[mailmaldi]

Hi All,
I am planning to purchase a Sedan and i need some advice on this matter.

Budget
Strictly <10-11 Lakh OTR Delhi, Its already way more stretched then what I initially planned(7-8L).

Running
My Running is kind of unpredictable. If we plan a trip with friends then i might run the car 2-3K and if work load is more then i might not run it more then 1K in that month.
Judging from the fact that on average i run my brothers Santro+manza approximately 1-1.5K per month and i will be getting married in mid next year (which will surely increase my daily running because you know the reason ), taking the safe side i am planning to get a Diesel Car.

Priorities
1. Top most priority is Safety.
Airbag+ABS is must (if EBD then even better). Should be stable at high speed (>100 KMPH) with no wobbling.

2a. Handling, Since handling also contribute in safety this is my second priority.

2b. Interiors and looks: Well my "would be better-half" wants a car which has premium feel when u sit inside it. So this also share the second spot on priorities.

3. Ride Quality: I live in delhi and there are lot of pothholes due to CWG progress. Also from time to time we need to go to village so ride quality matters.

4. ASS: i believe if you like your car and can give enough time for its servicing then you would eventually find a good Service Center for it. so *** has very little priority in my case.

5. Resale Value: well since i am planning to keep it for 8-10 years. This doesn't matter.

6. Brand Image: I care about better car and not the company which has produced it.

So i want to choose the car which comes best in 1, 2a, 2b, 3. I care a little about 4 and i don't care at all about 5 & 6.

Other things
- This is my first car.
- I am planning to keep it for next 8-10 years.


Cars which i have checked
1. Chevrolet Optra Magnum
Good car with powerful engine. Still didn't appeal to me and my gf. so rejected it. Also 2.0 LT TCDi crosses my budget.

2. Honda City
No diesel model.

3. Hyundai Verna Transform
Went to showroom. started looking it and was about to take a TD but then i got to know that It doesn't have Airbag so walked away.

4. SX4
No diesel model.

5. Manza
My brother already have 1.3MJD Aura+ so don't plan on having 2 manza.

6. Ford Fiesta:
Went to show room and liked the interior. Space was little less . Overall I find that there was no deal breaker in this car but at the same time there was nothing which appealed me.

7. VW Vento (strongest choice):
Well GF loved it on first site. Nice interior, good fit and finish. I was also excited by seeing power and Torque ratings.
TD is scheduled tomorrow.

8. Fiat Linea:
GF didnt like the interiors :(. The sad story is that display car was the lowest model with no appealing/chrome/audio etc.

So Finally i need to decide between two cars.
1. VW Vento Highline Diesel, white color
2. Fiat Linea, Emotion Pk 1.3 MJD, Fox Traut Azure Color (I love Linea looks in this color)

I love Linea looks and handling+Ride quality but at the same time Vento power+Torque is mouth watering with better interior and fit+Finish.

So considering my priorities which car would you guys suggest ?

[u_chill]

My vote for Vento, no 2 ways about it. Since you plan to keep for 8-10 years, solid German reliability should take precedence over everything else.

[bIte tHe bulLet]

hey mailmaldi...

as you might work out from the signature, I am a fiat loyalist! not out of blind love for their cars but because i seriously believe that they make (most of the time!) really good cars...

i've had a palio before and upgraded it to the linea for the better half. i love her (the linea ~ and the wife too!) to bits...but fiat has cut corners to control costs. and it shows. pity.

for a car that costs pretty much the wrong side of 9 lakhs (in the diesel emotion+ trim as I have it), you expect plastics and bits and pieces to be of a particular standard and quality. not merc like quality but better than my previous palio nonetheless, given that i paid double of what i did for my earlier car!

the simple truth is that my previous palio was just better built. period. and i defy anyone on this (or any other forum) to deny this simple fact. forget the nonsense of it being a sluggish engine et al. these claims come (mostly) from people who whip it around in a 10 minute test drive, flogging it for all it's worth, without using the torque curve the way an owner / long term user will have learnt to use it. gun the linea after coaxing her past 1400 rpm and she will provide you the best entertainment you can have (legally!) with all your clothes on.

she is loaded with goodies in terms of abs / airbags / ebd / blue and me etc etc etc, so from that point of view, she is pretty darn good at the price point.

