[earthian]

I have a Santa Fe 4x4 MT bought in 2011 which has run about 60000 kms. It has served me well and i have made trips of ~ 4000 kms without any trouble. It was a CBU and i was quite happy with it. However, off late small issues have started cropping up - a blown gasket for one, leakage in the AC gas pipe, bust steering pulley and so on. I like to travel and self drive whilst travelling. (Have a driver for the daily grind in the city). I had to postpone a trip to Arunachal Pradesh a few months back due to the blown gasket. And then the AC conked off while on a trip to Mumbai.

While all of us need an excuse to buy another car, i am no exception and the urge is upon me. I was keen on the Discovery sport HSE, but the dealer was wanting to palm off his existing stock ( or so i thought) since he said that there were no deliveries for a 5 seater with a particular colour that i wanted. He offered the 7 seater with two colour variants, none of which i wanted. In the interim, the State government raised taxes and duties which increased the cost by 5% which put the issue on the back burner.

There is no urgency to buy the car within a stipulated time ( can wait 6 months or even more) and the other cars in the garage are a Mercedes C class 2008 and a Nissan Sunny XL 2012. I would prefer a 4x4 and would like reliability and comfort as the main guiding principles. Of course being a native of Ahmedabad, VFM would be a prime requirement.

So which SUVs could make the short list? Budget would be Rs 60 lacs and under. Not over. Would appreciate views.

[iss1307]

Originally Posted by earthian

So which SUVs could make the short list? Budget would be Rs 60 lacs and under. Not over. Would appreciate views.

The new Fortuner is just around the corner!
It'll be an amazing VFM and bulletproof reliability by Toyota remains the same.
Another Ahmedabadi here.

[vigsom]

^^ I second that view.A Toyota SUV is the way to go.

It is surprising to see such strange issues crop up so early in an international model like the SantaFe.

[mijnoirhammer67]

Originally Posted by earthian

So which SUVs could make the short list? Budget would be Rs 60 lacs and under. Not over. Would appreciate views.

Strictly SUV speaking, Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Merc GLC 300 and GLE 250d and BMW X5. Though the GLE 250d is 62 lakhs ex showroom and the X5 is 68lakhs ex showroom again. But i think your Sante Fe is petrol? isn't it? or not? Either way, the GLC 300 petrol is a fun car to drive. Or the best would be X3 at 60 lakhs showroom in the 3L avatar. Many people have reviewed the car here and not one has not been completely blown away by the 3L engine it possess.

Im not the biggest fan of Toyotas new design language and especially the new Fortuners look doesnt appeal to me as much. The endeavour on the other hand looks great. Parked next to my X5, id pick the Endeavour. So your call here.

Cars in preference:
1. X3 30d, even if it means smashing your budget it'll be worth in my opinion.
2. Endeavour
3. Fortuner

Don't go for the LR cars, risky at best
happy hunting

[earthian]

Originally Posted by iss1307

The new Fortuner is just around the corner!
It'll be an amazing VFM and bulletproof reliability by Toyota remains the same.
Another Ahmedabadi here.

Yes, the Fortuner is a possibility. In fact, i wanted to buy the Fortuner when it was launched. However, the body roll, poor interiors put me off. The Santa Fe has much better appointed interiors and due to its monocoque build, significantly less body roll. Good to know that there are some amdavadis around.

Originally Posted by vigsom

It is surprising to see such strange issues crop up so early in an international model like the SantaFe.

Well, i mentioned it was a CBU. My guess is that some of the parts are not designed to withstand the harsh weather conditions that Ahmedabad can throw at them. Particularly rubber parts and rubber coated parts.

Originally Posted by mijnoirhammer67

Strictly SUV speaking, Toyota Fortuner, Ford Endeavour, Merc GLC 300 and GLE 250d and BMW X5. Though the GLE 250d is 62 lakhs ex showroom and the X5 is 68lakhs ex showroom again. But i think your Sante Fe is petrol? isn't it? or not? Either way, the GLC 300 petrol is a fun car to drive.

all those cars would cost >60 OTR. The GLC is being quoted at Rs 69 lacs OTR(unnegotiated). It is a CBU now and the CKD version is expected to bring the price down by about Rs 4 lacs. My Santa Fe is diesel.

Or the best would be X3 at 60 lakhs showroom in the 3L avatar. Many people have reviewed the car here and not one has not been completely blown away by the 3L engine it possess.

It seems a trifle small in size. Though at best there would be 4 in the car and more often just 2, i would still like a car with some presence.

Don't go for the LR cars, risky at best

yes, i believe that quite a few people have endorsed this. Why so?

