Toyota Corolla Altis vs Chevrolet Cruze vs Volkswagen Vento

[billion$kid]

Hi this is my first post here.I'm posting this for a friend of mine.He's looking to buy a new car.He has shortlisted 3 cars : Altis, Cruze and Vento. All diesels he's looking at.Although Vento belongs to a different segment he likes it because it has decent interiors and a powerful engine.Cruze is powerful but it's not luxurious inside.He is not too impressed by it.He is very interested in the Corolla but although it has 6 gears and and good gear ratios, he is worried about its performance.Is it way too underpowered?He is not going for a drag race but he expects decent performance and more importantly comfort from a car.

I have told him to go with the Altis.It's not that underpowered. One can easily do a 100-120 with those 6 gears.Returns a better mileage figure than both the Vento and the Cruze.Phenomenal riding comfort, better image, worry free ownership etc are the other plus points I see.

Which of these cars do you guys recommend considering his needs?Kindly mention the alternatives too, if any.

Thanks.

 

[Jazzy]

Yes Altis is the right choice IMO

 

[Iron Rock]

Altis seems to be a very mature choice, the cruze is good if you are looking for a sporty image and can live with some of its disadvantages. There is a new cruze coming watch out for it before making the decision.

is he looking to buy immediately ? is it sedans only or he can consider SUVs as well ?

 

[TSIVipul]

Corolla Altis any day.Why?
Because it fits the above mentioned requirements perfectly.

About the power thing:I own this car and I can bet that even 150 kph is also easy for this car.Yes,it feels underpowered on paper but in the real world its quite good car.

But remember:-
Inclines and hilly roads are where this car feels really underpowered and hence is not advisable for anyone residing in hills and has no chauffeur..

 

[350Z]

Which of these cars do you guys recommend considering his needs?Kindly mention the alternatives too, if any.Thanks.

Cruze is pick of the lot in terms of performance as long as one can compromise with that cave like interiors. Overall, in the budget sedans, Altis Diesel makes more sense. It although may not be an outright performer but it is a car one can’t go wrong with. Your friend should actually test drive the considered cars himself and decide as per the personal requirements. Please also visit this link and put up the list of requirements in the expected format. It would help us to assist better. Between this dilemma - Another car I would like to suggest is the Renault Fluence. Renault has recently rolled out an affordable “Advantage Edition”. He should also check it out.

Drive Safe,
350Z

 

[raj_5004]

I would have waited for some time and gone for the refreshed Cruze.

Even if I have to buy a car now, I would pick the Cruze. I feel it is a lot more value for money than the Altis and Vento. Amazing interiors, great looks and superb performance with good ride and handling.

I would not want to spend 16-18 Lacs on the Altis and live with a boring 85 bhp engine. Heck, even my humble 7.7 Lac Punto is more powerful than that! Even an i20 can clearly beat the Altis diesel.

Anyways, when compared to the Cruze, the Altis seems dead, atleast to me. Where the Altis scores is - rear seat comfort and Toyota brand image.

Also, Cruze comes with an A/T option which the diesel Altis does not offer.

 

[billion$kid]

Altis seems to be a very mature choice, the cruze is good if you are looking for a sporty image and can live with some of its disadvantages. There is a new cruze coming watch out for it before making the decision.

is he looking to buy immediately ? is it sedans only or he can consider SUVs as well ?

It would be helpful if you mention the disadvantages.He wishes to buy the car asap.Max 2 months he can stretch.That too based on the assumption that there wont be a long waiting period for these cars.He's looking to buy a car for day to day use.So not at all looking at SUVs.

Corolla Altis any day.Why?
Because it fits the above mentioned requirements perfectly.

About the power thing:I own this car and I can bet that even 150 kph is also easy for this car.Yes,it feels underpowered on paper but in the real world its quite good car.

But remember:-
Inclines and hilly roads are where this car feels really underpowered and hence is not advisable for anyone residing in hills and has no chauffeur..

Thank you so much for the info.Occasionally,he might take the car to some hilly areas but not very often.

Cruze is pick of the lot in terms of performance as long as one can compromise with that cave like interiors. Overall, in the budget sedans, Altis Diesel makes more sense. It although may not be an outright performer but it is a car one can’t go wrong with. Your friend should actually test drive the considered cars himself and decide as per the personal requirements. Please also visit this link and put up the list of requirements in the expected format. It would help us to assist better. Between this dilemma - Another car I would like to suggest is the Renault Fluence. Renault has recently rolled out an affordable “Advantage Edition”. He should also check it out.

Drive Safe,
350Z

Your Budget: Around 18 lakhs

Your Location: He lives in Kochi

Top 5 Priorities: Comfort, Performance, Reliability (these are the only three things he told me)

Monthly Running: I'm not sure but should be more than 2000.

For Which Purpose: Daily drive.

Max. Seating Capacity: 4

Priority of Fuel Type: Diesel

Body Type: Sedan

Never thought about Fluence.Will take a loot at it.

