[Poitive]

Originally Posted by CarBorne

Following are the requirements, in no specific order:
1. Prefer Manual over automatic – for me automatics seem to take away the feel of driving
2. Great driving dynamics and highway cruising ability
3. Safety
4. Intend to keep the car for the long term since this will be our first car, so should age well
5. Related to above point, future proof to the extent possible – in terms of features/creature comforts (I understand nothing will tick all the boxes)
6. Comfortable seating for 5 preferably
7. Immediate availability as I don’t have any alternate options, so didn’t even bother checking out Astor and XUV700

I too love manual transmission

If you find the ergonomics and NVH acceptable, a Harrier should be much fun on the highway, and could well be a better choice than a Compass for 5 people in comfort, regardless of finances. I am actually drawn to it due to it's hydraulic steering and the feedback it provides. The Compass does well for an EPS, but it ain't no hydraulic. Regarding your wife feeling okay with it, the best answer might come from another 25 km drive with her on the steering. She is likely to find it less bothersome as she gets used to it. For a Tata especially, it would be rewarding to build a good relationship with people at a service centre, than rely on processes alone. Being a startup entrepreneur, it might not be a big challenge.

If looking at comfort, both in ride and steering, one might consider a Hector. Many easily dismiss it due to it's soft suspension, but on getting a bit used to it, I think it won't be half as bad as the reviews might have you believe. Many on the forum happily report it's mile crunching ability, and have happy service reports. It came across as being rather well built.

For the Compass one also needs to take a very subjective call on where the company might be heading. A city the size of Delhi has only one dealer. I get apprehensive about it when I read the Compass thread. I had almost signed a cheque for it. It is a sprightly nimble fun to drive car, but might not be spacious enough for 5, especially if some are wide framed. It might score on the balance of ease and feel of steering though. Also consider cost of repairs (there is a recent thread on clutch replacement at 15k kms).

Would also suggest you to not focus too much on a solitary bad experience at a dealership. While it shows a deficiency in a delaer process, IMO it isn't a big enough reason to dismiss a car. My much loved Optra Magnum with which I had an excellent decade started off with a poor dealership experience. (documented on the forum)

Regarding the VAG bros, do check on niggles and opinions on buying cars in the first 1-2 years of their launch. They are often more troublesome.

I'm not one for features, and might not be able to comment much on the financial aspect. I could go on about the driving feel etc, but simpler to point you to the pretty detailed drive experiences I've recently shared. Also covers some safety aspects.

Link

[FiatDiesel]

As you plan to keep car for long and plan a family too, car in range 20-25 lacs offer good options. Also it is clearly visible that you are inclined towards them. In 12-13 lacs you are in Magnite /Kiger top end territory which I guess are not being considered.

In 20+ lacs range, my picks will be Hector & Compass. Both are high quality vehicles, have gem of Diesel engine and offer fuss free ownership except post sales experience of Jeep service. Both vehicles will serve you well in long term.

And as I can observe from your post that you value and expect professional approach and timely attention from dealership, you will get it from MG. I vouch for it based on my multiple experiences with them.

I can’t comment on other products as have no experience with them but over last 2 decades have understood the importance of good after sales service and it’s one of the important factors for me while making purchase.

Good luck, hope you find the best which serves you and family well.

[CarBorne]

Originally Posted by Poitive

I too love manual transmission

If you find the ergonomics and NVH acceptable, a Harrier should be much fun on the highway, and could well be a better choice than a Compass for 5 people in comfort, regardless of finances. I am actually drawn to it due to it's hydraulic steering and the feedback it provides. The Compass does well for an EPS, but it ain't no hydraulic. For a Tata especially, it would be rewarding to build a good relationship with people at a service centre, than rely on processes alone. Being a startup entrepreneur, it might not be a big challenge.

Originally Posted by FiatDiesel

As you plan to keep car for long and plan a family too, car in range 20-25 lacs offer good options. Also it is clearly visible that you are inclined towards them. In 12-13 lacs you are in Magnite /Kiger top end territory which I guess are not being considered.

