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Rs 30 - 40 lakh: New car to replace which old car from garage

7th November 2021, 10:00 by Rahul Nagaraj

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My Dad uses the Jetta, my mom the Vento and me and my brother together share the Micra.

BHPian sauravpat recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Current Background

We are a family of 4. My mom cannot drive and she has her own driver. I, my dad and brother love driving.

We are all about solid build, good driving dynamics and safety.

Not too worried about the latest and rather gimmicky infotainment features etc.

We currently own 3 cars:

A 2015 VW Jetta (Highline TDI AT) - 1,20,000 km done (recently installed new tyres all round)
A 2018 VW Vento (Highline Plus AT Petrol) (DQ200) - 40k km done
A 2014 Nissan Micra Safety Edition - 55k km done

My Dad uses the Jetta, my mom the Vento and me and my brother together share the Micra.

My dad has long weekend work trips from Pune to Nashik, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Mumbai etc. So highway stability and safety are the most important parameters.

He clocked 1,00,000 km in 3 years in our old Corolla Altis and has done 1.2 lakh km in 6 years in the Jetta.

Expect 20k km running per year for his car.

The other 2 cars are city cars with the Vento making the odd trip to Mumbai etc (once every 40 days or so)

Micra doesn't go out of Pune at all.

My dad is very understated and does not want a flashy or showy car at all. Hence his liking for VW. Clean and functional is his thing.

My mother thinks we should be getting a brand car for spending around 40 lakhs.

Future Options

In the past year or so, the Micra has had rattles and sounds coming from the brakes and the engine.. and has generally become quite old and banged up.

My father wanted to sell it and change the Micra since March 2020. So basically now it has to go. Me and my brother were keen on keeping it as a beater car and for our dog to jump about in.

But it has gotten very underpowered (67bhp when new).

So we will be selling the Micra for sure.

Now our options are:

Dad's Option:

Sell - Vento and Micra

Buy - SUV or Sedan - Toyota/VW and a Hatchback (10 lakh)

Keep - Jetta

Sell both the Micra and the Vento

Buy a car between 30-40 lakhs (would have loved a Passat but also likes the Tiguan --- his number 1 option right now)

Buy a hatchback to replace the Micra (under 10 lakhs)

My parents have always preferred sedans to SUVs but due to the lack of options in the 25-40 lakh space, my dad is considering the Tiguan.

We do not want huge cars. That has automatically ruled out the Fortuner, Gloster, endeavour etc.

The only option I can think of comparable to the 5 seater Tiguan is the Jeep Compass (size, interior, driving dynamics)

Mom's Option:

Sell - Micra

Buy - Sedan (BMW, Audi, Mercedes)

Keep - Jetta, Vento

Mom is absolutely not in favour of SUVs.

She thinks we should sell the Micra and get a premium luxury car (one of Audi, BMW, Merc) and stretch our budget to 50 lakhs if needed.

It has been a long time aspiration for her and she thinks it is worth going for the A4 or C class or X1 in place of a comparable Superb or Tiguan for those additional 10 lakhs.

She is also open to checking out preowned examples of these cars for around 35-40 lakhs

We will keep the Vento and Jetta.. with the Vento going to us brothers and she using the Jetta.

Me and my Brother's Option:

Sell - Micra

Buy - Tiguan/Superb

Keep - Jetta

Both of us think that getting a new hatchback for around 10 lakhs on road is completely pointless as we already have the relatively new Vento which is a much better car than all the 10 lakh hatchbacks.

We were concerned about the DQ200 gearbox but since it is a 2018 car, I am pretty confident that as VW updated the Electronics in the gearbox over the years, we should be okay.

We are also not very convinced by what we will get from the German luxury brands over the Vw group cars for those additional 10 lakh rupees. So we are leaning towards Dad's side here.

Conclusions and Questions:

The 6-year-old Jetta has been a family favourite and is an amazing car and is supremely comfortable and well built. All of us want to keep it for at least 2-3 years more. It has given no faults or mechanical issues till now.

The 3-year-old Vento is the top end one with the led headlamps and equipped with all necessary creature comforts. We are very happy with the drivability and power delivery of the gearbox as well. Can we trust the DQ200 in the long term?

The 7-year-old Micra will be going. What do we replace it with?

My father is very averse to the high maintenance costs of the German Luxury brands having heard loads of horror stories from his friends.

We are mostly settled on the Vento being passed down to us, my mom getting the Jetta and Dad getting whichever new car.

All three cars are used on a daily basis. None of them is sitting around.

Questions:

Will the Vento be reliable in the long term? We have no complaints apart from the doubt over the DQ200 unit.
How much higher will the Servicing and Maintenance costs be for a 3 series/ C class/ A4 over a Superb or Tiguan?
Is the 3-year-old Vento as good as the new modern hatchbacks? (i20, Polo, Baleno, Jazz)
Is it worth considering a Taigun at all instead of the Tiguan? (my brother and I are adamant that if we are buying an SUV it has to be a proper SUV and not a raised hatchback gimmick)
Will the maintenance costs rack up for the German Luxury cars post 50-60k km 3 years down the line or do they remain relatively constant? i.e Is it a good idea to go down the Pre-owned Luxury car route if the running of the car is going to be upwards of 20,000 km a year?
Any viable alternatives for the Tiguan apart from the Compass and which of the two would you suggest?
What kind of running costs can we expect from a German Luxury car over the next 7-8 years where the car will do at least 1 lakh km?

Thanking you all in anticipation.

This discussion has caused a fair few arguments at home and we need your objective opinions!!

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

I'd look to sell the Jetta and Micra because they are 7 years old now, with Jetta already clocked 1.2 lakh km. Get a safe hatchback to replace Micra. But since Jetta is driven a lot i'd replace it with another diesel. Maybe Compass or current Tucson (there is a new model in the coming months but looks flashy).

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

Given your high usage and desire to keep the costs low, I suggest you drop the plans to buy anything from the luxury brands.
Camry hybrid would be a great choice as a new car purchase and it is perfect for high mileage usage.
Keep the Jetta, it's a good car and can be used both by your mom and dad along with Camry. This offers flexibility to use both cars by both your parents.
Replace Micra with a Polo or i20 N Line. Or use Vento if you are not keen on a hatch.

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

Okay, I am going to mix up all three options.
Sell: Micra
Buy: Skoda Superb/ Octavia
The brothers could keep the vento. Mom could keep the Jetta. And your dad gets the Superb/Octavia.
Reasons: Like you rightly pointed out, a ten lakh rupee hatch would not be a better option than the vento. Vento is superior in every way. Your mom would get an upgrade to the Jetta, your family favourite.
Coming to the most important part: Given your father is okay with the Tiguan, I get it he doesn't mind getting petrol. So, you can buy the Skoda Superb(75% of the A6 / E-Class / 5-Series luxury at 50% of the price) or the Skoda Octavia(80% of the A4 / C-Class / 3-Series at a significantly lower price). I have other reasons too. These two cars offer supreme comfort and safety(recommend you read through our forum reviews) and is relatively less flashy than the luxury brands. Your father is used to sedans. Switching to SUVs may not be a small transition, and may not be a transition he would like. These cars don't put a hole in the pocket like the luxury brands. All it takes to convince your mom is to have a test drive. She could like it. Also, even if you pick the Octavia, it would still feel like an upgrade from the Jetta.
Everybody wins.

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