[NMS]

Originally Posted by montievv

For NVH, Manual lists a section under "Value added services", called Vibration deadeners. Does anyone have experience in somthing similar?
.....................

Thanks! Navi Mumbai, 16 Lacs on road. With the Storme most people will get only a 36 month EMI whereas Fortuner, Innova and Duster get 60 month EMI. Might influence your buying decision

That was one frank review.
Reminded me of another review where in it was mentioned "If you want a Storme, You go and get one. !!"

I did not understand the statement about the EMI term though, Can you elaborate a bit more on that ?

Please do keep us posted on the Vibration Deadeners?

[travelwriter]

Great and honest review. I am keen to seeing a 5000+km ownership review also from you. Hope you will oblige.

And, when I said honest, I also meant...

[10) Cant peck my wife on the cheek while dropping her off to work as we're both short. She pecks my shoulder nowadays instead!][/quote]

[montievv]

Originally Posted by NMS

I did not understand the statement about the EMI term though, Can you elaborate a bit more on that ?

Finance companies, banks, etc. classify "risky" loans according to cars being bought. The "risk" just doesn't depend on who is buying the car and what his/her financial profile is. Tata Safari (not the Storme, as banks have yet to classify Storme) is more riskier than other vehicles in banks' books. The belief is that the loan taken on a Safari will not be repaid in full as the vehicle will be sold prematurely. That's why the loan tenure is for 36 months (3 years) instead of usual 60 months (5 years). Hence the higher EMI. I suggest if you have an existing relationship with a bank, they may increase the tenure to 60 months on a case to case basis.

Originally Posted by NMS

Please do keep us posted on the Vibration Deadeners?

I am not buying the deadeners unless I have some feedback from others.

Vivek

[apachelongbow]

Nice write-up. Something from my side for the above areas
1)trip meter: Actually the simplest one around without a MID. A glance through your manual should provide you with all the functions. BTW My TB500 has more features on the dash than the Safari.

2)Diesels should be driven in the torque band. Best exp in a Safari is to place revs between 1700-3000rpm.

3)Bluetooth is to be fixed at the service center, must be a simple fix, wonder why they didnt do it during PDI

4) Fuel lid, thank god its on the dash in the Dicor, I agree popping the lid when operating windows suck

5) I felt my Safari's horn was very weak, then i figured out that the 2nd horn (yes it has a twin horn setup) was not connected from the factory When the service guys connected the horn I have a nice sounding paaarp.

6) Keyless entry is very irritating. I have not been able to open the car from a distance of even 6 meters, maybe a safety feature as per Tata..

Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Post edited. Please do not reply to posts using bold text within a quoted post, as it leads to visual discomfort for readers.

[r0ckstar.1]

Congrats on the new possession!! Good and unbiased review. Guess not turning music "on" in the SUV is giving an inside peek into quite a lot of noises/rattles. It's good thing as you are determined to fix those. Many other Storme owners (now and future) will benefit from your learnings. Please do post them on this thread. Hope you find sometime this weekend to upload photos Happy miles crunching . BTW, forgot to ask, Howz your back treating you now? Take care. Cheers.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

BTW My TB500 has more features on the dash than the Safari.

Lol so true. Think about my predicament with the KTM's MID and my Storme. I think the Safari is the Bullet of SUVs and one should not try to modernize it too much. Being a caveman is good!

2)Diesels should be driven in the torque band. Best exp in a Safari is to place revs between 1700-3000rpm.

Isn't that so narrow? My engine revs to 3K rpm very quickly once it comes into the meaty part of the band. So I am wondering that if its already freed up so nic in 800 kms, will it not free up at least another 1000 odd rpm extra (to a respectable 4000 rpm) by the time I have put say 5000 kms on to her?

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Lol so true. Think about my predicament with the KTM's MID and my Storme. I think the Safari is the Bullet of SUVs and one should not try to modernize it too much. Being a caveman is good!



Isn't that so narrow? My engine revs to 3K rpm very quickly once it comes into the meaty part of the band. So I am wondering that if its already freed up so nic in 800 kms, will it not free up at least another 1000 odd rpm extra (to a respectable 4000 rpm) by the time I have put say 5000 kms on to her?

Bullet of SUV is an apt statement to make, thats why we see so many Bullet/Safari combination.

I shouldnt quote speeds as per rules but you may expect the below
1700rpm 5th 80kmph indicated
2100rpm 5th 100kmph indicated
2500rpm 5th 120kmph indicated
3000rpm 5th 140kmph indicated
3500rpm 5th 160kmph indicated
4100rpm 5th 190kmph indicated
On a gps (hand held tuned to 100m accuracy and removed gps lag) 190kmph indicates 179kmph true.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

I shouldnt quote speeds as per rules but you may expect the below
1700rpm 5th 80kmph indicated
2100rpm 5th 100kmph indicated
2500rpm 5th 120kmph indicated
3000rpm 5th 140kmph indicated
3500rpm 5th 160kmph indicated
4100rpm 5th 190kmph indicated
On a gps (hand held tuned to 100m accuracy and removed gps lag) 190kmph indicates 179kmph true.

But does it rev to 4100 in 5th?

Because in my Baleno, the top speed (similar) comes up in 4th, not in 5th. 5th is actually 15-20 kmph slower.

