[mooza]

Greetings to all !

It is nearly a year now since I purchased my used Scorpio. So I thought of posting my experiences so far, after using it for 10,000 kms (total odo reading 88,000 kms). The ownership experience has been great so far, with hardly any niggles

Model : Scorpio Turbo 2.6 Dx
Year : 2004 (Dec)
Type : RWD
Color : Silver
Purchase price : 4.25 Lakhs


Purchasing Experience :

I was looking for a vehicle to move 7 people in reasonable comfort. Since my budget was 4.75 Lakhs, the Innova was ruled out already.

This is where I need to express my thanks to a lot of BHPians, namely Raj5004, HVKumar, AnupMathur and others, for vouching for the reliability of Scorpios. This helped me arrive at the decision of buying a used Scorpio.

Unfortunately I was not a TBHP member at the time, so I missed out on the interaction with experienced Bhpians regarding my purchase, but reading up the TBHP threads helped me immensely.

I checked out 3 Scorpios prior to selecting my beast, the first one having 88k on the ODO, asking price 4 L but very badly maintained interiors. The second one was 2005 CRDE, but no power windows at the rear, and the clutch was very weak already. The 3rd vehicle had a lot of engine vibrations.

I finally settled on the 4th vehicle, which felt very peppy to drive, with good interiors, and I thought the engine felt just right, with the body having a great build and perfect stance. After negotiating the price down from 4.75 to 4.25 L, I picked up the beast.

More to come, including the mods and upgrades taken up !

[rockyb]

Hi Mooza

Welcome to t-bhp.

Congratulations on your purchase. Wishing you lot of km in your beast. Do keep us posted about the modifications / upgrades

MM vehicle are quite reliable and easy on maintenence

regards

[benbsb29]

Mooza, before i bought my car, i was on the lookout for a second hand Scorpio myself in the year 2006. I was adamant i wanted the CRDe version, but none came within the budget i had thought of. Those that did, i felt werent upto the mark.

Later, i decided based on opinions from family as well as friends about going in for a new vehicle and went for it.

Do add your ownership experiences and the mods you've done. We would appreciate pics as well.

[shantyrocks]

Waiting eagerly for your complete report mooza.
Iam myself considering A used scorpio/innova

[mooza]

Thanks for the feedback ! A couple of pics :





I will try to upload a few more as and when the thread progresses

[raj_5004]

hi mooza, its too late to say congrats!

Finally, i see the pics of your car. it looks in great shape buddy, does not look like a 5 yr old car. wish to hear more from your side, like your purchase experience, your driving exp & all the pros & cons.

wish you miles & miles of happy motoring.

[MudMover]

I've been a big fan of the Scorpio for ages and yours was the first Scorpio I've ever driven. Thanks for the ride Murali! And pretty nice piece of innovation -- that gear lever of yours !

[veyron_head]

Thats a great looking scorpio!! Sure looks younger than its actual age. Drive safe!

BTW, what was the mileage on the car when you bought it?

EDIT: Just realized you had posted the mileage in the first few lines. Thanks.

[mooza]

Dear all, thanks for the feedback, particularly on the young looks of my Scorp ! This was one of the major factors which pushed me into picking up this SUV. The previous owner had maintained it very well.

Initial driving impression :

Well, I was driving a sedan earlier, and one of the masters of handling at that, namely the Ikon ! So I had kept my expectations a bit tempered. The ride did feel bouncy in contrast, but the light steering, ease of maneuvering and excellent visibility on account of the high seating position, exposed me to a whole new world of driving, which was thrilling enough to leave my previous driving experiences behind ! The higher seating meant reduced glare from oncoming traffic and visibility of bad road conditions from a greater distance, making driving easier on some counts.

Since mine is a leaf spring model, I could feel quite a lot of body roll and bounciness, which I immediately made up my mind to counter, with some expert inputs from TBHP.

My children loved the big vehicle instantly. Till today they insist on travelling only in the Scorpio, come what may !

Some more pics and details to follow

[n.devdath]

Your inputs could prove useful to a friend of mine who has plans to purchase a used Scorpio.

