Team-BHP - Crossover/SUV for 25 Lakhs: Seltos/Tucson/Compass?
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-   -   Crossover/SUV for 25 Lakhs: Seltos/Tucson/Compass? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/suvs-muvs-4x4s/213061-crossover-suv-25-lakhs-seltos-tucson-compass-4.html)

With regard to your worry about Tiguan feeling outdated in front of Seltos- well, the Seltos will feel outdated in a couple of years compared to something else. Trust me, I've been there, done that ! So what matters is the driving pleasure (including strong mechanical capability) and utility (including comfort and convenience) over something like, say, internet capability. If in doubt, wait. There will always be a better car in the future.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Redline6800 (Post 4664237)
I really like the Tiguan. A high quality car, with all the features most owners would need. You could consider, checking with KPR VW in Mysore, for a better deal on the Tiguan.

A bit low on flash but otherwise excellent. There's loads of after-market stuff you can add too. A few years down the line, a Stage 1 Remap will keep the excitement going.

The Tiguan will probably be the last true blue VW sold in India (along with the Passat) - as I read on the forum, that quality of Polo is not what it used to be.

Going forward the VWs sold in India, will be 'Indianised' read 'Cheapened'.

So, if you want the true 'German' car experience and can afford the Tiguan, then this will be my recommendation.

It will cost almost 50% more than the Seltos OTR but no comparison really, as Tiguan is in a different league of quality compared to Seltos.

As the wise monk on the mountain said 'The Right Time is NOW!'

Best monk ever!
Love to remap one day. Let me read up on this.
About cheapened stuff, I think they will continue to get new vehicles through CKD/CBU for testing sentiment, only once it settles or when they feel it's a reasonable hit they do it here. Someone in one of the service centres I visited was saying AllSpace will come in CKD and demand unreasonable lakhs premium over Tiguan 5 seater.
Either way, for the matter at hand, I agree the quality is there in engineering; also same thing what @landcruiser123 says.

Quote:

Originally Posted by landcruiser123 (Post 4664284)
Most cheaper cars have a torsion beam setup in the rear whereas the Tiguan has a multi-link rear suspension which will offer superior stability on the highway. I'm talking about things you might not see visually. Also, I think Tiguan's interior packaging is way better considering the boot space on offer.

Also, any car engineered for the first world- CR-V and Tiguan will be put through more rigorous testing considering the many factors like longevity, reliability, harsh weather conditions etc. Like the Creta, I'm not sure Seltos is sold in western Europe and the USA. By no means am I suggesting that Seltos is inferior, but if you can get a better car, I'd suggest stretching out for that Tiguan/CR-V. It's like a Bata shoe vs a Hush Puppies. The former is comfortable and does the job. The latter is a premium product and feels better.

All these translates to better handling/drive-ability/durability in long run. Agree VW is stronger, but Seltos also boasts of using high tensile steel and lot more glue than other cars apparently. Needs to be seen what rating it gets for safety and if anyone reports HUD falling off over Bengalooru potholes!
This is like known devil vs unknown angel thing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline (Post 4664298)
With regard to your worry about Tiguan feeling outdated in front of Seltos- well, the Seltos will feel outdated in a couple of years compared to something else. Trust me, I've been there, done that ! So what matters is the driving pleasure (including strong mechanical capability) and utility (including comfort and convenience) over something like, say, internet capability. If in doubt, wait. There will always be a better car in the future.

Fair point. Agree this keeps happening in all markets where innovation is happening year on year.
I have a friend who got a Creta in 2015~16 - it didn't have cruise control, Android Auto, etc. Next year Creta released all that with same price point. Lot of cars came with those features in that year.
See how many people lamented on missing start/stop button in Endeavour 2016!
Most of these features have become common - now if they are missing, your review would say "missing essentials" or "missing goodies". Few years ago we wouldn't even mention them missing, but if some vehicle had, it was a great nice to have feature.
So trying to see if those cameras and air-fresheners would feel "must-haves" in a year, that way 30L car feels outdated quickly? May not be air-freshener per se, but ventilated seats or internet connected features.

