[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.

Current Vehicles:
1. 2005 Santro Xing (1,28,000 kms)
Needs to be sold due to age and safety issues
2. 2014 Honda Amaze VX AT (1,08,000 kms)
In two minds about selling or keeping it as a second car. In need of new tyres as of now.

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

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

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.

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.


Please help me out with your suggestions!

[arnav17]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

I'll keep this simple.

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.


Dilemma:
4.Go for the Taigun and buy extended warranty to keep the DSG headache at bay for the time being.

Since the Amaze too has seen a lot of running, I would personally recommend selling both and getting the Taigun. You loved the engine and it is a good all rounder, barring the DSG issues which I can't comment much on. To me, this seems like the safest option of the lot, and VFM.

Good luck on your purchase

[ashivas89]

The Elevate is an excellent option. It is the car the GV/Hyryder NA twins should have been.

Don't let the CVT's rubber band effect fool you. This car can make swift progress especially evident when you check the mirrors after flooring it. It is faster than the Korean twins' NA engined variants and will easily smoke all Marutis. I have test driven all cars in this segment multiple times back to back. This car gets all the fundamentals right.

The last time I checked, a 1.5 turbo variant of any car in this segment is unavailable under 20L (OTR BLR) unless one is eligible for BH plates.

Considering the fact that your folks hang on to their cars for long, it would be wise to steer clear of turbo petrols/complex gearboxes.

Here's how I skinned the cat: Convinced dad to get himself a gen 5 City ZX CVT as his retirement wagon; got myself a Slavia DSG, thinking that we can swap occasionally if he feels the need for speed. That day has NEVER come so far.

______________________________________________

Alternative take:

While you may have "burnt your fingers" with an i20, the 19 year old Santro in your garage is a clear testament to Hyundai getting thigs right for the most part (We have owned 5 of them in the past, they had their fair share of niggles, but no nightmatres, thankfully).

The Creta and the Seltos offer a whole lot of feel good for 20L. Take the cars for a spin with your folks. See what they think.

[Chetan_Rao]

If your parents are going to be primary users of this car, it would be prudent to lean towards relatively fuss-free options. They'll likely neither care for the explosive 1.5 TSi motor nor the slick DSG, and it'll always be a sword hanging over the ownership experience (extended warranty doesn't mitigate being stranded or frequent ASC visits).

Buy for the primary users' use case and preferences, not yours.

[Red Liner]

Kia Carens Diesel Automatic.

[Sreesh1009]

Originally Posted by arnav17

Since the Amaze too has seen a lot of running, I would personally recommend selling both and getting the Taigun. You loved the engine and it is a good all rounder, barring the DSG issues which I can't comment much on. To me, this seems like the safest option of the lot, and VFM.

Good luck on your purchase

I really like the Taigun but the overall reliability and maintenance costs seem to be the only thing that come in the way of this wonderful machine.

Originally Posted by ashivas89

The Elevate is an excellent option. It is the car the GV/Hyryder NA twins should have been.

Don't let the CVT's rubber band effect fool you. This car can make swift progress especially evident when you check the mirrors after flooring it. It is faster than the Korean twins' NA engined variants and will easily smoke all Marutis. I have test driven all cars in this segment multiple times back to back. This car gets all the fundamentals right.

The last time I checked, a 1.5 turbo variant of any car in this segment is unavailable under 20L (OTR BLR) unless one is eligible for BH plates.

Considering the fact that your folks hang on to their cars for long, it would be wise to steer clear of turbo petrols/complex gearboxes.

I will test drive the Elevate once I get the opportunity. I agree with your point about keeping things fuss-free and simple.

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

If your parents are going to be primary users of this car, it would be prudent to lean towards relatively fuss-free options. They'll likely neither care for the explosive 1.5 TSi motor nor the slick DSG, and it'll always be a sword hanging over the ownership experience (extended warranty doesn't mitigate being stranded or frequent ASC visits).
Buy for the primary users' use case and preferences, not yours.

I agree with you. I felt that the Taigun would be an upgrade in the comfort and power aspect and would make their long drives less tiring and enjoyable.

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Kia Carens Diesel Automatic.

I did take a look at the Carens today. There are two reasons for me not considering it:
A. The price of the car itself, it retails at 22L+ in Bangalore
B. Reliability and cost of maintenance. I've read a lot of posts on the forum about how Korean cars aren't built to last and lack the 'quality' they once had.

