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Old 17th September 2016, 13:31   #421
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by samabhi View Post
Was returning back from Hyd on 14th night and encountered a deep pothole on Bangalore ORR. It was just at the exit of Kalyan Nagar underpass with no lighting at all. Even though I was doing low speeds, I couldn't avoid it as I noticed it at the last minute and both the passenger side front and rear tyres went over it. Immediately noticed the vehicle was pulling to the left and stopped by the side. Both the tyres have gone flat as there is a small cut on the side walls.
That is a sad sight to see!
Imagine the same pothole hit with the 17" wheel? The wheel would have taken more impact.

What tyre pressure do you maintain in the tyres? From my experience battering my vehicles over the pathetic roads in Kerala especially between Tvm and Cochin i have found that maintaining a slightly higher pressure than recommended helps in saving the tyre as well as the wheel from pothole hits. I have had my tyre damaged as such with low tyre pressure. The sidewall failure occurs when the tyre gets pinched between alloy edge and pothole.
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Old 17th September 2016, 14:36   #422
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by sridhu View Post
This happened to me in my old Innova within a month of my buying it. WHile it was my 'fault', the dealership extended a courtesy discount and gave the new tyre at about 50% off.

If they dont, you are probably better off exercising your insurance & replacing the alloy wheels as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by amalji View Post
I would recommend that you don't take a chance with the alloys and get it replaced now. Anyway, you won't end up spending more as you have claimed the zero dep inssurance.
They didn't offer any discount as such. Got the approval from Insurance to go ahead with the Tyre replacement and they are going to check with the tyres first. If there is any problem with the wheel balancing, etc.. they will initiate the replacement for alloys then. Will come to know by this evening. As per the Toyota SA, each alloy costs about 25k.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sankar View Post
That is a sad sight to see!
Imagine the same pothole hit with the 17" wheel? The wheel would have taken more impact.

What tyre pressure do you maintain in the tyres? From my experience battering my vehicles over the pathetic roads in Kerala especially between Tvm and Cochin i have found that maintaining a slightly higher pressure than recommended helps in saving the tyre as well as the wheel from pothole hits. I have had my tyre damaged as such with low tyre pressure. The sidewall failure occurs when the tyre gets pinched between alloy edge and pothole.
I am maintaining the prescribed 33 PSI on all the 4 tyres. I enquired about the Michelin 215/65/16 SUV tyres today and they are costing about 9.6k per Tyre. Will take a call if I need to change to Michelins after I get back my car. I am quiet satisfied with the performance of Bridgestones so far, be it ride quality or the road grip level at high speeds. Does changing to the Michelins void any warranty as the size is different from Bridgestones?
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Old 17th September 2016, 17:55   #423
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by samabhi View Post
I am maintaining the prescribed 33 PSI on all the 4 tyres. I enquired about the Michelin 215/65/16 SUV tyres today and they are costing about 9.6k per Tyre. Will take a call if I need to change to Michelins after I get back my car. I am quiet satisfied with the performance of Bridgestones so far, be it ride quality or the road grip level at high speeds. Does changing to the Michelins void any warranty as the size is different from Bridgestones?
33PSI is the recommended presure i know but i find it to be slightly on the lower side for highway drives. I fill 36PSI cold for regular city drives and 2 points more for highway drives. I wont recommend it as its not manufacturer recommended but i would suggest experimenting with the tyre pressure by minor increments if you are willing. Primacy SUV is good tyre.

Today i am at Chennai. Started from Trivndrum in the morning and reached a little while ago. Drive was good except traffic at places mileage as displayed on console is 10.1KMPL driven with medium to heavy foot in regular mode.

Quote:
Originally Posted by pratiksinhal View Post
I took delivery of my Crysta Zx At 2.8. Love the way it drives. Just concerned about the projector head lights as in the highway on low beam they seem to be inadequate . Has anyone else also faced this or I am just being too sceptical.
The interior is a major step up. From old to the new Innova it feels like upgrade from economy to business class. ��
Congrats Pratik the ZX is a beauty inside and out!
I have felt the same about the LED projector headlights in the Crysta and I have raised my concern about it a few pages back.

Last edited by Sankar : 17th September 2016 at 18:18.
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Old 19th September 2016, 15:33   #424
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by samabhi View Post
it appears that the alloys took a hit too and they will be checking if that needs replacement which I don't think is needed. Started the insurance claim just in case the alloys have to be changed as well. A single tyre is costing about 6.4k plus taxes.
I think the weight of the vehicle along with speed and also the pothole edge sharpness is a contributor here. I have had similar incidents on my old car Ikon where the tires didnt give away but the steel rim bent.

