[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by jeetumg27

I would strongly recommend going in for the Brezza or the Urban Cruiser.

This ageing car will be replaced by an all new model in a few months, along with Baleno.

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

I would ask a cliche question, how good/bad is the ground clearance and cost of ownership and service?

Ground clearance is totally acceptable. Doesn’t usually scrape anywhere. The front bumper and engine guard are prone to falling off on little impact. In the off chance you find the GC less, upgrade to fatter tires. Both my Hondas run on 205/60R15 and I have never had any issues. I have had the front bumper screwed into the fender and have gotten rid of the engine guard.

Long term cost of ownership is not low. It is as per a 15-20L car. While basic maintenance isn’t a bother, wear and tear parts are going to pinch. They aren’t of great quality either, don’t expect suspensions or brakes to last 100k km. Honda doesn’t offer any all inclusive maintenance packs either. My City has needed attention every 40-50k km. Jazz (old model) parts lasted twice as long.

Dealers have been feeling the pinch of falling sales and service advisors are notorious for pushing unnecessary add ons.

[iamahunter]

I understand that you will want a new car now.

Else I would have suggested looking at an Ecosport if there was a new one available.

Yes, the design has aged, but its still got all the stuff that you need and the 122 bhp petrol is one hell of an engine.

Alas, there's no option for a new one now.

[abhishek46]

Almost all the in-demand models have crazy waiting periods, these days.

Especially, for AT variants.

I would suggest you to keep your existing booking, and book your second preference as well.
Whichever arrives first, go ahead with that, and then only cancel the other.

[neeraj0272]

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

Honda City getting quite a lot of love.

As you are open to sedans I will suggest you to go for City considering the points raised by Shreyans Jain.

As someone else pointed put, it fulfills all your criteria except maybe for GC. In Delhi there is no issue of bad roads or high speed breakers and at any rare & occasional spot we can always slow down the car sufficiently.

I owned petrol Honda City for 8 years from 2004 to 2012 and then an Audi A4 diesel for 9 years. My cars scraped bottom once or twice but I was never bothered and it never occasioned me to consider car with higher GC.
On my recent 500km long highway trip I didn't find City lacking anything and its engine + its CVT gearbox worked like a charm.
In fact once when I stepped out of the car at a roadside restaurant and as I use walk-away locking I walked several steps and when I looked back at the car, car was not locked and its ORVM were still open. I realized that I hadn't shut off the engine!

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

Well, it is not a criticism of any particular brand as such, as the overall situation of most in-demand cars. Its more of the situation not suiting me at present. And, KIA SA is not updating me at all, its me who is asking every week and not getting a definite reply.

When I was shopping for my car I found the attitude of both KIA/Hundai arrogant with no car available for TD.
While MG staff was very welcoming and courteous but I somehow didn't trust them completely and subsequent events have proved me mostly right.
VW sales staff were almost uninterested in selling the car.
Best was Skoda sales staff. SA was of somewhat middle age. fully knowledgeable and patient to explain everything. I took multiple TD.

But I would stress the point that its the seller who holds all the car(d)s if a customer books an in-demand car. Its the seller who benefits in this situation and buyer is at the mercy of the seller if I am allowed to say so!
I didn't want myself to be in such situation so I didn't look for cars with long delivery periods.

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Ground clearance is totally acceptable.

I have had the front bumper screwed into the fender and have gotten rid of the engine guard.

Long term cost of ownership is not low. It is as per a 15-20L car.

Dealers have been feeling the pinch of falling sales and service advisors are notorious for pushing unnecessary add ons.

But City does make sense for light users and small families, especially those whose usage is primarily urban.

Thanks for all of your valuable inputs.
I myself drive with a very smooth driving technique so I hope that my Honda City will serve me trouble-free mechanically.
Also my usage completely fits the profile of the urban user you mentioned.

[jeetumg27]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

This ageing car will be replaced by an all new model in a few months, along with Baleno.

Yes - all the more reason to get a better deal I feel. From my buying experience, if there is one thing I understood - "There is no right time to buy a car AND there is no right car"

It is all about the moment & personal preferences.

[nma83]

Is the Kiger/Magnite not in consideration? A decent car with a peppy engine and a smoother CVT AT. Significantly cheaper in Bengalooru too!

[IamNikhil]

Check out the Nexon EV or Honda City. Fits well within your budget and delivery times are not much. I believe Honda City is available under 4 weeks. Alternatively, Nissan Magnite is proving to be a worthy contender.

[pratyaksh]

You can get a Honda City which will fulfill all your needs and to be honest the ground clearance is not that bad either.
You could also look at the turbocharged Duster, driving pleasure is right up there with the only compromise being the dated interiors.

[anirudhbb]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Long term cost of ownership is not low. It is as per a 15-20L car. While basic maintenance isn’t a bother, wear and tear parts are going to pinch. They aren’t of great quality either, don’t expect suspensions or brakes to last 100k km. Honda doesn’t offer any all inclusive maintenance packs either. My City has needed attention every 40-50k km. Jazz (old model) parts lasted twice as long.

Dealers have been feeling the pinch of falling sales and service advisors are notorious for pushing unnecessary add ons.

Yeah this is my worry. Being a Maruti owner all my life, I am spoiled by low/zero maintenance.

Originally Posted by abhishek46

I would suggest you to keep your existing booking, and book your second preference as well.
Whichever arrives first, go ahead with that, and then only cancel the other.

Yup, not canceling my Sonet yet.

