[ACM]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

The ex showroom of those 2 cars is the price mentioned above, no chance its possible anywhere to get those cars for 32l on the road

I Do mean On Road not Ex-showroom. Another of my colleague is deciding between the two and those are the rates he has already obtained.
He has 33.5L for the A4 2.0 TDI Top End full featured one and 32.25 for the 3 Series (Including the 5 yrs 60k kms pack). In both cases this includes about 5% octroi and so outside the octroi (say in New Mumbai or Thane outside Octroi) the price works out another 5 % lesser that what I just detailed.

Even the A4 bought 6 months back was in the same range.

But these are 1) Mumbai rates - (a lot lower than Bang I guess), 2) one chooses from the cars (colours and interior varients) already in stock. 3) Buys in the last 3 days of the month.
Also - might be 2011 Dec manufactured - not sure of that bit but that is also likely.

The colleague has got both of them already at about 3.5-4.5L discount.
The price is increasing by about Rs. 1L for cars not in local dealer stock (ordered colour/ interior combo).

Can possibly share which of the two was finally picked up in a weeks time. But am sure the A4 too was picked up in the 32-33 range earlier as well. Of course for Mumbai area. (individual not corporate registration)

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by ACM

I Do mean On Road not Ex-showroom. Another of my colleague is deciding between the two and those are the rates he has already obtained.
He has 33.5L for the A4 2.0 TDI Top End full featured one and 32.25 for the 3 Series (Including the 5 yrs 60k kms pack). In both cases this includes about 5% octroi and so outside the octroi (say in New Mumbai or Thane outside Octroi) the price works out another 5 % lesser that what I just detailed.

How can it be? I picked up the 320d top of the line for about 36 odd including the 5 year bsi and this was with a 4l discount. Oh and mine was registered outside octroi limits so ad another 2l for octroi.

[ACM]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

How can it be? I picked up the 320d top of the line for about 36 odd including the 5 year bsi and this was with a 4l discount. Oh and mine was registered outside octroi limits so ad another 2l for octroi.

Give me a weeks time to get back on how they finally close (if they finally pick the BMW), maybe we are talking about something different or the guy who is sharing the info with me has not factored in something as yet. He too mentions a 4L discount.

The equivalent merc by the way is significantly higher by almost 6L right now.

Edit - Got it clarified in case of the BMW it is the Dynamic model (not the exclusive one) and there is a 4L difference between the two. In case of the A4 though it is indeed the top spec one.

[shankar.balan]

My friend has a Jetta which he curses every time he goes over a bump. It does have a reasonably long wheel base and it also does have underbody protection etc but one simply cant help feeling horrible each time one hears that grating scrape!

The only answer for our country is a higher than normal GC and possibly a different aspect ratio in the tyres which will add a few more mm where it matters.

Even in my Yeti, I managed to scrape the underbody protection today, while going over a particularly nasty slab of concrete which was covering a ditch but without adequate mud or tarmac banking on either side.

However, all that has happened is that there is a small scrape/scratch on the under body protection cover.

Originally Posted by .anshuman

I have not spent much time with a Passat but Superb even with super long wheelbase it does not pose any GC problems, plus it comes with proper underbody protection not some paper cardboard types which BMWs have.

Laura is anyday better suited for bad roads than the X1.

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by ACM

The equivalent merc by the way is significantly higher by almost 6L right now.

Edit - Got it clarified in case of the BMW it is the Dynamic model (not the exclusive one) and there is a 4L difference between the two. In case of the A4 though it is indeed the top spec one.

Phew, and here I was thinking they started giving 7l off on the 3.

The Merc C250cdi Avantgarde is the same price as the 320d Exclusive and has a couple of more features, but is no fun to drive.

[rxpaul]

These aint no Germans..........why don't you wait for the. crossover Ford Ecosport or the Renault Duster for bad roads/out of city drives and also a Superb with the money you save ! Or maybe the petrol automatic Outlander.

[ACM]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

My friend has a Jetta which he curses every time he goes over a bump. It does have a reasonably long wheel base and it also does have underbody protection etc but one simply cant help feeling horrible each time one hears that grating scrape!

The only answer for our country is a higher than normal GC and possibly a different aspect ratio in the tyres which will add a few more mm where it matters.

Even in my Yeti, I managed to scrape the underbody protection today, while going over a particularly nasty slab of concrete which was covering a ditch but without adequate mud or tarmac banking on either side.

However, all that has happened is that there is a small scrape/scratch on the under body protection cover.

Had 205/60 R16 on the Laura - Underbody did not hit the speed bumps in Bombay.
Changed to 205/55 R16 (original/stock size for my L&K 1.9PD) the bottom would hit the bumps regularly.
Next changed to 225/55 R16 (Increased width with same aspect ration also meant increase in height) - the car stopped hitting the bumps.

Concluded that even a small increase in height (done just though a tyre size change) stops the car bottoming out.