I would have waited for some time and gone for the refreshed Cruze.

Even if I have to buy a car now, I would pick the Cruze. I feel it is a lot more value for money than the Altis and Vento. Amazing interiors, great looks and superb performance with good ride and handling.

I would not want to spend 16-18 Lacs on the Altis and live with a boring 85 bhp engine. Heck, even my humble 7.7 Lac Punto is more powerful than that! Even an i20 can clearly beat the Altis diesel.

Anyways, when compared to the Cruze, the Altis seems dead, atleast to me. Where the Altis scores is - rear seat comfort and Toyota brand image.

Also, Cruze comes with an A/T option which the diesel Altis does not offer.

:).I wouldn't say that the Cruze is more VFM than the Vento.Vento is a more practical option though maintenance costs are high.Great looks and performance are the (only) USPs of the Cruze.Not interiors or handling.There are cars that are better in both those areas.I wish to know more about the New Cruze though.

What do you guys think about the Laura?Skoda's after sales service might be an issue but it's a good car isn't it?Never drove it but traveled in it once.I didn't notice any issues.Renault fluence 2.0 E4 is a petrol car?Any idea about the FE?

 

[Fazer]

Your friend has an ample budget of 18 L, So, Do consider the Corolla Altis if not pleased with Cruze. The Altis is a brilliant car, except performance as compared to other alternatives like Cruze, etc. The Car has Toyota Reliability, more Space, decent Interiors. If your friend is Chauffer driven, Then Altis is the best choice IMO. My friend has an Altis and He did 160kmph with ease with 3 on-board! I didn't feel it to be underpowered or running out of breath. It is a No-Nonsense and VFM car as it comes loaded with features.
If your friend can compromise on Space, Then Cruze LTZ is the best bet. The car is the more powerful than Altis and also, Looks-wise, A cruze would be preffered by most.
Good Luck.

 

[TSIVipul]

^^Buddy I too own an Altis,in fact one of the first batch of the new model ones and is far more than satisfied with the car.
My car can be found in my ownership review:-
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/ownership-reviews/4527-came-home-toyota-corolla-altis-d-4d.html

It is having the best rear seat,although not sporty good or say simply neutral handling.Ride is good too and FE is great.Now with the added reliability of Toyota,it becomes a fantastic combo.

About speed thing:150 kph is nothing for this car and the top speed I have attained till date was slightly north of 180 kph on the Khatauli byepass of NH 58 with 2 on board.Also this car can easily do 160-170 kph with even 5 on board.

About power:
Toyota engineers say that "Its better to restrict upper power limits of any engine because it saves it from unnecessary load and hence gives good durability" and that's the reason no Toyota car is insanely powerful.

 

[billion$kid]

Your friend has an ample budget of 18 L, So, Do consider the Corolla Altis if not pleased with Cruze. The Altis is a brilliant car, except performance as compared to other alternatives like Cruze, etc. The Car has Toyota Reliability, more Space, decent Interiors. If your friend is Chauffer driven, Then Altis is the best choice IMO. My friend has an Altis and He did 160kmph with ease with 3 on-board! I didn't feel it to be underpowered or running out of breath. It is a No-Nonsense and VFM car as it comes loaded with features.
If your friend can compromise on Space, Then Cruze LTZ is the best bet. The car is the more powerful than Altis and also, Looks-wise, A cruze would be preffered by most.
Good Luck.

^^Buddy I too own an Altis,in fact one of the first batch of the new model ones and is far more than satisfied with the car.
My car can be found in my ownership review:-
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/ownership-reviews/4527-came-home-toyota-corolla-altis-d-4d.html

It is having the best rear seat,although not sporty good or say simply neutral handling.Ride is good too and FE is great.Now with the added reliability of Toyota,it becomes a fantastic combo.

About speed thing:150 kph is nothing for this car and the top speed I have attained till date was slightly north of 180 kph on the Khatauli byepass of NH 58 with 2 on board.Also this car can easily do 160-170 kph with even 5 on board.

About power:
Toyota engineers say that "Its better to restrict upper power limits of any engine because it saves it from unnecessary load and hence gives good durability" and that's the reason no Toyota car is insanely powerful.

Thanks guys. Car buyers these days (especially in this segment) generally have no intention to keep a car for more than 5-6 years.So I'm not sure about the significance of Toyota's durability theory.

He definitely wont be driving at speeds of 150-160.I'm sure the Altis can do that sort of speeds but how it achieves that speed is the problem.When compared to the Cruze, it will be like crawling (though it wont be a huge issue for him).The car will sometimes be chauffeur driven.But not always.

Just read about the Skoda Laura on the internet.Everybody has great things to say about that car.Only worry is the after sales service.I told him about the Elegance 2.0 MT.He is very interested.It's powerful and it's comfortable.Any Laura owners here?Any inputs regarding the car will be very useful.He is very impressed by the Laura's specs.He might go for a TD soon.

