[SK01]

Hey all,

I'm looking to buy a preowned SUV as a secondary vehicle for long drives with the family.

Presently we have a Honda City iVTEC 2014 model and Ford Freestyle 1.5TDCi 2018 model.

The Honda City has been our long drives companion until the Ford has arrived. Post that, all our trips were on our Ford and no doubt it has been a really great mile muncher. However, there is a real issue: the lack of rear-seat comfort compared to Honda City. My mother who is always in the rear seat complains of cramped legroom and lack of rear AC. She always gets tired and my grandmother develops severe leg and spine aches that last for months.

Now we are looking for a proper replacement for our Honda City and that should be a perfect tourer and a long drive companion.

New options considered:
1. Ford EcoSport 1.5 TDCi.
Pros:
1. Excellent CSUV with a very strong diesel engine.
2. Solidly build. Amazing driving dynamics.
3. IT"S A FORD.
Cons:
1. Cramped rear seat. Lack of rear AC vents makes life miserable during summer drives for the rear occupants.
2. Comparatively smaller than the City.

We've decided not to consider any sub4m car since no one in our family liked them (Ford is an exception). They say they look more like a grown-up hatchback than an SUV.

Compact SUVs considered

1. Nissan Kicks:
Pros:
1. An excellent all-rounded package.
2. Punchy 1.3 Turbo Petrol.
3. Best in class ride and handling.
4. After all it's the Duster derived platform.
Cons:
1. The badge, "Nissan" and the uncertain future in India with just 2 cars and 1 being almost nonexistent.
2. Wafer-thin service networks.
3. Nissan's exit from India after taking the Kicks spending 15l would be the worst nightmare.

Now comes the part of considering preowned alternatives.

Pre-Owned Alternatives Considered:

1. Mahindra XUV500.

There are many XUV500s driven for almost a lakh km selling for 11-12 lakhs.
While some seem like a very well maintained vehicle, some are looking horrendous!

Questions:
1. Is taking a 1l driven post-2015 XUV500 advisable?
2. Are they as reliable as the Toyotas?
3. What would be the average service and maintenance cost for the vehicle post 1l km?
4. Are there any serious niggles and issues that make the vehicle avoidable post 1l km?
5. What all shall I look for before buying?

2. Toyota Innova (post 2014 & Crysta).

There are many Innovas in the used market. Driven for 1l post-2014 models are demanding an upwards of 11l.
However, I have genuine concerns over the usage of those vehicles. Since many of them are used by the political and business class whose primary purpose is travel, travel and travel.

Questions:
1. Is taking a 1 lakh driven post-2014 Toyota Innova advisable?
2. What would be the average service and maintenance cost for the vehicle post 1l km?
3. Are there any serious niggles and issues that make the vehicle avoidable post 1l km?
4. What all shall I look for before buying?

3. Tata Hexa.

Not many I could find in the used car market except some 3-4 cars that run for a lakh km for 11-12 lakhs.


Questions :

1. Is taking a 1l driven post-2015 Tata Hexa advisable?
2. Are they as reliable as the Toyotas?
3. What would be the average service and maintenance cost for the vehicle post 1l km?
4. Are there any serious niggles and issues that make the vehicle avoidable post 1l km?
5. What all shall I look for before buying?



Wildcard entries :

1. Honda CR-V.

2. SsangYong Rexton.


Need suggestions on choosing the best SUV/MUV.


Thanks !

[Mr.Boss]

Budget is missing.

Ecosport - Nothing more than your Freestyle + higher GC and you rightly said about the cramped rear
Except for Innova no other choices from your list is not worth considering with 1L+ on odo.

If you could live with the interiors of Duster, that's one of the competent option you could consider.

[hridaygandhi]

If you are looking for a mile-muncher, (assuming the budget to be around 15L from your post), you should try looking for a sparsely used BS6 Tata Harrier. The initial niggles from the first batch have been mainly sorted, the 170 bhp engine is a hoot to drive and has oodles of space which will make your mother and grandmother happy. The only downsides are hard steering for the city and hit-or-miss TASS.

No matter what the reliability, I would personally always stay away from 1 lakh driven vehicles as certain niggles are bound to crop up and you don't want to be stranded somewhere with the family.

[akash_v12]

First of all, no matter what vehicle, be it a Toyota or a Tata, do not ever look for vehicles driven past 40k KMs (at the maximum). This is simply because not everyone is an enthusiast and many (if not, most) treat their cars as simply machines which they might drive in the most harshest of manners.

A car driven more than 1L KMs in that manner will probably lead to you having to spend more than what you might've spent on the car just to get it fixed.

Going by your choices, I'm assuming your budget is around 15-20L (since you mentioned the Crysta).

