[padikpanther]

Yup, that’s exactly how the score sheet reads. The mind was patiently waiting for 12+ years to settle the scores, but the Heart once again proved to be too strong. Just to elaborate on the score line –

1) Royal Enfield Standard 350 in 1999 (Heart 1 – 0 Mind) and

now 4TH January 2013
2) Safari Dicor Lx (Heart 2 – 0 Mind)

To buy the Safari had been a dream for me for quite some time. Mid 2012, I decided to go for the SUV but for some unknown reason opted to wait for the Storme launch. As I was no under no time pressure to make the purchase, was patiently waiting for TML to launch the Storme and was disappointed to find it way beyond my budget. Had set a deadline of December 2012 end to make my decision and the decision had to be between 1) Safari Dicor Lx 2) Safari Storme Lx, though the mind at times wandered towards the Mahindra Bolero and Xylo (with all respect to the existing satisfied users - the space and ergonomics kept me away from the Bolero and the Xylo was great once inside, but I didn’t like the exteriors)


Thanks to TML, they made the decision making easy for me by pricing the Storme in a particular way. I decided to go in for a Lx version, as I found the accessories on Ex was not worth that extra money.

The Booking: Was toggling between Pandit and Concorde for some time. The guys at Pandit Automotive seemed to dis-interested, so finally did the booking at Concorde. Must mention - Mr. Nitin Gaikwad and Mr. Mushtaq were very courteous right from word go. Shared with them what Pandit had offered and they promised to better the offer if I could pay the advance immediately. Was offered the final on road price just a shade below 9L and we finalised on it then and there. The standard discount was Rs.30,000/-. Negotiated for some additional discount and other basic accessories like mud-flaps, floor-mats etc.

The Delivery - With the balance finance in place, called Concorde and set the date of delivery 4th Jan 2013. Had a sleepless night with the fact that a long cherished dream was about to get fulfilled. Armed with a Pdi checklist courtesy T-Bhp arrived at the Showroom. Had asked rest of the family to join later as I had no idea how much time the PDI and the documentation would take. The family soon joined and the delivery went smoothly and the PDI helped in a way that the showroom guys unnecessarily were left with a feeling that I know a lot about cars (let the facts remain under covers). The odo read 47 kms at the time of delivery. After the Puja at the showroom, headed straight for the pump to tank up.




Why Safari - I used to like Safari from the day one it landed on Indian roads. Always dreamt of owning one in spite of all the issues and niggles TML products are infamous for. After living with a RE Bull for 12+ years, I think I’ve learnt to differentiate between ‘Wants’ and ‘Needs’. The Safari had everything that I needed (and also a few things which I don’t need ) and for the ‘Wants’, the list is endless. I don’t know if tbhp uses any analytics software, for the way I’ve been referring to the safari threads, I can easily be awarded the ‘Stalker No.1’ award. It’s really impossible to name one but sincerely thanking each and every Safari owner for their contribution on this forum. Especially the contributors on the ‘Tata Safari 2.2 L technical/other problems/solutions thread’. I think now I know when to expect the ‘Service light is going to stat blinking

Criteria to be fulfilled -
1. Space: For me the Space was the most important criteria and ruled out some contenders majorly on this criteria
2. Ground clearance: Having a decent feel of the Indian roads, this for me was very important criteria. Although I’m not an off-roader, I have my share of traveling across the country on my beloved Bull (clocked 2 lac kms a few months back on the odo) and the potholes as well as the speed breakers can do anything to your ride.
3. Seating Comfort: had to be suitable for long rides for me as well as the family
4. Ride Quality: Had to be a no nonsense one with less of gizmos
5. Looks –although very subjective, it had to be a head turner for me.

My Impressions:

What I liked/Pros:
1. Amazing power and pickup.
2. Acres of space
3. Looks
4. The ground clearance
5. Seating comfort: Ample leg space for each seat and the most comfortable middle row seat
6. Electronically controlled ORVMs: For a vehicle of these dimensions, this is sheer boon. Happy with the fact that even the base model has this.
7. Lumbar support - Driver and co-driver seats come with a 3-position lumbar support. Looking forward to its utility during long drives.
8. Follow me home and puddle lamps
9. The illuminated controls: All the controls, window buttons, key slot get a white light.

