[niruvrs9669]

@R170,

I was reading up your posts, what did you book, X5 or Disco Sport in the end ?

I've test driven the X5, it definitely beats the Disco Sport hands down on engine performance, refinement & handling. Feels much bigger & spacious.

Owned an Endy Hurricane when it was first launched, and sold it in 2012. I've been driving Octy VRS since 2006, and I still do.

I'm in the market for a mid size SUV (40L to 70L), which I most likely would retain for next 10 years ! I've been following up since 1st Fortuner release, Fortuner, Freelander 2, Disocvery Sport, X5, Ford Endy 3.2L (not driven yet) and now Jeep Grand Chirokee.

Any key inputs from your research ?

[R170]

Hey Niru,

I ended up picking up the Disco Sport HSE lux over he X5 With the single expectation that it's actually supposed to be a better off roader. Now I've put this ride through a few paces right from the day I picked it up. As you've already mentioned. The BMW engine and drive is superior on the road, no doubt. Now I've taken this ride through slush and sliding conditions, through some super rocky inclines and declines and waded hr ohh about 250 mm of water no issues at all. It had stunning composure and some very weird angles and did a fantastic job starting from a complete halt up at 25 degree rocky slippery slope. I've also done the LR event at Aamby in this same car and pushed a few more limits there too. Out of the box the terrain response system and this stock suv is amazing off road. I have yet to try sand ... Which I'm curious to see how it performs on.

On the whole my 4 months of ownership have been very pleasant and as an off roader it's been great fun. If you're looking for just a city ride then the X5 might be the better option. Don't worry about the cabin space take a closer look next time and you'll realize that there isn't any marked diff in size, if any. The disco has a heavier feel to its ride on road and the x5 is more nimble.

All in all I'm very happy with this purchase as of yet for my on road and off road antics. I will say through that the disco in my opinion does have a more unique and appealing shape in my opinion and he X5 albeit very nice looks a little dated and serious.

Well just to throw another through at you. He new ford end should be around the 30 L mark with the bigger engine. Is a true 7 seater and has the ford jacked version of terrain response . That's interesting bang for the buck but ... Only missing the brand value of that bothers you.

Let me know if I can be of any dither assurance.

Ohh one last thing have you considered the GLE vs. the X5?

[rishi_kapoor]

Absolutely apt timing and I thank both of you for that. I just sold my trustworthy Outlander and now I am in market for another SUV. Both Disco Sport and X5 are contenders. I would love to hear more from you.

I am more inclined towards X5 than Discovery Sport. Top end Disco is almost as expansive as X5.

I am not into extreme offroading but I participate each year in Raid-de-Himalaya as official so reliability, safety and extreme terrain handling are must.

What goes against both SUV is that there is no AT tyre available in 18 inch (255/55/R-18) and without proper AT tyres, I cant even dream of taking such expansive SUVs (or SAVs for that matter) to Himalayas.

Q7 is out of list due to existing ownership experience of A6 quattro, great cars, pathetic marketing and support team.
Thanks.

[niruvrs9669]

Guys,

Just got back from Discovery Sport HSE (150 Bhp version) Test Drive. (For reference, I drive a 2006 Octy vRS)

Good;
1) Seating position and the view
2) Pretty comfortable front seats
3) LR Badge
4) Good looking interiors.

Bad;
1) The acceleration was quite jerky, didn't like it much.
2) Engine was quite noisy during the ride
3) Suspension quite stiff
4) S version being offered at 57 Lacs !
5) HSE Luxury (190 Bhp) version at 82 Lacs !!!
6) Forget the 3rd row seats.

Verdict : Not impressed. Endy's road presence is much better than the Disco Sport. If I had that kind of money, I would rather buy 3 Liter 6 cylinder BMW X5 than the souped up HSE Luxury 190bhp with same 2.2 lit 4 cylinder engine. For now I'll wait for the Endy test drive.

Ford are you listening ?

[niruvrs9669]

Originally Posted by R170

Hey Niru,

I ended up picking up the Disco Sport HSE lux over he X5 With the single expectation that it's actually supposed to be a better off roader. Now I've put this ride through a few paces right from the day I picked it up. As you've already mentioned. The BMW engine and drive is superior on the road, no doubt. Now I've taken this ride through slush and sliding conditions, through some super rocky inclines and declines and waded hr ohh about 250 mm of water no issues at all.

