Car & Bike Hunting for a good Automatic up to 10-11L

mach9

mach9

Das Layzeemeister
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So it's time to retire my second Honda City in the family & replace it with a new one.

This time I need to get an automatic an pref below 11L all in..

Going by initial research I've listed the below options & if anyone happens to own these cars or have any feedback on the brands customer experience / ASS .. pls feel free to chip in so I can make the best choice.

1. Ameo TDI - DSG - VW don't exactly have the best ASS reputation.. maintenance costs & spares are expensive?
2. Ecosport- Automatic 1.5 Black Edition - decent rep. Auto box issues has ford facing class action lawsuits.. model is due for a refresh
3. Swift Dzire - Auto - the least attractive of the bunch.
4. VW Polo TSI - same brand issues as Ameo/ expensive hatch but nice performance
5. Ciaz / City - both mid size sedans but will push the costs up.

Lastly if anyone's made purchases in December.. what's the discount I can usually expect to bargain for with dealers since they'd be eager to release old stock?

Cheers!
 
The top end jazz is under 10L but for some reason the top end non-AT version has more features like magic seats and Inbuilt Nav, its a pretty nice car, and Honda have a better rep than VW for ASS.
 
Just buy the GT TSI - none of the others come close in terms of refinement, drive experience, build quality or that special feel when you sit inside. Also the rest of the automatics are cut down in terms of features and kit - not so with the Polo which comes with extra kit over and above the normal Highline.

I got one for my wife earlier this year and after getting it, have ended up doing most of the driving cos its just so much fun.

Yes VW service isn't something to write home about and there are also a few 7DSG failures on the polo but it is still an acceptable risk considering the quality of the car. Just make sure you get extended warranty. Simply, no other automatic even remotely comes close in terms of performance and shift quality of the Polo.

The Jazz has that stupid rubber band effect due to CVT, the Figo/Ecosport AT has an anemic engine with a DCT box that doesn't really feel that quick. The rest are AMTs - the less said about them the better.

Also I was rather pissed off with Honda service - had a Brio before which the GT TSI replaced. Never really cared for their service quality or processes and they never bothered to fix things properly. Yes it was very cheap to run though.
 
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I know I am not contributing much towards the discussion, but NEVER, EVER, even consider buying a Chevrolet. The aftersales people are polite idiots. I have tried them in 4 cities and the one common feature I found is their utter lack of knowledge or understanding of absolutely anything.

Also, VW, Skoda, MBIL are horrendous when it comes to ASS (personal experience with all the three). For Mercedes, it is actually better to get it serviced outside where they use parts sourced from the Middle East. Skoda and VW guys seem to have their heads stuck in some dark places when it comes to the pricing of their spares.

I would bet on Toyota, Honda, Suzuki. Ciaz is a lovely car with a lot of space and it is well built. The only complaint I have with Maruti is their equipment is forever slightly outdated. :p

I was somehow never sold on Ford. It might be a personal bias.
 
I have driven the Ford Aspire.. It has none of the sluggishness of the Ecosport DCT.. probably due to its lighter weight. Quite a fun car to drive, kitted to boot, powerful AC, spacious as well.
but all these Dual clutch boxes from Ford, VW have had failure issues (a recent Ford recall happened in Oz in 2015)

If you are brave enough to go the VW/Skoda way, the new Rapid is so good- the Petrol comes with a 6 -Speed conventional TC AT and is a reliable one as opposed to the DSG of the Diesel.

Skoda now comes with a 4 year warranty/service package , so hopefully you are covered for at least this period.
In fact, they are also gonna launch the Rapid in the stunning Monte Carlo edition in Red - http://www.skoda-auto.com/en/models/rapid-monte-carlo

And dont ignore the Baleno/Jazz- both really good , kitted cars with the super smooth & reliable CVT- both around 9L.
 
Wow! Thanks Chaos & all you guys chipping in! Glad to see the auto lovers active on this forum! Kudos!

I'm really inclined to go with the Polo GT TSI but the damn ASS & spares is a bit frightening..

@Chaos the issues with the 7DSG - does VW rectify them free or look at putting that on to the owners cost? Also the issue I find with the Polo is the cranky rear.

A friend of mine has been pushing rave reviews of the Ciaz.. but I don't really have a liking on it.

