Bolero XL/PLUS - Used or New?

H3LIOS · 9th March 2009, 11:19

I have been hunting for a suitably large MUV for my large family. My first choice was the Force Trax GAMA, but that didn't work out (my GAMA thread link) and we are now considering the Mahindra Bolero Plus.

The Bolero Plus satisfies our main requirements
- Large space inside and can carry 7 adults + 4 dogs + some bags in reasonable comfort
- Good ground clearance (195mm) - can handle bad roads & no-roads well
- Cheap (under 7 lakhs on-road with required accessories)
- Relatively maintenance free, very robust & reliable and, if trouble arises, can be fixed in any corner of India

Things we didn't like
- DI engine makes it quite clear that it is basically a tractor (why couldn't M&M upgrade the venerable XD3P? - cheapskates!!)
- Very sluggish to accelerate after 60. I look at it as a built-in safety feature

, but can be a pain when trying to overtake on the highways.
- No power steering on the 10 seater version

New Bolero Plus is 5.44L ex-showroom in my town. There is a 30K discount. And I think I can get a few freebies like sun-film, mats etc. On-road would be just under 6L. I will add a decent AC with a separate roof-mounted blower for rear-seats. Extra seat paddings for comfort and extra carpeting for better NVH. A decent CD/MP3 player with a 6-speaker setup. All-in-all I will be spending nearly 7L to get the vehicle the way I want.

Problems in buying it new:
- No PS in the base model. Cannot fit it after buying as the dealer says it will void the warranty. The version with AC & PS costs 75K more, but it is an 8-seater configuration (front facing rear-most seats) which I want to avoid. Also AC is only on the front, no rear blowers.
- I want it in the "Apple Red" color, but the dealer says that color is not available anymore.

So I started looking at the used market. It is usually hard to find a good used Bolero Plus as they are all used as taxis and pretty ruined by the time they come to the second-hand dealers. In addition, changing from the yellow taxi board to the white private board is a headache.

But I lucked out and found a 2005 Bolero XL with 73K miles on the odo. And it has a white/private board. The seller is asking 3.75L for it, which seemed a bit on the high side, but I haven't bargained yet. If I get this vehicle I will get it painted Red (the present Grey color is fine, but I want it to look different from all the taxis on the road) and have the interiors re-done. It has AC, but I will add the roof-mounted blower for the rear seats. And, if possible, obtain and install a scorpio power steering unit. If the PS goes in then I will get alloys with wider tires. All-in-all I will be spending another 1L or so on it.

Main problem in getting it used is that my bank doesn't finance purchase of used vehicles and I will have to find another financier.

So what do you guys think? New or Used?

If used - what do you think are the things I should watch out for?
What are the common trouble areas in a Bolero?
It already has 73K on the odo, how much longer can I reasonably expect a properly maintained engine to last before needing an overhaul?
And what would be a reasonable price to offer for this vehicle?

Thanks in advance for all your opinions and inputs.

Cheers
Teja

Mpower · 13th March 2009, 01:43

Used OK if its an occasional use vehicle. If you are doing daily drives and put 25K/year then you will be staring at 2 lac on the odo pretty soon.

The Bolero will definetly keep going till 2lac w/o overhaul but after the 75k mark you;ll need to replace stuff that wears out like tires, brakes, alternators, shocks etc etc.

If you are up for it then go for a used one. 3.75 seems too much to me.

9th March 2009, 11:19	#1
H3LIOS BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Chicago / Vizag Posts: 252 Thanked: 28 Times	Bolero XL/PLUS - Used or New? I have been hunting for a suitably large MUV for my large family. My first choice was the Force Trax GAMA, but that didn't work out (my GAMA thread link) and we are now considering the Mahindra Bolero Plus. The Bolero Plus satisfies our main requirements - Large space inside and can carry 7 adults + 4 dogs + some bags in reasonable comfort - Good ground clearance (195mm) - can handle bad roads & no-roads well - Cheap (under 7 lakhs on-road with required accessories) - Relatively maintenance free, very robust & reliable and, if trouble arises, can be fixed in any corner of India Things we didn't like - DI engine makes it quite clear that it is basically a tractor (why couldn't M&M upgrade the venerable XD3P? - cheapskates!!) - Very sluggish to accelerate after 60. I look at it as a built-in safety feature , but can be a pain when trying to overtake on the highways. - No power steering on the 10 seater version New Bolero Plus is 5.44L ex-showroom in my town. There is a 30K discount. And I think I can get a few freebies like sun-film, mats etc. On-road would be just under 6L. I will add a decent AC with a separate roof-mounted blower for rear-seats. Extra seat paddings for comfort and extra carpeting for better NVH. A decent CD/MP3 player with a 6-speaker setup. All-in-all I will be spending nearly 7L to get the vehicle the way I want. Problems in buying it new: - No PS in the base model. Cannot fit it after buying as the dealer says it will void the warranty. The version with AC & PS costs 75K more, but it is an 8-seater configuration (front facing rear-most seats) which I want to avoid. Also AC is only on the front, no rear blowers. - I want it in the "Apple Red" color, but the dealer says that color is not available anymore. So I started looking at the used market. It is usually hard to find a good used Bolero Plus as they are all used as taxis and pretty ruined by the time they come to the second-hand dealers. In addition, changing from the yellow taxi board to the white private board is a headache. But I lucked out and found a 2005 Bolero XL with 73K miles on the odo. And it has a white/private board. The seller is asking 3.75L for it, which seemed a bit on the high side, but I haven't bargained yet. If I get this vehicle I will get it painted Red (the present Grey color is fine, but I want it to look different from all the taxis on the road) and have the interiors re-done. It has AC, but I will add the roof-mounted blower for the rear seats. And, if possible, obtain and install a scorpio power steering unit. If the PS goes in then I will get alloys with wider tires. All-in-all I will be spending another 1L or so on it. Main problem in getting it used is that my bank doesn't finance purchase of used vehicles and I will have to find another financier. So what do you guys think? New or Used? If used - what do you think are the things I should watch out for? What are the common trouble areas in a Bolero? It already has 73K on the odo, how much longer can I reasonably expect a properly maintained engine to last before needing an overhaul? And what would be a reasonable price to offer for this vehicle? Thanks in advance for all your opinions and inputs. Cheers Teja
	() Thanks

13th March 2009, 01:43	#2
Mpower Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 10,409 Thanked: 1,730 Times View My Garage	Used OK if its an occasional use vehicle. If you are doing daily drives and put 25K/year then you will be staring at 2 lac on the odo pretty soon. The Bolero will definetly keep going till 2lac w/o overhaul but after the 75k mark you;ll need to replace stuff that wears out like tires, brakes, alternators, shocks etc etc. If you are up for it then go for a used one. 3.75 seems too much to me.
	() Thanks