[Sam Kapasi]

Guys, while I'm honoured and humbled by your response, I can't write for the next 2 or 3 hours at least.

Patience. I'll write some more later.

And thank you.

[Otomobil]

Sam, Congrats on your latest acquisition, We are Eagerly waiting for the story to unfold !

Wait a minute.. No thrill rides here in this story yet !

Constantly refreshing the tab to see the updates

Cheers !
Otomobil

[sajo]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

I can't write for the next 2 or 3 hours at least.

Patience. I'll write some more later.

Good, my manager will be pleased to read that.

Sam, you are simply awesome.

[kunaldhami]

Congratulations Sam.
Superb is absolutely superb car. Only reason I always go to Skoda dealership for servicing my Fabia is to get to sit inside Superb.

[GTO]

Aw shucks, just when I thought we're going to get to the "Superb" post, I see Dippy's note. I'm going to rate this thread 5 stars...and there still isn't even a picture of the car in question. What a writeup!

Congratulations Sam. As they say for the Skoda Superb, you've effectively bought 40 lakh rupee luxury for half the price. You'll end up addicted to Automatic gearboxes. Take her for a spin to Goa (what a drive, what a destination ). And drive yourself. European cars come into their own on the highway / over long distances.

[SmartCat]

Hey! Isn't it a bit sacrilegious that you did NOT buy a German car?

[MileCruncher]

Hey Sam, Congrats on the new car! The Superb is a really good car.

Waiting to read more about the actual decision making process.

Cheers

[Sam Kapasi]

I had been told the Passat cost 30L. Unaffordable, lol.

I'd read Gogi's review on the Jetta. I'd sat in somebody's Jetta. I didn't like the Jetta.
It was somewhere in the DBHP section that I read something about someone's comment about an all new reduced price Passat.

A VW (say it with me, German style, say fau-vay) a real VW! One that I could take about with my colleagues anywhere in the world.

So what do you drive back home?
Oh a Passat.
A Passat CC?
No just the regular Passat.

I called downtown VW. Seems it belongs to the same guys that showed me the Honda Accord down the road.

Asked them if there was a new Passat that cost a lot less.
Oh yes, said the salesman happily. You're talking about the new 8.83 XtSKLi, right?
Uhh right. That one. What does it cost.
23L on road.

Ah. The world stopped turning. A real life genuine Volkswagen for the same money as a Honda.

What time does the showroom close? I wanted to be there in time.
But first, call NC.

Main Passat lene ka soch raha hoon.
Class car hai. Black Interior le.

Finished with Gautam and went over to the VW showroom.

I love going to these expensive car showrooms. Me in my chappals and short pants. It's great to see the reaction, sometimes from the salespersons and sometimes from the super high-flying executive class of customer also considering buying the car.

That, however is another story.

There. I see it. Hello! Is this the cheap passat? pointing
Sorry? The cheap Passat?
Yeah I mean the new lower priced one.
Sir this is the 9.434 Fctxi.
Is this the car that costs 23lacs?
Yes he replies giving me a funny look.
Thanks. I get in.

Ooh. Did I just hear that door close with a nice thunk. Nice. I'm in the seat now. But it feels weird.
This seat has a curved lip on both sides. Like a Recaro ka racing seat. I know that seat from the Evil Twins.

Luckily I have a small bottom. But not everyone has a small bottom, especially the ladies. I wonder how they will sit on this Recaro type seat.

Driving position is top notch. Let me adjust the seat.
A head appears through the window.

Sir this has got 7-way adjustable electric seats with a 3 position memory. You can even adjust the lumbar...
I cut him off. What about that seat? Pointing towards the passenger seat.
That one also, fully electric.
Excellent! He looks at me a bit puzzled and then smiles.

It's got adaptive something bla blah headlamps!
What?
The lights turn along with the steering wheel.
Oh really? I'm genuinely impressed. He's doing well.
Yeah. And if your hand gets stuck in the sunroof it opens up again.

OK now he's fallen a few notches in my impression.

I stare at him.

What am I going to do? Yawn and stretch with the sunroof open and accidentally press the close button? Stand on the seat and wave out from the sunroof to my millions of admirers while I accidentally press the guillotine button?

Get to the point man. Tell me the good stuff.

Climate control, nice head unit for audio... he fades away as I start looking.

It's a nice car. I like the dashboard shape. It's got good understated displays, not the kind of displays you need to wear sunglasses to read. Lots of buttons around the steering. Nice.

....Bluetooth.....blah blah

Can I get black interiors?
No. He stops talking.
Why?
Volkswagen has stopped customizing the interiors of the Passat.
He pronounced Volkswagen wrong. -5 points.
Why?

Sir earlier we had 3 options for the interiors. Beige, grey and black. Now all cars are light beige, except the black passat. That comes with a grey and black interior.
So why can't you sell me a white car with a grey/black interior?
No Sir we can't.
Well if you sell me a white car with a black interior I'll buy the car.
Oh. He stops. Let me talk to my supervisor.
OK, I'm gonna sit in the back seat for a while.

