[buzzy_boy]

Originally Posted by true_sedan

This sounds too high for 4th service. Could you elaborate more on this?

I've read your ownership review. Welcome to the club!

Attaching full invoice. Hope this helps!

[Naveen88]

Originally Posted by buzzy_boy

Verdict

Living with the XUV has made me realise how well sorted the Crysta is. That said Mahindra has come a long way for the XUV to be compared (almost) favorably to the Innova.

Appreciate your efforts on putting up a nice write-up and congrats on your beast XUV700.

I'm currently looking for a good 7 seater(5 adults + 2 kids) and mostly used for long trips. XUV 700 AX5 D is my choice as my budget was around 20 lakhs. However, the Alcazar Turbo Petrol(Prestige model) has came into the list to add more confusion in my decision making.

I can understand that XUV700 and Alcazar cannot be compared apples to apples, but I would like get your help in understand how much do you miss the Cruise control, electrically, foldable mirrors, push button start/stop, sliding middle rows, boot space features on AX5. The price difference for both these cars(Prestige vs AX5) is 3 - 3.5 lakhs Rs on-road in Chennai and this adds more confusion in the decision making. Mind says alcazar and hear says XUV700.

[buzzy_boy]

Originally Posted by Naveen88

Appreciate your efforts on putting up a nice write-up and congrats on your beast XUV700.

But I would like get your help in understand how much do you miss the Cruise control, electrically, foldable mirrors, push button start/stop, sliding middle rows, boot space features on AX5. The price difference for both these cars(Prestige vs AX5) is 3 - 3.5 lakhs Rs on-road in Chennai and this adds more confusion in the decision making. Mind says alcazar and hear says XUV700.

Thanks!

I don't miss either the cruise control or the electrically foldable mirrors. I've never been a fan of push button start as your key could become a single point of failure - so I don't miss it either.

Mine's 5 seater, so I don't to deal with the non-sliding middle row, and the boot is ample.

Alcazar is likely to give you a niggle free experience. I can't say that about the XUV. If you're okay with some downtime, go for the XUV. 3 lakhs is nothing over a 10 year period.

Happy car shopping!

[Naveen88]

Originally Posted by buzzy_boy

Happy car shopping!

Thanks for your opinions. I did a quick test drive of both the cars and XUV definitely did put a wide grin in my face, whereas Alcazar felt very practical. Looks like I need to take a longer test drive of both the vehicles to make a conclusion.

[buzzy_boy]

Originally Posted by Naveen88

Looks like I need to take a longer test drive of both the vehicles to make a conclusion.

Your observations regarding driving are spot on. Look out for things that make the vehicle easy to live with on a day to day basis.

For example, in the XUV, see if the ingress and egress are easy if you have to do it 10-20 times a day: the XUV is oddly shaped, and I have to be careful not to hit my head on the A-pillar while getting in and out. Likewise, in the Alcazar, check the middle seat comfort.

If you're into the Alcazar, check out the Carens as well as it has better packaging.

[Naveen88]

Originally Posted by buzzy_boy

For example, in the XUV, see if the ingress and egress are easy if you have to do it 10-20 times a day: the XUV is oddly shaped, and I have to be careful not to hit my head on the A-pillar while getting in and out. Likewise, in the Alcazar, check the middle seat comfort.

If you're into the Alcazar, check out the Carens as well as it has better packaging.

You are absolutely correct. During my short test drives, I happened to hit my head multiple times on A pillar of XUV while trying to ingress.

Middle seat comfort in Alcazar is not an issue as my family members are in short to medium height range.

My better half and I didn't get interested much in Carens, but it offers a good package though.

[buzzy_boy]

55,000 KMs update

I had intended to post the next update at around 60,000 KMs. However, Mahindra had other ideas.

Here's the frustrating sequence of events:

Sep 30, 2023: The vehicle failed to start on the regular school run. Informed RSA, and they jump-started the vehicle. Checked with my SA at CAI Mahindra, Coimbatore. They asked me to bring the vehicle in for a checkup if that happens again.

Oct 6, 2023: Guess what, the vehicle failed to start again. After another RSA jump start, took my vehicle to CAI Mahindra, Coimbatore. They inspected the battery and told me that while the battery's health was good, the specific gravity was low. The SA advised to replace the battery.

I asked them the reasons for low specific gravity. The SA informed me that it could happen if we continuously use the infotainment system after turning off the car. I told him that we never do that (not for over 20 years of car ownership). I then asked the SA if the root cause could be a parasitic leak in the electrical system. The SA agreed that that could be a possibility. They wanted to keep the vehicle overnight for a leak check.

The odo at this time was around 49,000 KMs. I had expected to touch 50K soon and wanted the leak to be checked as part of the regular service. The SA agreed. As a precautionary measure, the SA asked me to charge the battery for a day, which I did through my FNG.

