[harish]

Hello everybody!

This car is primarily for my brother and sometimes for my mom, when she won't have access to her car as it's used by the driver for chores (2019 Amaze Diesel MT). When I mean it's for my brother, it's for him to be driven to and from classes, school etc. When he gets his license it'll be his. Truth be told, it'll be mine as well (sometimes) since I drive a jeep daily now.

Currently at home we have:
1. 2020 Volkswagen Tiguan AllSpace TSI
2. 2021 Mahindra Thar LX Diesel AT HT
3. 2019 Honda Amaze S Diesel MT




The first two car's being recent replacements, the AllSpace in Jan and the Thar in Feb. Till Dec we used to have a Rapid TDI MT which would've been doing my brother's duties if it had stayed but, a friend crashed it (not major) recently and I couldn't get myself to keep it after that. Sold for 80k less than I bought it for in June 2020. Drove it for 10k kms, and moved on. It was a 2019 MT car, MT was another small reason I sold it because my Mom was not comfortable driving it as the Rapid had hard clutch.



So now we are in need of a 4th car (not urgently though), and our requirements would be:
1. Easy to drive.
2. Fun to drive (as my brother is a part enthusiast as well).
3. Sleek looking.
4. Space isn't much of an issue.
5. Hatchback or sedan.
6. Under 15L is the preferred budget and new cars only.

Self analysing our set of requirements I feel the Polo TSI Highline+ is a good choice. MT or AT? I'm leaning towards MT because of the fun factor but that should not deteriorate the driving experience for my brother or mom. My brother is inclined towards the AT but I'm trying to convince him for an MT.

Some history: My first car was a 2018 Polo GT TSI so we essentially did have the same car previously and everyone in my family loved it. Made a mistake selling it as I was looking for used vRS and GTIs but nothing fit the bill and because I was moving to US after a year for education dropped the plan. But still got a good deal for my car last June when I sold it so didn't regret it.

Buying a decade old car is my worry, while it has all the necessary features we'd want, still a bit skeptical. We had originally planned to buy the next gen Polo when it comes but the need of a car now has put us to thinking this through. When I enquired my local dealer they said it's expected to launch in 2022. I'm not sure whether that is happening. So would love to hear your advice on what to do regarding this dilemma we are facing. Should we wait or get the current Polo?

Really sorry for making this a Polo TSI centric post, We are open to other suggestions so please do advise.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post

[akash_v12]

Originally Posted by harish

Hello everybody!
Thank you for taking the time to read this post

Hi Harish!
Your post screams that the Polo TSI should be 'THE CAR'.

All jokes aside, Seeing your requirements, my mind is screaming to ask you to wait for the Taigun or Kushaq, more so because the requirement isn't urgent. If you're not willing to go for the VAG products then you could have a look at the Tata Nexon or the Honda City (V variant I believe). Both cars have good reliability and are quite VFM. The City is ofcourse much better to drive due to that gem of a motor and the great handling which has been praised all over.

[KunalMadaan]

I would suggest you to go for Hyundai Verna. The fun to drive factor is still present in the diesel variant and would fit your bill with all the bells and whistles in the top trim.

I believe a sedan is most fun to drive compared to wannabe SUVs.

[car_guy1998]

I would suggest you to get the Polo TSI MT for your brother and later on,you can get the mods done like,

-Remap
-Better tyres
-Better suspension
-Exhaust

And,after those mods,the car will become a beast and will be similar to your ex-Polo GT TSI DSG in terms of performance.

Even I had a plan to purchase a Polo TSI MT but since I'm planning to move abroad this year for higher studies,I had to drop the plan of buying a Polo with a heavy heart.

But,someday,I wish to own her and get the above mods done and this is the car which I wish to keep it forever until I die.

And,I've driven both Polo TSI MT and AT and in one word,I prefer the MT over AT due to its performance and I even touched 80 Kmph in 2nd gear and has better pull than AT as well though I feel AT is also not bad in terms of drivability IMO.

Polo is the car which I still wish to buy even now and love despite the design is more than a decade old and even feels better than new i20 and Altroz.

My second suggestion apart from Polo would be a Rapid again only if you are interested and if you want a proper Diesel AT,then get yourself a Kia Sonet GTX+ Diesel AT,which is more fun to drive than its big brother(Seltos) and its within your budget as well,with all bells and whistles and you are all set.

If you want to extend your budget to Rs.20L,then I suggest you to get a Seltos GTX+7DCT and your mom and brother will love driving this car but be aware of DCT issues before purchasing this car.

[Turbohead]

Convince him to get the manual. Tell him he's not a grandpa to drive an automatic. Coimbatore isn't that crowded to focus solely on an automatic
Once he learns to drive in a manual, he'll be confident to drive any car in the future. Also with the future moving towards no gears (electric) he shouldn't regret about it in the future, especially when you have such good roads to Ooty to thoroughly enjoy your weekends.

[GTO]

IMO, a newbie driver should always start on a slow + safe car. Hence, I recommend your existing Thar for him. Not too fast, good safety rating and the suspension will ensure that he learns the ABCs of mechanical limitations very early (Polo TSI can be forgiving). Once you've mastered a Jeep, you can pretty much drive any kind of car.

