[07CR]

Originally Posted by sv97

Please look into the battery health as it is the integral component of these cars and it can fail without any possible signs and the costs of replacement as some BHPians have already pointed out are very high.

Have experienced this in my civic hybrid the hybrid battery failed without any indication and it costed almost 2 lacs to replace it even though Honda provided 7 years of warranty on the battery.

This may come off as a naive question, but other than the drive, is there any way to determine the health of battery?

[sv97]

Originally Posted by 07CR

This may come off as a naive question, but other than the drive, is there any way to determine the health of battery?

I am not absolutely sure but IIRC the authorized service centres can check the battery health of the hybrid battery based on certain parameters so maybe you can ask toyota a.s.s for this.

Hope this is helpful to you in making your decision.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Let's get one thing clear about Toyota - routine services are very reasonable. BUT accident repairs, serious mechanical failures, damage to the engine or transmission will turn out to be expensive.

Yes. This is the often forgotten bit. No amount of reliability will save a side mirror, bumper etc , eventually it breaks for daily drivers.

I think OP should by any car on this list only if it's affordable brand new. In such case the depreciation makes it excellent value.

Out of curiosity I was just checking on boodmo how much a 2016 hybrid Camry's side mirror would cost ~25K, so how about an E220 2016 Mercedes? 17K! Those who own these vehicles can clarify, boodmo could be wrong.

Towards the end of 2019 my friend sold his sister's XUV W6 AT for ~12L, it had run 30K. Looks like prices have come down now.

[sv97]

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Yes. This is the often forgotten bit. No amount of reliability will save a side mirror, bumper etc , eventually it breaks for daily drivers.

Out of curiosity I was just checking on boodmo how much a 2016 hybrid Camry's side mirror would cost ~25K, so how about an E220 2016 Mercedes? 17K! Those who own these vehicles can clarify, boodmo could be wrong.

Completely agree with you on this since recently when I got my fortuner repaired under insurance the front right side headlight itself was around 30-35k and this is for the 2015 model which has projectors not the current one with led's.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by sv97

I am not absolutely sure but IIRC the authorized service centres can check the battery health of the hybrid battery based on certain parameters so maybe you can ask toyota a.s.s for this.

Hope this is helpful to you in making your decision.

Indeed this will be helpful, thanks !

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

Yes. This is the often forgotten bit. No amount of reliability will save a side mirror, bumper etc , eventually it breaks for daily drivers.

I think OP should by any car on this list only if it's affordable brand new. In such case the depreciation makes it excellent value.

Out of curiosity I was just checking on boodmo how much a 2016 hybrid Camry's side mirror would cost ~25K, so how about an E220 2016 Mercedes? 17K! Those who own these vehicles can clarify, boodmo could be wrong.

Towards the end of 2019 my friend sold his sister's XUV W6 AT for ~12L, it had run 30K. Looks like prices have come down now.

I am prepared to shell out extra in the situations mentioned by you. Just want the car to be reliable and the regular maintenance shouldn't be an issue.
If you read my comment about our Amaze's ASS, we had to spend a whopping 1.63L for regular maintenance in Honda's ASS in just 6.5 years.(We even had Amaze serviced at a local non honda service shop a couple of times which costed 40K).

There are still some outrageous prices for some vehicles. But have stayed cleared of those.

[akash_v12]

Voted for the Kia Seltos GTX+ DCT

The Seltos is pretty much the best car you can for 20Lakhs OTR (Mumbai).
Kia's aftersales also seem to be pretty good and the Seltos in itself is a good proposition.
Along with this, the assurance of a new car and the warranty is also an integral part of why I ( if I would be in your position) would go for it

[Turbohead]

I voted for Superb! My second choice would be the Seltos. At 11 lakhs, it's amazing value for what is essentially a 35-40 lakh car.

Here are my reasons:
1) If we take the overall maintenance and upkeep expenses at 9 lakh over a period of 3-5 years, the overall cost would've just matched the on road price of the Seltos!

2) The Seltos 1.4 is a DCT. And Dual clutch transmissions tend to be inherently unreliable which is where the Superb manual should shine.

3) The Superb has already been depreciated by over 60%. But it would still have a life of over 70-80% roughly! With a new Seltos, you have to take a depreciation hit.

4) Driving pleasure and safety: Superb all the way!

But I must say that normal wear and tear and replacement of components should be expected with the Superb ( which is why I mentioned 9 lakhs, although it may never cost so much in the first place).

A proactive approach is necessary for upkeep of any Skoda or VW and it really helps. Definetly not a shut it and forget it car. If this is ok, the pleasure in owning one is unmatched. And only if you are ok with a proactive care and approach should you touch a Skoda/ VW.

