[John316_WRC]

Dear fellow BHPians, I'm planning to book a car within this month. Need your sound advice & suggestions. Will give a short background, my requirements, budget etc. so it will be easier for all your inputs.

Brief car history of my family:
Maruti Omni (bought used, sold)

Coming from a middle class background this was a big deal for us back in 1998! Have some amazing childhood memories with this one. Dad had to drive over bad roads and the Omni couldn't cope up. Safety was a major concern too and it was sold after 5 years of use.
Tata Safari, pre-Dicor (bought used, sold)

Super comfy, punchy engine. Good shove in the seat feeling when pushed hard. Great mile muncher. Unfortunately reliability was a major sore point and expenses were way too high for us & sold it within 3 years only. Still I feel lucky to have owned this iconic car.
Fiat Punto Petrol (bought new, donated for a cause)

Honestly such a hard car to replace. I truly love this car. It was our first new car, so it was all the more special. Solid, mechanical, with stellar handling. Special mention to the steering feel, what a gem that hydraulic unit was!!
Honda BRV Petrol (bought new, current family car)

This is a very underrated car. Amazing reliability - zero issues since August 2016. Nice punchy Vtec engine & even though the car looks small from outside, it has great space inside. Its a pity people didn't realise what a practical vehicle the BRV is. Will keep this car till its wheels fall off!

Now for my requirements:
-Fun to drive with good high speed stability
-No compromise on safety & build
-Manual transmission, Petrol, 5 seater.
- I'm not a features person, I'd rather buy the lower version of a higher segment car. I'll gladly chose precise steering over a sunroof, 365 days of the year!

My budget is around 9 lacs on road, willing to stretch to 10 lacs OTR but not beyond that.
Contenders in no particular order:
1. Polo Turbo edition 6.99 L
2. Skoda Rapid Rider 7.79 L
3. Altroz iTurbo XT 7.74 L
4. XUV 300 Petrol W4 7.95 L

Few pointers-
- The Figo/Freestyle are best experienced in their diesel avatars, and my low usage simply doesn't warrant a diesel hence they're out of contention.
- The rear seat space of the Polo is pushing me towards the Rapid.
- The XUV300 has an obvious advantage over the others on bad roads. Also the only true comfortable 5 seater here.
- Whatever I buy will be kept for 10 years at least.

So its time to put my money where my mouth is! (I've been raving about the Rapid Rider ever since its launch)
Am I missing out any other option? I need the guidance of my Team BHP family here & I'm open to suggestions.

Hope y'all & your families are doing safe. Cheers!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by John316_WRC

Polo Turbo edition 6.99 L

Good, but because you need rear seat space, the next option:

2. Skoda Rapid Rider 7.79 L

Is the most suited. Lovely engine and lots (read = LOTS) of fun on the open road. Still the best suspension in the C2 segment and safe too. Main downsides = it's old & Skoda's poor after-sales. Be sure to get the extended warranty.

3. Altroz iTurbo XT 7.74 L

Nice petrol hatchback and much improved over the NA Altroz. But not what I'd call "fun" at all and certainly not in the league of a Polo / Rapid 1.0 TSI when it comes to driving pleasure. 0 - 100 in 12 seconds & max revs of just 5,500.

4. XUV 300 Petrol W4 7.95 L

A superb crossover, truly premium, a mini-Creta. Test-drive this and the Rapid again, and pick whichever pulls the strings to our heart more. Buy the one that makes you smile more during the TD.

[akash_v12]

Originally Posted by John316_WRC

Dear fellow BHPians, I'm planning to book a car within this month. Need your sound advice & suggestions. Will give a short background, my requirements, budget etc. so it will be easier for all your inputs.

Hi!
I feel like you've narrowed your requirements right down to your options.
For 10 Lakhs, you've got multiple options but the best one that suits you out of your options is the Rapid Rider (provided you live in a city where the A.S.S is good.) It's not an outright 5-seater, much like the Vento & Polo but the hump is livable for a person of my height (I am around 5'9 - 5'10) through long journeys since you can stretch your legs on either side.
If you want to take a look at CSUVs, the Nexon XZ is a good buy for just over 10L OTR-Delhi. Even the Magnite Turbo makes good sense for 9.5L OTR-Delhi. But like all other Nissan-Renault products for India, it makes sense to wait for a few months for the manufacturer to sort out all the issues with the cars.

I'm not a features person, I'd rather buy the lower version of a higher segment car. I'll gladly choose precise steering over a sunroof, 365 days of the year!

Now, that my friend, is a sign of a true enthusiast

[VWAllstar]

Since you wish to keep the car for a decade, I would suggest you go for the Polo TSI MT. Reading your post, I belive this particular car would be driven mostly by you. For family trips you have a good option in BRV. The Rapid makes a good buy however Polo will be like a point and shoot car. Even though it's a decade old already, the shape, design, engine, GB and features are on par with the competition. Since you liked the Punto, Polo would come closest to it albeit with a not so good steering wheel. Best of luck

[Latheesh]

Originally Posted by John316_WRC

Contenders in no particular order:
1. Polo Turbo edition 6.99 L
2. Skoda Rapid Rider 7.79 L
3. Altroz iTurbo XT 7.74 L
4. XUV 300 Petrol W4 7.95 L

None of the above

Go for Vento Turbo edition @8.65 L
It has alloy wheels, fog lamps, cruise control, front and rear arm rests, LED tail lamp, seat cover, spoiler, better looking steering wheel with cover, full body skirting, rear AC vents, and piano black mirrors. This edition is much better choice than Rapid base variants.

