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| Crossed up |
| Bsm Team / Mumbai Sep 26, 2009, 00:30 IST |
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I have been considering buying a crossover SUV for some time but cannot make up my mind. I live in Mumbai and my weekday commute is about 10 km. On an average, my monthly driving would be 400-500 km. The car will be self-driven. I currently drive a seven-year old Skoda Octavia which needs to go as it has now started giving me a lot of problems. The reason why I was looking for an SUV: my dad has recently bought a weekend home in Khandala and I plan to drive down there on weekends at least twice a month. The approach to this house is a semi-gravel path and a bit rough. What I’m looking for in my new vehicle is that it should be fun to drive, well built, have comfortable rear seats and reasonably easy to get in and get out for my folks. I’ve shortlisted some cars
1) Toyota Fortuner — Till last month this was what I wanted. Now I find out that the deliveries won’t take place for at least six months. During the test drive I loved it, but the middle row was not that comfortable
2) Mitsubishi Outlander — This car seemed the perfect package when I drove it. Loved the paddle-shifts, the handling was good but pickup was average. The rear seat was comfortable and it was quite easy to get in and get out
3) Nissan X-Trail — I haven’t driven the new model but the old model was a good drive
4) Honda CR-V — I liked the handling and the rear seat was quite comfortable as well. The current price for a new car just doesn’t seem right! I also have a concern that it might be too late in the lifecycle to buy this car since a new model is expected in 2010. I even hear a diesel CR-V is expected in some months.
What’s the downside of going in for an Outlander? I know the resale value is going to be poor, but what’s the feedback on after sales service? I would appreciate any comments or suggestions that you can provide me
Anurag Gupta, Mumbai
 Since you genuinely don’t need a diesel for your kind of driving, we suggest that you look at the Outlander and the CR-V. The Outlander is an immensely satisfying car to drive, it is well-built and has decent comfort levels. However, our recommendation for you would be the CR-V. It’s a comfortable car that’s not only fun to drive, but also is extremely refined. What’s more, it also enjoys a much better service setup across the country, unlike the Outlander. While it might not be the most efficient around or the cheapest, it makes up for its overall ownership experience as well as strong residuals in the used car market. The new CR-V is nothing more than a cosmetic facelift, while the diesel is not expected until 2011. It still is the betterbuy for you.
Our desire
We are looking for a car in the range of Rs 6-6.5 lakh. This is our second car after the Maruti 800, which we’ve now used for five years. We have zeroed in on the Hyundai Accent and the Chevrolet Aveo. Of these two, we find GM’s baby to be best. However, will like your views on this and please consider the Maruti Suzuki Swift Dzire (we dislike it mainly for its shape) and Tata Indigo (Tata’s sedan does not have pride of ownership) in your views. The normal running will be 200 km per month (maximum). We are fine with 12-13 kpl mileage.
P Sharma, via email
 We still think that the Swift Dzire is the best buy in that segment, and you can go in for the top-end ZXi with all the bells and whistles. However, if looks do matter, then the Chevrolet Aveo makes for a compelling buy. Its 1.4-litre engine is decently peppy and there’s a lot of space on the inside and ride quality is quite decent too. Chevrolet has also loaded it with features and at that price it does come across as a decent chauffeur driven sedan.
Any automotive questions?
Ask us at bijoy.y@bsmail.in
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