First things first, we really don't need a car change at this point of time, but have been contemplating this for some time now..esp after my (thankfully) failed attempt to buy a Verna 2 years ago
(shot down by high command
)
between me & the lady , we drive a Corsa and Swift to work.
Surprisingly, even though the Swift is a lot newer, we usually vie for the Corsa as both of us like the mucho superior handling and composure the vehicle exhibits compared to the Swift.
Having said that, we have been thinking of changing one of the vehicles in favor of something that fits the following:
- the vehicle should be comfortable enough for daily work commutes,
- Yet should be capable enough of allowing me to take long road trips over bad to terrible roads (not that the Corsa doesnt handle that, just that i know it's undergoinga torture test although the swift absolutely cannot)
- Offroading isn't really high on my priority list...
- a composed ride over terrible roads coupled with impeccable highway manners while retaining the capability to drive around in the city...
- all this in a package 10L or low...
The only vehicle that seems to fit in here is the Tata Safari
So we test drove one today
Here are my thoughts
sluggish to start with but opens up after 2K rpm... handling is slushy at best...refinement is notches below the existing cars
but , but....we have a feeling that our long lost roadtrip wanderbug may return back if we get this beast
What is keeping me away though are the niggling issues that one keeps hearing about the Safari..also the fact that ABS is available only on the top end (packed with some silly stufff like DVD players etc that don't need, but which push its prices ~2.5 L above the base variant we want)
So here are a few questions
- The TASS is pretty closeby from where we live so minor niggles should be manageable... However, I wouldn't want to get struck with a breakdown in the middle of nowhere... I know no car can guarantee this , but the Corsa and now the swift too have been so reliable for the last several years that we have started off on 1000 Km + trips without as much as checking the engine oil level
- I am scared of some of the stories I have heard of wheel locks and fishtailing while braking at speeds as low as 80 kmph
We usually do not drive over 100 even on the best GQ stretches, except perhaps a couple of occasions (if the road is straight and the visibility is high) .. But fishtailing at 80 is probably unacceptable
- another weird thing I noticed was that the test drive vehicle that was bought to us didn't have any lettering or indication of the fact that it is a demo car.. I also noticed that the odo/speedo cable was disconnected... I don;t want to name the dealer, but they are a pretty reputable TATA dealership in chennai... I suspect that it was a customer delivery vehicle that was bought to us... Not a very confidence inspiring thing i guess..any other logical explanation for this?