[Akshay1234]

Introduction to the cars


The Laura vRS is pretty much a normal Laura TSI + a few goodlies like xenons, a sunroof, touchscreen, sports interiors and a bodykit. It even has a same engine. Its still no slouch though, the engine is free revving and 160bhp feels more than enough. The bodykit on the car is subtle yet the people who should notice it will notice it, and the LEDs look hot. Its a car we bought to replace the Innova which was just sold. Since we didn't need a big car at the moment the choice was between this and the Elegance DSG. Already having one diesel A/T in the house, I decided to convince the others in the house for the vRS since theres nothing like a fun manual petrol car. I would get it for the nights which it would be used in the day with the driver driving it. All in all its great for that, the suspension is not hard enough (at least with 16" rims) for it to be uncomfortable for passengers, and yet for quick night driving the handling is upto the mark. The car has done 1900 odd kms till date.


Now the Accord I've had for over 2 years, and it is used only by me. It had some weaknesses, namely bad braking power and handling which was not upto the mark. Those two have been rectified by me - I installed Koni shock absorbers, and Hawk HPS brake pads and they totally transformed the car and raised the fun quotient by a whole lot. The car also has a K&N typhoon kit and upsized rims and tyres among other little things. If there is one downer to this its the mileage, which is around 5.5kmpl in the city. Out of town IF driven lazily it can give around 10 or more, but its never driven like that so 7.5 is what I get. The V6 engine is a gem with loads of power, a mid range which would make you think its turbocharged, and enough of torque to never feel underpowered. I won't be mentioning these mods everywhere but I am taking them into consideration in the comparison. This car has done a shade over 22k kms.


As for the 320D it was a bonus car. While replacing the Innova we ended up with this first, and then the Laura which was the actual replacement. The first time I took a test drive of this car I was sold, the go kart like driving position and the revv happy nature of the diesel made driving it so much fun. It just made a comparison with the C250cdi unfair when it came to driving pleasure. The Bimmer has a pretty stiff ride, but its still useable everyday though a person who is not an enthusiast will get irritated. Its the most fun car in traffic thanks to the torque and the A/T, you can just dart into any gap you see with no effort. It handles like its on rails (Yes this is said a lot, but it truly applies to this car) and is bloody stable even at 200kmph. The rear wheel drive and tail happy nature of the car has made me enjoy every moment driving it. The 3 has done 4300 odd kms till date.


The Punto replaced a Getz which we had. It was between this and the i20 and the Polo. We wanted a diesel hatch and I knew the Punto had the best ride and handling, so what if it was a bit slower than the Swift. That could be cured with a Petes box (which hasn't happened yet, and probably never will). It also had the best features in its class. Unfortunately the 90bhp hadn't come out at that time or it would have been here instead of this. Anywaaay, this car is slow compared to the others in this comparison, but I still enjoy driving it. Because I don't have to worry about low pro tyres, or scraping stuff, or anything. And its still pretty fun to drive. The ride is great, and it outhandles any hatch at the moment. Also it can move quickly if you push it. The Punto has done 15k kms till date in almost 2 years.

Now I'm going to compare the cars on the basis of acceleration and braking, handling, features, overall quality, fun to drive nature. This is probably going to be a very confusing comparo since I am pretty confused myself LOL

[Akshay1234]

Acceleration

Its very, very difficult to figure out which is the quickest, because whichever one I'm driving feels pretty fast at that moment so comparing it is difficult. Now the claimed 0-100 for the Bimmer is 7.6, the vRS has been tested by Autocar in the low 8s, same for the V6. The Punto is about double of those so I'm leaving it out of this.

The 3 is probably the quickest to the ton, thanks to its RWD setup. Between the vRS and the Accord I think both are very similar to a 100, because both have wheelspin in first, and pull like crazy in second. The Accord of course does it with much more drama and might just have the edge here. After a 100 the Accord demolishes the vRS, but the 320 is about as fast as the Accord till 180 where it takes the lead. The 100nm extra torque helps the 320D cross 200 the fastest here. Don't get me wrong, all 3 of these cross 200 with relative ease.

