[cs_rajesh]

Originally Posted by sridhu

I (& Sankar?) went down this path but decided against because:

- They quoted an insane 1.5 lakhs for that!!
- There could be trouble with cops since the registered car will be a 7 seater. With the new SC directive, this could be serious

I too had the same dilemma, while buying a 7 seater car, I too raised this question of whether I can change to 8 seater once lease is over.
I was told that after seat change, insurance claims may not be honored for sure, if the insurance representatives, finds out the Registration Card shows 7 Seater.
In addition to that, I understand that RTO would want us owners to submit a letter from TKM that the 7 seater vehicle is eligible to be converted to 8 seater and my dealer said TKM would never issue such letter for individual customers for the Registration correction process.

Originally Posted by indivic

Wow, 1.5L for 2 seats + seat belt mounting! I guess I need to look for another vehicle instead of the Crysta , frankly they should be selling it as a 6 & 7 seater and not as 7 & 8 seater.

Yes, not just the pricing of seat conversion, but pricing of many accessories and some spares has made me wonder why I chose to buy Innova Crysta. I was a happy owner of a 7 seater Xylo, its maintenance is so cheap due to the fact that several spares overlapping with the famous Bolero and its perfect for a large family with its third row bench seat being the best among all 7 seaters. Even less than a month of lease ownership, I am already thinking of transferring the lease and opt for a Mahindra or Tata.

[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by indivic

Hi all,

Does anyone know if the middle row seats are interchangeable between the 7 and 8 seater versions? If I opt for company lease I need to go in for a 7 seater which I thought I could convert to 8 seater after the lease period ends.


Thanks in advance,

Originally Posted by sridhu

I (& Sankar?) went down this path but decided against because:

- They quoted an insane 1.5 lakhs for that!!
- There could be trouble with cops since the registered car will be a 7 seater. With the new SC directive, this could be serious

How often do you travel 8 or 7 people on board? and how for how long? You can get a aftermarket jumpseat which looks neat and manageable for shorter rides and can be detached easily. Guess what- this costs just 600-700bucks. Yes it is not comfortable for longer drive as you dont have backrest, but as per accessory shop owner, backrest is possible with couple of thousands. Recently was at Nandi Toyota and the dealer now has started offering these jump seats with backrest as a dealer accessory- costs a bomb at 15K when compared to 600 rupees outside. That said fit and finish,quality was much better.
My parents were on a manali trip in a rented Crysta which also had these jump seats(w/o backrest) and as per driver, almost all 7 seaters there run with this accessory.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by indivic

Hi all,

Does anyone know if the middle row seats are interchangeable between the 7 and 8 seater versions? If I opt for company lease I need to go in for a 7 seater which I thought I could convert to 8 seater after the lease period ends.


Thanks in advance,

What about the seatbelt for the passenger in the middle?

Everyone stays belted in mine so not saying just for the sake of it.

Originally Posted by sridhu

I (& Sankar?) went down this path but decided against because:

Must be someone else , mine is an 8 seater.

[indivic]

Originally Posted by PrideRed

How often do you travel 8 or 7 people on board? and how for how long?

Actually I travel with 5 people (including 2 kids) typically to our village a round trip of about 650km, but we tend to overload the car with luggage - leading to sagging rear, I felt that a car with body on frame is better off for this purpose.

Originally Posted by Sankar

What about the seatbelt for the passenger in the middle?

In my defence I did quote Sridhu's post and mentioned about the seatbelt mounting . I was hoping that we would get the seatbelt for the middle passenger as well in case the seats could be changed.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by indivic

In my defence I did quote Sridhu's post and mentioned about the seatbelt mounting . I was hoping that we would get the seatbelt for the middle passenger as well in case the seats could be changed.

Seatbelt for the middle passenger comes down from the roof. The roof liner will need to be cut for the belt and its fittings.

First you need to make sure the seatbelts can be installed properly then go for a seat change, because you can easily put a bench seat in the middle if you are ok with the cost. The fittings are the same.

The legality regarding the number of passengers allowable in the vehicle you should be OK if you seat three in the middle and two in the last row, total count would be 7. Last row is anyways not practical for 3 adults.

But the law says modifications are illegal so that could still be a problem. Changing seating layout is a big one when it comes to occupant safety if not done right and could be unsafe so think about it.

If you use all OE parts for the seat and the restraints and do it the right way it would be as safe as any other 8 seater Crysta, but the law of the land still would not agree.

[blorebuddy]

8Seater -“No no” for company lease is an major issue. I also could not go for Innova because of this and also not able to consider Marazzo. Both cars are sold as 8 seater with bench seats and creating problem for perspective buyers. Don’t know why this strange rule and also not sure what’s the advantage for car companies by selling them as 8 seaters instead of 7 seaters.

