[damodar]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

I took a test drive of the new Aria in Mumbai and in traffic, i felt it to be same as the older version, but however, the engine "seemed and sounded" more refined that the previous gen one. I drove at 40 km/hr speed at the max. I could not get a chance to drive it in an open stretch.

- Sorry for this dumb question. If your delaer does not sell it, I am curious to know how you would buy it

Well my place not being a metro city it was not being sold here but the local dealer will be giving service and warranty claims if any. Also if you are aware AP will be officially divided into two states by June 2 so hopefully they will start selling it here too.

[Shiwik]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

I took a test drive of the new Aria in Mumbai and in traffic, i felt it to be same as the older version, but however, the engine "seemed and sounded" more refined that the previous gen one. I drove at 40 km/hr speed at the max. I could not get a chance to drive it in an open stretch.

- Sorry for this dumb question. If your delaer does not sell it, I am curious to know how you would buy it

Could you provide a little more details please? Excuse me for these questions - surprisingly the dealers in Bangalore still have not gotten a vehicle for checking out or TD :-(

1. How does the refinement compare with an XUV. I have seen several XUVs and being an Innova owner, XUVs seemed generations ahead in terms of refinement and quietness (hardly any clatter).

2. How was the clutch - ARIA claims to have made it lighter and it apparently is lot easier to handle in traffic

3. ARIA also claimed to have tweaked the suspension. Anything visible there?

4. Interior part quality seemed to have been bettered. Any comments on that?

Advance thanks

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by Shiwik

Could you provide a little more details please? Excuse me for these questions - surprisingly the dealers in Bangalore still have not gotten a vehicle for checking out or TD :-(

1. How does the refinement compare with an XUV. I have seen several XUVs and being an Innova owner, XUVs seemed generations ahead in terms of refinement and quietness (hardly any clatter).

2. How was the clutch - ARIA claims to have made it lighter and it apparently is lot easier to handle in traffic

3. ARIA also claimed to have tweaked the suspension. Anything visible there?

4. Interior part quality seemed to have been bettered. Any comments on that?

Advance thanks

There was a small Tata stall (forgot the dealer's name) in infinity mall Malad West and I just told them i need a test drive vehicle of the new Aria. They brought it to Saki Naka, my office location and i took a small drive on Andheri Kurla Road. (Saki Naka to Marol Pipeline). It was a 4X2 version.

1) The vehicle was new (still with seat covers and around 2000kms on the ODO. It seemed as refined as XUV5OO. When i opened the hood/bonnet, i found the engine to be a shade noisier than XUV. Inside the cabin i felt XUV and Aria are the same.

2) Yes the clutch was light and probably lighter than XUV. I did not feel any pain driving in stop go mumbai traffic. Also the engine pulled very well without much shudder

3) Honestly - I felt the same as the previous gen. The road is full of potholes and i felt the same ride quality as the Gen 1 Aria.

4) It is same as Gen 1 Aria with lot of rough edges and inconsistent panel gaps. Shut lines are nowhere close to Marutis or Hyundais.

In all, I would say it is still mere a cosmetic improvement. The mechanicals and ride quality are almost the same as in the previous gen Aria.

[Shiwik]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

There was a small Tata stall (forgot the dealer's name) in infinity

1) The vehicle was new (still with seat covers and around 2000kms on the ODO.

2) Yes the clutch was light and probably lighter than XUV.

3) Honestly - I felt the same as the previous gen.

4) It is same as Gen 1 Aria with lot of rough edges and inconsistent panel gaps.

In all, I would say it is still mere a cosmetic improvement.

After pondering for a while now, i have come to a point where i definitely feel my 7 yr old innova needs a change. I have been looking around a worthy replacement and have shortlisted 3 - Aria, Safari and the XUV.

My priorities are -

1 - Good ride quality, space and longevity
2 - not too expensive - 12-15l max
3 - Easy to maintain

I test drove the Safari Strome a few weeks back and was quite impressed with its fit and finish, ride quality and power. Only drove around bad roads in the vicinity and could not quite check its high speed capabilities. The last row was what was not very happening. With luggage, it would be virtually un-usable. Also surprisingly the TATA dealer mentioned that Strome is not doing that well from a sales standpoint compared to its predecessor.

