After having a look at multiple vehicles, Taigun/Kushaq 1.5, Honda City ZX, Creta/Seltos, XUV700 and Harrier, no vehicle strikes both the heart and the brain.
BHPian FrAgile recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
Should a person who keeps the car for at least 10 years buy the Vento today? The thing is that all the vehicles I have seen in the price bracket of Rs 10-20 Lakh in the sedans, CSUV, Mid Size SUVs or full-size SUV segments, each have their own set of flaws and none of them feels that it’s worth the money. Let’s take a deep dive.
We currently have the 3rd gen Honda City in the family which has aged really well, with no mechanical problems at all. But with more than 145k km on the odo and being a 13-year-old car, and keeping in mind the 15-year rule in the NCR the decision was made to replace it.
After having a look at multiple vehicles, Taigun/Kushaq 1.5, Honda City ZX, Vento, Creta/Seltos, XUV700 and Harrier, no vehicle strikes both the heart and the brain and none of them feels like it’s worth the on-road price that you are paying. Also, diesel had to be rejected because we don’t really change cars very often and the 10-year rule in NCR meant changing the car after 8 years to get a decent value even if it is in pristine condition! The only reason to not get repairs done or spend huge bucks on Honda city is that it has started giving some hiccups like the AC stopped working when we were cruising on the highway, and the headlights units are to be replaced because of broken levellers due to which, the high beam does not have any effect as such, and then, it could be kept only for 2 more years. And yes, not looking at the used car market.
VW Taigun / Skoda Kushaq 1.5:
Simply doesn’t give you that feeling of 20L well spent vibe when you sit inside, sure the engine is really good and punchy, but it loses out in the interior bit. It doesn’t feel too premium or special for a 20L Car and the glaring cost cuttings, the rattling of the dashboard in Kushaq, lack of features if compared in the segment and the degraded fit and finish makes it feel as if it’s a cheaper car. It just seems that the money is spent on nothing but perceived built quality, safety, paint quality and driving dynamics. The feeling of the product justifying the price as a package was missing.
Hyundai Creta / Kia Seltos:
Theses were rejected mainly because of the safety aspect. Also, the fit finish was almost at par with everything else in the competition, and rattling or creaking of plastics were present. Also, the really smart ways Hyundai/Kia cuts cost is acceptable, but small things in which they cut costs becomes really irritating in the long run. Like come on, no illuminated windows switch in a 20L car? Should one stick luminous tapes on the switches now? The only draw was the 1.4 T-GDI and loads of features offered by them.
Honda City:
Umm, there are mixed feelings. We already have one, and mechanically, it’s almost the same. The quality has been degrading generations over generations, and there are threads filled with the niggles of 4th gen city. The HU of the new city is also not that great with poor res reverse cam and lane watch and the high-speed ride quality does become a bit bouncy, though we don’t have any problem with it right now in the 3rd gen, but not sure if the 5th gen ride has been improved, degraded or is more or less the same. Also, the road and wind insulation according to the reviews are not that great either. What it has in its favour is a modern design, aesthetically good, spacious, upmarket and really comfortable seats with good quality of leather/leatherette used. It has many places where they have used that leather material too.
Mahindra XUV700:
Was a perfect car for the family, decided to go for the AX7 MT. It had all the necessary features and more felt plush and huge and was spacious enough for 4-5 people easily. Also, it was rated 5-star in G-NCAP. It had everything and more. In the first visit to the showroom, the waiting was 8 months, but at that time, we were exploring and didn’t make up a mind. But when we did, which is after 20-30 days, the estimated delivery was told to be 14-16 months!!! Can’t wait for that long, so dropped.
Tata Harrier:
Was a car that looked stellar and modern from the outside, with smashing road presence, and rugged from the inside. Eyed this for a long time. Was even willing to let go of the diesel factor, though it meant that the depreciation hit would be huge and the complications of DPF weren’t also in the favour of Harrier. So eventually, dropped this too. Also, when saw XUV700 in flesh, it felt more VFM and the drive, the refinement and the plushness was better than the Harrier. That big touchscreen with the joystick on the centre console was also a huge draw, to be honest. Though, from the outside, Harrier and Safari still have the best looks.
Skoda Slavia / VW Virtus:
These are really good looking cars with modern design with slightly improved quality as per some walkaround reviews, much better roof liner, best engines in the segment and loaded with features. It also has a really good ground clearance, which is an added bonus. These are bigger than the Vento and the Rapid and almost the same size as that of the city. The split-folding rear seats are the first in the segment. Assuming that it has the same engines, the driving experience would be similar too. The only thing that has to be seen is the ride quality, though I don’t expect a drastic difference from Taigun/Kushaq as the ground clearance has not been reduced much. The prices are not yet out but I am taking it to be almost equivalent to that of Kushaq/Taigun’s pricing +-50k. But if I say, I would go for the 1.5 TSI only. It is superior in terms of both power and mileage to the 1.0 TSI. And the 1.5 TSI won’t cost less than 18.5L on road for the manual. Well, if we even see the 1.0 TSI, and say the Ambition variant MT, it would cost around 14.5L on road, with a similar feature set to that of a VW Vento Highline MT.
