Team-BHP - Tata Hexa vs XUV500 vs Innova Crysta vs others

Great Thread!!

Happened to check out and test drive all the vehicles.....and wanted to give my 2 cents on the same:

First things first:

Myth: XUV 500 has great dynamics.
My View: While XUV might be the best of Mahindra in that department, it is nowhere close to Hexa in driving dynamics. Hexa is a lot more sure footed, handles the curves with a lot of composure and outclasses the XUV and Innova in handling comfortably. Easily the best handling MUV.

XUV 500: While a great SUV alternative under 20 lacs, with a relatively lighter body and an eager smooth engine....doesn't feel competent enough in dynamics and interior now starts feeling it's age. Ride quality too not as absorbent as rivals.

Innova Crysta: Extremely high quality with legendary reliability. Engines are buttery smooth with good options. But while more stylised than ever....still looks the most MPV of the lot and rules out being a personal vehicle. Add to that exorbitantly priced and least value for money.

Hexa: Hatsoff to Tata for stepping up their game and getting a real contender to the great Innova and XUV 500 with a single Vehicle which slots coolly between them.
Outstanding quality of Interiors, the best Auto gear box in business which feels a class above, great dynamics for its size and class and excellent ride quality. Above all, the best value for money.

Great Achievement by Tata. While it has its niggles like being heavy....rubbery manual gearshift and lack of AWD in Auto, it's positives overweigh them by a huge margin and a simple drive was enough to put a smile, especially in the brilliant Automatic.

The One to Buy IMHO.

The XUV was the best in class till the competition upped their game.

While looking for a new 7 seater family vehicle to replace our trusted and surprisingly reliable XUV which has now crossed 1 Lac kms over a period of 5 years, we test drove all the 3 contenders - XUV, INNOVA CRYSTA & HEXA. Since we need an A/T, I only drove the Automatic variants of all three.

Innova was good, but frankly does not justify the hefty price tag. Toyota loyalists may disagree and justify the price with the reliability factor and ever lasting motor, but I just need the car to run without breakdowns for 5 years and hence long term reliability is not my greatest concern.

Next we drove the XUV A/T and I really enjoyed the driving experience. But the ride though improved was still no match to the Crysta. Feature list was impressive, especially with the inclusion of new features & Android Auto in the infotainment. Top end A/T was a shade under 22 Lacs and felt reasonably value of money, especially considering the smaller Creta A/T costs 18 lacs!

Finally we drove the Hexa A/T and this is the car that impressed all of us the most. Pricing was similar to the XUV, but the cabin was much better in terms of comfort, quality and overall plushness. Yes, it lacks quite a few features which the XUV offers at the same price and I would have been happier if Tata had offered a bigger screen with standalone navigation, keyless entry with push button start and cornering headlights. Anyways, on a daily basis, we felt the Hexa is the one among the trio that is value of money with its pampering ride, comfortable cabin and great styling.

We have booked a HEXA XTA in Arizona Blue.

Test drove the Crysta GX AT 7 seater and the Hexa XTA 6 seater back to back.
Crysta was a 2016 model in the preowned market having done 5500km, pretty much in showroom condition. Hexa has about 6500 on the ODO.

We own a 2008 Innova VX that's done about 1,50,000/-km.

My son and driver were also part of the test drive.

The prospect of being able to own a Crysta for a depreciated price was very much weighing on my head, though not on my Son's.
Despite the Innova experience for 9 years, my son was instinctive about the HEXA and said if at all we buy another car it should be the HEXA. THAT pretty much rests the case.

However, let me just make a few of my observations, in case it's of use for members.

Case or Crysta:

1. Crysta's Engine was quicker and with the power mode turned on, very satisfying pull.

2. Crysta's seat folding(second row captain seat)convenience was cleaner and showed design experience.

3. Crysta's third row had better head room. The boot loader was lower than the HEXA.

Case for Hexa:

1. Interior fit and finish was surprisingly superior, that too after having sat in a Crysta just prior.

2. Ride quality was at a very different level. Haven't felt this is any MUV so far. Crysta was lumpy and rocky in comparison.

