[Nifty.Nishy]

Hello Guys & Girls!

I'm in a serious dilemma in deciding what to buy, I hope your expertise could help me narrow down, or find something that I missed.

My requirements:

- Touring: (I'm crazy about roadtrips, especially impormptu ones!) Highway mile munching. Off-beat Destinations. Himalayas/Nilgiris/Western Ghats are what I look forward to.

- Safety: Proper Hardtop SUVish, ABS+Airbag, Front facing Rear seats

- Fuel: I was inclined to Diesel, but looking at the way things are going, I have a big doubt about the future of Diesel. Turbo Petrols seem to be good alternate!

- 4X4 / AWD : Not that I am a hardcore Offroader, but i have always wanted to own a machine that could go literally anywhere, snow, slush, trails. 4x4 has the potential to take you to places no 4x2 can. Period!

Probable Contendors:

1. Mahindra Thar: Competent Off-roader and tourer, but constant niggles, dark future for diesel, soft top and lack of safety makes me stay away. The upgrade should be worth the wait, but again Diesel is bothering me.

2. Force Gurkha Extreme: Hardcore Offroader, way too hardcore than I would ever need. Not so comfortable for Rear Passengers. Serious concerns about A.S.S

3. Duster AWD: The one that ticks all the boxes, except Renault Nissan isn't doing all that great in the market. Not so satisfying ownership experiences all over the Web. I have serious doubts about the future of the company in the market (Chevrolet and now Ford's baby steps in the reverse is making me cautious)

4. Hyundai Venue: K1.0 TGDI, with Blue-Link makes a perfect combination for Enthusiast as well as overall futuristic ownership experience. Hyundai's A.S.S make a very strong case too. Only downer is lack of 4x4 or AWD. Otherwise it's perfect as a tourer.

5. Ford Ecosport: Eventhough the news has it that Ford is to stop individual venture in India, they have way too many cars on the road to just pack up and leave. Ecosport is a great Car, 1.5 TDCi is a cracker of Engine. Offers great drivability and Fuel Economy too. Good Handling. But again no AWD/4x4

If it were the Compact SUV's, I would put my money on the Hyundai Venue, but the lack of 4x4 makes me think twice. Guys please help me out. I'm in dire need of some unbiased opinions and suggestions.

[surjaonwheelz]

Your requirements and contenders don't match!

From the list, Duster AWD suits your wanderlust more than others.

Read these threads first,

PapaBravo's travelogue (Sandakphu: The highest peak of Bengal in a Duster AWD)

ARAY's travelogue (Hyderabad - Sikkim in a Duster AWD!)

Samba's Point of view (Renault Duster AWD : An owner's point of view)

Yes, it's a bit long in the tooth but definitely is one of the best tourers!

Happy choosing.

[Nifty.Nishy]

Originally Posted by surjaonwheelz

Your requirements and contenders don't match!

From the list, Duster AWD suits your wanderlust more than others......

Thank you for your cents. Trust me I have gone through all these threads thoroughly. I completely agree with you, it's the duster alone that matches with my requirements. As far as the other contenders are concerned, as I couldn't find anything that would tick all the boxes, I had to sacrifice on some requirements.

With Duster, I'm more concerned with the long term reliability of the Company. A.S.S stories are also of no true help, with so many customers complaining about the rather erratic experience they have had while servicing!

[avisidhu]

Originally Posted by Nifty.Nishy

Hello Guys & Girls!

- Touring: (I'm crazy about roadtrips, especially impormptu ones!) Highway mile munching. Off-beat Destinations. Himalayas/Nilgiris/Western Ghats are what I look forward to.
....

The percentage allocation to highway and off-road here should decide what you buy, or even if you need a 4X4. To be brutally honest, most of us 'think' we'll do all kinds of shenanigans once we get that go-anywhere ride, and then....well let's leave it at that

Else, the Venue/Ecosport will give you all the necessary creature comforts and more. The relative compactness would help in most hilly roads as well. Good engine options in both diesel and petrol as well.

and for that (presumably) 5% of times when you 'really' need to off-road, renting is no longer such a bad option!