Camry has a battery pack and I'm not sure about the maintenance/ cost which is why I haven't mentioned it.

[JojyKerala]

My order of preference:

1. Superb
2. XUV
3. Seltos

I own a 2013 Rapid TDI and don't have anything negative to say about the service provided. The car is still being serviced at Skoda and they have always been very helpful. Also, a reliable FNG can make the ownership experience sweeter.

If you plan on opting for the Superb, I would suggest cross-checking with your local Skoda to find the car's service history (if you've not already done this). Check with them if there any parts that will need immediate replacement and factor this into your buying decision.

All the best!

[veedub89]

Voted for the Seltos. Your only real comparison is between the Seltos and Superb. The polling results reflect the same. Brand-wise I would say Kia and Skoda are pretty close to each other in my opinion. Both have semi-luxury credentials at least in our market.

My reasons for the Seltos over the Superb-
1. New car = company warranty. Never underestimate how useful this can be.
2. Features of the Seltos are not far behind the features of a Superb.
3. Auto gearbox on the Seltos will be a boon if you drive yourself.
4. Superb 1.8TSI has a great engine but don't expect great dynamics so if you were picking the Superb because of your enthusiast side, you won't find much in the Superb.The Seltos may get you the same kicks with its turbo petrol.
5. Superb will be expensive to maintain. It is still a 30lac car when it comes to spares.
6. New car smell.

[vroom_vroom]

If it's only 5K per year and specific for highway runs, I would not go for another car unless you really want to own one. I would instead rely on self-drive options like Zoom cars. It not only gives me flexibility in terms of choosing a car but most importantly, saves the cost of owning a car. Remember, even if the car is not moving, it still needs to be maintained, it's insurance still needs to be renewed and cars like Superb are very heavy on the pocket when it comes to servicing. I have experienced this with my pre-owned Jetta when I had to spend a bomb to get it's clutch replaced, not to forget the huge lead time to procure it. It took me a good 1.5 months to get my car back.

If it's a decision based on WANT and not NEED, I would definitely go for XUV. In my opinion, nothing can be more comfortable than an SUV on a highway. To add to it, being from M&M stable, this workhorse is cheaper to maintain as compared to other options listed in the poll.

[charanreddy]

Voted for the 2018 XUV W11 - Automatic.

My cousin has one and its surprisingly loaded and comfortable with acres and acres of space.

Also 30K running is par for the course on a diesel and you may have warranty left for a couple of years with predictable servicing costs.

[Sumanyu17]

Voted for Skoda Superb-
1. 1.8tsi is very powerful motor, thus suitable for your highway usage.
2. Being a petrol and german NVH levels would be the lowest.
3. MT is not an issue for highway usage.
4. The quoted price is a steal deal.

I drive a Passat 1.8tsi and can assure you would enjoy the Superb.

[DicKy]

Just for highway runs, I would pick a used D2 segment sedan anyday over the current sub 20 lakhs offerings. Except for the Innova and Hexa.

Between the Camry hybrid and Superb, would go for the Camry. If it was a 2-3 year old car still under warranty would have voted for the Superb, especially since this is a M/T, coupled with the 1.8TSI would be a hot to drive as well as be more reliable than its DSG brethren.

Comfortable ride, powerful engine, FE that the others in the list can only dream of and guaranteed A.S.S consistently for the future.

Only negatives

1. Typical used car problems. Not a big reason sincebuou have already checked it out personally.

2. Ground clearance issue if travel includes frequent unpaved routes.

3. Accidental repairs will surely be of D2 segment standards, especially at company service centres.

Hybrid system is complex no doubt, but there are thousands of NYC and London taxi Priuses that have done a couple more lakh kilometres than the usual Indian car does.

[RachMath]

Voted for Skoda Superb just for the great comfort it offers. An SUV cannot give you this kind of a comfort at any given day. The car comes with amazing features on offer still which shy away the SUV in the market now also

[redohabitat]

Camry, surely. If you are wondering about parts availability well I owned a 1992 toyota landcruiser for 9 years, sold it 3 months ago. Parts availability is never an issue with toyota as toyota service centres are the best in the country. Also, it helps that toyota service is the cheapest, except than that of a maruti.

Plus try and stick to a petrol vehicle. Reason being, what the NGT did in Delhi and surrounding areas, will be applied to all major cities in India soon. Diesel vehicles more than 10 years old will be de-registered, and for petrol its 15 years. This was implemented in Delhi 4 years ago.

Have you wondered why an older Camry has a much higher resale value than a newer superb? Thats because its the Camry which is actually "superb" in terms of peace of mind of owning a car.

After being forced to sell my LC, I had to choose between 2013 Camry and 2016 corolla, so I went for the latter.