Oct 15, 2023

While on my way back from a journey, at around 7:30 PM, the vehicle stalled while driving at around 40 KMPH. The check engine light came on. Managed to pull over safely. After 5 minutes, tried restarting the car. The car started, but the CEL lamp was on. There was no loss in power, and since I had my family (2 young kids) with me, and since I was around 30 KMs from home, decided to drive back home.

Oct 16, 2023: Dropped an email to the head of service at CAI Mahindra, and to another person working for M&M who had reached out to me to resolve an earlier issue related to the infotainment system. I explained my ordeal, and the head of CAI service asked me to bring the vehicle in to be checked.

Since the vehicle had run close to 50,000 KMs, I checked in for regular service as well, and requested them to check the vehicle thoroughly, and specifically if there were any leaks.

After keeping the vehicle for a week, the SA told me that they had checked the vehicle thoroughly and that they had not found any leaks. They asked me to replace the battery, and I did so at my own expense as the battery was out of warranty.

Dec 12, 2023: The vehicle, with odo at about 55,000 KMs, failed to crank again on the school run.


This was beyond frustrating. I have written to M&M customer care, and awaiting investigation.

If a vehicle fails to start several times, one starts to lose trust. We bought the XUV 700 due to our positive experience with the previous gen Scorpio. However, M&M has failed to earn our trust. Now, I feel relieved about cancelling a Scorpio N booking in favour of a Maruti XL6. The XL6 may not be the most exciting vehicle, but it starts every morning.

Unfortunately, I can't sell off the vehicle as I'd take a massive depreciation hit. We customers pay top bucks for these vehicles, but the manufacturers seem to be least bothered about reliability. However, one thing is for sure. My last M&M vehicle is already here.

[buzzy_boy]

Update on the cranking problem

After writing to the M&M customer care, someone from Mahindra Chennai called me to enquire about the problem.

I explained the problem in detail and shared my Team BHP ownership thread with them. They promised a thorough investigation and resolution for my issue.

Technicians from CAI Coimbatore picked my vehicle from home. After a couple of days, they told me that there was a current leak from a component called the "silver box". This is the same component that was replaced (My Mahindra XUV700 AX-5 D | Ownership Review) earlier.

The technician informed me that they'll replace the "silver box" under warranty. It took four days for the replacement parts to arrive. After replacement, got the vehicle back day-before-yesterday.

It was obvious that the technicians at CAI did not investigate the issue in depth earlier (My Mahindra XUV700 AX-5 D | Ownership Review),
and that they replaced my battery without due diligence. I escalated the same to CAI leadership, and they have promised me to reimburse the cost for replacing the battery.

I shall post updates about how the vehicle is holding up in due course. However, this is a time for reflection for CAI Mahindra and M&M

1. Why did the technicians not conduct a thorough investigation earlier.
2. Why is the "silver box" so unreliable.
3. What processes are in place to ensure that such negative customer service incidents don't recur.

For now, I want to put this episode behind, and I would like to finally enjoy my vehicle in peace.

So, decided to give the vehicle new tyres for the new year.



Replaced the stock MRF Wanderers with Yokohama Geolanders at Sri Vaari aligners Coimbatore.



The stock tyres are 235/65/17. Was curious whether I could upsize to 245 section ones. However, the stock rims are 7.5 Js. So, I couldn't safely upsize to 245s. Hence, decided against upsizing. Also, the dealer didn't have Advan Sportz in stock. Due to these constraints, I went with the Geolanders.

Immediate impressions post replacement: There's a noticeable improvement in grip. However, the tyres still struggle to put the power down especially in lower gears. Hope I can upgrade to stickier rubber in the future.

[true_sedan]

Glad to hear that your issue was resolved. So the silverbox was leaking current and draining an otherwise healthy battery. Looking at this, I feel it's good to go all the way with extended warranty. Either way Mahindra makes money.

Even my XUV is facing an issue that CAI Mahindra, Coimbatore is reluctant to solve: Vaccum pump noise(tak-tak-tak noise) during engine idle. They claim that this is an issue in most diesel vehicles and they are waiting for instructions from Mahindra to solve them. I'm just tired of all the surprises this car has thrown at me so far. Listing out a few:
1) Co-passenger door lock jammed. Was fixed by removing the door assembly and resetting the software as per CAI Mahindra. But the cupholders now rattle.
2) Engine oil level higher than max mark. I'm suspecting diesel mixup with oil. I don't do short drives. All my drives are 50 kilometre+. So this came as a surprise.
3) Hill Hold Assist error on MID.
4) A faint whistling sound from the air-con. Appears and disappears at own will. But noticeable when it appears. This issue started occuring after driving through a minor pothole at 100 kmph on the highway.
5) Vaccum pump noise(tak-tak-tak) at engine idle.

