[androdev]

Originally Posted by imidnightmare

Hexa .. for the long family trips...

Is it because you need the 3rd row?

Interesting to hear that - given I'm looking at the vRS as well - the DQ250 sounds a lot more comforting than the DQ200 and of course the power... Sigh...

I feel vRS would be an overkill, diminishes the comfort and 'sober executive' appeal of the regular octavia. With the money saved, you can replace the mechatronic in DQ200 on an annual basis. there are many 1.8tsi+dsg cars on the road compared to vRS, so you are likely to get better service support.

OTH if you like the power, attention and wow factor, etc. then vRS is worth checking.

Am getting a 1.1L package deal for 4 years' service + consumables (only service is 40K); do you guys think it's worth it?

yes, the pricing is very reasonable by skoda standards. do read the fine print about what is not covered.

i would still say go with cheaper tsi+dsg (but get it fitted with leather) because skoda cars are not "keepers" - they neither have the longevity of toyota nor the prestige of say mercedes.

[imidnightmare]

Originally Posted by androdev

Is it because you need the 3rd row?

Yup. "Family" = taking wife, kid, nanny and parents and sometimes also the dogs...

Originally Posted by androdev

OTH if you like the power, attention and wow factor, etc. then vRS is worth checking.

Power! Don't care for the attention (would head north on the models if I did) but only budget constraints limit the power I'd like on a car

Originally Posted by androdev

yes, the pricing is very reasonable by skoda standards. do read the fine print about what is not covered.

Shall do. Received the full contract - and shall pore over later today.

Originally Posted by androdev

i would still say go with cheaper tsi+dsg (but get it fitted with leather) because skoda cars are not "keepers" - they neither have the longevity of toyota nor the prestige of say mercedes.

Agreed - but you only live once. Also, some of the features on the L&K / vRS seem nifty and nice to have. On the corporate rates, I see a 3L difference between each variant - and that's not too much!

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by imidnightmare

Interesting to hear that - given I'm looking at the vRS as well - the DQ250 sounds a lot more comforting than the DQ200 and of course the power... Sigh...
Am getting a 1.1L package deal for 4 years' service + consumables (only service is 40K); do you guys think it's worth it?

If you're buying this as an indulgence, and this is the car you'll be driving (no driver) - get the vRS and you won't regret it.
Plus gearbox reliability is better than the 1.8 too which is the icing on the cake, and with the nicer interiors - it really feels a lot more special than the TSi.

As for the package - all depends on what consumables are covered. During warranty period, my average service costs including consumables was around 15-20K except in the 4th year when I had to change the gearbox oil.

[imidnightmare]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

If you're buying this as an indulgence, and this is the car you'll be driving (no driver) - get the vRS and you won't regret it.
Plus gearbox reliability is better than the 1.8 too which is the icing on the cake, and with the nicer interiors - it really feels a lot more special than the TSi.

As for the package - all depends on what consumables are covered. During warranty period, my average service costs including consumables was around 15-20K except in the 4th year when I had to change the gearbox oil.

Hmmm... So on this, the coverage is as below:

Scheduled servicing:

Subject to the terms and conditions of this plan, commencing from the date you sign up the Skoda Secure Service plan, the vehicle will be provided with scheduled servicing as specified in the Owner’s Manual applicable to the vehicle under normal use and operating conditions.

Non- Scheduled Maintenance:

Subject to the terms and conditions of this plan, commencing from the date you sign up the Skoda Secure Service Plan, the vehicle will be provided with non-scheduled maintenance. Some examples include but are not limited to replacement of brake pads, shoe, brake disc, suspension, lower arm, shock absorbers, belts, wiper, rubber, etc.
If the vehicle suffers a mechanical / electrical failure, we will have the failure rectified either by repair/ replacement through the Authorized Skoda Dealer without any cost to the customer.
Damaged caused to glass lights , indicators, paints, internal or external trim, panel body, wheel tyres and tyre tubes are not covered under non-scheduled maintenance.

Not seen the manual so not sure about the gearbox oil - something I'd need to check on. Now, I'm assuming you took the EW and the 4 year service? If so, that would be 40K and an additional 60-80K on service. This comes to something similar I reckon - at 1.1L for all of the service (EW is separate). No idea about whether it's really a value-add, but it does provide some peace of mind I think. Thoughts?

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by imidnightmare

Not seen the manual so not sure about the gearbox oil - something I'd need to check on. Now, I'm assuming you took the EW and the 4 year service? If so, that would be 40K and an additional 60-80K on service. This comes to something similar I reckon - at 1.1L for all of the service (EW is separate). No idea about whether it's really a value-add, but it does provide some peace of mind I think. Thoughts?

