[gmalik30]

Thanks Himanshu and D4d for your extensive feedback. I agree ass for Chevrolet is very poor and resale value is the lowest in the market. Had been to the Chevy dealer in gurgaon and he has quoted on road price of 17.5 l for Cruze top end model. Captiva anyway production is slow from behind and have dropped the plan for captiva. Alternatively have contacted VW for Jetta and they have quoted 21 l for diesel top end model. Though they have not yet got back. I have not looked at the elantra at diesel model but have heard good feedbacks. Still stuck will keep you updated but guess the entire process is slow and painful.

[car_crazy1400]

I was in the same dilemma, about replacing my Dad's 5-year old Innova ( All original, Original Clutch , done 1.26 lac kms, no issues). & I already have a fortuner (Done 73k kms & no issues).

So, after much pondering & discussions , have decided to book a Fortuner AT for him.

Yes, its similar to the Innova on the insides & is same as my old '10 Fortuner besides the Headunit.

But its Still very reliable, good fun to drive on highways , besides the jumpy ride at low speeds & poor brakes at speeds.

But Me & my father were not willing to put down 33 lacs on a Hyundai ( No offences , but the brand does not exude the confidence with the price being asked).

Waiting for the facelifted ML Class now

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by gmalik30

Had been to the Chevy dealer in ggn and he has quoted on road price of 17.5 l for Cruze top end model. Captiva anyway production is slow frm behind and have dropped the plan for captiva. Alternatively have contacted VW for Jetta and they have quoted 21 l for diesel top end model. Though they have not yet got back. I have not looked at the elantra at diesel model but have heard good feedbacks. Still stuck will keep you updated but guess the entire process is slow and painful.

Now that you have somewhat decided to drop any SUV, plans, do check out the Renault Fluence which is IMO, the most sensible option in the D1 segment

[gmalik30]

I took test drive of the Rexton and in my view it was okay....not too impressed if I am paying 23 L. Pick up was a big issue and yes I could hear Diesel engine noise while driving. Space is an issue if the seat is pushed back the person sitting behind might be cramped for space. Positives was a comfortable drive shockers were real good and the sales guy was prompt quick and convincing unlike the Chevy or VW guys.

[anoopsaxena76]

Hi,
I am in a dilemma regarding the choice of the car/SUV. Following are the details on my budget, usage etc.

Budget: 20 - 22 Lacs.
Stretch budget - 25 Lacs
Background - I usually drive long distance. I have a Ford Ikon 2003 with only 60000 Kms since I used it primarily on highways. It is in an excellent condition. That time and for a long time we were 3 (and then 4) members. Now my parents have moved to be with us. So a total of 6 members. I am split between exceptionally comfortable seating versus features. Parents are not comfortable traveling long distances. But Mumbai - Pune is a route I travel every week and they could be part of this. However since it is a small route, I can relax the comfort criteria a bit.

Long distance travel is about 700kms or about one way. So ride comfort and baggage space become a priority.

Any other consideration? Safety. Front and side airbags are a must.

What kind of a driver I am? I am not in adrenalin rush stuff. I like to cruise. I am happy letting someone go past me but not because my car can't accelerate enough to over take but because I would rather drive at my own pace.

What did I look at?
I started with Tata Aria as it was the "entry" for the various safety features. Apparently it has sufficient space too. However, I would like to think that just as the Ford Ikon has been an excellent vehicle for me for 11 years (and still going strong). TATA (or Mahindra) may not have enough in them to last that long even if I put in only 60000 odd kms! Thats just my opinion and I could be wrong.

I considered Renault Koleos (but its poor sales may make Renault withdraw it in the future??), Chevrolet Captiva etc.

Then I went to 180 degree different viewpoint and wondered if I should consider Skoda Octavia or the like (perhaps an A3 if its price point is right?) They are extremely well built cars and have great safety features.

So the gist is, for me buying a car / SUV implies a long lasting relationship. And between comfort seating versus 10-15 years of forgetting about a new car is the balance I am unable to make out in my budget.


My questions.
1.) Are there any "to be launched soon" vehicles that can fit my budget? And that can fit my criteria?
2.) How about pre-owned / certified cars? I have no idea if they cost about the same or significantly lower than a new one.
3.) Since I work in Mumbai and go back to Pune over the weekends, I can buy a car at either place. Does it make a difference in the cost, the dealership, the service etc?

Thanks for any and all help,
Anoop

[Akshay1234]

Here's a question, you have 6 people so it won't be comfortable in any sedan if everyone decides to travel. How about buying 2 cars?

Your first one can be something like a Honda Mobilio, which will seat 6 in comfort. This can be for your long drives or when everyone needs to travel together.

And you could buy another car for your daily usage, and when there are less people in the car? Here you can get something like a Vento TSI that will be fun to drive and yet practical with its DSG box. Otherwise you could go pre owned and try and find a Jetta or a Laura (I saw an ad for a 7k km done Laura L&K in Mumbai for around 13-14).

If its only going to be one car, then I don't know if its worth buying something like an Aria which will give you issues. Something like an Octavia would be great, but then it won't have the space you want. Unless you can do with less space?

