[voyageur]

Originally Posted by figo_mba

Let me explain
The other day I was parked in front of my wife's office and was waiting for her. A guy opens the door and hops in and says lets go. I was confused and asked him "Sorry but Who are you"? He then looked at me and felt that he was in the wrong ca(b)r. He apologized and hopped out. Taxi image


One cannot close the door from the drivers seat. BIG Problem. Let me explain. When you have a fight with your better half and she decides to get out of the car. Previously, on my figo she would slam the door so hard I would get a heart attack. On a Xylo, she gets out and leaves the door wide open. I dont know if it because it takes a lot of effort to shut the door or if she wants me to get down from the car and close the door. But like all ladies she gets her way in any case.

Congrats on your new car. I missed being at the venue at the time of delivery. I hope you can compensate that by throwing a large treat when I come. (I know you will do it without me mentioning it anyways)

Great write up. Detailed and very precise.

I laughed out many times but the above two incidents were the most hilarious for me.

Your last statement about ladies emerging victorious is

Though its hilarious it must be frustrating to see someone just opens the door and sit down thinking its a taxi. A great read this one.

Which brand tires come with the Xylo (not sure if you have mentioned and I missed out)? MRF? If yes, then you could probably start with changing that as an upgrade.

Again Congrats on your new car and wishing you happy miles ahead.

Cheers

[BigBrad]

Nicely penned down review.

Finally, the MUV hunt reached its end. I still remember you telling about it during my first ever meet. Post the facelift, Xylo looks so much better than the initial version, esp the nose.

The office cab story was truly hilarious.

Will definitely miss the red devil in our future meets. Have fun and wish you miles and miles of happiness from the new vantage point.

[nkg77]

First of all, congratulations on your new ca(b)r

Very well written review, rated 5 star. Though you mentioned that you will be buying a MUV, I never thought you will really buy one. Hope by now you have adjusted your driving style, else the co-passengers will have a tough time.

I still remember the fun filled Tvm <-> Cochin drives we used to have with your Figo, lets go for a long drive in your Xylo when time permits.

Xylo looks good in the red color, and knowing you I am sure that you will not pick any other color.

[manij]

Congrats on getting the Xylo. I feel that in Kerala I see more Xylos than I see while travelling to other places - must be the affinity for Mahindra (from the time of the Mahindra Jeeps which were well suited for the ghat roads of Kerala providing reliable transportation) as well as the blatant value for money proposition once one starts comparing with other options. Boot space is my biggest complaint with the Xylo, the way you described to stuff more into the available space is novel. Thanks, will try that move sometime soon. I would expect you keep smiling through the future years as the maintenance expenses on the Xylo (and spare part prices) are lower as compared to many other hatchbacks as well as stable mates like Scorpio. Wishing you many many happy years and kilometers ahead with the Xylo.

[coriollis]

Great decision figo_mba !
Xylo will serve you for long.. be sure about that.

Mine is over 5 years old, mEagle, and clocked over 1.1 Lakh kms and still going strong.
Moreover, it is of the same color, It is not an official taxi color , So don't worry about Taxi image.

Just 'enjoy' (pun unintended) the mighty Xylo.

[gabrielthomas]

Excellent Ownership review and many Congratulations!

[figo_mba]

Originally Posted by v12

Fantastic review Figo_mba and congrats on your purchase. Your review reminded me a lot of our buying decision exactly a year ago (Oct 2012) - although the options then were few.

Thanks v12. Your ownership is one of the threads I followed ever since it came up and right then I could see the parallels in our buying decisions. Difference of course is that you had a Qualis already which is a 7 seater. The choices are many but all are compromises. There is seriously not a single MUV that can carry 7 people and has good handling characteristics and is priced competitively.

