[vinjosep]

Originally Posted by girishglg

More on the requirement-

1. Require a spacious vehicle read bigger than an average big hatch or sedan to seat 5 adults + 3 children
2. Preferably diesel though would consider a petrol (with the capable petrol Ertiga thrown in to the picture) with mostly weekend runabouts and ocassional long trips
3. Budget maximum upto 10 lakhs but lower the better with the maximum fuel efficiency and low maintenance costs
4. Other options in contention being the Bolero / Scorpio / Eeco but are not among the top contenders on basis of looks or size or cost etc
5. Looking closely at other prospective launches for this year such as Mini Xylo / GM's Chinese based MUVs etc to see if they fit the bill.

So please provide your comments and suggestions on which would be the best bet considering the above requriements and the purchase window being this year.

I'm in the exact situation as your BIL, sitting on the fence so to speak. The only addition to the requirements is that the MUV/ LUV/ whatever should have a comfortable ride for all rows for a single stretch drive of ~400kms + should be able to carry the related luggage too without any extra roof-top accessories.

Ertiga was one of the hopefuls this side of 10L. The other which I'm looking forward to, is the Nissan Evalia which is expected to launch this year. Evalia, if reports are to be believed, has a strong heart - the 1.5Dci unit which is a good workhorse & also has a matching fuel efficiency of 20km/l (urban). The rear and the side looks are NOT Evalia's plus points. But the space packaging IS. For the Ertiga its the other way round from what I could see.

So my choice would be made only after even Evalia hits the market. Considering that Nissan has announced the launch during the auto-expo for this year , this seems to be prudent enough.

Xylo/ Scorpio - both are out of my list due the lack of comfort for the second/rear benchers. no offence to others - but the yardstick has been my kid who throws up at the slight discomfort and neither of them passed the test. Innova faired better....

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by girishglg

With the launch of Ertiga there is a geniune alternative in the MUV space competing head on with the other favourites Innova and Xylo being the other contender. My brother in law has been waiting for this launch before deciding on a MUV which will be the family vehicle. They have 2 hatches presently and would like to replace the older one with the MUV so that the whole family can be accomodated at one go when the requirement arises.

If budget is NOT a problem, I choose Innova any day! Since you already have a hatch, I suggest you buy a "proper" MUV. For city runs where parking is going to be a problem, you can choose the hatch & for proper people moving, take the MUV. I say it doesn't make much sense for you to buy an extended hatch which will serve you only for the next 5 years or so from a practicality point of view [till the kids grow]. At the same time, Innova is a proven workhorse and you can actually keep it for next 10 years or so easily.

The below points are when you pitch the 3 vehicles against each other.

Innova:

Pros: Comfy of the lot [space + ride], Toyota reliability, cheap maintenance
Cons: Pricey, FE.

Xylo:

Pros: Most spacious, VFM, Most powerful engine of the lot!
Cons: Bumpy ride, FE, Niggles (?)

Ertiga:

Pros: Maruti A$$, Price, Size to maneuver, FE
Cons: Not exactly cheap to maintain, least spacious

I have some other suggestions too, please skip if not relevant.

1. Since you mentioned there are two couples, why don't they take both the cars for trips? I guess you will be spending around 8L on the new car, that can pretty much cover the fuel expenses for years to come even if you have to take both cars [from a pure expenditure point of view]. If you all wish to travel together, this doesn't hold.

2. If budget is a problem now, why don't you adopt step 1 [mentioned right above] for next 6 months or so & go for a decent version of Innova after saving some more money?

3. Buy whatever version of Innova you can afford now, add additional features in stages [like 2nd row A/C & the likes] when you get funds.

[FasterPhene]

Originally Posted by girishglg

More on the requirement-

1. Require a spacious vehicle read bigger than an average big hatch or sedan to seat 5 adults + 3 children
2. Preferably diesel though would consider a petrol (with the capable petrol Ertiga thrown in to the picture) with mostly weekend runabouts and ocassional long trips
3. Budget maximum upto 10 lakhs but lower the better with the maximum fuel efficiency and low maintenance costs
4. Other options in contention being the Bolero / Scorpio / Eeco but are not among the top contenders on basis of looks or size or cost etc
5. Looking closely at other prospective launches for this year such as Mini Xylo / GM's Chinese based MUVs etc to see if they fit the bill.

