[ashnd]

Out of the two you are contemplating, the Fortuner makes more sense. It's a Toyota, been recently updated with a 5 speed auto transmission, proven mechanicals, much better resale value and a better looking vehicle overall. I am also in the market for an automatic 4x4 and would also have purchased the Fortuner with my eyes closed, had they offered 4x4 in the automatic variant, like they do in South Africa. I do want to go off road but am mindful of the fact that most of my driving will be in congested city streets.

Just to open up your mindset a bit, I'd suggest test driving a Scorpio AT 4x4. It fulfills all your requirements and is so responsive to drive in the city, that you will wonder why you even considered anything else! I came back after a test drive today itself, and am preparing to purchase this. If nothing else, it will offer you a good comparison. Hope this helps.

[sridhar-v]

Originally Posted by ashnd

Just to open up your mindset a bit, I'd suggest test driving a Scorpio AT 4x4. It fulfills all your requirements and is so responsive to drive in the city, that you will wonder why you even considered anything else! I came back after a test drive today itself, and am preparing to purchase this. If nothing else, it will offer you a good comparison. Hope this helps.

1 year ago I had driven my friend's Scorpio(non AT) for a short distance a a very smooth road. I had found the driving ergonomics odd & the ride quite bouncy & bobbing to & fro.

Is there any improvement in the ride now? Was the AT gearbox the old Australian one or some new suppliers'?

[ashnd]

Originally Posted by sridhar-v

1 year ago I had driven my friend's Scorpio(non AT) for a short distance a a very smooth road. I had found the driving ergonomics odd & the ride quite bouncy & bobbing to & fro.

Is there any improvement in the ride now? Was the AT gearbox the old Australian one or some new suppliers'?

Mid 2012 onwards, the Scorpio's suspension was revised, using more modern components from the Xylo's suspension setup. Although I can't comment on the older Scorpio's suspension, the cars I drove yesterday (4x2 AT) and day before (4x2 MT) felt reasonably composed and taut.

Having said that, the Scorpio is a relatively short wheel base vehicle with a tall stance, which makes it inherently less stable than other designs. Here's what I have surmised: view the Scorpio as a Jeep- a more refined Bolero or even Thar and drive it as such and it is a very satisfying vehicle. It's when you expect car like handling out of it that the expectations are not met. Make no mistake, car like driving SUVs are now available in India- unlike a few years back.

We also have a Duster in the family- and this is diametrically opposite of the Scorpio's driving characteristics. Nowhere near as tall, quite wide, monocoque chassis, front wheel drive all contribute to make it a very stable vehicle at any speed. The ride, as is well known is exemplary. However, city driving is a chore due to the turbo lag in second gear. This is where the Scorpio AT excels, punchy and responsive transmission, tall stance, light steering and good view all around, not to mention the imposing looks that aid in traffic.

If nothing else, I urge you to test drive it, if you haven't already.

P.S. As far as I am aware the transmission is still sourced from Australia, although the salesperson yesterday mentioned it to be made by Bosch.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by abhi.m

Hey! Sorry haven't been able to update here. I have made up my mind to go for an automatic.

In case you do not like the Rexton, take a close look at the Scorpio AT. Its pluses have been brilliantly summed up by ashnd below:

Originally Posted by ashnd

Here's what I have surmised: view the Scorpio as a Jeep- a more refined Bolero or even Thar and drive it as such and it is a very satisfying vehicle. It's when you expect car like handling out of it that the expectations are not met. Make no mistake, car like driving SUVs are now available in India- unlike a few years back.
However, city driving is a chore due to the turbo lag in second gear. This is where the Scorpio AT excels, punchy and responsive transmission, tall stance, light steering and good view all around, not to mention the imposing looks that aid in traffic.

P.S. As far as I am aware the transmission is still sourced from Australia, although the salesperson yesterday mentioned it to be made by Bosch.

The transmission was sourced from Driveline Systems International, Australia but they have been taken over by another Co and hence the new AT now comes from Bosch, which will also find its way into the XUV soon.

