[sudharshan]

Prelude

I did my first car purchase on Dec,2013 and it was a Mahindra Xylo H4 (Misty Silver). I did a lot of mistakes on Xylo’s purchase. For example - preferring to avoid ABS variant to save up for audio system. I want to slap my 2013 version for this. Nevertheless, Xylo served good for me and the family, it was with me since I was a bachelor and till my kid turned 4. The Xylo served its purpose very well, a comfortable 7-seater and a workhorse. 7 Years and 1L+ KMs later, I wanted an upgrade hence the wear and tear related replacements of the components seemed to be concerning as I wanted the upgrade. This time I was very sure to not repeat the mistakes of 2013.

The parting shot of a beautiful companion, Not going to lie - I cried a lot, My son cried a lot and my Dad as well. This was the first car in the family so it is a very emotional bond. In the end, It is What it is. The Xylo will always be the best car I owned.


And the future looks like two tone. The Teaser Shot – Front Face (My Favourite Angle)



Disclaimer: The picture quality throughout the thread is not that great. My apologies.


Ownership Experience Index

• The Search and Requirements
• The Destiny, The Dream and The Counsel
• The G vs The Z
• The Color selection
• The Booking Process and Dealer Experience
• The Delivery Day
• Initial Impressions after completion of 2500KM
• Some Points from GTO’s Awesome Review which have changed since then
• After-market accessories installed

[sudharshan]

The Search and Requirements

Requirements

1. 7-Seater SUV/MPV with captain seats in the middle.
2. The last row should accommodate at least two 5-footers.
3. Automatic Transmission.
4. Loaded Safety Kit.
5. Worry-free After Sales and Service.
6. 60% City and 40% Highway.

Cars Shortlisted (In the order of preference)

1. XUV700
2. Used Ford Endeavour
3. Tata Safari
4. Toyota Innova

XUV700

Full credits to Mahindra for putting together an awesome machine and the buck stops there. This car is spoke about enough in the forum, so I will focus on my experience. I went for Test Drive 3-Times, the family was impressed by the car’s handling characteristics when compared to Xylo, though Dad missed the tall stance and third row comfort of the Xylo. During the 3rd Test Drive around Nov 2021, the SA was promising delivery in the time of 3 months for Diesel AX7L AT Midnight Black. Family was keen on booking, but I stopped them as I wanted clarity on delivery timelines before putting down the money.

Loved XUV700 For

• The impressive Tech, Engine and Gearbox.
• Front and Middle row comfort.
• Ride Quality.

Concerns of XUV700

• Issues of a fresh Mahindra and After Sales and Service, I divorced Mahindra Service since 2015.
• Waiting time. No clarity still.
• I feel Mahindra’s After Sales needs to step-up to support something like XUV700.
• No captain seats in middle row.

I was ready to extend the wait till end of 2022 but a clutch failure of Xylo and the constant re-gig of timelines for existing bookings, made me look elsewhere. I feel Mahindra should give price protection for every customer given the timelines are creeping into 2023. So, it was a not now maybe later for XUV700.

Used Ford Endeavour

I thought that Ford’s exit would dent the resale value of Endeavour, I was very wrong. The Endeavour’s are selling like hot cakes in the Used car market. I shortlisted two 2017 Endeavour’s driven around 50000 KMS and was quoting around 26L. The cars were driving good, but I felt the prices were too steep given the Ford’s situation in India. The concept of Used did not go well with the family initially but was agreed reluctantly later (Mod’s please write a thread about advising on “How to convince Family members to buy USED Car”). One thing I noticed was that the dealers disappeared after asking for Service history of the car or a request to take it to Ford authorized service center for inspection.

Loved Endeavour For

• The Stance and sheer road presence.
• 3.2L + AT is a proven machine.
• Aftermarket Mod’s – a Plenty.
• Reliability, both the cars were driving as new.
• Handling over bad roads.

Concerns of Endeavour

• Reliability of Ford’s service and spare parts availability.
• High price, I felt it was priced 4-5L higher to what a reasonable ask would be for a used car.
• No Captain seats in the middle row.

The Ford Endeavour is still a love to have machine for me but sometimes the mind wins in a heart vs mind battle.