Your best option in terms of ride comfort would be none other than an used Tata Hexa. That will be followed by a 2.8L Innova Crysta. My probable last choice would be the Harrier and like Hriday rightly said, a 2020 facelift it that. Since, you did not mention too much about safety, maybe a older 2019/20 Marazzo M8 or a new Ertiga might be worth a look.

[07CR]

I am not sure what your budget is, but I assume it is 11-15L. Also I am not sure, how many people will be using the car regularly, and of what sizes.

Coming to the cars-

1) Ecosport- My dad recently purchased a sparingly used, almost new Ecosport S TDCI, in absolute black car. Currently the car is majority of the times being used by 3, with 2 additional occupants on some rare days. So in this case, me with my dad (Large body shapes occupy the front), while my BIL and mom (Large body sizes) along with my Sis (Small body size), occupy the rear seat. The legroom and headroom isn't an issue, however, the width is a slight issue. It's not uncomfortable, but definitely not anywhere near the City.

In terms of Aircon effectiveness, the car was blazing under a 2 PM Sun (44 Degrees that day), yet when we entered the car, it took barely a minute for the AC to completely cool the complete car. The Aircon of Ecosport is simply in another league compared to other C-Suvs IMO.

Do analyze the space for yourself, if that isn't a hindrance, go with Ecosport blindly (will suggest getting the top variant only). Since this will be majorly used on the highways, Ecosport is just a crazy mile muncher! Tank like build, great Road presence,NVH, Power, Torque, slick gearshift, light clutch, excellent suspension(for high speeds), great chassis and an equally great steering. This is just the perfect mile muncher for me. Add in the very well loaded cabin (SYNC 3.0, Auto Wipers,Auto Headlamps, all backlit switches, mood lighting, Auto dimming IRVM, HID headlamps and much more), and it becomes a great package.

2) Nissan Kicks- Would avoid it. Personally this car never allured to me, maybe because of it's a bit odd design (especially the rear). But this is a major sales dud, and maybe Nissan won't leave India, but Kicks is definitely a gonner by this time next year.

Preowned-

1) XUV500 and Tata Hexa - Both cars with nearly 1L Kms on the odo is a strict NO from me. Although Hexa is my favorite Tata car till date, I would still advice against it. Anything over 30 K Kms is a strict no from me for the Tata and Mahindra.

2) Innova- Ohh these will be reliable. PERIOD. I don't think you will spend too much on the maintenance parts too, maybe Bhpians can advice more here. IF you find a good specimen (that is a big IF, considering 1L Kms), definitely can be a great option.

Wildcards-
CR-V and Rexton- Both are pretty old vehicles and were never very hot sellers (Especially Rexton). Will definitely avoid both, as the parts procurement will be a herculean task for both these long discontinued models.

[TrackDay]

Would be beneficial if the following data were available too :
1. Budget.
2. Total number of passengers.

As to your question whether the Mahindra XUV 500 / Hexa is as reliable as the Toyotas, I would definitely say No. But doesn't mean that they are bad either. Toyotas are in a different league altogether. If you can get a car from someone you know, good. Else the next best option from the ones you listed would be the Innova.

Since you put the travel comfort of your mother as well as grandmother into the equation, I would suggest you to look into the ertiga /XL6 as well. The driving is no Ford ! But the car is really spacious and with good big windows and rear A/Cs. Senior folks love the second row seating of that car.

[Geo_Ipe]

Originally Posted by SK01

Presently we have a Honda City iVTEC 2014 model and Ford Freestyle 1.5TDCi 2018 model.


1. Ford EcoSport 1.5 TDCi.
1. Nissan Kicks:


Pre-Owned Alternatives Considered:

1. Mahindra XUV500.
2. Toyota Innova (post 2014 & Crysta).
3. Tata Hexa.


Wildcard entries :

1. Honda CR-V.
2. SsangYong Rexton.

The Ecosport & Kicks offer nothing more than your City & Freestyle offers, neither does any other CSUV.

Your better bets for upgrades will be the pre-owned options.

Innova - The best logical option. There's a reason why they're all driven so much - Reliability! Technically, 1L km should not be a problem for the Toyotas. However as pundits always say - be wary of the 1L km someone else has driven!

Hexa - My personal favourite. You're not finding lesser run ones because you're not looking hard enough. Just a casual OLX search found me this in your city:
https://www.olx.in/en/item/tata-hexa...iid-1634317692 - 2016 Hexa run 27k km listed for 11.2L
Keep looking hard and you'll definitely find a well maintained, reasonably run Hexa. That said, I'd pick up a 1L run Innova any day over a 1L run Hexa.

XUV - Not a fan of how they age. Brand new, yes, but pre-owned I'd give it a pass.

