[xtremeshock]

Hi Guys,

Need a suggestion for my Garage as it is ageing and will look to update it in the near future:

We are a family of 6 (Grandmom / Parents in their 60's / Wifey and Son). We stay in Chennai.

I work from home so don't have much office communte but we stay on the ourskirts of the city so we still have an average running of 80kms a day all our cars combined (if schools re-open). We don't have a driver as yet but could change once schools re-open.

My Current Garage is as follows:

Skoda Rapid 1.5Tdi DSG 2017: 54,000kms on odo: This is the workhorse in our garage: School Runs 25kms a day, Shopping Trips, etc. This is also used by me for occasional Business Trips to Bangalore and Kerala as this cars gives amazing mileage of around 20kmpl whilst being an amazing highway car with good road manners and I really love this car for what it offers, but I have already had a Mechatronics failure and it has just gone for ABS Sensor issue, the Skoda Gremlins are starting to pop-up. I have opted for the 6 year Extended Warranty. Should I replace this car before it starts really giving me problems if yes, then which can replace this keeping in mind the above points.

Hyundai Creta 1.6 Diesel Auto 2016: 57,000kms in the odo: This was supposed to be a gift for my wife but this car is so comfortable to use that it is used by almost everyone in the family. I also prefer to use this for highway trips as I don't feel fatigued even after a 900kms trip. Mileage is the only drawback of this car is the mileage which could be higher. This has been super reliable apart from minor Electronic failures which were promptly replaced which made me also shy away from an Audio upgrade. This car has been good so far but it is the oldest car in my garage and if I sell it now I could fetch a good resale value. Also will need to change the tyres soon so need make a call to sell or keep.

Skoda VRS 230 2018: 17,000kms: Its been 3 years in this car, love it to bits. Had gone for a long drive to Kodaikannal recently gave me a mileage of 10kmpl on the highway because we were cruising in the higher triple digit speeds (just for comparo a stage 1 diesel octavia gave a mileage of 18kmpl in the same conditions). Apart from the mileage this car is a very practical car to live with, the big boot is a added plus. Will look to keep this car for another 2 years atleast.

Maruti Ritz 1.3 DDI 2008: 25,000kms: It has done around 13 years now, we use it at our farm runs in Nagpur, has been very reliable. I have been suggested to sell this car because of the 15 year rule. Honestly don't see my self buying another car after selling this as we hardly goto Nagpur maybe once a year for 15 days. I have the option of using my In-laws car who stay in Nagpur as well. Should I sell this car and fetch a decent resale or I keep and sell as scrap once the 15 years is over.

Mahindra Thar Soft Top Auto Diesel I have gone ahead and booked this car on a whim, just love it for the looks and feel and macho factor, don't need to do any off-roading (might do it since I am buying this car), although it may come only January next year. Do I need this car NO, but I do WANT this car. Also this car is overpriced for what it offers, as I will be spending more than a lakh on basic accessories.

OK now the dilemma is that I have an ageing garage, I currently have a budget of 20-25lakhs to purchase a new car can maybe stretch to 30L. I want a good reliable car with decent resale value I have seen the following cars:

Kia Seltos 1.5 tdi GTline: This car is loaded with features definitely in the interior department is miles ahead of Creta. Really confused whether this could be a god option for the Creta.

Jeep Compass Auto: I have not driven this car, but after reading numerous reviews Auto is not the one to go for, plus I do feel that there will be a new generation of Compass around the corner (I could be wrong). I do need the Auto as the family is now completely used to Autos.

BMW 2 Series: Checked it out as I always wanted a Beemer, I know this is a front wheel drive. but still with a 190bhp motor in a compact sedan is very fun to drive. Issues with the car it is way over priced, I guess this is a normal trend nowadays for these so called luxury cars. This deserves to be around 40 lakhs and not 50 lakhs.

My future plans for the VRS is to sell it reaches the 5 year mark (2 more years) and buy a Toyota Fortuner as this could be more fun to drive around in a big vehicle which I can take for driving holidays as we always travel heavy.

