[Aditya]

Many of us have certain opinions about certain car or bike manufacturers. For instance, I've always believed that Porsche is the absolute best when it comes to sheer engineering and Toyota makes the most reliable cars in the world. Nothing that these companies have done in their recent history has changed my opinion about them.

However, there are some companies that I have changed my opinion about over the years.

Hyundai

Back in the 1980s, 1990s and even 2000s I used to look at Hyundais as nothing but "Point A" to "Point B" cars. Their cars were uninteresting to look at, had boring and cheapish interiors and were just alright to drive. I never saw myself buying one.

Over the years, things changed. Cars like the i20, Sonata Embera and Elantra compelled me to change the way I looked at Hyundai. The quality of the interiors as well as the features offered were among the best in their class. They also looked better than the older Hyundai cars.





Hyundai's diesel engines were extremely competent as well. Of late, the company is offering some pretty good turbo-petrols as well. These along with the sheer number of variants and multiple transmissions available means that there is something for everyone.

The icing on the cake is the recent Ioniq 5. It looks amazing, exudes great quality, incorporates a lot of tech and is quite a fun-to-drive machine as well. It showed that Hyundai could make something that was on par with the best.





Today I look at Hyundai with as much respect as say, Honda.

Mahindra

Mahindra made "Jeeps" in India. These were crude and rattling vehicles that appealed only to rural folk who had to deal with a non-existent road network or those who wanted to carry goods. They were terrible to drive even by the standards back then. In what was "Bombay" during my childhood, Mahindra was the last manufacturer most people would consider. It was not till the 1990s that Mahindra started making attempts to woo urban folk. Even then, vehicles like the Armada, Bolero etc. were a far cry from what other manufacturers were offering in terms of refinement and comfort.

Things started changing only after the introduction of the Scorpio. Butch looks, competent engines and good reliability got me thinking differently about Mahindra. The XUV500 got me even more interested. It offered good performance, was easy to drive and loaded with all the features that one was looking for in its time.





Now, the Scorpio-N, Thar, XUV300 and XUV700 have completely changed the way I look at Mahindra. The quality of the vehicles has improved in leaps and bounds, engines are extremely competent and comfort levels are way better. Most importantly, these cars have scored very well in safety tests.





Today, I think Mahindra makes some of the most appealing vehicles on sale.

So, have you changed your opinion about any manufacturer over the years?

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line.

[SoumenD]

Hyundai

Was a huge fan of their design(the i20, Verna), interior quality and overall rich experience. Even liked the idea that their cars were great at safety front as well(5* Euro-NCAP sticker was slapped on i20s back in the day I guess).

But then GNCAP came and shattered all the myth. Same models sold abroad scored 5* but models sold in India failed to secure even a stable bodyshell. I mean its not like they don’t have the know-how, but deliberately chose to compromise the internals for our market. Lost all respect for them.

I still feel they are right at the top when it comes to rich experience at a budget and their cars are more reliable than say a Tata/Mahindra though.

[SixPistons]

Originally Posted by SoumenD

Hyundai

Even liked the idea that their cars were great at safety front as well(5* Euro-NCAP sticker was slapped on i20s back in the day I guess).

…

I still feel they are right at the top when it comes to rich experience at a budget and their cars are more reliable than say a Tata/Mahindra though.

I always liked their designs in the Indian market. In fact a Hyundai product was always a preferred choice for me in any conversation that came up. However, I found myself in a mess last year when I bought one and all that fandom disappeared. They have also gotten more weird with their designs, with animal-like design language and slapping different ideas together and calling them facelifts. (Case in Point: new Verna and Creta FaceLift are weird to me now)

I am however surprised that they chose to market their vehicles as 5-star rated with those stickers you just mentioned in India despite deliberately specifically being of lower grade.

The i20 sold in tons in India in the premium hatchback segment. That may even be due to this claim as well in some part. That’s pure deception and fleecing our entire market.

OTOH, I have grown a vibe for Mahindra and TATA and continue to do so with their designs and products VFM quotient. I hope our Desi Boys sort out their service and QA niggles soon. They are making great, highly desirably products.

[amitoj]

Since I have been in USA for the past 12 years, these are my opinions in the US car market context. But here also, Hyundai for sure has changed my mind! Their N series of performance cars are among the best.

Toyota would be the other car company that has gotten more respect. I used to think that they just make barges on wheels with plain jane looks but with the introduction of GR Corolla and that looker of a Prius, I have changed my mind.

