[anumod]

I would have suggested Polo and Rapid, but both of them are very aged one. What about Kushaq .. I have experienced one time , the ineffective steering from Hyundai, so I will not recommend Hyundai. I luckily escaped from an accident, and I don't want anyone to go through similar trauma. (This is inline with the steering issues that got reported in the Hyundai quality issues thread)

[Livnletcarsliv]

I voted for "other"

If you want the best handling performance car below 15L, then it has to be from the VAG stable only - Polo, Rapid, Vento. PERIOD.

Out of the three, I would choose the sedan cousins for obvious reasons of space and practicality that I don't get in the Polo in addition to handling and performance.

[ashking101]

I have voted for i20 NLine 1.0 Turbo. However, I would suggest you to wait till the prices of MG Astor variants revealed - it is a worthy contender and a variant may be within your budget as well.

[buzzy_boy]

Originally Posted by Sheel

I am not suggesting yet, but, why are some BHPIANS suggesting a CSUV / SUV genre?

Completely agree. CSUVs and SUVs can't handle nearly as well as a well sorted hatchback or a sedan. Those are not what I'm looking for.

[Altocumulus]

Voted Other

Test drive the Rapid 1.0 Tsi AT. I am using an Onyx AT for the last 11 months and its fantastic to say the least. I have my first service next month and as far I have seen others who have done their service, it was just 4.5k including oil change. Skoda service costs have reduced drastically and the feedback about service quality have vastly improved.

[flywheels]

Whilst the choice of cars seem apt, pls do test drive the following as well
Polo TSI
Vento TSI
Rapid TSI

Believe in the feel and finaiise

Cheers!

[suhaas307]

If you are disappointed with the handling of your Ford Aspire, then I am afraid you are going to be disappointed with pretty much every other car in the market today.

Nothing handles like a Ford, especially an older one. The old gen Figos and Fiestas were absolutely fantastic, and nothing really comes close to them this side of ummm, a BMW maybe?

The Aspire is not bad, and I would say better than most cars out there in terms of handling. You could say the Punto comes close but that car has its fair share of (ergonomic) problems that may sap some of the fun out of driving it.

I've owned a Polo, and had done everything I could to make it a fun handling car and a fun car generally. While it had the poke, it was a bit of a dud in the handling department. Nothing helped improve the steering feel, not the fresh sachs dampers, not the sport springs and not even the Whiteline rear Swaybar and stiffer front top mounts. The Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres did help to an extent. Honestly, my wife's 2010 (completely stock and in fact rattly) Figo petrol feels more engaging to drive than my Polo with all the kit on it.

And if you are considering Polos, Rapids and Ventos, expect them to all feel a bit numb and lifeless. They may have the straight line stability and will hold corners well, but they are not engaging handlers at all.

The new i20 N-Line wasn't bad but again, the weighted steering and stiffer suspension feels artificially dialed-in.

At the end of the day, whatever car you choose, you must get Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres straight away. It makes all the difference.

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Nothing handles like an older Ford. The old gen Figos and Fiestas were absolutely fantastic, and nothing really comes close to them this side of ummm, a BMW maybe?

Cant agree more. While I have not driven new gen Ford (Aspire, new Figo etc.) used to own a 1.6s for 6 years. That car just used to communicate every damn thing on the road and feel like its just part of your body. And that was stock.
My current ride Octavia even with suspension and alloys / tyre upgrades doesnt handle or feel involving like 1.6s.
So is Aspire so much different from old Fords? If not, neither Polo / Rapid nor i20 N Line is going to meet the requirements.
But as said earlier currently Polo / Vento / Rapid is the best bet from a fun to drive factor.

[karanddd]

Wait until Alfa Romeo starts selling in India. The 4C does not have power steering at all, just like an old Maruti 800. Best steering feel possible.

[buzzy_boy]

Sitrep:

I took the nline for a short Initial test drive. It was in city - under heavy traffic. My objective was to determine whether it is worth taking a longer TD of the vehicle. Here are my observations:

1. The visual differences from the normal version are subtle; I didn't realise that the vehicle next to me was the nline - I had thought that it was the normal I20.
2. That said, I really like the look of the vehicle - modern and agressive
3. The paint job is bang average
4. The doors feel heftier than my Aspire
5. The seating position is good
6. Visibility is average for the class - does not suffer from A pillar blind spots like the Aspire
7. The cabin is wide and spacious - front and back
8. Plastics look decent, but are actually very average to touch
9. The screens are bright - could be distracting in the long run.
10. The gear shift is easy to use.
11. Leather quality is better than average after market ones
12. The boot is weel shaped and has decent size
13. I found the suspension to be well sorted at low speeds - dismissed the bad roads better than my Crysta. Damping stiffness is obvious - and the ride could get jiggly at speeds on bad roads.
14. I couldn't test the handling at speeds as it was a short drive in traffic.
15. I found the DCT to be smooth at town speeds. Curiously, it is tuned to shift up so early that the engine often finds itself below the sweet spot. This leads to unnecessary number of gear shifts.
16. The manual mode is responsive at part throttles. Stepping off the gas leads to smoother shifts
17. Another curious behaviour of the gear shift is that it does holds the second gear at speeds as low as 5 kmph. Certainly, at those speeds it must slip the clutch.
18. That said, I shifted to first, using the paddles, at less than 10 kmph. I found the shift from 2 to 1 to be smooth.
19. The paddle shifters are easy to use and convenient
20. Didn't test the AC as I had rolled down the windows as a COVID precaution.
21. Headlights had enough power.


Based on these observations, I have requested a longer TD next week. Will revert with updates.