Most comfortable car/SUV for long journeys (under 12 Lakh)

reignofchaos · 13th October 2009, 23:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by smsrini

Mitsubishi Lancer. Excellent car to drive. Good rear seat. get a diesel, and enjoy the journeys. Even the Cedia I hear is good to drive, though the back seat is not as great as the lancer.

Hyundai Verna and preowned Elantra ??

Even the Logan has a very good ride, and sufficient seating. the FE is a big Plus.

cheers!

Lancer and Cedia have exactly the same back seat. Not the most comfortable place to be in for a rear seat passenger. However for drivers, nothing bests the driving position. Its super comfy.

WhiteKnight · 14th October 2009, 10:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohan41

Thanks a lot guys. Innova seems to be the most preferred, as some other friends also favored it. Among the three (Innova/Scorpio/Safari) my personal preference is Innova. Isnt there any Sedan that comes close to this?

There is a basic advantage for an SUV/MUV over sedan- that is the sense of roominess. It helps a lot in fighting fatigue for a non-driver. A well designed MUV like innova/Xylo allows everyone (especially kids) some room to play around and stretch.

Otherwise, for sheer comfort and ability to cruise at high speeds, I'd say Optra Magnum. Once the Cruze settles, expect some (more) serious discounts on it too.

Good luck!!

shankar.balan · 14th October 2009, 11:15

No 1: INNOVA
No 2: XYLO
No 3: Safari

IMO - go with INNOVA - you will never regret it.
If you want to save some bucks and get Innova-like comfort and a lot of features at a value price, buy the XYLO and then maybe spend a bit of the money you save (having not bought the Innova) in some good alloys and upsized + upgraded tyres for your Xylo.

Cheers

AltoHoncho · 14th October 2009, 11:42

No 1: INNOVA
No 2: INNOVA
No 3: INNOVA

Nothing matches the overall offering, I have a Safari DiCOR but its actually scary, you always drive in a fear of a body roll, Pathetic handling and seriously terrible fuel economy (for safari, the FE measurement is in Kms per gallon

). I dont know much about Scorpio though but would anyday prefer a Toyota rather than Mahindra.

issigonis · 14th October 2009, 11:44

Mohan,

My two pennies worth :

An SUV ( viz. Safari) or an MPV ( Innova) will provide you space for five people, and your luggage. These will also provide you fairly decent comfort levels.

My experience in being driven in a Qualis (MPV) on an Ahmedabad -Somnath-Ahmadabad trip and in an Innova (MPV) on many Delhi-Ranikhet-Delhi trips has been that comfort, especially for older passengers is somewhat of an issue.

Having driven a proper sedan ( albeit with only four people including myself in the drivers' seat) over highways, I can vouch for the comfort and space in them. High levels of comfort on long highway drives is not a speciality of our MPVs, IMHO.

Therefore, please consider the following vehicles :

MPVs : Innova, Tavera, Xylo
SUVs : Scorpio, Safari
Sedans : Optra, Civic, Corolla (a little beyond 12 lacs actually for the latter two)

Take test drives, request your parents and wife to sit at the rear and double check on their comfort before deciding.

The trouble is, once you get used to certain comfort levels and driving dynamics, you don't want to step down one or more levels

(e.g., after driving the Jetta 1.9 TDI, I find the steering of my faithful Indica DLS very very vague and the ride very hard. But these are vehicles at very different price points, with different objectives

Cheers and safe and enjoyable driving!

Regards

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mohan41 · 14th October 2009, 13:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Hi, as per your requiement i would say Innova will be the best suited for you. Third row seats arent anything to talk much about but then that is the case with most vehicles. Also I guess you can consider Scorpio Vlx. But guess as long as your drive is mostly on higways may be Innova is the better choice.

@mpksuhas: Anything -ve in particular with Innova on non-highway travels?

I used to wonder why very few people suggest Sedans, even though some sedans have longer wheelbase than Innova. Perhaps the low seating makes them uncomfortable for long duration?

Once again, thanks to everyone for your responses.

