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Old 28th September 2014, 23:10   #1
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Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

Folks,

I own a BMW 320D, a dying 2006 make Tata Safari, an almost dead Honda city automatic 1999 model.

BMW has just completed 2 years and 60000 KMs. Frankly, during this period, while have every bit enjoyed the BMW logo and the sheer peppiness of the car, I have hated and literally hated the space it provides and the very bumpy ride quality.

I bought this car for 28 Lacs total including the 3 years- 1lac km BSI package. I have already got the brake pads, all 4 tyres changed and suspensions changed. The car is not as great a fun it used to be. Somehow the peppiness is missing.

I drive a lot...rather i travel in the car a lot. Chauffeur drives it most of the times.

Still when I sit in Safari once every 6 months, I realize how wonderfully spacious and comfortable Safari is. It gave me a lot of niggling troubles, but I still love the space and comfort it offers.

Now I am in a situation when I have almost made up my mind to exchange BMW for a brand new Fortuner 2 WD, automatic shift. But I am still nervous. Leaving a BMW tag is not easy. It greatly helps me in my business. Except for the tag...and the peppiness, I really hate this car.

Am I doing it right to go for a Fortuner? Does it makes sense? Is it a good car? I drive bad...can never apply brakes to avoid potholes. Will a fortuner help. My maintenance is also bad. Is there any other SUV sub 30 lakhs I should consider? I am fed up of Sedans...may be because I am 6 feet tall and weigh 130 kgs .

Guys help...really confused...
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Old 28th September 2014, 23:41   #2
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re: Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

The Fortuner, while it will handle rough roads and big bumps much better than the BMW, is still pretty bumpy when it comes to ride quality.

I would take the Pajero Sport over it. Even the Santa Fe is a great car, and will suit your needs besides the Hyundai badge.

Have you changed your BMW tyres from runflats to normal tubeless? That will improve the ride by a fair amount.
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Old 28th September 2014, 23:50   #3
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re: Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

@Aroon. A most interesting quandary you find yourself in. You seem to be in a situation where you are unhappy with your current ride; in this situation move on, would be my advice. Some might disagree, but IMHO if a car is no longer fun to own and to be in, then i'd rather find a loving home for her, and tell the new owner the full truth about parting with her and that's that.

If you'll permit me to add to your confusion, may i suggest the Rexton to the mix. I know the Fortuner is Toyota which means bullet proof reliability, but I feel the Fortuner is a little under-specced and looks like too much like an Innova on the inside. Since the badge is a matter of concern for you, the Rexton should work, especially since its a Mercedes in Mahindra clothing. Do a back to back TD, and perhaps that will help.

There are quite a few threads on the Rexton here (by user abhi.m) and to give the other side of the picture here (by Moderator.anshuman).

Cheers!
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Old 29th September 2014, 00:04   #4
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If you can further increase your budget a bit then you can take a look at the Audi Q3/ BMW X1/ Merc GLA, all these cars will be comparatively more comfortable and most importantly you will get the snob value which as you said is an important factor for you.
Another option is to look out for low mileage second hand cars, you may get very good deals on very good cars.

Talking about the fortuner, it has everything except for the snob value, but then on the positive side the cost of maintaining a fortuner will be a fraction of what you will spend on maintaining a BMW/ Merc or Audi.
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Old 29th September 2014, 01:19   #5
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re: Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

If you want a more trouble-free car with a good reputation and high levels of comfort, look no further than the Paj Sport
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Old 29th September 2014, 07:00   #6
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The C, 3 and A4 are really cramped at the back for people like us(I'm 6 foot 1) but why not go for a bigger sedan like the Skoda superb? The seats are super comfy and I found the leg room to be more than enough for me! It's loaded to the gills with features as well. Go for an SUV if you travel on rough roads often. If not the superb is a superb car for the city.
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Old 29th September 2014, 07:12   #7
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re: Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

Aroon:

For a big, generously proportioned man, the BMW 320 is really tiny and cramped plus it has a terribly low seating position and one may well bump one's head getting in and out of it! All it has to offer a guy such as you really is the wonderful driving dynamics, badge value and the mystique of owning a "German Marque".