Originally Posted by v12

Not with this color - Silver and White Xylo's are the ones which are mostly used as taxi's because these colors are easier to maintain. Your car will definitely stand out as a private car

Not in Kerala. There are Xylos in non- white and silver colors, mostly older gen, which were purchased as private vehicles and are used as taxis now by their second owners. So white or any other color, Xylo is considered a taxi. What surprises me is that even more Innovas ply here as taxi but it just does not have the same image. Probably the Mahindra badge is to blame.

Originally Posted by v12

My suggestion is to keep it stock. Since you travel long distance with 6 people on board - you will not be flipping the last seat - hence boot space will be limited. You could install a good roof carrier - although it maybe a problem since you have a basement parking.

I was referring to stickering job on the bonnet when I said visual modifications. Something like the Scorpio vinyl stickers. Just love them. Also I want to reduce the visual bulk of the car by a two tone stickering job.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Heartiest congratulations figo_mba on bringing home the tusker. The car is a real VFM in the MPV segment. Its evident by your writing that you let go of the figo with a heavy heart, I guess the memories will linger for some time. The pics of the tusker have come out good and now it will be time to test the Xylo on the longer runs.
Happy mile crunching and drive safely.

Thank you ghodlur. Letting go of the figo was indeed very tough. It was much more than a car to me and memories will never die. I think I have more photos of the Figo than myself in the last 4 years. Such was the craze. Xylo has just completed 2000kms now. I need to get the first service done and need to get the engine to open up a little bit.

Originally Posted by KiloAlpha

Nice review! Enjoyed reading it.
How is the gear lever to hold, and is shifting into 2nd/1st stiff? I once drove my neighbour's Xylo (3 year old, 40K kms, well maintained) on a day trip, 100km one way. I found that you need to be careful about how you hold the gear lever and how you shift into 2nd/1st, otherwise your left wrist aches. Is this the case with your new Xylo as well?

Thanks kiloAlpha. The gear lever is hard but sure slotting. There is a slight natural incline towards the driver so it is very important to hold it in the right way else a wrist pain may result. The way I do it is put the handrest on the lowest possible level and rest my hand on it. Also I handle the gear from the top like I am picking the gear knob. So, not much problem till now;

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Great write up. Thanks for sharing with us.
The vantage point from Xylo is something else when compared to the Figo. I am quite sure your son will cherish the view.
Have fun travelling!

Thanks buddy. Vantage point is definitely a boon on the city roads.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Hey, hearty congratulations on the Xylo. Wishing you unlimited happy and safe miles with the MPV.
This colour really looks nice on the Xylo. I must say you've taken a really well thought out & calculated decision with very clear cut requirement list. Many people often enter the showrooms with an original list of requirements. Then get blown away with the features, looks, status factor & end up buying a car that actually doesn't fit the original requirement specifications on the shopping list. So great that you managed to make the ends meet.
Any plans to spruce up the ICE with a sub-woofer or something? Would be good in the Xylo I think.
Its really a very VFM & practical vehicle & I'm sure you'll have a happy time travelling together. Keep the updates coming!
P.S. - a really detailed & informative write-up. Thanks for that!

Thank you Reinhard. I am always the goto person for my friends and family when they go in to buy a car. And a lot of advising people to remain within their budget and requirements seemed to have paid off. I was able to zero in on the Xylo without much difficulty. At the same time I did not want to feel that I did not checkout any other options later. So, that is the reason why I took a test drive on all the cars. One more thing is that in retrospect I feel I was doing elimination rather than selection during the car purchase decision. 

Originally Posted by jacs

Good to know you had contacts with TVS. They are a nightmare to any Mahindra owners. I even think of driving down Bangalore and give to India Garage. Now since my car is out of warranty, I have a good private workshop (ex TVS guys) in Kottayam who does well for Mahindra. My cousin's scorp is taken care by them since couple of years now. ?

I do not have contacts in TVS but in KTC Mahindra. So yes, if you are in Kochi and want to get your Tusker serviced, let me know.

