Which budget SUV for the City -very confusing- Please Help! - Team-BHP

pavthebiker · 13th October 2008, 17:04

tEAM-MATES...please shed your experience and help this confused soul!

Im plooking for a SUV (a la JEEP) for the city and highway, no serious off-roading as such (...apologies to the serious off-roader!!) thanks to Mumbai taffic my motorcycle ('Avenger') is my daily workhorse, a 4 wheeler makes itself necessary and i drive a Ford Ikon 1.6 / Hyundai Santro (the lack of style and distinguishing character in these beckons change (no offence to other IKON/Santro owners..i'm just being a film-maker from bollywood)

My Driving Needs->
1> 40kms in peak bumper to bumper traffic, 2-3/week. (that can easily mean 2hrs. plus in the sweltering heat and humidity of bombay)
2> 20km mid-night drives with my better half! say 2/week!
3> 300-400km weekend drives (pune or mahabaleshwar) 1/month.
4> Annual 3000km cross-country drive (Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai) 1/year.
{as you may see its more leisure driving than requisite commuting!!}

My Options-> [the worst part my budget now is only about 5 Lakhs!)

A> the COMMANDO concept (modified bolero).

budget-suv-city-very-confusing-please-help-18062008.jpg

A new bolero for 7+ 2.5'ish on customisation makes it almost 9L. Incidentaly i was the first to test drive the 100bhp CRDe bolero below but the same raises the cost by another lakh to 10L! which is twice my budget So a 4-6 yr used bolero (about 40-50,000 km) at 2lakhs and another 2.5 for customisation.
--> Now how Dependable (esp at night & on the highway) and suitable a vehicle this would become is the question bothering me constantly??

B> other options is to do a similar customisation on a NEW Mahindra Invader or Maruti Gypsy Name: 2003041400010301.jpg
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(both are made to order from the respective companies and after discount these days can be got @ about 5L) + 1.5 for the Mods (lesser) ...also around budget!
Now these vehicles dont have an AC or a power steering so im a little skeptical about them in the city? Also the practicality of a soft-top in the Bombay Monsoons? Wat du u guys say?

C> getting a used 4-6 yr old Scorpio and then trying to modify it to the PLATOON concept is another option though i personaly i feel the STINGER or a Modified Gypsy look far more Rugged and Stylish as this one seems caught between two worlds!

Guys any help from experienced team-mates would be a huge help as i am not very big-vehicle experienced and could realy use input from more experienced minds. Which of the above should i go for ? Honestly do any of the above make sense to my need? ...PL HELP...i'm very Confused!!

God Speed.

bblost · 13th October 2008, 17:10

There is a 2003 TATA SAFARI LTD. VERSION listed in the classifieds section for 4.25 Lakhs.
Check it out.

Prowler · 13th October 2008, 17:34

Safari may not be the SUV as your driving needs are mostly in the city of Bombay. Safari is like a Battleship - excellent for the Highways but quite a handful in the bumper to bumper traffic of the city. Your best option would be a Maruti Gypsy (vastly amenable for modifications) within your budget.

Spitfire · 13th October 2008, 17:40

I see a strong urge to modify. You want a modified daily drive?

Get a clean Bolero, ergonomics and comfort are good, just dont go comparing them to a Santro or Ikon. Its a Jeep with a basic design based on Jeeps first seen by the world in the 1960's.

If you see beyond the tags given by pseudo uber cool folks who dont like the Bolero compared to their so called SUV's then what you have is a no nonsense point A to B transport with good comforts. Easy to maintain and cheap on the wallet. Looks good enough and additionally non of the pesky cabs and autos come close.

Has its limitations - parking, turning and snob value. I dont agree with the last though, park a well maintained Bolero inbetween 5 Mercs and everyone will still notice the Bolero(Happened to me in a 5 star hotel) LOL.

Advise: Dont try to modify your ride just for the looks, especially the horrendous mods above on the Bolero and Scorpio.

