Buying a car is always an adventure. Sometimes it turns out well and other times it is just a serious pain in the butt. Overall, though, I usually enjoy the process and the challenge. For this reason, I was looking forward to getting a new car in India. The current car, a 3 year old Ford Endeavor (think a jungle-ready explorer, but not as comfortable) has run its run. Poorly built to begin with, its complete lack of suspension has reduced the remaining bits, and my back, to rubble. It is time to retire the Ford.
The stable of replacements in India is very limited due to the huge import tax that is levied on everything to protect the burgeoning domestic industry. As well, we had to decide whether to replace it with another SUV or go the sedan route. This is a more difficult decision here than back in the US, because the roads here actually challenge a SUV unlike the manicured roads of the US. Add the monsoons and you actually have rivers and lakes to traverse. The trade-off for all this go-anywhere capability is a painfully stiff and jilting ride. In order to get an SUV that is not based on a truck, you have to move into a stratospheric price range and, since we are a discount retailer and not Goldman Sachs, paying $115,000 for an Audi Q5 is not in the cards.
Based on the bone-jarring rides we took in two available SUVs, the Toyota Fortuner and the Hyundai Santa Fe, it was decided to go the sedan route. Who needs 3 rows of seating anyhow? It is just the two of us. So we began to look at sedans and this is where the fun started.
First of all, you must schedule a test drive, because they bring the car to you, rather then you going to the showroom. This is actually pretty convenient. The car arrives with the driver and salesman (it would be absurd for the salesman to actually drive the car himself, duh!) and they turn the vehicle over to you and your driver for the test drive. This is actually great, because you get to drive it over familiar road and in conditions that you experience every day. I am sure that was not the intention, but quite convenient, none the less.
Secondly, the test drive is very different. Since I have a driver, the driver does the driving and I sit happily in the back and evaluate the car from the perspective of the driven. That puts a whole new set of expectations around the vehicle. Where I would usually be concerned with power and handling, I am not evaluating for legroom and ride compliance. I used to love the growl of the engine, but now want silence. Where before, I wanted a hard, sports suspension, I now want a floating, wafting, magic carpet ride. I longed for the Cadillacs of Grandpa Frank!
Based on these new criteria, we limited our selection to three cars: Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat and the Skoda Superb. Three very different formulas to get to an adequate solution to the Indian transport problem. The Toyota is simply the benchmark in quality, but the model they have here is an older model and seems outdated compared to German and Czech contenders. As well, the backseat was the smallest – a deal breaker! The Passat was the best to drive (according to my driver) with much more power than then others and a slew of features that would make even the most advanced car jealous – the damn thing even parks itself with the aid of a camera that pokes out from under the oversized VW trunk badge. Very cool!
In the end, we decided to go with the cutting edge of Czech technology. To be fair, Skoda was purchased by VW over a decade ago and the Superb is simply a refitted Passat in a more passenger friendly package. Firstly, the rear leg room is massive – almost limousine like. I can cross my legs and my foot comes nowhere near the front seat. As well, the ride is much more compliant than the Passat. The Skoda floats undisturbed over the imperfections (read massive holes) of the Delhi roads. A huge plus. Finally, although the VW comes with a ton of kit for the driver, the Skoda is more backseat passenger oriented with the aforementioned leg room, a center console that shows the time and outside temperature and a nifty umbrella that fits into a custom made storage compartment in the left door panel to allow it to drain outside. You just can’t argue with that kind of innovation.
In India, you do not get to choose options. You choose your model and your engine and the rest is preselected. Even colors are restricted to the model and engine size. We choose the 2.0T Diesel, so we had the choice of Red, White, Black, Mocha (metallic, deep brown) and Amethyst (light, metallic lavender). You had to go to the V6 petrol engine to get the silver paint! The interior for all colors is Ivory – beautiful, but maybe not the best choice for the dirtiest and dustiest city in the world. Based on the above choices, we went with Mocha.
Once the model, engine and color have been selected, I turned the negotiating over to the experts. My assistant stepped in and began the haggling. Since the prices are fixed, in India we haggle over the other things – mats, mudguards, car cover, etc – to be thrown in for free. This went on for a few days and we, as expected, got everything we wanted and many that we did not. One was a rear foot rest. I am not sure what this is, but we got it and I am excited to use it … I think.
As of today, we have placed the deposit (and by we, I mean the company, since they are technically the owners) and now we wait for delivery. We expect to see it before we leave on vacation on Friday, but this is India, so one never knows how the story ends until it is over!
