[AirbusCapt]

Your choice of cars (Nexon, Sonet) in the Rs 16 lakh range for the purpose stated by you is incorrect. Since it's your first car, you would also need to enjoy your purchase. Both the choices above are great choices in their own way, but completely lack in excitement. You wouldn't park and look back. Your stated purpose, a bit of bad roads, mall crawling, space for a pet, occasional highway drives all point out to only one vehicle: Mahindra Thar. In the diesel manual guise it will give you everything you ask for, around the 16/17 lakh on road price (blr). Since your siblings or parents visit only a few times a year, the rear two seats will suffice.

[dsuman]

Originally Posted by krishnakumar

Hello BHPians!

My brethren, kindly help me!

As a Nexon owner myself I suggest Nexon. It is tightly built and has good road manners. Nexon Diesel Manual is a different beast with its 1.5 engine. ASS is more or less same with both. Contrary to popular belief here, I have a different experience with Tata sales and ASS. They have been accomodative and reasonable. I have got discounts for Nexon and Safari (My Cousin's). Insurance was also closely matched with online quotes.

Its all about reasoning and justification. I reasoned with them about high Insurance quote variations.

Similar case with my Grand i10 Nios. All three cars are less than a month old.

Kia and Hyundai cabins will always be lively. Nexon cabin will getting used to, due to dark colour and sloping roofline at the back.

[Raghu M]

I would choose the Nexon hands down. The best feature it has is - better safety ratings. It is one of the safest cars in India (behind XUV3OO). I wouldn't choose a fancy car with some gizmos to the Nexon and compromise on the safety. I think Nexon has good dynamics and the TATA after sales nightmares are a little exaggerated. TATA will give you a decent ownership experience and the Nexon being a mass produced product has all the niggles sorted out. Go for it.

[DevSunit]

[quote=krishnakumar;5171741]Thank you both for sharing your views!

@DevSunit - How is the maintenance of Nexon's fabric seats? Is it a headache? This was a big concern raised by my wife as the car we sat in was quite dirty and it looks like within a few years, it'll be difficult to keep it clean because of the fabric.

It has been only 1 year since we got our car and till now it is factory fresh. We have a group of Nexon owners here in Kerala and one among my friends have actually done an Interior Cleaning (Baby Vomited Food ) and it was very cost effective and Satisfying also. The Shop owner being his friend told that you can do it yourself in your Home with 3M Car Interior Cleaner.
https://www.amazon.in/3M-Interior-Cleaner-580-g/dp/B0183SZDTS

But I also agree to @fiat_tarun to the fact that Diesel Nexon is Overpriced. As XUV 300 has been omitting its features, I will not advise you too go for it given it's lack of boot space also. If you are Ok with Safety and Rear Seat Experience of Sonet, You may go ahead for it.

[BennyA23]

If its safety you're looking for, the Nexon is a no-brainer. But if its comfort & features, the Sonet any day.

[Swapnil4585]

If you have a good rapport with your Tata S.A. and if you know a good friendly mechanic, then there is no pleasure as good as owning a Tata vehicle. Also, it works out cheaper in the ultra-long ownership, to own a Tata vehicle.

In your case, I would have had the Nexon and the XUV 3OO as two contenders and then would have bought the latter, since on our roads, it is more exclusive than the Nexon.

Kia, being from the Hyundai family, must definitely be costlier to own than the above two and with no special advantage of spending the extra money.

[throttlehead]

As someone in the market at that price point, I would have merrily picked up the Nexon (knowing fully well the hit or run service experience) had it come with a proper AT! Cmon TATA, just plonk a TC on the damn things and take my cash! I just can't get myself to live with the AMT (at least based on the test drives).

[Turbo_Lawyer]

Hi krishnakumar,

I was in your place two and a half years ago and I was not as spoilt for choices as customers are now. My options were only the Nexon, the XUV 3OO and the EcoSport and I ended up with the XUV 3OO.