Originally Posted by jacs

Cab story is real fun. But yes it carries a Taxi image. Do you really care about it? I am sure you wouldnt once you are in the cockpit of Xylo where you dominate the roads.
Surprised to hear Xylo now lacks puddle lamps and adjustable head rest in third row. My Tusker has them.
At 10.6L OTR, Xylo is palace on roads. Not sure whether there is any competitor. Innova is not in this league with its pricing . ?

I did not really care about the Cab image but the cab incident although is funny now, was embarrassing at the time. I am pretty sure the catalog said that these were available but then I did not find it when I got the car. Absence of puddle lamps are ok since, I can have aftermarket fitment done. None have complained about the Adjustable headrests on the third row yet.

Originally Posted by ulhas.ahirrao

Excellent review! Really enjoyed it. You very aptly summarized the dilemma of a 'Proper MPV' buyer. Eventually it boils down to Innova or Xylo. Innova is getting dearer with every passing upgrade, which make Xylo even more attractive proposition. Enjoy your new ride :-)

Thanks ulhas.ahirrao. Yes there are only very few options but what is worse is that Xylo is outsold but the costlier rival (Toyota) by atleast 3 times.

Originally Posted by motomaverick

Congrats on the Xylo, I can imagine the driving correction you had to do shifting from Figo to Xylo, I had the same think although to a lesser extent when changing from Zen to Manza. I always did not like the looks of the Xylo but that mHawk engine is probably the best MUV engine out there.
Seeing the OTR its so tempting to buy the Xylo in KL

Driving the Xylo is a totally different ball game altogether particularly on the ‘not so straight’ Kerala roads. The Xylo is not a good looking car, but as I said there are some elements that has flair. Mhawk is a gem of an engine. It is powerful enough to propel the car to 100kmph in like 14-15 secs. It is a joy to see the speed increasing rapidly on the MID’s digital speedo. Xylo is certainly VFM and if you are looking at only a people mover option with good power, H4 ABS is a really options at 9L OTR Kerala.

Originally Posted by voyageur

Which brand tires come with the Xylo (not sure if you have mentioned and I missed out)? MRF? If yes, then you could probably start with changing that as an upgrade.
Again Congrats on your new car and wishing you happy miles ahead.
Cheers

Thanks buddy. It would have been wonderful if you had been there as well. Another person to miss was Dhanush, who was hard pressed for time and had to leave just before the handing over ceremony.
The tires are bridgestone Duelers. They look their part and had good grip. I think they look a tad narrow for Xylo even at 235mm.

Originally Posted by BigBrad

Nicely penned down review.
Finally, the MUV hunt reached its end. I still remember you telling about it during my first ever meet. Post the facelift, Xylo looks so much better than the initial version, esp the nose. The office cab story was truly hilarious. . Will definitely miss the red devil in our future meets. Have fun and wish you miles and miles of happiness from the new vantage point.

Yeah finally the muv hunt is over. I remember your PM to me when I was checking out the Enjoy asking me to avoid the Chinese tin can and I how I was listing down the positives for Enjoy. Car purchasing is a luxury so I intend to enjoy it for as long as possible and that could be one of the reasons why the purchase was so delayed. More so because we are spending so much on a car so we want to get it absolutely right or atleast have a feeling that it is right, and that takes time.

Originally Posted by nkg77

First of all, congratulations on your new ca(b)r
Very well written review, rated 5 star. Though you mentioned that you will be buying a MUV, I never thought you will really buy one. Hope by now you have adjusted your driving style, else the co-passengers will have a tough time.
I still remember the fun filled Tvm <-> Cochin drives we used to have with your Figo, lets go for a long drive in your Xylo when time permits.
Xylo looks good in the red color, and knowing you I am sure that you will not pick any other color.

You know me, I wasn’t going to buy any other color. The more red the car better it is.
Having an MuV was a necessity than a just a need. So accelerated the process or purchase. We should go on a long drive like we used to with Figo.