From the pictures damage to the alloy is not very obvious to me other than superficial damage. Check the the inside of the alloy to see if surface is damaged. If not then you might be able to re-use the alloy.
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Old 19th September 2016, 18:34   #425
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Research phase- about 45 days:
I wasn't sure whether I needed a sedan or an SUV / MUV. So I test drove some vehicles which I fancied in both segments. These were the vehicles I considered -
1. VW Jetta: Diesel Automatic top variant - didn't like interior quality and plastics looked like downgrade from my Laura Elegance. Wife wasn't happy with back seat. Drive quality was fine.

2. Hyundai Creta: didn't like high Dashboard line even at the highest seat position. Also top version automatic didn't have leather seats, back seat windows were high and interior wasn't very airy. So skipped test drive.

3. Hyundai Santa Fe: Automatic top end diesel : interiors were dull. Rest everything was fine. ICE display was smallish. Wife didn't like it. Also at 40 L I had to stretch my budget by quite big margin.

4. Ford Endeavor 3.2L 4x4: too huge, too tall to get into for my elderly parents. Vehicle being taller, getting into backseat was difficult. This was one of the reasons I opted for Innova as neither Ford Endeavour nor Santa Fe had two seats in second row with space in between which my kids could use to access third row seats. Also no real off road needs for me. I didn’t like how the AT upshifted too. Ford told me it was a dual clutch gearbox similar to DSG of VW but I didn't feel this was as eager to upshift as DSG.

5. Toyota Fortuner: Didn’t test drive. limitations were same as that of Endeavour. Also I think new one will be launched with new engine (correction - when I was completing this thread, news just came that there will be new Fortuner before this year end)

6. Toyota Corolla Altis diesel: Anyway I wasn’t about to go for this as this felt very underpowered and without Automatic option. Also it looks like Toyota itself is discouraging buyers from this by not providing all the bells and whistles the top end Petrol is provided with (like automatic with paddle shifts, navigation etc). I test drove it just to get feeling of interior as petrol automatic version I had considered wasn’t available for test drive due to some reasons or other. By this time I had already had a TD of Innova and after getting a feel of that space, I didn’t want to consider Corolla Altis. I also thought there is a facelifted version launched abroad already.

7. Audi Q3: I wasn’t crazy about any particular brand or logo and wanted value for my money. Driver seat and drive quality was fantastic. But back seats were quite cramped and no centre arm rest available even with topmost trim. Even my wife commented how little space we were getting even after paying so much. Here I felt unless one is very much brand conscious, one shouldn't buy low end models of a luxury brands which then charge you so much more for their logo but give you less of usable features. When salesperson told me if I needed even a reverse camera then I needed to choose something from top versions which was beyond my budget. To be frank, I don't think reverse camera is a luxury feature. Its more of a security feature and I think even the lowermost trims of any vehicle should be equipped with same. I am seeing even the tiny Hyundais come with one now. Also with an SUV its difficult to see whats on ground when you are backing up. Its so unexpected of Audi that they skimped on this when they thought of equipping their SUV with all other security features. To make matters worse Audi salesperson told I couldn't retrofit one later as this make warranty void. I didn’t think of Audi again.

8. Skoda Superb: This seriously troubled me in getting to my final choice. I test drove an L&K Petrol. Just two words - absolutely outstanding !! I knew if I was buying a sedan at this price this would be it. Everything about this was phenomenal. My worry however was about the reliability of 7 speed AT which petrol version comes with. I didn’t want to risk it. secondly I had a bitter experience with Skoda’s After sales service when my Laura needed windshield replaced. Third, I realised to my horror i would be getting peanuts when I sell it after 5 years. Lastly the only color I loved on Superb - Business Grey was (and still is) available only in L& K trim and even if I opted to wait for yet unlaunched diesel version for the sake of color choice (well, wives have so much influence while choosing a color I realised as Wifey refused to consider buying Superb in any hue which wasn't business grey) , still it went to nearly 40L which was stretching myself too much. Also I wanted such an expensive vehicle to be very reliable and wanted to keep it for nearly 7-8 years. With the present scenario Skoda didn’t tick this requirement even if everything else was fine (interestingly, to tempt me and by coincidence Skoda announced they would be investing hundred crore to improve their A.S.Service etc. Also just after I booked Innova Skoda SP called me and told diesel Superb could be delivered in 45 days. I felt bit sad at first but then I felt I made right choice. Skoda Superb was heart's choice and Innova was Brain's)

9. I didn’t drive BMW / Elantra. BMW out of question due to budget constrains (Merc due to same reason) and their spare tyre policy. Just before I started looking for a new vehicle I had heard about a BMW owner getting stranded on a highway on a night drive due to damaged so called "run-flat" tyres. Anyway even in future I have promised myself that I wouldn't buy a vehicle from any manufacturer however reputed if they don't provide a usable spare tyre. Elantra I skipped as new one was yet to be launched.

