Our Dilemma of Buying a Car!


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This is not an ownership review, neither is it going to be one. That is the reason I have posted this thread in this section.

This thread is regarding our dilemma of buying a new car! The story goes like-

We have an Innova. A silver coloured 'V' variant with a diesel heart. Then came Jan '12 & we were looking to replace it. Nothing wrong with the car as such, just that it was 5 years & almost 1 Lac kms old. We were in the process of replacing our ageing Innova. The only condition was that the new car should be a diesel & it should have 7 seats. Comfort in last row was not the priority but yes, if the need arises, it should be able to carry 7 people.

Budget - Well, not decided actually. Nothing too expensive.

We dint do any test drives. My family does not like random test drives. They will generally first ask for final OTR prices by mail or fax, see if it fits in our budget, then go through the websites & brochures, visit a dealer, sit in the display car & only after they have thoroughly liked the car, the space, the comfort, etc, will they ask for a test drive. A test drive is just a last measure before closing a deal.

We have considered/rejected several cars & here is our experiences regarding them -

Option 1 - The new Innova : It was a blow on our face when Toyota revealed the new Innova. My brother was struggling to notice the differences. He said, oh the headlights are new! Wait a minute, it costs 15.6 Lacs on road. WHAT??? Move on... It is not worth it. Also, it dint make sense to buy another Innova for that price. So...

Option 2 - The new Fortuner : Ahh, now this sounded good. I have always been a big fan of brawny rugged SUVs. And the Fortuner looked just right. Also, the option of Automatic was icing on the cake. Called up the Toyota dealer & they tell us that deliveries of the new Fortuner has not yet started. Asked the price & they say it costs 25 Lacs on road. Again... WHAT??? So...

Option 3 - The Chevy Captiva : Superb car, superb price & superb engine. Only one downside - it does not come with rear AC vents & that is a big disadvantage for us. Also, we all know that the new Captiva is just round the corner. So...

Option 4 - The Hyundai Santa Fe : Everything was right about this SUV. It had the space, the features, the bhp, the luxury. Just one thing that my bro dint like... He said "I wont spend 28.5 Lacs on a Hyundai". I was sad. I so wanted this 190 bhp monster. But well I agree, for that price, you could buy an Audi A4, so....

Option 5 - The XUV5OO : When the XUV was launched in October last year, I immediately liked the vehicle. The main reason was the price, the space & the features. Over time, I saw more & more XUVs on the road & the novelty factor faded away. I started noticing that the XUV does not have the road presence of the Fortuner, Endy or even the Aria. Secondly, quite a lot of electronic glitches were reported. So we kept our distance. But then since all the other vehicles were out of the radar, we thought that this would be the best option & we were waiting for the bookings to re-open. Me & my bro went to the Mahindra showroom & checked the vehicle & my bro was mighty impressed. After that, we were ready with the cheque book in hand waiting for the bookings to open & Mahindra did this blunder - they had this draw system. My bro was angry & flatly refused to block the booking amount with them & then wait for our luck to get a car allotted. So...

Option 6 - The TATA Aria : No matter what my forum members think about my hatred towards TATA, I actually gave it a fair chance. I called up TATA motors & enquired about the Aria. I was interested in the top end Pride 4x4. We were adamant that we want a 2012 car only. With news of hefty discounts going on & someone buying the car for around 10 Lacs OTR, I was expecting that I would get a quote which is cheaper than the XUV, but unfortunately that dint happen. they sent us a quote of Rs. 17.3 Lacs, which was supposedly after discounts. Disappointed I told this to my bro who said that anyways it does not matter as he was not too keen on buying a TATA, based on our previous experiences. So...

Option 7 - Mahindra Scorpio A/T : My brother is very keen on a diesel A/T. I suggested him the Scorpio A/T but he rejected it without even having a look as he did not want yet another Scorpio! So...

Since we have run out of options, the only way left was to wait for the bookings of XUV to re-open. But to be very honest, we were not sure whether this draw system would re-appear. If it does, will we be lucky? If we are, when will we get the deliveries? What if we are not lucky?

The other problem was that we dont prefer buying vehicles after March-April. Even if bookings of XUV open by that time, deliveries would happen only by June-July. Not good.

Only if Mahindra had not launched the stupid draw system...Sigh! I am in the process of convincing my bro that the Santa Fe is a really good SUV!
 
