[Sunderdeep]

I would suggest the VW T-Roc. I was in a similar situation in 2020 and ruled out the Honda City because of some quality issues and Harrier for being too big for me.

Finally, I bought a T-Roc by raising my budget and couldn't be happier. It's almost a perfect 4 seater that comes with very comfortable, well-bolstered leather seats with good under-thigh support. Other than that, you get the 1.5 TSI engine with the 7-speed DSG gearbox, which has unmatched performance.

It is fuel efficient too as it returns around 11-13 kmpl in city traffic and over 17 kmpl on highways if driven at 70-90 kmph. You get 5-star Euro NCAP safety, 6 airbags, a long list of safety & convenience features including panoramic sunroof, digital cockpit & electronic hand brake.

Driving dynamics are well sorted, the car has negligible body roll and a very mature suspension setup. NVH levels are very well controlled and the cabin remains pin drop silent till 2000 RPM. It booms only in S mode or past 4000 RPM.

Moreover, the T-Roc does have an advantage over other mid-range SUVs in design, build quality, overall insulation and headlights (Euro standard). The 2021 T-Roc comes with a 2 years extended warranty too, so you get 4+2 years of peaceful warranty period. This car may not give you the 'Badi Gaadi' feel that you are looking for, but definitely many heads will turn to see it as a 'Premium Gaadi'.

[lina]

Originally Posted by mpod11

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.


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.

As someone who recently purchased a MG ZS EV Excite, im going to recommend this to you. 280km range, absolute pleasure to drive, "badi gaadi" feel, 5 year warranty, 8 year battery warranty, can handle rough roads, 22L OTR. checks all your boxes.

[Baddychat]

I think there is already a post which recommends this but if you are to stick to a sedan then the first option should be a pre-owned Corolla Altis VL/GL variant. I haven't seen too many Altis's in Kolkata so finding a good one might be a little difficult. Also as you would know few Altis owners easily let go off their cars early in the life cycle.

Since you already own a Creta and are satisfied with the Hyudai ASS you could also try the Verna AT top of the line variant. I am not sure how well the rear set compared to the City. I haven't been on the rear seat of the Verna. Same service center advantages as well.

The Honda City ZX is a good option and the interiors are definitely a level up from the 3rd and 4th gen ones. The rattles et al would have been sorted out by now. Take a longish test drive and get a good feel of it. I used to drive a 3rd gen city for more than 9 years and when I sat in this one, it is quite a few notches up both in terms of space, finish and features. The engine is also a new block which is rev-frendlier. :-)

[NevGin]

It seems to me that you have made up your mind on the XUV700. Your criteria narrows it down perfectly to that car.

From what I have seen, read and heard so far on the XUV700, the gasoline engine is a hoot to drive. Given your limited usage, must have large car feel (badi gaadi as you mentioned), take family to events and gatherings in style, it seems like a good fit. It will also accommodate 6 footers with ease. I am sure one of the trims will fit into your budget as well.

[pta320]

Toyota Camry Hybrid 2017-2018 (used) looks like a perfect choice as someone else also pointed out before. It's literally meant to be chauffer driven and has very good rear seat comfort. Also looks very elegant and Lexus like from outside.

Since driving mostly in city, hybrid will be excellent and running cost would be pretty low. And Toyota still trumps almost all other car brands in long term quality and reliability.

And please stay away from used VW/Skoda unless you want nightmares for the rest of the ownership. It's not that that I am trying to openly criticize a car brand , it's just the fact and numbers which are openly available showing the poor quality of cars they make and screw their customers in after sales.

Also you can find used 2018 320d LCI. It's a fairly reliable car but back seat comfort ain't good. And driving it in city all the time will kill the DPF and EGR very quickly so expect very high maintenance in near future. These cars are meant to be driven on highways so can't really recommend it over Camry.

[mpod11]

Hello everyone. Thanks for all the myriad suggestions from new to pre owned. Took the test drive of the Hector CVT. Family loved it. They are hellbent on me giving the cheque today itself!
The car is premium and feels a segment above the city. Music system is bang on and ride good. However, I found it too big and soft to enjoy driving it. It’s the perfect car from the backseat but my heart is still set on the Honda City.
I have been outvoted by the family on this and need some last minute advice and help.
It’s boiled down to hector CVT vs City CVT ( both top models). Help a brother out!

