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-   -   Ideal car in the 15-23 lakh range? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-car/241395-ideal-car-15-23-lakh-range-8.html)

An update on our query! We finally settled on these three options and decided we will choose among them. We decided not to extend our budget to over 25 lakhs and get the best car we can in this range.

1. Hyundai Creta SX(O) IVT
He is getting the same at 20.95 lakhs on-road Kerala, and it has most of the features he could ask for and is a serious contender, but with a couple of SUV launches this month, he is confused, about whether this would be the right option, It would be great if fellow Creta owners share their experiences on the model. He is also getting the Creta SX(O) Diesel AT at 22.75 lakhs on-road but doesn't feel the need to spend the extra 1.8 lakhs for a diesel considering his low yearly running.

2. Kia Seltos HTX IVT
The current gen is selling at just 18 lakhs for the HTX IVT and 21.75 lakhs for the GTX+ Diesel AT and seems to be a good deal, he is also considering whether or not to wait for the facelift which is launching soon, but it will definitely be pricey, considering the current gen variants are available with around 2 lakhs discount over the standard price.

3. Jeep Compass Sport DCT
This one is a discontinued model but from the last lot Jeep sent before discontinuation, it is available at 25 lakhs on the road (a 3 lakh discount over the actual price), this model is costly considering Kerala has huge taxes for cars with ex-showroom prices over 20 lakhs as the RTO charges itself comes to 4.85 lakhs. But considering it's a Jeep, a vehicle from a segment above with a decent feature list, we have kept it in consideration.

Hi there,

I currently own a BMW X3 30i, and absolutely love it. I use it for my daily office commute and my road trips.

I also own a Chevy Cruze, 2011 model which has done 70K Kms and with the brand out of India, maintaining it is becoming a challenge.

I am now looking to repalce my Cruze. My primary need is for a car that will be driven mostly by a driver for ferrying family members - kids, parents etc within the city. But never more than 5 folks. I might use it myself occassionally for running errands within Bangalore city where parking issues are so common.

I know Innova is probably a strong contender here, but my daughter has veto'd it saying "in few years i will start driving and you are anyway not going to give me your X3, and i am not going to be driving a 'Taxi'". Although i know how good a car Innova is, but i also kinda agree with her POV. She is short in height and hence any large car will not suit her.

I am open to buying a pre-loved vehicle as well. But do not want to get trapped into exhorbitatly high maintenance either.

This is what i am thinking (new):
> VW Taigun
> Skoda Kushaq
> Hyundai Creta
> Toyota Hyryder

Will be grateful if you can suggest based on above requirements.

Thanks,
Priyank

I had been whining about wanting to buy a pseudo SUV here https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-...ar-2024-a.html

Today, much schooled by team bhp fraternity and mentally making up mind that I have to live with all-the-tech-that-you-can-cram-inside-console I went to Mahindra, KIA, Citroën, and Honda in quest of any car that can meet simple formula of making the driver in me happy.

1. 4 Cylinder engine,
2. Turbo petrol or turbo diesel,
3. Manual (old school stick shift) transmission,
4. Upto 1500 cc engine.
5. 4 meter plus length, under 20 lakh budget.

All I saw was a sea cars with some type of automatic spilling across every segment in their own or in competing segment. Why in world the suddenly manuals became such a rarity? I understand demand and supply rule but the put-down to manuals just accelerated so quickly is something of a modern marvel. Almost every sale guy writhed in agony that I am not into comfort of life and so ignorant about bliss of driving automatic car.

Can you point me in right direction i.e. which brand showroom I should be paying visit to next Sunday? Much as I love to buy a new, if nothing works then I might look into second hand car market but 5 point list cannot be stretched or pushed to accommodate something outside. I am not in hurry.

If I am not wrong the Slavia/Virtus 1.5 Turbo are available with MT. These satisfies most of your criteria.

Then there is also Verna 1.5 Turbo Petrol. Honda City 1.5 NA (No Turbo though).

Manuals are not becoming rarity, but Automatics are picking up the popularity because of the ever increasing traffic, ease of driving in congested traffic. Besides, AT cars with Dual clutch automatics and Paddle shifters are also Fun to drive - case in point Slavia/Virtus/Taigun/Kushaq/Verna 1.5 etc.

Which car did you see that didn't have a manual transmission and only AT guise? All 20L cars I can think of has a stick shift variant priced 1-2L cheaper than their AT counterparts for obvious reasons.

All VW/Skoda 2.0 cars(Slavia, Virtus, Kushaq, taigun) have 1.5L turbo MTs under 20L. Verna turbo too is available in that budget in manual guise. Honda Elevate or City have NA 1.5L iVtec MTs. Heck, even some variants of XUV700(5 str) come with 2L MT petrol if you like them big.

