Safari Dicor vs Skoda Diesel vs Lancer/Cedia - Team-BHP

M-Oz · 11th January 2007, 10:35

Hello guys,

weird title right? no i am not a nuthead! Just that i decided that my new car is going to be a diesel vehicle. Budget 8 L (can stretch a bit). currently i have a Ford Ikon 1.3 Pas Endura petrol. have been using it for 3.5 yrs. great drive!

My friend introduced me to this forum and i kinda like it in here. I must confess i am not a car junkie!

I am wondering whether to go for a Safari Dicor (I always loved the Safari as an SUV but was told too many negative things about the car), second hand Skoda 1.9 TDI Elegance or Ambience or Mitsubishi Lancer or the Cedia.

My friend advised me against the Lancer coz of it being an old model.
I am worried about the high spares cost of the Skoda and the lousy service of its dealers that i read about on this site.
Safari sounds perfect for my requirement but am not sure how the vehicle rates in resale value n the improvement over the earlier version.
i have read most of the threads on the website but they still leave me confused when i compare the vehicles between them. as i mentioned i am a novice in cars so would appreciate some help in this.

My requirements
Budget - 8 L ( can stretch a bit)
Efficiency - i drive around 20 kms per day in Bby sometimes more, occassionally highway driving
Maintenance - affordability
Off the road - rare !
comfort - IMPORTANT coz i am 6'5" tall. quite tall to barely comfortably fit in my Ikon. also have wife, two daughters, plus folks who are growing so need a spacious car !
have an Indigo Marina petrol BUT not very happy with the drive quality and also the car is very jerky. you can feel the bumps on the road.
STYLE - important - always wanted an SUV, am 32 years and now at a stage in life where i can afford one.

are there any good second hand Dicors around?
Hope someone can help!
Mohsin

shuvc · 11th January 2007, 11:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-Oz

My requirements
Budget - 8 L ( can stretch a bit)
Efficiency - i drive around 20 kms per day in Bby sometimes more, occassionally highway driving
Maintenance - affordability
Off the road - rare !
comfort - IMPORTANT coz i am 6'5" tall. quite tall to barely comfortably fit in my Ikon. also have wife, two daughters, plus folks who are growing so need a spacious car !

Mileage wise you don't really need a diesel - Cedia fits the bill
On the space front you do need quite a bit - Safari fits the bill
Affordability clause would rule out the Skoda

Overall, given your requirements, I would have seriously looked at the Innova (both petrol/diesel) and the Tavera. Big comfortable, reliable, family cars that are relatively affordable to maintain.

iraghava · 11th January 2007, 16:09

I would say look at the Innova & the Verna CRDi also. Other than that from the trio you mentioned only the Safari looks worthy.

akshay1234 · 11th January 2007, 17:33

look at the 7 seater innova. even the 2nd row seats are movable so the people there can also be comfortable.the 7 seater is only available in diesel. a g4 with the dual ac will probably be better for you since bombay is quite warm most of the year. if you can stretch your budget to a g4 then go for it.

rahul_intlad · 11th January 2007, 21:10

The innova diesel Ex-showroom itself is around 8.04 lakhs and 8.14 lakhs for the limited edition,so after adding all the taxes would it still stay in your budget is upto you to decide but it would have been the best possible choice[though not an SUV in any regards].

Now for the alternates am not considering any sedan since you are having about 6 members in your household.Well you did not mention whether you would be chauffeur driven or would drive it on your own.If the latter then stay away from the tavera completely for the former you could consider this vehicle but mostly you would not like the tavera experience.

Leaves us with the scorpio and the safari,you could see the other threads on team-bhp and see it is very difficult to pick a winner between the two,but just for its sheer SUViness[new term but car lovers may understand] and it looks,I would pick the dicor between the two,especially after mahindra messed up with the tailights of the scorpio[according to me].For performance,handling,comparisons see the other threads on team-bhp.

But heres something you could consider as well ,the petrol innova,20 km/day and an occasional highway drive doesnt warrant a diesel.The petrol innova might make it to into your budget.The petrol engine makes less of a racket than even the D-4D diesel.Petrol refinement is something still diesel engines cannot match.
PM ravibhat or shan2nu and they will tell you how they went in for a petrol innova and their ownership experiences.

