[vipinS]

Hello everyone !!
I have been an avid reader of this prestigious forum since 2010 and joined as a member this year only. I am 30yo married guy who has been blessed with a baby boy this year. I live with my parents into a tier 3 city of Rajasthan and I have been helping my dad with his business since 2012. This was a little Introduction of myself and would like to thank moderators for approving my joining request.

Now to the dilemma, I have never been more confused. I have been driving a gen3 Honda city and have done mere 46k km (mostly self driven) till date and absolutely adore the engine and comfort of the car. This car literally needs zero maintenance. But I don’t feel confident on highways anymore since I have a young one now and I want to upgrade my car for various reasons. Also looking for a petrol car only as my running is around 5k km per year only. The car should be fun to drive as well as comfortable for my elderly parents when I am travelling with my family with little luxurious feel to the cabin. I am above average build and my dad has a large frame.

Just like everyone else here I have always dreamt of owning a BMW 3 series since I was a teenager. As it’s out of my maxed stretched budget of 35-38 lakh, I shortlisted the only sedans in my budget- Skoda Octavia and Superb. Also considering slightly used Audi A4 but myself and my family are skeptical of the service and maintenance of a luxury badge car.
Do note that I haven’t driven any of the cars mentioned since I don’t have access to luxury car brand showrooms in my city except skoda and even they don’t have a test drive available of either Superb or Octavia . Octavia could have been a perfect upgrade to my city but as we all know how overpriced they launched it and also with just beige interior option which I feel is too bland for my taste.Wish they had launched the VRS version of Octavia with black interiors. I prefer tan/black interiors as I have been driving a beige interior car since over a decade now. Few months back read of skoda discontinuing Superb and Octavia both in March and buying them new and keeping them for 5-7 years did not make sense to me since there will be an all new gen Superb next year.

Been searching for slightly used a4 and 3series online, I came across few 2021 Skoda Superb.
Always loved the looks of superb sport line in steel grey and wished that they had all the cool features of L&K in the same. If I were buying it new I would most probably go for L&K because of key features like driving modes , 360 camera , Canton speaker system, ventilated seats etc. But if it is a used I am going for I am open to both the variants.
Recently came across a Gujarat registered Skoda Superb Sportline in my favourite steel grey colour. It’s a 2021 model first owner 26k km driven car which is parked at a dealer since 4 months as the asking price earlier was around 31 Lakh. The car is in great condition. For reference new car with Gujarat registration can be had as of today for 35-36 lakh on-road after some negotiation. Same variant was offered to me at 33-34lakh on-road a year back makes me realise what a bad time it is to buy a new car.
Now the dealer offered me the car for 28 lakh plus TCS and transfer of ownership charges (20-25k) in addition. I offered him 26 lakh plus the additional charges but the dealer denied saying it’s below my purchase price.

Financially it makes sense to get a used one since this generation is at the end of it’s life. Also I am comfortable with spending below 30 lakhs on a depreciating asset like car and not stretching to 35-40 lakhs.
Now I need advice from all the fellow members and Superb owners on the following-
1. Is superb still worth buying since we ll be seeing a new one in 2023? I won’t be selling for at least 5 years .Any other car that I should look for?
2. Does superb has enough ground clearance and can be used as a primary solo car in tier 3 city of Rajasthan. My honda city scrapped a hundred times but never created any major issue. We do have a Skoda showroom in my town.
3. What should be the fair price for the car if I find everything to be ok after I visit the dealer and take a test drive? Anything that I need to be aware of while buying a pre owned car within company warranty?
4. I have always been a sedan guy and mostly I ll be driving it. Sometimes wife and my mother will drive it too. Use case will be 50-50 for highway and city. Should I wait and increase my budget to buy a new Kodiaq or a used a4/3 series top trim? Or any other options that I should look for? I am open to both new and pre worshipped car. Also not in any hurry to buy a car right now.
Thanks in advance for your help and suggestions.

Your’s sincerely
Vipin

[sunikkat]

Go for Octavia, with the current price of SUVs I feel Octavia is totally VFM. It’s luxurious, fun to drive, practical and very versatile. And cheapest entry point to that sweet 2 TSI engine.
I would consider buying a used car only if it is from premium brands like BMW, Audi etc. and if I am saving some good money. Would suggest picking a new Octavia over used Superb, unless you are getting a very good deal.

PS: Good to see posts like yours where the preference is still a sedan over SUVs.

[IshaanIan]

Considering you are open to pre-owned, why not look into buying a used new model Civic? The car was launched in 2018 and pulled from the market just before Covid hit I believe so there ought to be plenty of sparingly used examples that one can find in the market. Also given your ownership of the City, the Civic would be a seamless upgrade in the sense that you would not have to worry too much about maintenance which really ought to be a factor when living in tier 3 cities in India. Not to mention you would be able to save a lot of cash.