What I didn't like/Cons:
1. Plastics quality: Although I knew it before buying and during the TD, still it remains a sore point.
2. The beige coloured interiors - I just hate beige, but LX had nothing else to offer as an option.
3. Turning radius - it is really large. Taking the dimensions into consideration, I can't compare it with smaller cars but you land up with a feeling that the steering turn stops and that too a bit too early.
4. Gear shifting/slotting – Having experienced the Bull, I know this is going to go away OR I’ll be getting used to it
5. Positioning of audio system – unknowingly changed the FM station while slotting in 3rd and 5th.

Usage pattern: I have no plan of using Albatross for my daily commute. For that purpose the Bull serves me really well. The Albatross is mainly for the weekend/long drives. Hope I’ll be able to take Albatross to Leh soon.

Modifications/Accessories/Add-On Fitted (all done from Phadke car accessories, Kothrud)
1. Music System
2. Reverse Parking Sensor
3. Lumar Sunfilm (on the sides and the rear glass, nothing on the front windshield)
4. Seat Covers

Intend to do over a period of time - (Experts pls comment)
1. Headlight bulb upgrade.
2. Fog lights
3. Remote Locking
4. Reduce the Turning Radius.

Impressions so far:
Although it's too early and that too for someone who has graduated from a RE Bull to a Safari I find a lot of commonalities between these 2 vehicles.
Exterior looks : Although it is very subjective, I was bowled over multiple times when I saw this for the first time in my life and probably that's when the decision was unknowingly made. For a moment let's forget the fact that Storme pricing was beyond my stipulated Vitamin M limit, the vehicle would have been incomplete without the spare Tyre mounted on the rear door.

Interiors - I was excited when I saw non beige interiors in Storme pics and having opted to go for the Dicor, this remains as my biggest sore point. Space wise safari remains unbeatable and the middle row seating comfort is nothing short of bliss.

Engine / Ride / Gears / handling : Although had 2 cars in the family, I preferred the Bull as my daily workhorse. I don't belong to the experienced driver category as far as 4 wheels are concerned, I felt that the engine was initially a bit sluggish but once into 3rd and 4th gear it really starts flying. Cornering was a bit scary at times and I blamed it on the high center of gravity.

Braking : Although in this short stint I was never required to brake hard, still had a couple of 'Heart in the Mouth' kind of moments and blamed my child like eagerness of driving a new car in spite of knowing how the tuck behaves in such situations.

Below are my rating in detail:
Sales Inquiry: ***
Booking: **.*
Delivery: ***
For Vehicle : *****

It’s such a satisfying experience owning a Safari and sincere thanks to all the TBHPians for their contributions.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[arup.misra]

Congratulations padik. Short and crisp review. Happy the heart won over the mind. After all we live to drive don't we.

Do take good care of it and keep it nice and shining. Hope the safari leads you on a trouble free road for many many years.

Some interior snap shots would be nice. Cheers!!

Drive safe.

[selfdrive]

Awesome news! Hearty congratulations to you and wish you many safe miles ahead
When you say Concorde motors, are you talking about the one at Baner road junction on the bypass?

What we want (and need) not necessarily in this order:
-More pics, all angles including from top and also of interiors.
-Test ride
-Party!

[Shiv_1984]

Congratulations for owning one the best VFM SUVs out there. The black looks best on Safari IMO. 9lac is a good deal indeed.
Does it have all the safety features also ?

Would you like to share few more pictures ? Mainly for interiors, engine bay, ICE and rear space.
Once again, Drive safe.

[aks_karthik]

Congrats padikpanther,
Really a Wonderful SUV and somewhat like the Dicor than Strome.
Black is always opt for Safari. Real Beast.
Enjoy and Drive Safe

[comfortablynumb]

At under 9L on road, this is the most vfm variant in the Safari line up. Good decision! Also, good thing that you've kept the cladding unpainted. It'll save you a lot of heartache [in the form of nicks and cuts to the paint] that Pune traffic bestows on our vehicles.