3. Cabin quietness, comfort, ergonomics and aesthetics had a very soothing effect. Almost like an extension my GTTSI. Felt taut in a nice way. In comparison Crysta felt echoed, very distanced and cold.

4. HEXA AC kicked in a instantly, while the Crysta took 5min.

5. This variant of Hexa had drivers seat height adjustment while the Crysta GX didn't.

Looking back at my points it seems like a head versus heart line that's been drawn.

So, if and when we decide to replace our trusted steed Innova, it will be the HEXA. Mainly because the HEXA gives me an impression that I'll get to liking it more and more and the Crysta the other way around.
For me part of the ownership experience is accepting ones lot, pleasant or otherwise.

Every year we go for a road trip. In 2016 we went to Mysore and Ooty. In May 2017 we went from Pune to Jalna, Nagpur, Raipur, Nanded, Bidar, Solapur and Pune. My father wanted to drive but due to age he is comfortable driving AT. We also have SX4 AT. He thought of having AT. I saw Innova AT and then checked their variants. Innova ZX was out of question as we wanted 8 seater. Then came Innova GX. The features were not acceptable as we had VX. Read about Hexa and joined this thread.

Second Part-
Once I was driving on Mumbai Pune expressway. I was driving at 100-110kmph. At the turns specially the one which is actually like a U-Turn I almost skipped my heartbeat. I felt my car will topple. Since then I have started decreasing my speed at turns on expressway. Slight loss of confidence. While driving at or above 110kmph+ it feels that I am pushing Innova hard. I may be the first person to write such kind of experience about Innova. May be my body is sensitive to such thing. However, Innova is the luckiest car for me. It nearly went more than 1000 km with a nail on the inner wall of the tyre. For me driving Innova in city is very easy. In my previous post I was asking how is it driving Hexa in city. Also one of my friend who is crazy about cars has given me good review about Hexa. His review and report means alot.

Dear BHPians,

I am looking for a 1st Proper Family Mover, have never owned one before, although have used/driven & Sat in many of these cars of Friends/Relatives.

Till now, all our cars have been Hatch/Sedan/5 Seater SUVs. No 7/8 Seater till now :D

Now, with change in time & priorities, I am looking for a People Mover to make life easier for my Dad & Uncle.

Have shortlisted Hexa/XUV 5OO/Innova Crysta, I am yet to check them in detail. Have gone through official review & frankly speaking, all three are good in their own ways. When all are equally good, choosing one is difficult. Let me break up what I felt regarding these cars,

Tata Hexa - Very Nice Looking car although it is a reworked Aria. Not a bad thing since I liked Aria very much (Design). Interiors look really nice & am surprised by Tata leaping ahead so well. Ride Quality has been appreciated here & I think it will be great as well since my Tiago rides exceptionally well. Hexa will be a heaven.

One thing I must consider is the Reliability factor, I will be keeping this people mover for more then 5-6 years. Our other cars are replaced every 4 years.

Mahindra XUV5OO - Aggressively Styled, loaded with equipment & priced well just like Hexa. This car has very few negatives in it. Add to fact that it has more variants, Auto & AWD Option makes it even better.

But, the biggest downside is the lack of boot with all 3 rows. If I have to fold down seat to fit bags, then why do I buy a 7 Seater when it can only seat 5 ? Apart from this, the XUV is a nice attractive package.

Innova Crysta - I like this car for everything it offers expect the high price. That Price factor is a make or break thing for me in this one.

That apart, the fact that it gets proper boot & also great after sales & Terrific Reasle makes it a worthy contender.

Will be checking these in detail in coming weeks.

Inputs/Suggestions from BHPians is welcomed.

Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KMT (Post 4233768)

Judging from actual sales, the actual car buying public appear to be buying in reverse sequence Innova>XUV>Hexa.

On used car websites, I see that Safaris and Arias appear to languish there for ages. That too at rock bottom prices.

Very true!

I have a Tata Safari DICOR which is 5 years old (2012 May), with 1.25 lakhs on the odo. I tried exchanging it with a safari storme (we love safari ergonomics and space, so it HAS to be another safari). I heard dismal exchange value at Renault (3 lakhs), and hoped Tata dealer would give a better value for their product. Sadly they quoted 3.25 lakhs! The car is pristine and runs like a dream. I realised i wont get decent resale anywhere, dropped the plan for a new car and decided i clock another lakh km in the same car.