Also noted that the Newer Laura Refresh has increased height and am assuming would not hit the bottom lesser. The Laura seems to have greater practical GC compared to the Jetta but obviously lower than the Yeti. I recently had the occation to take the laura across the road shoulder off from the mainroad onto the service road and though I do that routinely in the Aria the Laura obviously scraped a bit and it does make one a bit nervous considering the AT mechanics are likely to be located below - though it too has a complete rough road package (expecially the earlier Laura with the black skirtings).

[Durango Dude]

I'd also suggest a Honda CR-V if not a Nissan X Trail too. I think you don't have too much luck with Germans; Fabia had an engine 'seizure', 520 D left you stranded in the middle of no where for almost 10 hours and the Laura crashed. I think you owed the Germans a lot in your previous life. Still you can't have enough of the Germans. Why don't you try some thing a little more 'reliable' for a change?

[shankar.balan]

Sorry to be a hijacker but I have a quick query here because I was not able to understand your post properly.
Which Laura had the 205/60/16 and which one did you change to 225/55/16? Was it the same car?
You mentioned L&K. Which L&K did you have? An Octy or the earlier Laura (2006-2009).
Do I understand correctly from your post, that the newer Laura Refresh (2009 onwards) has the higher GC and different tyre size? If so, what are these measurements vis a vis the older one?
When you say earlier Laura with black skirtings - do you mean the 2006-2009 one?
Lastly, though off topic, what's your thought on a tyre change/ upsize for my Yeti? The present ones are 215/60/16 Goodyear Excellence. Lovely tyres, very comfy and soft ride etc, but the compound is soft and the treads are not hard wearing at all. Need something tougher and more useable for our conditions - HT/AT type lugs and a more hard wearing tyre basically.

Originally Posted by ACM

Had 205/60 R16 on the Laura - Underbody did not hit the speed bumps in Bombay.
Changed to 205/55 R16 (original/stock size for my L&K 1.9PD) the bottom would hit the bumps regularly.
Next changed to 225/55 R16 (Increased width with same aspect ration also meant increase in height) - the car stopped hitting the bumps.

Concluded that even a small increase in height (done just though a tyre size change) stops the car bottoming out.

Also noted that the Newer Laura Refresh has increased height and am assuming would not hit the bottom lesser. The Laura seems to have greater practical GC compared to the Jetta but obviously lower than the Yeti. I recently had the occation to take the laura across the road shoulder off from the mainroad onto the service road and though I do that routinely in the Aria the Laura obviously scraped a bit and it does make one a bit nervous considering the AT mechanics are likely to be located below - though it too has a complete rough road package (expecially the earlier Laura with the black skirtings).

[ACM]

Ans in line in bold

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Sorry to be a hijacker but I have a quick query here because I was not able to understand your post properly.
Which Laura had the 205/60/16 and which one did you change to 225/55/16? Was it the same car? Yep the stock was upgraded right at the start to 205/60/R16 for a softer ride then after 43k kms brought back to stock Sdrives of 205/55/R16 and then upgraded again to 225/55/R16 at about 73k kms for a mix of softride with a bit of sporty ness - current setup.
You mentioned L&K. Which L&K did you have? An Octy or the earlier Laura (2006-2009). L&K DSG AT 1.9PD - 2006-2009.
Do I understand correctly from your post, that the newer Laura Refresh (2009 onwards) has the higher GC and different tyre size? If so, what are these measurements vis a vis the older one? Not sure of the exact measurements but when I go to the service center and seen the older ones and the newer ones parked side by side there is a clear higher height visible on the newer one.
When you say earlier Laura with black skirtings - do you mean the 2006-2009 one? Yes
Lastly, though off topic, what's your thought on a tyre change/ upsize for my Yeti? The present ones are 215/60/16 Goodyear Excellence. Lovely tyres, very comfy and soft ride etc, but the compound is soft and the treads are not hard wearing at all. Need something tougher and more useable for our conditions - HT/AT type lugs and a more hard wearing tyre basically.

We are indeed hijacking this thread but to give this last bit of feedback - going below 60 profile on the Yeti will impact the ride and make it a bit harsh - happend to me with the S-Drives at 55 though with 205 width. So would recommend that you stretch to 225 or 235/60/R16 wherein the width is increased for a more a gripy drive and an on-Rails effect while the ride hight is maintained for ride softness (infact increased as with increased width and same aspect ration the height will increase). The wheel well will take this size easilty. Going to 65 Aspect ratio while keeping the width same will impact the car like feel of the Yeti, while inceasing both will not be in safe limits of 3-4% deviation - so suggest going for width increase instead.

