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-   -   Tata Aria replacement? EDIT: Booked Innova GX AT (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/suvs-muvs-4x4s/219814-tata-aria-replacement-edit-booked-innova-gx.html)

The Background:
I own a Tata Aria which has clocked down one lacs km and is almost nine years old. I have a love and hate relationship with it. Car is extremely comfortable, cheap to maintain and my experience with Tata service centers has been good so far. I go on long highway trips once a month. Hate is for the frequent part failures and I have started getting a feeling that the car might fail in one of the trips. Also, NCR registration with expire next year I am looking for an Aria replacement or rather an upgrade (Preowned) with a budget of 12-15 lacs

These are my requirements:-


1. What upgrade?
A class above for the oomph/ glamor/show-off/ status factor and "baadi gaadi wali" feel

2. New/ preowned?
Off course preowned else it won't be an upgrade
Can consider a new one in case I run out of options

3. SUV/Sedan?
Preferably SUV/MUV considering I go on tracks/roads where ground clearance matters. However, can manage with a sedan and hire a taxi for such purpose

4. Petrol/ diesel
Preferable petrol due to 10 years limit in NCR on registration of diesel vehicles

5. Manual/ Automatic?
Automatic no doubt about it.

6. 4x4?
Not my requirement

7. Chauffeur or self driven?
Self driven 100 percent

8. No of seats?
Four. Me, wifey and a kid, occasionally parents may join.

9. Cost of maintenance?
Don't mind once in a year high service cost But certainly a reliable car with negligible breakdowns (Maintenance cost of around 50 thousand/ per year is manageable)

10 Safely?
It is a priority however top models of most cars in the segment come loaded with safety features so should not be a cause of concern. 4-6 airbags, ABS, EBD is enough I believe. Please enlighten me if there is anything else, I must look for

11. How old?
Max 4-5 yrs and 50-60k kms It’s just a mental block though

12. Comfort?
Comfortable car on long trips

What all have I shortlisted?

a. Preowned Honda CRV

Ticks most of the boxes. It is known to guzzle fuel. However, I believe its reliable and maintenance cost will be low. Honda is also offering extended warranty upto 10 years on all its vehicles.

b. Preowned Mitsubishi Pajero Sports AT

Its reliable however I fear for availability of parts in long term. Also I never find the car comfortable

c. Preowned Toyota fortuner

5 yrs old vehicles were a little over the budget. Also, I never find the last generation fortuner comfortable. However it known for its reliability

d. Preowned Innova Crysta AT
Depreciation in 3-4 years old crysta is not much. It’s better to buy a new one. It also lacks the glamor factor I have been looking for. Will consider a new one rather than a preowned vehicle

e. Preowned Skoda Superb/ VW Jetta
Certainly, has the baadi gaadi wali feel. My sister owns one and I just love the kick of the DSG. However I am sacred of the cost of maintenance and not sure of the reliability of the DSG.

f. Preowned C-class/ 3 series/ A4/ Q3/X1
7-8 yrs old car fit my budget. Not sure of the cost of maintenance of these vehicles

g. Tata Harrier/Hexa AT
Hexa is a worthy and reliable replacement but cannot match the oomph factor of others. Harrier is known for its part failure issues

h. Mahindra XUV500/ Scorpio AT
Newer model is due for both and lack the factors I am looking for

i.Preowned Jeep Compass AT
Zero experience about the reliability and cost of maintenance of Jeep. The KIA Seltos makes it look even more over priced

j. Creta/Seltos/Hector AT
Though all of them lack the baadi gaadi wali feel but do serves my purpose; Creta is due for replacement with a newer model. Seltos is having issues with its At. Is hector reliable enough? I will also like to shy away from a Chinese manufacturer. Creta is the last option to be considered.

I guess I have covered all cars new and old in my budget. Any car I may have missed any kindly be brought to my notice.

Please help me choose a worthy replacement

Sure doesn't look like you need a 3rd row of seats, so you must consider one of the crossovers. Tall SUV'ish styling with a nice car-like driving experience. I'll strongly recommend the Kia Seltos + MG Hector to you, and it will be worth waiting for the new Hyundai Creta too. Tip = Avoid the problematic DCTs. Either go for the MTs or the Diesel ATs.

For driving pleasure on long drives, I would also recommend a pre-owned Compass to you.

You could negate that by buying a Jetta or Octavia 2.0 diesel MT :). They are fantastic machines.

I wouldn't recommend it as all the Germans you'll get will be old. Remember, there is no such thing as a cheap German car. If it's cheap to buy, it'll be expensive to maintain.

I don't need the 3rd row for sure.

How its the reliability of Jeep in long term? How is compass when it comes to maintenance?

