[sandeepmohan]

If I were in the market for a car like this, it will be the Hyundai for me. I am not a big fan of the brand but I got to admit, the Creta is leagues ahead in this company. Times have changed and Hyundai have gone out of their way to give you the very best that is possible with next to no compromises.

Forget the equipment list, the Creta just feels so much more premium as a car. The car makes you feel special the moment you sit in it.

Hyundai's 1.6l can't be called a lazy motor anymore. It is peppy and its going to be a really hard to say if Honda's iVtec is really all that more superior in day to day use. Ford's 1.5l is nowhere near the performance or refinement levels of these two motors.

On to the cabin and interior appointments, the Ford falls really short when it comes to room. Cabin quality is good and you get an okay sized boot. The Hyundai can seat five in decent comfort and offers a decent sized boot. Hands down, the most premium car here. The Honda is the most practical. Seven seats and the biggest boot on offer when configured as five seats. The interior is far from premium. I'll go to say the Ford ranks ahead of the Honda.

Toys. The Ford is easily the best equipped. One thing that will put off potential buyers is the lack of a fancy touch screen stereo and this is a BIG deal today. Its also next to impossible to fit one. The Hyundai gives most of everything you need and you get a fancy touch screen stereo too. The Honda misses out on some very basic equipment that you need for car this big. Not acceptable for the kind of money you are paying.

Safety. Once again, Ford wins in the active safety department. Possibly the most solid in terms of feel and it does feel like a Ford. Hyundai and Honda give you just the bare essentials.

Road manners. You can't go wrong with any of them. I'd like to say the Hyundai wins here, even over the Ford. Hyundai have come a long long way when it comes to road manners. The Creta is no boat. The Ford chassis probably communicates the best. Honda seems to have got it right too considering the length of the BR-V.

[ACM]

For 4/4.5 persons EcoSport
For 5 persons Creta
For 5+ person family (only) BRV

EcoSport feels best built and is most sporty. Creta will retain value the most put is 3.3L more expensive than the EcoSport.

EcoSport also seems to be the safest in AT variant with 6 airbags and TC and ESP.

Hence best value plus build. Only Negative for the Ecosport for me is the that the ride is a bit too BMWish while Creta is much more plus and hence comfortable on rough roads.

Also if water wading ability is impt. (Areas getting Flooded) EcoSport is the best options with 500mm ability being almost double that of the others.

Creta looks the best in terms of exterior appearance. I though do not like its short dash design and prefer a bigger dash and cab forward design.

Heck it feels that I am biased towards EcoSport AT as I have one. But that is exactly the reason that I have one.

[RGK]

I did not vote as I have not driven any of these cars.

There is no need to ignore or omit Ecosport because of any apprehension about their maintenance costs.

Ford is constantly expanding their service network and has started focusing on increasing the availability of child spares.

[Abhi_Automobile]

The ford maintenance cost is high is absolutely based on here say, and mostly suggested be folks who have not owned a Ford in recent times. Ford has turned their service and maintenance capabilities around. And how!

• My BIL has owned a FOrd Fiesta for the past 7 years and he's never had to pay through his nose. Ever.

• We own an Ecosport and the services have been both affordable, and on time - average damage around 4-5k for a diesel car is not bad, is it?
  • Once you book an appointment - the Ford guy calls up, picks up the car, the service manager updates you about the expected bill and its break up, you are updated about the service progress, and the car is finally dropped to your home. All free of cost.
    • I have to struggle a lot more to get my 20L VW Jetta serviced - German premium-ness be damned!!

[DevSoms]

Brilliant article and comparison. One thing that is sorely missing so far in the discussion is the comparison on fuel economy. Considering that we are comparing petrol cars here it would be good to know what the real world FE is for these cars especially in city conditions

[avdhesh15]

I have gone for the NOTA option because I wouldn't buy any of these cars.

The Ford is too small in the back. The Hyundai seems to leave you short changed for what you pay. The Honda, well, let's not even start there!

If I were to build a car, I would ask Hyundai to extend the Creta a bit to add 2 seats and try and sell at the same price. Then that's a car I would buy

[gpadki]

Wondering how would the poll results look like if TUV 300 AT is thrown into the picutre?

[noopster]

Originally Posted by gpadki

Wondering how would the poll results look like if TUV 300 AT is thrown into the picutre?

It is a diesel and that is probably why it doesn't figure. Else that and the Duster AMT are options for someone looking for a slushbox urban crossover.

[IshaanIan]

Can someone do a comparison of the suspension setups and strength of suspension linkages, how prone they are to wear, travel, damping etc.?

