[raghava_boppudi]

Hello BHPians,
A friend of mine has a 2019 Tata Tiago XZ+ which had clocked around 3000km on the odo but has a keen interest to own an SUV or a crossover. A relative of mine, who owns a 2012 Mahindra XUV500, is now looking to trade that car for a small hatchback as he feels he no longer needs such a huge car for his daily commute. He maintains the car in pristine condition. Upon hearing this, my friend is now considering to trade-in his Tiago for the XUV . My journey with cars has just begun so I am quite new to terms like maintenance costs and long-term reliability issues, so I would like to ask you BHPians for an advice. Considering the facts that his Tiago is almost brand new, and that the XUV is now eight years old, is it a reasonable trade-in?

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[Tachyonites]

I would say no. An eight year old XUV500 would not be reliable and the availability of spares would be lesser as compared to a Tiago.
The XUV500 would be a lot more expensive to maintain as well. If your friend has a big family and wants each member to be seated in a single car while travelling, then maybe he should consider the Xuv.

Plus points of owning tiago:
1. Easy servicing with better availability of parts.
2. A much longer life since its only one year old as compared to the 8 year ol' Xuv500.
3. If your friend requires less than five seats then there is no point of getting an Xuv.
4. The features in the top spec Xz+ of the tiago would have a much longer features and goodies list.
5. If you live in an area with a lot of traffic, the xuv would be a pain to drive in bumper to bumper traffic.

Plus points of the Xuv500:
1. Can carry more than 5 Passengers at a time.
2. A lot of space on offer. Easily the most spacious of the lot these days.
3. Even though despite its larger size, its much better to drive and the steering is direct and the gearbox is in tune with this car.

I would still say that it would be a much better option to stay with the Tiago. Hope this was helpful.
Thanks,
Tachyonites

[SDP]

If your friend wanted or needed a SUV, why did he buy a brand new hatch last year? He would be taking a huge depreciation hit if he is selling/exchanging the car now.

If he would sell the Tiago XZ+ today, what's the realistic price he can expect? Most online car sales app/websites, would give you a range. Please check that or get your friend to check that.

How many kms on the odo of the 2012 XUV ?
Which variant? W6, W8, AWD ?
What is the month of manufacture?
Early 2012 XUVs would qualify as "first-batch" XUVs (XUV5OO was launched in Oct2011 IIRC) and one has to be a bit careful with them.

Unlike what the post above suggests, availability of parts is not an issue at all.

[saisailendra]

I wouldn't comment on the deeper aspects like finance but rather my view is on minute aspects - An 8 year old car surely will have signs of wear in the interior as well as the exterior. For example, the texture on the steering wheel as well as the gear knob will be gone. The clutch simply feels "used". The brakes will not have the bite that it would have in the first few years. The suspension wouldn't be the same. The car's seats wouldn't have the plushness. The plastics and switches would definitely take a beating in 8 years, unless maintained very very well. The exterior might have scratches or dents or repainted panels, which will prick in the heart whenever the second owner looks at them (Specifically in this case, since the owner is habituated to looking at his new car for a year).

There are always exceptions. But I primarily mean all these with comparison to a 1 year old car

We can't comment on the reliability of mechanics. But when compared to a new car, the 8 Yr old car would definitely rank lower in that aspect as well.

When someone decided to buy a used car, all these wouldn't matter as much as they matter as in this case, because here the owner has been living with his new car for a while, all these changes might make him regret his decision for swapping an year old car for an eight year old one.

[Kosfactor]

A one year Tiago can be maintained in pristine condition by just giving it a wash that's about it.

XUV is not a troublesome car, if the maintenance schedule is followed and all wear and tear is fixed, it will be a better vehicle obviously since it also used to cost 3 times as much.

Maintenance costs is much different from a 1 year old small hatch. Tires may cost 3 times as much, normal servicing also will cost 2-3 times as much, fuel costs , insurance , cleaning and overall its going to be a more expensive affair ad all wear and tear items are going to be many times more expensive.

Is it worth it? For this person who does not seem to use the car much, Nope. The last thing to do to a diesel car is not to use it everyday, it will ruin it.

[Nithesh_M]

If you're going to buy used diesel SUVs make sure its not either older than 5 years max or run more than 1 lakh kms on Indian roads. Only exception would be if you have access to full service history of that vehicle where you know important parts have been changed on time and periodically serviced.

