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-   -   The D-segment sedan battle: Elantra vs Corolla Altis vs Octavia vs Jetta vs Cruze (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans/181385-d-segment-sedan-battle-elantra-vs-corolla-altis-vs-octavia-vs-jetta-vs-cruze-3.html)

:OTBuying a car for the discounts on offer is the wrong way to go about it, IMO. You need to tot up the must-have features and qualities of your next car before whittling down the list and arriving at the final contenders. Discounts can only be the cherry on top, not the dish in itself, so to speak.

For instance, if you were to buy the Octavia 1.8 TSI, but value frugality and reliability in a car you are bound to be disappointed, regardless of the discounts on offer. So just be clear about what you want and then proceed with the decision of buying a car. At the end of your ownership, you'll remember how the car made you feel and its overall ownership experience, the discount will be all but a distant memory.

I voted for the Cruze for the following reasons:

1) Attractively prized.
2) Decently equipped.
3) Great engine even though it doesnt have the same torque spike at 2k RPMs, but then it doesnt have that turbo lag as well.
4) Looks sporty even if its old.
5) Handles decently, though not in the same league of VW/Skoda but at par or better than the others.
6) A.S.S not as good as the Japs/Koreans but not as bad as VW/Skoda.
7) Maintenance also is not as high as the Germans.

In short, it seems to be the best compromise between fun and practicality.

Petrol= Toyota Corolla Altis MT
Diesel= VW Jetta MT

The 9th gen Corolla that we have at home is brilliant. The low-end torque and linear power delivery of the 1.8 vvt are awesome. The Altis has a 6th gear which helps during highway drives. Reliability is unquestionable. Just a suspension upgrade and it becomes a great handler(Koni). TRD USA/Japan offers superchargers and few more performance upgrades too. In the stock form, it can handle any bad road with ease and can cruise all day long comfortably. I can vouch for that after numerous highway drives.

Love the Jetta for its design. The 2.0 TDI + MT is a brilliant combination. The independent suspension setup is an icing on the cake. Its sad that VW India isn't bringing in more kits of the TDI.

Voted for Jetta.

Test drove it last year , and while I wasn't overwhelmed by the performance/handling, maybe my expectations were set unrealistically. Test drove the competition, and saw the value in Jetta. But I did not buy it Which brings me to my next point.

The voting pattern in this thread is polar opposite of the sales charts. If anyone from VW group is reading this, he/she should introspect. It is not the vehicle which is a laggard, it is the group selling and servicing it. VW still commands a sense of 'premium' in the minds of the consumer, and with these offerings, they could have absolutely dominated the 15 lakh -30 lakh space. But alas, this thread shall only serve as a 'what if' reminder to VW group.

+1 Yes while voting people normally vote for the most aspirational product amongst the options, but when they actually buy they start considering the more practical things. Same thing happened on the hot hatch voting thread, where 70% of people voted for Abarth Punto, instead of the Polo GT and we all know about their sales figures :D

This is a difficult poll because "what I choose" will be different depending on whether it's for myself, or for others. Alternatively, it depends on whether the heart decides or the mind.

If someone casually asks me, I will no doubt go ga-ga over the Octavia 1.8 Tsi, or the Jetta 2.0 TDI. "Explosive performance", "multi-link suspension", "lightning quick DSG", etc are the buzzwords that immediately come to mind. These cars would be amazing to hire (if possible), satisfy your enthusiast cravings, and finally return it, with a smile plastered on your face. Driving these cars in big groups (or in team-bhp meets :D) , would be the ultimate choice for these cars.

But when the time comes to decide on buying, the mind just steps in and says "Wait!!". And by the time you play back the horror stories you've heard and read, in your mind, it's clear that the mind has won!

Especially when you're travelling only with your vehicle, the very thought that you're not confident of trusting your car to not get you stranded in the middle of nowhere, at night, with family in tow, is absolutely, totally non-negotiable. And that is where the Elantra or the Corolla wins, hands down. Other thoughts that follow regarding after-sales-service, finally nails the choice.

