Ideal car in the Rs. 15-23 lakh range

The car will never be driven outside city and I don’t think will touch speeds of more than 70-80 km/hr ever. Hence high speed manners and highway driving isn’t that important.

BHPian mpod11 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am looking to buy a new car in the Rs. 15-23 lakh range to replace my 11 year old VW Vento petrol Highline variant. However this budget range seems to have no car complete for all my requirements. I already own a 2018 Hyundai Creta SX(O) Automatic. Hence I have a preference to get a sedan this time and not get another Hyundai/Kia car in the family. This rules out the new Creta and Seltos.

I have a daily usage of about 15-20 km and hence I am interested in a petrol automatic car. This car will primarily be to chauffeur my mother / wife in town with me occasionally driving it so it has to have the “badi gaadi” feels for them to take it to their social gatherings.

We are a family of 6 footers so space is the most important feature. Headroom and legroom needs to be in aplenty. Seating 3 abreast will be an added bonus.

We usually keep all our cars for 7-10 years so long term reliability is a must. Cars are highly depreciating assets and I don’t want to spend a bomb on them but still want something that is upper middle classy.

The roads in and around my office and home are pretty rough. Hence low speed ride quality has to be supple if not brilliant. The car will never be driven outside city and I don’t think will touch speeds of more than 70-80 km/hr ever. Hence high speed manners and highway driving isn’t that important.

Some options I had in mind were:

5th gen Honda city ZX CVT: I am totally in love with this vehicle and the space it offers. It complements my Hyundai Creta nicely and will be a good addition to the garage with my requirements. Called up the dealer ( Eastern Honda) in Kolkata a couple of times and the response and communication has been excellent. They are even willing to upgrade the rims to 195mm section for a nominal amount. However the numerous YouTube videos about poor build quality and bad head unit and giving me the jitters for going ahead and booking it. I also feel I have another 5-6 lakhs in my budget range to spend so maybe there is something even better I can get. However if current owners of this can reassure me about the build quality and head unit functionality, then I will be much less anxious!

Mahindra XUV700: Totally bowled over by the launch of this car and all the tech, space and value it offers. Interiors are far superior to the front runner Honda City 5th-gen and the car is definitely a segment above it. However I am not sure of spending 20-22 lakhs on a Mahindra with its reliability and brand image. Concerned about waiting time and early batch niggles. I am also not very comfortable manevouring such a big car in my tight parking space. However I can wait for a month before booking if its worth TDing this car.

MG Astor: This is also on my list since the launch made it seem very VFM. The interiors look class apart and size is just right. However it might be too similar to my Creta and won’t really be a differentiator. Mind you, I won’t be changing my Creta for another 5-6 years so don’t want to be stuck with a similar car.

MG Hector: Like the car and have one in my extended family. Everything is good but it’s a size too big for right confines of Kolkata. Also feels very Chinese and glarish.

Tata Safari/Harrier: No petrol automatics so out of contention!

All in all, there isn’t something ideal for me to book right now and get delivery by Diwali. Desperately hoping that there were some good D segment sedans in my budget (Octavia pricing is a blunder) and I would have booked without a thought. Elantra is too old and looks weird as hell!.

Was considering used C-Class / Skoda Superb but the car will be kept for 7-10 years so unsure of long term maintenance costs.

Open to all advice and suggestions!

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

Tough choice, as you already own the segment leader in this price range (Creta/Seltos). Kushaq/Taigun are new launches but might never have that "badi gadi" feel. Why don't you hang on to Vento for some more time, by then you might see next gen Vento/Rapid which will definitely be bigger in every aspect. This should tick your sedan criteria well.

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

Unfortunately, there are no sedans in this range other than the C Segment ones equivalent to the Vento. Of course, considering your Vento is 11 years old, even doing a lateral upgrade in the same segment will give enough newness from a features perspective, but in all other aspects, I don't think you will 'feel' the upgrade.

If you already have a Creta, buying another similar segment vehicle may not be the ideal option. Maybe the XUV700 is a good choice, but I don't think you can/will get delivery by Diwali.

Not sure if you are open to pre-owned. 20-23 Lakhs would be a sweet spot for a lot of the D Segment Sedans- Octavia, Jetta, even the Superb or even the entry level premium sedans like the Audi A3. You should be able to get an Octavia with warranty/extended warranty remaining which can take care of the maintenance worries atleast for a year or two.

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

Booking the XUV700 now is a very risky prospect. I wouldn’t want to pay to become Mahindra’s test subject. If you are open to considering this however, or the Harrier, then why does the MG feel to big? It’s the same size, and about perfect for your requirements.

Otherwise your only real choice is to go the pre loved way. Choose between Octavia and Compass. Both have temperamental DSGs, but your running is expected to be low.

Wild card option: Get an Innova Crysta petrol and be done with it. It’s more comfortable than any car considered, and the only one which can actually seat three abreast comfortably. It’s perfect for being chauffeured around. The 2.7 petrol engine and the AT gearbox combo is competent, very refined and surprisingly efficient.

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