[H_Dogg72]

Originally Posted by bhaskaracs

Yes, I never even sat on one, let alone driving one. I understand the pun, but I wasn't comparing the 1.8 TSi with a dZire; rather I was stacking it up against a Hyundai Tuscon 2.0crdi. It appears like a rich enthusiast's car.

Compare diesel with diesel 2.0tdi.
Octavia 1.8 is definitely for someone who's not bothered with fuel costs, sir. My Polo TSI gives 5-6 in traffic and that's with speed 97. Running costs are high, but people know what they're getting into when they purchase the car.
The 1.8 is a locomotive, especially with a stage 2 map (again, if you're not bothered with the DSG giving up a bit earlier due to the higher torque).

Life's too short to drive boring cars

[bhaskaracs]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Ok in the sub 25 lakh segment:

Driving Pleasure = Petrol Octy
Fuel Efficiency = Diesel Octy

If you want both (under 25 lakh), there is one car - Chevy Cruze AT. Recently test drove one for a friend - I was blown away! It felt faster than my Laura TSi (even though the numbers on paper don't say so). What a stonker of an engine and a good 6 speed AT. Buy it while the stock lasts. The new Cruze will most likely come with 1.6L engine!

I drove Cruze a few times in the past and the reason I did not consider it when I was shopping for a D segment AT in 2014 was its relatively higher turbo lag even compared to Elantra. While the lag improved from 2012 model, I found it a tad cumbersome to drive it in city. Jetta was out of consideration because of the imminent 2015 facelift. Octavia was never in consideration because there was a lot of bad press for Skoda for its ASS and DSG in 2014. In my circles, it was a brave decision to buy a Skoda then.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by H_Dogg72

Life's too short to drive boring cars

Absolutely.

Originally Posted by bhaskaracs

I drove Cruze a few times in the past and the reason I did not consider it when I was shopping for a D segment AT in 2014 was its relatively higher turbo lag even compared to Elantra. While the lag improved from 2012 model, I found it a tad cumbersome to drive it in city.

I didn't find any lag. And if you can live with the 1.6 Elantra, then all I can say is life would have been much happier in Cruze

Always buy the fastest car in the given budget. You can always drive a fast car slow, but you can never drive a slow car fast

[bhaskaracs]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Absolutely.



I didn't find any lag. And if you can live with the 1.6 Elantra, then all I can say is life would have been much happier in Cruze

Always buy the fastest car in the given budget. You can always drive a fast car slow, but you can never drive a slow car fast

Elantra AT has lower lag than Cruze. Surprising but true. And don't worry about me, I am very happy with Elantra which offers me the best balance of power (yes, you heard it right; and you have to spend time with a car to be able to meaningfully review it and not just based on one or two drives), FE (more than Octavia TDI DSG) and peace of mind.

To each his own!

[H_Dogg72]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Absolutely.



I didn't find any lag. And if you can live with the 1.6 Elantra, then all I can say is life would have been much happier in Cruze

Always buy the fastest car in the given budget. You can always drive a fast car slow, but you can never drive a slow car fast

Amen to that, brother!
The 2L in the Cruze is a stonker indeed, and there's so much more potential with remaps and tuning boxes. Personally I would pick it over the city and add in some mods, but nothing beats the Octavia petrol in the 24L bracket. Insane car, super fast, and loaded to the gills ( a stark contrast to the more expensive entry level Germans, looking at you 320i without a reverse camera ��)

Originally Posted by bhaskaracs

Elantra AT has lower lag than Cruze. Surprising but true. And don't worry about me, I am very happy with Elantra which offers me the best balance of power (yes, you heard it right; and you have to spend time with a car to be able to meaningfully review it and not just based on one or two drives), FE (more than Octavia TDI DSG) and peace of mind.

To each his own!

See that's the thing, everyone has different needs. You prefer better service and FE, whereas there are others who want a stinkin' fast car that can beat/stay head to head with cars costing 20L more.

But I disagree on the judging the car on one or two drives. All it takes is one drive to figure out what the gearbox, engine and chassis is capable of. A car that does 12second 0-100 won't magically be better than 7 second car after living with it a month or so. On paper specs are definitely important, then the final test drive lays the foundation.
Eg. The Verna diesel on paper is faster than the vento, yet the vento 1.6 TDI blows it away in dynamics and feel good factor.