[pta320]

Originally Posted by mpod11

Hello everyone. Thanks for all the myriad suggestions from new to pre owned. Took the test drive of the Hector CVT. Family loved it. They are hellbent on me giving the cheque today itself!
The car is premium and feels a segment above the city. Music system is bang on and ride good. However, I found it too big and soft to enjoy driving it. It’s the perfect car from the backseat but my heart is still set on the Honda City.
I have been outvoted by the family on this and need some last minute advice and help.
It’s boiled down to hector CVT vs City CVT ( both top models). Help a brother out!

Out of the two, I'd suggest City CVT, just for the peace of mind Honda offers. Hector's 7-8 year reliability is very very questionable as already there are many reports of parts failing in MG (aka Chinese rebadged) Hector.

[Baddychat]

Originally Posted by mpod11

It’s boiled down to hector CVT vs City CVT ( both top models). Help a brother out!

City CVT any day everyday if it is between these two options. Again there are some heart over head decisions that you need to take once in a while !

[bhargav2015]

From a peace of mind and long time ownership perspective, Honda any day of the week and twice on a Sunday! Hector handles like a boat IMO. Chauffeur driven, I agree. But Hondas are reliable and last long.
Japs over Chinese, anyday, brother!

[Sureshmadhan]

If you see the car more Chauffeur driven than yourselves, CVTs(or even automatic) would not be an ideal choice. You may end up swallowing more fuel due to frequent high revs by Chauffeurs thinking to counteract the rubber band effect on CVTs.

Unfortunately you have limited options on sedan in this budget.

If mileage is not a concern you may get INNOVA CRYSTA mid versions on manual. Its rock solid reliability and cheaper maintenance is appreciated.

[Sureshmadhan]

If you see the car more Chauffeur driven than yourselves, CVTs(or even automatic) would not be an ideal choice. You may end up swallowing more fuel due to frequent high revs by Chauffeurs thinking to counteract the rubber band effect on CVTs.

Unfortunately you have limited options on sedan in this budget and seating of 3 abreast.

If mileage is not a concern and you have space to an MUV you may explore INNOVA CRYSTA mid versions on manual. Its rock solid reliability and cheaper maintenance is appreciated. Sorry to digress your interest of owing a sedan.

[mpod11]

Hello all. I have booked myself an MG hector CVT after considering all the options. The car simply was a class above all the options suggested here and CVT makes it much more efficient and easier to live with. In fact my cousin liked the car so much on our test drive he also has booked the same model!

So we have two MG hector CVTs coming together in the family! The superb dealer response and customer service has sweetened the deal and have got a host of free accessories as well as extended warranty for free!

[JeepSilver]

Hi all,

This is my first post since joining Team BHP. I've been a reader on and off for many years but a recent interest in buying a new car has me spending a lot of time on various TBHP threads and reviews. This has fortunately helped me realise the level of my current 'noob-ness'. Hoping to learn from your opinions and responses to this post.

Context: A little over a decade ago is when I helped my dad buy the first family car. He was not too keen but had to get rid of his beloved Bajaj Chetak on the advice of doctors for some back pain he'd developed. They advised him to get a car for daily commute to work. Dad wanted a compact car that would be easier to manoeuvre in the city and we ended up checking out MS WagonR, Hyundai i10, Abarth Punto, VW Polo, and the Ford Figo. While I distinctly remember the cockpit like interiors in the Punto, dad felt the most comfortable in VW Polo and Ford Figo. Given the price difference, went ahead with Ford Figo and he uses it till date without much fuss over the years. I remember the decision making being so much simpler back then.

Over the past decade I've lived and studied across Lucknow, Pune, Gurugram, Trichy, Chennai and finally settled in Bengaluru since 2019. Given the nomadic lifestyle, I never considered buying a car and was content with a Himalayan I bought in 2018. My wife has owned a MS Swift since before we started dating. I didn't bother getting another one given the traffic in Bengaluru, and continued using the Himalayan for daily commute.

