Help me decide on which SUV to buy

[sunith]

I have a small problem. After months of deliberation i have decided to go in for a SUV. Now the choice is primarily governed by my special liking for hte looks of safari. Now this is the problem, This will be my first car. The new safari(even the base version will set me back by about 8.5l) is awesome looking and i am completely in love with the car. Though i can kinda strtch my budget to around 8 l . I am kinda apprehensive about investing so much on my first car. what if i regret it later. The sierra offers me an extremely cheap alternative but its atleast two generations older than the safari dicor. As if this confusion was not enough, i have been approached by a person who has offered me his grand cherokee for 3.2l, 1998 make , 120000km logged. now this has added to the confusion now. I am just unable to understand what to go for. My heart says Safari dicor but my practical head says sierra, none of them say cherokee but its a cherokee for god's sake.
Now here are the requirements. I want the car for frequent highway driving, daily use in the city. Also i ll be in india only for 6 months in a year. the rest of the time my car will be used by my parents. so it must be roomy and very comfortable and above all safe.
ok thats long enough, now suggestions are welcome.

[triggercool]

I would suggest you to have a test drive of scorpio I have heard Safari is more heavy on maintenance.

[aZa]

What!!!? where did sierra come in the picture from ? If this is a first vehicle and that it must be a SUV why not look at the Scorpio, or a used top end qualis or if budget permits G2/G3 Innova.

1. Scorpio, a true butch looking SUV which is new in the market with better sorted ride than previous ones. The engine is good and reliable.

2. Second Hand Qualis Top end variant, Its a toyota, plus u might get it cheap and its got bullet proof reliablity and it very easy to drive for your parents. This would be a better choice than SIERRA anyday.

3. Innova G2/G3, Now this Newgen toyota, very reliable, very big, very good. the interiors give a plush upmarket feel. resale value would be good too.

4. Grand Cherokee ?!?!

[revharder]

okay so you are a first time car buyer, and opting to go for a SUV, good!

from your post it seems that you want a peace of mind with your SUV and no headaches after buying it.
so, imho, stay away from any second-hands, be it cherokee or wrangler or hummer!

since, you have a budget of abt 8 lacs, you can have a look at following options available to you:-

- Chevy Tavera
- Fiat Adventure
- Ford Fusion!!!
- Maruti Gypsy
- Mahindra Bolero
- Mahindra Scorpio
- Safari DICOR LX 4x2
- Indigo Marina
- Toyota Innova

i know many of the above mentioned vehicles are not SUV, but still they CAN be treated as a SUV, coz 8 lacs is a bit lower price for any good SUV in true sense.

well, for a proper SUV in such a tight budget, and you being a first time buyer, i'd recommend to go for Scorpio.
it is very much trusted now and do have all the things you are looking for.

Scorpio has powerful engine which will entertain you for your stay of six months!
and it has good ergonomics and comfort, luxuries and safety for your parents for rest six months!

alternatively, you can try to make up your mind for Innova. it is also one of the best UVs available as of now in india.
it is very roomy, powerful, luxurious and safe too.

from my side,
it is either a Scorpio, as a true SUV;
or at max, an Innova, as an alternative to a SUV.

[sunith]

yeah scorpio is a pretty reliable option too but the thing is the looks dont make me go WOW!!!! BTW my first car in the sense, it ll be the first we buy with my money. Otherwise we have a baleno, accent and a zen.

[sunith]

so i thought enough of cars, time to move onto to the big SUVs.
but yeah you got that maintainance part right, I dont want headaches later.

[Steeroid]

Go for the Safari Dicor - you wont regret it. Its what your heart wants, and its very high on practicality as well.

Maintenance? What maintenance for 4 years?

[Jatt]

Bro ......... check out the new scorpio First.

u 'll c a lot of difference between a DICOR n Scorpio.

Ride quality of DiCOR is Pathetic......... feels like u r driving a Truck.
n thing is ........... the DiCORs Engine is from TATA 407 but modified.

n the RPM needle goes RED at 3000RPM.
that means incity u got to change a lot of gears.

i think .......... scorpio is the best.
n u must be aware of Tata's Quality.

but for looks........... DiCOR is the best.

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by Jatt

Ride quality of DiCOR is Pathetic......... feels like u r driving a Truck.

On the contrary, the ride quality in the Dicor is streets ahead of most other vehicles around.

Originally Posted by Jatt

n thing is ........... the DiCORs Engine is from TATA 407 but modified.

Yes it is, and it will last a lifetime.

Originally Posted by Jatt

n the RPM needle goes RED at 3000RPM.
that means incity u got to change a lot of gears.

Yes. In city you try not to shift to higher gears and remain within 3.

Originally Posted by Jatt

n u must be aware of Tata's Quality.

To clarify - quality issues that I initially faced were not with Tata components but 3rd party components. As for the vehicle itself, I dont think the Scorpio's quality levels are any higher.

[Jatt]

But still .......... Scorpoi's Quality is far better than TATA.
i have seen a Brand new DiCOR being Overhauled when its engine Siezed.

n big engine DO lasts long........
my friend have a Scorpio. it has clockedmore than 5,00,000 Kms.
n still its running like new without being overhauled even once.

[aseem]

Scorpio is more VFM, TATA is charging a premium for its DICOR. Having test driven Dicor and driven "MoodSwings" Scorpio constantly I would say both have their pros and cons. From driving prespective I prefer Scorpio, however Scorpio's biggest disadvantage till date it "SPACE", this car has pathetically low space for such a big MUV. If you can ignore that, and if primary purpose of buying MUV are looks, than go for Scorpio. Else if common sense prevails than avoid both Dicor and Scorpio and go for Innova.

[nitinbhag]

Sunith, list your criterea and make the choice:

Highway driving: Dicor
Roomy, comfortable, safe: Dicor
In city driving: Scorpio
Ride quality: Dicor
True SUV: Dicor 4x4
Maintenance: Dicor is free for 4 years with extended warranty. In 7 months I have spent only 1200 Rs on an oil change.
Interiors quality: is equally bad on both Scorpio and Safari

Bottom line is: Scorpio is an excellent alternative for a car to be used in-city. But on the highways, Safari rules.

@Jatt: Similar to Dicor, the Scorpio's engine is derived from an International tractor engine block. Also, any engine can seize in any different number of ways, mostly blamable on the user. I have seen an Accent GTX engine seized. That is not a decision criteria.

[Jatt]

Okkk BUDDY>................................
............. GO for Tata Safari DICOR.

[sunith]

if i go for a tata safari, i can afford only the LX 4X2 version. Now my primary concern about this is that in the LX version there s no roof mounted AC for the rear seats. ARe there rear vents at all? if not how good is the AC for the people seated in the rear.

[sunith]

btw, how much is the on road price for a safari dicor Lx 4X2 ?