[triedeverything]

Here are the first few pictures of the animal that we bought home on Jan 1st.

Crash course on the Scorpio

NO Changes to these

First Occupant - tiny back seat driver!

Missing a vase

In your face brake lights - you can't say you didn't see them


I booked it last year and took delivery only last week. There was a free insurance offer going on along with an exchange bonus. I had initially booked the vehicle with India Garage, but they were trying to play hard ball with me. I promptly canceled the booking and played hard ball with Sireesh . The car is partly financed from State Bank of Hyderabad. I must add that for a public sector bank, they were very prompt and efficient, even proactive to an extent. As already mentioned somewhere else on this forum, SBH offers the lowest rates along with SBI. However, there is no processing fee and no preclosure charges. You also get a savings bank account with them complete with ATM card and online banking facility. The borrower is also insured for a nominal amount. So if something untoward were to happen, the dependents are not burdened. Beats the private banks any day. Some of their (my last car was hypothecated with ICICI) terms are almost daylight robbery.

Why the Scorpio?
Having owned an Indica (which didn't give me any trouble whatsoever for over 3 years and 40 thousand kilometers,) my natural inclination was to another Tata vehicle - the Safari. Besides, my wife liked it. (Getting her to accept the Scorpio was a challenge. She is of the opinion that the vehicle is commonly (mostly!) used by Goondas (rowdy, thugs, you know the type)! I had to placate her by allowing her to choose the color. That is how I arrived at the 'Neta's' white and not the the 'Goonda' Black.)

The test drive of the vehicle (Safari) brought me back to reality. It is definitely more spacious - I'll give it that one. Good looking too. However, it felt like a boat - swaying back and forth and from side to side. I was also not comfortable with the larger turning radius. The gear stick of the test drive also rotated everytime I shifted gears. Seriously! It is also only a five seater. Safari owners will tell you that the two rear seats are only for kids. So what was I getting for more than a million rupees? Another 5 seater, and a huge boot with a door. OK, that kind of tells you why not the Safari. The Innova just didn't figure in my list of options.

The Scorpio feels much more stable - hardly any boat like rocking. It is also more eager to please. Responds very well to the right foot and is packed with features. I agree on the space, not as roomy as my other options or even my previous car. However, since none of us have oversized butts, the fit is quite snug. I had planned for the 7 seater with side facing seats but at the last minute, on my brother's argument, I went for the 8 seater. The 8 seater has middle row that can be slided and the back rest can be pushed back just like the front two seats when required. He showed me that it is relatively easy to access the last row and not a bad deal to use. An extra seat suddenly made a whole lot of sense. Of course my argument that the rear door being useless - still holds good. The dials on the spedo and tacho look fantastic - especially when lit at night.

Grouses:
The audio system, the audio system and the audio system! Unbelievably crappy. There is so much of distortion that whatever emanates from the speakers is just noise. Especially true when compared with my previous setup with Pioneer. I don't have any plans in changing it right away, I'm still recovering from hole-in-pocket syndrome. The Scorpio also is not as well insulated as my previous car. Close all the doors and you can still hear the music playing inside - just like you can hear it when the door is open. Don't mistake this as a complaint on too much noise inside the cabin, (its actually as load or as quite as other diesels I've driven) - just my personal observation.

I dislike the gear shift. Even the new trucks from Tata have more aesthetic shifts. I also find it difficult to engage the first gear sometimes.

I dislike the digital fuel gauge and temperature gauge. If I had a choice, I'd go back to the dials.

I also noticed that some parts of the user manual are poorly written and have a lot of errors.

Everything else I love. Period.

Next Steps:
I'll have to fit the free carrier (Hiker) that I am yet to get from the dealer. I'm also planning on VKool on the front windshield. Some time down the road, a touch screen (in dash) ICE is on the cards. Fitting the sub woofer in the limited space available in the rear (my car's rear) may be a challenge. I'd also be very interested in experimenting with HID. If I can get that working correctly, I don't want the bull guard or Fog lights.

Do let me know if you have ideas on what else should be added.

[raj_5004]

hi buddy, first of all, hearty congratulations on your new acquisition. suddenly there is a massive rush of new scorpios in T-BHP!

but why dint you start your own ownership thread? that would have been better.

