[landcruiser123]

On the same topic, none of the cars listed will match the engineering finesse of the 5 Series. It'll be obvious to even the non-enthusiast members of his family once they spend a little time in the car.

If the budget is fixed, I'd vote Innova.

[AKSarkar1]

I still feel that the Carnival and the Innova are some of the best options and offer the most bang for the buck. For me personally, the Carnival has an enormous road presence, especially in Black.

Most of the BHPians have already given some great advice on the Hector and Gloster but the long term (8-10 years+) reliability of these cars is still unknown. Assuming that you are spending a huge amount on a car, you would at least want to keep it for 8 years therefore I would not recommend the Gloster or Hector.

You might yet want to consider the Endeavour (assuming that there are stocks available). The Endeavour has been my favourite car of the segment and might yet be worth a gamble. I don't see parts and service being that big of a problem, my neighbour still daily drives his Ford Fiesta and has no thoughts of parting ways with it any time soon.

Otherwise, I could also suggest you to wait a bit for the Kodiaq 2022, I believe that should be a worthy contender. Assuming that Skoda is bringing the Kodiaq, I expect VW to follow and bring the new Tiguan and the Tiguan All-Space soon.

All the best with the hunt and hope this helps!

[Raghu M]

You have literally written off the market leaders from the list. It makes quite a difficult task now. May I suggest the Hyndai Alcazar? It is around 22 L on road, has all the bells and whistles and also the trusted Creta engine. The budget will be a tad low but I think with reliability and comfort being the main criteria, that should work well.

[Aravind_M92]

Feel and looks are only subjective. What's inside the vehicle and how it handles matters! Do remember, the taxi's run the most basic variant of Innova. The Higher variants, though they offer less than competition, is much better. It's sad that the 2.8 variant is discontinued but 2.4 isn't bad as well.
If you're okay with petrol, you can very well wait for the Kodiaq facelift. But be prepared for the low FE! And with current trend of phasing out diesel engines by manufacturers, I believe a diesel 7 seater and a reliability badge, calls out for a Toyota. MG feels more cosmetic than functional. Alcazar is underpowered for the size and suspension sags down very much with a little load. And if you're looking for comfort, don't look beyond the Carnival. So yeah, for the price bracket, I believe It's either Carnival or Innova. Or else, you'll have to extend your budget to the V class!

[roby_dk]

Leaving the Chinese sentiments aside there is no reason to not consider the MG cars. They are loaded with latest features and the service is also decent as per reviews from fellow owners.

Even I was considering the Gloster as a replacement to my Endeavour as it is a well built spacious car. The only reason I hold my decision was the Van type looks. It doesn't have that menacing looks of a proper SUV like Endeavour or Fortuner. If your friend is okay with the MUVish looks of Gloster he should seriously consider it. The interiors and the space is definitely far better than the competition, even the 3rd row seating is good for adults.

[aamishdhingra]

I'd say that since the family is moving on from a German (5 Series), its quite obvious that they will not understand the comfort of that extent in the Fortuner. I'd reckon to take another TD, maybe try out more terrains and different driving types which will help them to understand why the Fortuner the market leader and is top notch in terms of reliability. I'd recommend for the Fortuner in the 40L Budget.

[kamilharis]

Requirements scream INNOVA, and a louder scream to CARNIVAL!

I won't recommend MG to someone who has a travel of 100km+ on most days.

The taxi image will be forgotten within weeks of ownership like someone mentioned above. And since he has a budget of around 40, I would suggest getting an INNOVA and spending a lack or two to spice up the interiors with 'more luxury', and spice up the exteriors too lightly to get rid of the taxi image.

[yesyeswe]

The new ŠKODA Kodiaq is right around the corner, you friend should consider it as well. Coming from a German car, your friend would feel just right at home in it.

The car is spacious, has good set of features, the engine is powerful, reliability wise there has been no news, Kodiaq owners are a happy bunch here on Tbhp.

[DIV17]

With ~120kms of daily highway driving, reliability and comfort matters the most. The Innova makes the most sense here, good diesel engine, reliability and unmatched comfort. Your friend should atleast have a TD in the Innova before rejecting it.

[neerajku]

Whatever I have read in different fora, MG cars do not seem to engineered very well and that may reflect in east drivability, turning radius, repairs or sometimes servicing. Do also keep in mind that they dont have a very good network like Toyota or Hyundai, in case of some breakdown in smaller towns you will face challenges. My recommendation will be to go for an Innova, reliable, comfortable and stylish. will never let you down.

