Offroad Predicament

[NikN]

On my way home last evening i was left stranded with a broken belt on my scorpio and after a gazillion and more problems imm left looking for a 4x4

now a 4x4 isnt a must, it just means me having to traverse a longer paved route that costs me a half hour or more at times. The road to my farm being nothing more than a pack track.
And i need a bunch of space in the back for my mutt too.

Looking at the suv or muv market I cant seem to find anything suits my budget of less that 10L and match what i have utility wise.

Any suggestions ?

[tsk1979]

Safari is an okaish offroader, and 4x4 dicor has loads of low end torque for your needs + space for luggage.
If you are looking for pure utility, you could wait for the new telcoline which may be here anytime soon and the safari with new dicor engine(140bhp) both will fit in your 10L budget.

[suman]

Originally Posted by NikN

Looking at the suv or muv market I cant seem to find anything suits my budget of less that 10L and match what i have utility wise.

Any suggestions ?

If you can live with a few niggles that are common for Tata cars, you can easily go in for a Dicor EX 4X4 with that budget - loads of space for the mutt as well, not to mention a very comfortable ride.

If you want ABS & Airbags, you can spend 1.6 lacs more (I'm quoting Gurgaon prices, Mumbai may be higher) & go for the VX 4X4 (just got one a week back & enjoying myself).

If 4X4 is not a compulsion for you (unless its a really muddy/slushy/gravelly approach to your farm throughout the year methinks a non-4X4 Dicor should be able to sail through), above figures would be cheaper. Good luck!

[NikN]

suman , tsk thanks for your inputs guys.
for some reson ive always been skeptical about local build quality. and over the last 2 years of nothing but evenings and weekends spent at the workshop its kinda added to the dilemma of buying local .
Its kinda worrying that we dont have a reliable problem free offroader that fits the mid segment.
anyone have any ideas on the endeavour ? apart from its prehistoric engine any ownership reports out there ..

[tsk1979]

Endeavor will have better quality than local ones, but keep 2 things in mind
1. You will need to spend 14 lakh +
2. Ford quality is also not "top notch" though better than Tata/M&M, therefore any problem you get will see hefty bills.
3. Its one thing to purchase an elephant, and another to feed one : With EMI negotiation etc., you will be able to buy one, but can you really afford to maintain a 14L car? So find out cost of regular service, suspension(you are planning to off road, arent you?) and electricals(mud+water+offroad can throw surprises).

As for the DICOR is concerned, get an exteneded warranty. you can contact steeroid to know the details or read his ownership report.

[suman]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

As for the DICOR is concerned, get an exteneded warranty. you can contact steeroid to know the details or read his ownership report.

Its an add-on of 30 months over annd above the standard 18 months so you get an overall cover of 48 months; costs 7,200 and highly recommended for peace of mind.

NikN, I went through the same dilemma of Endeavour or Dicor, eventually common sense prevailed as I didn't want to throw away an additional 5 lacs almost and I took the plunge (though I have two Ford vehicles, Ikon & Fiesta and normally swear by them). Read this thread -
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-c...cor-vx-4x.html for more opinions and this one -
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...d-20000km.html for more on long term ownership experiences of the Dicor.

For Endeavour experiences, I'd suggest you PM Sahil, he owns two of them.

[NikN]

fantastic on the reviews guys , it looks like its going to be long long way and tons of info to disseminate !
i did happen to drive the tucson too when they first launched but dont find too many of those around . wonder why

[NikN]

from the looks of it I think ill be driving around in a safari soon !
more research pending tho.
and since its october already i think itll be prudent to wait this year out ?

[vikrantw1]

Originally Posted by NikN

fantastic on the reviews guys , it looks like its going to be long long way and tons of info to disseminate !
i did happen to drive the tucson too when they first launched but dont find too many of those around . wonder why

Coz its a Hyundai that costs 15 lacs plus - and not many will pay that much for it - and being a CBU unlike Sonata, accent - it does not get many discounts either

Same for the Vitara - people say "oy 16 lakh di marruti - pagal hai kya - tusi honda shonda lo" - believe it is going to be replaced by another one soon

[jango]

Bolero invader !! think u can consider that !!

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by NikN

and since its october already i think itll be prudent to wait this year out ?

If you can, it would be very prudent to wait for the new 2.2 engine to be released.

[Boom Shiva]

At this point, no Rs.10 lakh SUV is worth its salt in offroadworthiness. If your need is immediate, buy a cheaper workhorse like a Bolero and use it till something better comes out. Look at the Gypsy King also, it's a one of a kind in this country and a far better offroader than anything mentioned on this thread so far.

Frankly you might not even need an SUV if it's just a packed track. Even something like the Fusion might do the job,if you're open to it.

I don't know if it makes sense to buy the new Tata Safari 2.2 litre immediately after its release. It usually makes sense to wait a couple of years until Tata has finished using the first batch of customers as unwitting guinea pigs.

[NikN]

2 feet of muck is what i need to get through in the monsoons , the road becomes pretty much unuseable apart from the trucks that use it and do occasionally get stuck !

[superavi]

In a chat with my uncle came up the Forrester.

I believe the prices have been really slashed, and you could get one for about 11 L or thereabouts.

He was someone who was looking to buy one, settled for the Civic instead because of the excess cost.

Maybe you could check around for that. That should be one super vehicle to own, what with perpetual AWD.

Superavi

P.S. I dont know if Foresters are made to order but I couldnt find them on the Chevrolet Website. There however is this<http://www.chevrolet.co.in/content_data/AP/IN/en/GBPIN/001/BRANDSITE/forester_about.html>

[Debasischatterj]

Dear NikN,

Please PM rrnsss.He is the proud owner of Judo and Gurkha of force motors.He has wealth of info.Indian Army uses both.Also go to the search option for Judo,Gurkha.They are custom built and the most reliable offroaders.

Regards,