[D4D]

Originally Posted by bbyf16

Hi guys, needed a bit of advice regarding this topic. I currently have a pajero that needs to be replaced (more than 2 lakh km). I need a replacement that fulfills the following priorities (important on top)

1. Safety, has to be really strong, capable of surviving accidents on the highway
2. 30 lakh budget (OTR), should be vfm
3. Relatively good mileage (pajero is now giving me 5km/l). diesel or petrol, they both roughly cost the same
4. Cargo area (no point have 3 rows of seats with nowhere to put baggage
5. Good ground clearance
6. Preferably factory fitted goodies (bluetooth, navigation, etc)
7. minimum 5 seats (like i said, prefer 5 seats with a boot than 7 with nothing)

I've compared several cars and i'll give you my views regarding the same.

- captiva - not worth 30 lakhs. only one power point, no sat nav or bluetooth, decent engine but not worth the 30 lakhs (CBU)

- innova - lethargic engine, only 2 airbags, uncomfortable back row, lots of body movement

- mobilio - surprisingly good engine, excellent suspension, pretty sure i'll die if I have an accident. terribly cheap looking interiors and feels cheap

- fortuner - I tried this 3 years ago, interiors felt like the innova, same amount of space, wasn't impressed, felt toyota was looting the public

- endeavor - only seen, haven't gone for a test drive yet.

So right now, its been the toyota fortuner which i'm mentally against (2 airbags, not vfm), the ford endeavor (will form opinion after testing), honda crv (petrol guzzler at the time, had it from 2008-2009), and the renault koleos.

any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Well, if you're going to use your car like you pajero(2.xx lakh km in 8-10 years), I would recommend Toyota Fortuner. Perhaps wait for the facelift?

I would ask you to check Santa Fe. It checks all your requirement. Only problem: It's not a direct replacement for your Pajero:

• It's a monocoque. Hence it will never be as tough as your Pajero. But a monocoque has certain advantages: It's light-so better FE. And monocoques are car-like to drive.
• No low ratio. If off-roading is on your list, please forget the Santa Fe.

Perhaps you could check out the Rexton and XUV 500. Reports are suggesting that there's a endeavor facelift around the corner.

[bbyf16]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Check out the top variant of Hyundai Santa FE. Sounds like the best option for the requirements you mentioned. It has scored very high on safety as well.

It's nearly 34 on road I believe. I'm not very sure about Hyundai metal quality. The i20 I have is very dent prone, I wonder at times if it's made from scrap metal. I'm comparing the i20 not even with the pajero but the beat.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by bbyf16

It's nearly 34 on road I believe. I'm not very sure about Hyundai metal quality. The i20 I have is very dent prone, I wonder at times if it's made from scrap metal. I'm comparing the i20 not even with the pajero but the beat.

For a CKD, I doubt they will tamper the metal quality. The Santa FE has received the best Euro NCAP rating in its class. Alternate (smaller) options will be likes the base X1 or the Audi Q3 S.

[drmohitg]

Why not another Mitsu i.e. the Pajero Sport? Otherwise Renault Koleos also looks like a very competent 5 seater SUV/crossover in that category. I would not really suggest the X1 or Q3 as the rear bench space is non existent in these vehicles and also long term ownership costs will be higher ( going by the odo reading of your current Pajero).

Having said all that, for your kind of running, the Toyota Fortuner seems like a perfect fit although it comes with only 2 airbags.

[bbyf16]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Why not another Mitsu i.e. the Pajero Sport? Otherwise Renault Koleos also looks like a very competent 5 seater SUV/crossover in that category. I would not really suggest the X1 or Q3 as the rear bench space is non existent in these vehicles and also long term ownership costs will be higher ( going by the odo reading of your current Pajero).

Having said all that, for your kind of running, the Toyota Fortuner seems like a perfect fit although it comes with only 2 airbags.

I test drove the pajero sport. Found it to be very bouncy in the back, lots of body movement, didn't feel it was worth the money. For some reason, the one I test drove had all of our ears bothered. It was like the low rpm was causing a type of something. I can't describe but it was very bothersome and everyone in the middle and back experienced it.

Is there a reason no one is suggesting the endeavor

[Akshay1234]

Originally Posted by bbyf16

Is there a reason no one is suggesting the endeavor

Endeavour is terribly out dated, more than the other cars its competing with. Its also got a leaf spring suspension, and the ride of the Endy makes the Fortuners ride feel a whole segment above.

Would suggest you TD the Pajero Sport again, I think there would have been something wrong with the TD car.

Also as others have mentioned, the Santa Fe is great if you don't mind plonking 30 on a Hyundai.

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by bbyf16

Hi guys, needed a bit of advice regarding this topic. I currently have a pajero that needs to be replaced (more than 2 lakh km). I need a replacement that fulfills the following priorities (important on top)

1. Safety, has to be really strong, capable of surviving accidents on the highway
2. 30 lakh budget (OTR), should be vfm
3. Relatively good mileage (pajero is now giving me 5km/l). diesel or petrol, they both roughly cost the same
4. Cargo area (no point have 3 rows of seats with nowhere to put baggage
5. Good ground clearance
6. Preferably factory fitted goodies (bluetooth, navigation, etc)
7. minimum 5 seats (like i said, prefer 5 seats with a boot than 7 with nothing)

Please test drive another Pajero Sport. It ought to keep you happy. The all new Endeavor ought to be worth the wait if you can. Else, you have to succumb to the modern era of monocoques and soft-roaders, and shell out 30lacs for a Hyundai Jokes and styling apart, it really is a good car

[TorquePeedo]

You can check out my ownership report for a latest comparison among this batch of vehicles

[drmohitg]

BTW since you do not need all 3 rows of seating then why not take a look at the Skoda Yeti or the Rexton?

