[shatrughna]

Originally Posted by Brosreview

Hey there, we haven't driven a Laura. But, we gather from our friend in India that it is more spacious than the Corolla. But, then he (our friend) mentioned that the spare part rates and after sales service of Skoda is poor in India.

In that case, we reckon it is smarter to own a Corolla instead. It is not wise to rely alone on space issue(s) to alter a car buying decision now, is it? The Corolla is quite spacious and over all a decent family car.

Well, what is the price difference between the two cars?

Rear Space does matter in a long trip all the more. The rear ac vents in Laura also adds to its charms and so does the huge boot and the Sunroof is mindblowign as I mentioned. Somehow ladies in the family are all sold for Skoda - dont know why. No stats , no financial talk seems to appeal when it comes to Skoda.
For me the adjustable driver seat with lumbar support, AT with manual override ( S mode/ Tiptronic) & good night visibility( HID lamps) are must and are there in my wishlist for my new ride which is there in the both the cars being considered.

Pure economics wise- Laura AT onroad- Rs.18.67 lakhs-( Rs.1.86 million- @Brosreview) - minus 65K corporate discount- so 1.8 million exact . 2 years unlimited distance warranty- economy of diesel - Rs.2.67 per km approx. - dealer and service station nearby. Service cost - minimum Rs. 1 per km. delivery - 3 weeks.
Choice of colours - limited-specially because of color coding of interior- we like a cappucino beige exterior with black interior- but this option is not available. Feels heavy to drive- steering and pedals as well. No issues with ground clearance or controls. All the bells and whistles.
resale value ok- ( will not keep it beyond 3-4 years anyway)

Corolla - no discount- delivery 5 weeks- ( camry blue colour)- approx. Rs 14.47 lakhs on road- ( interiors all beige only available)- 3 years -100000kms warranty- dealer and service station minimum 30kms from my place, service and maintenance cost neglible expected. Per kms running cost- Rs. 5.5 . Resale value should be okay. Steering and pedals are super smooth and light- very comfy. High ground clearance inspires confidence ( tested it over many speed breakers).

Corolla will be peace of mind over 3 years that I intend to keep the car- and will practically be free of cost- fuel cost will be covered by the amount that I can save in price and service costs over Laura ( Rs. 3.5 Lakhs approx.).

Guess I should explore possibility of installing Sunroof in corolla probably then it will have at least my daughter voting for it - no matter how reluctantly.

In any case, I will go for the 2009 model ( no point in taking delivery in Dec specially when no discounts are offered to set off the depreciation likely to happen in 4 weeks or sooner).

[GTO - Touring]

Guess I should explore possibility of installing Sunroof in corolla probably then it will have at least my daughter voting for it - no matter how reluctantly.

Please don't do that to a perfect brand-new sedan. Leave the roof chopping for later, if at all.

[shatrughna]

Originally Posted by GTO - Touring

Please don't do that to a perfect brand-new sedan. Leave the roof chopping for later, if at all.

Cant say No to you na. Point noted. I would hate to even put a scratch on my car. We are all tossing coins to choose between Corolla and Laura- both are IMHO equally good in their own rights.

[Brosreview]

Hey there, that is a close call.

You mentioned that space is essential during long journeys. We agree. But, so is the ease of handling the vehicle. You mentioned that the pedals are more forgiving in the Corolla.

Now, since the Laura is a diesel, it will definitely be an added benefit as it will run more for a litre / will cost less per litre than petrol. That will be vital for long journeys that you have mentioned about. But, then again, mileage also depends on how you drive the car.

So it is clearly down to a choice of space or comfort. Umm, depends on how tall the driver is. If he/she is short, there is a chance of revealing more leg room in-turn making it more spacious at the back of an already comfy Corolla.

Regarding the air con outlet for the rear passengers in the back - turn the air con high at the front in the Corolla so that your passengers don't complain, hehe.

Either way, the point is that you will need to compromise on something.

[Path_Finder]

Originally Posted by shatrughna

Somehow ladies in the family are all sold for Skoda - dont know why . No stats , no financial talk seems to appeal when it comes to Skoda.

shatrughna, You will never know why! What I would have done in your situation is to tactfully convince the ladies and go ahead with the Corolla. Home affairs – not sure how easy this is for you.

3.5L is lot of money for me. It depends how big it is for you. How many weeks, months or years do I need to work to save (not earn) that much – that is how I fix value for money. That is just a tip for you.

[Brosreview]

Hey there, we completely agree with Path_Finder's comment. It strictly depends on the stretch of your financial limit.

Alternatively, upon us enquiring, you mentioned that Yaris will be launched soon. You may want to consider it as well. It is cheaper than the Corolla. And, there are quite a few people who will advise you to opt for the Yaris rather than the Corolla. We have tested the car. And, it is good.

As far as we see, there is only one reason to have the Laura. If you are frequently into travelling long distances, the running costs will be considerably low.

Again, we haven't experienced the car. Our remarks is strictly based on what we read here.

[appuchan]

Originally Posted by shatrughna

Low speed ride or high speed ride- from driver'e perspective- I found corolla very very convenient to drive- flooring the pedal- redlining it. But one thing I didnt like was the top speed that I could achieve. I am not able to find any information about the top speed that Altis AT achieves.....

I could take Altis AT up to 160 kmph in NICE road in Bangalore. It was quite difficult after 150 and by the time it climbs to 160 the road ends. I dont think it will go much further than 165 or so, provided you have a long stretch of clear and straight road ahead. Taking Civic AT above 175 is much easier.

[anandpadhye]

Yes, why not go for Civic AT?
Or Accord AT?