Cant miss the comfort of AT in NCR traffic

How about CRV?

It's no Toyota and some niggles are there. But it's not a deal breaker either. From what I've seen, the 50,000 km Compass examples have so far offered acceptable reliability.

Go for the AT, just not the DCT (dual clutch ATs). Choose a torque-converter type. The Seltos, Creta, XUV500, Harrier, Hexa etc. all have this type of AT mated to their diesels. The ones to avoid are the Seltos Petrol DCT & Hector Petrol DCT.

Coming from an Aria, Seltos and Creta will feel like hatchbacks to you. Especially the driving position. Once you get used to that view, it is difficult to come down. My suggestion is a used 2017 Crysta GX AT. They usually go for 16-18 lakhs in my region. With some hunting , you may get lucky with a 2016 one as well.

Tata Aria to CR-V will be a good upgrade. It's one reliable workhorse and feels nimble and car-like to drive. Besides the novelty factor, it will also have longer validity in NCR. Be prepared for 6-7 km/l in traffic though.

You can use the above point to bring down the price. Low mileage is the reason why this car found limited buyers in the first place.

A 4-5 year old diesel car doesn't make much sense. You'll not even get a fraction of the purchase price after 3-4 years. If going for diesel, purchase new or 2-3 year old car and sell it off when it turns 7.

Thanks bravo82in for the thread. I am also looking at replacing my Aria (10th year and 1.75L kms done).

Took a test drive of Kia Seltos, found it ok, drive for bangalore's bump filled broken roads was reasonably ok, actually was better than what I thought it will do. NVH levels was also pretty good. Btw, my other car at home is an i20, so didn't find many of the interior bits and interface too similar (and so) very exciting. Was also wondering how it will hold up well for a 10year life span. Particularly the lighter leather(ette?) seats of one the test drive cars had lot more wear and tear (or soiled) than my 10 year old Aria leather upholstery (in black/dark-red).

Was thinking of checking out T-Roc and Karoq as well, if they are interestingly priced. But the DQ200 DSG was the bothersome part. If I understood you correctly DQ200 (or DCT in general) hasn't gone much forward in the reliability curve (considering a 10year 1L+ kms usage span) ?

Seeing the Seltos on road I also thought so and it indeed did drive like a hatchback. But the driving position (and view outside) was pretty good IMHO.

What about the Hyundai Tucson? Or a VW Tiguan? You could also probably check to see if you can get a Santa Fe but this one may be doubtful.

An used Hexa AT can be a great alternative if you are willing to lower the snob value quotient.

A Hexa rides, drives and feels far better than an Innova or XUV.

If you're okay with a downgrade in size, go for the new Creta or Seltos. Go for the 1.5 petrol with the CVT or the diesel AT. OTOH, if you want substantial road presence, your best option is a Crysta GX (new or used) and used CR-V or Tucson.

I'd stay away from used Germans/Mahindras.

5 kmpl in traffic too. I don't think any Aria owner who was used to its diesel's economy will be fine with that.

A used Santa Fe would be absolutely top class :thumbs up. It's a beautiful all-rounder.

What part failure issues are you referring to? They are not more than other models mentioned here. I would suggest to go and have a test drive, the car has the presence of a Land Rover and attracts more attention than a MG or a Seltos or even a Creta.

Best in class safety, is cherry on the cake.

I really doubt if you can land up a good car in the used car market in that price range which proves to be reliable, upgrade over the Aria and also has road life left (thanks to the NGT issue). The NGT issue means that you can only look at petrol vehicles if buying used as any diesel SUV in your list would have hardly depreciated in the first 2-3 years and would certainly not fall in that price bracket.

The only car in your list that I can see is the CRV, thanks to that petrol motor. But ofcourse be aware of the terrible FE. Or you can perhaps consider converting it into a CNG vehicle.

If it is diesel that you find more attractive, my advice would be to look at new cars. A Creta or a Seltos might not be an upgrade in terms of sheer size but in every other department, they would be a significant upgrade over the Aria. Since you need only 4 seats, space isn't an issue and rather the compact sizes may make life easier in the NCR traffic. If space is a concern, then look at the Hector/Harrier/Hexa/Innova.

Buying a used diesel car in the Delhi NCR region isn't really financially prudent anymore as you will be forced to sell in the 10th year and the resale values are a disaster, not to mention the hassle of selling the car out of state.

This forum it self is full of niggling issues with the Harrier. Every time I visit the work shop the owners share the same story. I dont want to end up with a lemon again

If a sedan is okay, then how about a Toyota Corolla? Or a Camry, if requirement # 1 is non-negotiable?

Disclaimer: I am a noob in these segments, so just suggested the first suitable vehicle that seemed to be a good fit.

Cheers,
Vikram