I will agree on Pearl Jam's post above. The Elantra & Corolla make sense especially when one doesn't want to be stranded in the middle of the road.

But the truth is, from a personal experience, this hasn't been faced at all by us during many long drives over the Past 5 years. In fact, our Jetta hasn't breakdown once & what's more, it has been as Reliable as a Japanese Car. I am really surprised by this & it has given me the confidence that I didn't even imagine.

I don't own Octavia but have heard many bad experiences here itself.

The Elantra & Corolla have Style but not substance, the Jetta has Style & Substance & it has been as Reliable as the other Japanese & Korean Rival. This alone makes me Happily say that Jetta is the Best Car of this Lot & for a Good Reason.

Kudos to Volkswagen for A Fantastic Engineered Car :thumbs up

I voted for the Octavia and here's why:

1. I personally like the car and in my group there are many who will swear by the car.
2. The Diesel is a great highway cruiser
3. Skoda appears to be doing about its dealerships and ASS.

More on point 3. Ever since Skoda came into the market, the only dealer in Coimbatore was notorious for a very long list of misdemeanours. As such I swore never to go to a Skoda showroom.

Jump cut to 2016 - they lost the dealership and a new dealer has come in. While the new dealer is still operating out of the service facility of the old one (taken on lease for a year), they are investing substantially in a completely brand new service facility - a pretty huge one at that.

Second - I was on the hunt for a car for my Dad to take the place of his trusty 2010 Accord. He was keen on the Hybrid but Honda made it a case of DOA with the pricing. Budget was 40L. I then suggested to him that we take a look at the new Superb. After assuring him of the change of dealer, he agreed to take a look at the new Superb last Friday. The experience was refreshing, and as they say, the rest is history. Our new Superb 2.0 TDI DSG L&K is being delivered on Sunday :)

The icing on the cake - we retain the Accord too clap:

My pick will be the Octavia 1.8TSI given my running of less than 1000kms a month. I had driven the previous gen Jetta 1.4TSI and was seriously unimpressed. I call the Jetta 1.4TSI and Corolla 1.4D a result of some group of people not thinking.

agree: Thanks mate for correcting me.
However 6 speed DSG (DQ250) is a wet type, where as 7 speed DSG (DQ200) is dry type.

My Vote for Jettta DSG, yes VW group has scary customer service but if I am willing to buy a high quality and complex German machine at such a price $$$ then might as well foot the bills.

Though if I am risk averse then I would take reliable Corolla Altis as it looks good without too much of flash, comfortable, and in petrol great to drive.

I think these two are India specials and for people who only needs the looks of a D segment sedan, but is satisfied with the performance of a family hatchback.

Unfortunately the 1.4TSI is going to be the new 'national engine' for the entire VAG entry-level family with Audi (A3, A4), Skoda (Octavia) and VW (Jetta if they even get it to India, Beetle).

As for the Corolla Altis, (if I remember correctly) TBHP did not even bother to officially test drive it :-). No doubt it is a solid, totally reliable, fuel efficient, reasonably sprightly, spacious and well-built car but we at TBHP are probably too harsh on it.

Enough said...

My vote : Jetta Tdi

She makes me grin right from the moment I close the door (Built like a Tank) and it continues during the whole drive (thanks to excellent handling, ride quality and explosive power) and my grin becomes wider when I step out of the car and close the door again :)

Octy comes second close but loses on build quality & inferior suspension (Tdi) or unreliability of 7 speed DSG (Tsi). Its memory function, auto dimming ORVM and sunroof are sorely missed in my Jetta.

Jetta DSG (Mk6) comes with paddle shifter since the launch.

In my opinion, gone are the days when German cars used to 'feel more solid' for e.g. because of their door close with more of a 'clunk' and the interiors seemed more refined because of 'clean' and straight lines.

The present generation Hyundai's are a HUGE step up from the old day models in terms of design, performance and build quality. The Elantra's interior is wonderful and does have that 'clean' design philosophy.