[lamborghini]

Originally Posted by thisissoumya

Hi everyone,

The only issue with polo was the rear space, it felt very cramped and my wife felt a little claustrophobic at the rear due to the high window line. This could also be due to the large windows of the Duster she is used to.
Next I went to TD the Rapid as it has the same motor with more space at the rear and larger boot. I was ready to stretch the budget marginally if Rapid provides similar driving pleasure as polo. I took a 7-8 Km long TD. Though the outright performance was brilliant, I found the low end grunt of the Rapid MT is annoying as compared to the Polo. I mean the turbo lag is noticeable in both the cars but I felt as if Polo had more juice in the 1200 -1500 RPM band which is much more drivable than the rapid. The in gear acceleration also felt sluggish in Rapid. Has anyone noticed this? I was looking for the ONYX model and the dealership also didn’t offer a good price so I dropped the idea without further negotiating.

I am wondering is it prudent to reconsider the Rapid given the fact that it is more practical car to live with. I usually take at least 2 long road trips a year, which won’t be possible in Polo. Yes, I can always take the duster but given the high speed manners of the TSI motor, it will be better to take one on road trip. It’s the city drivability of the Rapid against Polo that I am concerned with along with the 2.5 big ones budget stretch. So my question is

1. Should I reconsider the Rapid and how much is its incremental turbo lag vis a vis Polo? This point is really important as it will be my daily drive in moderate traffic.
2. I am not interested in the Rider variant and hence is it ok to stretch the budget by 2.5lakhs and get the ONYX model as a second car or should I save it to replace the Duster (5 years old with 45K on ODO) when I do that in future? Just for the record, I don’t mind owning a 10 year old model as long as it is fun to drive with decent list of features.
3. Should I also take a look at the Rapid AT (budget will stretch further of course) to mask the low end lag? I read a few owners saying the AT is better to drive in city, on the other hand there are owners stating in city driving is just a matter of a learning curve. Just creating more confusion in mind

Please suggest.[/left]

The Rapid Auto could be worth checking out as it would resolve some issues:
1) Lower end turbo lag would be masked by the torque converter gearbox
2) For moderate traffic in Mumbai, it could be worth the investment to get the auto for peace of mind : would be a good balance between fun to drive and convenience. However MT will be the enthusiast choice undoubtedly and if you're ok with changing gears - I'd put that aside for an auto option of whatever replaces the duster and keep the Rapid as a fun choice.
3) As you rightly said, if your long trips see a lot of expressway & good roads : the rapid will be much more fun to drive for 8 months / year : Mahabaleshwar, Pune, etc. The Duster will still be the choice during monsoons and where last mile connectivity is horrid (eg: Shillim, etc.) - The rapid would still do it but the Duster would conquer it).
4) Choosing trims : depends on what you need. If its the cosmetic goodies like Alloys, spoiler, etc. : You could get the Rider and do it up; but if it's stuff that would involve opening up the car (dash / seats / electronics) : I prefer OEM just because the quality & finish is generally better (no rattles, no scratches, etc.).

As an option, how about the slower selling Vento? Do give it a try. The same dealer may be happy to upgrade and offer you a deal. Do check with other dealers as well for their best offer.
I personally found Skoda service to be better than VW but not a huge difference : all boils down to getting a good SA.

[car_guy1998]

I might be in the same situation soon though it will be replacing our pre-owned Honda City Diesel, which is 7 years old and almost 1,10,000 Kms run. But, confused about whether we should go for Rapid TSI AT or Polo GT TSI AT.

The only problem with the Polo is poor rear-seat space and boot space, which will be a downgrade from the Honda City. And, the car will be driven within the city limits along with occasional highway drives, and this car is mostly driven by myself or my mom, who does the daily commute of 25 Kms to and fro (might get reduced to 10-12 Kms per day in few months) to her office every day.

Coming to Rapid, I might go for the Onyx variant as it is VFM, which I'll get it for more cheaper after the juicy discounts given by the Skoda and decent set features, which are good for an average user, except for cruise control (not a big issue for me as I didn't even use this feature much in my 2014 City) and rear camera, where I can get it installed from the dealership.

Current pricing of Polo GT TSI AT is 12L OTR, Hyd, and zero discounts given while the Rapid Onyx TSI AT is priced at 14L and might be getting good discounts from Skoda.

The difference between Polo GT TSI AT and Rapid Onyx AT is just 2L and I'll be getting extra boot space, rear-seat space in Rapid over the Polo but the Rapid Onyx misses on cruise control when compared to Polo.

[pvivek2]

Originally Posted by thisissoumya

Hi everyone,

I am in market looking for our 2nd car. This will share the garage with the Duster 110 AMT I currently own.

