[TheARUN]

My TCIC SAFARI is now more than 12 years old.

• Parts are becoming scarce already
• The 15 year re-registration scare is just round the corner
• I don't know how hard 12 year old steel will be in the event of bad crash
• With the SAFARI being phased out, forget resale value, I may not be able to find takers even, in the future
• The itch to touch and feel and drive a 'new-generation' vehicle and not live through life as if you are 'married' to your car

I'm slowly scouting around for a replacement.

• I have started out with a clean slate and looking at pretty much anything under the sun
• The closest shortlists would be - a 5 lakhs FIGO, a 5 lakh used INNOVA and a new MDi XYLO, not necessarily in that order
• I can afford an EMI of 10,000 a month and will be trading in the SAFARI

And now for the search

[thedreamcatcher]

Are you sure you want to go in for a Figo after you have been driving this Tank around for so long. I would strongly advice you not to do it. Once you ride above the clouds, try to stay there ;-) The feeling gets miserable otherwise

wow. 12 year old Safari. That is really old, but looks to be in good shape, save for the bumpers. Any idea on what kind of trade-in value you are getting. Why not another New Safari? Or the Scorpio

[camchennai]

Originally Posted by thedreamcatcher

Why not another New Safari? Or the Scorpio

He can afford only 10 K as EMI, so option of new Safari or Scorpio will be ruled out as the EMI would shoot up.

@TheARUN - Why not new bolero?? I guess it should fit in your budget and you would also have a feel of driving a SUV.

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by camchennai

He can afford only 10 K as EMI, so option of new Safari or Scorpio will be ruled out as the EMI would shoot up.

Not necessarily - both Safari and Scorpio in their LX avatar would cost a tad below 9L on-road in Bangalore. Depending on how much he gets for his TCIC and assuming that some additional amount can be shelled out for the down-payment, a five year loan will not fetch an EMI of more than 10-12K.

Arun - after having driven a Safari for this many years, believe me, you would find it VERY difficult to get used to another vehicle, especially if it is a sedan/hatch!

[ACM]

Arun

I would suggest

1) Grande MKII - New about 7.5L
2) Safari 2.2 EX, GX, VX - 2-2.5 years old, for 5.5-7L

After the Safari nothing else may work for you, if price was no bar would have thought that the Aria would be the logical upgrade, but in this case the 2.2 Dicor Safari should be a substantial uprade over the TCIC and the pastic bits are definately much better.

The Grande MK II or the Xylo too may work for you but the MKII will feel more substantial compared to the Xylo, The Scorpio even if within your budget may feel a bit limited in interior size after the Safari.

I don't think the Figo will suite you that well, unless you in the mood of "lets become a sadhu and give up the joys of the world enough reclaiming"

[tsk1979]

Looking at your EMI I think your budget is around 5.5L ex showroom.
You can either get a Tata sedan(if you move luggage on trips) or go for a hatchback.
I think there is a short chasis Xylo on the cards which may come in your price budget and will be a good choice from a MUV perspective.

[jeeva]

Arun,
You have spend lots of TLC to bring up the Safari to this level. Have been following the other thread closely since the day you got this. Feels bad to know that you are letting it go though.

If you are ok with a used one, why dont you look at a used 2.2 safari dicor or a 2005-06, crde Scorpio? It would be well within your budget.

[MileCruncher]

First things first. After having driven a 12 year old Safari, I would suggest you buy a new vehicle.

I would consider 1.5-2 Lakhs for the Safari.

Originally Posted by camchennai

He can afford only 10 K as EMI, so option of new Safari or Scorpio will be ruled out as the EMI would shoot up.

@TheARUN - Why not new bolero?? I guess it should fit in your budget and you would also have a feel of driving a SUV.

+1 to that.

Originally Posted by cool_dube

Not necessarily - both Safari and Scorpio in their LX avatar would cost a tad below 9L on-road in Bangalore. Depending on how much he gets for his TCIC and assuming that some additional amount can be shelled out for the down-payment, a five year loan will not fetch an EMI of more than 10-12K.