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Well your mind is inclining on XUV as well as Santa Fe, make a detailed comparo between them, If brand doesn't matter you give a look for Koleos too.
 
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I see either XUV or the Santa Fe coming onboard. [:)]
Xuv has nothing in it for a purchase other than cheetah (read cheetha in Malayalam) marketing. I find new gen scorpio still desirable than XUV.

190 bhp of power in your hands and you are in some good highway. you can do circles around Xuv aria ,safari,fortuner et all. providing best in class interiors.I suggest have a Td of Santa-fe.
When it comes to performance to price ratio Hyundai's are "the modest." you will have peace of mind along with which means "no niggles".
 
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How about the Skoda Yeti?
Same reason - its a 5 seater.

Secondly, no Skoda please... we already have a FIAT!

Sorry, Then try Endevour 4x2, or Upcoming pajero Sport.
Actually my dad's collegue has an Endy & I have driven & been driven around in it quite a few times & without kidding, the Scorpio's ride is better than the Endy! The rear seat (second row) is not at all comfortable for a 6+ footer like me since the floor is too high & I have to sit with my face in between my legs! The ride is too bumpy & harsh because of the leaf springs.

Upcoming Paj Sport - Thats a really nice option but lets wait for it to launch & see the pricing. With the current 20 years old Pajero selling for 25 Lacs on road, I expect no miracle with the Paj Sport.

I see either XUV or the Santa Fe coming onboard. [:)]
This thread is going to be looooong, not in terms of number of pages, in terms of time...

Xuv has nothing in it for a purchase other than cheetah (read cheetha in Malayalam) marketing. I find new gen scorpio still desirable than XUV.
+100.

190 bhp of power in your hands and you are in some good highway. you can do circles around Xuv aria ,safari,fortuner et all. providing best in class interiors.I suggest have a Td of Santa-fe.
When it comes to performance to price ratio Hyundai's are "the modest." you will have peace of mind along with which means "no niggles".
That's the best part. Hyundai refused a test drive of the Santa Fe. Not surprising, since they had refused a test drive of the i20 earlier...

What is your opinion about Nissan Evalia?
Let it launch first, lets see the specs and pricing.
 
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Going by your statement 'nothing too expensive' and if you can convince your brother regarding the scorpio then I guess scorpio lx 4wd. Just put on some good alloys, all terrain tires and you are good to go. Also it does not come with those Chinese electronics. What say?
 
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since he already had a scorpio vlx, i doubt raj will downgrade to a LX.

maybe wait for duster,Storme or XUV.

heard new tuscon is on the cards. what say?
 
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+1 to that both are good choice but keeping in mind the statement mentioned in the first post "Nothing too expensive" i think XUV will win this race. Best of luck for your search :)
Lets see...

Going by your statement 'nothing too expensive' and if you can convince your brother regarding the scorpio then I guess scorpio lx 4wd. Just put on some good alloys, all terrain tires and you are good to go. Also it does not come with those Chinese electronics. What say?
Actually, I saw a member from another forum who purchased a black Scorpio LX 4WD and then put on A/T tyres with cool alloys... Oh, that car looked mean & brute, LOVED IT! Only disadvantage is that it does not come with ABS. Secondly, the interiors were a let down.

People always complain about the so called 'chinese' electronics in the VLX, I have never had any issue with the electronics. Even the tyre pressure sensors were working absolutely fine in my car, touchwood.

since he already had a scorpio vlx, i doubt raj will downgrade to a LX.

maybe wait for duster,Storme or XUV.

heard new tuscon is on the cards. what say?
Duster - 5 seater, hate the way it looks.

Storme - If at all I had to buy a Storme, I would prefer the Aria 4x2 top end... in white, with black tints!

XUV - Mahindra should give it to me first!

New tucson - really? thats news. Thanks.
 
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This is going to be another interesting car chasing (or buying) thread[:)]

From the ones listed most obvious choices are Innova and Santa-fe. Scorpio is the beast but for me it has been around for a long time now. Need some thing fresh!

Any affinity or dislike towards Nissan/Mitsubishi? X-trail and Paj are good options too. And yes I agree with comments on Endy, it bounces like a trampoline at the rear, doesnt it? Very rough ride!!
 

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