The Accord has the most drama here because of the K&N which sounds great, while the 320D is the silent killer. You don't hear the engine or much of any outside noise. The vRS too, its just too silent a car but still there is some amount of engine noise near the redline.

When it comes to in gear acceleration, the Accord is beaten because the other 2 are turbocharged. The V6 has instant power on tap, but cannot match the pull of the other 2 once their turbos spool. From something like 40-100 in kickdown, the Accord would eat up even the 320D, because of that midrange. Theres no replacement for displacement.

Now those 3 aside, the Punto is quite a slouch. It doesn't sound like it likes to be revved and is happy lazily acceleration at half or 3/4 throttle. It isn't thaaat slow, ok who am I kidding, it is, especially compared to the other cars here. It tops of at about 160 and acceleration upto 140 is acceptable after which its a bore.

Braking

When it comes to shedding speed, the BMW wins here. The pedal feel is not that good but the brakes bite at any speed and bring you down to sane speeds very fast. It gives you that confidence to push more knowing you will be able to slow down in case anything pops up. Over here the pads do need about 2-3 mins to get warmed up before they bite fully.

The vRS has the best pedal feel here. Though if braking hard to a stop you do wish there was a bit more braking power, probably due to the 205s on this car. With 225s like the other 2 I'm sure this would be taken care off. On this car the brakes bite perfectly from the word go, and the brake pedal is the most sensitive here.

With stock brakes, the Accord was a nightmare with brake fade and shuddering after even 5 mins of driving fast. After installing the Hawks, its become so much better than stock its unbelievable. Pedal feel is average, but man the behemoth of an Accord can stop now. Its a separate issue the pads have worn out in 5k kms and I've already ordered another set. Once I had to slam the brakes at 180 and the way it came down to 100 was crazy. Again these are in comparison to the stock brakes, and the vRS and the 320D shed speed faster than this. Pads need 5-10 mins to warm, and you need to press the pedal a lot before that. But for full bite some spirited driving is required after which the pedal becomes pretty sensitive.

Punto brakes are too much for the little engine. You cannot get yourself fast enough to be in any trouble. The brakes can handle all this engine can give and more. Pedal feel again is just average but the car can stop. This and the Accord brakes lose speed about as quickly as each other, and I don't mean that in a bad way.

[Akshay1234]

Handling/Suspension

The vRS has a very good suspension setup for most roads. It takes small and medium bumps in its stride and doesn't let you know about them. Bigger bumps or sharp bumps get a loud thud and can unsettle the car around a corner. The body roll is controlled, but still can be felt. The steering lacks feel so it is not very confidence inspiring, but outright grip on the corners is good. Again with wider tires it would be much better. The high speed stability is very good so is the sound insulation, and bumps are taken care of easily. On the expressway you don't need to slow down for anything.

Konis do make the low speed ride a bit stiff, but above a 100 nothing can stop the Accord. Those big bumps on marine drive cannot be felt at all, and the stability is as good as its European counterparts but much more ambient noise filters in. The handling too has improved tremendously, and even though the shocks are more than halfway towards their softest setting body roll is hardly there and with the Advan Sports gripping you can keep pushing the car. I've never heard the Advans squeal on any corner till date, and that says a lot.

The Bimmer has the stiffest suspension here. It can get uncomfortable at low speeds, and anything more than a small bump will give you a thud. It does get a bit unsettled over bumps on corners, but not as much as the vRS. On a smooth road, this suspension is the bomb. Nothing can stop it, the car handles like a dream and urges you to push it more. It doesn't feel like its getting close to the limit even at insane speeds on corners. The stiffness is also largely due to runflats, when I switch them the comfort should improve a fair amount. High speed stability is the best in this car on a smooth road, but it can get a bit bouncy with an uneven road.

Now what can I say about the Punto? It has the best low and mid speed ride here, I can drive it carelessly without slowing down for any bumps besides the really big ones, knowing nothing will happen to the suspension. It is actually like a magic carpet. At higher speeds too it is very stable, but when taking a corner you cannot do the speeds you would in the other 3, the car understeers and the tyres scream.

