[iliketurtles]

Welcome to Team-BHP!

When I read through your initial requirements, the first car that came to my mind was the Jetta 1.4 TSI. Super stability at speed, slick manual gearbox and high on comfort too. I'd say you should consider it, especially since the Extended Warranty for the Jetta has just been relaunched. Give it a dekko at the very least.

The second car I feel is perfect for you is the Fluence, it just ticks everything. The more I read through your post, the more I felt you are spot on in putting the Fluence in pole position since your assessment of it is spot on. It suits your needs to a tee. Allow me to play devil's advocate though; you say you're worried by Skoda and VW's aftersales, Renault's after sales has a question mark over it too since there aren't that many Renault's on the road and owning one long term is still something of an unknown commodity.

You are correct in assuming the 1.5 engine is shared across a lot of cars, but that shouldn't really count as a negative unless you believe in the philosophy that there's no replacement for engine displacement. The benchmark diesel engines in the segment are the 2.0 Liter units, and the Fluence's 1.5 unit isn't as good as them, but it is plenty decent for your needs.

I get the sense you are zeroing in on the Fluence, and it would be a great choice for your needs. Good luck, and keep us posted. Don't forget to put up an ownership review if you do go with the Fluence, there aren't many of them on here!

[IshaanIan]

I would say go in for the Fluence Most comfy, pretty large for the money you pay, plenty of features, solid build, easy and to an extent even fun to drive, reliable motors, extremely tractable diesel whose in-gear acceleration times more than make up for her lack of outright power/torque, Very smooth petrol mill that feels Japanese in its eagerness to be revved, classy looks and great safety. It really is an all-rounder only bummer being the few french quirks like the glovebox, odd ergonomics etc. It has been my top recommendation to anyone in the D segment, was seriously considering buying one myself at one point of time.

If you hadn't mentioned your hatred toward the Volkswagen Auto Group, I would suggest the Jetta 1.4 tsi as your second option. Which in comparison is a little more electric to drive, has a more straightforward cabin, but is definitely less comfy not just in terms of ride but even the seats. Very nearly convinced my Dad to buy this one too

The way I see it those are the only options you have right now and they are bloody good ones. I doubt the corolla will do very well; there is nothing new about it apart from the looks and features, also I suspect it won't be well kitted on the safety front since their flagship, the Camry, only comes with 2 airbags, anti-lock brakes and brake force distribution to boast of. Don't see the Corolla being much value for money unless they price it dangerously close to the Honda City as the Corolla's cheap looking interiors suggest it ought to be.

Do keep us posted
Cheers and good luck!

[jumanji]

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Originally Posted by iliketurtles

Welcome to Team-BHP!
===========
Don't forget to put up an ownership review if you do go with the Fluence, there aren't many of them on here!

Thanks for your note. As you rightly said, Renault A.S.S is an unkown quantity too. Will certainly post the ownership for sure if i do purchase one! And yes, will try to give Jetta a TD sometime.

I was a little worried about Renault's service network too, but hopefully the blooming population of Dusters will help with more service centers springing up.

@ IshanIaan, Thanks for your note.
With Skoda/VW, it is more 'scared' than 'hatred'
I read a lot about Vento, Skoda issues etc. so am a little worried.
I will wait for a few weeks to see if Corolla's new model is out by then. One thing though that works against its favor is that people expect the one getting out of the front seat to be 'driver' and in my case I want to drive my own car.

Today I happened to passy by Renault showroom and did a TD of Duster. Boy! the clutch made the decision very straightforward - an absolute NO! It kept pushing the leg back very ferociously. Never seen that before!

Other observations in a 15-20 min test drive: The rear bench felt very cramped in general, less leg room too. The horn was not working and the rear a/c duct had its cover missing (you would see just a 3" hole!) - makes me doubt the quality of some of the fittings.

[joybhowmik]

Originally Posted by jumanji

Dear friends,

I am looking for a new car for my own use.

Any reason for considering mostly diesel cars? The equivalent petrols might be a little more fun to drive, besides ticking the boxes you want.
I would definitely recommend the japanese cars anyday over the cars from other manufacturers - for one simple reason - reliability.

[vroom77]

Mod Note: Post moved to an existing thread in the What car/Sedans section. Please SEARCH before starting new threads on topics already extensively discussed.

Hi guys,

Hope all of you are doing good. I am looking at an upgrade from Safari 2.2 and priorities are as follows.

1. Petrol - I do max 200 kms a month. Office is just couple of blocks away from home .

2. AT is an option, I can live with manual too.

3. Good ride, spirited driving, comfortable space for all passengers. Preferrably can seat 5 not too strict about this.

4. ABS/EBD/Airbags.

5. Solid build quality and good after sales.

6. Classy interiors. Black fully & not the yellowish Beige ones.

7. Design - not too much a fan of Fluidic.

Drove TJet and felt good overall. Price / Responsiveness / NVH. Design - Neutral about it. Feature rich car at a nice price with good drivability, ride and city friendly size, compared to larger sedans.

What you all think ? What could be had for shelling out another 8 lacs to a Linea ? Is it worth it ?

