[itwasntme]

Lovely vehicle and hope you enjoy miles of motoring! Saw one in my rear view mirror and immediately gave way! It had restrained aggressive poisev rather than the big bullying look of the Fortuner.

Auto headlamps are irritating but the charm of auto wipers is not the auto start but the magical ability to match the wiping speed with the intensity of rain! On open roads, it is very useful especially as intensity of rainfall can vary widely.

Not a showstopper under any circumstances though :-)

[Sheel]

^ Will echo the same sentiments, auto headlamps are not a necessity but auto wash wipe is actually a necessity for me now, especially when oncoming vehicles sometimes lash you with water on the screen [and by the time you switch them on, the auto mode actually swipes your screen once] and or if you [by mistake] go in a pool of water and are blinded, their coming on just might save your day.

[ByDesign]

Here's a nice shot of the car in some sunlight after several days of very cloudy weather and constant rains in Hyderabad.

So when I received the vehicle it showed 6.7 kmpl in the city with AC. With my gentle cajoling with a few spirited drives, I've now peaked it at 11.3 kmpl with highway and inner city driving.

[MuzzledMoose]

ByDesign, MUX engine is very efficient if you drive at 90KMPH continuously. I have the MU-7 Automatic with the same engine and it has given me best 16KMPL but it was empty highway and less than 100KM drive. I am having the MU-7 for 2 years and I am absolutely enjoying the engine. it pulls clean from 900 rpm and holds well 50kmph@1000 rpm. its fun to putter the engine in slow moving traffic. City driving in Chennai sees 8KMPL and highways 12KMPL average. The best part is service is quite cheap. 5K checkups less than 800 rupees. 20K and 10K oil changes still less than 6K including everything.

[ByDesign]

Originally Posted by MuzzledMoose

ByDesign, MUX engine is very efficient if you drive at 90KMPH continuously. I have the MU-7 Automatic with the same engine and it has given me best 16KMPL but it was empty highway and less than 100KM drive. I am having the MU-7 for 2 years and I am absolutely enjoying the engine. it pulls clean from 900 rpm and holds well 50kmph@1000 rpm. its fun to putter the engine in slow moving traffic. City driving in Chennai sees 8KMPL and highways 12KMPL average. The best part is service is quite cheap. 5K checkups less than 800 rupees. 20K and 10K oil changes still less than 6K including everything.

Thank you for your inputs Sir. I always thought the MU7 looked extremely commanding on the road but never got a chance to drive it.

The fuel efficiency figures that you have stated for your car may not be achievable with mine because the MU-X's engine has a higher state of tune, i.e. nearly 10 bhp more and 20 nm of torque more. More importantly, the MU-X is heavier than the MU 7 by about 60 kgs. I am able to get about 12.5 kmpl on highway drives cruising at 100 to 120 kmph.

[srishiva]

Looks like a really purposeful SUV. But maybe not premium enough for the price ! I think safety and features are something people think will come by default when the price even approaches 20 lakhs let alone cross it.

[Aniket6]

@ByDesign,
Congratulations on the MU-X?
Can you please share your thoughts on Pros and Cons?

[Aniket6]

I had a test drive of the Isuzu MU-X (INR 32L), Tata Hexa XT 4X4 (20L), Toyota Fortuner 4X4 MT (INR 38.3L) and Ford Endeavor (39.8L) the last Saturday as I want to upgrade from my 3 years old XUV with 53k on the odo and following were my observations ->

I - Tata Hexa 2.2 4X4 (from Prerana Motors which had an abused demo car)
Pros -
1. Nice sounding system.
2. Good ride though not exceptional like in reviews.
3. High quality interiors.
4. Effective AC.
5. Genuine 7 seater.

Cons -
1. Not as agile as the XUV.
2. Too much noise from engine especially the engine-fan was LOUD.
3. Power delivery is weak at low RPM..
Result - Easy elimination as it did not feel good enough for an upgrade.