Originally Posted by triedeverything

Why the Scorpio?
Having owned an Indica (which didn't give me any trouble whatsoever for over 3 years and 40 thousand kilometers,) my natural inclination was to another Tata vehicle - the Safari. Besides, my wife liked it. (Getting her to accept the Scorpio was a challenge. She is of the opinion that the vehicle is commonly (mostly!) used by Goondas (rowdy, thugs, you know the type)! I had to placate her by allowing her to choose the color. That is how I arrived at the 'Neta's' white and not the the 'Goonda' Black.)

Even in T-BHP, scorpio drivers are associated with goondas & rash drivers!

The test drive of the vehicle (Safari) brought me back to reality. It is definitely more spacious - I'll give it that one. Good looking too. However, it felt like a boat - swaying back and forth and from side to side. I was also not comfortable with the larger turning radius. The gear stick of the test drive also rotated everytime I shifted gears. Seriously! It is also only a five seater. Safari owners will tell you that the two rear seats are only for kids. So what was I getting for more than a million rupees? Another 5 seater, and a huge boot with a door. OK, that kind of tells you why not the Safari.

The Scorpio feels much more stable - hardly any boat like rocking. It is also more eager to please. Responds very well to the right foot and is packed with features. I agree on the space, not as roomy as my other options or even my previous car. However, since none of us have oversized butts, the fit is quite snug.

exactly my thoughts when i went of a TD a year back. but in this forum i have heard the opposite. anyways, T-BHP has a lot of safari fans who sometimes wont take these words lightly. so its better to be more easy on words & avoid a debate.

Grouses:
The Scorpio also is not as well insulated as my previous car. Close all the doors and you can still hear the music playing inside - just like you can hear it when the door is open. Don't mistake this as a complaint on too much noise inside the cabin, (its actually as load or as quite as other diesels I've driven) - just my personal observation.

hey, i think the sound insulation should be very good. how is it compared to our indica?

I dislike the gear shift. Even the new trucks from Tata have more aesthetic shifts. I also find it difficult to engage the first gear sometimes.

dont forget the third gear vibration!

Next Steps:
I'll have to fit the free carrier (Hiker) that I am yet to get from the dealer. I'm also planning on VKool on the front windshield. Some time down the road, a touch screen (in dash) ICE is on the cards. Fitting the sub woofer in the limited space available in the rear (my car's rear) may be a challenge. I'd also be very interested in experimenting with HID. If I can get that working correctly, I don't want the bull guard or Fog lights.

Do let me know if you have ideas on what else should be added.

a carrier would spoil the looks terribly, however if its for utility, no debates!

V kool is a good brand but there are a lot of fakes in the market, be careful.

before fitting a sub, please change the crappy speakers and add an amp, this can be discussed in detail in the ICE section of T-BHP.

[Off Roadie]

congrats on your new buy 'triedeverything' and welcome to the club.

[triedeverything]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

there is a massive rush of new scorpios in T-BHP!
I read that Mahindra had almost a 100% increase in sales than Dec 2008.

T-BHP has a lot of safari fans who sometimes wont take these words lightly. so its better to be more easy on words & avoid a debate.
No intentions to start a debate AGAIN. I've followed most of the arguments. I believe that you can't follow your heart every time, that is why the head is above the heart. I also think I am sufficiently qualified with TATA Just my opinions if you may. However, one thing I really appreciate about Safari owners is that there seem to be more of them (active) and almost all of them are equally helpful. On the Scropio, its just you and a couple of others who respond.

hey, i think the sound insulation should be very good. how is it compared to our indica?
The indica had to be turned on to maximum for you to hear the music outside. I usually turn on the system while I wash the car and keep one door open. Everytime the door closed, I had to open it again as I couldn't hear the song. Not so with the Scorpio. I can hear it almost at the same volume (even when it is in the mid position) in spite of all doors being closed.


dont forget the third gear vibration!
Yes sir! There is also a shake up everytime it turns off. And with the hybrid, that is everytime I go into neutral and release the clutch.

a carrier would spoil the looks terribly, however if its for utility, no debates!
Utility only - It's an 8 seater right?

V kool is a good brand but there are a lot of fakes in the market, be careful.
Will deal with the official dealer only.

before fitting a sub, please change the crappy speakers and add an amp, this can be discussed in detail in the ICE section of T-BHP.
I have the amp and Sub saved from my old car. All changes to be made after the HU change.