The problem is currently that due to an ISI mark issue Offroad tyres of multiple sizes of brands like Michelin, Yoko etc are not available or priced absurdly. We will have to wait it out. (Am waiting for things to cool off for the Aria upsize as well). Will possibly sell off the Laura in a few months as have more cars then people who can drive them right now. Michelin Lattitude Cross are the best I feel for softroaders if available in desired size as also LTX AT2. Dunlops seems to have a soft side wall. Yoko Geolanders too are nice and best value for money. Goodyear Wrangler HT in my recent experience wear of too fast in Indian conditions, Bridgestone Dueller HT seems better between Goodyear and Bridgestone.
AT will affect the highspeed drive on highways vs the HT. Feel HT serve the purpose well enough if one is not a true offroader but if a combination of both is required then Michelin are my best bet suggestion if available in a suitable size. (The side wall do remain moderately soft so rough rocks in true offroading can get through but then one would not go on that kind of a route with the Yeti.)

Regret the since . Now back to the topic.

[shankar.balan]

thanks a lot
I certainly dont need AT. HT is more than sufficient going by my earlier usage patterns too. Trick is to find a suitable match in the right size, toughness and tread pattern which will meet all requirements well. Would happily buy Bridgestones because I ve had only good experiences with these but they are simply not available in the size + HT + tough tread pattern combo. They are only available for cars in those sizes as of now, not soft roaders or any other!
cheers!

Originally Posted by ACM

Ans in line in bold


We are indeed hijacking this thread but to give this last bit of feedback - going below 60 profile on the Yeti will impact the ride and make it a bit harsh - happend to me with the S-Drives at 55 though with 205 width. So would recommend that you stretch to 225 or 235/60/R16 wherein the width is increased for a more a gripy drive and an on-Rails effect while the ride hight is maintained for ride softness (infact increased as with increased width and same aspect ration the height will increase). The wheel well will take this size easilty. Going to 65 Aspect ratio while keeping the width same will impact the car like feel of the Yeti, while inceasing both will not be in safe limits of 3-4% deviation - so suggest going for width increase instead.

The problem is currently that due to an ISI mark issue Offroad tyres of multiple sizes of brands like Michelin, Yoko etc are not available or priced absurdly. We will have to wait it out. (Am waiting for things to cool off for the Aria upsize as well). Will possibly sell off the Laura in a few months as have more cars then people who can drive them right now. Michelin Lattitude Cross are the best I feel for softroaders if available in desired size as also LTX AT2. Dunlops seems to have a soft side wall. Yoko Geolanders too are nice and best value for money. Goodyear Wrangler HT in my recent experience wear of too fast in Indian conditions, Bridgestone Dueller HT seems better between Goodyear and Bridgestone.
AT will affect the highspeed drive on highways vs the HT. Feel HT serve the purpose well enough if one is not a true offroader but if a combination of both is required then Michelin are my best bet suggestion if available in a suitable size. (The side wall do remain moderately soft so rough rocks in true offroading can get through but then one would not go on that kind of a route with the Yeti.)

Regret the since . Now back to the topic.

[Berry]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Lastly, though off topic, what's your thought on a tyre change/ upsize for my Yeti? The present ones are 215/60/16 Goodyear Excellence. Lovely tyres, very comfy and soft ride etc, but the compound is soft and the treads are not hard wearing at all. Need something tougher and more useable for our conditions - HT/AT type lugs and a more hard wearing tyre basically.

Try the Geolanders from Yokohama, I changed from MRF to these on day one of the ownership and even after clocking over 50K kms the darn thing does not retire, the tread is like melted iron has enveloped the rims. But be prepared for a hard ride.

[shankar.balan]

Thanks. However size, spec, tread type not available for my vehicle. Can we move this across to the Yeti Tyre thread? Im sorry I started asking questions when I shouldnt have, because this thread belongs to someone else and is all about a different topic.
Thanks!

Originally Posted by Berry

Try the Geolanders from Yokohama, I changed from MRF to these on day one of the ownership and even after clocking over 50K kms the darn thing does not retire, the tread is like melted iron has enveloped the rims. But be prepared for a hard ride.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

I'd also suggest a Honda CR-V if not a Nissan X Trail too. I think you don't have too much luck with Germans; Fabia had an engine 'seizure', 520 D left you stranded in the middle of no where for almost 10 hours and the Laura crashed. I think you owed the Germans a lot in your previous life. Still you can't have enough of the Germans. Why don't you try some thing a little more 'reliable' for a change?

I think androdev already mentioned earlier in this thread that he is not really interested in SUVs/Crossovers. And X1 came into picture because its almost a 3 series with beefed up GC

[Berry]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Thanks. However size, spec, tread type not available for my vehicle. Can we move this across to the Yeti Tyre thread? Im sorry I started asking questions when I shouldnt have, because this thread belongs to someone else and is all about a different topic.
Thanks!

We should definitely create a new thread. Please do it Balan.

This is my last post "off topic"


Androdev - you might want to have a look at the Mini Countryman, I saw it parked at the BMW dealership the other day. Looks very robust with ample GC. Should cost you similar to the highline 3 , the only problem as far as I am concerned is it is Petrol only.