What is the FE you get with in the city with the ac on and off? What about the highways?

On an average, how much does a service cost you? I have inputs from Bombay that a few spares of the earlier Scorps are a bit hard to source now. Have you faced any such experiences at the ***?

And yes, what is it about your gear lever? Could you also post interior pics please.

[mooza]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

hi mooza, its too late to say congrats!
Finally, i see the pics of your car. it looks in great shape buddy, does not look like a 5 yr old car. wish to hear more from your side, like your purchase experience, your driving exp & all the pros & cons.
wish you miles & miles of happy motoring.

Thanks for the wishes !

Originally Posted by MudMover

I've been a big fan of the Scorpio for ages and yours was the first Scorpio I've ever driven. Thanks for the ride Murali! And pretty nice piece of innovation -- that gear lever of yours !

Thanks Mudmover, will try to post a pic of the lever

And thanks for letting me take a spin in your Bolero. Hope we have many more such exchange drives, will be fun !

Originally Posted by veyron_head

Thats a great looking scorpio!! Sure looks younger than its actual age. Drive safe!

Thanks Veyron !

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Your inputs could prove useful to a friend of mine who has plans to purchase a used Scorpio.
What is the FE you get with in the city with the ac on and off? What about the highways?
On an average, how much does a service cost you? I have inputs from Bombay that a few spares of the earlier Scorps are a bit hard to source now. Have you faced any such experiences at the ***?

Hi Devdath, I get around 10 and 11 in the city, with AC on and AC off. Around a km more on highways.

So far no problems regarding spares, which have included clutch plate, brake pads, engine mounts and alternator bearings over the pasy year. Will put up the servicing bills too. Am searching for them in my Scorp's dash !

Will be posting pictures of interiors shortly

[mooza]

Some pics of the interior.

I have used fabric cover over the black and white leather seats that came with the car, since I find fabric more comforable, from my M800 days !







Edit : To answer Devdath's query on the gear lever, it's a small DIY, wherein I have actually enclosed the gear lever knob in some soft foam and covered it up in felt cloth, so that I feel much less of the famed "Scorpio gear lever vibrations" !!



Contrary to some who feel the Scorpio lacks god looks at the rear, I enjoy its looks the most from here !

[mooza]

Some of the jobs taken up within the first month of delivery :

1. Got the side cladding painted black, since this had faded a bit. The clutch was a bit squeaky, so got the pedal joint and spring greased. The squeak has not returned since. Got these jobs done at an FNG.

Total cost : Rs. 3500/-


2. The stock stereo was sounding quite harsh, so had to install Pioneer system and speakers. Am happy with the sound now, particularly with the bass frequencies !

Cost : Rs. 10,500/-


3. The fog lamps were not working. Got them replaced.

Cost : Rs. 1800 for the pair, at the ASC.


4. Replaced hubcaps (Rs. 400/-), which slipped off twice during drives to Mangalore, through rough roads. Twice bitten, I secured the new ones neatly using some cable ties.

I could manage to pass the cable tie through the small clearance beween the hubcap and the wheel rim, to make the tie look as less prominent as possible

[Nagesh]

Hi Mooza,

Congrats on your great buy! Even I bought a used scorpio - mfg 2003 dec, glx - in 2009 feb and enjoying the drive. The interiors are absolutely the same as yours.. looking to change tyres and speakers.

How did you counter the body roll and bounciness??

Nagesh

[mooza]

Originally Posted by Nagesh

Hi Mooza, Congrats on your great buy! Even I bought a used scorpio - mfg 2003 dec, glx - in 2009 feb and enjoying the drive.
How did you counter the body roll and bounciness??

Thanks Nagesh !

I might be looking at leather seat covers shortly, upon the insistence of family. The tough part is to get good matching color shades, and to decide between art and pure leather

To counter the body roll and bounciness, I did some stiffening of the suspension, the details of which I will post very shortly. Hectic weekend schedules not giving me much time right now.

Glad to know you are enjoying your drive. Looking forward to your detailed ownership thread !