Thread Starter
#1
Background:
I have divided the “background” section into 3 parts so that I can give a clearer picture regarding how my taste developed for specific cars over the years. Apologies for the long write-up.
2011:
Back in 2011 while I was student, I began working in Noida to gain some work experience. My commutes were by the over packed dtc buses and then a walk of a kilometer. This went on for a couple of months until I realized that a car would be a big relief to my tiring commutes. In the meanwhile, through a friend I came to know about a used 2004 base model maruti alto being sold for a reasonable price. With what little savings I had (first job) and a loan from a friend, I bought the car in may of 2011. This was my first car and I was quite happy at how convenient my office commutes had become. Its maintenance was cheap as well and it proved to be a great first car.
2013:
As time went by I realized my car’s limitations like no power steering, had a difficult time to go over flyovers with the a.c on, frequent runs to the mechanic etc. I and my girlfriend were to get married in November of 2013 and realized that we need a new car as alto may not last long. In early 2013 I came across the news of Ford’s ecosport being launched in India. As per the reviews it’s seemed like a really good car (first sub 4 metre compact suv). I and my brother decided to check it out. We went to bikaji kama place and checked out the ecosport. I was a bit disappointed as it was smaller than what I expected. We took a test drive of the ecosport with the Eco boost engine and were left wanting for more especially in the power department. We went to the next showroom with was a chevy dealer and checked out the sail sedan. Coming from an alto a SEDAN looked very appealing. The base model of the sedan was for around 6 lakhs and it seemed like a reasonable price for a sedan. A test drive was arranged and the car felt under powered. There was a lag in the throttle response it seemed. I guess after coming from an alto I had high expectations from other more “expensive” cars.
Disappointed, we walked out of the chevy showroom as well and entered vw dealership. By the way all the dealerships are on the same lane and one after the other. As we entered the dealership we realized that the customer service was more professional as compared to ford and chevy dealerships. The ambience of the dealership was much more professional. I went and began checking out the polo and display and boy it was in a different league altogether. The external design, the interior design, the build, the fit and finish were amazing. Both I and my brother loved the car. It felt quite premium to sit in. The sales executive (SE) explained the various features of the car, the build quality, the prices and the MAINTENANCE costs!! We were quite shocked to hear about the maintenance costs. I test drove the petrol polo and was impressed by its performance. Loved the suspension, nvh levels and even the 3 pot engine as it has a good low end torque and the gruff sound of the 3 potter gave a sporty feeling. I loved the car and was ready to buy the trendline petrol variant however the maintenance costs made me shy away, although I wished I could buy the car as I was in love with it.
Maruti and Hyundai weren’t on my list as I thought those cars to be very common and wanted something different, hence didn’t bother visiting their dealerships. During the couple of months since I began my car hunt I visited vw dealerships multiple times just to see and test drive the car. I also checked out the Ford figo but found the design outdated. Gradually as the reality of polo being a premium hatchback and I not being able to own one sank in, I decided to visit Hyundai dealership. I checked out their i10 and took a test drive as well. I was impressed by the peppy 1.2 kappa engine, fit and finish was good enough, the price seemed reasonable and the maintenance costs were realistic. Hyundai seemed to tick most of the boxes that I could think of with my logical mind. After talking to the SE I came to know that a refreshed i10 will be launched in sept of 2013 and heeding my fiancé’s wise advice I decided to wait for the Grand i10 to be launched.
Come September and the Grand i10 was launched. It was an amazing package right from the design to the features, to the fit and finish, it felt posh and a value for money car. Took a test drive and enjoyed the silent and smooth engine. I had made up my mind to buy the grand i10.
On October 24th I got my grand i10 magna petrol and I loved the car. I had sold my old alto to my brother as he needed a car as well. With the grand i10 I almost forgot about the polo and I enjoyed my car. Did many road trips with it, modified it with euro style drls, projectors, alloy wheels. I had no complaints with the engine. Most people find the engine on the weaker side but I personally think that you need to understand the engine and the gearbox combo to be able to extract the required power. The car never let me down in city and on highways. I began to love the Hyundai brand and was impressed on how they introduced new models that were amazing and unique. (i20, creta)
2015:
My brother in the meantime had graduated from my alto to a used eon and to a new elite i20 petrol with the avn. It’s practical, premium, looks hot and drives well. Yes you heard me guys, Hyundai has sorted out the suspension of their cars to a great extent. In the meanwhile I was enjoying my grand i10 till the latin ncap test results of the Indian made grand i10 came out. I was shocked to see it score zero stars! What really worried me was the structural integrity was compromised. I was quite disappointed in Hyundai as a brand as I had become a loyal fan of Hyundai. I emailed Hyundai and expressed my disappointment on their take on safety of their cars specifically grand i10. Three times I had close encounters on the road due to the lack of abs in my car and the over servoed brakes of the grand i10. I didn’t want to sell my car as I really loved it for what it was but the safety issue couldn’t be overlooked specially with my family and the road trips that we do in the car. I struggled to decide whether I should let go of this car or keep it. With a new member joining our family soon I decided that I couldn’t compromise safety and not all decisions can be taken with a financial outlook.