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrinath_m2 (Post 4664082)
Before anyone jumps on me for making this class(es) apart comparison, let me clarify - yes, I am not drunk and in my senses.
But I am going crazy with this. Can't see myself doing any progress, so asking here in desperation.

..
I started looking for something automatic, has decent clearance, <bigger than suitcase-boot>, but drives planted like Polo.

I have tried many vehicles with automatic transmission in this list - [Ecosport dragon, Duster, Seltos GTX 1.4 DCT, Jeep Compass, Innova Crysta, Tiguan, Endeavour].

Half of these I started to feel are outdated after Seltos came out with so many features & creature comforts. Like Duster, Ecosport, Creta, <insert most Crossover/SUV from Honda>, etc. At that price point, Seltos has decent suspension, decent clearance (for me), and mostly similar in size.

..

Seltos seems to have way more goodies. Good silent refined petrol turbo engine which gives okay-ish power delivery (coming from 1.5 litre Polo diesel here, has that really sweet turbo kick), that 360 camera, HUD, ventilated seats, blind view monitor, etc., are very inviting. All this at ~21 OTR.
However, I don't like it's styling, honestly, too much bling for my taste with all that chrome and lines around, and every time I see the fog lamps it seems like bunch of LED torches from Ali Express glued together. But I can live with it. Handling is kinda okay, but not very confident about curves.

.

I tried making a spreadsheet with list of features in Seltos vs Tiguan and if I would regret any features missing in either. Seems like Tiguan came on top! (Attached)

This is where I am confused now.

Help please?

First of all, I relate and sympathize with you as I am in a very similar position. When I started the search, I felt 20 lakhs should give me a good enough car. Then, I raised my budget to 25 lakhs and still I am no closer to finding the 'perfect' car. I have realized I have to make compromises this way or that and it's all about prioritizing requirements and understanding the must-haves and nice-to-haves.

I would have gone for the Seltos as it has almost everything I am looking for in my next car. The build quality is not great but acceptable and it should be reliable considering Kia's relationship with Hyundai. However, I found the design of the Seltos too much in your face, too much bling and trying too hard, bordering on cheapness (both interiors and exteriors). I have decided to have one more look at the Seltos with my family to decide whether I can live with it or not. If yes, I will go head and if not, my search will continue.

Of all the cars I have driven, I loved the Octavia the most. It is classy, elegant and has enough features to keep me happy. The performance is best-in-class but I am too worried about the reliability and A.S.S of Skoda. I think it makes sense to go for the manual version to reduce the risk. But, I will have the basic issue of being careful/nervous about the car over our terrible roads filled with potholes and craters.

The Hyundai Tucson is still in consideration. I will probably have to go for another test drive and check the tyre pressure because I found the ride extremely hard.

I also considered the Tiguan but I rejected it because - <1> extremely overpriced, even considering discounts. <2> VW reliability and A.S.S <3> owners are complaining of very hard ride quality.

Quote:

Originally Posted by landcruiser123 (Post 4664284)
Also, any car engineered for the first world- CR-V and Tiguan will be put through more rigorous testing considering the many factors like longevity, reliability, harsh weather conditions etc. Like the Creta, I'm not sure Seltos is sold in western Europe and the USA. By no means am I suggesting that Seltos is inferior, but if you can get a better car, I'd suggest stretching out for that Tiguan/CR-V. It's like a Bata shoe vs a Hush Puppies. The former is comfortable and does the job. The latter is a premium product and feels better.

Initially, I did not consider the CRV because of the price. I called Honda dealer today and they are offering 5 lakhs discount on the diesel AWD version. I don't need AWD but they are saying there is no 2WD in stock or in production, not sure if that's true.
Even with 5 Lakhs discount, it is still overpriced. But the biggest issue is the underpowered engine (petrol or diesel). I could have considered the petrol but I can't stand the CVT transmission.

I think your choice is simple and you have to decide what you want:

Sedan and awesome petrol - Octavia TSi
SUV+4wd and awesome diesel - Tucson
More features and Bling - Seltos (i have not compared but assuming as its newer, the top model has more features than Octavia and Tucson)

Quote:

Originally Posted by adimicra (Post 4664433)
I have realized I have to make compromises this way or that and it's all about prioritizing requirements and understanding the must-haves and nice-to-haves.

