[psurelia]

Originally Posted by condor

What kind of design is that ?

And how much of such pull is normal for a LHD / RHD car ?

Originally Posted by lazybrain

+1 i was also typing the same. IMO slight pull and more pull is subjective and if the car has alignment issues for real, it will show the same symptoms i.e pulling to the left. How do we differentiate in that case?

@condor, @lazybrain: That is exactly where I also got confused . The most deterministic diagnostic is to check on a computerized alignment equipment against the alignment stats mentioned in the manual.

The handy way to check the same on the road is as follows assuming the car is RHD.

If you release the steering wheel on a smooth and straight road and the vehicle drifts to the left as if it is changing lanes, its alignment is at fine. If the vehicle steers to the left or right as if it is about to make a turn (small or big) on releasing the steering wheel, it indicates that the alignment is off.

One of the most common cause of street accidents around the world is drivers falling asleep or suffering from a symptom called "highway hypnosis" during prolonged driving. This design feature takes the car to the left edge of the road and onto Rumble strips/sleeper lines/growlers to alert the driver. Unfortunately, I don't remember seeing rumble strips anywhere in India :(

Just to mention, I had the same pull in my old Esteem and have it in my father's Alto K10 as well.

[condor]

Originally Posted by psurelia

The most deterministic diagnostic is to check on a computerized alignment equipment against the alignment stats mentioned in the manual. (

do you have any numbers to answer my question ?

In which manual are the stats provided ?

[psurelia]

Originally Posted by condor

do you have any numbers to answer my question ?

In which manual are the stats provided ?

@condor: The numbers are provided in the owners' manual of Tata Safari Storme on page number 126. Please refer to the following screenshot and the table on the top-right gives you the alignment stats.

[madhu33]

Looking at the need of an hour , which is to have a 7 seater
(5 adults + 2 kids)car at home .

I visited Malad Concorde last sunday.
Left my Manza's Keys at the reception of the showroom for the valuation to be done while i TD the STORME (my options are XUV 500 and Storme) .
Out of curiosity i also TDed the Diesel Zest.

The Storme Experience : It was Good .

1)I was immediately feeling at home with the size and bulk of the beast.
2)Engine had nice grunt. Allthough No Manza like Turbo spooling push.
But this was a different engine with a different character.
3)Tremendous road presence and respect from bikers , rickshaws smaller cars and even XUVs.
4)Inspite of the size and the bulk it felt comfortable in horrible sunday infinity mall traffic scenario.
5)Dismissed the horrible speed breakers as if they were just small pebbles.
There was a certain land Roverish feel from the underpinnings.
6)Steering felt very lower and did touch my knees (i am 5'10') but i got used to it by the end of TD(not a deal breaker in any way)
7)Interiors of base model looked way better then full biege on top model which i Tded
8)Clutch was worn out and too hard. The Sales rep told me that this is due to abuse the TD vehicle gets .
It had 14k Kms on the ODo but the clutch felt like done 60k+ Kms.
8)Interiors of the TD vehicle were horribly dirty. It felt like the truck has been kept open in a rural village for sevaral weeks.
9)Interior Door pads of rear right door was loosely fitted and rattling.
10)The sales rep who came with me was very crude, shabbily dressed and type of 1 from some Mafia gang. Was continuously directing me to the way back to showroom. But i was like hey i am planning to spend my 14 big ones on this and i plan to take 3-4 more such detailed long TDs before finalizing.
Due to above 3 points i felt like i am planning to buy a cheap rural truck/jeep/ pickup van/bolero
But still those were not the deal breakers for me.

Overall quite liked the Storme , the drive, the ride quality , Everything felt good and tempting about the beast.

Now the real deal breaker :

My 3 year old Manza qjet Aura Abs done 43-44 k kms on ODo was valued at a horrible 2,60,000 only.
(please go through the Tata Manza thread latest posts to know the condition of my Manza. It has been very well maintained.)
I told them "boss it costed me more than 8lacs in June 2011" and i have spent lavishly on accessorizing it.
To which the sales rep told me that then you need to find a buyer yourself .
I was like

Overall verdict : I was so pissed off by the valuation of my Manza that i decided to cut short my next TD plan of the XUV then and there.

Thanks to Concorde Malad . I have found my lost love again in the Manza and i now intend to use it for another 2+ years without any major hiccups(fingers crossed)
And yes By the way the sale rep was supposed to call me back by tuesday with revised and realistic valuation of the Manza.
He havnt done it yet and again a BIG THANKS TO CONCORDE MALAD to have saved me from indulging in spending on the truck.
Now i can very well relate to the poor sales number the TATAs manage month after month.