CRV - Sold very less numbers to start with, so finding a used example might not be easy. The 1.6 diesel is the one to look out for.

Rexton - Please stay away!

Do look at the Marazzo also. Even though not in the Innova territory, it does its job quite well and is a real mile muncher. You may even get a brand new one of budget permits.

Even the XL 6 would make sense, depending on your number of passengers.

[SK01]

Originally Posted by Mr.Boss

Budget is missing.

Ecosport - Nothing more than your Freestyle + higher GC and you rightly said about the cramped rear
Except for Innova no other choices from your list is not worth considering with 1L+ on odo.

If you could live with the interiors of Duster, that's one of the competent option you could consider.

Sorry, the budget is 12l strictly. Can stretch a lakh more.

Rear seat comfort and safety are the topmost priorities.

Originally Posted by hridaygandhi

If you are looking for a mile-muncher, (assuming the budget to be around 15L from your post), you should try looking for a sparsely used BS6 Tata Harrier. The initial niggles from the first batch have been mainly sorted, the 170 bhp engine is a hoot to drive and has oodles of space which will make your mother and grandmother happy. The only downsides are hard steering for the city and hit-or-miss TASS.

No matter what the reliability, I would personally always stay away from 1 lakh driven vehicles as certain niggles are bound to crop up and you don't want to be stranded somewhere with the family.

Tata Harrier would be expensive for me at this point of time considering the uncertain COVID situation and businesses runnung at losses. My budget is 12-13l at the maximum. Nothing more than that.

Originally Posted by akash_v12

First of all, no matter what vehicle, be it a Toyota or a Tata, do not ever look for vehicles driven past 40k KMs (at the maximum). This is simply because not everyone is an enthusiast and many (if not, most) treat their cars as simply machines which they might drive in the most harshest of manners.

A car driven more than 1L KMs in that manner will probably lead to you having to spend more than what you might've spent on the car just to get it fixed.

Going by your choices, I'm assuming your budget is around 15-20L (since you mentioned the Crysta).

Your best option in terms of ride comfort would be none other than an used Tata Hexa. That will be followed by a 2.8L Innova Crysta. My probable last choice would be the Harrier and like Hriday rightly said, a 2020 facelift it that. Since, you did not mention too much about safety, maybe a older 2019/20 Marazzo M8 or a new Ertiga might be worth a look.

I've mentioned Crysta just to give an idea of the Pre-owned Toyota value. My budget is strictly 12-13l.

Originally Posted by TrackDay

Would be beneficial if the following data were available too :
1. Budget.
2. Total number of passengers.

As to your question whether the Mahindra XUV 500 / Hexa is as reliable as the Toyotas, I would definitely say No. But doesn't mean that they are bad either. Toyotas are in a different league altogether. If you can get a car from someone you know, good. Else the next best option from the ones you listed would be the Innova.

Since you put the travel comfort of your mother as well as grandmother into the equation, I would suggest you to look into the ertiga /XL6 as well. The driving is no Ford ! But the car is really spacious and with good big windows and rear A/Cs. Senior folks love the second row seating of that car.

Budget is 12-13l strictly and total number of passengers are 3 for most of the time (I, dad and mom) and 4 if I add my grandmother.

Safety and comfort for the rear seat occupants is the topmost priority.

[akash_v12]

Originally Posted by SK01

Sorry, the budget is 12l strictly.

Since you mention this, what exactly is wrong with the City? You could just swap the duties of the City and the Freestyle, right?

- The iVtec City's are great cars and the Freestyle is also a good city muncher.

- You could run with these cars for a while and then with a bit more savings you could easily get a car like the Crysta.

[landcruiser123]

Buy yourself an Ertiga as the family car and use the Freestyle (in a responsible manner) for your need for speed! While the Ertiga is technically not a upgrade from the City, you certainly get more seats and a car with higher seating position which the senior citizens would love.

If you want performance, look for a BR-V/Mobilio. Another choice is a Corolla if your folks are comfortable getting in and out of.

[SK01]

Originally Posted by Geo_Ipe

The Ecosport & Kicks offer nothing more than your City & Freestyle offers, neither does any other CSUV.

Your better bets for upgrades will be the pre-owned options.

I came across 3 Hexas. None of them responded to my calls / messages.

Yes, Marazzo is now in my list. Will definitely consider that.

Originally Posted by 07CR

I am not sure what your budget is, but I assume it is 11-15L. Also I am not sure, how many people will be using the car regularly, and of what sizes.

.

After reading a lot of reviews, I'm considering 3 cars,

1. Ford EcoSport - Since most of the time, it's my father or me driving and mom at the rear. Your review on the Ford has given me some needed assurance.
2. Mahindra Marazzo - Taxi like image, but fine it's a lot better when compared to the heavily used Innovas.
3. XL6 - Supremely comfortable in the price range, mediocre engine and even bad safety-wise which is a strict "NO" for all 3 of us.

