[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by tazmaan

The Innova has been booked through Madhuban toyota, grey colour. I have sold my old innova for 5.5 lacs after using it for 6 years and 1.7lac kms.

The new Innova is scheduled to be delivered on on 23rd Aug. I will move this discussion to ownership review soon.

Wow. What brand loyalty! Toyota must indeed be pleased.
Fact remains that there is nothing other than an Innova to replace an Innova especially if your need is for a comfy, peaceful, easy handling 7 seater for highways. More so if you are chauffeur driven.

[dkaile]

This is common news indeed. A Toyota hold its value over the years. Many people are behind me to sell my 10 year old Qualis which has done over 1 lac kms and are offering a very good price, but I still won't sell it. Will keep it for posterity.

[CARDEEP]

This cane be of some help to others who make a decision in future:

http://www.bsmotoring.com/news/chevr...e-em-up/5787/1

[GauravTaneja]

I have been looking at buying a new car for some time now. I currently drive a SX4, which has given me stellar service for the last 5 years.

I have decided to go for an SUV/MUV type vehicle this time, for the following reasons:

a. Additional space - I don't have to carry more than 4 people (other than on very rare occassions, and for short commutes), however the entire family (2+2) is rather fond of driving holidays and we would like a bit more space for the kids in the rear.
b. Bad roads - One can manage the daily cummute but I feel that when you drive on some of our rural roads, having a vehicle with high ground clearance (one of the reasons why I bought the SX4) and good suspension, is important.
c. I am tired of driving a sedan type vehicle and want a change (sorry, a bit silly, but that's how it is )

So, I read up a bit on this forum and went and took a test drive of the following vehicles - T-Fort, Endeavour, X1, Yeti, Merc B Class, Outlander and Rexton.

My brief impressions for each are as under:

T-Fort (4X2 Auto) - Likes - Looks, engine felt nice and powerful, low maintenance and great resale. Dislikes - Ride quality, price compared to specs.

Endeavour (4x4 Auto) - Likes - Price compared to specs. Dislikes - third row; looks (mild dislike); ride quality (based on what I read. The test drive did not allow a detailed assessment); non-existant third row.

X1 - ruled out by wife; she felt claustrophobic as soon as she sat inside. Must admit I had a broad grin on my face while taking the test ride - it's really fun to drive.

Yeti - ruled out due to small size by wife.

Merc B - ruled out due to small size by wife. I loved the premium feel of interiors.

Outlander - Loved the car - nothing to dislike except that it doesn't have a larger, touch screen ICE with reverse camera, navigation, etc. However ruled it out due to high running cost and low resale value.

Rexton (R7) - Likes - Looks, price compared to specs, decent quality of interiors, ride quality. Dislikes - Vague steering; non-existant third row.

Final rankings by my head are as under:

1st - Rexton R7
2nd - T-Fort (4X2, Auto)
3rd - Endeavour (4x4, Auto)

I am leaving the heart out of this since that gravitates towards the X5, which I can not afford at the moment.

What I am looking for is some amount of assurance from the Guru's that my thought process is not entirely screwed up. So please, could I request for comments, agreements and disagreements and advice with reasons, from the experts on this forum.

My driving pattern and some other relevant facts are below.

a. Average daily commute of about 30-35 kms within Delhi/NCR.
b. One or two long road trips every year (2000-3500 kms).
c. I care for resale and maintenance costs (about 5 on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being obsessive about it).
d. I am open to petrol or diesel options.
e. Budget up to 25 lakhs.
f. No intention of off-roading. Some bad roads, yes, but will not take the car for any kind of serious off-roading.

I hope that gives enough fuel to some of you to put on your thinking caps and get into my shoes and then say what would you have gone for.

Look forward to some interesting views and some assurance that I haven't lost it entirely .

[MetalBuff]

Originally Posted by GauravTaneja

I have been looking at buying a new car for some time now. I currently drive a SX4, which has given me stellar service for the last 5 years.

I have decided to go for an SUV/MUV type vehicle this time, for the following reasons:

........Look forward to some interesting views and some assurance that I haven't lost it entirely .

Though we have all correct choices into consideration, any certain reason we have the XUV500 left out? Guess, it satiates the criteria laid out by you perfectly - Easy on maintenace and resale are the other plusses. Hope this addition doesn't lead to more perplexity .

[GauravTaneja]

Originally Posted by MetalBuff

Though we have all correct choices into consideration, any certain reason we have the XUV500 left out? Guess, it satiates the criteria laid out by you perfectly - Easy on maintenace and resale are the other plusses. Hope this addition doesn't lead to more perplexity .

Thanks for the note MetalBuff.
Actually I did look at the XUV as well and it does seem nice. Unfortunatly, I have an OCD when it comes to noises from the car - and I understand the XUV has the tendency to keep it's occupants entertained through periodic rattles, squeaks and the like. It would drive me insane

[Zappo]

Originally Posted by GauravTaneja

Thanks for the note MetalBuff.
Actually I did look at the XUV as well and it does seem nice. Unfortunatly, I have an OCD when it comes to noises from the car - and I understand the XUV has the tendency to keep it's occupants entertained through periodic rattles, squeaks and the like. It would drive me insane

And just out of sheer curiosity... who gave you this fantastic idea?