With a budget of 10K EMI, I think you can take a loan of about 5.5L for 7 years and 4.5L for 5 years. So your effective budget based on the loan duration will hover between 6.5-7.5L

I would suggest holding on for sometime and buying the new Bolero

Believe me it will be worth it!

P.S: Attached the EMI Calculation sheet for better clarity
EMI Calculation Sheet.xls

[dr_anurag]

I agree with the feeling that after an SUV a sedan or a hatchback may not work for you. I say this from experience. I exchanged my Qualis for a Corolla and though the Corolla is a mighty fine car and I love it, there was always this feeling of something missing in my garage. After I bought a Scorpio 4X4, that feeling has vanished. After having sold 9 cars in the last 15 years, the Qualis was the only one I truly missed. New or used- depending on your budget- go for an SUV. Putting myself in your shoes I would go for a Bolero.

[rajushank84]

Two or three year old Scorpio? It would still have the newness factor, fit into the budget, and be exciting to drive as well.

OT: Though throwing the Figo around corners is a different kind of heaven.

[n.devdath]

As MC mentioned, you have a budget of around 5.5 lacs for 7 years. Your old Safari should fetch you around 1.5lacs. So you can afford to spend around 5.5+1.5 = 7 lacs.

Which essentially means that you can either wait for the new Bolero or go in for sparingly used Scorpio/Safari. There are many sparingly used( run less than 40k) Scorpios, even MHawks available at Bangalore.Take a look and see if they satisfy you.

You will never be happy driving a hatch after 12 years with an SUV unless you really have a very open mind. I don't.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by thedreamcatcher

I would strongly advice you not to do it. Once you ride above the clouds, try to stay there ;-) The feeling gets miserable otherwise

+1. Exactly my thoughts.

Originally Posted by ACM

2) Safari 2.2 EX, GX, VX - 2-2.5 years old, for 5.5-7L

Your safari should fetch you about 1.5L, so with a budget of ~7L, I would suggest you to go for a sparingly used Safari. Nothing like 'reclaiming your life, again' .

Its really hard to let go of the feel this vehicle gives.

[pradkumar]

Wait for the mini Xylo!

http://www.autocarindia.com/news/sco...i-xylo-5-seats

Pradeep

[maheshramaling]

12 Yrs with the same Safari..wow! I salute you. Every 3 years I get a itch to buy something new .

I would agree with everyone here that don't downgrade. Two choices from my side.

1) Go for a New Safari (2.2L DOHC VTT I-4, 138bhp) since the base version is 7.67 ex-showroom and with the 1.5 to 2.5 Lacs for your existing safari - you will have to go for a loan for only around 5+ to 6+ & should be managable with 10K EMI.

LX 2.2 DiCOR 4 X 2 is INR 7,67,416 (Ex-showroom in Bangalore)

Tata Safari LX 2.2 DiCOR 4x2 BS IV

7,67,416
2) New Bolero (2.5L Turbocharged, 63bhp)

Base model (Mahindra Bolero DI 2WD 7-Str MICO BS3) costs INR 5,57,668
Top end (Mahindra Bolero VLX CRDe 2WD 7-Str BS IV) costs INR 6,65,696

* Prices as mentioned in www.carazoo.com.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by TheARUN

The 15 year re-registration scare is just round the corner

There is no scare; it's a mere formality.

With the SAFARI being phased out, forget resale value, I may not be able to find takers even, in the future

India is such a vast country that you will find buyers for anything. Serious.

I can afford an EMI of 10,000 a month and will be trading in the SAFARI

If you are going to take a loan (and outright purchase is NOT an option), forget about a used car. The 18% interest rates will kill you. I suggest you buy a brand new vehicle with an on-road price of between 5 - 7 lakhs. Unless you don't have any specific criteria in mind, check out the Etios petrol. It's fast, nice to drive, spacious and has balanced ride & handling. Soon coming in diesel. Another option is the super-comfortable Tata Manza.