II - Isuzu MU-X 3.0 AT 4X4
Pros -
1. Amazing ride quality on bad roads. The long travel suspension absorbs big potholes with aplomb and the low speed ride was just great.
2. Quick gearbox that was slotting into right gear at right time. Good engine response too.
3. Audio system was pretty good.
4. Space in last row was slightly better than other 2 though the middle row is fixed.
5. Solid build quality and fit+finish. Feels built to last and should age very well.
Cons-
1. Interiors look dated and boring.
2. Only 2 airbags.
3. Engine when pushed creates a lot of noise for sometime after which progress starts to follow.
4. Hated the colour of the seats.
5. Steering is too tight around the centre and not that convenient to use in city.
6. Although low speed ride is supple, at higher speeds there is quite a bit of side to side movement and you get a floaty slightly boat like feeling.

Results - This car feels very abuse friendly and might be fun to take out on unknown roads. It does not have WOW factor. Its basically like a completely evolved Scorpio. Might consider it mainly because its relative cheap to buy and maintain.

III - Toyota Fortuner 2.8 4X4 MT
Pros -
1. Looks great in person, I was pleasantly surprised as I felt it looks weird in pics before.
2. Engine is responsive even in eco mode.
3. Everything feels built to last, both the interior and exterior.
4. Handling is pretty good for a ladder on frame as its quite stiff, like the XUV.
5. Mid to high speed ride felt good, such as going over bridge joints, small potholes and road undulations.
6. Liked the dark interiors and its easy to maintain.
7. Special mention for Toyota and Ravindu, the entire process of registering for the TD, getting intimations from the dealer via SMS and email, timely arrival for TD, etc. was so fuss free and the best I have experienced so far.
This makes you feel like you will get good after sales experience.
8. Loved the optitron console with cool colors. Seems funky.
9. Smooth gearbox and loved the iMT feature.
Cons -
1. Important missing features like auto IVRMs, lumbar support, front parking sensors, better rear parking sensors, TPMS, etc.
2. Seats were firmer than normal.
3. Average audio quality.
4. Seems pricey for what it offers. Does not feel like it should cost 2X of my XUV.
5. Average quality of some of the interiors bits as mentioned in the official review. Doors dont shut with the THUD.
Result - Definitely in contention.

IV - Ford Endeavour 3.2 4X4
Pros -
1. Awesome build quality, fit and finish.
2. Exhaustive list of features, with everyone of them feeling useful. Apart from maybe tyres, there is no scope for any upgrades/accessories in the Endeavour.
3. Explosive performance from the engine. This was surreal and hard to imagine how something so big and heavy could move with such speed and agility. This has to be driven to be believed.
4. The cabin is almost sound proof and with very low NVH, driving the Endy is so stress free. Miles ahead of the other 3.
5. Front parking sensors + light EPS + reasonable turning radius + Auto gearbox + parallel park assist make this car very city friendly.
6. Seats felt more comfy than fortuner.
7. Great sounding system + telephony + MID.
8. Great ride+handling combo, almost perfect.
Cons -
1. Not sure if so many features are a good thing or bad as more things could go wrong.
2. Gearbox in sports was not taking gear-shifts as per my command and following its own routine.
3. Poor fuel economy of only 8 kmpl.
4. Not sure about after sales experience and not too many reviews in t-bhp. Getting the TD was not as smooth/easy as the other 3 infact.
5. Ambient lighting should have been extended to the rear.
6. Only 2 years warranty from manufacturers and need to shell out more for extended.
7. Last row is tight on space compared to the other 3. Getting in and out of last row is tedious as well.
Result - Easily the best car among the four and the best all-rounder I have ever driven.

Conclusion - As with so many others, this is a head vs heart battle between Fortuner and Endeavour respectively, with the MU-X as a wild card if I get a good deal.