In 20+ lacs range, my picks will be Hector & Compass. Both are high quality vehicles, have gem of Diesel engine and offer fuss free ownership except post sales experience of Jeep service. Both vehicles will serve you well in long term.

And as I can observe from your post that you value and expect professional approach and timely attention from dealership, you will get it from MG. I vouch for it based on my multiple experiences with them.

I can’t comment on other products as have no experience with them but over last 2 decades have understood the importance of good after sales service and it’s one of the important factors for me while making purchase.

Good luck, hope you find the best which serves you and family well.

Thanks Poitive and FiatDiesel for your recommendations. Have gone ahead and booked a Harrier in White DT. Hector was never a contender after having driven it once. It was a tough call between Compass and Harrier. After a lot of deliberations, didn't find the Compass Limited worthy of the premium over Harrier. Did consider Model S for a while but for a change, the head prevailed and decided to go for Harrier. The great discounts on Harrier made the deal even sweeter.

Waiting for the delivery now!

[dmplog]

I am in market for a Crossover / SUV in the range of 15L (some upward revision of budget possible).

I currently own Punto 1.3 Diesel and I love it. But 9 years old Fiat car with ever thinning service and spare situation have forced me to start looking for a replacement.

So what are my needs and wants?

• Will be self driven (occassionally by better half)
• Needs to be safe. Proven Crash test results of India spec car is required.
• Needs to be reliable over a number of years, so service continuity and spares availability is important.
• Rear bench should seat 3. We are a family of 3 with parents joining in occassionally. So seating 5 over long distances.
• Should drive well. I am spoilt by Punto. So Handling and dynamics is what I am looking for.
• I am not looking for EV yet. And I am willing to consider both Petrol and Diesel. Though I love torquey diesels.
• Preferring manual transmission. Never driven automatics and I still have not taken fancy

Nice to haves (below are not mandatory but could tilt balance in tight comparisons)

• Sunroof
• Connected car features
• Auto headlamps and wipers

I looked at S-cross, Kushaq, Slavia, Nexon, Harrier. Did not consider others due various reasons such as Safety (Korean siblings), Brand (Nissan/Renault) , size (Harrier), or lack of suitable products (Mahindra now having a 4 - 4.3m SUV). But suggest if I have missed any based on my needs.

Current cars in consideration are Nexon (Petrol, Diesel), Kushaq and S-cross.

My regular monthly running is under 1000 kms. But will have couple of long drives (500-1000 kms) every year.

I have taken short test drives of all of the cars above except Nexon Diesel.

Please can I have your expert advice on above?

[Puffdamgcdragon]

Mod Note : Please do NOT post messages that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the quality of this forum.

We advise you to read the Forum Rules before proceeding any further. Request to post ONLY when you have something substantial to add to a discussion.

[sreerknair]

Considering your needs and nice to have features, I would suggest you take a test drive of Honda City 5th Gen. VX MT should be with in your budget. I would suggest you test drive the CVT too. I too had similar needs and ended up buying a City CVT. In handling and dynamics it won't be close to Punto though. You have to sacrifice one or the other from the wishlist.

[bhairavp]

Hello. We have a Verna 1.6 SX, 2018 model, and are looking at getting a second car for ourselves. Budget between 20-25L OTR in Mumbai.
The Verna will be relegated to being a chauffeur driven runabout for our 10-year old daughter, and for my wife for her meetings around Mumbai.
I will drive this new car - morning runs to the club for tennis/gym etc, and drives outside Mumbai - Nashik, Mahabaleshwar, Lonavala etc.

Diesel - AT is preferable, but Petrol-AT would do as well, as the out-of-town visits are going to be once a month or so.

We are leaning toward an SUV-lite, e.g. the Kushaq/Taigun. The Creta/Seltos twins are out, not very happy with their safety ratings. No Chinese cars (personal preference).

What would you guys suggest? Virtus/Slavia or the Compass also come to mind - any other options in this range?

Thanks.

