[d_himan]

Guys, an atrocious idea sneaked into my head a couple of weeks back and it refuses to go away.

* Current Car (my first):
Swift Vxi, 21000 km, Oct 2006, 185/70 XM1+ on rims, JBLed

Irritants:
a. The missus hates the ride quality (her dad had a Siena D)
b. Its a Rattle box. We've both had enough.
c. Need space for both luggage and a Sub.

* Car shortlist
1. Attributes Req: Performance (120bhp+), ride quality, nice build, ABS/Airbags, Boot

2. Budget: Would sell my Swift for around 3.2-3.5. Would not like to spend more than 4.5 lacs over and above this. So, max 8 lacs. Outright cash payment.

3. . Usage: Weekend get-away trips, weekend city driving. Would keep it for at least 3 years.

4. Cars, in my opinion, which satisfy above criteria
a. USED Skoda Rider 1.8. Would do a Petes ECU remap.
b. USED Optra Magnum TCDi LT. Petes goes in asap.
c. USED Toyota Corolla H4/H5.
d. NEW ANHC?
e. Linea - Thought of stretching and going for the same, but I'm not
gung-ho on the engine options. Cancelled.
f. NEW Fiesta EXi - Nice car, but somehow, is not getting me very
excited. I think I'd want more power and a better ride.

QUESTIONS:

1. Is this the right time to buy? Will prices drop even further?
2. Any car I'm missing out?
3. Which is the best choice of the cars I've shortlisted?
a. Carwale puts a Mar 2007 Rider at 8.6 lacs and the Magnum Diesel at
7.3. Shuvd sold his Mag for ~ 7 lacs.
b. How do I hunt for the Magnum/Rider? Nothing in the papers, shall I
approach dealerships? Afraid I may get ripped off.
c. Or, is it better to go in for the Fiesta/stretch a bit and go in for the
AHNC?
d. Chevy Cruze would hit maybe next year, can I expect bigger discounts?
e. A**....would Skoda/Chevy rip me off? Dont want to spend more than 5-
6k for normal servicing.
f. Corolla - old workhorse, but boring as hell...but fast!

Help please! I'm going nuts.

[greenhorn]

to add to the list, used hyundai elantra/sonata embera crdi beasts.

[kutlee]

you like diesels? inclined towards power?
if you have ticked both, go for optra magnum.

[reignofchaos]

Get a used RS/Elantra/Cedia or a new Fiesta S. Rest are not worth it. A good fun to drive car is not just a good engine but everything else too.

[muneemmk]

If you are looking at ride quality, cut the Skoda off the list. Girls find the rear seats to be too dizzy and seen many of my auntys and bhabhis vomit on long drives when in the rear of a Octy or a Laura. And Please Consider a used Elantra also , have become a fan of that car after the last Teambhp Drive.

[mclaren1885]

Used elantra with some mods and you have a killer highway cruiser. Can keep up with almost every other car in the under 15L category.

[shuvd]

D himan - FYI, one of the reasons I sold the Magnum was because of bad (IMHO) handling. So, if you want overall performance, look elsewhere. I also have the TPi. Its THE BEAST (again, IMHO).

[lamborghini]

Hey bro,
Avoid the Corolla. She is nice, fast but in a straight line. She's a bit shaky around high speed corners and not the best when it comes to high speed stability.
I would blame that on the raised suspension though.

Have you TD'd the Fiesta Petrol?
100BHP and it feels pretty nice driving it too. Besides, it is new.

I would avoid a used Skoda. Some of the parts are pretty expensive and the car would need some replacements by the time you get it or a few months down the line.

Here's a suggestion: A used Cedia for 6L + 2L for mods? It should be reliable, safe, cheap and fast.

@muneem - we have a Skoda Octavia Combi - there hasn't ever been an issue with the ride. I just find it to be short on space.

[v1p3r]

I'll buck the trend and go with the used Corolla. Trouble-free, killer engine, and spend a little extra on some nice suspension. It's a Toyota, so it'll probably survive a nuclear war.

[maverick030581]

Having studied performance cars quite a bit recently,I'd say go with either the Hyundai Elantra / Embera CRDi or the magnum.Both are scorchers even when stock,with a Pete's box they are killers.Both within your budget and extremely safe.I'd rate the Elantra slightly higher just because of Hyundai's service reputation.These two are in a category above the Fiesta and as Lambo mentioned,the Corolla's handling ain't too good and the Octi's backseat isn't upto the mark.If you are considering the Octi RS,now thats a car that makes you forget there is a backseat ..Hope this helps.Cheers.

[rhandle]

My Vote goes for corolla, completed 1L + KMS on automatic in 3 yrs and still feels like new. Where as Hyundais die after 80K. Try it nothing to beat it ... in terms of space, and ease of handling!

[prabhuav]

Originally Posted by rhandle

My Vote goes for corolla, completed 1L + KMS on automatic in 3 yrs and still feels like new. Where as Hyundais die after 80K. Try it nothing to beat it ... in terms of space, and ease of handling!

Dude what is your basis on the life sentence for the Hyundai? We have enough cars that are running higher than 80k without any issues whatsoever.

I know some of the Accent CRDi had issues. But not enough to declare a fatwa.

Vijay

[Sahil]

A used RS fits the bill perfectly.

[mmmjgm]

Optra Magnum - Pete's does not have a box, you can check with him, the response from pete.co.in was that they do not have a box for the Magnum.

Used RS - check with Normally_crazy (moderator) he uses an RS.

Regards

M M

[d_himan]

Thanks guys, getting a bit clearer and a bit confused as well - typical T-BHP style! :

Shortlisting (IMHO)

1. Cedia vs Corolla - Cedia in, Corolla out. Thanks reignofchaos for suggesting the same.

I'm not sold out on the Cedia's looks, but yes, a drive as good or better than the Corolla. Plus, good A.S.S. stories. Most important, way cheaper than the Corolla and reliability should be first grade. The first owner takes the big depreciation hit.

2. Elantra CRDi - the missus HATES the looks and I would find it tough to convince her. Will look for a CRDi though. After reading the exploits of Tadu's Peted Elantra, I'm beginning to see sense. On the list.

3. RS - 1.8 Rider - RS in, 1.8 TP out. For a 70k-1 lac more, the RS is worth it. I'm worried about the ride quality - very critical for the missus. Is it bad compared to the stock Skoda? Muneem, my wife travelled in a TDi and no motion sickness - thanks for the tip though!

4. Magnum Diesel - Shuvd, is the ride-handling compromise really bad? Didn't push too hard in the test drive, but found the handling ok, though nowhere in the league of the Ikon 1.6/Swift P (my regular experience). Again, like the Cedia/Elantra, the first owner takes this HUGE depreciation hit, so I can land up with a bargain if I find a nice one.

5 REJECT LIST - Fiesta Petrol ABS/Airbags required, so the EX discounts dont hold...also, somehow, want a D segment ride. EMBERA CRDI - dont like the barge..too big

So, Final Shortlist, as of now, in decreasing order of priority.

1. Skoda RS if ride quality acceptable to wife.
2. Elantra CRDi
3. Magnum TCDi
4. Cedia

Hopefully, I can get a 15-25 K run example. In for a long, tough quest.