[sahil624]

Hi, you may take a look at Nissan Magnite or Renault Kiger in the Turbo Petrol avatar. Also, since the rear seat space is a requirement, you may also take a look at the lower variant of Nexon Petrol.

[myavu]

My money is with Tata Altroz XT iTurbo.

You are buying a car in 2021. Buy the latest and safest car.

Fun to drive doesn't mean you have to win all those traffic drag races or "I will show you who I am" attitude. There is no point having that 0 to 100 times under 11 or even 10 seconds in long run. It is like buying a SD 865 SoC fitted Mobile phone and using it for your regular calls, Facebook, Instagram & WhatsApp.

Test drive iTurbo. You will not be disappointed.

Cheers!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by myavu

Fun to drive doesn't mean you have to win all those traffic drag races or "I will show you who I am" attitude. There is no point having that 0 to 100 times under 11 or even 10 seconds in long run.

No man, it's not about that at all. It's about "how the car makes you feel". Trust me, that 1.0 TSI from VAG is absolutely delicious in the way it revs, how the throttle response is, how happy it is at the redline, the sheer eagerness to deliver. I have driven the 1.0 TSI on the same road as some cars with 3X / 4X / 5X the horsepower and it still made me really wide. That engine is the definition of fun-to-drive. In a Polo / Vento / Rapid, it also has the chassis to match.

[myavu]

Originally Posted by GTO

No man, it's not about that at all. It's about "how the car makes you feel".

Yes, I agree to the feeling part. But if we take the car as whole, it is quite old now. If he's going for a pre-worshiped route then it should be either VAG cousins. But for a brand new car costing a million OTR and a longer ownership perspective my choice will be iturbo any day. Yes I am compromising a little fun here for a well rounded car ownership experience.

Cheers!

[H0RSEPOWER]

Among the cars you have listed, Skoda Rapid Rider would be the best bet. But as there might be issues with the Skoda ASS later, I would suggest you to check Hyundai Aura SX Plus Turbo Petrol also. It has an awesome power to weight ratio of 110 BHP/ton, which is even higher than the higher segment C2 sedans such as Honda City!

[Leem]

I am in the market for something in similar bracket and have been on TD spree for some time. Best feeling i had was with Rapid 1.0 TSI.

Dont rule out Nissan magnite if youre ok with crossovers.
Renault Kiger even though it is the same underneath makes you feel like youre sitting beside a wall, you find it difficult to engage your seat belt.

Altroz is good, but not when you have Rapid on the list

[Altocumulus]

Voted for the Rapid.

Looking at your past cars it seems you are not to keen on features and gimmicks. The Rapid though an old platform is super competent and has all the required and usable features.

However since your budget is 10L, stretch it a wee little bit and get the Ambition or the Onyx, its worth it. Mine is an AT and even then it's super fun. In the MT there is significant turbo lag lower down and needs getting used to. The only grouch in the lower variants is the absence of Cruise Control, which if is a requirement, you can check the Vento Tsi like someone mentioned. I sure miss it not being there.

With regards to sales and after sales experience it has been fantastic so far. Hope it stays that way. The changes which Skoda is implementing is bold, and it shows.

Seems you are in Delhi NCR region. If yes, do PM me and I will get in touch with my Sales Advisor. I have got a superb deal, and till now haven't seen anyone beat it.

[Vasanth]

Voted for Rapid Rider just because rear space is important to you.
Why not Polo?
It’s a good car , but the rear seat comfort is average.
Why not XUV 300 ?
Well, I have not test driven this car. But I always assume, being a compact SUV/ jacked up hatchback it will never be fun to drive when compared to sedan or hatchback.
Why not Altroz I Turbo?
To be honest, personally I would not mind picking this car. But if you give me option I would pick the German any day.
And t-bhp review has also emphasised again and again : It is not a hot hatch like the Polo TSI.

[TurboGuy]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

Go for Vento Turbo edition @8.65 L
It has alloy wheels, fog lamps, cruise control, front and rear arm rests, LED tail lamp, seat cover, spoiler, better looking steering wheel with cover, full body skirting, rear AC vents, and piano black mirrors. This edition is much better choice than Rapid base variants.

Wow! This is such a lovely package and I am surprised Vento isn't the shopping list for many people these days even with such great pricing. May be it's the very Poloish front profile on a bigger car is something most of the buyers not keen on. And, I am sure he can get better discount on VW as well. When I was hunting for a C2 sedan, the Vento TSI HL+ was offered flat 80k less than the Rapid Montecarlo TSI though I settled with the Skoda

[ankitsharma]

I was in a similar situation 1.5 months back with nearly the same requirements as yours except the preference for a petrol . I went in for the Skoda Rapid Ambition and I am loving it.

Yes it has the 3 cylinder thrum at idle and in the lower revs but the bliss comes in after 2K.
High speed stability is perfect. Steering feedback is sharp. And the exhaust note is a bit sporty.
Out of the 4 options listed and given your requirements I would say go for either Vento or Rapid. You can choose whatever variant you want.


P.S. Rider is garnering high waiting periods. I will be posting a detailed ownership experience shortly.