[forty6]

Hola fellow internal combustion engine lovers.

I am in a quandary.

I have a 6 year old Duster AWD which has done 77K kms. Not all of those have been in the city. It has done Gurgaon to Dhanushkodi. Bhutan. Spiti. And quite a lot of trips to Himachal and Uttrakhand. In fact the girl I was in love with, was just like me in love with the hills, maybe that's why I fell in love with her but I digress. So, since both of us were smitten with hills, I sold my first car - Fabia, and got the Duster. Frankly going to Duster from Fabia was quite a let down, in terms of equipment and interiors, but mechanically the Duster was leagues ahead. It had AWD, independent rear suspension, cruise control, speed limiter, ESP and switchable traction control. From the F1 days I had known that Renault were brilliant with software, read traction control, so I had no qualms with the electronics. Or using them. The speed limiter is a life saver these days with speed cameras popping up everywhere.

Then there is subjective thing of looks. I just love the way the Duster looks and its proportions. I think lots of car makers don't really get proportions right. It doesn't look that tough, but apparently it is. I also like its squattish looks.

But, what I absolutely love is the fact that it can go anywhere. It has the ability to surprise you. Fast corners, take them. Steep incline, just press on. Snow and ice, easy peasy. Sand, ok maybe not its cup of tea. But, still if there is a car that embodies the war time Britain's favourite line "Keep Calm and Carry on" this one is it. In fact for a crossover it does the car bit also very well. I have surprised many car owners on fast mountain roads, the duster skimming the camber like a surfer on waves. Its mechanical grip is very good and then there is its ability to simultaneously transfer information of the road to your fingerprints while not letting you know the professional integrity, or rather lack of it, of the Chief Engineer of PWD or NHAI or BRO.

To be honest, I love it for it can flirt with Centripetal force while still adoring bad roads.

Oh, oh, the engine and gearing is a peach too.

So, not with the 10 year thingmajig in NCR looming and stories about injector issues scaring me, I was thinking of replacing it.

I value ride quality, steering heft, a good punchy engine, mechanical grip, an elegant proportionate design and a good AC. The rest are kinda negotiable.

What are my options?

Err, these.

1. Skoda Slavia 1.5: What?! Ok, I get it. Not really the go anywhere machine that I want, but it tugs at my heart. It has very good ground clearance too. So, can kind of do bad roads I guess. Ok, maybe not Spiti and other such solution to mid-life crisis but it will be better at dealing with roundabouts and twisty roads better than any SUV.

2. Tata Safari: The more I look at the XUV 700 the more I realise I don't like its design. It is just the XUV 500 with some nip and tuck. And i never liked XUV 500. I understand that in terms of engine and suspension (independent rear) it is better, but I still like the Harrier/Safari combo. But, two problems with it. One, and this is me being a weirdo, I hate the way its rear axle looks from behind. I don't know, can't explain, but just makes me go barf. The second is that it is still FWD and if I have to go FWD, should I go for..

3. Jeep Compass: Like the looks, like the interiors and I know it rides and drives well. But, expensive, since I can't afford the 4x4, and for an SUV its approach angle is atrocious. And did I say expensive.

4. ScorpioN: The amount of jokes i have cracked on the Scorpio and those who drive them, are going to come and bite me in the behind and be proof of the karmic theory, but it looks like a decent package. Maybe just RWD is going to be good enough, since I have seen enough and more Boleros and Scorpio eat the crap roads in the hills that is the most off road I am going to be doing. I am just worried about Mahindra's ability to even make classy things chintzy. And the fact that it is a B0F chassis, and I don't think it will really be that much enjoyable in the good roads in the hills. The suspension and inherent nature of BoF chassis might make it a bit boing boing even on straight but undulated highways that we have many of. So, that's that.

What do you guys think? And recommend.

TIA.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by forty6

I have a 6 year old Duster AWD which has done 77K kms.

My first question to you is, why on earth do you want to replace a 6-year old car with just 77000 km on the odo? Please spend some time on my thread of keeping cars for long (ARTICLE: YOUR 5 year old car : Keep, Upgrade or Swap?). Most BHPians now retain their cars for 9 - 10 years.

So, not with the 10 year thingmajig in NCR looming and stories about injector issues scaring me, I was thinking of replacing it.

You need to do some serious calculations.

- Is it financially wise to keep the Duster till the 9th or 10th year, then sell it off for a lower price? How much will you get for your car in the 9th - 10th year?