13th October 2008, 17:04	#1 (permalink)
pavthebiker Newbie Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Mumbai (& Delhi) Posts: 8	Which budget SUV for the City -very confusing- Please Help! tEAM-MATES...please shed your experience and help this confused soul! Im plooking for a SUV (a la JEEP) for the city and highway, no serious off-roading as such (...apologies to the serious off-roader!!) thanks to Mumbai taffic my motorcycle ('Avenger') is my daily workhorse, a 4 wheeler makes itself necessary and i drive a Ford Ikon 1.6 / Hyundai Santro (the lack of style and distinguishing character in these beckons change (no offence to other IKON/Santro owners..i'm just being a film-maker from bollywood) My Driving Needs-> 1> 40kms in peak bumper to bumper traffic, 2-3/week. (that can easily mean 2hrs. plus in the sweltering heat and humidity of bombay) 2> 20km mid-night drives with my better half! say 2/week! 3> 300-400km weekend drives (pune or mahabaleshwar) 1/month. 4> Annual 3000km cross-country drive (Mumbai-Delhi-Mumbai) 1/year. {as you may see its more leisure driving than requisite commuting!!} My Options-> [the worst part my budget now is only about 5 Lakhs!) A> the COMMANDO concept (modified bolero). A new bolero for 7+ 2.5'ish on customisation makes it almost 9L. Incidentaly i was the first to test drive the 100bhp CRDe bolero below but the same raises the cost by another lakh to 10L! which is twice my budget So a 4-6 yr used bolero (about 40-50,000 km) at 2lakhs and another 2.5 for customisation. --> Now how Dependable (esp at night & on the highway) and suitable a vehicle this would become is the question bothering me constantly?? B> other options is to do a similar customisation on a NEW Mahindra Invader or Maruti Gypsy (both are made to order from the respective companies and after discount these days can be got @ about 5L) + 1.5 for the Mods (lesser) ...also around budget! Now these vehicles dont have an AC or a power steering so im a little skeptical about them in the city? Also the practicality of a soft-top in the Bombay Monsoons? Wat du u guys say? C> getting a used 4-6 yr old Scorpio and then trying to modify it to the PLATOON concept is another option though i personaly i feel the STINGER or a Modified Gypsy look far more Rugged and Stylish as this one seems caught between two worlds! Guys any help from experienced team-mates would be a huge help as i am not very big-vehicle experienced and could realy use input from more experienced minds. Which of the above should i go for ? Honestly do any of the above make sense to my need? ...PL HELP...i'm very Confused!! God Speed. __________________ Pavitr Saith

13th October 2008, 17:10	#2 (permalink)
bblost Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,844 View My Garage	There is a 2003 TATA SAFARI LTD. VERSION listed in the classifieds section for 4.25 Lakhs. Check it out. __________________ Ever catch yourself listening to a nice song on the radio and dedicating it to your car.

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13th October 2008, 17:34	#3 (permalink)
Prowler BHPian Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Madras Posts: 101	Safari may not be the SUV as your driving needs are mostly in the city of Bombay. Safari is like a Battleship - excellent for the Highways but quite a handful in the bumper to bumper traffic of the city. Your best option would be a Maruti Gypsy (vastly amenable for modifications) within your budget.

13th October 2008, 17:40	#4 (permalink)
Spitfire Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Panaji - Goa/Bangalore - Karnataka Posts: 1,891	I see a strong urge to modify. You want a modified daily drive? Get a clean Bolero, ergonomics and comfort are good, just dont go comparing them to a Santro or Ikon. Its a Jeep with a basic design based on Jeeps first seen by the world in the 1960's. If you see beyond the tags given by pseudo uber cool folks who dont like the Bolero compared to their so called SUV's then what you have is a no nonsense point A to B transport with good comforts. Easy to maintain and cheap on the wallet. Looks good enough and additionally non of the pesky cabs and autos come close. Has its limitations - parking, turning and snob value. I dont agree with the last though, park a well maintained Bolero inbetween 5 Mercs and everyone will still notice the Bolero(Happened to me in a 5 star hotel) LOL. Advise: Dont try to modify your ride just for the looks, especially the horrendous mods above on the Bolero and Scorpio.