Just need a suggestion from this forum what do you guys think should be a good garage re-shuffle in the near future, or should I leave as is. Don't want to go electric right now as I feel it's still in its nascent stage and we can expect more cars bringing their electric line-up here in India in the near future.

Thank you in advance.

[Mr.Boss]

Originally Posted by xtremeshock

Maruti Ritz 1.3 DDI 2008: 25,000kms:Should I sell this car and fetch a decent resale or I keep and sell as scrap once the 15 years is over.

With this limited usage there is no point in retaining for another 2 years and then scrapping. Sell it now

Originally Posted by xtremeshock

BMW 2 Series: Issues with the car it is way over priced

Better resale is also doubtful

Originally Posted by xtremeshock

OK now the dilemma is that I have an ageing garage, I currently have a budget of 20-25lakhs to purchase a new car can maybe stretch to 30L.

Few people who had Compass AT in mind went for Harrier AT (TATA and reliability?? I let owners confirm)

Originally Posted by xtremeshock

My future plans for the VRS is to sell it reaches the 5 year mark (2 more years) and buy a Toyota Fortuner as this could be more fun to drive around in a big vehicle which I can take for driving holidays as we always travel heavy.

VRS to T-Fort, interesting.

Originally Posted by xtremeshock

Skoda Rapid 1.5Tdi DSG 2017: Should I replace this car before it starts really giving me problems

Keep me informed

[sunikkat]

Honestly you should buy a Fortuner straight away and cancel Thar.

Please save yourself from selling VRS, you cannot sell that - cars like that dont come by easily. Still I feel bad for my decision of not buying VRS when I had a chance.

[Dwaipayan26]

Well Sir, I am very new to the forum and what I am going to state is just my perspective, even though quite a few people may find it shocking.

I feel that you should get rid of the Rapid, the Creta and the Ritz. Even though these three cars are really your daily drivers, my recommendation would be to replace all of these with a Fortuner.

The Creta has always had great resale value and with the rise in used car prices during this Covid period, you should be able to get pretty good value for it

The Ritz and Rapid should also bring in some really good resale value as there has been quite a rise in the "project car" market with quite a few people looking for a tuner-friendly car.

A very good replacement for the aforesaid cars is the Fortuner considering that it is fun to drive, has decent fuel efficiency and is bulletproof in terms of reliability.

The Mahindra Thar has received quite some love from the Indian audience due to the "macho" lifestyle that it promises. It is a car targeted towards customers' want and not need.
But realistically speaking, once Mahindra is able to resume deliveries ( post the chip-shortage), the car market will probably be flooded with used Thars. Picking up a used Thar is definitely a much more VFM proposition considering the amount that has to be invested in mods.

This is my recommendation, but of course, it all lies to your discretion,
Cheers.

[self_driven]

Originally Posted by xtremeshock

OK now the dilemma is that I have an ageing garage, I currently have a budget of 20-25lakhs to purchase a new car can maybe stretch to 30L

At present, how many members in your family actually drive?

IMO Ritz must go, VRS must stay. Neither of the other two are particularly old. If you want a Thar, sell off the Rapid (prone to failures, low slung, best as a driver's car but for that you have the VRS) by the time your Thar is delivered. The sooner you sell it, the better (and easier) resale it will fetch.

For a family of 6, you can also consider the Innova AT instead of Thar. In that case, you can sell the Creta (as Innova will take its place) and keep the frugal Rapid as a beater for a few more years. Though not as capable, Innova is much more comfortable than a Fortuner.

Even on paper, Rapid-Innova-VRS appears to be a more practical garage than Thar-Creta-VRS to me.

With the former combination, you have a fuel efficient Rapid for daily duties, a fun-to-drive VRS for joyrides and a supremely comfortable Innova for family trips. The latter combination has no car that is fuel efficient or particularly comfortable for the elderly (3 out of 6 in your family). Think about it.

[M A D over CARS]

Originally Posted by xtremeshock

Hi Guys,

Need a suggestion for my Garage as it is ageing and will look to update it in the near future:

We are a family of 6 (Grandmom / Parents in their 60's / Wifey and Son). We stay in Chennai.

