Team-BHP - Honda Civic vs Toyota Corolla vs Skoda Octavia vs Hyundai Elantra

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnInternetUser (Post 4626812)

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:

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.
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.
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.

That's solid advice on the Cruze. I'm veering towards the Elantra SX O AT or Octavia 1.8 TSI over the Cruze as it doesn't seem like a compelling overall upgrade from my current steed (2009 City). The only other car I'm considering is the Seltos, contingent on reviews and price reveal.

Will hit up a Skoda dealership for the warranty. I don't mind paying a bigger sum upfront to live with some peace of mind.

Interestingly haven't come across too many posts on niggles or issues with the Elantra on the forum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lambydude (Post 4626952)

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.

You are right at 5.5 - 6 should be a good price, at least in NCR. Though I'm willing to shell out double the cash for a more modern vehicle which can offer similar driving pleasure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by docprashant (Post 4626815)

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).

Glad to see someone backing the Elantra. It remains my 1st choice (for a used D1 segment sedan) given the low number of complaints from owners I've come across on the forum.

Quote:

Originally Posted by racer_7 (Post 4627041)

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lamborghini (Post 4627059)

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.

I think the D1 Segment value really comes out in the used car market. A 2-3 year-old D1 segment sedan with <30K on the odometer and still under warranty is going for less top-end variants of C2 segment cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamitp (Post 4627410)

That's a good call, IMO. We seriously considered getting a used Superb (pricing was VERY attractive). So I am eyeing one as the replacement for my '09 City. The dealership I bought my car from is connected to an FNG who specializes in Skoda parts so I'm hoping that works out!

The Seltos is a great choice too. If they can get the powertrain right then I feel they have a winner. I have a strong feeling that it might be a better overall package than a used Octavia (especially with the added peace of mind).

Quote:

Interestingly haven't come across too many posts on niggles or issues with the Elantra on the forum.

I haven't either, but a few of my friends own Hyundais and I have heard a lot of bad things about how frequently their cars have to go to the service centre. My mechanic also told me that nowadays Hyundais are giving expensive repair bills. I wasn't expecting this, maybe these are just a few isolated incidents?

Quote:

Originally Posted by iamitp (Post 4627419)

Also goes to show just how expensive these C2 segment cars are! Not too long ago one would get a D1 segment car + have spare cash for the price of a C2 in '19. And while the quality and refinement of these cars has improved, I honestly don't feel it justifies the ridiculous pricing premium.

And sadly this price trend is visible on all segments. I remember when I was a kid I used to tell people there's a formula if you're wondering how much a new BMW costs:

Simply multiply the badge's number by 10L stupid:

3 series - 3*10L = 30L
5 series - 5*10L = 50L
and you get the point :)

But I think that time isn't far when we'll have to replace the "10" with a "20"!

My vote goes to Octavia. Its superb driving capabilities combined with a great engine makes it the best out of these. Love the DSG gearbox with its lightening quick shifts.

You can go for extended warranties to get that peace of mind. ( Of course the dealership is still not that great)

Civic would be my second pick. Has all the bells and whistles but lacks that sporty engine. ( Less power, but why?)

Elantra has almost the same features as the new Gen Verna except cabin space and a bigger Petrol Engine. Since they use the same diesel engine, I didn't find much difference in driving the two.

Corolla Altis is more of a chauffeur driven car.

Voted for Civic. I really do love the Octavia, and will pick it up anyday over the others, had it been a perfectly ideal world. More than the product, what also matters is the maintenance, after sales, and the fuss free reliability of the product, which leads to a total peace of mind over the coming 5-8 years lifespan of the vehicle.

Leaves no choice but look for elantra, corolla and civic. Elantra as of now gives no practical advantage other than the legroom over Verna, as now ventilated seats and similar exclusive fancy features have trickled down to Verna as well. And for Corolla, lesser said the better. A 20 lac rupee car (that too the top variant) which comes WITHOUT an infotainment system and you need to purchase it as an add-on, much like new apple products. Leaves me with Civic as the only viable option.

Octavia all the way!
My reasoning:
-A City is at least 60-70% of a Civic
-A Verna is at least 80% of an Elantra (especially in diesel guise)
-A Yaris is 90% of a Corolla (save for the rear seat)
But is a Rapid even half an Octavia (especially with the 1.8 TSi)? No! :D

Also, my prime requirements are a good mix of handling and a fast petrol.
-The Elantra is not a corner craver by a long, long shot.
-The Corolla just fails to excite. Will buy it at the age 70 though.
-The Civic has the best handling in segment, let down by the engine. Don’t get me started on the CVT.
-The Octavia is also a good handler (just a wee bit lesser than the Civic) but it more than makes up with its delicious engine. Hence, my pick!
If not for the handling and engine department though, I’d pick the Elantra, for its VFM quotient, hassle free ownership, sexy looks and ventilated seats!

Quote:

Originally Posted by artemis_fowl (Post 4627784)

-A City is at least 60-70% of a Civic
-A Verna is at least 80% of an Elantra (especially in diesel guise)
-A Yaris is 90% of a Corolla (save for the rear seat)
But is a Rapid even half an Octavia (especially with the 1.8 TSi)? No! :D

-The Octavia is also a good handler (just a wee bit lesser than the Civic) but it more than makes up with its delicious engine. Hence, my pick!

Good point made! The 1.8 is also doomed to extinction very soon when the kits run out.

Also the handling can be significantly improved by upsizing to 225/50, something I am planning to do when my current set degrades enough to justify to the Home Minister :-)

My family is now shopping for D1 sedan. It's Octavia all the way for us. I have the DSG already in my Polo GT TSI, so its not a scary prospect. And it looks very regal/elegant in dark colors, so something my dad wouldn't mind to be seen in. Civic and Elantra are too funky for his taste although we currently do own a 2009 Civic AT(which IMHO looked much better than the new Civic).

But how long before the new facelift/variant is launched in India? Also, that ground clearance figure of 155 is worrying. We have had enough body clenching experiences driving through bad roads in our Civic. How bad is it in real life?