[theMAG]

Samurai,

If you're potentially looking at alternatives, do you want to TD an Endeavor? That thing can comfortably soak up quite a few craters worth their name and still live to tell the tale at the end of the day.

[Su-47]

First, the Trax. Then Safari, and now Vitara.

Going by the trend, I think we will get to see a "BMW-X5 or Audi-Q7 Test drive on horrible roads" pretty soon

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by Su-47

Going by the trend, I think we will get to see a "BMW-X5 or Audi-Q7 Test drive on horrible roads" pretty soon

Haha. Taking a cue from that, let's go step by step.

@Samurai, the old Pajero does not interest you? 4-5L more than the GV - but a workhorse.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by ballkey

So, can we look forward for an Endeavour review too? Or is Ford a no-no ?
Somehow I've observed, US returnees seem to hate Ford with a passion.

I have no problem with American cars, I have owned Mercury Sable and Chevy Malibu in the 90s.

Originally Posted by theMAG

If you're potentially looking at alternatives, do you want to TD an Endeavor?

It is longer than Safari, almost as big. We prefer smallish, non-descript vehicles. Safari while it is big, people tend to overlook Tata/Mahindra vehicles.

Originally Posted by artofzen

My two cents:I drove my friends Vitara MT and was not overtly impressed.Reminds me of a diesel car when you crank it up.I dont know whether it was the fault on the car I drove.
If you compare it to Safari,although in different segments,both has lots of pros and cons.But is it worth 15 odd lakhs is the question.

It is not an exciting car to drive on good highways, there it is just an highway cruiser, not a scorcher. But in bad potholed roads, it is too much fun flying over while the Baleno/City/Fiestas would be looking for openings in the pothole maze.

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

And Captiva is just round the corner...going by the praise received by the Optra Magnum diesel engine, this should be one intereseting vehicle to look at.

That would be close to 24L on-road in Karnataka, way out of my budget.

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

BTW, has anyone tried to keep aside the soft corner we have for Tatas and then objectively compare the engine parameters (like noise, performance, gear shift, etc) of GV and Safari? GV will win hands down. And interior quality of safari - don't even go there!

That is why I am not trying to compare the -ve of Safari with +ve of GV, the opposite would be fine. No point comparing Swift with Indica, to give an analogy.

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

Jaggu, that figure is not acceptable. Period. My friend's Vitara gives 7.5 in Delhi/Gurgaon traffic.
And it's a V6. On highway (during our Manali trip) it was giving more than 12kmpl with proper load.Yes Samurai, do not discount this thought.

That's interesting, how did they manage to kill the FE by switching to a small engine? Is the all time 4WD at fault here?

Originally Posted by Su-47

First, the Trax. Then Safari, and now Vitara.

Going by the trend, I think we will get to see a "BMW-X5 or Audi-Q7 Test drive on horrible roads" pretty soon

I promise I'll stop before Porsche Cayenne.

[tsk1979]

Hmm looks like FE is a killer. My gut instinct tells me you will either go for the CRV, Endy or the Safari 2.2
when is the CRV test drive on horrible roads coming?

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Hmm looks like FE is a killer. My gut instinct tells me you will either go for the CRV, Endy or the Safari 2.2
when is the CRV test drive on horrible roads coming?

Isn't the CR-V FE just marginally better than the GV? And although it's got more features, it costs 4L more and has more off-roading capabilites, which seems to be a major requirement.

Other than the Safari, all the other SUV's would set him back by upwards of 15-16L.

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Hmm looks like FE is a killer. My gut instinct tells me you will either go for the CRV, Endy or the Safari 2.2
when is the CRV test drive on horrible roads coming?

From this list i would dump the CRV.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by shuvc

Isn't the CR-V FE just marginally better than the GV? And although it's got more features, it costs 4L more and has more off-roading capabilites, which seems to be a major requirement.

The CR-V was never known to be a better off-roader than GV.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by Samurai

The CR-V was never known to be a better off-roader than GV.

Ooopps.. that's a typo. I wanted to mention otherwise.

[Samurai]

This is from BSM review of GV (Drives - Suzie goes Grand - Business Standard Motoring.

On the other hand, if there's one petrol-powered luxury SUV I wouldn't hesitate to take to the Raid, it would be this. Yes, on gravel, slush and muddy conditions, again, the Grand Vitara is Gypsy-like. It seems to tiptoe over rough terrain like a mountain goat, and those Gypsy genes mean that it's not uncomfortable in offroad or no-road conditions. The Grand Vitara features full-time all-wheel drive, and you also get the option of selecting 4H or 4L with a centre differential lock manually via a rotary knob on the dash. That makes the Grand Vitara a bit serious compared to other SUVs and soft-roaders. Yes, that's right – calling the Grand Vitara a soft-roader just because it's a compact SUV is not fair. The car is an evolution of Suzuki's expertise in making compact 4x4s for about four decades now. Still, I don't expect the typical buyer to go Raiding in it, but at the same time, if he does encounter frequent rough patches on the way to his farmhouse, this machine can handle them with ease.

ACI review (:: AUTOCAR INDIA - CAR AND BIKE MAGAZINE ::)

Switching to low-range via the switch on the dashboard simply transforms the Vitara, allowing it to tackle the steepest of inclines with ease. The Vitara’s full-time four-wheel-drive system may not be useful most of the time, but put it in an environment devoid of grip and there is nothing more reassuring. The good clearance, short overhangs, low-range gearbox and the limited-slip, torque-sensing differential also contribute massively. Additionally, the responsive steering and good body control make driving with gusto a pleasurable experience.
......
......
The new Grand Vitara is more compact in every way, including the vital statistic that is price. It is comfortable, good looking and can do wonders off-road. But is that good enough reason to buy it? Not quite. Except for its off-road prowess, which owners will hardly use, it doesn’t have much going for it.

This car is more of an off-roader, than on-roader. Once you drive it in off-road condition, you will stop calling it an soft-roader. I goggled on it's off-roading capabilities only after driving it off-road. It may not be an extreme off-roader like Gurkha or SWB Jeeps. But comparing with CR-V is not fair since CR-V is not in the same league when it comes to off-roading.

See what say about CR-V in ACI verdict (:: AUTOCAR INDIA - CAR AND BIKE MAGAZINE ::)

However, don’t try to take it off-road, and try not to get turned off by the poor plastics; if you can manage that, the CR-V is a great choice.

The BSM review on CR-V didn't even mention the word off-road in their review. Enough said.

[suman]

Samurai, thanks for a very good review as always. The more I hear about it, the more I'm convinced that the GV is a seriously under-rated car. My MD is in the hunt for a SUV, I've been trying to push the GV but she's hooked on the Endy (because she needs that extra 2 seats) - your report motivates me to try & convince her one last time to at least TD the GV

Originally Posted by tsk1979

when is the CRV test drive on horrible roads coming?

Huh? Don't be a sadist Tanveer, how can you possibly ask a CRV to run on horrible roads? Would you take Britney Spears through the Mahim Creek ?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by shuvc

Ooopps.. that's a typo. I wanted to mention otherwise.

Ok, actually I was shocked at that statement.

[Samurai]

Here is the climb I did using the Vitara TD vehicle, I didn't try this in Safari TD.



I came down in the slope on the right side and then went up that 3 feet tall uneven hill. Nothing difficult, but it was a clean climb with max load, no revving, no extra effort. Saw only the sky in the windshield for few seconds.

[anandpadhye]

So, are you buying it or not?

BTW, what's your opinion on the engine noise and harshness reported by many?

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by anandpadhye

So, are you buying it or not?

Wait for him to test drive the X5