[IshaanIan]

I understand that your budget means you probably demand a bit more street cred and presence that could be offered by luxury brands, but unfortunately unless you find a Lexus for that much, you will be sacrificing your requirement for reliability. Why not just look at the new Endeavor? It is miles ahead of its competition and I found it extremely effortless and relaxing to drive with great road presence for an SUV.

If you can extend your budget, look no further than the Volvo XC90. Interiors are the best out there and Volvo has a much better reliability record than Land Rover, BMW, Audi or Mercedes.

[earthian]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I understand that your budget means you probably demand a bit more street cred and presence that could be offered by luxury brands, but unfortunately unless you find a Lexus for that much, you will be sacrificing your requirement for reliability.

Honestly, it is not about (only) presence. Somehow, and you can put it down to a mental roadblock, my wife and i feel safer when we travel in the Mercedes. I drive at 120 kmph on highways and with the Merc, we definitely reach our destinations physically and mentally better.

Why not just look at the new Endeavor?

Again it could be a prejudice, but somehow i felt that the endeavor's shape is not as safe as say the Fortuner. Particularly the width to height ratio. And i felt that the width, particularly in the back is slightly constricted.

If you can extend your budget, look no further than the Volvo XC90.

No can do, unfortunately.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by earthian

Honestly, it is not about (only) presence. Somehow, and you can put it down to a mental roadblock, my wife and i feel safer when we travel in the Mercedes. I drive at 120 kmph on highways and with the Merc, we definitely reach our destinations physically and mentally better.

Again it could be a prejudice, but somehow i felt that the endeavor's shape is not as safe as say the Fortuner. Particularly the width to height ratio. And i felt that the width, particularly in the back is slightly constricted.

No can do, unfortunately.

Lol I find it interesting that you yourself call it a prejudice. Just so you know, even my Suzuki Kizashi, is rated far safer than the old C-Class, which you own, in crash safety tests. As for the Endeavor's shape, it is only 2mm taller than the new Fortuner but 5mm wider so I cannot really understand the foundation for such prejudices. If it is only rear seat width, that ought to give you an idea of how much has gone into the strengthening the side impact beams. Also I thought there would only be 4 people travelling at max? I urge you to go through crash test results and other data to formulate opinions, because if not, then there is no point asking for members suggestions as we have no way of knowing what other preconceptions are barring you from making the right choice

At the risk of hitting another roadblock with your various preconceptions, might I recommend the XC60? Definitely safe as can be, and comes with a low squat stance that may mimic a sedan better than its rivals.

[earthian]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

As for the Endeavor's shape, it is only 2mm taller than the new Fortuner but 5mm wider

Is that right? Even if we compare it with the current Fortuner?

might I recommend the XC60?.

But does it come in a 4x4 variant? Since i would want that, never mind whether i need it or not.

And thank you for taking time and giving your views.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by earthian

Is that right? Even if we compare it with the current Fortuner?

Well in comparison to the current Fortuner, the Endeavor is a whopping 10mm wider and 13mm lower not to mention more programs to mitigate roll over and more airbags

Originally Posted by earthian

But does it come in a 4x4 variant? Since i would want that, never mind whether i need it or not.

Yes it does and it works quite well too even capable of a decent amount of off-roading. Do check it out, it's well under your budget and ought to be far more reliable and much safer than its rivals

[mijnoirhammer67]

Originally Posted by earthian

all those cars would cost >60 OTR. The GLC is being quoted at Rs 69 lacs OTR(unnegotiated). It is a CBU now and the CKD version is expected to bring the price down by about Rs 4 lacs. My Santa Fe is diesel.
It seems a trifle small in size. Though at best there would be 4 in the car and more often just 2, i would still like a car with some presence.

yes, i believe that quite a few people have endorsed this. Why so?

Damn, 69 lakhs for the GLC 300? I had no clue, i thought itd be around 62 or 64. Anyways, if that is the case don't even look at it. About the X3, take a ride and you'll see whether its small in size. Its definitely the same size as the new Santa Fe. In fact, i think they are almost identical in size. Perhaps the new Santa Fe is a bit taller, I'm not too sure on the old santa fe's size. Since you did mention that ride quality is a must, id urge you to take all these TD's on patchy roads. Do not trust people on forums, not cause they aren't trustworthy, but simply because it is your car and your investment and only your input matters. I see you leaning towards the Fortuner, and hence i suggest you put in a booking amount ASAP. Cause once it hits our shores, waiting time will rise and rise. As for the safety regarding the Endeavours width to the height, unless you decide to climb the Eiffel tower in it, you shouldn't face a problem. As the other bloke ishaan mentioned, have a look at crash tests and those tests they conduct to see when the cars topple over or what angle they can handle at what speed. I can't remember what its called, but i think some company(s) do it. So look into it since this is a concern for you.