Have you opted for the AMC? [read post # 9 onwards] http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...t-reviews.html

Many Many congratulations and wish you a million miles of safe & happy motoring!

Cheers,
Vikram

[ghodlur]

@Padikpanther,

Congratulations on the Albatross. Safari has been my dream car ever since passion for vehicles started. The car has a huge road presence. Isnt Black a difficult colour to maintain.

What parking sensor have you fitted in the car? Surprising you still opted to fit in the sunfilms inspite of the film removal drive. Would be interesting to know how you intend to reduce the turning radius of the car.

We definitely need more pics of the interiors and exteriors as well. Happy mile crunching and drive safely.

[kaviprem]

Congratulations padikpanther ! Good one, keep this updated with your further experience.

Happy miles !

Prem.

[BulZire]

Padikpanther, Congrats and wish you have a hassle free ride in it for lakhs of miles in the beat

I am also a great fan of RE's and own a CI STD 350, love it the most among my other rides. About cars, i had decided years back that a black or white Safari is going to be my next car and still waiting for that day to come. For some reason buying a Storme never strike my mind. Not sure of what's going to be god's decision on this .

[himadrimondal]

After owning 2 Safaris and selling both of them off, wish you from the bottom of my heart a hassle free ride.
Just check of the read bumper is not coming in way of the exhaust outlet.
I got my new car and after travelling for 100kms at a stretch observed my rear bumper melting due to the heat of the exhaust.

A note of caution, this car is capable of attaining very high speed in very short time which indirectly results in very high momentum due to its weight.
But the brakes don't support such high pickup, neither do you have ABS.
So please be very care full during overtakes or cruising at 120 plus for on coming traffic or people.

On the other hand, thanks to the same Safari, I am living today to tell you all this.
Regarding upgrades, headlight upgrade is a must, infact essential.
As for the remote locking, I guess the one present is fine.

BUT do carry the second remote if given or a spare battery for the remote AT ALL TIMES.
I was stuck at a remote corner of Sikkim when my remote battery drained due to cold
and there was no way I could bypass the engine immobilizer.

Adding to all the pain was the size of the battery(22v 12 amp),
a capsule shaped one which was not available anywhere within 3 hr radius from where I was.

Bought a much thicker battery, improvised to the remote to get that 22v and unlocked the car.
For the entire trip, the key was in the car thereafter.

Wishing you a fantastic ride ahead.

[Rahulk76]

Ah.. another Black Safari LX...Congrats Padikpanther . Happy Motoring

[HappyWheels]

Congrats. Wish you miles of happy and safe motoring.

Headlight upgrade is definitely a must, especially if you do highway drives.

[Dry Ice]

Originally Posted by padikpanther

1) Royal Enfield Standard 350 in 1999 (Heart 1 – 0 Mind) and
2) Safari Dicor Lx (Heart 2 – 0 Mind)

That's one combination I have seen with most of the Safari owners. Enjoy you ride and wishing you trouble free miles!

Originally Posted by himadrimondal

BUT do carry the second remote if given or a spare battery for the remote AT ALL TIMES.
I was stuck at a remote corner of Sikkim when my remote battery drained due to cold
and there was no way I could bypass the engine immobilizer.

This is a curious case! Does the immobilizer kick in if you open the doors with the key and try to start the car? Even if its the *original* key?

[padikpanther]

Originally Posted by arup.misra

Congratulations padik. Short and crisp review. Happy the heart won over the mind. After all we live to drive don't we.

Thanks Arup for the wishes. Indeed was looking forward to buying the truck and will keep it in the best of the conditions always. More pics are on the way over the weekend.

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Awesome news! Hearty congratulations to you and wish you many safe miles ahead
When you say Concorde motors, are you talking about the one at Baner road junction on the bypass?

What we want (and need) not necessarily in this order:
-More pics, all angles including from top and also of interiors.
-Test ride
-Party!