I smile at him and get into the back seat.

Oh.

This is not comfortable at all.

I am surrounded by FRP and leather. I'm tucked into a place where I should be sitting. Sure it's comfortable, but I'm so snug in that I cannot even scratch myself anymore.

In comparison to the Honda Accord, I feel like I moved into a matchbox.

Not cool.

The interior is a light beige. No yellow undertones here. It's a healthy cream-beige that I could like and will get dirty if not taken care of.

As I sit inside, alone, a couple open up the doors and the guy is a bit astonished to see me sitting by myself in the rear.
Do you mind if we.. he points into the car.
No go ahead, says I. Just pretend I'm not here.

Oh I really like this car says the wife. But the seat's a little uncomfortable.
I nod silently in the back. Just what I thought.
Oh it's a lovely car honey, let's get it.
But we'll have to sell the Accord then. Something about his tone makes me think he's talking differently because I'm watching them.

Excuse me, says I. He turns. Do you already have an Accord?
Yes.
Well what is your opinion on the car, because I'm choosing between this and an accord.
Oh I have the old-shape Accord. Excellent car but we've had it for 3 or 4 years now.
Oh thanks then. Smile.

I raise the sun-shade on the window. +10 - I like this sun-shade thing. It feels sexy, like a movie star. Don't look at me, but I'll look at you.

The salesman comes back and he is looking for me. He sees the other couple in the back and doesn't see me because of the sun-shade thing in the rear. Oh I like.

I'm here. I open the door laughing.
Oh I didn't see you. I'm sorry my supervisor says it is totally impossible. The only way for you to get a black interior is to buy a black car.
I see. Well that's a bit inconvenient isn't it?
He nods and shrugs.

I like this sun-shade.
Zip zip. I raise and drop it a few times. Feels like a BMW this sun-shade. I like it.
Oh we have it in the back too!
Really?
Yeah and he presses a button and it zooms up motorized.
Ooooh. +30 points.
Do it again!
He obliges. I hold my mouth closed for fear of squealing.

Thanks a lot. I run out of the showroom shaking. I can't believe the motorized sun-shade on the rear glass.
I call ajmat who listens to my inane ramblings and recommends I buy the VW because I like it so much.

I go home, convinced that I've found the car.

So it's perfect then right? says the better half.
Yeah it's got everything and more.

I pause.

I'm uncomfortable in the car. It has no buttons in the rear. No unnecessary displays and gidgety gadgets. No remote buttons for the sound system.

And WORST of all, manual transmission. Back to the jerking and engine rattling.

Well, no. It's not perfect, I reply.

[svsantosh]

Sam, if only you had started off on a suspense note (about the Superb part), this thread would have given a few panic attacks to readers like me... too good.

[jigbarai]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

I bend the seat over too, by pulling the danda on the side. I'm used to doing that in my Verna.
I can buy 3 Vernas for the price of this car and I'm still pulling dandas.

-20 points. Stupid people.

Much more funny than any of the stupid comic scenes in Badmash Company.

Sam - As always, Great write-up (*****) & excellent choice.

Skoda could use this thread for their salesmen' training. They can understand, speak and explain in the customer's language.

[shuvc]

Wow ! Given your taste in cars, I can see you in a gizmo laden S, 7, A8 RR, 57/62, CFS etc a few years down the line .. ah never mind the numbers and alphabets, they're sure to make you squeal louder

ps: after sales service lol !!!

ps2: you should someday get one of those filmy vans. Customized, motorized, buttonized ...

[pawan_pullarwar]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

I bend the seat over too, by pulling the danda on the side. I'm used to doing that in my Verna.
I can buy 3 Vernas for the price of this car and I'm still pulling dandas.

-20 points. Stupid people.

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

Sir this has got 7-way adjustable electric seats with a 3 position memory. You can even adjust the lumbar...
I cut him off. What about that seat? Pointing towards the passenger seat.
That one also, fully electric.
Excellent! He looks at me a bit puzzled and then smiles.

No unnecessary displays. No remote buttons for the sound system.

Amazing write up as always, above two quotes make me laugh in the office. My collegue asked me what I am reading, I have forwarded him the link, also explained about SAM

[theragingbull]

Hey Sam! This is the first time I'm reading a thread of yours. Really loved the way you write! This thread is so amazing that out of curiosity, I have now started reading all your older threads. Amazing write-ups. But, I still don't know why you call yourself 'The Yeti' and 'The One'.

oh btw, congrats on the Superb! Very excited to know what happened at the Skoda showroom

[artofzen]

Sam _ Next time please finish your blog and then put it on TBHP. I feel like a kid waiting for Giant Robot to start.

[MCR]

Sam Congrats on your purchase. I am very surprised you are a not a script writer in Bollywood. Or are you? I am sure Sam's thread's are more fun than most of the movies.

Sam, I am sure you have loads of pictures, request you to upload some so that we have the complete story