[Arayan5614]

I have been driving a spacious hatchback (SAIL UVA) for 4 years, bought it from Spinny around the Covid lockdown.

It has been a reliable companion, but my knees have recently started complaining, pressing the clutch 245 times to drive 6-7 km in Bangalore traffic is no joke.

Also, potholes don’t seem to be leaving Bangalore anytime soon, and driving a small car through them feels like sitting in Chandrayaan, gradually cruising through craters.

To cut it short, we want to buy an SUV.

My employer has a tempting car lease program, and we are seriously considering going for it.

Now, we are torn between these 3 cars:



1. Tata Safari (Accomplished Plus AT)

Love the road presence, muscular feel, and space inside
Everything about it seems great except the hard steering and the fear of poor post-sales service

Heard enough horror stories about Tata’s service, if it happens to me, I and Tata Motors might end up spending some time in consumer court


2. XUV 700 Diesel (AX7 7 STR / AX7 L STR)

Love the smooth driving experience, steering feels as light as a new sedan
Everything seems perfect except the leaner body and slightly weaker road presence

For some reason, we felt the suspension wasn’t as good as the Safari (could be the quality of the TD car)


3. Scorpio N (Z8 Diesel AT)

Love the high driving position and solid road presence
But the last row, side-opening back door, and overall comfort make it a bit tricky

Most importantly, my wife doesn’t like it, doesn’t seem like this one will get approval, but I’m still trying my best to explain the goodness of this car


Use Case:

1. 90% city driving in Bangalore where traffic is crazy, so an SUV seem to make sense to handle the worst roads

2. 10% highway use for weekend getaways and long drives, and, NCAP rating is non-negotiable

3. Diesel because of fuel economy, and we are not looking to keep the car for 10 years

4. Need space, we are a small family but frequently travel with friends and extended family, so a big car would be useful


Now, our questions:


1. If budget isn’t a constraint and reliability, driving experience, known niggles, and post-sales service are key factors, which car should we opt for?

2. Anyone with 1st-hand or 2nd-hand ownership experience of both Safari & XUV700, what’s your preference and why?

3. Mahindra is offering a 45k-75k discount on AX7-AX7L diesel, any way to push for additional discounts?

4. What are effective ways to negotiate on ex-showroom price without getting looted on insurance?

5. Any other pointers that we should consider?

This is going to be our first new car purchase, so any help is appreciated!

[Rodie09]

Hey @Arayan,

I am sure you will get a lot of advise w.r.t. the usual comparisons such as power, refinement, interiors, space, after sales service etc. I am a 2023 Pre Facelift Safari owner and I was also comparing XUV700 and Safari. XUV700 has many pluses but the Safari was better packaged from 3rd row perspective which was important for me. Safari definitely also had more butch presence on street but XUV is not far and is superior to Safari in many other ways. I am happy with my vehicle and so far all has been well, mostly.

I'd like to highlight one major distinguisher between the two cars though which no-one seems to care about and is not much talked about when comparing these 2 cars.

Please see if this one affects you.

Safari is relatively much more expensive to service than XUV700. I was really shocked to learn this after 1 year. Safari has 2 services in a year - 1 minor, 1 major. Minor one can cost you about 2-3k but the major one would cost close to 25k every year. So, together it will be 28-30k just on servicing which will only go up as parts are changed with age.

In a big contrast, XUV700 service costs less than or about 10k a year - I think its even lesser than that. On top its only 1 service for 10K kms so you save on down time, cab expense etc.


Now why such a huge difference in two very similar cars?

1. Engine Oil - Safari oil change alone costs 5k+ as it uses synthetic oil while XUV's is at fraction of cost because it uses mineral oil.

2. Fuel filter - Costs 2.5k+ in Safari while it is in few hundreds for XUV700

... and then there are other similar expensive parts. The air filter element, air purifier filter element were all on expensive side.

I'd assume lower service cost will apply to Scorpio N also as Mahindra's in general are very pocket friendly to maintain.

