[supercars]

I know I am the Odd Man out here.

I have not driven the Bolero ever but I had driven it's cousin the Invader. The vehicles are quiet close so I think I can comment on both.

I had driven the Old Sumo with 90 BHP engine. I have also driven the Spacio model.

I think you should go for the Sumo as in my opinion it is Stronger and takes bumps much better. The driver was driving the Spacio at 60 - 80 at all times and at no time did you feel the engine stressed or the ride to be bumpy. I do know that the Spacio is discontinued and it was too loud at standstill.

I never knew that the Bolero had a 97 BHP Engine :P

ofc I cannot vouch for any Manufacturer's Quality as when I had gone to open the Rear Hatch of the Bolero of a Delivery Vehicle; it refused to open even with the key.

[sierrakamat]

Had gone to book a bolero zx 2 months back but the vehicle is too cramped the fit and finish is abmyssal the interiors feel crude everything (features)seemed like an afterthought the steering felt awkward and the pedal positions were uncomfortable besides getting in and out of the vehicle was a task (please remember i am a big man)
SO instead of going on a crash diet to fit into the bolero ,despite the ruggedness and the proven reliability, against my own fears ultimately bought a sumo grande mk2 which felt much better on the inside and the outside with unrivalled SPACE for the family and the dog.as for the reliability we will see.

[blackfire_9]

I had once driven a Bolero (DI) some months back for a short distance in city limits. What I remember from that drive are two things, first being the minimal gear shifts (I could almost start from a stop in the 3rd gear) though I am not sure if it translates to short gearing & the resulting loss of performance on the highways.

The second thing which was actually an annoyance was the placement of the various pedals in the foot-well, especially the clutch. And it seemed to go really deep before I could change gears. Plus, it was really hard & felt as if a rock had been placed underneath the pedal but no clutch slippage whatsoever. However, this could be because the vehicle was very old with about 1.6L kms on the odo with the stock clutch (I wonder how the owner managed with that sort of a clutch).

I have driven the first generation Sumo extensively, & still do (my uncle owns one). It still feels stronger built.

[Ashley2]

I have nothing to compare Bolero with Grande.
Bolero is a proper MUV and to some extent SUV. The car is getting its looks and performance tweeked in a periodical basis. This is one thing that posts good sales numbers MoM

[n.devdath]

The Bolero's strengths are the Grande's weaknesses and vice versa. The Bolero is bullet proof, better built, is very low maintenance, frugal to run, looks better(this is personal) and can take abuse for its daily breakfast lunch and dinner.

The Grande is spacious and comfortable and ergonomically ages ahead of the Bolero.

However, the market has been preferring the strengths of the Bolero to that of the Grande.

[ashutoshb]

I will talk about the Bolero Storm days, the time when the 2011 refresh wasn't launched, but there were rumors of an upcoming launch, but no confirmations.

I had to buy a UV. A proper SUV was not in my budget, so zeroed in on two UVs, Bolero Storm and Grande Mk II. Between the two, Bolero was my first choice. I had read good reviews about it.

I had driven a 2004 make year Bolero, but wanted to TD the storm. Sat in one at the dealership. To one who was used to a Logan, there was no space at all. Plus I did not like the interiors at all (note this is the pre-refresh model I am talking about). The finish of the interiors was cheap. Really cheap. Then the dealer wouldn't have a Storm for TD. Of the three dealers I had checked in the NCR, none would offer a Storm for a TD. Since the demand of the Bolero is such, they need not care about this aspect. And I wouldn't have bought a car without even have driven it once.

The next obvious choice was the Grande Mk II. It was a little more expensive, but had more goodies, space to offer Plus, if you check my garage, you would agree, I doesn't look that bad either.

The experience at Tata's was much better. It took me two test drives, one alone and the other with family checking the rear seat, to make the final choice. Plus, I always had a thing for captain seats, which I opted for in my Grande.

The interiors are definitely better. The boot is much bigger (I removed the third row. Its a four seater now ) Plus the fit and finish was, if not Toyota standard, much better than the dirt cheap Bolero.

The features? At 8.7 on road NOIDA (July 2011), I got dual integrated AC with dedicated roof ducts for all rows, electrically adjustable door mirrors, an Alpine music system with 6 speakers and a host of other features which weren't even available in the Bolero.

[Ashley Nair]

If you intend to keep the vehicle for sometime, shut your eyes and buy BOLERO- in terms of reliability, it is miles ahead of Grande

[lohithrao]

Iam considering Bolero M2DI, did a test drive on saturday and have a mixed feeling pot that..

Performance: i was of a assumption before the TD that the performance may not be that great, but was pleasantly surprised with it.
Accelaration is very smooth and the vehicle responds well but should not be compared with VLX(Crde), i would have loved to have a CRDE instead of M2Di

Interiors i felt has improved a bit compared to the older once, but as expected M&M doesnt want to improve much on it, the middle row arm rest is just for name sake, its hardly couple of inches. also the leg room aint great..

I was considering Safari but the maintenance and size is something worries me, had taken TD of Grande a year back and was not impressed.

[jeeva]

The Bolero is a reliable and a solid UV. The Di engine is bullet proof. With the chain drive, common rail injection, I guess it should be a little more rev friendly and smoother. (Have not driven the newer Boleros).
But off-late, if you look around, rust is a major issue (running board, doors,roof and bonnet) with the newer Boleros. The front seats are not that great, support wise. Bilsteins can do wonders to sort out the ride and handling.
If its going to be your family vehicle, I would strongly suggest you to take along your family for a longish test drive, before deciding.

