Which car to buy for rough riding .

bhogalrajnish · 20th January 2006, 05:04

Hi

I am planing to buy my first car .
Will be using the car for long drives provably some to Ladakh and Spiti in Himachal .
I am looking for a used Esteem or a Accent . Please advise any other car possible .
Which of the cars will be better to ride in ladakh or on real bad roads .
Also would like to know if I can increase the Ground Clearence of these cars to fit Rough terrain.

Rajnish

paharino1 · 20th January 2006, 10:47

I havent seen any reviews of the Bolero on the forum..
I mean for people who love off-roading & dont have a budget for the expensive SUVs been sold in India..what are the options in the 5-7 lakh range :
1. Bolero ? ( Diesel + People Carrier + Decent Highway Performance + Decent Off roading Capabilities + Good Ground Clearance - maybe lacks refinement )
2. Gypsy ? - Best Off roader , but a petrol engine + Bad Highway Performance ??
3. Chevy Tavera - Does this qualify as a decent Off roader ? or is it just in the City MUV league as the Toyota Innova ?

speedsatya · 20th January 2006, 10:51

i know you have mentioned that you are looking for a car ,butfor such roads you require an SUV type of vehicle...of teh present ones the scorpio fits the bill...why dont u test drive the Rhino as well .

Harrie · 20th January 2006, 10:57

The bolero should do well. Its pretty reliable too. Available in 4WD. The ergonomics part suck. But you can live with it.

If the conditions are really going to be rough, then a car definitely wouldnt fit the bill unless its a Forrester or something.

karthik247 · 20th January 2006, 13:01

What abt the Scorpio. Its a pretty good offroader and is more luxurious than the others and not all that pricey

paharino1 · 20th January 2006, 15:09

umm...The Scorpio & Tata Safari would be easily 9 lakhs +...Too expensive

DCEite · 20th January 2006, 15:11

Fiat Palio Adventure... ofcourse.. its made for EXACTLY what you describe...

bhogalrajnish · 20th January 2006, 20:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by dceite

Fiat Palio Adventure... ofcourse.. its made for EXACTLY what you describe...

Hi

Thanks for all the advise but my budget is something aroung 2.5 to 3 lakhs .
So I am looking for a used car .
If it was a new car i would love to buy the Scorpio .
But for now I just need a car to throw around to get my act together for some Rally stuff.
Please advise if a esteem is good enough for rough terrain and also how much will it cust to get it modified(Higher suspension and engine upgrade)..

Rajnish

devarshi84 · 21st January 2006, 03:06

chevrolet forester is the king of all in rough riding. the subaru car leaves its mark in this territory.

fiat palio 1.6sports for city dirt and pali oadventure for off tarmac driving would be ideal too

mahindra scorpio crde and tata safari are also sufficient but not really upto the mark, while the bolero would be tad underpowered for such driving style.

skoda RS is also good for such driving but wouldnt be advised as its on the expensive side to purchase.

angelfire · 21st January 2006, 23:12

go for an esteem....change the suspension to a perfomance one..nd the costs..varies from one city to the other...run a search in the forum..maybe it`l help...is it for rallyin or just for use in rough terrains?

karthik247 · 21st January 2006, 23:15

Well then...u can choose from Zen, Esteem and Cielo/Nexia. All of them can be easily modded and are able to deliver a fair amount of power.

adya33 · 22nd January 2006, 00:50

Quote:

But for now I just need a car to throw around to get my act together for some Rally stuff.

Both esteem or accent will do the job

but why don't you also look at used maruti suzuki baleno, it will give you much better performance

v1p3r · 22nd January 2006, 01:39

I would suggest a second-hand Bolero or Safari. Both are available for under two lakhs, and are pretty hardy in such conditions. I'd pick the Safari because turbo engines do better at very high altitudes.

Beeman · 23rd January 2006, 14:44

M&M are probably good for this kind of stuff and light on the pocket too.

bhogalrajnish · 25th January 2006, 00:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by v1p3r

I would suggest a second-hand Bolero or Safari. Both are available for under two lakhs, and are pretty hardy in such conditions. I'd pick the Safari because turbo engines do better at very high altitudes.

