[satish_appasani]

I just sold off my Cruze and on lookout for a new car to replace it. My budget is 25 lakhs max and cannot stretch beyond this. I am a sedan person but don't mind a good crossover or SUV. My family size is 3 with me, wife and 12 years old son and I will be driving 100% of the time. I am planning to keep my next car for at least 9-10 years and not comfortable with used cars.

My requirements are as follows:
1. Petrol engine with good power. My average monthly drive is less than 1000 KMS. No diesel unless it drives better than petrol (Jeep Compass). I like fun to drive cars. With the new speed buzzer rule and 100 KMPH speed limit on Hyderabad ORR (Gachibowli exit is less than a KM from my home), I am not serious about top speed. I am looking for a good performance at mid range. After driving Cruze for few years, lack of low end torque is not a major issue anymore.

2. No fixed choice for gearbox. I am as comfortable with MT as driving auto. But would avoid CVT.

3. Spacious interiors. I am 6'1.5" tall. I should be able to sit comfortably in the rear seat when driver's seat is set to my comfort position. My driving position is usually relaxed with seat pushed all the way back. My previous purchase was Sunny before I exchanged with my Dad's Cruze after GM shut the shop.

4. Comfy seats. Manual adjustments are ok. If powered seats, prefer to have memory option. Cruze has the best front seats among all the cars I used including my Dad's 2017 Hyundai Elantra.

5. Android auto support. I use my phone to listen to audio podcasts, audiobooks, Spotify while traveling alone. I frequently use Google maps too. Android Auto is must and fortunately most of the cars in my budget support this.

5. Cool factor. Hence I am ruling out XUV 500, Tata Harrier, Hexa, Innova.

Following are the cars I was considering.

Honda Civic : I traveled to US frequently in the past 7 years and I was really excited when I saw the latest Civic there. Waited for it to be launched in India. But along with many others I was also disappointed with their choice of gearbox. As I am planning to keep this car for at least 9 years, ruled this out.

Skoda Octavia : This ticks almost all the check boxes in my list. 1.8 TSI Style and Onyx variants are with in my budget. I am less worried about the long term reliability of the DSG gearbox in this car because of my less usage. Today I got the shock from sales person that Skoda has stopped producing Style variant. Only L&K and Onyx are available. L&K is way above my budget. While they were offering 90,000 cash discount on other variants, there is no discount on Onyx because it was recently launched limited edition model. I feel Skoda has stopped production of current Octavia and may not start the production again. They might be dumping all the leftover stock. Unless they are offering good discount, I don't see a point going with Octavia now.

Hyundai Elantra : My dad has 2017 Elantra SX(O) petrol automatic. In last 2 years it covered only 4000 KMS. As he is mostly chauffer driven, he uses my old Sunny more. I have the option to take the Elantra and buy a new SUV for him for outstation trips. I offered my Dad a new Innova in exchange for the Elantra. My parents live in a big town (Rajahmundry) in AP where roads are not wide and they are not comfortable using Innova if My dad has to drive. I thought of giving them the Seltos I booked, but decided against because of the space for the rear seat. Also Elantra ride is more comfortable for my father. I personally did not like driver seat in Elantra. Under thigh support was lacking for me. So not keen in taking this car.

KIA Seltos : I booked GTX+ DCT on the second day after they started bookings expecting it to be fun little crossover. My cousin already got the delivery of the same variant and I took her car for an extensive test drive. It did not disappoint me WRT power and tech. Driver's seat was also very comfortable. But I felt it lacking on the overall space, especially in the rear. My knees were hitting the plastic on the back of the driver seat when it is set to my comfort setting. As I have more budget, I didn't want to compromise on the space and cancelled the booking.

JEEP Compass : I considered this SUV too. Drove Diesel car and liked it. Apart from the less space in rear, I felt driver foot well also cramped. Did not feel like a car I would like to use long term. Even the price was expensive. Limited Plus was costing 25.5 lakhs on road in Hyderabad after all the discounts. Octavia Style / Onyx have more features for lesser price.

Unable to decide what car I should go with. Should I wait for new launches in 2020 after Auto Expo and then decide? By then I can save some more money and can increase the budget. I have my wife's Baleno CVT Delta and my RE Thunderbird 500 as backup until then. Not sure what cars would be launched in the next one year within my budget. Expecting a Skoda SUV and new Octavia. Or I may be able to fit VW Tiguan Comfortline in my upgraded budget.