[vvb8530]

Hi Gaurav,

I am in a similar dilemma myself. However my problem is stretching the budget beyond 25L for a fortuner is a little pinch otherwise the T-Fort Auto 4x2 would have been bought without a second thought.

Since the T-Fort fits into your budget i think that should be your No. 1 choice, specially considering your requirements of additional space needed and it will also be reliable and low on maintenance hence absolute peace of mind to own.

Having tested the Rexton, I did not come out very impressed. It does not even take care of your first requirement i.e additional space as it does feel very cramped, I do not think even children would be comfortable back there. Ride quality is also nothing great. Yes build quality and level of equipment pretty decent. However i am not sure if Mahindra will be able to handle the after sales specially since their staff is still not trained enough for an XUV. The only major feature in a Rexton missing in the T-Fort for me is the Sun Roof.

Endeavour for me is very uncomfortable in the second and third row due to the high floor. Plus it now looks and feels very outdated.

As per me if your budget permits, you should go in for the T-Fort and enjoy the additional space and peace of mind that it offers and lets not forget it is still a head turner.

P.S: Any particular reason for not including the Toyota Innova (V)?

VVB

[GauravTaneja]

Originally Posted by Zappo

And just out of sheer curiosity... who gave you this fantastic idea?

Mostly views expressed by a number of members in this wonderful forum itself. Or did I miss something?

So what are your thoughts on the subject? Oh, and I mean the subject of my post, not the presence or absence of irritantating rattles and squeaks in the XUV.

Originally Posted by vvb8530

P.S: Any particular reason for not including the Toyota Innova (V)?

VVB

Too taxi like; rejected by wifey. I guess by now you would have made out I am totally hen-pecked

[D4d-maniac]

Well, if maintaining your car if perfect condition is one of the top priorities in your life, certainly go for the XUV. A friend bought the W8 model, rusted door hinges, satellite navigation not working and locating the source of rattles keeps him busy.

On the other end of the spectrum if you are a fill it and shut it kind of guy then certainly go for either the Endeavour or the Fortuner. Personally I didn't like the looks of the Endeavour so I went in for the Toyota. 2.5 years and 20000 km later I am a happy customer.

PS. No disrespect to XUV or its owners.

[Zappo]

You have a budget with a floor and a ceiling as I understand it. You will not want to go below or above that. If I also understood you correctly the floor for your budget starts somewhere around 18-19 lakhs, may be?

I suggest that you check out the Chevy Captiva. It is one hell of a vehicle but one with extremely low profile. However it is a really capable vehicle with lots to offer. Much mroe comfortable as well than most in your list. Till some time back GM was offering a mouthwatering discount on the fully imported Captiva since they wanted to clear the already imported stock with them and introduce the new version.

[vvb8530]

Too taxi like; rejected by wifey. I guess by now you would have made out I am totally hen-pecked [/quote]

Well i agree with your wife then

I have been having arguments with my Dad over the exact same reason. As per him Innova suits our requirement the best but I too feel it is very taxi like and no point spending over 15L for a vehicle which is stereo typed as a taxi.

[johy]

Originally Posted by GauravTaneja

a. Additional space - I don't have to carry more than 4 people (other than on very rare occassions, and for short commutes), however the entire family (2+2) is rather fond of driving holidays and we would like a bit more space for the kids in the rear.
b. Bad roads - One can manage the daily cummute but I feel that when you drive on some of our rural roads, having a vehicle with high ground clearance (one of the reasons why I bought the SX4) and good suspension, is important.
c. I am tired of driving a sedan type vehicle and want a change (sorry, a bit silly, but that's how it is )

I know you can buy (almost) two cars in your budget, but have you thought about the Duster. It seems to check all your boxes.

It may not be as premium as your short-listed cars, but I am sure the ride quality will be good, if not better than some of them. Ideal for four passenger. Huge boot for weekend luggage and getaways. Good GC. And you can buy two of them in your budget. Nearly two.

[tsk1979]

Rexton is the most VFM of all options. Much cheaper, and has all the goodies. But there is no information about long term reliability. That said, I expect it to be higher than XUV, as most of the reports online suggest its a sturdy workhorse.
If you want to play safe, then Fortuner 4x2 is a good option.
You can also go for Endeavor 4x2, it will be cheaper than the Fortuner 4x4, but ride quality is not one of its stellar points.

[drmohitg]

I would go for the Fortuner with eyes closed just for those looks. But then thats me. For you I will suggest you to also take a look at Captiva and the Santa Fe. Both are extremely capable vehicles and would offer you much more VFM compared to the bare-bones fortuner.
Also you might want to check out the Nissan Xtrail and the Renault Koleos and see if they are carrying any discounts. Both are capable cars but slightly overpriced.
Happy hunting.