[bravo82in]

With that kind of running, reliability and comfort are utmost important. Only thing that comes to my mind is Innova Crysta. As with the taxi image please be informed that only 10 percent of sales of Crysta are from commercial segment. The hefty price tag Crysta came with in 2016, and steep increments there after, it is no more the favourite with commercial sector. Two of my friends with a similar running “upgraded” to crysta, one from C class, other from 3 series. Still if he feels he may add a lac or two to spice up the interiors and exteriors.

[Voodooblaster]

Originally Posted by cobalt

Kia Carnival: Not preferred as it has more of a mini van look.

Not suitable for city trips, especially finding a suitable parking spot

Originally Posted by cobalt

Innova: Not preferred because of the taxi feel.

Ideally the diesel AT should be your most logical choice.

There is a reason taxiwallas are flockin towards innova despite the high upfront cost (vis a vis Marazzo/erstwhile Ertiga diesel). The sheer reliability and comfort, in addition to the good resale value

If your friend still doesn't want the innova, test drive and consider the Isuzu MU-X as a possible contender. Reliable engine, exclusivity and reasonable safety features and optional 4WD are the hallmarks

If your friends are open to taking the pre owned route, bump the budget to 50 lakhs, and consider the Germans, the Britons (the Land Rover stable), or the Swedish (Volvo).

The Velfire is another strong contender, but it's doubtful if the used car market has a good specimen even at Rs 50 lacs

Also you might be able to procure a newer specimen of Ford Endeavor at a discounted price (fire sale)

Do keep us posted on the final purchase decision

[silverknight]

I have been in the same boat since August 2020. I have a TUV300 and needed a proper 7 seater and the primary criteria had been comfort + reliability. I bought a just launched TUV300 AMT in 2015 so no surprises about my requirements there :-D. It is going to be 95% chauffeur-driven and occasionally driven by me when the driver is not around. Last year once the Innova facelift was launched I booked the ZX petrol version. But after waiting till March 2021 for delivery and paying INR 5 lacs advance Toyota needed 3 more months to deliver the car. Hence I canceled the booking, anyways with lockdowns wasn't going to travel much. Another reason was to wait for Tata Safari, XUV700 and Alcazar to launch and then take the call.

After having good look at Alcazar, XUV700 and Safari and doing 12 hrs straight trip in Innova Crysta to Hampi realized the comfort provided by it was way better. Now the only other option was full-size SUVs - Fortuners/Endeavour and Gloster. Fortuner lacks passenger comfort while Ford shut shop. So only Gloster and Innova remained in the list.

Carnival I had long back discarded because of low ground clearance, we keep traveling to the native place and nearby rural areas so can't live with worrying about bottom scraping out.

BTW I had also considered waiting for Jeep Meridian (7 seater) but again it is more of 5+2 seater like Kodiaq hence it was dropped along with the higher price.
So the finale was between Gloster and Innova, I couldn't justify spending INR 14lacs more on Gloster as the car will always or mostly be chauffeur driven.

Hence after a year, again booked an Innova ZX but diesel one and will get it in the next couple of weeks.

The last thing about the taxi image, the old pre-2016 Innova definitely looked and was priced like it. But the new one is more of SUVish than MPVish and actually, over the years it has grown on me, where now I love the looks of it.

Innova Crysta is overpriced and then it is also not. If you look at it from the features perspective it is bare-bones compared to Alcazar, XUV700, and Safar. But when looking at it from the proper comfortable/reliable 7 seater perspective it is 10-14 lacs cheaper than full-size SUVs.

[viXit]

I think many of us are confusing reliability and niggle free ownership.

We can kiss both of these goodbye with BS6 Diesels. The epitome of reliability, fortuner also has had DPF issues. No one was spared.

The carnival is a marvellous car. Look at it closely and it starts feeling much more premium than anything the MGs can be. The gloster has marvelous interiors, but the robust innova will work well if you don't need a plush interior.

The Kia carnival will have that sense of occasion though

A friend prefers the carnival to his e class thanks to the rear seats. Visit the showroom to know why.

[Excommunicado]

I wonder why none of the BHPians have suggested VW Tiguan Allspace. Okay I understand you mentioned diesel as preference but this is where you make an exception and overlook your preference Cobalt. I humbly request you to ask your friend for taking a test drive of the Tiguan Allspace. He won't regret his decision. Sticking to a German car after selling a German car (5 series as you mentioned) is the way to go. It ticks all other boxes easily and will be a pleasure to drive. I know you will take my advice. Inform me once your friend has finalised the deal. Also, you don't have to thank me, neither now nor later. Happy to help.
P.S.: I am not a VW dealer or have invested it the company in any way. It is simply the right choice. You may want to look at Kodiaq too. Tiguan and Kodiaq are tried and tested models. Don't measure them by the standards set by Kushaq and Taigun. All the best.