I test drove the XUV when it was being sold at a premium a couple of years back. While the interiors looked ok, ride quality was very very bumpy. Small speed breakers just un-settled the vehicle. I am not sure if it is a mind block but my opinion about the vehicle is not very great - probably it is only me as there are several of these on the roads and i am presuming all owners are quite happy with it. Would anyone recommend i do another test drive of the recent ones. How would a W4 be compared to the higher variants?

Aria - Specs look pretty good on paper. However it is quite surprising that none of the dealers in Bangalore (Concorde and KHT specifically) dont have a test drive vehicle even after more than a month of launch. I am not sure if TATA motors is actually serious about getting back its lost market segment. Makes me wonder what are these guys selling these days!!

Advises please - does it make sense to buy a TATA one of them listed above?

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by Shiwik

After pondering for a while now, i have come to a point where i definitely feel my 7 yr old innova needs a change. I have been looking around a worthy replacement and have shortlisted 3 - Aria, Safari and the XUV.

Really - ? there are numerous posts and threads on the Forum, which negate the fact that Aria/XUV are replacements for the Innova.

If you need an upgrade, do go in for the Fortuner or another Innova. The best thing would be to wait for an year and a half and buy the all new Innova in Diwali 2015.

Think twice before you sell the Innova and buy the Aria/Storme/Safari/XUV.

[Shiwik]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

Really - ? there are numerous posts and threads on the Forum, which negate the fact that Aria/XUV are replacements for the Innova.

If you need an upgrade, do go in for the Fortuner or another Innova. The best thing would be to wait for an year and a half and buy the all new Innova in Diwali 2015.

Think twice before you sell the Innova and buy the Aria/Storme/Safari/XUV.

Oflate I use the innova mostly for outstation trips or late night within the city. While it does well at sedate speeds like 80kmph, things get noisier and rough beyond that (progressively). Imagine doing a Bangalore-Hyd at that speed. Not that the vehicle is giving problems, it is just that it does not scale up beyond that speed. Unfortunately there are no other options available other than the three listed above. Looking at the feature list of the Aria, it seems leagues ahead of the Innova. Buying a new one makes no sense for couple of reasons - it is criminally priced and it is the same thing that i already have (like i said the current vehicle is in sublime condition with no mechanical issues so far). Fortuner - although powerful and good to look at, looks very innova like in the inside. Also it is way overpriced for the features it offers. I drove one on one of the highway trips. It has a good 5th gear and does not growl as much as the Innova, but the ride quality was quite bumpy. That couple with a raised floor did not offer a comfortable ride. I have still not seen/test driven the new Aria and would not make a decision till i have done so. On paper however, it looks far superior.

Is it that everyone who has owned/owns an Aria has been disappointed? I recently met a driver in one of my outstation trip who was driving his owner;s Aria - it had 83K on its odo and he was all praise for this vehicle. While i did not drive it, it looked fairly well made (need to do a good review of this vehicle before i decide on it).

Also what is wrong with the XUV (other than the boot space and 3rd row). There are several of those in Bangalore and i am presuming the owners are loving it.

[desdemona]

Originally Posted by Shiwik

Advises please - does it make sense to buy a TATA one of them listed above?

Why not? I second your sense that the Aria and the Storme are superior to the Innova/Fortuner (they are practically the same vehicle are they not?), objectively speaking and not only in terms of VFM.

Tata Motors is going through a cyclical tough patch in the marketplace, but they still sold over 12500 cars last month, much more than most companies except 2-3.

They are a collossus financially due to JLR: they are not going to wither and fade away. And efforts are underway (good enough?) on all fronts: bolt, zest, ASS, dealerships, quality, component sourcing, design etc.

So yeah: why not?! It isn't as big a risk as too many of us think.

