[n.devdath]

In an SUV, one can confidently head out to the road without worrying too much about its condition because they sit higher, can take more abuse and most of all, are mostly diesel which is comparatively less adulterated.

Also, very few sedans are genuine five seaters whereas all SUVs are atleast comfortable five seaters.

Yes, SUVs if driven irresponsibly are dangerous compared to cars, not only to the others on the road but also to themselves and their occupants. Unfortunately I see most SUVs in India flying at speeds of 120 to130 kmph on our highways while cars maintain a sedate speed.

[kaviprem]

GTO - Looking at the topic in the listing, I thought you started off a discussion, but, upon reading your first post, looks like you have made a "Conclusion"

Something like a "Guide to buy/decide b/w Sedans & SUV's".

Nevertheless, Good thread

anjan_c2007, Most likely [am not sure], you may find the people inside that vehicle to come out safe, may be, without any scratch. But, if this is the case with Sedan, we may have to search for bones, arteries and veins !

Prem.

[sydras]

Originally Posted by ampere

I guess the reason why GTO started the thread itself states why folks want best of both worlds in these current trends as symbolized by the Yeti.

Many folks (including me) may not need three rows of seating. But a 5 seater with an amazing boot space, coupled with a powerful engine, and high GC would be ideal. All this with a compact proportion of size would make one ideal city and highway vehicle. A 4x4 is some thing which many wont need.
All folks need for most cases is powerful beast with high GC to tackle Indian roads.

A Yeti 2WD would be an ideal example. RAV4, RVR etc all together can make this an amazing segment starting at 11-12L and topping at 15-16.

Would something like the now discontinued Ford Fusion be what folks are looking for in a crossover? Agreed it isn't exactly built like an SUV but on the plus side, it wouldn't be as heavy and would therefore be much quicker and fun to drive.

It had a decent rear bench with good legroom. The higher seating position the better GC as compared to a sedan would make it much easier for that occasional long drive. I always wonder why this vehicle did not sell in the Indian markets when it seemingly satisfied many requirements of a crossover.

[n.devdath]

The only thing stopping me from considering the Yeti is the lack of space in the middle row. I want a middle row which can very very lavishly seat 3. Like the Safari. But my middle row should also recline, travel fore and aft, and be foldable , splittable and its removal should give me a flat loading bay.

[stanjohn123]

No one can really predict our roads in India. Maybe this month its all fine and good but the next time after a couple of months after monsoons, roads are all back to normal which is bad.

So maybe i think the best option for us all would be crossover's, for majority of the people at least. It makes more sense on Indian roads. Yes it's neither here or there , but then again so are our Indian roads.

Sedans are too fragile to run on our roads , its more expensive to maintain too because of it. SUV on the other hand were the favourites for our roads until the crossover's came over.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by sydras

Would something like the now discontinued Ford Fusion be what folks are looking for in a crossover? Agreed it isn't exactly built like an SUV but on the plus side, it wouldn't be as heavy and would therefore be much quicker and fun to drive.

It had a decent rear bench with good legroom. The higher seating position the better GC as compared to a sedan would make it much easier for that occasional long drive. I always wonder why this vehicle did not sell in the Indian markets when it seemingly satisfied many requirements of a crossover.

Not to mention Fusion! Why? I have been driving for the last 6 years and still continue to like it every bit. That was also the precise reason, why I chose Fusion over the NHC. The high GC and the 100BHP has been an immense help both on the highway and in the city.

Yes I am precisely looking at the Fusion category like Cross Overs. The current power hatches (Polo/Fabia 1.6) and I20 CRDI according to me still do not match the Fusion either on size or other parameters (Debatable topic).


As you said Fusion was way ahead of its time. It was competing in a segment where folks paying more than 8L wanted to see a boot to create an image. But now times have changed and audiences have matured to accept such different cross-over concepts.

[vivekgk]

The only time I wished I had an SUV was when I hear the suspension of my car taking a beating on bad roads. So, pretty much everywhere else except on MC Road or the good sections of the NH, in case of Kerala.

