[snr]

Hi guys, I was planning to upgrade my car hopefully end of this year. I needed some advice on what car to go for. I don't really have a fixed budget making the decision making a bit difficult. I have seen all 3 cars and I wanted a good car for myself.

VW T Roc seems expensive but I liked the build quality. The Ford Ecosport and new Thar also seem nice.

My usage will be mostly city driving and occasional highway journey. I prefer petrol automatic because I'm bored of the diesel manuals.

Please advice!

[petrolHead_1609]

Originally Posted by snr

Hi guys, I was planning to upgrade my car hopefully end of this year. I needed some advice on what car to go for. I don't really have a fixed budget making the decision making a bit difficult. I have seen all 3 cars and I wanted a good car for myself.

VW T Roc seems expensive but I liked the build quality. The Ford Ecosport and new Thar also seem nice.

Hi Snr,

I think to get some valuable inputs, you need to elaborate a bit more on
- requirement
- FTD over bling? (Think so because of ecosport and T-roc)
- current rides
- whether this will be primary ride
- ownership preference (fuss free/ok with car sitting in ASC, etc)
- city:highway usage

[snr]

Originally Posted by petrolHead_1609

Hi Snr,

I think to get some valuable inputs, you need to elaborate a bit more on
- requirement
- FTD over bling? (Think so because of ecosport and T-roc)
- current rides
- whether this will be primary ride
- ownership preference (fuss free/ok with car sitting in ASC, etc)
- city:highway usage

Hi petrolHead_1609,

Thank you for your inputs

-Mostly city commutes. Home-Office-Home. Maybe just occasional night drives.
-Sorry what is FTD? I do like proper functionality. Not much of a bling person.
-I drive the 2012 Hyundai i20 diesel manual.
-Yes primary ride.
-Well I prefer if the car is fuss free. Can't afford to let the car sit at the dealer for too long.
-80% city usage: 20% highway drives.

Hope this helps.

[turbo]

Originally Posted by snr

Hi guys, I was planning to upgrade my car hopefully end of this year. I needed some advice on what car to go for. I don't really have a fixed budget making the decision making a bit difficult. I have seen all 3 cars and I wanted a good car for myself.

VW T Roc seems expensive but I liked the build quality. The Ford Ecosport and new Thar also seem nice.

My usage will be mostly city driving and occasional highway journey. I prefer petrol automatic because I'm bored of the diesel manuals.

Please advice!

Thar if this car will have just two people in it, and you have a bigger faster, more comfortable car for the highways. (Atleast something like creta/seltos/verna/city etc etc).

The ecosport is the first that I would like to remove from the list. People buy Fords because
a) they're great on the highway. Good handling and stability
b) because of the 1.5 diesel
Also Ford might just leave at the end of the year.

If you want a city compact SUV nothing beats Venue/Sonet. If highway usage was factored, we might consider the Ford/XUV300



Now that leaves us with Thar and T-Roc.

Honestly, people who buy the Thar dont really look at options, they buy the Thar because it has become a brand-name, a cult, like Royal Enfield. They are both massively impractical vehicles to own.

TL;DR
Ford = avoid
Thar = only if you have your heart on it, very difficult to justify to your brain
Sonet/Venue = If budget is a concern
Skoda Kushaq/VW T-Roc = If you want a VAG group car, and budget doesnt matter

[GTO]

Wouldn't really consider the EcoSport to be an upgrade over the i20, so I would leave that out of the picture.

Go for the VW T-Roc if you want a premium German driving experience. It will be a great step up from the i20 and offer on-road performance that the Thar can only dream of. Like a 5-star hotel room. In comparison, the Thar will be like a jungle lodge at Kabini - either you love it or hate it.

Pick the Thar if you are besotted by its looks, character and want something tough / an offroader. The Thar can be very satisfying to drive if you have an inclination toward Jeeps and will give you lots of smiles per miles. On the other hand, the ride is bumpy, the high speed behaviour poor, its got just 2 doors and you can expect the usual Mahindra drama & niggles.

Test-drive both. They have a completely different character and hence, you much pick the one that pulls the strings to your heart (after a drive).

Originally Posted by snr

Sorry what is FTD?

Fun to drive.

[Sreesh1009]

Originally Posted by snr

Hi guys, I was planning to upgrade my car hopefully end of this year. I needed some advice on what car to go for. I don't really have a fixed budget making the decision making a bit difficult. I have seen all 3 cars and I wanted a good car for myself.

VW T Roc seems expensive but I liked the build quality. The Ford Ecosport and new Thar also seem nice.

My usage will be mostly city driving and occasional highway journey. I prefer petrol automatic because I'm bored of the diesel manuals.

Please advice!

Go for the TROC, it's a worthy upgrade over the i20. You'll appreciate the build quality and the silent 1.5 TSI motor.
Since you've mentioned that you do not have a fixed budget, would suggest you take a look at the Kushaq (not sure if it's been launched yet).

P. S An upper limit on the budget would help recommend other cars that you wouldn't have thought of.
All the best!

[viXit]

Looks like you're keeping quite the open mind.

In that case, there are a thousand other cars you haven't listed here. Of the three, I'd say T-Roc or Karoq.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by snr

... I wanted a good car for myself..

VW/SKoda won't disappoint you in this department. T-Roc will offer premium build and excellent engine/gear-box combo. Its upkeep will be on expensive side of the spectrum. Regular scheduled maintenance should not be a concern - but you are advised to arm yourself with zero depreciation insurance and extended warranty to avoid out-of-pocket expenses related to repairs and replacement of parts outside of schedule service. If your budget allows car + zero-depreciation insurance + extended warranty, T-ROC would be a great choice.

