Finally got a test drive today. The test drive car was a EX 4x2
Looks
Nothing to talk about since everyone knows the Safari looks awesome, its a beast and has huge road presence.
Engine
The engine is fantastic, never felt underpowered at all, the car is very comfortable cruising at speeds of 120-140kmph, those who say that the 3.0 is better, well just check my signature. The NVH is very very good indeed and dare i say lesser noise then Swift Diesel
Gearbox
There were no issues with the gearbox, neither with first gear as reported by people on the forum, the clutch was totally fine. Who ever says the gearbox/clutch is heavy should realise this is a large diesel and its not right comparing diesel gearbox/clutch with petrol ones.
Brakes
They were ok, wont say bad but i would rate them 7/10 Lack of ABS makes the tyres lock though on dusty roads and the weight plays a part in the locking up.
Handling
Yes, the handling was very good indeed, almost on par with the Innova, its very easy to make the truck drift.
Buttttttttttttt, the poor steering feedback spoilt the handling to a great extent. On lower speeds the steering is very light which is good for City driving but on higher speeds its very very dangerous, no feedback at all, too light, Tata better work on this area ASAP. The car is stable thanks to its 2 ton weight.
Ride FANTASTIC, you dont need to stop on all the rough patches of the road, instead just drive over them and not feel anything, this is one of the biggest plus points of the Safari. Potholes - What are they??
Comfort & Interiors
Very good legroom indeed and the rear bench is a sofa. Front Seats have Lumbar support and are height adjustable gives a very good commanding view of the road. The jump seats are crap though. AC works very effectively. Gearlever and ashtray come very close indeed on the latter being pushed to release.
ICE
Crap, hehe. Well yeah the speakers dont sound good, you need to change them for decent sound. Front speakers get tweeters, as depicted in this pic.
P.S Notice Mirrors are quite good and offer ample visibility at the rear.
Quality
Not so good quality, the 4x4 switch is very tacky & plastic quality is on the negative side. Uneven panel gaps on the dashboard in places like the Cigratte lighter is not at all welcome. Wipers also didnot seem to be postioned too well. The key know was very cheap and so was the remote, not expected on a 10Lacs+ Truck/Car/SUV, i sat in a few Safari's and finishing quality was inconsistent, ie some cars had better quality, others didnot have the same.
Notice : Chrome surround on VX
Features
The VX gets a host of features and thats really good of Tata to give it but the price shoots up, they should have given ABS as a option on the EX. The EX 4x2 dont get alloys, only the VX and EX 4x4 get it. All versions come with adjustable lumbar support as std and there is light inside the hood as well.
Misc
The truck is not easy to park, its really long, tall & wide all at the same time. You need to get used to it. Sales guy took me inside workshop to show the VX, i asked him this is a test drive car, then why not being offered as a test drive. He politely replied saying Tata are carrying some checks on it. Wonder what he meant, the car was being worked upon and i was told not to start it. He showed me the VX features like reverse guide(impressive), reclining middle row benches & the DVD system. Enagaging in 4WD should be used only when in motion.
VFM The EX 4x4 is the most VFM version for people wanting 4WD. Pros : -- Fantastic Ride
- Very good NVH
- Excellent Comfort
- VFM
- Looks
- Cruising Ability
Cons : -- Steering feedback at high speeds or rather the lack of it!!
- Plastic Quality
- Panel Gaps
- Key Knob difficult to remove from ignition position
- Inconsistent finishing on different cars
Would i recomend this cars to others - YES Would i want to buy this car myself - YES Am i going to buy this car myself - YES, but after others complete the R&D Conlusion - 8/10, i would rate this car much much better then a Innova I hope i have covered all aspects. @ Mods - The other threads is full of short test drivers and if full of posts, its difficult to read and any one wanting proper TD info will have to browse through 200+ posts, hence i made a separate thread.