[damodar]

Originally Posted by Shiwik

Oflate I use the innova mostly for outstation trips or late night within the city. While it does well at sedate speeds like 80kmph, things get noisier and rough beyond that (progressively). Imagine doing a Bangalore-Hyd at that speed. Not that the vehicle is giving problems, it is just that it does not scale up beyond that speed. Unfortunately there are no other options available other than the three listed above. Looking at the feature list of the Aria, it seems leagues ahead of the Innova. Buying a new one makes no sense for couple of reasons - it is criminally priced and it is the same thing that i already have (like i said the current vehicle is in sublime condition with no mechanical issues so far). Fortuner - although powerful and good to look at, looks very innova like in the inside. Also it is way overpriced for the features it offers. I drove one on one of the highway trips. It has a good 5th gear and does not growl as much as the Innova, but the ride quality was quite bumpy. That couple with a raised floor did not offer a comfortable ride. I have still not seen/test driven the new Aria and would not make a decision till i have done so. On paper however, it looks far superior.

Is it that everyone who has owned/owns an Aria has been disappointed? I recently met a driver in one of my outstation trip who was driving his owner;s Aria - it had 83K on its odo and he was all praise for this vehicle. While i did not drive it, it looked fairly well made (need to do a good review of this vehicle before i decide on it).

Also what is wrong with the XUV (other than the boot space and 3rd row). There are several of those in Bangalore and i am presuming the owners are loving it.

The biggest risk one will be taking when buying an Aria over an Innova will be the resale value over a 4-5 year period. Now conversely if you can afford that hit in resale the ARIA will reward you with best comfort for our varying Indian roads for 50% less than other premium 7 seat vehicles like the Santa fe, pajero etc.
Now for an innova the service schedule is 5000 km correct me if I am wrong here whereas for an Aria it's 15000km. Also Aria comes with a 4 year warranty with industry best AMC packages where they cover everything including clutch plates and shock absorbers, that is zero bills for the entire AMC period.Now all you have to look for is a reputed TATA dealer close to you like Concorde and there should be no worries on the maintainence front.

[WorkingGuru]

Hey guys! I'd joined the forum a while ago, but couldn't make time to visit often.

My cousin is buying the New Aria over the Innova. He saves somewhere around 1.5Lakhs. But given the Aria has so much more power, he's tempted to buy in.

He needs to seat 4 at the max & is looking at this as a lifestyle purchase to use it over 4 months a year when he goes for holiday trips.

Is he making a mistake? Pls Advise.

[AirWind]

I have been driving my FIL's 2013 Aria (entry version) for 1K KM's, took it from Coimbatore to Ooty and Bangalore. Note, my reviews can be biassed based on my ownership of an Octavia mk1 vRS 1.8T Petrol and Swift 1.3L Petrol.

+Ve's - You are unique in the road, not a head turner but definitely a looker
1. Space, space, space - plenty of it in front 2 rows but the 3rd is best for kids due to narrow footwell. Easily can accomodate a family of 7~8. Decent boot even with 3rd seats up
2. High seating position gives good command of the road, but can be challenging for ingress/egress
3. Glass house, no body felt claustrophobic (my daughter who is usually car sick was okay)
4. Excellent ride quality (soaks up bumps and never moved out of line) - my family had no complains after a 350 KM highway ride
5. Decent road manners for a high CG SUV
6. Ample power and torque, pulls nicely and linearly (even in the hills/ghats)
7. Acceptable NVH inside the cabin
8. VFM price (my FIL got this for 10 lakhs + a 10 yr old carb Esteem in exchange)
9. Plenty of features (blower for 2nd row, lot of storage spaces many cup holders, good 1L bottle holders in each door, chilled glove box, etc.,)
10. Confusing looks, doesnt show butch attitude but it grows on you
11. Decent economy consistently returned 12 KMPL on a couple of tankful to tankful method in a mix of city, highway and hills
12. Safety has discs on all 4 even in the basic model
13. AC is a chiller even in the sweltering heat!
14. Stylish Land Rover-ish dashboard layout is sweeet!

