Civic Vs Laura Ambiente

wilful · 8th November 2007, 10:59

I don't know how relevant or useful this comment is but a friend of mine has an Octavia (I have driven it around quite a bit like I mentioned on another thread). He bought it in 2003. He also has a Camry (about the same vintage). Believe it or not he has had some issues involving with the Octavia and virtually none with the Camry. He feels the cost of ownership is a mite too high on the Skoda even after considering the diesel advantage. Of course resale is an entirely different matter - the Skoda would certainly have a lot more takers.
Just thought since the Laura is a grown-up Octavia, the adult would display the same traits as the child.

rangaraj · 8th November 2007, 11:00

another factor to look at is resale value post 3/5 years.. its a toss up at this stage which will command a higher value..

androdev · 8th November 2007, 11:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by swageo

Civic (P) Laura Ambiente (D)
Cost of Fuel/km 5.56 3.0
Price tag 1300800 1465000
Maintenance (1 yr) 4000 14000
Depreciation (10%) 130080 146500
Interest @ 11% 143088 161150
Insurance 46000 48000
1/15 of 15 year life tax 5203 5860

Take a look on following maths. Its a rough cal and it shows Laura is always expensive to own. That is, earning made in fuel exp is not enough to cover any other possible exp

Yearly mileage @ 10000 = 378768 (civic), 399650 (Laura)
@ 15000 = 406568 (civic), 414650 (Laura)
@ 18000 = 423248 (civic), 423650 (Laura)

good homework! i am sure this will help others too who are considering the same two cars. my case is somewhat different.. i drive a looot.. not less than 25K per year.. esp in thick traffic.. and i don't visit the filling station that often.. i never really calculated anything but i know i am doing fine on my fuel bills. i didn't think about the interest, depreciation, etc. costs :-(

no offense - but if you are good with math, civic might be a better choice.

alabjarus · 8th November 2007, 11:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by androdev

civic got a sort of fashion/sports/young image (college car) where as laura is more of an executive car (dad's car). if you are not smitten by the civic, maybe it is the laura for you :-)

I think that summarizes it. With both cars being equally good (or bad based on the way you look at it) there is little to put one above the other. So, its eventually about "how would you like to feel".

determinus · 8th November 2007, 14:41

Aren't Skoda offering a 3 year extended warranty on Octavia (which makes it a nice candidate, doesnt it)? Is that applicable to Laura as well? It might just be.

Civic has serious problems in terms of visibility. The front quarter glass comes in the way big time when you are taking a turn. Not to mention the even more hampered reversing process. I havent tried any of this with Laura, but even Skoda didnt show any clear advantages over Civic on the above point.

swageo · 8th November 2007, 14:42

I just came back from 2nd round of TD on Laura AT (not ambiente is not available for TD). Dealer said, "you have to wait" as their MD took the car for some other purpose. It shows the attitude

I also asked for price/cost list for common spares like, suspension, break pads, clutch disk, etc. They will get back to me tomorrow, and I will share that in this thread.

Comments from today's TD

- No dealer discount available.
- I can get the tyre/alloy changed to 16" on payment of Rs 9k
- Drive is much better than Civic.
- Leg room and space utilization is much better in Civic, especially in rear seat
- Comparable comfort in rear seat, in terms of vibration/oscillation on rough road. Again Laura is little bit better than Civic.

Risk of buying Laura could be about Rs 2.5 lakhs. That is, if some major issues occur after warrantee period of two years. Go for Laura if I can take that risk, if not go for Civic. Results pending..

abhinav.gupta88 · 9th November 2007, 01:15

What is on road price of the Laura On Road Delhi(All Variants Please)
and in ambiente what are the changes from the other variants

Outlaw · 9th November 2007, 02:00

Honda Civic. No reasons, probably becos I love Honda...

Note from Moderator - Please take the time to write out words in full. Thanks.

thefreak · 9th November 2007, 12:39

Civic.

