[getsurya]

Well, before we jump into the car and its information, what I really want(ed) is way below this thread in the pictures(starts with "H" and ends with "r").

History:

We all love history (except remembering the dates!), don't we?

The itch of a new car coming up on the horizon started in April of this year as my two year executive secondment in US for the bank I work, would come to an end by this December. As always, armed to the teeth started spending hours away from family (their grouse) researching the Indian auto domain through TBHP for the fitment of what was already a probable choice- XUV 5OO!

Alternatives that were considered:

I am an SUV guy, being used to them and hence sedans were out of scope. I being an M&M fan, XUV was the upgrade from my earlier Scorpio mHawk and hence not much was considered. Apart from XUV, also looked at Pajero sport and Rexton. Pajero Sport did not make it for the lack of good ASC support and network. Rexton for not being from a trusted brand here and also the lack of confidence on M&M to provide the premium feel in the long term. The third row of Rexton was also a negative for me.

What changed my choice?

I had a week's holiday in Dubai during my yearly vacation back to India in the December of 2012. My friend and his wife drive an LC and a Prado, the fun and the confidence these two rides gave us during all the desert dune bashing and the Dubai sojourn was amazing. The control, safety cocoon feeling and the vehicle build quality bowled me over. This started the seed of a Toyota SUV in my mind and I was standing in front of the Toyota dealer in Hyderabad promptly. The prices of Land Cruiser and Prado were nowhere near my budgeted range and hence arrived the FORTUNER into the list.

Another key point is that XUV never seemed to come out of the initial niggles and issues which kept pouring out on the forum every day and also the 'unpredictability' of the failure modes. I assumed that two years post the launch, M&M would have worked on the quality rigor and made this a great ride, but that was not to be ...at the least for me! The design overtures were also a turn off for me which I could have lived with, if not for severe lack of a quality process in the product. (Sincere apologies if I am hurting any of the XUV owners/lovers, my view only!)

Team BHP and the reviews:

Firstly, I would like to thank GTO for his awesome review on the Toyota Fortuner. The content and pictures were soul filling!

This thread would be meaningless without thanking Guderian, BIBIN, Manuuj, dkaile, Nilanjanray, Ahmed, Karan, Devdath and others for their awesome flow of information. The mother of all the Fortuner ownership threads is Guderian's TOGO channel and I must have read through it for 5 times in full, Kudos to you- HG for your passion and the immaculate writing skills.

Complete booking & delivery experience:

The research/analysis went on for a good 5-6 months before the final call was made to go for a Toyota Fortuner. All the information about Fortuner on TBHP was culled, mined, mired and admired to the fullest before realizing that this car met my expectations.

My expectations in short:

1. Car has to serve me for 8-10 years
2. I should not be spending my every 3rd or 4th Saturday at the ASC to sort out the niggles/noises etc to keep the car to my level of satisfaction (which I did with my earlier rides)
3. 4X4 reliability and should be mechanical
4. Long term maintenance cost to be wallet friendly
5. Options for sprucing up the car to save it from mid-life crisis
6. 7 seater, as will have my parents to travel with me for the long road trips
7. Reliable car for long road trips to explore deeper parts of India (very keen on this!)
8. Road presence and no nonsense attitude

With all the above and more being met with Fortuner, I went ahead and booked a Grey Mica 4X4 on 8th August, 2013 by paying one lakh INR as advance amount. Changed the color to a super white by the same day evening (US day) and communicated my change of choice to the dealer promptly. I have requested my company to let me move back from US earlier than December to suit the school year better for my children. So, the booking date moved to August from what was originally planned for end October. Made the necessary payments subsequently and I have informed them that I would like to take the delivery of the car on 8th September as I would reach India on the evening of 7th September. Can I wait longer than a night even after a long haul to get the car? The answer was a clear “no”. Call it clarity of thoughts in life!

