[storme'd]

Originally Posted by jesrani

I look forward to some advice from current users and those who have driven these cars.

I have been using the storme since the last almost 17 months and have had a relatively trouble free journey so far. To answer some of your questions:

1. I graduated from the new honda city and it happened seamlessly. The sitting stance is such that u find it easier to drive than low slung sedans.

2. Once you get used to driving a diesel, the acceleration is trouble free. I find the 2nd gear pretty worthless but that's it.

3. The storme has had its share of niggles but guess they are all sorted out now. Nothing major was faced by anyone on the forum except a few squeaks which got ok

4. I guess the storme's clutch is one of the lightest in suv's. Obviously harder than the city but I don't get any pain

5. Even in the nvh dept the storme will surprise you. Yes the engine is noisy but once you shut the windows, you are literally in a sound proof room.

6. There is no dead clutch here

7. Fuel efficiency is anywhere between 10 to 14 in city driving as reported by members here. I normally get around 11.5 in city and 13 on the highways with both acs on.

8. Can't answer to a T as never owned the safari, but one thing for sure I can say: the interiors are far better than the older one and so is the suspension. The turning radius can give sedans a run for their money which is far better than the safari. All in all, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, but I would say its a better package overall.

TD and decide what you like.

Test drive and decide.

[jesrani]

Originally Posted by storme'd

TD and decide what you like.

Test drive and decide.

Thanks. Will definitely take TD. One more question. Do you think my Wife will be able to handle it? Currently she also drives the SX4 on the highway, can she drive the Storme? And how ingress/egress for senior citizens?

I am also reading the reviews of the Mobilo, again a different segment. But seems quite good.

[garyag79]

Originally Posted by jesrani

Tata Storme or Honda City




1) How is the car to drive on highway and in city, compared to a sedan?
2) Is the acceleration good, given the weight?
3) Is it niggle free or has relative unirritating niggles.
4) How is the clutch? Is it too hard over a period of time? Sometimes in stop and go traffic, I get left leg pain even in the SX4, so how about the Storme?
5) How is the NVH, this is important since we are used to a silent car now. I know the Honda City is also not too good but it didn't feel too bad in the test drive.
6) Is there place to rest the left foot?
7) How is the fuel efficiency?
8) Is it better than old Safari?

.

1) Graduated from hatchback and sedans to Storme. Absolutely seamless transition, thanks to excellent sitting position and all round visibility.

2) Acceleration is great, the moment turbo kicks in at around 1700 rpm. Obviously it is not as linear as petrol sedans this side of 10 L but once it kicks in the beats gallops.

3) My Storme is 6 week old, no issue faced so far but for a minor squeak in the tail gate and rattling because of lose seat belt socket. Everything is sorted out.

4) 2800 KM done at the time of writing this, clutch is smooth, have faced no issue in Delhi stop and go traffic.

5) The Storme starts and everyone around it knows its a TATA diesel....roll up the windows and then only the T on the steering wheel reminds you that it is a TATA diesel. Excellent NVH, silent cabin.

6) Their is no place to rest left foot, having said that you dont feel the need for one, ample space is their in the well.

7) I am getting 11-12 kmpl with 100% AC city driving

8) No experience of old Safari

9) Your wife will be able to drive it, my wife is just 5' and she is completely at ease with the Storme. So much so that she is now working on a deal with me to have alternate between Storme and her Ritz in the week.

Close your eyes, expand your wallet and buy it.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Storme_on_d_way

Being into the ORVM industry, let me tell you that they can easily provide the customer with just the inside glass or sub mirror which costs not more than 10 percent of the complete assembly. Infact some OEM suppliers are already supplying the sub mirrors in the open market. The reason why authorised service centres don't do that is simple. They want to milk the customers as much as they can. They know that most of the times, its just the inside glass that gets broken or stolen but they dont believe in the good ol "dont fix what aint broken"

In this (Safari/Storme) case I am not so sure of that. Because Tata does not supply only the glass separate in its spare part catalog listing. So can't blame the authorized service centers for not selling what is not there to sell in the first place! So to be fair and blace the blame at the correct doorstep, this is a Tata thing and not a TASS thing. And you are right, the glass is available in the aftermarket. But a friend who bought such a glass commented that (1) the glass does not have the "Objects are closer ....." thing written on them; and (2) the image quality is not as good as the original glass. Not sure if in these aftermarket glasses there are different price/quality levels - he bought his for 500 bucks. Rather than buying the whole assembly for around 4000 bucks.