10. Toyota Innova Crysta : Many positives here. A trustworthy brand and engine. Aftersales service was one of the best. Service centre is nearby. Looked nice, had most of the practically needed features. Wife didn’t want to look at an Innova in the beginning, agreed to look at it after I insisted and agreed immediately that it looked really good. Test drive sealed the choice. This was the only vehicle among my considerations which provided me full sized alloy spare wheel. So once I felt I didn’t have anything else to consider, I went ahead with booking. Didnt drive manual version as I was happy with and wanted an AT.

I think as I wasn't in a hurry I should have waited for Elantra / Skoda kodiaq / new Fortuner /should have test driven Tata Safari too (news of Elantra and Kodiaq arrived when I was about to take delivery of Innova). Considering myself being able to access lots of information on net may be I should have heard about new vehicles arriving. But then there is no end to it. New vehicles with new features keep arriving just like new mobile phones. So you buy the best one that ticks most of your requirements at that point of time. Also there is no perfect vehicle out there.

Booking Experience at United Cars Udupi
Sales person was very nice. He took my calls even on holidays. Test drive vehicle was provided twice as Kids too wanted to see how it felt like and they liked the second row trays, AC buttons and ambient lighting (thats to say something was available to please everyone). Wife liked colours, space, seats and comfortable ride etc. Booking experience was smooth. We chose Garnet red at first, changed to Bronze in half an hour and then to dark grey after looking at another vehicle there. It was waiting game after that. Delivery was expected in a month. I went ahead with financial arrangements.

I got a call from dealership after 2weeks informing there was a Bronze 2.8 Z AT available as another customer who ordered AT had changed his choice to manual. Vehicle was kept as a showroom item but not test driven. As I went to showroom many times, I knew it was true as there was a white Crysta kept as a showroom piece previously. Also there was a sticker dated 17/08/2016 on the windshield from Toyota with signatures and bar code which was 7 days earlier. Odometer read 64 Kms. So I was quite certain that it was not a older vehicle kept at another showroom / test drive vehicle. I thought Bronze too was fine and went and did a PDI as per checklist downloaded from this forum itself. Everything was satisfactory. So I went ahead and arranged additional payment

Delivery:
Vehicle was delivered on time and date. I got used to the rituals which take place during delivery (signing papers, photo, chocolates, introduction to service head etc). Most of the features were explained (It has so many features that its not possible for the salesperson to cover everything). By and large it was a smooth experience and paperwork got completed without much hassle and we drove out our new vehicle.

Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review-img_0374.jpg

Vehicle was registered before delivery. I didn't have any fancy for any particular number so no issues there.
On-road price came to 26.79L, plus another 15K for accessories.

Accessories purchased:

I didn’t want to overdo anything and usually leave my cars as stock as possible. But some accessories I thought were needed -

I just bought the front grill chrome strip and additional wooden looking panels on inside. I chose not to buy bike protection bar at the back / rooftop racks

Bought Automaze 3D floor mats in black color online from Amazon for 2.2K. They fit okay. But not as good as Kagu 3 D mats for my Laura. I found mat on my/driver side bit slippery and doesn't have provisions to lock it in place like OEM mats dealership gave. Hence am using the one provided by dealership which has hooks with a lock to prevent it from sliding under pedals. Downside is its smallish and dirt keeps getting onto the carpet.

Here are some pics showing the floor mats in place.

Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review-img_0408.jpg

Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review-img_0407.jpg

then those faux wooden panels for which Toyota charges 7K !

Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review-img_0409.jpg

Also on way is a 25 Litre insulated box to keep at back to carry food parcels to prevent the aroma from spreading into whole cabin. it can also perform as cold box for storing ice-cream / cold drinks/ water on long journeys.

Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review-screenshot_20160915211032.png

I got the vehicle undersurface painted with anti-rust paint for 3K

No discounts offered or expected. Looking at the way the new vehicles are flying off their shelf, it looks like they don't need to spend much on advertisements too. so I didn't expect any offers.

Minor issues faced later:


1. I felt that ride over rough roads was very bumpy and checked tyre pressure on day 2 - I couldn’t believe it ! My new vehicle was delivered with tyre pressures at 41 psi instead of recommended 33 !. Cross checked at a local fuel station and confirmed it. Surely dealership had a trouble with their tyre pressure gauge. One might think this is a minor issue. But how many of us want to double check tyre pressures on day 2 with a brand new vehicle from Toyota? How does a new tyre wear out when driven at 41 psi for long periods? Obviously someone who was supposed to be calibrating this equipment wasn’t doing his job. I called the dealership and they said they realised the issue after my complaint. I posted the comment about the tyre pressure on their Facebook page and within no time the dealership was calling me. They appreciated that I didn’t use bad language unlike some other customers and said they had ordered a new machine to calibrate tyre pressures. Also they said they would call all the customers who got new vehicles and ask them to check tyre pressures. Well, I felt thats something constructive.

