A tale of three dealers, 2 cars and an honest car salesman!

[SumitB]

Originally Posted by BUSA

Safari is a good car, but i was recently told in the Monsoon seasons when you sit in the old Safari 2.0 TCIC you need a umbrella

BUSA, I don't think there is any such problem with either the 3.0 or 2.2 DiCOR. Otherwise, we would have someone or the other complaining about it here. Therefore, its not right to call the Safari leaky

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by BUSA

End 2008 is when the New Innova will be launched with minor changes aka MMC. AlsoNew Corolla is expected Oct 2008

@ TSK - I honestly feel that if that the Magnum is much much better then the Verna in terms of interior space, legroom, head room. Safari is a good car, but i was recently told in the Monsoon seasons when you sit in the old Safari 2.0 TCIC you need a umbrella

Never saw a leaky safari till date. Anyways magnum is bigger inside, but is it 200,000rs bigger, I doubt it.

[BUSA]

The Verna SX costs around 9.1 Lacs OTR, the Magnum LS costs around 9.5 Lacs OTR, worth the little more price IMO. Your call, if i were you and i wanted a SUV vehicles i would have bought the Safari, i almost did, but then i was not ready to get the minor issues resolved by going to the dealer so i settled for a Toyota Innova.

[Dippy]

Nice review Tanveer. I agree with your date of Jan for the purchasing your new car and more so if its a Safari 2.2. Its just out a couple of months ago and would still have its initial problems very typical of Tata when they launch a new car. Hopefully the new 08 batch of cars would be free of these.

So wait for January.

[trrk]

Hi,

> Safari is a good car, but i was recently told in the Monsoon seasons when you > sit in the old Safari 2.0 TCIC you need a umbrella

Six years (1999-2005) and 76000kms in rain drenched Kerala, not a drop inside in the heaviest of rains. It was a base 1998 Aug registered in Nov 1999 white 2 wheel drive model.

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by BUSA

The Verna SX costs around 9.1 Lacs OTR, the Magnum LS costs around 9.5 Lacs OTR, worth the little more price IMO. Your call, if i were you and i wanted a SUV vehicles i would have bought the Safari, i almost did, but then i was not ready to get the minor issues resolved by going to the dealer so i settled for a Toyota Innova.

Verna Crdi SX = 805987 Ex showroom
Optra magnum LS = 911460 Ex showroom
With 2% road tax, and insurance costs the difference comes to around 125000
Moreover in case of Verna I would be looking at the Base model with ABS which comes to even cheaper.

If I have to buy a sedan, I will go for the cheapest diesel which is fun to drive and has good grunt. Magma is a good car but in my book, not worth the extra cost. And since the only thing stopping me now is price(for the 2.2) magnum does not make sense.

So the buying decision is final.
See financial condition in Jan 2008 end, and then decide.

[BUSA]

Oh ok, since your looking at Base Verna, then Optra will be costlier. I suggest you go for the Verna, Tata Safari is still not upto the mark wrt plastics, reliabilty and design is now 10 years old. X2 should be better.

[simply_sunny001]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

"Sir safari is a safari". Tell me "Aap innova mein kaise lagenge. Its a taxi after all. A luxury taxi is a taxi only" lol.

really very honest salesman,must have sold quite a few safaris

[Car-Agey]

Originally Posted by BUSA

Oh ok, since your looking at Base Verna, then Optra will be costlier. I suggest you go for the Verna, Tata Safari is still not upto the mark wrt plastics, reliabilty and design is now 10 years old. X2 should be better.

dispite all the reasons you have listed the salesman's words weigh a lot "Sir safari is a safari".

[hrman]

Nice review Tanveer. I think you should go for the Red Sweatshirt guy's recommendation.

[Rahulk76]

Excellent write-up Tanveer.

1 year and 23K across in Dicor in heavy Pune traffic, rough roads, Highways jaunts to beaches in Maha

Heres what I would say...

Nothing beats the reliability of Innova & Nothing beats the presence of Safari (though being cheap to own)

I am going to take reliability very seriously by the end of next year
{It would be a premature from me to take a call on new 2.2 dicor reliability}

[1100D]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

After that he says "Scorpio is not good, you both are tall and you will find it cramped".
Then he sings praises of innova for 5 minutes. Great vehicle. Great engine. Very reliable very very silent. It has great plastics too, as compared to Safari. I am beginning to think he is a toyota agent. But then his last line comes. "Sir safari is a safari". Tell me "Aap innova mein kaise lagenge. Its a taxi after all. A luxury taxi is a taxi only" lol.

We need more salesmen like him. He seems to know the competition very well and market on the certain consumer sweet spots, keeping his own wares quite away from it. May go a long way.

Anyway nice review.

[manojgautham]

Excellent write up....

I would still wait for the new Elantra to be launched somewhere is April 2008.

[thefreak]

Nice report tsk!

If it is about driving in the Delhi traffic then for the sheer size one ought not to go for the Safari. What do ya say?