So please provide your comments and suggestions on which would be the best bet considering the above requriements and the purchase window being this year.

Have you given a thought about a pre-worshipped Innova. It will fit right into your budget and will be real VFM in my opinion. I would say invest some time and effort in the search for a good diesel Innova (preferably the top end or the version below it) before you make the final decision. Good luck in the decision making.

[aaggoswami]

Originally Posted by girishglg

More on the requirement-

1. Require a spacious vehicle read bigger than an average big hatch or sedan to seat 5 adults + 3 children
2. Preferably diesel though would consider a petrol (with the capable petrol Ertiga thrown in to the picture) with mostly weekend runabouts and ocassional long trips
3. Budget maximum upto 10 lakhs but lower the better with the maximum fuel efficiency and low maintenance costs
4. Other options in contention being the Bolero / Scorpio / Eeco but are not among the top contenders on basis of looks or size or cost etc
5. Looking closely at other prospective launches for this year such as Mini Xylo / GM's Chinese based MUVs etc to see if they fit the bill.

The biggest limiting factor here is the point no.3 which is price. Below Rs. 10L you are not likely to get a proper car which can be a 7 seater except Ertiga ( now ). Xylo is too crude IMO. No doubt about positives of Xylo which include better seat comfort than even Innova, specially the captain chairs which are slightly better than captain chairs of Innova. But at the same time, not so tidy dynamics mark it down on the radar of a private user. The overall driving experience is a bit lower than others.

So I have voted for Ertiga. Its more VFM as compared to others, and it actually feels more carlike. Another advantage is relative size which is just about perfect for India. Neither too large like Xylo/Innova and nor to small.

If you up the budget, then Innova rates better, but when it comes to spare costs, service center availability and FE, its Maruti which wins.

Rather than comparing Innova and Ertiga, we should compare Ertiga with E4 Xylo and the Tavera Neo 3. The new Tavera gets more powerful engine, retuned suspension designed to take more abuse ( no leaf spring issues ) and its also better to drive than Xylo. Its also slightly small than Xylo/Innova and narrower too which is good for city driving.

But for now, with given requirements, its Ertiga which wins.

[jinojohnt]

Nobody seems to be mentioning the 'driveability' of Xylo. I had a test drive of the Xylo, and I found it very difficult to drive. The steering is ok, but the clutch was rock hard and the gear lever throw very long. Changing gears was a nightmare, at least for me. I had a chat with a Xylo owner, who said that clutch/gear is almost the same as the Sumo which he previously owned.

May be I am being too harsh and trying to compare the Clutch/gear of Xylo with that of hatches/sedans? (I haven't driven an Innova or Ertiga).

[mooza]

Originally Posted by girishglg

the whole family can be accomodated at one go when the requirement arises - to seat 5 adults + 3 children - weekend runabouts and ocassional long trips - Budget maximum upto 10 lakhs

XYLO is what I strongly recommend.

We got our Xylo a couple of months ago, the E4 at 9.5 lakhs OTR after discounts.

I did Bangalore - Bhubaneswar - Bangalore, a total of 3500 kms of driving our Xylo over 6 days, including local sightseeing at Puri and Konark.

We were 4 adults and 3 kids. I did all the driving (though my wife drives too).

Believe me, I drove an average of 750 kms a day, and felt NO FATIGUE at the end of the trip, which I would feel in my sedans like Esteem and Ikon.

The all round visibility is great. The bounciness and so on has been hyped a lot, IMO. My family members enjoyed the journey in the 2nd and 3rd rows, with the kids sleeping soundly in the 3rd row. My motion sick wife too sat in the 3rd row for several hours, and did not throw up.

I specifically asked each person repeatedly during the trip regarding the 3rd row comfort, and there were no complaints, in fact only praises for the tremendous comfort it offered.

We all are eagerly awaiting our Bangalore Mumbai drive during the coming Dussehra.

The only negative ? A slight struggle getting it into our driveway at night. But reversing is easy because of the reversing sensors.

My wife drives the Xylo car near our house, she loves the commanding view of the road, the low end torque of the 2.4 litre M-Eagle engine, and the superb AC.

