[Axe77]

Originally Posted by mpod11

Hello everyone.

Hence I have a preference to get a sedan this time

I have a daily usage of about 15-20 kms and hence am interested in a petrol automatic car.

This car will primarily be to chauffeur my mother / wife in town with me occasionally driving it so it has to have the “badi gaadi” feels for them to take it to their social gatherings.

We are a family of 6 footers so space is the most important feature. Headroom and legroom needs to be in aplenty. Seating 3 abreast will be an added bonus.

7-10 years so long term reliability is a must.

still want something that is upper middle classy.

low speed ride quality has to be supple if not brilliant.

I don’t think will touch speeds of more than 70-80 km/hr ever.

Some options I had in mind were:

!

Although you’ve expressed a preference for sedans most of your list is cross overs.

I feel your best bet based on the described parameters is a less than 1-2 years used top of line used Altis petrol automatic. It ticks all the boxes of reliability, premiumness, good mature ride quality, doesn’t need to be fun to drive but still upper middle class stately and will easily last the distance for another 7-9 years of usage.

Your second option can be a brand new City A/T although personally I have a preference historically for an automatic Altis over an automatic city.

In terms of space and comfort, the Hector DCT might also be a good bet. It has massive presence, should be comfortable and looks the part as an aspirational car. What its 8-10 year ownership life is like is still unrested in India though.

[mpod11]

Originally Posted by 07CR

Your requirement screams for a MG Hector CVT. It's got everything you want-
1) Big car looks. With the new 18 inch wheels, it looks much better proportioned too. Gives a desi Escalade vibe to me!
2) Equally big on space. IMO even 5 6 footers shouldn't be an issue.
3) Fantastic low speed ride quality.
4) While reliability is too early to gauge, rarely heard any niggles/reliability issues till now from the Hector owners. It also gets a CVT, one of the most reliable gearboxes, that is perfect for city conditions.

Since you are already considering the XUV700, the Hector is actually a smidgen smaller in all dimensions than the XUV700. That said, I will suggest you wait for the XUV700 prices and deliveries to start. IMO, it could end up offering much more than the Hector, and also at a lower price tag.

In pre owned too you will get some fantastic options for your budget-

D segment sedans like - Elantra/Civic. In Mumbai-Pune region a 2-3 year old Elantra will cost you around 12-13L, while the Civic should cost you about 15L post negotiations. Since these are just 2-3 year old cars, you can easily get the extended warranty, and for your usage pattern, these won't cause much reliability concerns. Backed by Hyundai/Honda, nevertheless any major reliability concerns are out of the way.

D2 segment sedans and SUVs- In sedans only the previous generation Camry comes to the mind. It can cost you around 20L, but gives a proper big car feel, with a sofa of a backseat.
For SUVs the Endeavour, Toyota can be a great buy, but you might need to stretch your budget to 25L for a right buy. That said, for the intended usage, D2 segment SUVs don't make much sense to me.

Happy shopping.

Originally Posted by Axe77

Although you’ve expressed a preference for sedans most of your list is cross overs.

I feel your best bet based on the described parameters is a less than 1-2 years used top of line used Altis petrol automatic. It ticks all the boxes of reliability, premiumness, good mature ride quality, doesn’t need to be fun to drive but still upper middle class stately and will easily last the distance for another 7-9 years of usage.

Your second option can be a brand new City A/T although personally I have a preference historically for an automatic Altis over an automatic city.

In terms of space and comfort, the Hector DCT might also be a good bet. It has massive presence, should be comfortable and looks the part as an aspirational car. What its 8-10 year ownership life is like is still unrested in India though.

I do have hector on my list but it’s a second option if my TD of the Honda city is underwhelming. Will go for CVT over DCT considering overall reliability. My extended family does have a hector DCT and I do love it but driving it is a bit underwhelming. IMO feels like steering a boat. Still will give it a shot. Have my TD of the city tomm morning and have my fingers crossed!

[AJ56]

Originally Posted by mpod11

Hello everyone.
I am looking to buy a new car in the 15-23 lakh range to replace my 11 year old VW Vento petrol highline variant. However this budget range seems to have no car complete for all my requirements.
I already own a 2018 Hyundai Creta SX(o) Automatic. Hence I have a preference to get a sedan this time and not get another Hyundai/Kia car in the family. This rules out the new Creta and Seltos.

I have a daily usage of about 15-20 kms and hence am interested in a petrol automatic car. This car will primarily be to chauffeur my mother / wife in town with me occasionally driving it so it has to have the “badi gaadi” feels for them to take it to their social gatherings.

We are a family of 6 footers so space is the most important feature. Headroom and legroom needs to be in aplenty. Seating 3 abreast will be an added bonus.

We usually keep all our cars for 7-10 years so long term reliability is a must. Cars are highly depreciating asset and I don’t want to spend a bomb on them but still want something that is upper middle classy.

The roads in and around my office and home are pretty rough. Hence low speed ride quality has to be supple if not brilliant. The car will never be driven outside city and I don’t think will touch speeds of more than 70-80 km/hr ever. Hence high speed manners and highway driving isn’t that important.

Your requirements literally scream Toyota Camry, it’ll meet every single requirement above while being cheap to maintain and reliable, look for 2017-18 models and make sure the car is checked thoroughly by a Toyota dealer (they’ll charge a fee but it’s money well spent), make sure they generate a comprehensive report and hand it to you. If going for hybrid variants pay special attention to battery health and check the warranty left on it. Cheers.

