[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

A 'must-watch' for ideas on this car vs SUV debate is the Top Gear African Adventure which was aired in 2013.

Shows Jeremy, Richard and James hunting for the 'real' source of the Nile river in three old and hence cheap used cars; Volvo Estate, Beemer 5 Series Estate and a little Subaru WRC Impreza.

They drive through some really horrid roads in Africa and reading between the lines it is an interesting take on how one really doesn't absolutely have to have a big SUV bristling with an arsenal of technology and fiddlies to go where they went.

I agree to what you say, but, in this particular case there was a lot more going for them - they were travelling in a convoy, most probably had backup mechanics/experts and enough spares with them. We only get to see a part of it, not the whole thing.

Another thing is they didn't 'own' these cars, we all love are cars too much to make them go through all that torture.

But yes if one is adventurous enough, this can surely be done. Buy a run down Omni, abuse it some more, come back and sell off.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

I agree to what you say, but, in this particular case there was a lot more going for them - they were travelling in a convoy, most probably had backup mechanics/experts and enough spares with them. We only get to see a part of it, not the whole thing. Another thing is they didn't 'own' these cars, we all love are cars too much to make them go through all that torture. But yes if one is adventurous enough, this can surely be done. Buy a run down Omni, abuse it some more, come back and sell off.

Yes, they certainly had backup cars and all the rest of it. But the essence of it is, that these cars in general are capable of taking a lot more abuse than we generally throw at them. Having said that, I do not enjoy abusing any vehicle. Use it well but drive it within reason and in places where it is meant to be driven is my take.

[lifebuoy]

Originally Posted by Carcrazy60

I have heard insurance blokes complain that one slight hit from behind and the engine oil leaks out.

Whoever gave you that info is plain bluffing. I have hat my Nano hit from behind at a traffic light by a Santro. The rear bumper cracked in two places that bore the brunt (the Santro lost its brakes and slammed the Nano to stop). The plastic covers inside the wheel well got bent / deseated due to the impact. However, the bumper did NOT come off or was hanging like the Esteems and the City's. Drove around like that for two days, then got it replaced from Concorde. Saw the fitting process, there is a thick steel member across the bumper, there's no way one can reach the engine with a "slight" hit, leave alone leaking oil !

This is the problem with our junta - going by hearsay. Kudos to TATA for the Nano !

[Carcrazy60]

Originally Posted by lifebuoy

Whoever gave Drove around like that for two days, then got it replaced from Concorde. Saw the fitting process, there is a thick steel member across the bumper, there's no way one can reach the engine with a "slight" hit, leave alone leaking oil ! This is the problem with our junta - going by hearsay. Kudos to TATA for the Nano !

I do not own a Nano so I do not know personally, but he was the bloke who was doing the insurance for my car and had just seen the accident. He did specifically state that he had seen oil on the road.

I do not of course mean to challenge you or anyone else for that matter.

[himanshugoswami]

Bumping up this thread after a year

Recent rains in NCR have made roads in Gurgaon so pathetic that moonscape would look like an F1 track in comparison. this coupled with pathetic drainage, means that most "roads" are in fact shallow streams with massive craters in them (sorry, cant call them potholes).

These days on my commute to and from work, i cant help but notice the plight of sedan and hatch drivers. They virtually crawl to a stand still because of the unknown depth of the craters under the surface of stagnant water. moreover in some low lying areas, there is a real danger of water damage to the engine.

In such situations, all SUV drivers are relatively more relaxed and tend to be able to be a little more "adventourous" and wade through the water, knowing that most craters can be handled by their rides- they also serve as a guiding vehicle for sedans to follow in their wake.

these scenes are quite common in our country and everytime i am stuck in such situations, i am more and more convinced that SUVs are the way to go given our road conditions.

Hence when i was in the market for a new car three years ago, i bought a captiva instead of a skoda superb. More recently, i bought a Safari storme instead of an elantra (even thought the missus was insistent on buying an elantra)

Now the Captiva can be said to be in the same ball park as the Superb in terms of luxury, refinement etc. so one cant really say that chosing the Captiva was a compromise for me, but i will be the first one to concede that the storme cant hold a candle to the Elantra on most parameters (performance, features, refinement, smoothness, luxury feel etc.). BUT....when it comes to practicality and the reality of our roads, the Storme rules! its a trade off for sure, but one that I am more than willing to make since 9 times out of 10, this trade off will work in real world conditions.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by himanshugoswami

..... unknown depth of the craters under the surface of stagnant water. moreover in some low lying areas, there is a real danger of water damage to the engine.

