An office car

TheDoc · 14th December 2006, 12:28

My Dad wants a car for his office which would essentially ferry him and a few associates between Chennai, bangalore and Coimbatore. It will be Chauffer driven. It will need to do some light off-roading also.

Price range - Below 12 lakhs

Average Distance travelled per month - 2000 km ( atleast 95% of it on hignways)

Requirements -
It should be very comfortable for three persons.
It should be diesel.
It should be able to carry a lot of luggage.
A good ICE setup (dvd video) either as standard or we should be able to add one without causing any warranty related issue
Should the need arise, my dad should be able to drive the car comfortably.

The car will be used for around 100000 km.

My questions-

1) Is 4x4 needed for any offroading or is it needed only for crazy offroading?
2)If yes, what about cars like the innova? Can its build take off-roading and rough roads?

Anyways, I have narrowed it down to these cars.

Tata Safari Dicor VX-

Decent vehicle. Very comfortable. The ICE setup is adequate and it has ABS, airbags, 4x4 option, etc. With the price cut and discounts being offered now, the ex-showroom price is around 10.7 lakh which is impressive.

Toyota Innova-

Good vehicle, decent engine, comfortable with good highway manners. Required safety features available. But no 4x4 option. Price around 10 lakh.

tsk1979 · 14th December 2006, 13:07

If you are talking about very mild offroading, Innova is a great choice.
If you are okay with the looks of Innova its the best. Very good quality and refinement.
If you want something with more pomp and show and more offroading capabilities, then Safari is for you.

theMAG · 14th December 2006, 13:18

Innova it is. While the Safari also has a great middle row, its more for hands-on driving.

suman · 14th December 2006, 13:23

Since there's a fair amount of highway driving involved and for the bulk of it your dad & associates will be using the middle row, its a no-brainer for me - the Safari VX 4x4.

Apart from the ABS, EBD & Airbags, ride comfort in the Safari is unparalleled; the Innova cannot match the middle row comfort the Safari offers. Nor can it match the SPACE inside.

And the Safari is a great self-driven vehicle as well, as & when your dad wants to drive himself

himanshugoswami · 14th December 2006, 13:26

From your requirements, the Innova V fits the bill perfectly. with the discounts on offer (about 60K for the top end V version) you can kit out a pretty decent ICE- get it from teh dealer and you will have no warranty issues.

Since you mentioned that your father would also be driving, not sure if he would find the safari as comfortable to drive as the innova. take a test drive of both vehicles and then decide.

GTO · 14th December 2006, 13:32

Innova undoubtedly. However, since it is only for a three passenger carrying capacity, you can opt for the Indigo diesel and save a good amount of $$$.

Steeroid · 14th December 2006, 18:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDoc

Tata Safari Dicor VX-

Decent vehicle. Very comfortable. The ICE setup is adequate and it has ABS, airbags, 4x4 option, etc. With the price cut and discounts being offered now, the ex-showroom price is around 10.7 lakh which is impressive.

Toyota Innova-

Good vehicle, decent engine, comfortable with good highway manners. Required safety features available. But no 4x4 option. Price around 10 lakh.

Two very good choices. If they're doing a lot of highway stuff and need lots of space for luggage + a super comfortable middle row there's nothing like the Safari. No other vehicle comes close in seating comfort.

However, the Innova is a Toyota which means bulletproof reliability - you will obviously have no or a lot fewer issues. It is also a great vehicle, though not as comfortable over any road as the Safari is. In fact its hard to find fault with the Innova except for its morphed-van looks.

GTOs suggestion for the Indigo is good, but since you have a large budget of 10 lakhs I guess you expect more from the vehicle.

aZa · 14th December 2006, 18:45

I'd say a Innova G4 or the V, we just bought a INNOVA G4 for our office staff usage and everyone is very happy i must say.

Quote:

Average Distance travelled per month - 2000 km ( atleast 95% of it on hignways)

Requirements -
It should be very comfortable for three persons.
It should be diesel.
It should be able to carry a lot of luggage.
A good ICE setup (dvd video) either as standard or we should be able to add one without causing any warranty related issue
Should the need arise, my dad should be able to drive the car comfortably.

The car will be used for around 100000 km.

We have also added a Ceiling mounted DVD player for entertainment, had no warranty issues. Get the INNOVA with the buckets seats in the middle row its awesome. Toyota engines are trouble free in general and the D4D is no different. Just take a test drive i'm sure u wont look any further

CrAzY dRiVeR · 14th December 2006, 19:57

I'd say the Safari is a very good deal, for the most comfortable middle row seats in a car in its class... And it looks the part too...

