Tata Safari or Tata Sumo Grande orrr... what?? EDIT: Finally it is a Mahindra Scorpio

[gshanky]

I am living in USA and parents are back in Bangalore. I am trying to buy a SUV/MUV type of vehicle for them. My brother is living with them and he would be the one doing the the wheeling.

My budget is like 5 to 7 lakhs. I prefer to buy a new car. But I will also listen if I could buy a good used car at a good bargain.

I have been reading lots of reviews, user reviews, etc. on cars like Tata Safari, Tata Sumo Grande, Scorpio, Tavera and Innovo.

I guess Innovo is out of my budget and I kind of prefer to buy an indian make. So currently I am focusing on the lower end Safari and Sumo Grande. For some reason I am still not convinced on Scorpio. But I might eventually go for it.


Here are my questions specific to cars I am considering

Tata Safari

I hear that it the best in Ride quality and Road Presence. But it eats you out with maintenance costs. Is the total cost of ownership too much to handle? I am talking about either TCIC or 2.2 LX. Please give your comments.

Tata Sumo Grande
I hear that the ride quality is better than others but little less than Safari. I know it is a new car. So I am not sure how good of a job tata has done in the first generation of Sumo Grande?

So if you guys should compare between the ones I am considering, please tell me which one makes more sense.

[hondadude]

gshanky,

For 5 to 7 Lakhs on Road, you can rule out Safari, Scorpio and Innova.

I have a question. Why an SUV/MUV for your parents as opposed to a hatch/sedan ?

[condor]

And if you do want the Safari, I suggest a EX 4x2 at least. But watch the price tag, wrt your stated budget.

[Mr.Bangalore]

or try considering Bolero, i think it is selling the most in this segment

[akroy]

All the SUVs are beyond your mentioned budget. Why going for a SUV in a congested city like Bangalore when I dont think your parents will be doing offroading or long distances drives quite often.
If just for home/city usage and occassional highways, I would have gone for a Swift Vdi, good VFM car.

Abhi

[smsrini]

While considering a SUV, do keep in mind, about your parent's ability to get into/outof a car with high ground clearance. With age, many people find a SUV uncomfortable for ingress/egress.

If you are looking for a hassle free ownership, then you can look at a Maruti SX4 / Honda City ( New and used ) / Ford Fiesta / Hyundai Verna ?
in the sedan segment. these cars shld be in the 8.5Lacs range though.

how about a Chevy Tavera ?

[karanraheja]

@Gshanky - Kindly mention why you inclined towards the SUV/ MUV. Rightly pointed by most members for your parents getting in & outta SUV/ MUV wont be easy. Why dont you look at sedans. Going in for the Honda City EXI( Base Version) would be decent buy. Its got excellent legroom , Honda Badge ! And since New City is around the corner you can try getting hefty discounts too.
I guess on road for EXI is 7.8 l . I aint sure. So with discounts you can bring it around your budget.

PS : For your 5-7 lacs budget there are very few SUV/MUV's.

[bblost]

IMO slightly older people who are not used to SUV' find it very difficult to get in and out of them.
Ask your parents if they are comfortable with the ingress/ egress and then choose the vehicle.

Of late there is a spurt in Logans on the road. and I dont mean radio cabs.
Why dont you just get them to try it out.

The best ingress/ egress IMO is the Wagonr R.

[gshanky]

Thanks for all your replies.

I was looking at an SUV because of the Ride Quality. My family travels from Bangalore to Chennai or Coimbatore atleast once a month.

I wanted them to have a better ride and thought that Sumo Grande or TCIC or 2.2 LX would be in my budget.

I am not sure why the opinions are like

1) SUV is not for me - atleast not all SUVs in india are for off-roading
2) They are not in my budget - Sumo Grande definitely seems to be. Is TCIC not good enough?

I will definitely consider a sedan like sx4 or fiesta if the Grandes and Safaris that I could get within my budget are not good enough.

As I mentioned before, The Ride quality is very important. And also the vehicle should be relatively trouble free.

[GTO]

Lets focus on the more important factor : comfort for your parents. Within 5 - 7 lakhs, an Indigo or a Logan will give you superb rear bench comfort. Within SUVs / MUVs, the Sumo Grande would suit your purpose best.

[nitrous]

After owning a Sumo for 11 years and the Safari for about 2 months now.
I can classify them based on usage.
Highway car: Safari
City ride : Sumo Grande

[kkdelhi]

Going by your budget, and the choices you have made, Sumo Grande is your best bet. Newer vehicle, good-looking too, serves your purpose of giving your parents a nice ride. Come to think of it, you really only have to worry about ingress/egress at the start and end of the ride, and these take only a few seconds. Compared to that, the ride is much longer and needs to feel pleasant and comfortable. The Safari may go a little over budget - even the base model. So, without a doubt, go for the Grande!

[raj_5004]

dont go for the TCIC buddy, its grossly underpowered. if ride quality is what matters the most, go for a second hand safari 3.0. i dont think safari 2.2 has reached the used markets.
if you dont fancy second hand cars, sumo grande is the better option. bolero sells well because it is cheaper to own and has proved its reliability. but the ride qulaity of grande will be better than the bolero.

[phamilyman]

Bolero has fantastic ride quality but it sleep-drives. Takes eons to get to 60 and eons to get back. Unless they launch one with the CRDe heart!

I would concur with the logan. Fantastic ride quality, goood AC but abominable interiors.

[gshanky]

I am going to schedule test drive for Sumo Grande.

I am also going to enquire about safari 3.0 lx - read in another thread that this one might be available in some dealerships and might come with good discounts. Let me try my luck if it is available in bangalore.