So we did a test drive earlier as I mentioned of the Elantra, Civic, our own Corolla, and a while before I had driven the Octavia (before picking up the Corolla).
Elantra honestly came across as the best all rounder.
Looks: Interior & Exterior - Elantra feels dated compared to the Civic, but is miles ahead of the Corolla. The Octavia has a typical European flair about it and definitely looks premium on the outside with relatively average interiors (I liked the elantra dash design and all black theme but the Octy has better quality).
Performance: Octy is far ahead, followed by the Elantra, Civic & Corolla seemed more of less similar with similar powered engines mated to CVTs.
Ride & Handling: Octy again comes out on top, with the Elantra a close second, the civic was nice in the city as is the Corolla
Space & Practicality: I was pleasantly surprised by the Civic's headroom, though the Corolla is by far the best car to be driven in / take on a trip. Octavia would be next - rear seat a little upright, but spacious and practical barring lower GC. The Elantra & Civic are pretty decent in this department too and similar - low seating, ground clearance will be common to both.
Build Quality & Rattles: The Octavia is brilliantly built, but the notchback shape will mean rattles seeping (parcel shelf mainly) in so this is something to be careful about. The Civic felt tight!
And our corolla seemed that much quieter (in terms of squeaks and rattles) than the TD Elantra which had done a little lesser running but also saw rougher drives but the touch and feel of the elantra seemed that much nicer than the Corolla.
The way I see it:
1) Octavia is the best buy in it's segment barring maintenance costs, which too can be capped by the extended warranty as it will cover pretty much everything except brakes, suspension, rubber parts, etc. - but Gearbox, AC, etc. which are more expensive will be covered. Check once with the dealership as well.
It is also the most premium in terms of pricing, enough to make you question if an 18-24 month old, less than 15K driven BMW 3 series would be a better buy at the same / similar price.
2) The Elantra is a great all rounder given it's pricing. It will keep maintain a balance of keeping everyone happy - but when an Octavia overtakes you on the highway, you will always give it a second look.
3) The Civic is stylish & fun. If you aren't an aggressive driver but want something reliable that will feel nice everytime you sit in it - this is it!
4) The Corolla is honestly the car to buy if you have a driver. After owning one for almost 2 years and 19Kkm, I cannot think of any reason except the back seat and Toyota reliability to get one.
The reason we got it over an Octavia was just because of the rear seat + low maintenance downtime + safety kit combo. Driving it fast isn't pleasurable - it's just an added thing to do because you're running late. We want to keep ours for a long long time and it will be given some beater duties (already has actually) and it will carry those out faithfully day in and day out.
I'd also just like to add: maintenance costs in this segment is more about parts failing, as compared to the price of the parts. Toyota parts aren't cheap, neither are the Civics. But they will work a lot longer than that of the Octavia's for example - but that is also because the Octavia for most part is also running a turbo charged engine v/s a N.A. civic / elantra / corolla; and it has a quicker shifting DSG gearbox as compared to the CVT & TCs. Some stuff can be excused due to the better tech compared to it's peers, but some cannot (like an AC failure wouldn't be acceptable, but I think we are past such niggles in the Octy's lifespan).
5th August 2019, 14:50