Or should I go ahead with current Skoda Octavia Onyx after taking whatever discounts they offer? I have a feeling Octavia 1.8 TSI will be last best sedan we will ever have in India in D segment. Next version Octavia may be more expensive with no comparable engine to 1.8 TSI and few features removed. Also in recent Style and Onyx variants, they bridged the gap little bit with L&K. From the latest variant comparison in their brochure, I see the following features for Style and Onyx which were not seen in Style few months back. I could be wrong with few of them though.

1. Parktronic display on central infotainment system.
2. KESSY - keyless entry, start and exit system with engine start/stop button
3. 12-way electrically adjustable passenger seat.
4. Paddle shifters
5. Two foldable baggage hooks in luggage compartment instead of one.

[SLK]

Honestly, your apprehensions with Octavia aren't unfounded. I went through the same a few weeks back. These variants of Octavia may well be discontinued soon, and the new Octavia is scheduled to be disclosed tomorrow!, but I don't think it is going to come to India so soon. The current model will be made available with BS VI options, which is also an easy fix for them.

I did buy the Octavia because I can't see any other potent competitor in this price range, not even close, not on space, not on engine and driveability.

I saw a risk in the 1.8 being replaced by the 1.5 and it made it worth buying the 1.8 now. In case the 2.0 replaces 1.8, I'll console myself on its higher price-tag and negligible power increase.

I'm so glad that I didn't choose the style, otherwise I'd have regretted with the Onyx launch but I'm loving the gizmos in the L&K.

[vishy76]

Your heart seems to be set on the Octavia. As for the current vs next generation debate let me quote myself from another thread where a member had the same query (in favour of the current generation Octavia)

The initial batches of the current gen Octy also had certain niggles such as creaking ORVMs, sunroof rattles and few other minor and major gremlins. I haven't heard of a single one of these on the latest copies. Safe to say, Skoda has made certain changes to the design of these components. (As complacent as they seem for a company)

To put it simply, the current gen Octavia is as tried and tested as it comes. It's owned by many on the forum, most owners know what issues it springs up and how to deal with them and even Skoda has made efforts to sort most of the niggles it comes with. I would bet on this generation all said and done unless:

- You hate the design of the current generation and are sure that you love the next gen

- Are very obsessed with buying a BS6 (although it shouldn't be the case since you are buying a petrol in the end)

- Don't want to own an older generation car (though most of the changes are evolutionary rather than revolutionary in terms of design on the next gen IMHO)

- Want to settle for a newer gen but less powerful 1.5 TSI motor (which I will remind you again hasn't seen Indian conditions at all and compromises in interest of the environment on power)

The 1.8 TSI on the other hand is a known devil if I may say so. All of its issues both major and minor are well documented and I don't think I need to talk about the DSG since it remains unchanged

My opinion, go for the current Octavia. Enjoy the lower price, the slump in the automotive market and the discounts that follow. Thank me later.

You are correct in assuming the 1.8 TSI might be the last breed of high displacement turbo petrols in it's segment. The 1.5 will nowhere be as exciting and I have my doubts on what sort of reliability it will have considering it's a newer generation of engines in the VW family, unlike the 1.8 which has stayed more or less the same fundamentally for around a decade.

Go for the next generation only if you are too worried about resale value 2-3 years down the line. Otherwise, generation changes in VAG speak are mostly evolutionary barring very few exceptions and the current and next gen car share the same MQB platform too (unlike the Laura and current gen Octavia).

As for one major caveat, go for maximum extended warranty which is 7 years IIRC. The DSG gearbox is notorious and the 1.8 TSI isn't a saint when it comes to reliability either. I wouldn't personally keep the car for more than these 7 years. Any DSG failiure post this will be in 6 digit figures and that would obviously be too much to take for a 7+ year old car then. Just cautioning you since you aim to keep the car for a longer period of time.

If long term reliability is Paramount, go for a Jeep Compass diesel, which seems to be the best option considering long term reliability. The 1.4 GDI on the Kia isnt trouble free either and I would rather wait and watch how it fares in Indian conditions. Even the Elantra will do, but it won't be as fun to drive as your Cruze for sure.

