[drive_angry]

Hello Sridhu,

Let me congratulate you on your new acquisition. I have been following your posts since the Initial threads on Innova Crysta on Team-BHP, they have been very useful.

This, in my opinion, is the closest competitor to the Crysta and even the Fortuner.

I second this, I was this this close to book XUV: W10 but my 1st Generation Innova’s niggle free ownership (Read: Stress free ownership) and horrors of XUV in the official Team-BHP thread pushed me to settle for Innova Crysta.

This was the reason why I did not find out that the car was pulling to one side.

Its because of your input I had check this during the PDI and found to be okay. Later sales executive informed us that this problem was from initial batches of Crysta.

And really, Toyota, you should have a 8 seater Zx!

My thoughts exactly, I was also considering VX over ZX but considering the safety features ZX has I had to settle for ZX. I think Toyota has cleverly classified these variants but they should have let us users decide what we want rather than they telling us.

Some Slightly Puzzling things

Even I don’t understand this why no run in instructions? I had asked about this during delivery to which they said there is no specific instructions and I quote “do what you feel is okay”. For brakes, they said as the engine is new, sudden acceleration and deceleration hampers engine longevity.

I too stayed between 2K-2.5K RPM and with occasional bursts to higher RPMs. I also though of skipping 5k service interval to which Toyota said we won’t be responsible for any engine seizures and damage thereafter (warranty void).

There are 2 more hook/ latch like things on the D-Pillar. I have no idea what these are for!

I believe they contain tool kit, medical kit and emergency road side reflectors behind this.


I could relate to every word what you said and true to every word. Hoping to write one of my own someday. I am glued to this thread. Congrats once again!



drive_angry

[vdm295]

Congratulations on your new ride & as mentioned by others just enjoyed reading the initial review. I had a test drive of the crysta and boy, it's a beast in power mode. As you rightly said the car has become really expensive to own but it sells for the bulletproof reliability.
Wishing you many more miles & happy driviving for many more year to come.

[Black_Beast]

Congrats on your purchase and wish you safe ride. Did you had a chance to check if GPS navigation can be added in VX?

[karpusv]

Firstly congrats on your purchase and secondly a big thanks for putting out such a detailed report. It really helps someone like me who is considering the VX itself as my next purchase. It's now very clear as to what I must expect from this vehicle and what I must accommodate and live with.

The 2 hooks mentioned have 2 purposes.
1. Use as a shopping hook in the boot to hold small covers/shopping bags in place
2. Fit a cargo net (Toyota Accessory) between the 2 hooks, while the lower ends of the next will be fixed inside the trim.

Originally Posted by sridhu

...
There are 2 more hook/ latch like things on the D-Pillar. I have no idea what these are for!
....

[behaln]

Congratulations on your new car. Brilliantly written, it details all the positives and negatives of the car from an owner's perspective.
Indeed it's a very good car but the pricing is a real deterrent. It has narrowed the gap between itself and the fortune.
Wishing you safe and trouble free miles in your car.i

[arun_747]

Congrats Sridhu on your brand new asset.
I suppose your decision to purchase the new Innova was pretty easy as you have already owned an Innova for 2 lac+ kms.

Wishing you many happy Kilometers in your new Crysta as well. 2Lac+ Kms on the earlier Innova is a super achievement in itself and speaks volumes about Toyota's bullet proof reliability.

It is expensive & I know all Innova owners will be able to justify the price just by their experience with previous Innovas. Nice pics of Kabali.
Just a couple of concerns:
(1) No doubt that Toyota has improved the Crysta's interiors, I would like to point out that the quality of material & fit & finish can never justify the price. [Comparing this to the lowest variant of the latest Skoda Octavia].
(2) For such a large vehicle which gives low mileage of about 11km/ltr, Toyota should have provided a much larger fuel tank. Atleast a 70 Litre tank. [even the "puny" Vento has a 55-litre tank].
(3) Not sure about the Service-Cost. But, looking at the bhp/ Torque figure, it should be as high as the Fortuner.

That's it for now. Will gather a few more points of the Crysta soon.

Enjoy Your drive.

- Arun
9945866330
Bangalore

[sridhu]

Thank you all for your wishes and comments. Appreciate it.