[mpod11]

Hello everyone. Took the TD of the Honda city and it was a mix bag for everyone in my family. I loved the driving experience but the head unit was underwhelming. The build was also lighter than I expected but something I can live with. I have my TD of the hector CVT tomm. Hopefully will get some clarity Tomm.

[landcruiser123]

Originally Posted by mpod11

Was considering used C class / Skoda superb but the car will be kept for 7-10 years so unsure of long term maintenance costs.

Open to all advice and suggestions!

Except for the requirement of "badi gaadi" (grand vehicle) feeling, the Ciaz suits your requirements to the T.

My suggestion is to check out used Corollas and Civic, they will stand out in a crowd and have good reliability. Wildcard choice might be a used Yaris if your family agrees (tighter cabin) and you can get a good price.

[tsi_niks1989]

Originally Posted by mpod11

Was considering used C class / Skoda superb but the car will be kept for 7-10 years so unsure of long term maintenance costs.

For 23L or even below you would be able to get a used 2017-18 Audi A3 with the famous 2L TDI engine. Coming from a Vento, it will be an upgrade to the sorted dynamics you have experienced. Also it can be bought from an authorised audi approved dealership which give a 2 year warranty also along with service packages for 2 years if you are able to make a good negotiation.

Happy shopping!

[Aravind_M92]

Why not the Toyota Innova? The GX 7 automatic seater variant should fit in your budget. You will definitely get the ‘badi Gaadi’ feel and being an automatic anyone can drive it! Since it’ll be for you mom, mostly chauffeur driven, the Innova will tick most of your requirements. Plus the reliability of a Toyota!

[NarediAni7518]

Since there aren’t much sedan offering in this space, I would suggest go for the Honda city now. As per Honda, they will be launching a hybrid variant of the same in the next financial year, but Honda being Honda, we can’t trust them on that. The car is rich, looks nice, is super spacious, and commands respect over all its rivals. Yes, the build quality seems to have been compromised with the 5th Gen, but the car still is amazing and a refresher to look at, after seeing only Crossovers all around. It’ll be a fresh and perfect addition to your garage. And if you can wait for a year or so, wait for the new upcoming Elantra. The next gen civic might also be launched in the country but no clear timeline is available for that nor the launch is sure.

[Voodooblaster]

Originally Posted by Aravind_M92

Why Toyota Innova? The GX 7 automatic
‘badi Gaadi’ feel

Same choice struck me on reading the opening post. Ex showroom price in kolkata is 18.18 lacs for 7 seater. The 8 seater is just 5k more

TD with your family. The additional seats can be very useful in long drives

[csnanjappa]

Just check for T-roc availability. 1.5 TSI DSG combination has been doing good job for me until now. Very frugal responsive engine. If you can compensate on Space and want to save money Kushaq and Taigun does have 1.5 TSI with DSG.

[DeepCarTalk]

Skoda had the perfect car for you until recently. The generation of Octavia before the current one would fit right in your budget and would tick all your boxes. But then Skoda blew it. It would have killed Elantra's facelift even before it would be launched.

Since you are more inclined towards sedan, I would highly recommend Honda City. You can also check out Ciaz.

I would advice against Elantra for two reasons:


a) The total production run of Lamborghini Reventon {40 units (20 coupe + 20 roadster)} was more than the current monthly average sales figure of Elantra.

b) It will be replaced soon with a facelift.

and I would also advice against Vento/Rapid:

a) Driving pleasure isn't your top point.
b) Decade old interior.
c) Expensive to upkeep post 5-6 year mark.

[07CR]

Few assumptions since the following data is not provided-

1) <5 people will be using it
2) Car will be majorly driven in city only.
3) Automatics are a necessity (except the AMT)

Considering the above I will suggest-

1) Hyundai Creta CVT. It satisfies your criteria of easy ingress egress, petrol automatic, more than adequate power, great for city drives, ergonomically friendly and is backed by a good ASS in hyundai, with a stellar resale value.
2) Honda City CVT VX is another great alternative. However, Ingress egress won't be comfortable, but other than that, fits all your criteria perfectly.

[bhargav2015]

For 6 feet folks, and to seat three at the rear, my humble suggestion: avoid the entry Germans (C, 3s & A4s) like the plague. I'd go so far as to say avoid the younger Czech sibling (Octavia).
Your best bet is the Superb (used, of course). I own a very old German and still feel the rear is cramped for anyone above 5'6".
Tata Hexa is a great performer in the space department.

[Jatin247]

I would suggest to go with a car having CVT/IVT gearbox. As usage is less, he should go with petrol only.
If he wants an SUV then he can go with Creta or Seltos and if he is okay with sedan Verna/City would be a great pick.
With sedan he can save some money too.

[supertinu]

Originally Posted by mpod11

2. Xuv700 : Totally bowled over by the launch of this car and all the tech, space and value it offers. Interiors are far superior to the front runner Honda City 5th gen and the car is definitely a segment above it. However I am not sure of spend 20-22 lakhs on a Mahindra with its reliability and brand image. Concerned about waiting time and early batch niggles. I am also not very comfortable manevouring such a big car in my tight parking space. However I can wait for a month before booking if its worth TDing this car.

!

Given you have the budget I would suggest that you maybe wait to get some initial ownership reviews of XUV700. I know we all like to bash Mahindra for initial reliability etc but if you skip the ADAS feature top end model, most of the features are something that Mahindra has good experience with including in current XUV500. Only the touch screen that might get some FW upgrades over initial year or so. Mechanically Mahindra has tested power trains which shouldn't be a problem.