[psurelia]

Originally Posted by madhu33

Now the real deal breaker :

My 3 year old Manza qjet Aura Abs done 43-44 k kms on ODo was valued at a horrible 2,60,000 only.
(please go through the Tata Manza thread latest posts to know the condition of my Manza. It has been very well maintained.)
I told them "boss it costed me more than 8lacs in June 2011" and i have spent lavishly on accessorizing it.
To which the sales rep told me that then you need to find a buyer yourself .
I was like

Overall verdict : I was so pissed off by the valuation of my Manza that i decided to cut short my next TD plan of the XUV then and there.

Thanks to Concorde Malad . I have found my lost love again in the Manza and i now intend to use it for another 2+ years without any major hiccups(fingers crossed)
And yes By the way the sale rep was supposed to call me back by tuesday with revised and realistic valuation of the Manza.
He havnt done it yet and again a BIG THANKS TO CONCORDE MALAD to have saved me from indulging in spending on the truck.
Now i can very well relate to the poor sales number the TATAs manage month after month.

Madhu,

You mentioned that your Manza is a well maintained one. If you think that you really don't need anything more than a 5 seater, then I would suggest that you keep the Manza for another 2 to 5 years to get the real value of the 8L that you spent.

If you really need a 7 seater and you think Storme is "the one", then don't let it go because of a stupid dealership. I would suggest that you check out other dealerships as well because my experience says all Tata dealers are not as bad. Also, you should TD the XUV and any other alternatives that you have in mind before making your decision.

[CharlesA]

The left pull problem! http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/images.../deadhorse.gif I did not have this problem in the other cars I have driven, maybe its normal for SUVs I don't know. I have just accepted it and moved on. Every 3-4 KM I get it aligned at Madhus , but it still has a slight left pull!! I am not the only one facing this, the guys at Madhus did mention that many people have had the same problem with the storme!

[madhu33]

Originally Posted by psurelia

Madhu,
You mentioned that your Manza is a well maintained one. If you think that you really don't need anything more than a 5 seater, then I would suggest that you keep the Manza for another 2 to 5 years to get the real value of the 8L that you spent.

It surely is very well maintained and should easily last those additional years.
The problem is not my Manza , the problem is i am really losing my trust on TATA MOTORS brand very fast.
And this irresponsible valuation at CONCORDE has been the trigger for that.
Off late have been facing problems with the service center as well.
Well the real need actually is of a 7 seater with airbags
Now how long can i supress the urge to upgrade is something which will be running in my head.

Originally Posted by psurelia

If you really need a 7 seater and you think Storme is "the one", then don't let it go because of a stupid dealership. I would suggest that you check out other dealerships as well because my experience says all Tata dealers are not as bad. Also, you should TD the XUV and any other alternatives that you have in mind before making your decision.

Yes i will TD the XUV for sure .Actually in 2013 i have driven cousins XUV W8 and liked it at that time. It Fits the bill perfectly for me. But if i were to decide for the XUV my heart will always curse my mind whenever i see a STORME passing by.
Again don't know how good or bad, the Mahindra experience would be

Meanwhile , i really am looking at getting all the problems (small or big) sorted out in my Manza (only God and Concorde service willing) so that it can last the distance. 1 thing is for sure , My peace of mind has been robbed at the moment with the TATA.

Aah now , i must say , the premium one is paying for the so called ' peace of mind' with the Toyotas might just be justified..

[arulpeem]

Originally Posted by madhu33

Now the real deal breaker :

Overall verdict : I was so pissed off by the valuation of my Manza that i decided to cut short my next TD plan of the XUV then and there.

Thanks to Concorde Malad . I have found my lost love again in the Manza and i now intend to use it for another 2+ years without any major hiccups(fingers crossed)

I had the same experience a few months back in Chennai Concorde. I was planning to replace my 4 year old Grande MKII by going for the Aria or the Storme. I was offered about 2L for it. Looks like Tata them selves don't believe in the resale value of their brands. Therefore I also decided to keep my Grande MKII for another two years.

[sachinayak]

Originally Posted by madhu33

My 3 year old Manza qjet Aura Abs done 43-44 k kms on ODo was valued at a horrible 2,60,000 only.

You are not alone. I wanted to switch to a 7 seater with ABS/Airbags and thought the MS Ertiga was a good fit. Went to a MS showroom in my locality and was given a quote of 2.5L for my 2011 Manza (30K kms only, but second owner). Got the quote 3 days after inspection, and was also indicated that they are doing me a favor by giving such a high quote. Ditched the purchase right there.

Truth is Tata vehicles have really poor resale value (and one of the reasons i bought my hardly run pre-owned Manza).