Originally Posted by neeraj0272

As you are open to sedans I will suggest you to go for City considering the points raised by Shreyans Jain.

But I would stress the point that its the seller who holds all the car(d)s if a customer books an in-demand car. Its the seller who benefits in this situation and buyer is at the mercy of the seller if I am allowed to say so!
I didn't want myself to be in such situation so I didn't look for cars with long delivery periods.

.

Totally agree, it's the Sellers market all the way. Salespeople never had it so easy for selling.

Originally Posted by nma83

Is the Kiger/Magnite not in consideration? A decent car with a peppy engine and a smoother CVT AT. Significantly cheaper in Bengalooru too!

Wary of these brands - Nissan, Renault, etc.

Originally Posted by IamNikhil

Check out the Nexon EV or Honda City. Fits well within your budget and delivery times are not much. I believe Honda City is available under 4 weeks. Alternatively, Nissan Magnite is proving to be a worthy contender.

Will explore City.

Originally Posted by pratyaksh

You can get a Honda City which will fulfill all your needs and to be honest the ground clearance is not that bad either.
You could also look at the turbocharged Duster, driving pleasure is right up there with the only compromise being the dated interiors.

Will explore City.

---
Today took TD of CIAZ Petrol AT- massive disappointment. No power whatsoever. Interiors are so jaded.
S-Cross, they didn't have a TD vehicle, but even here the interiors are not 2021 worthy.

There was a MG showroom adjacent to NEXA and made the mistake of stepping in.
Astor and Hector, both are OMG worthy. OR prices are 50% higher than my intended budget, but seriously thinking. At this price more options open up like Creta, Taigun, Kushaq, XUV 700, though all these I anticipate 6-7 months waiting.

Going for CITY TD in a while.

Never imagined buying a car would be so challenging.

[IshaanIan]

Well think of it as a blessing in disguise since the Sonet and Venue both perform miserably in crash tests. I would say simply forgo the sunroof requirement and get yourself an S-Cross. Test drive the vehicle before dismissing it based on uninspiring journalist's reviews. It rides and handles with far more maturity than any other vehicle in its segment and the engine+gearbox combo feels robust and smooth. Interior quality is fairly decent and the visibility and roominess of the cabin is a boon. It is also probably the only car in its class that will last you a long time until your son matures and can appreciate it You will also get massive discounts upwards of 75k on it at the moment as well as immediate delivery.

If you are enamored by touchscreens, leds and other such insipid bits that seem to give car makers an excuse not to put some thorough engineering behind their cars, then perhaps the MG Astor ought to be in your list of vehicles to test out

[car_guy1998]

If you feel that the chances of getting the Sonet is bleak, then I'd suggest you to look at the Honda City CVT.

It might have less GC but has better rear seat comfort and leg space than the C-SUV's you are considering. The base model is within your budget but you will be getting 4 airbags, TPMS, HU with AA and Apple Carplay but misses out on sunroof and doesn't get 16 inch wheels.

And, not to forget, you'll get the car within your son's birthday, which is in Jan.

[nTorq]

Originally Posted by anirudhbb

Honda City getting quite a lot of love.

I would ask a cliche question, how good/bad is the ground clearance and cost of ownership and service?

I live in Bangalore, and I can tell you that for Bangalore roads, I find the ground clearance to be alright (which I think says a lot about the matter!). Yes, you will have to be cautious over humps if you’re driving full load, but never does it feel like it is bottoming out unreasonably.

Cost of ownership and service, maybe other Honda owners can shed some light. This is my first Honda, and I’ve had it for just about 3 months. From what I’ve heard, it is pretty reasonable.

[tj123]

Originally Posted by nma83

Is the Kiger/Magnite not in consideration? A decent car with a peppy engine and a smoother CVT AT. Significantly cheaper in Bengalooru too!

Won't suggest Magnite as I know people who have booked in Dec'2020 are still waiting for their cars and many including myself has cancelled the booking due to this endless wait. There is no transparent way of car allocation, the delivery dates just moves ahead month after month. One is at the mercy of dealers, who never responds, if this is the experience before buying then imagine the service when one needs it.

[anirudhbb]

Originally Posted by nTorq

I live in Bangalore, and I can tell you that for Bangalore roads, I find the ground clearance to be alright (which I think says a lot about the matter!). Yes, you will have to be cautious over humps if you’re driving full load, but never does it feel like it is bottoming out unreasonably.

Cost of ownership and service, maybe other Honda owners can shed some light. This is my first Honda, and I’ve had it for just about 3 months. From what I’ve heard, it is pretty reasonable.

Nice, congrats! What variant you have and what other car you had in your mind?

[anirudhbb]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I would say simply forgo the sunroof requirement and get yourself an S-Cross. Test drive the vehicle before dismissing it based on uninspiring journalist's reviews. It rides and handles with far more maturity than any other vehicle in its segment and the engine+gearbox combo feels robust and smooth. Interior quality is fairly decent and the visibility and roominess of the cabin is a boon. It is also probably the only car in its class that will last you a long time until your son matures and can appreciate it You will also get massive discounts upwards of 75k on it at the moment as well as immediate delivery.

If you are enamored by touchscreens, leds and other such insipid bits that seem to give car makers an excuse not to put some thorough engineering behind their cars, then perhaps the MG Astor ought to be in your list of vehicles to test out

I hear you. Its difficult to ignore eye-candy.
Will try some other dealer for S-cross TD tomorrow. Thanks!