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| The old Battlewagon and Kailash, the driver |
The stable of replacements in India is very limited due to the huge import tax that is levied on everything to protect the burgeoning domestic industry. As well, we had to decide whether to replace it with another SUV or go the sedan route. This is a more difficult decision here than back in the US, because the roads here actually challenge a SUV unlike the manicured roads of the US. Add the monsoons and you actually have rivers and lakes to traverse. The trade-off for all this go-anywhere capability is a painfully stiff and jilting ride. In order to get an SUV that is not based on a truck, you have to move into a stratospheric price range and, since we are a discount retailer and not Goldman Sachs, paying $115,000 for an Audi Q5 is not in the cards.
Based on the bone-jarring rides we took in two available SUVs, the Toyota Fortuner and the Hyundai Santa Fe, it was decided to go the sedan route. Who needs 3 rows of seating anyhow? It is just the two of us. So we began to look at sedans and this is where the fun started.
First of all, you must schedule a test drive, because they bring the car to you, rather then you going to the showroom. This is actually pretty convenient. The car arrives with the driver and salesman (it would be absurd for the salesman to actually drive the car himself, duh!) and they turn the vehicle over to you and your driver for the test drive. This is actually great, because you get to drive it over familiar road and in conditions that you experience every day. I am sure that was not the intention, but quite convenient, none the less.
Secondly, the test drive is very different. Since I have a driver, the driver does the driving and I sit happily in the back and evaluate the car from the perspective of the driven. That puts a whole new set of expectations around the vehicle. Where I would usually be concerned with power and handling, I am not evaluating for legroom and ride compliance. I used to love the growl of the engine, but now want silence. Where before, I wanted a hard, sports suspension, I now want a floating, wafting, magic carpet ride. I longed for the Cadillacs of Grandpa Frank!
Based on these new criteria, we limited our selection to three cars: Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat and the Skoda Superb. Three very different formulas to get to an adequate solution to the Indian transport problem. The Toyota is simply the benchmark in quality, but the model they have here is an older model and seems outdated compared to German and Czech contenders. As well, the backseat was the smallest – a deal breaker! The Passat was the best to drive (according to my driver) with much more power than then others and a slew of features that would make even the most advanced car jealous – the damn thing even parks itself with the aid of a camera that pokes out from under the oversized VW trunk badge. Very cool!
In the end, we decided to go with the cutting edge of Czech technology. To be fair, Skoda was purchased by VW over a decade ago and the Superb is simply a refitted Passat in a more passenger friendly package. Firstly, the rear leg room is massive – almost limousine like. I can cross my legs and my foot comes nowhere near the front seat. As well, the ride is much more compliant than the Passat. The Skoda floats undisturbed over the imperfections (read massive holes) of the Delhi roads. A huge plus. Finally, although the VW comes with a ton of kit for the driver, the Skoda is more backseat passenger oriented with the aforementioned leg room, a center console that shows the time and outside temperature and a nifty umbrella that fits into a custom made storage compartment in the left door panel to allow it to drain outside. You just can’t argue with that kind of innovation.
In India, you do not get to choose options. You choose your model and your engine and the rest is preselected. Even colors are restricted to the model and engine size. We choose the 2.0T Diesel, so we had the choice of Red, White, Black, Mocha (metallic, deep brown) and Amethyst (light, metallic lavender). You had to go to the V6 petrol engine to get the silver paint! The interior for all colors is Ivory – beautiful, but maybe not the best choice for the dirtiest and dustiest city in the world. Based on the above choices, we went with Mocha.
Once the model, engine and color have been selected, I turned the negotiating over to the experts. My assistant stepped in and began the haggling. Since the prices are fixed, in India we haggle over the other things – mats, mudguards, car cover, etc – to be thrown in for free. This went on for a few days and we, as expected, got everything we wanted and many that we did not. One was a rear foot rest. I am not sure what this is, but we got it and I am excited to use it … I think.
As of today, we have placed the deposit (and by we, I mean the company, since they are technically the owners) and now we wait for delivery. We expect to see it before we leave on vacation on Friday, but this is India, so one never knows how the story ends until it is over!
Congrats on the new car! Are you heading to the Maldives for vacation? What resort are you staying in? You and Olga are going to love it!
ReplyDeleteWe are staying at the Anantara Kihavah.
ReplyDeleteHave a great time on your vacation. Let us know when you pass your diving tests. IO miss talking to Olga on the weekends!!
ReplyDelete