Tata Safari

In my opinion, Safari is a very good second place as a package to the XUV700. The car is nicely built. I did not get a chance to Test Drive the Safari, hence not willing to comment on the drive and handling. I have concerns about Tata’s After sales and service. The third rows were usable and were a bit more comfortable than the XUV700.

Loved the Safari For

• Sticking to a proven engine.
• Handsome looking car.
• Neat packaging and interiors.
• Comfortable across all seats.
• Presence of Captain Seats.

Concerns of Safari

• White / Light coloured interior. It is a dirt magnet, especially with a 4-year-old.
• Tata's after sales and support, there a few negative experiences in the Team-BHP forum.

Putting in 28L for a car which has a not so great after sales experience for was a no-go for me. I feel both XUV700 and Safari should prove more on the after sales side rather than the product front now. This will help both the brands to establish as a strong contender to the Japanese and Korean players in the industry.

Toyota Innova

It is a no-brainer for my friends who own an Innova and Fortuner to convince me to look for Toyota. Fortuner was out of my budget. I have driven the First Generation Crysta 2.4 Diesel MT G for longer duration and my impression about the car was neutral. The engine was good, PWR mode was legit. The gear throw and rattling were bad, the ride quality was neutral. The car was great on practicality and less on features. The motto of Toyota seems to be Less Electronics = More Reliability. Nevertheless, the Sales figure prove who is the undisputed champion. Went for a Test Drivee of the 2.4 G D AT, except for heavy steering on low speeds, I was happy with the car. Nothing to complain except the steep price, nothing to boast about in terms of features. All were practical and user friendly.

Loved Innova For

• Rock solid Reliability, my friend’s Innova Crysta is driven 1.2L KMS and still drives perfectly.
• Practical cabin.
• Focus on User Experience rather than Features. All reachability to needed functions are well laid out.
• Captain seats in Base (G) and Top (Z) variants.
• Leather seats of Top (Z) variants, Hazel Brown is love at first sight.
• Stress free ownership, sales and service are the best.
• The G Variant is loaded enough to be a good consideration.
• Great Resale Value.

Concerns of Innova

• Value for Money – The car is not loaded to be a 30L car. No auto dimming IVRM, No Ventilated Seats, etc.,
• The Mid (V) variant lacks AT.
• Too Much of Chrome in the Official Accessory list.

While is Innova is pricey, the factory cost of the 2022 Variant based on the Tax invoice was Rs.17,10,810.81. The Ex-Showroom cost is Rs. 25,31,999.99 and the on-road cost is approx 31L, factoring out the insurance cost of a generous 1.2L, the tax and government charges component are a whooping Rs.12.7L. Since am salaried, paying this on top of the income tax paid on salary is a bone in the throat. Dear FM, Please consider exemption for Automobile loans in ITR.

[sudharshan]

The Destiny, The Dream and The Counsel

I was fixed on XUV700 for the most part, I was ready to hold on to Xylo for one more year and take the XUV700 once the waiting times are more reasonable. But as fate would have it, I faced a broken Transmission Shaft on the Xylo followed by a dead clutch. In 2021, The upkeep of Xylo was reaching 80K due to wear and tear replacements. The death of clutch was the killer blow, decided to part way with the car without fixing it. Got a good deal by Dec 2021 and bid adieu to the car. At this time, I was sure about getting a Used Ford Endeavour, hence did not bother about a car exchange program.

During the searching phase, My Brother said that he had a dream of delivery ceremony with the family for the Innova. I laughed and brushed it off, telling him that am not going to buy Innova unless it is cheaper by 3-4L than what it is currently.

After narrowing down on two Endeavours, I had a discussion with Mr. Raghav from Ignite The Garage (Car repairs & maintenance : Ignite Garage (Chennai)), The Xylo was under his care since 2015. I would rate Mr. Raghav as a no-nonsense car head. It took just 20 minutes of discussion to conclude that Endeavour's at the current used market price is an overkill and decided to check on new Innova and Safari. Considering the need to have a stress free after service Innova was rated above the Safari.

So, After the Counsel, The Innova which was the least of my preference became my best choice. Another win for the Mind over heart. The only place where the heart won in this process was during the variant decision of G vs Z. I just loved the way the instrument cluster and the interior of the Z variant was laid out. Though, I convinced my family that am going to Z variant because of the increased safety due to more airbags (which is also true).

