Suggestions Needed - i20 Diesel vs VW Polo Diesel

[rajscorpion]

I need suggestions from experts on choosing between one of the two diesel cars - Hyundai i20 / VW Polo. My requirments would be (1) Keeping the car for longer duration (more than 5 years) (2) running cost would be minimal in terms of maintenance and other charges (3) my monthly run would be mostly in the city and monthly 2 travel may be out of town (in total 1500km). Please suggest me to choose a diesel hatchback as I have already scorpio for my out of town travels. I do not want to spend more than 7Lac on-road for a diesel hatch.

 

[raj_5004]

With your requirements, I feel i20 is more apt for you. But I guess you will have to opt for base or mid variants, with that budget.

 

[diehardi20]

I definitely think I 20 CRDi as its more powerful and fuel efficient of the two . I own a I20 and i think will match your needs perfectly. With the new fluidic design out now. You will get all the bells and whistles which are exclusive to the I20.

Definately VFM

Regards

 

[akhilgopalg]

If you cant spend more than 7L, Polo is already out. i20 diesel costs less than 7L in B'lore? Of the two, i20 is feature rich and has lesser maintenance. Since you drive mostly in city, I dont think high speed stability and handling are issues to consider. So, i20 it is. But, you can consider Punto too.

 

[singh890]

I guess with your budget i20 is a very good option as it has a good FE and comes with lot of features as well. And is low on maintenance as well.

 

[Rightnow]

Dear rajscorpion, you must have figured out who wins the vote out of two.

- May I ask you on what basis have you finalized on these two cars only?

- Have you driven these two cars??

Out of the two cars, i20 emerges as a winner on papers. In ride terms, I can't really comment on i20 diesel as the one I have driven was petrol. I own a polo petrol now and if I assume not much of a difference between polo petrol and diesel, diesel one has got to be one gem of a car.

So, take a round of polo diesel and decide. 15k above 7 lac, you would get the comfortline version of polo diesel.

I suggest you to take as many test drives of both cars or others too, and go with your heart.

@akhilgopal, polo comfortline diesel is around 7.15 lac, so it can well be considered!!

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[Raja]

Guys I still don't understand why you say Hyundai are cheaper to maintain they are not . I have a freind who owns a civic and santro servicing bills of santro are higher then civic and Compared to polo the service cost will be same somewhat.

Polo - elegant looks, stable on high speeds but very noisy engine .
I20- good looks, great gizmos can't match the handling of polo .( if you drive the car not more then 100 kmph it is not a issue then ) .
You can consider the punto too .

 

[rajscorpion]

Dear rajscorpion, you must have figured out who wins the vote out of two.

- May I ask you on what basis have you finalized on these two cars only?

- Have you driven these two cars??

Out of the two cars, i20 emerges as a winner on papers. In ride terms, I can't really comment on i20 diesel as the one I have driven was petrol. I own a polo petrol now and if I assume not much of a difference between polo petrol and diesel, diesel one has got to be one gem of a car.

So, take a round of polo diesel and decide. 15k above 7 lac, you would get the comfortline version of polo diesel.

I suggest you to take as many test drives of both cars or others too, and go with your heart.

@akhilgopal, polo comfortline diesel is around 7.15 lac, so it can well be considered!!

..

Hi Rightnow, I have short listed these two cars based on the combination of performance, space, A.S.S, noise level of the engine. I have test driven both the cars. Polo seems to be handling better at high speeds (say more than 120) than i20. But, Polo's engine noise is more compare to i20. I have earlier considered swift also. However, the waiting period is more and also cramped rears (as in Polo).

Hi akhilgopalg, I have not considered Punto due to the A.S.S. I already have issues with Mahindra A.S.S, so I do not trust on TATA as well. So, really confused with i20 and Polo. As I will also be driving the hatchback in highways too other than using my scorpio I am really confused now. Should I ignore the engine noise of Polo for higher speeds or should I ignore the space, features of i20? I want to book the car in a weeks time.

 

[dharmesh]

@rajscorpion : Have you considered Etios Liva? It should meet your requirement. But then you have to compromise on interiors. Apart from that, It would be perfect for you.

 

[FJ CRUZER]

@rajscorpion:

Polo is a better bet in the two, however as "Rightnow" already said you will have to pump out 15-20k over your budget. Few positives & negatives about both the cars from my personal point of view,

Polo:
+Build quality & Fineness
+Ride quality & comfort
+Looks & road presence
+Engine performance & maintenance

-Cramped rear seat
-Unclear view from IRVM
-Lacks many features

i20:
+Good space for 3 adults on rear bench
+Feature rich
+New generation features also added to i-gen i20

-Steering rattle issues (hopefully rectified with the new launch)
-Non effective AC (even with AutoCC feature)
-Engine does not respond as good as it seems on paper
-Maintenance costs is mysteriously higher than expected

Do not want to go overboard by asking you to look for further options for a Diesel hatchback to be driven within the city, other options could be Ritz, Figo, Vista, Micra, to an extent Liva & punto too!!