[Fordlover88]

I don't think it's a good idea to exchange a 1 year old car with a 8 year old one though both are from different segments. By doing so he is taking a huge hit in depreciation. Tiago is a very good car & with such low age & odometer reading it is as good as new. Xuv 500 is also a very good car but 8 years old one will have few signs of wear & tear. Plus you may have to change battery & tyres depending on their condition. You should mention the variant of Xuv to make thing's a little more clear. Everything depend's on your friend's requirements. If he want's to trade in just for the sake of getting a bigger car at similar price then i don't think it's a good idea. But if his requirement's have changed or he needs a bigger car then he may give it a thought depending on the car's condition.

[BLACNWYTE]

An entirely personal opinion, I think it's a gamble going for an eight year old diesel SUV. First of all the OP has not mentioned how much mileage the XUV has accumulated over the years. Even meticulously maintained vehicles will show age (if not externally but mechanically) at this point. The OP says he is related to the XUV owner so I'm assuming that he knows about the complete history of the car and its maintenance. And when he says 'pristine condition' I'm assuming no major accidents or part replacements and the car is running on factory fitted clutch/gearbox etc. The chances of components failing increases with every year. The other point is insurance and maintenance cost, which will be 2-3 times that of a new Tiago.

If the requirement is for seating 5 people comfortably and carrying luggage for the weekend and such trips happen fairly regularly then it make sense to choose the XUV over Tiago. Still, I'll feel a bit more confident to say yes or no if I knew the mileage on the XUV. So if the person is willing to take all these risks then sure, otherwise it's a no-no.

[KPR]

You haven't mentioned Tiago is petrol or Diesel ? If your friend has driven 3000 km in a year with Tiago then he is not a mile muncher. Even for a petrol car 3000 km in one year is a meagre mileage. So the XUV will bring only status quotient for him at a higher maintenance / insurance / tyre cost if he owns for 5 more years after purchase. He has to remember this fact. Still he is inclined towards a new big SUV then better he choose a turbo petrol SUV or even Skoda/Pols TSIs. For your friend's annual usage mileage needn't be a concern.

[raghava_boppudi]

Originally Posted by SDP

If your friend wanted or needed a SUV, why did he buy a brand new hatch last year? He would be taking a huge depreciation hit if he is selling/exchanging the car now.

He does not have the budget to buy an SUV even today, my relative is willing to give his XUV to this friend, and take his Tiago (Barter trade to be precise). When he expressed his interest in this sort of an exchange. It sounded fishy as the XUV was pretty old but I was not completely sure as to what problems would show up. I wanted to do a bit more research and that was why I put that question up.

My relative's XUV did about 1,30,000 on the odo, it is a w6 2WD, pretty sure his was among the first to be delivered in hyderabad, not sure about the month of manufacture
Thanks a tonne for taking time off to reply

Originally Posted by saisailendra

I wouldn't comment on the deeper aspects like finance but rather my view is on minute aspects - An 8 year old car surely will have signs of wear in the interior as well as the exterior.

Cosmetic issues like the fabric aside, the clutch, brake and suspension issues you mentioned are something that have to be seriously considered. Thanks a bunch for this.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

A one year Tiago can be maintained in pristine condition by just giving it a wash that's about it.

You got me wrong sir, (maybe i framed my question the wrong way in the first place sorry, But i meant the XUV was maintained in pristine condition.

Originally Posted by Kosfactor

XUV is not a troublesome car, if the maintenance schedule is followed and all wear and tear is fixed, it will be a better vehicle obviously since it also used to cost 3 times as much.

Maintenance costs is much different from a 1 year old small hatch. Tires may cost 3 times as much, normal servicing also will cost 2-3 times as much, fuel costs , insurance , cleaning and overall its going to be a more expensive affair ad all wear and tear items are going to be many times more expensive.

Is it worth it? For this person who does not seem to use the car much, Nope. The last thing to do to a diesel car is not to use it everyday, it will ruin it.

And yes, for a very cost-consious person like my friend, maintenance costs if he owns such a machine are something he needs to consider. Thank you for taking time off to reply.

[TokyoDrifter]

Originally Posted by raghava_boppudi

My relative's XUV did about 1,30,000 on the odo, it is a w6 2WD

not a good deal IMO. Trading in a car that has at least 9+ years (Tiago) vs. a diesel that’s done more than 1.3 lac. Plus now is not the best time either.

[raghava_boppudi]

Originally Posted by Nithesh_M

If you're going to buy used diesel SUVs make sure its not either older than 5 years max or run more than 1 lakh kms on Indian roads. Only exception would be if you have access to full service history of that vehicle where you know important parts have been changed on time and periodically serviced.