The BALENO has some of the crappiest interior quality I've seen! I was so disgusted with the parts quality Maruti stuffed in it for a premium hatch.

The S Cross is tempting but a bit overpriced for what it really is.

My primary running is going to be City with short runs to Cities not more than 250km out of BOM..

The Skoda Rapid is just out of reach I think unfortunately..

Damn this choice is hard
 
mach9 said:
Wow! Thanks Chaos & all you guys chipping in! Glad to see the auto lovers active on this forum! Kudos!

I'm really inclined to go with the Polo GT TSI but the damn ASS & spares is a bit frightening..

@Chaos the issues with the 7DSG - does VW rectify them free or look at putting that on to the owners cost? Also the issue I find with the Polo is the cranky rear.

Damn this choice is hard
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VW fixes any gearbox issues even outside warranty. So one is covered from that end. Also there have been very few failures on the Polo cos the torque is a lot lower on the 1.2 TSI.

Also in terms of safety, the polo ranks the highest with a 4 star rating.
 
delhiboy1 said:
If you are brave enough to go the VW/Skoda way, the new Rapid is so good- the Petrol comes with a 6 -Speed conventional TC AT and is a reliable one as opposed to the DSG of the Diesel.
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The rapid has an ancient 1.6 engine which neither feels powerful nor is it very fuel efficient. It is not an engine for in city driving and needs to be revved. Also the TC gearbox you refer to is an ancient unit. Pretty terrible in terms of shift speed and Skoda itself is hamstrung cos VW won't give the 1.2 TSI engine for the rapid to make sure polo or vento sales are unaffected.

And dont ignore the Baleno/Jazz- both really good , kitted cars with the super smooth & reliable CVT- both around 9L.
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Both are close to 10 lacs and miss out on several features which their manual brethren get since both Honda and Maruti decided to strip down the automatic versions. Neither is the Baleno very safe as maruti cuts corners on made in India cars. Jazz is a decent car that gets ruined by that super commuter like CVT box mated to a less than optimal 1.2 engine. If you want space and low TCO, then nothing probably beats it.
 
My 2 cents on the Jazz auto, dunno about the cvt rubber-band effect but the 1.2 is just too damn underpowered for it. Especially since it weighs about the same as the city! It's ok for older folks I guess, but an absolute no for anyone who even moderately likes to drive.
 
I have been using automatics since like 5-6 yrs. skoda dsg works best. Get them with extended warranty as long as available for maximum duration.

That's best choice.

Second is ford dual clutch.

Don't drive Cvt cars. I drove ciaz at last month. It was horrendous to use on highway for overtaking.
 
Just another point : VW/Skoda only offers a 4yr standard +extended warranty as compared to any of the other major manufacturer"s 5 years. When you have a problematic GB, the company just can't put their money where their mouth is.

Polo/Vento DSG maybe good, but have such a retarded rear seat , that it is effectively a" hum do , hamare do" car. (2 Adults+2 kids). That could be a dealbreaker for some.

The OTR cost will depend on OP's location - Baleno/Jazz cost 9L OTR in Delhi. Both AT options are available in 2 variants in the range , so feature list will depend on what variant one can afford.
City S CVT with the Dec offers might make the 11L cut as well. 1.5L+ CVT isn't that bad & nothing will come close to its FE & smooth drive !!
Driving a CVT requires a little patience though, (not for me) , boy racer attitude will just leave the engine groaning ...

However maligned the TC AT units be- they are reliable. If that's at all in consideration...
People making shift from a manual to AT may actually feel less shift shocks and/or lag than a MT. a decent TC will give quite a linear response to throttle inputs.

Dzire/Ciaz Petrol AT are not AMT/CVT , but TCs.
 
delhiboy1 said:
The OTR cost will depend on OP's location - Baleno/Jazz cost 9L OTR in Delhi. Both AT options are available in 2 variants in the range , so feature list will depend on what variant one can afford.
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Both are stripped down compared to the top of the range manual. Please see the spec sheet. You just don't have an option of a top of the line all features included AT.

However maligned the TC AT units be- they are reliable. If that's at all in consideration...
People making shift from a manual to AT may actually feel less shift shocks and/or lag than a MT. a decent TC will give quite a linear response to throttle inputs.

