be your desired brand but think about it this way, your getting a car which goes headon with the Accord for a price cheaper than the Civic,now thats something that doesnt happen too often!

[navin]

Originally Posted by Sahil

I agree with Navin..........at 3.5 lakhs discount its unbeatable!!
Hyundai may not be your desired brand but think about it this way, your getting a car which goes headon with the Accord for a price cheaper than the Civic,now thats something that doesnt happen too often!

The Embera has better featured than the Accord and with the V6 it is faster too.

[Hells Bells]

Resale is not a criteria for you. So why being averse to the idea of owning a Hyundai? Hyundai quality has increased by leaps and bounds over last couple of years (check out JDPower for US). And we Indians are very comfortable seeing a Hyundai on our roads...so no loss of prestige too

Basically depends whether you are driving or being driven. If driving, Sonata. If driven, Optra.

[Sahil]

Originally Posted by navin

The Embera has better featured than the Accord and with the V6 it is faster too.

V6? There is only a 4cyl version 165bhp version available in India for the Embera.

[iraghava]

I agree with Navin here the Hyundai A.S.S. is pretty good and certainly better than GM/Skoda. Looking at your budget the two contenders would be the Civic or the Sonata. Both are good, latest-generation cars and are also quite well equipped including safety features. The Honda service network is good but depends on which dealer you go to for Delhi Prime is best amongst the lot and Southend is pretty shoddy.

Apart from that the choice between the two is VERY difficult and boils down mainly upon personal tastes.

I would suggest you Test Drive & Test Ride both & then decide what you like best.

P.S. If you do buy the Sonata get your car serviced only at HMP Plaza on Manthura Road they are best in the whole of Delhi!

[aZa]

Optra comes with a Service holiday package which takes care of everything for 2-3 yrs it also comes with a "lease" package and it also comes with factory/dealer fitted CNG option.

Other than the optra cng, i'd say go for the embera. Its completely loaded and has a gem of an engine. This car would be powerfull enough even after the 30% powerdrop post CNG. Another alternative could be the Elantra GT or GLS (petrol) its selling at very low prices.

[Fuelled]

Sam78 its a good idea to get a CNG kit, cause none of these cars is exactly light on fuel bills.

Regards ur choices, the Embera or the Civic are the ones to look at.

The honda having a snob value and those funky interiors,
and the Embera having almost everything else well covered.

[navin]

Originally Posted by Fuelled

The honda having a snob value and those funky interiors,
and the Embera having almost everything else well covered.

Is delivery time important?

[Fuelled]

Originally Posted by navin

Is delivery time important?

Hows that related?
And just out of curiousity. Which car of the two has a longer waiting list?