[drsingh]

This is an ownership thread after my own heart. Crisp, to the point with involved driving and a well maintained car ready for heavy duty work as demanded.

I also appreciate that you know exactly what you want from your next vehicle and that you're willing to wait for the right replacement . And not just throw money at something that won't meet your needs.

[abhinavsureka]

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

Its surprising to know that you have to replace ball joints so early. This should not happen, especially on the Mitsubishi sport. If you have been harsh on your suspension while offroading then it is possible that the ball joints can get busted.. by harsh i mean bouncing around at extreme angles at higher speeds offroad. Driving at medium speeds on heavily potholed roads also takes a toll on your suspension. I do offroad a lot too, buy i try to be as gentle on the suspension as possible.

You might want to investigate the differential leak further. Differential oil should not leak no matter how you drive, especially at 23k kms. Brake pad replacements depend on driving style. if you drive fast with a lot of hard braking then expect brake pad replacement every 25-30k kms.

I've always been careful about my speed on rough roads despite never feeling any bump as the suspension is really good. And have never gone fast offroad. I'll get another thorough inspection done when the company engineer visits next from chennai. The mechanics here are ex-tata who have just moved to mitsubishi. but the overall support from the new dealer so far has been good.
Lets see what they have to say for the differential oil leak.

[Sir"CAR"]

Fantastic review !
Good to see an SUV owner who actually takes his car off road too.
Reading through the list of repairs your Safari has undergone, I am certain that every Tata owner must get the extended warranty. The engine parts replaced would have cost a bomb otherwise. Its sad to see that Tata cars are still having such issues.
I totally agree on your opinion of the Toyota Fortuner. I feel that it is not at all worth the near 30 lakh price tag, especially with the low rent interiors and lack of any feel good factors. There really are no good SUVs in today's market that are at reasonable prices. All the prices seem over-inflated.

[Ferruccio]

Great, no nonsense post written from the heart. As a Safari owner clocking 30k over the last 30 odd months, I must say I find it to be the perfect choice for negotiating the unruly urban jungle of Mumbai. I am one of the home basement to office basement users with an occasional Mumbai - Goa run thrown in.

Nothing to complain about except the occasional drinking habit - a litre of oil every 5k. Avg of approx 10 kmpl in dense stop-go traffic is par for the course.

As correctly pointed out, with no other serious contender in the budget range I have been looking at the Storme as a likely replacement. Here's why :
- Since I never bother slowing for speed breakers, ruts and potholes the better rigidity of the Aria derived hydro-formed chassis is a welcome upgrade
- The 2 DIN factor doesn't bother me since I anyways gut out the OE music system and put in my good, old reliable kit
- The spare is tucked out of sight. My driving style demands lots and lots of visibility so the better rear visibility helps.
- Plastics are way better

Any suggestions for alternatives? I need the SUV stance for the aforementioned visibility, occasional 7 seat usage and to scare the bejeesus of the pesky rickshaws! A JCB shovel is a better alternative for the last purpose but then the legenday Safari comfort will be lacking!

[vg23]

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

My Safari at 1 lakh kms.

Congratulations on completing a major landmark. You have enlisted the various details very nicely and have made some very valid points. The pics are lovely! True off-road experiences

Being a fan of the beast for so many years now, I am really thinking about buying one soon. But reading about the same set of problems being faced by so many owners (check engine light, squeaky steering wheel, so many parts needing replacement so early), I am in a dilemma whether to go ahead with this decision or not. I really liked the vehicle during the test drive, and wish to be part of the group of lucky people who get the opportunity to take this beauty to different routes and terrains. Moreover, my budget does not allow me to think about options such as XUV, Tuscon, Endeavour, Fortuner etc. I have also read the review of Storme posted by TSK1979. But again, if I go for Tata, chances are that I am going to choose Safari Dicor over Storme. He has advised to go for the new Storme as it fares better on many parameters. I really value the opinions of BHPians, and so would seek your advice too. Thanks in advance.

[jaysmokesleaves]

Originally Posted by Sir"CAR"

Fantastic review !
Reading through the list of repairs your Safari has undergone, I am certain that every Tata owner must get the extended warranty.

I am of the opinion that if you plan to keep the vehicle for 4-5 years and beyond, one should opt for extended warranty regardless of the brand. Tata or Toyota, extended warranty always gives you that peace of mind.

Originally Posted by Ferruccio

Nothing to complain about except the occasional drinking habit - a litre of oil every 5k.
As correctly pointed out, with no other serious contender in the budget range I have been looking at the Storme as a likely replacement.
Any suggestions for alternatives?

"Ocassional drinking habbit" I beg to differ. Unless you are driving long distances and drive at 3500 rpm on every gear, then there should be zero oil consumption. Remember that scheduled oil changes are at 15k kms. That means your Safari is consuming 3 liters of oil every 15k kms. Thats way too much. Do get your engine checked and sorted because there should be zero oil consumption. Max acceptable oil consumption is 1 liter every 10-12k kms, provided you are driving at high rpms all the time. If you do drive hard and on the limit, then oil change intervals should be 7500 kms as specified in the manual. Even then 1 liter oil consumption is unacceptable.

