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Old 23rd January 2019, 09:32   #61
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Re: Update at 8500 kms and 5 months

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Originally Posted by predatorwheelz View Post
...The truck is due to go for second service at 10K kms and/or 6 months, both of which will fall due next month. Tata has now increased the oil change interval to 20K kms. But (and here's my question) does it make sense to extend the first oil change to 20K kms? It is mineral oil after all, and I'm sure the engine will have something to spew out after being run in...
20k by itself is a stretch for mineral oil, in my opinion. Though I am sure TATA would have done enough testing and validation to say this, I will never be confident of pushing this far. This is compound by the fact that you are using in city traffic.

Would recommend you have it changed at 10k.

But, it will be interesting to see how the oil is, after their recommended interval.
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Old 23rd January 2019, 09:59   #62
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Re: Update at 8500 kms and 5 months

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Originally Posted by predatorwheelz View Post
..
Thank you for your good wishes sir. Just to relate to your story, a good friend is damn impressed with the Safari. But he only drives automatics (same story as you) and knowing that the Safari doesn't have an automatic, is planning to go for the Scorpio!
..
Thanks for responding to my comments. Just a doubt - I am not sure if Scorpio Automatic is available just now. I could be wrong. I have not checked for some time. However, I think, they are changing from the older version (which I have) to a newer, better, more powerful AT setup - something like the XUV. My suggestion is that he should check out the XUV AT too.

Girish Mahajan
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Old 23rd April 2019, 22:41   #63
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Update at 14000 kms and 8 months

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Originally Posted by GKMahajan View Post
I am not sure if Scorpio Automatic is available just now. I could be wrong. I have not checked for some time. However, I think, they are changing from the older version (which I have) to a newer, better, more powerful AT setup - something like the XUV. My suggestion is that he should check out the XUV AT too.
Thank you. He TDed the XUV and didn't like it. Now he's waiting for the Jeep Compass Trailhawk, which is to come with a diesel automatic.

Update at 14000 kms

Quote:
Originally Posted by predatorwheelz View Post
does it make sense to extend the first oil change to 20K kms?
Starting with what I left off in the previous post. Thanks to all the wise suggestions (and my own sense), I decided to change the engine oil in the second service in March. Tata now uses Mobil Delvac Super CI grade 15w40 oil in the Storme. At my request the service advisor in Sagar Motors Noida took me to their storage and showed me the oil barrel. As said before, an oil change before the recommended interval isn't covered in the AMC, so I had to pay for the oil and the filter. Which I was perfectly ok with.

At about the 9K km mark, the engine started emitting a high pitched whistling sound above 2000 rpm. My initial guess was a failing turbo, but there were no other accompanying signs like black smoke or loss of pickup. In the service they diagnosed the sound to a loose bolt in the intercooler bracket. It was rectified.

They also rectified the remote fuel filler switch problem. Hasn't come back since.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190423_213937.jpg

The ownership experience is still trouble free. This is my sole car plus daily driver now, and gets the entire share of city and highway driving. Engine became smoother after the first oil change, and now (except at high revs) the car is a silent comfortable ride. There are no rattles yet from anywhere. Zero. Which is worrying me. Is this really a Tata? Can I afford to let down my guard and stop worrying that something will go wrong anytime?

Smart Ride

I've discovered some benefits/smart features over the course of usage, which I'd like to list down here. Some of them might be repeats, so pardon me:

1. The lights on this car are really good. High beam has a huge range and spread. Fog lamps are so powerful that you can drive around in the city without the headlights on.

2. The unlock button unlocks only the driver's door on first press, all doors on the second press. Useful from the safety viewpoint in a crowded area.

3. If you activate the water jet, the front wipers swipe twice, then once after 3 seconds. Same with the rear wiper. Useful to wipe out the few drops trickling down from the top of the windshield into your line of sight.

4. If your front wipers are on and you engage reverse gear, the rear wiper comes on automatically.

5. The bonnet and rear tailgate come with hydraulic struts. Makes them easy to operate for not so strong people.

The traditional Safari strengths remain. I've done 2 highway trips in the last month (Mukteshwar and Chail), each time with 4 people and their luggage. All 3 passengers had never been inside a Safari before. They praised the seat comfort, the space and the ride quality. Its the best vehicle to travel long distances, they say.

