[dr.aviansh]

Hi friends, hope you all are doing good. I'm in a dilemma and one of the privileges of being a BHPian is that i can seek firsthand information from experts.
Our Duster caught fire in a mishap, so i gave my 2019 Altis to my father.
So it's time to buy a car again.

Body Type Preference : Sedan over a monocoque SUV.

The options considered :
VW Virtus / Skoda Slavia 1.0 AT : One of my most favourites in this price bracket.
Undoubtedly the best Ride and Handling package in this budget as of today.

But the EPC gremlins and other niggles are making me apprehensive. AFAIK, the recent ones aren't having much problems as compared to the earlier batches or if the sales have gone so low that we aren't hearing any bad news at all!?

So, anybody who can give some updated information on how the recent ones are faring, I'll be deeply grateful.

How's the AC performance during peak hours in traffic jams? I know it's January, but folks from Deccan can still be helpful.

Is it mandatory to fill them only up ONLY with 95 RON as the fuel lid recommends?

Any other major niggles that I should be aware of?

Are these EPC issues mostly in Taigun or Kushaq and very less in the sedans ? To me this seems the case.

And which engine is suffering the most, because I'm inclining towards 1.0 AT.

Hyundai Creta S iMT : A much reliable option, but i still cannot digest how bad the rear looks and the upcoming facelift only looks worse as far as the Rear Profile is concerned. No offence to Creta lovers but that's a subjective option.

Still, of late if anyone is facing major issues with newer Virtus/Slavia's, Creta will be my unfortunate Go-To car.

Hyundai Verna / / Kia Seltos : Too Stiffly Sprung. Front seats lack the comfort i expect from this price. range

Honda City : Too softly sprung, one bad section totally disturbs the posture and I wouldn't spend 16 L, on a Honda City. Sorry that's my perception.

Maruti Ciaz : My second favourite, costs 13L OTR for Zeta AT.
But, the Heavier steering makes parking cumbersome in our cemented parking lot. Already suffered the same in my Corolla Altis.

Thanks in advance,

Dr. Aviansh Chanana.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by dr.aviansh

But the EPC gremlins and other niggles are making me apprehensive. AFAIK, the recent ones aren't having much problems as compared to the earlier batches or if the sales have gone so low that we aren't hearing any bad news at all!?

So, anybody who can give some updated information on how the recent ones are faring, I'll be deeply grateful.

Seems it's still happening. Maybe it's just the general public who have accepted the EPC errors as part and parcel of Skoda/VW cars.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...nresolved.html (1-year up, but Skoda-VW EPC issues are still unresolved!)

Originally Posted by dr.aviansh

How's the AC performance during peak hours in traffic jams? I know it's January, but folks from Deccan can still be helpful.

One word- Pitiful. I have been in a colleague's 1.0 Slavia, and the AC performance is just adequate for the winters. However, during the October heat, the AC really struggled to cool us. It became little better in manual mode, but even then, it was below average. My 2013 Amaze, and current rides (Ecosport 2018 TDCI and Sonet iMT HTX), have much better AC performance. I also feel the steering is just average. My ecosport's steering felt much better than the Slavia's.

Originally Posted by dr.aviansh

Honda City : Too softly sprung, one bad section totally disturbs the posture and I wouldn't spend 16 L, on a Honda City. Sorry that's my perception.

I would suggest take a long test drive. It surely is a little softly sprung, but still should be livable IMO. The steering is a delight as well.

Originally Posted by dr.aviansh

Maruti Ciaz : My second favourite, costs 13L OTR for Zeta AT.
But, the Heavier steering makes parking cumbersome in our cemented parking lot. Already suffered the same in my Corolla Altis.

Please avoid the Ciaz. More than anything, the absolutely dead steering completely spoils the driving experience. The engine and gearbox too are very uninspiring.

Can't comment on other options as I have very limited experience with them.

[epiccross]

If it's a sedan you're looking for - I'd say City, hands down. Nothing in this price bracket comes close. Virtus/Slavia are too much of a gamble + has enough niggles already, especially coming from a super-reliable car like Altis.

Or you could go for the Creta - should be fairly reliable as well.

[bijims]

Considering the fact that you would prefer a sedan over a monocoque SUV, that leaves you with just a handful of options:

VW Virtus/Skoda Slavia
Fun to drive car with a few niggles here and there, Considering the issues reported, reliability is a point to factor in before going for this car, moreover, VW/Skoda service and maintenance are usually much costlier as compared to others in this segment.
ho
Hyundai Verna
The only vehicle in Hyundai's lineup that hasn't got an update/facelift in around 5 years. The next-gen Verna, however, is definitely on the way, but timelines aren't pretty clear at the moment. The car comes with a variety of engine and gearbox options, however, the steering feel and feedback leave a little more to be desired and the not most dynamic when carrying a full load of passengers.

Honda City 5th Gen
The undisputed leader in the sedan segment, potent motors with a well-tuned CVT gearbox, spacious cabin, and sorted dynamics make it the go-to choice in this segment. Moreover, a facelift is expected in March and could be an option worth considering.

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz
A facelift is long overdue, with mediocre equipment levels, and not the most fun to drive either. However, the cabin is spacious, the car is fuel-efficient, and spares, service, and maintenance are never going to be an issue with the Ciaz.

Now moving to SUVs in this price range, the Hyundai Creta S IMT and the Kia Seltos IMT are options worth considering, with Seltos due a facelift in the coming months, it would be worth checking out.

Hope it helps!