I know the Safari has a lot more torque, but up till now my engine is still tight, and in 5th at 110 approx. it does not "feel" like it is only at 60% of its range.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by ebonho

But does it rev to 4100 in 5th?

Because in my Baleno, the top speed (similar) comes up in 4th, not in 5th. 5th is actually 15-20 kmph slower.

I know the Safari has a lot more torque, but up till now my engine is still tight, and in 5th at 110 approx. it does not "feel" like it is only at 60% of its range.

I really cant say Doc, you need to check it with your TASS. My Safari was eager to go right from day one. I remember on the first drive (the day we bought it) from Mumbai to Lonavla on the expressway, we exceeding 120kmph in a jiffy and not realising it, then looking at the speedo and slowing down to remain within 2500rpm run in.
The Safari continues to surprise all kinds of C Seg sedans like the Fiesta, Verna, Octavias when I come from behind them and swoosh past on the highways. She has a surprisingly quick top end.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

I really cant say Doc, you need to check it with your TASS. My Safari was eager to go right from day one. I remember on the first drive (the day we bought it) from Mumbai to Lonavla on the expressway, we exceeding 120kmph in a jiffy and not realising it, then looking at the speedo and slowing down to remain within 2500rpm run in.
The Safari continues to surprise all kinds of C Seg sedans like the Fiesta, Verna, Octavias when I come from behind them and swoosh past on the highways. She has a surprisingly quick top end.

So you are not supposed to cross 2500 rpm ? For 1500 kms?

I have gone up to 3000 many times.

How many kms on yur Safari now?

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by ebonho

So you are not supposed to cross 2500 rpm ? For 1500 kms?

I have gone up to 3000 many times.

How many kms on yur Safari now?

12000kms as of yesterday For the first 2000km not to exceed 2500rpm in any gear. Advice by SA to me on the first day.

[Sagar.Agarwal]

How is the vehicle holding up to the rattles. Are rattles starting to develop already or it seems it can last a good abuse?

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by Sagar.Agarwal

How is the vehicle holding up to the rattles. Are rattles starting to develop already or it seems it can last a good abuse?

Sagar, I believe rattles are a thing of the past. My June 2012 Dicor GX has zero rattles until now. At it has covered 15k kms so far. Also nothing has rusted, loosened or fallen off the car either inside or outside. So quality wise it seems all OK

[Sagar.Agarwal]

apachelongbow, Thanks a lot for the update. This takes me more closer to my Storme. Just waiting to find a good buyer for my Figo D. Hopefully, by the end of next month I will be able to post my buying experience and initial impressions.

[aerosaurous]

Hi, I'm new to the forum (and a new owner of a 4x4 Storme) and since Montievv has already started this excellent thread on ownership, I thought I'd add my observations here.

I am not mechanically inclined so I'll focus on the experience rather than the technical details.

I can add my two bits to the last few observations above (though I have only done about 1.5k on the Storme so far).

There are no rattles but at higher speeds the dashboard starts squeaking a bit. It is not very loud and occurs at speeds that the Storme is not expected to spend any significant time at.

Also at high speeds steering feel is very light and jittery, but not alarmingly so.

In general, the Storme seemed most comfortable on the highway when the RPM was just over 2k in top gear (which is, of course, not particularly surprising).

At all speeds comfort is excellent, which was the prime reason we bought the Storme. Feedback from users and this forum suggested that, for all its weaknesses, it is very comfortable for long journeys and it has lived up to its reputation so far. (Its reputation for reliability, such as it is, will be tested in time.)

A few abservations on the 4x4 system as well. I've had no real occaision to use the 4x4 system yet. I did, however, make a trip to Venadu in Pulicat Lake just to test the system. All I can say for now is that it worked (and for some reason, on the badly mangled red mud track, 4L seemed to make steering easier).

I also drove for a short bit on sand on Venadu. I've some experience with sand (in a Prado) and I think that wider tires would have helped. (Tires were inflated, but I'm comparing this to a Prado with inflated tires - not entirely a fair comparison, but the only one I can personally make!). Narrower tires may have been chosen for efficiency(?), but for anyone planning to use it on the sand a lot, subject to tech advice, wider tires may be good idea. I personally do not like tinkering with the stock set-up (I just wish the stock tires were a bit wider).

I was informed by the salesman at the showroom that the 4x4 versions are very rare and that only a handful had been sold in Chennai in 6 months.

On a separate note, the Concorde Velachery guys were very helpful and frank throughout the process, even during a first unscheduled visit after their working hours and extending to admiting they are trying to improve after-sales service.

Usage of the Storme in the city (Chennai) is very limited. I am not comfortable with its size in narrow city streets and chaotic traffic (I have a bike and Nano for that!). So while my interaction with the Storme will be involved, it will also be rare. We actually use it only twice a month on average (apart from an outing at least once a week to keep it running).

After riding around Chennai on a bike and driving around it in a Nano the behaviour of other road users towards the Storme is a revelation. Its actually faster than the Nano because of this! But I still won't use it in the city much, it is just too big.

To conclude I'd like to point out one aspect of the Storme that will mean I wont use it for a month. The Storme's commanding seating position and height has at least one downside. I need to climb into the car. This is, of course, fine for me but not for my elderly grandmother. She is planning her month long yearly visit, which means the Storme is in storage for all practical purposes while she is here.

Again, its great to be on the forum! I expect to be mostly involved in discussions on the Storme and the Nano but there is always something exciting here

Thanks!