[sudharshan]

The G vs The Z

Innova 2021 has truly blurred the Base Variant (G) and Top Variant (Z) gap, to keep things in perspective, I have summarized the difference between G D AT and Z D AT variant. Also, called out the deal breaker choices for me (personally).



Please click on the picture for more clear clarity of texts.

The deal breaker for me was Headlamps, Smart Entry, 7 Airbags. The rest of the differences were purely materialistic for me and did not matter (or) had cheaper aftermarket alternatives.

Major motivation to choose the Z was presence of 7 Airbags and lack of rotatory knobs for Air conditioning. The Smart Entry, Illuminated Interiors, Hazel Brown Leather Seats were bonus factors. I would rate the G variant as the most value for money variant, if value for money was a thing for Innova.

Alas, The heart wins - Z Variant is chosen over the G and I don't regret it.

[sudharshan]

The Color selection

The color spread of Innova is a bit dull and boring to be honest. The color is strictly the missus say but I would still love to have a looker. I was a bit concerned about the color selection and was pretty sure that it is going to be a battle between us.

White was ruled out in the first round, both agreed. I was eyeing for Avant-Garde Bronze but held my opinion as I wanted to hear missus choice first. When we went for a discussion to the showroom, we saw delivery of a Sparkling Black Crystal Shine Innova. Both agreed immediately that it would be the color to choose and hence it was chosen. No Battle’s, Thank you Toyota.

The Color does stand-out. The car is a messy as the picture was taken during the pre registration check.

[sudharshan]

The Booking Process and Dealer Experience

Dream’s do come true, especially my brother’s. The Booking for Innova 2.4 D Z AT, Sparking Black with Hazel Brown interior was made on third week of December. I booked at Lanson Toyota, Pallikaranai due to proximity to my house and my friend’s relationship with the dealer. I was informed that there will be a scouting for 2021 model of the same colour, if nothing is found it would be a 2022 model and would be delivered by first week of Feb 2022. I was offered a Pearl white and an Avant-Grade Bronze 2021 models during the last week of December, but I refused them the love of Sparkling Black Crystal Shine. I was also informed that there would be a price revision during Jan 2022 during the time of booking.Come Jan 2022, the price revision was confirmed. The car got costlier by 40K. I held to my booking and asked the dealer to proceed. The dealer confirmed that the car will be likely delivered by Mid-Jan.

Discounts

Toyota and Discounts don’t go well. No dealer discounts were offered on the car, the reason quoted – it is a 2022 model. Dealer quoted insurance of 1.16L, I finalized Insurance with more cover than dealer for 73K from Kotak. The dealer confirmed cashless coverage for Kotak as well in their garage, so it was a win and 43K saved. The dealer offered 4K discount on the accessories installed.

The Dealer Experience

It was a great experience for me from the Lanson Toyota, Pallikaranai Team. Whenever my SA was held with another appointment the manager or another team member was readily available to assist us, no fuss, no drama. All in proper place, under promise and Over deliver was the theme. The accessory discount was not confirmed to be until the last payment. Overall, a great experience for me and delighted with the services offered. I would highly recommend the dealership.

[sudharshan]

The Delivery Day

The SA confirmed that my car would be arriving at the dealership 10th Jan. I requested for a pre-registration check-up and was promptly offered one, Visited the car and had a 20-minute inspection before giving all clear to the SA. Due to upcoming government holiday, registration was planned for 12th Jan with 13th Jan as a back-up date. The finance folks screwed up the 12th Jan date, bad experience with the Kotak Car Loan team. The issues with car loan were sorted after some bad e-mail exchanges and the registration was done on 13th Jan. The family locked in on 17th Jan for the delivery date and the same was confirmed to the dealer. The dealer promptly assured that all accessory installation would be complete by the time.

Accessories installed at the dealer
All accessories available with the dealer were thoroughly explained. I opted for the following,

• Auto-Fold OVRM (when Locking/Unlocking).
• Full Floor Mat.
• Under Chassis Paint.
• Mud flaps.

Mud flaps - Really Toyota ? A 30L On-Road Car does not come with Mud-flap

The Delivery Day

The entire family assembled at the Showroom by 3.15 PM on the delivery day, I went at 2.45 PM to complete the remaining paperwork and formalities, the kid play area at the dealership kept my son busy while I worked with the SA without getting pulled in two directions. All accessory installation was complete as promised.