[GTO]

No car is perfect. All the cars listed have their long list of pros as well as cons. What you have to decide is, which con are you okay with? The Slavia / Virtus offer top safety (Kushaq / Taigun got a full 5 stars in the GNCAP), an all-rounded nature (space, boot), good suspension tune and most of all, wicked engines & transmissions that are fun to drive.

A lot of us European car owners have made peace with the fact that they will have niggles from time to time, but the driving pleasure + dynamics + safety + build they offer are superior to the competition. With my 2 European cars, the way that I see it is = Enjoy them for 357 days in a year and let them spend 8 days in the workshop. I still come out ahead as I'm having a blast 98% of the time.

2nd sedan option would be the City. Avoid the Ciaz, it's too old & feels outdated now.

For 15 lakhs, you could also consider competent cars like the i20 N-Line, Sonet & Nexon EV (you'll be surprised!) which are fun to drive.

[rishil.ghurki]

I'm not an expert, but here's my opinion: Looks like you have a flair for German sedans! If you consider the 'pre-loved' route, I suggest a Skoda Octavia TDI, an MT (if you're unsure about the DSG), preferably with a <80k odo. I've seen a number of good ones under 15L.
While I write this, I notice that your location says Delhi, so if Diesel cars are a no, the 1.4 TSI is also an option on the Octavia.

[Aakash118]

Any reason for not considering the CVT variants of Astor, GV & Hyryder? I think they can solve the ‘softly sprung’ issue of City.

[IshaanIan]

Coming from an Altis none of the cars you mentioned will fill that gap. They might feel more modern for sure but not at par. What you need to do is look for the new but discontinued Civic in the used market. Considering it was launched and pulled from our market all during the pandemic, you will find brilliant deals on low run Civics. The other day I saw one with Honda Auto Terrace with just 4000kms on the clock going for 15 lacs. Worth a look IMO and will truly have you forgetting about your Altis. The other way you can go is to buy something smaller like an Amaze and enjoy the efficiency and maneuverability bonus that it will afford you as compared to all these large sedans. Either way I don't see much value in the City/Slavia/Verna segment anymore so cannot bring myself to recommend any of those cars considering you are coming from an Altis.

[RijuC]

If you are not driving this car frequently on highways, can consider the following with AT:

1. Ertiga AT (not recommended for highway use) available within 14 lakhs,
2. Hyryder Strong Hybrid S variant (budget overshoot by 2 lakhs),
3. Brezza AT (2nd row interior space is now better than earlier generation).

Brezza AT and Ertiga AT have same engine, same 6 speed Torque converter AT.

[CarCraze]

Good that you are considering Sedan in this time of mad rush for SUVs. Being a City 5th gen owner, I must caution you about the softer suspension and the quality of sheet metal specifically in comparison to the VAG twins. Having said that the comfort at the rear seat and the reliability is too good.
Basically as GTO said, boils down to which con are you good to live this

[GoBabyGo]

Dear Dr. Aviansh, only people of NCR can understand the problem of summer temperature of 42-44 degree max, 32-34 degree minimum for nearly 7 months a year. One can still bear minor issues once or twice a year, but poor AC performance in the car is extremely difficult to ignore. If you are not in a hurry to buy, wait to March end / early April to see AC performance of Slavia (avoid Virtus as it is more of less flopped in my view).

I am not sure if you are aware or not, but in NCR Skoda is offering around Rs.1.25 lacs to 1.40 lacs discount on Kushaq MY 2022 stock.

[BanerjeePupul]

City would have been an obvious choice but since you do not feel like spending 16 L on a city so that is out. Only other choice would be Slavia/ Virtus. Enough has been said about pros/cons of these two. Verena/ciaz are seriously outdated plus in my opinion their cons weigh too heavy for them to be considered. E.g. Back seat comfort of verena is horrible to say the least. Plus the questionable saftey of Maruti/Hyundai.

[Sabarigirish]

I would suggest to stick with sedan. anyone of virtus/slavia/city based on your likings. Sedan I choose because of comfort ride, rear seat space , boot space, less body roll since car is planted.

SUVs are becoming increasingly famous due to government ineffective on maintaining road conditions. Other than road presence, good driving position SUVs come with lot of trade off comparing with sedan.. Rear seat space and boot space no where comparable with sedan.. however you tune the vehicle, SUVs which has higher CG are prone to body roll which in turn affects the overall ride / handling during vehicle tuning exercise.

Overall for me compromise on sedan is ground clearance and compromise on SUVs are many things...

[ashutoshb]

If you read about one frustrated owner, there are ten who are happy with their cars and have never bothered to write. Just like Google ratings.

My Kushaq 1.0 AT is my daily driver, and I recently crossed 20k on the odo. Every morning it starts, does its job without any fuss, while painting a smile overy face.

It cruises comfortably at 80 kph at 1500 rpm, while giving me 18+ kpl every single time.

The same story goes with my father's Harrier (50k on the odo), my Tigor (30k) and Nano AMT (30k).

Harrier's horror stories started early. Tigor was a slow seller, and we all know about the Nano.

All have been great purchase decisions, no major faults and have been doing great at what they are supposed to do.

Was I lucky? May be.

The point I am trying to make, if you like a car, go for it.

There will be horror stories of all cars, but there will be 10 times more customers who are happily enjoying their cars. Only they never bothered to share.

[Shobhitsaxena]

Originally Posted by ashutoshb

There will be horror stories of all cars, but there will be 10 times more customers who are happily enjoying their cars. Only they never bothered to share.

You were able to articulate something which happens but difficult to put in words. I would say Team BHP is still, to large extent an exception to this theory of 'only complaints will make it to internet'.

Another dimension is that is they age of PR agencies, paid campaigns and influencers, the 'good reviews' actually raise more eyebrows as compared to negative ones.