[condor]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

easy ingress/egress (have aged parents, nearing 70's & they are only going to get older). A sedan obviously cannot meet the last three requirements & a SUV has these in its DNA.

On the contrary, the SUV is more difficult for ingress / egress than a sedan. One has to climb into a SUV, while you only need to get in & sit down in a sedan.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by condor

On the contrary, the SUV is more difficult for ingress / egress than a sedan. One has to climb into a SUV, while you only need to get in & sit down in a sedan.

I disagree with this. My father is 5'10" & 70 years old. In my current car when he enters the co-drivers seat he has to bend in his back minding his head, so that his doesn't bang against the door frame, similarly while exciting he finds it quite difficult and with his increasing age it is going to be all the more difficult. In a SUV you just walk in to occupy the seat without worrying about your head getting banged.

[condor]

@Autoindian, from your post on the prev page and here, it looks like you have a car, but dont have a SUV yet. The point in your post above says that your father has a problem to avoid hitting his head against the door frame.

The point in my post is different - about climbing in into a SUV / getting into a car. The key point being the height. I happen to have two vehicles, and the point I am stating is based on my observation of people getting in into each of these vehicles. It will be more difficult for older people to get into a SUV than into a car. Both to climb in (to higher level - the side-step does not help them much), and also to get down the steps.

But considering what you have said in your earlier post, vehicles like a Nissan X-trail or similar may help in your dad's case. It gives a balance of both.

But a SUV is still a little too high for older people.

[1-Testosterone]

Originally Posted by condor

On the contrary, the SUV is more difficult for ingress / egress than a sedan. One has to climb into a SUV, while you only need to get in & sit down in a sedan.

It depends how many years one has sweated it out in the gym

[raj_5004]

even my elderly parents find it easier to get onto an SUV than crouch into a sedan.

[Anarchy83]

Originally Posted by Jeeper1941

Anyway, just wanted to say you cannot generalize by saying people won't be happy with a SUV in the long run, it depends on where they live and what they use it for.

Whoops Jeeper1941 - The moral of the story is not that SUV owners will not be happy in the long run. My point was there are SUV-minded people (who treasure the ability to get over non-conventional terrain and carry loads of apparel) and there are Sedan-minded people (who treasure ride comfort and efficiency). Being a truck guy myself, I cannot be happier with my Endy.

My point was, if one is going to argue/meditate etc. on:

a) Less driving comfort than a sedan
b) Higher body roll than a sedan
c) Blah, blah...

Then the chances of understanding why an SUV is far lesser. My reasons for the Endy are non-conventional:

a) Road Presence
b) Terrain cruncher
c) Loads of space

My only point here was, comparing sedans and SUVs are like comparing apples and oranges - these are 2 seperate lines of thought and both platforms serve dramatically different purposes. The first question one should answer before buying an SUV is, am I pre-disposed to the kind of lifestyle an SUV promises?

P.S. - BIG FAN of the Wrangler. It is my dream car and I hope it launches in India someday!!! Congrats on your Jeep!!!

[JVH]

Am also becoming a fan of crossovers for obvious reasons. And IMO makes perfect sense for our roads here specially if one is off to long distances. I recently drove the CRV and was delighted with the car like experience. My Safari experience a few years back was totally opposite. And am I glad with the string of new launches in that category.

Originally Posted by Guna

I had good experience with Fusion and now I am driving a pre-owned Forester. Even with all the issues with spares, I can't find many alternatives to the Forester.

I had read somewhere that you had sold the Forester. Good that you still have it. I was interested in buying one early this year but had to postpone due to other commitments. Is there an ownership report? Would like to hear on the experience so far...

[SushilBajpai]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

considering the top Yeti is 27000 odd Euros in Europe, the price of about 19-21 lacs in India isnt that bad really.

compare it to say, a silly Santa Fe which costs about the equivalent of 20 lacs outside India and costs 32 lacs here!

I agree with you shankar.balan. If Skoda brings 140 BHP, DSG, Park Assist (Parktronics), tyre pressure monitoring, and Bixenons at Rs 19-21 on road, it would be a good value. If they were to price the top-end variant so, ten the low end range would begin around Rs 10 lakh. That should get the car moving off the assembly line on to the roads.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by JVH

I had read somewhere that you had sold the Forester. Good that you still have it. I was interested in buying one early this year but had to postpone due to other commitments. Is there an ownership report? Would like to hear on the experience so far...

I had sold the previous one and ended up buying another one last year. I should put up a ownership thread.

