[blackwasp]

Honda Civic

What you'll like:

• Funky & futuristic styling
• Top-notch build and quality of construction
• Smooth, rev-happy petrol or a practical diesel – take your pick
• Fun handling…with a very sporty driving position to match
• Cabin has a nice design, good space & spot-on ergonomics
• 5-star safety rating & kit (6 airbags, ESP, HSA etc.)
• Well-equipped. Lane watch camera, remote engine start, dual-zone air-con & more

What you won't:

• Weirdly, no Petrol MT or Diesel AT offered
• Neither engine is fast & performance levels are ordinary. Enthusiasts, look elsewhere
• Many will find the seating to be way too low. Ingress & egress aren’t convenient either
• Useable boot, but it’s the smallest in the segment (even City has a bigger boot)
• GTO & I experienced lower back pain after a long drive in the MT. Lumbar support missing
• Hard to justify the ~50% price premium over the City. It’s also more expensive than the Elantra & Corolla

Link to Official Review

Toyota Corolla Altis

Link to Ownership Review

Skoda Octavia

What you'll like:

• Classic European styling & build. Premium quality inside out
• Wide engine range: Adequate 1.4L TSI, economical 2.0L diesel and explosive 1.8L TSI
• Smooth, high-tech DSG. Lightning quick upshifts
• Enhanced cabin room & spacious rear seat. Cavernous 590 liter boot as well
• Loaded with features (panoramic sunroof, electric seats with memory, bi-xenon lights etc.)
• Middle Ambition variant is well-equipped. Has a Diesel Automatic available too
• 5 star NCAP rating. Safety kit includes 6 airbags, ABS + EBD, ESP, EDL and more

What you won't:

• 2.0L diesel & 1.4L petrol get an inferior (torsion beam) rear suspension
• 1.4L TSI has prominent turbo lag at low rpms
• Some niceties missing (paddle shifters, smart keyless entry & go, alloy wheel spare)
• 1.8L TSI isn't offered with a manual transmission for the purists
• Unusually tall floor hump makes things uncomfortable for the 5th occupant
• Long term reliability concerns over the DSG automatic
• Skoda’s ill-famed after sales service & dealer network

Link to Official Review

Hyundai Elantra

What you'll like:

• Fluidic design is stylish & contemporary. Will appeal to many
• Priced well - among the lowest in the segment. Offers the most value for money
• Spacious, high quality interiors
• Refined diesel & petrol engines mated to smooth 6-speed automatics
• Suspension delivers a comfortable ride & neutral dynamics
• Loaded with kit! Hands-free boot, ventilated seats, Eco / Sport driving modes, HD ICE etc.
• Top safety rating. Has 6 airbags, ESC, VSM, hill-start assist & more
• Hyundai's reliability, competent after-sales & 3 year unlimited km warranty

What you won't:

• Neither engine offers explosive performance. 1.6L diesel lacks the punch of competition's 2.0s
• Uninvolving to drive. Octavia is a lot more fun on the highway
• Conservatively tuned AT can't match the speed of the VW group's DSG
• Some missing features (auto wipers, folding rear seat, glovebox illumination...)
• Shockingly, the Manual SX(O) is lesser equipped than the Automatic SX(O)
• Diesel AT - a popular combo - is available only in the top variant. No choice of trims

Link to Official Review

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Sedans section. Thanks for sharing!

For myself, it would be the Octavia without a doubt. I hate Skoda's dealerships and I know it won't be painless to own in the longer-term (compared to the Japanese & Koreans), but it is the best driving machine in the segment. The 1.8L TSI is of course a stonker, even the 2.0L TDI is the segment best. Will get that 6-year extended warranty package for reducing hassles.

On the other hand, if I were looking at a family car, I'd consider the Elantra (petrol & diesel) or the Corolla (petrol only).

P.S. How I miss the VW Jetta, indisputably the best D1 sedan.

[AYP]

It would be the Octavia for me with that 2.0L TDi. I would avoid the TSI due to the DQ 200, but if someone put a gun to my head and told me to go for a petrol sedan in this segment, I would still buy the Octavia TSI. Even the 1.4 would suffice over the other NA engines in the segment.

The Corolla is something which chauffeur driven owners might consider. As far as the Civic and the Elantra are concerned, while I haven't driven the new Civic, I would still pick the Civic(diesel only) over the Elantra but considering the price difference between the two, on the top of which another 1.5-2L can be shaved off from the Elantra easily, it is difficult to justify paying the extra 3-4L for the Civic over the Elantra. When you look at the petrol, the torque converter in the Elantra might turn out to be the decisive factor in the favour of the Elantra.

So for me it would be Octavia>Civic=Elantra>Corolla.

[Lambydude]

Having gone through the process of buying a D1 sedan recently, my vote goes to Octavia. Reasons are -

1. Performance: Both 1.8 TSI and 2.0 TDI is miles ahead of the engine options competitors have.

2. Reliability: They now offer 6 years warranty. Plus there are multiple instances where goodwill replacement of DSG gearbox is given even after warranty is expired

3. Sportiness: By lowering the seat height or ground clearance alone one doesn't become sporty ( read civic). Sportiness has to be displayed through engine+ gearbox+ handling performance. Octavia excels in this.

4. Fuel efficiency : So Civic went for a sedate performance to improve fuel efficiency? Octavia 1.8 TSI, in real life conditions, gives 14 kmpl on highways . Civic's fuel efficiency is lesser than that.

