[suhaas307]

Get the Suzuki Kizashi. I'm surprised why no one has mentioned this car as an option at all. So why the Kizashi, you ask?

- Superb driving comfort. I'd driven a friend's Kizashi and it's a throwback to the old Accord's dynamics. Simply brilliant.

- Adequate Space. Since the car will be mostly self-driven, you don't need massive space at the back, and the Kizashi delivers.

- Great looks: I think it's a fantastic looking car. Smart, handsome and appealing! Not to mention quite rare. Which would mean..

- Exclusivity. Be different. There are very few Kizashis around, so you're bound to turn several heads as you go by!

- After-Sales-Service. It's a Suzuki. You should not have problems with after-sales-service at all!

- Decent resale Value. It is after all, a Maruti Suzuki, right?

I'm aware that the Kizashi is available with an AT. And since your car will be self driven, and after-sales-service is of high importance, I see that the Kizashi fits the bill perfectly. If it isn't the Kizashi, I suggest you get yourself an Accord. But that might prove to be a bit of a stretch. the top-end AT civic is still a great buy, IMO. And it comes with great features like a touch-screen MID and sunroof. Plus, it's a Honda. And OTR, shouldn't be more than 17 lakhs, so you'd end up pocketing 3 lakhs too!

[iliketurtles]

I would strongly recommend the Civic AT, although I'm a bit unsure if it fits into your 15 lakh criteria. As Suhaas pointed out, the Civic gives terrific bang for your buck and it's a Honda, so again no worries about resale, *** and so on. Plus, with the new Civic coming sometime soon, you should get a good deal on it. Check it out.

[bajajm]

Thanks.

- shall check out the Kizashi

- re Civic AT, had ruled it out on account of it's low GC

Currently have Altis, Sonata and the Kizashi in the shortlist... Are there any other car launches expected?

[antz.bin]

Originally Posted by bajajm

Thanks.

- shall check out the Kizashi

- re Civic AT, had ruled it out on account of it's low GC

Currently have Altis, Sonata and the Kizashi in the shortlist... Are there any other car launches expected?

for your revised budget of 15lac, the non sunroof version of the civic AT should be the best bet.

The other options in this price range would be
Altis
City
Fluidic Verna CRDi
SX4

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by bajajm

- re Civic AT, had ruled it out on account of it's low GC

I have had a Civic AT for a year and a half, and have even driven over what must be the worst road in India - Etawah-Gwalior NH93! Also, as I have written in many threads the quoted GC figure has very little relevance to the bottoming out.

If you are still worried do the GTO inexpensive fix of adding rubber donuts to the springs.

[rxpaul]

Hi Bajajm,
Why don't you (as many have done) buy the Civic and change the tyres from the 195/65/R15 to 205/65/R15 when new. Tyre dia will increase by 2 % (from 634 to 647 mm )which is acceptable. This will improve GC and also give you better road grip.

[bajajm]

Originally Posted by antz.bin

The other options in this price range would be
Altis
City
Fluidic Verna CRDi
SX4

Thanks, am upgrading from City 2005 CVT, so am ruling out the City and the SX4 and would have ruled out the Fluidic Verna except for its looks! Tilted towards the Altis, but just not convinced! Frankly, would like a SUV/MUV automatic in this price range but there are NONE !!

So keep going round in circles! Any suggestions on getting out of this loop?

[antz.bin]

Originally Posted by bajajm

Thanks, am upgrading from City 2005 CVT, so am ruling out the City and the SX4 and would have ruled out the Fluidic Verna except for its looks! Tilted towards the Altis, but just not convinced! Frankly, would like a SUV/MUV automatic in this price range but there are NONE !!

So keep going round in circles! Any suggestions on getting out of this loop?

Look brother, I feel that the Civic GC issue is over-rated. We just got our Civic AT 10 days back and in the 800 odd km done since then, I haven't been able to scrape the car anywhere. If you don't have those scientifically designed speed humps (designed specifically to scrape under-bodies) in your vicinity where you regularly scrape your City, then I think you will be well advised to consider the Civic seriously. Since our car was pre-owned I made it a point to check the underbody of the car myself and found out that there are 2 aluminium rails which run alongside the exhaust pipe and take all the hits in case you happen to scrape them i.e. sparing the exhaust. Also, since it is aluminium, there won't be any rusting. Whatever scratches I saw in our 50k run car were minimal in comparison to what the issue is made out to be.

And anyways now there is a fix for it. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...uspension.html

Also, since you mention that your car is a 2005 City CVT, have you read
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/owning...rade-swap.html
&
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buying...-car-less.html

Use the ^^^ knowledge for your benefit. We were in the market wanting to buy a White Diesel Manual Hatch. And, for the same money, ended up with a Black Petrol Automatic Sedan, the Civic AT .

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by bajajm

- re Civic AT, had ruled it out on account of it's low GC

Currently have Altis, Sonata and the Kizashi in the shortlist... Are there any other car launches expected?

I must mention that we own a 2006 Honda Civic S and it has seen 50,000 km of roads, predominantly city roads, and about 7k of roads in and around Karnataka. The only time the car had bottomed out is when there were 4 or more adults and their luggage in the car.