 

[TSIVipul]

^^Any Laura owners here??
Again meet me buddy.I am facing the world's biggest irony,what?I have a Corolla D-4D which is self driven(my personal car)and a Skoda Laura TSi(Petrol-My father's chauffeur driven).In other words the car which is meant to be self driven is being driven by a chauffeur and vice versa.
Laura is having overall more comfort and better ride and handling than the Corolla.The Corolla has the space advantage and Laura has the dynamics,high speed stability etc etc.
About maintenance part:Buddy my car is about 65k kms old in just 16 months(not sure if its 65k only as the car is in Allahabad now)but we are still to face any serious maintenance issues,simply we are satisfied with the car and the Skoda A.S.S. and hence I don't believe any such rumors about the horrifying Skoda A.S.S.

I haven't mentioned Laura because you said Vento or Cruze or Corolla,else definitely Laura TDI is the car to go for,and go for A/T,if possible(M/T is also great) as it has higher power and is really a very fun to drive car.
Word of caution:Don't expect Cruze or Laura to be as easy on the pocket as the Corolla is,still there is a difference of just double when it comes to maintenance costs.

 

[Fazer]

@Billion$kid, If your friend is not Ok with the Corolla also. Then settle down for Cruze LTZ. It is powerful, Sporty and would be under the budget. I have not been in one, so, Can't tell anything about Interiors, Space, etc But it is having less room over the rear (I have read many Reviews).
If your friend sells off the car in 5-6 years, then After sales will be an issue in Cruze as well as Laura.
Else, The VW VENTO TDI HIGHLINE is also good. He can modify it with rest of the money or keep it for fuel. IT has decent interiors, exteriors, would be good as chauffer driven as well as self driven. Tell him to have a TD of Laura/Cruze and Vento and then decide.

@Vipul, Your Altis looks great, although it is a very unique colour. To be true, I have never seen one in Metallic Blue. So you have both the cars, Altis and Laura. Very nice.You would be of great help to billion$kid!
I think your Dad is a true Laura Fan. I thought you would be driving the Laura and your Dad would be getting Chauffered in the Altis.
No problem- "Shauk badi cheez hai!"

 

[TSIVipul]

^^Actually he says "Corolla has some noises(He says about diesel)" and secondly he feels very comfy in Laura+the rear A/C vent of Laura makes him feel even more comfortable and added to this is the silent and very calm cabin of Laura with very serious but comfy feeling interiors.
Although rear seat of Laura is smaller than Corolla and door is also smaller but once you are seated there and your armrest is opened then the rear seat of Laura feels more comfy than Corolla.
Now since after pushing the front left seat in extreme front position and putting its backrest down in front(you can find in a lot of chauffeur driven cars)and removing its headrest you get enormous legroom to stretch yourself,good view of road in front and then front and rear A/C vents both can be directly pointed towards the rear passenger...
WHEN ALL THIS IS COMBINED,THIS GIVES MY FATHER PURE LUXURY.It was he who bought the Corolla,but he never felt that comfy in Corolla.So for him its the Laura any day and at last to add icing to the cake is our long termer mr.Chauffy.He has simply told him that "Laura is very easy for him to drive on long journeys and is very fast too".Hence considering his comfort father prefer the Laura and since its very fast,hence he likes keeping it away from me.Due to which the TSi seldom catches 140+(chauffy has enough shame that he does this speed(140-his speed limit) frequently).

But now I am more than happy with the Altis.


@Billion$Kid:
Since your friend is both self and chauffeur driven then I'd recommend only two cars:-
If he is quite enthusiastic:Then get him Laura TDI.
If he is a sedate driver:Then get him a Toyota Corolla.

I'd not recommend the Cruze because Cruze has only power to delight us,rest in all other fields its eclipsed by the Laura and Corolla.Its like a muscle car,has lots of muscles but issue is that its front wheel driven.Rest everything is okay.

 

[Fazer]

@Vipul- What about Vento? He likes its interiors. I feel the Vento TDI HL would be the best for him. The Cruze lacks in all other fields except power, Altis lacks in power, Laura lacks in After-Sales and maintenance costs, therefore, I think Vento would be an ideal choice. It may lack in AfterSales because it's a VW.

@Billion$kid- Isn't your friend considering any SUV/MUV? Yeti?

 

[TSIVipul]

Vento is a fabulous car but only issue is that when its compared to the above mentioned cars then the heart simply says "Leave it aside".

Let me tell you one fact:
To know the real capabilities of a Vento one must drive it and a Cruze/Laura side by side.
And you will be amazed to see its in-gear acceleration.Its far far faster than even the 150 BHP Cruze when it comes to the responsiveness in higher gears and moderate speeds like 60-70 kph an dhence this makes it great to drive on highway.
If the person likes a Vento HL,then he must close the eyes and buy the car.

One more choice:Spend one lac less and get a Skoda Rapid,only some features will be gone like steering mounted controls etc but the person can get better handling and performance.Rest everyone knows that Rapid is a Vento with the Skoda logo.