@Moderators - Can you please move the thread to to Sedan section please, Posted here by mistake ?

[IshaanIan]

The T-Jet is really good and as a driver's car, I wouldn't bother looking further. BUT then when you're spending upto 20lacs, there's so much more "car" you can get and that's tough to walk away from eh So according to me these are your options:

Volkswagen Jetta 1.4TSI: Yes I know the motor seems small but you can get loads of kicks from it, still retains the multi-link suspension, big yet fuel efficient, you would still have saved a lot so you cans spend a little on a remap.

Octavia 1.8TSI: The 1.8 comes in a higher state of tune belting out more power and torque. The only Octy that's got the "go" for all its "show" very spacious too.

Renault Fluence: It really is pretty fun to drive. The 2 liter petrol + CVT combo is really quite good and the unit begs to be revved like a Japanese one. The ride quality is the best in the segment, very spacious inside, classy interiors with a fresh design perspective.

Toyota and driver's car? lol

Cheers and good luck!

[drmohitg]

Why not also add the Chevrolet Cruze AT to the above list? I know you do not need diesel but it would not hurt also since the car is quite competitively priced w.r.t. the competition.
Alsoit comes with that classy all black interiors that you want.

[IshaanIan]

Oh yes as drmohitg suggested, the Cruze is an option too. Might not set any lap times but that powerful motor is sure to give you an adrenaline rush and the cockpit design especially at night with a blue lighting, puts a smug grin on your face. No match for European finesse though; plastics feel hard and tacky, not much space behind, poor in-gear acceleration, extremely hard steering, and whatever adrenaline you had pumping through your veins will instantly be sucked back when you enter a nice bend; you will grip the tight wheel with confidence and then get scared for all the wrong reasons as you hear your tires squeal and watch the car under-steer like a dog on a leash keen on sniffing your neighbors cat.

[brraj]

For a spirited drive and 200km per month usage, A pre worshipped Laura 1.8 tsi manual should be your obvious choice.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by vroom77

What you all think ? What could be had for shelling out another 8 lacs to a Linea ? Is it worth it ?

Whats the budget that you have in mind? T-Jet for sure is some thing which you should look it. Since you are looking to change the Safari, surely hatches wont figure in the list (Polo TSI). See if the Jetta/Octavia 1.4 TSI makes sense from a budget point of view. If yes test them out.

Fiest AT would also have been ideal, but sadly they are not available I think.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Renault Fluence: It really is pretty fun to drive. The 2 liter petrol + CVT combo is really quite good and the unit begs to be revved like a Japanese one. The ride quality is the best in the segment, very spacious inside, classy interiors with a fresh design perspective.

I think now only the diesel variants are available after the recent facelift.

[vroom77]

Originally Posted by ampere

Whats the budget that you have in mind? T-Jet for sure is some thing which you should look it. Since you are looking to change the Safari, surely hatches wont figure in the list (Polo TSI). See if the Jetta/Octavia 1.4 TSI makes sense from a budget point of view. If yes test them out.

Fiest AT would also have been ideal, but sadly they are not available I think.

Budget could go upto 20L on road. Since my usage is very less - Safari did only 50k in 6 years, I opted for Petrol. Excellent handling is important to me, followed by good build quality, performance not top speed, but good low & mid torque.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Why not also add the Chevrolet Cruze AT to the above list? I know you do not need diesel but it would not hurt also since the car is quite competitively priced w.r.t. the competition.
Alsoit comes with that classy all black interiors that you want.

I have one in the family not happy with it, reliability, poor visibility.

[vroom77]

Took a test drive of 2013 Fluence E4. Pretty good feel, I liked the design, ride, handling and overall dynamics. Car gives lot of confidence ( coming from a Safari background ), I could literally feel at ease behind the wheels. Excellent turning radius, quality audio overall a good package. Being an older variant I am offered some good discounts too. Waiting for one more TD of the 2014 version to see how the clutch has improved and more over the one I drove was 3 year old TD car that had not so well maintained suspension. One more drive and I think I think I am at the verge of making a decision. Right one ??

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by vroom77

Took a test drive of 2013 Fluence E4. Pretty good feel, I liked the design, ride, handling and overall dynamics. Car gives lot of confidence ( coming from a Safari background ), I could literally feel at ease behind the wheels. Excellent turning radius, quality audio overall a good package. Being an older variant I am offered some good discounts too. Waiting for one more TD of the 2014 version to see how the clutch has improved and more over the one I drove was 3 year old TD car that had not so well maintained suspension. One more drive and I think I think I am at the verge of making a decision. Right one ??

You just cannot go wrong with the Fluence. I am glad you seem to have picked up on all its strong points. Seriously under-rated car that deserves more attention. Do let us know what kind of discounts you get on the Fluence if you are going to be buying a 2013 model. Looking forward to seeing an ownership thread

Cheers!

[iliketurtles]

The Fluence would be a good choice, but why go for an older car when the facelift is already here? Get the newer look instead. You might even be able to squeeze discounts/freebies out of the dealer since the Fluence is not a hot-seller