[vinaydas]

Hello one and all.
im here writing a long term ownership report of my second toyota in the family (5th if included Abroad vehicles)

The Innova V
This vehicle was purchased roughly around last Diwali and since then it has covered 55,000 Kms in a year.
This vehicle has approximately traveled all over Kerala.
The initial Few 1000 kilometers were driven by me in Karnataka .Then my Driver took over chauffeuring my dad and family to their needs.

Since have not put up an intial ownership report i will give a brief idea through which we went through while buying this baby and a few regrets also.

The contenders at Time of choosing
1) Mahindra Scorpio
2)Safari
3)Innova
4)ford endeavour

My primary choice was the Scorpio Because of the mean look which it had from the outside and the good refined AVL engine which was perfectly tuned to mahindra's transmission.
But i had never traveled in a Scorpio before and had no idea about its space and interiors.
Frankly i took the innova's interiors for granted (yes i had travelled in it several times before) .
when i sat in the scorpio i was kinda disappointed with the feel inside ,it felt a bit claustrophobic (well it should for a 110+ 6 1' person)
Dad was not impressed with it .

2) Safari
even though it had Acres of space inside the vehicle frankly felt like a Big boat.
+ tata's constant niggles and pathetic service(yes i would know since i own a fiat palio and have to get it serviced in the pathetic tata service outlets)
4) The Endy
since we are a Family of 5 and the driver and an occasional passenger used to be present sometimes. I felt having a 3rd row became kinda a bonus while buying a car.
As many know apart from the front seats the endys seating system is uncomfortable and the last row is literally a joke.
so it was out.

So innova it was for us.
since it was the top end model it cost close to 14 lacs on road(yes its pricey but its money well spent)

Now coming to the regrets part.
1)We bought it around last diwali. so if we had waited approximately 2 months we would have got the facelifed version with climate control!!!!

2) if the fortuner was released at time it definitely would have had made it to one the contenders.

The actual ownership
the Car is pretty refined and has really beautiful interiors.
the engine sounds meaty and is pretty powerful(nowhere close to our Camry)
although it touches 130-140 with ease the engine noise increases substantially and is basically loud!!.

Few interesting points regarding the ride on the innova.
the Suspension is perfectly tuned to indian conditions. It sometimes has a smoother ride than the camry.It absorbs potholes with a breeze.

Friends sitting in my car could not believe the fact that the car has run over 55k KMS.(i asked him to take a wild guess on how much the car felt like it has run.. he said around 10,000 kms )

Right Now this vehicle has become my daily drive.Im no longer using my Fiat palio and rather im using this for College etc.

One small issue has to be addressed
Initially the car was giving really good mileage (close to 10)
but right now it is in the range of 8.5-9 in the city .
Is there any particular reason? or has my driver abused the engine ? I can only rectify it at the next service interval which is at 59,000 kms.

Further Additions (although might take some time to implement but definitely on the cards)
1)Leather Upholstery
2)New ICE(possibly a Carputer setup)
3)Pete's ^_^
4)HID's
5)Body Kits and a New Grill
6)Maybe a PVC Bull bar(not so sure about this one)

All the above will take time since i have to source funds from my pocket!!!!!


P.S excuse me for the bad pics as they have been taken on my Cell phone.
And will definitely put up better pics after i have sourced a decent camera.

[akshaymahajan]

your car looks very well maintained for a vehicle done 55k. and those tints make it look sexy (apart from being illegal)..
IMO bullbar not a good idea. Go for Petes.

[vinaydas]

Originally Posted by akshaymahajan

your car looks very well maintained for a vehicle done 55k. and those tints make it look sexy (apart from being illegal)..
IMO bullbar not a good idea. Go for Petes.

this car is mostly driven by me now . Dad hates driving it as he complains he cant see anything at night . But im used to it, in the 1 year of driving this vehicle i have not had problem with the authorities regarding the Tints (at least in Bangalore and Kerala).

[ravibhat]

Thats very good review, Innova is really great vehicle. Good comparision and your observations are perfect. Toyota service advisors need some training to attend customers with smiley face but service they do is excellant which was my expereince in 2 years/25000km Innova onwership. This is one vehicle who would never sell it (I am an exception however, but I would buy it next year for sure! If I can afford )

I understand about your comment on TATA service, they show smiley face when they take our car for service but in return they make us cry!!

Which tyres you use. Go for stock size Michelins you will love it. About Fuel economy I feel 9kmpl in city is decent figure considerring traffic increase in Bangalore and during next service check for air filter etc.. stuffs which would directly affect FE.

All the best!

Regards,

Ravi.

[vinaydas]

Originally Posted by ravibhat

Thats very good review, Innova is really great vehicle. Good comparision and your observations are perfect. Toyota service advisors need some training to attend customers with smiley face but service they do is excellant which was my expereince in 2 years/25000km Innova onwership. This is one vehicle who would never sell it (I am an exception however, but I would buy it next year for sure! If I can afford )

I understand about your comment on TATA service, they show smiley face when they take our car for service but in return they make us cry!!