The Civic doesn't bottom out every time. In fact, for it to really bottom out will negotiating speed-breakers, the car should be loaded to the brim with passengers and luggage. In Bangalore city, we haven't had any GC issues with the car. It's only been an issue when we drive across the state during our annual holidays.

As for new cars in the pipeline, Peugeot is looking to make a comeback and expect a new car in the Accord-Camry-Superb territory by the French brand sometime soon. I would also like to believe that Audi's A3 sedan isn't far from production and will be priced at around 20 lakhs, IMO. However, I'm not entirely sure when the car is expected to hit the roads.

[ACM]

With 20L one is so close to the Superb Petrol AT price. It is simply the best AT / Sedan at that price point. It is also the largest selling car in that subsegment vs the Accord.

Yes the Cruz, Jetta, Laura, Altis and Civic are there but the Superb is a segment higher and just about around the top budget.

[_raVan_]

As with the public opinion, I would also recommend you to go with Civic. It sets the adrenaline rush as no other car. The Laura maybe the one which would give you an additional rush over Civic. Additionally, the Civic comes with paddle shifters. If GC is the problem with you, maybe you can look out for the 2012 Civic which would come with 16 inchers.

Having said that, do check out Cruze too.

Altis 7-speed is the most practical car in the segment. There is a testdrive and ownership report on the same in here.

In SUVs, you can test drive the Scorpio AT.

[devansn]

Sorry to bump up an old thread - thought it will be better than starting a new thread for the same topic.

I need help in deciding a Diesel automatic car of ~20 Lakhs.

My cousin is currently driving his fourth Innova and the current one has run more than 1.5 lakh Kms in less than 3 years. All his previous Innovas were sold at around 1.5 lakh Kms on the ODO. He is quite happy with the car and the after sales service Toyota provides. Needless to say, he drives a lot. So that would mean his next car must be a Diesel. Also, he has developed some body aches that the doctor relates to frequent clutch and gear operation. So he is planning to get an Automatic this time.

So here are his requirements in a nutshell.

- The car should cost not much more than 20 lakhs.
- It should be a Diesel
- Automatic is a must
- Ergonomics is important - a usable handrest is required
- Climate control and a decent audio system
- Due to his higher usage, the after sales service must be good and the car itself should be very reliable.
- Can be of any body type, but higher GC is better
- Resale value is not that important
- Ride and handling are important parameters

Couple of options considered:
- VW Vento
- Skoda Rapid
- Skoda Octavia
- VW Jetta

Am I missing any automatics in this price range? Need help!

Devan.

[Turbo_asd]

Originally Posted by devansn

Couple of options considered:
- VW Vento
- Skoda Rapid
- Skoda Octavia
- VW Jetta

Am I missing any automatics in this price range? Need help!

I'd pick the Octavia or the Jetta. I, for one, would pick the former, but it's entirely down to personal taste.
What greatly complicates matters is that neither VW nor Skoda have won too many fans for after sales service. Check out your dealer to see if the folk are competent. If possible, get your cousin acquainted with the service manager. After all, it is him and his team that you will have to put up with for several years.

If you realize you just can't stand VW and Skoda after sales, give the Elantra a look. Observe the ride and handling yourself and see if it does the job. It may not be at the level of the Germans, but it could definitely be all you need.

Are you open to used cars as well? I can think of quite a few competent diesel ATs that should be available within your budget.

[devansn]

Originally Posted by Turbo_asd

I'd pick the Octavia or the Jetta. I, for one, would pick the former, but it's entirely down to personal taste.

If you realize you just can't stand VW and Skoda after sales, give the Elantra a look. Observe the ride and handling yourself and see if it does the job. It may not be at the level of the Germans, but it could definitely be all you need.

Are you open to used cars as well? I can think of quite a few competent diesel ATs that should be available within your budget.

Exactly my choice - I would have picked the Octavia as well. But because of the service that we have seen with Skodas, I am unable to press him for that. If there are any Skoda users in and around Thrissur, Kerala, how comfortable would you be picking another Skoda as your next car?

Elantra is something I never thought about. Let me try to get a test drive arranged.

I am staying away from used ones only because of the service issues that may come up. My cousin is almost always on the move and little maintenance issues and delays in services would hurt his job a lot - moreover, he is right now being pampered by the Toyota guys - it will be depressing for him. Saw a couple of used Superbs, C's and 320ds at attractive prices online.

Another option I was thinking about is Vento TSI. The money saved on a Diesel AT, may work out lesser than the price difference.

[iliketurtles]

Over and above the usual suspects, I'd say wait for the XUV 500 automatic that is slated to arrive later this year.

1,50,000 in 3 years is a lot of running. The XUV isn't totally niggle free just as the Jetta/Octavia have a few (very few) question marks about their long-term reliability, but your cousin's requirements spell out an SUV perfectly. Except for the fact the XUV won't handle as flat as the German sedans, it ticks off every other box.

Of course, the Fortuner automatic is the perfect car for him (and an easy sell too, I might imagine) but it is well over his budget. Maybe it's worth stretching for because it will give complete peace of mind and he's clearly already a fan of Brand Toyota.