[maven]

GV - not sure if the ode to maruti service would by default apply to this vehicle.
Maruti may be good with what they have always made i.e. small vehicles.

Xtrail - my dad had this for an year and some months but sold. i thought of acquiring it from him but..., dealer presence almost non existent. This is largely another case of a good product going abegging because of bad project execution.

Where is Tiguan? wasnt this to be launched in india? if priced right it could be a good one to have

[skydiver]

Maven,
can you share some exp your dad had with the xtrail? in terms of reliability during the period of ownership, mileage, any spares needed during the time etc.

It would be very helpful...

Thanks in advance,

[dhrishikesh]

My choices will be:
1. Nissan X-Trail.
2. Maruti Suzuki Grand Vitara.
3. Mitsubishi Outlander.

[sudev]

Originally Posted by maven

GV - not sure if the ode to maruti service would by default apply to this vehicle. Maruti may be good with what they have always made i.e. small vehicles.

Trust me I have had my GV attended to at small MASS locations too. Widespread network is one major reason for my buying this car.

@OP: I came back to this thread after your PM and having gone through other opinions to me it boils down to:

1. You want diesel or petrol? Mainly choice is for reason of diesel economy. If you are not going to be driving many a miles (sorry we are metric country - kilometres) then paying that extra premium for diesel is not worth.

2. What is you use? If there is off road excursions planned then why buy 4x4 capability? Depending on your answer the choice should be made. For instance for my largish family I would go for Innova - rugged/economic/soft suspension. For pure off road fun a Gypsy is outstanding but has stiff suspension and lack of creature comforts. Scorpio MHwak is great drive but personally I am not too sure of its speed stability and brakes.

3. Price tag that you want to afford? Obvious. Status and brand.

4. After sales service network. Not just network but also cost of spares and availability. A small instance - Wind shield delivered overnight vis a shipped in 15days from country X. Xtrail/Outlander suffers from scanty after sales and service.

End of the it has to be your decision and not because I or others say so.

[Ramsagar]

Why don't you look in for Captiva.this has loads of stuff and looks good,but lil skeptical abt the service.

[canonball]

Fortuner? Its coming mid Aug!

[maven]

Originally Posted by skydiver

Maven,
can you share some exp your dad had with the xtrail? in terms of reliability during the period of ownership, mileage, any spares needed during the time etc.

It would be very helpful...

Thanks in advance,

there werent any issues on reliability. and although it may not look strong like an endy does, it is fairly stable on road (i drove only twice!).
When my dad bought it he was here in Delhi, but then soon after moved back to lucknow (unanticipated at the time of purchase).
So for service we usually ended up getting the car driven back from there to Delhi, which was awfull and left a bad after taste since i too had moved to Pune at that time and couldnt support logistic arrangements.

i think most parts were imports then which may lead to them being slightly expensive compared to a captiva, endy now. i dont recall any part changes except fuel, oil filter etc. my dad would have surely mentioned it if it were the case .

The larger issue here would only be service centres. if i remember correctly there were 2 or 3 dealerships in the country when we had this model. So if you have work that makes you mobile (relocation to other cities) you should safely forget this option.

i am not sure if you are bothered about resale because i surely am not. But yes, x-trail does get heavily discounted when you want to re-sell it. we got around 12.5L for it.

[shatrughna]

I have lost my Mhawk and not very comfortable with Safari in town due to big turning radius-though it has 4*4 and intend to trade it off.
I would ideally love a diesel AT vehicle but not very encouraged with Scorpio AT ( doesnt have 4*4). GV , Outlander & CRV thus considered as yet besides last two beign too costly.

I am in for a new SUVish 4*4 but utterly confused due to limited budget. I wish Fortuner was available with AT option within 20 Lakhs+_ on road price. Currently, safari - driven, 4*4 but no AT , scorpio-driven- AT but no 4*4 in AT , Innova-driven no 4*4 no AT, Endeavour- test drove, yet to test drive its 4*4 AT iteration, Fortuner- - pricey & no AT, Captiva AT- too costly and dont all have some or the other niggles. Endeavour AT 4*4 seems to be the best bet as yet. Pajero- looks good from inside ( to me) but No AT and outdated ( is it?) & Outlander - costly & only in Petrol but damn good features and performance.

I have a Santro AT and Laura AT and dont need another Sedan. Since, I am utterly confused hence, this thread for the suggestions from experienced fellow TBHPians.

Points of reference are as follows.

No hurry - ie, no strict deadline (time frame) in mind for the purchase but sooner the better.

