Budget Rs. 45 lakh: Need a replacement for our 2013 Ford Endeavour AT

I think the best car to buy right now is a used Ford Endeavour 3.2. It had an update in 2018 with keyless entry and a few visuals changes and I absolutely love the way this model looks.

BHPian AutoV recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

No Perfect car in the 40L-45L range?

Hi Petrolheads, A quick introduction of me. I'm a 23years old Automobile Engineer. We are a Family of 5. My family loves road trips. We sold our 2013 Toyota Innova before the pandemic since it has crossed 5,00,000kms. This should give you an idea of our usage. We also have a 2013 Ford Endeavour 3.0 AT at home. After using and loving every minute of my 2013 Ford Endeavour 3.0 AT we have decided to sell the car and get another SUV to replace it.

The problems with our Endeavour are:

• The rear is very bumpy(due to the leaf springs).
• The floor is too high you sit in a slight knees-up position in the second row. The third-row seats are not for adults.
• The car somehow became noisier than when it was new. (the engine sound and the TC gearbox).
• Fuel efficiency is below average.

Expectations from the new car:

• Should have a very comfortable ride and very good NVH
• Must be a safe car with all the safety features, NCAP rating, etc.
• Nice and plush interiors.
• A long list of features and creature comforts.
• Hassle-free after-sales Network.
• Reliable and fuss-free ownership.
• Fun to drive, Mile muncher and highway cruiser.

So here’s the question.

Is there any perfect/good car for sale in India in the 40-45L range?

As far as I know, the answer is actually no.

First in consideration was the  Ford Endeavour. The Endeavour really was the best car in that price range but it failed to sell in good numbers compared to the Fortuner. Now that Ford India has shut shop here what are we Indians left with:

• Overpriced Fortuner.
• Outdated Kia Carnival.
• MG Gloster.
• Used Ford Endeavour 3.2.

Cars we considered:

Ford Endeavour 2021:

I drove the previous 3.2l Ford Endeavour and I can't help but notice how the performance is let down in the 2.0L one. It's a fast SUV but it is not as fun to drive as the 3.2. the new gearbox tries to hide the downsizing of the engine well but the punch from the 3.2 is still missing. But the Endeavour is cheaper to maintain than the competition. Moreover, I'm annoyed by the way Ford India keeps on removing features from the Endeavour. They removed Active Noise Cancellation,10 speakers system, Rear A/c with heating, Ambient lights near the door pads, backlight on the gear lever. Thought of waiting till the bi-turbo is launched but after Ford India’s exit, have to remove a brand new Endeavour from the list.

Used Ford Endeavour 3.2L 2018:

I think the best car to buy right now is a used Ford Endeavour 3.2. It had an update in 2018 with keyless entry and a few visuals changes and I absolutely love the way this model looks. Panel gaps are tight and this makes the whole car look strong and well built like a tank IMO. But the main problem here is there are not many 2018 Ford Endeavours 3.2 for sale in Hyderabad right now. I couldn’t find even one in the whole of Telangana in OLX. According to me a 2018 Endeavour 3.2L with 20,000-25,000kms on the odometer will be a good buy. If anyone here has any leads please help me find one.

Toyota Fortuner:

This car sells in good numbers and has slightly more road presence than any other SUV in this price range. Because it sells more, the resale value is also good (same with the Endeavour too, but people are not noticing it yet). I know some people who knew that Endeavour is a better car and still chose Fortuner because Fortuner is looked at as an investment. For example, a 3-year-old used Fortuner with 1lakh km on odo will easily fetch you 30-35l in Hyderabad. as a Toyota owner, I know that the after-sales service is on point though I think the service costs are a little on the higher side. The car is overpriced for sure and even after the new facelift it still misses many features. the ride is bumpy, my 2013 Endeavour rides well than the current generation Fortuner the NVH is also not as good as you expect. After paying 45.25l on road on would not like to hear the diesel clutter inside the cabin. The top-end costs 50L which is not justified according to me. My family hates the Fortuner. So it is not an option for me. But now I think there’s no competition for the Fortuner

Toyota Innova Crysta:

We already have an Innova Crysta in the family and we don't want to buy a new one the recent facelift is a minor one without any major changes the fact that the top end z variant gets only captain seats in the second row and the way the wheel wells eats up the space in the third-row seats didn't go well with my family we recently went to Tirupathi a one-way journey of 600kms from my place made my mom mad about the insufficient space in the third row. she used to sit in the third row of our old Innova and not complain at all the whole trip. the price of the Crysta is 28.7l for a manual which is overpriced for sure. the Crysta is also not an option for me.