- Or sell it today? How much will you get today?

Don't worry about the cost of injectors. It's always cheaper to repair your existing car than buying a new one.

Skoda Slavia 1.5

You'll love the driving pleasure. One heck of a turbo-petrol sedan, the most fun <20 lakhs. Just be prepared for the usual Skoda ownership nonsense.

Tata Safari

I don't think you'll be happy with it, after a Duster AWD. The XUV700 is a better car IMHO.

Maybe you could also consider a 2 year old Compass 4x4 that might fall in your budget?

ScorpioN

We're driving it next week & embargoes for the first drive end on 30th June @ 10 AM. Mahindra body-on-frames haven't usually offered a good balance between ride & handling, so after a Duster AWD, keep your expectations real.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Best option: keep the Duster going for another 3 years. Evidently, your car is in fair shape and will easily serve you without six figure expenses. Eek out as much as you can from it. You won’t get much for it today anyway.

If you have made up your mind to replace it, your best bet is a pre loved Compass 4x4. Maybe even the Trailhawk version of you find one. Compass residual values have increased over the past 2 years, but it is still a steal, especially for the top variant.

Coming from a Duster 4x4, it is highly unlikely that you will find the ride and handling of a ladder frame vehicle satisfactory. It’s a very different driving experience, you either love it or your hate it.

[padmrajravi]

You should get the Scorpio N. And the 4x4 AT version at that. You love the hills and I don't think anything better than Scorpio N is in the pipeline for the next couple of years.

Originally Posted by forty6

ScorpioN: The amount of jokes i have cracked on the Scorpio and those who drive them, are going to come and bite me in the behind and be proof of the karmic theory, but it looks like a decent package.

.

That's okay. Opinions change when we get wiser.

XUV700 would have been the better choice for you since you are coming from a Duster. But I get the point about the looks. Even though a great package, XUV700's looks let it down. I was never able to digest it as well. And if your car does not prompt you to take pictures of it every now and then, it is not the right car for you.

[dhanushs]

Hey buddy, if you are selling your Duster, I will be seriously interested.

That said, it's again hard to replace the qualities of the duster, like the ride quality, the AWD capability etc in a similar price bracket. Your replacement (Upgrade) would be a used Endeavor, or a Jeep Compass.

You can even consider the XUV700 for that matter.

[sandeepmdas]

Originally Posted by GTO

Don't worry about the cost of injectors. It's always cheaper to repair your existing car than buying a new one....

I own a Duster 110 AMT; it is entering its's 6th year and has done 61,300 kms till this morning. My daily drive and in fact, without the Covid 19 lockdowns the car could have easily crossed 100K by now. It is expected to do 20K kms this year. Two injectors had been replaced, one out of warranty. Even without that the car is costing me Rs 2 - 2.5 per kilometer as service cost. Means I am anticipating 40 to 50,000 rupees for routine service alone this year.

That may sound whopping, but consider the math:
- the car is out of loan now, means I don't have to pay an EMI of 26K anymore. Even with a dreaded injector failure, I'd still need to pay what's equivalent of 2 or 3 EMIs "only".
- since the car is now single-owner, my insurance costs less
- I am self-employed, and the maintenance is part of the tax lore to a certain extent. I can even claim some GST returns.

Add to that, there are intangible things that only TBHPians can understand when you sit behind the steering wheel

Originally Posted by GTO

Mahindra body-on-frames haven't usually offered a good balance between ride & handling, so after a Duster AWD, keep your expectations real.

I also own the XUV500, 2013 model (its replacement 700 is expected only on April 2023). I can vouch this. The 500 is not bad (being monocoque) but compared to Duster suspension, it is still in the woods. And the braking is mediocre even with Michelin tyres.

Therefore I too advise you keep the car. Your car is unique. Public awareness about the advantages of AWD/4WD is increasing (thanks to Thar) and morons who go sand bashing in Goan beaches in Creta etc are now universal laughing stock. Postpone your decision for another 3-4 years and who knows, you'd be driving an EV AWD.

[forty6]

Mod Note : Please use the EDIT or QUOTE+ (multi-quote) button instead of typing one post after another on the SAME THREAD!

To know how to multi-quote, click here.

Originally Posted by GTO

My first question to you is, why on earth do you want to replace a 6-year old car with just 77000 km on the odo? Please spend some time on my thread of keeping cars for long (ARTICLE: YOUR 5 year old car : Keep, Upgrade or Swap?). Most BHPians now retain their cars for 9 - 10 years.

