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-   -   Whether to upgrade or to not - Confusion of a VW Vento TDI DSG owner (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-car/254373-whether-upgrade-not-confusion-vw-vento-tdi-dsg-owner.html)

Amidst of so many new car launches, an enthusiastic car owner is bound to get confused when he /she thinks of buying/upgrading a new car.

I am also going through the same turmoil since some time now.

With my Vento TDI-DSG, I have completed a happy 55k in last 5 years with very minimal niggles. The tyres were upgraded to Continental CC6 at 42k kms and running beautifully now. I had done very long trips with the car, Bangalore - Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar - Gangtok - Bhubaneswar, Bhubaneswar - Pune - Bangalore, within last 9 months. When I drive this engine, I feel I am the most powerful driver on the road. rl:
Overtaking, sprints, long non stop drives are just piece of cake for me, with this vehicle. The mileages are great still - around 19 in Highways and around 12/13 in city.
So, if I say, I am madly in love with the car, I won't be wrong.

But there comes the twist, I just drove Virtus, Taigun.
And now like any extra-marital affairs, my heart and brain are in a dwindling state.
To go for it or not to!!
To sell vento or not to!!

I told my love affairs with vento.
Here are some things which is creating second thoughts for it.

1. The recent DSG story of a friend - He had ran out of warranty of his Ameo and then he had a mechatronics failure that made him cough up around 1.45 lakhs.
2. Vento is officially out of market - Getting the parts for this older vehicle might get difficult as the current vendors have moved towards Virtus and Taigun route.
3. The resale value of Vento TDI-DSG - It is not that difficult to assume the truth of this statement.

So recently I had evaluated my vento with

1. VW showroom - Price of Rs. 7,20,000 was quoted upfront by the VW dealer - Catch was I had to go with Virtus GT
2. Spinny - Horrible evaluation done by them. I was given a range of Rs. 5,50,00 - Rs. 6,95,000 before the evaluation. Post evaluation I was handed with a quote of Rs. 5,54,000. Dissappointed experience
3. CARS24 - I was given a quote of Rs. 6,45,000. Negotiations are still on.

Now the real confusion. Should I

1. Upgrade to Virtus - replacing one entry level sedan with another?
2. Upgrade to TAIGUN - move to a little taller version being an 184cm taller person.
3. Or keep my Vento and continue the love affair. - Keep it for some more time and convert it to second car, and buy my dream SUV later.

With Virtus or Taigun
I would be losing out to the Mileage, the Diesel Engine, the beautiful Driving Dynamics, the one touch up and down anti pinching windows, the greater interior material quality and may be the build quality too. Though I would be getting a refreshing news look and feel with news gizmos, sunroof, infotainment system, virtual cockpit, Powerful BS6 Petrol Engine.

I am not being convinced with either of the options and also having a little budge constraint now.

So I would appreciate the fellow Bhpians if any one can help me out by putting up their experiences with Virtus and Taigun with honest ownership reviews.
And also if any vento/ameo/polo owner, who upgraded to either Virtus or Taigun, can share their reasoning and experiences I would be very thankful. :loveit

Regards,
Lalat

Considering there are hardly any Diesel DSGs in the market and Skoda/VW have gone the petrol route, it makes sense to keep your Vento TDI DSG as long as possible, TDI DSG is surely one of the best VW had to offer in its time.

Considering the Taigun 1.5 DSG, it is a good buy considering the engine and powertrain. But I am sure that Volkswagen have gone into a little cost cutting to keep costs down but nothing to worry about.

if you like the space a sedan offers the Virtus is your next best option.

I think TDI DSG is a good drivetrain to keep. This weekend I drove a Laura TDI DSG with 1.8L km that's not maintained well (factory errand car) and I was impressed.

TSI + DSG is not robust which means you need to be ready to spend money. It's a great drivetrain, no doubt, but given that you already have TDI DSG and are limited by funds, don't go for it.

Interiors are a bit dated by modern standards but IMHO they are ergonomically superior and have a more solid build. Your vento won't let you down where it matters the most - on the highways! Keep it.

Your three concerns-

1. DQ200 is troublesome. It's a known fact but the mechatronics failure can be avoided if slot to N in traffic. The multi-clutch will wear out eventually and will need replacement. Find a competent FNG and you are sorted with a VAG.