Nissan has gone the other way though. The re-launch of Z notwithstanding, this car company seems to be stuck in a bygone era.

[condor]

I thought Jeep would be good and trouble free, but seeing reports of issues from users. Lower resale than I had expected.

A high level view, though. Enough to make me not consider it as a replacement when time comes.

Maruti's AMTs showing lesser reliability than expected.

[Asoon]

Hyundai
Back in early 2010s when I was not into reading too much about cars, I used to think Hyundai as great mass premium brand, better then Honda, Toyota & VW.But as I became more aware, read more Hyundai became a negative brand to me because of Safety (Maruti with more features) and the same hold today.

Mahindra
My Perception was commercial vehicle brand, and I would never own a Mahindra (pre 2010), then XUV500 came, I can someday have a Mahindra only if it is XUV500, then 2021 came, was blown away with the engine specs of XUV700. In 2022 when I was planning to upgrade, my wife was not ready to visit M&M showroom (we are looking for car not a tractor) and then we test drove XUV and post that we have multiple Mahindra cars in the family

Nissan
In the Colg days, I was introduced to Nissan brand as maker of GTR, my friends we crazy about the car since it was launched in 2008. So when Nissan came to India, I thought Sunny, Trenno are / will be way more superior than Maruti / Hyundai / Toyota. Later I found out that Nissan-India's approach is not the same as the Nissan in my head (Maker of GTR)

[VtechSupreme]

Mahindra has to be hands down the most prominent turnaround. While TATA suffers from continuously degrading quality, each Mahindra product has become better than the last. When I left for the US, Mahindra's flagship was the XUV 500, which felt like the only decent option for urban customers and when I moved back to India last year, the automotive industry was completely different, with most brands fighting to provide features like sunroof and ADAS. However, I was happy to see the range of vehicles in the Mahindra stable from the Thar to the 700.

I am currently in the process of buying a new car, and my friend suggested I drive a Scorpio N. As soon as I drove it, all my preconceptions associated with the name Scorpio melted away. I believe their investment into the development of their own GDI engines really paid off now, because what a beautiful engine it is.

Mahindra has been offering better performance than competitors across the board, and is making fun but refined cars. I am very optimistic for their future and looking forward to see them compete on a global scale.

[GForceEnjoyer]

BMW:

This is a negative change in perception.

When I was younger, I used to think of them as sporty cars designed for the well-heeled with good taste. This impression of mine lasted up until around 2020, and after suffering a few dents since the release of the 7-series with the massive grille, has been in constant decline.

There was a point where I would've been happy with owning any of the following: the 2 series, 3 series, 4 series, 5 series, 8 series and Z4. Now, the only ones I would want to even be seen in are the 8 series and Z4. Maybe I wouldn't mind the current 3 series, but I'm no fan of the new interior.

Based on reviews, the 5 series (arguably my favourite BMW) is a step back in terms of quality as well as driving pleasure compared to its predecessor. Combined with its atrocious design, literally everything that the BMW brand signified to me as a child is now gone!

This is my impression formed using mostly secondary data: not intended to offend.

[MotorDev]

Originally Posted by GForceEnjoyer

BMW:

This is a negative change in perception.

When I was younger, I used to think of them as sporty cars designed for the well-heeled with good taste.

There was a point where I would've been happy with owning any of the following: the 2 series, 3 series, 4 series, 5 series, 8 series and Z4. Now, the only ones I would want to even be seen in are the 8 series and Z4. Maybe I wouldn't mind the current 3 series, but I'm no fan of the new interior.

I totally agree with you . It's quite baffling that almost every BMW nowadays seems to have the same type of interior look. There's a lack of innovation when it comes to interior design. It feels like they just slap on dual screens and call it a day. Seriously, BMW?

[rrsteer]

Royal Enfield
I made some money by buying their shares, but at the time I just thought of RE as a good marketing company that knew how to milk a brand, but a poor manufacturer. Twelve years later when they launched the 650cc twins, and after having owned one of those for two years, I was convinced they had grown up to become a serious name in the motorcycling business.