2. I faced another issue after driving about 500Kms. I noticed a vibration from somewhere in front which appeared to be from dashboard and occurred always when vehicle slowed down to just below 1000 rpm with no relation to road quality. It was becoming somewhat noticeable day by day and especially when the engine gets so silent when u slow down. I called dealership regarding this and what I appreciate is they asked me to get the vehicle, patiently sat with me when I test drove few kms with service technician and service advisor and demonstrated the problem. They agreed there was a vibration. Retrospectively I now appreciate they didn't argue it wasn't there or claim Toyota has very high standards of quality or anything like that. Nor did I lose patience because it wasn't going to help anyone. I just told them politely that everything else about the vehicle was amazing except this minor niggle. There was a small problem indeed and I knew it wouldn't affect the vehicle seriously. My concern was about them needing to open the dashboard. Fortunately problem was localised to the Cowl plate (Im no expert in vehicles but I do know how to google things). They said it was loosely fitted and they changed something there. My worry was something else. If it was loose that means someone at Toyota Innova assembly line hadn’t done his job perfectly. I expected better quality control from a company like Toyota. But anyway issue is solved and I have rated quality of the job 10/10 during their feedback call as response was prompt and identification of problem was done and solved quickly. However this is my first new car among 4 in last 11 years that had to go back to service so soon after delivery because of a manufacturing defect however small it is.

3. Update: at the time of editing this post in assembly line, my vehicle already finished 1000Kms, went for first service and returned - in one hour (which is nice but they only inspect. No fluid replacements ) and with some fine scratches on back door and on ICE screen (which is not nice. But I know, to me its my car and to their cleaning personnel, its just another Innova Crysta. They can't keep pampering it with microfibre mitts and premium car shampoos and double buckets with grit guard and what not - which I do at home). I have decided to skip wash next time it goes for service.

Moral of the story is no car is perfect. Its more important to me how a company responds when it realises that it has delivered a new vehicle in less than perfect condition - whether it refuses to confess that there is a problem or whether it acknowledges and tries to rectify that problem at the earliest

Some irritants / what I didn't like

These arise from subconscious comparison with my Skoda Laura though they belong to different segments.

1. That velvety thing they have inserted into doors which comes into contact with skin though comfortable, is likely to get stained/soiled or ruined fast I feel. I don’t know how much more it takes for Toyota to insert another piece of that brown leather which they have put on seats. Or there should have been option of having a faux wood panel there which they sell as an accessory for some other part of door armrest. Also the driver side sun visor which is soft fabric in Innova - but faux leather in Laura (try dyeing hair at saloon and sitting in driver seat). Skoda Laura has no such weakness. Everything inside is premium quality plastic or leather / faux leather. After 4 years it still looks luxurious and well preserved to me inside.

2. NVH levels bit on higher side - at least in first few min when you start the vehicle. My Skoda Laura diesel is bit more refined.
3. Steering wheel when you drive on uneven / rough surface / pot holes - all road irregularities tend to pass on to your hands through steering wheel which moves involuntarily. Laura has very steady steering wheel. Also at low speeds Innova has heavy steering as everyone else has noticed in all the reviews. Laura has a wonderful steering wheel feeling at any speed with good feedback.

4. I don't know why they have to skimp on an automatic dimming day-night interior RVM. Its not a major problem for me to do it manually but seeing everything else which they got right / provided in this vehicle, this looks like an oversight. At the same time I don't think rain sensing wipers and automatic lights are necessary as person who is driving is not blind and can switch on both of these with just a flick of finger. I didn't use them in Laura at all. But auto dimming RVM is a necessity which you use everyday.

5. Auto option for turning headlights on comes first- manual option is last -that is if you have to switch on headlights during daytime, you need to rotate it to last stop. I am used to switching on headlights when I want them on with one click / turn of a switch.

6. There is no comparison of the thickness of metal sheet used on body here with my Skoda Laura. Laura feels very solid

7. while the brakes do their job just fine, all 4 disc brakes would have been better. I’m spoilt by my Laura and was very impressed with prefilled brakes of Superb -Fantastic. I had only one occasion to brake bit hard on my new Innova when brakes did well to stop the vehicle without much drama.

