[RishiSuri]

Originally Posted by TNAWAYAJ

Hello BHPians,
I am looking for a D-segment sedan that runs on diesel and has an automatic transmission. I have narrowed down my search to the Cruze AT LTZ and the Laura CR 140 AT in Ambition/Elegance trims, and have test-driven both. I will mainly use the car in the city (80%) more often that not in peak-hour traffic. My wife would drive the car too, so it is important that the car is "easy" for her handle and doesn't seem intimidating in any way. I expect a an above average stereo system as I am a musician myself, and climate control too.

I loved the Laura for the finesse of its interiors and its DSG box (almost intuitive!). A couple of factors are keeping me from going ahead with this:
1. The upcoming launch of the new Octavia - should I wait for this? Will this cost a lot more than the Laura?
2. Skoda ASS horror stories - very, VERY, concerned about this
3. Cost of ownership over the next 5-6 years (I don't intend to sell for a while) - I've heard stories of DSG, compressor, and other failures costing astronomical amounts to fix
4. Ambition variant is stripped of most luxury features. Elegance isn't available any more. L&K is a whopping 3.2 lakhs more (ex-showroom BLR).

The Cruze I test drove whined every time I tried to step on the throttle and kept popping up an error on the MID. It didn't feel like a 166PS diesel rocket at all. I am not sure if the AT is unresponsive or if it was just that particular car. I liked the Cruze, but not as much as the Laura.

Regarding A.S.S., I know that some of the GM service centers in Bangalore are completely swamped daily (my parents own a Spark), and I don't know much about the TCO for the Cruze. From what I understand, the LTZ is better equipped than the Laura Ambition (around the same price).

What would you folks advise me to go with?

I own a Cruze AT and the reason I did not choose Skoda Laura for primary reason it will be phased out and I couldn't wait for Skoda Laura AT which got launched today.

you cannot expect a test drive car to be kept well maintained when everyone doing test drive tries to misuse it. When I did the test drive of Automatic. the only thing I looked for was the responsiveness and believe me it was Amazing. My car is now 4 months old clocked 3700kms.. city and highway driving and the car has real horsepower under its hood.

If you compare the interiors of Laura with Cruze, for sure Laura takes it over. Cruze is more of power and comfort but not giving you the feeling yeah I paid 20L for what? No classy interiors?.

Climate control of Cruze is excellent, and the music system is pretty good too, though wouldn't say the best.
Driving in the pot holes of Mumbai I have been pretty content with the how this car has handled the craters with giving minimal to no pain to my body parts or of my family.

[IshaanIan]

If the wife wants an easy to drive car, get the automatic Fluence and do not be put off by the performance figures. It is really potent and its in gear acceleration is much closer to the laura (quicker than the cruze) It has got LOADS of space, I for one love the styling, it is rare, while Renault isn't any great shakes in the A.S.S. department, I am sure it will be better than the Skoda Oh and the EPS unit is one of the better ones so it offers immense ease in the city and weighs up pretty well and is direct on the highway.

If your heart is stuck on only one of the two: Laura and Cruze, I'd say wait for the new Octavia and buy the Laura (prices will decrease and you can a top-end version) The new octavia won't be getting a multi-link suspension atleast in diesel form

Cruze is just in my opinion, too crude, a very poor handler and the steering is heavy without being very involving :/

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by TNAWAYAJ

I have narrowed down my search to the Cruze AT LTZ and the Laura CR 140 AT in Ambition/Elegance trims, and have test-driven both. I will mainly use the car in the city (80%) more often that not in peak-hour traffic. My wife would drive the car too, so it is important that the car is "easy" for her handle and doesn't seem intimidating in any way. I expect an above average stereo system as I am a musician myself, and climate control too.

Really depends on your budget and timeline. I normally do not recommend an outgoing /about to be discontinued model, but if budget is a constraint the Laura Elegance DSG should come with good discounts (as the Octavia will drive in soon). The 2013 models are quite well loaded, especially the Elegance trim.

If you can wait for a couple of months and has the possibility to stretch the budget, I would suggest waiting out for the new Octavia. The Octavia TDI will get a cheaper rear suspension setup, but I am not sure how much difference it will make in normal driving conditions.

And there are rumours of an upcoming Renault Fluence facelift. Not sure if they have plans to bring in the diesel + DCT combination.

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

If the wife wants an easy to drive car, get the automatic Fluence and do not be put off by the performance figures. It is really potent and its in gear acceleration is much closer to the laura (quicker than the cruze)

The current Fluence in India does not have a diesel automatic. I guess you’re talking about the Petrol CVT.

