Team-BHP - The Renault Lodgy vs other 7-seater MPVs

Voted for Aria.

Was a no brainer for me! If I'm gonna spend so much over the Ertiga, I'd prefer a relatively more powerful, sturdy & safer vehicle.

It's abit heavier, but the additional 400kgs of passengers would make little difference to the power-to-weight ratio. Add 400kgs to the Lodgy's kerb weight & see the PtW drop!

Although not very large, the kind of quality of place the Aria's 3rd row is, is miles ahead of Ertiga or Lodgy.

Most of the negatives listed in the comparo are now redundant.

174mm GC is a joke for an MPV, when fully laden itch 6 it's going to sink lower! Now with that wheelbase, when the underbelly scrapes all those humps on Indian roads, the heartburn isn't worth it!

Compare that with Aria's 205mm GC & a low floorboard (easy ingress & egress), and I personally see no reason to complain.

Innova, although spacious, is too old school, & they better be bringing in the VGT version ASAP. It's insulting to see that pricing for such an old engine & drivetrain!

These are just a few reasons, apart from the limited service network & A.S.S. experience with Renault.

For me the choice is very simple. Toyota Innova is a no brainer even now. I buy a MPV to ferry 7 people with luggage in comfort. And that is the best in the Innova. Combine that with excellent after sales and rock solid reliability and we are good to go.

I do not understand the concept of save money and compromise on middle row or third row space. If only money is a criterion or where people give all sorts of reasons like occasional use of the 7 seating capacity of the MPV, then with all due respect they are much better off in hiring a MPV for that occasional trip and rather buy a sedan for the same amount of money which gives you much more than a regular MPV.

In this comparison the Xylo,Aria and Innova are in same segment since these are body on frame type with big displacement high torque engines, where there is no need to rev the engines for usefully power. These type of body designs can take more abuse but they will be heavier with less fuel economy compared to the rest. When you have seven people on board with the twin A/C switched on the smaller engined will require constant gear shifts because of lesser torque available at low rpms as seen in Lodgy where there is significant turbo lag below 2000 rpm. Also the higher ground clearance is a must have when touring where you don't know what to expect on our roads, and if it starts raining this will help in crossing the mini lakes created on our roads.

If I was looking for an all-time 7 Seater, I would still pick the Innova for the peaceful “T” Badge and having known from my own circle of friends and relatives on the ownership and upkeep costs. There is no question on how frugal the 2.5L engine is that we need to look any further. Agree that the engine is coarse above the 3 Digit mark and the Gear throw is longer than most of the new ones in the market but that’s not a deal breaker for me.

However, I vote for the Ertiga for what it offers (Flexibility and not all round space for 3 rows) whenever needed for the price of a typical Sedan, Efficiency and car like dynamics and the proven DDiS engine with that infamous Turbo lag which ain’t a herculean task to tame and drive. 48700 kms now in 18 months.

Its only last weekend that I used all 3 rows, 2+3+2 and 2 Kids aged 4 and 5 years and drove 220 kms to Bangalore from Belur. Perhaps many drives like these in the past that I have mentioned everywhere on how the 3rd row can come useful whenever you need. And no, I am not one of those who wants to fill up the seats like there’s no tomorrow. In fact, I hate anyone occupying the center in the 2nd row as it affects visibility through my IRVM.

Like this, I have many a times utilized the 3rd row effectively with minimal luggage and adequate space for all 3 rows. I could decide to drive with such configuration only because I had the Ertiga and that 3rd row. Ironically, its adults who have always occupied the last row in all my drives and have been happy about it for the cruising speeds that I maintain (90-110kmph Band). It’s not too low like the Mobilio after all. In fact, the 3rd row of Innova is even better to Ertiga when it comes to passing over undulations that I need to be careful when the 3rd row is in use.

Will I got for a 1000 km drive with luggage on the laps of every passenger in the Ertiga? Well, No.

For now, I have reserved my comments on the Lodgy till I drive one.

The Aira is a fantastic vehicle with all the power under the hood and better features and have driven it once for over 500 kms and I liked it too. But then, I would not pick that for the price when I have a more reliable workhorse in the name of Innova. My necessity is mainly a workhorse that must go On and On and On without much ado and things shouldn't keep falling apart after every drive.

Voted for Innova. Am not a Toyota fan (didn't pickup Fortuner), but to build a brand and trust like that - it requires a great persistence beyond just building a great product. Lodgy is a good challenger, but I somehow don't see it taking on Innova in any serious way, at least immediately.

As for pricing - the key principle is simple - also used in buying large companies. The price of a vehicle (or a corporation) is what the buyer is willing to pay. Simple. We might think Innova is overpriced - but look at the volumes they sell. There are other similary seemingly overpriced vehicles - Mobilio, maybe Aria - they don't sell. Instead of calling Innova overpriced, I would rather say that Toyota use their price discovery correctly.

Having said that, I wish all the best to Lodgy. Always good to see a newcomer challenge an established entity - the customer will benefit eitherways!clap:

Odd one out - My vote goes to the Honda Mobilio and here are my reasons.
Disclaimer: I own a iDtec diesel so it may be a biased view.

I do a lot of city driving with 7 onboard almost all time and its the pulling power and responsiveness of the car that amazes me. There's no turbo lag at all. When I did my test drives of Ertiga and the Innova, I found them very sluggish in the lower gears and that too with just a couple of people. Reading the official review of the Lodgy it looks like it has the same issue. I know past 2000 rpm these cars will be good highway cruisers but like I said in the city its a different ball game especially in Bangalore.