1.5/ 7 seater ( travel with just 3.5 members including family). incidentally, this half person takes most space for baggage for clothes, diapers, baby food, milk bottles , water, medicine kits etc. and seating ( sleeping).
2. Tough & reliable- petrified at the thought of a breakdown in the middle of night on a lonely stretch with my family with no help in sight.
3.AT preferred -4*4 must with good ground clearance.
4.good top speed - 170 kmph or above- more the better
5. Diesel preferred unless petrol is just too good in your opinion.
6. good creature comforts
7. within 20 Lakhs on the road - Mumbai outside Octroi
8. resale value not important at all.
9. decent service intervals appreciated.
10. reliability preferred over Serviceability -
11. Good visibility and night driving should be comfy (with the good headlight beam etc.)
12. Interiors should be liveable for a long stretch at a time as may spend days and nights togther on the road with plenty of space and provisions for baggage, laptop and mobile charging points.
13. No particular taste or distaste in terms of model, manufacturer or looks.
14. And I wouldnt like to go for after market fitments unless absolutely unavoidable.
15.Can wait for delivery post booking if needed.
16. Within 20 lakhs on the road ( wont mind strecthing a bit for a better buy.)
17. Keep it for at least 5 years.

What I intend to do-
Have been buying all the vehicles so far with daily commuting to work in mind with a trip or two over 1000 kms in a year and so far enjoyed it equally in all the sedans/ MUV/ SUVs I had.

Now want to reclaim my life ( this is not a hint towards my inclination-just a good catchy line I can relate to)- want to go back to Himalayas - then touch the shores in south and spend a good few weeks in Rajasthan or may be take up a vocation which may make me perma-vacationer.

All things apart, I dont mind re-buying a Scorpio or another Safari if they seem to be the best option. But one thing is for sure- I dont want to take a decision without your valuable inputs and suggestions. Two times earlier, I had sought advices on this forum and once I heeded to it and another I didnt and results are as expected. I was happy when I heeded to the advice and suffered loss of time, efforts and money when I didnt.

I had considered selling Laura DSG and picking up a Captiva AT to meet all the purposes but after test driving Captiva AT - had another look at Laura and found that selling Laura is out of question - its just too close to heart for its features and comforts it offers. But I cant take risk of going on broken roads / no roads with Laura but I wish I could. This is to emphasize my need for comforts- so no gypsies, no boleros or TLs or Jeeps etc. please.
Thanks for reading patiently.

[Akshay1234]

wait a few months for the fortuner at or look at the endeavour 3l at.

[1-Testosterone]

Well, I'm not convinced by either Fortuner or New Ford Endeavour. As good as they are, don't feel like spending Rs 20L on these. Hope fully Hyundai gives us a better package than Fortuner and Endeavour. From what I've heard, it is all about class leading engine, interiors and equipment. Hyundai may not match Toyota's reliability but I'm one of those who care least for the snob values as long as the vehicle delivers more than the competition.

[shatrughna]

I have checked out Santa Fe in Auto exhibition at Mumbai in 2008. Its interiors( at that time were ) are bit dull but yes it looked like a good option. The expected price for AT variant is around 24 Lakhs , hene, not counting on its launch much , anyway. It supposed to be a Tucson replacement - they have no more Tucson on sale but neither is Santa Fe. The vehicle seems to be nowhere in sight as yet .

[1-Testosterone]

But the latest one to hit is rumored to have "R" series engine. It still remains to be seen what they have in offer for us. They know they have to provide us with the best possible package at fair price else they will get burnt by Toyota. Also, 2009/2010 Santa Fe may have different interiors from what you saw around 20 months back.
But after reading it's review in WhatCar.co.uk (one of harshest of critics out there), it looks like a good deal.

[shatrughna]

May your expectations come true. But there is no news or rumors, that make me skeptical on its launch anytime sooner here. May be next year Aug Sept - it come. At least at 1 forum I have been reading something about Avante from Hyundai - Elantra replacement but nothing else which is kind of rather surprising. Lets wait and watch and hope that we have santa fe here soon at least for comparison and hope that it gets launched before Fortuner AT- else, it will get decimated before it gets a foothold in the market. CRV diesel too is expected this season so all the more reasons to hurry up.

Any good deal on Captiva heard anywhere?

Originally Posted by 1-Testosterone

But the latest one to hit is rumored to have "R" series engine. It still remains to be seen what they have in offer for us. They know they have to provide us with the best possible package at fair price else they will get burnt by Toyota. Also, 2009/2010 Santa Fe may have different interiors from what you saw around 20 months back.
But after reading it's review in WhatCar.co.uk (one of harshest of critics out there), it looks like a good deal.

[harry10]

Aftre reading all your requirements its a no brainer in present context and i think you know the ans as well

Fortuner if you can live without AT meets most of your criteria(it has been hinted AT will be introduced in 2010 but i dont feel you should wait so long on hints)

Endy has AT and 4*4 ,,the critical requirements emphasised by you however most people here had problem with its suspension and ride quality. Considering the baby in your family who would be on back seat mostly this might be an inconvenience so do check that aspect as well.

If AT is not considered Fortuner will be my pick out of the lot which meets most of your requirements as well.

[1-Testosterone]

God knows whether Toyota brings in their AT anytime soon, (especially at times when their MT is selling like crazy)!