[vipinendran]

Originally Posted by lifebuoy

No bodyroll ? That's surprising, considerin that the Xylo and the Scorpio are famous for body roll.

Well I have now clocked 2200 km on my quanto, and I have not driven it like a ferrari. ( Had the pportunity of driving one in the USA ) IMHO one drives an SUV a little different from how one drives a sedan. I have a honda city and I drive it very differently from how I would drive my friends fortuner or my quanto. This is basic commensense driving and one which is not follwed in our country which has the highest accident rate in the world. When driving an suv I stick to speeds around 100km/h ( remember our highways can through up surprises anytime) and 120km/h in a sedan, this gives me ample time to be react to any surprises. With regard to the quanto. There is no way you would feel excessive body when a quanto is driven this way. What I am saying is the body roll of quanto is overhyped and it is just same as any typical suv/muv. Well it is surprising that some of my family members who have the tendency to throw up when travelling in the ghats "touch wood" never threw up even once when in the quanto

+1. Mahindra and TATA provide value, which is what causes our "junta" to squirm at. The Duster is no doubt overpriced along with poor interior quality (dash, rear ac vent, door beads,etc). I personally like the Quanto's value proposition, however, the proportions are a damp squib. The Duster beats it hollow on this count, at least.

What i meant is the extra bucks I pay for the duster is in no way justified unless maybe I try my hands on offroading. For Indian roads ( City and Highways ) the quanto is SPOT ON and, why would an Indian car buyer spend more for something which he would never use in his lifetime ? This is the reason why the duster's numbers are falling after the intial love affair and people started realising the practical aspects of buying the car. This fall will be even more pronunced in the coming days.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Quanto definitely is a VFM offering from the specs & features. But Duster beats the Quanto black & blue when it comes to dynamics!

Unless one is offroading, or maybe using the yamuna expressway, I feel one should never spend a good 2.5 to 3 lakh extra for the so called extra or "better dynamics". It is not that the quanto would topple over when driven but When driving on our Indian roads along with so many other different road users from bullock cats to bmws I feel one should never drive aggresively and for defensive driving the quanto is just amazing, the high riding position when compared to the duster makes it a great hit for the Indian car buyer.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Hmm..interesting point. If we compare Duster as a stand alone product & compare the quality of plastics for the price it costs, YES - the plastics are low quality. But Quanto neither has great plastics compared to Duster, but we are OK to live with it at the price it offers.

If we compare both Duster & Quanto on the plastic quality, price NOT withstanding, Duster has better plastics.

Surprsing that someone is willing to pay more for the same/inferior plastic quality, doesn't seem to be a great idea. Btw IMO Quanto's plastics are much better than the Duster.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by vipinendran

...What i meant is the extra bucks I pay for the duster is in no way justified unless maybe I try my hands on offroading.

Originally Posted by vipinendran

...Unless one is offroading, or maybe using the yamuna expressway, I feel one should never spend a good 2.5 to 3 lakh extra for the so called extra or "better dynamics"...

Duster & off-roading?? Nobody in the right mind will / should take Duster for off-roading.

Originally Posted by vipinendran

...It is not that the quanto would topple over when driven but When driving on our Indian roads along with so many other different road users from bullock cats to bmws I feel one should never drive aggresively and for defensive driving the quanto is just amazing....

Originally Posted by vipinendran

Surprsing that someone is willing to pay more for the same/inferior plastic quality, doesn't seem to be a great idea. Btw IMO Quanto's plastics are much better than the Duster.

Duster's strength is NOT it's plastics, but the ride & handling. If someone gifts me a Quanto, I still would NOT take it, because I like a car which is Fun-To-Drive and is comfortable on the highways and handles well. Quanto just does NOT cut it.

Toppling can happen in low speeds too; one need not be aggressively driving it. Even if you are driving defensive & when there is an emergency where you need to (or end up) turn(ing) in an abrupt manner, chances are high Quanto will topple, due to it's construction / dynamics. Add to it, if you drive thru bad or un-even roads, the passengers will be thrown around or ride will be bumpy.

Isn't it surprising that a VFM product like Quanto is selling almost half as an overpriced Duster? That's because people look for a far more accomplished product than what may seem VFM in terms of features; NOT to forget the fantastic ARAI FE claims supporting Duster.