Depending on where you drive and what sort of roads you drive on and your overall need for comfort and space added to the fact that you are mostly chauffeur driven, then it certainly makes sense to consider the Fortuner. In any case, while the two vehicles under discussion belong to completely different segments and types, it is really your call, basis your "need state".

From what you have articulated in your post, I would definitely think "Fortuner".
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Old 29th September 2014, 08:17   #8
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re: Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

Live with a 320d or trade it. If that is the question you are obviously willing to re-think keeping car. There are somethings just exclusive to a BMW i.e excellent steering haptics, perfectly balanced and tuned to please everyone. There is no better driving car than this even if you want to pay more and prices have gone up over the past 2 years. Of course the minor drawbacks are that the tyres need changing every 25k odd km and the ride would feel slightly harsh over bad roads.

Fortuner is a ladder-frame chassis, i.e built for off-roading, heavy duty loadings, bad roads & heavy duty work. However, its bumpier in regular roads than monocoque chassis which is better integrated to the car and would drive more like one. Fortuner is also quite bare-bones when it comes to features/driving assists, so if you want a classic feel SUV its ok. Santa Fe is another option with its monocoque build, modern interiors and ample driver assist features and safety (6 airbags). If you don't want to lose the blue-white logo, X1 is another option.
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Old 29th September 2014, 09:06   #9
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re: Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

News is that the Fortuner 4 x 4 Automatic will be launched. Also heard that the Pajero Sport Automatic will be launched in some time.

My friend bought the Rexton RX7 and I had the pleasure to go with him for the delivery and drove the car for a short while. Initial impression of the car is good, ergonomics not as good as german cars - overall a good SUV and spacious too - has most of the bells & whistles.
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Old 29th September 2014, 09:52   #10
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re: Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aroongupta View Post

I drive a lot...rather i travel in the car a lot. Chauffeur drives it most of the times.

Now I am in a situation when I have almost made up my mind to exchange BMW for a brand new Fortuner 2 WD, automatic shift. But I am still nervous. Leaving a BMW tag is not easy. It greatly helps me in my business. Except for the tag...and the peppiness, I really hate this car.

My maintenance is also bad.
First and foremost, If you hate the car you have and money is not a problem then get rid of it. There are only so many things that money can buy and a car "you love" is definitely one of them. Just know that the resale for that 60k km run BMW might be atrociously low.

Coming to the what car can replace it: Fortuner is a great vehicle but not for chauffeur driven. Please stay away from all these true blooded SUVs, if your primary purpose is to sit in that back seat which you have mentioned in your post. You will be just tossed and turned in that back seat. If at all you want to consider a SUV then go for a Santa Fe or Renault Koleos kind of a vehichle which will offer you much better seating comfort. And since you don't need 3 rows of seating, these vehciles should be much better.

Lastly a D+ segment sedan will ofcourse be the most comfortable in terms of being chauffeured. I would have suggested the Superb too like most others have but you mentioned you don't really maintain your car. In that case, I am not too comfortable putting my money on Skoda. But then that is just me !

Edit: BTW whatever car you choose, it will not be able to match the brand image of the BMW. If that factor is of utmost importance then take a look at the X1 or Q3 etc. You might find them marginally better than the 3.

Last edited by drmohitg : 29th September 2014 at 09:53.
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Old 29th September 2014, 11:22   #11
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re: Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

"In order to be successful, one needs to look successful"

- Nikola Tesla

Since you are into business, I would not recommend to let go the BMW tag.

Have a look at the X1. Pushing the front passenger seat to maximum forward will create considerable back seat leg space. And you will have the easy ingress and egress, along with a lot of head room.
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Old 29th September 2014, 11:40   #12
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re: Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

Dear Aroon

The Fortuner is not the answer to your bumpy ride.

In fact, I found Fortuner ride a lot bumpier than the 320d so I guess it cannot really satisfy your requirement.

If you are in the look out for an SUV(or rather a soft SUV), Koleos has been getting some good reviews.

With the Bose system around, you can stay in its cocoon and enjoy some great music and a superior ride.
What will be lacking is the snob value.