In such situations, all SUV drivers are relatively more relaxed and tend to be able to be a little more "adventourous" and wade through the water, knowing that most craters can be handled by their rides- they also serve as a guiding vehicle for sedans to follow in their wake.
.....

I agree to the overall sentiment (another Gurgaon victim here ). Bad roads, craters, yes I agree but I don't take chances with water! Our civic authorities are competent enough to have left traps big enough for a truck to disappear, leave alone a SUV. Secondly, I hate splashing too much dirty water around, as I can never be sure where it will land. Don't want to spoil someone's day.

[phamilyman]

You know you want a truck. Fascinating example of notions, stereotypes et al!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJBRpylC9-Q

It would be interesting if someone did a Fiat vs Maruti focus group like that

[apachelongbow]

With the current state of our city roads and highways, its no surprise, I would go for a SUV any day. I don't want a great performing sedan and then driving at 80kmph, afraid of unseen potholes or speed breakers, which may break my alloys and low rim tyres. Nor do I want all kinds of road users from bicycles to trucks bullying me left right and center, and any trip to within a conjested city road to turn to a what if I get scratched or bumped night mare.

[Vivek Jayan]

Having been testing out SUVs and sedans alike ranging from INR 10 to 25 lakhs, I find myself confused as a family man and a driving enthusiast.

Here are some KEY advantages I feel an SUV has over a sedan owing to my experiences:
- Out door visibility for short people, passengers and drivers alike.
- Less puking sensation for rear seat passengers who are forced to look upwards in sedans/ hatchbacks with steeply angled side windows.
- Relaxed mile munching owing to feeling of safety and commanding driving position.
-Luggage and people carrying capacity.
-Rough road handling capability.

All that said SUVs simply don't match up to the fit and finish and agility of sedans of the same price range but that's something you sacrifice in order to travel together as a family in relative comfort. Yes there are brilliant handling SUVs but they easily eat up the budget of any average Indian buyer.

I believe the performance offered on the likes of the XUV 500 and maybe Tata Aria are adequate for vehicles of such heft. They are by no way slouches when you need to overtake.

For me, unlike many, the heart reaches out for a well rounded sedan like the Jetta while logic keeps pushing me towards SUVs.

[gsurya]

Originally Posted by Vivek Jayan

Having been testing out SUVs and sedans alike ranging from INR 10 to 25 lakhs, I find myself confused as a family man and a driving enthusiast.

If your budget stretches to 25 lakhs, you should look no further than Skoda Yeti. Plush & classy like Jetta, drives like one in the city, great SUV to go up the hills too.

[blacksport]

The tall/straight seating position of my ecosport got rid of my lower backache problem. I can't thank Ford enough for launching it. No going back to sedans for me.

[Bigzero]

A lower back problem that came up recently is one reason I might be inclined towards an SUV for my next purchase ( most likely this year ).

The low seating position of my i20 combined with many long drives could have partly contributed to my back problem I guess.

And with a largish family to boot, SUV/MUV with space to spare seems to be the way to go.

A large mile muncher with tall gears and good space inside. Of course reliable too.

[asr245]

For me, it's a heart (car) vs head (SUV) debate.

Currently, my heart skips a beat every time I see a bad road. But on a good road, there's nothing more pleasing. Plus there are few SUVs with petrol option (I do not consider EcoSport/Duster an SUV). So I am waiting for the day when there are good options in petrol SUV (also do not have any money to buy one ). Ideally, there would be good roads and I would have bought an Accord.

[Vivek Jayan]

Originally Posted by gsurya

If your budget stretches to 25 lakhs, you should look no further than Skoda Yeti. Plush & classy like Jetta, drives like one in the city, great SUV to go up the hills too.

Thank you. I would have if the Yeti offered third row seating. It feels a bit short on usability without them when compared to other SUVs. Will definitely check it out though.

[wilful]

Originally Posted by blacksport

The tall/straight seating position of my ecosport got rid of my lower backache problem. I can't thank Ford enough for launching it. No going back to sedans for me.

Likewise, I am also pretty happy that Ford launched a vehicle (call it what you will - hatch on stilts or pseudo SUV or whatever) called the Ecosport.
It sure hit my sweet spot (in terms of price, size and utility value).
And like you, I don't think I'll go back to sedans.