Equally comfortable for the driver, given the generous seats and comfort. I'm so addicted to this driving position now, don't think I can go back to a sedan again.

Negatives

1. The foldable key fob comes with really bad quality plastic. The unlock button tore off in just 6 months, leaving me with solely the other, unfoldable, key to use. You can see that the overall plastic condition has deteriorated.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190423_214020.jpg

2. I've now realized that you just cannot get great mileage from this truck. Unh Unh, nada, ain't happening, laws of physics. My city mileage still hovers around 10.5 to 11. Highways I get 13. On the way back from Chail a friend drove the highway stretch and stayed in the 80 to 100 range throughout. Mileage barely touched 14. But another friend who bought an Endy 3.2 recently claims he gets 8 kmpl in the city. So I guess its ok. Big heavy truck, big thirst.

3. Its not a ballerina in the hills. Agreed, something of this high CG and weight was not intended to handle well across twisty roads. But what compounds the problem is the gearing, a short second gear and long third. So at a steep corner you're either deafened with engine boom in second or worried about no pull from the engine in third. Given the car's complete mastery over bad/broken roads, this is an SUV you'll enjoy more on plains than in the hills.

Our boy photographs well

Of course, looking good has always been the biggest strength of the Safari. So I'll leave you with some photographs from the last 2 outstation trips.

En route to Mukteshwar

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-fb_img_1556036104424.jpg

Awash with morning light

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-fb_img_1556036098704.jpg

When an unstoppable Storme meets an immovable wall

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-fb_img_1556036092307.jpg

At the parking of our bungalow in Chail Palace.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-fb_img_1556036074313.jpg

Look like you belong here

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-fb_img_1556036068067.jpg

Last edited by predatorwheelz : 23rd April 2019 at 22:45. Reason: Ballerina
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Old 23rd April 2019, 23:18   #64
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re: Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years

Look whom I spotted. We were just few feets away at Nik Bakers on the 19th morning.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190419_091455.jpg
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Old 23rd April 2019, 23:50   #65
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re: Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years

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Originally Posted by sinharishi View Post
Look whom I spotted. We were just few feets away at Nik Bakers on the 19th morning.
That's a surprise! Where were you headed? You should have just walked up and spoken to me. Would have been delighted to meet a fellow bhpian.
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Old 25th April 2019, 19:53   #66
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re: Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years

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Originally Posted by predatorwheelz View Post
That's a surprise! Where were you headed? You should have just walked up and spoken to me. Would have been delighted to meet a fellow bhpian.
I was heading to Mashobra and then to Chail.

I saw the car parked when I was about to leave Nik Bakers. Since I have read this thread twice, I knew it belonged here.

Few BHPians were hinting up at a Jamna paar meet, time to revive the official meet thread, been long since we all met. Please do join us.
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Old 26th April 2019, 09:34   #67
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Re: Update at 14000 kms and 8 months

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Originally Posted by predatorwheelz View Post
Thank you. He TDed the XUV and didn't like it. Now he's waiting for the Jeep Compass Trailhawk, which is to come with a diesel automatic.

..

..
Dear predatorwheelz,

Thanks for the update!

Girish Mahajan
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Old 1st May 2019, 13:46   #68
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re: Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years

An update on my Storme VX 4X4. The vehicle, which I fondly refer to as Rustom is now 3 years and 9 months old with 67.7 K on the odo. Since the last update, I have taken it for a winterdrive to Spiti (end February) and what a drive it turned out to be. Pristine white landscapes and no one to be seen for miles. I got to use the 4 WD extensively for over 350 Km and also used snow chains on one ocassion to cross a glacier that had slid on to the road at Tinku Nala.

There were 3 of us in the vehicle and we were accompanied in Bolero Camper which was our support vehicle.

The trip made me appreciate it even more. It is a very capable vehicle and takes every thing in its stride.

Since I have sarted using the Metro regularly over the last 6 months , Rustom is not clocking too many miles these days. I intend to remedy the situation with a couple of road trips over the next few months.