Attaching a link describing issue 5. Recorded it the day before I took the car to service center:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=eD5xM57f...Ruqc-JBZlTVBs_

Car has done 7000 kilometres in 4 months. Will wait till 1st service to get issue 5 sorted. But my faith in CAI Mahindra has begun to dwindle.

[buzzy_boy]

Originally Posted by true_sedan

Looking at this, I feel it's good to go all the way with extended warranty. Either way Mahindra makes money.

Please take the extended warranty without a second thought. Better to be safe than sorry.

Originally Posted by true_sedan

5) Vaccum pump noise(tak-tak-tak) at engine idle.

Attaching a link describing issue 5. Recorded it the day before I took the car to service center:https://Youtube.com/watch?v=eD5xM57f...Ruqc-JBZlTVBs_

This is certainly not there in my vehicle. So, they're wrong in saying that it's there in all diesel vehicles.

Originally Posted by true_sedan

Car has done 7000 kilometres in 4 months. Will wait till 1st service to get issue 5 sorted. But my faith in CAI Mahindra has begun to dwindle.

I've had better luck in the past after first tweeting at M&M customer care, and then taking my vehicle to the dealership after they respond. They then atleast put some effort to diagnose the issue.

[buzzy_boy]

Long overdue, but here are my 60K and 70K updates.

60K

Checked in for a routine service at CAI Mahindra. Did not have any complaints. The SA called me back after a while to inform me about a leak in the radiator core.



I hadn't noticed any warning lamps, and the fluid levels were always within the operating levels (I make it a point to check every morning). So whatever leak was there should've been minimal.

They investigated the external impact angle. I denied anything of that sort and was okay to bear the cost of replacement if they could show me proof of impact. Later, the SA told me that they'll cover the replacement under warranty.

The total bill came out to 12,867/-



Accident(s)

A month later, one idiot, in a Ford Figo, rear-ended the vehicle while my wife was waiting at the signal. As he agreed to cover any, post insurance, incidentals, my wife let him off.



Took the vehicle to CAI. They told us that they needed to replace both the rear bumper and the tailgate. Both of these were covered by insurance. The total bill was around 57K. However, we had attached a rear bumper as an accessory. That wasn't covered by insurance. It cost around 10K to replace.

When we called up the moron, his dad started playing games. Though we had camera evidence, we didn't want the hassle of going through a lengthy prosecution for 10K. The moron's dad called our bluff, and he won. I had better things to do than deal with these low lives. Paid the money and moved on.

A month later, another car rear-ended the XUV down the Dhimbam ghats. Our chauffeur was waiting to take a tight hairpin bend when this happened. The perpetrator sped away before anybody could react. This time, the rear bumper accessory took all the damage. Our vehicle had also hit the vehicle in front, so there was a small dent on the bonnet. Nothing major, so didn't press charges.

70K

Despite the hurdles, the vehicle clocked decent distances and completed the next 10K in approx. 4 months. Went for the regular service at CAI, Coimbatore. This time, there weren't any problems, and the service was smooth. The total bill was a little over 11K.



All these are decent amounts - given what I've heard about petrol Swifts costing 8K, or thereabouts, per service.

So, the warrior is trudging along with a few more battle scars. It has developed a minor rattle on the right-hand side door. Nothing major, and occurs only at rough patches. Will get it fixed in the next service.

Recently, I did a round-trip to Chennai post the service. The vehicle has clocked a healthy 72K. The infamous left pulling issue is still there, but not a major irritant. Will see what I could do in the next service.

Two days back took the XUV out for a solo late-night drive. It was one of the best drives of my life. I was fully in tune with the vehicle, and it responded beautifully. Fully appreciated the superb NVH package over this butter-smooth drive. The Yokohama Geolanders are holding up pretty well. They provide much more feedback than the stock MRFs.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

[buzzy_boy]

80K update

There was a small cut-type puncture in one of the tyres. This couldn't be repaired. Hence, got a replacement, covered by Yokohama's no-questions asked warranty, through the dealer - Sri Vaari Aligners, Coimbatore.

The vehicle recently went in for the 80K service. Attaching the bill here. Total cost is ~12K - including the DEF refill. Again, very reasonable!

Important findings

1. Recently, I sat in the rear seat during a long drive. It was very uncomfortable! I had back pain after 2 hours! I think a center armrest would've made a lot of difference. I can't recommend any variant of the XUV that doesn't have a center armrest if you ferry passengers in the rear seat regularly!

2. I've developed a nagging left-knee pain. I suspect that the posture of my leg isn't right, and the oddly shaped foot well seems to be a contributing factor. Trying to change my posture to relieve the load on my knees. So, do take a long test-drive if you're planning to buy a manual!

Other details:

1. The vehicle is still on its stock clutch
2. No rattles to report
3. The right-side power window doesn't work sometimes, and it is not a consistently reproducible bug. The SC said they've changed it under warranty. But, there's no way to know as there's no entry in the bill!

Odo stands at 84.5 K. That's all for now!