I wasn't looking into sedans but SUV types only.
Sorry I might have posted in wrong section of the forum.

All cars that you have mentioned come in Top-End Trim with Manual Transmission.

Examples-

1. Creta Diesel Sx(0)/ 1.5 NA Sx(0)

2. Seltos 1.5 Turbo petrol Htk+

3. Honda Elevate Zx

4. Mahindra Xuv 700 Ax3/ Ax5 / Ax7

Etc.

In foreign countries, the transition from MT to AT happened many years ago, in this department, India is behind them but one advantage we have today is brands are still giving us the choice of MT today.

I went to Dubai and Bali recently and drove a Honda Brio and i10 Nois there and such small-size hatchbacks were equipped with AT with no manual options available.

Advantage of AT -

Better resale value- 10 years down the line when you will be in the market for the car which you bought today, It will fetch you better resale value because, after 2034 AT will normalize to such an extent that even the 2nd hand buyers will start looking for cars with an AT.

They are not a rarity unless you are looking at cars like Citroen C5, Hyundai Tucson or the strong hybrid variants from Hyryder, Grand Vitara and City which are AT only.

We are not in the USA, so MT is not going away anytime soon.

Every other car has a MT variant that's cheaper by 2 lakhs atleast over the AT variant.

6 years back when I went shopping for a diesel. There were hardly any AT to choose from on a 12 lakhs budget. Eventually brought a S-Cross MJD and switched from an AT to MT.

In 2022, chose the Alcazar MT even though it sold in AT at every trim.


Since when did we start acknowledging car salesmen's feelings?

I could care less. Every dealership I visited, I went with the exact trim level I wanted to see and buy

Every car salesman is there to earn commission out of the your car sale. They would rather sell you what you want than not make the sale at all.

If you are open to used options, the S-Cross is the perfect car for you: normally aspirated 4 cylinder petrol motor and a slick shifting manual gearbox along with loads of space, solid build, slick ride quality and excellent ergonomics. :thumbs up

As far as new cars go, the new Honda Elevate might be as no nonsense as it gets otherwise I personally believe that the S-Cross was the last car sold in our market that did not rely on fancy features but just solid engineering it is a pity our market demanded that cars behave like the latest phones (I blame Hyundai for this) and now Maruti is selling the same car as the Grand Vitara for nearly double the money.

There are few options in your budget and the manufacturers you visited-

Kia Seltos/Carens (they offer iMT, which from personal experience offers the best of both worlds).
Hyundai Verna

I went to see Creta and they offer both petrol and diesel in 1.5 turbo with manual tranny. But sales person at KIA said they offer only iMT in petrol turbo and diesel NA engine. Unless he was himself not aware of options available, I have no interest in iMT despite whatever name they call it by. For me a manual transmission is stick shift using hand and pressing clutch with foot. So I am still keen on a seltos with pure MT if they have such variant in turbo diesel or petrol.
Elevate is non turbo but had to pass on because of driver seat. It was small, puny and barely livable.


They are not rarity, yes, but most car makers are not offering them and from what I am reading the scene has changed rather dramatically in last 3-4 years. I dont have budget for high end c5 or Tucson nor wanted any hybrid. As in 2024 the choice are really low in that respect. You will be forced to take the bundled tech in mid segment even if you don't want to.

iMT might best for both worlds but this isn't something I can call out as pure manual. That was what I set out to find.

That might not always be the case. Way back in 2010 I had bought a manual Camry in USA. I got a very good deal as the dealer had not been able to sell the car for a few months. Drove it for 1.5 years and 30 thousand miles. While going back to India I was able to sell the car at a higher price as manual was so rare and there was a person who wanted to buy it badly :)

Paucity of manuals under 20 lakh?:eek:

Except for BEVs, I believe manual transmission is there with all engine options and variants. Guess Kia or Hyundai tried to fiddle with only automatic and iMT option, but cowed down and launched manual tranmission option again.

Naturally aspirated petrol, turbo GDI petrol, turbo diesel. You get a manual with every model under 20 lakhs!!! It is above 20 lakhs that manuals have started to become a dying breed.

I have been around to Creta and Seltos for Diesel options due to economics. Petrol+manual are aplenty but scouting for diesel manual I realize choices weren't many. On first visit Seltos people even flatly denied that there is anything other than iMT in their range. Maruti is majorly into petrols nowadays. Honda is doing whatever they want to as usual without a care to market. Toyota range pushes up the prices much further for diesels.

They have accepted defeat with the iMT strategy and re-introduced the diesel manual.

https://www.autocarindia.com/car-new...12-lakh-430401

Agree for a diesel- manual in the 4.3m segment, there are only Korean options with TATA and Mahindra offering diesel manual in the sub 4m segment and 4.6-4.7m segment.