I disagree with Lamborghini on a few points in his post.
The rear legroom: The Civic is way better than the Laura. I have been
in the back of both the cars and Civic is way more spacious. The rear
legroom figures from carwale concur with my feelings. I am 6ft 1 inch
and find it infinitely easier to be in the back seat of the Civic even
with the front seat thrown full back.
Also lamborghini put forward the point that it is difficult to get in
and out of the front seat of the Civic. Well that thing can be easily
countered on the drivers side by adjusting the height. I have not
encountered any such problems
The bottoming out issue: Bulla. I have been driving around in the
Civic and have not experienced the bottoming out. Maybe you would feel
the issue when you are driving with a fully loaded boot and with five
people on board but then how often would you be driving in those
conditions?
The engine power of Laura is way too low IMHO. Imagine 105 bhp pulling
a car that size. I agree it is more torqy but still way too less power
for a car that size.
The Laura is more gizmo heavy inside though as far as I know the
Ambiente lacks leather upholstery. A Civic 1.8 V is a better buy.

swageo · 9th November 2007, 16:33

I did 2nd TD on Civic today and this time I went to Sundaram Honda. They received me well and I was surprised. I read some really bad stories about them in some discussion forms.

This time I took the Civic around some difficult to drive small roads and found it comfortable. Yes, it lacks torque at low speed and engine tend to stop when you take in on 1st gear. It really stopped once !!

So I have decided (90%) that I will go for Civic. I will certainly consider Laura when they 1) come with a crdi engine and 2) with reasonable spare part prices.

I am trying to get a best deal between these two dealers, and lets us see how that goes. Expecting some 30 k discount on car. Should I ask more ?

abhinav.gupta88 · 9th November 2007, 19:26

crdi engine and low cost of spares is what i think you should never expect from skoda, i think your choice of civic is quite good. Go for automatic

swageo · 9th November 2007, 21:12

In my opinion, there is a difference between reasonable and low cost.

Though I have shown real interest in the machine and asked some questions, dealer never got back. That is Skoda dealer, Garuda Motors in chennai.

Why AT and how much would be the difference in mileage ?

thefreak · 9th November 2007, 22:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by swageo

So I have decided (90%) that I will go for Civic. I will certainly consider Laura when they 1) come with a crdi engine and 2) with reasonable spare part prices.

I am trying to get a best deal between these two dealers, and lets us see how that goes. Expecting some 30 k discount on car. Should I ask more ?

Well you might have to wait for a mighty long time in that case

30k is a solid discount mate. If you get that much you should be a happy man. However it never hurts to ask for more does it?

So go ahead and try for more but if 30k is all you get then you should be darn happy.

csentil · 10th November 2007, 20:26

Man, 30K discount on the Civic? thats really a neat deal combined with lower road tax in TN.

Good choice on the Civic, watch out for low ground clearance on big speedbreakers if you are fully loaded. Other than that its an awesome car to drive.

swageo · 10th November 2007, 22:09

20k on car and 6k on insurance, that seems to be workable deal now for Civic. I am waiting for the final letter from both the dealers.

But Laura pics posted by Kiran on another thread is creating troubles again :-)

Picasa Web Albums - Vishwa - Our new Skoda...

Apart from Rs 9000 for routine service, how costly is this Laura to maintain ? Like engine trouble etc.

8th November 2007, 10:59	#16
wilful Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: cochin Posts: 1,277 Thanked: 1,227 Times	I don't know how relevant or useful this comment is but a friend of mine has an Octavia (I have driven it around quite a bit like I mentioned on another thread). He bought it in 2003. He also has a Camry (about the same vintage). Believe it or not he has had some issues involving with the Octavia and virtually none with the Camry. He feels the cost of ownership is a mite too high on the Skoda even after considering the diesel advantage. Of course resale is an entirely different matter - the Skoda would certainly have a lot more takers. Just thought since the Laura is a grown-up Octavia, the adult would display the same traits as the child.
	() Thanks

8th November 2007, 11:00	#17
rangaraj BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 570 Thanked: 10 Times	another factor to look at is resale value post 3/5 years.. its a toss up at this stage which will command a higher value..
	() Thanks

8th November 2007, 14:41	#20
determinus BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Pune Posts: 277 Thanked: 11 Times View My Garage	Aren't Skoda offering a 3 year extended warranty on Octavia (which makes it a nice candidate, doesnt it)? Is that applicable to Laura as well? It might just be. Civic has serious problems in terms of visibility. The front quarter glass comes in the way big time when you are taking a turn. Not to mention the even more hampered reversing process. I havent tried any of this with Laura, but even Skoda didnt show any clear advantages over Civic on the above point. Last edited by determinus : 8th November 2007 at 14:43.
	() Thanks