BTW as far as possible stay away from the second hand cars, as a novice there are plenty of chances you could go wrong and besides a second hand car for 6-7 lakhs would not be a very good thing to do.

ravibhat · 13th January 2007, 15:13

Hi Mohsin,

Since already you own Icon it won't make much difference for you If you buy any mid size or even luxury Sedan like Skoda or Civic or Cedia. If still you wanna own Sedan and If you drive for yourself buy Civic although you need to stretch your budget

Now coming to important point:

Based on your requirement I suggest Innova (1st choice) or Safari (2nd choice). They give best ride comfort and amazing space and good resale value.

Among them Innova is winner because its easy to drive, better After Sales Service from Toyota, bigger in space and Fuel economy(diesel Innova).

Be away from used Safari however you can look at used Innova. Safari is tends to problems time to time.

Since avg usage 20km per day and occassional highway you can look out for Used Petrol Innova. One bad thing about Petrol Innova is no takers so If you want to sell it for some reason either you will loose big money or you might have to wait for months together to find a buyer who respects Petrol Innova. Apart from that Petrol Innova is great carfor people who need big car with comfrot at maximum and who don't give importance to resale value.

Fuel Economy of Petrol Innova in City7.5+kmpl / on highway10+kmpl and Diesel Innova in City10.5+kmpl / on highway13+kmpl while AC on. So first
20,000 km won't make any difference between Petrol and Diesel variant.
By that time I am sure Diesel engine would have burned out more than what Petrol's and you need to service diesel once in 6 months or 5000km and Petrol once in 1 year or 10000km.

But looking into Indian car buying trend buying brand new Petrol Innova might be disaster If you give importance to resale value!

So ball is in your hand test drive and make a math and decide it yourself.

Regards,

Ravi.

Steeroid · 13th January 2007, 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-Oz

Efficiency - i drive around 20 kms per day in Bby sometimes more, occassionally highway driving

Off the road - rare !

Why did you even CONSIDER the Safari - its an overkill for your kind of usage.

Like everyone says, the Innova suits you best. Petrol, too.

M-Oz · 15th January 2007, 10:34

Thanks guys for the great response! I understand that the options i have should be Innova (unanimous!!) and maybe the next option should be the Safari Dicor!

I mite drop the idea of an Innova simply because its not an SUV plus driving such a huge bulky car to office everyday in the Mumbai traffic is not what i want! Plus the SUV sleek look of the Safari - i love. Wifey loves it too!!

I test drove the EX 4x2 yesterday. thought dint drive it for more than a km in bumper to bumper traffic i kinda felt that the vehicle was a bit sluggish! maybe its just me or the traffic or the fact that i was driving a HUGE SUV for the first time.

Steeroid - i think my usage might go up if i get an SUV coz i love driving long distance and with a good car i could do BBY - BLR, BBY - GOA, BBY-Nagpur which i always wanted to!

on my test drive one thing that i didnt like was that my knees touched the steering wheel ( i am 6' 5") even with the seat taken back to the maximum and the roof AC hitting the back of my head. for the AC i think i mite have to go for the LX version but am not sure about the seat option. i asked the dealer whether they can push the seat back some notches for me n he said thats not possible. i mite have to get it done on my own!

My ikon has got a K&N filter and is really smooth on the pickup. Is the K&N available for the Dicor? why doesnt the Dicor match my current car on the pick up and smootness front? any thoughts? also, i thought the Dicor engine was a bit noisier while trying to rev it! i might go for another test drive this weekend on an open road to see how it revs and picks up on an open road! anything i should look out for??

Thanks again for your responses
Mohsin

Steeroid · 15th January 2007, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-Oz

driving such a huge bulky car to office everyday in the Mumbai traffic is not what i want!

And you're okay with driving the Safari?

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-Oz

Plus the SUV sleek look of the Safari - i love. Wifey loves it too!!

Heart over head. You're looking for reasons TO BUY the Safari, not for logical answers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-Oz

I test drove the EX 4x2 yesterday. thought dint drive it for more than a km in bumper to bumper traffic i kinda felt that the vehicle was a bit sluggish! maybe its just me or the traffic or the fact that i was driving a HUGE SUV for the first time.