2016:
I again was in the market hunting for a new car. The thought had crossed my mind to get another grand i10 with abs and airbags however the structural integrity of the car didn’t allow me to do so. This time around, safety was my priority while for searching for a new car. Diesel was never an option for me as the gain in torque with increasing revvs is what I love, unlike diesels where the torque comes in in low rpms without revving the engine. No offense to diesel engine lovers. Just my personal preference. If I ever considered a diesel engine it would be a Hyundai, just fyi. Following cars were considered:
Hyundai Grand i10:
Pros:
- Hassle free ownership
- Value for money package
- Practically designed
Cons:
- Lacking in safety
Hyundai elite i20
Pros:
- Same as grand i10
- Premium
- Feature loaded
- Spacious
- Looks hot
Cons:
- Brother owns one
Fiat Linea t jet
Pros:
- Turbocharged petrol engine.
- Great steering and suspension
- Solid build and safe
Cons:
- Questionable after sales
- Didn’t like the raised suspension
- Fit and finish not upto the mark
- Outdated looks
- Weird seating ergonomics for the driver
Fiat Abarth Punto
Pros:
- Turbocharged POWERFUL petrol engine
- All black interiors with abarth touch looks sporty
- Beautiful alloy wheels
- Amazing handling and suspension
Cons:
- Questionable after sales
- Weird seating ergonomics for the driver
- I don’t need all that power with most of my driving in city
Hyundai verna
Pros:
- 6 airbags in top model
- Cheap maintenance
- Hassle free ownership
- Looks decent
- Decently powered petrol engine
Cons:
- Outdate design, 5th gen verna will be launched by this year or next year
- Beige interiors
- Fit, finish and feel not as premium as i20, creta (new design philosophy)
- Top model over the budget
- Wife doesn’t like verna’s design
Vw polo GT Tsi
Pros:
- Safety (structural integrity, airbags, abs, esp)
- Tsi engine
- Dsg gearbox
- Top notch build quality, fit and finish
- Designed keeping safety as primay focus
- My first love
- Automatic (ease of driving for my wife)
- Well balanced suspension (good for city and highways)
- Best paint quality in the segment
Cons:
- High maintenance costs
- Questionable dsg issues
- Less rear seat space
- Not practically designed as compared to a Hyundai (no bottle holders at the rear)
- Boring and outdated alloy wheels
- No boot light!!!
In the end I went ahead with the vw polo GT tsi. It is a safe car with reasonable fun to drive factor with the convenience of an amazing auto gearbox (dsg)
I have divided the “background” section into 3 parts so that I can give a clearer picture regarding how my taste developed for specific cars over the years. Apologies for the long write-up.
2011:
Back in 2011 while I was student, I began working in Noida to gain some work experience. My commutes were by the over packed dtc buses and then a walk of a kilometer. This went on for a couple of months until I realized that a car would be a big relief to my tiring commutes. In the meanwhile, through a friend I came to know about a used 2004 base model maruti alto being sold for a reasonable price. With what little savings I had (first job) and a loan from a friend, I bought the car in may of 2011. This was my first car and I was quite happy at how convenient my office commutes had become. Its maintenance was cheap as well and it proved to be a great first car.
2013:
As time went by I realized my car’s limitations like no power steering, had a difficult time to go over flyovers with the a.c on, frequent runs to the mechanic etc. I and my girlfriend were to get married in November of 2013 and realized that we need a new car as alto may not last long. In early 2013 I came across the news of Ford’s ecosport being launched in India. As per the reviews it’s seemed like a really good car (first sub 4 metre compact suv). I and my brother decided to check it out. We went to bikaji kama place and checked out the ecosport. I was a bit disappointed as it was smaller than what I expected. We took a test drive of the ecosport with the Eco boost engine and were left wanting for more especially in the power department. We went to the next showroom with was a chevy dealer and checked out the sail sedan. Coming from an alto a SEDAN looked very appealing. The base model of the sedan was for around 6 lakhs and it seemed like a reasonable price for a sedan. A test drive was arranged and the car felt under powered. There was a lag in the throttle response it seemed. I guess after coming from an alto I had high expectations from other more “expensive” cars.
Disappointed, we walked out of the chevy showroom as well and entered vw dealership. By the way all the dealerships are on the same lane and one after the other. As we entered the dealership we realized that the customer service was more professional as compared to ford and chevy dealerships. The ambience of the dealership was much more professional. I went and began checking out the polo and display and boy it was in a different league altogether. The external design, the interior design, the build, the fit and finish were amazing. Both I and my brother loved the car. It felt quite premium to sit in. The sales executive (SE) explained the various features of the car, the build quality, the prices and the MAINTENANCE costs!! We were quite shocked to hear about the maintenance costs. I test drove the petrol polo and was impressed by its performance. Loved the suspension, nvh levels and even the 3 pot engine as it has a good low end torque and the gruff sound of the 3 potter gave a sporty feeling. I loved the car and was ready to buy the trendline petrol variant however the maintenance costs made me shy away, although I wished I could buy the car as I was in love with it.