Here is my take on your dilemma. You should consider cancelling the Thar and getting a Fortuner now itself. If you are head over heels for the Thar, they you may get a top end Innova Crysta automatic along with the Thar. And two years later you can accomplish your BMW dream by selling the Octavia VRS and getting the BMW 330i. As for the selling part, You may sell the Creta (If you are getting the Crysta) because of the great resale value and the Ritz because of its age.

[lamborghini]

Sell the Ritz if it's not being used much. No point just spending on maintenance, insurance, etc.
Plus a sparingly used car may just deteriorate more over time as compared to a regularly used one.

About the others: the thar isn't a family car. Not one bit. Think of it as purely an extra car for you when you don't want to use the vRS.

The Rapid: keep it till warranty expires and retire it for a driver friendly vehicle (New Creta if not picky about safety / Innova if you hire a driver). This can be used by family members. Look for something abuse friendly.

The vRS is truly a proper fun car. Nothing but the 330i would come close to providing the same thrills. I wouldn't sell it due to fuel economy. A proper fun upgrade would cost over Rs. 70L new (M340 / 530D). I'd retain this, and the Octy is a lot more practical and comfortable for everyone to drive. Plus it gets the more reliable DSG transmission too. This car wasn't bought with fuel economy in mind, so why start now?

The Creta you have incidently could be safer than the new one. Better to retain this for highway trips or sell this for the fortuner/endeavour if you need the added seats.

[xtremeshock]

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

With this limited usage there is no point in retaining for another 2 years and then scrapping. Sell it now

Keep me informed

Noted, yes will look to sell the Ritz.

Originally Posted by sunikkat

Honestly you should buy a Fortuner straight away and cancel Thar.

Please save yourself from selling VRS, you cannot sell that - cars like that dont come by easily. Still I feel bad for my decision of not buying VRS when I had a chance.

Originally Posted by Dwaipayan26

replace all of these with a Fortuner.

A very good replacement for the aforesaid cars is the Fortuner considering that it is fun to drive, has decent fuel efficiency and is bulletproof in terms of reliability.
.

Originally Posted by self_driven

At present, how many members in your family actually drive?

sell off the Rapid (prone to failures, low slung, best as a driver's car but for that you have the VRS) by the time your Thar is delivered.

For a family of 6, you can also consider the Innova AT instead of Thar.

Even on paper, Rapid-Innova-VRS appears to be a more practical garage than Thar-Creta-VRS to me.

Originally Posted by M A D over CARS

You should consider cancelling the Thar and getting a Fortuner now itself. If you are head over heels for the Thar, they you may get a top end Innova Crysta automatic along with the Thar. And two years later you can accomplish your BMW dream by selling the Octavia VRS and getting the BMW 330i. As for the selling part, You may sell the Creta (If you are getting the Crysta) because of the great resale value and the Ritz because of its age.

Hi Guys thanks for your valuable comments, just need to clarify the following:

My Dad, Mom and Wife all drive and they are comfortable to drive the Creta and the Rapid, my wife is even uncomfortable taking the VRS. So replacing the Creta / Rapid with an Innova is not practical as they cannot drive.

Only I drive the VRS and occasionally my wife that too only if I have consumed some alcohol, that's why I considered replacing the VRS with the fortuner at a later date because I can't have 2 cars in the garage which only I am comfortable driving.

If I had to consider only myself the Fortuner-Rapid-Vrs would be the perfect garage for me.

So I have to consider cars that my parents and Wife will be comfortable to drive at the same time need the 'Prestige Factor'

Thanks Guys.

[xtremeshock]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

About the others: the thar isn't a family car. Not one bit. Think of it as purely an extra car for you when you don't want to use the vRS.

This car wasn't bought with fuel economy in mind, so why start now?

Yes the Thar is bing considered as an additional car in the Garage and not a replacement (sorry for not being clear earlier)

I'm not worried about the fuel economy at all of the VRS, in-fact since I say outskirts of the city and I use it on non-traffic times it rarely gives me a mileage less than 10kmpl, just wanted to highlight the difference in economy of both the octavias at the same speed. I always shy away from using it on my Bangalore Business Trips (also I visit factories so ground clearance also becomes an issie) and instead use the Rapid which gives me a return on one tankful.

