[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by redohabitat

Hello Anshuman! I have been following your posts, mainly as you owned an elantra. I am looking for a second hand Automatic diesel sedan in between 6 to 7 lakhs, and have narrowed down to Elantra and Octavia. Could you please suggest, as an automatic is a must, being a lady driven car. I am confused as I also dont see any automatic diesel Octavias.

Yes, I would support you on going for an AT - especially if it's going to be lady driven. Why put strain on the left knee. But there is not much choice as of now in terms of diesel AT. I was also searching for one for along time. Octy AT will be good if you can find it because it came with the traditional AT as Anshuman says, so the failures should not be as high as the early batches of DSG. But in general used Skoda is not a very relaxing proposition looking at the spares cost and the dealer attitude.

How about Verna AT? Cruze also has a good 6-speed AT but it will take time to hit the used car market I think.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by sudhir3127

Hi Anshuman !!
I plan to get a car for around 20l +/- 2L in next 3-4 months (OTR Mumbai). I have short listed Laura L&K and Jetta HL AT. Which one do you recommend ? My priorities are great driving , fast and good handling car !! Please let me know I case you feel I should add some other cars in the list by stretching my budget .
Thanks for you help

I am quoting and cross posting my earlier posts from Jetta TD thread here:

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Both Jetta and Laura are equally good cars. The highest variant in Jetta does not make much sense(except you want the DSG), even the lowest variant comes with all of the safety kit. Laura L&K in comparison has better equipment levels and feels richer inside.

My pick with respect to requirement and budget with reason-
Lower/middle variant MT- Jetta, because of the 140hp engine and safety kit.
Lower/middle variant DSG- Laura, as Jetta does not come with DSG in lower variant.

Top variant MT- Jetta, as Laura does not have L&K in MT.
Top variant AT- Laura, for the superior equipment level, looks and richer interior feel.

Originally Posted by .anshuman

I just went through the Autocar comparison of Jetta and Laura. As i have not yet driven the new Jetta, so i was clueless on how it directly compared to Laura in terms of on road behaviour. According to ACI, Jetta comes with a suspension setup even softer than softened Laura, which is a good thing for the kind of roads we have, add to it the superior space at rear bench, it automatically comes out as a more sensible choice for those seeking a chauffeur driven option. Laura on the other side is told to be better suited for self driven use, with it's chassis shared with Golf and a shorter wheelbase, it takes the corners with more enthusiasm. The engine and DSG is told to be more responsive in Laura. Carrying the old tradition, Skoda has a better Steering(though i find it overassisted at low speeds).

They have compared Jetta Highline with Laura Elegance and commented on lack of kit in Laura, which i feel is unfair, L&K is the higher variant in Laura and it comes with even superior kit than the Jetta Highline. Jetta Highline misses out on some of the essential kit like ACC and Genuine Leather upholstery(fake leather does not suit a car of this price) but scores on safety kit in lower variants. My pick remains same as highlighted in the earlier post.

There is no denying on the fact that Laura is an ageing car, it has been around since long but with aggressive styling it does manage to feel fresh. The Jetta with the conservative design language with clean proportionate lines may not be exciting for enthusiasts but i can assure you this design will age very well. Only thing i do not like is the resemblance to cheaper cars like Polo from a distance, most of us Indians need a flashy car when are spending money.

Both cars come with the same Engine and Gearbox, while Jetta with more spacious rear seat and slightly softer suspension will appeal to those who want to be driven, Laura with shorter wheelbase, better steering, sharper responses and more agile handling is a better Driver's car.

[sudhir3127]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

I am quoting and cross posting my earlier posts from Jetta TD thread here:

Both cars come with the same Engine and Gearbox, while Jetta with more spacious rear seat and slightly softer suspension will appeal to those who want to be driven, Laura with shorter wheelbase, better steering, sharper responses and more agile handling is a better Driver's car.

Thanks for the prompt reply!! When do you expect new Laura to launch in India? I think its early 2013. I don't wanna get stuck with a prev gen car in one year of purchase !! Do you feel the new Chevy cruze or the cheaper skoda superb will be a good case . Thanks

[redohabitat]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Elantra only came with a manual transmission. For more information and my experience with this on this car check out my ownership thread: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...-now-sold.html

Octavia TDI had an AT variant. This variant sold in very small numbers and will be difficult to find in used car market. AFAIK it had a 4 speed torque converter AT. I have not driven this variant.

Finding a properly maintained Laura PD DSG will be a very tough task. Remember a badly maintained Laura PD DSG will be very expensive to maintain. If you must buy this car, make sure the car comes with genuine service record, make sure to check if all periodic maintenance was carried out as per schedule. The Pumpe Düse engine may feel a bit too loud now amongst the newer CRDI engines. Info on PD engine Unit Injector - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Another used Diesel car option is Sonata Embera/Transform, though it will be hard to find, this car is cheap to maintain for a car of this segment, supremely comfortable and reliable. But it is not as fun to drive as Elantra or Laura. I'd recommend MT over AT here.

