[KiloAlpha]

After the disappointment of "no Abarth Punto", and a few conversations with Polo GT owners during the Kannur trip, I have come to the conclusion that we need to be a 2-car household.

One comfortable car for the family. One car for me that I fancy. First step towards this journey is to replace my existing Figo with the family workhorse.

I need a sedan/soft-roader. Will keep it for 10 years. Budget around 15 lakhs OTR. Must buy new.

I am insanely attracted towards the Renault Fluence. I also know that the sensible choice is the Honda City.

Advice please?

[eq24]

Since I too was a Figo user before upgrading to the new Honda City, I would recommend the same to you.
Coming to the Fluence and I saw the new one at the Expo it certainly is a beautiful car but it is a very niche vehicle no? Sales are quite low and Renault might pull the plug anytime. Also 10 years for a quintessential European is a long bet with the odds definitely not in your favour. Service too of Renault is nowhere near the Japs.

And the new City does look very premium both inside and out and you will end up saving quite a bit as well whichever variant you go for.
Elantra is also a car which I feel is very competitively priced and looks beautiful.
Corolla is horribly wrong, its just milking the Toyota brand name.
Good luck.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by KiloAlpha

I need a sedan/soft-roader. Will keep it for 10 years.

I am insanely attracted towards the Renault Fluence. I also know that the sensible choice is the Honda City.

1) Skoda Octavia
2) Renault Fluence
3) Volkswagen Jetta
4) Toyota Corolla
5) Honda City

These are the contenders in your budget and as you will keep it for 10 'peaceful' years, Skoda and VW are our without a DOUBT. Renault is good but minimal sales and ASC quality is unheard with reliability a big question (keeping 10 years in mind). So we are left with Toyota and Honda.

Toyota rocks in all but for the pricing v/s features. Absolutely not a VFM as the diesel mid-variant doesn't get a HU, parking sensors, mud flaps, floor mats from factory. All these have to be bought separately eve after paying 16L, I mean how hard can it be to be provided in a car that is 16L OTR. Pretty shameful on Toyota's part.

My dad was in love with the Fluence but it wad dropped due the ASC (distance from home and quality).

So it either the Corolla if you're ready to pay up or go for the Honda City VX i-DTEC.

Originally Posted by eq24

Sales are quite low and Renault might pull the plug anytime.

Corolla is horribly wrong, its just milking the Toyota brand name.

+1000 for the Renault Fluence. They hardly sell so what ever ASC does is R&D on the cars that are sold.

Toyota is also milking we Indians by the Corolla brand and Toyota brand and we are ready to get milked.

Anurag.

[IshaanIan]

Just go for the Fluence

The best ride quality
Fresh yet classy styling inside and out
Space fit for a D2 segment car
Enough features to keep you happy
Amazingly tractable diesel motor with very useable power/torque
Japanese-like rev happy petrol motor
Well tuned electronic power steering unit
Quite surprisingly fun to drive to an extent
Very well built
Good levels of safety kit
Very decent ground clearance
Has that exclusivity factor

According to me, it should have been the next big success in its segment (Cruze, Fluence aren't worthy of the positions they held IMO) since this car was a proper all-rounder, and an all-rounder that was genuinely love-able, and did at the same time, indulge the enthusiast in you to a certain degree. That's a hard cocktail to beat. Unlike a lot of cars that did not sell well, this one actually makes sense any way you look at it and that is what still has me recommending this to pretty much everyone looking out for a car in the entry level D1 segment.

Cheers!

[ottocycle]

+1 for Renault Fluence.
To me Renault Fluence looks class apart from the competition. It's hard to ignore the timeless and classy look. I think you should try to find the owners feedback on ASS in your area and then decide.

[drmohitg]

For a 10 year ownership period I would like to go with tried and tested products. In the price bracket you are looking in, only 3 cars come up:

1. Toyota Altis.
2. Hyundai Elantra.
3. Honda City because you shortlisted it. Although if you have shortlisted the Honda city then why not also take a look at the Verna although the back seat in verna is quite claustrophobic.

Now you didn't mention the type of fuel you want. If its petrol then my pick would be the Toyota Altis or the Honda City if you want to save some cash.

If its the diesel then yes the under powered engine of the Altis can be a deal breaker. So in that case the fight is between the Hyundai Elantra and the Honda city. Needless to say that one a proper D degment car and the other at best a C+. Both the cars will be fairly reliable and TCO over 10 years will also be similar. I would go with the Elantra just for that exclusivity factor since you can afford it. The Honda city diesel is the otherwise default choice.