[condor]

@1-T & @Raj, the suitable vehicle for each person will change with time. Today you guys say the SUV is better, because that's what you are seeing today. 70 is not too old, but like you said - they wont get any younger. But age will finally catch up. A little early for some, a little late for others.

[rm_arjuna]

We are a family of 4 , we love to drive on weekends and numerous trips to our village over rough terrain . None of the Sedan / hatches had enough GC to save an heartattack , nor enough space to allow the kids to laze .I changed from a Getz Petrol to Scorpio , since i did not have any option in between to suit my needs .BTW Bolero is fine with size and Gc ,however to crude to be a comfortable vehicle.

IMO cars with specs similar to Premier Rio , Ecosport or Mini xylo with good GC , moderate to good space and mile crunching is the need for many a small families .

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by rm_arjuna

We are a family of 4 , we love to drive on weekends and numerous trips to our village over rough terrain . None of the Sedan / hatches had enough GC to save an heartattack , nor enough space to allow the kids to laze .I changed from a Getz Petrol to Scorpio , since i did not have any option in between to suit my needs .BTW Bolero is fine with size and Gc ,however to crude to be a comfortable vehicle.

You are airing exactly my thoughts & it is quite amazing to know that you shifted from a Getz Petrol to Scorpio. Was the shift a smooth one? How did you cope with the increased car dimensions? Do you use your Scorpio for your daily commute, when you are alone in the car?

In my case the scarcity of a big parking space & the frugality of a smaller engine are the two major hindrances due to which I cannot think of upgrading to a full-fledged SUV like a Scorpio. Currently my ride for the daily office commute of 64kms is an Indica DLX, which gives me a decent FE of 18-19 kmpl. This would be hard to match with a bigger SUV.

Originally Posted by rm_arjuna

IMO cars with specs similar to Premier Rio , Ecosport or Mini xylo with good GC , moderate to good space and mile crunching is the need for many a small families .

Yes even I am looking forward to this niche segment with renewed interest. The high stance, 200+ ground clearance (to glide through worst of the roads), bigger tyres, comfortable seating for 5 adults, with good luggage space, decent mileage, that's all what I am looking for. I don't care about road presence, butch/intimidating looks etc. Give me a car with these traits under 10 lakhs (OTR) & I have my cheque ready.

[ajay_satpute]

It's a must for me. I live in a family of 6 adults (including me :-) ) and 2 kids. An Innova, Scorpio, Safari, XUV5OO, etc are a must for me. I simply love the Fort but looks out of reach for now.

[ssh1979]

Originally Posted by Anarchy83

Then the chances of understanding why an SUV is far lesser. My reasons for the Endy are non-conventional:

a) Road Presence
b) Terrain cruncher
c) Loads of space

Pretty much why I went in for an Endeavour myself. Just to add to that-

- the "just jump in and drive straightaway without planning too much" feel
- the feeling that I could go on even after I've been on the road for 15 hours straight. I never had this feeling on the previous cars I'd owned and driven: Zen and Swift. I only got a "desperation to reach the destination" feel towards the fag ends of the journey. They are not sedans, but does it really make a difference on very long drives?

The added space was like a miniature living room for my wife and kid at the back. They eat, watch movies, stretch, sleep and even play board games while weare on the road.

Also worth mentioning here that I went in for the Automatic Endeavour AFTER paying the token for the Pajero and cancelling it after the Endeavour test drive. The Auto added so much to the equation that I never regretted this decision though a HUGE Pajero fan by heart.

Ride was bumpy. There were handling issues. I corrected it to an acceptable extent by going in for bigger, wider and larger profile tyres. I now look forward to the next drive, without being concerned about the road, or comfort or the length of the journey. Just hop in and drive on.

I would say an Auto SUV is a whole different experience in long distance driving. And I'm talking about distances frequently 650+ kms one way. Don't write this category off slightly.

[Jeeper1941]

@Anarchy83, sorry that I misunderstood your post. Yes, I agree with your reasoning that sedan minded people will not be happy with a SUV. But, that said, people have switched over quite well, especially with the newer fuel-efficient SUVs, (like the Ford Escape Hybrid for example).

P.S. - BIG FAN of the Wrangler. It is my dream car and I hope it launches in India someday!!! Congrats on your Jeep!!!

Thank you! It is my dream car too, I am loving every second of it! I hope it launches in India too, it will be a big hit, and it is not that expensive anyway (if you convert it, it will be around Rs 12 lakhs).