[BlackPearl]

If you are looking for an all rounder with 4x4/AWD capability, the Duster is the only one from your list. If you could extend the budget or consider pre-owned vehicles, then you would have a lot more options like Fortuner, Pajero Sport, Compass etc.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by Nifty.Nishy

- Touring: (I'm crazy about roadtrips, especially impormptu ones!) Highway mile munching. Off-beat Destinations. Himalayas/Nilgiris/Western Ghats are what I look forward to.

Do consider V Cross, they are coming with the newer Engine soon, though it will be little over your budget. It will be very handy for carrying anything and everything you will need for your travel.

[ruzbehxyz]

Originally Posted by Nifty.Nishy

Hello Guys & Girls!

I'm in a serious dilemma in deciding what to buy, I hope your expertise could help me narrow down, or find something that I missed.

My requirements:

- Touring: (I'm crazy about roadtrips, especially impormptu ones!) Highway mile munching. Off-beat Destinations. Himalayas/Nilgiris/Western Ghats are what I look forward to.

- Safety: Proper Hardtop SUVish, ABS+Airbag, Front facing Rear seats

- Fuel: I was inclined to Diesel, but looking at the way things are going, I have a big doubt about the future of Diesel. Turbo Petrols seem to be good alternate!

- 4X4 / AWD : Not that I am a hardcore Offroader, but i have always wanted to own a machine that could go literally anywhere, snow, slush, trails. 4x4 has the potential to take you to places no 4x2 can. Period!

As mentioned by many in this thread, the Duster is best suited for your needs among the list you have provided.
However the Duster is outdated now, and there is news that Renault is not bringing in the new generation Duster to India.

Some other choices:
1. Pre-owned Toyota Fortuner.
Even a Fortuner that has run 1 lakh kms. will give you good service.

2. Tata Hexa.
This is a good car for touring, however the 4x4 is available only in manual and way beyond your budget. But worth considering.

3. XUV5OO AWD.
The XUV is a comfortable vehicle for touring and gives a good average too. This one also would go beyond your budget, so you can consider a non AWD.

4. Isuzu MUX.


I also want to highlight that there is a major difference between AWD and 4WD. Although for your needs an AWD will suffice. And in your budget, it's difficult to get a proper 4WD vehicle for touring.

[Nifty.Nishy]

Originally Posted by avisidhu

The percentage allocation to highway and off-road here should decide what you buy, or even if you need a 4X4. To be brutally honest, most of us 'think' we'll do all kinds of shenanigans once we get that go-anywhere ride, and then....well let's leave it at that

Else, the Venue/Ecosport will give you all the necessary creature comforts and more. The relative compactness would help in most hilly roads as well. Good engine options in both diesel and petrol as well.

and for that (presumably) 5% of times when you 'really' need to off-road, renting is no longer such a bad option!

Thank you avisidhu. I completely agree with you! There's a lot that we plan for, and there's something else we do. I must be very serious about where am I putting my money into.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

If you are looking for an all rounder with 4x4/AWD capability, the Duster is the only one from your list. If you could extend the budget or consider pre-owned vehicles, then you would have a lot more options like Fortuner, Pajero Sport, Compass etc.

Thank you so much. It's really good to hear from you sir! Your travelogues are something that inspires me a lot! Yes you are right, duster is the only one that fits into my requirements.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Do consider V Cross, they are coming with the newer Engine soon, though it will be little over your budget. It will be very handy for carrying anything and everything you will need for your travel.

Thank you for the mention, V-Cross is an amazing vehicle I agree, but I'm not used to such a long vehicle, besides it'll be a real pain taking it inside city/neatly tight ghats.

Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz

As mentioned by many in this thread, the Duster is best suited for your needs among the list you have provided.
However the Duster is outdated now, and there is news that Renault is not bringing in the new generation Duster to India.
========
I also want to highlight that there is a major difference between AWD and 4WD. Although for your needs an AWD will suffice. And in your budget, it's difficult to get a proper 4WD vehicle for touring.

As you rightly noticed, AWD will suffice my requirements, but all the options mentioned will be a bit more than what I would like to invest at this stage of life.

