[pooshnark]

Ok.. now i know they are three diff segments, but what i want advise from people is "FUN TO OWN FACTOR"... my paramters in order of preference is:

Handling of car since i self drive.
Safety since i drive heavily on highways
Power and Pick up (time taken from 60 to 100 in top gear)
Gadgetary and small buttons here and there.(ICE)
Back seat comfort over long distance(my parents travel with me)

You all would definately want to know how can i hover between three diff categories so a brief history.. i started with Cedia since i hear its amazing car at that price and LPG rocks in this 130$ crude era,,,, but i already own two sedans and with my highway driving went to ford endeavour as its diesel and i can carry my family with parents aaraam se on occasional trips... then friends tell me that at that cost why not buy Laura which is diesel super star and has snob value of "i am here"...

Now am all ears for all your word of wisdom on this...
pls help soon...

[androdev]

endy is not a favourite here. it comes with leafsprings and poor ride comfort. except for the size, there is nothing exceptional about it. chevy captiva?


remaining two on your list are great drivers cars. both score avg on rear seat comfort though. skoda parts are expensive so not recommended if you are on tight budget.


laura is exceptional on highways. (all discs, ESP, 6 airbags, independent rear suspension, cruise, tyre pressure monitor, good mileage)

forum has lot more info, so pls search.

[jkdas]

Get something called Cedia Sport.

[hondadude]

Originally Posted by pooshnark

Handling of car since i self drive.
Safety since i drive heavily on highways
Power and Pick up (time taken from 60 to 100 in top gear)
Gadgetary and small buttons here and there.(ICE)
Back seat comfort over long distance(my parents travel with me)

Among the cars you have shortlisted, Endeavour must be eliminated since handling is not its forte. Also like others pointed out, back seat comfort is non existent. If you want VFM, go for Cedia. If you want snob value go for Laura.

As a thumb rule, handling and back seat comfort usually don't go hand in hand unless you are looking at some very high end cars.

However, I believe you should take also take a look at Captiva and Optra Magnum among the oil burners. They don't handle as well as Cedia and Laura however if they exceed the acceptable handling threshold for you, they would be good alternatives. Among the petrols, check out new Accord and CRV. Once you drive CRV, chances are very high that you will buy it

[karanraheja]

Skoda Laura wins hands down. Well Built , Good features , Good highway manners ! A** of Skoda is not very great in few cities. Apart from that its a great Car !

[sbelekar]

I'd vote for Cedia sports.
The only problem, if I can use that word, with Cedia is low FE, which is below 10 for both City and Spirited highway driving. But the ride quality, handling and fun-driving factor more than makes up for it. BTW, Cedia sports also comes with CNG option.

[vkochar]

SKODA LAURA takes my vote for the best amongst the 3 you have mentioned. It's quite loaded and gives a decent FE and is great to drive.

[shuvd]

From the first four requirements, its the Skoda Laura for you. Amazing build quality, good handling and lots of goodies to play with. Get a remap/tuning box and you are set! But, I'm not too sure about the rear seat comfort. Its not as spacious as the Accord.

[cediafan]

Originally Posted by pooshnark

i started with Cedia since i hear its amazing car at that price and LPG rocks in this 130$ crude era,,,, but i already own two sedans and with my highway driving went to ford endeavour as its diesel and i can carry my family with parents aaraam se on occasional trips... then friends tell me that at that cost why not buy Laura which is diesel super star and has snob value of "i am here"...

You've hit the nail bang on its head! But what exactly is your budget? If you can afford the endeavour and stretch your budget by a couple more lacs, you have a wide array of cars to choose from - CRV, Pajero etc. Since you already own two sedans (you have not mentioned which ones), I would suggest you get yourselves an SUV.

[mav2000]

Cedia sports my man, no two ways about it from the list that you have given. Or go for the normal Cedia if you want a more subdued interior. Put in your own ICE install and bingo your done.

[pooshnark]

Thanks Guys.. replying to in general querries ..

I dont want a petrol .. so it cuts out lot of options.. secondly I am already stretching couple of lacs for a Laura/Endy.. or else i feel octavia was a good option..

And as mortal human with ego.. i do want a little of "presence" factor with my car... hence was tilted to Laura... but is Cedia so much above the Laura?? I have apprehension about its build and road safety..

kindly advise

[reignofchaos]

The Cedia is better built than the Corolla. But again the build quality is no way close to what one gets from VW. Laura is a bit sluggish the little that I've experienced it. The PD engine in it is way too old and underpowered. Other than that its completely loaded with goodies.

Cedia on the other hand, though a tad underpowered on paper compared to a Civic or Corolla doesn't feel so at all because of the excellent midrange torque from the engine. Its essentially a driver's car... the driving dynamics are spot on and is a much better buy in case you love driving. Also it only comes in petrol.

In terms of interior space and comfort, I'd really not be able to choose between the two. The laura of course has much better interior quality and plastics.

If you want a petrol skoda, why don't you look at the Octavia Rider 1.8T? Yup its old but the engine is still a bomb.

If you want fuel economy, get the Laura or Octy or the Optra Magnum Diesel.

[hondadude]

Originally Posted by pooshnark

I dont want a petrol .. so it cuts out lot of options.. secondly I am already stretching couple of lacs for a Laura/Endy.. or else i feel octavia was a good option..

Isn't Cedia a Petrol Car ?

Why don't you also check out Optra Magnum which is Diesel.

If you want a Diesel SUV which is good to drive, reliable and comfortable under 20 Lakhs, it simply does not exist in India. If you search this forum you will discover that Endy has a powerful engine but very bad ride, Pajero is very capable machine but has dated engine and interiors and Safari has its share of niggles.

[sbelekar]

If you don't want diesel the Cedia is out, unless of course you plan to drive on LPG all the time. Skoda Octavia is not old generation so I wouldn't recommend that, but I personally like their L&K variant. I guess that is cheaper than Laura.
According to ACI, VW is bringing Jetta soon. Which should again be a diesel in 13lac range

[redfire]

Originally Posted by sbelekar

If you don't want diesel the Cedia is out

Isn't it the other way around?

Originally Posted by sbelekar

Skoda Octavia is not old generation so I wouldn't recommend that, but I personally like their L&K variant.

Again, I think it is the other way. Skoda Octavia is old and so on