[lohithrao]

Thanks for the inputs jeeva, yes its going to be a family car and for long drives, and the comfort is a concern. i may redo the front seats to gain more support...

btw can you elobrate on "Bilsteins"?? if the ride can be improve nothing like it!

thanks

Originally Posted by jeeva

The Bolero is a reliable and a solid UV. The Di engine is bullet proof. With the chain drive, common rail injection, I guess it should be a little more rev friendly and smoother. (Have not driven the newer Boleros).
But off-late, if you look around, rust is a major issue (running board, doors,roof and bonnet) with the newer Boleros. The front seats are not that great, support wise. Bilsteins can do wonders to sort out the ride and handling.
If its going to be your family vehicle, I would strongly suggest you to take along your family for a longish test drive, before deciding.

[addyhemmige]

My uncle owns a Grande MkII and what I can vouch for in this vehicle is the ride quality (compared to the Bolero). I feel the Grande is miles ahead. My uncle's Grande travels almost 150 kms daily on bad to non-existent roads near our estate and I feel it is the perfect pothole gobbler around. Yes, it has its own drawbacks. For one, I hate the look , it looks like an oversized hippo (as someone posted earlier). It has considerable body roll at high speeds. It is definitely not made for a high speed highway run.

But, I have heard from a lot people who travel in Bolero's in the same area that the ride is too bumpy. This was a major factor in deciding the vehicle given the state of roads near our estate. The Bolero might be tough, but our bodies aren't. I haven't driven the Bolero though. All I've heard is feedback from acquaintances.

In fact, when my uncle booked the Grande, we were like "why is he booking an elephant??" I pleaded with him to go for a Bolero, but in the end his decision was proved right.

[lohithrao]

hmmm even i noticed that the ride gets bumpy on bad roads, esp in back but this car is for lots of highway runs so the stability matters a lot...

Jeeva can "Bilsteins " solve the bumpy ride issue?

Originally Posted by addyhemmige

My uncle owns a Grande MkII and what I can vouch for in this vehicle is the ride quality (compared to the Bolero). I feel the Grande is miles ahead. My uncle's Grande travels almost 150 kms daily on bad to non-existent roads near our estate and I feel it is the perfect pothole gobbler around. Yes, it has its own drawbacks. For one, I hate the look , it looks like an oversized hippo (as someone posted earlier). It has considerable body roll at high speeds. It is definitely not made for a high speed highway run.

But, I have heard from a lot people who travel in Bolero's in the same area that the ride is too bumpy. This was a major factor in deciding the vehicle given the state of roads near our estate. The Bolero might be tough, but our bodies aren't. I haven't driven the Bolero though. All I've heard is feedback from acquaintances.

In fact, when my uncle booked the Grande, we were like "why is he booking an elephant??" I pleaded with him to go for a Bolero, but in the end his decision was proved right.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by lohithrao

hmmm even i noticed that the ride gets bumpy on bad roads, esp in back but this car is for lots of highway runs so the stability matters a lot...

Jeeva can "Bilsteins " solve the bumpy ride issue?

Let me pitch in here. Bilsteins can "improve" the handling to a great extent and the ride quality to some extent. They are very well made, but come at a cost. They cost around 20k INR per piece for the Scorpio and should be around the same ball park for the Bolero as well.

Also, please keep in mind that once the Bolero is fully loaded, it rides a lot better than empty due to its archaic suspension. This could prove to be beneficial for your family needs and trips if the space inside suffices.


All in all, if you are satisfied with the space, the ride quality and the driving pleasure/performance the Bolero offers, nothing else goes can go wrong with it.

[lohithrao]

Thanks Dev,
on "Bilsteins" i guess the price is worth if its improving the handling/ride, is it available off the shelf or needs to be ordered?

Well on the bolero i ove the way it looks, but bit confused on the interior part. as mentioned it certainly is not that comfortable. but i tink its a very practical vehicle i guess...

i can consider couple of other options, like Safari, Scorpio or Grande by increasing the budget but for some reason i feel i should pick Bolero

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Let me pitch in here. Bilsteins can "improve" the handling to a great extent and the ride quality to some extent. They are very well made, but come at a cost. They cost around 20k INR per piece for the Scorpio and should be around the same ball park for the Bolero as well.

Also, please keep in mind that once the Bolero is fully loaded, it rides a lot better than empty due to its archaic suspension. This could prove to be beneficial for your family needs and trips if the space inside suffices.


All in all, if you are satisfied with the space, the ride quality and the driving pleasure/performance the Bolero offers, nothing else goes can go wrong with it.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by lohithrao

Thanks Dev,
on "Bilsteins" i guess the price is worth if its improving the handling/ride, is it available off the shelf or needs to be ordered?

Well on the bolero i ove the way it looks, but bit confused on the interior part. as mentioned it certainly is not that comfortable. but i tink its a very practical vehicle i guess...

i can consider couple of other options, like Safari, Scorpio or Grande by increasing the budget but for some reason i feel i should pick Bolero

Bilsteins are available off the shelf at most performance stores like Red Rooster, Pete's etc. I ve given their urls below.

You will definitely find a good difference if you put them and they come with a 2 year warranty as well. They are made for rough use and are imported.

The Bolero's interiors are no great shakes when it comes to fit and finish and ergonomics, however, since you are kind of sold on it, take a thorough look at it with your family and at least one impartial friend. At the same time, take a look at the Scorpio LX's interior (since they would be at the same showroom) and then decide what you need.

Also, if you are not very particular about buying your vehicle new, you could scout around for a pre-owned sparingly used Scorpio. This would satisfy your need with a much lesser budget.

http://www.redroosterperformance.com/productcategory.php?product_category_id=4



http://www.petes.in/