Experience: Switching from a used Skoda Superb to a pre-owned Vento

The year I got my driving license and parents said: every tom, dick and harry has wheels in your batch, interested in a new Polo GT? I said: I'll do you a better one. I'll get something better for half the price.

BHPian vredesbyrd recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have a dream. A dream that a car will be brutally fast, efficient, great handler and an off-roader.

But dreams are meant to be broken (at least for most), so why not pick a side?

Out of the two great houses, the SUV and the Sedan, I chose the latter.

And it has been quite a ride. So hop in and put on your seatbelt (if you don't then I'll beat you with a tupperware water bottle).

This is a story of a boy, who ignored PDI, landed into a pit and then came out with a few bruises and decided to go the sensible way.

Way back in 2015 (Chennai) when I was in my 3rd year of engineering, a couple of friends and I decided to forego hostel life and move to a flat nearby (yes, the infamous and now anti-student Abode Valley). Boys of my age had interests in a few specific things, you know what . But I was into cars, tech, gaming, music, dogs.

I used to see these lads (from a very popular state, of course) who'd beat up people, cruise around in a 8th gen Civic with matte black rims and a huge spoiler. They'd slowly roll by with windows down and blasting hip-hop. A psycho friend brought his 1st gen XUV500 from Pondicherry to Chennai and I got to ride with him a couple of times (I could barely drive in 2015). This is one reason for "which car" in the upcoming Manipal travelogue. I wondered what it felt like to have a car while in college.

Fast forward 3 years to the scorching summer of 2018, I am in Hyderabad on my internship and I just cleared my first year of PGDM. I can drive a little bit (thanks to fortnightly Lucknow to Kanpur highway runs in 2016 - also the year I got my driving license) and parents say: every tom, dick and harry has wheels in your batch, interested in a new Polo GT? I said: I'll do you a better one. I'll get something better for half the price.

Contender 1:

2008 Laura 1.9 TDI L&K (or was it 2007?)

My, my. Look who's in the corner!

• It was good to drive
• Good torque and nice handling
• Quite loaded (bi-xenons, electric seats, front parking sensors)

But

• AC didn't work
• Owner refused to accept it
• No negotiation capability

I left in a hurry and screamed, NEXT!

Contender 2:

Another L&K but a facelift 2.0 TDI from 2011

It had a Bolero HU, thanks to it being another L&K

• Drove very well, except the issue I'll mention later
• Top notch condition for both interiors and exteriors
• Service history was available
• The seller (private) was a decent man and he arrived on time

But

• Kept losing power while driving. Instead of showing Dx (x is the gear) on the MID, it kept showing just D when losing power. Owner said it could be DSG cable issue.
• Was sold the next day, before I could even sufficiently research the issue

Contender 3:

2008 Civic 1.8V AT

• Drove very nice for the whole 300 meters!
• Paddle shifters
• Very nice sounding silky smooth engine
• VTEC just kicked in Yo!

But

• After 300 glorious meters, power disappeared
• Actually, the petrol had disappeared. Came to a halt and shut down
• Waited an hour. Refused to start after refueling
• Gave up. Sales guy called me cheap. I called him back stating that he's cheaper for not even having a liter of fuel in a test drive car

I have many skills. But patience is not one of them and this was the result.

Continue reading BHPian vredesbyrd's ownership chronicles of his Superb & Vento for more insights and information.