Upgrading from an Endeavour 3.2 on a 1 cr budget: What are my options?

Though he got a Toyota Fortuner 4X4 AT in '21, he is not satisfied, misses the ride, the interior quality, music system etc from the Endeavour.

BHPian Sheel recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I had started this thread in 2014. Almost 10 years have passed and while there were few great options sold in that period, nothing much is available now if one wishes to upgrade from those choices, hear me..

But, that is past now [Endeavour, Pajero, Trailblazer, MU-X (might be risky to buy now)].

A friend wishes to upgrade from his Ford Endeavour 3.2 (though he got a Toyota Fortuner 4X4 AT in '21, but is not satisfied, misses the ride, the interior quality, music system etc from the Endeavour).

Main criteria = Ample GC and a 4X4. Reliable.

Budget = Preferably 1cr. and thereabouts.

Should be new.

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

Your friend is in a major predicament, Sheel. Simply because the 30 - 50 lakh segment is "peak car", where a lot of the models punch above their weight (e.g. Endeavour). Offer a lot more car than the expensive Germans above (e.g. Camry, Kodiaq). Pack the latest technology (Ioniq 5). And are still value-for-money.

Above 45-50 lakhs, the laws of diminishing returns kick in.

My suggestion = X3 M40i if he is an enthusiast. He'll enjoy the drive. Take TDs of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, BMW 6-GT etc. and see what he really likes. Extend the budget a bit and get a new GLE or X5. Check with Audi on the latest offers for the Q5 & Q7 (friend got home a Q5 for 62L OTR with extended warranty, service pack).

What I would do = get a pre-owned current-gen Mercedes GLS. The only way to get some iota of value in the luxury segment is going the pre-owned route. You can get a "like new" car still under warranty. Please read my article on the same ("Almost-New" used cars! The logic & beauty of buying 1 - 3 year old pre-worshipped cars), it's zero risk.

Brand-new luxury cars are grossly overpriced and that's the new reality.

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

Merc GLE/GLS if he's looking at comfort. x5/x7 if he's a spirited driver. We originally wanted an Endeavour when we were car-shopping in '18 but ended up going for the GLE. In my 5 years with the GLE, it has proven itself to be extremely reliable apart from a few electrical gremlins. Moreover, the thing feels built like a tank (new gen slightly misses out on this). I'm not sure about the off-road performance but it has no complaints whenever we take it to dirt trails, beaches etc even on it's Pilot Sport SUV tyres. The car crushes kilometres like few others on the highway and is mostly unfazed by Indian road conditions.

Also, a huge Merc SUV is the only thing that has the street cred rivalling the Endeavour. (or a Defender wink wink)

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

Try taking a look at the Volvo XC90. Coming from the Endeavour and Fortuner, I don't think you can go wrong with XC90 in the safety, reliability and performance department.

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

The only proper upgrade I can think of is the Defender 110 with a diesel engine. However, this would be extending the budget by some 50 percent so it's a huge strech.

Unfortunately, any proper upgrade will knock the value proposition out of the window.

Some other options worth considering are

Newly introduced Cayenne S - comes with a V8 as opposed to the V6 in the current Cayenne. Arguably the best car in the segment.

Macan - If budget is a strict concern, then the base Macan would be a great choicest like the X3 M40i.

If interested in electric, from Jaguar I-Pace to Volvo XC40, there are cars that offer mad performance but I would be reluctant to spend significant money on an electric at the moment.

Fortuner might seem crude and over-priced. However, I should add that a Fortuner or most Toyotas for that matter is a lesson in delayed gratification. While the europeans shine during their warranty period, a Toyota will show its value post the warranty period. But yeah, I don't see how it can be used as an excuse for Toyota to give a mediocre music system and stuff like that.

Congratulation and all the best to your friend.

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

I would suggest hold on to the current Fortuner for the time-being and go for the next-gen Fortuner which is going to be based on the TNGA-F BoF platform, which underpins the likes of the LC300, Tundra, Tacoma, Sequoia, new-gen Lexus GX and LX. The biggest fly-in-the-ointment of the Fortuner ie. the ride-quality will be solved with this platform.

Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.