MG
When launched, I found MG Hector to be really ugly looking and giving vibes of a typical cheap Chinese product. And that they were masquerading as a British brand, made me dislike and distrust them even more. But since their launch, I haven't heard or read about MG cars breaking down as frequently as Tata cars or even Mahindra cars, and that has certainly changed my impression about them. Last month, when we wanted to replace our Etios with an EV, MG Comet was my top pick. Unfortunately, my wife just didn't like its look and since she was going to mostly drive the car, we had to buy the Tiago EV instead. In addition, the sales experience at the MG dealer was top class. If MG made us feel like dining in a fancy upmarket restaurant, Tata dealer made us feel like being at a forgettable roadside dhaba! With the infusion of Indian equity, I believe MG is going to be a serious player to recon with in the Indian car market in the coming years.

Mahindra
Who would have thought a decade back that each of their SUVs will be a best in class product? I believe they are going to disrupt (again) the EV market with their planned launches later this year.

[Jeroen]

Volkswagen, or rather the complete VAG company.

I was incredibly disappointed in them when this whole fiasco about them circumventing the emission test came to light.

I always thought of them as a proper engineering company, but the sad truth is, they are just a bunch of fraudulent business people.

No more VAG cars for me.

The other company is Tesla. Although I am not keen on electric vehicle, I don’t think there can be any doubt of the impact Tesla made on the EV market. Lots of great innovation and lots of really cool tech.

However, all of this sadly let down by a complete and utter idiot Musk. If there was ever a case of why individuals should never ever own huge wealth, Musk proves the point daily. Sometimes multiple times per day.

I will walk before I buy a Tesla.

Jeroen

[Eddy]

Dear Lord, it looks like I am the rigid one here. Or maybe I play safe when it comes to hard-earned money. Or maybe I just consider cars to be machines that are there to work efficiently so I don't get attached to them.

But ever since we had a bad experience with Ford Ikon, I decided that I would only consider buying cars from Maruti, Hyundai, Honda, or Toyota. It has been 20 years and I still hold on to this opinion. Among the new entrants, only Kia has managed to get into my consideration set.

So no, I don't think I have changed my opinion about the likes of Tata & Mahindra.

Edit: I am not at a point in life where I want to buy a BMW/Mercedes etc. So my opinion is limited to the up to 30-35 lakh segment.

[rajeevsulu]

Mahindra

My initial impressions about Mahindra were not very good. I thought utility vehicles were their thing. Then they evolved. Now that I own a Thar, I now realize that they have evolved big time.

Royal Enfield

The Bullets always fascinated me, but, I was very reluctant to go near one because of the zillion horror stories of breakdowns and the lot. Now that i own an Interceptor with that sweet twin cylinder engine and also seeing their spew of launches and improvement in fit and finish, I have reset my head regarding them.
Cheers

[asit.kulkarni93]

Tata- With the launch of the Zest and then Hexa, I was mighty impressed. Even the Nexon especially the diesel manual seemed like a good offering back in the day. But today they are just running behind bling. I really don't think safety in Tata cars was ever a concern. Heavy monocoque fwd vehicles with bling are going nowhere.

Hyundai- I always thought they made VFM cars which appealed to the masses. I had the chance of closely working on a lot of Hyundais. That's when their real face was unveiled. These cars are plagued with pathetic issues. The only good about them is the PR which manages to keep their issues away. Rest right from the R&D to QC, everything is a mess. These unsafe cars for india don't help the case either.

Honda- Pre-Amaze cars were terrific. Always over priced but well engineered. You couldn't really go wrong with them. Things have changed now. Quality lapses are common and they aren't as fuss free as they were in the past. Still seem like the practical way out.

Ford- I was always given the impression that they are heavy on the pocket and unreliable. Having owned the old Figo and have friends who have the newer cars right from the Figo to Endy changed that opinion. The tailored for India cars were also well built and were quite robust. Sad that they left.

Skoda/Volkswagen- The MK1 Octavia was a love at first sight but back in 2010-12, We could only hear the issues around these VAG products. Having owned the Laura, Superb, Rapid and Jetta, I feel these cars are very well engineered and offer extreme value when it comes to the balance between fun and practicality. Most running repairs are overhyped by people. There is fine line between issues and running repairs.

Mahindra- They have finally gotten it right. Want a robust SUV- Scorpio. Want a compact SUV which is big with AWD- XUV700. Want a crossover- XUV300. Want an off roader- Thar. Want a practical workhorse - Bolero Neo. If they just sort out their QC, I think they have winners in every segment. Obviously the intrusion of unnecessary electronics from home grown brands has never been fuss free. But Mahindra is just pulling off a Maruti when it comes to SUVs. Hope they can work on an Ertiga competitor too. Marazzo is just not doing it.