Thar doesn't suit home-office-home route - it will be low on the comfort and high on attention (not the kind I would want in an office parking lot). One person's trash is another person's treasure - so it depends.

Ecosport is a good car but it would feel closer to your i20 and won't give you any upgrade vibes. Good choice nevertheless if you want to buy a nice highway car within budget.

You can also look at offerings from Hyundai/Kia.

You haven't mentioned your budget range, there is the upcoming Mercedes Benz GLA if you want to hit it out of the park. No harm in window-shopping while you are in market :-)

[graaja]

Thar would make sense if you already have another comfortable/fast car in your garage for the highway runs.

This being your primary car, Thar is not a practical choice due to various reasons like two doors, bumpy ride, poor high speed performance on highway and above all those niggles. You have mentioned that you need a reliable car that will not spend much time in the workshop. Going by the many threads on the niggles, Thar is not one.

T-Roc would be a perfect fit. With it's 1.5TSi + 7DSG combination, it will be nice to drive in the city and a good performance car on the highways as well. Just get the maximum extended warranty for that peace of mind.

[snr]

Originally Posted by turbo

Skoda Kushaq/VW T-Roc = If you want a VAG group car, and budget doesnt matter

Thank you for your suggestion. I am considering the T Roc or the Kushaq (when it launches)

Originally Posted by GTO

Go for the VW T-Roc if you want a premium German driving experience. It will be a great step up from the i20 and offer on-road performance that the Thar can only dream of. Like a 5-star hotel room. In comparison, the Thar will be like a jungle lodge at Kabini - either you love it or hate it.

Fun to drive.

Yes will test drive the options before I decide.

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

P. S An upper limit on the budget would help recommend other cars that you wouldn't have thought of.
All the best!

Honestly, I don't have an upper limit. Not that it means I can afford a Ferrari

Come to think of it, I'm guessing about 20-25L is the upper limit.

Originally Posted by viXit

Looks like you're keeping quite the open mind.

In that case, there are a thousand other cars you haven't listed here. Of the three, I'd say T-Roc or Karoq.

Need to check out Karoq. I feel Kushaq or T Roc will work well.

Originally Posted by androdev

You can also look at offerings from Hyundai/Kia.

You haven't mentioned your budget range, there is the upcoming Mercedes Benz GLA if you want to hit it out of the park. No harm in window-shopping while you are in market :-)

I drove my friend's Kia Sonet and Seltos, both have terrible suspension (at least what I felt) at the back. So Kia ruled out for sure.

Benz GLA seems unnecessary at this point in time. Maybe next few years or so.

Originally Posted by graaja

T-Roc would be a perfect fit. With it's 1.5TSi + 7DSG combination, it will be nice to drive in the city and a good performance car on the highways as well. Just get the maximum extended warranty for that peace of mind.

Yes T Roc or Kushaq is the one for me. Fingers crossed!

Thank you all so much for the feedback. Man this forum is very addictive already!

[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by snr

I drove my friend's Kia Sonet and Seltos, both have terrible suspension (at least what I felt) at the back. So Kia ruled out for sure.

Benz GLA seems unnecessary at this point in time. Maybe next few years or so.

It's a pity that Indian market has almost no good (maybe Hyundai Tucson and Jeep compass dont fall under my radar as good) petrol automatics with independent rear suspension even at ~25L price bracket. The suspension of Kia's you mentioned might not be much different than T-Rocs as they all use torsion beam/twist beam which are a type of semi-independent suspension which is not the best when it comes to comfort. May be you might like the tuning of T-roc's a bit better than Sonet or Seltos.

Most luxury cars in India have independent suspension at the rear. If you dont mind a used car, a luxury sedan or a crossover/SUV from BMW (X1, 3 series) or Mercedes-Benz (CLA, GLA) stable. or used Toyota camry might be all very comfortable options. But reserve a good % for service and maintenance when you take the used luxury route.

[rakshith2929]

Hey Snr, I own both the Volkswagen T-roc and the Mahindra thar. It all comes down to personal choice and suitability. I was using my T-roc for a good six months until the Mahindra Thar came. The Mahindra thar comes with an exceptional road presence and makes you feel like the king of the road, but I wouldn’t suggest the Thar if it’s going to be a primary vehicle of yours as it comes with the usual Mahindra niggles. On the other hand, T-roc as a primary car is a much better option and you would absolutely love driving the 1.5L TSI DSG, and you may just make excuses in your home to take it out for a spin.

[Phukan23]

If it's the only car in the house then it has to be T-Roc unless and untill you are enthusiastic about owning Thar. Thar can be a 2nd/3rd car in the garage but not a primary car. You have the budget of T-Roc then don't look for EcoSport. T-Roc seems to fulfill your requirements.

[lurker]

Originally Posted by snr

Hi guys, I was planning to upgrade my car hopefully end of this year. I needed some advice on what car to go for. I don't really have a fixed budget making the decision making a bit difficult. I have seen all 3 cars and I wanted a good car for myself.

VW T Roc seems expensive but I liked the build quality. The Ford Ecosport and new Thar also seem nice.

My usage will be mostly city driving and occasional highway journey. I prefer petrol automatic because I'm bored of the diesel manuals.

Please advice!

Do you like to scare autos ?? If 'yes' then Thar whereas if you are the urbane, slick, city type who has a taste & a place for the good things in life and just wants to breeze past the slow movers in a euro steed then T-Roc.

[GT007]

Hi Snr, my suggestion would be to consider Hyundai Creta 1.4 petrol DCT in your list too as i feel the suspension is tuned a bit more on comfort side compared to KIA's. Also, as suggested by others Mahindra Thar shouldn't be the primary vehicle. Anyways T-Roc is a good choice for the city as well as the highways with that 1.5 TSI. Hope before the year end you get to try out Kushaq and Taigun before making the final decision.