[@PetrolheadASH]

Hello Fellow BHP'ians,

While I hope that all of you are safe and healthy and enjoying the last day of what can only be termed as the most god forsaken year that we may have ever seen, i wish each and everyone of you a blessed and healthy 2022.

Now to the meat of the matter. So I have an 8 year old Vento AT and have had quite the number of experiences - good and bad with it. Suffice to say that my wallet cannot endure much more abuse as now things are starting to break down and its time to let dear Helga go. Here are the cars seen:

1. Octavia L&K. Loved the engine performance and overall ride. Looks marred by those god awful alloys and then there is the issue with everything on the touch screen (cars have become like video games now- miss the dials). Interiors are decent(ish). Price does not seem VFM as on road in Delhi is about 35.

2. Superb L&K. The space is just amazing. The feel is absolutely spot on. Massage seats, ventilated seats and then it has rotary AC dials. So everything BUT the length is a deterrent- I drive myself and have been told that is is mostly a chauffer driven car. So the Super is in holding position.

3. Tiguan. Was anxiously waiting for the Tiguan. It came and boy was i disappointed as how VW shortchanged its customers in India. 40 lakhs and no ventilated seats, manual passenger seats? Then there is the heated steering (yes we need that in our 50 degree weather for sure) . Clearly someone at VW did not bring their A game to work one day. Apart from these glaring examples of serious oversight (ignorance? By design? Default?) the Tiguan seemed to check most boxes. Still it left me feeling rather disappointed. Seems that the Tiguan with such deficiencies is destined failure as I'm sure people may have decided to wait for the Kodiaq.

4. Kodiaq. The new Kodiaq seems to be a minor facelift. The old one looked quite beefy and the L&K variant was quite well spec'ed out. Seems this may also be the case with the new one that is to be launched in January. Off late it seems that Skoda aces VW in its offerings and is touted to be the more premium of the two. Either ways, the expectation is that Skoda will not make the same mistakes that VW made with the Tiguan. Now to wait and watch how Skoda prices the Kodiaq No pressure on Zac Hollis there.

So folks, calling all BHP'ians who resound with / are in the same boat. Let me know what all of y'all think.

And have a great New Years!
Cheer,
Ash

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[Ojas]

Since you didn't mention any preferences, I'll go by what I think of these cars.

If you want SUV practicality, the Kodiaq is a no brainer considering you didn't like the Tiguan. It's a much better product overall. I also assume you are OK with the bigger size and the fact that it's a 7 seater (which you may not need). I didn't test drive it, but from reviews it seems to have car like driving dynamics, but it may not handle as good as the Octavia or the Superb (but close I'd think).

If you don't want the Kodiaq for some reasons, I recommend the Superb over the Octavia for the following reasons:

• Sunroof
• Ventilated seats
• More space
• Driving modes (although it doesn't change the suspension)
• 360 degree camera
• Looks and feels more premium overall
• Ride/handling almost as good as Octavia (to my knowledge)

My needs are similar and I'm also considering a used 520d along with the options you mentioned.

I ruled out the A4 given it didn't have a premium sound system, but the car felt very special to me overall.

[Shivam]

High seating SUV vs Low seating Sedans. Is that a good comparison? Are people comfortable with both?
I personally haven't had a sedan, but can't imagine myself cramping into one.
On the other hand, those who find it more sporty sitting close to ground, have trouble with upright seating SUVs.

Thinking out loud. It could be just me.

[buzzy_boy]

Many car makers, expect perhaps Maruti and Hyundai, offer vehicles that they clearly aren't serious about, and they keep them to just complete their portfolios. For example, it is clear that Mahindra is very serious about XUV700 and not so serious about Alturas.

I don't believe that VW is very serious about the Tiguan (due very little effort that they put into making it more palatable to Indian tastes), and they will be happy with relatively small volume of sales. I would personally avoid such models.

I would go with the Octavia. I found it more fun to drive than the Superb. The price is determined by the market, and I don't see any alternatives that are offering a package equivalent to the Octavia's at a lower price.

