[prateekm]

Hello TBHPians!

Well, I had a Innova 2.5 G4 for the past 2 years when I was with my previous employer. Since I have a new job now, I am on a hunt for a sedan. My budget is upto 10 lacs and I am primarily looking at a Second Hand Car at that budget.

After TD about 10+ cars, I had almost purchased a Tucson but the owner had some problems and the deal fell through. I recently TD the Skoda Laura L&K AT and it became my dream car

Well, I have seen quite a few Laura's and before finalizing on one, I want to have the following queries cleared before purchasing one :

(Sorry, but I don't have much knowledge on cars in this segment, so please bear with me)

1-> Going through the forums, I saw that the part which gave most problems was the Turbo (do correct if wrong). How much does it cost in replacing one of them? Also, can someone tell me about the cost if I have to replace the ECU in the near future?

2-> Also, can someone tell me the cost of maintaining it? About 20k a year is OK with me.

If you have any other tips, please do share it with me. I really want to buy this car

[thorpe]

Well, read the horror stories about Skoda A.S.S and then decide. Also, 20k per year, will definitely not be the maintenance cost for skoda. Double it!

[prateekm]

Originally Posted by thorpe

Well, read the horror stories about Skoda A.S.S and then decide. Also, 20k per year, will definitely not be the maintenance cost for skoda. Double it!

Well, I have gone through it and hence wanted to know on how to distinguish between a good one and a bad skoda. Well, I just checked out with a guy owning a laura and he said it's about 15k if you do it through the dealer but they overcharge for oil change which can be also done from a good mechanic. So even if I keep 15k in mind as the maintenance for 6 months, 30k is affordable to me (there was a typo in the 1st post)

[sidindica]

• Sometimes you have to go with your head rather than going with your heart. Laura and that too second hand is a big NO.

• If you can afford 20K per year, its OK but the dealer will make sure that the service standard is horrendous.
• Lauras are known for electronic gremlins, A/T box premature failures (DSG-the one that you drove), and Air con defects and that will not help the case either.
• If you have driven an automatic car, I recommend buy a brand new Hyundai Verna CRDI SX AT, it will serve you well.
• If you can afford to spend a lakh and half extra, go for the Cruze LT. Warrenty and maintenance packages are good and Chevy's A.S.S. seems to be improving. Its a good VFM diesel car.
• If you still want a second hand car, trying getting a used accord AT 2002 model or a civic in the used car mart will serve you well.
• My advise: DO NOT go for a used skoda,you may regret it, even though you may love it initially.

[ElantraGT]

Originally Posted by prateekm

Well, I have gone through it and hence wanted to know on how to distinguish between a good one and a bad skoda. Well, I just checked out with a guy owning a laura and he said it's about 15k if you do it through the dealer but they overcharge for oil change which can be also done from a good mechanic. So even if I keep 15k in mind as the maintenance for 6 months, 30k is affordable to me (there was a typo in the 1st post)

My friend prateek if you are able to pay 20 k - 30 K on annual maintenance I wont advise a skoda, because you might end up paying 30K monthly for one part or the other that fail. After going through all the horrible service experience by the owners I would not recommend anything from the Skoda platform. Please dont get me wrong. Octaivia was my dream car but I opted out and settled for Elantra. These service guys will make you bleed through your nose.

Have you TD Civic and Altis, they would be value for money too. Wish you all the best for your search. Do keep us posted.

[.anshuman]

You need much more than this to maintain a Laura. Like Ford Ikon premature failure of parts is a known issue with Laura. And with parts so expensive ownership experience can turn into a horror story if some critical part gives up after warranty.

[thegame]

Buy a brand new cedia sports. You can't ask for more at that price point. IMHO its the best sedan in India and lucky for you its bang on your budget!

[Ramsagar]

As said by fellow Bhpians, pls keep away from Laura.
If you are looking for premium segment JETTA would be good.
Best VFM is Cruz avialable today with good power and service. Should be more reliable as well. They 3y/45000km plan & warranty of spares.

[Ravveendrra]

Contrary to the popular opinion here, the Laura is a great car. (Period).

None of the others come close to it for handling and ride + the Laura is built like a tank. The FE is the icing on the cake, as the Laura returns a FE of about 13 kmpl in the city, on Diesel!

There are a fair number of satisfied, make that delighted, Laura owners here on TBHP but, like they say in the newspaper trade - bad news sells! A satisfied and happy owner is not 'news' particularly if the car is a Skoda, so those threads are rarely visited except by other Skoda owners.