Cost details:
1. Ex. Showroom price in Hyd: Rs.23, 60, 928.44
2. Life Tax: Rs. 3, 30, 780
3. Insurance: Rs. 91, 105
TOTAL >> Rs. 2782813.44 OTR

The PDI was done by my friend with the TBHP list which was spruced up by me along with some more pointers from our current owners’ knowledge.
The first week of September for me was very chaotic with the house move from US to India and the container shipment etc activities which exhausted my energy levels. We reached Hyderabad on 7th evening and the 26 hours of journey were not boring, for a change! The dream of finally laying my hands on a wonderful car, standing and admiring it from different angles, feeling the interiors in person(rather than on the iPad!), smelling the new car interiors after paying some big ones etc were too exciting for the auto head in me. I crashed into bed after looking up the pictures of BIBIN's ride and silently thanking him for satiating my photo thirst. I woke up by 3:00 am with all the excitement and jet lag playing its role and was feeling restless. I ensured my family is all ready by 9:00am to leave to the dealer to take the new car delivery at 9:30 am. The look on the face of my driver at home was priceless as he started the car to take us to the dealer- a mixture of feelings for him which include surprise, shock & admiration for the car craziness I have, which he knows!

We reach the dealer and the sales person-Vishnu was ready for me with all the documentation. What greeted us on the arrival at the dealer is BOSS in WHITE in my life!

The delivery experience is 8/10 and I feel that Toyota/dealer can do a better job for an expensive vehicle.

Discounts: As all of you know, there were absolutely no discounts offered. However, the dealer has obliged to provide the Fender mirror & carpet mats free of cost to us. We also got a small basket of chocolates and a paper bag with documents in it. The two flimsy key chains provided by the dealer were returned to them in protest for the quality of the same.

Engine & variant: The engine is the much famed 3 liter D-4D, variant being the 4X4 with sand beige interiors (I guess we have no choice to make here!).

Equipment levels: I liked the equipment levels provided which has the sturdiness and the quality which last long. I think Toyota can throw couple of more benefits (like a proper soft sliding arm rest, chunkier steering wheel with A/C controls on the right, passenger air bags, sun roof, rear disc brakes, TPMS, etc) for this cost point. Overall, I am satisfied with the equipment levels like VSC, auto head lamps etc. The fit and feel is very confidence inspiring and has a long lasting feel to it.

I have completed ~290km as I write this review in a week's time. The MID figures say an average of 9.3 kmpl, for now. My daily commute would be around 20-30 km on an average for the in city component.

Exterior styling & design: I like the looks of the LC inspired front and the butch styling of the overall car. However, the tail lamps are a big Chinese bling for me. Why Toyota-Why?

The alloys are fine and look enough for the car size with their Japan make tires, even now. The Head lamps are a neat design and have an excellent throw in the low beam. Need to check the high beam effectiveness for the highway drives. Wipers work fine and do their job silently.

The overall build quality and fit & Finish: This is one of the strength areas for this car. The car has a solid feel to it and inspires you in the morning, every day you crank it for the first time. No specific observations on this front, as of now.

Interior design & quality: The car reeks ‘quality’ everywhere on the inside. The utilitarian feel is radiated thoroughly in all the parts you can touch and feel. I especially like the layout of the A/C controls etc with simplistic bigger buttons to choose from. I did not appreciate the 3 rows of switches and the full club consortium of lights with some of the options, I looked at earlier. No noises are reaching my ears yet, however I am armed with Steel grip tape for the seats, should there be one!

Interior space and comfort: This has a much roomy feel and seats are comfortable for all the three rows. I would have been much happier if they could have given me the option of captain seats for the middle row. My children (11&7 years ) are very comfortable in the last row and I sat in them for an hour’s ride, as well. No complaints on that front. The bench marking for us was my US ride (2012 Ford Explorer) which made it a tight comparison.

Air conditioner, seat support, ergonomics and other noteworthy interior points: A/C chills very fast and is very effective (which I experienced in the Dubai sojourn too). The ‘AUTO’ mode works perfect to my liking. All other ergonomics are fine except the useless driver arm support. I wish it was soft and had the sliding functionality to it.

Engine performance & driveability in the city: A slightly noisy engine on the outside, but shields the noise well in the cabin. It is very peppy and easy to drive with loads of torque available on request. I never felt the need or lack of power more than what it is tuned for us. The turning radius is neat and is comfortable to maneuver in the city. I am starting to enjoy the hum of the turbo spool and the revs associated with it. The highway manners are yet to be tested and will update, once done.

There is no turbo lag which I could feel and the power is flawless. Gear shifts are little tight and expect them to smoothen as the run progresses. The transmission is noiseless and the engine promises quick response time, all the time. The MID says, 9.3 kmpl for now on the fuel efficiency front. The car handles very well mannered and planted. No second thoughts on that! The tires provide good, confidence inspiring grip and braking prowess. Steering is much planted and does its job well. I like the bottle coolers below the a/c vents in the front as they would be useful for our hot climate. The Toyota music system is a decent one with all functions available and I wish it was in black color! The luggage room is decent with all the three seats being used and has an easy ingress and egress. There are enough cubby holes all around, however wish that the door ones could accommodate the normal sized 1 liter water bottles.

