[clevermax]

Originally Posted by Sen_auto_sation

Back in the day, into my first job, I brought home a Fiat Palio 1.2 ELX NV instead of the then brilliant Palio 1.6 Sports trim.

The Palio 1.2L was still fun to drive on city roads and effortless to drive on the highways — lots of wonderful memories being on the road when we still did not have the present highway/expressway infrastructure.

However, whenever I spotted a Palio 1.6L Sports in that luscious shade of Formula Red, my heart did skip a beat, every single time.
Let the photo do the talking; PC: @SidIndica).

Never since have I settled for the lower trim, and waited it out till my budget allowed to go for the higher trim. Thereby no regrets.

I can totally relate to your situation. I ended up purchasing a 1.2 ELX back in 2006, even though I had the option to go for the amazing 1.6L wonder machine. Looking back, I deeply regret my decision, as it was influenced by my FE-conscious friends.

[shikh_oberoi]

I didn't regret it because I always chose the larger engine choice.

1. Fluidic verna 1.6L petrol over 1.4L petrol.
2. Elantra's 2.0L petrol over 1.6L diesel.
3. Figo's 1.5L diesel over 1.2L petrol.
4. Hyryder 1.5L hybrid over 1.5L mild hybrid.
What I regret is buying the lower model variant of the first three mentioned above. Spending a lakh or two to get all the extra features is better.

[shabih]

Originally Posted by Zippy_wheels

Sorry but my experience has been very different. I had the polo 1.2 mpi and switched to virtus 1.0 AT. Pickup wise Virtus feels punchier even at low rpm's. Tap a little and the comparison becomes meaningless. The upgrade is not just the engine - for me it is the space, the features (rain sensing wipers, auto+ led headlamps, sunroof, infotainment etc. ), and the extra power that makes it a big upgrade. Polo was not really that comfortable due to lack of space, stiffer suspension etc.

I think the question here was not on 'other upgrades' like better headlamps and suspension etc. so it is pretty pointless pondering upon those. I understand your point of view, and I am glad you found the jump from 1.2 MPI Polo to a 1.0 turbo Virtus worthwhile. When I went to the showroom to test drive the 1 ltr Virtus, I found no perceivable difference under 2000 rpm within city limits. In fact, when I got back in my Polo, I felt wow this is so much more direct in low RPMs. However, when I drove the 1.5, I was impressed. So that's why I said between a small and a large engine variant, your choice will largely depend upon your reference point (usually your current daily driver). A friend of mine replaced his Honda Jazz with a 1.0 Virtus and is very happy.

Originally Posted by turbowhistle

Bang on, this is what happened with us as well. We bought a 1.0 turbo petrol Venue in 2020 after having 1.2L i20 for almost 5 years. The turbo lag in first and second gear for Venue makes it a bit cumbersome to drive in city traffic where the car is used mostly and we miss the ease of i20 a lot.

I hear you, my man. That is why I am sticking to the good old Polo till I have enough cash to go all out for a 1.5 Virtus.

[greenhorn]

I've owned 3 cars
2007 Indica turbo DLG. Most powerful variant at the time and no regrets
2014 civic Si. Sure the type R was there, but the Si was good enough compared to the base civic. Very happy memories
2017 etios liva. This was a pure head over heart car , but not a day goes by without feeling that I'm a penalty box, but the 1.5 hatches are way too rare to get . I drive it very rarely. Only when the Indica is in the workshop. Heck, even my wife prefers to drive the indica

[cryptarchy]

I bought 1.0 MPI polo. Although it is not bad in city, on highways it is found lacking. But I was happy with my purchase because it is the best I could find in my budget at that time. Until, VW launched 1.0 TSI in similar budget, felt like backstabbing from the brand

If I were in market now, I would absolutely buy the most powerful engine I could afford.

[DocMaHi]

Saved myself this very headache and cancelled the Verna ivt. Would save up for turbo top end or may go for n-line if it comes into existence soon. Sometimes I regret buying the Swift petrol over diesel. Huh, definitely not repeating!

[CoolFire]

Bought the 1.0 TSI AT Kushaq mostly out of fear of the DSG in the 1.5. No much regrets as this is good enough for city roads where I am most of the time. Especially since the bottom end is almost the same between the two.

What I miss is the 1.5 in manual mode whenever I drive my friend's one. That one is real fun - but couldn't buy as I can't forego the automatic convenience for a daily driver.

[Cresterk]

Yes, but only once.


When I was a child, my father bought the Toyota 'landcruiser' Prado which is basically a smaller, cost effective model based on the full size Landcruiser. It was available with 2 engine options abroad: the low-mid spec variants with a 4 cyl petrol and the top end VX with a 6 cyl petrol.

The car we had back then was a Honda Civic which was reasonably quick as anyone who has driven an old civic would tell you. We were initially looking at the new Accord but this was back when the whole SUV craze was spreading out of America and my dad was convinced by one of his 'friends' who worked at a Toyota dealership to get the Prado instead.

My dad bought the 4 cyl version because the V6 needed premium fuel. It was our first automatic car and it had a 4 speed torque converter. Driving experience was.....well let me put it this way, you could push the accelerator all the way down to the floor and the only difference it would make was how much sound was being produced.

Drive with a light foot? Slow and quite.
Drive with a heavy foot? Slow and loud.

There was such a disconnect between the accelerator and the gearbox that it was hilarious. No matter whether you pushed the pedal 40% or 100%, the car would take a moment to collect itself and then accelerate at around the same speed. Only difference was how high the engine RPM and noise would be.