[adishenoy]

At the given budget Ertiga is the only MUV loaded with features. But sadly it isn't a 7 seater. I have seen the car at the showroom, 3 people in the second row is a squeeze. Had gone to the Mahindra showroom to check the Xylo immediately and boy I was surprised. The Xylo in terms of cabin space is way ahead of the Ertiga. The Xylo is a bit tall though and I found the ingress and egress for the 3rd row a bit tricky.

In terms of engine option the Ertiga has a 90 BHP 1.3ltr DDiS engine whereas in comparison the Xylo has a 120BHP M2DiCR engine. (E9 has a Mhawk but its above 10L)
The car that would best fit your budget is the Xylo E4.
Here in Mumbai the price difference between the 2 MUVs is minimalistic.

I'll vote for the Xylo.

[mayankjha1806]

Some of my friends who went to take a look at Ertiga, loved it. if last row of seats aren't going to be used to seat adults its a wonderful car at a lower price point as compared to Innova and Xylo. I would recommend you to take a look at Ertiga, as you have mentioned maximum fuel efficiency and low maintenance costs as one of the parameters.

BTW for 5 Adults and 3 kids even a Innova will be uncomfortable over long drives, but just about ok in City rides.

[hemanth.anand]

Originally Posted by jinojohnt

Nobody seems to be mentioning the 'driveability' of Xylo. I had a test drive of the Xylo, and I found it very difficult to drive. The steering is ok, but the clutch was rock hard and the gear lever throw very long. Changing gears was a nightmare, at least for me. I had a chat with a Xylo owner, who said that clutch/gear is almost the same as the Sumo which he previously owned.

May be I am being too harsh and trying to compare the Clutch/gear of Xylo with that of hatches/sedans? (I haven't driven an Innova or Ertiga).

Everybody here know that Xylo's driveaility is average...be it the bumpy ride or the clutch/gear what you are talking about.
third row passengers in a Xylo are just like bouncing balls.

All the cars have their compromises and for xylo its the driveability and also niggles.
but for the budget of 10l xylo is the best choice even with this compromise.

The poll results clearly shows that innova is the best choice if one can stretch their budget or go for the base variant.

[girishglg]

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Are you considering waiting for the Nissan Evalia (NV200) ?

Wouldn't mind waiting for the Nissan if it will be launched in this calender year but he has planned to bring home the vehicle in this calender year for sure.

Originally Posted by vinjosep

I'm in the exact situation as your BIL, sitting on the fence so to speak. The only addition to the requirements is that the MUV/ LUV/ whatever should have a comfortable ride for all rows for a single stretch drive of ~400kms + should be able to carry the related luggage too without any extra roof-top accessories.

Luggage space may not be a big constraint as it will be mainly for city runs and frequent short distance runs to their farmhouse around 100kms and very ocassional long distance runs.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

I have some other suggestions too, please skip if not relevant.

1. Since you mentioned there are two couples, why don't they take both the cars for trips? I guess you will be spending around 8L on the new car, that can pretty much cover the fuel expenses for years to come even if you have to take both cars [from a pure expenditure point of view]. If you all wish to travel together, this doesn't hold.

2. If budget is a problem now, why don't you adopt step 1 [mentioned right above] for next 6 months or so & go for a decent version of Innova after saving some more money?

3. Buy whatever version of Innova you can afford now, add additional features in stages [like 2nd row A/C & the likes] when you get funds.

In the city the main issue arises when the entire family is invited to a function / party etc and there are 2 batches of people split in 2 cars (sometimes tailing each other to find out an address etc and losing one kind of situation) and co-ordination issues. Presently 2 car solution is the way it is done. Not too keen on pre owned Innova either but would suggest evaluating the lower end version. Would at least look for the basics like Power Steering, A/c and optional ABS addon

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Rather than comparing Innova and Ertiga, we should compare Ertiga with E4 Xylo and the Tavera Neo 3. The new Tavera gets more powerful engine, retuned suspension designed to take more abuse ( no leaf spring issues ) and its also better to drive than Xylo. Its also slightly small than Xylo/Innova and narrower too which is good for city driving.

But for now, with given requirements, its Ertiga which wins.

