[coolclouds]

On a GQ like deserted highway, a good sedan is faster than SUVs wherein rough/bad roads, SUV is better due to good GC. SUV also comes faster on slow convoy like traffic as one can negotiate and overtake better while on a high sitting position.

[tazmaan]

We recently did a trip (Mum-Bang-Mum) with 2 innovas , Merc C class auto, One Qualis and a brand new Civic. From Mumbai to Pune Merc out classed each of the above cars. From Pune to say Hubli the roads are all 4 lane and an great condition but has junctions and human traffic. Here Civic would always be hard to catch followed by Innovas and then Merc (as u tend to be more careful) Further from hubli to Banglore the roads are very bad and thats when no one could overtake the Qualis.

It was our family and all of us took turns on different cars. Civic hit the ground with 4 passengers number of times on the bad patch and was the slowest of the lot.

This is my personal experience and I feel over all if I have to give a verdict the Innovas had the best average speed and milage with more people and luggage. Civic and Merc would do well in patches and Qualis was unaffected by the type of roads.

[aerohit]

It is conversations like these that ends up creating menace on the roads.

I understand curiosity because this country is new to cars (there was hardly anything in 1980s)

What do you mean by car vs suv? What kind of car? What kind of suv?
An Audi A6 car vs Scorpio suv? or Sumo vs Accord?

Typically, there will be difference of few minutes between a car and suv, unless you get stuck somewhere, or if your vehicle is overloaded with Luggage/Passengers. (a 2wd RWD SUV could get stuck in the mud, where a FWD car may get away easily).

(Keep in mind, - stopping power decreases by some margin when your vehicle has more passengers - for both cars and suvs - so be careful and save the lives of your passengers, if not your own)

If someone is really fast compared to you, then he is probabaly pushing his suv/car and taking blind risk. You were slower because you are sensible and want to take it easy. You understand that you will reach in time - just about.

For example-

-Safari will be faster by 15-20min compared to Swift.
(Swift however does pretty good on Ghats/twists provided you shift gears often)
-Scorpio can be slower by 15-20min against Cedia.

You are likely to catch up again once you reach city-traffic/speed-breakers etc.

Good/Rough Roads - A Land Cruiser for example, can babysit scorpio/safaris and be faster than all others by max 45min-1 hour - good and bad roads combined (Lived in Africa for 10 years, experienced it)
Really Bad Off Road - At the same time, Land Cruisers get stuck all the time, where the good old Land Rover comes to rescue. Being light weight, our Indian suvs may not get stuck at certain spots, against an LC.


However, as someone made a post above, i dont really believe that an suv owners bulley other people - unless the driver is illiterate or belongs to Lower Automotive Caste. If i want, i could get an SUV too, a Civic owner could buy a Scorpio also instead, or vice versa, so its not a big deal.

A good and reliable Vehicle is all you need. I dont think any of you are planning Polar Expedition like Clarkson did.


The above post applies to local conditions and vehicles sold in the local market.

[JRD]

I think its similar to the perception that SUV's are safer. Going faster on the highway depends on the ability of a vehicle to maintain a good speed (Power and gearing as the main reason) and provide a stable ride so it doesn't get unsettled by undulations of the road surface.

A SUV has a high center of gravity and that is not the best at high speeds especially incase of a high speed direction change. The reason we feel that SUV's are better is because of their off road nature, their suspension is much more capable and robust to handle potholes and bad roads and not getting unsettled in case a pot hole comes up at around 120kmh.

Try any sedan with solid dynamics and they'll be equally quicker or faster.
Eg: Jetta, Skodas, Fiesta, Linea and the general European bunch.

[shankar.balan]

bad idea boys.
no point asking questions like this.

given the state of our roads, even the super-highways - i dont think we as a people and our infrastructure, such as it is, are mature enough to handle very high speeds.

therefore this conversation may open a Pandora's box which is better avoided.

[IronWolf]

Highly highly debatable.

Depends on which Sedan and SUV.

I would say Sedan for low Center of gravity and better corner speeds.
SUV if you have more people / stuff.

I sure would like to find out with a BLR - MAA trip alongside a Safari / Scorpio / Xylo etc.

Baleno ~ Hosur - Koyambedu = 2.5 hrs
Safari ~ Hosur - Koyambedu = 2.4 hrs ?

There are some vetran SUV-ers who do this trip often on this forum. I am sure its possible

[prince_pervez]

My Uncle had come down to BLR last year in a Captiva. I dropped them off till NICE road on their way back, and when I reached back home, I got a call that they had crossed Tumkur. They did BLR - PUNE flat in a little more than 12.5 hours.
Lets take the GQ as an example.
If the entire stretch is like the Kolhapur - Belgaum area then a good Sedan can beat an equal capacity SUV hands down. If there are bad patches and a good Sedan is driving with skirting scraping scare then a SUV wins here.
Debate is very open here. More parameters are needed for a concise approach.

