[Bhalla]

Amongst all the options you have considered, I’ll suggest you to go for Toyota Yaris. Even though its flop model in India, it’s very popular in Middle East. Being a Toyota, it will serve you many years without any major problems. I don’t know about resale but I think it will not be that bad as anticipated by you. My friend lives in New Delhi and he use his Yaris CVT as daily drive and he have only good things to say about his Yaris.

[DIV17]

The Polo DSG is a ticking time bomb that can go off at anytime. If you can extend your budget a bit you might find a few 1.0 TSIs with the 6 speed torque converter.

But i think the best bet will be the Jazz CVT. Spacious, smooth and reliable. And a remap for more torque shouldn't affect the reliability much.

[theabstractmind]

Within a budget of 8 lacs, and among your shortlist, and considering a 3 year holding period, my choices:

Brave Choice: Ameo 1.5 DSG. Serious fun. Low GC could be a hinderance, slightly choppy ride. If DSG gives up, you are in soup. I owned this one and sold it purely because I wanted a softer setup to deal with the Bangalore Roads.

Failsafe Choice: Toyota Yaris. You may need to search extensively to buy a VX at 8 lacs. It surely feels a segment above. Spacious, comfortable over the mountains and craters of Bangalore. City FE is pathetic. Decent to good on Highways. The silent cabin and great leather seats keep you low on fatigue. Spilt rear seats are useful. I currently own one, after selling the Ameo.

Avoid: Polo. It's a fun car. The setup is better than Ameo. Half a notch better quality. But lacks space. After Baleno, you will feel cramped.

Backup 1: Ecosport. You get well, road presence. Not very inspiring to drive, but better than the Yaris CVT. Titanium will be a good choice. City drives won't be as smooth as Yaris. The Ecosport DCTs are older models so you could find cheap. Later models come with TC, they are uninspiring but I felt more comfortable to drive. The set up felt softer.

Backup 2: Jazz. It will last long. Only reason you may want to sell later is power. It is okay in the City. Amaze rides better, actually.

I have driven each one of the above and were in my shortlist before I ended up with Yaris. If you are keen on Yaris, try your luck in Toyota pre-owned showroom at NICE Road Mysore Road junction. You may be lucky to find a nice company maintained car.

Alternative - Try Baleno CVT. You will feel home.

[bullitt1]

Originally Posted by anoopvk268

Hello,

Planning to replace my 2017 MT Baleno petrol as the Bangalore traffic is worse than pre covid times. My daily usage is 50-50 between highway and bumper to bumper traffic.

I am in the same boat, though looking for Ecosport AT only. Nowadays, the concept of value for money is gone, old and new cars alike are being priced atrociously. I think Ecosport is the best of the lot considering the power, handling, built, gearbox, ground clearance etc.

[RunSam]

I would recommend a 2017+ facelift Honda City CVT. It's a tad bit longer than the Jazz but you'll get used to it in no time. When you decide to sell it 2-3 years down the line, it will definitely fetch you a good price.

[vredesbyrd]

Want a spicy suggestion? Take a look at 2013-2015 Octavias. While the 1.8 TSi sounds better but has the infamous DQ200, the 2.0 TDi would but just a hair above your budget and has the more reliable DQ250 DSG. Both fantastic drivetrains otherwise.

They are somewhat reliable too

[revsperminute]

Originally Posted by vredesbyrd

They are somewhat reliable too

Own a 2015 1.8TSI. Mechatronics, water pump, thermostat, AC evaporator, 6 ABS sensors, couple of oil seals, both headlamp assemblies, automatic light sensor, all window switches. Point is I can go on and on about parts replaced in my car. And it has only done 53k in 8 years of its life, never been subjected to daily driving duties.

Is it worth it to me? Yes, that’s why I still own it.

Is it reliable? No.

Also the car drinks like a fish in bumper to bumper traffic and is very cumbersome to drive in that scenario.

[vredesbyrd]

Originally Posted by revsperminute

Is it reliable? No.

Please see the keyword. "Somewhat" reliable.
I say that as an ex-third owner of a 2010 Superb that had run 100,000km.

Beyond that, it's just luck

[Gannu_1]

I switched to a 2022 Jazz VX CVT from a 2013 Polo 1.6 TDI.

The Polo was a riot and I had fun while it lasted but the heavy clutch took a toll on my left knee despite a replacement around the 1.2 lakh km mark. The 1.2 TSI with the DSG is a lovely car but the DSG can be troublesome. If you can live with that feeling (of the DSG breaking down + spending for repairs/replacement + lead time at the garage), go ahead and get one. Fun - guaranteed! Its a bit of a tradeoff between peace of mind and fun. Since VW has stopped the Polo, the resale value has also shot up. Do see if you can get the 1.0 TSI with the more reliable torque converter AT. These would be recent examples with a lesser mileage but would command higher sale prices.

The Jazz OTOH lacks the power and outright grunt and, the CVT unit is s-l-o-w (no jerks) but the 1.2L NA engine is very rev-happy, the engine + gearbox combination is reliable and the rear bench space is the best in the hatchback segment. The sports mode lets you rev the engine even further before you upshift.

[ssathiyanarayan]

Originally Posted by anoopvk268

Hello,

Planning to replace my 2017 MT Baleno petrol as the Bangalore traffic is worse than pre covid times. My daily usage is 50-50 between highway and bumper to bumper traffic.

Requirements :

• Safe car

• Smooth gear box

• Budget around 8L

• Happy with a used car

• Might move to an EV/bigger car 2-3 years down the line

Hi anoopvk268 your requirements are pretty solid and basic ones. But I'm worried that you may need to stretch a bit of your budget at this point to get a car in the Indian market. Also the jumping to the EV bandwagon will not happen that fast and even doing so won't be worth it. There have not been significant or marked improvement in the battery technology or any signs of improving the range and infrastructure. So them to become mainstay will take a long time and you can count the full lifetime of your vehicle to serve during this time. Taking this I'll suggest things for your requirement.