While the Endy is just the best, I'm worried about plonking almost INR 40L on it.
On the other hand, Fortuner costs less by about 2L, returns better economy and easily gets the best resale value. Now I finally understand why people buy Toyota even if they do not have the best cars in their segment.
What do you guys think?
1. Save money through negotiations and get the MU-X.
2. Go with the heart and somehow buy the Endeavour.
3. Buy the Fortuner looking at the sensibility.

[CliffHanger]

Originally Posted by Aniket6

This was surreal and hard to imagine how something so big and heavy could move with such speed and agility. This has to be driven to be believed.

You have the answer here.

Personally, I feel Resale Value is overrated. Losing, say 5 lakhs for a better car, is nothing. Considering you are spending around 35 lakhs upfront and more importantly spending your best five years of life with the car. For a non-petrol-head compromising and getting a Toyota is not a big deal, but for a petrol-head it will pain every day when you see the Endeavor.

That said, give a lot of thought about your finances. The world is changing dynamically and Inflation isn't helping anyone either. Maintaining something, be it a house or a car, is becoming very expensive and a lot of liquidity is a must going forward. Think long term and then decide. A car burns huge cash in a short time and is a pretty fast depreciating asset too.

[headers]

The mu X makes better sense though it does not feel that premium like the other two. I feel Toyota is overrated.

[harishpr]

Resale value is indeed a big factor for many. I have owned 3 such cars that I purchased with heart and lost huge margins while selling. First with Manza , Second with Civic and Third with Yeti. All were great cars to own compared to the competition (at that time), but I lost out a lot while selling them. Enough of burning cash, finally decided to go with something that's fun, sensible, and successful - and that's Fortuner for me. Total peace of mind.

[asit.kulkarni93]

I test drove the MU-X along with BHPian YCJ at Viraaj Isuzu(now taken over by JMD Isuzu) in Pune. The test drive vehicle keeps shuffling between Navi Mumbai and Pune. Here are a few observations-

1. The exterior design is spot on. Absence of unnecessary curves makes it proportionate. The alloy wheels have a very appealing design and the DRL's don't look out of place(unlike the Storme).

2. Interior layout was similar to the Vcross but it felt pretty good. The interior space in the first two rows was superb. Last row is best suited to kids on a long journey. AC was a chiller.

3. The engine felt like the Last gen Fortuner's 3.0L D-4D. Excellent drivability and mile munching ability. In the same week we drove the Pajero Sport on the same stretch and the Sports's engine was a big disappointment. The gearbox syncs well with the engine and responds without any hesitation. We couldn't feel any jerks. Trip tonic works well too. Overall the engine+gearbox combo felt really good.

4. The suspension below 90Kmph felt really good but post 90Kmph the car felt very floaty. One reason could be the over inflated tyres due to the Mumbai-Pune Expressway runs & secondly the suspension did feel soft. On the same stretch the Pajero Sport handled and rode way better than the MU-X. Handling was acceptable for its size.

5. The Brakes were pretty good and the car stopped without any drama during emergency braking.

6. At 31L OTR, Isuzu only offers 2-airbags which is a major disappointment.

7. The current Isuzu dealer in Pune-Viraaj has shut shop and it will be taken over by Mumbai's JMD Isuzu. According to the sales executive they sold one MU-X in Pune.

8. Just to sum it up it's a last gen Fortuner with a softer suspension setup and better brakes.

At 31L OTR, The 4x4 AT definitely is over priced. I would rather get a used 3.0L fortuner 4x4 AT and have peace of mind+save some money. Isuzu has a long way to go when it comes to the after sales service & issues faced by a few Vcross owners aren't helping their image either. But for someone who wants to stay within the 30L budget and doesn't take his car every year to far off places, An MU-X with discounts does seem like a decent package.

[4x4addict]

Originally Posted by harishpr

Resale value is indeed a big factor for many.

You make a very valid point. Many people say to ignore your brain and only follow your heart and ignore re-sale value etc.

However, getting a good resale value helps you to puchase/upgrade the next model when the time comes. Secondly cars with good also find buyers more easily than the less popular ones.