Thank you for your reply! That rules out Elantra, too bad. Octavia, Laura, and Elantra shall be my consideration, high maintainence costs not withstanding, since we would be saving a lot on the running costs, have you seen the petrol prices lately?! Verna is a bit small and well, no other car came in Diesel Automatic, or did they? Let me pitch Tuscon to my sister. That came in diesel auto transmission is it?

As far as the unrefined engine is concerned, we have a 1992 Landcruiser in the family that we all adore, so noise won't be an issue.

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

Yes, I would support you on going for an AT - especially if it's going to be lady driven. Why put strain on the left knee. But there is not much choice as of now in terms of diesel AT. I was also searching for one for along time. Octy AT will be good if you can find it because it came with the traditional AT as Anshuman says, so the failures should not be as high as the early batches of DSG. But in general used Skoda is not a very relaxing proposition looking at the spares cost and the dealer attitude.

How about Verna AT? Cruze also has a good 6-speed AT but it will take time to hit the used car market I think.

Thank you for the reply! I know a good mechanic in South Delhi, honest and reliable. Verna is a bit small, and no car less than 2 year old would come to 6-7 lakh bracket, sporting a diesel auto transmission...

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by redohabitat

Let me pitch Tuscon to my sister. That came in diesel auto transmission is it?

Tucson only came with manual transmission. It had the same Detroit Diesel sourced CRDI Diesel engine as Elantra.

[vinj14]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Both cars come with the same Engine and Gearbox, while Jetta with more spacious rear seat and slightly softer suspension will appeal to those who want to be driven, Laura with shorter wheelbase, better steering, sharper responses and more agile handling is a better Driver's car.

Hey anshuman,
Could you send me the ACI site link comparing the new jetta and laura dsg elegance. I tried looking for it but couldnt find it. Might be an interesting read!

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by vinj14

Hey anshuman,
Could you send me the ACI site link comparing the new jetta and laura dsg elegance. I tried looking for it but couldnt find it. Might be an interesting read!

I read it in the Magazine; Nov '11 Issue.

[vinj14]

read it in the Magazine; Nov '11 Issue.

Thanks.
I have a random doubt..
When you are waiting at a signal for about 45-60secs do you keep your car on "N", on "D" holding the brakes or do you shift to "P"??
I tend to shift to "P" when i have to wait for more than 45 secs . Is it just a matter of personal choice or is there a recommended lever position in this situation?

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by vinj14

When you are waiting at a signal for about 45-60secs do you keep your car on "N", on "D" holding the brakes or do you shift to "P"??
I tend to shift to "P" when i have to wait for more than 45 secs . Is it just a matter of personal choice or is there a recommended lever position in this situation?

I keep in D if i am not sure about the waiting time, like slowly inching traffic. I shift to N and pull the handbrake/keep the brakes pressed when waiting at traffic lights. I never shift to P in traffic.

Close to one one year of driving this car, i now do not even need to look at the shifter to check the mode. I never measure my Accelerator input now, my right foot subconsciously alters the input to suit my driving mood. Driving in stop-go traffic is no more as painful as before.

Just leaving for Jaipur Hope there is not much traffic and my car gets a much needed stretch for its long legs.

[.cArMaNiA]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

Just leaving for Jaipur Hope there is not much traffic and my car gets a much needed stretch for its long legs.

I encountered a hell lot of traffic on jaipur delhi stretch last nite. It took me around 5-6 hours to reach delhi. Widening of the highway has narrowed down many places on the stretch to single lane.

[.anshuman]

There were huge jams when i came back. Some bridge had collapsed, the traffic was diverted through Rewari - Pataudi. Spent close to 12 hours in total driving that day.

I covered close to 3000kms driving on highways this week and some more to go. Average FE for last 3 tankfuls is around 17kpl.

[.anshuman]

What can you do when you know the empty highway has a speedgun somewhere on the stretch + you are in no hurry? I tested my patience and the car's max achievable FE with max possible legal speed without letting anyone else in the car know.

In this case i kept the speed limited to 90kph(the speed limit), gas pedal super steady and overtaking + braking preplanned. My route was Hisar-Fatehabad(NH10)-Ratia(SH) and back. This required crossing 3Xtowns twice and Highway with moderately low traffic. The point is all this be done with everyday driving without compromising on comfort, AC was ON all the way, my Wife came to know about what i was upto after the run when i was clicking the MFD.

Close to 25 kpl for a distance of 174kms.

[Swanand Inamdar]

This car jsut doesnt fail to amuse us, does it? 4.1 l/100 kms? Close to 25kpl? Now what is left to achieve? Amazing mileage and abundant power delivery at the same time!

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

This car jsut doesnt fail to amuse us, does it? 4.1 l/100 kms? Close to 25kpl? Now what is left to achieve? Amazing mileage and abundant power delivery at the same time!

I was thinking, the 110hp MT version or the even smaller 1.6TDI Vento/Rapid would do even better in same conditions.

[VW2010]

But the point is that a two litre diesel does something like this and that too an automatic is just very good and shows the engineering behind the same car.

Also the fact that driving at 90 in this car can be compared with every parameter of comfort with a smaller car running at 75 if not 65