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Old 30th October 2007, 12:46   #46
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Originally Posted by sumitkalindi View Post
About the Don't mess with me looks, I don't want to harp on it again.
not only the looks, the behaviour is also same. I have learnt it the hard way not brake in front of a Safari - The godammit elephant cannot stop. it has got the worst brakes I have seen in any SUV.
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Old 30th October 2007, 13:29   #47
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Originally Posted by power ranger View Post
From where do you say that Fortuner is 1.5 times the price of Innova ? Those are global comparisons. This is exactly what I am telling. If you take global prices Corolla's Indian price is that of Camry's globally.
I am not taking the global price of Fortuner. I am comparing the price of Fortuner in Phillippines to Innova in Phillippines and coming up with the relative price. It is a perfectly valid comparison. Please pm me with why you think it is not the right way to compare. Lets take this offline because this discussion is completely OT for this thread.
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Old 30th October 2007, 15:01   #48
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Here are my thoughts on why safari

Prior to my dicor i owned a indica 2k3 model. ran it till 50K + kms. One thing which was starting to bother me was that it was giving me ankle pains on long drives due to odd accelerator position and few of other issues. I had driven her all the way almost 30K on pure highways. As the family was growing it was getting time to think about once for all peace of mind 5 yr replacement.
I was extremely tight on budget and chanced upon t-bhp and then steers dicor thread. That let me think aloud in the mind why not dekho a safari.
So one fine day somewhere in Bangalore TD the passion red EX4x2 from prerna motors and then back in Pune TD a spanking red scorpio, though peppy to drive, i was almost settled on scorpio until one day while coming back from work chanced to see a few brand new safaris going for delivery in urgency. The stance and the gait of the vehicle had my mind say WOW.

I then started analysing the LX vs EX and scorpio base version and the DLX version. Based on the VFM & on techicalities of 3.0 ltr engine and features provided on the same price band (Safari and Scorpio) I landed up with my dream passion red SUV.

Here are the Key Points from me on Why Safari:

1. LX is really VFM and most popular of the LOT (EX,VX)
2. Not in Taxi Segment ( I personally hate that image)
3. Space... My Family loves every inch of it.
4. Economy, (treat it like a child and it will give you km's of smile)
5. tension and hassle free driving. (Cuts out outside jitters and chatters)
6. Commands respect on the road.
7. Extremely Reliable Engine.
8. Very low cost spares and maint

Its a very capable SUV to own and low on maintainence deptt.

Made me a safe driver than ever coz i cant drive it like a alto.(zig zag , here there everywhere..) Straight lines always no lane cuts etc.

Thanks to the advises on the maint part specially from SUV, Raj, Steer and Suman. I know this vehicle much better than before.

PS: I am not perfect, so I cant expect the vehicle to be that perfect either.. A small sqeak squak etc are all OK. Quality of plastic..not bad until they start falling all over the place.(Yes it could be better). But then I dont look at all the plastics inside whilst I am driving.. . These all plasticky things are known therefore not point for me to think much about them


Rahul

Last edited by Rahulk76 : 30th October 2007 at 15:09. Reason: Corrected
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Old 30th October 2007, 15:13   #49
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There was a recent program on NatGeo about Jaguar. The commentator said behind all the talk about performance, mileage, refinement etc, the real reason for sales of most cars are 1) Practical or 2) Sexy. Safari is sexy for all its other problems. If Innova looked like Safari, probably no one except a handful of hardcore off-roaders would buy Safari. I had a real hard time buying innova for its looks, but once in, I love this vehicle for its smooth car like performance with unlimited space, and by keeping it simple the looks are OK from all sides except the front!.
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Old 30th October 2007, 15:27   #50
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Originally Posted by Rahulk76 View Post
I was extremely tight on budget and chanced upon t-bhp and then steers dicor thread. That let me think aloud in the mind why not dekho a safari.
If anyone from Tata Motors is reading this, I would like to claim a sales commission please!

A 2.2 engine and gearbox will do nicely, thank you.
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Old 30th October 2007, 15:45   #51
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Originally Posted by Steeroid View Post
If anyone from Tata Motors is reading this, I would like to claim a sales commission please!

A 2.2 engine and gearbox will do nicely, thank you.

only sales commission LOL.. Beer's on me, when you are in Pune

sigh........."A 2.2 engine and gearbox will do nicely" if tata's offered it as a retro it would be matchless or shall I say priceless
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Old 30th October 2007, 16:46   #52
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steeroid View Post
If anyone from Tata Motors is reading this, I would like to claim a sales commission please!

A 2.2 engine and gearbox will do nicely, thank you.
OT:
Steer when you come to town, TD both the 3.0 and the 2.2 in your own special way ( )especially on the highway.
If I can guess what gets you going, then you may not want that engine swap afterall....
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Old 30th October 2007, 18:16   #53
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Originally Posted by overdose14 View Post
sir, its a SUV not a verna or ford fiesta.
My dear sir, I do not wish to offend but I beg to differ with you.