Originally Posted by manij

Congrats on getting the Xylo. I feel that in Kerala I see more Xylos than I see while travelling to other places - must be the affinity for Mahindra (from the time of the Mahindra Jeeps which were well suited for the ghat roads of Kerala providing reliable transportation) as well as the blatant value for money proposition once one starts comparing with other options. Boot space is my biggest complaint with the Xylo, the way you described to stuff more into the available space is novel. Thanks, will try that move sometime soon. I would expect you keep smiling through the future years as the maintenance expenses on the Xylo (and spare part prices) are lower as compared to many other hatchbacks as well as stable mates like Scorpio. Wishing you many many happy years and kilometers ahead with the Xylo.

Thanks Manij. Yes Kerala has more Xylos that other states.
I see that in other states Scorpios are more probably because of the butch looks. The way to stuff more items in to the boot is what I figured the last time I had to push a lot of stuff in. It works. I had done small comparison of the service costs and Xylo was the lowest but Innvoa is also close. The only problem is that I am not sure how many more visits would be required with the Xylo. I am prepared nevertheless.

[W.A.G.7]

Congrats on your new Xylo. It's a very nice car. And a really good alternative to the Innova. However, it's a very understated one; I have very rarely seen an advertisement about the Xylo in the print media as well as on TV.

Originally Posted by figo_mba

[*]Epitome of space. My family was blown away by the space.

Yep. I had once sat in the Xylo from Jabalpur to Nagpur and I was also literally blown away by the interior space. Fantastic roominess and feeling of space once you step inside the car. Even the 3rd row doesn't feel congested at all and can seat 2 adults in perfect comfort.

Enjoy your new car and drive safe.

[narayan]

figo MBA - congrats on the Xylo purchase. I would say the Xylo is a very under-rated vehicle in this segment and deserves to sell more than what its doing now. With more monocoque 3 row people movers coming, it will only get difficult for the Xylo. But for someone who wants a lot of space, rugged underpinnings and that SUVish stance, Xylo offers a compelling case.

What is your experience on the "infamous" boaty ride of the Xylo ? Is this just an urban legend or does it really exist ?

[figo_mba]

Originally Posted by coriollis

Great decision figo_mba !
Xylo will serve you for long.. be sure about that.

Mine is over 5 years old, mEagle, and clocked over 1.1 Lakh kms and still going strong.
Moreover, it is of the same color, It is not an official taxi color , So don't worry about Taxi image.

Just 'enjoy' (pun unintended) the mighty Xylo.

I am hoping that the Xylo will serve me well. Thank you for your wishes. There is no mEagle anymore. they have stopped it on Xylo plonked the mHawk amd are calling it the Xylo Refresh. Xylo has only 2 types of engines m2cdi and mhawk.

Originally Posted by gabrielthomas

Excellent Ownership review and many Congratulations!

Thanks gabrielthomas.

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Congrats on your new Xylo. It's a very nice car. And a really good alternative to the Innova. However, it's a very understated one; I have very rarely seen an advertisement about the Xylo in the print media as well as on TV.

Yep. I had once sat in the Xylo from Jabalpur to Nagpur and I was also literally blown away by the interior space. Fantastic roominess and feeling of space once you step inside the car. Even the 3rd row doesn't feel congested at all and can seat 2 adults in perfect comfort.

Enjoy your new car and drive safe.

It is definitely a good alternative. With its huge tires it swallows small potholes and at conservative speeds the small undulations do not disturb you.
The space is superb and everyone in the family is awed by the comfort. There was an ad campaign when the new Xylo was launched in 2012. After that I have seen none. the facebook page is active though with photos and stuff coming up every now and then.

Originally Posted by narayan

figo MBA - congrats on the Xylo purchase. I would say the Xylo is a very under-rated vehicle in this segment and deserves to sell more than what its doing now. With more monocoque 3 row people movers coming, it will only get difficult for the Xylo. But for someone who wants a lot of space, rugged underpinnings and that SUVish stance, Xylo offers a compelling case.