That being said, keeping a 5 year time frame in mind, Rs.20K a year for maintainance of a large Diesel bought 2nd hand, is too low. Search and read the long term ownership threads for detailed costs of maintainance.

Cheers,

[ackyash]

DO NOT BUY SKODA CARS:

I also happen to own a Skoda Laura L&K 1.9 Auto which I had purchased in Feb 2006 and it has been a nightmare to say the least.

Car has less than 50,000 kms on odo and

2 turbocharge failures
1 AC compressor failure
1 turbo pipe failure
1 driver electric seat going haywire (while driving that too)
1 flywheel needs to be replaced (making noises since last 6 months or so)
1 front axle
and tons of more stuff which I cant recall

Most of the above stuff happened in the 1st 2 years of ownership and was taken care of under warranty. But car has been out of warranty since Feb 2008 and has been draining my wallet/bank balance since then like no tomorrow.

The car is currently parked for the last 2 weeks as I'm currently hagling with Skoda / Dealer regarding flywheel which can go bust any minute.

All Skoda parts have Audi / VW logo on them and I think Audi, VW and Skoda have lots of common parts. Parts cost a bomb. I'm sure that if I assemble a Laura from parts it would probably cost 50 lacs LOL
Hence after this Laura, I have sworn never to buy VW / Audi or Skoda again.

As someone said earlier that only people with probs make noise, that may very well be true.
But the fact of the matter is that the amount of noise heard about Skoda A.S.S. and issues with the Laura are heard a lot, lot more than say an Accord or Corolla. That should tell you something.

[arnabchak]

Hi

At a good budget of Rs 10 Lacs, why do you want a second hand car?

At that price, you have a number of good new car options.

I would like to recommend the following as per preference.
All the cars are manual.

1) Most VFM would be the Civic. Still class leading interiors and great driveability.
2) The Chevy Cruze is a new entrant and is hitting all the right notes. The car seems fresh and with GM *** getting better, the scenario is changing. You may have to stretch your budget a bit here.
3) Toyota Corolla Altis. No nonsense car. Isn't a great looker but still a Toyota. Service issues not a hassle.
4) Mitsubishi Cedia-Good car but slightly high on maintenance.

A skoda is a strict No-No considering their apathy towards customer concerns.

[issigonis]

Prateek,

My two pennies worth.

1.If you have had no experience of cars in the segment that you are interested in, it is best to avoid second hand cars, Laura included. The TCO could be high, especially if you are totally dependent on others for information on car maintenance & repair. Go only of you have complete trust on the person selling the car. Do not go for models which did not sell well ( viz. Tucson, as it will be a challenge getting ready spares at the right prices; also finding the right mechanics could be troublesome).
2. With a budget of 10l, you can think of cars in the 8-10 l range ( City. Linea are two cars that come to mind immediately)
3. If you want to go one segment above, try out the Altis, the Optra, the Civic and the Cruz ( 12-14 l approx.)

Take TDs, drive over roads you are familiar with, see your comfort levels with the car ( how does it feel to you during driving, under braking, cornering, seating space, carrying passengers at the rear and so on, depending on your priorities), make a comprehensive assessment and then select. Do not be hustled by any salesman into taking a rushed decision.

You should buy the right car, not the first one.

All the best and safe driving.

Regards

[lancer&shogun]

Originally Posted by prateekm

My budget is upto 10 lacs and I am primarily looking at a Second Hand Car at that budget.

My sincere advice prateek, with 10 lacs budget you can go for

1. Honda - Accord (used)

or

2. Cedia - Sports (new)

But stay away from Second hand Skoda products.

Cheers,
L&S.

[shatrughna]

Hi Prateek. I own a Laura 1.9 TDI AT and one of the few satisfied owners ( as Ravveendrra mentioned). I had done a thorough search before buying that included used Accord V6,3.0, Jetta 1.9 AT, Civic AT and owned a Verna VGT ( reason for tuning Laura) ,that time.
Overall, I found Laura best VFM and loaded.

Have even remapped the ECU, put green cotton dynamic filter and cat back exhaust- and having fun - so with it went my warranty also ( within a month of purchase). Touchwood , till now no issues. Done 13K- getting good FE, great driving fun and will send it for first service at 15 K in few weeks.

However, as all have suggested, I wouldnot touch a used car with a barge pole- have had forgettable (bad) experiences and with the threads on Skoda cars and dealers at TBHP- never a used Skoda unless its of my own family member, well known & reliable friend with an honest workshop nearby where I stay.

[ackyash]

Prateek, this particular Laura you are liking is what year of manufacturing and how many kms has it done?