[indian21r]

I am currently in a Similar Dilemma, what SUV. Really sad to see all the cars with spare under the body.

Pajero Sport. I saw it in person but was disappointed with both the price and the barebone interiors. Yet to take a test drive though. A new Dealership, pride Mitshubishi opened up in Hyderabad last week.

Fortuner. Somehow no one at home is keen on it. We have an Innova so not keen to have another car with similar interiors. Toyota Reliability is the only reason this car is still in the race.

Rexton R7. Did a small Test drove of the Automatic, it was fun to drive with ton of features and well usable one as well. Price vfm compared to both of them. Since they are selling at existing dealerships itself, scope of getting serviced is easy. But quality of service and reliability is unknown territory. Sales are picking up quite well for it to be a good contender. Looks Good as well. Yet to drive the MT which is what I am keen on. Last row pretty much is only to sit cross legged

Will test drive all the cars back to back once to test the Dynamics. For us the purpose is predominantly road and some mud roads. Off roading/snow is probably 1:100 ratio. So 4 wd will only add a penalty for one of use. Rexton 4x2 option would have given more choice.

[abhi.m]

So I TD'ed the Rexton couple of days back and was quite impressed by it. I got to drive both the manual and automatic back to back.

The drive and ride was extremely comfortable and beats both the Pajero Sport and Fortuner.
Interiors looked pretty well put together though i'm not too sure of the Electricals. The power window made a ruckus!
The middle row reclines and was very comfortable even on bumpy roads.
The third row seats are strictly for kids since they dont have headrests and the middle row doesn't slide.
In the manual you have to press the clutch all the way down for a smooth gearshift. Even then I found the gear getting stuck between 2 and 3.

The engine in the automatic is tuned to give 184bhp and 400 Nm of torque as compared to 162 in the manual. The gear changes are little noisy although I couldn't figure out gear changes when I tried from the paddle shifters.

The steering on both the cars was very light. Probably a little to light for the highways but I've found a light steering a huge boon to drive in traffic.
Overall, the vehicle looked super value for money. But!

I'm hugely concerned about the reliability of the vehicle. From what I understand the 2012 Rexton isn't available in most international markets as yet. A simple google search shows reliability issues in the previous generation Rexton in international markets. I would hate running to the service station again and again.

So it seems the Fortuner AT is the only option left if one wants reliability and peace of mind! How I wish we had more options in this price range.

Abhishek

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by abhi.m

So it seems the Fortuner AT is the only option left if one wants reliability and peace of mind! How I wish we had more options in this price range.

Why don't you look at the Captiva AT or the Pajero Sport if you can make do with a manual? Also, the new Rexton is supposed to be pretty reliable. I d suggest you give it 6 months unless your purchase is imminent.

[sameeracer]

Friends I just saw the Rexton today, man it's mind blowing beautiful. I saw the vehicle in moonlight silver and it was amazing. It's nothing short of an international SUV. Most people love the Fortuner and Pajero, mind you they are both trucks converted to SUVs so the critics should consider these vehicles from all angles. Now coming to Rexton , it's a Korean car with an Indian dealer and service network. The biggest mistake Mahindra is making in this segment is that it expects its present dealers to service it. Just compare the service of Toyota where they use special covers to protect your paint and Crome. Mahindra service may infact spoil your vehicle with poor understanding of this premium and sophisticated segment. A Machiene of this high end category needs a very good hand to take care of it, be it driving or servicing.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by sameeracer

The biggest mistake Mahindra is making in this segment is that it expects its present dealers to service it. Just compare the service of Toyota where they use special covers to protect your paint and Crome. Mahindra service may infact spoil your vehicle with poor understanding of this premium and sophisticated segment. A Machiene of this high end category needs a very good hand to take care of it, be it driving or servicing.

Mahindra is able to manage decent level of care in handling of the XUV, the pricing and positioning of which are pretty much close to the Rexton. So I think they should be able to handle it. More importantly Mahindra has no other option. You can't expect them to launch new delaerships just for the single SUV ( or 2 in the near future). Infact I feel in a way it might be seen as a plus point too. You are getting a good vehicle, hopefully reliable ( being Korean) and incase things go wrong you will not be too far away from a Mahindra dealer regardless of which part of the country you are in.