The Car was driven to the delivery area by 3.30 PM, A small pooja was performed, the keys and pleasantries were exchanged. The features of the car were explained, DPF regeneration and Ad-Blue was explained in detail. All my doubts were cleared, Lemons were squeezed under the R17 Wheels before we hit the road. It was a happy affair, again no fuss. All smooth, Thanks to the Dealership for holding it smooth.

Yours Truly at the delivery bay



The little mister making sure the PDI was done right

[sudharshan]

Initial Impressions after completion of 2500KM

Drivability
Likes

• The car is an effortless mile muncher
• The driving is effortless and does not feel like driving a big car.
• Engine braking and deceleration is a good and eager to slow down.
• Cruise Control makes life easier and responds well.
• Good to hold Steering design.
• Turning Radius of the car is divine, 3-point U-Turns are no longer needed.

Dislikes

• Steering could have been a bit lighter. Especially at lower speeds.
• 4-wheel disc brakes is a miss considering the price point.
• Nosedive during braking is evident and feels uneasy, I need to get used to it.
• Constant Beeps after 120 KMPH.
• R16 > R17, Bespoke options on Alloy Size from all manufacturers is needed.

Interiors
Likes

• Family’s verdict – It is a first-class airplane experience.
• The Interiors are well laid out, Aircon in auto mode does the job very well.
• Music quality is neutral, and I will stick with the stock speakers as am happy with the quality.
• Entertainment unit has the functions necessary, Apple Car Play / Android Auto, Miracast, etc.,

Dislikes

• Fortuner’s soft touch materials missing in the dash area. Could have been added at least for the top variant.
• Android Auto works only on the USB slot in Armrest, It is hard to plug/unplug while sitting in the pilot seat.
• No USB port in Third row.
• No Navigation on MID.
• Sun blind is missing on the side windows for this price point.
• Omission of Wireless Android Auto / Apple Car play though the Entertainment unit has the option of wireless in it.

Small yet Significant likes

• Seat belt holders
• Ambient lighting
• Reach and quality of buttons
• One button full cab illumination
• Soft Close boot door
• Bottle Holders / Storage Space (a lot)
• One touch seat tumble
• Seat Belts for 3 passengers in the rear
• Rear Headrest holder in the boot.
• The Dead Pedal, It is the most comfortable one, can easily accommodate Size 13 foot, imagine the comfort for a size 10 foot.

1000 KMs Service Check

The 1000 KM service check was a pleasant experience, booking was done in prior, and the car was delivered in under 2 hours. Opted to do car sanitization and virus protection, was charged Rs.1159 for it. Quality checks were evident at every point, the cleaning was inspected by multiple folks and signed off after obtaining a rating from me. The service in-charge was standing next to me until everything was completed. Overall, again an awesome and happy experience.

The car is a dream to drive, it is very effortless and simplistic. Am findings reasons to start the car every other day and take it for a spin. I feel the car is making me mature and appreciate simple things with great quality rather than having complex gizmos with mediocre quality. Between trying to avoid buying Innova and developing the urge to drive it everyday, My Car taste and perspective of things changed.

[sudharshan]

Difference on Facelift since GTO's Awesome Review (Toyota Innova Crysta : Official Review)

Exterior

Front Look

With the 2021 Facelift, literally only the face is changed. All other profiles remain the same.

Interior - Front

The entertainment unit has changed on the 2021 facelift,



The digital compass has been dropped from the MID




DPF Regeneration button Added next to the Parking Sensor



The Service Advisor recommended to run DPF Regen manually once if 10 days if there is no highway run. During highway run, the DPF kicks in automatically and steps out without hassle. No need to stop the car while DPF is running.

Rubber Flaps covering the Armrest USB port is replaced with Plastic


This is the only USB port on which Android Auto and Apple Car play works on. I prefer the USB ports under the Audio unit or all ports to be enabled for Android Auto and Apple Car Play. It is a bit inconvenient to plug and un-plug while sitting at the pilot seat.

Cabin Lamp console has an additional button



It is apparently the limited security button (new learning for me). Pressing it disables the security feature but it will be re-enabled automatically on the next car lock.