Other than being underpowered, the Prado was rather decent. It was a reliable body on frame SUV with high/low range. My dad used to complain about missing the acceleration and handling of the Civic but he hasn't bought a sedan since then so I guess the ability to to see over most traffic and being able to tackle bad roads without slowing down was more desirable to him.



Years later when we upgraded to the full size Landcruiser 200, there was not even a question of whether we would get the smaller V6. My dad and I both knew it was either going to be the V8 or bust.

Unlike in India where the Toyota Landcruiser is only offered in one fully loaded variant, in the GCC, you get a whole bunch of variants just like a normal car. The variant we bought was one level below the top end VX.R so it missed out on the fancier features such as the selectable ride height, radar cruise control, a few cameras and the powered trunk. It also had 2 mechanically locking differentials engaged with a push of a button instead of the selectable terrain mode.

To be honest, we didn't really mind missing out on any of those. It had that massive petrol V8 engine paired with a 6 speed torque converter and that was all that really mattered. It could go from 0-100 in around 7-8 seconds which at the time was rather insane. Just to put it in perspective, that was about the same as a BMW 320d or a Benz C250d from that year. And this was an heavy 8 seater, full size body-on-frame SUV lugging around offroad hardware and dual fuel tanks. Driving was finally back to being fun again. Well as long as you didn't take the turns too fast

Similarly, I set out to buy the i20 1.2L petrol but the dealership offered me a diesel test drive car. And thus I came back home with the 1.4L diesel 6MT. I didn't even need or have any plans to buy a diesel but we had learnt this lesson already : always go for the more powerful engine.

[ampere]

The thought process is simple. How informed is your decision to buy a smaller engine? If one is fully aware of what one needs, then I think the decision should not matter.

My only suspect/comment here is, probably one buys well informed but within a few months of purchase his needs change and one begins to regret. I think this foreseeable change in need should get factored into the decision making.

Ten years back, while the whole world was looking at the 109 Bhp Duster, I went with the 85BHP. But never regretted it.

[DicKy]

Originally Posted by Cresterk

My dad and I both knew it was either going to be the V8 or bust...Unlike in India where the Toyota Landcruiser is only offered in one fully loaded variant, in the GCC, you get a whole bunch of variants just like a normal car. The variant we bought was one level below the top end VX.R

offtopic.

Was it the GX-R? Asking cause the GX-R was somewhat popular for being an all rounder model. Could be had with the 4.0l V6 or the 4.6l V8. Barn doors with tailgate mounted spare tyre or the split tailgate with underbody mounted spare tyre. Most people looking for the VFM variant or enthusiasts mostly bought these.

[hesoyam_007]

Well my story is a little recent. Got a pre-owned 1.2L polo(petrol) as my first car this year. I have earlier learned on and driven a friend's ford figo and the difference between a 3 cylinder and a 4 cylinder is a lot. I have to really push my polo while overtaking with couple of passengers. Also at inclines it does struggle a bit and I only know half clutch method. Thinking of trying my hands on the handbrake method?

I for sure would not be regretting a Polo GT any day.

[Hayek]

Was thinking about this and just realised that I have nearly always bought the less powerful variant.

The first car I bought with multiple engine options was the Superb - picked up the 1.8 TSI instead of the v6 FSI. No regrets whatsoever, the 1.8TSI was perfect from my perspective and had more than enough power.

Next bought the X3 with a 20d engine instead of the 30d or the 28i. Well technically, the 28i was not available when I booked - but it did launch before I had registered my 20d. Very happy with the car - don’t miss the 30d at all (which would have been ₹ 25 l costlier given I got a massive discount on the 20d while the 30d was available only without discounts against a pre booking.) Would likely have preferred the 28i at the same price or a bit more than the 20d - but that was not on the cards either back then.

So no real regrets so far.

[Cresterk]

Originally Posted by DicKy

offtopic.

Was it the GX-R? Asking cause the GX-R was somewhat popular for being an all rounder model. Could be had with the 4.0l V6 or the 4.6l V8. Barn doors with tailgate mounted spare tyre or the split tailgate with underbody mounted spare tyre. Most people looking for the VFM variant or enthusiasts mostly bought these.

This was the 5.7L GXR V8 with split tailgate and underbody spare. The gadget loaded full option VXR was also available with both the 4.6L and 5.7L. We went for the cheaper GXR with the big engine.

[raycers_honda]

Originally Posted by saats07

Voted mixed.
Overall I am happy with my choice of 1.0L Virtus.

Voted mixed. My choice was the 1.0 TSI with a manual transmission over the 1.5-liter option. There were two main reasons for this decision. Firstly, the 1.5 manual was not available at the time of the initial launch and only became an option months later. The second reason was budget constraints. Now, almost 1.5 years later, I feel that I could potentially stretch my budget and opt for the 1.5. However, the practical side of my mind and the influence of my better half are overruling the emotional desire for the upgrade. Additionally, there's the prospect of enduring another 6 months of waiting for the new car.

It's not that I am dissatisfied with the 1.0; trust me, the 1.0 packs quite a punch and it performs beautifully on the expressway and with the fuel efficiency too. But the allure of the 1.5 is always lingering at the back of my mind. Suddenly, I ponder and think, "Wait a minute, the Alto has a 1.0, or the Kwid has a 1.0.

[bhardwhu]

TBTS 350 instead of 500. Bought a royal enfield 350cc and did almost weekly run between Delhi Srinagar and realized that it is underpowered and unsafe for high speed runs that highway demands.
Versys 1000 vs Versys 650. Bought the 1000 cc engine even though 650 is cheaper and does the duty well. Now hugely satisfied with the better powered machine, ability to munch kilometers like anything and above all, a true blue super bike experience.