First Car !!

[man23ish]

I am looking for a used car for my younger brother who just got rid of his teens. The features i am looking for in the car are as follows.

1> Safety, we all know the rush of blood, teenagers can get right..
2> Looks, afterall it should suit his age and looks too..
3> Utility factor, we are a big family of 8 members, also my bro has
quite a few friends to carry around.
4> Fuel Economy, I guess most vehicles in India are good in fuel
economy, but it is not a limiting factor.
5> The most important factor is of-course the clutch and gear
handling. The clutch and gear lever should be easy to handle.
6> Power Steering is a must for better handling. Especially in city
traffic.
7> Budget is between 6-8 Lacs.

I have zeroed in on Bolero Invader, Scorpio, Safari, but the new look sumo victa is also good.

I also thought about a used Amby as a first vehicle, But in that case, i might sell it next year and go in for a newer vehicle.

Also, i went to the used car division of Nandi Toyota in Bangalore today. This is the place where they sell exchange vehicles. I saw a Mahindra Bolero GLX 2001 model. They are asking 3.25 Lacs for the vehicle the odometer is at 62,400 something. What should be a decent price for the vehicle??

[DCEite]

look.. if safety is your concern , forget about BOLERO, SUMO, SAFARI, AMBY

and with budget of 6-8 lacs, why not go for a new vehicle instead of an old one??

[Shan2nu]

I have zeroed in on Bolero Invader, Scorpio, Safari, but the new look sumo victa is also good.

What does your brother feel about these vehicles? Safari and Scorpio i can understand, but i'm not sure if he'll want to take his friends out in a Bolero/Victa.

Safety, we all know the rush of blood, teenagers can get right..

If your brother is the spirited kind, then the Scorpio is out of the question. It's got power and acceleration but, you better watch out for those fast corners. Braking a Scorpio is an equally scary affair.

That leaves us with the Safari, now i can't comment on this one as i've never driven on or even sat in one (for that matter). Any Safari owners?

If u can afford to wait for another few months and maybe increase your budget a little, you can take a look at the Toyota Fortuner (due to be released this Sept). It's a bit expensie at around 10-11 lakhs but it'll seat 8 with ease. But i doubt it's a Monocoque chassis, looks like a typical body on ladder type.

Shan2nu

[man23ish]

Originally Posted by dceite

look.. if safety is your concern , forget about BOLERO, SUMO, SAFARI, AMBY

and with budget of 6-8 lacs, why not go for a new vehicle instead of an old one??

Well, my idea is to give him an old vehicle so that he can get used to driving 4-wheelers. It really hurts to see dents on a brand new vehicle especially when you've spent over 6 Lacs buying it. He hasn't driven a 4-wheeler before. Also i thought the vehicle can double up for training my wife too..

I intend to buy the fortuner maybe after a year and a half, after my folks get used to handling the big vehicles. I am assuming that after driving the Safari, Bolero, etc. Driving small vehicles like M800, Hyundie would be a breeze.. Right??

What do you think??

[papps]

hey after driving the big cars, like a sporpio, sierra, safari, etc. a small car feels like a M800 or a zen feels like a toy and you get carried away at times

anyways, if you think about a new car, have a look at the chevrolet tavera, its a nice car, decent power, lesser than the scorpio, good road handling, a good gearbox, pretty spacious, only thing is the rear suspension is a bit bouncy, but once the car is got about 7-8 ppl in it its not that bad, and yeah the suspension is better than the scorpio, if your looking at a second hand car go for a safari.

[cheatingdeath]

u could get the new lancer at this price

[man23ish]

I just saw a completely re-done 1989 Amby in bangalore today. It is having a 2.4Litre Isuzu engine with a new 5-speed gearbox and an Isuzu differential. The power of the vehicle was awesome. A slight touch on the accelator in the second gear and the car was cruising at 45 KMPH. I haven't tried the top speed of the vehicle in the 5th gear. But i liked whatever i saw. The only problem was that the space between the CBA pedals was a bit too less for my comfort. And the gearshift was a bit vague.. I am going to try out this vehicle on the outer ring road this weekend and will post a full report. But so far i liked what i saw. If there are any other Amby enthusiasts in bangalore please give me a call at 9448458662 and maybe we can go together and see the vehicle. Also i could use your expert opinion on this particular vehicle as well.

Of-course, this is a bit off-topic since i am not going to hand this car to my brother. But may be keep it for myself..

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by man23ish

I am going to try out this vehicle on the outer ring road this weekend and will post a full report. But so far i liked what i saw.

Waiting for your full report. Should be ready within a week or so. What say?

[speedsatya]

if your bro is a novice driver ,give him something less expensive like mabbe the esteem or the old city or the baleno.u can get such used cars for about 3-4 lacs.the esteem can be had had for a lesser price.
after he gets used to driving these cars and gets the proper road sense,then mabbe u can go for a bigger vehicle like an SUV.
and by that time u will also get to know about the performance of the fortuner,innova and the likes.

[Rudra Sen]

Satya, he's looking for a very basic car. Wait for his weekend test.

[speedsatya]

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

Satya, he's looking for a very basic car. Wait for his weekend test.

yesss ,me waiting

[The Wolf]

Scorpio is a good deal for your requirement!!! A great car in terms of handling and safety.Pretty powerful and spacious too.

[lamborghini]

why not a safari
its not fast, brakes are good , handling good too and improves with better tyres, comfortable, good looking , and quite safe too
it will have niggling problemn but then you are going to sell it off soon
besides, he will get some muscles turning and driving it too and after driving even a merc will feel like a breeze
trust me
i drove a safari and now i get carried away driving a qualis and all

[man23ish]

A used safari sounds like a good deal. Can anybody tell which SUV/MUV gives the best kmpl?? and is easy on maintenance too??

But isn't it true that the Safari had some teething clutch and gear problems?? I know that it doesn't take much time to get used to the gear system. But what are your expert comments about the gear-system of the safari??

[drifter]

Originally Posted by The Wolf

Scorpio is a good deal for your requirement!!! A great car in terms of handling and safety.Pretty powerful and spacious too.

Handling and safety? Wolf that car's handling leaves a lot to be desired, handles more like a boat if you ask me...and i cannot comment on the safety factor.

Neways, i think a used safari will suit your brother, first of all its not all that fast...ride is one of the best in its class, its more spacious than the scorpio, and handles decently as well. Fuel efficiency in city is around 8-9kmpl in the safari and similar figures for the scorpio.
About the safety factor, tata vehicles are tough, but then again its not been crash tested. A used 2001 safari can be had for 4-5 lakhs depending on the condition. Try and go in for latest model that fits your budget, because tata keeps improving their vehicles...and chances of finding niggling problems will be less.

Yes the early safari gearboxes were prone to premature wear and tear and this applied both to 4x4 n 4x2 versions, but post 2001 this problem seems to have been taken care of by tata, shift quality like all tatas is not all that great even now. The gearbox still makes grating noise when its in too high a gear for the given speed.

Drifter