But....and here comes the really big but, if i was in the market for a sedan that i would keep even for five years today....i'd go the vento way. the a** on fiat is getting better, but is still a huge way away from even being barely human! (not that i've heard fabulous things about vw either, since a neighbor recently recounted an 'interesting' experience with the 1st service of his polo)

so the bottom line is - the fiat is a gorgeous car to look at, a superb car to drive, loaded to the gills with safety features and does what it says on the box. but it does not feel like 9 lakh rupees well spent when placed in front of the vento.

enuff said. i apologise for the long ramble and the best bet ~ go with what your gut tells you!

stay safe and drive sane bud.

cheers,
ak

p.s. and yeah, the fox trot azure rocks on the linea

[mailmaldi]

Thanks u_chill and AK for your suggestions.

Meanwhile i have convinced gf to take a look at Linea top most model again.

Also i have scheduled a TD back to back of both cars tomorrow.

Will keep you guys posted on TD Experience.

[hemanth.anand]

Go for Vento.

Biggest let off in linea is the interiors.
As "bIte tHe bulLet" mentioned you expect the plastic quality to be of some standard in a 9+ lakh car which you won't find unfortunately in a linea.
Its a very good driver's car though

Vento is neatly laid out on the inside and has decent looks.
Torque charectaristics is also exciting at 250PS@1500rpm compared to 209PS@2000rpm of linea. after all a 1.3l will fall short of a 1.6l
Keep in mind you have to pay 50-60k more for a Vento and waiting period is also high compared to Linea

One more consideration you should take:
When your GF has not liked the linea and liked the Vento...If you buy linea...be ready for a situation like the below animation

[shankar.balan]

I would buy the Vento - great value for money + VW solidity.

From a pure "looks" point of view the Linea scores but what happens when looks fade and you're left with the bits and bobs to worry about?

Go for the Vento - you will not regret it.

[GTO]

I don't think there is any comparison here; the VW Vento completely trumps over the Linea.

- Performance : Atleast 2X as good, if not 3X. The Vento is the fastest diesel in the segment, the Linea now the slowest.

- Interior fit & finish : It isn't premium German stuff, yet the Vento offers interiors that feel durable, shut lines are precise and parts well-screwed together. The Linea is like a Tata when it comes to how parts are fitted.

- Space : The Vento is way more spacious than the Linea, and within 95% of the Honda City's cabin space.

- Ride & handling : Both are segment toppers, though the Linea has a 10% advantage here. 5% to the chassis behaviour and the other 5 to its brilliant steering.

The gearshift quality on the Vento is best in the segment. Both the cars have a decent level of kit, though USB / steering mounted audio controls are missing on the Vento. Hardly a deal breaker though. The Linea will be cheaper to service, VWs aren't known for thin bills.

In a nutshell, the Vento is a terrific all-rounder. The Linea is good in some areas, and terrible in the others.

[aks_karthik]

Definitely VW Vento is the good choice at the moment.
Has good power and importantly interiors is very appealing.
Exterior also near par to Linea and driving/handling comfort too.
Only issue might be the A.S.S and cost of the spares.

[RobC]

Originally Posted by GTO

I don't think there is any comparison here; the VW Vento completely trumps over the Linea.

......

The Linea will be cheaper to service, VWs aren't known for thin bills.

In a nutshell, the Vento is a terrific all-rounder. The Linea is good in some areas, and terrible in the others.

Would the high maintenance costs for a VW be a factor to the choose the Linea over the Vento if I were to keep the new vehicle for 7-8 years?

[siddutta]

if you can strech your budget, why not a cruze low end model.

[MihirC]

I know you mentioned that you require a diesel, but the Linea Tjet is getting launched soon with a lot of features in addition to 110+bhp and 200NM torque. If diesel is the only way forward for you then its Vento all the way.
@ siddutta-Cruze might be a segment higher but the space inside is very cramped. also one of our member Sameer Sultan who has a Cruze has mentioned in his ownership thread that although the cruze is stable at high speeds in a straight line, for a combination of twisted and straight roads its not as good as the Europeans.

[mailmaldi]

Thanks Alot guys for your feedback.

I just came back from both Fiat Linea and VW Vento Test Drive. (I will only mention relative pros and cons of both car with each other.)

VW Vento Test drive:
Pros:
1) Inside feel is good. Fit and Finish is nice and much better then linea.
2) Engine power was great. didnt had to do alot of gear shift for overtaking.
3) Gear box was one of the best in this segment. Earlier i was confused how will someone know if he is putting 1st gear or Reverse gear and was worried. Felt happy when he told that for putting Reverse you need to push down first.