I am not sure if this affects you this being company leased, but just a different perspective on buying decision which is almost certainly overlooked.

All the best!

[Arayan5614]

Originally Posted by Rodie09

Safari is relative much more expensive to service than XUV700. I was really shocked to learn this after 1 year. Safari has 2 services in a year - 1 minor, 1 major. Minor one can cost you about 2-3k but the major one would cost close to 25k every year. So, together it will be 28-30k just on servicing which will only go up as parts are changed with age.

In a big contrast, XUV700 service costs less than or about 10k a year - I think its even lesser than that. On top its only 1 service for 10K kms so you save on down time, cab expense etc.


Now why such a huge difference in two very similar cars?

1. Engine Oil - Safari oil change alone costs 5k+ as it uses synthetic oil while XUV's is at fraction of cost because it uses mineral oil.

2. Fuel filter - Costs 2.5k+ in Safari while it is in few hundreds for XUV700

..and there are other similar expensive parts. The air filter element, air purifier filter element were all on expensive side.

I'd assume lower service cost will apply to Scorpio N also as Mahindra's in general are very pocket-friendly to maintain.

The higher cost of annual servicing is certainly a deep insight and I believe only comes from 1st hand experience - I had not come across this insight anywhere else - Thanks for sharing,

Quick question - Considering your experience with Safari and the research you have done on XUV700 - hypothetically if you had to advise a friend/family between the two - which one would you recommend?

Thanks a ton for sharing your experience! appreciate it!

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by Arayan5614

Now, our questions:


1. If budget isn’t a constraint and reliability, driving experience, known niggles, and post-sales service are key factors, which car should we opt for?

2. Anyone with 1st-hand or 2nd-hand ownership experience of both Safari & XUV700, what’s your preference and why?

3. Mahindra is offering a 45k-75k discount on AX7-AX7L diesel, any way to push for additional discounts?

4. What are effective ways to negotiate on ex-showroom price without getting looted on insurance?

5. Any other pointers that we should consider?

This is going to be our first new car purchase, so any help is appreciated!

We have an XUV7OO in the household and a Scorpio-N in the family, while I have experience from a friend of mine who owns the Safari.

From my personal experience with the XUV7OO, it is a great car to drive, especially the Diesel with great torque (420 Nm) and much better fuel efficiency as compared to the petrol, the ride and handling are great, however, the last row isn't particularly spacious. Maintenance costs as mentioned in the previous post aren't particularly high either.

Coming to the Safari, its styling and stance are absolutely the best among the three in my eyes, its interior is good, the third row is much more spacious and accommodating, the 2.0-litre engine from Fiat (also used in the Compass) is a gem, however, the car does have significant upkeep costs as mentioned earlier in the previous post. Tata's after-sales remain a gamble too, so do factor these in before making a purchase.

The Scorpio-N is the more rugged of the trio and has the most commandingly tall seating posture with excellent visibility, the car is built on a BOF chassis and it shows in its handling, the third row seats here too are best for children.

Now, all things considered, I presume you are not going for AWD on the XUV7OO or 4X4 on the Scorpio-N, so a better all-round car would be the ideal choice and that in my mind was the XUV7OO until the new Safari came along, so with that said, do enquire about the sales and service experience at the nearest Tata dealership and be wary of the maintenance costs of the car before finalising on a decision.

Now coming to discounts, Mahindra has already slashed prices on the XUV7OO but still, there seem to be discounts of up to 1 lakh available from dealerships near me, try to push for maximum offers, do get quotes from multiple dealerships and use that as a base for more discounts, MY 2024 models If any in stock should provide you more discounts, but since it is already the third week of March, you would have to search hard.

As regards Scorpio-N, offers of around 80k to 1.25 lakh are available at dealerships that have MY 2024 models available.

Coming to the Safari, since it doesn't sell as much as the other two, MY 2024 models are still available, discounts in the range of 1 to 1.5 lakh are available depending on the variant and stock available at the dealership.

