Cheap and Rugged Pre-owned SUV


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Hello guys, we recently bought a pre-owned Civic. After that, me and my family have really started to see and understand the benefits of economies in buying a used vehicle.

Coming to the point, we are looking for a used vehicle which will be used for transporting our staff in construction sites, and of course occasion hauling of light goods. The priorities are -

1) Should be cheap
2) Should have next to negligible maintenance/spares should not be expensive
3) Should be reliable and rugged, should be able to withstand abuse
4) FE should be decent
5) Should have A/C and Power steering!
6) Good ground clearance

Now, the budget is - as cheap as possible. However, we are not willing to buy very abused, old or high mileage vehicles. I am personally fine with vehicles which are driven for about 50k kms and which are about 4-5 years old.

I have shortlisted:

  • Mahindra Bolero: Fits all requirements to the T. But resale value is high and hence it is over priced when compared to the rest.
  • Tata Sumo: I dont mind whether it is the Gold or the Victa as long as it has the basic features like AC and PS. The advantage that Sumo has over the Bolero is that it offers more space in all the rows. Plus resale value is not as good as the Bolero, so it is cheaper as well.
  • Tata Grande: I really like this vehicle because of the styling. Since it was a FLOP, resale value is poor and it is available for a very very tiny premium over the Sumo.
  • Mahindra Xylo: This obviously demands more money than the above cars. However, there are a lot of Xylos in the used car market than Sumos and Boleros.
  • Tata Xenon XT: Odd one among the group. I saw one Xenon and I really liked it. It was sparsely driven and in great shape. Asking price was very reasonable too, the same as most Boleros and Xylos. I think a premium pick up will look a class apart in construction sites.

  1. Now, I have not considered the Force Cruiser or Toofan because I am apprehensive about its service support.
  2. I am a bit inclined towards the Grande because of its better interiors and styling. Will the Grande be able to survive the abuse and poor road conditions of the construction sites? Also, how about spares and ease of servicing when compared to a normal Sumo? Will spares be very very expensive?
  3. Does it make sense to go for a 140 bhp Tata Xenon? I guess FE will be poor and spares will be very expensive when compared to the Sumo. But I am getting one for very very cheap.
  4. Should I pay a premium and get a Bolero over the Sumo or any other car?
  5. Have I missed any good option?

Any inputs will be highly appreciated.
 
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My 2 cents a 4-5 year old vehicle with negligible maintenance ask is a tough one for a Tata/ Mahindra - since primary purpose is to haul staff Ill go for a Sumo. Most reliable Tata ever.

Btw the Force Cruiser/ Toofan are very cheap to maintain and can be fixed by the boys with just a hammer and few odd tools.
 
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Tata Grande would make the best bet I feel. And I am sure it too does not enjoy a good re-sale value, so you should be able to get your hands on it at a decent price. Or else Tata Gold/Victa if the price in comparison to Grande is substantial. Tata Sumo's are mostly used in the commercial sector and it would be tough to find a non-abused one or say a 40-50k km run vehicle. Though for Grande you might be lucky to find one being used by the owner for personal/family purpose.

Xylo would be a good buy too and as you said there are a lot of them in the used market. An extensive research and maybe you'll be able to get one in your desired budget, though I'm sure you'll have to polish your bargaining skills when searching for one.[;)]
 
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My 2 cents a 4-5 year old vehicle with negligible maintenance ask is a tough one for a Tata/ Mahindra - since primary purpose is to haul staff Ill go for a Sumo. Most reliable Tata ever.

Btw the Force Cruiser/ Toofan are very cheap to maintain and can be fixed by the boys with just a hammer and few odd tools.
What is your opinion on the Grande?

Tata Grande would make the best bet I feel. And I am sure it too does not enjoy a good re-sale value, so you should be able to get your hands on it at a decent price. Or else Tata Gold/Victa if the price in comparison to Grande is substantial. Tata Sumo's are mostly used in the commercial sector and it would be tough to find a non-abused one or say a 40-50k km run vehicle. Though for Grande you might be lucky to find one being used by the owner for personal/family purpose.

Xylo would be a good buy too and as you said there are a lot of them in the used market. An extensive research and maybe you'll be able to get one in your desired budget, though I'm sure you'll have to polish your bargaining skills when searching for one.[;)]
Exactly my thoughts on the Grande. But I guess the 2.2 Dicor engine is not very reliable.

I will have to pay a premium for M&M vehicle. The Xylo costs more than the Grande and the Bolero costs more than the Sumo.
 
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What is your opinion on the Grande?
I would avoid the Grande, first I dont like the design - the sumo looks better than that in my personal opinion. But most importantly I will put my money(actually i have) on the Sumo DI than the 2.2 dicor. Its maintenance free and i have a 14 year old working sample!
 
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Thread Starter #7
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I would avoid the Grande, first I dont like the design - the sumo looks better than that in my personal opinion. But most importantly Ill will put my money(actually i have) on the Sumo DI than the 2.2 dicor. Its maintenance free and i have a 14 year old working sample!
Does Sumo Victa and the older Sumo (the ones before the Gold) come with this DI engine?

I know the 3.0 engine is very good, but I cant see good Sumo Golds in the used car market.
 
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The original Sumo( Named after SUmant MOolgaonkar) came with a 2 litre IDI engine , this is the sumo growth curve :-

Original Sumo 2 litre IDI -> Spacio 2000 3 litre -> Victa 2004 -> Victa Turbo DI 2007 -> Grande 2008 -> Gold currently
some variants in between !

The 3 litre Victa Turbo DI would be my pick for you! Its 407 engine - nothing can go wrong, its as basic and rugged as it gets!
 
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Hi Raj,

Are you going to use it in Mumbai or some where else.

My Vote will be TATA Sumo Victa. You should get one within your budget. Very cheap to maintain.

Second choice will be Mahindra Bolero.

I would not advise you to go for Grande as I have see abused Grandes look aged than same run Sumo.

Cheers,
Anshuman
 
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Thread Starter #10
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Hi Raj,

Are you going to use it in Mumbai or some where else.

My Vote will be TATA Sumo Victa. You should get one within your budget. Very cheap to maintain.

Second choice will be Mahindra Bolero.

I would not advise you to go for Grande as I have see abused Grandes look aged than same run Sumo.

Cheers,
Anshuman
It may be used anywhere in India, wherever we get contracts.

Sure, many people are telling me that the 2.2 engine of the Grande is not very reliable. So I am looking at the Sumo and Bolero only.
 
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Mahindra Bollero the workhorse, i have seen it driven and abused everyday for more than 100KMS , but still its stands all that and keeps running with periodic maintenance and its a looker for sure [;)]

I have driven it and have used it and using it even now occasionally and I would vouch for it any day for its outstanding workhorse ability
 
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+1 Bolero is as rugged as it could get, its no wonder its a chart buster for Mahindra.
The only reason why i didnt weigh in more on it is because you need a people mover and Sumo has more space.
 
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Hi raaj_5004,
Take a risk,go for the Xenon if you can find one.Trumps all the others,its got the rugged macho looks.My relative has a brand new one,its too early to talk about reliability.He is a restaurer and hauls all his groceries in it.It seats 5.Its intimidating on the roads too.
Regards,
Aneesh.
 

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