On the whole my 4 months of ownership have been very pleasant and as an off roader it's been great fun.

All in all I'm very happy with this purchase.

Well just to throw another through at you. He new ford end should be around the 30 L mark with the bigger engine. Is a true 7 seater and has the ford jacked version of terrain response . That's interesting bang for the buck but ... Only missing the brand value of that bothers you.

Let me know if I can be of any dither assurance.

@R170,

Thank you for the feed brother !

First congratulations on your Disco Sport ownership , Happy motoring.

I ended up test driving the 150bhp version and came back disappointed, my previous post explains it all. And supposedly 150bhp version is the volume seller ! Well that explains the aspirational quotient LR Brand has in the market !

I haven't tested any of these in true off-road conditions, so I'll take your word on that part.

Interestingly I had to choose between, Endy 3.2L (36L) and X5 (84L) ! While X5 has an excellent engine and superior finish, it comes at 2x+ price of an Endy. Most of my usage is on potholed and bumpy city roads, not into offroading or long distance travel, I drive it myself. I can park Endy by the road side or regular parking area without having to worry about a badge being pulled off.

Frankly, have had phenomenal maintenance costs (on rat bites, electrical issues etc,) on family owned Q5 2.0TDI, Merc ML350, hence apprehensive on going for X5.

[R170]

Originally Posted by niruvrs9669

@R170,

Thank you for the feed brother !

First congratulations on your Disco Sport ownership , Happy motoring.

I ended up test driving the 150bhp version and came back disappointed, my previous post explains it all. And supposedly 150bhp version is the volume seller ! Well that explains the aspirational quotient LR Brand has in the market !

I haven't tested any of these in true off-road conditions, so I'll take your word on that part.

Interestingly I had to choose between, Endy 3.2L (36L) and X5 (84L) ! While X5 has an excellent engine and superior finish, it comes at 2x+ price of an Endy. Most of my usage is on potholed and bumpy city roads, not into offroading or long distance travel, I drive it myself. I can park Endy by the road side or regular parking area without having to worry about a badge being pulled off .

Frankly, have had phenomenal maintenance costs (on rat bites, electrical issues etc,) on family owned Q5 2.0TDI, Merc ML350, hence apprehensive on going for X5.

Hey Niru,

I completely agree with you on the price value vs. its useage. So have you decided on the Ford for sure? I plan on potentially picking up either the Ford or the new Superb as we are getting rid of our old Laura.

Can you give me some insight on the Ford and how that drive/overall test went?

Appreciate you help.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by rishi_kapoor

I am not into extreme offroading but I participate each year in Raid-de-Himalaya as official so reliability, safety and extreme terrain handling are must.

Given your requirements, I feel that the new Endy/Pajero Sport/Fortuner should fit your needs well. SUV/SAVs in segment above that are delicate darlings and are generally meant for mall hopping and school bus duties.

Since you have been a happy owner of an Outlander, why not the Pajero Sport?

Originally Posted by niruvrs9669

Interestingly I had to choose between, Endy 3.2L (36L) and X5 (84L) ! While X5 has an excellent engine and superior finish, it comes at 2x+ price of an Endy. Most of my usage is on potholed and bumpy city roads, not into offroading or long distance travel, I drive it myself.

The Endy is indeed shaking up a lot of segments, above and below it, and for good reason I say.

I took an extended test drive of the 3.2 AT Titanium a few days ago and was impressed on all counts except 4:

1. Mid-range performance. The truck just doesn't like to be driven in pedal to metal mode.

2. Fuel efficiency: 7.5kmpl in Bangalore city and prolly 9kmpl at decent speeds on the highway....slightly low for my liking. Not a deal breaker though.

3. The last row: Lacks space, ergonomics, visibility and ease of access.

4. Body roll: Chetak (My Pajero Sport) has much better high speed stability and lesser body roll compared to the softly sprung Endy.

On all the other parameters, the Endy wins hands down. If I wanted to buy a 33lac INR SUV today, I'd pick up the Endy over a new Pajero Sport.

[niruvrs9669]

Originally Posted by R170

Hey Niru,

I completely agree with you on the price value vs. its useage. So have you decided on the Ford for sure? I plan on potentially picking up either the Ford or the new Superb as we are getting rid of our old Laura.