Originally Posted by vg23

I really liked the vehicle during the test drive, and wish to be part of the group of lucky people who get the opportunity to take this beauty to different routes and terrains. Moreover, my budget does not allow me to think about options such as XUV, Tuscon, Endeavour, Fortuner etc.

My honest advice to you and those interested in exploring different terrains in as suv is as follows:
An suv allows you to be able to get off the road with ease thereby increasing your confidence in its ability to take you off the road and explore possibilities. Sooner or later you find yourself stuck and unable to extricate yourself. And much to your horror no one is willing to or unable to push your 2 ton behemoth out.
Ive seen many people in 2wd suvs stuck and then cursing their luck. I think its plain stupid.
You dont wear a red underwear on your pants and think you're superman

When selecting an suv for exploring offroad jaunts, its pertinent to buy a 4wd suv. Even if your 4wd usage might be minimal, in a situation where there is no one to help or unable to help, you can self extricate yourself. I dont have count of how many stupid suv owners ive towed out.

So vg23 - given your tight budget your options are. Second hand Safari 4wd or Scorpio or new Thar. If you select a second hand Safari/Scorpio 4wd - select the Ex Safari or Slx scorpio. Do not go to the higher trims. Lesser electronics means less troubles in the future. If this suv is going to be your family vehicle, stay away from the Thar.

[vg23]

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

When selecting an suv for exploring offroad jaunts, its pertinent to buy a 4wd suv. Even if your 4wd usage might be minimal, in a situation where there is no one to help or unable to help, you can self extricate yourself.

Thanks for a candid reply. However, I am somehow not very convinced about purchasing a pre-owned vehicle. I would need some time to make a realistic assessment of what is going to be my 4wd usage. Moreover, I will have to see if I can adjust my finances in order to move to 4x4 in Tata. As far as Scorpio is concerned, I am not a fan (sorry HVK Sir). Thanks again for your inputs.

[GeePee]

Dear Jaysmokesleaves ,

Thanks for an excellent and crisp writeup, congrats on 1L Kms., and wish you may more (s)miles of safe driving pleasure. I need your (as well as other members of team-bhp) bit of precious ad sincere advise on my next purchase. I reside with my family in Bangalore and often go on long drives with my parents, wife and small kid. I have decided to sell my Opel (though in great condition) due primarily to lower back pain and secondly due to little angel's request for a 3rd row seats option to keep her dolls and play on long drives. After evaluating options with vehicle having a decent 3rd row (evaluated Innova (too pricey), Tata Safari Storme (my little daughter does not want winged 3rd row seats), Nissan Evalia (set aside its looks, none amongst the dealers in Bangalore, wanted to commit when I could see the new Evalia from its official launch in Oct 2013!!!) and Enjoy (a true Opel car owner cannot be even hard-sold the new league (poor quality) of Chevy's in India), we have finally zeroed in on Tata Aria. Test drove it and we are convinced this is the vehicle, though many are advising me yet, not to book one. Now I see read from this thread about the wheel alignment issues. Can you (or members, with such vast experience on this forum) kindly advise me, if ever I should go for Tata Aria?
With Kind Regards
GeePee

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by jaysmokesleaves

My Safari at 1 lakh kms...

Congrats on the milestone, Jay.

[jaysmokesleaves]

Originally Posted by GeePee

Can you (or members, with such vast experience on this forum) kindly advise me, if ever I should go for Tata Aria?
With Kind Regards
GeePee

I dont own an Aria, but was pretty excited while waiting for its launch. Eventually TML launched it at a high pricetag as if they were offering something impeccable. Anyways, the product never took off. TML offered a cut price version too late. The cut price version is how it should have been priced from the start.
On the technical front, Tata electricals and electronics are still not as reliable enough as you would want them to be. One technical issue i have already pointed out about the alignment seems to be a design flaw. This might be a sore spot for you later.
I like the cabin space though, but the fit and finish is definitely not upto current standards. The front end styling is that of a bloated Indigo/Vista. Looks quite dated to me.

To me, the Aria is now a dead horse.

If you do buy it, you might find it very hard to sell and eventually might be forced to live with it or sell it for a pittance. The Aria resale sucks.

I would advise you to buy a low end Innova instead and try to squeeze it into ur budget.
Its a plain jane vehicle, but it will surely keep you happy.
Cheers!

[kalsu]

Originally Posted by mints21

Hi Jay, Good to see that you reach the 1,00,000 kilometre mark on your Tata Safari. I appreciate your patience with the machine. Considering the points under the warranty thread, I can perceive that with Tata you need to have something or the other warranty related problem in approximately every 10-15 thousand kilometres that you drive.

I really wonder why Tata has been unable to resolve the issues that plague their vehicles on regular basis. Do they not get proper feedback from the dealers or the owners. The wheel alignment problem of Aria moved on to Strome only reflects that no feedback has been given the due attention it deserves.

I wonder what do they check when the test vehicles are run for months in the name of testing before the actual launch.

Same with me no issues on Tata safari done 90K and 5years, niggling issue is with camper adjustments need to find a good guy any references...