[F150]

Go ahead with what your heart says.
Fluence is a good choice, the face lift looks very attractive.
The 1.5L DCi is a pretty reliable engine and you should have no troubles with it.
The family will like the ride quality and the space.

[Vid6639]

Little confusing.

You want to replace the Figo with a family workhorse from the D segment sedan category? But you said 2 car household?

Are you keeping the Figo or selling the Figo?

[KiloAlpha]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Little confusing.

You want to replace the Figo with a family workhorse from the D segment sedan category? But you said 2 car household?

Are you keeping the Figo or selling the Figo?

I intend to replace the existing Figo with new C/D-Segment sedan, for family use.
Once that is done, I can feel free to buy whatever car might take my fancy, which will be my own personal use enthusiast car. This is the 2nd car, and I will probably change it once every 2 years or so.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by KiloAlpha

I intend to replace the existing Figo with new C/D-Segment sedan, for family use.
Once that is done, I can feel free to buy whatever car might take my fancy, which will be my own personal use enthusiast car. This is the 2nd car, and I will probably change it once every 2 years or so.

Then don't look at the Fluence at all. Replace the Figo with a practical car that can be used like a beater. That way you will get more options with the personal enthusiast car.

You should look at Duster or XUV500. If you want a sedan don't bother with D segment as the C+ segment sedans offer almost everything the D segment cars have. Verna, City, Rapid should be on your radar.

Then you can take your own time deciding enthusiast car.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by KiloAlpha

I need a sedan/soft-roader. Will keep it for 10 years. Budget around 15 lakhs OTR. Must buy new.
I am insanely attracted towards the Renault Fluence. I also know that the sensible choice is the Honda City.
Advice please?

Ok. You asked for it. Now here it is!

1. All our lives we are trained to be 'sensible' and walk the well trodden paths.
2. Most times we end up, like Walter Mitty, being conformists but 'dreaming' of all sorts of things which are seemingly unattainable.
3. Most times we go only with our heads and never with our hearts.

I am asking you to break free from this prison!

1. You like the Fluence.
2. It is a fantastic car with amazingly wonderful suspension, phenomenal ride quality and more than adequate ground clearance.
3. It is built tough, is functional, has good levels of kit, priced quite well and is extremely comfortable to sit in, drive and generally enjoy.
4. It has just the right amount of French panache and slight quirkiness, so as to be a real nice statement making machine.
5. It will free your soul to get yourself one!

To me it is a straight choice between the Top Spec Fluence and the Top Spec Duster.

The Fluence wins by a clear length.

Go on. Leave all conformism behind. Follow your heart.For a change, be that maverick that you always wanted to be but were too afraid to be, all along!
To hell with the typical 'sensible approach'. Get out there and 'Live'!

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by KiloAlpha

One comfortable car for the family.
I am insanely attracted towards the Renault Fluence. I also know that the sensible choice is the Honda City.

As a comfortable car for the family, the Fluence is a great choice. It will be not beater car or a workhorse in the real sense, but with proper care it should provide safe and comfortable motoring for your family. It has good European feel to it, and is pretty well-loaded with safety features.

And you mentioned about the insane attraction. The facelift makes it look more sweeter. Why compromise then?

[IshaanIan]

I don't understand why people are recommending an XUV500 isn't it just as expensive? The Fluence makes perfect sense. As for the Duster, it may be cheaper BUT there's a very good reason for that, no? The car has a poor 3 star encap crash test rating and simply does feel cheap.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I don't understand why people are recommending an XUV500 isn't it just as expensive? The Fluence makes perfect sense. As for the Duster, it may be cheaper BUT there's a very good reason for that, no? The car has a poor 3 star encap crash test rating and simply does feel cheap.

If you read his first post, the requirement is for a comfortable car for the family and the car is to be a work horse not a weekend drive. He will be getting another car for weekend drive.

The workhorse car cannot be a niche car in the premium segment because the weekend car needs to be that.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

If you read his first post, the requirement is for a comfortable car for the family and the car is to be a work horse not a weekend drive. He will be getting another car for weekend drive.

The workhorse car cannot be a niche car in the premium segment because the weekend car needs to be that.

I'm sorry but since when was the entry level D segment sedan, and a perfectly all rounded one that, a niche product? As I have always said, unless you value ingress/egress (cummon you can't do one situp for each journey? ) and a tall seat so much (no one's going off road), sedans are always the better choice in terms of ride quality, safety, cutting through highways at speed, and also to drive.

I do leave the decision to the KiloAlpha but I don't want to inflict my opinion upon him. People do sometimes buy SUVs cause they just want them, in which case, no matter how unnecessary to me, I guess its alright but he seems to like the Fluence which is a perfectly capable car that also matches his needs.

Thanks