PAVAN KADAM · 14th October 2009, 15:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohan41

@mpksuhas: Anything -ve in particular with Innova on non-highway travels?

Buddy,

Please go through this link.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...muv-india.html

The only -ve with the Innova is, Its getting replaced by a new model very soon.

Doesn't make sense buying a new Innova and after a year see it out of production.

BTW have you Test Driven any of the above cars that we've been discussing on this thread ?????

n.devdath · 14th October 2009, 16:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohan41

@mpksuhas: Anything -ve in particular with Innova on non-highway travels?

I used to wonder why very few people suggest Sedans, even though some sedans have longer wheelbase than Innova. Perhaps the low seating makes them uncomfortable for long duration?

Once again, thanks to everyone for your responses.

There is nothing -ve about the Innova on non highway travels exepct the fact that it is may not handle bad roads all that good due to its smaller tires and lower GC.

Coming to sedans, you can try the Optra Magnum which is a scorcher on the highway. The Octy doesnt have enough legroom at the rear for 3 people. The Corolla too is a proven long distance highway car worldwide.
On the lower end of the market, check out the Dzire if you like its looks.

McLaren Rulez · 14th October 2009, 18:48

As if it hasn't been emphasized enough already, I'll add my voice to the chorus of Innova. Its easily the pick of the segment and does everything you need. And you know you'll be ninety before it breaks down!

trrk · 14th October 2009, 19:15

Hi Mohan,

Having used both,

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohan41

We are a family of 4 (my parents, wife, self, our heights are between 5.5 and 6ft) and my kid.

and going by your family size and height,

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhiteKnight

Having said that, I wish Innova's ride is better and seats a shade more supportive for the under-thighs. Safari is better in that aspect. But Safari does not have a usable third row.

and with WhiteKnight highlighting the exact negatives, that I wanted to highlight, the choice would be Safari.

Xylo beats all of them for space and the seating comfort, but may lose out on ride comfort.

My 5ft4 inch wife was unhappy with the 2nd row captain's chair in the Innova in the one really long journey we had. Personally even I was not happy with the driver's seat (in comparison to the Safari).

smsrini · 15th October 2009, 00:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Lancer and Cedia have exactly the same back seat. Not the most comfortable place to be in for a rear seat passenger. However for drivers, nothing bests the driving position. Its super comfy.

Not quite. The Lancer's seat is placed higher and more angled up for thigh support than the cedia.

reignofchaos · 15th October 2009, 00:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by smsrini

Not quite. The Lancer's seat is placed higher and more angled up for thigh support than the cedia.

The angle might be different but the seats are exactly the same. Have seen it numerous times when I go to give my car for service. Anyway this argument is not much help to the thread.

The best rear bench seat is the Optra Magnum. Innova seats are not that nice for long drives. After a 6 hour chennai bangalore drive, my back was almost broken. In comparison, I've done very many drives to chennai at way higher speeds in my car and have never ever felt an iota of discomfort.

issigonis · 15th October 2009, 14:38

See my post above : for longish highway drives, comfort, especially for the back and the shoulders is nearly always an issue in our SUVs. Not so in sedans. I can only vouch for the Jetta and the Indigo, based on personal experience.

I didn't find either the Innova ( even with its split/captain's seats in the second row) or the discontinued Qualis very comfortable.

My opinion, of course.

Regards

tsk1979 · 15th October 2009, 14:54

since you said SUV/Sedan, I think you will be happier with a sedan.
Sedans are easier to drive, and offer comfort at par, esp for 4 people.

So try the Corolla. ITs a very comfortable car to drive and sit in.
Apart from that you can also look at the Honda city.

Best is to go for a TD with family and take a note of things like headroom, lumbar support, seat softness, rear backrest angle etc., etc.,

sanjeev_67 · 30th November 2009, 13:08

Guys - Try the Indigo XL - DICOR GRAND. Simply superb. Very comfortable and enjoy a movie as well.

Indigo XL - Classic is good as well.

