[steadfast]

I believe Rapid makes sense for you.

1. Downgrading from sedan to hatchback might not be best idea.
2. Your experience shows you keep cars for long. As GTO previously said, in case of longer timespan of ownership one should go for the higher proposition than short term compromises.
3. Service, drive and build are almost similar.

Quick tip - You might even wait for couple of months for their automatics, most probably September.

[RD150]

Rapid is leading by a huge margin, and my vote too goes to the most VFM car under 10 lakhs. I own a Polo, and the only thing I hate about it, is the rear space. In simple terms Rapid= Polo+ better space + boot. You should only buy the Polo, if you are single or dont care who is sitting behind. Rapid is a no brainer. I may sound "filmy" but close your eyes and the car which you see is the car which you want.

[sterlingsilver]

Voted for the Rapid.

The Rapid ticks a lot more boxes in the “practical yet fun” aspect, than the Polo.

Trust me when I tell you that you will start realizing the practical pitfalls of the Polo (over the Rapid) sooner than you think. You would love to own and drive the Rapid for more kms/years than you would on the Polo. A bunch of my friends are testament to this.

Go for the Rapid eyes closed

[SansGT]

Voted for the Polo. May be because I am considering it.

Now let's come to the 3 scenarios:

1. You are a hatchback guy: Rear space doesn't matter to you. Polo it is. You get the racy looks of the Polo which is easy to get around in the city and equally good on the highways.
2. All you want is space: Of course Rapid. Polo and its infamous rear seating space are actually quite famous. Rapid will give you sufficient room and boot space compared to Polo.
3. Rapid Rider (Believe me, I have been here): Well this will be the case with the majority given the sudden VFM offering by Skoda which is cheaper than the HL+ and too hard to resist. In this case, I would say that a Polo is a much better buy than the Rapid any day. The Rider is indeed a great offering but misses out on quite a number of important features which the Polo provides:
   • Alloys
   • Touch Screen System with Android Auto/Apple Car Play.
   • Fog Lamps
   • Cruise Control
   • Rain Sensing Wipers
   • Auto Dimming IRVM
   • Electrically folding ORVM
   • Steering mounted Controls
   • Driver Seat Height Adjustment
   • MID
   These are a lot to miss in today's car. I believe that if you are absolutely in a fix between the two and have money to spend, then please go for the higher versions of the Rapid or wait for the rumored Rider+ to check out the features. However, if the budget is sub-10 lakhs, Polo is any day a more logical choice.

[shibujp]

Originally Posted by linuxmanju

Dear Bhpians,

I currently own a remapped Ford fiesta 2015 model and looking for an apt replacement of the same.

With all the buzz around it, the all new Rapid and Polo with 1.0 tsi engine caught my attention.

The Polo is cramped but otherwise identical to the Rapid. If you are looking at holding onto the car for long I would suggest getting the Rapid as it is more practical at the cost of a second slower in 0-100kph which actually is inconsequential in the grander scheme of things. You get everything else in the Rapid.

Especially since you are coming from a Fiesta the Rapid should be more suitable.

Drive on,
Shibu

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by linuxmanju

My head says Polo but the Heart says Rapid. Anyone ?. Please help me here.

Originally Posted by volkman10

If rear seat space is not a concern, to me it would be the Polo TSI.

Hey linuxmanju, I am with volkman10 here and Polo TSI edition is my pick.

I am considering a Polo TSI edition vs Rapid Rider for my case for the following reasons:

• Polo TSI is not the most kitted car in the segment, but surely packs way more kit than a Rider.
• Have driven a Polo TSI edition and with this 1.0 engine, it really feels fast, chuck-able and truck loads of fun.
• TSI engines are extremely sensitive to the driver inputs. So I'd put my money on Polo for a better FE over Rapid which has the same engine with much heavier body to carry around.
• Parking space is the biggest concern in any city, and other than the extra boot, Rider offers nothing significantly different over the Polo TSI.

Agree that Polo does not offer great boot or rear leg room, but Rapid is not even the benchmark in its segment. If its the rear leg room, then I'd really consider a City or Ciaz over either of the Germans.

[evil_grin]

Your reasons for changing your car aren't strong enough. I'd strongly suggest an after market shop or neighborhood mechanic that can source parts for you.

If you still want to change, I'd suggest keep the Ford and buy a used Polo - it's way more fun (lighter, shorter), and more comfortable over bad roads, than the Rapid within the city. On the highway, the Rapid is better. But if you don't want to keep the Ford then buy the Rapid for the rear and boot space and better seats.

[WhiteKnight]

Originally Posted by linuxmanju

Dear Bhpians,

I currently own a remapped Ford fiesta 2015 model and looking for an apt replacement of the same.
.

I am assuming yours is global Fiesta. If there is no compelling reason, I'd retain Fiesta. Neither of the cars can match Fiesta on handling, highway manners and ride.

