[mathlesh]

Hello Team-BHP Members,

I’m in the market for a new car and would love to hear your suggestions and advice based on my requirements. Here are the details to help guide your recommendations:

Location: NCR

Usage:
- Mix of city (50%) and highway (50%) driving
- Average monthly running: 1000 km to 1200 km
- To be driven by both me and my wife

Budget: Under INR 40 Lakhs (on-road)

Requirements:
1. Safety
2. Features
3. Comfort
4. Can be a 5-seater or 7-seater
5. Easy to maintain with low maintenance costs
6. Good fuel efficiency
7. Automatic

Preferences:
- I do not want to buy Innova Crysta or Hycross
- I can wait for 10 to 12 months if required

I appreciate all the insights and recommendations you can provide. I'm really looking forward to hearing your expert opinions and experiences with different models that fit these criteria.

Thank you in advance for your help!

[Shreyans_Jain]

With HyCross cut from the list, options for comfortable and fuel efficient cars in the 40L rupee range become extremely limited. The best course of action is to increase the budget a bit and get the mid Premium variant of the BYD Seal. That is the single best car you can buy under 50L on road. Only other relevant option is the Audi A4, after discounts. Otherwise, you are limited to cars like A Class and BMW 220i, which are fairly cramped, not very comfortable and overall poor value for money.

Alternative, drop down a segment and get something like the XUV700 top model.

[Axe77]

I think your best bet is to snag the current gen Toyota Camry at its current heavily discounted price. It will require a marginal stretch but will be an excellent purchase that will hold good for many years to come. Shop around nationwide for the best deal. Sharing a link of the post below, which was on our homepage a few days ago.

< Recent discounts on the Camry >

The other good option could be the Skoda Kodiaq as well, once bookings reopen.

I think both these should be your top choices from a very limited group set.

I have assumed you would prefer petrol but if that's not the case, you could also consider the diesel Hyundai Tucson - an excellent product in its own right but the diesel is the better engine to go for in that case. I can't recall its safety rating though off the top of my head.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by Axe77

I think your best bet is to snag the current gen Toyota Camry at its current heavily discounted price. It will require a marginal stretch but will be an excellent purchase that will hold good for many years to come. Shop around nationwide for the best deal. Sharing a link of the post below, which was on our homepage a few days ago.

Camry after discounts can be a top option if the OP is fine with an outgoing model. Kodiaq will not be my choice for city based use. We have one in the family, and I’ve always found the middle row to be rather low set, not very comfortable. FE in urban conditions is like 8-9kmpl and there is no E20 compliance.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

Camry after discounts can be a top option if the OP is fine with an outgoing model. Kodiaq will not be my choice for city based use. We have one in the family, and I’ve always found the middle row to be rather low set, not very comfortable. FE in urban conditions is like 8-9kmpl and there is no E20 compliance.

I agree with the outgoing model aspect but with the minimal choices and the incredible value the Camry offers at this price, its still worth considering. Look at the deal GTO got for his Superb for instance which I think was just pre a mid life facelift. Makes it well worth it for fundamentally robust products.

The OP's use case is 50:50 city / highway mix - I think the Kodiaq can make a good enough use case for that sort of usage. You're right on the FE but again, I'm hard pressed to think of premium petrol products that offer much by way of FE (unless they're hybrid).

[Sensible_Speed]

Your requirements describe the Hycross perfectly. The only other options I can think of are Diesels. But, since you live in the NCR, this may not enthrall you. The base model of the BYD Seal, or an Ioniq 5 are both good choices if you're okay with EVs and willing to stretch your budget a little over 40 lakhs. A Camry with 8-10 lakhs off is an excellent choice if you can find one.

Under 40, your options are limited a bit. Since there isn't a lower limit, some of my suggestions may fall in the 20-30 lakhs range. Furthermore, I am also including diesels as you haven't mentioned a fuel preference.