[vipinS]

Originally Posted by sunikkat

Go for Octavia, with the current price of SUVs I feel Octavia is totally VFM.
PS: Good to see posts like yours where the preference is still a sedan over SUVs.

Octavia doesn’t have many feel good features like sunroof, canton speakers, ventilated seats, etc. The worst part is it doesn’t have interior colour option and I really don’t want a car with beige colour interior anymore.
Also at that price I can get a NEW Superb Sportline and somehow no matter how much I try to like SUVs I don’t like the high seating position of SUVs and body roll while cornering.
Should I wait and buy a used a4 or 3 series next year? Never been more confused .

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Considering you are open to pre-owned, why not look into buying a used new model Civic?

Thank you for the suggestion sir but I am not sure if I would be happy to get a civic since I am more interested in a German car this time.
Civic won’t feel as safe and punchy in comparison to the other sedans I am looking at. I don’t like the exterior design and Interior colour choice of Honda Civic.
I forgot to mention in my post that I am open to used car only if it comes with company warranty. Also should not be more than two years old and driven less than 30k km.

[Bsreecharan]

For your budget of 35L, you will get some fabulous low run used cars from the BMW, Audi and Merc stable. and probably event a jag XE.

[elampumpkin]

Consider checking out a pre-worshipped Volkswagen Passat 2018/2019 model, it's basically an Audi A6 with a Volkswagen badge; It has many features and will feel like a proper upgrade from your Honda City for roughly 24L.

[vipinS]

Originally Posted by Bsreecharan

For your budget of 35L, you will get some fabulous low run used cars from the BMW, Audi and Merc stable. and probably event a jag XE.

The only sedans I desire and can afford are bmw 3 series, a4 and C class. None of the new gen 3series and C class are on sale for less than 40-45 lakhs. And just a few A4 for around 40lakh which are under company warranty and not older than 2 years. Used car prices are inflated in the current market.

Originally Posted by elampumpkin

Consider checking out a pre-worshipped Volkswagen Passat 2018/2019 model, it's basically an Audi A6 with a Volkswagen badge; It has many features and will feel like a proper upgrade from your Honda City for roughly 24L.

As far as I know Passat was available only in diesel variants and also I would prefer a superb over Passat since it has been out of production for years now. Also I am not looking for a car which isn’t under company warranty.

[dsr001]

Hi Vipin. I have travelled across Rajasthan (including Bhilwara and the nearby Shahpura) and onward to MP in Skoda Rapid, many times.

Usually it has been good, but some speedbreakers are especially badly designed and the underbody takes a hit.

More so with a fully loaded car. Been on same roads with Polo and Fabia, had less issues.

Thus, I'd say, keeping family practicality in mind, please explore SUVs from all brands, I'll say prefer new to have peace of mind.

Also, no real need to sell your city, get it spruced up or remapped for the fun drives for yourself!

[AngelEyes]

I was in a similar situation 7-8 months ago; owned Honda City (4th gen) from 2019 but was never impressed with its highway performance so started looking for an upgrade even before it completed three years. Shortlisted Skoda Octavia mainly for highway usage but after going through a couple of threads on team-bhp, I thought it’s better to go for a pre-owned car and save some money. It took me a couple months before I could find a well maintained and less driven Octavia (on Spinny Max). My City was sold and Octavia (2018, 1.4 Style & 20k driven) was purchased from them in less than 4 days after a test drive. It was a great deal.



City at BRP backwater, Chikmagalur dist.


Octavia at Apporva Resort, Davanagere.

[architect_santo]

Greetings to you sir, did you consider Toyota Camry Hybrid? For this price range in the used car market you should be able to get a relatively new version, sparingly used. It’s Petrol Hybrid, Toyota’s reliability - Service, Luxury feel, Comfortable for your parents.

[vipinS]

Originally Posted by dsr001

Thus, I'd say, keeping family practicality in mind, please explore SUVs from all brands, I'll say prefer new to have peace of mind.

Also, no real need to sell your city, get it spruced up or remapped for the fun drives for yourself!

I did look for SUVs as well but couldn’t find anything under my budget which can be car like and fun to drive. I liked Kodiaq but it’s out of my budget. Any other suggestions?
Not planning to sell my city anytime soon. I will keep it for city purpose and tight lanes.

Originally Posted by architect_santo

Greetings to you sir, did you consider Toyota Camry Hybrid? For this price range in the used car market you should be able to get a relatively new version, sparingly used. It’s Petrol Hybrid, Toyota’s reliability - Service, Luxury feel, Comfortable for your parents.