I am a U.S. citizen and have spent most of my life there. I travelled extensively for my job logging over 1.9 million kilimeters in about 25 years. My vehicle at home is a Ford F350 heavy duty 4x4 pickup truck with a 6.4L 325 BHP twin turbo diesel 8 cylinder engine in it. It weighs almost twice what a Safari weighs and is much wider and much longer. The thing is, it handles infinitely better than the Safari. Also, in my younger days I was a test driver/engineering tech for Dana Spicer, one of the world's leading suppliers of drive train and four wheel drive components. So please, do not presume to tell me that the Safari is a SUV and not a 'this' or a 'that'. We who driven professionally and extensively know what it is. It handles poorly for an SUV or for anything else.
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Old 30th October 2007, 18:29   #54
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It handles poorly for an SUV or for anything else.
Absolutely agreed. That was one of the major disappointments after my Safari TD. Even for an SUV, the handling was poor. Even body roll was strong with consistent rocking from side to side.
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Old 30th October 2007, 19:20   #55
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I never travelled in a Safari, but I must confess that it stirs up the same awe it did when I first saw one around a decade ago!!
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Old 30th October 2007, 19:55   #56
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I agree with you Dan, we here often have the habit of playing down negatives of SUVs saying it is not a car, SUVs are like that, etc. But I have driven many US SUVs to know that is not true.

But you need to realise this is India, cars are very very expensive here compared to USA. I can get a BMW X3 in US for the price I am paying for GV in India. For the price of Safari (say 10L), we can get a CR-V in USA, which costs twice as much in India.

So we compare vehicles in the same price brand, say Safari/Scorpio with Sedans in the same budget. That's how the SUV's can't give sedan type handling statement has emerged. Of course, it won't stand if you are compare Safari/Scorpio with other available SUVs like GV/CRV/Endy/Pajero.
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Old 30th October 2007, 20:06   #57
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One simple question.

Show me the alternative that offers all of the following

1> almost go anywhere capability
2> ability to carry 5-7 people comfortably and still carry their luggage (not on the roof).
3> 4x4 capability
4> Plush ride
5> looks
6> Tata support (well not many are going to agree with me here)
7> Under 10L sticker price

And yet offer substantially better driving dynamics. Innova? Preferably if I can procure a face mask, because I would rather be dead than seen driving one.
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Old 30th October 2007, 20:07   #58
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Samurai View Post
I agree with you Dan, we here often have the habit of playing down negatives of SUVs saying it is not a car, SUVs are like that, etc. But I have driven many US SUVs to know that is not true.
Samurai, if you believe SUVs would handle like cars so be it. Dan had a point in that he was comparing it to other SUVs. You're talking about downplaying the negatives of an SUV. Decide what exactly your point is.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samurai View Post
Of course, it won't stand if you are compare Safari/Scorpio with other available SUVs like GV/CRV/Endy/Pajero.
Brother, drive an Endeavour and enjoy the ride. As for the others, the GV is not a true offroader, slightly above the CRV in the softroader scheme of things.

Most of them cost twice the price of the Safari.

The point is, if you can afford the Pajero or other such vehicles, or as in the case of DD the F350, why would you even want to consider the Safari?

You used to drive a Baleno, which was as highly regarded here on the Forum as the Safari is. After comparing it with the 5 Series or the A6, or at least the humbler Chevys and Oldsmobiles of the US of A, what made you buy the Baleno, especially when there were so many more (argueably better) options available?

Again, if you really wanted to offroad why did you go for the GV and not a Pajero or a Prado or better still a Landcruiser?

There is a rationale behind the existence of every vehicle, and if it didnt have one it wouldnt survive in the market. Comparing it with those double the price and more is joining an arguement just for the sake of it.

Last edited by Steeroid : 30th October 2007 at 20:11.
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Old 30th October 2007, 20:10   #59
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Originally Posted by DirtyDan View Post
Also, in my younger days I was a test driver/engineering tech for Dana Spicer, one of the world's leading suppliers of drive train and four wheel drive components. So please, do not presume to tell me that the Safari is a SUV and not a 'this' or a 'that'.
That's interesting, care to share some of your experience with us?

Quote:
Originally Posted by DirtyDan View Post
We who driven professionally and extensively know what it is. It handles poorly for an SUV or for anything else.
When I drove Steer's Dicor I too came away unimpressed especially with the woolly steering but I put that down mainly to the fact that I had limited driving experience with SUV's & was more used to the much more immediate steering response of Saloons/Hatchbacks which I normally drive. Seems I'm not the only one who feels so.

Last edited by iraghava : 30th October 2007 at 20:13.
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Old 30th October 2007, 20:20   #60
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I agree with you views Dan. But then US is a completely different market and QC is strict there thats why we get good quality prods.

But then they are overpriced like anyhting here :( (eg. apples from abroad vs apples from India

I will say..For INDIA yes Safari does qualify for a VFM SUV doesnt it

I assume if i were to drive a F350 in india (without detuning it) It will have the worst clogged fuel filter and a damaged suspension within first 5000km of running on indian roads and not offroad

Last edited by Rahulk76 : 30th October 2007 at 20:23.
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