[New2Carz]

Took delivery of my Adventure persona XZA+ on 10-Dec. The delivery process was smooth, though a bit delayed. The drive so far has been excellent, though could clock only 300 KMs. Will keep updating my experience and post queries here. Thank you for all the inputs.

[Jude300]

Originally Posted by New2Carz

Took delivery of my Adventure persona XZA+ on 10-Dec. The delivery process was smooth, though a bit delayed. The drive so far has been excellent, though could clock only 300 KMs. Will keep updating my experience and post queries here. Thank you for all the inputs.

Congrats buddy and wish you a joyful ownership of the Safari! Do keep us posted about the car and your experience..

[Jude300]

4000km Update on my Sapphire:

Overall Experience: Before I got my hands on the car I was not really in love with this machine. But just as it impressed me in the initial few days with it, it continues to impress me even today. At the moment I am one happy owner of this machine and am in love with it.

I am still running-in the car as I intend to do it till 5000kms but in the winding roads of Kerala there isn't anyway much opportunity to get to triple digit speeds (80 kmph speed limit apply on highways). But the ownership so far has been superb and way beyond what I was expecting. The automatic gearbox is simply awesome and the engine has enough power. We did 2 fully loaded trips and the car didn't feel underpowered at all. My brother even mentioned this after driving the car.

Maneuverability:
One of the worries I had was how easily I would be able to handle the car of this size. Well, if you have driven an Ecosport before, then let me tell you this is no different. It is easily maneuverable even in tight spaces. I have downloaded my dashcam video of me turning the Safari in a narrow road in Perumbavoor with vehicles lined up in a traffic jam. I will load it on YouTube and share it later. There were on lookers who booing me when they first saw me trying to do what I was planning to do. But within seconds, I turned around the car using some additional space in front of a shop and went the other direction escaping the serpentine queue of vehicles.

The point is, while the car is huge it is still easy to maneuver. Yes, the steering is heavy at parking speeds but you will get used to it without even knowing it. To me, its not a bother now.

My wife who just learnt to drive is now comfortable driving the Safari and doesn't have any issues. Now she does nearly 50% of the drives and she loves the car too.

Mileage:
I have been using the Fuelio App and use the Tank fill method to track mileage. My travel has been 55% within town (quite hilly) and 25% on high traffic highways of Kerala and 20% on proper highways. I am still not sure how to rate it but I am feeling neutral based on the stats at the moment. If it becomes worse, I wouldn't be very happy and would be satisfied if I could get 12.5 kmpl average. But for now, from what I hear from my friends, 11.85 kmpl (average) for an automatic of this size seems ok.

My best: 16.68kmpl (good highway drive)
Overall average so far: 11.85 kmpl
Worst: 8.66 kmpl (lot of idling and 193kms within Ernakulam city)

DPF Regeneration:
I have not had any issues with DPF so far however, I have started to follow the regeneration rules. While I found lot of useful articles on regeneration on manual cars, I couldn't find many on automatic transmissions. So I just replicated the tip for the manual cars on my car as well. I got 2 long late night drives where I drove the car in "Manual" mode in 3rd gear over 60kmph for nearly 25 mins each time. This should have helped with any regeneration that would be required.

The niggles:
MID: When I accidentally restarted the car just as I turned it off i.e. I pressed the "Start / Stop" button in succession, when the car started the MID was blank. It was ON but it was blank. It got sorted in the next restart. I don't know if this can be called a niggle but something that came-up only once.

Android Auto: I have had a couple of instances where Android Auto froze. I had to disconnect Bluetooth and reconnect to sort it.

Not a niggle:
Android Auto: I had reported that when I was connected to Android Auto via wire, when I receive a call and end it, the music will continue to play on my mobile and not through the speakers. Well, this was not the issue with the car's infotainment but with that of my old phone. In my new phone, I have never faced it even after the wireless Android Auto update.

Customer relationship and Service
I see a lot of improvement with the way Tata is approaching the customer issues. While it is not smooth to deal with the dealer in the first instance, the support that you get from Tata Motors when you complain and the speed in which it gets sorted is simply awesome. I have already narrated the incident during my first service in an earlier post and how things changed when I had issues post booking. Also the addition of wireless android auto and car play to existing customers was very nice gesture and also shows that the company has got its ears open.

When I visited the service centre again after the 1st service to get the software updated, the interaction was professional and very prompt. Hope I will find the right service technician when I get back to Chennai as well.

Detailing:
I polished the car with Meguire Ultimate polish and topped it up with Collinite 845 as I normally do. I gave a boost to the shine with another round of Collinite 845 yesterday and the car just looks wet and shiny. Collinite has been my favourite wax and has been with me for nearly 8 years and there is still quarter bottle left.

I also polished the external plastic trims with Sonax Trim protectant and they look nice now. Apologies for not posting any pics as it was late in the day when I completed it.

[Jude300]

Detailing update:

Sharing some pics of Sapphire after a month since it was waxed. As always, Collinite 845 is still holding up well and the surface feels silky smooth. It takes very little effort to wash the car when you have the wax on.

