| My new Pearl White Safari VX 4x4
Hi Everyone,
I recently bought the new Tata Safari 2.2 VX 4x4. Since I am a first time Tata buyer, I did a lot of browsing on these forums for feedback before going ahead with the purchase. Thanks everyone.
I am sharing my experience here; I hope this helps anyone who is thinking about the Safari.
Test Drive & Initial thoughts
Went for a test drive to Concorde Motors sometime end of October. The VX was not available for TD, but there was a Pearl White VX 4X4 on display. The interiors color scheme with the wood finish console was nice and went very well with the pearl white color. Though the plastics quality on it was below par, there few plastics pieces coming off here and there (on inside door handle, in the boot etc) and there were quite a few rough edges. I had already read that this was normal for Tata so did not bother much about it.
I did the test drive in a LX (I think) 4x2 for about 15kms. I am not an auto enthusiast so please excuse the sparse comments on the TD. The engine did not sound noisy at all for a diesel (from inside the cabin i.e). First gear was a little difficult to slot in and had to shift to 2nd as soon as the vehicle was in motion, else the engine was over-revving. The 3rd gear appeared best for city driving as it had very good range. There was a lot of traffic around and I managed the fourth only once. Most of the time the engine sounded fine in third.
Booking and Delivery
We (me and my wife) liked the Pearl White very much and the TD went ok, so we went ahead and booked a Pearl White VX 4x4 in first week of November. We were promised delivery in first of December (four to five weeks), as they said VX 4x4 is made only on order. I am not sure about this so maybe someone who really knows can confirm if this true.
End of November I inquired about the delivery and came to know that it is going to be delayed by two weeks. Was in touch with dealer and someone from the local Tata Motors office and was told there was plant shutdown around 21st Nov, hence the delay. They promised delivery latest by 21st December.
Finally 19th was given as the delivery date. I made all the payments by 15th. Went for inspecting the vehicle on 18th (I wanted to inspect the vehicle before it was registered). No great shakes inspection just visibly inspected whether everything looked fine and checked the doors and interiors.
It was registered on the 19th and took delivery that evening. It was raining that day in Bangalore and since it was my first time driving around I was quite nervous. With the rain, the left side rear view mirror was useless and I had to be really careful while moving left. Thankfully made it home without any problems.
Some general comments:
Surprisingly the quality of plastics on my vehicle is very good, far far different from the showroom display vehicle and what I had expected.
The doors have to be shut hard to close properly. Though over the week I have had the vehicle this seems to be improving. The red lights inside the doors which light up when the door is not closed are helpful in this regard.
The driver side should also have had a handle on the inside roof to help getting in and out (all others doors have it). Without it I sometimes end up pulling myself in by holding on to the steering. I don’t think that is going do the steering wheel any good.
Since you have to literally jump out of the driver door the puddle lamps on the front door are also very useful feature to see what is below.
The co-passenger arm rest fouls with the second gear if the seat is a little forward. No option but to keep the seat a little back. Though the reverse gear does not do so with the driver’s arm rest.
Initially I had thought that the distance between clutch and steering wheel was not sufficient, and my knee would always be hitting the wheel as I released the clutch. But now I have realized that it’s just matter of keeping your left leg at an angle. Also I have not driven a geared car for some time hence my initial difficulty with the clutch.
The control levers for lights and wipers are very flimsy. I am afraid that my two year son is going break them sometime when he is playing.
The steering wheel height cannot be adjusted much. With whatever adjustment and seat I have got now the top indicators on the dashboard (turn, high-beam) are hidden behind the wheel. This coupled with fact that the side-indicators clicking sound is very hard to hear, I always have bend my neck to see if side indicator/high beam is on or not.
The stereo is in a really awkward place. If I am driving in the third (or the vehicle is parked in first), it’s very difficult to adjust it. If I am in the back seat and using the remote-control, then it’s very difficult to see the display with gear lever/driver's hand obstructing it.
The rear view camera has a very wide-angle. I can use it only to verify that there is nothing (child/two-wheeler) behind while backing, not really for parking maneuvers as you can’t really make out distances in it. I think it’s better to get a mirror fixed on the rear door.
The Blaupunkt DVD player is region free.
Some Issues
The Blaupunkt DVD player ate a CD and refused to eject it on the first day. The MICO person came and took the unit back to remove it. It seems fine now.
One of the passenger doors is not sealed properly when closed, so its leaks a few drops of water when it’s raining or while washing. They will take the vehicle to workshop to rectify this.
If I start off in first with steering turned full left, then there is thud noise from the right front side. I am not sure about this so will have this checked with the leak.
Something has started rattling in the rear door. I think something has come loose inside.
There is strange sound (high pitched but very very low volume) from the left rear side when I am sitting in the left rear seat. The fuel lid is a bit loose and looks like that may be making the sound.
The clutch has started squeaking after about 300 kms.
There is a booming sound in the cabin around 1200-1500 RPM in 3rd and 4th gears. I am not sure whether this will improve with time or do I have to avoid this range in these gears. | 
26th December 2007, 21:50