[Kosfactor]

I would ask you to pause for a moment and reconsider if you do need such large vehicles or even diesel. Given the mostly urban use, I would recommend a more compact vehicle that would be cheaper to run, maintain and park.

With BS6 , diesels need some amount of highway running to maintain the DPF in good health, so you may want to look at EVs \ Hybrids as well, like the BE6\ Hycross \ Vitara \ etc.

[Rodie09]

Originally Posted by Arayan5614

Quick question - Considering your experience with Safari and the research you have done on XUV700 - hypothetically if you had to advise a friend/family between the two - which one would you recommend?

Thanks a ton for sharing your experience! appreciate it!

Which one to recommend depends on the use case. I think both cars are great packages overall and to most buyers they will be pretty much neck to neck in all areas. There may be some differences in Power, Torque, refinement, features etc. but none are a deal breaker in any.

However, if it is being looked at as a 7 seater, I feel Safari has an edge in space management. More head room at rear, better angle for knees, overall more comfortable for average adult even for longer runs. Middle bench is also slide-able which was missing in XUV as far as I know. XUV last row felt cramped. Space can be a very important factor for a family vehicle and there is no aftermarket solution when it comes to space. I see space as an important element in your use case. Try last row seats for both cars on a longish test drive and decide for yourself.

But if you are looking at a 5 seater only, I'd suggest to go for XUV700. It has an edge in most areas and where it lags, it's only minor difference. Cost of maintenance is also much lesser for XUV700.
If this was 2 years back, I would look with equal love/hate at Mahindra and Tata as a brand. However, in last 2 years Mahindra seems to have changed the game and has leapt ahead. Mahindra as a brand gives me more confidence than Tata. They appear more serious in building great cars and delivering great customer experience.

If I could keep all that aside, heart would still scream Safari. It has that pull to it, the brand name and the droolworthy looks.

[shatananda.k]

Originally Posted by Rodie09

I'd like to highlight one major distinguisher between the two cars though which no-one seems to care about and is not much talked about when comparing these 2 cars.

Safari is relatively much more expensive to service than XUV700

Thank you . For a potential buyer, this is an important input.
I feel, we need a landing page that provides this specific data.

[vattyboy]

Originally Posted by Arayan5614

Use Case:

1. 90% city driving in Bangalore where traffic is crazy, so an SUV seem to make sense to handle the worst roads

For 90% city driving and that too in Bangalore heavy traffic, A BS6 Diesel Engine is big NO ! It will give you DPF issues and headache guaranteed.
You should stick to Petrol engine only.

If you want mileage than my recommendation is to buy INNOVA HYCROSS / SUZUKI INVICTO both in HYBRID , thier trump card is that they give more mileage inside city and traffic conditions. Will easily give you 15 + kmpl and their is no compromise in performance either, 0-100 timing is 9 secs which is FAST.

[SixPistons]

I suggest a surprise consideration in the form of carens. In terms of engine, I think there’s many options including a Diesel. In terms of practicality and space management inside the car, I find it amazing for the most part. There’s some space in the boot even with all seats up. For 6 people travelling? You could bring down half the last seat and make things work for storage aspects especially.

Tried my best to get my parents to buy the Carens instead of the Seltos but to no avail. Mum was convinced but Papa felt it was more like a mini an. If it were up to me, my money would’ve gone to the Carens.

Overall good car, should be fun to drive as well.

[V0id2003]

Originally Posted by Arayan5614

except the hard steering and the fear of poor post-sales service

1. 90% city driving in Bangalore where traffic is crazy, so an SUV seem to make sense to handle the worst roads

2. 10% highway use for weekend getaways and long drives, and, NCAP rating is non-negotiable

3. Diesel because of fuel economy, and we are not looking to keep the car for 10 years

The steering in the new Harrier/Safari is an EPS unit , its even lighter than my 2018 Verna.

If you are aiming for 90% city usage & you want a Diesel then the Multijet will be a much better pick. It rarely faces DPF clogging issues as compared to the Mahindras which need regular highway runs & will leave you stranded if the DPF is clogged.