I purchased Formula 1 Mr. Leather cleaner and conditioner for the Leatherette seats and the initial review is kind of neutral. It doesn't clean much but do feel it conditions the cover well. But once used, when you sit or move out it creates a noise. But it's doesn't feel oily and is otherwise good.

For the plastic trims, I have used Sonax Trim protectant and for my recent wash tried using Mr. Leather cleaner and conditioner for the exterior. It seems to work better as the Sonax one is a bit sticky and attracts dust more. Both products are safe on plastics but I would prefer Sonax trim protectant for the interiors as it has a more pleasant smell than the leather scent of Mr. Leather.



The plastic trims polished with Mr. Leather



Wearing the wet look



The reflection on the bonnet shows how well the wax is performing even after a month.

[VinsWagen]

Great ownership review. Good to see that it is serving you well, and how. Such a beautiful car and ticks almost all the boxes that I need. Now that there is Orcus White color available in the Adventure Persona trim, it eliminates the chrome and bling issues as well. The only thing that is stopping me from booking it is the unending reliability issues reported by many owners. I am just waiting for it all to settle and Tata hopefully irons out the issues in its future batches

[Jude300]

10,000 Km Update:

Its been 8 months and 10,000km on the ODO. The ownership experience has been smooth so far fortunately without any major issues.

Second Service experience:
I completed the second service at around 7350kms at Gokulam Motors, Iyyapanthangal, Chennai

The service center is just coming up and new and there was hardly any rush there. Mine was the one of the 5 or 6 cars that had come for service. Most of the other cars were the new ones for PDI. This gave me enough time to walk around and monitor the work being done.

It was the routine second service checks that was required to be carried out and I had asked the car to be delivered by noon. Off late I seemed to observe slight left pull on my highway hauls and had mentioned it to the service advisor. To this they just swapped the front tyres as I did mention that I had done wheel alignment only recently. That hasn't really worked but at the same time the left pull has not been so evident in my car anyway.


While the front tyres were being swapped


As you can see, the expenses were mostly consumables and DEF refill. I am planning to do my own DEF refill in the coming days as they have charged for more quantity of DEF than I expected. The DEF tank indicator was hardly a quarter empty and so it should have been around 4 litres of top up but they had charged me 6 litres. Also, they didn't have the facility to update the software which was a bummer.


The quality and speed of the work was just average. The general service was completed by 1130 (i gave the car by 9AM). However, they washed the car and delivered it to be only at around 2PM. They did a shabby job and dirtied the white seats which I had polished and kept clean. I asked them to clean it up. Also, the exterior was not wiped with a good cloth and it looked lot worse than it was before service. I didn't have the time to ask them to clean it up and also didnt want to make it worse.
Lesson learnt: I am not going to ask them to do the water wash after service. I will take it to a dedicated Car wash place.

Highway Drives:

Did a few highway trips in the last couple of months and I can tell you that it has been the time I really enjoyed the car to the fullest. It is a mile muncher and I love to be on the wheel. Even after 10 - 12 hours you still dont feel too tired and you can ride with confidence. I normally maintain the speed at around 90 - 100 kmph.

Broken Roads:
I had to go over some broken roads and very steep and narrow inclines when we went to Parunthumpara near Thekady (via Manjumalai - Graby Estate Route). Roads were non existent at most places but I enjoyed being on this car. Also, we went to Ottakathalamedu viewpoint where we maneuvered through narrow roads and it was a breeze in the Safari. The ride was not plush as in the Hexa but with 6 people onboard didnt feel bumpy either.

Fuel Efficiency:
My average so far as been 12.76kmpl. The fuel consumption increases with more idle. if you are able to keep the average speed above 30 kmph, then you can get the 12+kmpl mileage. But if you drive in stop - go traffic, the efficiency drops to 10.5+kmpl. Overall, for a 2L diesel automatic, I feel the mileage is ok. I use the Fuelio app to keep track of mileage and use the tank fill method to calculate the efficiency.

Fuel log - Summary:


Fuel log:




Niggles:

• The harsh sound while releasing the brakes as you start moving is there. I have read about Tata performing warranty replacement of brake pads for a few customers. Will take it to the service center to do the checks.
• While I did the long drives, I noticed that the infotainment shutdown after continuous use for more than 6 to 7 hours. It was not observed all the time but a few times.

Fortunately, nothing serious so far and it has been running well.

Car wash:
Since I did some travel through slushy routes wanted to do a car wash to clear the underbody. Took it to a nearby place and they did a decent job. But that said, nothing can come close to you doing the cleaning yourself. Though they did a good job at getting the underbody clean, the cleaning of the painted surface was just ok. The bug marks were still there and I could also see swirl marks post the wash.






However, since it was a few months since I waxed the car, did a waxing with Collinite 845 and viola the car was shining again.

You can see the gloss of the car from this aerial pic.


