[AJ56]

Originally Posted by souvikjana83

Unfortunately due to my busy schedule, I haven't been able to test drive many cars. I have also extended my budget to 15 lakhs so that I can also consider those cars which are high on safety. Here are some of the observations for the cars that I tested in recent times:

1. Kia Seltos iMT: While I have not test driven this yet, this is a strong contender now. Kia is also planning to bring 6 airbags standard in all its cars. The backseat hopefully will be good for 3 adults. Will be test driving this soon. My only concern is the lack of Hill Hold Control on this. Wish they would have provided that to avoid rollback on hills.

2. Mahindra XUV300: This is my favorite on paper. Even though Mahindra has removed the knee airbag from top variant, but I still think the top model is a very good car. Will test drive the manual first to see if the clutch is a concern, then only would go for AMT. Although heard this AMT is the best out there.

3. Tata Nexon: Heard from lot of people that AMT is jerky. Will check the manual to see how hard is the clutch and if it is a good option. But the lack of CVT or a proper Auto is definitely an issue.

4. Renault Kiger CVT: A great car for city drives. The top most model under Rs 12 lakhs is quite good. While my concern with mud behind tail lights has temporarily been resolved by Renault using Foam but it is definitely not a long term solution. Still keeping this as an option since it has scored 4 stars safety rating recently.

5. Toyota Urban Cruiser AT
6. Next Gen Maruti S-Cross AT
7. Maruti XL6 AT

Any reason for not considering sedans? They will ride and handle better, with less body roll around corners and vertical movement on uneven highways. At the very least do test drive ones in the budget.

[souvikjana83]

Originally Posted by AJ56

Any reason for not considering sedans? They will ride and handle better, with less body roll around corners and vertical movement on uneven highways. At the very least do test drive ones in the budget.

I am already driving the Honda City and its underbody scrapes everytime at the uneven bumper near my home. Plus my wife wants an SUV that's why I haven't considered sedans.

[naru80]

I'm in the same situation.

All automatics around the million rupee mark are disappointing.

The Kiger is the best bet but the interiors plastics/layout are too basic. Plus Renault brand somehow doesn't inspire confidence. (for eg: last weekend we went to half a dozen showrooms: All of them were busy, Kia was esp buzzing, and Mahindra was like a mela. Renault in stark contrast has just two customers.)

Venue/Sonet DCT pricing at ~13lakh doesn't look like value for money. The variant mix is odd: you are forced to pay for sunroof if you want automatic. (Sonet interiors, though, have the most upmarket feel in this price range)

The iMT version is priced the same as manual (Venue) but i didn't really get the point of this clutchless wonder.

Last hope is the Amaze CVT which i will TD tomorrow.

Sadly the older Grand i10 Auto (though from a lower segment) is no longer in production. I have driven my neighbor's, and it is really nice.

[souvikjana83]

I have booked the Creta DCT SX(O) variant in White color in Hyderabad today. I absolutely loved driving it while I took the test drive.

Due to this I have to push my budget even further till ₹21.5 lakhs. However, since it will take 8-10 months for the car to be delivered due to high demand and chip shortage, I will save up the additional amount in these months to reduce my car loan amount.

It will be more than 13 yrs for my Honda City when I will eventually let go of it probably early next year once my delivery date will come. Will miss the iVtec and hope the Creta DCT will be as much fun to drive as the City.

I thank everyone who gave a lot of great suggestions during my car hunt.

[kmadhok]

Originally Posted by souvikjana83

I have booked the Creta DCT SX(O) variant in White color in Hyderabad today.

Congratulations on your decision. Making a decision in itself is a big step.
Do remember to save up extra to cater for price increases till next year. Some folks like me were not aware but the final price of the car is taken at the time of invoice and not at the time of booking.
Given the ivtec is 13 years old it must have depreciated the max it could and used car price should not vary much between now and the time you receive your new car.

[souvikjana83]

Originally Posted by kmadhok

Congratulations on your decision. Making a decision in itself is a big step.

Thank you. I totally agree with your point. Even with so many cars in the market, it's a big challenge to replace the City. I started with a budget of ₹12 lakhs but after searching for many months, I realised all my requirements and some more will be fulfilled by a car which will not price less than ₹22 lakhs.

