[sriku]

Originally Posted by anjan_c2007

sriku the Bolero may be in full form now after the service by the A.S.S. I read about the theft attempt in your first post on day one.The archaic fuel tank locks need to be done away with by M&M. One pays about Rs 7L and still gets the Fiat 1100D /Premier Padmini (1960's) kinda locks.
Another glaring fault in the older Boleros (till even a year back I suppose) were the large star screws fastening the doors from outside. That can be unscrewed by anyone to dismantle the doors fully.
The newer Boleros (including yours) have the doors screwed from the inside.

Totally agree about the archaic security features and lack of attention to detail. I didn't know that older Bolero's had the screws from the outside! That's simply negligence...

Originally Posted by basilmabraham

Nice crisp review of the Bolero. Happy to see more and more satisfied Bolero owners.

All the best with the ride.

Thanks Sirji, I am definitely a satisfied Bolero owner, and happily so are my family. Initially they were pushing for a petrol hatchback, but now that they are used to the massive proportions of the Bolero, and the road presence that goes along with it, they are glad I didn't opt for a smaller car.

Cheers,

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by sriku

Totally agree about the archaic security features and lack of attention to detail. I didn't know that older Bolero's had the screws from the outside! That's simply negligence...

Thats not negligence, thats a awesome feature to potray rugged nature of the vehicle. I don't think any Bolero would have got stolen by the thief opening the door screw from the hinges. Come to think to it, I have never heard a MM540 Soft Top/ Gypsy Soft Top ever getting stolen. As a matter of fact for your knowledge, nothing has changed now except M&M just putting a plastic cladding on the hinges to give an hogwash to the customers.

Originally Posted by sriku

Thanks Sirji, I am definitely a satisfied Bolero owner, and happily so are my family. Initially they were pushing for a petrol hatchback, but now that they are used to the massive proportions of the Bolero, and the road presence that goes along with it, they are glad I didn't opt for a smaller car.

Cheers,

I don't exactly agree to this. If I leave the last row out, the space available is at par my Uno or Palio. The only place that has massive proportions on the inside is the Driver seat. I find the driving position much better than Scorpio or Xylo or any other SUV (entirely my opinion)

[sriku]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

I don't exactly agree to this. If I leave the last row out, the space available is at par my Uno or Palio. The only place that has massive proportions on the inside is the Driver seat. I find the driving position much better than Scorpio or Xylo or any other SUV (entirely my opinion)

I agree with you MC, but what I meant about massive proportions were the external proportions and road presence, and the ability to seat 4 six-footers with more comfort than say a smaller hatchback. My folks find it difficult to crouch and crawl into the ikon, and the step up entry (easier) into the Bolero has them very pleased.

That being said, the midrow leg room is barely enough if the front seats are pushed all the way back, and I'm always annoyed that the midrow seats don't fold down or up to increase cargo room. In any case, the minute the seats start to show signs of wear, I'm going to replace them with custom ones in the front and a foldable one in the midrow and none in the rear. So many things to customize, so little money :(

[adsaini]

Hi Sriku,

Glad to know you are enjoying the drive and quite happy with Bolero.

Personally I love Bolero and have been thinking to buy one for almost an year now. My Indica has done 70K+ and I want to upgrade to a bigger vehicle now. Looking at the simplicity of Bolero's engine (DI Turbo and not CRDe VLX) and design I opt for this any day however family is quite inclined towards Xylo for the features it offers. Moreover the price difference is also negligible for the available features.

Two months back I took the test drive of a Bolero SLX with family and their feedback was that it is a bit cramped and interiors didn't appeal them much. My perspective is that interiors can be further enhanced and seats etc can be modified. But the kind of confidence this vehicle will give when we are on our trip to remote areas of Himachal/ Uttaranchal or any other area, that confidence might not be equalant in other vehicles.

Any more pointers which can somehow eliminate this confusion and help in deciding whether to go for Bolero or Xylo?

Excuse me if I don't make any sense here...

[sriku]

Sirji, thanks for the comment. Apart from the price-tag, in my opinion, for a family vehicle the Xylo is certainly more prudent. A bolero will not be as comfortable, quick and spacious as the Xylo. In my opinion, the Bolero is not a family mover, its a utility vehicle that offers enough room for cargo and enough power and durability for crappy roads. Maintenance is not expensive. The Bolero SLX is in its element when carrying loads of cargo across the State highways and broken roads in India. However, it feels a little out of place on the National Highways and city streets, where the Xylo simply outperforms on most counts. The Xylo is very spacious, quicker and has the refinement that the Bolero lacks. I was never in two minds when I chose the bolero because my primary reason to get it was to abuse it on broken roads where the xylo would bankrupt me. Hope it helps.

Cheers,

[adsaini]

Thanks Sriku for the detailed explanation. This has really helped. I will focus on Xylo now.

Thanks
Aman

[darxide]

Originally Posted by MileCruncher

I drive the XD3P albeit with a Bosch CRDI system and beileive me its a pocket rocket. But doesn't return mileage like the DI Turbo which (no offences meant) is very sluggish and one needs to work on it to get something out.

sir is it that the engine in your bolero is the same xd3p but only with a Bosch CRDI system. is it possible to modify my xd3p the same to improve the performance?

[MileCruncher]

Originally Posted by darxide

sir is it that the engine in your bolero is the same xd3p but only with a Bosch CRDI system. is it possible to modify my xd3p the same to improve the performance?

The basic engine block is the same but there are lot of modifications also. And the cost of doing this transformation including getting a turbo and an intercooler may not be worth it. So I would suggest looking at other performance mods like FIP settings.

Cheers

[zalaps]

Originally Posted by sriku

Sirji, thanks for the comment. Apart from the price-tag, in my opinion, for a family vehicle the Xylo is certainly more prudent. A bolero will not be as comfortable, quick and spacious as the Xylo. In my opinion, the Bolero is not a family mover, its a utility vehicle that offers enough room for cargo and enough power and durability for crappy roads. Maintenance is not expensive. The Bolero SLX is in its element when carrying loads of cargo across the State highways and broken roads in India. However, it feels a little out of place on the National Highways and city streets, where the Xylo simply outperforms on most counts. The Xylo is very spacious, quicker and has the refinement that the Bolero lacks. I was never in two minds when I chose the bolero because my primary reason to get it was to abuse it on broken roads where the xylo would bankrupt me. Hope it helps.

Cheers,

Hey Sriku,
It's been good 4 years passed by. I hope you are holding on to the bolero. I think it is good time to share your long term experiences!

[ramzsys]

Originally Posted by sriku

Cheers,

Sriku

Waiting for updates about your ownership experiences(including service).

Cheers.

[sriku]

Originally Posted by zalaps

Hey Sriku,
It's been good 4 years passed by. I hope you are holding on to the bolero. I think it is good time to share your long term experiences!

Originally Posted by ramzsys

Sriku

Waiting for updates about your ownership experiences(including service).

Cheers.

Unfortunately, my brief ownership was less than a year (~9 months) after which the bolero was stolen. Will be TD-ing the 2015 Bolero for sure, I'm still fascinated by it.
Cheers.