Only had the extended warranty. When we picked up the Laura there was no service package available - so net was 60-80K for service (no including brake pads, etc. - which lasted fairly well needing a replacement at 30-35Kkms).

If you will drive a fair amount the service package makes sense as it'll cover the brakes, etc. otherwise better to just get the EW.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by imidnightmare

3L difference.. and that's not too much!

Now we are talking!

I still suggest test driving L&K and vRS back to back. Family car = L&K. Personal car = vRS.

I generally buy everything sold by the manufacturer such as extended warranty, service package, insurance, etc. The premium they charge is fairly reasonable and they will be more agreeable to offer goodwill warranty when the need arises. I said when not if.

How many KMs do you expect to clock in a year? I tend to give myself 60K km of trouble free usage with these EU cars. Even if things go wrong before that you will be covered by warranty (std, ext or goodwill).

[imidnightmare]

L&K it is then. 1.8 TSI DSG. Family won over personal preferences.

[RajBajwa]

@imidnightmare

I would like to chime in here as this was the car I researched/deliberated a lot 6 months ago before I made the car purchase.

I wanted the Octavia 1.8 TSI, however reading about numerous cases of the DQ200 failing had kept me on the edge. The car enthusiast in me wanted the vRS and I had been waiting for it to be launched since a couple of years. The vRS was what I really wanted but budget was a constraint. After I worked out the finances and decided to stretch myself and take the plunge, the dealers told me that they did not have stock of the car in the colour which I wanted (Race Blue). That stopped me from buying the car. The only used car in the same budget which I had considered was the BMW 328i or 320d. I found a 320d which was a few months less than 4 years old when I got it.

If I wouldn’t have bought the used car and If I was still looking for a new car then I think I would go for the 1.8 TSI Octavia and sell it just before completing 4 years or end of the extended warranty. Of course I understand that every individual has different preferences for the car. So ultimately it is your choice. I read that a difference of 3 lacs is ok for you. For that reason go for the L&K. I probably would have picked the lower variant of the 1.8 AT.

[imidnightmare]

Originally Posted by RajBajwa

@imidnightmare

I would like to chime in here as this was the car I researched/deliberated a lot 6 months ago before I made the car purchase.

I wanted the Octavia 1.8 TSI, however reading about numerous cases of the DQ200 failing had kept me on the edge. The car enthusiast in me wanted the vRS and I had been waiting for it to be launched since a couple of years. The vRS was what I really wanted but budget was a constraint. After I worked out the finances and decided to stretch myself and take the plunge, the dealers told me that they did not have stock of the car in the colour which I wanted (Race Blue). That stopped me from buying the car. The only used car in the same budget which I had considered was the BMW 328i or 320d. I found a 320d which was a few months less than 4 years old when I got it.

If I wouldn’t have bought the used car and If I was still looking for a new car then I think I would go for the 1.8 TSI Octavia and sell it just before completing 4 years or end of the extended warranty. Of course I understand that every individual has different preferences for the car. So ultimately it is your choice. I read that a difference of 3 lacs is ok for you. For that reason go for the L&K. I probably would have picked the lower variant of the 1.8 AT.

I made the pick and booked the L&K. Should have it in a week at most after registration, since the PDI was all-clear. The DQ200 did worry me majorly, but did enough research to assuage my concerns.

Overall, the budget was not the issue as anything under 40L or so OTR would have been fine for me. The key was what I was getting for it. The Big 3's models under this were not worth considering, so after getting the reassurance I needed, just went ahead.

The vRS was a serious contender, specially after the TD - but my mum will need to travel in the car too at times and the roads are hardly ideal in Powai (understatement) so the low GC and the tougher ingress / egress for my mother, sealed it all for the L&K.

[RajBajwa]

Originally Posted by imidnightmare

I made the pick and booked the L&K.

The vRS was a serious contender, specially after the TD - but my mum will need to travel in the car too at times and the roads are hardly ideal in Powai (understatement) so the low GC and the tougher ingress / egress for my mother, sealed it all for the L&K.

Congratulations. I think the difference in GC between the Regular Octavia and vRS is minimal which can impact driving performance (Body Roll, Cornering speeds). The difference should be not that noticeable for ingress/egress. I may be wrong here. If budget is not a constraint that you should go for the vRS.

I think I may be late in saying this as your car must be already registered. In that case congrats again and enjoy the car

[imidnightmare]

Originally Posted by RajBajwa

Congratulations. I think the difference in GC between the Regular Octavia and vRS is minimal which can impact driving performance (Body Roll, Cornering speeds). The difference should be not that noticeable for ingress/egress. I may be wrong here. If budget is not a constraint that you should go for the vRS.

