Team-BHP - Mahindra Bolero vs Tata Sumo

how do you folks!...

Help me find the better of these two. My requirements are

Priority
1) ease of driving inside city, visibility of all corners
2) Less body roll while going over bumps ( slight thud is fine, but no wobbliness)
3) Cheap spare parts/paid service (around 2-4k paid service)

I happened to go over the spec, and found the MKII beat Bolero in all rows. Power/torque/NVH/space.

And, I have this constant bias towards bolero, because I see more bolero than MKII, and everyone saying "India's best selling SUV". Rusted followers

But still, Whats so bad with MKII which deters the buyers?

1.Ease of driving inside city-Bolero, due to it's very proportions and superb low end torque
Visibility-Both Sumo and Bolero equals
2.Less body roll-Bolero, being more squat
3.Cheap spares-Bolero, since it requires very less maintenance than the Sumo and most mechanichals of SLX is that of Mahindra Pik-up. Besides the DI, thiough crude and underpowered (but not undertorqued), is a lot more trustworthy than the Sumo's CRDI. The SLX is also more fuel efficient thatn the Sumo.

Comfortwise, Bolero is no match for the Sumo.But if you intend to keep the vehicle for a long term, just go for the Bolero.

check the torque number of the Bolero and Sumo Grande. The Sumo Grande engine is light years ahead of the DI Tractor Engine.

If you want a personal vehicle which is more refined and practical, pick the Grande. If you want a utility vehicle with low cost of ownership and running pick the Bolero.

The seating and interior ergonomics are much better in the Grande.

+1 to 4x4addict. The bolero is really old now but that does not mean its a bad vehicle at all. in sales, it outnumbers the grande easily & even the scorpio & innova! its reliable to the core & will keep running till you want it to. but it lacks space & does not look as 'rich' as the grande. it makes up for performance in the CRDe version though. handling & body roll is better in the bolero.

grande looks much better, upmarket & has more space. infact, it seems to be the most reliable TATA too! never heard any bad reviews about it. so its your call.

In 2010, why SLX? Why not VLX? The engine is fabulous, and fun to drive. But, it comes with the usual Bolero worries like Braking, Fit & Finish, Interiors (or the lack of it), Space. I am most sceptical about the Braking and lack of steering feedback. The Grande MK2 though is better to drive.
Now that you are looking at this segment, the Xylo E4 might actually be your best buy.

If you are looking only for city driving / visibility / minimal body roll / cheap part, then it has to be Bolero. Sumo wins in Space and Power. If you consider Vlx instead Slx then even the Bolero is not too far behind Sumo in terms of Bhp.

The Bolero DI Turbo is extremely fuel efficient and costs peanuts to maintain. As a personal opinion, it looks better than the Grande as well. Visibility and ease of driving in the city too are given.

Downsides include an archaic engine, mechanicals and braking, horrible ergonomics, harsh ride quality and cramped interiors.

The Grande is more refined, more powerful, has far better ergonomics but looks like an overgrown hippo to me. It is though, a more modern vehicle and is infinitely more comfortable as well.

Downsides include shoddy fit and finish, weird looks, an outdated bodyshell and TATA's super low resale values.

What would I buy if I were you?
Neither. I d rather go for a used Scorpio or a new Xylo.

@ritz: On all your counts the Bolero SLX counts higher than the Sumo. but I can't think of any reason why you would want to go for the Bolero SLX. Further more AFAIK, the SLX is not being sold in BS-IV areas. Please confirm.

Unless you are going to travel far away from the normal road, Bolero doesn't exactly make sense.

Cheers

Ritz, the Bolero & MKII are as different as chalk and cheese. The Bolero is definitely more abuse-friendly and will handle harsh terrain / rough use better. However, for personal / urban usage, the Grande MKII beats it hollow. There's a lot more space, better ride quality, overall comfort and a refined engine to boot.

You should also consider the Scorpio. Test each and update us with your comments.

I voted for the grande MK-II. IMO it is a better option for your city driving needs. Grande might have body roll in cornering, but not in speed bumps. It would offer a better ride quality than Bolero in speed bumps and bad roads in the city.

However, Bolero does have a better reputation albeit in semi-urban areas. With respect to parts and service, both should be on equal footing because of the free service package for 3-4 years.

So if you plan do majority of your driving in city, I would recommend the MK-II.

I'd highly recommend the VLX Bolero only if you can:
1. Drive it sedately. The engine is very good, but do not put all your money on the braking.
2. Are happy with utilitarian interiors (which can be spruced up though).
3. Want to do some occassional MILD Off-Roading (not HARD-CORE stuff).

For anything else, look at the Xylo or as GTO said: Scorpio LX.

Bolero is nothing but a jeep with doors, no creature comforts, very crude, but the engine is good old school one and easy on maintenance, but will start ageing within 4 years.

The Sumo is well refined vehicle with lots of space and comfort, the Dicor engine packs lot of punch and is rev free.

The scorpio will cost a bit more than either of the two and the Sumo Grande has less body roll and better space, comfort than the Scorpio, and easy on maintenance also.

Why dont you take a test drive and find the difference.

We shall be waiting for your reviews :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by PAVAN KADAM (Post 2154777)

Bolero is nothing but a jeep with doors, no creature comforts, very crude, but the engine is good old school one and easy on maintenance, but will start ageing within 4 years.

Could you please care to explain which engine are you referring to and what exactly do you mean by the above statement. May be it will shed light on a new direction of thinking for a lot of people in the forum.

Cheers