Now the question comes in that if it is worth spending that money for a much modern design, some more features(bigger and better HU, more speakers, much more powerful LED Headlights maybe as is the case with Kushaq, and some other stuff) and lose out on stuff that Vento has (Leatherette upholstery, rain-sensing wipers, auto up down in all windows, cooled glove box with light, footwell lighting)
MG Astor:
Is a really good car. The best interiors in the budget. You feel cosy inside. Soft-touch everywhere, almost all the features that Creta has to offer, and more. But on the inside, it doesn’t feel like it. The space at the rear is decent, under-thigh support is very much lacking. The engines are just okay. No involvement in driving. Also, the reliability of these cars is a big unknown. The quality overall feels great though. And yes, it is a car which is worth the price. The only thing keeping us away is the small seats at the rear and the unknown reliability part of the MG. Those who want the best interiors, the best, should buy this car.
VW Vento / Skoda Rapid:
Came up in the conversation recently, when nothing was really striking enough to go ahead and buy. If I need to describe Vento, a 10-year-old car in the Indian market today, it would be Utilitarian. It is mechanically well equipped with that 1.0 TSI, solidly built and well put together, has every necessary feature and has the best fit and finish and plastic quality of any car under 20L. The only cons that actually are something to consider are, a very dated design on the inside and a bit on the outside, a little less space than the 3rd Gen Honda City. Other cons will be missing modern-day convenience features, and some aspirational or feel-good features like the sunroof, soft-touch materials, bigger touchscreen, better audio system and stuff like that. Another thing is to be considered that with a wave of EVs in the automobile sector, soon, with EVs looking way too futuristic than all the cars in the sale in the market, and this car already being 10 years old in design, it might look very old on road 5 years down the line.
But if you solely compare the VW Vento Highline MT, which has almost every necessary feature, a big boot space, decent space for 4 passengers, and stuff, you will find it better than almost all the compact sedans, and the C segment sedans on sale in India just for the value it offers. It is more spacious than Venue and Sonet, better built and ride quality than the City, better in almost every aspect than any compact sedan. The only car that beats this in value is the V model of the Honda City. But if Honda City was the one to buy, it would only be the ZX model.
Maruti Suzuki S-Cross:
Well, not really keen on buying a Maruti Suzuki, and I have some strong opinions on the brand. The drive quality is nothing enthusiastic. They are not introducing any new engines in the market as an option and are stuck with small engines. Their focus is on volumes and we know that in whatever segment they offer their cars, it’s the least priced in the segment. There’s nothing bad about it, but the designs and quality look very basic to me with too much part sharing and also, having a Maruti and seeing a neighbour own one, it is not really a smooth fuss-free experience. The plastic trim around the gear lever in the Celerio we have came out after a week, The service centre guys replaced it. Then too, it wasn’t fixed. On escalating, they changed the whole centre console. But after a few days, it still came out. It was very irritating and highly time-consuming to visit the service centre again and again so lived with it the way it is. It isn’t a big problem, it’s just that it is popped out and looks ugly. The neighbour with his Ciaz has suffered from 3 breakdowns on highways due to the engine getting overheated. Then there was some sort of leakage of fluid on the passenger footwell. Overall, the quality and the after-sales experiences have been horrible. So crossed it out.
And, Vento Highline MT, the main contender, would be picked if and only if, we get a really good deal on it as it’s going to be discontinued. Else, we would pick some other car or wait for some new launches.
Also, if Vento is bought right now, we might be replacing the second car, which is a Celerio AMT with something north of 20L after 3 years. Who knows? At least that’s what the plan is. This is because one thing is clearly observed while searching in the market, that when you go from a budget of 10L to 20L, you get a bigger car with more space and loads of features, some very useful and others not much, and a lot of powertrain options. But you don’t really get a huge upgrade in say, quality, feel-good factor, or the interiors. Whereas, if you go from 20L to 30L, you get a much more powerful engine and a car that gives a much better sense of upgrade and luxury with more convenience and useful features.
Now, the question is should one be buying a much more modern car keeping in mind that the car will be kept for 10 years at least, or is Vento a good enough car and would be the best choice to buy right now?
Keyword: Rs 10-20 lakh: Worth replacing my Honda City with a VW Vento