[Axe77]

Might be worth considering the Toyota Hyryder as well perhaps. Should sit in that sweet price spot. Reliable, hopefully reasonably modern, you get strong hybrid fuel efficiency and can side step diesel (if FE was the driver to prefer diesel).

Watch areas would be adequacy of boot space for those long trips and of course the fun to drive factor if the direct competition are the 1.5L VAG DSG, which will perhaps be more engaging in terms of driving experience.

[IamThat]

Hello bhpians,

Wish you all a very happy Vinayaka Chaviti/Chaturdi.
So, today on this auspicious day, my search for next car begins. What better place than this forum to begin the process.

Brief background:

Im presently using Hyundai i10 model, which is slightly more than 10 years with me. It is my first car and it served me well more than I expected. Typical running is <1000 Km per month. Now, Im looking for my second car with intent to keep it for at least 10 years. Following are some of the points that factor in the decision process.
- It will be a new car.
- Suitable for 4 elders and 1 child. Ingress/egress should be easier for seniors.
- Preferably a reliable auto-gear. Else Manual.
- Should be reasonably fun to drive in my driving speeds. Very rarely do I go beyond 80kmph.
- Should be safe.
- Petrol or Diesel or Hybrid(in order of priority)

Cars considered:

- Creta etrol(auto & manual gearbox with turbo engine) and diesel auto only.
- Kushaq : 1L (auto & manual) and 1.5L (manual only)
- Sonet : Diesel auto only
- Altroz : Turbo, ruled out as turbo engine isn't offered with auto gearbox.

Reasoning:

If you see, three of the above options are SUVs. basically from the point of ease of getting into/out of the car for parents. Altroz was considered for its safety ratings, its just a wild card option.

Creta, is a nice allrounder, my concern is about the safety point of view and the long term maintenance costs. I understand safety rating is three star only, which is pathetic for a 2 million rupee car. However, it is in the list because its like Ravindra Jadeja of Indian cricket team.

Kushaq is pleasant with reasonable ergonomics and ease of driving. But the concern here is the manufacturer's reputation in handling post sales and long term reliability aspect and of course the service network. If they have a service renters spaced 100-150 Km apart, that would have been reassuring. Model with DQ200 ruled out for peace of mind.Not sure of the safety rating of the car though.

Sonet is here primarily for the Diesel auto version.

So, now what?

Well, with this, I seek your views and suggestions for getting ahead further.

Before, you ask me, why not Hyryder. Let me tell you because its not the kind of car I expected from Toyota. It actually seems like a hybrid (Toyota+Suzuki - pun intended) than hyryde. No offence to anyone, thats my view on the car. Hence, ruled out. Otherwise, expectation of a SUV from Toyota is one of the reasons for me holding back the purchase till this time.

Look forward to hear your comments, guys. Thanks for reading.

[sunikkat]

Considering you rarely go above 80, I don’t see any reason to select Kushaq 1.5. The difference of 1.5 TSI over any of the car shortlisted, can really be felt above 100 kmph. And boy, that 1.5 is indeed a performer on highways.
If my priorities were similar to yours, I would have gone for Kushaq 1 TSI TC. I am using Skoda since 6+ years and the service in Bangalore is as good as Hyundai. Cannot comment on Vizag though.

[fergus]

Originally Posted by sunikkat

Considering you rarely go above 80, I don’t see any reason to select Kushaq 1.5. The difference of 1.5 TSI over any of the car shortlisted, can really be felt above 100 kmph. And boy, that 1.5 is indeed a performer on highways.
If my priorities were similar to yours, I would have gone for Kushaq 1 TSI TC. I am using Skoda since 6+ years and the service in Bangalore is as good as Hyundai. Cannot comment on Vizag though.

Are you driving the Kushaq 1.0? Are al the niggling problems with the vehicle during the initial months after launch sorted out in your vehicle? what is the real world mileage you get in city and on highway? Are the in car features easy to use?

