It took us sometime to accept the insane pricing of the new cars but now that we’ve swallowed that bitter pill, we are ready to make a decision.
BHPian 3rdAttempt recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
We’re looking to get a car for my Dad who recently reluctantly let go of his long time love – a Nissan X Trail. He’d done about 73000 kms in 11 years.
It took us sometime to accept the insane pricing of the new cars but now that we’ve swallowed that bitter pill, we are ready to make a decision.
We would be very grateful if some of the more experienced members could share their inputs to help us arrive at a conclusion. Many thanks in advance!
We started with looking at the new X5 and GLE but soon Dad was clear that he wanted one size smaller.
Dad will keep the car for at least 5 years, will drive about 7000-8000 kms per year in Mumbai city, and I will occasionally borrow the car for weekend getaways with friends/family. Our parking is all mostly open to sky and the car will almost always be self driven.
The cars we’ve considered so far:
Mercedes GLC
- We test drove the new GLC. New gen with beautiful interiors and design language. Burmeister sound setup was pleasing too. Exterior is almost the same as the outgoing GLC – nothing special but nothing of concern either.
- I didn’t like the fact that the transmission tunnel makes it impossible to have a 3rd passenger on the back seat. The mild hybrid ISG motor causes the car to have a lag till it shifts up to higher gears and the side rails make it a bit of a stretch to enter and exit (especially if it has any grime that you want to avoid). I dont see the point of the side rails on this car.
- A 4 zone climate control for a 86L car would’ve been nice too. If it wasn;t for the big transmission tunnel, I think this car would’ve been our first choice.
Lexus Nx350
- 2.5 ltr strong hybrid engine. CBU. Lots of tech and safety features. Looks good on the outside but the cabin inside fails to impress. I was particularly put off with the large volume of plastic on the sides of the back rests of the rear seats – the demo car had scratch marks all over that plastic from the seat belt buckle hitting it over time. Ruled out this car.
X3
- We have a BMW in our garage (the 630 d gt) and I guess that caused us to be a bit under whelmed with the X3 cabin. Also we hear that it’s due for an upgrade in the coming months. The drive and size otherwise were excellent. Ruled out the X3.
Discovery Sport
- This car felt solidly built with a roomy cabin and enough space in the back row to seat 3 adults if needed. The car has no frills otherwise and failed to excite – didn’t get a “new car” feeling, if you know what I mean. We haven’t ruled it out, but aren’t too excited about it. The boxy shape & not so encouraging feedback on JLR service is a concern. Leaning towards ruling out this car.
XC60
- It has more tech that any of the other cars with massaging seats, an amazing sound system, nice interiors, 4 zone climate control etc etc,
- The lower transmission tunnel allows for a third passenger in the rear but the rear seats felt a bit upright with insufficient thigh support. Anyone else felt the same way?
- Also, I am wondering if the fact that there’s only one dealer covering all of Maharashtra, will servicing etc be an issue?
- The pricing and servicing costs of the XC60 seem to be very competitive and in fact lower than all the cars we’ve seen so far – their 5 year service package costs about 1L only! The XC60 is amongst our top contenders at the moment because of having lot of tech & attractive pricing and maintenance.
Macan
- After reading a few reviews about the Macan on here, we decided to have a look at it this morning. Fabulous drive. Most insulated cabin.
- But no fun tech. And literally everything needs to be added at a cost including things like a 360 degree camera, sun roof & even power steering!
- All in, a basic specced car (remember no ventilated seats, wireless car play/charging, no 360 degree camera etc), comes to about 1.15cr on road + extended warranty + maintenance package.
- I loved the drive and the fact that it brings so much exclusivity to it makes it very attractive.
- I am just unsure if at the price it makes sense?
- The Macan is also a top contender at the moment.
Velar
- Since we saw the Porsche and are exploring the 1cr+ options too (albeit still in the size smaller than the X5/GLEs), we are wondering whether we should look at the upcoming Velar which will launch of this month. It is priced similar to the Macan and will cost the similar amount to maintain as well.
Should we consider it?
Summary:
Looks like the XC60 and Macan are our top contenders at the moment. Tempted to see the Velar and my gut feel is that it will add to our dilemma.
To our more senior & experienced members:
- Thoughts on the XC60 vs Macan? (tech & pricing vs exclusivity & driving pleasure). Any other pointers?
- Thoughts on the upcoming Velar? on JLR ownership experience? We find even the current shape beautiful to look at and a definite head turner. We haven’t driven it yet though. It offers exclusivity and is slightly larger the the Xc60 but still smaller than the X5 and GLE.
- Any other car that we should’ve considered but haven’t?
Excitedly looking forward to your feedback and suggestions and sharing the purchase journey with you all.
Here’s what BHPian lamborghini had to say on the matter:
The X3, Q5, Discovery Sport do definitely feel a little long in the tooth as they’re fairly old models. Since you want tech and have the budget : it’s probably better to get something newer which will feel fresher.