Suspension & ride quality: This is one area which stood out from all reviews and analysis. Surprisingly, we found the ride quality decent and the tyre pressure is at 32 for now (30 is recommended). I have this area under watch for the passenger complaints to upgrade to Bilstiens or the Red Rooster suspension package for Fortuner. I would like to ride it in its current form a quarter before I take a decision on them. What is worth mentioning is that there is no boat ride feeling to the car at all, it rides fine and does not nose dive on sharp braking.

The after sales service, cost of maintenance etc would be the ongoing additions to this thread from my end.

Accessories added:
1. Fender mirror(free of cost)
2. Carpet mats(free of cost)
3. 3D mats
4. Auto folding module for side view mirrors
5. Trunk tray mat
6. Rockford Fosgate audio system (2 pairs of T165S POWER components, 4 channel amp, 8” subwoofer with slim box. Except the box, carried all stuff from US)
7. Rear lens for the rear glass to provide better angular view
8. TRD decal(for the front and the rear)
9. TRD tyre valves(lockable)
10. Sun visor organizers
11. Autocop PLIP 80 security system
12. Hella 500FF spot lamps(had a pair of them at home) with relay
13. Roots Vibrasonic horn with relay
14. Muffler cutter

All accessories were done at the dealer with no issues for Toyota warranty.

Likes:
1. Great engine with oodles of power
2. Road presence
3. Cocoon of safety feel
4. Quality and build to last feel
5. Head lamps and A/C
6. Audio system HU

Dislikes:
1. Hard steering wheel cover- should be more chunkier and softer
2. Bottle holders in doors- can be made to accommodate a normal 1 liter bottle
3. Center arm rest- can be Soft and sliding (with a cool box in it)
4. No Audio feedback for lock and unlocking the car
5. Does not have rear sensors for reversing the car, camera is present
6. Door ajar warning lamps on the doors

These were my observations and part of my journey to get Fortune’d and Welcome the BOSS in WHITE.

I will let some pictures do the talking!!

[mobike008]

Note from Mod : Thread moved from AL to Initial Ownership Thread. Thanks for sharing

Srikanth, allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your White Boss

Firstly, welcome back to India and what a way to come back to the country (i.e), with a bang by picking up a Fortuner even before you jet lag went away. Thats what I like in a person, first know what you want and then take that decision pronto

Enjoy the beast and look forward to experiencing this 4X4 monster when we meet next.

Please keep updating the thread with your experiences and enjoy the new ownership.

Goodluck
Avi

[JoseVijay]

Mod Note : There are several spelling & grammatical errors in your posts. This negatively affects the forum experience for other readers.

Kindly ensure that you proof-read your posts prior to submission. Also, it would be a good idea to use spell-checkers.

[firsttimeowner]

COngratulations on your new purchase!

I hope it serves you for more than what you expect it to!

Happy driving!

[AutoAficionado]

Congratulations on your New Ride, getsurya.
Happy and Safe Driving..

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by getsurya

With all the above and more being met with Fortuner

Congratulations for the White Beast! Looking fabulous and has a great on-road presence!

Waiting to see this beast make way for the next meet we have.

Anurag.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by getsurya

Welcome the BOSS in WHITE.

Here you are, Bouncy Boss in white...!!!

Congrats on the purchase and hope to meet you soon somewhere between Bangalore and Hyderabad...!!!

I was thinking you should have added side cladding on the doors as an accessory. It helps a lot in saving those wafer thin doors from maniac motorcyclists and auto wallahs on the road.

Did you get some interesting stuff from the US to add to Boss??

[Ahmed]

Welcome to the club Getsurya ! Charmed to read your words. Request you to upload the pics with the accessories. Please elaborate on the Autocop security system. Sounds like a good add on.

Wish you happy (s)miles. Will love to meet you when I am in HYD next time.

[puchoo]

Congratulations on you white beast coming home! Its a solid car and i am sure will serve you well!

[TheG2]

Dear GetSurya,
Congratulations for the new beast. Looks huge and dominating.