[rkg]

Originally Posted by ebonho

In this (Safari/Storme) case I am not so sure of that. Because Tata does not supply only the glass separate in its spare part catalog listing. So can't blame the authorized service centers for not selling what is not there to sell in the first place! So to be fair and blace the blame at the correct doorstep, this is a Tata thing and not a TASS thing. And you are right, the glass is available in the aftermarket. But a friend who bought such a glass commented that (1) the glass does not have the "Objects are closer ....." thing written on them; and (2) the image quality is not as good as the original glass. Not sure if in these aftermarket glasses there are different price/quality levels - he bought his for 500 bucks. Rather than buying the whole assembly for around 4000 bucks.

TASS indeed sell the glass alone, but only for Indica range with TATA logo and halogram. It is only 500/- odd rupees. It is not available for Vista, Manza.. I have seen it the other day at Concorde, Hosur road. The mirror is just puch it to fix type for Indica

[YGarg]

Originally Posted by jesrani

Tata Storme or Honda City

I look forward to some advice from current users and those who have driven these cars.

Most of your queries have been answered already, but I just want to add that don't buy a Safari if your friend or friend's friend vouches for it (two of my petrolhead friends who TD'd it with me found XUV & duster to be better, though I chose THE Storme). Don't buy it for being a 7-seater alone or boot space, as many other cars can fulfill your requirement on this front. Don't buy for it being a diesel as the fuel consumption is around 11 - 12 kpl (approximately double running cost as compared to a diesel City).
Since you said you liked ES drive (and found duster too wide, and innova too bulky; and I very well know the city driving conditions of Mumbai) I suspect you may find Storme even more bulky as its about 1 foot longer, 1/2 foot wider and 3/4 foot taller (thank-god) than a duster.
In busy city streets, you'll find it comfortable to maneuver but difficult to park. No issue with ladies driving it. Pick-up is very good, and brakes are unbelievably good! It's better than DICOR but some niggling issues (none too serious though) like door rattling have been commonly reported. Clutch is softer than duster, but travel is larger than SX4 / City. Left leg doesn't get a parking place, but a ground to play. NVH is subjective, and if you want a car to be silent it can put you off with its engine vibration during starting / stopping and pronounced growl on outside. At the price of an XUV W6 you won't get airbags, cruise control, SATNAV and the fancy electronic stuff in it.
Overall quality-wise (it's too early to say though) I don't think it will be better than Innova / City, rather be in the league of Duster / XUV.

I suggest you to TD XUV (its lighter, and Mahindra is as good as TATA), Innova (does most things well), and Sunny (space, price) together with Aria and Storme extensively before taking the final decision.

IMHO, USP of Storme lies in its Elegant timeless design, Built-to-purpose appeal, Robust mechanicals, BOF design, Pliant suspension, comfortable seats, Powerful engine, Cruising capability, Absence of too many gizmos, and Image; which puts it apart from the other cars in this segment.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by rkg

TASS indeed sell the glass alone, but only for Indica range with TATA logo and halogram. It is only 500/- odd rupees. It is not available for Vista, Manza.. I have seen it the other day at Concorde, Hosur road. The mirror is just puch it to fix type for Indica

Can someone confirm whether they do indeed sell it separate for the Dicor or the Storme? I have been told that it does not come from Tata itself. Would like to know if someone is pulling a fast one here .....

[narayan]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Can someone confirm whether they do indeed sell it separate for the Dicor or the Storme? I have been told that it does not come from Tata itself. Would like to know if someone is pulling a fast one here .....