It is true that we say Rapid is good in the above aspects, because there is no worthy competition left. Gone are days of Cedia, Fiesta and Linea- all three were above Rapid.

Again, you potentially have the last pure drivers' C segment sedan.

[docswarna26]

Voted for Rapid. Both are old cars sure, but correct me if I'm wrong - Volkswagen launched its new polo internationally in 2017. They are not even thinking of introducing it to the Indian market. It feels like the nineties, where automobile manufacturers used to dump old cars in our market after they have gone out in the international car scenario.

Skoda is also old, but the new rapid I hear will launch in 2021. So by next year you might also get to see a new rapid.

With Skoda you can get a 4 year package where you don't pay anything for regular maintenance, but that is also not available with Volkswagen.

Just a few thoughts I have regarding both these companies that I wanted to share.
I don't think there is going to be hell and heaven difference between the two, but rapid in my view is more pragmatic.

[DieselAnna]

My choice is Rapid.
For me the following things makes the case for Rapid:
1. More practical with the added boot
2. Extra space inside. Polo is super cramped in the rear
3. Interior of Rapid is better
4. Maintenance for both cars is same.
5. Exterior design of Rapid is much much good looking. But looks are subjective
6. They'll add more features to the Rider edition as bookings are temporarily halted. Even if they don't, you can add those aftermarket features.

[sanyog26]

Voted for the Rapid TSI.

Being a family man, sedan makes more sense. Moreover the rear of Polo is quite cramped and Rapid Rider at almost similar price as the Polo offers better VFM quotient.

Since you already own a sedan, downgrading to a hatchback (space wise) doesn't make sense. Although, I just love the Polo, despite it's age. I have been driving a Polo 1.2 MPI for almost a decade now and just love the car. Only downer was the lethargic 3-pot petrol, which has been replaced with a much eager 1.0TSI.

I must mention here that recently (only 2 days back) I have upgraded to the Rapid Rider for practical reasons, being a family man. Although, I am retaining the Polo as a second car and am in no mood to dispose it off any time soon.

[sanyog26]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Skoda Rapid anyday over the polo.

4. Overall quality - may surprise a few here, but budget skodas are way better put together than the modern budget VWs. For instance, my friend's 2018 Vento has already developed rattles from the dash within 35,000 km on the odo, while my brother's 2013 Rapid is still rattle free, even at 1,70,000 km on the odo. Both are used on the same kind of roads, driven by gentlemen who are good drivers.

I sincerely believe the rattle thing must have something to do with the terrain on which the car is primarily driven and how one drives. I own a September 2010 model VW Polo and touchwood, it is rattle-free even after almost a decade.

Although I have got myself a Rapid Rider two days ago, but I don't find much difference between the two and hope it remains rattle-free for the next decade or so just like my Polo.

[linuxmanju]

You guys Rock, thanks everyone for the valuable input.

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

I am assuming yours is global Fiesta. If there is no compelling reason, I'd retain Fiesta. Neither of the cars can match Fiesta on handling, highway manners and ride.

Mine is a global Fiesta ( 2015 Titanium 1.5 TDCI ).

So the current plan as said earlier is as below.

1) Already changed all 4 tyres with continental MC5 ( Ride and Handling improved a lot).
2) Get a new remap ( Focus is to get a better mid and more importantly top end performance )
3) Spares, which I was struggling with, got a contact in Ford and he has promised me to help me with the sourcing.
4) Need to look for a better Brakes ( Checking to source something from UK, will keep you guys posted in a different thread ).

Meanwhile, when the pocket and time permits, will go with the Polo as a second car ( Ideally with a DSG, if & when it launches ).

[4G93T]

Voted for Rapid (Vento will qualify here for any variant other than rider) . For the below reasons:
- Rear legroom
- Boot space
- Snob value
- Little to no difference between the engines and gearbox
- bigger wheelbase so more stability on highway speeds
- looks
- pricing
- no worry of upgrading into a bigger car for space later in your life

Now i'm stuck in another dilemma to choose between the Rapid and Vento since both are similar in cost and features. Here is the link:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...9-lakhs-2.html (The Skoda Rapid 1.0L TSI Petrol, now launched at Rs 7.49 lakhs)

[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. I always wanted to own a polo GT TSI and if VW still had the DSG, I would have gone for it eyes closed. However the new 1L TSI is available with manual and TC. Went for TD and found the manual much more fun than the torque converter (even in sports mode). I am still not sure why this happened as many ownership reviews on the forum praise the new auto gearbox. 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 went back to VW Thane and booked the manual highline plus on 8th March. Post that the SA kept telling me since they don’t have Flash red in stock they will only receive it in April 1st week when they get their allocation. I chased again on 5th April and the response was to wait for another 3-4 days as they had not received allocation. In the meanwhile the Lockdown in Mumbai was announced and everything is on hold till the restrictions are lifted.

Now as I am getting more time to analyze my decision and at the same time reading all the Rapid and Polo reviews on the forum, 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.