Thanks Self Drive. We are referring to the same Concorde near Baner Road Junction next to the Merc showroom. About the wants and needs it’s easy for me to start in the reverse order. Pics over the weekend and party and test drive anytime you say

Originally Posted by Shiv_1984

Congratulations for owning one the best VFM SUVs out there. The black looks best on Safari IMO. 9lac is a good deal indeed.
Does it have all the safety features also ?

Thanks Shiv. Safety features - zilch. It doesn’t have Airbags, ABS, and EBD. That’s exactly the reason I was looking forward to the Storme. Guess the driving style is the only safety feature that is assumed with this version. More pics are on the way over the weekend.

Originally Posted by aks_karthik

Congrats padikpanther,
Really a Wonderful SUV and somewhat like the Dicor than Strome.
Black is always opt for Safari. Real Beast.
Enjoy and Drive Safe

Thanks Karthik

Originally Posted by comfortablynumb

At under 9L on road, this is the most vfm variant in the Safari line up. Good decision! Also, good thing that you've kept the cladding unpainted. It'll save you a lot of heartache [in the form of nicks and cuts to the paint] that Pune traffic bestows on our vehicles.

Have you opted for the AMC? [read post # 9 onwards] http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...t-reviews.html

You pinned it Vikram. Was aware of the heartburn caused due to the nicks and cuts thanks to the Pune traffic and that’s why opted against getting the cladding painted, although initially flirted with the thought of getting it painted in silver. As far as the AMC is concerned, I will definitely follow your suggestion of going through the link. I have it in mind but will decide after studying the suggested link. Thanks a ton for the wishes and the suggestion.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

@Padikpanther,

Congratulations on the Albatross. Safari has been my dream car ever since passion for vehicles started. The car has a huge road presence. Isnt Black a difficult colour to maintain.

Guess we share the same blood group as far dreaming about the Safari is concerned. Black is a bit difficult to maintain, no doubt, but will do everything to keep the truck gleaming. For the parking sensor I opted for the Autocop 9000 model. For sun films gambled a bit with the RTO authorized/permitted one. Let’s see what the future holds for the films. I have no idea about what is to be exactly done to reduce the turning radius of the truck but have read on the forums that it can be done. That’s the reason I’m seeking expert advice over here whether -1) It can be done? 2) Is it advisable? More pics are on the way over the weekend.

Originally Posted by kaviprem

Congratulations padikpanther ! Good one, keep this updated with your further experience.

Happy miles !

Thanks Prem

Originally Posted by BulZire

Padikpanther, Congrats and wish you have a hassle free ride in it for lakhs of miles in the beat

I am also a great fan of RE's and own a CI STD 350, love it the most among my other rides. About cars, i had decided years back that a black or white Safari is going to be my next car and still waiting for that day to come.

Thanks Bulzire. From my own experience and the long wait I can definitely say and assure you ‘bhagwan ke ghar pe der hai, lekin andher nahi hai’. My biggest pain area after getting the truck was I would land up doing injustice to the Bull by spending less time with the 1st heartthrob. Let’s see what the future holds...

Originally Posted by himadrimondal

After owning 2 Safaris and selling both of them off, wish you from the bottom of my heart a hassle free ride....
Wishing you a fantastic ride ahead.

Thanks a ton for sharing your experiences himadrimondal. I’ll definitely keep in mind the speeding part. Anyways I’m a sedate driver to the extent of being tagged as ‘boring’ one. For me the journey has always been a priority than the timing. Will be going for the headlight upgrade in the next fortnight. Any suggestion on that? Have heard a lot about Philips Rally combined with a Bosch Relay kit.

Originally Posted by Rahulk76

Ah.. another Black Safari LX...Congrats Padikpanther . Happy Motoring

Thanks rahulk76. Anyways I was planning to PM you for this http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...-beaten-6.html

Originally Posted by HappyWheels

Congrats. Wish you miles of happy and safe motoring.

Headlight upgrade....

Thanks Happywheels for the wishes.

Originally Posted by Dry Ice

That's one combination I have seen with most of the Safari owners. Enjoy you ride and wishing you trouble free miles

Thanks Dry Ice. Guess the Bull owners are more accustomed to keeping old technology machines running smoothly and that’s why the similarities attract them to the truck lolz..