Fast forward Post Covid and the tech world going remote, we've moved to an apartment complex on the outskirts of the city, away from the narrow roads and crawling traffic. My current employer has permanently gone remote in a bid to hire globally, and while the wife may have to return to a hybrid model and travel to an office in the city eventually, we're clear that we do not want her to drive all the way, and will likely get a cab/taxi service. We're looking to upgrade, and here are the considerations,

1. The current car being manual, we definitely want to upgrade to an automatic transmission
2. We enjoy going on road trips (have used Zoomcars for the past few years, but given that we're away from the city, limited options and too much hassle) - so the car needs to have good highway manners, and long range driving comfort. I enjoy cruising along at a reasonable pace (80-100 kmph) but do need the additional punch to overtake larger vehicles. The current pace might be a function of the kind of cars we've been driving, but I don't suspect my style of driving to change overnight
3. Given the fauji upbringing (dad serves with the armed forces), I'm big on safety first and risk management. Need 5 star NCAP safety rating and reasonable performance on the moose test
4. Not too fussed about after sales experience (its important enough to make the list), but definitely want to stay away from dealers/brands that are notorious for poor experience or unable to give decent sales experience (looking at you PPS VW, Bengaluru!)

With this context and list, here are the few options we checked out,

1. Honda City 5th Gen One of the best TDs we had, good experience where the SA was knowledgable and explained relevant features. Liked the drive experience and the top variant fits easily in budget. Heard poor reviews about GC on hilly/bad roads, and highway stability (light Asian chassis). Nearly made up our mind but decided to explore further based on the negative reviews

2. TATA Harrier Very poor sales experience, the SA barely knew anything about the car or cared to explain answers. I liked the Harrier overall, but both wife and I felt it was a bit too big. To be fair, it was the first SUV styled car we test drove

3. VW Taigun Visited the VW showroom and while the transmission and engine of the Taigun instantly impressed, the interiors and exteriors (we're don't fancy chrome as much) definitely does not do justice to the price tag. Build quality in 2.0 is definitely not comparable with what is expected from VW. The SA bad-mouthed Kushaq plenty and given we were unimpressed with the interiors and exteriors of the Taigun, have not yet checked out the Kushaq

4. MG Astor Loved the looks and you can feel how premium the interior cabin is. We loved every bit of the ADAS features (despite the creepy toy staring at us all the time) and for a bit even forgot about the lack of proven history and reliability of MG in India, or the lack of official NCAP ratings. Were jolted back to reality when we asked the SA to drive and decided to check out the rear seat. Comfort is not what comes to mind while trying to describe the under thigh support or the recline angle

5. XUV 700 Had a short TD of this with a couple of other friends - I would have gone for a 5-seater version of the car in the AX7 trim. Nothing particularly wrong with the car, just that it being a 7-seater felt a bit much considering 95% of the time our car will only have 2 passengers

6. Jeep Compass This was a tough one cause we initially did not want to spend over 20-22L, but an article on a finance website assured us it was wise to spend upto 50% of gross annual income on a new car, and based on the stories we told ourself about keeping the next car for 8-10 years, we increased the budget to 30L and went for a TD. Enjoyed the test drive, the car felt very planted and solid throughout without any body roll whatsoever. This was clearly a segment above everything else we had seen so far. I was quite impressed with everything on offer and zeroed in on the Limited AT 1.4L. Made an INR 20K transfer as booking amount (fully refundable) a couple of weeks ago, and haven't yet had any update about expected delivery date.

If you survived reading till this point, here's where the problem statement begins. I've now started questioning whether its prudent to spend INR 30L for the kind of usage I am likely going to have (no daily commute, occasional drives to the city, weekend trips once a month, a 5 day trip once a quarter). Also, is it normal to experience some buyer's remorse when buying your first car?

I've read a lot about pre-worshipped cars on this platform but don't consider myself informed enough to be able to judge what's a good bargain/judge the quality of a used car. Hence would prefer sticking to a new car at least this time.

Are there any other options I should be checking out? The strongest contenders at this time seem to be Honda City and Jeep Compass - does my usage pattern justify a spend upwards of INR 20L?

Thanks in advance!

[sreerknair]

I can speak about Honda City 5th Gen. I own a CVT and regarding ground clearance, it is not as bad as it is talked about in this forum. As long as you remember that you are driving a sedan, and not a ladder on frame SUV, the car can tackle all potholes and road humps you see in normal Indian roads. It is not an off-roader for sure though. For large humps or potholes you will have to slowdown to less than 8 to 10 kmph.

Regarding highway stability, I have driven it up to 90kmph and the car feels planted on the highway. Doesn't feel wobbly. In Kerala roads, I could drive only that fast considering how bad the traffic is. Moreover CVT is suited for a sedate driving experience.

[CarNerd]

The only options worth considering are the City & Astor but since you didn't like the back seat comfort of the Astor, I would suggest you to go with the City and don't worry about poor reviews. Do you think the other options have only good reviews? The City ticks most of your requirements and has one of the best petrol engines in the market.