Originally Posted by Fordlover88

I don't think it's a good idea to exchange a 1 year old car with a 8 year old one though both are from different segments. By doing so he is taking a huge hit in depreciation. Tiago is a very good car & with such low age & odometer reading it is as good as new. Xuv 500 is also a very good car but 8 years old one will have few signs of wear & tear. Plus you may have to change battery & tyres depending on their condition. You should mention the variant of Xuv to make thing's a little more clear. Everything depend's on your friend's requirements. If he want's to trade in just for the sake of getting a bigger car at similar price then i don't think it's a good idea. But if his requirement's have changed or he needs a bigger car then he may give it a thought depending on the car's condition.

Originally Posted by BLACNWYTE

An entirely personal opinion, I think it's a gamble going for an eight year old diesel SUV. First of all the OP has not mentioned how much mileage the XUV has accumulated over the years. Even meticulously maintained vehicles will show age (if not externally but mechanically) at this point. The OP says he is related to the XUV owner so I'm assuming that he knows about the complete history of the car and its maintenance. And when he says 'pristine condition' I'm assuming no major accidents or part replacements and the car is running on factory fitted clutch/gearbox etc. The chances of components failing increases with every year. The other point is insurance and maintenance cost, which will be 2-3 times that of a new Tiago.

If the requirement is for seating 5 people comfortably and carrying luggage for the weekend and such trips happen fairly regularly then it make sense to choose the XUV over Tiago. Still, I'll feel a bit more confident to say yes or no if I knew the mileage on the XUV. So if the person is willing to take all these risks then sure, otherwise it's a no-no.

Originally Posted by KPR

You haven't mentioned Tiago is petrol or Diesel ? If your friend has driven 3000 km in a year with Tiago then he is not a mile muncher. Even for a petrol car 3000 km in one year is a meagre mileage. So the XUV will bring only status quotient for him at a higher maintenance / insurance / tyre cost if he owns for 5 more years after purchase. He has to remember this fact. Still he is inclined towards a new big SUV then better he choose a turbo petrol SUV or even Skoda/Pols TSIs. For your friend's annual usage mileage needn't be a concern.

Originally Posted by Tachyonites

I would say no. An eight year old XUV500 would not be reliable and the availability of spares would be lesser as compared to a Tiago.
The XUV500 would be a lot more expensive to maintain as well. If your friend has a big family and wants each member to be seated in a single car while travelling, then maybe he should consider the Xuv.

Plus points of owning tiago:
1. Easy servicing with better availability of parts.
2. A much longer life since its only one year old as compared to the 8 year ol' Xuv500.
3. If your friend requires less than five seats then there is no point of getting an Xuv.
4. The features in the top spec Xz+ of the tiago would have a much longer features and goodies list.
5. If you live in an area with a lot of traffic, the xuv would be a pain to drive in bumper to bumper traffic.

Plus points of the Xuv500:
1. Can carry more than 5 Passengers at a time.
2. A lot of space on offer. Easily the most spacious of the lot these days.
3. Even though despite its larger size, its much better to drive and the steering is direct and the gearbox is in tune with this car.

I would still say that it would be a much better option to stay with the Tiago. Hope this was helpful.
Thanks,
Tachyonites

Originally Posted by TokyoDrifter

not a good deal IMO. Trading in a car that has at least 9+ years (Tiago) vs. a diesel that’s done more than 1.3 lac. Plus now is not the best time either.

Yes, this is what i feel too, i needed some solid information from people who've known cars, to support. Thanks a tonne people

[GTO]

As BHPians have already replied, the answer is NO. That said, I have an additional suggestion. Whenever your friend needs the extra space or feels like driving an SUV on the highway, tell him to rent one from the many self-drive rental companies (Zoom, Revv, Myles...). Going by his annual running of just 3000 km, he anyway doesn't drive too much, so this can be a viable & cost-effective option.

[kamilharis]

NO!! It is never logical to trade a top most fully loaded new car with an 8 year old moderately reliable SUV. He should have decided his preference during his purchase in 2019 itself. Moreover i think the SUV for him is due to a desire factor and not purpose oriented, as his running in a fairly smaller car in a year is merely 3000 km.

[saisree]

One word CRAZY!!
There is no comparison to an one year old hatch to a 8 year old SUV even if maintained pristine. There’s a difference to Sharukh Khan and Ranbir Kapoor

It’s the first batch XUV and there were two upgrades meanwhile. Running, maintenance costs will be definitely higher, even, if he plans to do a daily commute. The comfort factor (ride+ gizmos) will be missed.

Keep the hatch and follow what GTO said below to satisfy the SUV urge or wait for another 5 years and buy a new SUV if the urge is still there.

Originally Posted by GTO

Whenever your friend needs the extra space or feels like driving an SUV on the highway, tell him to rent one from the many self-drive rental companies (Zoom, Revv, Myles...).

+1 to this. The best suggestion, given the usage pattern.