Replacing a Duster with a Rs 15 lakh budget: Virtus, City or Creta?

The VW Virtus / Skoda Slavia are my favourites in the category, but apprehensive of the niggles & gremlins that come along with them.

BHPian dr.aviansh recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hi friends, hope you all are doing well. I'm in a dilemma and one of the privileges of being a BHPian is that I can seek firsthand information from experts.

Our Duster caught fire in a mishap, so I gave my 2019 Altis to my father.

So it's time to buy a car again.

Body Type Preference: Sedan over a monocoque SUV.

The options considered:

VW Virtus / Skoda Slavia 1.0 AT

One of my favourites in this price bracket.

Undoubtedly the best Ride and Handling package in this budget as of today.

But the EPC gremlins and other niggles are making me apprehensive. AFAIK, the recent ones aren't having many problems as compared to the earlier batches or if the sales have gone so low that we aren't hearing any bad news at all!?

So, anybody who can give some updated information on how the recent ones are faring, I'll be deeply grateful.

How's the AC performance during peak hours in traffic jams? I know it's January, but folks from Deccan can still be helpful.

Is it mandatory to fill them only up ONLY with 95 RON as the fuel lid recommends?

Any other major niggles that I should be aware of?

Are these EPC issues mostly in Taigun or Kushaq and very less in the sedans? To me, this seems the case.

And which engine is suffering the most, because I'm inclining towards 1.0 AT.

Hyundai Creta S iMT

A much more reliable option, but I still cannot digest how bad the rear looks and the upcoming facelift only look worse as far as the Rear Profile is concerned. No offence to Creta lovers but that's a subjective option.

Still, of late if anyone is facing major issues with newer Virtus/Slavia, Creta will be my unfortunate Go-To car.

Hyundai Verna / Kia Seltos

Too Stiffly Sprung. Front seats lack the comfort I expect from this price. range

Honda City

Too softly sprung, one bad section totally disturbs the posture and I wouldn't spend 16 L, on a Honda City. Sorry, that's my perception.

Maruti Ciaz

My second favourite, costs 13L OTR for Zeta AT. But, the Heavier steering makes parking cumbersome in our cemented parking lot. Already suffered the same in my Corolla Altis.

Thanks in advance.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

No car is perfect. All the cars listed have their long list of pros as well as cons. What you have to decide is, which con are you okay with? The Slavia / Virtus offer top safety (Kushaq / Taigun got a full 5 stars in the GNCAP), an all-rounded nature (space, boot), a good suspension tune and most of all, wicked engines & transmissions that are fun to drive.

A lot of us European car owners have made peace with the fact that they will have niggles from time to time, but the driving pleasure + dynamics + safety + build they offer are superior to the competition. With my 2 European cars, the way that I see it is = Enjoy them for 357 days in a year and let them spend 8 days in the workshop. I still come out ahead as I'm having a blast 98% of the time.

2nd sedan option would be the City. Avoid the Ciaz, it's too old & feels outdated now.

For 15 lakhs, you could also consider competent cars like the i20 N-Line, Sonet & Nexon EV (you'll be surprised!) which are fun to drive.

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

Considering the fact that you would prefer a sedan over a monocoque SUV, that leaves you with just a handful of options:

VW Virtus/Skoda Slavia

Fun to drive a car with a few niggles here and there, Considering the issues reported, reliability is a point to factor in before going for this car, moreover, VW/Skoda service and maintenance are usually much costlier as compared to others in this segment.

Hyundai Verna

The only vehicle in Hyundai's lineup that hasn't got an update/facelift in around 5 years. The next-gen Verna, however, is definitely on the way, but timelines aren't pretty clear at the moment. The car comes with a variety of engine and gearbox options, however, the steering feel and feedback leave a little more to be desired and the not most dynamic when carrying a full load of passengers.

Honda City 5th Gen

The undisputed leader in the sedan segment, potent motors with a well-tuned CVT gearbox, spacious cabin, and sorted dynamics make it the go-to choice in this segment. Moreover, a facelift is expected in March and could be an option worth considering.

Maruti Suzuki Ciaz

A facelift is long overdue, with mediocre equipment levels, and not the most fun to drive either. However, the cabin is spacious, the car is fuel-efficient, and spares, service, and maintenance are never going to be an issue with the Ciaz.

Now moving to SUVs in this price range, the Hyundai Creta S IMT and the Kia Seltos IMT are options worth considering, with Seltos due a facelift in the coming months, it would be worth checking out.

Hope it helps!

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

If it's a sedan you're looking for - I'd say City, hands down. Nothing in this price bracket comes close. Virtus/Slavia are too much of a gamble + have enough niggles already, especially coming from a super-reliable car like Altis.

Or you could go for the Creta - should be fairly reliable as well.

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