Rs 45-50 lakh budget: MG Gloster vs used Ford Endeavour 3.2L

I am upgrading from a 2008 Toyota Corolla Altis and looking for a 4x4 SUV for various purposes including farm visits and road trips.

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Dear Team BHPians - I just joined the forum and was really bowled over by the depth of expertise, passion and most importantly a community that is so driven to help each other! I am reaching for your advice to buy a 7-seater SUV.

Currently, I own a Honda Brio AT (2016) which we use for quick city commutes and is our everyday car. I love long drives in my Corolla Altis 2008 (MT). As I was planning to upgrade to an SUV and did not want to manage 3 cars - I was thinking of selling Corolla Altis but honestly am so attached to this car and have done just 50K km. I feel there is so much more this car has to offer and with a little bit of investment can make this like new.

We were exploring buying an SUV (budget 45-50L) to help with farm visits (need 4x4) and India travels with our kids aged 16 and 13 who have a newfound interest in outdoor camping. I was locked on Ford Endeavour and was waiting to see if they bring a more powerful engine to the last version of 2L but got the shocker when they decided to move out of India. Not a big fan of Fortuner.

Should I go with MG Gloster which I found great during the test drive except for the irritating low gear turbo lag in city driving. The rest of the car - drive, features, spacious interior is an enticing package. However, am concerned about the reliability and especially the SAIC 2.0L Twin Turbo engine, transmission, etc. and am not sure if this is the right bet. Or should I go with a used Ford Endeavour 3.2L 4X4 AT? Or Should I just wait for a better/reliable 7-seater SUV model in 2022 (don’t know which ones are worth waiting in this price band)?

Irrespective of the SUV choice, should I sell Corolla Altis as I upgrade to an SUV (I feel a saner “head-driven” group here can give me more prudent advice to overcome my emotional attachment to Altis). I would not have sold this if it had an AT.

Here's what BHPian Axe77 had to say about the matter:

I think for your use case, I would definitely put the Fortuner on the list. If you can wait, I think the Jeep Commander / Meridian would be a wonderful offering that will be in the same price zone, offer credible 4x4 pedigree and also provide the same sophistication that you were perhaps seeking from the Endeavour.

Coming a step-down, the XUV 7OO will provide a tremendously VFM package and is worth considering, the only downside being you will effectively be buying into a 1.0 iteration at this point.

My shortlist of recommendations

• Fortuner 4x4 AT
• Jeep Commander / Meridian (if you can wait)
• XUV 7OO diesel AWD (1.0 iteration possible downside)
• Next-gen Hyundai Tucson diesel AWD (if proper 4x4 is not a must-have)

Some slightly off the beaten path recommendation would also be the Isuzu 4x4 A/T (overpriced) which may turn out to be hardcore camping friendly, and if it comes out any time soon, the Toyota Hilux - but who’s to say when Toyota will actually launch it.

While I am a big fan of the Altis, the only reason I can think it's fine to sell it is if you’re finally done with MTs. I know I wouldn’t keep any MT car anymore in my garage.

One clarification: I have included some 5 seaters too or some sub-optimal 7 seaters. I am not sure if you actually need 3 rows of seating or do you just need a spacious 5 seater with a massive boot. Please consider the recommendations accordingly. If you need genuine 3-row seating then the Fortuner or Innova would likely be your best bet, depending on the criticality of the 4x4 to your needs.

Here's what BHPian civicsense had to say about the matter:

I have had my Gloster for a year now, and I am completely happy with it. As with any new company's products, we cannot guarantee the reliability of the engine and transmission. Having said that, I am fairly confident about MG India management's long-term intent with regards to maintenance and service - their A.S.S has been reasonably good so far. I have opted for the 5-year Warranty/RSA package, which was essentially free. I have done 13,500 on the odo, and so far so good.

Given that Ford India has stopped operations and M&M doesn't sell Alturas G4 anymore, my personal view is that Fortuner or Gloster is a better option in the 7-seater 4x4 SUV segment. Fortuner - for its "you-cant-go-wrong-with-it" reliability/service/resale-value; Gloster - if you want to feel you've got your money's worth, with its modern interiors and features. I chose the latter.

Here's what BHPian dhanushs had to say about the matter:

Nothing much is going wrong with the 3.2L Endeavor. I would suggest, for the best value for money, and for a good purposeful vehicle, search for low kms rum 3.2 Ford Endeavor.

Parts availability shouldn't be a problem now, but, few years down the line, you may have to get hold of a reliable aftermarket parts supplier. The vehicle as such is reliable, and enough numbers have been sold. So, that shouldn't be a problem.

Another thing you need to be prepared for is that 5 years down the line, these cars will have terrible resale.

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