[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.

Some options I had in mind were:

1. 5th gen Honda city ZX CVT : I am totally in love with this vehicle and the space it offers. It complements my Hyundai Creta nicely and will be a good addition to the garage with my requirements. Called up the dealer ( Eastern Honda) in kolkata a couple of times and the response and communication has been excellent. They are even willing to upgrade the rims to 195mm section for a nominal amount.
However the numerous YouTube videos about poor build quality and bad head unit and giving me the jitters for going ahead and booking it. I also feel I have another 5-6 lakhs in my budget range to spend so maybe there is something even better I can get. However if current owners of this can reassure me about the build quality and head unit functionality then I will be much less anxious!

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.

3. Mg Astor : This is also on my list since the launch made it seem very VFM. The interiors look class apart and size is just right. However it might be too similar to my Creta and won’t really be a differentiator. Mind you I won’t be changing my Creta for another 5-6 years so don’t want to be stuck with a similar car.

4. Mg hector - like the car and have one in my extended family. Everything is good but it’s a size too big for right confines of kolkata. Also feels very Chinese and glarish.

4. Tata safari/harrier - no petrol automatics so out of contention!

All in all there isn’t something ideal for me to book right now and get delivery by Diwali. Desperately hoping that there were some good D segment sedans in my budget ( octavia pricing is a blunder! ) and I would have booked without a thought. Elantra is too old and looks weird as hell!.

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!

[rajshenoy]

This should be part of "what car" section. Hope some mods take notice and help you move it.

Tough choice, as you already own the segment leader in this price range(Creta/Seltos). Kushaq/Taigun are new launches but might never have that "badi gadi" feel. why don't you hang on to Vento for some more time, by then you might see next gen Vento/Rapid which will definitely be bigger in every aspect, This should tick your sedan criteria well.

[Rajeevraj]

Unfortunately there are no sedans in this range other than the C Segment ones equivalent to the Vento. Of course, considering your Vento is 11 years old, even doing a lateral upgrade in the same segment will give enough newness from a features perspective, but in all other aspects, I don't think you will 'feel' the upgrade.

If you already have a Creta, buying another similar segment vehicle may not be the ideal option. Maybe the XUV700 is a good choice, but I don't think you can/will get delivery by diwali.

Not sure if you are open to pre-owned. 20-23 Lakhs would be a sweet spot for a lot of the D Segment Sedans- Octavia, Jetta, even the Superb or even the entry level premium sedans like the Audi A3.

Just saw you are open to pre-owned. You should be able to get an Octavia with warranty/extended warranty remaining which can take care of the maintenance worries atleast for a year or two

[Shreyans_Jain]

Booking the XUV700 now is a very risky prospect. I wouldn’t want to pay to become Mahindra’s test subject. If you are open to considering this however, or the Harrier, then why does the MG feel to big? It’s the same size, and about perfect for your requirements.

Otherwise your only real choice is to go the pre loved way. Choose between Octavia and Compass. Both have temperamental DSGs, but your running is expected to be low.

Wild card option: get an Innova Crysta petrol and be done with it. It’s more comfortable than any car considered, and the only one which can actually seat three abreast comfortably. It’s perfect for being chauffeured around. The 2.7 petrol engine and the AT gearbox combo is competent, very refined and surprisingly efficient.

[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by mpod11

Hello everyone.

1. 5th gen Honda city ZX CVT : I am totally in love with this vehicle and the space it offers. It complements my Hyundai Creta nicely and will be a good addition to the garage with my requirements. Called up the dealer ( Eastern Honda) in kolkata a couple of times and the response and communication has been excellent. They are even willing to upgrade the rims to 195mm section for a nominal amount.
However the numerous YouTube videos about poor build quality and bad head unit and giving me the jitters for going ahead and booking it. I also feel I have another 5-6 lakhs in my budget range to spend so maybe there is something even better I can get. However if current owners of this can reassure me about the build quality and head unit functionality then I will be much less anxious!

This would be perfect choice I think. You will surprised by the space in the back seat of the city!!

Also when you say upgrade the RIMs, you mean tyres, right?

[mpod11]

MOD NOTE: Please edit or multi quote (QUOTE+) your replies instead of back to back posts on the same thread. Request you to quote selectively instead of quoting an entire large post.
Thanks.

Originally Posted by 2000rpm

This would be perfect choice I think. You will surprised by the space in the back seat of the city!!

Also when you say upgrade the RIMs, you mean tyres, right?

Yes! I mean upgrading the tyres. I am too smitten by the current city and feel I can live with its flaws. However another morning and I am trying to change my mind. A very love hate relationship developing between us now

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Booking the XUV700 now is a very risky prospect.
====
The 2.7 petrol engine and the AT gearbox combo is competent, very refined and surprisingly efficient.

Since the car is primarily to be chauffeured driven, my mom and wife aren’t really warm to the idea of being seen in a people’s mover. Innova for all its virtues is a sole monopoly of the taxi industry and not really in the contention at all.

Originally Posted by Rajeevraj

Unfortunately there are no sedans in this range other than the C Segment ones equivalent to the Vento. Of course, considering your Vento is 11 years old, even doing a lateral upgrade in the same segment will give enough newness from a features perspective, but in all other aspects, I don't think you will 'feel' the upgrade.

Just saw you are open to pre-owned. You should be able to get an Octavia with warranty/extended warranty remaining which can take care of the maintenance worries atleast for a year or two

I was very much interested in the new octavia and waited for a solid 3 months for its launch. However they priced it astoundingly high for what it offers. Yes the dealer had a pre owned octavia too with an year of its original warranty left. But I am to keep the car for 7-10 years and hence have lingering doubts about going that way. I have also never purchased a pre owned car so it’s foreign territory to me apart from the social stigma attached to it.