Thank you so much guys, I truly appreciate your suggestions. Duster does suit my requirements, but I have deep concerns about it's long term reliability, considering the way the company is going about it. I hope it changes. I guess I'll wait till the launch of Venue, before making the decision.
The AWD option will have to wait for a later stage. In times like these, I so wish Maruti had launched their Jimny

[ranjitnair77]

Originally Posted by Nifty.Nishy

Duster does suit my requirements, but I have deep concerns about it's long term reliability, considering the way the company is going about it.

Honestly I wouldn't worry about this at all. The Duster has been around for a very long time and is known to be a simple, robust, reliable and frugal vehicle. The vehicle is currently in production as well. Spare parts are available. If you are concerned about the service, you can always find a reliable independent garage.

A recent road trip to Rajasthan in a friend's Duster AWD convinced me that there isn't a touring vehicle that can match the Duster if you look at it holistically. The Venue is going to be an urban focused vehicle so it is not a direct comparison. Plus you will not get AWD.

Just go ahead and get the Duster.

[AYP]

If you are a 100% certain that you need that 4*4/AWD, then Duster is the car to go for. As per recent news, Renault is not planning to bring the next gen Duster to India, so the current Duster is here to stay for a fairly long time. Waiting for the updated Duster is something you may want to think about. While the basic car will stay the same, some amount of make-up plus the rumoured projector headlamp setup might make it worth it.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ter-india.html

However, if the AWD is going to be used for only a handful of times, settling for a much more modern car like the Venue won't be a bad decision at all. It will trump Duster in almost every way, save for the space, ride quality and of course the AWD hardware which will further add to the already very robust nature of the Duster.

Basically, you need to factor in your expected AWD usage and then take a decision between the Duster and the Venue.

[Samba]

I picked up a Duster AWD last year with the following calculation's-

If Renault takes the Chevrolet way- Though i strongly feel, with the new launches planned ahead, Renault wont exit India in the next few years.

After Chevrolet's exit from India, there service centers are still operational. https://www.chevrolet.co.in/

If Renault exits India, service wont be a problem, the hit will be on the resale value. I am in a plan to keep the Duster for approximately 8 years. So after 8 years, i will not bother much on the resale value.

First 5 years is covered under extended warranty, which means there should not be any big expenditure from my end.
For the next 3 years, if Renault quotes huge service charges, i can always trust a good FNG. Duster is a very common car, so finding spares should not be a huge task.

Within this budget i wont get another car which will offer me the following-
A 4Wd (go anywhere, peace of mind)
Very comfortable ride
Sorted handling and nice highway manners
Got all the essential features like- Abs, EBD, ESC, Brake traction control, air bags, cruise control.

If not Duster AWD i will suggest to increase your budget a bit & checkout the Scorpio 4x4.

[shijinpr]

Can you give us some info about your touring, like the places you have visited recently. This would help in suggesting the vehicle.

[fiestarry]

The Duster is a great vehicle; it is simple, has limited electrical and electronic gadgetry, fantastic suspension, smooth and utterly reliable engine, reasonably priced parts, huge numbers sold so no problem of spares, doesn't carry needless bulk and weight, Renault is doing fairly well, robust and reliable SUV.
Newer launches are unknown quantities, existing behemoths like Fortuner, Hexa etc are bigger than what you need, the midget SUVs are too limited in space. The Duster it is.

[humyum]

Like everyone is saying, a Duster sounds like the best one, but be aware, it has a hard clutch, the 110 ps one.

Also one more option that came to my head if you don't want the 4X4 is the Brezza, with its 198 mm ground clearance, its quite the go anywhere vehicle!

[GTO]

There are lots of 4x4 / AWD options in today's market. Go through the Official Reviews of the following cars and you'll be all set.

The Duster AWD - old & outdated as it is - still cannot be matched for its ride quality, car-like handling & surprisingly competent AWD.

If you can extend your budget, consider the following. Or if you can't stretch the $$$, look at the pre-owned market for the following = XUV500 AWD, Hexa, Scorpio (I don't like it, but clearly a lot of people do) & Safari Storme (I don't like it, but clearly a lot of people do).

If you can wait for a year or two, the Compass will start hitting the used market. It is one heck of an SUV & decent in the rough stuff too .