@mods: you may merge this with my previous post. Thanks.

[M A D over CARS]

Originally Posted by xtremeshock

Noted, yes will look to sell the Ritz.

My Dad, Mom and Wife all drive and they are comfortable to drive the Creta and the Rapid, my wife is even uncomfortable taking the VRS. So replacing the Creta / Rapid with an Innova is not practical as they cannot drive.

Only I drive the VRS and occasionally my wife that too only if I have consumed some alcohol, that's why I considered replacing the VRS with the fortuner at a later date because I can't have 2 cars in the garage which only I am comfortable driving.

If I had to consider only myself the Fortuner-Rapid-Vrs would be the perfect garage for me.

So I have to consider cars that my parents and Wife will be comfortable to drive at the same time need the 'Prestige Factor'

Thanks Guys.

Is your wife comfortable driving the Fortuner? You should take her on a test drive of 2021 Fortuner. The ride is good and IMO is not as bumpy as everyone seems to suggest. The prestige factor is also immense with the Fortuner. I would suggest you to cancel the Thar and buy the Fortuner. Octavia Vrs-Fortuner-Creta-Rapid would be a good garage. And like I said in my earlier post, If you wish to sell the Octavia Vrs after 2 years, you can get the 330i or even something higher up in the range because the 2 series isn't worth the price it commands.

[xtremeshock]

Originally Posted by M A D over CARS

Is your wife comfortable driving the Fortuner? You should take her on a test drive of 2021 Fortuner. The ride is good and IMO is not as bumpy as everyone seems to suggest. The prestige factor is also immense with the Fortuner. I would suggest you to cancel the Thar and buy the Fortuner. Octavia Vrs-Fortuner-Creta-Rapid would be a good garage. And like I said in my earlier post, If you wish to sell the Octavia Vrs after 2 years, you can get the 330i or even something higher up in the range because the 2 series isn't worth the price it commands.

If she was comfortable driving the Fortuner, it would serve all purposes, I will call for a test drive and ask her to drive it and then fingers crossed.

Yes I agree the worthy replacement for the VRS would be the 330i or even better the 340i but by the time i'm in the market to sell the VRS the prices would have jacked up by another 10 lakhs for each model. This has happened to me time and time again.

The 2 Series was thought as a replacement for the Creta and not the VRS. VRS will try to keep it for now, hopefully Business picks up in a big way and I can go straight for the 340i or the 530D.

[AJ56]

If I understand correctly, you have a budget of 25-30L before selling any of your cars. If I were you I’d retain the Rapid as it’s the least run, most fuel efficient vehicle you own and your family is comfortable driving it. Calculating roughly, assume you’ll get around 9.5L for Creta + 20L for VRS + 1L for Ritz = 30.5L. Now if you go ahead with the Thar, you’ll have roughly 60.5L for the new car in which case I’d say get the 530i/330i M sport.

If you cancel the Thar, it’s another 17.5L in credit so your total comes to 78L, here I’d say it’s between the M340i and 530i M sport if new with some cash left over, or you can consider 1 year old C43/Porsche 718’s. Cheers.

[M A D over CARS]

Originally Posted by AJ56

If I understand correctly, you have a budget of 25-30L before selling any of your cars. If I were you I’d retain the Rapid as it’s the least run, most fuel efficient vehicle you own and your family is comfortable driving it. Calculating roughly, assume you’ll get around 9.5L for Creta + 20L for VRS + 1L for Ritz = 30.5L. Now if you go ahead with the Thar, you’ll have roughly 60.5L for the new car in which case I’d say get the 530i/330i M sport.

If you cancel the Thar, it’s another 17.5L in credit so your total comes to 78L, here I’d say it’s between the M340i and 530i M sport if new with some cash left over, or you can consider 1 year old C43/Porsche 718’s. Cheers.

I don't think this is a feasible option currently. Let us assume the first case, Then his garage will consist of 330i-Thar-Rapid. From OP's above posts I understand that his family members aren't comfortable with the Thar. This leaves only the option of the rapid for the three members of his family, school runs as well as his highway trips, which won't be sustainable.