[yd_gli]

Originally Posted by buzzy_boy

I don't believe that VW is very serious about the Tiguan (due very little effort that they put into making it more palatable to Indian tastes), and they will be happy with relatively small volume of sales. I would personally avoid such models.

Well said! I would go a step further and be skeptical about any limited run models such as the Tiguan, Karoq, T-Roc etc that are not available on a continuous basis. It seems that most of these models are sold as limited runs in India when the western world moves onto the next generation and the old inventory needs to be cleared. The value of these sinks like a rock in water and spare parts is always a pain. I'd still put my money on the current Tucson on sale in India for the simple reason that I see a lot more Tucsons on the road than Tiguans, doesn't seem as half-hearted and for whatever its worth Hyundai has kept it on sale continuously for quite a few years now.

[sunikkat]

If in your place I would go for Octavia. It is premium, spacious and practical. Also will be more fun to drive.

[click]

I am or was in the same boat with a 2013 Vento AT, I really felt its age early last year. In fact was itching for a new car and test drove even the Volvo xc40, which was way over my budget at that time.

But considering the cash crunch mid 2020 brought with it, better sense prevailed. Got the old car properly taken care off by replacing the engine mounts, shocks, abs sensors and new tyres. Also got a 3M package to help me keep her polished and pretty.

End result, the itch is gone for now. I realise that Vento is a fab machine with superb built quality and if one spends a little in its 7-8th year, she can last a few more easily. It's like falling in love again with your old car. Perhaps this is what they call '7 year itch'.

But than I work from home and that's why my needs are limited and do not require long daily journeys. Vento meets and exceeds my requirement for the time being. I don't know what your situation is, but if similar, it might be worth spending 1 - 1.5 lakhs to completely revamp the car and enjoy it for few more years.

Hopefully in my case, when I am ready to buy a new car, I can afford the Volvo. Hope this helps.

[Livnletcarsliv]

Well, you have 3 options.
1. Spend a little on your Vento and play with it for another few years.
2. Replace it with a new one (which is what you are considering)
3. Replace it with a used one

Option 1 - You haven't mentioned what is wrong with your car. So since you have had equally good times with it, may I suggest you consider it a revamp/refurbish. Of course, it again depends on what can and cannot be done.

Option 2 - The current VAG line-up in India is a big disappointment. The current-gen Octavia is definitely an overrated and significantly overpriced car (In fact the 3rd gen Octavia Typ 5E was the best Octavia). The Superb is more valuable than the Octavia except for its size. The Tiguan is a big letdown from the VAG. I am sure it will be the same story with the Kodiaq as well (unless VAG understands the market reception of the Tiguan and puts in the appropriate correction). The current-gen Tuscon is a severely underrated car for the value it offers - However it is best in its diesel form which I think is a show-stopper for you since you live in the NCR and you are a petrol-head.
So the options are very limited to only Tiguan/Superb/Octavia in your choice and budget from which my vote only goes to Superb. You may also consider the XUV700 petrol and Toyota Camry. The Camry is the cheap Lexus - It is well experienced than said.

Option 3 - You may want to consider a pre-worshipped A4, 3 series, C Class, XC60/S60, XE/XF, Octavia which I think is much better than option 2.

Otherwise, you can continue with option 1 for a few more months until you get more options like Slavia/Virtus, Jeep Commander, New A3/Q3, New Tuscon, etc.

[@PetrolheadASH]

The Tiguan is definitely lack lustre in front of the Kodiaq. The Kodiaq feels more plush and has definitely better features. Kodiaq it is. Now preparing myself for spending more than I had budgeted.

[adithya.kp]

One thing I like about Skoda (When compared to VW) is, there is some consistency. For example, they still haven't discontinued octavia and superb. The sales number is also consistent. Whereas, VW looks confused. They bought passat back, and then discontinued. Tiguan is worse. First the 5 seater diesel variant. Then comes the 7 seater petrol. Now this 5 seater petrol. As a buyer, it will be very confusing. One doesn't want to see the model discontinued so soon.