Originally Posted by vipinendran

...Btw IMO Quanto's plastics are much better than the Duster.

We can agree to disagree on the plastics! I, any day rate Duster's plastic better than Quanto's!

[Steeroid]

Originally Posted by vipinendran

It has no bodyroll and in fact the height of the car worked to my advantage during night driving when most headlights which would blind me when driving my honda city would cause no problems at all in my quanto.

I guess most people's perception of the vehicle is based on others perceptions rather than a logical analysis. In fact I am surprised as to why " Experts" talk about its handling and dynamics when I had no such issues on the highways and twisted roads. The quanto is great value for money especially when compared to the Duster's overpricing and hype

It must take a lot of effort to be able to feel no body roll at all on this thing. Or a very vivid imagination, because the vehicle can make a pirate feel sea-sick. I am surprised how it received any road worthiness certification considering its ability to sway, rock and roll. That's before we get around to using the brakes to bring it to a stop.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by Steeroid

It must take a lot of effort to be able to feel no body roll at all on this thing. Or a very vivid imagination, because the vehicle can make a pirate feel sea-sick. I am surprised how it received any road worthiness certification considering its ability to sway, rock and roll. That's before we get around to using the brakes to bring it to a stop.

100% agreed with you Steer. I drove a colleagues Quanto a couple of times and it was a harrowing experience. The damn thing starts to roll even at 40kmph. You can't even compare the Duster's dynamics to the Quanto because the Duster is several leagues ahead.

[vipinendran]

Looks like every one is sailing on the high seas with the quanto, Body roll at 40 km/ h , U must be kidding, ( Heights of imagination ). In spite of the severe quanto bashing by all the duster fans, Quanto is still raking in the numbers ( nearly 10,000 since it has been launched so far ) and a long waiting list. It is high time we look at the intelligence of a car buyer in India. We can't dismiss this as am junta etc., People really know their needs are and make an intelligent decision rather than based on infactuation.

[venkyhere]

personally, I have not driven the quanto nor the duster. I drive a figo, and I love it for its road-hugginess and the cornering. But we must remember, different peoples needs are different. For many, all they need is VFM, space, cheap spares and 'soaking uneven road surface' ; the macho look in somebody else's RVM being the icing on top. (Personally, I prefer road dynamics ahead of all of the above)

We should not take anything away from quanto; afterall, mahindra somehow finds a way to break open new segments & they have been successful to a large extent. In this case, they had a hunch that there is a market for a mini-people carrier & it shows in the sales numbers. The same cannot be said of nissan/renault for whom it required an 'ageing' (w.r.t their already established markets abroad) duster to rake in some money in the indian market, despite having so many cars in their indian fleet.

Overall, I believe mahindra knows what its doing & renault have a 'foot in the door' with the duster. Driving enthusiasts like us who swear by 'dynamics' are still few and far in between, w.r.t the overall car buying market in india.

[jp1]

My Quanto ODO is nearing 3000kms. I have driven on highways (at an average speed of 100kms/hr), 700kms at one go, on winding ghat roads with lots of sharp bends where I had to overtake many heavy vehicles. I can say the body roll as envisaged in some of these threads are an exaggeration. Before I bought the vehicle, I was quite concerned with it, but not anymore. That doesnt mean it has no body roll, it is there, but I feel it is less than many other Mahindra vehicles and make no sense to compare it to a sedan.

[vipinendran]

Originally Posted by jp1

My Quanto ODO is nearing 3000kms. I have driven on highways (at an average speed of 100kms/hr), 700kms at one go, on winding ghat roads with lots of sharp bends where I had to overtake many heavy vehicles. I can say the body roll as envisaged in some of these threads are an exaggeration. Before I bought the vehicle, I was quite concerned with it, but not anymore. That doesnt mean it has no body roll, it is there, but I feel it is less than many other Mahindra vehicles and make no sense to compare it to a sedan.

So true jp1, the same here, 2 trips from chennai to bangalore, ( hosur and chitoor routes) a trip to chidambaram and a trip to yelagiri and in the narrow roads and streets of chennai, the vehicle is very very adaptable and that I feel is what the Indian car user wants, given the extreme variations we encounter in our driving conditions, a vehicle that will take it on with aplomb.