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

This should be part of "what car" section. Hope some mods take notice and help you move it.

Tough choice, as you already own the segment leader in this price range(Creta/Seltos). Kushaq/Taigun are new launches but might never have that "badi gadi" feel. why don't you hang on to Vento for some more time, by then you might see next gen Vento/Rapid which will definitely be bigger in every aspect, This should tick your sedan criteria well.

I am contemplating waiting for Slavia/Virtus but it’s looks like I may have to wait 6 months in the least. My VW vento is in a pretty bad shape with the gearbox acting up every couple months and car spending considerable time in the garage. Hence stretching my timeline that has already been stretched on account of waiting for the octavia and it’s pricing blunder will be nearly 1 year since I made up my mind to change the car.

[SoumenD]

Slight OT suggestion. A friend of mine just picked up a 2018 Skoda VRS for ~25L & that happiness is unmatched. Since you already have a high GC crossover(creta) & were looking for sedan, nothing else I can think of can give you the kicks like the VRS.

Ofcourse if you manage to get your hands on one as its very hard to come by really. Most of them are obnoxiously priced in used market.

[ramnaresh_2000]

15-23 is a healthy budget for a new car. I see you are a family of tall people, the below vehicles come to my mind when I think of this

• XUV 700 (wait for version 2)
• Hexa (used?)
• Safari
• Hector
• Fortuner (used?)
• Endeavour (used?)

I would go with a used Hexa or used Fortuner eyes closed. The Hexa even though discontinued, is build to last. We all know Fortuner has the best resale value and maintenance is very low (some even claim lower than one segment vehicles). You can't go wrong with a Hyundai or Toyota.

If you are feeling adventurous, then I would suggest a used Isuzu MU-X or used Alturas G4, both are very underrated vehicles with some good reviews and cult following. Best of luck

[shancz]

Tough market since sedans are few and far but some suggestions :

Originally Posted by mpod11

Hence I have a preference to get a sedan this time.
low speed ride quality has to be supple if not brilliant.

Based on these points alone I would say the Honda City 5th Gen.

Originally Posted by mpod11

1. 5th gen Honda city ZX CVT : I am totally in love with this vehicle and the space it offers. It complements my Hyundai Creta nicely and will be a good addition to the garage with my requirements. Called up the dealer ( Eastern Honda) in kolkata a couple of times and the response and communication has been excellent. They are even willing to upgrade the rims to 195mm section for a nominal amount.

2. However the numerous YouTube videos about poor build quality and bad head unit and giving me the jitters for going ahead and booking it.

You seem to have answered your question yourself.
But watch out for the GC on the roads its supposed to go. A relative had a Vento in Kolkata but had to replace it with a Duster since the car, in their usage, used to scrape a lot which became irritating.
Take a detailed TD on the roads you would go to carrying the loads you would go with.

2. Don't go by YouTube videos, take/call a test drive yourself. Everyone has their own preferences, if it works for you then its best for you regardless of the noise around/against.

Originally Posted by mpod11

Xuv700 :
1. 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.
2. Concerned about waiting time and early batch niggles. I am also not very comfortable manevouring such a big car in my tight parking space.

1. Spot on
2. Your concerns are true, first iteration blues if I may and they're valid.

No idea on the other cars/SUVs you've mentioned, take TDs if you like any.
No idea on the used car market too.

Note : Check out this section on how to use Multi Quotes (How to MULTI-QUOTE (when replying to a thread) on Team-BHP), like I have. Since back to back posts are forbidden as per the rules of TBHP.

Welcome and Good Luck

[spkrnh]

If your cars are primarily going to be driven within City and good ride and back seat comfort are important why not consider Nexon EV.
I recently drove the Nexon EV. Low speed ride is really good for that price. And this is coming from the owner of a Compass Trailhawk.
I mainly mentioned this since you had Honda City in mind. For travelling comfort the Nexon definitely trumps City.

Plus you will end up saving lots.

[fhdowntheline]

After driving a regular cross over, a Honda City will feel underwhelming after a short period of time (my personal experience), even if you keep the build quality aside, it simply doesnt have the badi gaadi feel that you are looking for. nNot to mention the ever present risk of driving a low slung sedan in flood prone roads in this freak-weather era. One option could be a Compass petrol.

[shancz]

Originally Posted by mpod11

Open to all advice and suggestions!

On a different note, since you said that the car will mostly be chauffeur driven but petrol and automatic and your concern about maintenance costs over 7+ years, why not take a TD of the S-Cross too ?

It ticks all boxes except the subjective ones of "badi gaadi" and if it is accepted in your social status. If you do consider then do the TD with the usual passengers on the back seat to check on the ease of ingress, space and ride quality if it suits them.

[lamborghini]

In New your options are quite limited: lower end compass, or elantra which are both a segment above the city.
Used is where the fun lies: from a 2-3 year corolla at the lower end of your budget, to a previous generation Toyota camry, to the 2 year old swanky civic & similarly old but spacious Tucson. I would like to mention options such as used 320D, but unless you plan to drive it : the Asians are better at handling chauffeur abuse in comfort with lower maintenance and down time.

[07CR]

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.

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.

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 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.

[prajwalmr62]

Why don't you check out these two?

Hyundai Elantra
pros - elegant design, big, spacious.
cons - Interiors are bit boring.

Toyota Yaris
Pros - Looks like Camry in some angles! Possibility of great discounts.
Cons - Probably phased out soon. Doesn't feel like huge upgrade from Vento.