Can you give me some insight on the Ford and how that drive/overall test went?

Appreciate you help.

@R170,

So far the two test drives of Ford 3.2L Titanium have been more than satisfactory for what I'm looking for in an SUV. I'm not much of an engine & badge guy, as long as it revs well with lower noise levels and decent acceleration, I'm good, which is the case with Endy. I don't intend to use it for any drag race . Coming from real estate background, we do have day to day need of running into some unpaved terrains, which will be taken care.

Well I'm keeping my VRS for couple more years .

[4x4addict]

I hear a lot of logic that says that I can get Ford at half the price of the germans, hyundai at half the price of ford, etc, etc..

Bottom line is that hardly anyone who can afford a German SUV comfortably will get a Ford. So, no point in trying to justify the decision on the forum. If you want a ford get it.

I can say that Hexa will give you 90% or more of what an Endeavour will give so why should one spend 30+ lakhs on a Ford. People may find this argument flawed, but then why don't people just get a Chevy Cruize instead of the german sport sedans? I am sure you get the same level of gizmos??

[Bookkeeper]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

why don't people just get a Chevy Cruize instead of the german sport sedans? I am sure you get the same level of gizmos??

Not really. The Germans offer far more toys than the Cruze. I won't be listing them here. The build quality and refinement levels are better in the Germans. I've driven a Cruze and it was cheap plastic everywhere. Too much wind noise. Besides Chevrolet doesn't have the same snob value as the German trio.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by Bookkeeper

Not really.

You don't have to prove anything to me man. I was just pointing out the logic people use to justify by they bought x because it was 1/2 the price of y. I am saying, I don't necessarily agree with this logic.

My cruze comment was being sarcastic :-).

[Bookkeeper]

Originally Posted by 4x4addict

You don't have to prove anything to me man. I was just pointing out the logic people use to justify by they bought x because it was 1/2 the price of y. I am saying, I don't necessarily agree with this logic.

My cruze comment was being sarcastic :-).

Agree with your point that buying x just cause it's half the price of y is not justified since both of them hail from two different segments.

As for Cruze, I should have maybe read your post carefully.
Anyways let's just stick to Discovery Sport . Maybe we're just a post away from receiving note from the Mods.

[niruvrs9669]

@R170,

I dropped the Ford Endy plan for now. Decided to go ahead with the X5 (white one with terra dakota leather). Signing off the deal day after, hoping to get a good pre-budget deal .

Test drove my cousin's Disco Sport 190 horses once again, it didn't ring enough bells like the X5. Looks like I'm turning out to be an engine and bling guy finally .

-Niranjan

Originally Posted by R170

Hey Niru,

I completely agree with you on the price value vs. its useage. So have you decided on the Ford for sure? I plan on potentially picking up either the Ford or the new Superb as we are getting rid of our old Laura.

Can you give me some insight on the Ford and how that drive/overall test went?

Appreciate you help.

[R170]

Just to chime in again ... drove the 3.2L Top end Ford. I could not help but, compare this car to the Disco and some of my observations may not be fair given the price points.

The Ford rode higher than the Disco and had more clearance and wade depth I believe which is cool. The engine on it though much larger was much louder and was clearly audible in the cabin even when accelerating moderately. Had a nice pull to it but, the suspension was a little too soft so I felt it wobble a bit. Had a cool dashboard with quite a lot of digital effects but, besides the Vehicle Pitch and Roll display most of it was a but gimmicky. The cabin actually felt smaller than the Disco. I have the 5 seater so can't comment on legroom at the back for the +2 in the Ford. For a vehicle that costs over 35L I didn't feel that the luxury quotient quite added up despite the leather seats.

I've ended up going with the new Superb Diesel which I know if far removed from the Ford SUV but, the price points are identical.

[aravindrn]

Originally Posted by niruvrs9669

@R170,

I dropped the Ford Endy plan for now. Decided to go ahead with the X5 (white one with terra dakota leather). Signing off the deal day after, hoping to get a good pre-budget deal .

Test drove my cousin's Disco Sport 190 horses once again, it didn't ring enough bells like the X5. Looks like I'm turning out to be an engine and bling guy finally .

-Niranjan

Congrats on the buy Niranjan! The X5 does look amazing. How was your dealing with Navnit Motors? What was the final price on road?

Aravind