[Akshay1234]

Features

The 3 rules the roost here, with loads and loads of features. Its got a 6cd changer, another single cd player. 2 usb ports, one dock for which you can buy BMW cradles and integrate your phone into the iDrive system. iDrive is very useful providing you all the info about your media, and the car that you could want. Also all the settings can be changed from here. There is also a TV tuner on which DD channels can be watched. The 10 speaker hifi system sounds clear but the bass is lacking and could be better. The power seats with memory + mirror memory are super useful. There is nothing really missing over here.

Skoda has missed out some important things on the vRS like bluetooth, steering wheel controls and climate control which is unforgivable. But the touchscreen is nice to use, the speakers are great and the sunroof is a nice add on. A full MID is available. The xenons on this car corner too, unlike the BMW where they are just auto levelling. LED DRLs on the outside look hot and get as many stares as the angel eyes on the BMW.

Now the Accord is missing out on bluetooth and an MID. But it has cruise control which none of the others have. It also has powered seats which the vRS misses, although without memory. It was priced more than the vRS when it was new. I've added xenons to this car, and a banging music system and it sounds really good.

Safety wise ABS and seat belt pre-tensioners are a given. All 3 have traction control, though the BMW has 2 settings for it. The Accord has 2 airbags, while the vRS has 4 and the Bimmer 6.

The air conditioning on the Accord is the best, followed by the 3, with the vRS and Punto tied for third. On the Skoda the compressor cuts of very fast with even a little revving of the engine and that hampers cooling on a hot day.

As for the Punto the little thing is jam packed with features, its got bluetooth, a full MID, climate control and even steering mounted controls. You never feel like you are missing something even after driving the other cars. At the price it is brilliant with so many features.

[Akshay1234]

Overall quality/Reliability

Reliability is possibly the most important here, and the Accord being a Jap comes in first. Its a 2007 model and nothing out of the ordinary has gone wrong with it. Though the interiors do not feel as solid as the Europeans, the plastic quality is good. The build quality again is nothing great, though it is better than say a Civic. I think the suspension of a Honda is its weak link, its not built to take any abuse and parts wear out quickly on it unlike the engine which will keep running.

The Skoda has good quality interiors, they feel solid and I don't think they will age badly. The build quality is a step above the Accord though due to being a notchback there are noises that filter in through the boot. Also I had a squeak on this car, and a rattle from the passenger seat which is still present. There seems to be a whine when the AC is switched on which I will have to show to Skoda. Nothing as such to worry about and hopefully the Skoda will not give me many problems.

BMW have done well for themselves by launching BSI, in which you don't have to pay a rupee for servicing, or do you? I was made to pay some 5k for AC fumigation at the first service which apparently doesn't come under BSI. I'm not happy about that, but what the hell its over and done with now. The car otherwise feels the most solid and inspite of its stiff ride has no rattles till date. The doors shut with that solid damped sound. The leather used here is the best quality and so is the wooden trim. Plastics are acceptable to me, though some think a car this price deserves better.

Fiat has to go up their game when it comes to plastics, the black colour seems to be fading on the interior plastics. But besides that the car seems to be solid with no rattles as such. The fabric on the seats is of high quality and has aged well unlike the plastics. THe car has been for 2 services, with some suspension related components being replaced under warranty. Engine wise its been perfect.

[Akshay1234]

Fun to drive

There is no winner to this comparison, they are all good in their own way.

The Accord for when I want a nice NA engine. It revvs like a beast and the K&N sounds heavenly. I drive this car when I want to just mess around and play some loud music.

The 320D with its torque and rear wheel drive just keeps me swinging the tail out on every chance I get. In traffic its great fun darting into gaps. The handling too is phenomenal and it demolishes twisty roads.

The vRS is for when I feel like driving a slick manual car. The engine is powerful and acceleration is good. Mated with the manual box its a real cracker to drive.

And last but not the least the Punto, its for the other times when I need a small car or I just feel like driving in a carefree way. For the other cars I have to slow down and watch out for bumps etc. In this I can just fly over them thanks to the suspension. Also the good handling and braking manages to keep me entertained and make up for the comparative slowness.

Anyway guys thanks for reading, if there is anything else I can add do tell me.