Which tyres you use. Go for stock size Michelins you will love it. About Fuel economy I feel 9kmpl in city is decent figure considerring traffic increase in Bangalore and during next service check for air filter etc.. stuffs which would directly affect FE.

All the best!

Regards,

Ravi.

My tires have already been changed once and they were done in my absence at around 45,000 kms.
My driver choose Goodyear's and they seem pretty decent IMO.

I have a small question
i had installed a conical filter on my fiat palio sometime back and for some reason i had to remove it.
it is a washable filter and hence re usable. By any chance is it advisable to be used on an innova and is it safe?

[nirmaljusdoit]

Your Innova looks really cool and you've maintained it really well i must say, with the gleaming paintwork and alloys A regular service & tune up should bring her back to the FE levels of before ! Innova's are known to be trouble free and can run for miles & miles.

Btw, 55 K Kms in a year, thats some serious mile crunching youve been doing there, i guess you really love spending time in the Innova ! Go for the HID's they will really make a difference to your night driving, cost would be max 9 K for a Philips conversion 6000 K kit.

All the best and looking forward to your 100 K kms ownership update !

[vinaydas]

Originally Posted by nirmaljusdoit

Your Innova looks really cool and you've maintained it really well i must say, with the gleaming paintwork and alloys A regular service & tune up should bring her back to the FE levels of before ! Innova's are known to be trouble free and can run for miles & miles.

Btw, 55 K Kms in a year, thats some serious mile crunching youve been doing there, i guess you really love spending time in the Innova ! Go for the HID's they will really make a difference to your night driving, cost would be max 9 K for a Philips conversion 6000 K kit.

All the best and looking forward to your 100 K kms ownership update !

thanks a lot man.
But regarding HIDS
is it advisable to use the aftermarket angel eyes/Led projectors or use the Philips kit?

[TheARUN]

Excellent review and the pictures don't look bad at all.

I bought one of the other contenders, the SAFARI.

It was almost the same thing, needed a car for the big family
Why I chose the SAFARI over the INNOVA

1. The SAFARI has 4x4, and its the sophisticated BORG-WARNER transfer case that can be engaged when the vehicle is in motion (below 60 kmph). Its an awesome feeling and gives you a lot of confidence on any road surface
2. Safety on the highways. The INNOVA has a smaller crumple zone upfront than the SAFARI, due to a lack of bonnet
3. TATA is a home grown company and they know what Indians want, and it tugged on the patriotic strings
4. The PRERANA outlet at Old Madras road is excellent (IMHO). We had a SIERRA before this and made some friends there at PRERANA, so SAFARI was a safer bet for me (didn't have to make new friends at TOYOTA)
5. The rear seat is jump type and even with two people sat at the back, there is space for luggage, which is not the case with the INNOVA
6. IMHO the SAFARI is more 'masculine' than the INNOVA and IMHO gets the nod from the ladies more often than the INNOVA
7. Cheaper than the INNOVA

Very keen on getting your thoughts on the following:

• How comfortable do your parents feel during getting in and getting out of the vehicle? My parents honestly struggle, they clamber and climb onto the vehicle which is a huge disadvantage for me
• I'm also thinking of getting a Driver so that I don't have to be around whenever my Parents want to go out. What to look for in a good driver?
• How do you keep a black vehicle shining? Mine is black too, and I struggle almost everyday to keep it clean
• What about parking problems? I feel INNOVA is more difficult to park than a SAFARI though both vehicles have the same dimensions
• How much does a regular service cost? I budget 10 grand for the SAFARI every six months
• How does the INNOVA deal with bad roads?

At the minute, I've decided that the INNOVA is going to be my next vehicle, but sometime in the distant future, because I love my SAFARI to bits

[vinaydas]

Well about getting into the car is a breeze especially for a person who is used to sedans and hatches.
regarding older people my granny loves it as she can climb in easily using the side step(i have installed it seperately) but does require some assistance while getting in and out.

Regarding bad roads i feel it has a better ride quality comparable to the Camry and sometimes better. BUTT if u take a pothole with speed the ride tends to become bouncy and goes side wise at times.

Yes i know the pain involved in maintaining a black car. I have employed a person who washes the car on a daily basis for approximately 400 bucks a month.
Even after he washes the car and i take it out for a spin i can see dust gatherings on the car in a matter of minutes !!!

Service costs around 5-6k per service and nothing much to say about the legendary toyota service.
But regarding Prerana motors (close to big bazzar on old madras road) i have very bad experience with them while servicing my palio.
they said the car was absolutely fine while delivering my palio and still the timing belt was slipping and i took the car again to them for getting it checked even the second time they were sure nothing was wrong with the car.
finally my car wouldn't start at all . Then a local maruthi mechanic whom i knew for over 15 years repaired my car and changed the belt etc with a total bill of 10k.This is the reason why im not so keen with the tata service centers.

