[vishy76]

Originally Posted by shahbaz63

​DSG woes, current FnG estimation is around 2L (no warranty), whereas Skoda says 3.5L+ labour with ​two years warranty. With the news of Octavia & Superb's discontinuation, I am assuming that the resale value will go down starting next year, so even if I spend 3/4L on its repair and keep it for another two-three years, it won't be a viable option, If only if, Skoda provides at least four years of warranty on the repair I will be willing to spend another 3/4 Lakh to keep the car for another five years, but lots of "IFs" here.

​I did explore a few pre-owned cars but buying a BMW/ Mercedes means stretching the total cost of ownership.

Who said the resale value will go down? I only see it going up

What you stated would have been true 4-5 years back, when new cars weren't facing production issues. However, with heavy production constraints and new car prices through the roof, it's a seller's market out there. Additionally, the Octavia monicker carries a lot of respect in the used premium car market and you should have no issues selling the car off even 2-3 years down the line.

Never look at the resale value of a car solely when you want to get rid of it. Always take into account the sort of money you would have to spend in order to upgrade. In this case, I don't see anything below the 530D being a good upgrade for you. Get the DSG fixed and drive it. Even if we assume another 2-3L expenditure over the next 3-5 years, I would say it's still worth it rather than spending 40-50L (assuming you go the used route) and again taking a depreciation hit.

[HighRevving]

Originally Posted by shahbaz63

Moreover, now that DSG has started showing its actual colour and throwing me some random errors every now & then, I am apprehensive about the reliability and considering my primary usage, which is long-distance*touring, I am not convinced to keep this car for another year or two.

Is the error that you're seeing in the MID like this?

"Transmission Error:
(graphical image of transmission)
You can continue driving"

If it is, then it is most probably mechatronic. I had the same issue and Skoda replaced the mechatronic unit under warranty. Mine is a 2018 Octavia and this happened sometime in 2020; they asked me to buy 2 additional years of warranty though the car was still under the initial 4-year warranty. It was COVID times and it took them over 2 months to source the part. The car has run another 20,000 KMs after that and doing just fine. I still have my concerns when it comes to DSG as it fails without warning for many.

The Octavia TSI is a phenomenal value for money car - the 1.8TSI is a great motor and is unfortunately mated to the DQ200. Even after knowing the issues, someone will happily buy your car because there is nothing that good sub 15-20 lakh segment in the used car market.

How about a used Octavia vRS? Some cars do come up even now but you may get it from another state and will have to go through re-registration headache but totally worth it. There are people who have swapped the DQ200 with a DQ250 for 4-5 lakh but then for a few lakh more you might as well get the 2.0TSI by opting for a vRS.

Or try to find a used F30 330i - you can bring down your maintenance costs if you can find a good garage that can do routine service; if you can source aftermarket brake pads from Europe and have someone hand carry them once a year your maintenance will come down substantially.

[Mtv]

The cost of dsg repairs isn't all that concerning, unlike the hassle and complete inconvenience of being stranded by your car when it randomly decides not to start one fine instance. Ask me, I've had it happen thrice with my 1.8 tsi

The mechatronic can fail without warning, and when it does, you will be stuck. The thermostat/water pump housing is made of brittle plastic. I have gone through 5 pumps across 3 mqb skodas that I have owned over the last 5 years.

For frequent long distance usage, I'd suggest you get a robust car. No amount of mutual funds or bank accounts will ensure your car won't give up on you when you're on some hill far away from civilization.

In your budget I would consider a used 2.0tdi A4/Tiguan/Kodiaq/Q3. This is a robust engine that is cheap to service outside. Look into a remap too.
If new, then see XUV700.

[Reinhard]

If it were me in your place - I'd stick to that nice machine for much longer than what you have done so far. An entire DSG replacement in the worst case - would still not cost you much compared to buying a new car of comparable or better caliber than the Octavia you drive IMO. And then - far higher recurring costs per year towards new insurance, binding service visits (thanks to warranties) to ASCs etc.

It would be better to spruce up the car with some/more (non cosmetic) mods, build/continue a nice long term relationship for maintenance of the car with a competent non-ASC mechanic.

Unless one is fed-up with the car mentally, doesn't have any emotional connect left OR the car doesn't serve the primary purpose of ownership at all - I'll always prefer spending on repairing for life extensions - rather than buying extremely pricey cars today, in a world full of uncertainties about pandemics, wars, and most importantly - extremely haphazard & random decisions about fuels, engine/power unit policies and sudden bans.

[shahbaz63]

Originally Posted by GTO

Because you are already driving a really nice car that is tough to upgrade from, here are some recommended reads for you:

A lot of us are happily holding onto our cars for up to 10 years of ownership (some BHPians go beyond). Main condition = you should be driving a great car (which the Octavia is) & one that punches above its weight (which the Octavia does).

The last line nailed it and that is the reason I am reluctant to compromise & upgrade. I am so sold on Octavia purely because of the joy it brings to me; as mentioned in the links, keeping Octavia for 5 more years means, five years of EMI-Free life that I get to enjoy, keeping Octavia seems like the best option financially, but keeping the finance discussion aside, what are you views on the Tiguan? Considering the usage which is long distance touring, additional ground clearance and the not so big size of Tiguan might only be the best option for me at the moment? What is your take?

Originally Posted by vishy76

Who said the resale value will go down? I only see it going up

What you stated would have been true 4-5 years back, when new cars weren't facing production issues. However, with heavy production constraints and new car prices through the roof, it's a seller's market out there. Additionally, the Octavia monicker carries a lot of respect in the used premium car market and you should have no issues selling the car off even 2-3 years down the line.