Will go through the ICE threads to see if I can find some more helpful information.

[raj_5004]

@ triedeverything:

yes, mahindra saw a 2.22 times increase in their sales.

regarding the sound of the music which can be heard outside, where were the speakers of the indica? on the dash right? the speakers of the scorpio are on the door, hence i feel are heard easily outside, just a small assumption! how is the sound insulation inside the cabin? i feel scorpio has a very air tight cabin. you can feel this everytime you close the rear (boot) door with all the front doors closed.

the ICE section of T-BHP is very very helpful (it was to me) but IF you open a thread there, more often than not, you will spend twice your intended budget!

[amitk26]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

@ triedeverything:

i feel scorpio has a very air tight cabin. you can feel this every time you close the rear (boot) door with all the front doors closed.

Dont they have any louver ( rubber hatch opening) under the skirting to release the trapped air. Find out if there is one in Scorp and it is not blocked in your case.
.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by amitk26

Dont they have any louver ( rubber hatch opening) under the skirting to release the trapped air. Find out if there is one in Scorp and it is not blocked in your case.
.

no amit, this is valid for every scorpio & not just mine. infact, this was discussed in some other scorpio thread too & many members gave many solutions to this too.

[getsurya]

Hi triedeverything,

Many congratulations! May the breed grow!

Your car looks awesome in the stunning white colour. Like you said, this car has been associated with 'not so nice' social elements and that is the specific reason I bought this car. No body dares to mess with us

Good initial write up! and trust me, 'Your first occupant' shall enjoy the car more after you! My kids enjoy the beast and look forward for the weekend drives and also the TBHP hyd meets!(I have responded to your PM)

Happy Motoring!

[amitk26]

Congratulations @triedeverything on your beast and wish you many happy miles

Originally Posted by triedeverything

I'd also be very interested in experimenting with HID. If I can get that working correctly, I don't want the bull guard or Fog lights.

Do let me know if you have ideas on what else should be added.

Well I heard that HIDs work best with projector setup else they scatter too much light and blind oncoming traffic.

2 weeks back I changed my safari headlight bulbs to with Phillips Extreame power +80 bulbs and extremely satisfied in my 1500 KM drive from Bangalore to Kanyakumari and Trivendrum last week with about 50% night driving at high speed on NH7 ( 120 -140 Kmph and above on few sections in night).

With stock bulbs even on empty straight 4 lane Highway stretch you can not drive at high speed as beam length is short and you need adequate time for judgment,.

Few more additions to be always kept in the boot of SUV.

(1) Foot pump or 12V Tyre inflator

(2) Tubeless puncture repair kit.

(3) WD 40 rust remover ( to open the wheel nuts in case of puncture)

(4) Flat bed Hydraulic Jack ( Pin type is little too dangerous)

(5) Glass cloth ( to clean wind screen from inside , Those finger marks can be very irritating in night)

(6) Old Newspaper and Colin glass cleaner ( to clean the Windshield periodically on pitstops) : Never underestimate mud carrying dumpers and trucks with out mud flaps on our highways. Dust on windshield is very tiring to eyes specially when most of the people are there with floodlights installed to blind you.

In ICE if you are changing the HU go for one with DVD / Video and install an overhead LCD for rear passengers it is a good add one to keep people specially kids engaged if you plan long runs .

PS : About handling comparison of Scorp and Safari I differ but each to his own.

[bigron]

congratulations on your purchase. looks nice. enjoy your ride.

[triedeverything]

Originally Posted by amitk26

Congratulations @triedeverything on your beast and wish you many happy miles



Well I heard that HIDs work best with projector setup else they scatter too much light and blind oncoming traffic.
I intend to get projectors too. otherwise for the time being its only going to be the fog lights replaced.
2 weeks back I changed my safari headlight bulbs to with Phillips Extreame power +80 bulbs and extremely satisfied in my 1500 KM drive from Bangalore to Kanyakumari and Trivendrum last week with about 50% night driving at high speed on NH7 ( 120 -140 Kmph and above on few sections in night).
How much did these cost? Are they 90/100 or 100/130? White or Yellow?
With stock bulbs even on empty straight 4 lane Highway stretch you can not drive at high speed as beam length is short and you need adequate time for judgment,.