Originally Posted by kmadhok

Do remember to save up extra to cater for price increases till next year. Some folks like me were not aware but the final price of the car is taken at the time of invoice and not at the time of booking.

Yes I am aware that not only there will be a price hike of the car, but given the current price hikes of petrol, it may be possible that by the time I will get the car, prices of petrol itself will be around ₹200 per ltr. So running cost in congested Hyderabad will be quite high . But since my office is quite nearby, the low fuel economy won't impact my monthly fuel budget that much.

Originally Posted by kmadhok

Given the ivtec is 13 years old it must have depreciated the max it could and used car price should not vary much between now and the time you receive your new car.

That's right I will see how much I will get in the used car market. Unfortunately it's registered in Delhi so I won't be able to re-register it after 15 yrs else I may have kept it with me for few more yrs as its still in very good condition.

[souvikjana83]

It's been a long time since I have updated this thread. A lot has happened since the time I have booked the Creta DCT in Apr.

Due to long waiting times and just 3 stars in GNCAP rating of the Creta, I have cancelled my booking last month. I saw a lot of videos of issues with the dry DCT of Hyundai/Kia and in hot summer of Hyderabad, there was a high chance this issue would come. I could have changed my booking to CVT but the low safety rating of the Creta pulled me back.

Now somedays back one of my friend called me up and we met. Got to check out his car which was the Hector Manual. It felt big and butch and very spacious inside.

I actually never considered the Hector as I felt it was quite above my budget. But came to know from him that it's actually not that costly. The first thing which I noticed immediately is the difference in build quality between the Creta and Hector. Even though it is not tested, but I am sure it would score 4 stars easily.

I checked out the Hector at my nearest dealer which was MG Kondapur and asked for a test drive. The showroom experience was quite good and the SA was very knowledgeable and answered all my questions. I test drove both the manual and the CVT and felt the CVT was quite good. The waiting period as per SA is around 4-5 months.

Checked out the prices I found the Shine CVT variant was priced under ₹20 lacs on road Hyderabad. I was dumbfounded. This variant had all necessary features one would want in a car including Auto Hold, Electric Parking, Hill Hold Control, Hill Descent Control, Break Assist, ESP, TC, the huge 10" touchscreen and even a normal Sunroof. It was total VFM product from MG and kudos to MG to have all these features in Hector at such excellent pricing.

The top variant Sharp has additional 6 airbags instead of 2 in Shine, 6+ Infinity Speaker system which sound awesome, Panoramic Sunroof, 360 deg camera, Leather Seats, Ventilated Front Seats, 18" tyres with diamond cut alloy wheels and auto folding ORVMs among other things. I felt for this big a car 360 deg camera is a very essential feature. Also for summers of Hyderabad, Ventilated Seats would also be nice to have feature.

The difference between Shine and Sharp variant was a whopping ₹3.7 lacs. Unfortunately, the mid variant has more or less discontinued and dealers are not taking booking of the same. I was quite confused whether to get the VFM Shine variant or splurge to go for the top end Sharp variant. Huge battle between the Mind and the Heart.

My choice of color was Burgundy Red but came to know Burgundy Red was not available in Shine variant. Only White, Silver, Grey and Black was available for Shine variant. While Silver and Black were also good, the Burgundy Red colour with the 18" diamond cut alloy wheels was looking very nice.

I gave it a lot of thought and eventually Heart won the battle. Booked the MG Hector Sharp in Burgundy Red color. It is costing me now close to ₹23.5 lacs on road Hyderabad.

My heart is so happy with me but my mind is totally upset with my decision.

[mbudhraja]

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Thanks!

Originally Posted by souvikjana83

It's been a long time since I have updated this thread. A lot has happened since the time I have booked the Creta DCT in Apr.

Have been following your thread since beginning and I am amazed (in a good way) with the power of heart and our love for such machines. You ended up buying a car at the price of 2 Honda Jazz / Kiger, your initial shortlists.. Congratulations on the burgundy hector though, totally worth the bucks.