Thanks for the prompt reply.

You are right, ideally I would like to keep it considering I replaced the suspension and tyres recently. But, I don’t know how much will it fetch after let’s say 2 or 3 more years. Right now I got an offer of around 6 from one of the online re-sellers.

To be honest I can always keep the car in my village in Rajasthan, so it isn’t really sell now or scrap later.

The compass 4x4’s gearbox has been panned by you as well as many others I have talked to. So, I was kind of shying away from it.

Maybe XuV700 is the one. I can book it now and by the time I get it I would have surely done many thousand Kms and another year or two would have passed.

Let me ponder over all this.

Thanks for the inputs.

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

I own a Duster 110 AMT; it is entering its's 6th year and has done 61,300 kms till this morning. My daily drive and in fact, without the Covid 19 lockdowns the car could have easily crossed 100K by now. It is expected to do 20K kms this year. Two injectors had been replaced, one out of warranty. Even without that the car is costing me Rs 2 - 2.5 per kilometer as service cost.

I am loan free on this car. The trouble isn’t really the spends on it. I have a bike whose two tyres cost as much as 4 on the Duster, so I am little used to spending money on my vehicles. The trouble is if the injector issue happens on a longish drive. That headache is troublesome for my heart.

Maybe I should just book an XUV and worry see as and when the delivery date arrives.

EVs I am still ok as a city runabout, but as long distance vehicles they are snowflakes. Maybe a ICE car with an electric differential to give you 4WD as and when required is a better bet.

Originally Posted by dhanushs

Hey buddy, if you are selling your Duster, I will be seriously interested.

That said, it's again hard to replace the qualities of the duster, like the ride quality, the AWD capability etc in a similar price bracket. Your replacement (Upgrade) would be a used Endeavor, or a Jeep Compass.

You can even consider the XUV700 for that matter.

Shall keep you in mind. And Duster in my heart.



And going through all the replies, I think the majority opinion is to keep the Dusty and instead get a new bike.


P.S: Also, just read the mod message of using multiple quote option. Shall keep that in mind. Thanks.
Mod Note: Also the edit feature, which allows you to edit the existing post within a certain time window.

[GreasyCarb55]

Originally Posted by forty6

What do you guys think? And recommend.


TIA.

Now 2 years ago I would've not even recommended Mahindra but in the last 2 years they've been doing a pretty good job with their launches and yes I'm talking about the XUV 700 and the 2nd gen Thar.

With the Scorpio-N being so close I feel like you should wait for that and as GTO said the embargo on the Scorpio-N first drive ends on June 30th, you should wait for that and take a test drive.

Plus the Scorpio-N apparently is coming with the same engines from the XUV700, the 2.2L mHawk Turbo Diesel and the 2.0 mStallion Turbo Petrol, the Diesel will be slightly detuned at 172hp and 370nm (Manual)/400nm (Automatic) compared to the XUV700 diesel which makes 185hp and 420nm (Manual)/450nm (Automatic) but the Petrol version will come in the same state of tune as the XUV700 (197hp/380nm).

There are a whole bunch of features in the Scorpio-N which I will list below (taken from the Scorpion-N thread on TeamBHP, originally posted by forum member @RavenAvi :

- 172BHP/370Nm for diesel 6-speed MT. Same power for 6-speed AT, but with 400Nm torque.
- 197BHP petrol. Same as 7OO.
- AT with 18-inch dual tone alloy wheels, MT with 17-inch dual tone alloy wheels.
- Ground Clearance 205mm.
- Rear penta-link suspension with FSDs.
- Optional 4-Mode 4x4.
- Handles up to 47 degrees of descent and 57 degrees of ascent on a steep slope easily.
- Fantastic approach & departure angles. Exact figures in a day or two.
- High speed handling, cornering and road manners well sorted.
- Full LED front foglamps surrounded by full LED "Scorpion tail" DRLs.
- Latest Gen ESP suite with all features. Traction Control, Hill Descent Control, etc. same as 7OO.
- 6 Airbags.
- Dual Zone Climate Control.
- Brown leatherette interiors, including brown dual-tone finish leather seats.
- 12-speaker Sony system with 3D sound staging. Same as 7OO.
- Android Auto & Apple CarPlay.
- Driver drowsiness detection.
- Tilt & telescopic steering wheel.
- Push button Start/Stop.
- Normal sunroof.
- Normal cruise control.
- No ADAS or related features.
- 7 colour shades - White, Silver, Black (Napoli), Red (Rage), Blue (new), Green & Gold (Brushed).