[lifebuoy]

Originally Posted by venkyhere

We should not take anything away from quanto; afterall, mahindra somehow finds a way to break open new segments & they have been successful to a large extent. In this case, they had a hunch that there is a market for a mini-people carrier & it shows in the sales numbers.

Overall, I believe mahindra knows what its doing & renault have a 'foot in the door' with the duster. Driving enthusiasts like us who swear by 'dynamics' are still few and far in between, w.r.t the overall car buying market in india.

+1 to that. Mahindra has the knack of mapping the Indian buyer's mind very well indeed. The same is what TATA is probably lacking, or it does not fit into their business dynamics or policies. (read Mass market appease).

However, I agree with the fact that the Quanto is a much better option if one has a tight budget, needs space and economy in running. The 100 BHP 3 pot hawk derivative will prove itself as its elder brother has done in the scorpio and XUV. Wonder why TATA dosen't do the same to the brilliant 2.2 VTT and load it in a sub 4 meter MUV ?

The Venture platform can be used (upsized) proportionately like the Ertiga / Evalia, or downsize the Winger. These are "desi" ideas, the beat would be to resurrect the Sierra platform or a dead Land Rover one.

[deehunk]

I had the opportunity to be a part of Quanto test drive with my brother-in law yesterday evening on Bannerghatta Road. I would first like to comment on 3rd row seat as this may be the deciding factor for many in yes/no for buying. My brother-in law is a 6 feet plus guy, he also can sit inside and close the door comfortably. I see there is not enough leg room for 2 tall people to sit inside and also headroom is just like a gentle reminder on top. For any average height people it is Ok. The front row and second row offers good space. The driver side seating position is very good and for tall people gives a good view of road ahead. The gear shifts were precise and no signs of turbo lag when we were driving in bumper to bumper traffic. The steering is very good and dont feel like driving a heavy vehicle. It was very easy and smooth turning the vehicle, no body roll observed as many have highlighted. We tried this many times specifically on the road in front of Meenakshi Mall. AC effect is again good and no effect of AC observed on performance of vehicle. The vibrations can be felt on steering and gear lever. We did not feel any body roll to the extent as many have highlighted here or did we miss something? The speedo meter console should have been definitely better it looked pretty average. Overall we liked the vehicle and is a good move by Mahindra.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by vipinendran

Looks like every one is sailing on the high seas with the quanto, Body roll at 40 km/ h , U must be kidding, ( Heights of imagination ). In spite of the severe quanto bashing by all the duster fans, Quanto is still raking in the numbers ( nearly 10,000 since it has been launched so far ) and a long waiting list. It is high time we look at the intelligence of a car buyer in India. We can't dismiss this as am junta etc., People really know their needs are and make an intelligent decision rather than based on infactuation.

Unfortunately, there was no imagination involved when I drove the Quanto.

100% agreed that the Quanto is raking in the numbers and is a VFM product. But it is nowhere near a perfect product. Compromises have to be made and in case of Quanto, the compromise is the handling and drive feel. Even the Duster has compromises but drive quality is any day superior.

Maybe my point of reference is little higher and I am expecting something which is not possible. Since I drive a Figo, the yardstick is a higher and if I go in with 0 expectations, the Quanto may actually be an excellent handler.

[vipinendran]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Unfortunately, there was no imagination involved when I drove the Quanto.

100% agreed that the Quanto is raking in the numbers and is a VFM product. But it is nowhere near a perfect product. Compromises have to be made and in case of Quanto, the compromise is the handling and drive feel. Even the Duster has compromises but drive quality is any day superior.

Maybe my point of reference is little higher and I am expecting something which is not possible. Since I drive a Figo, the yardstick is a higher and if I go in with 0 expectations, the Quanto may actually be an excellent handler.

Every time I travel in a figo ( one year old ) with my friend its underbelly scrapes at the slightest hump on the road, he has lost count to the number of times this has happened to his figo with the result that he planned to exchange it for a ritz. He would completely stop at a speedbraker or a big pothole and then try all sorts of manouvers to cross but still get a rub. He took a long drive on my quanto, went and TD a duster and has booked a quanto yesterday with Zulikha Motors, Now he is another addition to the long list of people who did not listen to and go by the "EXPERTS" view on the quanto.

