[RPRIME95]

Originally Posted by It's Magic

Indian manufacturer cars do carry some manufacturing niggles, but overall, their products are built to last. I will definitely check out Indian manufacturer cars for my next purchase.

Hit the nail on the head. Only Indian and Korean carmakers have figured out a way to make cars last long in Indian conditions with Indian driving standards. Unless there is a substantially better alternative, my choice will be Indian, Korean, Far Eastern and then Western in that order

[saitvsk23]

They say, once you taste blood, there's no going back.

As I'm experiencing cars here in the USA, I've liked the concept of a true blue Crossover SUV like my Ford Edge. I really would like such a similar concept brilliantly executed by Mahindra with their top of the line petrol and diesel engines. For now, if I were in India and earning the same, my money would go to the Scorpio-N or the Honda Elevate.

I'm liking the concept of ample leg-room for the second row passengers, creature comforts like panoramic sunroof and rear AC vents, and plenty of power on tap. I'm damn sure that a V6 in Indian conditions would be as useless a winter coat on a hot summer day, given its fuel efficiency. Atleast a nice turbocharged Inline 4 petrol or diesel would be awesome!

[shahbaz63]

I started my car journey with a Maruti Suzuki; first the 800, then the WagonR. Later, I upgraded to a Hyundai i20, a Korean brand I loved. At that time, the i20 had everything you could ask for: reverse camera, premium interiors, ABS, disc brakes, next-gen headlights, and taillights. It was the perfect blend of style, comfort, and reliability. I never considered Western brands like VW, Skoda, or Audi. I’d heard so many horror stories about expensive maintenance and reliability issues that I didn’t even bother looking their way when I was thinking of upgrading from my i20 to something a bit more luxurious.

But then, a friend suggested we check out the VW and Skoda cars just for fun. We walked into a Skoda showroom, and I was immediately drawn to the Rapid, Octavia, and Superb. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before with Hyundai, Maruti, Tata, Isuzu, or Mahindra. The weight of the doors, the noise isolation, the overall build quality—it all gave me goosebumps. I used to think the "washing machine" style knob in VW cars was ugly, but that changed the moment I sat in the driver’s seat and took the Octavia for a test drive.

From that point on, there was no looking back. I decided to take the plunge and go with the Octavia, even though it cost me a few lakhs more than the Hyundai Elantra I had originally planned on buying. But I’ve never regretted it.

They say, “Once you drive a VW, it’s hard to settle for anything less,” and that’s been true for me. I’ve tried so many different cars over the years—SUVs, sedans, compact SUVs—but nothing comes close to the quality, driving comfort, and premium feel of the Octavia. When it was time for an upgrade, I naturally went with the Skoda Superb. No other car has given me that same "love at first sight" feeling, except maybe the BMW M340i or the 3 Series LCI, but those are way out of my budget!