We have done 23k KMs since November 2023 on our Facelifted Harrier, mainly city usage & have yet to do a manual regen once

[Auduar]

Originally Posted by Arayan5614

Now, our questions:


1. If budget isn’t a constraint and reliability, driving experience, known niggles, and post-sales service are key factors, which car should we opt for?

2. Anyone with 1st-hand or 2nd-hand ownership experience of both Safari & XUV700, what’s your preference and why?

3. Mahindra is offering a 45k-75k discount on AX7-AX7L diesel, any way to push for additional discounts?

4. What are effective ways to negotiate on ex-showroom price without getting looted on insurance?

5. Any other pointers that we should consider?

This is going to be our first new car purchase, so any help is appreciated!

Hello,

1. If budget is not a constraint then you can consider getting a Scorpio 4x4 for the off chance you take this off the road. XUV is known to have software niggles. Tata usually has finishing issues. Scorpio still seems like the most reliable out of the 3. Post sales service of both Tata and Mahindra are hit or miss

2. Dont have ownership experience of either but driven both. Would prfer an XUV in the city and a Safari on the highway.

3. Consider getting insurance done by yourself instead of through dealership.

[tp_dominator]

I owned a 2022 Tata Safari which I sold after using it for 9 months/27k kms and bought XUV700 in 2023. Some gripes which I had with the earlier Safari were horrible steering especially at speed, very low underthigh support for front seats, high cost of maintenance, lack of outright punch unless driven in sports mode and occassional niggle or two from the car. The facelift one improves on the steering front but other issues still remain - like the left knee touching the console etc. However, it had its positives like the space for passengers and better ride quality in the second row, that awesome music system and also oh so gorgeous looks for both the pre-facelift as well as the facelift one.

XUV has clocked 58k kms in 1.5 years with me and I feel right now this one is the most definitive car for both families as well as driving solo. My closest friends also bought this car and are currently very happy with it. My circle now consists of 5 XUV700s including mine. All diesels - one AX5, 2 AX7s and 2 AX7Ls - all ATs. The service experience has been hassle free and pocket friendly always. No car has yet suffered DPF choking but twice during prolonged city usage, I had got DPF regen warnings and regens were completed in under 10 mins. Driving it on the highways is more engaging and enjoyable. Fuel economy depends on your driving pattern, I was never able to extract more than 14kmpl from the Safari while the XUV700 has surprised me with 20kmpl also. There are also many finer prints which will make this post too long but suffice to say, XUV700 ownership will be slightly better than Safari - atleast in my case.

Music system is a big disappointment though, especially coming from Safari. I had to spend extra for music upgrade to satisfy that itch but if you are not used to that Tata audio quality, the 12 speaker Sony is pretty good in itself. Remainder, the decision depends on what your family likes more.

[himanshu_trikha]

If Diesel Ban looks like an actual upcoming thing in your region of driving (Bangalore and surroundings),then XUV700 in Petrol.

Else ,Safari in Diesel.

Scorpio with its busy suspension and bumpy ride quality is not your ride with 90% city driving .

[sulliavi]

Scorpio-N is a better choice as it performs well across city roads, highways (within legal speed limits), and rough terrains. In contrast, the XUV700 experiences suspension noise on bad roads, which the Scorpio-N does not. Additionally, the Scorpio-N is more affordable than the other options.

[kadanaJ]

Originally Posted by vattyboy

For 90% city driving and that too in Bangalore heavy traffic, A BS6 Diesel Engine is big NO ! It will give you DPF issues and headache guaranteed.
You should stick to Petrol engine only.

If you want mileage than my recommendation is to buy INNOVA HYCROSS / SUZUKI INVICTO both in HYBRID , thier trump card is that they give more mileage inside city and traffic conditions. Will easily give you 15 + kmpl and their is no compromise in performance either, 0-100 timing is 9 secs which is FAST.

I second this. I know people who have faced DPF issues with their Kias, and it's 90% city driving.

Look at petrol, EV or hybrid alternatives.