To sum things up:

- If you do plan to change criteria and keep the car for 6-7 years, Skoda Octavia with the extended warranty without doubt

- If you plan to keep it for 8-10 years, the Jeep Compass MJD or the Hyundai Elantra (latter strictly as a fallback option only)

[Baddychat]

Hello Everyone

I currently drive a 2011 3rd generation Honda City which has about 92 k on the ODO. The car is doing fine and I still use it as my regular commuter to work. But it seems that a new car itch has gotten to me and I have been looking around for a replacement for the past month or so.

My initial thoughts were to straightaway replace the City with the Civic, that is before I had taken a longish test drive. I have driven the old Civic numerous times and was somehow expecting a lot from this car. Even though this car has great ride quality I somehow could not come to terms with how slow this car was off the traffic light or an empty stretch of road. Heck my old City still does a lot better. I know CVT and the dreaded rubber band effect but still left me dissapointed. So out went the Civic from the reckoning and I was back looking what other options I had.

I am okay with the replacement vehicle being an SUV/CSUV with a constraint of 20 L OTR. Six airbags is good to have since it is available in nearly all cars these days. Have had a look at the Seltos and Hector, not TD'ed them yet.

Would appreciate suggestions from all you on the forum. TIA !

[lamborghini]

Surprised you haven't gone to the nearest Skoda dealership & tried getting your hands on the 1.8 TSi Octavia.
Do give it a thorough look once. It is outdated (will be replaced by an all new model), but at the end of the day - it is still one of the most enthusiastic choices in it's segment.

In fact, compared to the Civic - I found the Elantra 2.0SX to be more responsive & better to drive.

In the CSUV Segment, I'd honestly push for a discounted Tucson or the Seltos 1.4T.

[libranof1987]

bluevolt had the exact same query and Seltos is what he eventually went with. His initial ownership report just went live.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ml#post4753738 (The Power To Surprise - My Kia Seltos 1.5L Petrol MT - Ownership Experience)

You have a higher budget but this thread might still help.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedan...da-city-4.html (In search of a new car with a 8-12 lakh budget - What can replace a 3rd gen Honda City?)

[Baddychat]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

Surprised you haven't gone to the nearest Skoda dealership & tried getting your hands on the 1.8 TSi Octavia.
Do give it a thorough look once. It is outdated (will be replaced by an all new model), but at the end of the day - it is still one of the most enthusiastic choices in it's segment.

In fact, compared to the Civic - I found the Elantra 2.0SX to be more responsive & better to drive.

In the CSUV Segment, I'd honestly push for a discounted Tucson or the Seltos 1.4T.

Thank you for the recommendations. I had tried contacting the Skoda dealer in Delhi and it seems that I was a tad too late. All copies of the Style variant have been sold out. One of them have a white L&K which is over budget and also a color I am not keen on.

Coming to the Hyundai, called a couple of dealers and none of them have TD cars of their own. Apparently Hyundai uses a 3rd party to source Tucson's and Elantra's for test drives. And currently neither could find an Elantra for me. They said they would get back next weekend and I can wait for another week.

Only TD I could manage was of the Seltos 1.4T and I quite liked it. The TD variant was a GTX and not the range topping GTX+. The UVO app was not working which I think is not uncommon considering the number of posts I have seen off late on the official review thread. The quality of sound from the non-Bose speakers was acceptable. Frankly if I am to chose between the GTX and GTX+ I would opt for the higher variant for the cooled seats and the power seat features.
The GT line steering is great to hold. Good thing is the Noraml mode does pretty okay in local traffic. Responds well when you want to overtake. Not much difference between the ECO and Normal as well. The Sport mode takes the performance up a notch and you notice the eager upshifts. Good ride quality in whatever little time I had with the car.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

bluevolt had the exact same query and Seltos is what he eventually went with. His initial ownership report just went live.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ml#post4753738 (The Power To Surprise - My Kia Seltos 1.5L Petrol MT - Ownership Experience)

You have a higher budget but this thread might still help.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedan...da-city-4.html (In search of a new car with a 8-12 lakh budget - What can replace a 3rd gen Honda City?)

Yes sir I did go through bluevolt's well written ownership thread. I had to kind of start looking at the GT line only as I want 6 airbargs this time around.

[PontiacBandit]

For me, the looks of the Civic beats everything in the competition. While I must agree the Octavia is an outstanding 'first choice', as most BHP-ians have indicated, the Civic's styling for me absolutely trumps the other flaws of it. In Bangalore traffic, not really sure how much the lack of performance of the Civic can haunt me