[sunikkat]

Originally Posted by fergus

Are you driving the Kushaq 1.0? Are al the niggling problems with the vehicle during the initial months after launch sorted out in your vehicle? what is the real world mileage you get in city and on highway? Are the in car features easy to use?

Sorry buddy, I don’t own a Kushaq. The Skoda I have is Octavia.
I cannot comment much on your queries. But one of my close friend has a Kushaq 1.5, which I get to drive too, and he has not faced any issues in his ownership of 15+ months.

[IamThat]

Originally Posted by sunikkat

Considering you rarely go above 80, I don’t see any reason to select Kushaq 1.5. The difference of 1.5 TSI over any of the car shortlisted, can really be felt above 100 kmph. And boy, that 1.5 is indeed a performer on highways.
If my priorities were similar to yours, I would have gone for Kushaq 1 TSI TC. I am using Skoda since 6+ years and the service in Bangalore is as good as Hyundai. Cannot comment on Vizag though.

Thanks Sunikkat. With the recent cars of Hyundai, don't see much of difference between german and korean cars in terms of maintenance costs. Only difference being the spread of Hyundai service network.

And this story of Hyundai response is horrific, at the least.

Another pop-up today is the Innova Chyrsta Petrol LE with Rs 17.45 L Ex-showroom. Its almost the same price as 1.5 TSI Kushaq. Considering the price factor alone, Chrysta petrol looks tempting. Not sure about the other comparison parameters.

[dnabhi25]

Dear Members,

Happy Dussehra to everyone and their families! This is the first thread which I am posting on Team-BHP. The title already shows what this post is all going to be about, and something which has been discussed on this platform numerous times. I am looking for valuable advice from all of you on the first car which I plan to purchase finally after completing a decade of my professional journey. This has been a dream since childhood and which my father couldn't achieve and I want to do it for my family as well.

I have been reading Team-BHP for more than 12 years now, and I think this forum is a heaven for enthusiasts all over the country and the world. I became a member of this forum only last year!

To set the context and give you an idea of my requirements and background. Here it is:
[list][*]I am 32 years old, learnt driving 5 years back on a brilliant Swift Diesel -which had clocked more than 250,000 kms![*]I live in Thane, Maharashtra with my mother (retired principal who is nearing 70), my wife and 2 year old daughter[*]Considering the worsening traffic scene in Mumbai and MMRDA areas, my requirement is for an automatic car (torque converter / CVT gearbox) budget constrained to 15-16 lakhs on road[*]Need a car which is safe, spacious, fun to drive, compact in the city and decent looking

Here's what I narrowed my options down to:

- Skoda Kushaq Ambition Classic variant
- Honda Jazz ZX
- Maruti Brezza ZXi
- Honda City VX
- MG Astor CVT

I had actually finalised to book the Ford Figo automatic (6 speed TC) which they had released in India just before packing up. The car was a complete hoot to drive and I even went to book it but for some reason the dealership (Satyam Ford in Thane West) didn't take my booking and a week later Ford called it quits in India. I have missed out on some brilliant cars which were decent, safe, fun to drive (VW Polo, Ford Figo, Ford Ecosport). I consider myself a Ford fanboy and badly miss the company in India.

Now, I do not know whether I am confusing myself or members here, but as you can see i am in a mess as unfortunately there is not a car available in the market which is niggle free, fun to drive, decent looks and within the budget! I do not want to go through the used car route as both my wife and mother are against it. Also, the waiting period for some cars is frustrating with some cars having more than 6-7 months of waiting!

Also, safe cars like Tata Nexon were not considered as I did not like the AMT gearbox.

I would request if you could guide me accordingly so that I could purchase a vehicle soon for myself and family. Look forward to reading your views

[ajayc123]

Hey, you have done a great job shortlisting.
You have to look at your priorities and driving style eliminate the ones that come out low: example:
example: if mileage is important: eliminate 1 5
If you want power , eliminate 2, if sedate driver keep 2
If nhv or niggles ate a concern eliminate 1
Hopefully you get the drift.
And of course, the seating and ergonomic aspects to finalize once u have a shorter list.
All the best.