Should I sell my Maruti Ciaz diesel to buy a Skoda Laura vRS

The car has done close to 90K km, Single owner and company maintained with records.

BHPian madhav.kaushik recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

A little bit about me

I am a 23 year old enthusiast who has just started working after his MBA and based out of New Delhi. Our garage consists of a sweet pre worshipped E60 530i, a Ciaz 1.3MJD Alpha, a Jazz CVT, a Tata Zest 1.3MJD and now sold pre worshipped Accord V6 3.0.

Now Comes the Dilemma

I currently drive a 2017 Ciaz Alpha 1.3 MJD which we bought new. The car has run just 30k and is now out of warranty and trouble free. Very happy with it, excellent mileage, comfort and very economical for me to maintain as now I have taken over all of my expenses.

The click to change to something more fast, fun and European came to me when I got a call from a fellow enthusiast who found one Laura vRS for sale near me. The car has done close to 90K km, Single owner and company maintained with records. It is reported to be free from any defects, new Battery, tyres and clutch with all the records.

I sat down to get the economics right and use some of that MBA here. If I sell the Ciaz, I will be able to buy the vRS with almost 1.5 - 1.75 Lakhs remaining for the repairs and mods and would not have to spend anything out of my pocket.

Till now everything is in favour of the Laura.

Now comes the issue

How expensive will it be to maintain, be it service, spares, insurance, repairs and the ill famed Skoda reliability. The 1.8 TSI and the slew of mods and custom options is very tempting.

I know the fuel costs for me would double as it cannot give me 20 - 22 km/l which the Ciaz is happily serving me.

The other thing would be to retain the Ciaz, look for a remap, a good set of 17 inches and a good bodykit with lowering springs.

A normal human will say I am crazy but anyone on this forum will not be the same as others, we are all enthusiasts and think differently.

Need advice on this from you all here considering I've just started working and savings, investments and frugal way of living is also something I would like to pursue.

Any advice, comments and ideas are welcome.

Here's what BHPian Mr.Boss had to say on the matter:

Retain the Ciaz with remap and add a downpipe + lowering springs. Use the Accord for weekends or whenever a change is required.

Many of us here won't touch a 90k km covered vRS, that too replacing a reliable daily ride.

Here's what BHPian suhaas307 had to say on the matter:

I recently bought a 2009 Laura 1.8 TSI and in the process of fully restoring the car. I bought it just so I can get my hands dirty myself and learn the nitty-gritties.

It was in decent condition when I bought it, but there are several things to be concerned about. While I have spent a few lakhs on modifications already, I have also spent a few lakhs on just maintenance and upkeep. I will make a detailed thread soon.

Mechanical work:

1. Faulty / fried piston rings - leads to extremely high oil consumption. If the car consumes about 750 ml to 1 liter of oil for every 1000 km, you need to walk away from this vehicle unless you are willing to rebuild the engine. Oil consumption of around 500 ml, or lower, per 1000 km is what you need to look for.

2. Timing-chain and tensioner service - It is absolutely mandatory that the complete timing chain-tensioner overhaul is done. This is going to cost you at least 50k. If not done in a timely manner, your chain could slip causing the valves to meet the pistons resulting in bent valves and a failed engine that requires a head rebuild.

3. Water pump - A common sore spot of most VAG cars. Not expensive to replace but very laborious.

4. Oil cooler - Another common sore spot of most VAG cars. Again not expensive but very laborious to replace (usually, it is recommended that both the water pump and oil cooler are replaced when the timing chain service is done).

5. PCV - Another common choke-point in the engine. Strongly recommend that the PCV is looked into. Check for a loud audible almost electric) whine from the engine.

6. N80 Purge Valve - Small component that again is critical for normal functioning of the engine and is often choked.

7. Carbon/Charcoal Canister - Usually choked by the time the car has done 50-60k on the ODO. Best to replace, especially if you are tuning the car.

8. LPFP/HPFP - Fuel pumps and ancillary sensors often fail, especially if the car has been driven with low fuel for long periods of time.

9. Radiator & cooling system - Critical especially considering that these TSI engines run really hot.

10. Intake Manifold - For a high mileage car one can expect a certain amount of carbon deposits in the manifold. Recommended that the same is cleaned.

There are so many other components to be concerned about, like the brakes, suspension, clutch and flywheel, etc. It's best you get a thorough diagnosis of the car at a reputed workshop in Delhi before buying the car.

Long story short, if you are not someone who enjoys getting your hands dirty from time to time or if you are on an extremely tight budget, this is not the car for you. You need to be prepared to spend at least 5-6 lakh on the car, over a period of 3-4 years. But if you get it right and do it well, it will be a experience worth cherishing for a lifetime. I do not regret my purchase even for a second.

Here's what BHPian speedfreak77 had to say on the matter:

Laura vRS is probably one of my favourite rides out there. We bought a 2.0 TDI Laura in 2009 but all I craved was for the vRS. Even though the engine is a gem and the car is beautiful, I would never think of buying one which has 90k on the odo. No one in the team will buy a German car, especially a vRS which is 10 years old with 90k on the odo. If it were a project car where you had a huge price bracket then you could buy one and upgrade the engine to the max. However, considering you are going to sell a practical car just because you want a 10+ year-old Skoda, then I'm sorry to say but it will cause you a lot of trouble the moment you buy it and drive off. What I'd suggest you is to mod your Ciaz tastefully. Remap, Wheels and exterior (lights, kits, grille, etc.) will be the best option. You have the E60 which is mod-friendly too. So if you want a car that gives you kick in the pants feel, then mod your E60 for more performance and stick to your Ciaz for your daily.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.