8. however tightly you hook up third row seats when not in use, they make some sound when chassis twists - especially when you cross road humps diagonally

9. That overhead holder for sunglasses is only partially lined. I stuck a piece of velvet there.

10. Front passenger seat has no height adjustment , not even manual. As a result, if you like high driving position, person next to you would be sitting bit low.

11. Driver armrest cum storage space is good only as storage space.

12. This is not an enthusiast driver's vehicle. My Laura is. I haven't cut any corners at high speed yet. I drive it fast in straight line but slow down at curves and avoid too much body roll. Thats the type of driving with which my family feels most comfortable in this vehicle. So I intend to keep driving it that way. I also feel not very confident of sudden overtaking manoeuvres in anything except Power mode unlike in my Laura where I overtook anything according to my fancy (of course within safe limits when the road was clear ahead)

13. No exclusivity factor here. So many are sold, I see many on road everyday now.

All other good things/ things I liked


1. Once engine reaches optimum temperature, it feels and sounds smoother. NVH quite acceptable within reasonable / routine RPMs at which you drive.

2. I am fine with how the AT version drives , upshifts and downshifts. I use normal mode mostly. Used power mode on highway recently and liked it too. one needs light foot on accelerator to delicately press it not to waste revs.. or rather I adopted myself to accelerate gently, planning overtaking manoeuvres carefully in advance etc. Surprisingly I felt this AT was better than Endeavours Dual clutch Transmission which had prominent hesitation and “rubber band” like feeling - just my opinion. This is my first AT vehicle. After driving this for some time, when I drove Laura I stalled engine on two occasions when I forgot to downshift.

3. Space - there is plenty of it. In my Laura i was happy that my kids / wife could access things in boot by opening the central arm rest at backseat. In Innova when i am not using third row seats, my kids can walk into boot !

4. I like the way white light lights up the road. I have no issues with tail lights being non LED etc etc. Ambient lighting is a nice touch

5. A/C is an absolute chiller!. In Laura I need to keep AC all the way down at min setting with fan at full speed to make it cool the interior which inspite of all this takes some time. In Innova I set temp at 25 degrees with fan speed at 1. This is of lot of importance to me as the climate is coastal south Canara is mostly hot and humid.

6. Feeling of driving a bigggg vehicle lasts only for short time. Then it handles just like a car. I have negotiated narrowest of crowded roads in my town to get the feel of this vehicle and came back impressed.

7. Captain seats are being used by my kids and I feel happy when they say the vehicle rides very smoothly, feels airy and spacious/ feels like a room. This is what I bought Innova for.

I haven't tested fuel economy by tankful to tankful method yet. But looks like 10-11 in city and 13Kms/L on highway drives by on board computer. My usage is mostly inside city with a short (3-4km) highway drive every day (total about 25-30kms) and 300kms highway drive once in a month or two.

Overall build quality is fine (I would have said excellent, but having used a European car I am spoilt), paint quality is decent (European ones are better here too I felt). I have already mentioned about plastics above. Panel gaps are consistent. No major surprises there. On exterior styling - looks better from front than rear. But thats my personal view. Anyway to me new Crysta looks far more tolerable than the looks older one had. If my wife agreed then it should be good enough for me.

Regarding wheels - Comes with Bridgestones on 17 Inch alloys. As of now they are doing good job. Here i have to mention regarding my Laura. It came with Goodyear NCTs which got ruined within an year - probably because of heavy weight, front tyres got ruined repeatedly- then I switched to Yokohama decibels. But they too weren't good enough. One pot hole hit hard meant sidewall bulge in no time. Ultimately I changed to Bridgstones and they have lasted till now without incidents. Even road noise is quite acceptable. Anything which doesn't get damaged like in my Laura is good enough for me as long as they give me decent road grip as I am not going in crazy speeds and cutting corners at high speed with Innova.

I liked the Cruise control when I used it on highway. works as intended (though this is my first vehicle with this feature, so can't compare with same feature in the vehicles)

My gripe with Japanese vehicles previously was that they skimped on safety features. At least in Innova Crysta they have provided plenty of airbags and ABS etc. Even though the tank like secure feeling I get sitting inside my Laura is missing, its decent enough.

Seating position is satisfactory and all round visibility is excellent. Also I liked good sized RVMs. Chrome on the ORVMs is going to get scratched sometime so its a vulnerability.

Gist of the story is - I saw in Innova Crysta most of the things which I wanted from my next vehicle at that point of time and at the budget available to me at that time. But having bought the vehicle, I am quite happy with it and am looking forward to a nice and hassle free ownership experience.

Last edited by noopster : 19th September 2016 at 18:39. Reason: Re-sequenced the pics
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Old 19th September 2016, 23:39   #426
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

I finally took delivery of my Crysta last week in a Vx MT avatar, dressed in Bronze.