In-Car Entertainment

Navigation is no longer available on the In Car Entertainment unit and is substituted by Apple Car Play / Android Auto.



ICE Remote is not provided and the manual has been changed to app. No beefy books to read.

Other Points

The service internal is now 10000 KMS/1 Year.

[sudharshan]

After-market accessories installed

Side Step from GearX



Rear Bumper from GearX



It would have been great to have some reflective stickers on the bumper out of the box, but sadly that is not the case. Need to find sometime to get the reflective stickers added to the rear bumper.

C-Track 3D Floor Mats



I like the fit and finish of the mat, it is very snug and precise. It is certainly built to last and easy to maintain compared to the 7D or Noodles mats.

The side-step, rear bumper and Floor Mats were installed at Chandru Auto Stores (Chandru Auto Stores (GP Road)- ICE & Accessories). It was a good experience, the price was competitive and the owner was responsive to the issues reported after installation.

UltrashieldX PPF From Detailing Mafia, Nandanam






PPF installation was done at Detailing Mafia, Nandanam. The process took 4 days. The PPF installed is UltrashieldX with 5 year warranty. I very much liked the quality of the job done. I was thinking to postpone the PPF job but a small scratch on top of the front-left wheel arch made me go running to Detailing Mafia to get the PPF done. The scratch disappeared after paint correction procedures done as part of the PPF process.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[poloman]

Hi Sudarshan,
That was a wonderful ownership review. I have also booked a ZX AT and waiting for the delivery. Why did you choose Hazel brown over Camel tan? Was it for ease of cleaning? Did you check whether the outside insurance cover add ons like RTI, engine protection etc which matches Toyota protect? Lastly did you press for dealer discounts? In Bangalore they provide 20-25K discounts+ few accessories.

[sudharshan]

Awesome ! Congratulations on your purchase @poloman

Originally Posted by poloman

Hi Sudarshan,
Why did you choose Hazel brown over Camel tan? Was it for ease of cleaning?

It is purely for the aesthetics, I liked Hazel Brown more than Camel Tan. Did not think from the perspective of cleaning but the black covers at the back of the each seat is a dirt magnet, it attracts shoe prints easily. Not sure if Camel Tan has black cover on back of the seats. But a simple wipe with the semi-wet cloth will take care of the cleaning.

Originally Posted by poloman

Hi Sudarshan,
Did you check whether the outside insurance cover add ons like RTI, engine protection etc which matches Toyota protect?

The policy I got from Kotak covers, the following
IDV - 25,00,000

• RTI
• Depreciation Cover
• Engine Protect
• Road Side Assistance
• Consumable Cover

In my past 7 years of car ownership, I never missed my keys or misplaced them. So I decided not to go for Key protection. The Wheel protection claim criteria was not convincing (Replace only on accident related issues). If the sidewall has a burst while standing still it is not covered.

Originally Posted by poloman

Hi Sudarshan,
In Bangalore they provide 20-25K discounts+ few accessories.

That is great, I tried my best but was not able to get any. When I enquired with Harsha Toyota, the on-road price was dearer by 10,000 - 20,000 compared to Lanson Toyota. So decided to stick with Lanson.

[pjbiju]

Originally Posted by sudharshan

[center][b]
...
ICE Remote is not provided and the manual has been changed to app. No beefy books to read.

Other Points

The service internal is now 10000 KMS/1 Year.

Congratulations Sudharshan. Wish you many enjoyable years with your Crysta. Is the owner's manual downloadable from the App? I would have liked a manual book as well. If more than one person wants to refer to the manual, how can it be done? This will not be an issue if the manual is downloadable.

[sudharshan]

Originally Posted by pjbiju

Is the owner's manual downloadable from the App? I would have liked a manual book as well. If more than one person wants to refer to the manual, how can it be done? This will not be an issue if the manual is downloadable.

The app has a manual download option but it does not save the file as a PDF or in the downloads location. Mostly it is a way to store the manual locally on the device, so we can access it through the Toyota Connect app without internet requirement. I will check further and see if I can see the manual in any internal file system.

Manual can also be accessed via https://www.toyotabharat.com/q-service/index.html but requires a VIN and protected by OTP. Download option is not available for the manual on the webpage.