Once you get used to the powerband and how the engine responds you'll be able to make this thing move much faster. It requires a different driving style altogether - narrow powerband + oodles of torque.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-Oz

Steeroid - i think my usage might go up if i get an SUV coz i love driving long distance and with a good car i could do BBY - BLR, BBY - GOA, BBY-Nagpur which i always wanted to!

No reason why the Innova cannot do the same, but the Safari is better on highways.

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-Oz

on my test drive one thing that i didnt like was that my knees touched the steering wheel ( i am 6' 5") even with the seat taken back to the maximum and the roof AC hitting the back of my head. for the AC i think i mite have to go for the LX version but am not sure about the seat option. i asked the dealer whether they can push the seat back some notches for me n he said thats not possible. i mite have to get it done on my own!

This is very surprising - did you try reducing seat height and adjusting the steering rake?

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-Oz

My ikon has got a K&N filter and is really smooth on the pickup. Is the K&N available for the Dicor? why doesnt the Dicor match my current car on the pick up and smootness front? any thoughts? also, i thought the Dicor engine was a bit noisier while trying to rev it! i might go for another test drive this weekend on an open road to see how it revs and picks up on an open road! anything i should look out for??

Do another test drive before you decide. K&N is available for the Dicor, but the intake noise when you remove the stock filter is a bit too much for my liking.

M-Oz · 15th January 2007, 11:31

Heart over head. You're looking for reasons TO BUY the Safari, not for logical answers.

Steeroid - You nailed it for me!! But tell me something - is going for the Dicor not advised for me at all OR is the choice between Innova and Dicor an option!. i mean can i go for the Dicor and be a happy man or would i be ruing that decision! Also, cost wise i think the LX is the best bet for me !

Steeroid · 15th January 2007, 13:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-Oz

is going for the Dicor not advised for me at all OR is the choice between Innova and Dicor an option!.

I'm afraid we cannot make a decision for you - you've got responses to all your questions, plus access to all the stuff thats on the site. The decision has to be made by YOU after considering all this + taking test drives.

Armyman · 15th January 2007, 13:25

I agree with Steeroid...
I was in a similar situation like M-Oz, I am 6'2" and have pretty long legs. I just can't fit into normal cars so even I was looking at Innova, Safari and Scorpio. Initially I was inclined for Scorpio but after a test drive I found very little leg room for my legs so had to let it go....
next choice was Safari but found that sluggish for my driving style..... went for a test drive of Innova and found that much quicker, smoother and refined which suiyed my taste hence ended up buying Innova. Now i feel I made the right choice...
I would suggest take a test drive again and then decide.....don't let your heart rule over your head else you may regret later.

THE-U- · 25th January 2007, 11:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by M-Oz

Heart over head. You're looking for reasons TO BUY the Safari, not for logical answers.

M-Oz, Just curious, Did you bite the bullet and go for the Safari or got the Innova?

M-Oz · 25th January 2007, 15:40

Well, Safari is a definite No - No. Didnt enjoy the second test drive.

Innova - i have a lot of people telling me that its better n i believe so too BUT i think its not for me coz i have a Marina which serves my purpose for the family outings.

so, back to square one. Since yesterday wondering whether Swift Diesel is the one. On second thoughts can wait for the new Baleno too?

Can someone advise whether Swift will be ok spacewise coz i am 6'5"?

any ideas on the launch date of the new Baleno? can go for the current one too BUT thought it wud be silly to go for a phased out car plus the low resale value.

Still looking! basically want to take an informed decision for my second car purchase as i have got a lil' car conscious over the years!

Thanks to all who are helping me!

akshay1234 · 25th January 2007, 16:04

well if you dont mind waiting for the new baleno then wait for it.. as for the swift its probably better if you go and sit in it yourself to see whether your comfortable in it.