Xylo apart from the handling stories has a image of a commercial vehicle rather than a family vehicle, worse in case of a Tavera (just keeping aside its merits for a moment). Seems like Ertiga fares better in that department at least by initial impressions. Innova has a premium image though bit time into the commercial segment as well.

Originally Posted by adishenoy

In terms of engine option the Ertiga has a 90 BHP 1.3ltr DDiS engine whereas in comparison the Xylo has a 120BHP M2DiCR engine. (E9 has a Mhawk but its above 10L)
The car that would best fit your budget is the Xylo E4.
Here in Mumbai the price difference between the 2 MUVs is minimalistic.

I'll vote for the Xylo.

Xylo engine options after the refresh and variant rehash-

D2 and D4 - mDICRDe @ 95 BHP
E4 and E8 - mEagle @ 112 BHP
E9 - mHawk @ 120 BHP

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

BTW for 5 Adults and 3 kids even a Innova will be uncomfortable over long drives, but just about ok in City rides.

Was that a typo? Unless you are comparing the comfort levels with that of a AC first tier coach of Rajdhani, Innova is the best vehicle available in the market today for carrying 5 adults and 3 kids. I have driven mine for 87k kms now and sat on all 3 rows and also done many many trips with 6-7 adults and luggage and this car is really comfortable over long journeys. That is the only USP of the car.
Innova would be the yardstick currently for analyzing the comfort levels of a MUV carrying more than 5 people.

[mayankjha1806]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Was that a typo? Unless you are comparing the comfort levels with that of a AC first tier coach of Rajdhani, Innova is the best vehicle available in the market today for carrying 5 adults and 3 kids.

, nope that was not a typo (Also i was not comparing with Ertiga), my view was 5 adults and 3 kids would be a problem in any car over long distances. We drove 4 adults and 1 child in an Innova with luggage (which would be decent considering 5 people are traveling) over 500+ kms at night and at the end of it we felt there was not enough space for the kid to lie down.

I mean driving 500+ kms i do not expect kids to be sitting straight all the time and hence the comment about it being tough for 3 kids and 5 adults.

I guess maybe the kids are different (or maybe different age group) .

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by girishglg

...In the city the main issue arises when the entire family is invited to a function / party etc and there are 2 batches of people split in 2 cars (sometimes tailing each other to find out an address etc and losing one kind of situation) and co-ordination issues. Presently 2 car solution is the way it is done. Not too keen on pre owned Innova either but would suggest evaluating the lower end version. Would at least look for the basics like Power Steering, A/c and optional ABS addon...

Well, I didn't suggest a pre-owned version of Innova; for the kind of premium it commands, one is better off buying a new car itself. When I wrote "decent" version, I meant a variant with a decently loaded set of features [may be a G variant]. At present a GX variant offers all goodies one would need.

And no, there is NO optional ABS offered currently. You will have to buy a GX if you are keen on ABS [I prefer that too].

Edit:: I see that the pre-owned Innova was suggested by another Bhpian!

[hkollar]

Originally Posted by mayankjha1806

BTW for 5 Adults and 3 kids even a Innova will be uncomfortable over long drives, but just about ok in City rides.

I have done many trips of upto 350km with Innova with 2 kids and 5 adults. No one complained of fatigue. Kids upto age 12 comfortably fit in the last row.

I strongly recommend either Innova or Ertiga, depending on the space need. The fit & Finish, long term reliability will be best in Innova, good in case of Ertiga, but irritable in case of Any Mahindra vehicle. I am not saying Mahindra will fail horribly, but it'll develop lot of niggles, rattles etc. within 5 years.

My innova, 7yrs, 67K km old - still feels new. Not a single irritating noise within cabin, same smooth ride even today, looks good for atleast another 3-4 years!

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Innova:

Pros: cheap maintenance

Low maintainence = true.
Cheap maintainence = false.

Cost of spares & general service costs of the Innova are way too much to call it cheap. Innova has a service every 5k kms which includes oil change. Service charges of Innova is a bomb.

Originally Posted by mooza

The bounciness and so on has been hyped a lot, IMO.

+10. Recently got to travel in a Xylo, just after a sprint in my Innova. I would say, low speed ride of Xylo is actually better than the Innova. Its only at high speeds that the Xylo tends to bounce a bit, but not as much as projected over here.