2021 Octavia or Toyota Innova Crysta to replace MK1 Octavia

What I've felt is that the performance isn't like I thought. I thought it'd be boring to drive because it's a people mover at the end of the day. In fact, it somehow reminded me of Zen.

BHPian LiamJose recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am really in a big mess when it comes to selecting my new ride. Now there are guys who love SUVs and then there are guys who love Sedans but the problem is I love sedans and SUVs. So when it comes to my budget, which is around 25yish lakh, there are so many options out there.

Now, the car that I drive now is a sedan. It's a Skoda Octavia Rider (MK1). In fact, we've upgraded it from a Maruti Zen. I really loved the Zen so much. What I really liked about it was that even if Zen isn't fast on paper, I felt like it was a fun driving car. I still wonder how a car that can go from 0-100 in like 15 seconds or so can be such a fun filled car. When I was kid, I always thought Zen is a slow car and if I upgrade it to a bigger car, it'd be much faster but quite honestly, when I've test driven some cars, it didn't meet my wild expectations. There is nothing I dislike about that car. May be, as a young boy, I really wanted my car to be a bit more flashy but other than that, nothing. There were times, I would race and beat bigger cars on road when I was a kid. Lovely memories.

Octavia was nothing less than a tank. It seems like one door of Octavia is heavier than two doors of Zen and my dad would say that almost all the time. Mom needed help at times to open the door especially if the car is not parked on level surface. Now, I really liked the way it looks - just beautiful in red. Now, straight speed stability was much better than Zen. In fact, it was so good that sometimes, even if you're going at 80 km/h, you feel bored. We'd feel like we are going so slow, that wasn't the case with Zen. It was very comfortable. Now, there were some problems though. One fine day, while I was pushing it, the engine stopped running  and I was like there is no way this can happen at 80 km/h. I stopped the car and now there is a check engine light and I started the car again and the light is still there. The car has turned from a fighter jet to an auto in no time. It would run but it would run so slow that the slowest car can easily beat it now. That's the first day I understood that there is a mode called "LIMP" mode. I don't want to write about fixing the car but I'd love to think that fixing a space ship is easier. So yeah, unlike Zen this one had disadvantages too but quite frankly, if it wasn't for Skoda, I wouldn't have become an expert in car terminology by now. Now, the young boy in me has that flashy, one of the best looking cars out there but am I so happy with it? One part of me is extremely happy with its performance and looks but the other part of me is not when it comes to reliability.

Now, it was one hell of a ride with both my cars. I wanted the performance of a German car with the reliability of a Japanese car only to know that it doesn't exist. My dad and I both wanted to buy a Mercedes Benz but then we were like the cost of ownership is much higher so we thought of a Toyota Fortuner. Well, it has got the style, it has got decent performance and it is most importantly reliable. Then, many told us that it has got a bumpy ride. That's how we even thought of Innova. Actually, I thought about new Civic, Elantra as well. Now, there is Kia Seltos, Hyundai Alcazar, Tata Harrier and Safari. This is what makes the whole selection so confusing.

I have test driven the new Toyota Innova Crysta 2.4 GX and what I've felt is that the performance isn't like I thought. I thought it'd be boring to drive because it's a people mover at the end of the day. In fact, it somehow reminded me of Zen. It doesn't seems to have the best power to weight ratio yet its on-road performance isn't so bad. In fact, it's good especially when using power mode. What I really liked about the ride is that it's more like a Volvo bus. When we accelerate, it does make a raspy note but once we reach the speed, its super silent and it just flows as if we are in alladin's magic carpet. I felt that the ride isn't as plush as Octavia when it comes to slow speeds. That most probably is due to the smaller side wall of the 17 inches but I am not sure. Anyway, the auto-box isn't quick. There is a small lag but I didn't feel like it's like the turbo lag of a Maruti Ritz DDIS. The steering is a bit on the harder side.I have test driven the new Octavia as well and that's much faster for sure but I feel like this time, I want a Japanese car. I gotta be honest, I still would pick the Octavia if it was as reliable as an Innova. Now, the AC is a chiller. I had to turn it off after sometime. There is something I didn't like about the Toyota. The overall cabin quality isn't the best, at least compared to the Germans. Do I really care it? I don't know but if there is something I dislike about this car, that's the quality of materials. The VX version has it better and we can actually add-on many parts of VX to GX.

Thank you for listening to my story and I'd love to get your expert recommendations. I'd love to hear your opinions guys.

Our priorities are:

• Reliability
• Performance
• Comfort

Everything else would be an add-on.

Here's what BHPian Bibendum90949 had to say on the matter:

A Laura TDI MT owner for 10 years here. Skoda Octavia (MK1) was a gem of a car and was way ahead of it's times. It's still a looker, one of my most favourite cars. I understand what you've gone through with reliability of your Skoda. But trust me, Skoda has been largely reliable in the past decade, especially the MT ones. DSG failures was the most common issue. But Skoda now claims that they've improved upon that. So reliability isn't as much of an issue compared to the MK1 times. Skoda now has a 6 year extended warranty too. So I would say don't rule out Skoda totally from your radar, be it Octavia, Superb or Kodiaq. The new Kodiaq is due for launch, but as you may know, it's only in TSI. I would say you should give it a shot if lack of diesel isn't a problem for you.

Having said that, If you're looking for total peace of mind then Toyota is the answer. But you can't expect the dynamics of a German car though it's an MPV. Another option is Endeavour 10-speed AT if you're the one who doesn't lose sleep over whether Ford will pack their bags from here or not. It's an excellent package TBH. Since you were contemplating Harrier, Innova etc., you should have a look at the Ford too. Hyundai Tucson is another car worth considering.

Happy Hunting!

Here's what BHPian PetrolHead2272 had to say on the matter:

Only a few cars can match Innova Crysta on reliability and comfort. If performance is a main criteria, then I'd suggest you to look at a used BS4 Innova Crysta with the larger and more powerful 2.8 litre engine. It's an absolute hoot to drive. Depending on the area you live in, you'd get a great 2-3 year old 2.8 litre Innova for around 18-21 Lakhs.

If you don't want an Innova, I would suggest the Jeep Compass. A close friend of mine owns one. The 2.0 litre engine in it is simply wonderful and he has never faced a problem with either the car or the servicing. Comfort might be an area where the Compass lags slightly though.

Here's what BHPian porsche_guy had to say on the matter:

In your case, it's the classic Head vs. Heart problem. The Crysta is appealing to your practical side and it offers a high level of practicality and versatility as well. On the other hand, your Heart isn't convinced with the material quality, the BOF driving dynamics (totally understandable coming from a wonderful sedan like the Mk1 Octavia) and you're trying hard to convince it by saying the "power" mode makes it good.

My suggestion would definitely be to look at a pre owned BMW F30 320d. This will satisfy the requirements of being reasonably practical and actually quite reliable along with the dynamics of a BMW! Drive some examples once and then look back at the Crysta. The badge value is another bonus as well and its main characteristics of being a hoot to drive. The fact that you stay in KL would work to your advantage as well as that's where you will find some of the best pre-owned examples in the country.

Go for it! You don't change cars often and you only live once!

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