[aerohit]

Originally Posted by Spitfire

My Experiences: Bangalore - Goa. Route via Panjim - Londa - Dharwad - Hubli - Chitradurga - Bangalore

I have been traveling up and down this roads for the past 5 years. Initial 2 years every month. Since past 2 years once a quarter or lesser.

There we go!

Proves everything just about right with your real life experience.

[coolboy007]

For past 3 years i take my Scorpio Slx to Himachal (hilly area with sharp curves and haiprin bends).
Till Chandigarh its flat out 3-4 lane highways with no broken potholed roads but never ever in my Scorpio i crossed 110. Always cruised between 90-100 as a few times when trucks turned and i braked all tyres locked and a car skidded with a loud screeching noise.
In Himachal also roads are very good so no scare for sedans on GC issue.

Now i have bought my Linea in addition to my Scorpio and all till Chandigarh i was doing 140-150 whenever i got space and was stability was too good. Never in my Scorpio had attempted so many overtakings.

Delhi -chandigrah
Scorpio took 4.5 hours always. I start from delhi at sharp 5 am, we reached chandigrah by 9:30.

Delhi-chandigarh
Linea took just 3.5 hours. At 8:30 we were at chandigarh entry point.

In hills its a big difference between Scorp and Linea timings, way bigger than i could imagined, the place where we usually had lunch told us to wait for 1-1.5 hours as lunch wasnt ready. I reached 1 hour early. Maintaing a scorp in curves is a tough job, engine has great power but rear just seems to lose control at sharp hairpin bends.

For me Delhi-Himachal is now atleast 2 hours less in my Linea from my last trips in scorpio. This is the general idea am giving you.

Dont think SUV can be faster than a Sedan, Linea, ANHC C seg cars are all capable of 160-170 km/h, taking a non abs scorp to 160-170 looks too bad a idea for me.

[srh]

Originally Posted by breezydrive

I hope the hatches are also cars along with sedans (as the thread title says)

And nothing beats a responsive hatchback when it comes to the curves and bends though I would like to exclude tall boys hatchbacks.

On a smooth road, a sedan/ hatchback would easily beat a SUV especially on a road where a lot of overtaking maneuvers have to be done

On a pot holed road a SUV may come trumps

[srh]

I have done Bangalore - Pune in 9.5 hours and that too in an India Xeta. So 12.5 hours is not earth shattering. I am sure that if I had a Civic or Octavia, I could shave off another 45 minutes

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

My Uncle had come down to BLR last year in a Captiva. I dropped them off till NICE road on their way back, and when I reached back home, I got a call that they had crossed Tumkur. They did BLR - PUNE flat in a little more than 12.5 hours.
Lets take the GQ as an example.
If the entire stretch is like the Kolhapur - Belgaum area then a good Sedan can beat an equal capacity SUV hands down. If there are bad patches and a good Sedan is driving with skirting scraping scare then a SUV wins here.
Debate is very open here. More parameters are needed for a concise approach.

[mobike008]

Sedans can easily beat the SUV's on the highways, no question about it

[n.devdath]

As most frequently travelled roads in India have improved to "driveable" if not "GQ" condition, I feel that a good hatchback like many have mentioned or a sedan is actually faster than an SUV in the same price range, the same driving talent and experience and the same weather conditions.

Cars with a good ground clearance like the new Ikon, the Dzire or with lesser overhangs can take quite some abuse to their suspension and come out of a half decent road unscathed.

Also, as SUVs are, at least most Indian SUVs are, heavier than required, they tend to wear out their suspensions faster than cars though the occupants may not feel it.

[prince_pervez]

Originally Posted by srh

I have done Bangalore - Pune in 9.5 hours and that too in an India Xeta. So 12.5 hours is not earth shattering. I am sure that if I had a Civic or Octavia, I could shave off another 45 minutes

Whatever. I can easily classify whatever you have written as tall claims.
Thats how I got to know about Hotel Niyaz in Belgaum. They spent an hour munching over some classic non-veg stuff.

[kiren]

Sedan or a hatch is faster on a National highway. But SUV's are better on State Highways. I specifically say because SH's are not as smooth as NH's. On good roads a sedan or a hatch is always faster.

I agree with tazmaan Mumbai - Hubli a sedan will win & Hubli - Blore a SUV.

Driving comfort & Passenger comfort also has to be compared.