8th November 2007, 14:42	#21
swageo BANNED Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 323 Thanked: 31 Times	I just came back from 2nd round of TD on Laura AT (not ambiente is not available for TD). Dealer said, "you have to wait" as their MD took the car for some other purpose. It shows the attitude I also asked for price/cost list for common spares like, suspension, break pads, clutch disk, etc. They will get back to me tomorrow, and I will share that in this thread. Comments from today's TD - No dealer discount available. - I can get the tyre/alloy changed to 16" on payment of Rs 9k - Drive is much better than Civic. - Leg room and space utilization is much better in Civic, especially in rear seat - Comparable comfort in rear seat, in terms of vibration/oscillation on rough road. Again Laura is little bit better than Civic. Risk of buying Laura could be about Rs 2.5 lakhs. That is, if some major issues occur after warrantee period of two years. Go for Laura if I can take that risk, if not go for Civic. Results pending..
	() Thanks

9th November 2007, 01:15	#22
abhinav.gupta88 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Delhi , India Posts: 4,092 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	What is on road price of the Laura On Road Delhi(All Variants Please) and in ambiente what are the changes from the other variants
	() Thanks

9th November 2007, 02:00	#23
Outlaw BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Bangalore/Dubai Posts: 30 Thanked: Once	Honda Civic. No reasons, probably becos I love Honda... Note from Moderator - Please take the time to write out words in full. Thanks. Last edited by Rehaan : 9th November 2007 at 04:36. Reason: Mod note in message
	() Thanks

9th November 2007, 12:39	#24
thefreak BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: New Delhi Posts: 362 Thanked: 7 Times	Civic. I disagree with Lamborghini on a few points in his post. The rear legroom: The Civic is way better than the Laura. I have been in the back of both the cars and Civic is way more spacious. The rear legroom figures from carwale concur with my feelings. I am 6ft 1 inch and find it infinitely easier to be in the back seat of the Civic even with the front seat thrown full back. Also lamborghini put forward the point that it is difficult to get in and out of the front seat of the Civic. Well that thing can be easily countered on the drivers side by adjusting the height. I have not encountered any such problems The bottoming out issue: Bulla. I have been driving around in the Civic and have not experienced the bottoming out. Maybe you would feel the issue when you are driving with a fully loaded boot and with five people on board but then how often would you be driving in those conditions? The engine power of Laura is way too low IMHO. Imagine 105 bhp pulling a car that size. I agree it is more torqy but still way too less power for a car that size. The Laura is more gizmo heavy inside though as far as I know the Ambiente lacks leather upholstery. A Civic 1.8 V is a better buy.
	() Thanks

9th November 2007, 16:33	#25
swageo BANNED Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 323 Thanked: 31 Times	I did 2nd TD on Civic today and this time I went to Sundaram Honda. They received me well and I was surprised. I read some really bad stories about them in some discussion forms. This time I took the Civic around some difficult to drive small roads and found it comfortable. Yes, it lacks torque at low speed and engine tend to stop when you take in on 1st gear. It really stopped once !! So I have decided (90%) that I will go for Civic. I will certainly consider Laura when they 1) come with a crdi engine and 2) with reasonable spare part prices. I am trying to get a best deal between these two dealers, and lets us see how that goes. Expecting some 30 k discount on car. Should I ask more ?
	() Thanks

9th November 2007, 19:26	#26
abhinav.gupta88 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Delhi , India Posts: 4,092 Thanked: 325 Times View My Garage	crdi engine and low cost of spares is what i think you should never expect from skoda, i think your choice of civic is quite good. Go for automatic
	() Thanks

9th November 2007, 21:12	#27
swageo BANNED Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 323 Thanked: 31 Times	In my opinion, there is a difference between reasonable and low cost. Though I have shown real interest in the machine and asked some questions, dealer never got back. That is Skoda dealer, Garuda Motors in chennai. Why AT and how much would be the difference in mileage ?
	() Thanks

10th November 2007, 20:26	#29
csentil Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,349 Thanked: 38 Times View My Garage	Man, 30K discount on the Civic? thats really a neat deal combined with lower road tax in TN. Good choice on the Civic, watch out for low ground clearance on big speedbreakers if you are fully loaded. Other than that its an awesome car to drive.
	() Thanks

10th November 2007, 22:09	#30
swageo BANNED Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 323 Thanked: 31 Times	20k on car and 6k on insurance, that seems to be workable deal now for Civic. I am waiting for the final letter from both the dealers. But Laura pics posted by Kiran on another thread is creating troubles again :-) Picasa Web Albums - Vishwa - Our new Skoda... Apart from Rs 9000 for routine service, how costly is this Laura to maintain ? Like engine trouble etc.
	() Thanks