Between the XC60 & the Macan – you’ve pretty much nailed it. If it will be primarily self driven – the Macan is the way to go and will feel more special despite missing many features, but if you plan to give it to the driver : you would be better off looking at other contenders.
The Velar should be a good option. It has the style and charisma. After sales is a hit or a miss, but to be honest – I still have to find one premium brand which is not in the business of ripping customers off / is able to diagnose issues properly / offers a premium experience.
Just a point on the GLC: Do check out the build quality. I wasn’t too happy with the way our W205 has aged in terms of creaks, rattles, noises – and saw the same with the V213 E Class, and a few other C Classes.
Other cars to consider : a Q8 since you’ve increased your budget could be an option too IMO. Classy interiors, well equipped, well built, but average service (extended warranty is a must and even then you want a second opinion at times – but to be honest I’d say the same for most if not all of the Euro brands).
Since you’ll enjoy tech – any thoughts on getting an EV? Audi & BMW have some competent options that you could explore as well & at a lower cost but offering all the tech and niceties without the allure of a German brand is the Kia EV6 & Ioniq 5.
Here’s what BHPian aseem23 had to say on the matter:
Hello, I am in the same boat where we are choosing between GLC and XC60. We basically want a comfortable 4-seater as we rarely have 5 people in the car. The new GLC is amazing but I feel it is more inclined towards people who drive themselves, for people who prefer to be chauffer driven XC60 has an edge. We are now inclining towards XC60 but will make the final call over the weekend. Some dealerships across India also have MY2024 Volvo cars too, which added some new tech. Recently on Team-bhp, someone shared their MY2024 XC40 delivery experience, and MY24 XC40 now comes with a 360 camera which was missing earlier. Similarly, there should be some difference between MY23 and MY24 XC60, but I am yet to confirm.
Also, since we already have a couple of Mercs and XC90 in the Garage, I feel Volvo cars are cheaper to maintain as compared to Mercs.
If you are looking to extend the budget, then I personally believe for the same price the new X5 looks fab. BMW has revamped the X5 and is currently offering a more tech, space, and powerful engine. In terms of Dimensions, I think X5 and the upcoming Velar will be similar. The best would be to take the test drives and then decide. You can also take a look at BMW iX or the latest Audi Q8 E-Tron for a luxury EV, or KIA EV6, or Ioniq 5 for something between 50-70l. I don’t have any charging infrastructure near my place, so EV options are discarded for me otherwise EV6 would have been my first choice.
Here’s what BHPian androdev had to say on the matter:
I’m guessing there is no chauffeur involved and the car will be driven by just your dad and you. You should explore Macan more seriously as it might be the perfect car for your needs.
A big negative of Macan is that the equipment level feels underwhelming. Do a deep dive on options + price to see if you can get a satisfactory configuration.
Since your usage is low, you can venture into “higher segment” brands like Porsche and RR as the maintenance costs and reliability risks will be palatable. Most people tend to blindly associate maintenance and reliability with the brand without taking the usage into account. If you are doing 1 lakh KM in 5 years, then yeah Volvo might be better but 35-40K km in 5 years on a Porsche/RR won’t be so bad.
I’m a bit disillusioned with MB and BMW. I suspect MB has created two sub brands: regular models and AMG/Maybach models. If you have an eye for the detail, you will notice the lack of premium feel in the regular lineup. I guess that’s their strategy – to nudge people towards their AMG/Maybach models. BMW is doing something similar based on engine size.
So instead of paying for AMG/M to get their premium package, say X3 M40i, you might as well go for Macan. Just do your homework on the configuration+budget before you rule it out. You might find a way to make the cabin look premium without spending a ton of money – maybe forgo things like 360-deg camera, wireless charging, 18-way seats etc. I think full leather package, basic electric seats, premium steering wheel, matching seat belts and instrument cluster, etc. should really spice up the cabin. Actually you can have a lot of fun configuring the car on their portal even if you are not serious about buying it 🙂 If I were your friend, I would rather sit as the 5th passenger in a Macan than in a recliner of a Vellfire.
Like others mentioned, Velar is more comparable to X5 in size.
Here’s what BHPian anabanka had to say on the matter:
We’ve a Velar, and at the time of buying, we were considering with alongside the X5 as it fell in the same price range.
In my opinion, really, the only thing going for Velar is how beautiful the car looks. The engines, handling and interiors do little to justify the price tag of the vehicle.
If absolute driving pleasure is not on your list of priorities and vanilla (or timeless, depending on your point of view) interiors are okay with you, the Velar would be a nicer car than the X3 or GLE, but still not worth the money.
Considering the service and quality, my experience hasn’t been bad. You may have the occasional issues and misdiagnosis that you’d face with any other dealer in your city. It hasn’t been a dealbreaker for me.
Hope this helps!
Keyword: Upgrading from a 11 year old Nissan X-Trail: Which luxury SUV to buy?