My other car is a Logan. And in the 9 years of it's ownership, I have clocked 132,000 km with good ride comfort and loads of space.
Similar to the Logan, I plan to keep the Crysta also for an equally long period.

Why new Car?
My primary reason for purchasing a new car was the ever-growing pain and the irritation that I had to face with the service of my Logan at Mahindra service centers.
It's not that the service was not done. Yes, they did it, but not once would they listen to what I wanted. More of it at this link.
In a way I started developing a fear whenever the car was getting due for service.

Frankly, with the way my Logan performs even today, I would love to continue with it for another 70,000 kms, but then, the other aspects of the car ownership stated above, were getting too difficult to cope up with.

What I wanted?
1. I wanted an ownership experience, which frankly would be better than Mahindra and not make me follow-up time and again for looking into My Concerns
2. I wanted a car that offered a little more "real estate" than my Logan, both in the cabin and to load my cargo
3. Given that the Logan was an ace in dismissing Bad Roads and No Roads without any complaints, I was highly skeptical (and scared in a way) of whether my next purchase would deliver on that front. When encountered with bad roads, in the Logan, I would always floor the pedal and float away. I wanted that level of confidence.
4. Me being a pure rational user, I never found anything amiss in the Logan. However, with my new car, I wanted a little bit of additional creature comforts.

5. Over a period of time, Engine & Road noise were taking a toll during long journeys (750km at a stretch sometimes). So cabin silence was another thing on my list. Not pin drop silence, but a decently insulated cabin. I do enjoy listening to the hum of the engine. It is music in it's own way.
6. Highway Cruiser. For the long journeys, with less fatigue.
7. Ability to accommodate the occasional extra members (not a primary need though)

What did I consider?
1. Toyota Innova (Old)
2. Renault Duster/ Lodgy

I first contemplated purchasing the Innova in 2007, when I was based in Noida. At that time, the on road price was about 9.xx lakhs for the Gx/G4 grade, which was possible with a stretch.
Though the family did not approve of such an expensive purchase, since we were about to move to Bangalore shortly, I decided buying it in the source city.
Only later did I realise that the road tax made it much more expensive here and the family rejected the idea altogether. That was when I purchased the Logan.

When the Duster was launched, it set a benchmark in ride comfort. It immediately saw a fan in my old-school tastes and I saw the duster as a worthy replacement for my Logan.
But for the simple reason that the my car was serving me pretty good, I never had a pressing need for a change.
In 2014, wife and me visited the Renault showroom and had a look at the Duster. We could not get a test drive due to the waiting period. So it went into a cold storage again.

Last year, we gave it another shot and were were thinking of the Innova (Old). We found that with our planned finances, the EMI would go through the roof. We had to rework our finances again!
(Why is it always so hard?)

We started having more family discussions. We went back to our basic needs. Given that I wanted peaceful ownership experience, I was suggested the Etios.
Had I been in the market for my 1st Sedan it would have been a no brainer for me. But having used the Logan, I really did not find any additional value in the Etios apart for the peace that the T badge supposedly brings.

With every other brand's model we discussed, we always returned back to our service experiences and stories of how others were getting treated.

Some firm decisions we had made were:

1. Maruti - NO (already owned two in the past. not for keeps beyond 75000km)
2. Tata - NO (Have a nano. That's the best we will gamble with)
3. M&M - Definitely NO. We are not going to go back to them again
4. Renault - Can consider, but stories of inconsistent service / dealer dependent quality made us shy away.
5. Other Brands - Not considered

So we were more or less mentally aligning ourselves to Toyota and that left only the Innova to consider.

Innova Crysta
Come the Innova Crysta, we did a test drive even though it was way beyond budget. There was glee and an untold acceptance on everyone's faces.
It was at this point that wife announced she was willing to put in her savings to ease the stretch. So with all things stretched from all sides, we decided to go for the booking.

Colour
I am an ardent fan of Black and always remember what Henry Ford said. "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black". Since Black was not available officially in the line-up,w e had to look at other options.

Wife: Garnet Red is awesome
Me: I will never drive that colour. It will lose its novelty in 6 months. Why not White Pearl?
Wife: White is a Taxi.
Me: But its white pearl. Under those good lights it is gorgeous
Wife: And where are you going to get those good lights?
Me: They charge a 10k premium for it as well
Wife: Are you serious. No way 10k more. If not black why don't you consider grey?
Me: Okay. (next day I happened to see a grey Crysta after the rains in Bangalore and I figured that I would spend more than an hour everyday in maintaining it)

Next day, Me & Wife: That Bronze colour looks different and nice! (deal done)


Which Grade?
We wanted to buy the Gx AT. Afterall, owning the Crysta for next 8+ years meant we had to consider the growing traffic as well.
As much as my wife liked the bling in the higher grades, she did agree that my driving comfort was important in the long run, and that other things could be added on.
TD was done on Zx AT. We were satisfied.
At the showroom however, we saw the Gx Grade and spent some time. With me in driver's seat and wife in the passenger's, she pulled down the sun visor and there was no mirror! She was quick to note that the Logan had one!

