[nanu28]

Hello,
First, I don't know if I really want to part with the Skoda 1.8Tpi,
its been with me for like 6 years now, and I love her to bits.
And right now she is performing well, I have spent over a lac on her this year, got the suspensions done up, changed the Coils+Plugs+Timing Belt etc...the vRS owners know the usual culprits, she has different shorter ratio gearbox (|but thats another thread somewhere here...) and new tyres still , even though I drive about 70kms a day on PETROL!! I still have a grin on my way home and right now I do Mumbai-Pune like twice a month. And she is briklliant on the E-way.

..but now that I am changing jobs and work is gonna be at home itself, I will not really have much traveling to do. I would really like the Grand vitara, and every time I see it I really want one. You see I am moving back to Bhopal (read: Lotsa 4x4 ) and I would like to do a lot more long distance driving than in the past (..those highways ain't the E-way now are they?) and to places like most of the game parks in MP and away as well, and of course a ride to Leh, Jaisalmer etc. I am to tired of the gypsy, its old now, it was bought in like 1990 or so...and not even an AC!! But I still miss that 4x4 feeling, if you know what I mean, it just sucks to take the innova out where it can do no good in MP slush in the rains, No offence to my two Innovas, they have severed us well, but sometime you just need that 4x4. I can remember numerous times our innova needed to be pulled out by a tractor! ...though has also surprised me by its low end Torque on decent gradients, slush is not where it belongs. So here comes in the Vitara. I really hope it is that gypsy replacement it ought to be and a bit more car like and modern.

I have read some reviews and some posts here, and after some Skid plate mods, and maybe a winch, it might just be that SUV I am looking for. Its cute, its a rev happy Petrol, got enough room for my Belgian Malinios, can take me to Leh and to Satpura in the rains, I hope I can cruise at about 150kmph on good highways (..haven't test driven one.) ..and above all has decent 4x4, if not Gypsy like (thats my bench mark, to me a Gypsy is King here, I might be wrong, I have never taken any 20lac+ svu/4x4 other there ). I hope it gives me as much milage as the vRS/1.8Tpi.

My Dad is more keen on any Diesel SVU. And I could not blame him, he just asks me, another Petrol car? and I don't know what more to answer. I agree, the Fortuner and the XUV500 do seem like very good alternatives, but the only thing that is of concern of those two is that I am not so sure of their 4x4 capabilities, and their highway performance, and handling I feel the XVU is better than the Fortuner here at that and dont know where the Vitara stands.
And for 4x4 both those svu seem they weigh a tonne more than the Vitara, and with all 3 having about 160bhp, I believe the Suzuki should be more capable just looking at stats even. And reading some reviews, but they don't really tell the full story.

So please help me decide, a used Vitara 2.4 MT can be found for about 10 Lacs and I am fine with that. But I will have to give up the Skoda then :(. And how about the other 2 SUV's mentioned? Though, I would have to qait another 6 months or so for them, as I will have to buy those new, the Fortuner refuses to become cheaper even used, and the XUV will be impossible to find used, so both will have to be new....

Please suggest if I should go ahead with the Skoda for the Vitara trade and yes I will have to pay the difference. Or wait till I can get either of the other 2 ie Fortuner and XUV?

I am sorry if I wrote too much, and please do correct me if I am worng anywhere in my judgement of the cars.
Thanks for reading.

[Guna]

Originally Posted by nanu28

So please help me decide, a used Vitara 2.4 MT can be found for about 10 Lacs and I am fine with that.

GV 2.4 is a relatively new car and it will be difficult to find a used one for sale (also because it is extremely slow moving). Even if you find one, 10 Lacs is bit optimistic.

[suhaas307]

The GV is a great car. One of the best soft-roaders to have even made it to our shores.

Which is why I'd recommend the Yeti

You see, I'm not sure of spare-parts and service-backup for the Grand Vitara. DO get in touch with moderator Samurai. He would give you better insights on running a GV. But looking for a second-hand GV in our market would be like finding a pin in a haystack. It's going to be hard.