Originally Posted by karpusv

The 2 hooks mentioned have 2 purposes.
1. Use as a shopping hook in the boot to hold small covers/shopping bags in place
2. Fit a cargo net (Toyota Accessory) between the 2 hooks, while the lower ends of the next will be fixed inside the trim.

THis might be the answer. But I have not seen the net accessory on any catalogue.

Originally Posted by arun_747

Nice pics of Kabali.
Just a couple of concerns:
(1) No doubt that Toyota has improved the Crysta's interiors, I would like to point out that the quality of material & fit & finish can never justify the price. [Comparing this to the lowest variant of the latest Skoda Octavia].
(2) For such a large vehicle which gives low mileage of about 11km/ltr, Toyota should have provided a much larger fuel tank. Atleast a 70 Litre tank. [even the "puny" Vento has a 55-litre tank].
(3) Not sure about the Service-Cost. But, looking at the bhp/ Torque figure, it should be as high as the Fortuner.

Thank you Arun. The fit & finish is pretty decent but the material quality can be better. I have found the tank to be adequate even on my old Innova - I can go a full week without a refill. I fill up on Sundays as a matter of course. My car used to do about 100 km per week day.

Originally Posted by Black_Beast

Congrats on your purchase and wish you safe ride. Did you had a chance to check if GPS navigation can be added in VX?

No. It cannot be. If you want, I guess you can swap it out for the Zx HU. I am sure it will cost you a bomb. You are better off with an after market HU which offers navigation. Will cost around 40k. Nowadays even aftermarket HUs can connect to the steering controls via an adapter. So, the experience should be good.

Originally Posted by drive_angry

Let me congratulate you on your new acquisition. I have been following your posts since the Initial threads on Innova Crysta on Team-BHP, they have been very useful.

I am flattered!

Originally Posted by drive_angry

Its because of your input I had check this during the PDI and found to be okay. Later sales executive informed us that this problem was from initial batches of Crysta.

Doubt it - all the Crystas have been flying off the shelves. Mine had a manufacturing date in June. If you did not have the issue, count your blessings!

Originally Posted by drive_angry

Even I don’t understand this why no run in instructions? I had asked about this during delivery to which they said there is no specific instructions and I quote “do what you feel is okay”. For brakes, they said as the engine is new, sudden acceleration and deceleration hampers engine longevity.

May be newer materials. I know the Duke 390 cylinder liner material eliminates the need for lubrication. So, stuff like that; I am not competent to pass judgement on that.

Originally Posted by drive_angry

I too stayed between 2K-2.5K RPM and with occasional bursts to higher RPMs. I also though of skipping 5k service interval to which Toyota said we won’t be responsible for any engine seizures and damage thereafter (warranty void).

Do not yield to the temptation of not doing the 5k services!

Originally Posted by drive_angry

I believe they contain tool kit, medical kit and emergency road side reflectors behind this.

That hook is behind the 3rd head rest. This one is near the tail lights. Like somebody said, it could be for the net.

Originally Posted by drive_angry

I could relate to every word what you said and true to every word. Hoping to write one of my own someday. I am glued to this thread. Congrats once again!

Dude, just type away!


Another couple of things that I noticed - there is no way to distinguish the steering wheel buttons by feel. It is not so much a problem on the RHS but the LHS is a problem. Typical haptic clues like a bump-dimple or dots should have been used. In fact, I do not see any reason why the RHS cannot also be a central button surrounded by a 4-way switch.

The issue is again safety - you need to look down to see what you are doing. This is another reason I hate touch panel HU (for all their coolnness!) - you cannot operate them by feel. Voice activation is spotty (not available in the Crysta anyway)

The speaker quality is abysmal. GTO is right - replace them as soon as you can.

[isiv]

IMO, not many that spend 0.27 khoka on a car are likely to be this forthcoming about what they think are its' drawbacks. Hats off to your candor. This surely is one of the better written private reviews in recent times.

Originally Posted by sridhu

.
Toyota wants 20 lakhs for the base model!
.
We had paid about 10 lakhs for the old one.
.
...most car prices have increased by a rate slightly lesser than inflation over the past ten years. Meaning, most cars have become cheaper, with better features. And here is Toyota asking for double the price for a car not much different from the outgoing car. If you want the latest & greatest, it will cost an additional 7 lakhs!