We came back home without booking as we wanted to go again and TD the manual, just for the sake of it.
I gave the entire AT thing another thought. It was my driving convenience vs the delight of all occupants, in case I decided to pitch the Gx AT against the Vx MT.
Finally, we went again to the dealership and TD'ed the MT and I decided that I will book the MT (at an extra 1.8Lakhs) and be happy that most of the add-ons we would have planned are already factory fitted.

I had mentioned a preferred date for delivery and that was honoured by the dealer. I will not go into the delivery details as most of the members have shared their pleasant experiences and mine is no different. Yes, on the D day (and also on all previous visits to the dealer), Toyota guys did make us feel special.

A pic clicked in the vicinity of my house below.

Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review-img_9705-copy1.jpg
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Old 20th September 2016, 08:06   #427
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

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Originally Posted by karpusv View Post
I finally took delivery of my Crysta last week in a Vx MT avatar, dressed in Bronze.
Many congratulations on getting your Crysta , the Crysta in Bronze color looks simply awesome. Good choice there . Your short and sweet write-up made an interesting read. Can you please share more details on the pricing front? What was the ex-showroom and the final on-road price?

It was an eye opener how the GX AT variant got rejected due to the missing vanity mirror and you settled for the VX MT. Toyota's product/variant planning seems to be spot on. Dissuade the customers from going for lower variants, because higher variants = fatter margns.
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Old 20th September 2016, 10:23   #428
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

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Originally Posted by AutoIndian View Post
What was the ex-showroom and the final on-road price?

It was an eye opener how the GX AT variant got rejected due to the missing vanity mirror and you settled for the VX MT. Toyota's product/variant planning seems to be spot on....
Ex Showroom was 17.9L and the on road was 22.25L over which I opted some basic accessories.

It really is a surprise how the smaller things matter over a period of time. You really cannot settle on the lack of certain things.
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Old 20th September 2016, 12:03   #429
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

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I also had a dejavu moment on my Etios around 4 years back. 2 tyres ( Left front & rear ) sidewall got torn and one Alloy had a tiny crack. Got everything replaced under insurance. I would recommend that you don't take a chance with the alloys and get it replaced now. Anyway, you won't end up spending more as you have claimed the zero dep inssurance.
Interesting observation. I did not know that one can claim insurance in case of such events i.e. does insurance pay for tyre/alloy damage in similar cases like above?
Further if you upgrade your tyres and unfortunately come across a similar situation like above then can u claim insurance for the upgraded tyres (recommended size as per top model) as well?
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Old 20th September 2016, 12:09   #430
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

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Interesting observation. I did not know that one can claim insurance in case of such events i.e. does insurance pay for tyre/alloy damage in similar cases like above?
Further if you upgrade your tyres and unfortunately come across a similar situation like above then can u claim insurance for the upgraded tyres (recommended size as per top model) as well?
For a zero depreciation insurance, you can claim. for eg:-, in my case, the tyre had already covered 15,000 kms. But, I got a pair of brand new tyres and an alloy as replacement under insurance. All I had to pay was the minimum charge for insurance which was 500 INR at that time. ( Today, I guess, it's 1000 INR )

Any modifications from the standard size, insurance can deny the claim. I think, there is a legal way of adding these upgrades. Just check with your dealer's insurance team.
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Old 20th September 2016, 16:36   #431
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

I am also a owner of a Automatic Z variant, have driven a little more than 7000kms in the last 3 months or so. getting a mileage figure of around 12kmpl in city with 100% AC. The drive includes about 40% on the airport road.

I am looking for side footstep, any help in this regard would be appreciated.
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Old 20th September 2016, 17:50   #432
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I am looking for side footstep, any help in this regard would be appreciated.
I got side step installed from dealer for 12K ( the model is GX auto ). As Z variant has side and curtain airbags, the side step may interfere with those sensors. Experts can confirm.

I must say that side step is boon for short and elderly for ingress and egress.
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Old 20th September 2016, 19:45   #433
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

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I got side step installed from dealer for 12K ( the model is GX auto ). As Z variant has side and curtain airbags, the side step may interfere with those sensors. Experts can confirm.

