[shankar.balan]

If I had that 30 lakh specifically for a car, then I would go and buy myself an used 1 or 2 year old top of the line AT Skoda Superb which has done low mileage and then get myself a chauffeur as well so that I can enjoy the car's cosseting comfort.
The remaining cash I would keep for fuel and maintenance.

But ideally if I had 30 lakhs lying around I would take a sabbatical of 3 months and go away on a long holiday somewhere far away with my wife and my golf clubs with my telephone switched off completely and only my iPad so that I could occasionally check and reply to mails. I would spend all that money on travel, over say, the next year or three...

[vb-saan]

If I am spending 30 lakhs on a car, I will rather go with the best (and safest) option available in that price range, rather than getting multiple cars. The fact is, we still don’t have many options to choose from. Even the base variant sedans from the 3 German biggies will cross the 30 lakhs cut-off with extended warranty and the likes.

In the sedan space, I will go with the Top variant of the VAG sisters; Jetta or the Octavia for the self-driven, and in case of chauffer-driven, it will be the Superb or the Passat.

In the Cross-over/MPV space, it will be the Audi Q3 S, or the the B-Class – only if I think of a luxurious brand name, otherwise just the (upcoming) face-lifted Yeti will do

[KSH7777]

If i have that sort of budget, i would go for the all new Skoda Octavia Tsi (Elegance trim) and a Ford Ecosport or Mahindra Thar.

IMO that is the best combination one can get in this price band.

[shinuak]

I would say stretch a bit more, buy an Audi / Merc/ BMW and a polo GT TDI or a Grande Punto 90hp combo.

[saket77]

Originally Posted by ksmrsm

Down the line there was another presumption that if we could spend 30L for a car, we would be wealthy enough to maintain those cars.

Fair enough. Don't buy a car that you cannot push!

[ksmrsm]

Originally Posted by saket77

Fair enough. Don't buy a car that you cannot push!

OT: Reading this, I remember what my dad used to say whenever I used to tell him about buying and owning a vintage car - Son, when you get the car, do ensure to get a pair of oxen as well for the occasions when the car refuses to move on its own steam.

[atlantis0965]

hi

For 30lakhs ; it will be a toss up between the following :

Suzuki grand vitara
Mitsubishi pajero sport
Renault Koleos

Not the same order though might decide after Test drives.

I already have a Hyundai i10 and a VW vento TSi and that is the reason for the choices being SUVs .

I guess I will also save some amount out of the 30 lakhs after getting any of the above cars and the rest i’ll spend on accessorising them .

[rrsteer]

I'd get the cheapest decently maintained Fortuner available (~15lacs) and spend the rest of the money on travelling through India with family. (I'd love to do a JK-HP-Uttarakhand-Nepal-Sikkim-Bhutan-Arunachal-Assam-WB-Orissa-MP-Gujarat-Rajasthan-Punjab)

[harsh.m06]

I would pick up a Renault Koleos 4x4 AT 2014 model. Exceptional ride quality and good soft touch plastics in a very practical cabin makes it an ideal choice for me. Its no less than a German in terms of safety and equipment. 6 airbags, esp, hhc, abs, ebd etc and an awesome sounding 8 speaker bose setup. The auto gearbox is a bit slow according to current benchmarks but I can live with that. Koleos is an absolute mile muncher and is meant for relaxed cruising. You can always use the manual mode for having control over the gears. It costs about ~29 lakhs on road Delhi. Fortuner's unsorted ride makes it a complete no for me.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by harsh.m06

I would pick up a Renault Koleos 4x4 AT 2014 model. Exceptional ride quality and good soft touch plastics in a very practical cabin makes it an ideal choice for me. Its no less than a German in terms of safety and equipment. 6 airbags, esp, hhc, abs, ebd etc and an awesome sounding 8 speaker bose setup. The auto gearbox is a bit slow according to current benchmarks but I can live with that. Koleos is an absolute mile muncher and is meant for relaxed cruising. You can always use the manual mode for having control over the gears. It costs about ~29 lakhs on road Delhi. Fortuner's unsorted ride makes it a complete no for me.

Please, please, please drive it before you even think of putting your cash down. Please drive the Skoda Yeti and Q3 also then take a call

[harsh.m06]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Please, please, please drive it before you even think of putting your cash down. Please drive the Skoda Yeti and Q3 also then take a call

I haven't driven any of these 3 vehicles but before putting my money down, i would surely look forward for a very thorough test drive. I would be pleased if teambhp could bring up a detailed review of the new facelifted Koleos. In the most recent review of the facelifted Fluence, I could see the new Koleos in the background in one of the pictures, I was expecting that Koleos' review would be added anytime soon but its not up yet. Being an admin, you could tell if the review would be coming anytime soon? I'm eagerly waiting

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by harsh.m06

Being an admin, you could tell if the review would be coming anytime soon? I'm eagerly waiting

Yes, review is in the pipeline. We were distracted with the migration etc.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Yes, review is in the pipeline. We were distracted with the migration etc.

Apologies for going slightly OT.

On that note, I think it might be useful to have a non reply permitted thread or some sort of link on home page that indicates upcoming reviews that can be expected in the coming 30-60 days (time period depending on what's feasible.)

Separately, it would be great if you could expand the offerings on the two wheeler reviews, particularly in the higher end performance segments. I'm conscious that many brands may still be limited in their willingness to sponsor this but equally I'm sure there are newer brands which would welcome a T BHP review.

[shoaib3030]

To my knowledge, the German trio have on road prices upwards of 36 lacs ! The only good cars that comes to my mind around the 30 lac mark are the X1 and the Superb.

[f1dotcom]

Originally Posted by harsh.m06

I would pick up a Renault Koleos 4x4 AT 2014 model. Exceptional ride quality and good soft touch plastics in a very practical cabin makes it an ideal choice for me. Its no less than a German in terms of safety and equipment. 6 airbags, esp, hhc, abs, ebd etc and an awesome sounding 8 speaker bose setup. The auto gearbox is a bit slow according to current benchmarks but I can live with that. Koleos is an absolute mile muncher and is meant for relaxed cruising. You can always use the manual mode for having control over the gears. It costs about ~29 lakhs on road Delhi. Fortuner's unsorted ride makes it a complete no for me.

My best friend owns both the Koleos as well as the Fortuner and I have to agree with you that the ride quality in urban roads in much much better in the Koleos.

Yes, even though the gear shift is a bit slow, I have found that the overall quality is much better in his Koleos than in his Fortuner AT.

Fortuner scrores over the Koleos in ground clearance, road presence, space in cabin and better roading capabilities.