Aren't the Fender mirror's suppose to come with the car? Is it an after sale accessory?

Best,

[Guderian]

getsurya ! And the day finally dawns...
Congratulations on the acquisition ! And welcome back to India.
Have a great time with BOSS and many a thousand miles of delightful drives. Another thread I'll be keenly reading for sure - neat & pithy report.
Boss looks gorgeous.

Thank you for the warm words of appreciation. Glad to have been of help.

[unni.ak]

Congratulations!! Nothing like white for an SUV. Looks massive! :-)

[getsurya]

welcome back to India and what a way to come back to the country

Hi Avi, Many thanks for your wishes and compliments.

I am looking forward to meeting the TBHP Hyd gang next time around. You can lay your expert hands on my car when we meet and would be great to note your observations.

COngratulations on your new purchase!

Hi firsttimeowner, Thank you for your wishes.

Congratulations on your New Ride

Hi Autoaficionado, Thank you for your wishes.

Waiting to see this beast make way for the next meet we have.

Hi a4anurag, Many thanks for your wishes and yes, shall try to make it to the next TBHP meet in Hyd.

I was thinking you should have added side cladding on the doors as an accessory. It helps a lot in saving those wafer thin doors from maniac motorcyclists and auto wallahs on the road.

Did you get some interesting stuff from the US to add to Boss??

Hi Devdath, Thank you for your warm wishes. We should try coordinate a interstate NH7 meet between Hyd & Blr. I do not like the side cladding looks of the option available and hence kept it out for the time being. Will take a call on it as I see the need coming up.

Stuff from US- Rockford Fosgate components, amp, 8" subwoofer, TRD decals, a whole lot of Meguiars' products(coming in the container shipment), Craftsman Tool kits, B&D drill kit with Mothers wheel buffing kit, Mechanix glove set, and other many tit bits. I dropped the idea of bringing in the tow bar and the folding luggage hitch rack after thinking about the utility of the same.

On your "Bouncy BOSS"- As mentioned, I am keenly watching this space as to what extent is this bearable, if not- I plan to go to Red Rooster suspension package.

Will love to meet you when I am in HYD next time.

Hi Ahmed, Many thanks for your warm wishes.The Autocop PLIP 80 system provides the audio feedback option with break in security alarm. This is a bolt on to the car's existing system and works with the same remote. It has ultrasonic sensors(Two of them) inside the car which detects any intrusions when locked. I have the manual and will upload it for more information in the coming days. The cost I paid is Rs.3500.
I shall take pictures of the accessories and upload soon.
It will be great to meet you in person and shall PM you my contact numbers to meet when you are in Hyd next or the other way round for me

Its a solid car and i am sure will serve you well!

Hi puchoo, thank you for your wishes.

Aren't the Fender mirror's suppose to come with the car? Is it an after sale accessory?

Hi TheG2, thanks for your wishes. The Fender mirror is an optional add on accessory and costs Rs.5800.

getsurya ! And the day finally dawns...
Congratulations on the acquisition ! And welcome back to India.
Have a great time with BOSS and many a thousand miles of delightful drives. Another thread I'll be keenly reading for sure - neat & pithy report.
Boss looks gorgeous.

Thank you for the warm words of appreciation. Glad to have been of help.

Ah! the famed man himself-am honored. Thank you Guderian for your warm wishes and the plethora of information. I am very glad to be back in India- what a relief!

Will try to keep the thread informative and share the knowledge/experience with our readers.

Congratulations!! Nothing like white for an SUV. Looks massive!

Hi Unni, Thank you for your wishes and yes the beast looks awesome in white. Though, there are too many white ones on the road. I have only one-BOSS!

[nik0502]

Congratulations getsurya for the new car. Its definitely a great car. And as you mentioned in your requirement that the car should give you trouble free ownership for 8 years with the "T" badge you would not have any trouble with the car.

Just have one question.

Originally Posted by getsurya

Accessories added:

4. Auto folding module for side view mirrors

Can you please elaborate on this.

[getsurya]

Can you please elaborate on this

Hi Nik0502,

Thanks for your wishes.

Fortuner comes with side view mirrors which can be opened/closed at the press of a button on the console from inside. There is an add on electronic module accessory which folds/closes the mirrors(when you lock your car from the key fob) and opens the mirrors(when you insert the key into the key hole to start the engine). I felt this is a required in our country as the side view mirrors cost upwards of Rs.20000 for each.