Parking i feel is a breeze especially with the parking sensors i installed which work like a charm and the Big mirrors are really a boon.
yes compared to a hatch you initially feel the vehicle is too big for a city but now i have got used to it and drive it almost everywhere.

the interiors are much better than all its competition thats one of the reason why we choose the innova.

regarding nods from the fairer sex there Have been a few instances :Blush: Not as many compared to my other beauty ^_^.

the third row is very comfortable IMO and if a person like me( 6 1' 110+ ) can sit comfortably any Indian can sit in luxury + the 2nd row can be moved front for additional leg room.
apart from that the boot has enough space to accommodate 2 large suitcases.

[nirmaljusdoit]

Originally Posted by vinaydas

thanks a lot man.
But regarding HIDS
is it advisable to use the aftermarket angel eyes/Led projectors or use the Philips kit?

You can go in for the aftermarket Philips conversion kit, very simple to install actually, bolt on job would take an hour max by a trained mech and the new bulbs would fit in perfect to the stock reflectors.

I dont know about the performance of the angel lights, but the stock reflectors should be good enough in terms of spread and intensity, you can get them installed & check the effect, if not satisfied can think of the angel lights

[Akshay1234]

congrats on the innova. great review youve written there. also read my review to know more about petes etc.

i suggest you go about the mods in this order.

for the hids. i have philips 6000k hids installed on my innova. it is pretty good. angel eyes with projectors are available and they look pretty good but i dont know how they perform.

tyres - please upgrade to 225/60 r15 before you even think about petes. the car will need the extra grip.

air filter - the one from your palio might just be too small. the best filter to get is the stock replacement green cotton filter from petes.

petes - get the box and enjoy only after getting the air filter and wider rubber. then enjoy almost sedan like performance. it goes upto 145kmph very quick and the top speed of about 165kmph is limited by the redline.

[joecherian]

Sorry for taking this thread OT, but, last week, I went with my cousin to Nippon Toyota (EKM) for a test drive of an Innova. He wanted to buy a people mover and hence was almost sold to Innova. But when we talked to the sales agent at Nippon , that guy was more like selling an Altis to him when we had asked for an Innova.
His points were, Innova, being 5 yrs old, will be replaced soon where as Altis is just 1 yr in India ( leaving out the corolla brand).

He was also telling points like once the vehicle crosses 1 lac kms, service costs will increase and all.

We were really surprised by the fact that the sales agent was actually campaigning against one of his own brand against the other one.

But then, my cousin, who had already made up the mind, stuck to the Innova plan and went ahead with the purchase ( after the test drive).

Our feeling was, since Altis was slow moving compared to Innova, may be the sales agent was trying to sell it to him instead of an Innova.

[vinaydas]

Originally Posted by joecherian

Sorry for taking this thread OT, but, last week, I went with my cousin to Nippon Toyota (EKM) for a test drive of an Innova. He wanted to buy a people mover and hence was almost sold to Innova. But when we talked to the sales agent at Nippon , that guy was more like selling an Altis to him when we had asked for an Innova.
His points were, Innova, being 5 yrs old, will be replaced soon where as Altis is just 1 yr in India ( leaving out the corolla brand).

He was also telling points like once the vehicle crosses 1 lac kms, service costs will increase and all.

We were really surprised by the fact that the sales agent was actually campaigning against one of his own brand against the other one.

But then, my cousin, who had already made up the mind, stuck to the Innova plan and went ahead with the purchase ( after the test drive).

Our feeling was, since Altis was slow moving compared to Innova, may be the sales agent was trying to sell it to him instead of an Innova.

the new face lifted innova has been released.
there is a good 2-3 years before the next possible model change.
your brother made the right decision.
The altis compared to the innova and the fortuner is a slow mover.No wonder the sales person wanted to get you guys to buy it.
about innovas having problems after 1 lac kms. tell that to the 'n' number of innovas across india which have run over 3lac +kms without a problem.

[Ramsagar]

A very detailed report. The vehicle is immaculate maintained.
Try cleaning the injectors & throttle body cleaning for every 20K. That removes all the carbon deposits, hope to increase your mileage as well.

[shyamhegde]

Originally Posted by vinaydas

thanks a lot man.
But regarding HIDS
is it advisable to use the aftermarket angel eyes/Led projectors or use the Philips kit?

Think of using additional driving lights if you need more light in night drives instead of going for HID on stock headlight (like philips kit ot Projector set-up). May be, if you already have not done, upgrade to higher wattage bulbs with wiring kit etc. That also should help.

Your innova is looking cool. I liked the reg. number Which sun-control-film is that?
Another question i have is, how do you manage to save the side steps from the unexpected huge road-humps? They reduced the ground clearance alot in my brother-in-law's innova and we had it removed later. Not sure if that was due to bad install.