Originally Posted by anoopvk268

So far i have looked at these cars

1. Ford Ecosport : Excellent driving dynamics, spacious. Worried about the resale value after 2/3 years.

Ford has quit market for sometime and this might not be the right time to get their cars. Especially your requirements will rule out them

Originally Posted by anoopvk268

2. Toyota Yaris : Really liked the premium feel the car offers. And i liked the smooth riding experience in the city and decent highway performance. Again worried about the resale value of a discontinued flop model.

I'm glad you chose Yaris. Many don't even respect this vehicle for what a decent and complete package it is. If you are able to lay hands on the second hand market or through Toyota dealerships which have any pre-owned ones, nothing more.

Originally Posted by anoopvk268

3.Polo 1.2 DSG : Excellent car in this segment, worried about the DSG reliability

4. Ameo diesel DSG : Worried about the DSG reliability

With Polo and Ameo twins being discontinued the cheapest VW/Skoda twins you get won't even fit in twice the budget proposed by you. Even if you lay hands on these steads in second hand market, I would personally suggest to stay clear from them for the sake of DSG. A new one is still digestible mistake, but a second hand one is never to be taken is my take.

Originally Posted by anoopvk268

5. Honda Jazz : Practical care with lots of space, smooth gearbox. Did not
find a good used automatic yet.

Please suggest me good alternatives or if i am missing anything from the list above.

This beauty was discontinued and I was left wondering why Honda is doing this unthinkable mistake in India market. With just 2 cars it is not going to help the cause much. But if you find something in the second hand market it will be good choice with Honda's reliability. It will make things better on long term even.

Kindly take a look at the following new or used cars as well:

• Honda Amaze CVT - Come on it's a Honda. You can't discount their reliability. Had the dealership behaved properly on my TD and during follow-up, I would have got this vehicle only. Hope the same will be different for you and you might get a good experience.
• Tata Altroz DCA - This would be sensible choice for Bengaluru traffic. Compact, comfortable, safe option. Be prepared to take Tata's OEM experience head-on
• Mahindra XUV300 - quite rare to find used one. Try a lower variant in MT even. But this is built like a tank. Had my budget permitted me I'd have taken this beauty any day based on my TD from a neighbor in society.
• Mahindra Thar - You should be able to get this used market as well. Try the 2X2 new ones instead of 4x4 in second hand market. They would stay clear of your way in Bengaluru traffic and you would never have problems with the potholes of Bengaluru
• Renault Kiger / Nissan Magnite CVTs - provided you are prepared to handle the Renault/Nissan ownerships

I'm not recommending any Hyundai/Kia or MSILs as i personally dislike them for what they are.

[GoBabyGo]

Originally Posted by anoopvk268

Hello,

Planning to replace my 2017 MT Baleno petrol as the Bangalore traffic is worse than pre covid times. My daily usage is 50-50 between highway and bumper to bumper traffic.


Please suggest me good alternatives or if i am missing anything from the list above.

Hi anoopvk268 - You are currently driving a 1.2L one of the best petrol engine. Your requirement is AT and hence you should avoid getting into 1.2L NA engines.

Since you are okay with preowned cars and may switch to EV after 2-3 years, I would suggest you to find less used either Honda City 4th generation (between 2017-2019) or Toyota Altis (between 2014-2016.

My suggestion is to avoid lame 1.2L engine in AT which will neither be fun to drive nor fuel efficient. I have driven Amaze & Jazz CVT and they are terrible to drive & not fuel efficient. If you buy them, you will neither enjoy them nor they will be fuel efficient.

Both Honda City & Corolla Altis are very good to drive and fuel efficient too.

[Clown Prince]

You are going to switch to EV in 2-3 years then why not now. It’ll be a bit of a stretch but all your requirements will be met with Tiago EV. Else Yaris and Jazz/ Amaze are both good options to choose from.

[anoopvk268]

Thank you all for the detailed suggestions. I am thinking to go for 2019+ Yaris or 2017+ City based on the availability.
Anyone who has driven 4th gen city, how is the highway stability?

Originally Posted by theabstractmind

.

Failsafe Choice: Toyota Yaris. You may need to search extensively to buy a VX at 8 lacs. It surely feels a segment above. Spacious, comfortable over the mountains and craters of Bangalore. City FE is pathetic. Decent to good on Highways. The silent cabin and great leather seats keep you low on fatigue. Spilt rear seats are useful. I currently own one, after selling the Ameo.

Thank you for the detailed suggestions.
How is the highway performance of Yaris?
I took extensive test drive of Yaris in the city. But never got a chance to take it to highway.
Baleno's steering is really nervous at 100+.

[anoopvk268]

Originally Posted by Clown Prince

You are going to switch to EV in 2-3 years then why not now. It’ll be a bit of a stretch but all your requirements will be met with Tiago EV. Else Yaris and Jazz/ Amaze are both good options to choose from.

EV in 2/3 years is under the expectation that it can be used as a primary car with better infrastructure and battery range.

[cefiljoseph]

Hi,

I would suggest staying as far as possible from the DSGs and VAG group in general considering your requirements. If you really need a VAG group car, maybe stretch and get the TC polo with a good service package add-on.

Yaris is a great option. Being Toyota, they will support it with parts and reasonable maintenance costs. Nonetheless do your due diligence when buying and get it checked at a Toyota dealership.

Hondas are a mixed experience I feel. Jazz and amaze while good cars might be more expensive than the Maruti or Toyota. So keep that in mind and for CVTs make sure the gear oil has been changed at the right intervals. Otherwise walk away.

All the best with your search