[Vid6639]

Moderator's note: Thread moved from Assembly Line to ownership section. Thanks for Sharing!

[rameshnanda]

Awesome pictures. A neat comparison report indeed. Thanks for sharing this Akshay. I personally liked the corona rings picture.

[narry]

Note from Mod: There are several spelling & grammatical errors in your posts. This negatively affects the board experience for other readers.

Kindly ensure that you proof-read your posts prior to submission. Also, it would be a good idea to use spell-checkers.

[DevilsCry]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

The 320D with its torque and rear wheel drive just keeps me swinging the tail out on every chance I get. In traffic its great fun darting into gaps. The handling too is phenomenal and it demolishes twisty roads.

Great comparo! Just few days ago I had posted in "Suggestions to T-BHP" thread that they should encourage members to post comparos of their cars. And you already answered my wish

From your thread, I can't get clear idea about turbo-lag (or lack of it) in your BMW. My main question is-

Does the 320D's turbo manage to spool just in time to cover a distance of 2 meters quickly from standstill? If yes then at how many RPM does the turbo start spooling? Asking because in bumper-to-bumper traffic, I often need to charge ahead quickly to prevent a car from another lane from cutting into my lane.

Most cars are a disappointment in this department. For example, petrol Suzuki Swift takes ~1.6sec in reaching 0-20kph, making it a pain to drive in heavy traffic. Diesel Swift is even worse since turbo simply refuses to engage until 3000RPM. Really few cars like Ford Figo (both petrol and diesel) takes mere ~0.7sec to reach 0-20kph.

As far as I can make out from your comparo, if given a choice, I would love to pick the Accord V6 among your cars to drive around

[mayankjha1806]

@narry, i kindof agree that such a comparison is a tad unfair to the poor Punto, but still like such comparisons which are not segment specific and are flexible with budget etc, as it helps buyers like me who just have budget in mind (that too a rough budget) and then go out shopping with whats the best i can buy.

I was happy to see Punto have a few positives as compared to the rest of them which are 4+ times its price as quoted below.

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Handling/Suspension
It has the best low and mid speed ride here, I can drive it carelessly without slowing down for any bumps besides the really big ones, knowing nothing will happen to the suspension.

Excellent comparison Akshay, was happy to see a Jap being up there with the 3, and in some cases being better then the 3. I would be very interested to see how this comparison evolves over next 20-40K Kms (and maybe higher) will Accord continue to beat the Skoda/BMW when it comes to reliability? Currently others haven't even crossed 10K while the Accord is at 22K.

[KarthikK]

Fantastic thread, was fun to read through it and the pictures are amazing.

Originally Posted by akshay1234

if there is anything else I can add do tell me.

Could you also add some more sections of non-technical stuff like A/C effectiveness, the OEM headlamp effectiveness, after-sales service experience, OEM ICE quality, etc (especially the vRs, accord and 320d). Could be helpful to a few.

Also, very few photos here, do not do justice to the 4 beauties. We need a proper photoshoot , especially of the 3 series. It looks droolworthy man

[S.MJet]

As a Punto owner I am delighted to see Punto being compared with the three biggies & have done pretty well except for the acceleration.

I won’t know much about the other three, but solid built, ride & handling are big plus points of Punto which attracts enthusiast attention.

Thanks for this cross segment comparison.

Here’s couple of pictures, a match to your gallery shared above.

[raj_5004]

This is the first time I am seeing your humble Punto. Thanks for that!

Somehow I like your Accord more than your Bimmer!

[Harbir]

in the US, I lived and died for 3 series cars, but here I won't touch one because the AT is an abomination in this car. Where you there is no Fun to Drive winner, let me tell you, if the BMW was a 3 pedal car, you wouldn't dream of saying such a thing.

This is not to disparage your choice of the 3 series or the suitability of the AT for people who buy the AT. But as a driver's choice, the car to have is the stick shift but BMW doesn't sell those here.

That makes a BMW a complete non-entity for me in the Indian market.

While in the US, I never owned an automatic transmission car, in Indian traffic conditions, there are very very few cars that I would choose with a manual instead of an automatic and the 3 series is one of them.