But... If you like the looks and the MUV image, the innova would be a better deal for travelling 3+... And more reliable too...

rahul_intlad · 14th December 2006, 21:25

With an impending engine change for the safari,buying a safari at this point may just not be right.

Go for the innova V.However remember the innova can take bad roads[ones you find on highways and most roads in rural india] in its stride quite well but offroading is stretching it a bit too much.

Think it would be better if you could actually mention what kind of offroading you are talking about.

gbpscars · 14th December 2006, 21:34

There goes another one,... "Off-roading"???

Please be clear.

If you mean you want a single car that can ferry your dad and colleagues on a Highway and sometimes rural areas, and later one day you / your dad would like to drive in a farm with slush,... then take the Safari 4x4.

Else there is nothing better than the Innova when it comes to looks that can be called "corporate", highway safety, a Toyota product, and still have some fun with it in rural Indian roads. Forget the 4x4. You will rarely need it if your idea suits the 2nd situation.

Happy choosing.

Pssst... take the Safari Dicor, mate, you will like it anytime

ravibhat · 15th December 2006, 22:16

I own Petrol Innova, its really great car except for its look although we feel Innova looks cool after adding great stuff of accessories. I get 11kmpl as fuel economy on highway and 8 kmpl in congested bangalore traffic with 30% AC on.

I suggest you go for Petrol Innova If you use it for 1,00,000KM thats around 4 years you would like to keep. Its real silent and great suspension
on higway and quiet good suspension (better than all sedans except indigo I feel) in bad roads. Toyota is known for reliability.

Safari is great only for suspension and middle row comfort, offroading according to me. Its not so reliable but now its not bad package at all since TATA have fixed many stuffs year by year.

On good highway one can't see/feel any difference between Innova and Safari but I do agree on bad stretch TATA wins any time since TATA understands Indian conditions very well

I used my Innova in bad roads also, no problems at all ground clearenace is quiet good, no under body scrape.. but safari is better than Innova for offroading.

hope this helps.

Regards,

Ravi.

jango · 15th December 2006, 22:43

Safari is a gud choice for highway use and mild offroads....go for it....you can also think abt the scorpio !!

blueraven316 · 15th December 2006, 22:47

3 choices,
Innova Innova and Innova and yes Petrol !

And with that budget you can get some really neat interior job done with a decent Audio system to watch Movies on the Highway.

suman · 15th December 2006, 22:50

Sorry, I'm confused! Ravi Bhat, so which one are you actually recommending? Or is it a fence-sitting situation all over again?

14th December 2006, 12:28	#1
TheDoc BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chennai Posts: 50 Thanked: Once View My Garage	An office car My Dad wants a car for his office which would essentially ferry him and a few associates between Chennai, bangalore and Coimbatore. It will be Chauffer driven. It will need to do some light off-roading also. Price range - Below 12 lakhs Average Distance travelled per month - 2000 km ( atleast 95% of it on hignways) Requirements - It should be very comfortable for three persons. It should be diesel. It should be able to carry a lot of luggage. A good ICE setup (dvd video) either as standard or we should be able to add one without causing any warranty related issue Should the need arise, my dad should be able to drive the car comfortably. The car will be used for around 100000 km. My questions- 1) Is 4x4 needed for any offroading or is it needed only for crazy offroading? 2)If yes, what about cars like the innova? Can its build take off-roading and rough roads? Anyways, I have narrowed it down to these cars. Tata Safari Dicor VX- Decent vehicle. Very comfortable. The ICE setup is adequate and it has ABS, airbags, 4x4 option, etc. With the price cut and discounts being offered now, the ex-showroom price is around 10.7 lakh which is impressive. Toyota Innova- Good vehicle, decent engine, comfortable with good highway manners. Required safety features available. But no 4x4 option. Price around 10 lakh.
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14th December 2006, 13:07	#2
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,718 Thanked: 22,833 Times View My Garage	If you are talking about very mild offroading, Innova is a great choice. If you are okay with the looks of Innova its the best. Very good quality and refinement. If you want something with more pomp and show and more offroading capabilities, then Safari is for you.
	() Thanks