So EcoSport again is the top place on my list. Will definitely do an extensive TD before deciding.

After all, what better than the Ford diesel for a long-term Ford diesel owner.

Note from Support: Please use the edit / multiquote feature instead of posting consecutive posts within 30 minutes on the same thread. Thanks.

[hridaygandhi]

Originally Posted by SK01

Tata Harrier would be expensive for me at this point of time considering the uncertain COVID situation and businesses runnung at losses. My budget is 12-13l at the maximum. Nothing more than that.

If you are tight on budget, it is not easy replacing the City. Hondas are reliable machines, and if there is not much trouble with it, why not continue using it? It still has a few years left in it.

If you really want to replace, all the pseudo-SUVs at this price point will feel like a downgrade from your City. If you are not too hung up on the 'SUV' criteria, and can stretch a little, look at the 5th gen City. It will feel like a proper upgrade from your current City and is a great long-drive companion, be it driving pleasure or back-seat comfort. The GC is adequate too.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by SK01

After reading a lot of reviews, I'm considering 3 cars,

1. Ford EcoSport - Since most of the time, it's my father or me driving and mom at the rear. Your review on the Ford has given me some needed assurance.
2. Mahindra Marazzo - Taxi like image, but fine it's a lot better when compared to the heavily used Innovas.
3. XL6 - Supremely comfortable in the price range, mediocre engine and even bad safety-wise which is a strict "NO" for all 3 of us.

So EcoSport again is the top place on my list. Will definitely do an extensive TD before deciding.

Ecosport is certainly a good choice. It may lack the space for 5 full size adults, but the comfort from the seats is exceptional. The rear seats are placed high off the floor and are quite long. This results in exceptional underthigh support. Many people equate Space and comfort. I was one of these. Ecosport helped me understand the difference.

About the Marazzo, the sales trend seems a bit disturbing. Also as per earlier article on TBhp, it might soon be discontinued.Read here

Please beware of the same. Attaching pic of recent sales trend.

[PrasannaDhana]

Your priority is rear seat comfort and hence the ecosport goes out of the window. Not that it isn't a comfortable car perse, but when compared your Honday city, the rear bench of ecosport isn't anything to write about.

From the options you have specified, Tata Hexa and Innova fit the bill. But a 1 lakh run hexa is a big NO. I am not hopeful in finding a 1 lakh run crysta 2.4 or 2.8 within 12 lakhs budget. At 12 lakhs budget, you might get a 1 lakh km run last Gen Innova, which isn't what I would suggest.

You want a solid car with a very comfortable rear bench, S Cross is impressive. I found the nexon rear bench to be comfortable to sit, but the stiff ride was a turn off. You will notice it because you are accustomed to a Honda city which definitely is one hell of a comfortable car to ride in.

A new car at 12 lakhs budget, ecosport diesel is an excellent choice if you are looking at driving pleasure. Not so when it comes to rear seat comfort or ride quality.

Used Renault Duster 110PS is a good choice too.

My suggestion is the used Toyota Corolla Diesel(if you don't insist on SUV/MPV). It's an excellent car to be in. It might be lukewarm to drive though, but fits in your priorities well. It's arguably safer than your city, more premium, one full segment superior & is well priced in the used market. Considering the ever increasing fuel prices, the altis will be substantially cheaper to run than the Innova or the Hexa.

[jithin23]

If you're looking at CSUV's, as you pointed out its EcoSport over the competition. Since you're already used to a Ford, The S variant or the Titanium+ of the EcoSport will be a nice place to be in. Only downside is the hard clutch in diesel which needs getting used to. In some places you can get the EcoSport for 8L with sync 3. If your Choice is EcoSport, go for the sync 3 variants ONLY.

Rear AC isn't a deal breaker as I've used the Air con in 43℃ and the entire cabin cools in under 5 min. Seat comfort is good once you pick speeds, low speed ride is stiff

Duster 110 or AWD can be bought for 8-9L and are pretty capable. Great ride and bootspace. Only downer is the injector issues

XUV500/Hexa are great cars if bought new and I see that 4-5 year old XUV's have a low asking price. Even if you find a well maintained one, it would have crossed 6 digits on the ODO and in the used market it's tricky to find a clean XUV. Tatas age very fast though.

S-cross 1.6: If you get a well maintained one, you can definitely go for this as it's a hoot to drive and light on the pocket.

Innova: if you get one for 12-14L for Crystal, there's nothing like it for families

If you fancy the Germans and are ready for extra dedication towards maintenance even a used Ventilation or Rapid TDI is a good choice