Use Carwale to look into cars shapes and size but at times they do get it wrong so perhaps cross check on google from other sites. And yes, the XC60 is an AWD. The top model is atleast, Im not too sure on the rest. About JLR, read on Team-BHP reviews, many people have complained the car to be in service centres for months at a go cause of a small part. Ive personally never met anyone who've shared this concern and only about 2 people i know properly own a JLR machine. Both haven't complained as of yet, but these guys are proper car freaks and can basically build a car from scratch so I'm sure if they faced such problems they probably handled it themselves. But I feel if enough people say it, best be left aside. Better safe than sorry.

Also, the XC60 is a good option. There are a few reviews on Team-BHP, check em out. The owners are very happy as far as i know.

[ToyotaFan]

I personally feel a 2-3 year old well kept Audi Q7 might be a good choice for you considering there are plenty in the market in Delhi. It meets your safe and stable at 100+ speeds criteria and has the imposing size and presence that you want. You can also look at nearly new ML class or a slightly older GL/X5 as these are the only cars that have similar road presence as a Fortuner. While you are thinking it might be wise to put a booking amount for Fortuner as if you will decide in Jan am pretty sure the car will be booked for atleast 6 months by then.

[GTO]

Strange to hear of Hyundai's flagship product giving so many problems, but then, every manufacturer (even Toyota) builds the odd lemon or two.

However, before you sell it, please read this thread.

Originally Posted by earthian

I was keen on the Discovery sport HSE

You are selling a car because of reliability issues and want to replace it with a Land Rover. That just had me .

Please run in the opposite direction. Land Rover is among the most unreliable brands you can buy.

So which SUVs could make the short list? Budget would be Rs 60 lacs and under

Would strongly recommend the Endeavour 3.2. You could also wait for the Fortuner and Kodiaq. However, the Skoda won't be anywhere as reliable in the longer-term as the Ford & Toyota.

Fact is, the 35 - 40 lakh SUVs are as good as ever. With the Fortuner & Kodiaq coming, no one needs to spend 60 - 70 lakhs for a premium full-size SUV.

Originally Posted by earthian

Again it could be a prejudice, but somehow i felt that the endeavor's shape is not as safe as say the Fortuner.

Lets please keep such unsubstantiated thoughts & claims off the forum. They bring zero value to the discussion.

FYI: The Endeavour scored a full 5 stars in the Australian NCAP.

Originally Posted by ToyotaFan

I personally feel a 2-3 year old well kept Audi Q7 might be a good choice for you considering there are plenty in the market in Delhi.

He's looking at reliability. Keeping that in mind, a used Q7 is among the worst cars he could buy.

[asit.kulkarni93]

To be very frank there is nothing in the 60L range which is a worthy replacement for your Santa Fe. The Montero costs north of 75L and Prado well over 95L.

The New Endeavour 3.2 and the upcoming Fortuner are your best bet. Alternatively you can consider a used Toyota Landcruiser. You can get a 2008-10 model in your budget.

Asit

[Ace F355]

Agree with Asit and GTO here... nothing from the Euro end is going to make the cut for replacement of your Santa Fe! Hell you are sick and tired of reliability issues from your big H, why would you ruin your life further with bringing Germans into the picture of its replacement!

I would have looked into following 2 options to choose from if I were in your shoes...

Pre-Owned Route: Toyota LC200 - Plenty of examples available under 60L and nothing like a LC200 on the road. You will love the reliability and the presence on the road (beats the BMs and Merc SUV hollow in that department), although looks of this gen are kind of subjective. Some like it, some hate it, looks wise. It feels slightly old school as well, relatively speaking. Take a few test drives and make up your mind if you really want it! Brand new is 1.35 Cr ex-showroom and I won't suggest someone buying this brand new, even in my dreams! But if you wanna go pre-owned route, this is THE SUV to buy as a long term investment. You will stand to lose a lot less in depreciation as well.

New Car: Ford Endeavour 3.2 AT - Having driven this car for decent time now (more on-road and just a little off-road ), I can safely say that this is THE car to buy in India at the moment - bar none, it also doesn't matter what budget you may have. Currently, new Endy is one of the safest way to travel long distance in India, period. Good roads, bad roads, no roads - nothing matters! Comes with VERY GOOD safety kit, road dynamics are well sorted for a body-on-frame truck and will age gracefully down the line.

It may look mundane by comparison to big Germans, nothing beats it in Indian market today in terms of practicality. I would have bought this one if I were you!