The MG ZS EV is a good choice for a low running cost car with decent range to boot. If EVs don't fit your lifestyle, your only choice for good economy are diesels or a hybrid. Hybrids in this price range apart from the Innova Hycross are a good two segment below and thus are ruled out. Your realistic choices are the Mahindra XUV700, Tata Safari and Jeep Meridian diesels. They all cost under 40 lakhs, have good ride quality and are relatively economical. You may alternately want to consider something used from a segment above. I have seen some excellent examples of the new Audi A4 around the 40L mark. A Skoda Superb or new gen Octavia are also good choices. I've refrained from suggesting petrol SUVs as they're all gas guzzlers in this segment. The Kodiaq/Tiguan return single digit economy figures even on the highway.

[Asoon]

At this price point there is no shortage of option, below are my picks, all are really good products with a blend of safety, feature, driving comfort, its up to your assessment during. the TDs to pick one

1) Kodiaq Petrol
2) Hyundai Tucson Petrol
3) XUV700 Petrol

If this is going to be 2nd or 3rd car of the house then you can explore EVs
1) Hyundai Ioniq 5 (a little stretch from 40L is required)
2) BYD seal
3) BYD Atto 3

[mathlesh]

Originally Posted by Sensible_Speed

Your requirements describe the Hycross perfectly. The only other options I can think of are Diesels. But, since you live in the NCR, this may not enthrall you. The base model of the BYD Seal, or an Ioniq 5 are both good choices if you're okay with EVs and willing to stretch your budget a little over 40 lakhs. A Camry with 8-10 lakhs off is an excellent choice if you can find one.

Under 40, your options are limited a bit. Since there isn't a lower limit, some of my suggestions may fall in the 20-30 lakhs range. Furthermore, I am also including diesels as you haven't mentioned a fuel preference.

I prefer not to buy a Hycros since my younger brother already has one, and getting another wouldn't make sense. My budget is up to 40 lakhs, so anything below that is acceptable. For this purchase, I'd like to avoid electric vehicles.

I will check out the Camry.

EDIT: I watched video reviews of Camry. It seems a good comfortable car but lack lot of modern days features like 360 camera, ADAS etc. which is important specially for my wife. Also, ground clearance seems a concern for me.

[Sensible_Speed]

Originally Posted by mathlesh

I watched video reviews of Camry. It seems a good comfortable car but lack lot of modern days features like 360 camera, ADAS etc. which is important specially for my wife. Also, ground clearance seems a concern for me.

Hi mathlesh,
The ground clearance of the Camry shouldn't be a big problem if you're driving in urban environments and highways for the most part. It is a very comfortable car and has all the features you will actually use everyday. ADAS is still a nascent technology on Indian roads and the systems can get befuddled by our illogical lane markings, erratic traffic patterns and other road irregularities. Don't let the lack of this particular feature stop you from considering otherwise excellent options for your budget. The 360 camera is a very helpful feature though, and if you're committed, there may be workarounds for it.

I would love to know what your views are regarding a used Audi A4 or Skoda Superb from a couple of years ago. These are brilliant cars and can be obtained with the original manufacturer warranty intact. They're also lavishly equipped and very comfortable. Reliability is good too, and service can be economical in the case of the Skoda. But, they will have to be bought used as the re-launched Skoda and already expensive Audi are quite some way out of your budget.
Cheers!

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

there is no E20 compliance.

The Kodiaq we purchased recently in the family is fully E20 compliant and I find that this is one of best choices in the 40L bracket currently in India. I saw fuel efficiency figures in the 12~15kmpl bracket on the highways easily. Just the Dynamic Chassis Control (electronic suspension all around) puts it another league -



Cheers..

[mathlesh]

Originally Posted by dkaile

The Kodiaq we purchased recently in the family is fully E20 compliant and I find that this is one of best choices in the 40L bracket currently in India. Just Dynamic Chassis Control (electronic suspension all around) puts it another league

@dkaile, do you know about mileage and maintenance cost [If I don't buy the Skoda maintenance package] that I can expect for Kodiaq?

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by mathlesh

@dkaile do you have any about mileage and maintenance cost [If I don't buy Skoda maintenance package] I can expect for Kodiaq?