Don't give him a fast car as his first. Not recommended. I am glad I learnt how to drive on an 800 + Padmini. Best to start slow, then work your way up.

[rdst_1]

Seems like most of the times, the car will be driven for short distances only and within the city. Also, since you have other capable cars in your stable as well, have you considered going for an electric car like the Nexon. It will be quite frugal for around the city driving and still be enthusiastic enough in 'Sports' mode being an EV.

[ariesonu]

You sold & bought a Car in June 2020!!! Wasn't June 2020 a complete LOCKDOWN period!?!

IMHO, you don't need another car at all. You have pretty healthy & NEW garage for siblings who are 19 & 17 years old respectively.
THAR should & can be his present drive & then let him decide what he wants when is legal age when he can buy & enjoy his choice. By that time you or rather HE will have more choices too.

Regards.

[IshaanIan]

A Polo simply costs too much for something that is long overdue for an update that too. I found the Tiago JTP to be extremely good value for money enquire with dealerships. Polo feels too cramped to me and I don't believe in expensively engineered "hot hatches" with costly spares. Your brother should be able to drive it carefree whatever the occasion

[Rajeevraj]

Do you really need a 4th car. You have 2 relatively premium cars and one car-which being a Honda can be used as a beater car. All of them are very new. Can you just not optimize the usage among the cars so that they can do the duties for the family? Also considering the fact that you bought and sold two other cars in very short timeframes, I think you should take a step back and evaluate the needs and usage scenarios once more. There is also a good chance that your brother may move away to a different location for higher education, job etc.. It maybe easier to let him take the call once he has a license and is comfortable driving.

[sandeepmohan]

Get him a top of the line Suzuki Swift. A fun, easy to drive, safe and practical runabout. Will be easy on the pocket (assuming your brother is paying all bills), when it comes to running and maintaining the car. When the enthusiast in him matures, he will Thank you for putting him in a car like this.

[Spaced Out]

Originally Posted by GTO

IMO, a newbie driver should always start on a slow + safe car. Hence, I recommend your existing Thar for him.

Don't give him a fast car as his first. Not recommended. I am glad I learnt how to drive on an 800 + Padmini. Best to start slow, then work your way up.

I will second GTO on this.

Even if your 17 year old brother has been behind the wheel for ages, it’s unfair to give him a fast & fun car. A 17 year old boy’s hormones are all over the place. Given the choice between a smart / safe option and one that will impress the girls/ his buddies, he will always pick the latter. US insurance companies have great data that gives strong correlation between age of driver & co-passengers and probability of accidents.

Also, take a lesson from the Nano marketing and sell him the Thar on its macho image not safety!

[landcruiser123]

If you want a simple car with space, easy to maintain, and a decent list of conveniences, buy a Honda Jazz. If you want to go even cheaper, get a Suzuki Swift/Ignis.

Service quality wise, I'm sure you know what to expect when owning a Polo.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by GTO

IMO, a newbie driver should always start on a slow + safe car. Hence, I recommend your existing Thar for him. Not too fast, good safety rating and the suspension will ensure that he learns the ABCs of mechanical limitations very early (Polo TSI can be forgiving). Once you've mastered a Jeep, you can pretty much drive any kind of car.

Don't give him a fast car as his first. Not recommended. I am glad I learnt how to drive on an 800 + Padmini. Best to start slow, then work your way up.

Personally I never thought on these lines but that's a great approach to the issue. Fully endorse the thought process here - plus for an 18 year old, the coolness quotient of driving a Thar will be even more than a Polo TSI.

Coming to car reccos if I were to stick to your original mandate, I think I'd narrow it down to between Sonet DCT and Polo A/T. As an outlier I would also point you to a Nexon EV. You've got a 4 car garage with very different types of vehicles.

A Nexon EV is really peppy to drive in the city, it adds a different automotive experience to the rest of the rides (which is already sweetly varied); your other two bigger cars both suffer from sub par ride quality - the Thar is way too busy and not exactly designed for rear seat passengers and the Tiguan has a stiff ride. The Nexon will make for a really comfortable chauffeur driven car in the city as well as a nice peppy drive to move about in within the city. Give it a thought perhaps, specially if charging infra in your residence is not an issue.

[Shiftlock]

Originally Posted by Spaced Out

Even if your 17 year old brother has been behind the wheel for ages, it’s unfair to give him a fast & fun car. A 17 year old boy’s hormones are all over the place.

I have to agree to this point. I started driving the day I turned 18 and for 2 years I was using my dad's BMW X1 as my car of choice. I actually learnt driving on it (after learning on a manual of course) and now I am spoilt for choice. My mind unconsciously compares any car I drive now with the BMW and that is why when we sold the BMW and were looking for a smaller car to use in the city, I chose the Ecosport because it had the best driving dynamics amongst all the cars we test drove.

In my opinion, look at the Ecosport Titanium S diesel. It's a Manual with the brilliant Tdci engine so it will be fun to drive plus it will be frugal as well with great fuel efficiency. If you want a hassle free, easy to drive city car then look at the Honda Jazz or a Swift.