You seem to be pretty satisfied with Skoda's cars and service-backup. So why don't you try the Yeti. The 4x2 is now available and sounds like a great prospect for those in the market for a crossover. But since you're keen on taking it off-road, the 4x4 Yeti should do a decent job. But don't expect it to perform like a serious mud-slugger.

All the best!

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by nanu28

So please help me decide, a used Vitara 2.4 MT can be found for about 10 Lacs and I am fine with that.

Ah, anybody would be fine with that. But only an idiot would sell a Vitara 2.4 at 10L. Mine is Vitara 2.0 that is 4.5 years old, still feels like new. The book value is 7L, but I know I can't replace it even at 15L. I'll need at least 21L to replace it. So I am keeping it for a long time.

Offroad, I don't think it is any superior to Fortuner, but it is definitively lighter and small. It has better ride and handling than Fortuner too, thanks to the unique unibody over ladder frame construction. But Fortuner is lot more powerful and cheaper in fuel bills.

GV can be maintained anywhere thanks to Maruti network. The maintenance is cheap since it can use SX4 consumables. But parts can take 15-20 days to arrive.

[amrisharm]

If you can live with a petrol engine then absolutely go for the G.V. I had a chance to drive it for a few hundred kms on good roads and its a very capable vehicle. Very stable and the interiors are quite silent with very little engine noise filtering in. Though I did not go over 120kmph, it felt like it easily had the legs to go to 150kmh.

Reading your post it sounds like you have a few cars. So I guess you can use your innovas for shopping and city tours and keep the GV for long distance travel. So the High cost of petrol should not dent your pockets too much.

As many have pointed out, the GV is a very slow selling SUV. From August 2011 to Jan 2012 Maruti managed to sell only 7 units! So finding one in the 2nd hand car market will be tough. But having a look at cars in delhi there are a few as shown in the following link:

Used Cars - Search used cars available for sale in India - CarWale

From the above link you can see there are a few 2.4L GV's for less than 10 lakhs, some for as low as 8 lakhs. The good news for someone looking at a petrol SUV is that its a buyers market if you can find one. Be prepared to travel all over india to find one in good condition, and bargain hard! Remember ours is a mileage obsessed country, so there are great deals to be had for low mileage giving petrol vehicles. Good luck in your quest!

[noopster]

If you're OK with a petrol SUV why not the Mitsubishi Outlander? It's a gorgeous looker and much newer than the GV which is showing its age now. You may have to stretch your budget a fair bit, though!

[nanu28]

Originally Posted by amrisharm

If you can live with a petrol engine then absolutely go for the G.V. I had a chance to drive it for a few hundred kms on good roads and its a very capable vehicle. Very stable and the interiors are quite silent with very little engine noise filtering in. Though I did not go over 120kmph, it felt like it easily had the legs to go to 150kmh.

Reading your post it sounds like you have a few cars. So I guess you can use your innovas for shopping and city tours and keep the GV for long distance travel. So the High cost of petrol should not dent your pockets too much.

As many have pointed out, the GV is a very slow selling SUV. From August 2011 to Jan 2012 Maruti managed to sell only 7 units! So finding one in the 2nd hand car market will be tough. But having a look at cars in delhi there are a few as shown in the following link:

Used Cars - Search used cars available for sale in India - CarWale

From the above link you can see there are a few 2.4L GV's for less than 10 lakhs, some for as low as 8 lakhs. The good news for someone looking at a petrol SUV is that its a buyers market if you can find one. Be prepared to travel all over india to find one in good condition, and bargain hard! Remember ours is a mileage obsessed country, so there are great deals to be had for low mileage giving petrol vehicles. Good luck in your quest!

Yes, even I was looking at some in Delhi as My Dad is there for a few days. And there one sold last week or so here in Pune for 8.5L so yeah they are available. I really wouldn't post unless I saw a few around. Infact there are some listed for even 6 lacs....Guess no one wants Petrol SUV's anymore....

I dont mind a Petrol SUV as there are already 2 Diesel luggers for the family and our hotel guests. This will not be our primary vehicle maybe mine but right now mine is a Skoda tPi so thats petrol too...

So what are your suggestions guys...?

And I am sorry I dont like the Yeti or the Outlander, though the outlander seems interesting, I doubt its mud lugging capabilities.