2. Vento is based on a global platform and hence finding parts will never be a problem. Infact, suspension, clutch and brake upgrades are definitely possible with the vento.

3. Going forward the resale of Diesels specifically Diesel autos will go crazy. Lack of options in the new car market will make sure this happens. Vento has a decent demand in the pre-owned market.

Your car has barely run 55k KMs. Find someone who can give it a refresh. A remap, some additional features, better brakes and when the time comes you can get better suspension. A Taigun/Virtus are hardly an upgrade from a Vento owner.

Personally, I don't think it makes sense to upgrade to a Virtus/Taigun from a 5 year old Vento. You don't seem to have any significant issues with the Vento and running is also not significantly high. It is really not enough of an upgrade. More of a lateral change for which you need to shell out 60-70% more money. On your reasons for upgrade, yes the DSG failure is always a concern, but has VW stopped giving the 6th and 7th year warranty? My Vento was covered for 7 years. Worth checking. Spare parts will never be an issue considering the number of Polo/Vento running on the road. And being global models, it would be easier for multi brand service centers to source any part.

Would suggest to maybe do some mods to satisfy the new car itch and continued for another couple of years.

I agree with two of your points:
DSG scare
Resale value

I feel that it is worth selling the car right now because of these points. I think that the spare parts will be easily available for another 5-10 years. Though those may be increasingly and unpredictability costly.

So my suggestion would be to let go of this car. Though I do understand that Venti Diesel DSG is a lovely car to drive.

While choosing a new car, keep your mind open and scrutinize the cars from all manufacturers.

I remember, 5 years ago, I had upgraded only to the TDI-DSG, thinking it to be the most premium offerings an entry level sedan could provide at that time. Also as VW has moved out of the combination, I always felt to have owned a vintage collection. :)

So thank you for the suggestion. :thumbs up
I think I will keep it.

From someone who has recently moved on from a ~7 yr/87,000 km Vento TDI DSG to another car, I can possibly relate to some of your matters, kind of deja vu.

- First up, the Virtus will not be much of a "real" upgrade: size-wise + interior space, it is almost the same. However, as compared to the current Vento's 105bhp, the Virtus (GT) will have a 50% bump. And you will get to enjoy the DSG albeit now mated to a good petrol engine. Plus some other comfort features.

- The Taigun will give you that CSUV feeling, but you will have to really determine what is it that you like in the Taigun to make the shift. If you are looking for better GC and some AWD/4*4 etc., then the next higher CSUV segment can perhaps offer you a lot.

- your current mileage of 55k kms in 5 years is actually not that high to warrant a change, just based purely on this condition. As for the anxiety of the DQ200, that's totally right and you should immediately buy the add-on warranty for 6th and 7th year, one year at a time.

- your Vento's TDI + DSG combo is perhaps the best out there in that segment. And since you have some good memories with it, I feel you can spend atleast couple of more years with it. Do a refresh, get that makeover done inside-out, change the RCD 320 headunit (if not done already), and the Vento should feel sparkling new!

- having said this, the resale value that you are getting is quite attractive. And this value will go down eventually over time. When I was in the market couple of months ago, I got significantly less for my Vento since it had seen ~7yrs.

- not sure about your budget, but if you really want a sizeable upgrade, then you may want to go above the Virtus/Taigun segment and look at other options. It's a different matter that even to stay in the same segment, prices have spiraled exorbitantly in the last 2-3 years.

- in conclusion, there's a tradeoff you have to make - 1). Continue to drive and love your current Vento with some makeover for couple of years atleast or 2). Avail of that good resale value right away and move on.

Thank you for the insight. 🙏
VW TDI was one of the best diesel engines in the Indian market. The DSG made it more beautiful.

Though DSG is a bit laggy, but it went very well with the otherwise laggy diesel engine.

And of course, it still performs better on highways.
Infact performs better on the non stop long highways drives.

So I think I will keep it and maintain in a better way.

Thank you very much Asit for your inputs.
I would agree with your points.
I have continued the practice of slotting N in the traffic or whenever the vehicle is on but not moving. But the mechatronics failure is inevitable, that puts me into a little confusion. If I keep it, I would go with the extended 2 years of warranty and would try to change the mechatronics in these 2 years to avoid the hefty amount.

But again, I have some concerns with the maintenance cost of vento post 60K kms. I am hearing the yearly maintenance cost would go beyond 30k from here on.