Regarding the reliability part, it's like a known thing that in the 2nd or 3rd year of ownership the car *might* stay out of service for 7-15 days for the mechatronic replacement (under warranty) personally, I'm ok with that because I get to enjoy the manic DSG for the rest of the period. Have a jazz in the family, and good lord no scope of reliability can make me drive that CVT as a daily drive. It's just boring and lazy and slow , but then again, for some, that's the perfect car.
Edit : octy TDI DSG 20km/L Elantra at : 19km/L

[sandeepsarma]

Originally Posted by bhaskaracs

One of the best onwership reviews I read in a long time.

I am concerned about the the fuel efficiency which is less than 6kmpl on Petrol?

Thank you. Well the fuel efficiency was actually pretty low for the initial week or so of ownership apart from the highway drive. Perhaps the car was coming into its own or perhaps my driving style was too laidback and being careful in order to learn the dimensions of the car. Nowdays, I'm getting around 7-8 most of the time. Worst cases being 6.5 and best being around 9 in Bangalore city. Considering that my Vento used to give me around 8-9 on most days, I think that this is more than acceptable. The Octavia is more easy to drive while being more fun too at the same time so that's a big bonus. So between 6-9 cost per km is anywhere between 12-8 rupees in the city but the cost per smile is priceless and I have many of that when I'm driving this beast

I can understand the practical approach of thinking but I'd never be happy owning a Hyundai. The build quality is too poor and the driving dynamics on their cars itself are bad at high speeds. Can't imagine how the SUVs are.

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

What I can make out of this post is that you have never driven the 1.8 TSi

For bumper to bumper traffic, the most economical option will be to take a bus or a train or book Ola. If one must drive in bumper to bumper traffic, Marutis equipped with the national engine and AMT are unbeatable with their 20+ kmpl real world fuel economy and supreme left knee comfort A colleague drives a DZire AMT to office and sends me a picture of his MFD every day which shows 21/22/23 kmpl. I drive the same distance to the same office and have no picture to share with him!

Totally agree. I drive around 17kms one way for my workplace everday through Bangalore traffic. One thing is for certain is that my drive would be cheaper but a lot less enjoyable and more stressful in a Maruti or any form of public transport. Don't mind paying the extra costs that are involved as long as I am as fresh and relaxed reaching my office as I was leaving from home.

Originally Posted by bhaskaracs

Yes, I never even sat on one, let alone driving one. I understand the pun, but I wasn't comparing the 1.8 TSi with a dZire; rather I was stacking it up against a Hyundai Tuscon 2.0crdi. I always thought 1.8 TSi what with its wonderful credentials gives you at least 8-9 kmpl in the city. Don't get me wrong - I respect the engine and perhaps it wears more stripes and stars than what my puny 1.6 crdi Elantra carries. And the only point I was wondering about was with all this fun(ss) with TSi coming at a huge 'relative' running cost - nearly 100% more than vehicles in the same/comparable segment. It appears like a rich enthusiast's car.

I think one of the major advantages that Hyundai has which is also one of their disadvantages is the lightness of their cars. I believe that the Tucson is only about as heavy as a Skoda Yeti despite having larger dimensions. This means that there is less of a toll on the engine and being diesel as well the mileage would be better. I am pretty sure that if the body was as heavy and well built as the Germans or even Americans are then the mileage would take a hit. Also it would probably be a better bet to compared the 2.0 TDI DSG to the 2.0 CRDI. Yes, the TDI DSG has lesser power than the Tucson figures that you claimed but the comparison would be better and on par. Or else think even checking the Superb TDI that churns out 177 horses would be a more apt comparison. But like you mentioned, comparing these two and if 90% of your drives are within the city and your need is for a cheaper to run car then Tucson would be a higher priority on some lists.

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Ok in the sub 25 lakh segment:

Driving Pleasure = Petrol Octy
Fuel Efficiency = Diesel Octy

If you want both (under 25 lakh), there is one car - Chevy Cruze AT. Recently test drove one for a friend - I was blown away! It felt faster than my Laura TSi (even though the numbers on paper don't say so). What a stonker of an engine and a good 6 speed AT. Buy it while the stock lasts. The new Cruze will most likely come with 1.6L engine!

Well said. Loved the Cruze and it was one of the other possible contenders in my search for a new car. Although I didn't drive the AT version, the Manual itself was bonkers and a fun car to drive.