I think I may be late in saying this as your car must be already registered. In that case congrats again and enjoy the car

Thanks mate. The difference isn’t much relatively but it does tell. Also, it’s the marginal calls which affected the decision (comfort for my mum took priority). Anyway, booked and registered etc. so yeah, all in the past now. Rest assured though, that I really pondered over this and made a decision I don’t regret.

[Palaver]

Parameters to consider:-
1. Comfort
2. Reasonably Priced/ Value for money
3. Features especially things like rear camera, mirror link etc.
4. Only considering petrol cars.

I know, what you must be thinking - This is an odd choice, they don't even belong in the same category. But here's my reasoning behind it:-
Although it would be a better idea or rather more sane to compare Octavia with Elantra but as it turns out I did visit the Hyundai dealership the other day and decided to take Elantra out for a spin. But the moment I sat inside the car, it dawned on me that it just feels a little claustrophobic and there is hardly any legroom especially for rear passengers (which is kinda important to me given the price tag). At about 20 lakhs I expect it to be comfortable. So I figured, since you are cramped in a 20 lakh car, might as well be cramped in a considerably cheaper car - Enter Verna . Call me demanding but I expect a lot more when I am paying that kind of money. As for Verna, it is definitely a very tempting package given the price and the feature list, the only downside is that it is not a very comfortable car to be in but then again when you put it in perspective in terms of its pricing, I guess that compromise can be made. Also, I realised that the seats were unusually hard and lacked the kind of cushioning that I would have liked. And for whatever reason Hyundai decided to have its seats (bottom part) inclined a tad too much which also affects the overall feeling and comfort. Also noticed, getting in and out of the car was a little more challenging than usual mostly due to its raised door sills. On the other hand, Verna does offer loads of features and checks all other boxes/requirement. Now, I guess it could be argued that since I am considering Verna, then why cant I just go for Honda City which probably would fulfill all my requirements and at a very competitive price. The answer is - Already own a City, dont need two of those, additionally it lacks features such as mirror link etc. But then again there maybe an update coming soon, maybe it might be a good idea to wait for it.

Now let's focus on the Octavia, so as it turns out this is an expensive car. It's priced itself out of the market, but at the same time there is something about that car that feels right.. Maybe it's the German engineering (although I am not a fan of their Audi's etc) or the built quality, or the roominess. Can't really figure this out. Having said that, it is also pertinent to mention that I am not a big fan of its looks; I think they really need to work on their car designs. So, given the price issue, I started considering the 1.4L model (which is about 2 lakhs cheaper than the 1.8 TSI Style varient) but the CSR told me that they don't have these available for test drives which kinda puts my plans on hold. He did mention he might be able to arrange one if someone orders it and they get it in for them. Infact, he even went on to say that no Skoda showroom would have the 1.4L model available for test drive and I am inclined to believe him.
Lastly, infamous DSG gearbox - I am not sure if they still use the DQ200 or shifted to the better DQ220 (I hope I got those right). Tried to google it, but couldn't find out. I would appreciate it if anyone could let me know. So, given the gearbox issues I figured should probably opt for a manual transmission (which unfortunately is only available in the 1.4L model). So, chances are if buying a Skoda would probably try and find a preowned one (1.8 TSI) to save the cost.

So I was wondering what should be the way forward, I know this is an unusal choice but so are the cars that are currently available to a discerning buyer. Any advice, insights, past experiences would be greatly appreciated. Also, I should also mention, I am not in a hurry to make a decision, I can wait if there is some new model/car that is to be launched in the near future or even early next year. Thanks for your help guys.

[oil_burner]

Why are you not considering the Toyota Yaris? It is a feature rich car and offers plenty of room inside the car. I hope this car will fulfill your checklist.

The Hyundai Elantra can also be considered and fits in your budget. The car is feature rich. The only downside of it being not too involving to drive. It surely is not a car for an enthusiast but is practical and offers plenty things.

[Sheel]

Why not a Toyota Corolla Altis? I can't think of anything else had I been at your place.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by oil_burner

Why are you not considering the Toyota Yaris? It is a feature rich car and offers plenty of room inside the car. I hope this car will fulfill your checklist.

The Hyundai Elantra can also be considered and fits in your budget. The car is feature rich. The only downside of it being not too involving to drive. It surely is not a car for an enthusiast but is practical and offers plenty things.

I dont think any of your suggestions meet the OP's criteria