[shancz]

You didn't mention if your parents(primary users) would be driving or being chauffered around? Asking because you mentioned automatic but your Dad liked the captain seats of the XL6.

Agree with others that the primary users should define your choice which is dependent on the following use cases :
- usage : city/highway ratio
- primary users : ingress/egress, driving style, transmission, power, ride comfort, seats, FE, features

I would suggest to retain the Amaze for a year at least for your usage and as a backup in case some new car niggles surface and then take a call to whether sell it or not.

[adityaNview]

I would suggest that you go forward with option 4.
I, personally own a VW Taigun 1.0 MT, which was initially purchased for my younger brother, however, because I fell in love with it, I kept it for myself.
The reliability aspect of VW and Skoda cars has improved considerably over the years. A couple of friends who drive the automatic variants of Taigun/ Virtus have not faced any issues with the DSG gearbox as well.
Turbo petrols are very sensitive to throttle input and hence mileage depends on the excitement level of the driver. I am getting an average of 10 Km/L of mileage when driving normally.
However, do check the comfort level of the rear seat. I for one love it but my father is not a fan of it.
Also, our family was a big fan Japanese reliability whereby we had buy only Japanese cars. In just last one year, because of our wonderful experience with Taigun, we have purchased another VW-Skoda product, a used Superb 1.8 TSI MT.
All in all, Taigun is a fabulous product.

[satish.gawai]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

As for the Korean twins, having burnt my fingers with an i20, I'm very skeptical of overall reliability and quality the brand provides.
!

Though you had some (bad experience) with Hyundai, I suggest to check out Hyundai Verna 2023.

It is well in your budget, and spacious with all the tech goodies. Turbo is more fun to drive.

Thanks

[UD17]

Retain Amaze, still lot of juice left there. Maintenance is also reasonable.

Sell Santro and use the money to Buy Honda Elevate CVT- cheapest CVT and no nonsense car to own.

Lets us know about your decision.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

Requirements:
1. Must be comfortable and spacious (we're all in the 5'8-6 feet height range)
2. Must be powerful enough for both the highway and city
3. Strictly automatic
4. Decent to good mileage.
5. Must be reliable

Did not look at Tata/Mahindra as I am not a fan of the products they sell (my personal opinion). As for the Korean twins, having burnt my fingers with an i20, I'm very skeptical of overall reliability and quality the brand provides.

The I20 experience could have been 1 in a million. With Koreans you generally expect fuss free experience for atleast 1.5LKM/10 year mark. The Santro in your garage could be a testament to this.

My choice would be the Seltos/Creta in their IVT avatars. They fulfill all your requirements and should be the one's to pick. All other options especially VW/SKODA should be avoided, as apart from DSG, a lot could go wrong in these cars. I would also avoid the Elevate, as it strictly lacks the NVH for a 20L rupee car. Long journeys become tiresome if a lot of noise keeps filtering inside. Another option could be Verna SX(O) IVT and City ZX CVT, if you are open to sedans. You could clearly see the difference in quality of City and Elevate on a long test drive on highway. NVH, Visibility, features, thoughtful touches, space etc., City trumps Elevate in all aspects.

PS-Owner of a Sonet Turbo P iMT (June 2021) and Seltos FL GT Line DCT (Dec 2023). In both these cars everything has been working as it should, and never visited ASC other than regular service.

[amit_2025]

You are eliminating "THE" cars to be bought in the segment, possibly thanks to one bad experience

You should pick up the Creta/Seltos without thinking twice. In terms of creature comforts, both punch above their weight

In fact, Dare I say, Hyundai is today what Honda stood for a decade ago in India & some of their recent modifications like addressing the Boat like ride quality & the Verna's safety rating, all indicate that they remain invested in the Indian market

[GoBabyGo]

Hi, keep your Amaze for another 4 to 5 years. It is automatic and can be driven another 75K to 100K without much trouble.

If you are open for EV, get yourself Punch EV (top model). This will serve you & your family for city drive for next 10 years (hopefully you will cover under 2 lacs km in next 10 years). Its onroad Bengaluru price is 16 lacs so within your budget. Punch EV will be good for return journey of 600km on highway, if you are okay to charge it midway breaks at public charging.

However, if you are not open for EV, get yourself Elevate ZX CVT.

[Knightrider]

Since you are looking for a 'versatile' car, IMO Kia Carens will be the best fit in that price range. You will be amazed with the space it offers in all 3 rows as well as the boot, and the flexibility you get because of the the sliding and folding seat options.
I suggest you visit Kia showroom with your parents and take a test drive of Carens iMT/DCT/AT variants.

[Mad Max]

In Bangalore, always keep a beater car around. Best to take into city, hand over to UDrive drivers for late night hangouts etc. Keep the other car for yourselves for longer drives, family events etc.

I really don't think you'll find any of these underpowered because you'll be cruising mostly. Try a hybrid version of any of these if available. Better mileage and newer tech. Also, definitely buy for the primary users and not for yourself as another BHPian put it.

If you really need a fun car, exchange the beater car for a Polo TSi hatch and enjoy the compact pocket rocket.

[Gedaliah]

Honda Elevate all the way. Go for a mid variant as it is vfm. It has one of the best engines, great gearbox, good looks and immense stability. For your highway trips it would be a safe and modern addition to your collection.Going with VW group is a hit or a miss. And the Maruti cars mentioned are great too. Honda and Maruti won’t let you down in terms of reliability or service and spare experiences.

