[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by agambhandari

Any MT car other than a Honda/Suzuki would have a worse gearbox than what you have and won't be fun enough. Especially true in a car like the T jet.
Drive the new Honda city if you are dead set on a manual.

The petrol Rapid has a slick shifting gearbox that beats the Japanese cars clean - it’s the slickest box I’ve ever used.

At the OP, your ideal combination might be very hard to achieve in stock form. Even the few enthusiast cars mentioned on this thread have their fair share of problems. Especially for your use case and the fact that most of them would have to be through the pre-owned route, I would recommend you to take the leap only if you’re absolutely sure about what you’re getting yourself into.

[agambhandari]

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

The petrol Rapid has a slick shifting gearbox that beats the Japanese cars clean - it’s the slickest box I’ve ever used.

As much as i like VAG cars, Honda and Suzuki gearboxes are better than the 6 speed currently on offer with the 1.0 TSI. It is adequate but the biting point of clutch is quite high, not the best combination IMHO.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by karanddd

Is there something like that I can buy, but with more power and better suspension and hydraulic steering? I am open to new and used options. I am wary of 10 year old Beemers that'll cost me lakhs and lakhs to repair, so I can only pray that they're not my only option.

(I need to be abroad 8-9 months of the year and during that time the car will be driven by other family members but only for upkeep. There is no need for the car to be practical in the sense of having space or refinement, but I don't want to be scared of breakdowns and the like either.)

Check out the V model of City and SX model of Verna, petrol of course.They stay well within the budget and decently equipped for the job.

[TheHelix0202]

Originally Posted by agambhandari

As much as i like VAG cars, Honda and Suzuki gearboxes are better than the 6 speed currently on offer with the 1.0 TSI. It is adequate but the biting point of clutch is quite high, not the best combination IMHO.

I was talking about the 1.6 MPI. I should have mentioned it clearly. Yes, I agree, the new 1.0 TSI box is slightly notchy. Not a shade on the older one though.

[eccentric]

Originally Posted by karanddd

I have to replace a 10 year old petrol SX4. My budget is 15 lakhs.

My primary criterion for the new car is that it be fun to drive.

Things that help (but may not all be achievable): 3 pedal manual transmission, hydraulic power steering, small size

Is there something like that I can buy, but with more power and better suspension and hydraulic steering?

The perfect choice for your requirements would be the Kicks 1.3 Turbo Manual. Kindly refer the below,

Originally Posted by eccentric

Our present cars are from the pre-2010 era, an 09 Swift and an 07 Civic. The Kicks would take up the mantle of the ageing Swift, performing the daily driver duties which means frequently traversing mines, carrying heavy payloads.

Having lost interest in the present gen feature rich and tech loaded cars, the Kicks was the only car that reflected the mechanical superiority which stayed true to the old times. The steering was not so different when compared with likes of our cars, exhibiting perfect heft and feedback. The gearshifts and clutch travel too felt seamless which was quite opposed to what the reviewers say! With the quoted features baked in, it'll be a learning curve and definitely a generation upgrade in each and every aspect, atleast for us.

Would insist you to read the entire post to get a better picture about its competitors and my on-going experience with the Nissan sales network.

[AROO7]

Originally Posted by karanddd

Things that help (but may not all be achievable): 3 pedal manual transmission, hydraulic power steering, small size

(Almost) deal-breakers: Automatic transmission, bad electronic power steering, heavy SUV like driving manners.

Since you already ruled out a couple of cars in your opening post plus a lot of fellow BHPians have already suggested the Honda City, I would suggest you give the new Hyundai i10 Nios Turbo a shot. While you are looking at it also give the i20 N Line a test drive prefer a back-to-back test drive and see which one meets your criteria to the Tee.

Going for the pre-owned route see if you can find a Baleno RS.


P.S.- Above suggestions might not fulfill all your requirements but with a 15-lakh budget new or old your choices are limited in terms of a fun-to-drive car.

P.P.S- Since your usage is less try getting a fairly simple car preferably from a mass-market brand to keep the ownership experience fuss-free and light on the pocket.

[souvikjana83]

My suggestion would be to test drive EVs as well. I agree it won't be Manual but the fun and the exhilaration one will get in an EV is absolutely unmatched today with the Petrol and Disels. In fact if you can wait till next year, you will get more options to choose from apart from the 3-4 EVs that are available for sale today.

[car_guy1998]

I'd suggest you to go for Honda City as it is fun to drive, thanks to 1.5 iVTEC engine and has spacious rear seat as well and the manual Honda City is more fun to drive than CVT.

[Piyush Kanthak]

I would suggest you to keep the SX4, it's still fun to drive car.
I own it myself from the past 14 years and I am absolutely satisfied with it

[akshay4587]

Look No Further than a Laura Tsi Manual.
Put in better brakes and a Good Suspension, and you will have a car that will give cars twice it's price a run for their Money.
Plus point, it's really cheap in used car market, so you can retain SX4 as daily, and use Laura as a weekend car.

[spkrnh]

Given your criteria of good steering feel and driving pleasure I would suggest looking at 3 cars in the below order (all preowned )

1. Used Jeep Compass 2.0 Multijet manual transmission- tune it to 200-210hp.

2. Jetta 2.0 tdi manual transmission - tune it to stage 1 or 2. Steering feel and feedback will not match a Compass and suspension will be slightly firm at low speeds but the high speed poise and pleasure you get from driving the car, is something else. I may sound biased but it drives better than Octavia, Tiguan, Passat and Superb. The only car maybe from VW Skoda stable I would consider upgrading from Jetta would be Octavia RS.


3. Pre 2015 Mercedes c250/220d - 12-14l. If you are willing to take the risk of service and maintenance costs. That generation E and C drove better than their respective similar generation beamers. Main disadvantage is ownership costs and the fact that it might lie unused for long periods. Though our e250d served us well for 7 years / 75k kms with no problems, it’s always a risk.

[Nooman Ajmal]

If I were in your shoes, I would’ve surely taken a look at 1st generation MS Swift. As someone whom driven all 3 generations (all petrols). I can almost guarantee you that It’ll make you grin every single drive. Make sure everything is well sorted & don’t expect build quality to be great as many owners had issues with panel rattling.

[ronk]

You are in a great place, with a good budget, no major practicality concerns and a place where used cars are very cheap!
Totally get your want for a manual. I moved over to automatics recently, but ever so often really enjoy my manual polo. No automatic can replace the manual fun, and since you don’t really commute with your car, you have every reason to go for a pure manual! Find a fun car and please just forget the suvs, csuvs and cross-whatevers! They are all for practicality and not really meant specifically for enthusiastic driving. They have ‘more’ fun versions for people like me who need to tug a family along and think about daily commute! ��

The cars I would recommend are below, although some of these might be a bit troublesome with delhi NGT rules. Still at a good price you can definitely enjoy them for a few years.

1. Used Jetta 2.0 tdi manual- its not nimble, but its a hoot to drive with a good gearbox. You should get used the size easily after your sx4 and this will be fun!

2. Laura Tsi or VRS - petrol and great fun with a good shifter and all.

3. Octavia 1.8tsi Manual - This is another good petrol option, and something you can keep for a while. Yes its big, but again NCR has great roads to enjoy!

4. Old Honda Civic post facelift (2012-13) - a lovely car to drive and own. They age really well if maintained. You can pick one, spend some money to sort it completely and just enjoy the car!