Camry isn’t generally considered to be a driver’s delight. Thus never thought of it.Also new one costs around 60 lakh . Also the few available as used are priced over 40 lakhs. The used car prices are insane right now.

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by vipinS

I did look for SUVs as well but couldn’t find anything under my budget which can be car like and fun to drive. I liked Kodiaq but it’s out of my budget. Any other suggestions?
Not planning to sell my city anytime soon. I will keep it for city purpose and tight lanes.

A new base trim Tucson could be a good option, albeit a little under-powered.

I would even look at the Tiguan if you can stretch the budget marginally, since you want a fun to drive car, and don't necessarily need the 7 seats. However do take a long drive of the Tiguan and see if the ride quality is acceptable.

In the sedan space, a 2021 Superb L&K (there are a few in Mumbai) for around 30 would hit the sweet spot in my opinion. Yes, it is soon to be replaced, but the new generation when launched could see a hike in it's prices given that is the current market trend.
There is even a late model F30 330i M-Sport which should fall in your budget after the negotiations, and if it is sold by a BMW Dealer - you could discuss warranty options with them as well to give you some peace of mind.

[vipinS]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

A new base trim Tucson could be a good option, albeit a little under-powered.

I am not very fond of Hyundai as a brand since they are generally poorly rated when it comes to safety and driving dynamics. Also from what I read everywhere the petrol Tucson isn’t the one for enthusiasts.
VW goofed up with the launch of Tiguan when it comes to feature selection, suspension setup and the final nail in the coffin with ridiculous pricing. But I can make some calls to check if there is some year end discounts on the same or if I can manage to get my hands on a pre worshipped one.
After lusting at the g20 ,f30 certainly isn’t the car I desire . A 2021 superb l&k reasonably priced would be something I would love to buy but I can’t find near 30 lakh which I feel is fair enough for a car which is at the end of its life cycle. Also the new gen of superb will definitely be selling close to 50 lakh Rupee mark after looking at the octavia pricing. Any links to the few that you know of?
Any particular site where I should look for the used cars? Should I offer 27 lakhs to the dealer who has the Sportline that I mentioned of in my post?

[ruhtam]

Originally Posted by AngelEyes

It took me a couple months before I could find a well maintained and less driven Octavia (on Spinny Max). My City was sold and Octavia (2018, 1.4 Style & 20k driven) was purchased from them in less than 4 days after a test drive. It was a great deal.

How's the 1.4 engine Octavia been so far? I'm currently looking for the same spec in the pre-owned market

I'll be waiting in case you're preparing a post on that!

[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by vipinS

I am not very fond of Hyundai as a brand since they are generally poorly rated when it comes to safety and driving dynamics. Also from what I read everywhere the petrol Tucson isn’t the one for enthusiasts.
VW goofed up with the launch of Tiguan when it comes to feature selection, suspension setup and the final nail in the coffin with ridiculous pricing.

A 2021 superb l&k reasonably priced would be something I would love to buy but I can’t find near 30 lakh which I feel is fair enough for a car which is at the end of its life cycle.
Any links to the few that you know of?
Any particular site where I should look for the used cars?

Unfortunately, the situation is such that good sedans have all but been wiped out from the market with very few options - which are also getting discontinued!

The Tucson being a CKD shouldn't have compromised safety unlike the other made in India Hyundai's / Kia's and in general the handling is quite neutral - not stiff like the Tiguan but not overtly soft either, but yes - the engine is lethargic compared to the 2.0T Petrols on the VW/Skoda & the 6 speed torque converter isn't great either.

Similarly, the Tiguan is definitely a little over-priced with poor ride - but if you think of it as a 5 seater Kodiaq Sportline (which is effectively what it is), the pricing maybe more justifiable - after all, it is arguably better equipped than the Octavia, maybe a couple missing features compared to the Superb, and definitely on par / better than the Kodiaq Sportline; with the same engine, solid build, etc.
The ride is definitely poor on bad roads - but manageable on Mumbai's potholed surfaces, but as the speeds build up it is rock solid!

Please do note though that the Tiguan, Superb, Kodiaq, will be replaced with an all new model in the next couple of years (2023 - 2024), whereas the Tucson is an all new generation.

If you're open to out of state registered vehicles, Mumbai & delhi would have a lot of DN / CH / HP vehicles as well which are generally available at lower prices due to the hassle of re-registration. If re-registration / transfer of ownership isn't an issue for such vehicles, you could consider them as well.

Regarding the 2021 Superb : I found it on Carwale Mumbai with an asking of 33-34L which I am sure can be negotiated closer to 30.
There are even a couple G20 3 series : 30i & 20D but those will be 40+