[TheBigV]

Dear members, I am in a bit of confusion. I currently own a 2015 Honda City MT petrol. The car has run close to 95000 km and is running absolutely fine. I am extremely satisfied with Honda's niggle free ownership till date. Now I am looking to upgrade my car preferably to a seven seater. I was down to shortlist between the XUV 700 and Tata Safari. I decided to check out the used car market and while trying out various models of XUV and Safari, I came across a used Toyota Fortuner. The model is August 2020 4 x 2 petrol Automatic. The car is owned by one of my father in law's friend and has run approximately 40000 kms. The car is well maintained and the ride was good, although a bit bumpy. The asking price is around 30 lakhs . Now I would request existing Fortuner owners to help me with the following queries:

1) Will the jump from a sedan to a behemoth like the Fortuner be too much in terms of the driving experience?

2) As I test drove the Fortuner in the city, MID showed an instant FE of 7.5. Can I expect such figures in city drive regularly from such a large car?

3) Should I spend 30 lakhs on a new XUV700/Safari or on a used Fortuner?

4) The car doesn't have an engine cover(pic attached). Does Fortuner petrol not have an engine cover?

Please suggest should I go for the Fortuner.

[vattyboy]

I think you should go with New Xuv700 or Tata Safari.

1. In comparison to your city petrol the Fortuner petrol will feel sluggish to drive.

2. Apart from Toyota's long-term reliability there is nothing extraordinary in the Fortuner petrol. All modern cars can run for about 10 years with ease with regularly maintained at ASS. 10 years also is a long time to own a single vehicle. Just see your case your 2015 city is running perfectly fine but still, you have the itch to upgrade now in about 8 years.

3. Xuv700 has great 200 bhp petrol and 185 bhp diesel engine options with are superior to Fortuner petrol, Safari also has a nice 170 bhp 2.0 multijet diesel.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Compared to the City MT, a petrol Fortuner is a downgrade in terms of performance and comfort, and will consume 2-2.5 times more fuel at the same time. There is no point in going for the Toyota. Your needs will be better served by Scorpio N or XUV700 or Safari. You can also consider the Innova HyCross hybrid if your usage is high. If your need to carry luggage with the third row in use, HyCross is your only relevant option.

[vredesbyrd]

Get the 2.8 diesel or the Scorpio N. 2.7 petrol really isn't cutting any cakes.

[Cresterk]

Are you going to do any hardcore off-roading? Probably not since it’s a 2nd, go for the xuv700 which is superior in every way.

However, the image of the Fortuner is something different. You will get a lot more respect on the road. No one is going to know whether it is 4x4 or 4x2 when you are driving it on the highway or giving you way in the city.

[Sandy Damodaran]

Going a bit against the grain here. Compared to the city, any of the Indian manufacturers vehicles will NOT be niggle free and would come with multiple issues which, if you use your vehicle for long drives to any corner of the country, isn't worth it.

I have absolutely no idea about a petrol fortuner, but would recommend that you stick to the Japs or the Koreans. European and Indian manufacturers have not yet learnt the art of making niggle free vehicles in the regular segment at least.

[bijims]

If you are looking for a style-statement in our Indian context, the Fortuner is the way to go. Moreover, the Indian duo of XUV700 and Safari although feature rich aren't as niggle free as the Fortuner is, however fuel efficiency from the diesel variants would be much better than on the Petrol Fortuner.

You could also check out the Innova Hycross Hybrid for a more fuel efficient 7-seater too.

[TurboSheikh]

If petrol is your choice, then you can get a less driven petrol Crysta for less than 25 lakh. Reliability, stress-free ownership and power won't be an issue.

[inwester]

For ~30 lakhs you can buy the lower variants of Hycross hybrid or brand new XUV700/Safari. You'll hate the ride of Fortuner eventually and that petrol engine is not what people buy this car for. This basically has the same power and torque figures as the new Carens 1.5 Turbo. I would pass.

