[ACM]

There is now always the option of going in for a Pre-Owned Safari VX 4X4 - 2 years 2008 model for about Rs. 6-7L with almost 2 years of warranty still to go.

I dont think the issues that are stated to be faced post 4 years of ownership (post warranty) will exceed the 6-7L that you will save on depreciation cost upfront. Infact one would save a nice packet. Yep it is not that new, but a TATA Safari reaches the same level of aging in 1 month of ownership as it does in 2 years of ownership, so it is effectively just about a month old if one looks at it in that manner.

There are many buyers who bought the Safari Dicor just for the fun of it (with no cost constraints) and are selling them off in 2 years time.

So RR why not get a Preowned Safari and save a big bundle.

[jkdas]

Guess suspension work of a 4x4 would be costlier than that of 4x2.

Get a vehicle with Extended Warranty be it Safari or a Swift; peace of mind.

And even if you have an EW; you will have to pay for wearable parts like clutch, bushes etc.

Else, Safari has been totally issue free for the last 2 years /61kms.

Someone pinged me saying they have come with AMC; will confirm this and update.

[jaysmokesleaves]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

1. Driving on long distance driving holidays on bad roads takes a toll on the bushes. They cost 3500-5000 in total replacement costs
2. Suspension will give away around 60-70K when you will need to invest another 15K
3. Ditto for the clutch.

@ Tsk > Can you elaborate on point 1. I didnt quite understand. Ive done numerous trips to many hills on bad to very bad roads including many OTR's and i have not had the need for a suspension job yet. Which suspension bushes are you referring to ?

At 43k kms my clutch is still going strong. I think it will last maybe another 15-20k kms atleast.
What do you reckon is the average life of a 4x4 suv clutch anyways...?

Originally Posted by ACM

Yep it is not that new, but a TATA Safari reaches the same level of aging in 1 month of ownership as it does in 2 years of ownership, so it is effectively just about a month old if one looks at it in that manner.

There are many buyers who bought the Safari Dicor just for the fun of it (with no cost constraints) and are selling them off in 2 years time.

Do you really think that someone who bought a Safari to have fun for 2 years will use and maintain it better than someone who bought it for a longer term ?

[tsk1979]

Jay, when you accelerate, do you get a jerk, esp at peak torque rpms. It feels as if there is some play in the driving line somewhere?
this is due to bushes. You can ignore it if you want, no big deal. I did not and ended up spending a lot of money. And now its back.
Its mostly anti roll bar, and some other suspension bushes.

As for clutch, sustained driving on steep inclines means your clutch will last 60K or so.
Apart from that, if you get stuck in lot of jams on flyovers, your clutch may give up at 40K only.

I had hard clutch problem at 20K and it was replaced under warranty. Upon looking at the plates there was no wear, but due to some other issue(undiagnozed) clutch got hard, and rather than debugging they changed the clutch plates.

Now clutch is getting slightly hard. Not very but little.
There is no slippage.

Regarding bad roads, I think my leh trip with 3000kms of sustained very very bad road driving took most toll on the bushes.
Moreover AT tires transfer more shock to suspension.

but all things given, don't you think once the extended warranty is over, it will cost lot of money to maintain a safari?

[SPIKE ARRESTOR]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Jay, when you accelerate, do you get a jerk, esp at peak torque rpms. It feels as if there is some play in the driving line somewhere?

Play in the driving line? Didn't get you, can you elaborate this a little.

Spike

[drifter]

I've managed to have these bushes changed thrice which is once a year. First time they were changed in warranty, but the other two times I've had to pay. In fact, just last month I payed around Rs 5K for those rear bushes.

But my bus didn't have any 'play' in the driveline which is bush related. There is some play which is there in all the Safaris. The Scorpios are much better in this department. The Scorp's drivetrain is tight when compared to the accordian type play/delay of the Tata.

Also I've noticed the unladen/laden pressures for the rear is 35psi as marked on my EX. This time I'm playing with the pressures. I've lowered them to 30psi to give the weak bushes a break. Let's see how long these last.

@Spike: What tsk probably means is the delay between the time the accelerator is pressed and the time the rear wheels get the surge of power. That play is probably what tsk is talking of. At least that's what I've been on about.

Drifter

[jaysmokesleaves]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Jay, when you accelerate, do you get a jerk, esp at peak torque rpms. It feels as if there is some play in the driving line somewhere?

Regarding bad roads, I think my leh trip with 3000kms of sustained very very bad road driving took most toll on the bushes.
Moreover AT tires transfer more shock to suspension.

but all things given, don't you think once the extended warranty is over, it will cost lot of money to maintain a safari?

My Safari jerks sometimes while decelerating from high speeds. when i ease off the throttle and let it coast. This happens only sometimes and ive diagnosed it to be a variation in fuel quality while driving interstate... especially when i refuel at some small pump.

I think one should opt for an AMC after the EW is over. I heard about this when I had visited my TASS a few weeks ago for wheel alignment and sat to discuss Safari ownership cost with the Workshop manager. WIthout an EW or AMC it is certainly expensive to maintain a Safari. But so is any other vehicle. The Safari gets talked about the most. Ask anyone who owns a Ford Endy beyond 3 -4 years of hard use. You may need to rob a bank. Maybe the Scorpio fares better but most of them are 4x2 examples. There are hardly any 4x4 Scorpios around that do duty as an everyday car and the long haul brutal trips.
But you may be right since most of our opinions stem from our personal ownership experiences and mine have been fairly decent so far.

[k!ng_@thur]

@tanveer: as someone who has owned the indica also, did you face such trouble with that car too?

[R_R]

Originally Posted by ACM

So RR why not get a Preowned Safari and save a big bundle.

Thanks. Its a thought, but . . .

Am generally reluctant to go for second-hand vehicles. GV I consider only because its supposedly so reliable. But I find even the second-hand buying process rather uncomfortable.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by R_R

Am generally reluctant to go for second-hand vehicles. GV I consider only because its supposedly so reliable. But I find even the second-hand buying process rather uncomfortable.

R_R - keep it simple. If you intend to keep the vehicle for long term, say 5 years at the least, pick up a new one. If this is just for fun and to get a 'feel' of the beast, try and pick up a good used one but as you said, you'll have to be very careful before you sign that cheque!! Good luck...

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by k!ng_@thur

@tanveer: as someone who has owned the indica also, did you face such trouble with that car too?

Yup, but not in the first 35K kms of ownership, and after around 80K she's settled down(AC acts up sometimes, but other than that everythings fine).