[himanshu_trikha]

This is a decision between Heart and Mind. The mind knows the obvious, home-grown boys have upped the game in Indian market.

In terms of reliability, I have seen the German cars behaving like Arab Horse at times. If reliability is a criterion, only Toyota in Indian market can make it with price tag higher, per segment cars.

However, stepping out of bourgeois is an aspiration and that's where the game changes. I was offered AUDI Q3/A4 in early mid-forties while XUV700 was late twenties. The other Germans that could have changed my mind (read BMW M 340i/530i M) were north of my budget.

The mind prevailed.

[PaddleShifter]

Originally Posted by Guri

Looking for a plush ride and quiet cabin, peace of mind, and good resale. I'm in NCR and 90% of usage is on Gurgaon's broken roads or with back-breaking unscientifically designed car breakers or rumble strips which are sprucing here and there daily.

This part makes it abundantly clear that desi stuff is the more “bang for the buck” as desired by you. Get yourself a petrol XUV700 and you are sorted for a considerable amount of kilometers. I dont think TATAs will have as good a resale and peace of mind as compared to XUV700.

Alternatively, consider getting the petrol Fortuner:
Plush ride: not so much
Quiet cabin: Yes
Peace of mind: guaranteed
Good resale: guaranteed

Not as aspirational badge value as Germans but has a character of its own in that sense.

[yuvmudapa]

The answer is simple, if you need the space go with the 30L car, otherwise buy any of the Germans.

[FAIAAA]

Voted for #1.
Fully subscribe to GTO's view that Rs 30 lakh vehicles provide one with all that one needs. Anything above is about wants, desires, brand value, emotional appeal.
Entry level Germans dont have the same build quality or features like their mid level or flagship models ( Think 3 series vs 5/7series)
Yes the driving feel and overall engineering finesse is still at a different level compared to the mass market cars but you compromise on a lot of things including space, features etc.

[Kosfactor]

Originally Posted by Guri

Looking for a plush ride and quiet cabin, peace of mind, and good resale. I'm in NCR and 90% of usage is on Gurgaon's broken roads or with back-breaking unscientifically designed car breakers or rumble strips which are sprucing here and there daily.

Any rational thoughts and perspectives will be highly solicited here. Are cars with great discounts worthy of meeting my expectations?

If the roads are very good and your usage is not high, it's okay to get a premium car.

In our experience the premium Germans fall apart in poor roads, every trip to the farm land has the potential to break something or the other, the AC isn't great , the tires and rims are fragile, suspension travel is less so they wear out , the bushes don't last, the brakes wear out quickly , the steering rack gives up, the interiors can't handle the sun , rattles , lot more harshness from the road filters through etc etc.

The general set up for a premium car garage is like this - Purchase a less run used German vehicle or new German for good roads, special occasions etc + another vehicle for broken roads , general utility etc.

[DRIVE_ADDICT]

Why not consider Compass, Meridian, Tucson here?

Spending ~30L on M&M and TATA and face all those electronic and mechanical glitches, Even after paying 50 odd Lakhs on entry level Luxury barges, compromising with mediocre features + quality. Its better to consider these in 30-40L segment.

[OffRoadFun]

It is not clear what advantage you see by going for entry level luxury even if we assume they are available under 50L.
Is it aspiration, the badge value or luxury experience or sportiness? Without that, it is difficult to comment whether that 20L extra is worth it or not?

Understandably, German luxury cars don't do well on potholes and spares are not cheap, if that's your primary use. Unless you get a satisfactory out of badge value and/or take them often to long rides on highways, I won't recommend going for entry level Germans. Also, XUV/Safari are big whereas corresponding German entry level will not be notwithstanding the higher price paid, decreasing the "utility".

[NajSaf]

Reliability or no, initial price high or no, if the roads are bad -- please purchase XUV or Harrier.
With Audi/BM/Merc -- the initial feel will obviously be great -- but when wear and tear begins, it will eat up your purse like there's no tomorrow.

[Rahkehs]

Originally Posted by DRIVE_ADDICT

Why not consider Compass, Meridian, Tucson here?

Spending ~30L on M&M and TATA and face all those electronic and mechanical glitches, Even after paying 50 odd Lakhs on entry level Luxury barges, compromising with mediocre features + quality. Its better to consider these in 30-40L segment.

Sorry to say, but Tata & especially Mahindra Vehicles are far more reliable than Jeep Products. I have seen Jeep Compass on flatbed the most among all the cars available in India and it’s kind of shocking keeping in view its low monthly sales! Jokingly, I would tell my friends/colleagues that Compasses run on flatbeds better than on roads!

[AseemYadav]

With a high centre of gravity, xuv700's ride would be anything but plush. Coming from an xuv500, I only realised how bad the ride is, when I sat on the backseat once. It is bumpy and sways like crazy with every steering input. Buy a Hyundai ioniq 5. I have been giving everybody this advice recently. Waterlogging may be a problem though.

[Sanjeevgogia]

I faced same dilemma a few months back.
Starting with the new Seltos, which I did not like much, I was almost sure to buy the new Tucson Petrol.
Just then a friend told me about killer deals on A4/Q3.
Spending 33+ on Tucson gave me second thoughts and I enquired about A4/Q3. I managed to negotiate 39OTR for A4 Premium with Extended Warranty and 3 years of maintenance.

Now the car has clocked 4400km and I am quiet happy with my buy even though I had to stretch my pockets.

The Engine+Gearbox duo is impeccable. Plus the snob value it adds is priceless.

Just hoping that the maintenance after 3 years will not be as much as I will be using the car much less after the honeymoon period is over

[jsl]

My vote goes to Innova Hycross(if you can get one ). But other than that I would recommend you to go with Harrier/Safari duo. These cars have some serious road presence especially after the facelift launch. The interiors don’t feel like that of a TATA. The XUV 700 is also a good car but after the facelift the Harrier/Safari duo have become more value for money(correct me if I am wrong). The best choice would be in this order
Hycross>Safari/Harrier>XUV700.
Hope this helps!

[deepaksekar]

Hi,

Weighing in all the options in comparison with what you are looking for, I would pick XUV7OO Diesel. Yes, there is a question on reliability and niggles, but considering the time it has been in the market, most of the niggles have been fixed. I opine that you pick this option with maximum warranty it comes with and I am sure you will be happy.

[careind]

The decision would depend on the utility value or the "throwaway" value you attribute to that additional 20L.
You have to keep in mind that it is not only the initial cost, but also the recurring costs that are going to be proportionately higher, and that much dearer.
I would suggest to stay in the 30L zone and utilize a portion of the additional 15-20L for any incidental damages/repairs.

Looking for a plush ride and quiet cabin, peace of mind, and good resale.

That would basically describe the Hycross in the 30L-40L segment.
peace of mind and resale - Bang for the buck
plush ride and quiet cabin - comparatively inferior to the German biggies, but still VFM in that segment.
You would probably need to priotize your expectations out of the car and weigh them.

[Memnon]

I recently bought an xuv700 after having considered seriously an Audi Q3.
The Q3 is fantastic but when we look at the difference in price , it is only the badge value that stands out.
I find the xuv700 diesel actually to be quite refined and more than powerful enough for Indian conditions.
the feature list and space is superior to Q3.
However, it is to be seen if the refinement and NVH etc stand the test of time but so far it has exceeded expectations and i don't miss the Q3 at all.
If you are very keen on the quick shifts of the DSG and the 2.0TFSI engine then go for the Q3 , but in most other cases xuv700 seems to be a wonderful product given the price difference.