About parts, I would also agree, but I spoke with the service team, they are experiencing some delay in orders for new parts. But again, parts are and will be available.

Resale price will keep decreasing over the years, a vento owners lives with it from the day he/she has purchased the vehicle.

So as I am reading out the suggestions, I am getting convinced to continue with my Vento with some evident upgrades to interior and exteriors.

Thank you once again.

Thank you Rajeev for the comments.
VW still gives the warranty for 6th and 7th years, I have delayed availing the warranty since a month and half, thinking I would go with an upgrade, but considering the options and my budget constraints, I couldn't get convinced to get rid of the Vento.

Yes, the car is running smoothly, very recently it had completed a 2600 KM long drive without any hiccups.

So I would like to go with your inputs to at-least go with the warranty and do some modifications to kill the new car itch.

Felt good to connect to the Vento community.

Thank you Rahul for the inputs. Yes they are the major reasons for my confusions.

Other options are also very confusing, Mahindra's waiting period is annoying, Tata's ASS is lackluster, Don't want to go with Maruti, Hyundai, Kia, MG with some obvious reasons. It left me with the options of Toyota and Jeep, but at this moment I have some budget constraints, which has built more confusions around.

I think I am getting really great feedback from the community and they will definitely help me to arrive into decision sooner.

Thank you Josh for the lovely feedback/suggestions.
When I had decided to go for the Vento, I had done a thorough evaluation of the available options at that time. I had come up with the conclusion only after driving the Vento, which was my last option at that moment. Since then I have never regretted the decision.

And now also the confusion arises only after driving the newbies of the VW family and, from a sense of insecurity towards the DSG.

But I think I would like to stick to your suggestions of taking the available warranties and try to change the mechatronics within the warranty period, if possible.

Of course, I would go to replace the RCD 320 with a new Blaupunkt Key Largo 970. And do some ECU remap.

I think I will keep the Vento for a minimum of the 2 years now on.

Thank you once again.
And btw, congratulations for the A4.
Your thorough posts on the A4 are encouraging me to follow the path. Though I have some desire to move to the luxury segments, but have never thought because of other priorities.
But your posts and ownership experience are nothing short of an inspiration.

Pleasure's all mine, to be in touch with a fellow Vento owner :thumbs up
Do share some pictures of your Vento :)

I don't think it is possible to change the mechatronics just like that within the warranty, unless there is a failure which warrants official replacement from the authorized dealer.

A dekko here, with the option of RCD340 as a potential replacement.

Thanks a lot for the kind words!

I get the impression from this thread that Virtus is a logical successor to the Vento in terms of driving experience. Is that an appropriate understanding?

If the answer is yes, how would you guys compare between the virtus 1.5L MT vs DSG. How close or how far are they in terms of driving experience? ( now only petrol options are available)

Feelings are mutual. Attached some photos of the blue beast. ��
I meant if there is any chance of replacing it, warranty would help.
I had liked the RCD340, it looked classy. Let me explore that option as well. Thank you once again.

Yes, Virtus, the natural successor of vento, is based on the MQB-A0-IN platform in contrast to the Volkswagen Group A05 (PQ25) platform based vento.

Vento had both 1.5 TDI DSG and 1.2 TSI DSG options available prior to 2019, post which it came with only 1.0 TSI TC (Torque Converter) options. (MT options were also available with the Automatic variants).

But now Virtus comes only with 2 petrol engine options. 1.0 TC and MT and 1.5 DSG (No MT available).

Hence we were comparing with the Virtus GT DSG with the TDI DSG.
The driving dynamics are quite different, Virtus has electric power steering in contrast to the Hydraulic PS of vento, which provides pretty crisp and precise driving experience at high speeds and low speeds. Virtus steering is like the Honda Steerings, there is a slight lag you would expect when you turn the wheels.

Also the suspensions of Virtus are on a softer side which make the driving experience quite different than that of the Vento.

I don't experience the small highway potholes at high speed in contrast to the Virtus.

But Virtus 1.5 Petrol engine, a world class engine, provides 148 bhp keeping 250 NM torque, which is really massive. With just a press of the pedal, it zooms past any living or non living objects.
You need to drive to experience it.
It provides more space, more gizmos, more ground clearance than that of the Vento.

But I am not sure of the high speed performance of virtus yet.
But I can vouch that for the Vento. At 200 kmph it still provides the same stability at it would provide at 100 kmph.