Dzire/Ciaz Petrol AT are not AMT/CVT , but TCs.
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Agreed about TCs. Also well designed TCs are both reliable and fun - eg the 8 speed ZF in RWD BMWs/Jags or the 8 speed Aisin in the Volvos

However these entry level torque converters are just ancient tech - either 4 speed or 5 speed, not even a proper 6 speed.

The Ciaz is a 4 speed TC while the Dzire is an AMT. They recently replaced the TC with an AMT to cut costs.
 
As Chaos said the more I looked up the spec sheets the more I tend to agree the big boys have stripped the AT specs down to try n keep their margins intact because their revenue expectations might push the cost too high for the Indian market.

The more I read up the more annoyed I get to see the crap that auto makers have been pushing in our country.

I'm based in Bombay & for the level of traffic that now occupies our road.. a large sedan with a laggy box is the last thing I need.

The only big gripe with Polo is that apart from its internals and the reasonable front row & the safety ratings.. the rest of the car like the rear bench is practically an afterthought.. I also felt they could have thrown in a bit more kit.

Anyone here with bit more insight on the Ecosport?
 
If you could consider used cars, I would say take a look at Corolla AT versions. You get Toyota reliability and a bigger comfortable car in the same price range. Even if used for 30/40k kms, that would be a great addition to any garage, IMO.

I personally drive moderately sedately and hence I never find TCs slight lag to be an issue as I really dont need those quick lightning shifts. For those special few spirited drives, there's always the manual mode. So I personally put ride quality and internal space on top of the list as long as the gear shifts are smooth and jerk free.
 
mach9 said:
Anyone here with bit more insight on the Ecosport?
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Please pick the Aspire or Figo in case you want a ford - both are much cheaper than the ecosport and have everything that the ecosport offers other than the ride height.

The ecosport is anyways due a facelift with a new infotainment system and some styling cues of the larger ford SUVs. I'd suggest you test drive all the cars and then take a call.

As for the space in the Polo, if you require more space, then look at the Vento TSI. The comfortline has quite a lot of discounts going. However it is around 2-2.5L more.

The polo is perfect as a second city runabout. As a primary car though, the rear is cramped - I completely agree.

When I got it, I didn't care much as I had a Volvo V40 when I need more boot or rear seat space for long drives and airport runs.
 
My last trip at honda, sales was willing to shave off upto 2 lakh (in form of exchange, insurance, discount) on the non refreshed Jazz.
I drove the Ameo but in MT. Stonker of an engine. I hear rapid too has had a facelift and price cut.
Why not try the Dsg tsi Ameo?
 
Poga said:
My last trip at honda, sales was willing to shave off upto 2 lakh (in form of exchange, insurance, discount) on the non refreshed Jazz.
I drove the Ameo but in MT. Stonker of an engine. I hear rapid too has had a facelift and price cut.
Why not try the Dsg tsi Ameo?
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The Rapid has had a rather smart facelift but definitely not a price cut.

I've asked a contact at VW for the latest price sheet.. let's see
 
mach9 said:
So it's time to retire my second Honda City in the family & replace it with a new one.

This time I need to get an automatic an pref below 11L all in..

Going by initial research I've listed the below options & if anyone happens to own these cars or have any feedback on the brands customer experience / ASS .. pls feel free to chip in so I can make the best choice.

1. Ameo TDI - DSG - VW don't exactly have the best ASS reputation.. maintenance costs & spares are expensive?
2. Ecosport- Automatic 1.5 Black Edition - decent rep. Auto box issues has ford facing class action lawsuits.. model is due for a refresh
3. Swift Dzire - Auto - the least attractive of the bunch.
4. VW Polo TSI - same brand issues as Ameo/ expensive hatch but nice performance
5. Ciaz / City - both mid size sedans but will push the costs up.

Lastly if anyone's made purchases in December.. what's the discount I can usually expect to bargain for with dealers since they'd be eager to release old stock?

Cheers!
Click to expand...
I would go with the new City. I own one and love it, though mine is a manual.
My second choice would be the skoda Rapid. I think its a bit cramped, but good car non the less. Have driven the vento tsi (uncle owns it), super fun to drive but kinda dated looks.

Polo is kinda cramped for me so irrespective of how good the car is, its just not comfortable for me.

The top end S-cross sells at a really high discount, as high as 5 lacs. Check pricing.
 
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