[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by sajo

I will vote for the Fortuner dude! Just for the incredible amount of street cred..

Fortuner middle row is not that comfortable, compared to other alternatives'. If one is going to be driven around, Fortuner is not the best choice.

[Swanand Inamdar]

Guys, the Fortuner definitely seems to be out. One major aspect that I completely overlooked, was the waiting period. Even now, the T-Fort demands a waiting period of close to 6 months (in Pune). That certainly is not possible for us. So long, T- Fort.

[selfdrive]

Swanand, perhaps you are not looking for a pre owned ride, but this one looks interesting!
Used 2006 Porsche Cayenne V6 Tiptronic (D284012) for sale in Pune - CarWale

[Swanand Inamdar]

Bala, you've gotta be kidding, right? Porsche? Seriously! Man, thats way out of the league. Plus the ad mentions, its already exchanged hands twice. So this would be a third hand buy. Not too enticing.
I read your subtle hints on the other thread, and yes, it does look tempting. Lets discuss this over the meet tonight.

[Swanand Inamdar]

Ok, an update on the thread-
Did a TD of the below mentioned cars. Here's my view on the TD's.
They may be different to others view, but then, to each his own.

BMW 320D:

+ve's
180+bhp! Probably the most FTD car in the segment.
BMW secure package.
The Bimmer bagde.

-ve's
Space! My Laura seems to have more space. Front and back.
Feature list does not seem extensive. A la Superb/Passat.
CE edition is pretty basic, no xenons, not that plush leather.
Ride was stiff at times.

X1:

To be very honest, didnt like it one bit. Looks like a station wagon, with an elongated front. The seats (back) were not that comfortable, neither were the features that exciting. Didnt even bother with a TD, after sitting in the car, didnt feel that plushness that a BMW would offer.

Apart from these two, I was looking forward to the Teana, but then lack of diesel engine, automatically rules it out. Bummer! That car has supposedly the best back seat comfort.

So now, by the looks of it, the final contenders seem to be the Germans. Superb and Passat. Both have almost the same features. The engine is pretty much the same. The styling is what matters now.

So, VW or Skoda?

[selfdrive]

^^ Did you not intend to TD the Xtrail?
Also, what do you think of Honda CRV or Chevrolet Captiva. One of my colleagues also has the Outlander, but I need ot know him better to ask for a spin. Just putting some more names up here, though you may have considered these already.

[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

^^ Did you not intend to TD the Xtrail?
Also, what do you think of Honda CRV or Chevrolet Captiva. One of my colleagues also has the Outlander, but I need ot know him better to ask for a spin. Just putting some more names up here, though you may have considered these already.

Honda CRV and Outlander would a BIG no, since they are petrol ONLY vehicles. I guess Swanand would agree. Captiva is a nice choice, but if Swanand is looking at Beamers and Mercs, then Captiva cannot match that class, IMO.

[Swanand Inamdar]

Bala and Ajay: No I havent TD'd the CRV, and I have no intent of TD'ing it either for the following reasons:
1. Ridiculous pricing. Dont know what was Honda high on when they priced the CRV at that price.
2. Petrol. A No No for me.

Captiva, X1, Xtrail, Outlander... and all the crossovers, tall boys have been given a miss this time around. Unanimous family decision. SUV's also seem to be on the way out of the list.

[selfdrive]

Originally Posted by Swanand Inamdar

Bala and Ajay: No I havent TD'd the CRV, and I have no intent of TD'ing it either for the following reasons:
1. Ridiculous pricing. Dont know what was Honda high on when they priced the CRV at that price.
2. Petrol. A No No for me.

Captiva, X1, Xtrail, Outlander... and all the crossovers, tall boys have been given a miss this time around. Unanimous family decision. SUV's also seem to be on the way out of the list.

1. That was true of all offerings from Honda till a few weeks ago!
2. Noted. I dont know how I forgot that!

So now you are looking solely at a diesel sedan; read as no SUV?

[Swanand Inamdar]

^^Thats so true, Bala. Wonder if Honda plan to bring the rates for the CRV down too.
And yes, you are right. Now, I am looking for a diesel sedan only. No SUV. As of now.

[drmohitg]

I feel you should go for the Superb. Reason being purely on the basis of your good rapport with the Skoda. Otherwise its extremely tough to choose between the 2. If you also know the VW dealer then you might wanna go for the passat only because its a newer car.

[Monaro CV8]

Hi Swanand!

If I could try and relate to your dilemma about certain oranges and them apples, let me put up my story for you.

We've had the Octy and a few Hatches for the last 5 years or more.
As our car dependency started to grow, we realized that it were the diesels that were the work horses for us.
So we phased out the last petrol we had in 2008.

Until the start of 2010, we felt the need for another car. The long lost dreams of owning one from the LC (Land Cruiser) stables started to haunt.
To buy or not to buy was the debate. Of course the best contender in the fray was the New Superb!

But then there was something that went amiss - all that comfort and the luxury and the gadgetry in the Superb, Vs the feel good factor of riding in a High GC car - dont have to be wary of potholed roads, or cutting across them damn Riksha's & 2 wheelers. Plus the family - we like to go for excursions/ day trips/ long trips, quite often. All the needs fell in place - could fit in the whole bunch of us (7 Pax), can gobble all sorts of roads, and not a bad looker after all!
Td'd the whole bunch of them - the X-trail, Captiva, Endy & the T-Fort.