They dont. more details on cost of full assembly etc in my ownership thread.

another pt is the after market ones dont have the heating function at the back.

[himanshugoswami]

Originally Posted by jesrani

Thanks. Will definitely take TD. One more question. Do you think my Wife will be able to handle it? Currently she also drives the SX4 on the highway, can she drive the Storme? And how ingress/egress for senior citizens?

I am also reading the reviews of the Mobilo, again a different segment. But seems quite good.

My wife drives an SX4- been driving it for 5 years now. She never used to drive my Captiva saying she doesnt feel at ease with the car. But ever since I got the Storme, she borrows it from me every alternate day.

hope that answers your question.....

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by jesrani

Can Storme users comment on following :
1) How is the car to drive on highway and in city, compared to a sedan?
2) Is the acceleration good, given the weight?
3) Is it niggle free or has relative unirritating niggles.
4) How is the clutch? Is it too hard over a period of time? Sometimes in stop and go traffic, I get left leg pain even in the SX4, so how about the Storme?
5) How is the NVH, this is important since we are used to a silent car now. I know the Honda City is also not too good but it didn't feel too bad in the test drive.
6) Is there place to rest the left foot?
7) How is the fuel efficiency?
8) Is it better than old Safari?

1) They are two different experiences altogether. SUV and sedan. That said, the SUV for its bulk does take more out of you after a long drive compared to a sedan (the Baleno in my case). This of course is my personal experience. I drive my SUV mch like a drive my sedan - always fast and always pretty competitively aggressively.

2) The acceleration is very good. And on par and even better that more expensive SUVs. The Storme holds its own. Maybe not so much against a Fortuner or a Pajero Sport in the right hands though.

3) I have had no niggles yet. A niggle being something that keeps recurring and irritates you enough to want to take the effort to have the TASS look at it. Just the channel issue of the power windows - but that comes and goes and never reproduces itself in fornt of Tata or TASS people magically ......

4) Its ok. Harder than a sedan obviously. But not something that bothers my left knee. And I have an injured left knee from an old motorcycling accident, so I would definitely know.

5) The NVH is very good at idle and even running for a big diesel truck pedigree SUV. With the wondows rolled up. The shudder at startup and shutoff is something I actually like and look forward to. Makes me reconnect to my primal roots.

6) Yes. On the floor.

7) I get 9-10 in the city. A little more (around 12?) on the highway. Though I suppose I could get better if I drive better. Just never tried. Yet.

8) Its an evolution of the old Safari. Definitely better in many respects. The dynamics and handling, the suspension, the braking substantially, the steering inputs and feel, the gearshift quality and preciseness, the clutch, the interiors by a lot, the lights, the acceleration and the top speed (both marginally). The old Safari scores with the more generous seats, the 3rd row space (marginally), the better door sills (for the driver who likes to rest his righelbow there), the third row roof grabrails (versus the new small slots externally), and the larger fuel tank range (important). The looks are of course subjective and both are in different classes - the urban city beast versus the farm cousin from the countryside.

I have TDd the Duster last year and found it too large/wide

The Duster is much smaller externally and internally than the Storme. The Storme makes the XUV look small. The Fortuner and the Endeavor and Pajero Sport look similar sized. The Aria and Innova are in a different category (big but lower).

The Ertiga is a good all-round car but I did not find it very spacious, it's cramped, not as good as SX4. I have checked out the EcoSport, superb to drive but boot space was absolute deal breaker for me. I am not interested in Innova, find it too bulky for city use and engine is not powerful.

Check out the Honda Mobilio. Looks romising though have yet to see it in the flesh.

Hope this helps. All the best for your search.

P.S. The Storme is very easy for women to drive. My wife says so every time she tries to get the keys from me.

Parking (and backing) is another issue. But then that has got less to do with the Storme per se ......

