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-   -   Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla vs Skoda Octavia vs Hyundai Elantra (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans/211371-honda-civic-vs-toyota-corolla-vs-skoda-octavia-vs-hyundai-elantra-3.html)

Out of curiosity, which one of the four would you pick in the second hand market? Preferably no older than 3 years.

Very interesting question and one that I feel I might have to answer in some time. My decision would depend almost entirely on two factors:

• Driving dynamics

• Car's history

If I'm even looking at an Octavia I'd be prepared to shell out a slight premium on yearly maintenance and repairs. And that is a reasonable price to pay for a better car IMO.

Had the new Civic been a proper enthusiast's car then that would be my pick, except I'd get one that would be slightly older than three years old, closer to four or five with 40-50k on the clock. This is so I can get a better deal on the car. However, I wouldn't do the same if I were going for an Elantra or Octavia for the simple reason that I've heard unpleasant experiences about both brands.

If I were opting for a three-year-old Octavia then I would have no hesitations if it were under warranty + option to extend it, even if I ended up paying a few thousand more over the competition. Having driven the 1.8TSI on a Superb (a larger, heavier car) I am fully convinced that it is the engine of choice for an enthusiast. This would also be a decent stepping stone for the ownership of more expensive Germans in my garage ;)

P.S. with prices of C-Class's and 320d's in very similar price ranges (albeit for older vehicles) I would consider one of those as well if I can find a well-maintained example.

If I were looking for a second hand D1 segment car and if I could find a good FNG, then I might go for a Chevy Cruze.

This is one car which gives you the real turbo kick and you might find one dirt cheap.

Hypothetically in a perfect world I'd choose the Octavia, but buying with a EMI on my back I would go for the Elantra/Civic.

This comparison is better done after Hyundai and Toyota launch their new generation Elantra and Corolla respectively. My rankings based on product alone-
1) Octavia
2) Civic
3) Elantra
4) Corolla Altis


If driving pleasure and corner craving ability aren't at the top of your list, why would you ignore the Innova crysta? (Let's not debate UVs vs Sedans here :)) What I mean is that I'd only consider the Octavia. The Civic has an average petrol power-train. Elantra and Corolla don't really excite in terms of dynamics.

After looking for Octavia, what were the reasons to go for a Verna instead of Vento/Rapid which are from the same VAG family?

Thanks for the thoughtful analysis. Quick questions:-

1. Can Skoda's extended warranty be purchased for vehicles whose original factory warranty has expired?

2. Is it possible to purchase a 2nd extension for Skoda vehicles under an extended warranty?


True but the 'finding a good FNG' part seems like a bit of a risk, no? I don't mind spending 12-13 Lakhs for a solid car which will be my primary vehicle for the next 5-7 years. The Cruze seems slightly unreliable for that purpose.

We had heard that Vento was to get an update quite soon. But, the VW dealer advised that was not going to happen until Sept/Oct of 2019 and asked us to book the older model itself. Rapid (esp. Monte Carlo edition )on the other hand made almost to the final decision. Most of the folks in my family voted for Verna. Hyundai had those feature comforts (Sunroof, comparatively Modern HU, Alloys) which Rapid lacked. Also, the dealer was so eager to push the car to us that he gave us a stock car for the test drive (When asked why stock car, he said its common practice as they do not get all transmission variants as Test Drive cars). We got bit suspicious about the dealer.

When it comes down to buying a car for the family, I've seen that everything counts. Starting from the dealer experience to the tail light design :D.

I was in the market for one 1.5 years ago. Most of the cars I saw were in questionable condition. It's a great car, no doubt, but I noticed a few things:

1. A huge chunk of the cars were in poor condition. Not well-maintained at all. So it might be hard to find a mint one.
2. The car was quite cramped for all passengers. My father couldn't sit in the rear. And I couldn't sit in the front if I moved the seat even slightly forward.
3. Everything was just too heavy. I personally loved this, but with parents and grandparents to ferry around it becomes difficult for them to open doors and such.

Because of this, while it's a great car for enthusiasts (albeit with a slightly dead steering) it is not that practical. But this doesn't affect all types of buyers. If I were the only one using it then I would definitely consider one.