Other option- Superb for its plush ride but again you will lose out on the snob factor of a Beemer!!
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Old 29th September 2014, 16:32   #13
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re: Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

Since everyone is giving you suggestions what they feel are right - lemme just add to your confusion!!

I will try and help you come to your conclusion or maybe confuse you further

To start with, since you are driven around most of the time, what you need is a car which is more comfortable than anything else and considering your height - you need the luxury of space the most.
Like you mentioned - you aren't too great with applying brakes, when it comes to pot holes and neither are you great with maintaining the car - so what you need is a solidly built car with not a bank breaking maintenance cost (comparatively)

None of the SUVs will ever give you a comfortable ride what you expect - as most of them are built for a different purpose altogether. The fortuner and pajero sport though great vehicles - aren't as comfortable as any sedan would ever be.
and considering that you are mostly driven around - the most important seat in the car is - the back seat.

That shortens our list to bigger sedans. Considering you haven't mentioned any budget - but you do enjoy the snob value (As it obviously helps in the business and makes a mark) the brand image is important too. But to be quiet honest with you all the 4 biggies (Audi, BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes) are a bit over priced (totally in my opinion) for what they offer and are VERY expensive to maintain. Out of these 4 - the Audi and Mercedes offer the most space inside - but quiet honestly they are more fun to drive than been driven around in. (so why spend close to 50 lacs - and let the driver have all the fun)

all in all - the entire exercise just points to one car - the Skoda Superb.
Agreed it doesn't have the snob value as the bigger 4s - but is always considered a big car nonetheless.
Agreed the internet is full of horror stories of horrible A.S.S - but then it all depends on your local dealer
Agreed people talk about high maintenance cost of the car - but you will not flinch as it is lesser than the bigger 4 - and by a good margin.

Add to it - you get all the goodies with the car, you get almost double the legroom than the immediate competition at almost half the price!!

Accord would have been my choice - but since it ain't available anymore - Skoda Superb is the next best option - and quiet honestly the only option worth considering now.

Last edited by samyakmodi : 29th September 2014 at 16:34.
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Old 29th September 2014, 16:43   #14
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re: Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

Hi,
The options that you consider won't help you have the premium tag and respect that your beemer commands. You have probably 2 options in front of you.
a) Stretch your budget a bit and go for an X1 or Q3. Space won't be much of an improvement in either case compared to your 320d. Have you considered B class? Consider a pre worshipped one if you'd still like to maintain a premium tag.
b) Go for a relatively unfamiliar SUV like Rexton, Koleos, Isuzu MU7, Santa Fe etc and still stand out amongst the crowd.
Any reason why you're still keeping the safari?
All that said fortuner is a brilliant car and a safe option. Will need a fraction of what you're spending on your beemer for maintenence.

Thanks
Sunny
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Old 29th September 2014, 17:11   #15
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re: Live with BMW 320D, or trade it for a Fortuner?

Interesting predicament, Aroon. Here's what I'd suggest:

- Don't even consider the Fortuner. It has a very, very bumpy ride. There is no way anyone who values ride comfort remotely will be happy with a Fortuner. It's a great truck, just not one that rides well.

- Your BMW might just have the potential to fulfill your needs. Try the following:

1. Sit in the FRONT SEAT (related thread). The 320D's seat travel range is very good. Push the front passenger seat all the way back and you'll have ample room for yourself (hopefully, no one is going to sit behind you).

2. Change your runflat tyres to regular tubeless rubber. This will greatly improve the comfort levels.

You clearly haven't had any mechanical issues with your 3, and whatever work has been done is regular fare for a 60,000 kms car. Keep it, you stand to lose a lot of money in selling a 2 year old car.

As with most things in life, try your absolute best to work things out with the existing first, before giving up on hope and getting a replacement .

Quote:
Originally Posted by shady_lawyer View Post
may i suggest the Rexton to the mix.
The Rexton's unsorted suspension makes it a poor choice for someone looking at a comfortable ride.

Last edited by GTO : 29th September 2014 at 17:13.
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