If we may know more about why you have shortlisted the two cars and ignored/rejected other cars, that will help us understand your requirement in more precise manner and fellow TAIans can suggest in refined way.

If you may please try the link http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/automotive-shopper/1298-looking-buy-car-must-read.html that might help!

 

[Sam Dinkar]

Out of the two, it has to be the i20. Why do you want to spend upwards of rupees 7 lakhs on a three cylinder engine? I would not comment on looks because its a personal matter but as far as value for money is considered, the i20 beats the Polo by a good margin. Both cars are equally well built and would last for equally long periods. The only tangible area where the Polo edges out the i20 is in the ride and handling department which is a factor that shouldn't matter too much since your driving would be resticted within the city. The i20's ride quality is not bad at all and is pretty good at low speeds. Close your eyes and go for the i20 if you HAVE to chose between these two cars.

 

[ToughGuy]

Take the test drive of both the car back to back and take your decision.

 

[Rightnow]

Out of the two, it has to be the i20. Why do you want to spend upwards of rupees 7 lakhs on a three cylinder engine? I would not comment on looks because its a personal matter but as far as value for money is considered, the i20 beats the Polo by a good margin. Both cars are equally well built and would last for equally long periods. The only tangible area where the Polo edges out the i20 is in the ride and handling department which is a factor that shouldn't matter too much since your driving would be resticted within the city. The i20's ride quality is not bad at all and is pretty good at low speeds. Close your eyes and go for the i20 if you HAVE to chose between these two cars.

Talk of VW polo and the three cylinder thingy doesn't come along- impossible.

To be frank, this three word phrase 'Three Cylinder Engine' ruins my day. Not because it sounds derogatory to me as I own a three cylinder engine, but because quoting it out rightly to help someone reject VW polo ticks me off.

We have a few polo owners on forum, why haven't I heard this phrase from them? Why is it only those who advise mention it?

I admit, the noise is more, the clutter shows sometimes. But to be honest, the ride negates any difference between a three cylinder engine (let me call it TCE) and four cylinder one. Its been couple of months/6k Kms of ownership and I have never looked back or reassessed my decision.

I am in noway selling a polo, or helping the OP reject i20. He has chosen two brilliant cars. Moreover, a close friend of mine recently chose diesel i20 over diesel polo and I am with him for decision. And I would be equally happy if OP chooses any of the two, as long as he is satisfied. But I honestly believe that this TCE is a myth, and I don't want rajscorpion to be misled.

Coming back to suggestions- rajscorpio, if you can manage to take test drive of both cars on same day back to back, nothing would be more appropriate. For comparison on features, specs etc., internet is enough to inform you.

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[vishnunarayanan]

VW Polo TDI is a nice hatch. I like it a lot. We test drove the car. Its top notch when it comes to interior quality and overall built quality. The 3 pot diesel engine makes Polo a bit sluggish when we drive through bumber to bumber traffic in city
Regarding Hyundai i20 its unknown to me.
Test drive both the cars back to back and select the one that fits you the best
I suggest you to test-drive Ford Figo TDCI Titanium also before zeroing your final choice.

 

[akhilgopalg]

Hi Rightnow, I have short listed these two cars based on the combination of performance, space, A.S.S, noise level of the engine. I have test driven both the cars. Polo seems to be handling better at high speeds (say more than 120) than i20. But, Polo's engine noise is more compare to i20. I have earlier considered swift also. However, the waiting period is more and also cramped rears (as in Polo).

Hi akhilgopalg, I have not considered Punto due to the A.S.S. I already have issues with Mahindra A.S.S, so I do not trust on TATA as well. So, really confused with i20 and Polo. As I will also be driving the hatchback in highways too other than using my scorpio I am really confused now. Should I ignore the engine noise of Polo for higher speeds or should I ignore the space, features of i20? I want to book the car in a weeks time.

Alright. But, remember Fiat may improve A.S.S. this year.See, don't simply think 3-pots are bad compared to 4-pots. In this scenario, polo is noisy. But, dunno about the motor in i20 as i haven't driven one. From what i have heard, it has turbo-lag issues. Polo lacks features but has better ride and handling compared to i20. If you're driving at higher speeds, that's what you need more than anything. Btw, how many people will be travelling ? If its 2, then no space problems with Polo. I would say take a TD again of i20 and do a high speed run and opt for the one you like.