-Ve's - The uniqueness will also mean support can be limited
1. What is it (Car, SUV or MUV)? I couldn't answer when the forest guard in Avalanche asked me :-( A gas station attendant asked me if the car was very powerful looking at the dual exhausts and I blushingly nodded YES ;-)
2. Hard clutch (worst than my Octavia) and vague gear shift (vibrates) - Note, this is the basic model that comes with a SMF (Single Mass Flywheel) - I'd strongly recommend a DMF (Dual MF) for that extra smoothness
3. Steering is okay to hold, but a little bigger in dia, however EPS is very light at express way speeds and not confidence inspiring
4. Seating ergo not upto the mark (I couldn't get a good seating position even after 1K KM's, but it doesnt break your back - the 2nd row is too upright)
5. Poor switch gear quality (the AC control units looked like it was lifted from the Ponds powder tin), not sure it would last (@ GTO, i doubt TATA paid Rs. 5 for the Aux rubber boot - perhaps they got it free)
6. Narrow power band requires a lot of gear shifting (read painful)
7. Perhaps christined by someone from Andhra (pun intended) - this car is called the TATA Aria Pride 4x2 2.2L DICOR blah blah blah endless
8. No dead pedal for the driver (but wont feel the need because the left leg has to be in constant use)
9. Fairly well put together for a TATA but still leagues behind Toyota or even a Mahindra XUV
10. Suspect long term reliability (low volumes would mean limited support) - my FIL is a TATA loyal, he has owned a bunch of TATA vehicles in this century and each one has crossed 1L KM's easily (he now owns a Mahindra Bolero pick up and is very happy - so may change his loyalty in the future)

To summarize, the +ve's easily outweigh the -Ve's. I came back fairly impressed and this comes from someone who owns an Octavia mk1 vRS 1.8T and Swift 1.3, both petrols. I'd recommend this (Car, SUV, MUV or whatever) for a large family looking for value and taking it from point A to B. Preferably driver driven. Get the DMF version if you care for your driver though!

[damodar]

Originally Posted by AirWind

-Ve's - The uniqueness will also mean support can be limited
1. What is it (Car, SUV or MUV)? I couldn't answer when the forest guard in Avalanche asked me :-( A gas station attendant asked me if the car was very powerful looking at the dual exhausts and I blushingly nodded YES ;-)
2. Hard clutch (worst than my Octavia) and vague gear shift (vibrates) - Note, this is the basic model that comes with a SMF (Single Mass Flywheel) - I'd strongly recommend a DMF (Dual MF) for that extra smoothness
3. Steering is okay to hold, but a little bigger in dia, however EPS is very light at express way speeds and not confidence inspiring
4. Seating ergo not upto the mark (I couldn't get a good seating position even after 1K KM's, but it doesnt break your back - the 2nd row is too upright)
5. Poor switch gear quality (the AC control units looked like it was lifted from the Ponds powder tin), not sure it would last (@ GTO, i doubt TATA paid Rs. 5 for the Aux rubber boot - perhaps they got it free)
6. Narrow power band requires a lot of gear shifting (read painful)
7. Perhaps christined by someone from Andhra (pun intended) - this car is called the TATA Aria Pride 4x2 2.2L DICOR blah blah blah endless
8. No dead pedal for the driver (but wont feel the need because the left leg has to be in constant use)
9. Fairly well put together for a TATA but still leagues behind Toyota or even a Mahindra XUV
10. Suspect long term reliability (low volumes would mean limited support) - my FIL is a TATA loyal, he has owned a bunch of TATA vehicles in this century and each one has crossed 1L KM's easily (he now owns a Mahindra Bolero pick up and is very happy - so may change his loyalty in the future)

To summarize, the +ve's easily outweigh the -Ve's. I came back fairly impressed and this comes from someone who owns an Octavia mk1 vRS 1.8T and Swift 1.3, both petrols. I'd recommend this (Car, SUV, MUV or whatever) for a large family looking for value and taking it from point A to B. Preferably driver driven. Get the DMF version if you care for your driver though!

