New car buying dilemma: Heart wants the Fortuner but head says EV

The BYD seems to be an absolute value of money vehicle with around on road pricing as 36L approximately.

BHPian aamishdhingra recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey Mates,

I am an absolute car guy and own three cars currently:

• 2019 Honda Civic ZX CVT
• 2022 i20 NLine DCT
• 2023 Audi Q5 Technology TFSI

We are currently two people driving in the house, Primarily me and my father with around a monthly running of 2000kms locally.

I recently sold off my 2021 Thar Diesel 4X4, which I drove for about 45k kms, and took it on an expedition to Zanskar - Leh where it broke down and instantaneously it made me decide to sell of the vehicle.

Now, we drove the BYD Atto 3, Fortuner, and the Ioniq 5.

The BYD seems to be an absolute value of money vehicle with around on road pricing as 36L approximately, the Ioniq being a luxury EV with an On road costing of around 47L, and Fortuner Petrol around 40L. These prices are on road, Delhi.

Now the dilemma is:

Although I have always loved the Fortuner for its road presence and its driving stance, I feel this might be the last opportunity to have my hands on the 2.7/2.8L engine (whether Petrol or Diesel) but is it worth spending 40L for the Petrol or 50L for the £4 variant?

Or I should just go in for the Atto 3, and cut down on my daily running costs and ease my pocket?

Looking in for some deep discussions!

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

Nice garage!

Between the Fortuner & BYD Atto 3, go for the Fortuner only if you need its tough build, GC, touring capability and 4x4 (since you mentioned a Zanskar expedition). Else, for regular driving, I don't like the Fortuner at all (noisy, heavy steering, bumpy ride quality). And even if you need a 4x4 SUV, how long can you wait? The next-gen Fortuner, Endeavour, Kodiaq are all lined up for launch in the coming years. Tucson AWD might be worth a test-drive.

Take another drive in the Ioniq 5. I like it more than the Atto 3 as a personal car. Since you have the budget and are open to BYD EVs, I'd also recommend waiting for the BYD Seal whose bookings have already opened. It's going to give you sportscar-like acceleration.

Don't sell off cars just because of one breakdown! Most new cars today suffer niggles of some kind or the other. Saying this because I see a German SUV and a dual-clutch AT in your garage

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

Few views:

Engine sizes are coming down but I think across the board, power-weight ratios are actually increasing. And if we include EVs, they elevate acceleration to a different level. A Fortuner does not really feel sprightly with that engine size nor does it have a growl of a big engine.

The price differential between petrol and diesel (4x2) is probably overriden during resale. In fact you might lose money with the petrol and gain notional money with diesel resale. So monetarily, Petrol really not be a good choice. Also it misses on a lot of things - don't think it comes with features like UV cut glasses and its driveability is nowhere as fun as a diesel. A 2.7 as a car has nothing over a 2.8 and this includes the price (not cost) of the car even if in NCR for 5-7 years.

7 for those short trips with friends - yes and totally fun. Not the most comfortable choice for longer trips.

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

The Ioniq 5 gets my vote. BYD does not have any sort of brand recall in India. EVs depreciate like mobile phones when a new version comes in and it is better to invest in an EV from a manufacturer with good brand recall in India. Fortuner petrol does not make sense anymore. The Hycross killed it. If you want a petrol Toyota, Hycross or Hyryder is the one to go for.

Here's what BHPian Vikram9193 had to say on the matter:

I would get the Ioniq 5, it has had so much acclaim globally for its design and tech. The Fortuner of course is the desi champion and can’t be discounted, but the Ioniq is in a different league.

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

I voted for Fortuner, if you want to keep the vehicle for its full life, i.e. 15 years, niggle free and be fully confident that it will not leave you stranded anywhere, ever then Fortuner is the right choice, plus a proper seven seater with abundance of luggage carrying capacity with RWD.

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