Coming to your choices, I'd still go for the Nexon as safety is still of utmost priority for me and the Nexon is a 5-star rated car and is still better in terms of drivability between the two.

You'd only have to hope that the TATA dealership and ASC are pretty good and does not suffer from the reputation they have gained over the years. Otherwise, niggles and issues are part and parcel of every car.

Also, I will still ask you to consider the XUV 300 (Yes, I am a bit biased!). It's currently the safest car made in India and if you are an enthusiast, you will absolutely love the 1.5l diesel engine. I feel it's better in terms of drivability compared to both the cars you've shortlisted and the handling is only bettered by the EcoSport.

I do understand your concern over the boot space. It is valid, but as it is only going to be your wife and you travelling for most drives, it should be pretty sufficient. I have a family of 4 including my wife and parents and till date I have never felt the need for more space.

Coming to the rear a/c, the main a/c is very powerful on its own and I have had no complaints from my rear passengers about the lack of cooling on hot days.

Hope you make an informed choice. All the best!

[Jaisalmeriya]

Would recommend between the Nexon and the XUV300 purely from a safety point of view as has been stressed already by fellow BHPians. Got my brother-in-law to go for a manual Nexon as his baby was due soon, and with close to 9 months of fuss-free ownership, he's one happy chap regarding the choice.

As for the Koreans, although we have owned 2 Hyundai cars at home, I have increasingly felt a soft corner for the strides our home grown majors have been making in safety and balancing out the feature set in their cars - Kudos to Tata and Mahindra

[Asoon]

My Choice would be Nexon

- Safety
- Practically / Space
- Ride Quality
- Road Presence

Features of today will not remain attractive tomorrow (a year from now) but the core is what you have to live with for next 5-10 years, hence Nexon
Plus with high influx of sales Hyundai group (Kia + Hyundai) is not service friendly or niggle free as it used to be 5 years ago.

[46TheDoctor]

As an owner of Nexon D XZA+ with 2 years/27k km ownership experience, my opinion as follows:

1. Since you plan to do highway runs, safety deserves a high weightage, so it should be Nexon.

2. If you were looking for an AT version, Sonet has advantage but not when it comes to MT.

3. You can improve interior ambience of the Nexon with some premium fabric seat covers and quality floor mats like 7D. I have put Elegant fabric covers which are easy to clean and fit is just like that of leather seat covers and you dont feel the need for ventilated seats at all.

4. If Kia had given 5 star crash test ratings for their cars, i would have happily recommended that.

I am a very happy owner of Nexon and the car performs just like when it was new. If only Tata had given 6 airbags and a torque converter instead of AMT, i would have called it perfect.

[Zignor]

"A perfect car is the car you end up compromising on"

Having said that, I understand your dilemma very well. A couple of friends are fighting the same battle and there seems to be no clear winner. I have a Nexon BS4 XZA+ Diesel and yet, I try to keep my bias away for their consideration. Also, I wouldn't confuse you more by adding more options because frankly then all you do is permute and compute the different engines+specifications+features+variants and so on.

However, what I'll share is my perspective. A few months after I got my Nexon, they launched the Venue and for sometime, I imagined having all the gizmos they provided including cruise control. I could feel regret for purchasing the car but one long drive was all it took to clear all those thoughts. The smile it brought on my face was something I still remember and the car and I ended up forming a bond. After every trip, I make sure I thank my car for getting me safe. My wife thought I was crazy but she understands it after she has started driving.

I don't know if Sonet can give you that feel. I don't know if any other car can give you the feel. But I'd suggest to get that feeling before you end up making a purchase. Think of which car will give you less regret and probably that helps you making a decision.

As for the rest, yes TASS stories aren't new. They probably won't stop either and it's good that we can criticise them this way. Maybe they improve their services and eventually, there's one less thing to compromise on but honestly, I've never faced any issues with regular servicing. They go about with their routine work and they do it well for me. Yes, maybe there will be some rattling from certain parts of the car but that depends on how harsh you are being to the car. Believe me, most of the time, the rattling is due to something kept in the door pocket or the seat belt hook dangling against the plastic or even due to a lot of potholes.