[Abhishek_Garg]

You should try Hexa for that. The 7 seater has middle row as bench.
Thus, 7 seater Hexa equals 8 seater Innova or Marazzo or XUV

[cs_rajesh]

Originally Posted by blorebuddy

8Seater -“No no” for company lease is an major issue.
Both cars are sold as 8 seater with bench seats and creating problem for perspective buyers. .

+1 I agree. In fact in that respect TATA has been honest with hexa. Tata Hexa seat variants are either 6 or 7 seater, with the latter having middle row bench seats. The fact that these cars third row seats rest over the wheel arches and the base of the seats are at same level as the arches, the length of the bench reduces and effectively only 2 adults can be accommodated.
In comparison in the old xylo, the platform is so high that the seat base is just above the wheel arches and hence gets a full length to accommodate 3 adults.

[theGeekyLad]

My Innova just completed a month just the day before at about 880km up on the ODO. I've configured the MID to reset the mileage at every refuel. I've been doing more of city driving, wading through speed breakers, though avoiding driving in traffic in most cases and with occasional highway cruising since the last top up. With all that said, the break-in is still in progress and hence the RPMs are kept lower than 2k at every shift. That kinda kicks me out of the power band for most of my upshfts. Also I consider coasting which occasionally stalls the engine (thought not impractically enough).

Since the last refuel and in with the above driving patterns, I'm getting about 14kmpl. Does that sound fine?

[drpavan]

Hi everyone, after a very long discussion with my family i decided to buy crysta 2.8 gx 8 seater. The decision was made after considering many points.

1) My family includes me, my wife, my dad, my mom and the youngest being my 10 months old son. We all stay together and we need lot of space. So i decided 8 seater version.

2) I personally love driving a lot. I don't trust drivers, even if i take him along he will be used as a back up for parking and bringing the luggage. I am used to driving duster amt. My duster amt has completed 56000 kms. I got used to the comfort of an auto gear box. That favoured the auto gearbox option in crysta.

3) There were many suggestions given by friends and other family members saying no need to spend 20 lakhs for a car with minimum features (considering gx model). Reliability is my priority, if it's a toyota there's nothing new for me to speak off. It has already proven.

4) Price of 21 lakhs is on higher side when compared to the tatas and mahindras but still I am fine with it.

I have test driven 2.8 AT in both eco and power modes. I am not satisfied with the gearbox. When given sudden acceleration the engine is revving up and slowly catching up with the speed in power mode. I pointed the same to the sales advisor for which he gave some stories. Things are better in eco and normal modes as far as my observation goes. My cousins 2.4 vx in power mode is really very engaging to drive.

Seniors kindly help me out, at the end of the day you need to have a feel good factor after the drive. I had it in 2.4 vx rather than 2.8 at. Is it only me feeling like this ? Kindly give your opinions.

Thank you
Regards
Drpavan.

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by drpavan

Hi everyone, after a very long discussion with my family i decided to buy crysta 2.8 gx 8 seater. The decision was made after considering many points.

Its a natural tendency really. Torque converters tend to zap the engine of power as compared to most other gearboxes including manuals and thats the reason why the 2.4 manual feels sprightlier.

I seriously suggest you reconsider the Hexa. Paying extra for reliability isnt the problem, but you are also losing out on features (even safety features such as curtain airbags). I frankly think the 2.8 GX doesn't offer a lot of value at all as compared to the Hexa. If it were the ZX, I would have surely given it a second thought.

Most importantly, the Hexa has won accolades for its 6 speed auto. Its a rare automatic where the transmission sells the car. The punch powerglide GB shifts very smoothly, is tuned well and is also very reliable as it has found application in a number of cars.

I would suggest you give that car a second chance. Even owners are quite contented with the Hexa.

If not, the Innova GX remains your only option.

Regards
Vishy

[sridhu]

Originally Posted by drpavan

Hi everyone, after a very long discussion with my family i decided to buy crysta 2.8 gx 8 seater. The decision was made after considering many points.



I have test driven 2.8 AT in both eco and power modes. I am not satisfied with the gearbox. When given sudden acceleration the engine is revving up and slowly catching up with the speed in power mode. I pointed the same to the sales advisor for which he gave some stories. Things are better in eco and normal modes as far as my observation goes. My cousins 2.4 vx in power mode is really very engaging to drive.

.

I believe this is just a learning curve issue. You will be fine with the 2.8 Gx AT. As long as the mileage & lack of features is fine with you.