Originally Posted by HighRevving

Is the error that you're seeing in the MID like this?

"Transmission Error:
(graphical image of transmission)
You can continue driving"
when it comes to DSG as it fails without warning for many.

It is mechatronics, which is costing me 2L for repair outside and with that I need to spend another 1 lakh for the clutch as well.

[DonHyd]

I am aware what all an Octavia stands for but if you are willing to go a segment lower, the top variant of XUV 700 might interest you. It is a pretty sorted vehicle and reasonably priced. Tiguan is good mechanically but interior quality is uninviting and inferior to Kodiaq. Ride quality of Tiguan is also very stiff. Audi A4 would have been a great buy with discounts when it could have been had for 40 lakhs OTR. But without discounts, it is not worthy. So, if you don't like the XUV 700 or the likes of Crysta, Kodiaq is the only upgrade.

[Eco_boost]

If I were in your place, worried only about the DSG, I’ll replace it straight away instead of buying another car outright.

If you want another car, go for the Tucson Diesel. High on Technology, superior mileage than turbo petrol and Hyundai’s reliability and ASS network should give you peace of mind while touring.

[HammerHead]

Originally Posted by shahbaz63

I am currently driving an Octavia (2017, Petrol 1.8 TSI with 65000 on the ODO), and I have been looking for an upgrade for the last few months.

So, if you have to walk in my shoes, what would you do?

I would spend 3.5L now, get the DSG fixed with peace of mind for next 2 years, hold on to the car for next 5 years, in mean time invest rest of the budget at hand and pick up brand new BMW 330i end of 5th year.

No compromise when it comes to the driving machine

[Bsreecharan]

1. Tucson
2. Fortuner
3. Tiguan (though understated...its the best design)

Stay away from Jeep if you are looking at AT. moving from DSG to Jeep AT will be frustrating to drive.

[@torquistic]

I would suggest you to stretch your budget and buy a Toyota Camry. A reliable car with efficient mileage. And of u cannot stretch that much, then look for a pre-owned Camry from Spinny of Cars 24×7.

[vipinS]

Why has no one suggested Skoda Superb in that well crafted cognac interior? A great upgrade to the octavia in terms of features, space, luxury, Interiors etc. Also top model comes around 40 lakh on-road. Of course a 330i would be a solid upgrade in terms of performance and driving dynamics but we can’t ignore how VFM Superb still is even after 2 price hikes this year. Also the 330i costs almost 1.5x the price of superb now since it’s available only in top variant in petrol. Am I missing something?

[Mahin_P21]

Originally Posted by shahbaz63

I am currently driving an Octavia (2017, Petrol 1.8 TSI with 65000 on the ODO), and I have been looking for an upgrade for the last few months.
=====
Meridian, just a compass with two additional seats, the performance seems boring & the gearbox is dull. Finally, Audi A4 seems like a great car but frankly found it to be precisely the same as Octavia in terms of ride & handling, "an Octavia with a premium interior & four rings". What a sad time to buy a car; everything feels overpriced by 5 to 10 lakh.

So, if you have to walk in my shoes, what would you do?

The VW Tiguan and Hyundai Tucson(Diesel) appear to be the top competitors if you want to upgrade in size, i.e. if you want to upgrade from a sedan like the Octavia to an SUV/Crossover since your primary usage is road trips/long journeys. And believe me, there is a noticeable difference between the Tucson's petrol and diesel models—at least based on my initial research. So, do take a test drive of the diesel Tucson.

Even we are in a same confusion between the two cars. You can check it out in the link below where I have tried to highlight the difference between the Tiguan and Tucson(Diesel). Also do share your thoughts and opinions.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/suvs-...ml#post5433900 (2022 Hyundai Tucson vs Jeep Compass vs Citroen C5 Aircross vs Others)

However, if you want a performance and luxury upgrade, I believe you should choose a vehicle from a higher segment than the Tiguan and Tucson. Even though the Tucson has many features of vehicles in a higher price range, it isn't as luxurious as, say, a BMW, Mercedes, Audi, or even a Volvo. Additionally, your price range won't allow you to purchase a car in the higher segment (pre-owned is a different story).

So, for now I think VW Tiguan and the Hyundai tucson are the viable options.

[Cresterk]

Test the diesel tucson. It's significantly better to drive than the lethargic petrol.

But since you seem to be more of a petrol sedan guy, give the new skoda superb a try or get a pre-owned 330i m-sport. They are introducing a facelift next year so with the dealerships selling off their old stock at discount, the pre-owned ones have become cheaper compared to the start of the year.

[SRISRI_90]

Originally Posted by shahbaz63

C5 with no AWD and 44L on-road, Nah!

.

Do test Drive the Citroen C5 Aircross.

Coming from Skoda Octavia , you'll appreciate the European feel and premiumness it has to offer .
As of today our C5 has clocked 12K Kms and despite all its shortcomings , we absolutely adore this car !

The Tucson Diesel is a great choice too , considering the features list.
But then the Solid feel of an Octavia will be missed.

[bordeaux]

Oh dear God! It's the same story that keeps repeating over and over. The typical sedan enthusiast dude wants to replace his amazing sedan but can't find anything because the manufacturers are simply not ready to sell good sedans over here even when they have good products selling in other countries. This dude asks his BHPian friends for suggestions, all of whom have lived this experience and half heartedly bought some crossover or SUV and justify their decisions by including references to market dynamics, supply demand, chip shortage etc. Eventually, the enthusiast shall cave in and buy a random SUV he neither needed nor likes and join the herd. And then wait for the next victim to come asking for suggestions for a new sedan so that we all can guide him to failure and make him one of us