Living the "Safari Life" and loving every bit of it.
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Old 1st May 2019, 14:07   #69
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re: Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years

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Originally Posted by rajneeesh View Post
An update on my Storme VX 4X4. The vehicle, which I fondly refer to as Rustom is now 3 years and 9 months old with 67.7 K on the odo.

67+ K kms. on the odometer is pretty good in less than 4 years. Congratulations.
Safari is the original SUV of India and it's good that Tata has kept it running till date. It's probably their longest running model. Keep driving and keep sharing your experience.
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Old 2nd May 2019, 10:26   #70
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re: Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years

Good ownership thread. I too had a totally hassle free ownership experience with the Storme between 2013-2015 - In fact I was pleasantly surprised to get a reasonable resale when I sold it in Dec 2015.



Quote:
Originally Posted by ruzbehxyz View Post
Tata has kept it running till date. It's probably their longest running model.
I think, the Storme will continue to be sold given that TML has that Army order. So like Maruti did with the Gypsy, they will continue to sell in the civilian market also, albeit at low numbers. Its a worthy alternative to the Scorpio but suffers hugely from TML image
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Old 2nd May 2019, 10:39   #71
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re: Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years

Quote:
Originally Posted by narayan View Post

I think, the Storme will continue to be sold given that TML has that Army order. So like Maruti did with the Gypsy, they will continue to sell in the civilian market also, albeit at low numbers. Its a worthy alternative to the Scorpio but suffers hugely from TML image

Absolutely. Tata may not stop the production of Safari for some time now especially since its delivering units to the Indian Army. I just hope they keep updating it from time to time unlike Maruti which just left the Gypsy without doing anything. And that finally hit the sales among private buyers.
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Old 18th June 2019, 22:45   #72
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re: Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years

It was a pleasure meeting 'Sable' on his maiden Delhi-Kolkata run!

My Duster AWD with your Storm.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_0892.jpg

The Sengupta's!

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_0896.jpg

Last edited by Samba : 18th June 2019 at 22:48.
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Old 19th June 2019, 11:26   #73
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re: Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years

The duster looks like a baby besides the Safari!! A 20 yr old design that still evokes awe on roads.
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Old 22nd August 2019, 10:35   #74
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re: Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years

Now that Safari's are no longer available in dual tone paint, the "Storme" decal provides the only visual relief for what is otherwise a bland and bus–like side view.

Attachment 1804490

In this era and almost at the end of its lifecycle, i am booking a Safari Strome EX , what a fool I am And eventually it will be my 3rd Safari. 🙂

However, one small question - is this door decal strip embossing 'Storme' a standard fitment or had been put on as a accessory?
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Old 28th August 2019, 21:43   #75
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Update at 1 year and 22000 kms

Update at 1 year, 22000 kms

Yesterday Sable completed 1 year of ownership. At the outset, 22K kms is the most I've driven any vehicle in one year. Part of that comes down to requirement, and part to the vehicle's fantastic comfort and touring ability. I'll not get down to a description of the features and comforts again, but just focus on ownership milestones that have happened between today and the last update (April 2019).

In May I decided to get the vehicle stickered.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190513_093352.jpg

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190513_093407.jpg

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190513_093425.jpg

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190513_093439.jpg

In June I did a Delhi Kolkata roundtrip. My 4th trip, 1st in the Storme. Here are some pictures from the onward trip, which I did alone. This is on Yamuna Expressway

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190608_075243.jpg

First refuel stop before Allahabad.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190608_152242.jpg

Another breather on the Allahabad Benaras route.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190608_160242.jpg

I stopped for the night at Benaras. This is day 2 morning, at Ganga Bridge on Benaras.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190609_100339.jpg

Somewhere in Jharkhand

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190609_150141.jpg

Bhpian Samba met up with me near Panagarh, and accompanied me right upto Dankuni Toll in his new Duster. It was like being ushered into Kolkata by the Kolkata teambhp brotherhood. The pics are in his post above. Thanks a ton, brother.

