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Old 17th June 2024, 15:40   #16
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Re: 2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review

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Originally Posted by ABHI_1512 View Post
Another TATA finds a pride of place in your home and we are delighted. A very uniquely written review of the Safari where the scope of the car is described more attentively than the finer technical details. Technical details can be found in any official review, it's the owner's point of view which is the bedrock of any review here in the forum and I am glad that those details have found their way through in your writing. That Safari is a brilliantly put together product is well known to us, what I was surprised to find was how well the big car behaved on the highways.

I wish you many successful and trouble free miles with your Safari. I am sure it will be well looked after like your Vista and I know for a fact that this Safari is poised to run the length and breadth of the country, much more than the Vista perhaps. Many congratulations on the acquisition,

Regards.
Thanks Abhi, it was a conscious decision to limit the technical details. I read through the official review before writing the thread and saw that it had covered everything technical. So I focused more on the actual user experience. I have also been pleasantly surprised by the handling of the car. It handles almost like a small car despite the bulk. You are right about running the length and breadth of the country - that is one unstated purpose I had in mind when I went for this car. However, let's see how much actual travelling my work schedule permits.
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Old 18th June 2024, 09:41   #17
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Re: 2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review

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Thanks and congratulations to you as well on your car and also for fully using the potential of the car. Did you have to refill the DEF during your 5000 km trip? I agree on the service centres - they do a good job on the things they DON'T miss. Attention to detail is severely missing and this is because of the lackadaisical attitude. Also, I think the service centres are overloaded and this is something that Tata needs to address on priority. A company can't afford to sell a 30 lakh car and not provide exceptional service.
No, when I started the journey the DEF level was around 80% and at the end of the journey it was around 40%.
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Old 22nd June 2024, 14:37   #18
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Re: 2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review

Your writing style is truly captivating;
Despite not being a fan of TATA cars, I found myself reading your entire article with great interest.
While I haven't had the opportunity to experience your car firsthand, my wife and son were thoroughly impressed with its ride quality.

Here's wishing you countless joyful miles ahead with your new beast!
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Old 23rd June 2024, 00:39   #19
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Re: 2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review

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Originally Posted by edunata View Post
Your writing style is truly captivating;
Despite not being a fan of TATA cars, I found myself reading your entire article with great interest.
While I haven't had the opportunity to experience your car firsthand, my wife and son were thoroughly impressed with its ride quality.

Here's wishing you countless joyful miles ahead with your new beast!
Thanks! I'm glad that your family liked the car and I'm sure you will get the opportunity to experience the car on our next trip.

On a different note, I have had an excellent experience with both our Tata cars prior to the Safari which is why I went for a Tata again. You'll see that most people who put down Tata cars have either never owned one or had purchased the initial models 20-25 years back - those were horrendous in terms of quality, and that impression has stayed. The company has become a different beast post the JLR acquisition and their cars are really good now. But they do have weaknesses and areas of improvement, as I have mentioned in my post. However, every OEM has issues and Tata is not unique in that respect.
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Old 22nd January 2025, 23:23   #20
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My Tata Safari Adventure Edition 2023! EDIT: 15000 kms update

The Safari completed 15000 kms on 28th December 2024, and I thought that this would be a good time to update this thread.

The car has been with us for nine months now and has completely replaced the Vista for highway drives. That was the purpose behind buying it and the purpose has been fulfilled.

Apart from the Ramsai trip in May there were a number of other trips last year that helped to add up the miles.

There was a trip to an Oxbow lake at Purbasthali some 130 kms from Calcutta in July. This lake is renowned for migratory birds that come in winter but it is a nice getaway at other times of the year too. There is a resort there which has been built in PPP mode with the local administration, and it is a comfortable place to stay.

2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review-img_3694.jpg

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There are a few terracotta temples close-by at Sribati as well.

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There was also the trip to Biharinath with the Team BHP Calcutta group in August.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ml#post5829028 (Team-BHP Kolkata Overnight Meet | Biharinath Purulia | 10-11 August, 2024)

We went to Mandarmani again in August. I'm hoping to stay away in 2025 - had an overdose of Mandarmani last year.

2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review-img_3913.jpg

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August was a busy month for the car with yet another trip. This one was a monsoon getaway to Purulia with the Driving DNA group and it featured more than 40 cars.

2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review-dji_0177.jpg

See if you can spot the Safari from above. (Hint: Look at the green shed on the left)

2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review-img_4213.jpg

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Despite all the travel, the car had only completed about 6000 kms till September. The primary reason being that most of the trips were short ones (less than 500 kms one way).

However, keeping in mind the warranty and that the 6 months as per the service schedule was up, I gave the car for the second free service.