The second winning point is good mileage and I think its the best in this class. I get 26 on highways without AC, 24 with AC and get almost 20 in the city.

If Honda would have priced it on par with the Ertiga I'm sure the car would have been a big success.

While I agree with you on every point, I disagree that its only Toyota that keeps its best from us.

You should see the Indian Best sellers like Honda City and Suzuki Swift in UAE. The specs and interiors are just far beyond what they make available to us over there.

I guess, its just a matter of time before something good reaches our shores. I voted for Lodgy, by the way. If they had sliders on the second row, I'm in.

Quote: Toyota has always treated India with far less respect or seriousness than it deserves - Exhibit B, the Hideous sedan and the Liver hatch. Another thing, check out what vehicles the 2.5 D4D powers round the world... Not too different from the 1.5 dCi!

On a recent visit to Philippines I was shocked to find that the Corolla they sell there is far better quality and spec as compared to the one with recycled buckets they sell here![/quote]

Voted for Xylo, not because I own one. But I see good potential if Mahindra can up the ante on several fronts.

Pros
- Space
- Excellent Engines (mEagle @ 112 bhp and mHawk @120 bhp)
- 80% Innova @ 70% of the price
- Good FE. 14-16kmpl on highway trips.
- Well equipped mid and top Variants
- Value for Money
- Moderately priced spares

Cons
- Ride Quality not on par with Innova
- ASS Service quality is okay, but may need a lot of improvement
- Looks
- Some niggles

Xylo had the potential to beat Innova when the project was announced. But in reality Mahindra was unable to deliver a Innova-killer. Having driven my Xylo for over 45K kms, I'd say Xylo has a lot of good things. Solid Interiors, Safety, Excellent engine, etc. When one lives with Xylo, he can understand how much effort has gone into the project from ground up to compete with Innova. That's a credible achievement.

But the achilles heel is Xylo's Mechanicals. It is where Mahindra needs to pay more attention. Till now I got my FL Lower Arm, Air Cleaner hose & Intercooler changed under warranty without any questions. The SA spotted the issues, and changed it.

Recently my Xylo's electricals are flickering. I suspect either the timing belt issue or an Alternator problem. Got to check with the ASS soon. Things like these happening within 2 years of ownership makes me wonder whether Mahindra released the product too soon due to market pressure?

If Mahindra should succeed with whatever Xylo version they are coming up with, then the new Xylo should have

- Fuss Free, Reliable Mechanicals
- Better Ride Quality

Hope Mr.Pawan Goenka and Mr.Anand Mahindra are reading this.

Voted for Innova!

Having bought one last year after resisting it from 2010 I dare say its the best family car there is in the Indian market. My family consists of my parents, sister, wife, a 3yr old, a 11 month old and me and trust me no one complains in the Innova (except me when the EMI comes). As much as Toyota is to blame for the pricing I would also blame other manufacturers for letting Toyota get away with it.

It is not without reason that most households prefer having one. If money is no object Innova is the king any day. We have 5 Innovas in the neighbourhood amongst cousins. My next door neighbour has bought 7-8 Innovas since launch. Heck I even know someone who has a Rolls Royce Ghost, Range Rover, Audi R8, 730d, 520d, etc and has a couple of Innovas and is the preferred mode of transport for airport runs.

Mahindra if you are reading this what happened to the Rodius? 8+ seats and an automatic is a sure shot recipe to success and i dont get why we dont get it!

I am waiting for an automatic in this segment and specifically the Innova. That would be a car I could use for eternity!stupid:

I voted for Xylo. I have one big reason for the same and that is, the number of Xylos running as Taxis in all Hilly / Mountain terrains. From Kashmir to Munnar along the country. I have traveled in Xylo in Kashmir for 7 days and in Sabarimala every year. I do not find so much body roll as expressed on the forum. I have also seen how effortless the vehicle pulls 7+ adults on the hills. Seen drivers shifting the gears with single fingers. If a vehicle is used as Taxi, i need not say anything about FE, Maintenance etc.

When ever we are comparing different vehicles in a particular segment, for me, the one and only important factor to be compared is performance coupled with the price i pay for. An MPV is to be used for large families for commuting both in City and Highway travels. But as I said, the price I pay also matters.

When compared to others in the list, the only significant negative might be the ASS but as I said, if it is a successful Taxi, then the ASS might not be that bad. We should consider the 'cost' of the ASS also when we talk about the quality of ASS.

I have some how liked that vehicle very much and would buy one if i plan for an MPV.

Coming to the support of people on the matter of Overpricing of Toyota Innova, we are not yet a mature market and hence just because the Innova sells, does not mean it is VFM and Toyota is not fleecing Indians.

- Sai

Voted for Innova. It is definitely much costlier than other options, but its reliability and fit and finish is unmatched in MPV segment and it is quite common to find an Innova with an odometer of more than 1 lakh km commanding a premium in used car market.

The closest contender for me was Lodgy which deserve a huge round of applause for launching a product with features like cruise control, six gears, innumerable passenger: cargo combinations especially keep the seats at home and many others.

Though, I find a middle row seat without fore & aft adjustment, an awkward rear tail lamp styling and uncomfortable seating position of 3rd row as major negatives of Lodgy which, if addressed successfully, would definitely have made it a winner with its pricing and offerings.