I too decided to save my money and stick with the Manza for a couple more years, though with the introduction of the Zest at such mouth watering prices and the likelihood of the Manza getting phased out (sooner or later, this is bound to happen), resale prices are only south-bound.

Am waiting for the petrol-diesel pricing to rationalize the used-car market before my next switch.

Sorry for going off-topic, but thought it was relevant to this specific experience.

[ortho_surgeon]

I was planning to replace my 4 year old Grande MKII by going for the Aria or the Storme. I was offered about 2L for it

Just 2 lacs.

In a place like Bengaluru where 2lacs is just the road tax paid for a huge vehicle, you should have given the salesman a piece of your mind.

I really don't understand what these dealers think of themselves. We had a Tata Manza from the October 2009 first batch. The car spent more time in the workshop, then at home. When I took it to dealership, they evaluated it at more than 50% less. That too in first year of ownership, and less than 8000km. I really lost it that day and told EVERYONE in the showroom, " Never buy a vehicle from them, they are big cheats and this is what they offering me for a 10 month vehicle. I created a big ruckus that day, so much so that the sales manager offered me a 1.5 lacs discount on the 2.2 dicor that day. But no way was I going to be fooled again by buying a Tata.

I was lucky to sell the car outside, but lost 2.5 lacs in the deal.

That was my last experience with Tata.

[stormerider]

Resale value depends upon a lot of things, demand/supply, etc. When you exchange your vehicle at any dealership, they purchase from you and sell it in the market. This is like a business for them, and they want to earn maximum out of it. Most of them will give you less quotes for any vehicle/make.

Also you should not dismiss a total company because resale value (of the car you owned) offered to you was less! And judging this way will mean that no one would ever buy any luxury car (audi,bmw, merc, etc.), they are depreciation disasters. You buy a car for what it is and not for the resale value, else go buy a Maruti/Toyota only. and if I am not wrong maruti also had poor resale in this price bracket (vitara, sx4).

IMO this is a discussion about Storme, not about Tata and resale values. No offense to anyone, but can we get back to the discussion please.

[psurelia]

I think Storme is a wonderful product from the house of Tata. I had no issues with the vehicle so far. You can read my ownership review and travelogues. Tata seems to be putting a lot of effort lately to enhance the customers' experience with their dealerships. My experience with KB Motors, Kolkata is pretty good so far. Therefore, I would like to suggest prospective buyers not to deprive yourselves of a product like Storme just because of your past experiences or one stupid dealer. If you are not happy with one dealer, you definitely should check with others.

It's your money and you have every right to be careful about where to spend it. Therefore, I would advise not to lose your calm because of some stupid filthy sales rep, not to rush and take your time to do the research till you are completely satisfied with both the product and the service provider, i.e. the dealership and service centre.

[diwa]

Originally Posted by arulpeem

I had the same experience a few months back in Chennai Concorde. I was planning to replace my 4 year old Grande MKII by going for the Aria or the Storme. I was offered about 2L for it. Looks like Tata them selves don't believe in the resale value of their brands. Therefore I also decided to keep my Grande MKII for another two years.

Wow, is the resale value so low for TATA vehicles? and comparatively Maruti vehicles have a very good resale value.

I just exchanged my 2006 Garnet Orange Swift Vxi (1,10,000 KMS run) for an Ertiga in June, the Swift was valued at Rs 1,80,000/- + exchange bonus of Rs 20,000/-.

[chinkara]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

I recently drove the Safari Storme and it makes a lot of sense to buy the 4x4 VX at 10 lacs less than the Fortuner. Wish Tata could provide a manual 4wd shifter instead of the electronic one as well as 4x4 option in the LX trim.

Agree wholeheartedly.

The electronic 4WD shifter works well by all reports (and the couple of times I have tried it).

Everyone wants LX 4x4, but Tata is not keen.

[psurelia]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

I recently drove the Safari Storme and it makes a lot of sense to buy the 4x4 VX at 10 lacs less than the Fortuner. Wish Tata could provide a manual 4wd shifter instead of the electronic one as well as 4x4 option in the LX trim.

Originally Posted by chinkara

Agree wholeheartedly.

The electronic 4WD shifter works well by all reports (and the couple of times I have tried it).

Everyone wants LX 4x4, but Tata is not keen.

On the LX 4x4 topic, the thing that most of the manufacturers (probably except M&M) fail to realize is that people opting for 4x4 want these machines to be their secondary recreational vehicle. Therefore, they don't want to spend a lot of money on it. Mahindra is the King of UVs in India because they understand their customers well and offer 4x4s at prices that no other manufacture (including India's very own Tata) cannot match even remotely.