Second Free Service

The car had been totally trouble free in the 6000 kms it had run. However, there was a thud coming from the left rear wheel on some potholes and speedbreakers, especially if there was sideways motion. There was no effect on the in cabin comfort, ride and handling however, and the noise was not coming all the time.

I asked the service centre to check it out at the time of service and they said that they had found a defect in the left rear strut which was causing the noise. They replaced the strut FOC under warranty. Well, nothing much to say there - when I bought a Tata car I knew what I was getting into and I am completely aware that QC is their biggest Achilles' heel. I could completely relate to this thread when it had been posted:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...ml#post5878253 (2023-24: Tata Motors has very high warranty costs | Higher than marketing expenses!)

Tata need to up their QC game and hold their parts suppliers to higher standards, and they need to do it pronto. The good thing is that the warranty was applied proactively with no questions asked. I would still consider this a niggle though, even though this defect did not cause me any kind of problems nor impact the handling or ride quality.

The final bill came to a shade over a thousand bucks, which was primarily the cost of the DEF.

2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review-second-free-service.jpg


With the second service out of the way, it was time to go on the longest road trip of the year, and also the longest road trip that I have done till date:

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ml#post5867879 (Calcutta to Aurangabad: A ~5500 km trip through the heart of India)

That covered September and October nicely.


In November, we hit the beach again. This time we went to Tajpur.

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This was followed by a trip to the Mim Tea Estate in North Bengal where the Little Forest Homestay has become a preferred destination of many BHPians. I was inspired to go there by Abhi_1512's TL and it was a great couple of days that we spent there. Here is Abhi's TL. I have nothing more to add so will let his TL speak for me. Suffice to say it was a wonderful stay and what really touched us was the way the staff took care of us and prepared special meals taking into account our allergies.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ml#post5829102 (Little Forest and the Kanchenjunga | A weekend affair)

Some pics from our trip:


Filled up at BP Dalkhola as the sun was setting

2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review-588715fb1d9a46cfa2720eb15e4128dc.jpg


Stopped for some Tea by the (Mirik) Lake

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Mirik Lake

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Little Forest Homestay Parking

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The homestay is beautiful

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The view from our room

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Kanchenjunga in all its glory

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We rounded off the year with another trip to North Bengal in December. This time we went to Murti in the Dooars.


Tea break at Pappu Dhaba enroute

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The woods were lovely, dark and deep

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Momo break at Chhel

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Lush tea gardens on the way to Suntaleykhola

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Beautiful flowers

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The car hit the 15000 kms milestone on our return journey.

2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review-15000-kms-28122024.jpg


Third Free Service

As the third free service was due at 15000 kms, I promptly booked the service and got it done once we were back.

There is one point I would like to mention here. While we were returning from Dooars, the Low Oil Pressure check light came on at about the 14900 kms mark and started blinking. I checked the manual and it was mentioned that I should contact TASC but it was almost 8 in the evening then and we were anyway close to our stay for the night at Malda so I let it pass. There was absolutely no change in the behaviour of the vehicle or in the engine note and once we reached the hotel I also checked the engine oil level and it was fine. I called the service centre the next morning and they said that it was nothing to worry about and the light was just a reminder that an oil change had become due. I could find nothing in this regard mentioned in the manual.

2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review-low-oil-pressure-indicator.jpg

This reminder is a great feature, but the communication or lack thereof is a big bummer. I'm sure other owners would have faced this too at some point and had some anxious moments like me. Tata should include this information in the owner's manual.


There was a noise coming from the wipers and I had them replaced. Other than that as this was the first major service, engine oil was replaced along with the fuel filter and air filter. The window washer fluid was also topped up. The DEF had not been topped up since the second service so that was also done. With highway driving, the DEF consumption is low and less than 2/3rd of the tank capacity had been consumed in the last 9000 kms or so since the second service.

My regular service advisor was absent on the day and the new SA added AC disinfectant treatment without asking me, which I noticed at the time of billing. This was an additional 1k but as this was the first time something like this has happened at this TASC I let it pass though I did let him know my displeasure. My regular SA never pushes value additions and that is one of the things I like about him.

Anyway, with all the replacements and the value addition, the bill came to 15k.

2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review-third-free-service.jpg


Post service, the mileage of the car has improved perceptibly and I'm waiting to see what kind of mileage I get on the next highway trip. The next major service will be at 30k or a year from now, but I don't think I will wait till 30k for the next oil change. We shall see.