And my personal favourite reason - DSG. Yeah, a lot has been written about the unreliable DSG. But the moment you start driving an Octavia DSG you wouldn't care about the reliability factor any more. Not sure if any competitor provide a combination of such an awesome sports mode as well as convenient paddle shifts.

PS: Not focusing much on other features such as classy interiors, infotainment, safety or the humongous 590 L boot

[Aditya_Bhp]

Although among the choices I have here, I picked the Skoda Octavia, I would have picked the VW Jetta TDI any day over the rest.
I don't think even now, other cars offer anything more than what the Previous generation Jetta offered. No car other than the Skoda Octavia has a good diesel engine.

The Skoda Octavia is good, but it lacks the service support, hence the VW was better off. But its the best of the lot here. Is spacious, has features, safe, good ride and handling and has the best performance in both petrol and diesel. And it comes with the 'Octavia' brand value as well.

The Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic doesn't anything more than a Honda City, space to performance, both are nearly identical, City being significantly cheaper too.

The Elantra has poor service backup even though its a Hyundai. No service center keeps a stock of the Elantra parts and will take some days. You are better off with a Hyundai Verna which too is more value for money.

[travelwriter]

Has to be the Octavia for me. That too, the 1.8TSI version. None of the others comes even close. I have driven all these vehicles except the Elantra. I can safely say that only Octavia is a driver's car; the others are just A to B kind of vehicles that leave you longing for the destination. With Octavia, you enjoy the journey.

Ownership experience takes a blow with the Octavia, though. What with the expensive spares and unreliable after-sales service. But a well-maintained Octavia can run trouble-free for at least 5 years if not more.

Of course, I will change my opinion entirely the day VW launches its 1.8TSI Passat in India.

[Acharya]

As a 1.8 TSI DSG owner, I have already put my money where my mouth is
Each car has certain qualities and some short comings. In case of Octavia, the engine gearbox combo is too good to beat at this price point. The sportiness of this car can shame many cars in luxury segment. Yes there are nightmare stories about DSG longevity, thankfully, Skoda is little more customer centric now and has decent warranty/service packs.
In addition of engine/ gearbox, the multilink suspension on 1.8 TSI is far superior to competitors, steering is amazing and adds to sporty character of the car. I only wish for slightly more under thigh in this lovely car.

Overall, for someone who enjoys driving, there is no better car than Octavia. I assure you will end up smiling few more times every day

[sandhyab]

As a firmly footed middle class person, realistically I will choose Honda Civic since simply cannot afford the tantrums and prices of servicing a Skoda

[TSIVTEC]

Hands down, my vote goes to the Octavia 1.8TSI. It just offers the best mix of performance and practicality.

Infact, I was so impressed by reading the reviews online, I ended up asking my neighbor who got a Rio red one ,to take me for a ride

My god it was one hell of a ride. The way that engine pulls is just bonkers, considering it's being sold to the mass market. Needless to mention,touched silly speeds in no time..I think owners can relate to me on this one

I only wish if Skoda India had a better service reputation.The only reason my family ended up leasing a 2.8 crysta instead of the Octavia.

[Aaron:)]

Purely on the basis of the product, my rankings would be -
1) Octavia
2) Civic
3) Elantra
4) Corolla Altis

But my vote goes to the Civic. The Octavia is the better car, but the Civic is the better package thanks to better after-sales, resale value and ride-handling balance.

Underwhelming powertrain aside, the Civic pretty much does it all. Great looks, comfy cabin, brilliant dynamics and top notch build quality.

[Deep Blue]

I have put my money on the Octavia Tdi recently and not had to regret my decision in the last 4 months over 5k kms. Coming from the first gen Ford Figo, the only thing I miss is the fantastic steering of the Figo.
I did not even see the Elantra and Corolla. I did wait for the Civic, but was put off by its looks, lack of a diesel AT and the price. The Octavia Style variant was more feature rich and better practical value than the top end Civic. The 6yr warranty was the icing on the cake.
Funnily, the other car I considered was not the other D 1 sedans but the Innova Crysta!!

[sharktale]

If you have another car in your garage, which can manage you, in case a tantrum is thrown by the Octavia, go for the Octavia, period.

As an Octavia owner, I'd say the customer service is improving and they are now more proactive than before. Plus, the 6 year warranty offer is pretty darn lucrative.

If you want an appliance of a car, which just runs without any drama, the Toyota Corolla Altis should be the top choice!

[sumeethaldankar]

Civic in my case. If the Civic was not in the list it would have been the Corolla. Frankly no car is worth the fun to drive factor if it breaks down in the middle of the road with you and your family in it. You may have several seconds of fun now and then with fancy gearboxes but for the overall peace of mind and rounded package I would prefer the Civic.

For the rubber band effect, again given traffic conditions how many time do we drive pedal to the metal anyways. Quite frankly I see the Civic as a practical sedan, the one to buy (If you can afford it) and keep if you can only have one car to buy and keep for 10 years.

[vignesh.cv]

It would have to be the Octavia for me. After owning the Laura in its TDI avatar, and after having sampled the potential, this car is immensely capable and built to last. If you drive by yourself, then this is the car to own. Petrol/Diesel is a matter of personal preference. Again, after building up my Laura, I'd say diesels are no slouch and the torque at hand makes it such a breeze to do highway runs.

[giri1.8]

Personal preference are as below:

• All rounder Diesel auto = Elantra
• Reliable Diesel manual = Civic
• Fun to drive = Octavia(any variant)
• Petrol work horse = Corolla