The hard clutch must have been rectified in the 2014 Aria since it comes with a new self adjusting clutch(SAC) as mentioned by fellow member rkg. Also SAC does not get harder with use as the regular hydraulic ones. Worth mentioning is this comes with a 70000 km stand alone warranty. Would love feedback on the new clutch from members who have driven it.

You mentioned 2nd row as too upright did you try the reclining function?

The new Aria is more powerfull with a wider torque band so it should eliminate the need for frequent gear shifting.

Finally since you drove a non ABS version can you comment on the braking performance?

[blacksport]

Originally Posted by Shiwik

After pondering for a while now, i have come to a point where i definitely feel my 7 yr old innova needs a change. I have been looking around a worthy replacement and have shortlisted 3 - Aria, Safari and the XUV.

My priorities are -

1 - Good ride quality, space and longevity
2 - not too expensive - 12-15l max
3 - Easy to maintain

I test drove the Safari Strome a few weeks back and was quite impressed with its fit and finish, ride quality and power. Only drove around bad roads in the vicinity and could not quite check its high speed capabilities. The last row was what was not very happening. With luggage, it would be virtually un-usable. Also surprisingly the TATA dealer mentioned that Strome is not doing that well from a sales standpoint compared to its predecessor.

I test drove the XUV when it was being sold at a premium a couple of years back. While the interiors looked ok, ride quality was very very bumpy. Small speed breakers just un-settled the vehicle. I am not sure if it is a mind block but my opinion about the vehicle is not very great - probably it is only me as there are several of these on the roads and i am presuming all owners are quite happy with it. Would anyone recommend i do another test drive of the recent ones. How would a W4 be compared to the higher variants?

Aria - Specs look pretty good on paper. However it is quite surprising that none of the dealers in Bangalore (Concorde and KHT specifically) dont have a test drive vehicle even after more than a month of launch. I am not sure if TATA motors is actually serious about getting back its lost market segment. Makes me wonder what are these guys selling these days!!

Advises please - does it make sense to buy a TATA one of them listed above?

It would be wise to keep the Aria only until the warranty (2+2) lasts. But a 4 year old Arya would have depreciated by as much as 75%. That means, say if you spent 18L on the Aria, you would hardly get 5L when you sell it after 4 years. So if losing money is not a concern, go ahead. It is actually a very good family car.

[Shiwik]

Originally Posted by blacksport

It would be wise to keep the Aria only until the warranty (2+2) lasts. But a 4 year old Arya would have depreciated by as much as 75%. That means, say if you spent 18L on the Aria, you would hardly get 5L when you sell it after 4 years. So if losing money is not a concern, go ahead. It is actually a very good family car.

Does Aria actually deprecite as much. I did a quick lookup on OLX and found a few listing worth 11-13 lacs for 3yr old models. Also why do you say it could be owned only for 4 years?

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by Shiwik

Does Aria actually deprecite as much. I did a quick lookup on OLX and found a few listing worth 11-13 lacs for 3yr old models. Also why do you say it could be owned only for 4 years?

Just walk into any used car dealer and express that you are looking for a used Aria. Just look at the way they bug you.

Prices are always in the high range for any car. Everyone tries to put in the maximum price for the vehicle. Just try to contact them and if you happen to meet tha OLX seller in person, i am pretty they would be more than happy to knock a couple of lacs off just to get rid of the Aria.

[damodar]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

Just walk into any used car dealer and express that you are looking for a used Aria. Just look at the way they bug you.

Prices are always in the high range for any car. Everyone tries to put in the maximum price for the vehicle. Just try to contact them and if you happen to meet tha OLX seller in person, i am pretty they would be more than happy to knock a couple of lacs off just to get rid of the Aria.

This sort of treatment at used car dealers is also given to Fiat cars but they still are selling new cars with a month on month increase in sales which means there are still people who enjoy their cars rather than look at resale value.
At the end of 4 years a top end innova will also not fetch more than 10 Laks. Now a ARIA pleasure model sells at 14.5 Laks with airbags and ABS and if it fetches 5-6 Laks at the end of 4 years we are looking at similar losses compared to a top end innova.