I must say that side step is boon for short and elderly for ingress and egress.
I would advise that you actually check whether the elderly in your house like it & are comfortable with it.

My mother & MIL absolutely hated it. It did not reduce their effort to get in /out (both are arthritic) and made them stretch more.

It would be best to borrow someone's car for a day or two. First impressions are not enough.
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Old 21st September 2016, 16:50   #434
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

Picked up my vehicle yesterday. Total cost for 2 tyres is ~12k. There is an alignment issue and its not sorted out yet. Will have to get it checked again.

Quote:
Originally Posted by supertinu View Post
I think the weight of the vehicle along with speed and also the pothole edge sharpness is a contributor here. I have had similar incidents on my old car Ikon where the tires didnt give away but the steel rim bent.

From the pictures damage to the alloy is not very obvious to me other than superficial damage. Check the the inside of the alloy to see if surface is damaged. If not then you might be able to re-use the alloy.
Alloys are fine and no damage to them. I dont even find the scratches now and Toyota has done a good job on it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by dezrskb View Post

Congratulations.

Attachment 1556201
Isnt the mat interfering with the dead pedal? I am still looking out for Crysta AT specific 3d/4d/5d mats and they are none available in the market.

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Originally Posted by karpusv View Post
I finally took delivery of my Crysta last week in a Vx MT avatar, dressed in Bronze.
Congratulations. The bronze is a confusing shade and it looks different in different lighting conditions. So far, its been very easy to maintain this colour.

Quote:
Originally Posted by delix View Post
Interesting observation. I did not know that one can claim insurance in case of such events i.e. does insurance pay for tyre/alloy damage in similar cases like above?
Further if you upgrade your tyres and unfortunately come across a similar situation like above then can u claim insurance for the upgraded tyres (recommended size as per top model) as well?
Quote:
Originally Posted by amalji View Post
For a zero depreciation insurance, you can claim. for eg:-, in my case, the tyre had already covered 15,000 kms. But, I got a pair of brand new tyres and an alloy as replacement under insurance. All I had to pay was the minimum charge for insurance which was 500 INR at that time. ( Today, I guess, it's 1000 INR )

Any modifications from the standard size, insurance can deny the claim. I think, there is a legal way of adding these upgrades. Just check with your dealer's insurance team.
Mine is HDFC Ergo Insurance through my company and even though its a comprehensive zero Depreciation Insurance, they covered only 50% for tyres and its the same for battery too. For everything else its Zero Dep. Any upsize will void the warranty, including the Insurance claim. Unless we pay additional premium to get it covered in the insurance. I was keen on upgrading to the Michelins as fellow BHPian Sankar's, but the warranty aspect discouraged me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by vinayasurya View Post
I got side step installed from dealer for 12K ( the model is GX auto ).
Isnt it scraping the speed breakers in Bangalore?
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Old 22nd September 2016, 09:46   #435
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Re: Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review

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Originally Posted by Sankar View Post
Next on the list is changing rear hatch light unit to VX/ZX spec which has a second working tail lamp next to the reverse light. GX doesnt have the provision for a bulb socket there. Its possible to convert GX to take a bulb there but i chose to do it with a ZX tail lamp. Will update once completed, waiting for the bulb holder and socket. At night the one with second tail lamp looks good when viewed from behind.

GX without tail lamp. See blanked hole inside red reflector
Attachment 1553115

VX/ZX with tail lamp. With hole for bulb holder.
Attachment 1553116
V/Z tail lamp on G. Looks good at night and gives a complete look from behind.
Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review-20160921_173216.jpg
Ignore the red number plate lights I just put it there to see how it looks. Its now white.
Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review-20160921_185133.jpg

Reverse light.
Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review-20160920_191445.jpg

Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review-20160920_191434.jpg

All bulbs at the rear - number plate lamps, tail/brake lamps, hatch tail lamps & reverse lamps - are LEDs; from Philips and Osram. Third stop lamp is already LED from factory. Indicator bulbs are incandescent, did not change them yet.

So far have converted the following to LEDs.
Exterior:
Front park lights - W5W - Osram LED
Rear Tail/Brake lights - W5/21W (7443) - Philips Red LED
Rear hatch tail lights - W5W - Osram Red LED
Reverse lights - W16W (921) - Philips LED
Number plate lights - W5W - Osram LED

Interior:
Front map lights - W5W - Osram LED
Rear/Center light - Festoon - Philips LED (38mm)
Boot light - W5W - Osram LED

Hope this helps!

The W in front means its a "wedge base" bulb. The trailing W is the bulb wattage. All bulbs except headlight and foglight in the new Innova Crysta are wedge base bulbs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedge_base

Last edited by Sankar : 22nd September 2016 at 09:58.
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