[Zed]

Originally Posted by akshay1234

Endeavour is terribly out dated, more than the other cars its competing with. Its also got a leaf spring suspension, and the ride of the Endy makes the Fortuners ride feel a whole segment above.

Ford will launch the next gen Everest in 2015 in markets like Thailand, China and Australia. Media reports suggest that this SUV is derived from the current ranger pick up but upgarded to meet customer expectations in the SUV segment. Its possible that this vehicle may be the next gen Endevour in India - surely a capable SUV for Indian conditions. Its got the looks and the 2,2 L puma diesel would be tuned to deliver the goods. Ford could possibly bring this to India in mid-late 2015 as the endevour replacement. Here is a pic from a media event held by Ford Australia where the vehicle was developed

[bbyf16]

Originally Posted by TorquePeedo

You can check out my ownership report for a latest comparison among this batch of vehicles

your report has made me actively rethink the fortuner. I will go for both a fortuner and endeavor test drive on the same day and just finalize my decision.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

BTW since you do not need all 3 rows of seating then why not take a look at the Skoda Yeti or the Rexton?

the yeti is overpriced for what it is and the rexton is chinese. I know i'm being overly simplistic in my opinion but I generally don't want to put down that kind of money on a car with no proven track history.

Also, I really don't like the new endeavor concept, makes it look like the fortuner plus I can't wait a year. The pajero needs to go now as in I don't trust it for long distances anymore. I'm actually doing a long distance half of india trip right now in my beat which has proven to be very solid. so far i've covered 4000 km (ahmedabad-baroda-pune-bombay-bangalore-trivandrum-cochin-bangalore). I still have to go to pune, bombay, udaipur before I can get back to ahmedabad.

Thanks for the all the info guys and definitely keep this discussion going.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by bbyf16

the yeti is overpriced for what it is and the rexton is chinese.

Korea was a part of China only during the Han Dynasty. Since it is not anymore, that would make Rexton a Korean car!

[IshaanIan]

Originally Posted by bbyf16

the yeti is overpriced for what it is and the rexton is chinese. I know i'm being overly simplistic in my opinion but I generally don't want to put down that kind of money on a car with no proven track history.

Also, I really don't like the new endeavor concept, makes it look like the fortuner plus I can't wait a year. The pajero needs to go now as in I don't trust it for long distances anymore. I'm actually doing a long distance half of india trip right now in my beat which has proven to be very solid. so far i've covered 4000 km (ahmedabad-baroda-pune-bombay-bangalore-trivandrum-cochin-bangalore). I still have to go to pune, bombay, udaipur before I can get back to ahmedabad.

Thanks for the all the info guys and definitely keep this discussion going.

Woah woah, okay Mitsubishi might not come with good A.S.S. here in India, but that doesn't mean their cars do not come with bulletproof reliability. Pajeros are still extremely desirable and I believe that a new Paj Sport is your best option out there.

The Yeti really is a brilliant car. Slightly overpriced, but not that bad. Do read up on it and check it out for yourself before dismissing it.

Please don't dismiss SsangYong before knowing fully well what you will miss out on. It is the oldest Korean automobile manufacturer, started making Jeeps and trucks for US army use in the 60s and since 1991, has had an extremely successful technology partnership with Daimler-Benz. The company specializes in producing 4x4s and isn't just some "chinese" brand. The Rexton is based on the M-Class Platform and was also initially styled by Giorgietto Giugiaro's Italdesign studio. It performs extremely well off-road and I'm sure there are a couple of ownership threads here where you can verify for yourself.

The Fortuner, is big, powerful and reliable, sure. BUT, to call the Yeti overpriced and then consider a 30+lakh car with limited safety options, sounds ridiculous to me

Cheers!

[Pacifica]

Hi,

Now that my current car has been badly flood-damaged, I am beginning to look for a replacement. I'm quite clear on what I want:

Must Have:

1. MUV/minivan with three rows of seats (flexible fold-flat seating)
2. Automatic transmission
3. Front and side (curtain) airbags
4. Separate AC for rear passengers
5. Comfortable front and middle row seats (last row will usually be folded down for the dog)
6. Reliability

Nice to Have

1. Cruise control
2. Automatic climate control
3. Leather reclining front and middle rows
4. Built-in navigation and reversing camera

I'd prefer a diesel, but can live with a petrol. I can spend around 1.5 million.

It'll be mostly city driven (office commute, shopping runs) with the occasional highway trip. Flexible seating is required for long distance trips and to accommodate visiting relatives and airport/station runs.

The problem is there doesn't seem to be anything I can think of that matches these requirements other than some SUVs, but I want a people carrier, not an off-roader.

Innova/Eritga/Mobilio/Enjoy/Evalia/Xylo/Safari: No A/T, no side airbags

Aria/Yeti: No A/T

Fortuner/Endeavour/Scorpio: No side airbags

CR-V/Grand Vitara/Outlander: Only two rows of seats, doubtful about side airbags

The only option seems to be to look for a used Rexton A/T or a used Chevy Captiva (the face lifted model apparently comes with A/T, six airbags, and rear AC, and is a soft-roader), but is there anything else out there I can go for new?

I really wish there was an A/T Ertiga with side airbags or an Aria with A/T.

[mooza]

@Pacifica, the XUV has side airbags option for the front seats, but no A/T. The A/T is scheduled for mid 2015 I think. As mentioned in the XUV thread, the 3rd row is indeed cramped.

The Renault Lodgy is an option if you are okay with the looks, but again, the launch is in Jan 2015, and not sure about the A/T. The crash test video link is given below, which includes the side crash test:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pUM9gkYftY