Few more additions to be always kept in the boot of SUV.

(1) Foot pump or 12V Tyre inflator

(2) Tubeless puncture repair kit.

(3) WD 40 rust remover ( to open the wheel nuts in case of puncture)

(4) Flat bed Hydraulic Jack ( Pin type is little too dangerous)

(5) Glass cloth ( to clean wind screen from inside , Those finger marks can be very irritating in night)

(6) Old Newspaper and Colin glass cleaner ( to clean the Windshield periodically on pitstops) : Never underestimate mud carrying dumpers and trucks with out mud flaps on our highways. Dust on windshield is very tiring to eyes specially when most of the people are there with floodlights installed to blind you.
I've already got 1,2,4, 5 and 6. I totally agree with you on the pin type jack. I actually bought one and sold it. Willl the Rust remover be needed for a new car?
In ICE if you are changing the HU go for one with DVD / Video and install an overhead LCD for rear passengers it is a good add one to keep people specially kids engaged if you plan long runs .

PS : About handling comparison of Scorp and Safari I differ but each to his own.
Thank you for not beating me up

Thanks everyone for your kind words and encouragement. More information and pics to follow.

[amitk26]

How much did these cost? Are they 90/100 or 100/130? White or Yellow?

They are 55/65 h4 so no change in wiring required but with 25 meter longer beam and Phillips claim 80% more light.

The cost was 1000 Rs from an accessory shop directly from Phillips dealer people have purchased for 800 Rs.

90/100 or 100/130 would need change in wiring and you may have warranty issues 100/130 is quite disturbing to vehicle on other side.

White / blue bulbs are actually useless for highway driving and have only bling value for city roads.



(3) WD 40 rust remover ( to open the wheel nuts in case of puncture)


I've already got 1,2,4, 5 and 6. I totally agree with you on the pin type jack. I actually bought one and sold it. Willl the Rust remover be needed for a new car?

Well it is for making the wheel nuts loose for changing wheel , Making nut edge blunt with excessive force is worst thing you can do at a remote location.

[anjan_c2007]

Congratulations triedeverything upon buying the new Scorpio.You will enjoy every bit of your time spent behind the wheels of the so called "Rowdys" vahan.True indeed, the Scorpio has been sadly labelled as such and is the mover for corporators and other leaders in the lower rung these days. Those higher up in the ladder and once "Rowdys" now turned savvy, have changed over to Innovas, Endeavours, Fortuners and even Landcruisers.
Do keep on posting your musings from time to time with pictures.

[triedeverything]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

@ triedeverything:

yes, mahindra saw a 2.22 times increase in their sales.

regarding the sound of the music which can be heard outside, where were the speakers of the indica? on the dash right? the speakers of the scorpio are on the door, hence i feel are heard easily outside, just a small assumption! how is the sound insulation inside the cabin? i feel scorpio has a very air tight cabin. you can feel this everytime you close the rear (boot) door with all the front doors closed.

the ICE section of T-BHP is very very helpful (it was to me) but IF you open a thread there, more often than not, you will spend twice your intended budget!

Raj,
What you are saying makes sense. There were 6 speakers in all - 2 on the dash, two on the front door and two on a plank behind the rear door.
Another question on the pressure felt while closing the rear door, why do I feel it only on the rear door and not any of the other doors?

Another question to the group is on the micro hybrid. Do I have to turn off the ignition manually every time I switch off the feature? I find that sometimes, even when the start/stop switch is on, the engine does not stop even though the car is in neutral, has reached a speed of 10kmph at least once in the ignition cycle, engine is reasonably warm and the vehicle is stationary. These are the conditions mentioned in the manual. What I notice is that everytime I turn off the button(start/stop), unless I switch off the ignition and then turn it back on, the feature does not work. Any ideas?

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by triedeverything

Raj,
What you are saying makes sense. There were 6 speakers in all - 2 on the dash, two on the front door and two on a plank behind the rear door.
Another question on the pressure felt while closing the rear door, why do I feel it only on the rear door and not any of the other doors?

the scorpio comes with 4 speakers as standard. have you fitted 2 speakers on the dash?

regarding why the pressure is only felt on the rear door, i think it has more to do with the volume funda! the rear (boot) door being much bigger than the front doors pushes a lot more volume of air into the cabin. this again is just an assumption & i may sound stupid!