Mileage as I mentioned, depends heavily on your right foot. You should expect a mileage of 12~15 kmpl easily on the highways and mixed overall mileage should be around 10kmpl easily, the same which I am getting from my 12 year old Superb. Also the maintenance cost will be similar to the petrol Superb I own, and you can easily get the yearly service (15000 km service interval) for around 10~15k. I have been maintaining my petrol Superb for much lesser amount per year as it is a low mileage car. We also did not buy any maintenance package with the car because I felt they were giving highly inflated figures and we felt the standard 4 Years warranty to be sufficient. We got the car on a net on-road price including everything and all discounts at 43.96L with TCS, Fully comprehensive Insurance ELITE (with RTI, Engine protect, wheels etc.), 10%RTO in UP, 23k Accessories pack etc. The dealer was Brite Skoda, Meerut/Noida. I have heard of people getting it for 43L all inclusive from other NCR dealers. We chose this car over the Fortuner. But this model currently lacks ADAS, which I find to be quite useless anyways, in the chaotic NCR traffic. I find the panaromic sunroof that it has, also to be useless in our heat, but then you will need to live with it.

With my Superb in the background during delivery -



Cheers...

[sjain2054]

I am going to take a leaf out of the TBHP experts' book and quote them here:

"Today, Rs 30-35 lakhs gives you all the car you are looking for. Spending anything more than that is purely based on indulgence."

With that in mind, I will suggest the following cars -

1. Tata Safari: Are you ok with a Diesel? Are you ok with a Tata? If yes for both, test drive it. It has EVERYTHING one can ask for. Else, go to option 2 below

2. Mahindra XUV 7OO: Both, petrol and diesel, are AWESOME. If you are ok with the Mahindra badge and the looks of the car, test drive it. Else, go to option 3 below

3. Hyundai Tuscon: The discounts will make sure that the on road will be below 40 lakhs. Pit dealer against dealer and, well within your budget, get a complete car. But again - are you ok with diesel. Else, go to option 4 below

4. Skoda Kodiaq: Enough said by other fellow members in the posts above. If you are ok with nightmares of after sales service (wayy worse than Tata) just to own a fantastic car, test drive it. Else, go to option 5 below

5. MG Hector: You mentioned that you want comfort. It is extremely comfortable. Are you ok with the engine options (TBHP folks are not so sure about that)? Are you ok with Chinese? If yes, then test drive it. The after sales service is awesome too. If not, look at option 6 below

6. Hyundai Creta/Kia Seltos: A combination of everything that one can ask for like Tata Safari and Hyundai Tuscon's reliability and smoothness given in a compact size. Are you ok with how common they are on the roads? If yes, go for it. Else look at the last option I want to recommend.

7. Citroen C5 Aircross: Discounts on the facelift model will ensure below 40 lakhs on road price. Hands down the most comfortable car in India. Nothing comes close. But it lacks features like the Safari, Tuscon, Seltos. Great great after sales service too. You may not buy it, but test drive it. Maybe after that you will not buy anything else.

I do not know why folks are saying that options below 40 lakhs are limited. There are a TON of options in the Indian market below 40 lakhs. You just have to stop looking for the perfect car and look for what suits 7 out of your 10 requirements and just go for it. I am saying this last line to myself too! The indecision for us car lovers is insane, sometimes.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by sjain2054

If you are ok with nightmares of after sales service (wayy worse than Tata) just to own a fantastic car, test drive it.

Speaking from personal experience, I found my recent service experience changing the brake pads and brake oil at Excel Skoda, Faridabad to be quite exceptional with highly trained and knowledgeable staff and world class service setup. Kindly read my dedicated thread on that on TeamBhp. You just need to search for the proper dealer in your vicinity (some are pretty lousy, no doubt, like my Meerut dealer) and be a little ardent while conducting this once a year affair. No nightmares now if you are just a little proactive.

Cheers...

[GoBabyGo]

Hi Mathlesh - As you mentioned that you are still not open for an EV, I would still suggest you to think about getting:

1. XUV 7OO AX7 Petrol AT for about 27.25 lacs onroad Rewari
2. Tata Punch EV Adventure LR for 14.75 lacs onroad Rewari (if Rewari offers zero Road tax on EV)

You can use Punch EV for your city & local highway usage & save on fuel and for your long highway travel, you can use XUV 7OO.