[ampere]

Originally Posted by A.R

Ok, I've driven all of the cars in discussion in this thread and keep driving every other vehicle possible

Well put. Now the only thing a potential buyer needs to understand

- Choose from one of the camps.
- They are the only ones which are on offer
- There is no mix and match.

Of course there does exist an answer which is "none of the above". In that case the buyer can say he does not feel his/her money is well spent and hence will buy a well spec'ced sedan. In that case he should not starting lamenting about the well spec'ced sedan not giving him a ground clearance! We just need to choose among the available options that satisfies the our requirements to best possible extent.

[HillMan]

Finally the W4 is here

At 10.83 lakh, it is certainly going to give a tough competition to Duster siblings.

[r8d]

Originally Posted by pallis

The major part was the bonnet which had got disfigured when the car (with my then driver at the wheel) hit a BEST bus - they said it had to be sent from Chennai, and I suspect it wasn't available in India. Luckily, the car was in a corporate lease program and the costs / insurance claims were handled by the leasing company.

You may want to check the AC condition. Due to the large size and no rear vents, the back area doesn't cool as fast as the front seats. My kids sometimes sit in the luggage area (i have the 5-seat version) and during peak summer, it can be a bit uncomfortable.

Other than that I've not had any complaints with the car. Recently I went on a 2000km long drive with the family and it was a pleasure!

Hi sorry to hijack the thread,
But @pallis, I also have a 2009 outlander, which strangely enough also got rammed into a BEST bus by my driver and i'm having problems with parts. i was wondering if you could give me your email id so we could talk,
thanks.

[HillMan]

Nice to see Duster+Terrano combo holding on to solid sales figures through end of year, defying the critics. Surprise, Terrano made it to top 20.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...-analysis.html

[pallis]

Originally Posted by r8d

Hi sorry to hijack the thread, But @pallis, I also have a 2009 outlander, which strangely enough also got rammed into a BEST bus by my driver and i'm having problems with parts. i was wondering if you could give me your email id so we could talk, thanks.

@r8d you can mail me at srini dot addepalli at gmail. I am unable to send a PM.

[dhruvmalik]

I was going to go with the W4, but man is it cheap looking. No doubt the exterior shares almost everything from the W6, but the interior is so inferior that you just would reconsider instantly.

The cheap plastics, not fabric trimming at all. The stereo is standard and doesnt support any double din upgrade if you wanted to.

I think its for people who would WANT an XUV500 and are ready to compromise on the quality and features.

The price is certainly attractive, but by the time you add a few accessories and consider OTR price, its close to 13 Lacs.

[HillMan]

Originally Posted by dhruvmalik

The cheap plastics, not fabric trimming at all. The stereo is standard and doesnt support any double din upgrade if you wanted to.

This is really sad for a vehicle that will cost around 13.5L OTR in Bangalore. You will naturally want to accessorize after buying it. One good thing thou is they did not compromise on the engine and safety features.

[dhruvmalik]

Originally Posted by HillMan

This is really sad for a vehicle that will cost around 13.5L OTR in Bangalore. You will naturally want to accessorize after buying it. One good thing thou is they did not compromise on the engine and safety features.

You get Drivers and Passenger airbags I believe rather than the side impact ones. But still better than none.

[Thar4x4]

Hi,

I have went through almost all the posts from this thread. The main requirement started for remote place 4x4 tourer and then shifted to all available SUV comparison and then to highway cruiser etc. TBHP rocks.

Now I am here with same but specific requirement.

Replacement For: Thar CRDe 4WD

Ownership: At-least for next 10 yrs.
Type: Rugged SUV
Budget: 10 - 11 L OTR Pune
Purpose: Highway + bad road cruiser.
Seating Capacity: 5 Adult, occasional 7 seater.
4WD: Not this time, yes simply because I do not use it.
Resale: Decent resale.


Background: I purchased Thar CRDe in Dec 2012, at that time I did lots of research and had zeroed on Safari Dicor LX Black however got frustrated with Strome launch and out of budget thing and took a impulsive decision of Thar CRDe.

Used Jeep for 1.3 yrs and now found that its not serving my purpose so took decision and now again in market with above requirement.

Why SUV.
- As said by someone on this thread, I like to see the world from above.

So I left with good old plus some new choices for my budget:

1. Scorpio LX/SLe:

+ Feels very VFM.
+ Moving from Thar so liked everything it offers in old style.
+ City + hi-way
+ Proven technology
+ Good resale
+ Suspension is hard but I liked it.
- New Scorpio is about to launch so do not want to repeat the last incident again. But sales figures still proves that it is king.

2. Duster/Terrano:

+ Good car like feel, stability
+ Awesome suspension
- Feel cramped inside.
- Not VFM
- Comfortable for 4 people only and occasional 5

3. Strome

+ Awesome stance
+ LX VFM with required safety features.
+ Acres of space.
+ Improved lot over Dicor
- Low sales figure which worry me
- Tata attitude, no follow up.
- Feels bulky compared to Dicor sure why

4. XUV 500 W4
This is new option I just learned form a friend but will need to check if it fitting in budget. If yes then will TD otherwise no.