[mayankjha1806]

GV is an awesome car/suv and will suit your bill, there are a few good and bad things with it as well, like any other car.

When we TD'd GV, it was difficult to get one to Test Drive as most dealers do not stock one. So we were given a chance to TD the Dealers CEO's GV (Cant give details), and boy it was rattling all around. The car had done ~30K on the odo, and if a MSIL dealers CEO's car rattling so much, i was not so sure how much mine will. Apart from this its a petrol (which you are fine with), rest @Samurai and @Sudev are there, please go through their ownership threads.

The other problem, if you are buying new, is huge waiting period, as MSIL gets them CBU from Japan, apart from no discounts.

Otherwise the car felt fine.

[.anshuman]

Grand Vitara is one of my favorites amongst the softroaders in the segment. If you can live with delay in parts availability(going by Samurai's post above) and bad resale value go for it. I'd pick it over CR-V and Outlander despite those cheapish interiors.

Another good option is Skoda Yeti, the AWD is pretty capable(lacks low range) and the engine is a gem. Road manners are better than some Japanese sedans in the segment. being a Diesel you will save a lot on your fuel bills. Since you already own a Skoda, you know what to expect from their After sales support.

Check with Sudev, he owns a GV and he has spent some time with Yeti, he keeps using cars off the road and touring. Also check Samurai's GV ownership thread and Behemoth's Yeti thread.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

When we TD'd GV, it was difficult to get one to Test Drive as most dealers do not stock one. So we were given a chance to TD the Dealers CEO's GV (Cant give details), and boy it was rattling all around. The car had done ~30K on the odo, and if a MSIL dealers CEO's car rattling so much, i was not so sure how much mine will. Apart from this its a petrol (which you are fine with), rest @Samurai and @Sudev are there, please go through their ownership threads.

That GV must have been test driven and ripped and abused royally. Even here dealers don't have dedicated TD cars for GV. The dealership where I bought (Mangalore) and the dealership where I service it (Udupi), both use their owner's GV as the test drive car. But they maintain it well though.

I have no rattles in my GV after 4+ years and 47K kms, with lots of bad road driving.

PS: GV is not a softroader, it is a badroader. :-)

[Aroy]

If you are not bent on scorching the road, why don't you consider the Pajero. It has every thing you may want in an off roader, and one of the best suspensions to boot. The only down side is its highway speed (or lack of it). You can take it to 140+, but 120 would be more like normal speed for it. On the other hand it has a good low end torque, so you can plug through mud where other SUV would get stuck. If you want an SUV for Hills and Jungles, where high speed is not needed then this is the vehicle for you.

The plus points of a GV is its low weight, silent petrol and of course the Maruti Service. It would not be able to match the regular SUV in its off-road capabilities but as a vehicle for bad roads it is just fine.

[nanu28]

Thanks Samurai that makes me feel much better.

Anyway, I am off to see a 2.0 tomorrow or later this evening, and though I am more keen on the 2.4, lets see what impressions I have. I will TD that vehicle of course and should get some better impressions and would know better.

There is already the beloved Paj in the family, and does it ever so feel outdated.

[lapsi]

I am considering the Yeti as two of my requirements were that the car should not look aggressive and that it should behave like a sedan at high speeds.

On the TD, it seriously handled like a car at 160 kmph. I was told that the TD car had speed limiters set at 160 otherwise it looked as if it could have easily handled 180-185 comfortably. The way it sprinted through ghat sections caught me off guard and I was pleasantly surprised. Even in flowing traffic, I could actually feel the 4*4 kick in when I wanted to pick up speed.

The top end has variant has an off road button which increases the off road capacities. If you test drive it, remember to turn off the traction control to get a better feel and control. And another plus is the huge discounts on offer this month.

If you can live with sober, subdued and maybe even sophisticated looks, you can rest assured in the knowledge that there is a beast lurking under the hood simply waiting for your command to perform.

[pganapathy]

What about a Honda CR-V. If you ask me it is even more reliable than the GV. Of course maintenance might become an issue

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by pganapathy

What about a Honda CR-V. If you ask me it is even more reliable than the GV.

What is the basis of this statement?