Finally concluded on the T-Fort, the major reasons being -
1. The Best buy in the Engine specs area (3 Litres & a 4WD!)
2. The best buy in the O&M (Operate & Maintain) area.
3. The best 2nd sales (resale) value for that badge.

In our perspective, "the family is now complete" ! The garage now boasts a variety - from a hatchback, to a mid sized car, a C segment & now a 4x4!

[suhaas307]

I'm surprised that there isn't much talk about the Volvo S60. Great car with a great engine and packed to the gills with goodies. It looks fantastic too, and drives well. May not be the best car to be chauffeured in but good, nonetheless. However, @ 40 lakhs odd, it might be a bit of a stretch.

Buy the Superb. It's a wonderful car with oodles of class and lots of space! The car can rival the best Mercedes out there, in terms of space and comfort. And at that cracker of a price, it's VFM without a doubt.

There are some tantalizing discounts on the BMW 3-Series, largely because there is a new one in the pipeline. So go to your nearest Bimmer dealer and check it out. However, be warned. The ride isn't as good as a Mercedes or an Audi and probably isn't as good as the Superb's either. It is, predominantly, a drivers' car, so don't expect the 'magic-carpet-ride' as a part of the package.

You've mentioned that you don't like the Passat much. But it is, actually, a wonderful car. It comes with an endless list of features and is quite a comfortable car, although it isn't as roomy as the Superb. And with it's frugal and well-engineered diesel lump, it is quite a car. Your father would enjoy it, without a doubt.

[Swanand Inamdar]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

I feel you should go for the Superb. Reason being purely on the basis of your good rapport with the Skoda. Otherwise its extremely tough to choose between the 2. If you also know the VW dealer then you might wanna go for the passat only because its a newer car.

Thanks for your suggestion Mohit. I do not know the dealer of VW. The one existing in Pune wasnt that great. With the entry of another dealer, the game might change though. And yes, apart from the fact that the Superb is a great car, the dealer being known is what puts me at ease with owning a Skoda.

Originally Posted by Monaro CV8

Hi Swanand.... In our perspective, "the family is now complete" ! The garage now boasts a variety - from a hatchback, to a mid sized car, a C segment & now a 4x4!

Satyen, that was pretty much the dilemma in the household till a week or so ago. How much ever I love the T-Fort, the waiting period is something that puts me off. I couldnt afford a waiting period of 6-9 months. Thats pretty much the reason we've let the T-Fort go.

Originally Posted by suhaas307

I'm surprised that there isn't much talk about the Volvo S60. Great car with a great engine and packed to the gills with goodies. It looks fantastic too, and drives well. May not be the best car to be chauffeured in but good, nonetheless. However, @ 40 lakhs odd, it might be a bit of a stretch.

Buy the Superb. It's a wonderful car with oodles of class and lots of space! The car can rival the best Mercedes out there, in terms of space and comfort. And at that cracker of a price, it's VFM without a doubt.

There are some tantalizing discounts on the BMW 3-Series, largely because there is a new one in the pipeline. So go to your nearest Bimmer dealer and check it out. However, be warned. The ride isn't as good as a Mercedes or an Audi and probably isn't as good as the Superb's either. It is, predominantly, a drivers' car, so don't expect the 'magic-carpet-ride' as a part of the package.

You've mentioned that you don't like the Passat much. But it is, actually, a wonderful car. It comes with an endless list of features and is quite a comfortable car, although it isn't as roomy as the Superb. And with it's frugal and well-engineered diesel lump, it is quite a car. Your father would enjoy it, without a doubt.

Suhaas, you are spot on with the analysis of the S60. If the requirement was of a self drive option, then the S60 would have been an extremely strong contender. But then, an S60 with a chauffeur! Man, thats sacreligious .
Also, I did TD the 320D CE. To be honest, didnt really like it, apart from the fact thats its the most FTD car in that segment. But space being an important factor, we've got to let it go.
Its not that I dont like the Passat. What I do not appreciate is the understated looks. The car is Superb (pun intended)! Its surely a great ride, both to drive and to be chauffeured around in.

So you see, the battle now, is pretty much between Skoda and VW. Whoever wins, I am sure it would be a win win situation.

[VW2010]

So you see, the battle now, is pretty much between Skoda and VW. Whoever wins, I am sure it would be a win win situation.

If its between Superb and Passat, i would pick the Passat. I own a Jetta. I am pretty sure it feels a great to drive own with the least envy from your neighbors.

Half the world dont know there is a car called Jetta and the rest half asks me is it a Vento. Imagine i own the 2010 Jetta. The newer passat will go into oblivion and people will think you got a new Vento.

The experience you get out of driving the Car or the features can never be explained to that crowd.

On the other hand, superb will just make every head turn. The curves are superb and the features are superb. If its a diesel you have to chose between a new age, looks like Vento and will only make people think its a vento unless they closely examine, Passat VS relatively old, but turns everyones attention, has enough features and an umbrella too Superb.

Last but not the least, why not Audi A4?