14th October 2009, 11:15	#18
shankar.balan BANNED Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,368 Thanked: 23,148 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/2 (8)	No 1: INNOVA No 2: XYLO No 3: Safari IMO - go with INNOVA - you will never regret it. If you want to save some bucks and get Innova-like comfort and a lot of features at a value price, buy the XYLO and then maybe spend a bit of the money you save (having not bought the Innova) in some good alloys and upsized + upgraded tyres for your Xylo. Cheers
	() Thanks

14th October 2009, 11:42	#19
AltoHoncho BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 581 Thanked: 14 Times View My Garage	No 1: INNOVA No 2: INNOVA No 3: INNOVA Nothing matches the overall offering, I have a Safari DiCOR but its actually scary, you always drive in a fear of a body roll, Pathetic handling and seriously terrible fuel economy (for safari, the FE measurement is in Kms per gallon ). I dont know much about Scorpio though but would anyday prefer a Toyota rather than Mahindra.
	() Thanks

14th October 2009, 11:44	#20
issigonis BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bombay Posts: 956 Thanked: 95 Times	Mohan, My two pennies worth : An SUV ( viz. Safari) or an MPV ( Innova) will provide you space for five people, and your luggage. These will also provide you fairly decent comfort levels. My experience in being driven in a Qualis (MPV) on an Ahmedabad -Somnath-Ahmadabad trip and in an Innova (MPV) on many Delhi-Ranikhet-Delhi trips has been that comfort, especially for older passengers is somewhat of an issue. Having driven a proper sedan ( albeit with only four people including myself in the drivers' seat) over highways, I can vouch for the comfort and space in them. High levels of comfort on long highway drives is not a speciality of our MPVs, IMHO. Therefore, please consider the following vehicles : MPVs : Innova, Tavera, Xylo SUVs : Scorpio, Safari Sedans : Optra, Civic, Corolla (a little beyond 12 lacs actually for the latter two) Take test drives, request your parents and wife to sit at the rear and double check on their comfort before deciding. The trouble is, once you get used to certain comfort levels and driving dynamics, you don't want to step down one or more levels (e.g., after driving the Jetta 1.9 TDI, I find the steering of my faithful Indica DLS very very vague and the ride very hard. But these are vehicles at very different price points, with different objectives Cheers and safe and enjoyable driving! Regards Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Post Edited. Smilie usage is restricted to two per post on Team-BHP. Please refrain from using excessive smilies. We advise you to read the Announcements and Board Rules section before proceeding any further. Last edited by bblost : 14th October 2009 at 15:56. Reason: removed smileys
	() Thanks

14th October 2009, 18:48	#24
McLaren Rulez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Mysore Posts: 3,390 Thanked: 5,101 Times	As if it hasn't been emphasized enough already, I'll add my voice to the chorus of Innova. Its easily the pick of the segment and does everything you need. And you know you'll be ninety before it breaks down!
	() Thanks

15th October 2009, 14:38	#28
issigonis BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bombay Posts: 956 Thanked: 95 Times	See my post above : for longish highway drives, comfort, especially for the back and the shoulders is nearly always an issue in our SUVs. Not so in sedans. I can only vouch for the Jetta and the Indigo, based on personal experience. I didn't find either the Innova ( even with its split/captain's seats in the second row) or the discontinued Qualis very comfortable. My opinion, of course. Regards
	() Thanks

15th October 2009, 14:54	#29
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	since you said SUV/Sedan, I think you will be happier with a sedan. Sedans are easier to drive, and offer comfort at par, esp for 4 people. So try the Corolla. ITs a very comfortable car to drive and sit in. Apart from that you can also look at the Honda city. Best is to go for a TD with family and take a note of things like headroom, lumbar support, seat softness, rear backrest angle etc., etc.,
	() Thanks

30th November 2009, 13:08	#30
sanjeev_67 Newbie Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore Posts: 6 Thanked: 0 Times	Guys - Try the Indigo XL - DICOR GRAND. Simply superb. Very comfortable and enjoy a movie as well. Indigo XL - Classic is good as well.
	() Thanks