14th December 2006, 13:18	#3
theMAG Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Avon, CT Posts: 7,217 Thanked: 1,808 Times View My Garage	Innova it is. While the Safari also has a great middle row, its more for hands-on driving. Last edited by theMAG : 14th December 2006 at 13:21.
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14th December 2006, 13:23	#4
suman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 4,589 Thanked: 279 Times View My Garage	Since there's a fair amount of highway driving involved and for the bulk of it your dad & associates will be using the middle row, its a no-brainer for me - the Safari VX 4x4. Apart from the ABS, EBD & Airbags, ride comfort in the Safari is unparalleled; the Innova cannot match the middle row comfort the Safari offers. Nor can it match the SPACE inside. And the Safari is a great self-driven vehicle as well, as & when your dad wants to drive himself Last edited by suman : 14th December 2006 at 13:25.
	() Thanks

14th December 2006, 13:26	#5
himanshugoswami Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: !!!! Posts: 2,303 Thanked: 2,620 Times	From your requirements, the Innova V fits the bill perfectly. with the discounts on offer (about 60K for the top end V version) you can kit out a pretty decent ICE- get it from teh dealer and you will have no warranty issues. Since you mentioned that your father would also be driving, not sure if he would find the safari as comfortable to drive as the innova. take a test drive of both vehicles and then decide.
	() Thanks

14th December 2006, 13:32	#6
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,607 Thanked: 301,521 Times View My Garage	Innova undoubtedly. However, since it is only for a three passenger carrying capacity, you can opt for the Indigo diesel and save a good amount of $$$.
	() Thanks

14th December 2006, 19:57	#9
CrAzY dRiVeR Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bangalore / TVM Posts: 17,193 Thanked: 73,581 Times View My Garage	I'd say the Safari is a very good deal, for the most comfortable middle row seats in a car in its class... And it looks the part too... But... If you like the looks and the MUV image, the innova would be a better deal for travelling 3+... And more reliable too...
	() Thanks

14th December 2006, 21:25	#10
rahul_intlad Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 1,579 Thanked: 4 Times	With an impending engine change for the safari,buying a safari at this point may just not be right. Go for the innova V.However remember the innova can take bad roads[ones you find on highways and most roads in rural india] in its stride quite well but offroading is stretching it a bit too much. Think it would be better if you could actually mention what kind of offroading you are talking about. Last edited by rahul_intlad : 14th December 2006 at 21:26.
	() Thanks

14th December 2006, 21:34	#11
gbpscars BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 402 Thanked: 5 Times	There goes another one,... "Off-roading"??? Please be clear. If you mean you want a single car that can ferry your dad and colleagues on a Highway and sometimes rural areas, and later one day you / your dad would like to drive in a farm with slush,... then take the Safari 4x4. Else there is nothing better than the Innova when it comes to looks that can be called "corporate", highway safety, a Toyota product, and still have some fun with it in rural Indian roads. Forget the 4x4. You will rarely need it if your idea suits the 2nd situation. Happy choosing. Pssst... take the Safari Dicor, mate, you will like it anytime Last edited by gbpscars : 14th December 2006 at 21:37.
	() Thanks

15th December 2006, 22:16	#12
ravibhat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,256 Thanked: 37 Times View My Garage	I own Petrol Innova, its really great car except for its look although we feel Innova looks cool after adding great stuff of accessories. I get 11kmpl as fuel economy on highway and 8 kmpl in congested bangalore traffic with 30% AC on. I suggest you go for Petrol Innova If you use it for 1,00,000KM thats around 4 years you would like to keep. Its real silent and great suspension on higway and quiet good suspension (better than all sedans except indigo I feel) in bad roads. Toyota is known for reliability. Safari is great only for suspension and middle row comfort, offroading according to me. Its not so reliable but now its not bad package at all since TATA have fixed many stuffs year by year. On good highway one can't see/feel any difference between Innova and Safari but I do agree on bad stretch TATA wins any time since TATA understands Indian conditions very well I used my Innova in bad roads also, no problems at all ground clearenace is quiet good, no under body scrape.. but safari is better than Innova for offroading. hope this helps. Regards, Ravi.
	() Thanks

15th December 2006, 22:43	#13
jango BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: New York & kotayam Posts: 800 Thanked: 23 Times View My Garage	Safari is a gud choice for highway use and mild offroads....go for it....you can also think abt the scorpio !!
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15th December 2006, 22:47	#14
blueraven316 Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,110 Thanked: 19 Times View My Garage	3 choices, Innova Innova and Innova and yes Petrol ! And with that budget you can get some really neat interior job done with a decent Audio system to watch Movies on the Highway.
	() Thanks

15th December 2006, 22:50	#15
suman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 4,589 Thanked: 279 Times View My Garage	Sorry, I'm confused! Ravi Bhat, so which one are you actually recommending? Or is it a fence-sitting situation all over again?
	() Thanks