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Bought a clean 2016 Fortuner 2WD AT: My 2nd car from Toyota UTrust

29th July 2022, 12:09 by Utkarsh Chaudhary

I got this model & not the 4x4 for better fuel efficiency & calm highway cruising. I have a Mahindra Thar CRDe to fulfil my off-road needs.

BHPian swami69 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This is Gen 1, but Type II, just before the 2016 facelift. This post could assist some who would be willing to look at a used Fortuner.

I had a 2016 Manual Z Crysta and it was serving me very well. I bought this one used 2 years back from Toyota UTrust. With everything opening up and heavy traffic in the evenings (25kms), I was in touch with UTrust for a Z AT Crysta, but nothing was coming to my satisfaction. I then decided to take a test drive of a G AT new Crysta and at the same time dropped at UTrust, Chennai. They asked me to check out a 2016 February Fortuner 2WD 5AT, single owner, clean service history, good condition, 90K Kms run. I did try that and came out impressed.

My family with my grown-up daughters are only happy with roomy / big cars (I owned an XUV500 and Crysta recently) and they are not keen on anything else. This was a perfect fit, big, macho, roomy, AT. Added with Toyota's reliability, service, and spares, it was a no-brainer for me.

I blocked this car on the day Scorpio N was being launched virtually, which I was keen to go for. But, the third-row issues, no A/C vents, boot space were all a big NO for me after having the Crysta. Fortuner is a close match in all these parameters to a Crysta - sliding middle row, decent last row seats, side foldable, also left with some space to carry a few duffel bags (that is all basically we need for our trips). Then, UTrust, valued my Crysta, arrived at a deal for this Fortuner and closed it right then and there.

They took another three days to get the car ready with 90K service completed, new battery (they agreed for one, in spite of the old one in good health), instrument cluster glass (the old one was spoiled because of that polythene sticker), complete polishing, new original high-quality fabric foot mats, interior cleaning etc., + 6 months Toyota Warranty.

I tried my luck for a new set of tyres, but could not push them more, hence I spent 50K on 4 Yoko Geolanders.

The car is good with everything in order.

Below is more of a checklist:

Except for both the bumpers, no other panels are touched for any painting - (No body shop work as per records and seemed very original on physical verification as well)
The bodyline is clean with very minor dings (tough to notice)
Even the bumpers are almost perfectly paint matched (this was probably done from outside by the previous owner as I can see orange peel)
The chrome front grill, bonnet scoop applique, door inserts are all in fantastic condition - no rusting, no blemishes
The seats are all original and for a large portion, they are pretty good, without any sagging, wrinkles etc.
The door trims, wooden inserts are all in fantastic condition, no scratches whatsoever
I could not notice any wear on the leather or wooden areas of the steering
The dashboard as such does not show much wear at all except for a small portion on top of the cluster mildly faded
Gear lever, centre console are all perfect
Engine bay - as such I could not find any fault, even with all the clamps, plastic clips & fasteners, rubber beadings, all in good condition. In fact, the senior technician put this up on a ramp and explained all the critical components from the underbody (propeller shaft, check for leaks, suspension, joints etc.,) and all agreed that there are no leaks/no major issues etc., from anywhere
AC is a chiller and in all modes, flap doors function as expected
Roof rails are sturdy and have no rattles
Headlights, tail lights, fog lights, and other lights, all function as normal
All oils, and fluids topped up during the 90K service - No abnormal remarks
Audio System, reverse camera, beeper, steering controls - all function as expected
Overall, there is no rusting anywhere on the vehicle - under door edges, underbody etc.,
Insurance up to Feb 2023, full service history, ODO progression, and work done at each service were all checked. Except for some small work, nothing major, brake pads have been changed 30K kms back.
RC name transferred already

Why no 4x4? Many would have this question - I own a Thar CRDe as well and that should take care of my off-roading requirements (if any). I was looking at this as a pure AT for better FE and calm highway cruising.

I might have definitely paid a lakh more to get this from Toyota UTrust, but the peace of mind from a reputed company with known people around, negates that additional spend.

It was only a choice between a mid-variant AT New Innova Crysta or this one and I chose this. I did try XUV700, and followed up closely on Scorpio N, Tata Safari AT etc., but, I ended up again with a Toyota for some reason.

I use it as my daily driver. Even though it looks big from the outside, it is extremely easy to drive with that smooth AT running at low RPMs even inside the city. I am very adaptable and do not harp on things too much, hence, I have no problem with the ride quality as I do not see it as bumpy or anything. Of course, my daily drive is 98% on good tarmac.

It has great power, no lag, pulls extremely well, upshifts quickly with throttle tapping/release techniques, runs at low RPMs - for example 70 Kmph at 1350 RPM, extremely smooth. Once you are in this band, the inside of the cabin is also quiet and great to be in. No abnormal noises from the steering turn, suspension, brakes, and other components so far.

With so many new options, this could still be a great car for someone. I am not a person who is fond of too many electronics, and features, and as mentioned, I even greatly enjoy my Thar CRDe, drive to the office a couple of days a week and feel very good about that raw / manual feel. So, Fortuner is 5X better from that perspective.

Hope this helps some future Fortuner buyers.

Some photos