11th January 2007, 10:35	#1 (permalink)
M-Oz BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 37	Safari Dicor vs Skoda Diesel vs Lancer/Cedia Hello guys, weird title right? no i am not a nuthead! Just that i decided that my new car is going to be a diesel vehicle. Budget 8 L (can stretch a bit). currently i have a Ford Ikon 1.3 Pas Endura petrol. have been using it for 3.5 yrs. great drive! My friend introduced me to this forum and i kinda like it in here. I must confess i am not a car junkie! I am wondering whether to go for a Safari Dicor (I always loved the Safari as an SUV but was told too many negative things about the car), second hand Skoda 1.9 TDI Elegance or Ambience or Mitsubishi Lancer or the Cedia. My friend advised me against the Lancer coz of it being an old model. I am worried about the high spares cost of the Skoda and the lousy service of its dealers that i read about on this site. Safari sounds perfect for my requirement but am not sure how the vehicle rates in resale value n the improvement over the earlier version. i have read most of the threads on the website but they still leave me confused when i compare the vehicles between them. as i mentioned i am a novice in cars so would appreciate some help in this. My requirements Budget - 8 L ( can stretch a bit) Efficiency - i drive around 20 kms per day in Bby sometimes more, occassionally highway driving Maintenance - affordability Off the road - rare ! comfort - IMPORTANT coz i am 6'5" tall. quite tall to barely comfortably fit in my Ikon. also have wife, two daughters, plus folks who are growing so need a spacious car ! have an Indigo Marina petrol BUT not very happy with the drive quality and also the car is very jerky. you can feel the bumps on the road. STYLE - important - always wanted an SUV, am 32 years and now at a stage in life where i can afford one. are there any good second hand Dicors around? Hope someone can help! Mohsin

11th January 2007, 16:09	#3 (permalink)
iraghava Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Bhaiyyaland Posts: 7,693 View My Garage	I would say look at the Innova & the Verna CRDi also. Other than that from the trio you mentioned only the Safari looks worthy. __________________ Reminds me of my safari in Africa.Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water.

11th January 2007, 21:10	#5 (permalink)
rahul_intlad Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 1,563	The innova diesel Ex-showroom itself is around 8.04 lakhs and 8.14 lakhs for the limited edition,so after adding all the taxes would it still stay in your budget is upto you to decide but it would have been the best possible choice[though not an SUV in any regards]. Now for the alternates am not considering any sedan since you are having about 6 members in your household.Well you did not mention whether you would be chauffeur driven or would drive it on your own.If the latter then stay away from the tavera completely for the former you could consider this vehicle but mostly you would not like the tavera experience. Leaves us with the scorpio and the safari,you could see the other threads on team-bhp and see it is very difficult to pick a winner between the two,but just for its sheer SUViness[new term but car lovers may understand] and it looks,I would pick the dicor between the two,especially after mahindra messed up with the tailights of the scorpio[according to me].For performance,handling,comparisons see the other threads on team-bhp. But heres something you could consider as well ,the petrol innova,20 km/day and an occasional highway drive doesnt warrant a diesel.The petrol innova might make it to into your budget.The petrol engine makes less of a racket than even the D-4D diesel.Petrol refinement is something still diesel engines cannot match. PM ravibhat or shan2nu and they will tell you how they went in for a petrol innova and their ownership experiences. BTW as far as possible stay away from the second hand cars, as a novice there are plenty of chances you could go wrong and besides a second hand car for 6-7 lakhs would not be a very good thing to do. Last edited by rahul_intlad : 11th January 2007 at 21:19.

13th January 2007, 15:13	#6 (permalink)
ravibhat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,082 View My Garage	Hi Mohsin, Since already you own Icon it won't make much difference for you If you buy any mid size or even luxury Sedan like Skoda or Civic or Cedia. If still you wanna own Sedan and If you drive for yourself buy Civic although you need to stretch your budget Now coming to important point: Based on your requirement I suggest Innova (1st choice) or Safari (2nd choice). They give best ride comfort and amazing space and good resale value. Among them Innova is winner because its easy to drive, better After Sales Service from Toyota, bigger in space and Fuel economy(diesel Innova). Be away from used Safari however you can look at used Innova. Safari is tends to problems time to time. Since avg usage 20km per day and occassional highway you can look out for Used Petrol Innova. One bad thing about Petrol Innova is no takers so If you want to sell it for some reason either you will loose big money or you might have to wait for months together to find a buyer who respects Petrol Innova. Apart from that Petrol Innova is great carfor people who need big car with comfrot at maximum and who don't give importance to resale value. Fuel Economy of Petrol Innova in City7.5+kmpl / on highway10+kmpl and Diesel Innova in City10.5+kmpl / on highway13+kmpl while AC on. So first 20,000 km won't make any difference between Petrol and Diesel variant. By that time I am sure Diesel engine would have burned out more than what Petrol's and you need to service diesel once in 6 months or 5000km and Petrol once in 1 year or 10000km. But looking into Indian car buying trend buying brand new Petrol Innova might be disaster If you give importance to resale value! So ball is in your hand test drive and make a math and decide it yourself. Regards, Ravi. __________________ Blue Alto LXI 2008 Limited Edition My City Car HIGHway vehicle: Safari or Innova (Who win my heart)