I find it funny that people no longer consider D-Segment sedans, instead paying big money for things like the BR-V/Creta and then talking about the quality of plastics, build, features (none of which would ever compare to a D-Segment sedan) and ultimately forgetting to investigate the crucial aspects that lend such a car its ability to tackle our Indian roads.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Can someone do a comparison of the suspension setups and strength of suspension linkages, how prone they are to wear, travel, damping etc.?

Most D-segment sedans & Duster AWD have multi-link fully rear independent suspension (better ride and handling) while Creta/BR-V/Duster FWD have semi-independent torsion beam setup at the rear. There is absolutely no difference in wear and tear, reliability, strength etc.

I find it funny that people no longer consider D-Segment sedans, instead paying big money for things like the BR-V/Creta and then talking about the quality of plastics, build, features (none of which would ever compare to a D-Segment sedan) and ultimately forgetting to investigate the crucial aspects that lend such a car its ability to tackle our Indian roads.

The advantages of Creta over something like Elantra would be -

- Compact Size
- Same luggage carrying ability
- Higher ground clearance.
- Lower price point (starts from Rs. 10 - 11 Lacs on road)

[riteshritesh]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I find it funny that people no longer consider D-Segment sedans, instead paying big money for things like the BR-V/Creta and then talking about the quality of plastics,

I used to think on the same lines as you do, 4 years ago. I would wonder why people buy a 5 seater SUV/UV/MUV/, when they can buy a sedan and make the same number of people sit in it. I purchased the A4 and my thought process changed. The low slung seating and difficult ingress/exit was the most important reason that I ended up selling it in 3.5 years. Had I purchased a Q3 or equivalent, that time, I would have been happier and held on to my purchase a wee bit longer.
Just like my reason, there may be numerous factors that make people purchase an SUV over a sedan.

Secondly, most of the D segment Sedans start from 18~20 Lakhs OTR, where as the compared vehicles, top of the line versions, would end at 18~20 OTR.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I find it funny that people no longer consider D-Segment sedans, instead paying big money for things like the BR-V/Creta

Well, the answer to that question lies in the quality of our roads. Everybody wants a car with a high GC to tackle our roads.

Also, since BR-V, Creta and Duster are similar to C+ Segment sedans in dimensions, they are easier to drive and park in the urban traffic.

They may be cheaper to run/maintain compared to D segment sedans.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Most D-segment sedans & Duster AWD have multi-link fully rear independent suspension (better ride and handling) while Creta/BR-V/Duster FWD have semi-independent torsion beam setup at the rear. There is absolutely no difference in wear and tear, reliability, strength etc.

I know the basic setup that they use but what about the componentry? Just like a Corolla's lower arms go on forever in our conditions unlike most other cars in its segment, I feel like the Ecosport has a more robust setup than the Honda or the Creta. I suppose only long term ownership will be able to reveal these differences.

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

I purchased the A4 and my thought process changed. The low slung seating and difficult ingress/exit was the most important reason that I ended up selling it in 3.5 years. Had I purchased a Q3 or equivalent, that time, I would have been happier and held on to my purchase a wee bit longer.
Just like my reason, there may be numerous factors that make people purchase an SUV over a sedan.

Originally Posted by landcruiser123

Well, the answer to that question lies in the quality of our roads. Everybody wants a car with a high GC to tackle our roads.

I completely understand which is why I stated that I find it funny when people go into the details like quality, features etc. which are all similar to that of a C segment sedan, after letting great D-Segment sedan offerings become sales duds and we forget to discuss the details that truly set these vehicles apart and define the segment they are in. I would much rather like to read the differences in ingress/egress, suspension characteristics, all-round visibility and some other factors that one could use to properly judge these cars based on their merits. Afterall we have called them "SUVs" have we not? I don't see much material that pertains to those characteristics of these cars.

[hareesh3395]

Voted for the ford Ecosport DCT since it is the VFM and safest of the three cars. BRV is strictly for those who need a 7seater. Creta automatic misses out on some features and it is slightly over priced.

[Passiautonate]

Originally Posted by Waspune

If you dont require 7 seats,
If you are ok with OK after sales,
If you care about driving feel, ride and handling

Go for EcoSport top end. Its well worth every penny.

For everything else, Creta should suffice.

Well Ecosport is nowhere close to Ford's handling DNA. As an ex-owner of Ford Fiesta driving Ecosport was heart breaking. Even ride was not plush to compensate for handling/ feel loss.

After sales service- I would rate Ford better based on my experience across dealerships in Pune, Delhi and Bangalore.

I would recommend Creta in case space & comfort is the priority. For everything else Ecosport does better and I am not yet including dual clutch which is best after VW albeit more reliable.

Cheers!