[RS_DEL]

@GTO

Assuming for a moment your contentions about the reasons people sate for their SUV choices are valid and the choice is made more subjectively than objectively. For people who are looking for a 5 seater sedan , actual practical seating capacity of 5 and not just stated seating capacity , the only candidates that I have been able to see from the various discussions I have read are Corolla and Manza. I am not considering the upper end sedans i.e. the Camries and the Accords and their ilk. So people with limited budgets and requirements as listed above are not exactly spoilt for choices.

Either the hump in the center of the rear flooring or the portruding arm rest, something or the other does make things uncomfortable for the person sitting in the middle in the rear seat. Please do correct me if my understanding is flawed, since I am not very familiar with the various cars available.

The only option then for people looking for capacity of 5 adults other than the two sedans is the Innova or the Safari. Now some may prefer a MPV(right term?- learning the jargon as yet :( ) and some the SUV. Yes I will grant the machismo part will be there in the decision making inputs too. My son is gunning for the Safari and Safari only. Guess he reckons 3-4 years down the road he can put it to good use with young ladies he may wish to impress.

However on a serious note the following considerations are enough to make the choice of a SUV reasonably well reasoned [] space available in a SUV, [] ruggedness - it has it's advantages given my experience on the Delhi-Raj stretch of NH8, []general feeling of safety when you have spoilt young brats driving around in their daddies gifts as if they own the real estate on which the vehicles move.

Yes, the SUVs' are not without their shortcomings as nothing in life is. However for someone looking a generous seating capacity, a sturdy vehicle for traveling on the highways - they do make a sensible choice albeit not the only one.

[SS-Traveller]

Interesting thread, GTO. Very interesting.

For me, as someone who stuck to hatches and sedans all his life before switching over to an SUV, the purpose and logic employed in deciding about the switch goes much along the lines you've mentioned.

One issue that you've mentioned in passing is the availability of public parking space. In a wide-open city like Delhi, an SUV does not prove to be a great disadvantage. But move over to a congested city like Kolkata or Mumbai, and the SUV provides its own irritations. A trip to the market or a visit to a relative/friend in an SUV leaves one desperately looking for a bigger slot to park. Even if one does have personal space to park a large SUV at night, what about moving around in the day?

As to the part about driving pleasure, IMO the pleasure of driving an SUV is of a different kind than that of a sedan. Fast curves on smooth empty expressways = sedan rules the road. State highways with potholes & bumps, or heavy traffic on national highways = SUV rules. When it comes to spending extended time inside the car, an SUV beats a sedan (again IMO, but ask hvkumar too).

[petroguzzler]

Sedans are the logical choice for the city and well paved expressways. Only if the going becomes really tough, or for an OTR enthusiast the SUV is needed.
Driving at 100+kph in our desi SUV's(Safari, Scorpio) could send a chill down your spine. A sedan say Fiesta or ANHC or the T-Jet would be more comfortable at these speeds.

IMO the best compromise between a sedan and a SUV is the Bangle beast, the X6.

Originally Posted by GTO

Which is safer?

Well, the debates wide open on this factor. A sedan's superior handling & braking capabilities will help you avoid that accident in the first place. Plus, SUVs are prone to roll over too. On the other hand, you can't argue with sheer size & metal. In a head on collision between a Captiva & a Cruze, or a Safari and an Indigo, I do feel occupants of the former will suffer less injury.
.

@GTO:
Just out of curiosity, between the ML and S class or the X5 and 7 series which would be safer?

[gshanky]

IMO in most cases, those who go for the SUV really want an MUV, but end up going for an SUV because of the looks.

If someone a good looking MUV with ABS and Airbags around Rs. 8 lakhs, I am sure the sales of Safari and Scorpio especially would suffer. May be the new SUV from suzuki could do it

[vivekgk]

Fusion was not way ahead of its time, it was simply priced (ridiculously) wrong. There was nothing in the Fusion that made it more expensive to make than the Figo. If Ford had priced it more reasonably it would have sold well. What I find bizzare is that no Indian manufacturer has thought of a similar crossover vehicle. Tata came the closest with the Marina concept at some show.