What is your experience on the "infamous" boaty ride of the Xylo ? Is this just an urban legend or does it really exist ?

Thanks narayan. Yes it is a very underrated car for sure but not a car without flaws.
The first gen Xylo with the soft suspension has a boaty ride. Mahindra has put a Anti Roll bar to fix that. But since this is a huge car, the roll is still there albeit in a controlled manner. The car soaks up the bumps but the suspension setting is inherently soft and therefore it rebounds and that is what causes the problem.
So be nice and easy on those undulations on the road and bumps and you should ride just fine. I am somehow inclined towards the monocoques because of its car like feel but then being in a big MUV has its advantages when you come head to head with a truck which on the wrong side. There is more respect that you get as a road user compared to a Nano or a Figo.

[drmohitg]

Congratulations on your new car. At 10L OTR it really sounds so much more VFM than the Innova and even the XUV. A couple of questions:
1. How does the engine fare w.r.t. the XUV?
2. How much extra space does the third row offer again with respect to the XUV?

Also please post some more pics of the interiors as there are very few Xylo ownership threads on the forum. Wishing you many happy miles.

[phamilyman]

Firstly, congrats on an eminently readable log. I like it.

What I am curious about is the purchase decision. For something that's basically a once in two month decision, why buy a bigger car? Your overall FE loss and cost of upgrade means its technically cheaper to get a hired innova (if there's one u can trust) each time.

That said, please put some decals or suchlike stickers so that people can't confuse it for a cab. "Wrong cab" LOL

[RajeshK]

Congrats figo_mba for the new acquisition..!! Happy motoring..!

Its true that the breaks need more bytes and the ABS pitch in too fast even in very low speed. At times this is irritating. The car is stable even at 140 on a straight highway.

I would suggest you to upgrade the headlamp to Philips Extreme vision. Also consider a rear camera in addition to the rear sensor. The Sensor behaves weird at times if there is any dust. The sensor distance is only 120cm and the "STOP" will come at 50cm.

Thanks
Rajesh

[dhanushmenon]

Originally Posted by BigBrad

Nicely penned down review.

Will definitely miss the red devil in our future meets.

Dont worry. The twin of the red devil is still alive.

Originally Posted by figo_mba

Thanks buddy. It would have been wonderful if you had been there as well. Another person to miss was Dhanush, who was hard pressed for time and had to leave just before the handing over ceremony.

Lo behold... Atlast I find a mention.

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Congratulations on your new car. At 10L OTR it really sounds so much more VFM than the Innova and even the XUV. A couple of questions:
1. How does the engine fare w.r.t. the XUV?
2. How much extra space does the third row offer again with respect to the XUV?

Also please post some more pics of the interiors as there are very few Xylo ownership threads on the forum. Wishing you many happy miles.

Replying in lieu of figo_mba.
1. Engine of XUV churns out 140 bhp as opposed to 125 bhp by the Xylo, if that answers your question.
However, in city roads or even middle level stretches, I don't think that extra 15 bhp will make much of a difference. It will be the six lane long stretches that will make a difference.
Even there, considering the state which figo_mba and I reside in, anything above 80 kmph, we will have cameras flashing at us. We only need to smile

2. Third row of Xylo is leagues ahead of XUV.
If you put a six footer on the third row of an XUV, rest assured, you have made an enemy for a lifetime!
The third row of the XUV is best suited for kids.
Moreover, it has only two seats on the third row, though we can squeeze in three kids there. I believe the case is different on a Xylo.

That said, both cars have their own merits and de merits.
When I bought the XUV, I was looking at a huge five seater with a good boot; and I use it also like that.
However, when figo_mba wanted a car, he wanted a seven seater. XUV went out of consideration straight away

[Maverick5490]

Welcome to the Xylo Club mate, have enjoyed many miles fatigue free in this tusker. Its just a matter of getting used to, alter your driving pattern, speeds below 110 km/h and you will enjoy the trips!