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Does it make sense to buy a used Tata Hexa

I stay away from the country most of the year, the car will only be used for a couple of months.

BHPian pandabear recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I have been looking to buy a 7-seater SUV now. Pretty confused, looking for your inputs.

A little bit of background. I stay away from the country most of the year, the car will only be used for a couple of months.

Remaining time it is going to be idle. I was looking to buy the Safari, but somehow the car was not convincing enough. Was looking at the Alturas briefly, even posted a question here and dropped the idea based on your feedback. Now I have been waiting for the XUV700. Seems good so far from all the leaks, automatic AWD etc. One of the most important criteria was to get an automatic.

Meanwhile I can see a loads of low mileage (less than 50K) Hexa XTAs in Cars24 for around 11-14L (depending on the RTO). Also I see a lot of people here who swear by the Hexa. Downsides I see with the automatic XTA variant Hexa apart from the fact that it is not produced anymore is the lack of AWD, ESP, TC and other assists. These gizmos have saved me in the past a couple of times I would love to have them here.

Considering the other scenario that I go get an XUV700, it will be super depreciating just parked idle and the first month service will be with zero km on the odometer .

My friends have been advising me to avoid any cars that are discontinued, citing part availability shortages in future. The automatic gearboxes too carry their own share of uncertainty.

Guys, please let me know used Hexa or the new "yet to be launched" XUV700 automatic AWD? Would love to read your comments. Thank you all.

PS: Guys don't ask me to rent a car, I have an OCD for cleanliness and hate soiled cars, especially during the current Covid situation.

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

Hexa is a depreciation disaster, so it makes sense to buy it used. I don't see any issue with parts availability compared to other cars from TML. This is because no Tata dealerships I know stock the parts outside routine maintenance. And if you find yourself with a broken wiper motor or power window motor or something on those lines, expect a 4 weeks delay. This is true for any car from Tata, be it Safari or Hexa, or Aria. The problem you are going to face is that such parts will break more often than a Toyota or Hyundai car. And this is nothing specific to Hexa, but a Tata trait. If you can live with that fact, proceed with the purchase. It is unlikely to be a seamless experience like Crysta ownership, but you get what you pay for.

On another note, I recommend buying a new petrol automatic XL6 for this requirement if you can think outside the segment barrier. Diesel cars do not do well while sitting idle. Your running is very low. So you don't need diesel. Hunting for that rare Crysta petrol is also another option.

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

I have purchased Hexa XTA last year exactly a day before March lockdown. Have covered 13000 km during 15 months and gone through 3 servicing. So I can speak based on experience.

In terms of sheer value for money, you can't beat it. I got a pristine 2 year 20K run at a price less than Nexon top end. There is nothing except Crysta that comes close to the space it provides and for comfort, it trumps Crysta. Covered >800kms in a day 6 times, so it gobbles miles. Need to upgrade low beam but nothing else is a issue in stock form.

Now coming to niggles, there have been few and while service centre at my native place in Rourkela found it difficult to manage, Bangalore was a breeze. All parts came in 3-4 days and all fixed in a week. So if you are in a metro, it should be easier to live with the beast, but won't recommend in smaller towns.

Here's what BHPian 07CR had to say on the matter:

In the two months you will be in the country, are you sure it will be used as a 7-seater?

If yes,

1) Hexa makes a good bet, but only as a long distance cruiser. If you will also be using it as a city hauler, do get a test drive. Massive dimensions without assists (like front parking sensors/360 degree cameras) and a very heavy steering can be very cumbersome to drive.

2) Checkout the current gen XUV500 in used format. Some of them available at 13-14L for a two year old model in it's top AT variant. Only go for XUV's AT variant though.

3) Completely at the other end of spectrum, but if the car would be only used in city conditions do take a look at the Renault Triber. It seats 7 in good comfort, but is only restricted for city conditions.

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

The Hexa.

Buying & maintaining those can be a pain really if lady luck isn't smiling on you 24X7.

A close relative bought one (XTA AT) for his high running requirement purely on my recommendation, enjoyed the car for few year without any major issues. Then i had to take it on a long trip for a few months and it was such a mix bag! I appreciated the amazing comfort and features tremendously, so much so that by the end of the 1400 km onward journey, I was sure I need to sell my 2011 Fortuner as the market has moved forward by leaps and bounds. A few trips to HImachal went smoothly and before returning from Chandigarh, decided to get it serviced. BIG MISTAKE.

TATA service is perceived as a worst enemy of TATA cars and this is exactly what happened. While returning, noticed the AC wasn't cooling. Looking at the console, realized that the battery light was also aglow! Deduced that the belt must been common for both and hence its just a matter of reaching a good service centre before the battery dies (it was getting dark too!!). As it happened, the car just died around hundred meters from the garage, presumably the fuel pump ran out of current feed from battery. During the belt replacement (around night 9'ish), imagine the horror when we discovered there was engine oil in coolant tank!!) With home still a good 700-800 Km away and not sure if the mixing happened due to blown gasket or some fool at Tata service mixing it up, it was really a risky decision to move on next morning. And yes, the AC compressor was gone so no AC.

Moral of the story: Things can go wrong quickly with plenty of assistance from TATA authorized car destroyers.

Only way I will advise you to go for an Used HEXA will be if you have someone back here in India who will regularly use and look after the car responsibly. Otherwise definitely stay away from it.

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