[Storme_on_d_way]

Originally Posted by ebonho

In this (Safari/Storme) case I am not so sure of that. Because Tata does not supply only the glass separate in its spare part catalog listing. So can't blame the authorized service centers for not selling what is not there to sell in the first place! So to be fair and blace the blame at the correct doorstep, this is a Tata thing and not a TASS thing. And you are right, the glass is available in the aftermarket. But a friend who bought such a glass commented that (1) the glass does not have the "Objects are closer ....." thing written on them; and (2) the image quality is not as good as the original glass. Not sure if in these aftermarket glasses there are different price/quality levels - he bought his for 500 bucks. Rather than buying the whole assembly for around 4000 bucks.

Yes , my bad. I meant it for tata only as tass only provides what tata asks them to. Coming to the other thing, even replacement market comprises of good and not so good product quality. "Objects are closer....." Thing will only be written in convex mirrors which obviously cost slightly more than the plain mirrors. If you want, i can always ask one of my dealers to find out the availability and price of the same. Last i checked, there was a decent brand "FOX" selling only inner glass plates for ORVMs. Im sure there must be many others too.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Storme_on_d_way

If you want, i can always ask one of my dealers to find out the availability and price of the same. Last i checked, there was a decent brand "FOX" selling only inner glass plates for ORVMs. Im sure there must be many others too.

Sure buddy, that would be super if you could - for both Dicor as well as us Storme owners! Thanks a ton. Especially as in most cases the Warranty does not cover replacement. Do these Fox ones come with the heated elements at the back (for the Storme glasses)?

[Storme_on_d_way]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Sure buddy, that would be super if you could - for both Dicor as well as us Storme owners! Thanks a ton. Especially as in most cases the Warranty does not cover replacement. Do these Fox ones come with the heated elements at the back (for the Storme glasses)?

I only manufacture complete ORVM assemblies and need to ask one of the dealers about the details. Give me a day's time and I will get back to you. IMO dont think they would be making it with the heating element as that invariably increases the costing and replacement market works on a cut throat competition basis but will ask and confirm

[condor]

Originally Posted by YGarg

..but I just want to add that don't buy a Safari
if your friend or friend's friend vouches for it
for being a 7-seater alone or boot space
for it being a diesel

@YGarg, very well put !

@jesrani, this is your purchase, and you have to drive /live with it. See if you like it, if this what you want. Else stay away.

[jesrani]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Check out the Honda Mobilio. Looks romising though have yet to see it in the flesh.

Hope this helps. All the best for your search.

Originally Posted by YGarg

IMHO, USP of Storme lies in its Elegant timeless design, Built-to-purpose appeal, Robust mechanicals, BOF design, Pliant suspension, comfortable seats, Powerful engine, Cruising capability, Absence of too many gizmos, and Image; which puts it apart from the other cars in this segment.

Originally Posted by condor

@YGarg, very well put !

@jesrani, this is your purchase, and you have to drive /live with it. See if you like it, if this what you want. Else stay away.

Thanks everyone for helping. Just took a short TD of the Storme VX, my wife drove it too.
Definitely liked the car, build quality, fit finish all seems good. No issues on NVH front now. Car is big but even that did not bother me much. Could clearly see bonnett line. Driving position is superb. Steering is bit heavy but understandable. It's good though. The clutch is light and not an issue again. Gears are a bit notchy but comfortable. Wish the gear lever was bit closer to the hand and the changing bit shorter. Power was very good and linear, hardly felt any lag like in diesel cars. A/c excellent. Brakes excellent.
But, the car felt heavy, I could feel the beast. This is also one of the good points in a way but a different experience than driving a lightweight sedan. Another issue, for me was the driving position. I am 6'2" and my left foot was touching on the left side console. With the seat fully back and down and steering all the way up, I was just about avoiding touching the steering wheel. Was not uncomfortable but the knees are upwards when the foot is rested on floor. Not sure how it would feel on a long journey. My wife was comfortable driving the car, she did not feel this as she is shorter.
So I am not taking a decision immediately. Am highly interested in the Mobilio now due to the flexibility it offers and going to check this out in 2 days.
But I must say the Storme is an excellent car and it is a pity it does not sell as much as it deserves.