I should have got the 2.8 Gx AT

I have a 2.4 V

I also hated the 2.8 AT when I test drove it. It felt laggy & jerky. I reconfirmed the feeling about 6 months later when I drove my friends AT for about 300 km.

But now I have become used to the 2.8 AT. It is an absolute pleasure to drive and i had no trouble overtaking or doing any intricate maneuvers with it on a recent trip to Kodaikanal, even in the ghats.

So, don't worry and go ahead with your choice. But understand that there is a learning curve.

[drpavan]

Originally Posted by vishy76

Its a natural tendency really. Torque converters tend to zap the engine of power as compared to most other gearboxes including manuals and thats the reason why the 2.4 manual feels sprightlier.

I seriously suggest you reconsider the Hexa. Paying extra for reliability isnt the problem, but you are also losing out on features (even safety features such as curtain airbags). I frankly think the 2.8 GX doesn't offer a lot of value at all as compared to the Hexa. If it were the ZX, I would have surely given it a second thought.

Most importantly, the Hexa has won accolades for its 6 speed auto. Its a rare automatic where the transmission sells the car. The punch powerglide GB shifts very smoothly, is tuned well and is also very reliable as it has found application in a number of cars.

I would suggest you give that car a second chance. Even owners are quite contented with the Hexa.

If not, the Innova GX remains your only option.

Regards
Vishy

Thank you sir for the reply, i am a big fan of hexa. I have even driven some of my friends cars. I personally love hexa for its suspension as my daily drive is duster. The problem what i am facing is, my family are not even willing to sit in tata hexa for a test drive. I am from Andhra and krishna district in particular, people have a very bad reputation for tata. Being a bhpian i tried to convince them but i failed. Yes sir, i am losing out on many features which i accept but i do not have any choice, rest every one of my family are fans of brand Innova.

As i drive duster AMT, my expectations were in a different league before test driving the 2.8 AT, slowly i will get used to this gear box as well.

Originally Posted by sridhu

I believe this is just a learning curve issue. You will be fine with the 2.8 Gx AT. As long as the mileage & lack of features is fine with you.

I should have got the 2.8 Gx AT

I have a 2.4 V

I also hated the 2.8 AT when I test drove it. It felt laggy & jerky. I reconfirmed the feeling about 6 months later when I drove my friends AT for about 300 km.

But now I have become used to the 2.8 AT. It is an absolute pleasure to drive and i had no trouble overtaking or doing any intricate maneuvers with it on a recent trip to Kodaikanal, even in the ghats.

So, don't worry and go ahead with your choice. But understand that there is a learning curve.

Thank you sir for the reply, your post has improved confidence in me regarding 2.8 AT. Hopefully i will get used to the gearbox soon. There are a lot of suggestions by our fellow members regarding how to drive AMT, when i bought duster amt. I followed them and am very happy with amt, there is minimum jerk which i got used to. Like wise i will be happier if some one suggests how to drive the 2.8 at with minimal jerk.

I have booked the car, white 2.8 Gx 8 seater. Expecting the delivery to be in mid february.

[theGeekyLad]

I've not been a huge fan of the ATs. Coming from the i20 diesel MT, I can vouch that the MT on the Crysta is a gem. I've been driving around my 2.4 VX-7 MT for a while now and it's a vehicle you'd love to rev match on. Personally, I rev match every shift which simply makes every ride on the Innova nearly as smooth as an AT while having your drivetrain covered. I heel-toe downshift on the i20 which is a tad bit difficult on this guy as the pedals are well spaced out. With that said, I believe all it takes is practice. The high-torque-at-low-RPM nature of this engine lets you coast around town without stalling. I occasionally negotiate speed breakers even in gear-3 without a hitch. This makes driving this MT through bumper-to-bumper traffic much easier as all you need is to engage gear-2 and coast (for the most part).

The only complaint I have against this gearbox is gear-2 which has the same problem carried over from the g(old) Innova - it takes a lot to shift into it. You'll notice that while shifting 1-2 and 3-2. Personally, I solved this simply by double clutching and take my word for it...it works.

If you're not going to be driving in packed streets for the most part, I guess saving those 2 lakhs is worth the choice. Even if you are, all it takes is just getting used to knowing when to coast and clutch, simple. Also after Sept. '18, the VX (like mine) finally gets the cruise control. Pair that with the MT and you're sorted on highways too.

[KALINGA]

Originally Posted by drpavan

I have booked the car, white 2.8 Gx 8 seater. Expecting the delivery to be in mid february.

Congrats for your GX AT.

Did you get any discount ?
Here in Pune dealers are giving 40k cash discount and basic accessories (Mat + mud flap)