This!
Once you have decided must-haves, you'll then re-look and then start wondering "what if that nice-to-have becomes must-have in a year?" :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by adimicra (Post 4664433)
I also considered the Tiguan but I rejected it because - <1> extremely overpriced, even considering discounts. <2> VW reliability and A.S.S <3> owners are complaining of very hard ride quality.

1. I am okay with their A.S.S - Don't have anything to complain so far.
2. Pricing I think is different for individuals. I read in this thread that you stretched from 20 to 25, so yeah. It seems expensive.
3. I did drive it on Bengalooru potholes, and on NICE road. It seemed better than my Polo, so for me it is a considerable upgrade. But yeah, no where near Renault.
But it is definitely not "very" hard. It's hard.
Just my opinion based on 2 hr test drive in the roads I drive daily.

You said you are open for second hand and also ready to wait, why not any badge class SUV or used Tiguan then?

Quote:

Originally Posted by shrinath_m2 (Post 4664488)
This!
Once you have decided must-haves, you'll then re-look and then start wondering "what if that nice-to-have becomes must-have in a year?" :)


1. I am okay with their A.S.S - Don't have anything to complain so far.
2. Pricing I think is different for individuals. I read in this thread that you stretched from 20 to 25, so yeah. It seems expensive.
3. I did drive it on Bengalooru potholes, and on NICE road. It seemed better than my Polo, so for me it is a considerable upgrade. But yeah, no where near Renault.
But it is definitely not "very" hard. It's hard.
Just my opinion based on 2 hr test drive in the roads I drive daily.

You said you are open for second hand and also ready to wait, why not any badge class SUV or used Tiguan then?

Hey, I was reading owners in Team bhp complaining of the ride quality of the Tiguan and trying out various tire pressue to solve it.. Please check the Tiguan review thread.

I am not open for second hand cars. I now I can buy second hand luxury brand cars with my budget but I am not very sure about the maintenance thereafter. Also, I like the smell of a new car :D

Quote:

Originally Posted by adimicra (Post 4664433)
Of all the cars I have driven, I loved the Octavia the most. It is classy, elegant and has enough features to keep me happy. The performance is best-in-class but I am too worried about the reliability and A.S.S of Skoda. I think it makes sense to go for the manual version to reduce the risk. But, I will have the basic issue of being careful/nervous about the car over our terrible roads filled with potholes and craters.

After 4 VW's (Polo TDI Manual. Vento TDI Manual, Polo GE TSI DSG & Vento DSG) and one Skoda Fabia Petrol Manual, I moved to a Maruti Baleno. Circumstances at the time were such and hence the Baleno. Having owned so many cars from the VAG, I thought I might add some flavor to your already difficult decision. The VWs are very hard sprung to give it better road manners but the ride suffers a lot even for the driver let alone the passengers. The Skoda is a little softer and more composed over harsher roads. I sold the Fabia within a year of ownership. The engine head was defective and Autobahn Skoda in Mumbai kept my car for 7 weeks before they returned it with almost all my paint work scratched and few other parts seemingly older. Not to mention I brought the house down on them and it was all done after 2 months. Post that I sold the car. If some one cannot service and support a run of the mill car, to my mind that service station should not be touching a car far more complex.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I too have heard Skoda A.S.S horror stories from my friends and colleagues and read hundreds of those in forums like this. On top of it, the reliability of a Skoda is not something to vouch for, particularly with the DGS gearbox. My heart is sold on the Octavia but I think considering my priorities, I will have to let it go.

I also realized during this search that there is serious dearth of options in the 20-30L range. The only SUV/crossover in this range are the Compass and the Tucson. The rest are all above 30 lakhs.

So, currently it's between the Seltos and Tucson. I am planning to have another look and another round of test drive of these cars. If I am happy with the ride quality of the Tucson this time, then I might go for it.