[theGoanGuy]

Since both your dad and yourself have liked the Taigun, albeit in different engine and gearbox combinations. I feel you should go ahead with the Taigun 1.0 AT. It's powerful enough to keep you engaged on the highways and I would say it's reliable since it's on sale since 2011 worldwide. There have also been no major issues reported since.

[ike]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

Did not look at Tata/Mahindra as I am not a fan of the products they sell (my personal opinion). As for the Korean twins, having burnt my fingers with an i20, I'm very skeptical of overall reliability and quality the brand provides.

Wouldn't it be more reasonable if you let the primary users(i.e. your parents) try out all the cars on offer in the segment rather than let your dislike/prejudice get in the way? You are taking competent cars like Creta/Seltos/Carens/Sonet out of the equation without giving them a fair consideration IMO. Maybe go see the cars, get test drives. If they like the cars take it forward from there.

[Asoon]

Sell both and go for Elevate.
Elevate is not the most powerful in the segment (VWs 1.5 TSI) neither it is most feature loaded (Korean Twins) but it is the Rahul Dravid of crossovers. Reliable and proven Honda City engine with ADAS in the higher variants and Honda's service experience makes it a perfect car for someone who likes to keep cars for longer period

[Guna]

Don't rule out MG Aster (Turbo AT) without test driving it. I had done a short test drive when it was launched and was impressed with the city drivability, comfort, refinement levels and the build quality. I gather that it is not a favourite among enthusiasts but it should be adequate for normal driving.

[sjain2054]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

I'll keep this simple.
Need a car for my parents to travel as well as daily drive. Will be driven by me occasionally.

Requirements:
1. Must be comfortable and spacious (we're all in the 5'8-6 feet height range)
2. Must be powerful enough for both the highway and city
3. Strictly automatic
4. Decent to good mileage.
5. Must be reliable

Budget:
Between 15-20L on road BLR

You seem to be very clear about your requirements. You have listed them down in 5 clear points. Therefore, let us just stick to that and not deviate. There are so many choices in the market today that if you deviate then you'll be lost.

Keeping the 5 points in mind, the following is clear -
1. Tata, Mahindra, Hyundai and Kia are out.
2. Unreliable brands like Skoda, VW are out.

Therefore, please do not think about Taigun. It might be a great drivers car but it will NOT suit you guys at all. I understand that the car is for you and your family but try not to bring in your young, enthusiastic requirements too much in this purchase. Try to tilt the requirements of your parents to 90% and bring in only about 10% of your buying factors into this purchase. Be sensible and sober is what I am trying to say.

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

Cars considered:
1. VW Taigun: Dad liked the 1.0 AT, I loved the 1.5 DSG. The only concern being reliability of the DSG and fuel costs.

2.Grand Vitara: Dad test drove the Non-Hybrid AT. I am not quite convinced about spending soo much for an underpowered 1.5L AT

3.XL6: My dad liked this one due to the captain seats and overall space. I took a short test drive of the car and was quite shocked with how poor the braking is. Also the underwhelming performance of the 1.5L + AT combo makes me wonder how the car will perform during long drives

4.Honda Elevate: While I did not test drive it but I loved the amount of space on offer as well as the general feel of the interiors. Would like to test drive and see how the CVT + NA Engine combo fares in comparison to the competition

I think you must choose from the following only. I am giving these options in order of how suitable they seem for you and your family.

Top choice: Maruti XL6 -
If your family has seen it and liked it then the top model of XL6 should be your first choice. Trust me, that 1.5L 6AT engine is not going to be a problem. Again, you are putting on your lens of a younger fellow with "enthusiastic hormones" . Don't do that. Its a very decent engine and will keep you guys very happy on long drives too.

The XL6 has good insulation from noise, very very good ventilated seats, very useable 360 degree camera, lots of space for you tall folks (keep the last row folded and use that space for luggage etc) and it has great reliability factor alongwith awesome after sales service. In addition to this, it will have great resale value later in life.

Braking power might be weak in the test vehicle. It'll be fine in your car. Do not worry about that.

The current gen XL6 is a huge step up from the previous gen. Read the reviews on TeamBHP and you will know.

Second choice: MG Hector
MG's after sales service is a notch above Hyundai, Kia and probable two notches above VW, Skoda, Tata, Mahindra. It might even be better than Maruti's and on par with Toyota.

If you go through experts inputs on TeamBHP on Hector, you will see that it is very very comfortable, has lots of space for a family like yours, the engines and transmissions are pretty good (please do not compare to VW's engines and transmissions) and the car has great road presence.

One of your requirements is reliability and MG will offer both, good reliability and great after sales service.

Third and last choice: Honda Elevate.
Its just an elevated Honda City. A simple formula that worked for the Honda sedan has been replicated in the SUV format. Honda thought, "You Indians are going crazy for SUVs so here goes nothing..an elevated Honda City."

And guess what, Indians are liking it. The Koreans are offering a lot more in their cars but somehow Indians love a tried and tested method.

So, it fits your requirement really well. A Honda badge, high sitting (SUV), 1.5 Vtec with CVT, lots of space, reliable, etc etc

I would say, XL6 it is but of course, you guys know your requirements best.

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

Dilemma:
1. Sell both cars and buy one car
2. Sell the Santro and keep the Amaze as a daily driver
3. Go for one of the Japanese cars in the list
4.Go for the Taigun and buy extended warranty to keep the DSG headache at bay for the time being.

Go with option 1. Sell both cars. Do not overcrowd the garage. Buy one great car now and another car for yourself 3-4 years down the line. You will have 3x the choice of today when you go out to buy your own car (not for parents).