Cons:
1) Locking system is very confusing. After the car started even though i clicked on Lock button i was still able to open it from inside although form outside it was not getting opened. (can someone confirm this ? and what is the after market solution for this problem. I will go though all Polo ownership reports to see how Polo owners resolving this issue.)
2) Steering feedback was not that good since it doesn't have hydraulic unit. still it's pretty OK to drive. considering Delhi traffic i might like light steering.

Fiat Linea:
Pros:
1) fabulous looking car.
2) Nice handling
3) lots of Feature with Blue&Me + Steering mounted control

Cons:
1) Inside was not giving happy feeling.
2) I felt more Engine noise inside Linea compared to Vento.


My Take:
Considering GTO and others feedback and My experience today, I think VW Vento is better choice.
Planning to book the car from South Delhi VW showroom on monday, sadly waiting period is 2-3 months for Highline diesel model.

@Siddutta: Cruze is out of budget :(

[GTO]

Originally Posted by RobC

Would the high maintenance costs for a VW be a factor to the choose the Linea over the Vento if I were to keep the new vehicle for 7-8 years?

It's to early to speak decisively on what the ownership costs of either will be over a period of 7 - 8 years. I guess, only our ownership review threads will tell. However, we can safely presume that the Vento will have higher service / maintenance costs, and the Linea won't be winning any resale value contests. Fiat has priced its spares very competitively, and if the Polo is anything to go by, the Vento's parts will certainly cost more to replace.

Key areas where either product has to prove itself in long-term ownership:

- Cost of servicing over 100,000 kms (especially the major services)
- Cost of replacement parts
- Reliability
- Resale value after 5 / 6 / 7 years

Both VW & Fiat realise the market's concerns, and hence promote their 15,000 kms service intervals heavily. Though I don't personally agree with such long intervals (more specifically, using the same engine oil for 15K), it does have advantages from the marketing POV.

Of course, diesel is the better option with either car.

[motorhead5]

Originally Posted by mailmaldi

1) Locking system is very confusing. After the car started even though i clicked on Lock button i was still able to open it from inside although form outside it was not getting opened. (can someone confirm this ? and what is the after market solution for this problem. I will go though all Polo ownership reports to see how Polo owners resolving this issue.)

I had the same question. What if my little one open the door while moving?. Sales guy told me that there is some setting. But I dont think that is the case. I think it was the same in polo also.

Did you notice the vibration in clutch in Vento?. Is it same in Linea/other diesels as well?. Didn't see this issue in DZire.

GTO, Your take on these - from your TD experience? - Question is 1) If there is a way to avoid opening the doors using the door open lever, if its center locked?. Other cars, you have to unlock and then open. 2) Would this lead to issues with clutch later?

[khoj]

Between the Fiat and Vento, go with VW atleast there is no confusion at the service station as to who is doing Fiat and who is doing Tata. At VW everyone is doing only VW. This stems out of my recent visits to several Tata and VW shops in NCR. Also VW shops are neater, look better equipped and the people so far are very nice to talk to.

Find out the delivery at VW Gurgaon, much better to deal with the Delhi/Noida dealers of VW who are prone to quote inflated delivery lead times.

Originally Posted by mailmaldi

Planning to book the car from South Delhi VW showroom on monday, sadly waiting period is 2-3 months for Highline diesel model.

Check out the Optra too, superb diesel engine it has in the form of the Detroit Diesel 2.0 Ltr. More space too compared to Vento, more features price is 1K less and comes with 3 years warranty + service package.

Originally Posted by mailmaldi

@Siddutta: Cruze is out of budget :(

You guys are confusing the 'Auto lock' with Child lock feature.

Auto Lock = Car will auto lock all doors at a set speed usually 15~20KmpH. Here you can still open each door from inside individually.

Child lock = Lock latch position set manually so that the rear door(s) cannot be opened from inside at any time irrespective of the fact whether the car is moving or not. To open you unlock from central locking, get out of the car and them open the rear door(s) from outside.

The lever to set the lock latch is usually positioned on the door's side profile. Refer to the owner's manual there will be a diagram.

Originally Posted by mailmaldi

1) Locking system is very confusing. After the car started even though i clicked on Lock button i was still able to open it from inside although form outside it was not getting opened. (can someone confirm this ? and what is the after market solution for this problem. I will go though all Polo ownership reports to see how Polo owners resolving this issue.)

Originally Posted by motorhead5

I had the same question. What if my little one open the door while moving?. Sales guy told me that there is some setting. But I dont think that is the case. I think it was the same in polo also.

GTO, Your take on these - from your TD experience? - Question is 1) If there is a way to avoid opening the doors using the door open lever, if its center locked?. Other cars, you have to unlock and then open.