[shantanumishra]

Hey GTO, Nice Thread there, You wrote allmost everything for both the categories of vehicles,

After owned 4 Sedans over a period of 8 years, I recently bought a SUV (First Diesel car as well), my major reasons for preferring a SUV were

1. Extremely Bad Roads between Gurgaon and Faridabad, probably worst roads in India.
2. I already had a D-segment sedan (3 previuosly owned) and 2 Hatchbacks, probably SUV was the only option left to explore.
3. Space, with the growing size of my sedans, SUVs were the only ones to quench my hunger for more big space on the inside.
4. More Car for the same Money, I could not justify myself spending 8L+ on a Hatchback. No reasons for this, my personal choice.
5. Outrageous Auto, 2 Wheeler and Cab Drivers were another plus.

[Abes]

GTO, a wonderful thread .
You must be psychic, I had a similar debate with my brother-in-laws, recently.

I am in favour of SUV/MUV, the following were my arguments:

1. Space
We have a big family, hence the vehicle should be able to seat 5 to 7 people in comfort.

2. Strong build
The vehicle should be able to take abuse by the ignorant drivers, who handle even the small hatchbacks as if they were trucks. Bigger vehicles should be able to withstand much more abuse than small cars!

3. Good ground clearance (GC) and strong suspension
These are of utmost importance on the indian roads, especailly out of the city ones, which have potholes as big as volcanic craters!

I wonder how & why people of rural india buy cars with very low GC, scrape their bottom at every hump and pothole. Of course, one cannot compare the ride and handling of a SUV / MUV to that of sedans/hatchbacks. They are big in size & have higher CoG. Hence they have to be driven with this in mind.

4. Good road presence & high seating
Thats exactly why I love the SUV/MUV's. They have huge road presence. You seat so high, having a birds eye view of traffic ahead.

When you are driving a small car, & see a big vehicle speeding upto you like a charging rhino, your first instinct is to get out of its way. & a loud pair of horns can do wonders.

5. Load carrying capacity
We are basically villagers & farmers. Our vehicle should be able to carry a couple of sacs of fertilizer or something like that. And also, the trips to airport, it should be able to comfortably seat us and accommodate the luggage too.

6. 4 wheel drive
It is always gud to have 4x4, for the occasional off-roading. As the jeepers claim: "you could make your own road".

7. Safety
Also, a bigger vehicle is inherently safe than a smaller vehicle. The modern SUV's have safety features like ABS & Airbags, just like their sedan counterparts.

8. Finally, I dont like kissing in public
SUV's like scorpio have claddings & footboards on the sides, and bull bars in the front & rear, the autos & bikes have less chances of kissing the body.

As someone stated on this thread, me too don't care what Mr. Jairam Remesh labels me.

[pgsagar]

Sedans may seat 4/5 but the minute you load 'em up to 4/5 passengers, the handling/performance and the already-low Ground Clearance goes down. Technically a sedan may seat 4/5 but they perform best with 2/3 occupants (incl. driver). Go for a long drive with 4/5 occupants in a sedan and you will see. Whereas, it doesn't make much of a diff whether an SUV is empty or is loaded with 7/8 passenger.

I am not exactly a fan of SUVs but they seem to be making more sense to me these days. I have been using sedans until now. They are thoroughly enjoyable if the roads are good. The GQ/expressways may be sprouting everywhere which is good but look at the inner city roads. Round the year digging activity goes on--- some construction or the other. For most part the roads remain dug and when they are filled, the contractor does such a lousy job that you will encounter rippled/wavy road surface where your sedan will simply scrape its underbelly.

in the end, all the features and tech marvels notwithstanding, when an SUV and a sedan both cost nearly same, I would rather go for an SUV which seats more and which rides high.