As I think about the last few weeks in my search of a new car, I must say my expectations are now much lower than what I started with. I think right now I know what I really want and the compromises I need to make.
So, in this quest for a new car, I first started with the Jeep Compass as it seemed to be an obvious choice but I came back disappointed. I think the disappointment was mainly due to the high expectations. Now when I think back, I feel my assessment of the Compass was too critical. So, I convinced myself and more importantly my family to reconsider the Compass and go for another test drive. I hope the experience this time is better. I am not sure what discounts are available on the Compass.

So, it's between Tucson, Compass and Seltos. One more round of test drives and I should be good to make a decision.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adimicra (Post 4664971)
So, it's between Tucson, Compass and Seltos. One more round of test drives and I should be good to make a decision.

Hyundai Tucson is having discounts upto Rs 2.0 lakhs as per the below article.

Quote:

Tucson is also available at a cash discount of Rs 1,25,000 and an exchange offer of Rs 75,000. These discounts listed above are offered at the dealership end and may vary from dealer to dealer or city, depending on the stocks. it is always good check with the dealership in your city to know the exact discount amount.
Cartoq

mycarhelpline

I am sure Compass will also want to reduce their stock of BS4 vehicles and may give discounts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adimicra (Post 4664971)
As I think about the last few weeks in my search of a new car, I must say my expectations are now much lower than what I started with. I think right now I know what I really want and the compromises I need to make.
So, in this quest for a new car, I first started with the Jeep Compass as it seemed to be an obvious choice but I came back disappointed. I think the disappointment was mainly due to the high expectations. Now when I think back, I feel my assessment of the Compass was too critical. So, I convinced myself and more importantly my family to reconsider the Compass and go for another test drive. I hope the experience this time is better. I am not sure what discounts are available on the Compass.

So, it's between Tucson, Compass and Seltos. One more round of test drives and I should be good to make a decision.

I am also in the exact same spot as you and contemplating between Tucson, Compass and Seltos. Initially started of with a budget of 15L to buy myself a daily driver having found nothing have extended my budget to beyond 25L but still not found something that makes me happy and excited.

If you are fine with a sedan and if i were in your place i would have simply bought an Octavia, I cant because I already own one and trust me with 4 years of experience with an Octavia now I can vouch for the fact that the A.S.S horror stories are not as bad as they are made up to be. The car is very reliable and so is the service experience.

I need a petrol car with a higher GC and now the fight has come down to between Seltos or Tucson with Compass being almost thrown out of the ring. After heavy bargaining I have managed a pretty good discount on the Tucson and one can be bought immediately while for the Seltos i will have to wait for at least 3 months. I love the Tucson and it is a much better and bigger car as compared to Seltos even with a comparison of features and to me even looks better than the Seltos. However Seltos is a brand new product while this variant of Tucson is now 3 years old and going through a mid life crisis waiting to be refreshed any day now. Though the Seltos is slated to be the next Creta on our roads with every second car expected to be a Seltos and with its wide price range from 11L to 20L, the Tucson might still have that exclusivity factor and it is from a segment above. The Seltos has a turbo engine with a fast DCT gearbox combination while the Tucson has a NA engine mated to a torque converter. Since my other car is a 1.8tsi I am worried the Tucson might feel very under powered to me. The price difference between the two even after discounts would still be about 5 to 6L so my heart and head are involved in a very aggressive combat currently where my head says buy the newer Seltos and still save money while the heart says you loved the Tucson do not bother about the other factors and just get one :deadhorse

I just spoke to the Compass dealer, seems like there is very limited production happening due to transition to BS6. He also mentioned that no limited plus is available in stock and not sure about the delivery times. About discounts, he was extremely dismissive and literally had a take-it-or-leave-it attitude. I am surprised when the Compass has such dismal monthly sales, the dealership still has so much attitude. I am wondering how they must be behaving when Compass was selling very well a year or so back.

Coming to discounts, Hyundai is offering 2lakhs discount on Tucson and 4th year warranty (worth 17K) on the Tucson which means Diesel GLO is available at 27 lakhs on road. Compass limited plus is having no discounts and costs 26 lakhs on-road without additional warranty. So, Tucson probably costs 80K more than the Compass (considering warranty). I think in terms of value for money, Tucson is much better because you get the following -

Diesel auto transmission
Bigger car, more space
Reclining rear seats
Cruise control
wireless charger
electric tailgate
connected car (I dont care).