Originally Posted by H_Dogg72

Life's too short to drive boring cars

Amen!

Originally Posted by bhaskaracs

I drove Cruze a few times in the past and the reason I did not consider it when I was shopping for a D segment AT in 2014 was its relatively higher turbo lag even compared to Elantra. While the lag improved from 2012 model, I found it a tad cumbersome to drive it in city. Jetta was out of consideration because of the imminent 2015 facelift. Octavia was never in consideration because there was a lot of bad press for Skoda for its ASS and DSG in 2014. In my circles, it was a brave decision to buy a Skoda then.

I havent tried the Elantra yet but need to do so soon. But I didn't find much lag in the Cruze as such. Speaking on the manual variant though. AT might be a totally different machine altogether I guess. Liked the Verna in amny aspects but at high speeds, I found it to be unstable.

Originally Posted by bhaskaracs

Elantra AT has lower lag than Cruze. Surprising but true. And don't worry about me, I am very happy with Elantra which offers me the best balance of power (yes, you heard it right; and you have to spend time with a car to be able to meaningfully review it and not just based on one or two drives), FE (more than Octavia TDI DSG) and peace of mind.

To each his own!

Originally Posted by H_Dogg72

Amen to that, brother!
The 2L in the Cruze is a stonker indeed, and there's so much more potential with remaps and tuning boxes. Personally I would pick it over the city and add in some mods, but nothing beats the Octavia petrol in the 24L bracket.

I hate the new city man. It looks worse than the previous model and the cost is just too much. You'd think that it has a German badge but it doesn't. I have driven the MT and I hated the gearbox. AT might be more bearable but it doesn't cocoon you as well as some of the other cars in the segment. I would rather get a Cruze too than the City

[itwasntme]

Well, we are somewhat digressing from Sandeep's lovely Black Panther so let me say this:
I won both a 2011 Cruze LT manual (90k km) and a 2016 Octavia TSi DSG (15k km) and have/am extensively used/using both.

My usage is similar for both with 95% AC & a mix of 50:50 highway:city. Long term FE with the Cruze is ~11 km/lt while Octavia is 10.5 km/lt.

Given a chance to take one of them, I waver between the 2:

The Cruze is comparatively unrefined but is a total hooligan when the boost spools up. I like to think of it as a Dr. Jekyll lying just underneath the surface. Give it a little stick and it goes like a 'scalded cat' as MOBIKE008 memorably wrote in the official TBHP review. It simply smokes and takes off like a Cruise missile :-). Albeit, the heavy clutch and turbo-lag is definitely a big minus. Highway drives are super enjoyable though.

The Octavia is a Daniel Craig who can effortlessly with mix as James Bond with the suave bunch BUT move to Sports mode or kick-down and it immediately turns into a Transformer :-). In my daily commute of 70+ km into BLR CBD, I am comforted that I CAN get away from the cabbie/biker pelotons by accelerating at an insane delta. AND I can do it while on an office call or while chatting with my kids/wife :-)

[sandeepsarma]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

The Octavia is a Daniel Craig who can effortlessly with mix as James Bond with the suave bunch BUT move to Sports mode or kick-down and it immediately turns into a Transformer :-).

Think thats one of the best ways I've heard people summarize the Octavia and also a great comparison to the Cruze. I absolutely loved the 2015 Cruze Manual when I did a test drive and it was one of the first cars that came into my mind when I was looking for a new ride.

[sameerg]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

The Octavia is a Daniel Craig who can effortlessly with mix as James Bond with the suave bunch BUT move to Sports mode or kick-down and it immediately turns into a Transformer :-). In my daily commute of 70+ km into BLR CBD, I am comforted that I CAN get away from the cabbie/biker pelotons by accelerating at an insane delta. AND I can do it while on an office call or while chatting with my kids/wife :-)

Love the way you describe Octavia. It indeed an amazing vehicle. One of my friends (1.8 TSI owner) describes his Octavia as a "sea". Silent and calm on the surface but storing a tsunami inside when needed.