Maruti and Hyundai weren’t on my list as I thought those cars to be very common and wanted something different, hence didn’t bother visiting their dealerships. During the couple of months since I began my car hunt I visited vw dealerships multiple times just to see and test drive the car. I also checked out the Ford figo but found the design outdated. Gradually as the reality of polo being a premium hatchback and I not being able to own one sank in, I decided to visit Hyundai dealership. I checked out their i10 and took a test drive as well. I was impressed by the peppy 1.2 kappa engine, fit and finish was good enough, the price seemed reasonable and the maintenance costs were realistic. Hyundai seemed to tick most of the boxes that I could think of with my logical mind. After talking to the SE I came to know that a refreshed i10 will be launched in sept of 2013 and heeding my fiancé’s wise advice I decided to wait for the Grand i10 to be launched.
Come September and the Grand i10 was launched. It was an amazing package right from the design to the features, to the fit and finish, it felt posh and a value for money car. Took a test drive and enjoyed the silent and smooth engine. I had made up my mind to buy the grand i10.
On October 24th I got my grand i10 magna petrol and I loved the car. I had sold my old alto to my brother as he needed a car as well. With the grand i10 I almost forgot about the polo and I enjoyed my car. Did many road trips with it, modified it with euro style drls, projectors, alloy wheels. I had no complaints with the engine. Most people find the engine on the weaker side but I personally think that you need to understand the engine and the gearbox combo to be able to extract the required power. The car never let me down in city and on highways. I began to love the Hyundai brand and was impressed on how they introduced new models that were amazing and unique. (i20, creta)
2015:
My brother in the meantime had graduated from my alto to a used eon and to a new elite i20 petrol with the avn. It’s practical, premium, looks hot and drives well. Yes you heard me guys, Hyundai has sorted out the suspension of their cars to a great extent. In the meanwhile I was enjoying my grand i10 till the latin ncap test results of the Indian made grand i10 came out. I was shocked to see it score zero stars! What really worried me was the structural integrity was compromised. I was quite disappointed in Hyundai as a brand as I had become a loyal fan of Hyundai. I emailed Hyundai and expressed my disappointment on their take on safety of their cars specifically grand i10. Three times I had close encounters on the road due to the lack of abs in my car and the over servoed brakes of the grand i10. I didn’t want to sell my car as I really loved it for what it was but the safety issue couldn’t be overlooked specially with my family and the road trips that we do in the car. I struggled to decide whether I should let go of this car or keep it. With a new member joining our family soon I decided that I couldn’t compromise safety and not all decisions can be taken with a financial outlook.
2016:
I again was in the market hunting for a new car. The thought had crossed my mind to get another grand i10 with abs and airbags however the structural integrity of the car didn’t allow me to do so. This time around, safety was my priority while for searching for a new car. Diesel was never an option for me as the gain in torque with increasing revvs is what I love, unlike diesels where the torque comes in in low rpms without revving the engine. No offense to diesel engine lovers. Just my personal preference. If I ever considered a diesel engine it would be a Hyundai, just fyi. Following cars were considered:
Hyundai Grand i10:
Pros:
- Hassle free ownership
- Value for money package
- Practically designed
Cons:
- Lacking in safety
Hyundai elite i20
Pros:
- Same as grand i10
- Premium
- Feature loaded
- Spacious
- Looks hot
Cons:
- Brother owns one
Fiat Linea t jet
Pros:
- Turbocharged petrol engine.
- Great steering and suspension
- Solid build and safe
Cons:
- Questionable after sales
- Didn’t like the raised suspension
- Fit and finish not upto the mark
- Outdated looks
- Weird seating ergonomics for the driver
Fiat Abarth Punto
Pros:
- Turbocharged POWERFUL petrol engine
- All black interiors with abarth touch looks sporty
- Beautiful alloy wheels
- Amazing handling and suspension
Cons:
- Questionable after sales
- Weird seating ergonomics for the driver
- I don’t need all that power with most of my driving in city
Hyundai verna
Pros:
- 6 airbags in top model
- Cheap maintenance
- Hassle free ownership
- Looks decent
- Decently powered petrol engine
Cons:
- Outdate design, 5th gen verna will be launched by this year or next year
- Beige interiors
- Fit, finish and feel not as premium as i20, creta (new design philosophy)
- Top model over the budget
- Wife doesn’t like verna’s design
Vw polo GT Tsi
Pros:
- Safety (structural integrity, airbags, abs, esp)
- Tsi engine
- Dsg gearbox
- Top notch build quality, fit and finish
- Designed keeping safety as primay focus
- My first love
- Automatic (ease of driving for my wife)
- Well balanced suspension (good for city and highways)
- Best paint quality in the segment
Cons:
- High maintenance costs
- Questionable dsg issues
- Less rear seat space
- Not practically designed as compared to a Hyundai (no bottle holders at the rear)
- Boring and outdated alloy wheels
- No boot light!!!
In the end I went ahead with the vw polo GT tsi. It is a safe car with reasonable fun to drive factor with the convenience of an amazing auto gearbox (dsg)