The only reason for considering the compass over Tucson will be the better handling and build quality (though I felt the Tucson is very well built as well). Let me see how the next set of test drives go. I have reached out to another Jeep dealer who seems more keen to sell the Compass.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vvb8530 (Post 4665152)
I am also in the exact same spot as you and contemplating between Tucson, Compass and Seltos. Initially started of with a budget of 15L to buy myself a daily driver having found nothing have extended my budget to beyond 25L but still not found something that makes me happy and excited.

Haha, looks like there are quite a few people going through similar experience :). Right now, the Seltos is my last option as I found the design to be too loud bordering on cheapness. I admit it has all the features that I need and even the ones I won't ever need. Also, the fact that there will be 1000's of Seltos on the road is a few months time is another factor. The build quality, dimensions, quality, NVH of the Tucson seems clearly from a class higher. The Tucson was refreshed recently with a panoramic sunroof and connected car features and I think it is fairly well loaded. With my usage, a petrol will be sufficient. However, I am considering the diesel just because it way more powerful and refined as well. May be you can consider that as well.

I agree about the Octavia but it has to be a heart over head decision. Depending on the next set of test drives, I might just go for it (if I am not convinced about either Compass or Tucson). Who knows? lol:

Quote:

Originally Posted by adimicra (Post 4665212)
I
Coming to discounts, Hyundai is offering 2lakhs discount on Tucson and 4th year warranty (worth 17K) on the Tucson which means Diesel GLO is available at 27 lakhs on road. Compass limited plus is having no discounts and costs 26 lakhs on-road without additional warranty. So, Tucson probably costs 80K more than the Compass (considering warranty). I think in terms of value for money, Tucson is much better because you get the following -

Diesel auto transmission
Bigger car, more space
Reclining rear seats
Cruise control
wireless charger
electric tailgate
connected car (I dont care).

If you are talking about the GL(O) variant, electric tailgate does not make it to the feature list. It is exclusive to the GLS variant.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vvb8530 (Post 4665230)
If you are talking about the GL(O) variant, electric tailgate does not make it to the feature list. It is exclusive to the GLS variant.

Sorry about that.
2 questions -
1> How has your experience been with the Octavia on rough roads? Does it scrape often? Any damages? How careful one has to be?

2> Did you find the ride quality of the Tucson hard or stiff? I felt it was very stiff in my first test drive but not sure if tyre pressure was the culprit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adimicra (Post 4665229)
With my usage, a petrol will be sufficient. However, I am considering the diesel just because it way more powerful and refined as well. May be you can consider that as well.

I agree about the Octavia but it has to be a heart over head decision. Depending on the next set of test drives, I might just go for it (if I am not convinced about either Compass or Tucson). Who knows? lol:

PS - Mods, can you please merge the 2 posts?

I am not particularly fond of diesels and prefer the refinement of the petrol engines and hate the lag in almost every diesel engine and the Tucson is no different. I managed to test drive both the diesel and petrol Tucson's and I liked the petrol better. Also if i do consider the diesel then I dont want to miss out on any feature and the top end GLS Diesel even after discounts will still cost me 30L on road which is over my budget.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adimicra (Post 4665241)
Sorry about that.
2 questions -
1> How has your experience been with the Octavia on rough roads? Does it scrape often? Any damages? How careful one has to be?

2> Did you find the ride quality of the Tucson hard or stiff? I felt it was very stiff in my first test drive but not sure if tyre pressure was the culprit.

In the past 4 years of owning the Octavia even with upsized low profile 17 inch after market wheels not once has my car bottomed out or scraped anywhere. Never felt the need to be particularly careful with it as its a pretty well built car and I have driven the car on various kinds of roads with multiple road trips all across.

Coming to the Tucson I infact found its ride quality to be very good, did not find it to be extra bumpy or anything of that sort over bad roads and I did drive it on quite a few. The 18 inch wheels might make it feel a bit harsh over a really bad patch but that's about it. I suggest you to take another test drive.


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