[Vikram Arya]

I believe I'm not the right person to advise you here however I have one question. Why would you want to pay Rs 30 lacs for a used Fortuner that has 40,000 kms on the clock when a brand new 4X2 AT Petrol Fortuner is Rs 34.18 lacks (Ex-showroom Dehradun)?

If at all you want to go for the Fortuner, go for a brand new one in light of the miniscule price difference as you wouldn't know how this one has been used and taken care of.

[condor]

Originally Posted by TheBigV

1) Will the jump from a sedan to a behemoth like the Fortuner be too much in terms of the driving experience?

From what you have said here, I am not seeing the Need for a Fortuner. On top of it, it's a 4x2 and not a 4x4 (if you had a need for a 4x4). The main point seems to be a known vehicle coming up just when you want to upgrade.

It will be too big, and the FE is going to a big downer.

The other models you have mentioned may be better. Do check those too - back-to-back test drives of all the three models will give you a better idea.

[Clown Prince]

If it is well maintained and you need the respect Fortuner gets in India, then go for it by all means. Otherwise I would suggest you to get a Hycross. But a little contrary to others I won’t endorse going for Safari or XUV700. They are good products but under wrong companies.

[sgmuser]

Originally Posted by TheBigV

Dear members,

1) Will the jump from a sedan to a behemoth like the Fortuner be too much in terms of the driving experience?

2) As I test drove the Fortuner in the city, MID showed an instant FE of 7.5. Can I expect such figures in city drive regularly from such a large car?

3) Should I spend 30 lakhs on a new XUV700/Safari or on a used Fortuner?

4) The car doesn't have an engine cover(pic attached). Does Fortuner petrol not have an engine cover?

Please suggest should I go for the Fortuner.

1. No, it's not. It actually will be more comfortable except the cornering and sudden turns. But advantages are more in suv. Better visibility, better ride as small potholes doesn't matter anymore with 18in tires, overall comfortable sitting position, safety, respect and many more.

2. 5-8 kmpl is the ideal expectation. But depends on the city driving condition like stop and go traffic. Don't worry most of the automatics does this range in city especially the SUVs.

3. No. I wouldn't spend 30 on a xuv700 or N. They're not still niggles free yet. Don't compare these with Fortuner. This is a rock. Very reliable and easy on maintenance in the long term. Especially the petrol is smooth and linear in power delivery. You might be enjoying the sprints more.

4. Iam not sure about this. You can quickly check by booking a test drive with Toyota and compare this car with brand new one as well.

Pls make sure the service records are intact and accident free.

[r2212xx]

Considering your Honda City has done 95,000 km since 2015, doing the math brings it to approximately about 12,000 km a year, approximately 1,000 km a month. Spreading it across each day of the month comes to 33 km a day.
Assuming this is what your usage will be, then a large petrol SUV will not be gentle on the wallet.

Safari does not come in petrol. XUV 700’s turbo petrol engine is frugal than Fortuner’s but is still petrol. Expect fuel efficiency to drop to as low as 10 km/l under certain conditions. You may be better off considering the diesel variants of these vehicles.

If you still wish to have petrol and a seven-seater, then explore Innova Hycross. It has a usable third row and is a strong hybrid. The car has electric bias at city speeds. You can expect real-world efficiency of anywhere between 14 to 19 km/l. On the flip side, the top-end model can cost over 35 lakhs on-road.

That being said, Fortuner has its merits - the conventional, naturally-aspirated four-cylinder petrol motor is very reliable (yes does not come with an engine cover) and no DPF hassles. The size of the car gives quite an assuring feeling on highways. Having an owner who is a family friend is a bonus, especially if spending a significant sum on a second-hand car. Flip side - always single digit FE despite not-so-exciting engine, not-so-smooth ride due to ladder frame chassis (may seem more after driving the City), and off-roading is off limits due to 4 x 2 setup.

Therefore, you may zero down on the best option based on your usage and per month budget for fuel.

[Strykar]

If the fuel consumption is not going to be an issue for you, I'd say get it.
Personally, I'd get a diesel, the petrol would be too expensive to run for my taste.