[self_driven]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

Reliability and cost of maintenance. I've read a lot of posts on the forum about how Korean cars aren't built to last and lack the 'quality' they once had.

Well, Koreans were never really built-to-last. Rather, your statement holds true for the latest crop of products from the Volkswagen Group. The attention-to-detail in some of their models is laughable, and you'll find niggles you'd have never imagined in a German car. I'd go on to say that Koreans in this price range are in fact better put together than the 'Indianized' German cars out there

[vattyboy]

Originally Posted by self_driven

Well, Koreans were never really built-to-last. Rather, your statement holds for the latest crop of products from the Volkswagen Group. The attention to detail in some of their models is laughable, and you'll find niggles you'd have never imagined in a German car. I'd go on to say that Koreans in this price range are better put together than the 'Indianized' German cars out there

True, I am maintaining one German car, 1 American, 2 Koreans and 1 Japanese.

I can say from experience that Koreans are the best in the 20-25 lakh range, they get all the bells and whistles and all the features that you get work smoothly without any niggles, unlike Indian Car manufacturers. And other than regular service they don't need any extra maintenance like premature parts failure etc.

I suggest you go and test drive Creta and Seltos. They both are better to drive than Honda Elevate and even their after sales service is better than Honda. .

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

I've read a lot of posts on the forum about how Korean cars aren't built to last and lack the 'quality' they once had.

Maybe safety isn't their strong suit but in their defence, the quality of materials and general fit and finsh is rather good!

[Vishal.R]

Hyundai/Kia, TATA and Mahindra are most active in this segment, so excluding all three means very limited choice.

Taigun 1.5 and XL6 are opposite end of spectrum.

Taigun 1.0 with TC seems to be best compromise, with less probability of having issues compared to DSG and with batter performance compared to XL6.

[Axe77]

My first instinctive recommendation was the Kia Carens D/AT. But you seem to have reservations against the Koreans. My second suggestion would be the Honda Elevate - but that will mean a bit of a compromise on performance thrills in highway driving.

[Col Mehta]

I suggest avoiding turbo engines and complex gearboxes like DSG/DCT, especially if your parents will be driving the car frequently. Opting for a NA petrol engine with CVT/IVT, as recommended by others too, will be a good option.

Hyundai Creta and KIA Seltos with 1.5 NA IVT will be my first recommendations. Simple yet very efficient engine and gearbox combo. Plus they offer more than decent performance. Don’t worry about Koreans being not built to last. I drive a 2015 Creta and it has been a fuss free ownership from day 1. And it still feels as good as new when it comes to driving experience and overall quality.

As a second option, the Honda Elevate with the same configuration is worth considering, although it may lack the premium feel of the Korean models, which could be a deciding factor for you or your parents.

[greyhound82]

My suggestions

1. Hyundai/Creta twins: nothing beats the value-for-money composition of these two. Wide engine range with very refined motors and amazing fit and finish. If they reinforced the structure for better safety standards, nothing beat them below 20 lakhs

2. Maruti Vitara: I will say, in AWD avatar this is the best touring machine out there below 20 lakhs. With ample ground clearance, a cruiser-friendly engine( you can easily do 100kmph all day long, a 4-star rated stable platform with 6 airbags, awesome Maruti reliability and wide sales. This is one car you can take to any circuit in India

[AMG Power]

The new Sonet Diesel Manual now with the higher powered version of the diesel engine. Starts at 11.** on road. Powerful, fast, good handler, extremely good FE.

The KIA Seltos Diesel Manual, also newly introduced and reasonably priced.

As for the Koreans not being good enough, that is incorrect and they are as reliable as Honda or Maruti.

[bijims]

I have got a couple of suggestions for you:

1. Toyota Urban Cruiser Hyryder S Hybrid
If you can find one that can be delivered to you soon, the Hyryder Hybrid would be a frugal and reliable choice costing around 20.65 lakh on-road.

2. Honda Elevate ZX CVT
The Elevate meets most of your requirements and would be a good buy considering the overall package and price point at which it is offered more than the rock-solid Honda reliability.

If you want a 6 or 7-seater, the Kia Carens would be the best choice by far in this segment, in terms of power, space or features, do take a test drive and see how it goes.