[vivekgk]

Hi Guys,

I 've been the owner of a Ford Ecosport Titanium Diesel since Sep 2016. At the time of buying, common rail diesels were the enthusiast's choice in a market filled with sub 1.2L econo petrols tuned to extract the maximum mileage. The 1.5L petrol Ecosport wasn't even considered, for it's abysmal performance figures. I was hooked to CUVs after I inadvertently test drove a then new Brezza, and ended up buying the Ecosport after a spending 4 months waiting for the Brezza, and much discussions here.

I had big plans for the Ecosport, including a remap, and other upgrades, but getting married, getting a promotion, and becoming a dad meant that these were pushed aside. 5 years on, I have covered 38000 mostly happy kms. I enjoyed driving the Ecosport, and the only fault I can find with it is the heavier/longer travel clutch, which is more of a diesel feature than an Ecosport issue. But since the clutch is something that has to be used every time you use the car, it has been literally a pain in traffic and I was starting to think about a replacement for a while. I have only recently renewed the insurance and replaced the AC compressor and the battery on the vehicle at a cost of about 40K, as they were unavoidable.



I had almost finalised on the XUV700 as a replacement, mostly because of the delicious pricing and features on offer. I also considered the XUV500 because of the great deals (almost 2 lacs off) that they were giving. But what threw a wrench in all these was Ford's bombshell announcement to exit India, which came just on the day the dealership had sent some guys to value the car. They gave me a quote that was about a lakh less than what I was expecting, and warned that it might drop further if I didn't take the deal ASAP. I waved them off with a snarling smile and retreated to reconsider my options.
So that's the story so far.

My organisation gives me a loan deal with a term of 15 years and a low rate of interest, with an upper limit of 15 lacs for two cars at a time. Currently, I have about 4.5 lacs outstanding on the loan, which means I can avail 10.5 lacs still. The EMI is low enough that it doesn't worry me. The issue is that once I avail a loan, I can't avail another one for at least 5 years, even if I pay it off completely. So I'll have to retain my purchases for that long.

My running is quite low, with an occasional 800 km round trip to my homestead. What with the lockdowns and the restrictions, I have been using my car a lot less. Due to the fear of the clutch, I have been planning my trips as night runs, with minimal traffic interaction. It is a risk, especially with family, but that's how badly I want to avoid traffic in this car. Which is the only justifiable reason I want to replace this car. The other is just boredom, and that fact that I've always wanted a big powerful SUV, mostly for the intimidation factor and the feeling of safety I get while driving one.

With the resale value at a low point, selling the Ecosport would be a bigger loss for me, as I would be left with little to contribute to the downpayment. With that in mind, I have considered putting off an upgrade and buying an additional automatic car for the time being, and keeping the Ecosport as a FTD mile muncher, which I can remap, mod and make unreliable generally, for occasional fun use. I have an hope that the troublefree BS4 diesel versions might be future classics, and I can sell it for a better price (for its age). I have shortlisted the Brezza VXi AMT, Rapid Rider+ AT, Polo ComfLine AT so far. I am also looking at the Magnite and Kiger, because the full option CVT variants are priced under 10 lacs ex showroom. I am open to other suggestions as well. The car will be driven mostly by me, and occasionally by my wife. I'm 39, short and fat. A large comfy seat is a must, and FE is not really an issue considering the low running. It should be nice to drive, and ride well.

Should I go ahead and buy another car, or put off the purchase for another year or so and buy the bigger SUV I've wanted?

[androdev]

Originally Posted by vivekgk

Should I go ahead and buy another car, or put off the purchase for another year or so and buy the bigger SUV I've wanted?

Getting an automatic is a very sensible idea, that much I can infer from your very well-written post.

If EcoSport is not serving your needs very well, I think you should take the hit and exchange it for XUV700. It will not retain its value that well and you also won't be able to use it that much. I am not saying it's a bad car but it doesn't fit your needs at the moment.

If the above plan doesn't make sense financially (btw it wont get better in future as EcoSport price will go down and XUV700 price will go up), I would still say let go of EcoSport as it will be sitting idle and buy a non-upgrade automatic of your choice.

Big or small, you really need an automatic and given your limited use it doesn't make sense to have a 2nd car.