[teamveevee]

Between Cruze and Laura, it is a no brainier, Laura. If given a choice, i prefer newer models than outgoing models. But some people thinks the exact opposite.

[EagleEye]

Between the Laura DSG and the Cruze AT, choosing the Laura is literally a no-brainer as many have said.

1. I think you should wait for the launch, have a test drive and see whether you like it. Else you can still get the Laura on huge discounts.
2. Yes, Skoda A.S.S. is generally bad. Very bad. But if you choose your dealer and service station wisely and based on recommendations, you should be OK.
3. Cost of maintenance of any European car is going to be high in the long run. Be it Skoda, VW, Merc, BMW, whatever. So keep this in mind while making your purchase. I don't know about long term cost of ownership of the Cruze, for all we know it could be as high or more. Find out.
4. I drive an L&K. Trust me, it's totally worth the extra dough.

[PPS]

Originally Posted by TNAWAYAJ

I will mainly use the car in the city (80%) more often that not in peak-hour traffic.

Any reason why you haven't considered the Elantra? Agreed the auto-box isn't the most responsive or exciting but you would be driving the car at slow speeds most of the time. The Elantra has been leading in the sales figure also.
Considering the Laura is going to be discontinued in a few months, i feel you should wait for the official launch of the all new Octavia! Personally i would pick up a heavily discounted Laura L&K if i had the cash.
Good Luck.

[nik0502]

Between Laura DSG and Cruze AT i would say go for Laura without any doubt. I agree parts for Laura's are not cheap but if you go through the ownership threads of Cruze on our own forum you will figure out the Cruze isn't light on maintenance either. And a friend of mine owns a Laura as well as a cruze and FE is 16 and 9.5 respectively.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by vb-san

And there are rumours of an upcoming Renault Fluence facelift. Not sure if they have plans to bring in the diesel + DCT combination.

The current Fluence in India does not have a diesel automatic. I guess you're talking about the Petrol CVT.

Oops my mistake I test drove the petrol in automatic form and the diesel in manual I just assumed that when they launched the higher spec version on the diesel, that they would offer an automatic on it :P
While I for one don't mind, it is a shame that there arent too many diesel automatics out there.

[s.prashanth]

I was in the same dilema a month back until I test drove the elantra diesel auto. Easy to drive in city noiseless like a petrol, rides well, feature rich. Drove to mysore yesterday, enjoyed throughly. It is does not wallow as people say. It does not corner aa well as my civic used to but really smooth. No noise from suspension even in broken tarmac. Is returning a mileage of 12 in city with AC. I have driven about 2500 kms in a month and enjoying every km

[gajadonga]

Originally Posted by s.prashanth

I was in the same dilema a month back until I test drove the elantra diesel auto. Easy to drive in city noiseless like a petrol, rides well, feature rich. It is does not wallow as people say. It does not corner aa well as my civic used to but really smooth. No noise from suspension even in broken tarmac. I have driven about 2500 kms in a month and enjoying every km

I have an Elantra diesel manual.I second what prashanth thinks about the
vehicle.The car does well even at high speeds on the four lane expressways.
Speeds less than 130kms/hr gave around 14-15kms/litre mileage.
The steering is also good quite smooth in low speeds and becomes heavier as
the vehicle touches higher speeds.No fishtailing while braking at high speeds.

[androdev]

For Bangalore city peak-hour traffic, just go for a car that looks best inside out, with creature comforts and luxury. That's what you will experience in the city traffic and not power, handling, quick response and so on.

Laura L&K is my favorite pick. It looks great inside out. I don't get the same feeling from other cars in this price range (Elantra/Cruze - interiors not as classy, Jetta - feels lower spec'ed than L&K). It is very generously equipped. Wait for the new launch so you can either get a very good deal on the current stock, or buy the new model itself.

About Skoda A.S.S:

1. It is once a year/15K km. Never appreciated this until we got our honda city AT. Time is money, I don't care if honda city AT service costs less, but I had to send the car at 1K, 3K, 6K km etc. Not cool.

2. Skoda has two dealers and decent service infrastructure in B'lore. Thankfully Fabia didn't sell like crazy. So they have capacity, better reception/follow-up.

3. Regular service is on par with any other brand, a bit expensive but not a deal breaker.

4. For reasons unknown, some EU parts are prone to failure. In skoda's case AC unit, DSG Transmission, Turbo are the usual suspects. If you have four years warranty, it is not such a big concern.