...

So my question is

1. Should I reconsider the Rapid and how much is its incremental turbo lag vis a vis Polo? This point is really important as it will be my daily drive in moderate traffic.
2. I am not interested in the Rider variant and hence is it ok to stretch the budget by 2.5lakhs and get the ONYX model as a second car or should I save it to replace the Duster (5 years old with 45K on ODO) when I do that in future? Just for the record, I don’t mind owning a 10 year old model as long as it is fun to drive with decent list of features.
3. Should I also take a look at the Rapid AT (budget will stretch further of course) to mask the low end lag? I read a few owners saying the AT is better to drive in city, on the other hand there are owners stating in city driving is just a matter of a learning curve. Just creating more confusion in mind

Please suggest.

You might find the answer to Polo/Rapid, in the exact need/purpose for the second car - is it intended for use by another family member/or as a pure enthusiast choice etc. Given that you mentioned that at least a few road trips will be taken in the TSI, then it's Rapid hands down for the more practical rear space and the boot.

On the other questions,
(1) Willl leave that to the experts, since I haven't driven the Polo extensively
(2) Yes, the Onyx makes more sense - for me where it scored significantly over the rider was steering mounted controls, the 16" clubber alloys, DRLs, the leather wrapped flat bottom steering wheel and the touchscreen infotainment (though this comes in rider plus also). And not to mention, there will be zero discounts on rider and rider plus while Ambition/Onyx are usually flush with discounts during quarter/year ends.
(3) I came from an NA petrol to my first ever turbo engine and thus felt the lag initially in my Onyx AT, but after 4000 km now, I can safely say that this is not an issue - I find the car equally comfortable to drive within the city (the convenience of the auto gearbox in Bangalore traffic is a savior actually). Though of course the fun is on the highways
Definitely do TD the auto gearbox once.

Originally Posted by car_guy1998

I might be in the same situation soon though it will be replacing our pre-owned Honda City Diesel, which is 7 years old and almost 1,10,000 Kms run!

But, confused about whether we should go for Rapid TSI AT or Polo GT TSI AT!

The only problem with the Polo is poor rear-seat space and boot space, which will be a downgrade from the Honda City!

And, the car will be driven within the city limits along with occasional highway drives, and this car is mostly driven by myself or my mom, who does the daily commute of 25 Kms to and fro (might get reduced to 10-12 Kms per day in few months) to her office every day!

Coming to Rapid, I might go for the Onyx variant as it is VFM, which I'll get it for more cheaper after the juicy discounts given by the Skoda and decent set features, which are good for an average user, except for cruise control (not a big issue for me as I didn't even use this feature much in my 2014 City) and rear camera, where I can get it installed from the dealership!

Current pricing of Polo GT TSI AT is 12L OTR, Hyd, and zero discounts given while the Rapid Onyx TSI AT is priced at 14L and might be getting good discounts from Skoda!

The difference between Polo GT TSI AT and Rapid Onyx AT is just 2L and I'll be getting extra boot space, rear-seat space in Rapid over the Polo but the Rapid Onyx misses on cruise control when compared to Polo!

Again, the choice is simple - just think about how often you'll be using the rear seat and boot space and the answer will present itself between Polo/Rapid. If it's predominantly daily city commutes, the Polo should do just fine, but if you're thinking family trips, then it's Rapid all the way! But coming from a Honda City, even the Rapid's rear seat might feel like a compromise - the 5th Gen City easily trumps it in rear seat comfort, both shoulder & legroom wise and the V CVT is real value for money at that price point. If you end up choosing the Rapid, then yes, the Onyx is a good choice for all the above mentioned reasons, plus the Lapiz Blue is a serious looker!!

[thisissoumya]

Originally Posted by car_guy1998

I might be in the same situation soon though it will be replacing our pre-owned Honda City Diesel, which is 7 years old and almost 1,10,000 Kms run!

But, confused about whether we should go for Rapid TSI AT or Polo GT TSI AT!

I think in your case the choice is slightly easy. Since its a replacement of a Honda city, it has to be the Rapid. Polo won't even come close to the practicality that the city offers. If it is going to be the only car, Rapid wins hands down IMO.

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by thisissoumya

I am in market looking for our 2nd car...

Next I went to TD the Rapid as it has the same motor with more space at the rear and larger boot. I was ready to stretch the budget marginally if Rapid provides similar driving pleasure as polo. I took a 7-8 Km long TD. Though the outright performance was brilliant, I found the low end grunt of the Rapid MT is annoying as compared to the Polo. I mean the turbo lag is noticeable in both the cars but I felt as if Polo had more juice in the 1200 -1500 RPM band which is much more drivable than the rapid. The in gear acceleration also felt sluggish in Rapid. Has anyone noticed this? I was looking for the ONYX model and the dealership also didn’t offer a good price so I dropped the idea without further negotiating.