I bought it for 10 lakhs OTR. While my uncle bought an innova for 13 lakhs in 2012, and sold it for 10 lakhs for a new crysta last year. So you get the drift. People want resale and sadly there isnt a single Tata product that has a decent resale.

In my opinion, resale alone is not the factor. I called toyota dealer and expressed interest in crysta. In an hour, there is a test drive crysta 2.8 Z at my doorstep! I didnt even ask for a test drive immediately.

While i visited Tata dealer and all i saw was an empty display area, with a sad lonely tiago at one corner. They didnt even have a display storme/hexa allotted to them. Trichy is by no means a dull market. Toyota sells 30 crystas a month here.

I gave my number and returned home. It has been 60 days since, and I have not received a call from Tata dealer.

A good product alone wont get you sales, you need efficient dealerships.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana (Post 4234674)

I was actually pleasantly surprised by the proactiveness from Tata.

I was working from home on Friday a couple of weeks back and went to the Tata Hexa website.They had a number where you need to give a missed call and they would arrange for TD.I gave a call(just like that) thinking that no one would contact me and within 30 seconds get a call back from Tata Pune.They ask me my location and what the nearest Tata dealer would be.I give them the closest dealer and get a call(multiple) on Saturday.Fixed the test drive for Sunday 11:30am.Even on Sunday,they kept me informed that they are reaching 15 mins late(which is nothing actually).Did the TD and they gave a token gift and took a snap.The best thing I admired is their professionalism and their earnest attitude.I think they are trying their best to change their reputation.

A big thumbs up to the K B Motors Tata team clap:

Hi

I am selling my 1 year old XUV W6 AT and am again in the market for a new car :)
(it was a company car and am changing jobs).

Before the XUV I was driving a fiesta 1.6 (petrol) SXI for almost 8 years.
Both the cars have spoilt me.

Now I am looking for a car with the following requirements

0) HAS to be an automatic !
1) Preferable an SUV or a crossover - have got used to the high seating position of the XUV
2) Mostly city (Delhi/ncr) drive and need a very comfortable car with good 'Fun to Drive' quotient - which also means good seats
I self drive and though I am getting older and driving has become sedate but still enjoy a 'drivers' car :)
3) good ride and handling. one grouse I have against the XUV is that its ride is bumpy (stiff)
4) budget is flexible ie anything between 10-20L - don't believe in going overboard in a depreciating asset !
5) decent ASS and maintainability/reliability
6) expected run of 1200-1500 Kms per month , and 15K to 20K a year. indifferent to petrol or diesel

Some of the possible candidates could be (and concerns)
1) XUV AT (possible a W10 this time) - ride bumpiness is a concern
2) HEXA XTA - spending 20L on a Tata is a concern. also some electronics is missing in the automatic (eg ESP), steering is quite heavy at low speeds and the CAR is heavy - dunno how practical will it be to lug it around the city
3) Ecosport AT - the old petrol engine in the AT is a dud ...looking to see which engine they put in the upcoming facelift. was a car I had shortlisted when I was buying the XUV
(and any idea when is it expected to be launched)

some others
1) Duster - has very good ride but its old technology and am not keen to buy something outdated
2) Crysta - havent Test driven but I think toyota has gone greedy and overpriced it
3) ditto for Creta - overpriced
4) vento

Suggestions/advice to help me out of the dilemma

Cheers

From what you've described above, I'd recommend either the Hexa AT or Creta D/AT.

When I test drove the A/T Hexa and A/T Innova, I found the Hexa much better to drive. The Innova A/T felt gruff and unrefined in comparison to the Hexa A/T - the Hexa felt really fabulous, not to mention the stellar ride quality. You're right though that it is lugging a pretty large vehicle but unfortunately the only other A/T options if you leave that out are Ecosport and Creta.

I feel the Ecosport might be a size too small as your primary / only car.

The Creta D/AT is a bit overpriced no doubt but you're talking about a list with limited options.

I would NOT touch the Duster A/T with a barge pole. Outdated model with AMT transmission - just not worth it.