Please let me know your thoughts on above options.

Thanks,
Vishal.

[superbhikari]

Originally Posted by Thar4x4

Hi,

I have went through almost all the posts from this thread. The main requirement started for remote place 4x4 tourer and then shifted to all available SUV comparison and then to highway cruiser etc. TBHP rocks.

Now I am here with same but specific requirement.

Replacement For: Thar CRDe 4WD

Ownership: At-least for next 10 yrs.
Type: Rugged SUV
Budget: 10 - 11 L OTR Pune
Purpose: Highway + bad road cruiser.
Seating Capacity: 5 Adult, occasional 7 seater.
4WD: Not this time, yes simply because I do not use it.
Resale: Decent resale.

/

I would suggest you to choose from Tata Safari Storme or XUV W4 as you like. Test-drive. See what all you prefer in both. Then decide. Both are very good SUV's in their own respect. Both are spacious and rugged. Safari has softer/comfortable ride quality in comparison to XUV whereas XUV is more better equipped than Storme. Take your pick.

[mrbaddy]

Hey Guys,

Need your advice for my predicament. I know both are different categories, but I can’t resist getting tempted.

Owned:
2006 - WagonR Lxi - Sold in 2012
2011 Pre-owned Good Deal - WagonR Duo bought in 2012. Planning for an upgrade to an SUV or MUV.

Budget Range - 6-10 lakhs, can stretch for another lakh or two.


My Requirements:
We are 2 + 2 kids (12 & 9 years) with no immediate extended family.
Looking for a long term ownership, probably more than 7 years if all goes well.
I prefer to travel heavy for my long drives, so I need good boot space.
I'm planning good amount of long trips for the next few years, so vehicle should have good ride comfort, legroom and should be a comfortable 5-seater.
Need to have good mileage. Power is not an issue as long as it is good enough for its price range.
Ease of driving in city traffic as 80% of driving is in city - Hyderabad (mostly bumper to bumper traffic).


Sedans - Why I don’t prefer Sedans -
Being 6'2", Getting in and out of the car is always troublesome for me in a Sedan. Always been a fan of Gypsy and only UV's make me look at them twice (barring Jaguar, BMW and likewise). So Sedan is a big NO even considered the value we get at reduced price for a sedan as against SUV.

Other Vehicles ruled out - Why
Evalia, Chevy Enjoy, Quanto ruled out at first sight. Scorpio, Safari ruled out because of city driving & mileage. Innova is costly for me and less mileage.

Ford Ecosport - Liked the car, but 2nd row seating for 3 is a big question mark and very very less boot space. I think my first WagonR has more boot space than this. Oflate as I see that compared to other cars, Ecosport is looking more like an elevated hatchback (personal opinion).

Ertiga - I liked the car when it was launched two years ago for its purpose, But I feel it is slightly underpowered for its purpose and I remember overtaking lot of Ertigas in a friend's WagonR on my recent trip to Goa. Exterior Looks does not ooze premium (my personal opinion - no offence). And I want to go for a different manufacturer other than Maruti (no complaints), but for a change.


With most of the options out of the way, let’s get to my confusion area.

a. Mobilio

When I first checked the images and heard about its launch, I immediately liked it and gone ahead and made a booking. (Although I may not need a 7 seater at all, the additional flexibility it offers regarding the seating and additional room for my kids is something that I love in a 7 seater. I can always use the third row as additional boot for my long trips and helps me with two additional seats for my drive in's at my home town. (there are lot of kids that I have to satisfy).

I was so excited from July 1st week onwards and was eagerly waiting for the launch. Although I'm a little bit disappointed following various reviews about the nothing to write home about interiors, I had checked out the vehicle at the dealership before launch itself, and did not like the Dashboard at all, My WagonR looked better. But I'm willing to compromise and wait for Honda to pull a surprise with its pricing. Even before TD, I was ready to pay upto 50 K premium (OTR) on Ertiga similar models (not considering Maruti discounts). Alas all hopes dismissed with one stroke on July 23rd by Honda with their pricing of Mobilio. OTR for Diesel 'S' variant coming to 10,66 lakhs in Hyderabad.

Variant considered: Petrol 'S', As ABS is not being offered on this, I had to shift to Diesel 'S' variant. I can choose petrol 'V' variant which has ABS, Airbags & Alloy Wheels, but preferred the 'S' variant Diesel considering the super Fuel efficiency of Honda Diesel engine.

I'm extremely disappointed with Honda not making the second row sliding (very basic feature) as common to all variants. And also not offering ABS in the petrol 'S' variant.

Even with all this going in my mind, I'm not entirely convinced to go for the vehicle considering the ridiculour pricing. My dealer had given me time till 26th to confirm the variant & color and I had not responded to him yet. My booking amount is still with him though.