Originally Posted by H_Dogg72

Regarding the reliability part, it's like a known thing that in the 2nd or 3rd year of ownership the car *might* stay out of service for 7-15 days for the mechatronic replacement (under warranty) personally, I'm ok with that because I get to enjoy the manic DSG for the rest of the period. Have a jazz in the family, and good lord no scope of reliability can make me drive that CVT as a daily drive. It's just boring and lazy and slow , but then again, for some, that's the perfect car.
Edit : octy TDI DSG 20km/L Elantra at : 19km/L

What you said is like music to my ears. I have been looking to buy 1.8 TSI with heart refusing to even consider anything but it and mind saying "Are you mad?? its DQ200...who in his right mind will put this much money in this kind of car. Everything else is more reliable and cheaper?"

I think what you said is the right way to think about Octavia. Hope I end my inner battle soon with heart winning over mind.

[H_Dogg72]

Originally Posted by sameerg

What you said is like music to my ears. I have been looking to buy 1.8 TSI with heart refusing to even consider anything but it and mind saying "Are you mad?? its DQ200...who in his right mind will put this much money in this kind of car. Everything else is more reliable and cheaper: Shockked:?"

I think what you said is the right way to think about Octavia. Hope I end my inner battle soon with heart winning over mind.

Haha, one of the ways the heart justified my purchase of the 1.2 tsi with the dq200. I am also looking to get my dad to buy the Octavia 1.8 to replace his almost 10yr old Innova. Hope we both get our lovely cars soon

I feel that in this segment there's nothing better than the octy, I did check out the 320d/320i but the price is north of 40L and it doesn't get quite a bit of kit that the octy has, something like keyless entry that you'll use every day is not to be overlooked when spending so much, then there's the lack of car play/android auto and other small knick knacks.
It is a brilliant package, I just hope they plonk in a better gearbox soon.

[sandeepsarma]

A small update on the car. Almost a month ago, a drunken rider came and hit the car from the back while my wife and I were headed to drop off our friend at his home. There was no music being played or else we wouldn't have even known about the crash perhaps. Had slowed down to get over a speed breaker and was about to accelerate again when I felt a slight budge and heard a sound.

My friend and I knew we had been hit. Got out and there were people all around. The rider was drunk and was bad mouthing everyone who tried to help him up. Physically he seemed alright so they all asked us to leave since it wasn't our fault anyway. Saw the scuffs later on at friends home. We tried to wash off what we could with water but some of the paint has been chipped off. No dents however luckily.

Still, I guess I'll be keeping it this way like @sawnilrules suggested after he saw the car in person. The back bumper especially is prone to such misfortune and in a city like Bangalore it is tough to keep scuff free. Besides, will prevent nazar too. Either way, unless someone is known to match the paint job exactly as the original, guess I'll follow Nilesh's advice.

Other than that, the car has been performing great. Crossed the 2k mark last month but I was traveling for 3 weeks so now it's time to get back at the wheel

[sawnilrules]

Originally Posted by sandeepsarma

Still, I guess I'll be keeping it this way like @sawnilrules suggested after he saw the car in person. The back bumper especially is prone to such misfortune and in a city like Bangalore it is tough to keep scuff free. Besides, will prevent nazar too. Either way, unless someone is known to match the paint job exactly as the original, guess I'll follow Nilesh's advice.

Anytime mate. I realized that it is extremely difficult to match our car color. And a local garage just may not be able to do a justice and may end up screwing up things further. Also it just didn't make any sense to claim warranty for such a small thing.

[just4wheels]

Originally Posted by sandeepsarma

I do the exact same thing! Glad to know that I am not alone on this! I have seen much cheaper cars handle this button in a more elegant way. Not sure why VWAG cars can't do that too.

Firstly congrats on your Black Panther. Definitely looks one.
And on you OCD.. made me grin!! I guess you can add me into this peculiar group too. I used keep turning this knob every time my son or wife messed with it in my Vento.

[polestar2016]

Congrats on your new pet I just have one ques, was your HSRP (aka number plate) fixed using normal screws or was it riveted using tamper proof screws? Thanks

[itwasntme]

What is it with brand new Octavias and drunken bikers in BLR? I also had a very similar incident and scratch barely 3 months into my ownership. It was at Trinity Circle at Sunday 5 p.m. when I braked for the signal gently. Bang!, this fellow comes and hits me and falls over with his wife on the pillion. Luckily no one was hurt plus they were keen to get away. He could barely stand and/or articulate any words! I told him firmly you pay for my damages and I will pay for yours. Minute he saw a couple if constables coming, he took off like greased lightning nearly wheelie;fying his wife to the ground :-)