Anyways, a lot of other positives and negatives have been shared by more knowledgeable people here and there's nothing more I can add except one simple suggestion, go with a car which you feel connected to.

Features come, features go, engines can be smooth, engines can give a lot of troubles, but what remains is the smile on your face when you're driving.

[TurboOnTarmac]

I own BS6 Nexon D Auto and had already put on 15k plus km on it. I have not driven Sonet so please take below comments from Nexon's point of view. During my search phase I had evaluated XUV300, WRV, Venue and Brezza in this segment before finally settling for Nexon.

-If safety and build quality is your consideration then Nexon it is, no further confusion. I feel like driving tank on the road. Also its driving dynamics are super good and i feel confident all the time even in the tough corners and high speeds.

-If ventilated seats is the primary requirement (regarding your polar bear comment), then may be Sonet.

-If automatic is key requirement, Sonet's TC AT is the best in the market in this segment. AMT in nexon does the job once you get used to it but you always know in mind that thats not the best AT.

-Ergonomics is fine and probably we could nitpic on them if we want to. But i would not worry too much on it. I like the seating position, center armrest positioning, the commanding view with bonet being visible and electronics at my disposal in Nexon. Have nothing more to ask. Infact the other gizmos like IRA and all will remain novelty only for initial days, after that we forget them. If i could time travel, i would have picked the Nexon minus IRA so i could have saved that 30k paid extra. So, my view, this area should not be a deciding critieria for you.

- I have had initial niggles with Nexon (ECU was replaced and battery wiring volatage leak was fixed) by the service center under warranty. Had done 3 free services and one paid service already. I am happy with the service i got at my service guys in Bangalore. Again, if you want to nitpic in this department you can but for me what matters is the quality of the service and honesty of the advisors not so how smooth or courteous are they in treating customers.

Tata sales team is not the best. When i am in buying phase, there were many times i got upset with their responsiveness or apathy. Other competitors like Hyundai or Maruti super convincing and we could see their effort to sell. But Tata sales guys they are still slowly coming out sarkari job mentality. But, i persisted as its the product i am buying, which meets my criteria. As GTO commented once, its the final product that we buy and live with. Sales process just a one time thing for short period and we should ignore it if the product meets all the criteria.

[akshaydandekar]

Originally Posted by krishnakumar

Hello BHPians!

I'm looking for a car at ~15L (max 16L) OTR for my first car ownership. While I'm new to car ownership, I've been driving cars for 10+ years now and have driven a variety of cars during this period.

I would recommend the Nexon. I own a 2019 diesel BS4 ZXA+ and my primary reason for choosing this car is the top notch safety rating, high ground clearance and overall comfort it provides for a family of 4 ( read as 2 humans and 2 dogs!). I have had zero mechanical issues with my car and I have taken her over some really tough and rough patches of roads and to places with no roads! The AC is a chiller and the Harman sourced system is sheer joy. I TD'd both th petrol and diesel AMTs and found the diesel+AMT combination far superior. This after driving a Polo GT for 3 years! Also contrary to the horror stories of ASS, my experiences in Mumbai have been top notch at their service centers. Spending time with the service associates and building a relationship does wonders.

I would never touch a car that hasn't been rated for it's safety, no matter how many gizmos and stuff the manufacturer provides. Safety for my family is paramount more so on account of the numerous idiots roaming our streets.

[quattroa4]

In case of an accident , the Sonet will be broken in to 2 separate entities (It's larger sibling Seltos has proven that already). Do call all the people who are suggesting sonet for a larger debate over this matter and they don't stand a chance by miles . Sonet is not at all a well rounded product as per their saying , it's a compromised product on major issues like safety ,running costs and ride over bad roads in our country .