drove the new GLI AUTO
proved to be MUCH better than what i was expecting... i thought it would be having a sluggish acceleration as it was an auto , road grip like tht of the old model and less room in the cabin , but it came out to be an entirely different thing.
.. FEELS LIKE A 'BIG' CAR ...
a very light steering ,
smooth acceleration and gearshifts even at high rpms ,
remarkable grip and good gear ratios ,
and enough room for a person as tall as 6ft10".... probably more roomy than civic or city and certainly more than the outgoing model
a much stronger built than the previous model,, the doors , handles , interious knobs and other fittings felt solid
.... however notably slower in acceleration as compared to city ivtec 1.3MT... (city 1.3AT is simply rubbish.. turn on the AC and aboard 3 other ppl and u're slower than a mule)
BUT .. one thing which lets it down.. its SIZE.. damn its a huge vehicle..
we have to drive it on roads with rikshas and taangas and crazy wagons and maniac bikers ..
and finding places to park in places like main market and H block DHA and other over-crowded places ..
its not practical AT ALL....
Now , if i compare its drive with hondas , city and civic , honda cars have got a unique connection with the driver.. better drive , handling , braking... i was hoping it would , but the new corolla didnot give me the same feeling as 'home'
WILL I BUY IT? hmm .. XLI , GLI , GLI auto , Altis...??..... NO
XLI.. got no ABS , no power windows , even the interior finish is different from other variants and looks cheap ,,, on top of it , a ridiculous price tag
GLI ( 17.5lakh ) .. competes with city 1.3 (15lakhs) , city 1.5 MT (16.60lakhs) .... come on! look at the price difference.. i doubt it would even effect city's sales .. probably increase it.. why buy a 1.3 when u can get a 1.5 and save money on that too!
GLI AUTO (18.24lakhs) .. this is 1.3 whereas city aspire AT (18lacks) is 1.5L ... price , engine , better drive..... city all the way
ALTIS 1.6 .... maybe yes.. if it is less than 20lakhs
Altis 1.8 ... between this and civic , probably civic , though to me , the new corolla is WAY better lookin than the 'jetsons' civic , but at the end of the day , u'll be the one sitting on the driver's seat , and civic knocks out corolla when it comes down to the drive and thrill .. ive never come across a person selling a civic and buying a corolla
, however i would seriously consider CVT
ending note... , its a car i would look forward to drive again..