Now that I've driven the car over a substantial amount of distance, here are my thoughts on the overall experience of owning the Safari:
  • The car is a proper 7 seater with a great last row. Also, the ride and handling is superb and there are plenty of features to keep everyone happy.
  • Quality of materials used is great though there is still room for improvement in fit and finish (covered in the first post).
  • The light coloured interiors of the Adventure edition are a stain magnet though they look really nice
  • Apple Car Play and Android Auto both work well though not flawlessly. It is difficult to switch to Apple Car Play if you connect the phone as a bluetooth device first. Sometimes nothing happens on pressing the Switch to Car Play prompt and it takes a few tries for it to work.
  • There was also an issue with the bluetooth disconnecting and then reconnecting near HT lines or the display going blank for some time but they seem to have been fixed in a later software update.
  • The wireless charging pad works only if the phone is in a particular position - if the phone moves from that position, the charging stops.
  • The front seat-backs are a bit too high for short passengers. The headrest on the co-passenger seat starts where my better half's head ends and I had to invest in a seat cushion to rectify the issue. The seats are fine for me at 5'11" but the Vista's front seats are much better in terms of height of the seat back.
  • Not having height adjustment on the co-passenger seat is a miss. Tata Motors should have provided that as they've provided so many other things including Boss mode and even ventilation on the co-passenger seat
  • The 360 degree and blind spot cameras work like a charm and spoil good habits. I am beginning to lose my ability to reverse by checking my surroundings manually
  • The side steps I got installed as accessories lower the effective ground clearance and one needs to keep this in mind while going over speedbreakers
  • All the different terrain modes work well, and hill descent control also works like a charm. I don't use the Auto Hold feature at all except while going up ghats and prefer to shift to N and use the brakes in normal driving.
  • I have not seen much of a difference in mileage between Eco and City mode in normal driving but am yet to test after the third service. Sports mode hits the mileage quite a bit.

The car has been an excellent addition to our garage and has been perfect for our requirements. I took a gamble in buying a diesel ICE vehicle when EVs are the flavour of the season and governments worldwide are going after ICE cars, but I'm hoping that the gamble will pay off and I will be able to retain and enjoy the car for a long time.
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Old 24th January 2025, 14:11   #21
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Re: 2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review

Nice car review. As a Tata Safari owner myself I can relate to you on each and every aspect you said about the car, including the anxious moments given by the engine oil warning light. In my case this warning light came on during a long outstation trip with no service centre around and the phone call to my regular SA saved me. Thank you for sharing and keep on munching miles.
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Old 25th January 2025, 07:07   #22
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Re: 2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review

Hi
Some passion you people have!! Thanks to your comprehensive accounts of your various road trips, we gain a lot of pre knowledge on those destinations. Coming back to your vehicle, I really wanted to buy this SUV and took test drives both in 2021 and later but the only niggle i found was that my left knee was fouling with the front….(it’s not my observation only, but i found the same comment in the Autocar reviews). Otherwise I would have gone for it. I feel Tata need to do something on this ergonomics aspect, otherwise i found Safari to be really VFM.
Wishing you many more wonderful trips in your Safari. Safe drives…..
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Old 26th January 2025, 00:35   #23
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Re: 2023 Tata Safari Adventure Edition Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Kkumar View Post
Nice car review. As a Tata Safari owner myself I can relate to you on each and every aspect you said about the car, including the anxious moments given by the engine oil warning light. In my case this warning light came on during a long outstation trip with no service centre around and the phone call to my regular SA saved me. Thank you for sharing and keep on munching miles.
Thank you and wish you many miles with your Safari too. I am sure we will keep discovering new features as we go along. I realized that the service reminder check light also comes on when the car thinks a service is due. (Wasn't too much off the mark). Tata has loaded the car with features but not explained all of them in detail. The voice commands are another feature that requires a huge amount of learning and I find it easier to do the same thing manually.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dibyendu Bose View Post
Hi
Some passion you people have!! Thanks to your comprehensive accounts of your various road trips, we gain a lot of pre knowledge on those destinations. Coming back to your vehicle, I really wanted to buy this SUV and took test drives both in 2021 and later but the only niggle i found was that my left knee was fouling with the front….(it’s not my observation only, but i found the same comment in the Autocar reviews). Otherwise I would have gone for it. I feel Tata need to do something on this ergonomics aspect, otherwise i found Safari to be really VFM.
Wishing you many more wonderful trips in your Safari. Safe drives…..
Thank you dada. It was great to meet you at our picnic. I did not face the issue with my knee fouling. I suppose it depends on how close to the steering a person sits - I usually sit back a little bit so have not had the issue with the knee fouling with the dashboard. I had read the reviews too and this was the first thing that I had checked on the test drive.

I agree with you that the Safari is an incredible VFM car. It should have done better in sales than it has. Also, the build quality is superb. Let's see how it ages. If it ages as well as the Vista has then I will have nothing to worry about.
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