[Brosreview]

Hey there, Ah!!! a valid point there anandpadhye. We were waiting for someone to pop that suggestion in.

In the TD report that we wrote, we concluded that the Civic was better as a performance car. Seems like you(shatrughna) are keen on touching good speeds. In that case, you will be concerned about the handling as well.

In that case, as anandpadhye suggested, the Civic would be a good choice. Umm, in your nation, does Accord fit under the same price bracket?

[Ym-enjn]

Originally Posted by shatrughna

Laura AT
resale value ok- ( will not keep it beyond 3-4 years anyway)

You might be knowing that the new model of Octavia( laura in India) was displayed recently in an Auto show abroad. It will certainly replace the current version in India in next few years. That will affect the resale of your car very badly if you plan to keep only for 3 or 4 years. If you plan to keep for a longer time then no problem.

As for the maximum speed, I haven't done a test in my Altis yet, but as per the manual the Maximum speed for each gear is as follows:

Gear 1: 48 kmph
Gear 2: 89 kmph
Gear 3: 130 kmph
Gear 4: 176 kmph

That is Maximum allowable speed in each gear when maximum acceleration is necessary. HTH.

Fifth gear is not mentioned but it won't matter as the AT is only 4 gears.

[aaggoswami]

After going through the thread, I suggest Corolla Altis over Laura.

Few points.
1) Skoda's running cost is low but the maintainence can be high. The experience at A.S & S. is also not good. As a proof of this, we have many threads on T-BHP.

2) You will be saving on capital cost and this is a lot of money we are talking here, to the tune of 3.0 lakh. This, along with the relatively low maintainence cost of Toyota Corolla Altis, proves to be better VFM package.

3) The reliability of Toyota over the years will be useful for long term ownership. Not that Skoda are not reliable.

4) Peace of mind is huge plus in case of Toyota.

[csentil]

I would also suggest the Altis over Laura. The Laura though with all its features is way to overpriced in my opinion. After all it is an Octavia, but Skoda has sort of sold it as a different segment car altogether.

Is the 4 speed in Altis a non issue? Dunno if mileage could get affected in the city.

Civic AT is also a great car but since its not in your radar I'll still with the Altis. Better A.S.S and better resale value.

[shatrughna]

Originally Posted by Brosreview

Hey there, Ah!!! a valid point there anandpadhye. We were waiting for someone to pop that suggestion in.

In the TD report that we wrote, we concluded that the Civic was better as a performance car. Seems like you(shatrughna) are keen on touching good speeds. In that case, you will be concerned about the handling as well.

In that case, as anandpadhye suggested, the Civic would be a good choice. Umm, in your nation, does Accord fit under the same price bracket?

Accord- may be within stretched budget but then running cost is too high I guess. Not considering as of now. Of course saw many used Accord V6 and also use Laura. Currently tossing. But I guess , allure of a new Laura AT is too much and ownership cost of a Corolla is mouth watering.

I have a daily running of almost 80Kms and I often get long empty stretches where I do 160-170 in Verna CRDI. I travel to Pune ( 110 kms from my place) on weekends and I hate a car which doesnt pick up pace quickly- e.g. my Santro AT . So its only in a city commute that I would ever touch it.

I am ideally looking for 1 car which I can use it almost everywhere- Laura and Corolla both fit the bill well ( with theit AT tranny with Sports mode/ tiptronic). A car with higher and achieved faster - topend speed is what I like with good confidence inspiring handling.

In any case, I ll sell off Verna as well as Santro AT - if I buy Corolla/ Laura.
Scorpio Stays for rainy season & pothole infested roads.

But I am still pretty confused and dont know what to do. I have got the latest quote from the dealer for Laura - ready delivery in silver colour, Rate of Interest - 9.99% for 3 years/ 12% for 5 years, 65K corporate discount & 15 K on Insurance. Corolla in Camry Blue colour is not available for delivery earlier than next 5 weeks- will spill into 2009 then.

Resale price of Laura dropping doesnt bother me- will see it then but then as mentioned by you all - 3 lakhs is a lot of money.

Ym-enjn- top speed which you have mentioned is probably for manual tranny- beyond 150 it lost all esteem when I was driving it. Corolla AT somewhere I read- does 180 kmph - but seems very unrealistic to attain in real life condition except - expressways - I guess.

[Path_Finder]

Originally Posted by shatrughna

Accord- may be within stretched budget but then running cost is too high I guess. Not considering as of now. Of course saw many used Accord V6 and also use Laura. Currently tossing. But I guess , allure of a new Laura AT is too much and ownership cost of a Corolla is mouth watering.

I have a daily running of almost 80Kms and I often get long empty stretches where I do 160-170 in Verna CRDI. I travel to Pune ( 110 kms from my place) on weekends and I hate a car which doesnt pick up pace quickly- e.g. my Santro AT . So its only in a city commute that I would ever touch it.

I am ideally looking for 1 car which I can use it almost everywhere- Laura and Corolla both fit the bill well ( with theit AT tranny with Sports mode/ tiptronic). A car with higher and achieved faster - topend speed is what I like with good confidence inspiring handling.

In any case, I ll sell off Verna as well as Santro AT - if I buy Corolla/ Laura.
Scorpio Stays for rainy season & pothole infested roads.

Dear shatrughna, now you are talking and not litsening! - Yes you have got all the inputs and you know the pros and cons - you just need to decide between the two! And it has to be your choice.

So all the best with your choice. Good luck. Keep the thread updated.

[Brosreview]

Hey there, it is getting difficult to decide between the two, isn't it?

We notice a mention of your need for pick-up. Then, go for the petrol alternate. Well, before we get stronger on that, how are the torque figures like?

Consider this foolish - but, which car does your heart favour?