[aks_karthik]

Hi friends,

Finally my company agreed to give a car within 15lakhs range.
cheers:
Already i have finalized Ford Fiesta Sxi Diesel.
After getting the happy news,I plan to go for some big cars.
But i need the car to be low maintenance and Value for Money.
It should be a car or SUV.

Preference list:
1.Skoda Laura ambiente Diesel
2.Skoda Octavia L&K/Elegance Diesel
3.Scorpio Vlx MHawk Engine
4.Chevy Optra Magnum.
5.Tata Safari VX

Please give my your valuable suggestion.
Today i planned to go for a Skoda and scorpio TD

[sam003]

Who will pay the Gas charges, its you or Company ? And who will drive you or you get Driver too ?

I would sugges Sedan Civic or Wait for Corolla for some competition.

[snaronikar]

You can add to your list: Corolla Altis (to be launched in Sept)/Nissan/VW passat/Honda Civic/New Hyundai Sonata (Embra).

Skoda is not recommended for Low manitenance and VFM, Optra to some extent (VFM), Tata Safari/mHAWK-Yes, Civic/Corolla-should be OK.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by snaronikar

You can add to your list: Corolla Altis (to be launched in Sept)/Nissan/VW passat/Honda Civic/New Hyundai Sonata (Embra).

Skoda is not recommended for Low manitenance and VFM, Optra to some extent (VFM), Tata Safari/mHAWK-Yes, Civic/Corolla-should be OK.

you mean jetta. and i dont know what nissan your talking about. i think he wants diesels.

[abhinav.gupta88]

Looks like he wants diesels only.

Jetta will again be requiring high maintenance ( costly spares )

Corolla is not coming with a deisel anytime soon
Try for optra magnum

If you are ok with petrol , Wait for corolla and choose between Civic and Corolla.

[aks_karthik]

yes Guys,

I am looking for diesel only.
I only drive the car and no driver and my company is not paying for gas.
(yes they paid but included in my salary package)

[srijit]

I'd suggest the Magnum. Skodas are good, but there are too many horror stories of expensive repairs. But, since you are getting a new Skoda, you will be within the warranty period if something happens.

[manjith_pm]

I think for your needs and usage and bearing diesel in mind the sonata embera would be the best option when compared to the other diesel competing in this bracket,like the VW Passat and Skoda Laura.Has good handling,good appeal although many feel its a rip off the last gen accord and is less expensive to maintain.The best diesels are these and embera has a top speed above 200 at 203 but be wary of its interiors.the other to are around 185.the skoda and vw may be a little costlier to maintain. the other option would be the chevy optra magnum.
If your looking for an SUV then take the innova top end and scorpio mhawk into consideration also the ford endeavour if u could pull up your budget.

[karanraheja]

Go for the Skoda Laura. I would have suggested the Optra Magnum- But the A** and the resale are the biggest drawbacks of Magnum. Skoda s spare parts are expensive but end of the day you get a better built car.

[absynthguzzler]

SUV - Grand Vitara . it may be expensive as a choice(non diesel), but im sure a maruti will turn out to be value for money in the long run.Much more exclusivity on personality than choosing a laura IMHO.

Skoda Superb with 2.9 lac discount as per some auto mag a month ago .Do not know if that makes the price drop to 15lac. but i reckon you could get good discounts before new Superb is out.this could be a quite a jewel to show the company about your negotiation skills ! and drive a car from a different/higher segment.

If going for a Magnum and cars of below/around 10lac range . I suggest you negotiate with the company to provide 30-40% of the money saved towards fuel expenses. Dont ask for just "daily expenses" cause that would mean a quick buck. Ask as reimbursement to be given for fuel bills provided. You got 15lacs coming out of their pocket,so doesn't make sense saving the company a few unless it benefits you.

[ajmat]

You can also consider the Fiat 500!

[abhinav.gupta88]

Fiat 500 will not be value for money man. Obviously its quite good but too small for 15 lakh bucks.

[Path_Finder]

Do you want a Saloon Car or a SUV? It SUV I would vote for the Safari.

If saloon, options are limited. Since Fiesta was selected with limited budget, I guess the Sokdas won’t fit the liking since they are less agile – unless it is just for filling up the budget. The Optra would make sense. I am assuming that only Diesel is being considered.

[Ricky_63]

The Laura with your eyes closed. The warranty package is pretty good as well. Alternately negotiate hard & you'll get a good deal on the Octavia also. Today they offer free insurance and a warranty package for 2 or 3 years (dont remember)

I have one - trouble free car, great mileage. I get 15-16 kmpl in city with 100% a/c on. The only issue is if it crashes it may cost you a packet to repair. But it is a SAFE car - built like a tank.


Cheers

[aks_karthik]

I had a TD of laura.It's amazing car to drive.
I drove for more than 45 mts in chennai traffic and Highway.
Handling is too good and feel like driving a small hatchback.
But the clutch is vibrating(in neutral too) and the sales guy told,it's a feature in skoda cars.(I am not trusting him).
Skoda owners,Please let me know whether the clutch is vibrating in your cars.
rest is ok otherwise.
Octavia is not god to drive as well as interior is not good enough compare with laura.
Octavia L&K is 15.4L on Road and Laura Ambiente is 15.2L on Road.
If i go for skoda definitely i'll pick Laura.