Link to Scorpion-N thread for more info (Next-gen Mahindra Scorpio | Now revealed as Scorpio-N)

[GTO]

Originally Posted by sandeepmdas

- the car is out of loan now, means I don't have to pay an EMI of 26K anymore. Even with a dreaded injector failure, I'd still need to pay what's equivalent of 2 or 3 EMIs "only".

Man, I L-O-V-E the EMI free life .

Plus, not like a new car will be cheaper to own in terms of annual payout. There will be costs of service for that too, higher insurance, extended warranty, huge down payment, the dreaded EMIs...

Add to that, there are intangible things that only TBHPians can understand when you sit behind the steering wheel

Still the best ride quality this side of 40-lakhs, brother . And that AWD, man!

Originally Posted by forty6

You are right, ideally I would like to keep it considering I replaced the suspension and tyres recently. But, I don’t know how much will it fetch after let’s say 2 or 3 more years. Right now I got an offer of around 6 from one of the online re-sellers.

Let's say hypothetically, you get 3 lakhs after using it for another 4 years. That's costing you just 75k / year in depreciation. Compare that to a new petrol sedan which will lose a lot more in the initial couple of years.

The compass 4x4’s gearbox has been panned by you as well as many others I have talked to. So, I was kind of shying away from it.

Compass MT is very good. AT now a 7 / 10. Check my latest review on the Compass thread.

The trouble is if the injector issue happens on a longish drive. That headache is troublesome for my heart.

New cars also breaking down big time, bud, especially the Skodas on your shortlist . Look through Team-BHP and you'll see even Hyundai & Kia owners (over and above usual suspects like Tata, VW) complaining of breakdowns in the warranty period.

While a new car will have the odds of being more reliable, am not sure it's worth selling off a 6-year old car just for that added reliability.

[forty6]

That seals it then. I am off to figure the next bike then. The trusty Dusty will soldier on for the next few years.

Thanks much.

[pbaruah]

Good decision. I have a 6 year old duster AWD that has done over 100,000KM.
Engine issues recently cropped up. Injectors did not fail, but I had them calibrated and there were issues with the diesel pump. Weighed the pros and cons and decided to keep the Duster for next 3 years at least. Financially it makes more sense. I am willing to spend more on it if required, but it will save me from entering an overpriced market. Even with the diesel pump issue, when the service center gave me a green light in Uttarakhand, I drove it for over 400Kms without any issue.

Till the minor engine issues, the Duster has been very reliable. It can take a lot without complaining and the ride quality is still unbeatable. I routinely prefer it over my altis despite the altis being very comfortable and an automatic. The Dusters agility, stability, and ability in the mountains is excellent. Could not think of a replacement without moving to a much higher segment. So, to many more trips to the mountains!

[na_agrawal]

This thread started off on 21st June at 11 in the night and the OP has taken a NO-GO decision by 22nd June evening. That's not even 24 hrs for a sensible decision! Phew, AWD duster saved.


Truly shows the POWERRRR of this forum!

Happy Wheelin,
~NA

[Romins]

Please keep the Duster, there is nothing in the market you can replace with. When we wanted to carry truck load of stuff to Kerala during 2018 floods, Duster was the first one we chose among the friends' cars. We were sure, we could come back with Duster though we didn't know anything about the road conditions.

6 years is nothing for a car's life. Cars are built to last one's lifetime, maybe the next generation as well. I would go ahead and buy a 10year old car if that is maintained well. We still have a 17year old Santro in our family, doing a wonderful job.

[Tgo]

Originally Posted by forty6

That seals it then. I am off to figure the next bike then. The trusty Dusty will soldier on for the next few years.

To reinforce your decision, my family is holding on to two Dusters. 2WD is 10 and AWD is 7 year old now. I moved to Canada recently and found the perfect Duster replacement here. It is not possible in India unless I spend 2 times of what I did on the Duster AWD.

[Indepth]

My 2 cents -

There are some vehicles impossible to replace/upgrade from.
"You own one such vehicle".
So, either wait for the vehicle to give up (age/ some major issue etc) or simply buy an additional vehicle (if no financial / parking issues).

"This one is a keeper".

Furthur, it will be difficult for you to swear upon the looks of any other crossover / SUV (compared to Duster).
In my opinion, Duster is the only cross to give a SUVish feel.