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-   -   Lateral Movement - Skoda Octavia to Honda Civic? EDIT : Bought Civic! (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans/61567-lateral-movement-skoda-octavia-honda-civic-edit-bought-civic.html)

I have been driving a hand-me-down 2002 Diesel Octavia Elegance the past 3+ years and its time for change!
I got the Octy when my dad decided to go in for a new Laura L&K and I got it after he had run a relatively trouble free 75000 km. With my luck in the past 3 years that I have had the car I have spent 1-1.5 lakh on the car for various problems:
1. Evaporator + 1 blower fan
2. Front Suspension
3. Door winder
4. various dents
5. new set of alloys ( my bad: hit a pothole on a curve at 80-100 kmph and bent 2 wheels. Skoda alloys were 10k each with a 10 day waiting period, I decided to get a full set of HR alloys for 25k!)
6. Most recently now: the clutch is gone. Due to some stroke of luck the flywheel is fine so est damage about 20k

The clutch was the final straw, I just negotiated with my dad to dump the Octy and go for a new car. He is a very happy Skoda and has been bugging me to go for a new Skoda, I think the A.S.S. in Trivandrum is pretty good and he hasn't had any problem in service or attitude. I on the other hand had to deal with TAFE Access in Bangalore and now Millennium Motors here in Coimbatore, and those who are familiar with Skoda horror stories can guess the fun I am having :Frustrati

In my mind there as only 1 replacement for my Octy, that was the Honda Civic.
From what I had heard and read, i felt the Civic was the probably the best bet. I absolutely love driving my Skoda and my driving style is also a little, lets say fast & twisty! The response is great and the car I used to drive earlier was my dad's 316i and this Skoda was really comparable if not better.
My brain still says go for Skoda or the next option would've been the Altis, but i don't like the looks very much esp the interiors but still I recommended the Altis to my mother in law and she is very happy.

So i went running to Sundaram Honda and test drove a Civic 1.8V M/T and was very happy esp the interiors and I am not too bothered about the ground clearance as it will be mainly city driving with my wife and boisterous 4 year old. Now heres the funny thing, we decided on the S variant bcos we though a 90k difference just for leather, fog lamps and side mirror blinkers was too much. The guy was like S is not available now, if you want the V M/T or A/T you can get it in about 2-3 weeks and that too not in all colours. I asked him if a new variant was coming out anytime soon bcos it has been some time since this particular model had been released and I did not want to buy an outdated model. He was like: no way! Its only bcos the stock is over and if i wanted an S I had to wait till the next manufacturing cycle began i.e. July and I would get an S if i was willing to wait for it, sometime in Aug-Sep! I called my dad and asked him to check it out in Trivandrum, where I am planning to buy the car bcos I will be moving back soon. I talked to the guy there and he told me only the V is available that too only in white and silver and they have stopped the S bcos a new facelifted model would be coming out in September!
The Sundaram guys called me back last week, and i asked them about the new variant and they started beating about the bush and they said a new variant would be out in December and it would about 80k more than the present price.
After extensive searching here and elsewhere I think the new variant if at all it comes would be the one with the new grille and hexagonal tail lamps. i am not too keen on that actually and i like the old tail lamps better. I also had the white V in mind as well. So i was thinking , would it be better to go ahead and the plunge?
You'd think with a new model on the way, these guys would give some significant discounts, but no way, the max they are offering is 10-15k off thats it!
So what do you guys think?

certainly, the new variant is around the corner.. Autocar India reported it in its July edition and it will have minute changes including new grille and hexagonal shape in the tail lamps instead of round, different fog lamps and some changes in bumper. Civic is a great car to drive and I recon you check the sports variant.. the chunky side cuts and spoiler with white alloys stands out.

also I dont know why but the S variant isnt available for a while.. my cousin bought his Civic sports on 14 May and the model wasnt available at that time either..

Also I would have asked you to wait for the new lancer but none of us here at T-Bhp knows when its gonna be launced. Its long due and I think HM's gonna launch it when Honda launches new civic in 2011:Frustrati.

The white alloys will be the reason i will NOT probably go for the sports variant. I kind of like the V anyways and I liked the drive as well but i guess the USP for me is probably the sweeet dash and interiors.
Can anybody tell me about the rear parking sensor for the Civic? Is it company fitted? How much does it cost and what is a good make?
P.S. does a V-Kool fit really cost 30k?

here is civic 2010 for india, (its 2009 in Dubai)!

not much changed.

I personally like beige interior though.

guys whats the BIG facination with beige interiors in india?

please:

Dates back to Jeetendra and tradition carried on by likes of Mithun, Govinda etc. White trousers - white patent leather shoes .........message = I am rich and do not get my hands dirty doing menial tasks.

Practically - beige/ivory/white are visually cool and a great relief in the heat.

Cheers,

Not a major difference from the previous one,apart from few cosmetic changes.
See if you can work-out a great deal with V model,since the new one is around the corner,else take a plunge.

I personally like purple color,keeps you away form the crowd,then comes white & black.

I know! You'd think with some left over Civics they would be generous and give good discounts, but the attitude is like:" Sir we can give give a maximum of 10,000 off" as though they are doing me a big favour!
I personally am not a big fan of the purple color, I like the white and 2nd choice would probably be the dark grey a.k.a. "carbon bronze" but i think only white and silver are available.

Did you try civic on a slow moving traffic block ?.. Its low end torque is awesome !!! for 130 bhp 1.8ltr engine... Try AT... avoid the mistake I have made :Frustrati

Try the Corolla Altis (AT/MT, 130 BHP 1.8L) for low end torque and response....it's tons better than the Civic which is better at the high end. In city driving the Corolla wins hands down. No two ways about it.

Rgds,

Also remember to TD civic at high speed (130 - 140 kmph). Though its engine is very responsive at high rpm, you will feel uncomfortable. May be because of its soft suspension, stability at this speed is a matter for concern to me.. Though I am not a advising to go with Skoda again, its gives much better feel.

IMO, "admiration guaranteed" suits more for Civic, than FIAT.. Thats the only point I am high about my car

I've been on the GQ with my Civic fully (over)loaded at 180+. Car was rock steady and my faith in it was reaffirmed when a herd of sheep wandered over the divider and I had to brake hard and swerve through a gap in the herd. I passed the sheep at around 120KMPH. Not even a squeal and the car behaved as if on rails.

The suspension is too soft, I agree. Fully loaded, the car will be very low and there is very little give left in the suspension, meaning it bottoms out with a sickening thud even at the slightest change in road elevation. A better suspension, possibly the entire Type R kit, is on my list.

I did the TD of the Civic on the crowded Mettupalaym road in evening traffic then the guy directed me onto a quiet side road in a residential area where I was ablt to check the acceleration upto about 80 kmph.
I went to the TD with quite low expectations as I thought it couldn't come close to my Skoda bcos even my Dad's 316i AT was slower i felt than the Octavia. But I was pleasantly surprised. I don't think I will miss my my Skoda that much!! But whatever the A.S.S. the Skoda was one sweeet ride, I will miss her!

P.S. I finally got my Skoda today after exactly 21 days in the shop!! Cost: Rs. 26500!

Are you not happy with the M/T? I thought M/T would be better if you are rev happy?