...Should I also take a look at the Rapid AT (budget will stretch further of course) to mask the low end lag? I read a few owners saying the AT is better to drive in city, on the other hand there are owners stating in city driving is just a matter of a learning curve. Just creating more confusion in mind
Please suggest.

Why not look at the Vento TSi as well! Same engine and same space as the Rapid.

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by thisissoumya

Hi everyone,

Please suggest

It is reasonable to expect that the TSI engine in the Vento will be tuned similar to that in the Polo. So it may be another reason to try out the Vento instead of the Rapid since you have fallen for the TSI engine of the Polo.

I drove the Polo TSI AT and it was underwhelming to me as well.

Drive on,
Shibu.

[pavanmadhini]

I was in a similar situation recently - looking to replace our aging grand i10. We test drove the Polo MT, Polo AT and the Vento MT.

Initially, we booked the Vento MT Highline, which came for a great deal, and almost the same price as a Polo HL+ AT. But I later realized that only the AT models come with ESC and Traction Control. After deliberating a lot on safety vs extra space, we decided to go with the Polo AT.

But one factor here was that for the family highway trips, we have a Jetta. The Polo would be mostly for city commutes and solo highway inter-city drives. So if you have a 2nd car which can do the job for family vacations, I'd suggest you go with the Polo for the added safety.

[armaan_singh]

With everything being nearly identical under the hood, I would pick the Rapid just from the "You get more car for your money" perspective. It does everything that the Polo does and some extra bits for when you need to travel with more people etc, the rear seat and the boot space will eventually come into the picture.

[Phantom 510]

If you need the all the goodness of a Polo with a bigger luggage compartment then the Rapid is for you.
If you need something that is solid, fun to drive and has a timeless styling that never ages then the look at the Polo.

[KKapadia]

Sorry if this dampens the excitement of buying a new car, but I just read on one of the motoring channels that skoda india will be soon pulling the curtains on the rapid and the date for stopping production may be near. I guess the fate would be similar for the polo/ vento.

You may want to reconsider your decision or wait till they launch a new product unless you don’t mind owning the last lot of an already dated car. In case you do go ahead with your purchase I am sure skoda/vw will support you with service/ spares atleast for a couple of years and you might even get a killer deal on the car. But I would wait for the new model/ buy something else at this stage.

[Turbonator]

Background
Currently driving a 2014 Swift. I've been on the lookout for an upgrade. Primary reason behind the move is safety concerns. Budget was initially set at 16L on-road.

Requirements

• Powerful & fun to drive.
• Safety.
• High speed stability.
• Petrol AT for wifey. Diesel MT for me, for the torquey push.
• 4 seaters are fine, just 2 member family right now.
• Will be used mostly for highway runs (75%) & some city runs.

Shortlist

• Polo Highline+ AT
• Rapid Onyx AT
• Vento Highline AT
• Compass Limited/Limited+ MT (Used )

Conundrum
I was initially looking at the germans, and test drove both Polo & Rapid. Both managed to put a wide grin on my face throughout the drive. The sorted drive manners & the minimalistic interiors won me over! Even though both of them are nearly a decade old, it is battle hardened. I'm skeptical about the customised MQB platform for India, so no Kushaq & Taigun.

Skoda was not particularly encouraging Rapid Onyx bookings. I did not like the ICE in Style variant (No Carplay!) & the awkwardly placed USB port (Inside glove box! ). Some dealers were trying to offload ~6 month old style variants with 50K discount & 2 years of extra warranty. Still did not convince me.
I couldn't get a test drive for Vento AT, & they weren't offering much discounts. They were only taking bookings for Highline+ AT. Seems like all the focus is on Taigun/Kushaq twins.
So I went ahead and booked Polo Highline+. The car has been dispatched & will be reaching the dealership soon.
And now things get interesting!
I ran into couple of used Jeep Compass listings, sold by the dealers itself, 2018/2019 Limited/Limited+ models are available for <18L. I can opt for the extended warranty to get peace of mind for 2 more years, & I've read/heard enough about the sorted driving manners of a Compass. Considering the state of Indian roads, we can never complain about the added GC advantage. Should I be test driving them & give it a thought, or go ahead with the initial Polo choice ? I can stretch the budget a bit, if the right one comes along. I'm planning to keep the car for long anyways.

Thanks in advance!