[HammerHead]

Originally Posted by sparameswaran

I am, finally, considering replacing my Fiat Linea T Jet emotion (2014).

Alright, I was in the situation. Not that I have made a decision however I have, I think so, postponed the 'situation' by couple of years

In my case its 2010 Fiat Grande Punto 1.4 E-PK I was looking a replacement for. Looked at following options.

Obvious enough, started with an SUV!!
1. Tata Harrier --> Test drove and this was before Safari was launched. Decided to wait for Safari. In mean time decided to check out sedans.
2. Skoda Superb --> Test drove. Liked every bit except the cockpit. Thought its not modern enough mainly compared with that of Skoda Octavia.
3. Skoda Octavia --> Looked stunning inside out however some basic features were missing even in the L&K variant. I know we were comparing it with the Superb.
4. Tata Safari --> Liked the vehicle but with few exceptions. Also have apprehension on crashworthiness.

At this point decided to look for 'pre-worshiped' cars. And the list goes like this.
1. Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W205), 2017 or later
2. Mercedes-Benz GLC, 2017 or later
3. BMW 3 Series & GT, 2017 or later

Did not find good examples and I was specifically looking for MH12 registered cars.

Next step -- Got my Grande Punto serviced, steering rack replaced and a new set of tyres, Continental UltraContact UC6 and I'm good for another 3-5 years. Will revisit the 'replacement' plan once we have better options in EV space. A big SUV or a big and 'luxurious' Sedan

[varadha_r]

I have some experience on this. Mine is a 2012 t-jet (pre face lift)bought in 2014 and it got flooded in the 2015 rains. As luck would have it, the insurance company made me repair it - since the repair cost Rs. 3 lakhs vs IDV of Rs. 7 then. I was reluctant and then got it done and while the yearly upkeep is higher than what I would expect - 15k p.m with 1 lakh at the 10 year mark (this/last year) for a compressor + suspension work + plan to spend 30k for a music system + better leather covers for steering+gear lever and plan to go all the way to the 15 year mark. Honestly, I cant think of any sedan south of Rs. 37 lakhs that gives the same stability, sense of control and now I have to come to think that just like you pay for repairs/AMC for a laptop/phone, u pay 30-40k for a Rs. 10 lakh car instead of buying a Rs. 20 lakh car today.

For the record, my alternator conked and it was replaced under EW but I have had plenty of niggles ever since (power windows, ECU light) but like you I have a baleno cvt as a second drive and I have been able to manage 10-15 days in a workshop easily without a sweat. my suggestion would be to at least stretch it two years - possibly 5, if u upgrade upholstery, music system.

and in south, its generally easy to get the FIAT serviced. You can add a wolf moto, upgrade brakes and change the music system and you will have a great sleeper car that can go on another 3-4 years.( if you do think of selling it, let me know).

[karthikrao23]

My suggestion is go for the Crysta. If you still want a sedan, TD the city. Also, you can consider the virtus/slavia with manual transmission.

[FiatDiesel]

I would recommend to invest in changing the part, in this case alternator if that is the primary reason for you getting stranded couple of times. Sometimes resolution requires less money then the hefty investment of replacing the car altogether. Also you won’t get the right resale price of Fiat now.
If you need consultation with experts in Pune for Fiat, please DM me, I know a good team of erstwhile Fiat service including technical executives who have won Golden Hands awards from Fiat at India level. These folks manage Fiats in this region including mine through there private garage. If it helps.

[VVN]

I drive the 4th gen City and I can say that the build is nowhere near the Linea but it is super reliable. It is a proper no nonsense car and can be FTD. The 4th gen was rated 4 stars so I am guessing/hoping the 5th gen will be at least 4 or better if not 5. It does miss out on creature comforts like ventilated seats, pano sun roof and a decent HU but the trade off when it comes to reliability is absolutely worth it.

[next_to_random]

I'm in a similar boat - I have a 2014 Fiat Punto Evo (Emotion). As I keep looking at other possible cars to replace Stormcloud, all I keep feeling is that no other car has what this car has - character and performance at a very sweet price point ( close to 8L OTR)

With the Punto I have a pocket rocket that has seen 1.35L kilometers and 21 states + UTs in effectively five years (I've had Stormcloud for 7.5 but I was out of country for one, and sat another one to one and a half out in the 2020 lock down). The Linea is another beautiful car that would automatically have been my next buy, had Fiat not quietly thrown us loyalists under the figurative bus.

So allow me to share a (really) contrarian view here - if its just the alternator, just get it (or the root cause) fixed and vroom happily to the 2L mark - this car is definitely good for it and more. Buyt If you must upgrade, and want space and comfort at a reasonable budget for a great build quality, then do consider the Innova Crysta and (wait for it ....) the Force Gurkha.

The Crysta has many advocates and they can tell you lots more about the car. But in the Gurkha, I found some of the character that the Fiats have. The hydraulic steering and drive feel had a smile plastered on my face before I crossed two hundred meters from the showroom. The build quality is solid. The car goes anywhere and the fact that you and I are driving cars older than 6 years means that we haven't yet been spoiled by the funky gadgets and technology in most cars today so the lack of features won't really pinch. The interiors aren't too bad and not too far from the Fiats either.

