Team-BHP - Driven: 5th-gen Hyundai Elantra

Quote:

Originally Posted by shivasuma (Post 2897378)

If you sold the i20, then going in for the Elantra makes sense. But, I would advise you to TD the Jetta (if you have not already done so). My initial budget was 15L and after TDing it, budget went all the way upto 24L (and then BMW for a little more was also under considerationstupid:). Its the temptation. Never ceases. The new cruze is also a good car but its lost it VFM tag. And lastly, we seem to have the same cars in our garage (I own an I20 crdi, a fiesta TDCi and now a Jetta CL). So do I see a Jetta in your garage?:D

clap: great minds think alike !
Haven't TDed Jetta, have a serious mind to do that before finalising ..
My budget is maxx limited to the upper end Elantra I.e. ~ 16.5 lacs .. What Jetta will I get in that ?!:Frustrati .
Meanwhile, went for the Cruze TD today and wifey didn't like the interiors A BIT although as expected I liked the drive/insulation/music system/solid feel/15000 Rs discount being offered.
The wife ,I think is spoilt by the ravishing looks of the Elantra/dual AC(good job!!)/very comfy seats/practical things like cup holders-arm rests/ventilated seats etc. I didn't like the poor quality audio/lighter ride/3 people cramped/3 people cannot use Audio remote in back seat/Underpowered(Vernaesque) engine pulling power/punch.. ( oh if only it was 1.8 or 2 l !).

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Originally Posted by drasitkhanna (Post 2897808)

3 people in the elantra?? Its a 2 seater effectively. So if you have regular need for 5 seats, I suggest you look elsewhere, Elantra is effectively a 4 seater.

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Originally Posted by tsk1979 (Post 2897826)

3 people in the elantra?? Its a 2 seater effectively. So if you have regular need for 5 seats, I suggest you look elsewhere, Elantra is effectively a 4 seater.

Yeah, that's what I mentioned -3 people will be cramped in the back seat. I have a family of 3 , and the third one is 9 months old, so no probs for me. :D. But for discussions sake , which car would suggest for me if say i had a family of 5 ? In context to my previous posts/likes. TIA.

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Originally Posted by TChandraShekar (Post 2899632)

Dear Friends.
Really confused between the Fluence and Elantra. Is the Elantra's engine at least better than the Fluence? Please help.

Elantra has better & sorted (indicators, etc on the correct side) interiors, apart from engine which appears more powerful on paper. Further, do consider the A.S.S. & resale issues, unless you want to hold on to the car for ages.

A test drive on similar road conditions can easily help you judge which is better handler. But, I felt the Fluence to be smaller from the inside (especially in the back) as compared to SX4 & City.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TChandraShekar

Dear Friends.
Really confused between the Fluence and Elantra. Is the Elantra's engine at least better than the Fluence? Please help.

I will not say Elantra's engine is better than the Fluence. Both are decent, and the 1.5 dci is quite a proven workhorse. IMHO, Fluence has got one of the best backseat in the segment, and overall the ride quality is excellent. And the handling is competent too. There is some French quirkiness, and there is a bit of beige overdose in the E4 trim. TD both the cars and choose the one which appeals you more. My vote goes for the Fluence :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by TChandraShekar (Post 2899632)

Dear Friends.
Really confused between the Fluence and Elantra. Is the Elantra's engine at least better than the Fluence? Please help.

I am not sure about the Diesel comparison, but the Fluence petrol is a fantastic car to drive. I TD the Hyundai diesel automatic and I was the verge of pulling my hair due to extremely slow responding engine. There was just no power or pull to make you enjoy the drive. It was taking it's own sweet time to accelerate and not that it did wonders post the 1800-200rpm mark. :deadhorse

For me such an under powered engine is a worry for the mere safety aspect of being able to overtake at the right time. But if you want the extra features and ok with driving around in an extremely relaxed and calm manner, then you may consider the Elantra. Also I have heard the new Fluence diesel is good enough to drive but cannot confirm this. Hope this helps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by TChandraShekar (Post 2899632)

Dear Friends.
Really confused between the Fluence and Elantra. Is the Elantra's engine at least better than the Fluence? Please help.

As with others, amongst these two, I would also suggest to look for Elantra. But we would be able to help you better if you could list your requirements as there are many more cars to choose from in that segment. Also, the C segment cars are well equipped these days to be considered.

TD drove the Diesel AT again - for wife's final approval :) This time I thought that the car is not that under powered. It is a little sluggish till 2000 RPM but post that it picks up. I test drove a bit on the highway and the rest in traffic conditions. Though it is loaded with features, but besides the air cooled seats and may be the phone bluetooth connectivity, there was not any major additional feature that the Cruze is not offering. Again this is from a self drive perspective and not being driven around.

I tried the phone connectivity from my Iphone and it was not really impressive - the voice reception was poor to the person on the other end. To my amusement the Hyundai representative asked me to raise my head higher towards the mike (right above the steering on the roof) and then speak. Obviously I would not like to raise my head that much and move my eyes away from the road.

I admit the air cooled seats would be a big advantage in peak summers. But for some reason I felt that I fitted better in the Cruze's driver seat. While driving on higher speeds (around 80-100 km/hr), I did not feel the drive to be that inspiring. The steering wheel felt very light which is not good for confidence and I was conscious about holding it firm so as to avoid it the car swaying. I am not sure how to put it in words, but the car and the drive just felt very breezy and not solid. In the stop go traffic you really do not need all the horses to kick in at once and therefore the lag at lower speeds can be ignored to a certain extent. But again the car seemed to lack the stability and solid feel of its competitors.

I hate saying this, but from a 'janta' perspective this car makes more sense and appears to be more practical. But since this time, I am looking to purchase a car that I can enjoy for self drive and at the same time be pampered with adequate amount of features and luxury.

I need to finally decide between the Cruze AT and Elantra diesel AT by this weekend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by locomoco (Post 2902147)

@drasitkhanna
Have booked the Jetta TSI in Goa.Waiting for the arrival of the vehicle which should happen anyday.Lovely car to drive ,much better driving experience compared to its competitors.Great handling,stability,elegant road prescence.Will be using it as a weekend / long distance drive vehicle ( have a jazz for the daily grind) .Go for it ifnyou are not obssesed by the diesel mania prevalent in our country.

congrats!,
i have no special love for diesel, specially since i already have a diesel rocket by the name of crdi i20 :-) ,,i would in fact prefer a petrol for this reason that the 'bigger' car would be driven less. How was your TD of the TSI(more details please! !) ? . Have u compared it with petrol elantra or Cruze? What is the on the on road price ? TIA! !

Quote:

Originally Posted by kch82 (Post 2902276)

Im in the same state of mind. I have now decided to wait for the updated cruze to be launched. I suggest you wait as well. Will get Bluetooth, Touchscreen and some additional features in that version. I read somewhere that it will come around Diwali.