5. The dealerships in Bangalore are pretty decent and Skoda also started doing its bit to improve the overall customer satisfaction. Having two dealers with multiple service centers certainly helps.

6. So what can go wrong with service? Out of warranty repairs are expensive as parts are expensive. They are not very proactive and you will have to spend your time and effort to follow up (say a disputed warranty claim, etc.). Accident repairs are expensive due to the cost of parts, so helps to have zero depreciation insurance, etc. In general, as there are more Octy/Laura/Superbs than Fabias they tend to think customers have deep pockets.


All said and done, for city commute Polo TSI is a terrific choice

[TNAWAYAJ]

A big round of thanks to all who've replied! I want to go ahead with the Laura but there is now an availability problem. No Elegance-trim Lauras (CR DSG) in BLR. No L&Ks even. Not sure if this is because they have been flying off the shelves over the last few weeks or if Skoda has halted production already. Just when I was ready to take the plunge.

On another note, one of the dealers mentioned a VIN 2012 unit that was available but is not any longer. As potential owners what do we need to watch out for in previous year VINs? What are the risks if any?

[mobike008]

Cruze AT vs. Laura TDI DSG

Haven driven both cars and owning one of them ( Cruze-Manual).

A few cents from my side :-

- Superb Interiors and feels much richer than Cruze
- Handling and Ride is almost similar to Cruze. Anyone who feels Cruze is a bad handler has not upgraded the tyres nor has driven it extensively. It may not hug the corners like a Linea but, it isnt bad at all. I have done some unmentionable speeds on corners and never once felt any scare
- DSG gearbox is much fun to use than the Cruze AT box which isnt as fast nor as involving
- Downright feeling of speed. Cruze (earlier version) feels much faster whereas the new Cruze (166PS) has become more linear and doesnt give the torque thrust that most diesel car lovers enjoy. Infact, i like the older version of Cruze which I own better than the newer engine one
-- Built wise, both are tank-like and mine at 43,000 kms is as good as new. Not a single rattle
-- Maintenance till now has been the most pleasant experience. 75 Paise/km which includes service costs, wheel aligment and balance and front brake pad replacement.

With Skoda, there is always a risk of you becoming a victim to some unknown mechanical problem though their horror stories are slowly turning into love stories. But, with Cruze there is no such thing happened till date

At the end of the day, it all depends on what you want and how you feel behind the wheel. Goodluck, just noted you decided on the Laura.

Congrats and Enjoy your new ride !!!

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by TNAWAYAJ

A big round of thanks to all who've replied! I want to go ahead with the Laura but there is now an availability problem. No Elegance-trim Lauras (CR DSG) in BLR. No L&Ks even. Not sure if this is because they have been flying off the shelves over the last few weeks or if Skoda has halted production already. Just when I was ready to take the plunge.

Motor beam website has published a news article that claims Laura will be phased out when the Octavia gets launched. Might not be a good idea to get a 2012 piece from a manufacturer who will ask you to speak to the dealer incase something goes wrong with the purchase!

With Laura getting phased out, Octavia should be priced competitively. Why not wait?

[Santoshbhat]

Originally Posted by TNAWAYAJ

A big round of thanks to all who've replied! I want to go ahead with the Laura but there is now an availability problem. No Elegance-trim Lauras (CR DSG) in BLR. No L&Ks even. Not sure if this is because they have been flying off the shelves over the last few weeks or if Skoda has halted production already. Just when I was ready to take the plunge.

On another note, one of the dealers mentioned a VIN 2012 unit that was available but is not any longer. As potential owners what do we need to watch out for in previous year VINs? What are the risks if any?

Check the month of manufacture as well. Later part of 2012 is better than something that's made in Jan or Feb 2012.

THe major risk with 2012 models is that these cars have been idling away in dealer stockyards. Most dealer stock yards are uncovered, meaning to say that the cars lay there exposed to the elements : heat, dust and rain. There's likelihood of rust formation on some of the internals.

Be sure to check out each and every feature of the 2012 car as the manufacturer keeps changing the feature list from time to time. If certain features are missing, you can use that to beat down the price.

Check for signs which indictate whether or not the car was used as a test drive vehicle or a display vehicle. Odometers can be easily turned back. Tell tale signs are absence of plastic protection films on instrument consoles, worn gear lever, dirty seat fabric, dirty floor carpets, dirty steering and A, B, C pedals. Also check the condition of tyres. If the don't look mint fresh then something's fishy. Basically stay away from the car if it looks like its been used.

If I were you, I would not take a chance with anything that's older than October 2012 manufactured. Normally an october manufactured car reaches showrooms by Nov or Dec.