The lack of too much of fly by wire means that the car has a looong life ahead and will find easy service even in remote corners. Mechanically, it is solid and the seating is just sweet. As my wife remarked during the TD, it feels like sitting in the seat of a Volvo bus.

I'm sure many in our company will look at this post and snigger but then this is just my opinion.

[Latheesh]

City/Slavia/Virtus is not a real upgrade from T-Jet. As others suggested get it repaired, run it for couple of years more, and upgrade to an EV.

[Jessierider]

My suggestion would be to pick up a used Innova crysta, even the 1st gen Innova is not a bad option considering their reliability. Use it till you find yourself that perfect EV that fits all your requirment. Since the Innova is a preworshiped example, you heart will ache less when making the switch.

The legendary Innovas would be big on space for your long drives in addition to being comfortable, it is no drivers car but apart from you, all others would be happy in their respective seats.

[Asoon]

Originally Posted by sparameswaran

I am, finally, considering replacing my Fiat Linea T Jet emotion (2014).

MY Suggestion would be 1.Octavia, 2.Vitrus / Slavia
Hyundai & Honda cannot offer you upgrade over Fiat experience if you are looking for a driver's first car. Driving manners & Heavy build is something which you will enjoy in the options above

[ramji_or]

Originally Posted by sparameswaran

As I mentioned above, most trips are with the entire family (4 adults with a kid in a child seat) and it is rare for me to travel out of station only with my wife and kid. So Space is indeed a concern.

Summing up your thoughts,

1. 4 Adults and 1 kid on most trips. Need for space and comfort
2. None to minimal short runs in the city.
3. Will not be a high-mileage car
4. A good driver's car

In my opinion, if it is an SUV then it is XUV700 or if it is a sedan then it should be Octavia.

[abhatt]

I feel bad for you. I love my Polo and is now 8.5 years old with 80k kms. I have made it my city car but the itch to get an automatic is high. The love for this machine however makes me think that I will stay with this for 15 years.

Let's see how that goes.

That being said, I would strongly recommend a Jeep Compass for you based on your requirements. Harrier and Taigun are other good options.

If you want to consider a Sedan, Octavia seems to be a logical choice.

[ampere]

GTO’s suggestion is bang on. If you are not big on space, Compass hands down. If you need space, then you can choose between XUV7OO and Crysta.

The other contender, in my opinion is the Tucson if you can get one. I think a new one is round the corner. It’s a good cross between a spacious 5 sweater and a superbly built product.

[johy]

I don't know if this is going to help you. I am an ex-T-Jet owner myself and enjoyed every kilometer she was with me.

But I am here in a small town with no service center for 500 kms, hard to find competent mechanics (who knew how to fix Fiats) in FNGs. It was also becoming increasingly difficult to get parts.

So I finally decided to sell the car.

For a replacement, I was looking for a fun-to-drive car with good service network. A boot was not a big concern, as we seldom used much of the humongous boot in the T-Jet. I already had a Thar CRDe and Alto K10 AMT (ideal for small lanes in the town).

At the outset, I had thought about the pseudo-SUVs as I like to call them, Kushaq, Kia Sonet and the like. VW was ruled out due to a lack of a service centre.

I did not want to look at Hyundais as I was biased against them. I always thought they looked and handled like boats!

But I still went and test drove the i20 NLine DCT and boy was I blown away. After my test drive, I did not even look at other cars! Even the handling blew me away. Not in the T-Jet kind of way, but so precise and great suspension too. Plus the brakes with 4 discs - just lovely stopping power.

The built quality is nowhere like a Fiat, but man the in-gear acceleration and the paddle shifters did it for me. I booked it straight away. The Bose speakers, premium interiors are a notch ahead of many cars. And it looks hot! And drives hot.

[Ashwin Morey]

As an owner of not 1 but 2 Fiat Linea T-Jet cars (i had the previous and the next gen avatars), I can say this with confidence that it is very difficult to replicate the same sense of feeling from any other cars.

The only 2 cars that come to my mind are:

Jeep Compass
Skoda Octavia

City, Crysta, Virtus, Slavia, XUV700, Harrier/Safari are all logical/ideal replacements and each of them are worthy in their own way. However if you are looking for that soul-satisfying experience then IMHO these are the only 2 cars I think that will give something closer to the surreal experience you get from a T-Jet.

Keep us posted, it will be interesting to see what choice you eventually make and then your initial ownership experience.

Of course you will always have the option to keep the T-jet for a few years more!

Happy Hunting

[zaid qazi]

I think you should go in for the honda city it will fulfill almost all your requirements and if you want the car to be supremely efficient then you can consider the new honda city hybrid, if you want a truly reliable and no non-sense car then you should surely consider the Innova crysta, nothing beats the reliability and the practicality that car offers.
If you prefer a car which should offer performance and handling then you should consider the slavia and virtus, In the end it all depends on your requirements.