Somewhat agree. And certainly on the count that Toyota is expensive. But then, the Japs are always priced high for what they offer. I'd rather the manufacturers increase price and maintain quality levels (if not improve) than get into price wars and start cutting corners. Just happy the Innova did not get tinnier/flimsier and turn out looking like a cost-reduced version with each update. The Honda City is a case in point.

Originally Posted by sridhu

...I put the noodle mats on top of the rubber mats Toyota gave

Done anything to ensure the noodle mat stays put (locked)? The driver side.

Originally Posted by sridhu

Aside: If ever Toyota is stupid enough to take any short term decisions that affect this experience with the Crysta either in after sales service (ASS) or in mechanical reliability, I think they will be in for trouble
.
.
They are beginning to fray at the edges in terms of their service.

Kindly, keep this thread updated as you go along, in particular the service experience. I'd like to read Toyota isn't sliding there.

BTW what's your take on the NVH post 100kmph with the new Innova?

Good luck, and drive safe.

[sridhu]

Originally Posted by isiv

IMO, not many that spend 0.27 khoka on a car are likely to be this forthcoming about what they think are its' drawbacks. Hats off to your candor. This surely is one of the better written private reviews in recent times.

[quote=isiv;4024729]

Thank you.

Originally Posted by isiv

Done anything to ensure the noodle mat stays put (locked)? The driver side.

I folded in a flap under the driver footmat but it does stay put. Today, I stuck the folded bit with hot glue. Hopefully, it will hold.

What I wanted:


How I did it


Final solution!


The next time, I think it might be smarter to extend the flap by 2-3 inches, remove the noodles & cut a matching hole. Then both can be clipped.

Originally Posted by isiv

Kindly, keep this thread updated as you go along, in particular the service experience. I'd like to read Toyota isn't sliding there.

Will certainly try! The point is, nothing much happens when owning an Innova. I hope the same story continues with the Crysta as well!

Originally Posted by isiv

BTW what's your take on the NVH post 100kmph with the new Innova?

Good luck, and drive safe.

Did not notice anything untoward. Actually, found it fairly quite (I guess I am comparing it to the old one which is quite noisy)

[nitrosarit]

Nice write up, covering most of the car. However do add to the post, service costs ahead in future being a new car on the block. Any notable changes between the older version of the Innova you owned and the Crysta with respect to initial ownership.Happy Driving!

[samabhi]

Great review Sridhu. Thoroughly enjoyed reading your review. It gave a lot of insight into experiencing what it is like to live with the new Innova Crysta. Was following your updates closely on the official thread and even the ICE section. I booked the GX AT variant in bronze shade and might get it in two weeks time.

Originally Posted by sridhu

A Vx Automatic makes a lot of sense even at the same price point as the Zx MT. Vx AT for the self driven & Zx MT for the chauffeur driven makes good marketing.

+1. VX AT would have been the ideal choice for many who need a 7 seater automatic and have budget restrictions to opt for the ZX variant. While I am ok with the bland interiors, I will definitely miss the projector headlamps which cannot be retrofitted at the dealer level. Also the reverse camera position on the VX and ZX variants has superior view of the surroundings, unlike the GX variant, where they are offering it on the bumper, again at the dealer level.

I am going for the fake wood panel on the dashboard. Felt it made lot of difference to the otherwise bland interiors of the GX Variant. Sharing a picture of the same.

Attachment 1537046

Few questions :

1) I presume you have got Bridgestone tyres on your car. How do you find the ride quality and road noise? AFAIK, Toyota is giving Bridgestone, Apollo and Yokos on the 16" tyres.

2) Do you plan to install any seat covers? As you rightly said, second row's middle passenger seating is very uncomfortable. The backrest is very hard and wont be good for the middle passenger over long journeys. I checked the TGA (Toyota Genuine Accessories) seat covers, installed on one of the demo covers and they look awful. I plan to use the car without seat covers for sometime and then add additional foam, cushioning as needed while getting the seat covers done.