Kia Carnival:

Haven't had a test drive in it yet but from the reviews, I saw I know that it has a low ground clearance. With 7 people on board, it will not only scrape the underbelly of the car on a speed breaker but will also cause some serious underbody damage if the driver couldn't notice the breaker on time. The ingress to the third row in the limousine variant looks hard. The fact that the driver gets cooled seats on the front passenger doesn't get one really annoys me. It has a small infotainment display but has two separate screens behind the headrests for the second and third-row passengers. The car looks very wide which will be a problem to drive and park on narrow roads. This is strictly a chauffeur-driven car I don’t think I’ll enjoy driving it as much as other cars. I don't have any serious complaints about the carnival. But the fact that the latest generation of carnival isn't being offered in India is holding me from buying the carnival.

Mahindra Alturas:

I don't like the looks of this SUV it is more car-like. It doesn't have enough road presence. The third row feels claustrophobic. The interior looks nice and premium. But I don't wish to own a 38L Mahindra. I worked as an intern in a Mahindra dealership service and seeing the way they treat a customer I would not invest a single lakh of my hard-earned money into buying a car from them. This dealer's service is really pathetic. This particular dealership where I worked is the worst I would wait at least 5 more years before buying a Mahindra I don't know about the other dealership. Hyderabad has only two major dealers. But my experience at this particular dealership where I worked has scared me for my life. Also, I don’t think they’re still selling the Alturas G4 anymore.

MG Gloster:

MG Gloster is packed with features and ADAS. But it’s a relatively new car and I’m a little sceptical about investing 47L on road for a freshly baked car. I test drove the Gloster the car felt a little bumpy at 20-25 speeds the car didn’t feel well put together and during the whole test drive which was for 30-40mins the navigation in the MID was not showing anything except a loading animation. The resolution of the 360-degree surround camera is not so great. I felt it didn’t have enough road presence. As mentioned in the Team BHP official review the low-end turbo lag is very evident and this makes the drive not as enjoyable as I would like. On the plus side, it is the longest with the best in class wheelbase amongst the competition.

Please help me decide on my next car. I didn’t consider Skoda Kodiaq because they’re all sold out. I can’t hold the purchase for later and need to book the car before Aug 2022.

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

No such thing as the perfect car, buddy, not even when you're spending 2 - 3 crore rupees. Every car has its pros & cons. You just have to pick that magical one that your head-and-heart agree on.

As per your expectations, the Kia Carnival is perfect for you. Either get the current one (super luxurious) or wait for Kia to launch the next-gen Carnival. An Innova Crysta 2.4L AT (with captain seats) will also suit your requirements really well.

Suggestion = take a spin in the Toyota Camry Hybrid. 15 kmpl in the city, almost "Lexus" levels of luxury, decently fun-to-drive and will easily last 300,000 - 400,000 km with proper maintenance. Drive it and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Would've suggested the Kodiaq, but no way your high running can accommodate the usual Skoda nonsense & lack of reliability.

Here's what BHPian cool_dube had to say on the matter:

The "elusive" perfect car does not exist, my friend.

Since you have already ruled the Fortuner out (not sure if you test-drove the facelift version), you don't seem to have many options:

• XUV 7OO could pleasantly surprise you and save you some money as well, though waiting periods are a bummer.
• Facelifted Tiguan is a good mile muncher but running costs might be a deterrent, given your high usage.

If you do not find a well maintained Endeavour 3.2, your best bet is an Innova. Do try the facelifted Fortuner, it is a surprisingly good package.

Here's what BHPian SR-71 had to say on the matter:

A bit off topic, its interesting to see quiet a few recent posts including one from me on the same subject, in recent past. The common denominator is, what car in the 40 to 50L OTR price bracket! Clearly this is a space that is lacking choices. Either the options are overpriced for what they offer or the reliability is suspect. Options that existed at one point in time but are sorely missed now are the Endeavor, Accord, CR-V, Passat and Santa-Fe. It would have been lovely to have more of these options. Personally I have started believing that it might be worth waiting out this crazy demand vs supply mismatch to cool off.

Here's what BHPian CoolFamilyGuy had to say on the matter:

We own a Carnival Limousine Plus since November 2021. Haven't faced a ground clearance issue even with 7 passengers. Have tried some large speed breakers in nearby tier 2 towns and had no problems.

The new Kia Carnival launched outside India has the same power train and engine as the current one - and they work really well - never felt short on power and gear shifts have been sufficiently fast and smooth. Yes there is better electronics on offer in the new Carnival launched globally including a digital cockpit and 360 degree camera. If that's a deal breaker for you, then you might want to wait.

I drive the car myself, have personally not been using the ventilated seat as much, but again, thats my preference. If ventilated seats are very important then you might want to try other cars.

We are a family of 5 who could not sit comfortably in a 2 row car and really wanted a car with functional 3rd row and luxurious interiors with a comfortable ride. And of course reliable mechanicals and safety were top on our list of priorities.

Driving on narrow streets has been tricky but manageable. Parking however has been tough, especially in the city. However, if you are looking for a highway cruiser, then you might want to test drive the Carnival and decide for yourself. The only thing I am not sure of is long term reliability as compared to Toyota - given that you use your vehicle for a long term, you may want to stick to the Japanese options.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.