Overall, it has been a pleasant experience so far with the car. I am yet to find out the right service center and the technician. Hopefully, will be able to zero-in on one soon. The things that always delight me are

• Smooth AT and easy to drive; my wife loves it too. Surprisingly, I haven't had issues with maneuvering the mammoth in narrow streets (though the steering is still heavy at low speeds)
• Ample power and practical features like automatic dimming IRVM, auto hold, hill hold assist and hill descent control (i actually used it well on my way back from Ottakathalamedu viewpoint
• The true SUV looks and road presence; people give way
• Fairly decent ride quality and low NVH
• Decent fuel efficiency

And finally, whenever I see another Safari, I feel excited

[tp_dominator]

A lovely thread and wish you many more happy miles with your Safari. The car looks stunning in the Royal Blue shade.

I am looking to upgrade from my Ecosport S and since you did that too, please help me clear some of my doubts.

1. The most important point is ride quality - is it way better than Ecosport on bumpy roads or just marginally better?

2. I rarely use Android Auto and even when I do its for Maps only. Is the screen size sufficient for such purpose - again comparing to Ecosport?

3. How much better is the sound quality from the speakers - I can live with a laggy touchscreen, but would want the music to be awesome.

4. Any other niggle you faced apart from the others mentioned above? I think the niggles mentioned by you are not deal breakers.

5. How are the Bridgestone Ecopia tyres holding up, have you noticed any cracks or punctures on them yet?

Lots of queries, but I would be very thankful to you if you can answer these and would definitely help me in finalizing the Safari.

[Jude300]

3rd service update:

With 13,200 kms on the ODO it was time for the 3rd service. I was in two minds whether to give it now or do it post the 2000km drive later this week. However, I was apprehensive of the brake pads given there were reports of early wear off on Safaris manufactured in 2021. So chose to give it at Sree Gokulam Motors, Kattupakkam service centre last week.

Issue I had mentioned:

• Check brake pads and see it there is excessive wear
• The music system turns off suddenly while on the drive without any reason
• Software update
• Told them to be careful with DEF fill-up; not to spill

Service Experience:
The service advisor (Mr. Kannan) was courteous and behaved quite professionally. I was a bit surprised by his attitude as it was very different from my 2nd service experience but kept my expectations low anyways. I did mention it to him that I usually I wait and take my car back but as I had a busy day I would come later in the evening to collect the car.

The car was delivered the same day evening with a bill of Rs. 9188/- for oil & oil filter change, DEF top-up (5ltrs), wheel alignment and balancing and pollen filter change.

The work seemed well done. And the the attitude of the advisor was even better and he gave me a quick summary of what were done.

• Brake pads had worn out and would last only another 4000kms. However, even before I asked he told me that he had raised a warranty claim and that it will be replaced free of cost. Order has been placed and will be replaced when they arrive.
• The software was updated; need to observe if the entertainment system turns off while on the drive.
• The DEF tank was half empty when I gave for service but he only charged for 5 ltrs. Last time I was charged for more quantity, disproportionate to the level.
• Water wash was average

Service Advisor
I was quite happy with the way he explained the things to me and didnt try to sell anything unnecessary. It was a different experience so I just asked him if he had been with Tata for a while to which he said he had worked with Ford (Chennai Ford) for nearly 13+ years and just joined Tata. That rang a bell as the way in which he approached me was so familiar and lot better than how the earlier Tata service advisors had behaved. I was quite delighted and we had a good chat about the service of both my Ecosports at Chennai Ford and the service advisors I'ld always give my car to etc. He knew all of those guys I used to give my car for service and finally parted with a smile.

I have not driven the car much after the service but its so far so good. Will post an update after the replacement of the brake pads for which the orders have been placed now.

I plan to write a note to Tata motors to take these feedbacks and try to learn from these guys who have been trained by other companies on how to deal with the customers and how to do a good job. The experience was so good and very different from my earlier experiences with Tata folks. I am very happy now that I have a good advisor to take my car to for service. That was something I was terribly worried about after the excellent service interactions with the Ford guys for my Ecosport.

[Jude300]

Brake pad - Warranty replacement:

As mentioned in the earlier post, I took Sapphire to the service centre for Brake pad replacement under warranty. I had covered a little more than 2000kms after the 3rd service and the ODO was at 15200kms.

The old brake pads would have lasted another 2500 - 3000 kms but I didnt want to take the risk and hence went ahead with the replacement. Only the from pads were replaced. The whole thing was done neatly and the advisor showed me the old and the new pads and also assured me that the discs were all good.

Noise while accelerating:

I had feeble noise when i accelerating similar to the turbo spool but a bit rough. The issue was identified to be a clogged bearing which was cleaned and fixed (forgot the exact name of the part). The advisor did mention that he would raise a warranty request and replace the part if it repeats. But thankfully, it has not happened again.

Yet again, i went with the same advisor and my interactions and experience was pleasant and confidence inspiring.

[Ashwin Morey]

Any existing owners who can confirm about how good the stock tires are? Someone in my circle who owns the Safari specifically singled out that the stock tires don't inspire confidence and the vehicle is all over the place.

[TheBigV]

Hey Jude300 Great ownership thread, as good as the TBHP review. I currently own a Honda City, and I am thinking of going for the Safari XZA. As you have completed 2 years of ownership now, how would you rate the overall experience? My City has given me absolutely niggle free performance for the last 8 years, so I am a bit apprehensive about the Tata experience. Your views would be helpful in making the decision. Thanks