I also opted for 4D mats from the dealer itself, main reason being the ease of cleaning. The accessories person updated me that it will be attached to the carpet using Velcro Tapes.

I am not much of a music guy who can easily differentiate the sound quality, but your post about the stock speakers got me thinking again if I should go ahead and change them immediately.

Thanks again for the honest review. Wishing you enjoyable and safe driving with the car.

[sridhu]

Quick update on mileage (you had better be sitting down for this!). After about 350 km in regular, bumper to bumper Bangalore traffic,using the eco mode I got 9kmpl! This is measured on a top-up to top-up basis. The MID was also showing something like 9.2 kmpl.

Of course, last week was bad due to rains & standstill traffic everywhere. Hope I do get back to 11/12 kmpl in normal use.

I have topped up again & will use normal mode as much as possible.

AT owners, what is your mileage like in normal city driving? 7/8 kmpl?

Originally Posted by nitrosarit

Nice write up, covering most of the car. However do add to the post, service costs ahead in future being a new car on the block. Any notable changes between the older version of the Innova you owned and the Crysta with respect to initial ownership.Happy Driving!

Will do.

Only major difference I see is in attitude - the Innova was largely a tool; Crysta seems to connect at an emotional level. You get the feeling "This is my car".

Originally Posted by samabhi

Great review Sridhu. Thoroughly enjoyed reading your review. It gave a lot of insight into experiencing what it is like to live with the new Innova Crysta. Was following your updates closely on the official thread and even the ICE section. I booked the GX AT variant in bronze shade and might get it in two weeks time.

Thank you. All the best. Your attachment is missing.

Originally Posted by samabhi

Few questions :

1) I presume you have got Bridgestone tyres on your car. How do you find the ride quality and road noise? AFAIK, Toyota is giving Bridgestone, Apollo and Yokos on the 16" tyres.

The ride is pliant. Did not notice any road noise. So, I guess it is fine.

Originally Posted by samabhi

2) Do you plan to install any seat covers? As you rightly said, second row's middle passenger seating is very uncomfortable. The backrest is very hard and wont be good for the middle passenger over long journeys. I checked the TGA (Toyota Genuine Accessories) seat covers, installed on one of the demo covers and they look awful. I plan to use the car without seat covers for sometime and then add additional foam, cushioning as needed while getting the seat covers done.

I do not put on seat covers. Normally, I get the seats redone in leather from Stanley. The black interiors of the Vx get very dirty very fast.

Originally Posted by samabhi

I also opted for 4D mats from the dealer itself, main reason being the ease of cleaning. The accessories person updated me that it will be attached to the carpet using Velcro Tapes.

If you are paying for it, I think you will do better outside.

Originally Posted by samabhi

I am not much of a music guy who can easily differentiate the sound quality, but your post about the stock speakers got me thinking again if I should go ahead and change them immediately.

Thanks again for the honest review. Wishing you enjoyable and safe driving with the car.

Hey, if it aint broke ...

[samabhi]

Originally Posted by sridhu

Quick update on mileage (you had better be sitting down for this!). After about 350 km in regular, bumper to bumper Bangalore traffic,using the eco mode I got 9kmpl! This is measured on a top-up to top-up basis. The MID was also showing something like 9.2 kmpl.

Of course, last week was bad due to rains & standstill traffic everywhere. Hope I do get back to 11/12 kmpl in normal use.

I have topped up again & will use normal mode as much as possible.

AT owners, what is your mileage like in normal city driving? 7/8 kmpl?

Thats disappointing. It should definitely return more FE, considering its a manual. One of the T-BHP members who got an AT variant told me that with ECO Mode, he is getting close to 11-13KMPL. May be its too early to arrive at the average FE.

Originally Posted by sridhu

Your attachment is missing.

[Black_Beast]

Did you bought Toyota Value Pack for Rs. 10,858? SA was not able to clearly explain how it helps. He told it's like AMC but and reduce price on labour and other stuff and nothing like free for few thousand km's as seen in Tata AMC.

Can someone clarify if this is useful thing to buy?

[sridhu]

No BlackBeast. DId not hear about this value pack from my SA. Do put up a brochure or something so that we can understand what it is.