Sable gracing the master's house.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190614_173730.jpg

On the return I had Rolfie, my 55 kg German Shepherd Dog, who I was bringing back from Kolkata to Delhi. My childhood friend accompanied me as a handler. Rolfie got very comfortable in the car given its space and all. He did bug the hell out of us though, poking his head between the 2 occupants, leaving drool and fur all over the upholstery and plastics. 24 hrs over 2 days in a car, gotto feel for the dog.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-fb_img_1567003169869.jpg

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-fb_img_1567003149619.jpg

A strange incident happened on the return trip. Somewhere in Mohania there was a diversion (flyover getting made) full of ruts. While powering out of one, I saw an SUV wheel rolling over to the side of the road at a high speed. Was way behind schedule in reaching Benaras, so kept on driving. After about 2 kms, suddenly it occured to me that that the Storme's spare wheel is mounted below the body. What if my wheel had come off?

Got down and checked the rear of my car, only to discover the worst fear had come true. In the space of a wheel was a torn cable.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190713_095137.jpg

Took a u turn and drove back to the diversion. Stopped and asked around if anyone had seen a spare wheel. By this time I had mentally budgeted for the cost of a steel wheel and Bridgestone Dueler 235/70 R16 tyre, so sure was I of the loss.

Luckily, a cement shop owner by the side of the road had retrieved the wheel and kept it with himself. He came to us and gave the wheel back. I offered him something but he refused. So as a token of gratitude, I gave a 100 bucks to the laborer who hauled the wheel.

The luggage had to be taken out of the hatch and the wheel mounted on the hatch, and this is how it spent the rest of the trip.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190713_095146.jpg

3rd service

The truck crossed 20,000 kms on the return trip, and it was immediately time for the 3rd service.

At this point I must say Sagar Motors Noida service, and particularly Lalit, the Service head, has proved to be a delight. I called up Lalit a day prior to the service and informed him I'd be coming. He was on point waiting to hear my queries. He agreed to change the spare wheel cable under warranty, and promised personal care in ensuring the vehicle came out squeaky clean.

The engine oil and set of filters were changed, as were the front brake pads. I have the gold AMC so I didn't have to pay anything. The only payment I made was to Bardahl guys who did a stellar interior detailing job (the car was full of dog hair and drool) for 3500.

As on date the odo stands at 22064 kms. Its been a trouble free one year of ownership, and the new Tata service standards have taken me by surprise. Let's hope this quality, of both product and service, is maintained.

Sable – My 2018 Tata Safari Storme EX. EDIT: 40,000 km and 2 years-img_20190828_193206.jpg

Quote:
Originally Posted by rajneeesh View Post
An update on my Storme VX 4X4. The vehicle, which I fondly refer to as Rustom is now 3 years and 9 months old with 67.7 K on the odo. Since the last update, I have taken it for a winterdrive to Spiti (end February) and what a drive it turned out to be. Pristine white landscapes and no one to be seen for miles.
Thank you for sharing your ownership experience. Please continue to do so, as there is a dire shortage of long term Storme ownership thread on this forum.

Quote:
Originally Posted by narayan View Post
Good ownership thread. I too had a totally hassle free ownership experience with the Storme between 2013-2015 - In fact I was pleasantly surprised to get a reasonable resale when I sold it in Dec 2015.
Thank you for sharing. Why did you sell it so soon?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samba View Post
It was a pleasure meeting 'Sable' on his maiden Delhi-Kolkata run!
The pleasure was mine, brother.

Quote:
Originally Posted by bhatmaster View Post
Now that Safari's are no longer available in dual tone paint, the "Storme" decal provides the only visual relief for what is otherwise a bland and bus–like side view.

In this era and almost at the end of its lifecycle, i am booking a Safari Strome EX , what a fool I am And eventually it will be my 3rd Safari. ��

However, one small question - is this door decal strip embossing 'Storme' a standard fitment or had been put on as a accessory?
The decal is standard fitement.

You're not going wrong by booking the Safari. The core strengths of space, comfort and ride quality are not matched by anything in the Storme's price range. And the only people who laugh at you are people who've never been inside one. Let's just say the Storme is an exclusive club.

Do make your ownership thread though.

Last edited by Aditya : 18th September 2019 at 17:13. Reason: Typo
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