[PrideRed]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Ride quality of Duster is superb and was the best among the vehicles below 20 lacs, before Hexa arrived. Not sure if Hexa can be called a SUV, but the ride quality of Hexa is superior than the Duster by a good margin.

Just want to put some thoughts here. While the ladder frame cars offer better ride comfort on bad/patchy straight line road, they lag behind monocoques when it comes to twisty road. Most of the ladder frames are tall and the moment you start pushing through curves, passengers in the back start complaining of too much lateral movements/body roll. Yes, there is lateral movement even in monocoque SUV's but they feel more tight and composed. If you are driving in City/State highways you are likely to find Hexa more comfortable and on 4 lane highways/twisties with good surface, Duster would be the better place to be.

[vivekgk]

Does it make sense to buy a Duster CVT petrol? It will be used mostly in the city, with occasional weekend trips of about 200kms or so, and will be used for about 10000 kms a year. There isn't a proper review on Tbhp or on youtube. It costs about 11 lacs OTR.

Other petrol automatic SUVs in the same price range are the Ecosport Trend+ AT and Nexon XZA+. Ecosport has a conventional TC, Nexon has the AMT. The CVT is supposed to be the most efficient, but how does it compare overall?

[TRANSAM]

It's a great buy for about 12 OTR in Mumbai, test drove the car last month and was pleasantly surprised, the red/maroon handles are a put off inside the vehicle as well as the drab interiors, besides it's age and poor A.S.S its a value for money buy, IMO.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by vivekgk

Other petrol automatic SUVs in the same price range are the Ecosport Trend+ AT and Nexon XZA+. Ecosport has a conventional TC, Nexon has the AMT. The CVT is supposed to be the most efficient, but how does it compare overall?

Honestly I am not a fan of any of those three petrol automatic SUVs. Even my family is on the lookout for a petrol automatic car SUVs were the first preference infact. Ecosport Torque Convertor gearbox, I found to be the best. 1.5l 3cylinder Dragon engine, I found to be too anemic. Nexon's AMT is a good AMT but still, it feels like it is tuned to be driven way too sedately and after a few test drives of a bunch of vehicles, my family has decided against buying a car costing so much with a 3cyl engine. Duster is simply just too old. Crash safety is very poor, and also an all new one is on the horizon so it might be wise to wait for that.

[ADEY]

Good morning everyone.
For the last few days I have been constantly researching on a vehicle which I will be primarily using it as a work horse. I would need some feedback from the expert BHPians to help me decide on the right vehicle.

I have the following requirements:

• High ground clearance
• Preferably robust 1.5 L diesel engine
• Abuse friendly which can handle bad or non existent village/ farm roads
• 5 or 7 seater
• All standard features

My expectations:

• Easy to maintain
• Easy availability of spares in the long run. I plan to keep the vehicle for at least 8-10 years
• Should be in a budget of 10-12 L ( can go slightly over-board)

I have shortlisted few vehicles : What I am also looking from the forum is real time experiences on the vehicle, specially on the engine performance

Mahindra Bolero 1.5 Power+
I am keenly waiting for an update on the Next Gen Bolero with all the basic Safety features like ABS Airbags etc. I searched for any available news on the web, however did not find much. If any one can throw some light on this one? If any one is already using the current Power+ then I am very interested to know their feedback on the Engine performance.

Mahindra TUV Plus

How is the overall car performance and does it make sense to spend close to 13.5 L for this car. Also is this car as much abuse friendly as the Bolero. I am stressing more on abuse friendly vehicles since most of my runs will be on non existent roads in villages and farms. Hence you will also notice that the cars that I am interested in are mostly "Body on frame" models

Any other car make and model which can fit my requirement as per the BHPians.

[AYP]

You have chosen 2 very good options already. I'd suggest the Bolero only if the road conditions on which you travel are downright horrible. It lacks many basic amenities, specially when it comes to safety and unless you really aim to utilise all its ruggedness, I'd say it is better avoided.

The only other car which comes to the mind is the Renault Duster. It has a proven and reliable 1.5 diesel and as many in the forum have pointed out, can take a lot of abuse as well. It also comes with a AWD which you may or may not find useful. Coupled with a car like ride and handling, the Duster should make for a good buy.

Between the TUV and the Duster, both have their pros and cons. Duster is a good option unless you need the extra seats and if you are not offended much by its interiors. TUV on the other hand offers a bigger 2.2 engine, extra seating capacity and surprisingly has better appointed interiors IMO. Being body on frame, it should withstand better abuse. So it really comes down to your priorities.

An alternate could be the Scorpio S5 which may provide for a middle ground between the TUV and the Bolero.

[Thilak29]

Toyota Etios twins seem to meet your requirements, do shortlist them.

[OrangeCar]

May I recommend the EcoSport. The only shortcoming could be it seating 5 people comfortably. Other than that, it checks all boxes.

In fact, more than 50% BPHians think the 1.5L diesel of Ford is the best. Link.

[RavSam]

If you are considering 2 Mahindras then why not the Marazzo? It suits all your requirements to the T and is around your budget. Seats 5+, 1.5 L diesel, 4 star safety and a more matured styling.

[Ankoor]

Renault Duster is seriously worth considering. It is safe and absolutely abuse friendly. My brother inlaw uses his Duster automatic in similar conditions and has has already covered 1.5 lac kms in that car.

Also given the sales volume and with the new duster coming up I am sure you can get a good deal from the dealer as well.

[lamborghini]

I'd give a vote to the Duster - brilliant ride, tough build, reliable engine. The only worry is the lack of quality dealerships. A trip to Leh Ladakh in the Duster showed its prowess and has really impressed all of us petrol-heads who were part of the journey.

That being said, even the Tata Nexon should be a pleaser with more dealers available. It doesn't look tough, but if it has the Tata DNA in it - it should be able to take on most road conditions.

My second vote would go to the Marazzo - I see this as a more comfortable, and practical alternative to the TUV.

Alternately - have a look for a pre-owned Innova / Fortuner if that fits your budget. It won't be a 1.5L engine - but 100% reliable and tough as nails!

[deehunk]

Renault Duster is the only vehicle which can match your requirements.

[self_driven]

Go for the TUV300 (5 seater) or wait for the updated Bolero. Dr. Pawan Goenka has confirmed that Bolero and Thar will be updated before BS-VI norms come into effect. Now, Bolero is an extremely robust vehicle but lacks airbags, ABS, etc. which will be addressed by Mahindra in the updated version. But I feel Mahindra won't be able to match the comfort and ride quality of products such as Duster, Nexon, etc. even though the cars will withstand bad roads much better.

You can consider Duster as well if it meets your requirements. Not as tough as the Bolero but definitely more comfortable than almost all other choices. But since you have mentioned easy spare part availability and long term maintenance in your priorities, the Duster may or may not be suitable depending on the attitude of Renault service centres near you.

[IshaanIan]

I'd go with the TUV if new car is a must. Sure it looks ugly but there's nothing else out there that does it's job. It's fairly comfortable and can easily handle the rough stuff