I'm not too well-versed with Skoda's warranty policy. But it can be possible at the dealership level. I believe Linkway or some other dealership offered a warranty on my nine-year-old City (Late '09 model bought used in '17) but the cost was around 20% of my car's total price so I didn't opt for it. In hindsight, if I wanted the car in factory condition from an authorised service centre then I might have broken even on the warranty, but getting it done at an FNG cost me 1/3rd the price for 95% of the work :)

About the second part of your message, you can get a Cruze for under 10L easily. There were plenty on sale for 6-7L when I was in the market. Ask your FNG if he can work with a Cruze + take a test drive (refer to my reply to Lambydude if you want to know why I didn't go for one) and take a call. It's not a bad car if you know what you're getting yourself into. Will it last you 5-7 years? Sure. But there are better cars that will last you that long (and longer) with more uptime and probably cost to run.

I voted for the Elantra (not just because i happily own one). IMHO it is a well proportioned prospect trying to have a bit of each of desired characteristics in this segment (Although some may say it ends up being Jack of All and Master of None).
The SX(O) AT VTVT 2.0 is a rather good engine and gearbox combination, add to that the peace of mind which it has brought me for the past 2 years of ownership has been a blessing. The Skoda for me would only be the vRS (heck if I want to take a gamble on their A.S.S I would get my maximum driving pleasure out of it).

Yeah, finding a good FNG is not always easy. Also, you won't have to spend 12 lacs for a Cruze. I saw one in Feb this year which was in a very good condition and asking price was 7 lacs. 2015 LTZ 49k run. I'm sure I would have been able to close the deal at 5.5 -6 lacs.

I have been fortunate enough to previously own the Laura with that stonker of a 1.8L TSI powerplant and a rather cool 'VRS' monicker. And for me, the cherry on top was the slick MT that that car came with. Just a butter-smooth engine + GB combo. The acceleration, in equal parts, was linear, relentless and mind-blowing. It was more tightly sprung than the regular TSI which made the handling nimble and precise. And to boot, that one came with none of the back-of-the-mind anxiety about the reliability of that dry-clutch DSG.

As far as the current generation Octy goes, I'm still a little wary of the 1.8 TSI DSG but I'd take that any day of the week over the others in the list. For the lot that years for smile each time they get behind the wheel of an automobile, very few products in the country come close to that!

Now I have a Jetta 2.0L TDI and I am immensely thankful for that - especially that that they don't sell it anymore! And I'm tempted to say that for me, the Jetta is a magnificent offering - even marginally trumping the 1.8L Octy because of the overall points it scores in practicality + performance + hassle-free ownership!

Octavia is the driver's car in this segment but after sales of Skoda and Volkswagen are nothing but pain. Heart says Octavia but mind says Elantra for hassle free service and reliability.

The point here is that the C segment sedans have become so good that I really have to think hard why I need a D segment car. Case in point is the Elantra. The diesel automatic combo is the same as the Verna which is a fantastic car in its own right. Plus lower on maintenance as Elantra is a CKD. The City petrol feels so much peppier than the Civic. The smaller siblings of these cars are as good on space as their bigger brothers. Only difference would be on some subtle parameters like noise insulation, quality of materials used etc. Heck the City has a bigger boot than the Civic! The only car which I feel is worth an upgrade is the Octavia. If I have to spend more than a C segment car it should be a proper D segment one which is the Octavia.

I would still like to disagree on this one point.

These D Segment cars are often priced at a premium of around 5L over the C Segment top end variant.
For these 5L, you often end up with nicer interiors (quality and design - the civic feels a lot more tighter and better built than the city), a more premium experience (NVH, interiors, ride quality, etc.), and often more power & space (Petrol Elantra v/s Petrol Verna - the 2.0L engine v/s the 1.6, and the space in the elantra is a lot more than the Verna which feels very tight), better looks, etc.

Sure it isn't a value buy as compared to the C Segment - higher maintenance, lower resale, etc. but some cars are bought for the experience and once you're used to the smaller details, the lower segment will definitely feel a lot lower.