Originally Posted by deehunk

I had the opportunity to be a part of Quanto test drive with my brother-in law yesterday evening on Bannerghatta Road. I would first like to comment on 3rd row seat as this may be the deciding factor for many in yes/no for buying. My brother-in law is a 6 feet plus guy, he also can sit inside and close the door comfortably. I see there is not enough leg room for 2 tall people to sit inside and also headroom is just like a gentle reminder on top. For any average height people it is Ok. The front row and second row offers good space. The driver side seating position is very good and for tall people gives a good view of road ahead. The gear shifts were precise and no signs of turbo lag when we were driving in bumper to bumper traffic. The steering is very good and dont feel like driving a heavy vehicle. It was very easy and smooth turning the vehicle, no body roll observed as many have highlighted. We tried this many times specifically on the road in front of Meenakshi Mall. AC effect is again good and no effect of AC observed on performance of vehicle. The vibrations can be felt on steering and gear lever. We did not feel any body roll to the extent as many have highlighted here or did we miss something? The speedo meter console should have been definitely better it looked pretty average. Overall we liked the vehicle and is a good move by Mahindra.

You did not miss anything my friend, Go ahead and get one if you like it. As mentioned in this thread by quanto users like me and jp1 the body roll is same as for any other SUV/MUV, unless you are planning to take it to the beach to ride it on the high seas

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by vipinendran

Every time I travel in a figo ( one year old ) with my friend its underbelly scrapes at the slightest hump on the road, he has lost count to the number of times this has happened to his figo with the result that he planned to exchange it for a ritz. He would completely stop at a speedbraker or a big pothole and then try all sorts of manouvers to cross but still get a rub. He took a long drive on my quanto, went and TD a duster and has booked a quanto yesterday with Zulikha Motors, Now he is another addition to the long list of people who did not listen to and go by the "EXPERTS" view on the quanto.

I drive in Bangalore which is known for the worst speed breakers. There are 27 speed breakers on my way to work. Strangely I have scraped them only twice in the 3 years I have had my car.

Yes, the Figo is a low car but like I said I am used to low cars with excellent handling and no body roll. Having had a Lancer before this, I know how to drive without scraping over speed breakers. But what I cannot do is drive a car which handles poorly. I am not an expert and good enough driver for that.

Basically I prefer to drive a car where I am the limitation and know that the car will perform till my ability. I am not an expert where the limitation is the car and not me i.e. handling which I as a driver am not comfortable with. Noone has to listen to a so called expert and then buy a car. You buy a car based on your own needs and not what an expert says. Everyone has different needs.

Let's agree to disagree here as we all know that once someone puts down their hard earned money for any vehicle, that vehicle becomes the best and one tends to ignore the faults.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

...Let's agree to disagree here as we all know that once someone puts down their hard earned money for any vehicle, that vehicle becomes the best and one tends to ignore the faults.

Viddy, I do NOT think there is any point in trying to make this guy understand on what Quanto is good or bad at. He "wants" to believe Quanto has NO bodyroll and is desperate to prove the "experts" wrong!!

And if a guy moved from a great handling car as Figo to a Quanto, then I think his preferences are totally messed up. Or in the first place, he didn't know / bother to research whether Figo (or what car) satisfied his needs, instead took the plunge based on some hearsay!

[deep_bang]

I have a Quanto and although i have run only about 400 kms, can clarify some things. My ownership thread has the full details, but here is a summary:
1. First, I agree that the body roll is present. However, it seems much more hyped up than it is. In real world conditions, i find it to be acceptable.
2. Second, I agree that Duster's dynamics are better. But then there is no limit - we can keep comparing other cars to Duster where Duster's dynamics are put to shame. So, the point is, lets not make this a Quanto versus Duster debate. Simply because they are not in the same price bracket.
3. If you understand the value it offers, Quanto is a very good value for money. There are points that the Quanto is better at while there are other things that the duster is better at.

Very simply put, Quanto is good value for the money you pay (at 8.5L), while Duster is a tad expensive (12+ L)for what it offers. Well, depending on how much you are willing to spend, and your expectations, one should choose between the two.