[anoopsaxena76]

With 6 people I wouldn't be traveling long distance. I usually do Pune Bhopal, Pune Hyderabad, Pune Baroda, Pune Jaipur. My parents can not be taxed that long. :(

That is the reason why I was inclined to think of Octavia as an option. And as for a 2nd car, the Ikon is serving me great. ( Just as an aside, its battery lasted 10 years! )

So for Pune - Mumbai (actually Vashi) trip, I was wondering if I can rent something out if all need to travel! As I said, I do not have a good answer. Just a dilemma.

Regards,
Anoop

[ToyotaFan]

I am not too sure in Maharashtra taxes but u got my fortuner 4*4 for 25L on road and I believe the vehicle fits your bill. You can go in for AT if not into off roading which is a bit cheaper and might fit the budget. Car will give you peace of mind for easily a decade and the maintenance costs are lesser than anything in the segment. It has ample space for your luggage and is good for long distance travel too. Just a suggestion if you can live without the side/curtain airbags which toyota conveniently chose to omit.

[latentpotential]

Originally Posted by anoopsaxena76

Hi,
I am in a dilemma regarding the choice of the car/SUV. Following are the details on my budget, usage etc.
...

How old are your parents? Would a high GC vehicle be comfortable for them regarding ingress and egress? You mention a usage pattern of up to 10 years for the new vehicle, you should ideally give this a thought.

My considerations in a similar situation were many, but this turned out to be super important, since aged parents, grandparents find it very difficult to climb into a vehicle, also stoop into a very low GC vehicle.

[GrammarNazi]

Aria is a cross-over of a Sedan & SUV, ofcourse it fits the bill. You probably know all the features etc if you've researched about it.

But then you say you doubt it'll last even 60k kms, whereas IIRC Aria has warranty upto 100k kms, let alone 60k kms!

They've also got a new clutch system thats said to last ~70k kms. The car has 205mm GC, yet they've somhow managed a low floorboard that one can *almost* walk into.

You'll get front & side curtain airbags only in Aria. For ~17.5L OTR you'll probably get the 4x4 Pride version with all bells and whistles. A car that scored 4/5 stars in EuroNCAP.

Even with Innova I don't think you'll get anything decent as resale value (if thats a factor) after even after 8-9years, let alone 15yrs! Also, its terribly under powered and doesn't return great mileage too (as much as mileage doesn't matter, it matters atleast for Range).

Until you get out of the dilemma, I suggest you try out renting options from companies like ZoomCar or CarzOnRent.

[anoopsaxena76]

GrammarNazi -
Agree it has a warranty but somehow that does not translate to replacing an under performing or a degraded engine after a while. And as I mentioned its just my opinion and I could be wrong.

LatentPotential -
Yes that is an important consideration. I have considered it. But I would think that is a problem anytime I want to carry my whole family along.

ToyotaFan -
Thanks. I have considered this as an option. Is there a new update on it to be launched?

[ToyotaFan]

Originally Posted by anoopsaxena76

GrammarNazi -

ToyotaFan -
Thanks. I have considered this as an option. Is there a new update on it to be launched?

A new fortuner is atleast a couple of years away. There is still no news of the new innova which still looks to be an year away. The new fortuner 2014 now has a better interior color combination and the 5 speed AT is also pretty good.

[anoopsaxena76]

Thank you ToyotaFan. I am not looking at Innova at all actually. Only Fortuner, but lack of side airbags is a huge dampener. :(

[D4D]

Originally Posted by anoopsaxena76

Budget: 20 - 22 Lacs.
Stretch budget - 25 Lacs
...
Long distance travel is about 700kms or about one way. So ride comfort and baggage space become a priority.

Please take fortuner of the list. The ride quality is bad.

Any other consideration? Safety. Front and side airbags are a must.

Only XUV 500 and Santa Fe are the 7 seaters in(and slightly above) your budget which provide side-airbags

What kind of a driver I am? I am not in adrenalin rush stuff. I like to cruise. I am happy letting someone go past me but not because my car can't accelerate enough to over take but because I would rather drive at my own pace.

IMHO, Innova suits you then. It's got very good ride quality. But no side airbags. Wait for the new one. It's spied in India.

I considered Renault Koleos (but its poor sales may make Renault withdraw it in the future??), Chevrolet Captiva etc.

5 seaters, but they can still do the job. Can't ferry six people though.

Then I went to 180 degree different viewpoint and wondered if I should consider Skoda Octavia or the like (perhaps an A3 if its price point is right?) They are extremely well built cars and have great safety features.

Skoda Octavia is a good choice if the dealers are good. Else consider Corolla Petrol and use the remaining $$$ on petrol. Elantra diesel is there, but I wouldn't suggest that.

So the gist is, for me buying a car / SUV implies a long lasting relationship. And between comfort seating versus 10-15 years of forgetting about a new car is the balance I am unable to make out in my budget.

In this case, buy a Japanese car.

My questions.
1.) Are there any "to be launched soon" vehicles that can fit my budget? And that can fit my criteria?

Can you wait for the new Innova?

2.) How about pre-owned / certified cars? I have no idea if they cost about the same or significantly lower than a new one.

A prado? Only if side airbags are a must.

Originally Posted by ToyotaFan

There is still no news of the new innova which still looks to be an year away

A member of Team-BHP has seen it.

[ToyotaFan]

Originally Posted by D4D

.
A member of Team-BHP has seen it.

That wasn't the case when i wrote that. Seeing the spy pics the new innova does look exciting.