I had done a very short TD, and cant comment much on that experience. One important note though, when I went for my TD on July 23rd (launch day), lot of customers are checking out the vehicle in the display. Most of them looked like cab company owners to me, cant confirm though. Probably Honda might selling a lot of these to office transport guys. Fingers crossed.


b. Duster

With a heavy heart, I thought of stopping the car upgrade altogether, but kept an open mind for some more time. Then Duster crawled into my thoughts. When it was launched two years ago, I liked the overall road presence of the vehicle very much. Infact it is one of my most liked car in recent times (exterior looks wise). I did not check the car then in detail as the mid-variant pricing is out of my range. I read in reviews about the not so great interiors at the time of launch. With the Mobilio disaster, for two days I have been reading about Duster. In fact I read the 280 page Duster Official Review thread and understood that most of the owners are SATISFIED owners. I went to the dealer and TD (85PS RxL Plus) the vehicle earlier today. I quite liked it. As said by all, interiors are just about there and are not supposed to be sitting in a 11.7 lakh car (OTR Hyderabad).

I’m not an expert in checking various engine/performance aspects of the car, but I rely on the expert owners here in TBHP. Ride quality was good. I could not try the audio system though. I might try another TD again with the 2nd dealer in Hyderabad in couple of days.


Now comes the predicament..Although I liked both the cars exterior wise, Interior is where I found both of them wanting. Honestly I believe both the cars are overpriced (by a lakh, in my opinion). Although I'm not in a hurry to upgrade my current ride, I'm planning to do this for some sentimental reasons and I had driven enough of WagonR for eight years, need a better ride.

With various SUV's in pipeline from Hyundai, Maruti, Mahindra, etc, is it better to wait for an year? (OR) choose one among Mobilio/Duster?

After checking out Ecosport, I personally feel all sub-4 meter SUV's will be cramped for space in the car (legroom/boot). I think it might be better not to wait for sub-4 meter SUV's in my case.


GTO, as you reviewed them both, can you comment on the high speed (80-120) stability of both the vehicles? Which is better?


All your guided opinion will be extremely valued.


[Mods]: My first thread in Team BHP. If you think this thread belongs somewhere else, please move it appropriately.


Thanks

[sreepathy]

as you have found out by now, it is very difficult to find the ideal suv in the rs 10-12 lakh range. ecosport, duster, safari and xuv are all good in parts but none of them has the ideal ground clearance, space, comfort, fe, etc in one good package. with some new compact suvs from suzuki, hyundai, mahindra and honda getting ready to hit the road later this year and and next, there is some hope for people like u and me

[aak91]

I am stuck in the same dilemma. The choice between the Ecosport, Duster and the Strome. I need a car with high ground clearance and SUVish charecter. Out of the shortlisted three, Ecosport being too cramped, the Duster does not feel VFM @ 12L and Storme's service and ASS remains a gamble. Could not find a perfect vehicle at this price point to suit my needs.

Scratching my head over this issue for some time now.

[ampere]

Originally Posted by aak91

I am stuck in the same dilemma. The choice between the Ecosport, Duster and the Strome. I need a car with high ground clearance and SUVish charecter. Out of the shortlisted three, Ecosport being too cramped, the Duster does not feel VFM @ 12L and Storme's service and ASS remains a gamble. Could not find a perfect vehicle at this price point to suit my needs.

A Compact X-over in the C-Segment wont be available in 10-12 range with all the features. I do understand Duster does not impress many with its interiors. But that is the only solution we have. The other upcoming product lines would only be costlier, as they tend towards the premium X-over. So I dont think we wont have any solution under the constraints that you are looking at.

The only guys coming in 10-12 range would the sub-4m compact SUVs. So to summarize, either way; today or tomorrow you will need to reset your budget and expectation accordingly.

[D4D]

Originally Posted by mrbaddy

Budget Range - 6-10 lakhs, can stretch for another lakh or two.


My Requirements:
We are 2 + 2 kids (12 & 9 years) with no immediate extended family.
Looking for a long term ownership, probably more than 7 years if all goes well.
I prefer to travel heavy for my long drives, so I need good boot space.
I'm planning good amount of long trips for the next few years, so vehicle should have good ride comfort, legroom and should be a comfortable 5-seater.
Need to have good mileage. Power is not an issue as long as it is good enough for its price range.
Ease of driving in city traffic as 80% of driving is in city - Hyderabad (mostly bumper to bumper traffic).

-Maruti Suzuki S-Cross is supposed to come to India. It'll be a head-on rival to Duster(as it'll be more than 4 meters long.) But the question is when?

-Duster seems a better choice than the Mobilio. For just one reason: Honda's bad pricing and too-much cost cutting. Not too much to differentiate interior wise interior wise.

-Renault is not the best when it comes to the ASS.

-Check this review about the Ertiga: It'll be very useful incase you need to buy a car immediately.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ms-report.html