Thats a good option but are these avalable under two Lakhs

20th January 2006, 05:04	#1
bhogalrajnish BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 215 Thanked: 67 Times	Which car to buy for rough riding . Hi I am planing to buy my first car . Will be using the car for long drives provably some to Ladakh and Spiti in Himachal . I am looking for a used Esteem or a Accent . Please advise any other car possible . Which of the cars will be better to ride in ladakh or on real bad roads . Also would like to know if I can increase the Ground Clearence of these cars to fit Rough terrain. Rajnish
	() Thanks

20th January 2006, 10:47	#2
paharino1 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hyderabad, India Posts: 299 Thanked: 29 Times	I havent seen any reviews of the Bolero on the forum.. I mean for people who love off-roading & dont have a budget for the expensive SUVs been sold in India..what are the options in the 5-7 lakh range : 1. Bolero ? ( Diesel + People Carrier + Decent Highway Performance + Decent Off roading Capabilities + Good Ground Clearance - maybe lacks refinement ) 2. Gypsy ? - Best Off roader , but a petrol engine + Bad Highway Performance ?? 3. Chevy Tavera - Does this qualify as a decent Off roader ? or is it just in the City MUV league as the Toyota Innova ?
	() Thanks

20th January 2006, 10:51	#3
speedsatya Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: bangalore/manga Posts: 3,169 Thanked: 738 Times View My Garage	i know you have mentioned that you are looking for a car ,butfor such roads you require an SUV type of vehicle...of teh present ones the scorpio fits the bill...why dont u test drive the Rhino as well . Last edited by speedsatya : 20th January 2006 at 10:53.
	() Thanks

20th January 2006, 10:57	#4
Harrie BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: KA 03, KL 12, TN 38 Posts: 701 Thanked: 36 Times View My Garage	The bolero should do well. Its pretty reliable too. Available in 4WD. The ergonomics part suck. But you can live with it. If the conditions are really going to be rough, then a car definitely wouldnt fit the bill unless its a Forrester or something.
	() Thanks

20th January 2006, 13:01	#5
karthik247 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR, HYD Posts: 2,710 Thanked: 30 Times	What abt the Scorpio. Its a pretty good offroader and is more luxurious than the others and not all that pricey
	() Thanks

20th January 2006, 15:09	#6
paharino1 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hyderabad, India Posts: 299 Thanked: 29 Times	umm...The Scorpio & Tata Safari would be easily 9 lakhs +...Too expensive
	() Thanks

20th January 2006, 15:11	#7
DCEite Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NCR Posts: 3,417 Thanked: 2,550 Times	Fiat Palio Adventure... ofcourse.. its made for EXACTLY what you describe...
	() Thanks

21st January 2006, 03:06	#9
devarshi84 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Ahmedabad - Tor Posts: 4,024 Thanked: 211 Times View My Garage	chevrolet forester is the king of all in rough riding. the subaru car leaves its mark in this territory. fiat palio 1.6sports for city dirt and pali oadventure for off tarmac driving would be ideal too mahindra scorpio crde and tata safari are also sufficient but not really upto the mark, while the bolero would be tad underpowered for such driving style. skoda RS is also good for such driving but wouldnt be advised as its on the expensive side to purchase.
	() Thanks

21st January 2006, 23:12	#10
angelfire BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Mangalore/Chicago Posts: 251 Thanked: Once View My Garage	go for an esteem....change the suspension to a perfomance one..nd the costs..varies from one city to the other...run a search in the forum..maybe it`l help...is it for rallyin or just for use in rough terrains?
	() Thanks

21st January 2006, 23:15	#11
karthik247 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR, HYD Posts: 2,710 Thanked: 30 Times	Well then...u can choose from Zen, Esteem and Cielo/Nexia. All of them can be easily modded and are able to deliver a fair amount of power.
	() Thanks

22nd January 2006, 01:39	#13
v1p3r Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: BLR / DXB / LON Posts: 5,334 Thanked: 6,896 Times View My Garage	I would suggest a second-hand Bolero or Safari. Both are available for under two lakhs, and are pretty hardy in such conditions. I'd pick the Safari because turbo engines do better at very high altitudes. Last edited by v1p3r : 22nd January 2006 at 01:41.
	() Thanks

23rd January 2006, 14:44	#14
Beeman BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Treasure island Posts: 335 Thanked: 2 Times	M&M are probably good for this kind of stuff and light on the pocket too.
	() Thanks