[ACM]

Originally Posted by sameeracer

Now coming to Rexton , it's a Korean car with an Indian dealer and service network. The biggest mistake Mahindra is making in this segment is that it expects its present dealers to service it. Just compare the service of Toyota where they use special covers to protect your paint and Crome. Mahindra service may infact spoil your vehicle with poor understanding of this premium and sophisticated segment. A Machiene of this high end category needs a very good hand to take care of it, be it driving or servicing.

Actually don't kow about Mahindra but TATA uses those kind of covers for Aria, Safari and have even seen these placed on the seat and the fenders of the nano. So I guess the Indian manufacturers are already having their dealers use these standard practices. Mahindra too I would presume must be using the same practices and the added advantage that they provide is that they have a very wide dealer network across India. Yes some of the rural dealers may not be able to service the Rexton but a dealer that services the XUV (which does sell in really large numbers and is much more complex in terms of electronics than say an Innova or a Fortuner) should easily be able to match Toyota standards in Theory. In Practice Toyota still might have better service practices that are fine tuned over decades globally but yet Mahindra on the other hand has a better understanding of Indian Market and is today the No. 3 brand in the country.

[ashtorque]

FYI: I was told by Mitsubishi sales person that Pajero Sport AT is expected in June. We all know Pajero is a very sturdy option, but I find it a bit too stiff for my liking.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by ashtorque

FYI: I was told by Mitsubishi sales person that Pajero Sport AT is expected in June. We all know Pajero is a very sturdy option, but I find it a bit too stiff for my liking.

With the current pricing trends, the addition of an AT option in the Pajero would probably end up outpricing it by some margin w.r.t. the fortuner AT. I think they would need to price it sensibly.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by ACM

Actually don't kow about Mahindra but TATA uses those kind of covers for Aria, Safari and have even seen these placed on the seat and the fenders of the nano.

The usage of fender and plastic seat covers is a standard practice across most brands today and most dealers do it by default.

[sameeracer]

Went to the Rexton showroom today. This is my second visit. I asked for a test drive. I was told there is no diesel in the vehicle. I would have to wait 15 mins, so I waited. After half and hour I was told that they could not have the diesel sanctioned so far so I should come another day.
Speaks volumes of the mindset of Mahindra dealers. So God showed me the way that I should stay away.

Imagine entering a merc or BMW showroom and being told the same.

Originally Posted by ACM

Actually don't kow about Mahindra but TATA uses those kind of covers for Aria, Safari and have even seen these placed on the seat and the fenders of the nano.

Besides using covers they don't deliver quality service. I don't mind if they use all the paraphernalia but I am concerned about the quality and standard of Maintainence for my vehicle. I have spent a good amount of hard earned money to buy it.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Mahindra is able to manage decent level of care in handling of the XUV, the pricing and positioning of which are pretty much close to the Rexton. So I think they should be able to handle it. More importantly Mahindra has no other option. You can't expect them to launch new delaerships just for the single SUV ( or 2 in the near future). Infact I feel in a way it might be seen as a plus point too. You are getting a good vehicle, hopefully reliable ( being Korean) and incase things go wrong you will not be too far away from a Mahindra dealer regardless of which part of the country you are in.

I went to the dealer in Lucknow for a test drive of the Rexton. I was told they don't have any diesel and ill have to wait. After waiting I was told it can't be done today as they have no sanction for more diesel. I hope it answers your question on the great Mahindra dealer. I came back after threatening them that I would complaint to the company.the dealer is narain motors Lucknow, UP. Ill definitely want to stay away from this guy.

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[jkdas]

My friend dropped the idea of getting Rexton and is getting Fortuner AT due to an a.s.s. issue with MM came to out notice ( a case with a brand new Xylo E9).

And for same reason, another backed off from buying the XUV (another TBHPian).