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11th January 2007, 17:33	#4 (permalink)
akshay1234 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 3,992 View My Garage Infractions: 0/1 (4)	look at the 7 seater innova. even the 2nd row seats are movable so the people there can also be comfortable.the 7 seater is only available in diesel. a g4 with the dual ac will probably be better for you since bombay is quite warm most of the year. if you can stretch your budget to a g4 then go for it.

15th January 2007, 10:34	#8 (permalink)
M-Oz BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 37	Thanks guys for the great response! I understand that the options i have should be Innova (unanimous!!) and maybe the next option should be the Safari Dicor! I mite drop the idea of an Innova simply because its not an SUV plus driving such a huge bulky car to office everyday in the Mumbai traffic is not what i want! Plus the SUV sleek look of the Safari - i love. Wifey loves it too!! I test drove the EX 4x2 yesterday. thought dint drive it for more than a km in bumper to bumper traffic i kinda felt that the vehicle was a bit sluggish! maybe its just me or the traffic or the fact that i was driving a HUGE SUV for the first time. Steeroid - i think my usage might go up if i get an SUV coz i love driving long distance and with a good car i could do BBY - BLR, BBY - GOA, BBY-Nagpur which i always wanted to! on my test drive one thing that i didnt like was that my knees touched the steering wheel ( i am 6' 5") even with the seat taken back to the maximum and the roof AC hitting the back of my head. for the AC i think i mite have to go for the LX version but am not sure about the seat option. i asked the dealer whether they can push the seat back some notches for me n he said thats not possible. i mite have to get it done on my own! My ikon has got a K&N filter and is really smooth on the pickup. Is the K&N available for the Dicor? why doesnt the Dicor match my current car on the pick up and smootness front? any thoughts? also, i thought the Dicor engine was a bit noisier while trying to rev it! i might go for another test drive this weekend on an open road to see how it revs and picks up on an open road! anything i should look out for?? Thanks again for your responses Mohsin

15th January 2007, 11:31	#10 (permalink)
M-Oz BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 37	Heart over head. You're looking for reasons TO BUY the Safari, not for logical answers. Steeroid - You nailed it for me!! But tell me something - is going for the Dicor not advised for me at all OR is the choice between Innova and Dicor an option!. i mean can i go for the Dicor and be a happy man or would i be ruing that decision! Also, cost wise i think the LX is the best bet for me !

15th January 2007, 13:25	#12 (permalink)
Armyman Newbie Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11	I agree with Steeroid... I was in a similar situation like M-Oz, I am 6'2" and have pretty long legs. I just can't fit into normal cars so even I was looking at Innova, Safari and Scorpio. Initially I was inclined for Scorpio but after a test drive I found very little leg room for my legs so had to let it go.... next choice was Safari but found that sluggish for my driving style..... went for a test drive of Innova and found that much quicker, smoother and refined which suiyed my taste hence ended up buying Innova. Now i feel I made the right choice... I would suggest take a test drive again and then decide.....don't let your heart rule over your head else you may regret later.

25th January 2007, 15:40	#14 (permalink)
M-Oz BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 37	Well, Safari is a definite No - No. Didnt enjoy the second test drive. Innova - i have a lot of people telling me that its better n i believe so too BUT i think its not for me coz i have a Marina which serves my purpose for the family outings. so, back to square one. Since yesterday wondering whether Swift Diesel is the one. On second thoughts can wait for the new Baleno too? Can someone advise whether Swift will be ok spacewise coz i am 6'5"? any ideas on the launch date of the new Baleno? can go for the current one too BUT thought it wud be silly to go for a phased out car plus the low resale value. Still looking! basically want to take an informed decision for my second car purchase as i have got a lil' car conscious over the years! Thanks to all who are helping me!

25th January 2007, 16:04	#15 (permalink)
akshay1234 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 3,992 View My Garage Infractions: 0/1 (4)	well if you dont mind waiting for the new baleno then wait for it.. as for the swift its probably better if you go and sit in it yourself to see whether your comfortable in it.