[kaviprem]

Originally Posted by rrsteer

Hi Guys,

Seeking your opinion. I have a safari bought in 2008 Dec, with over 1 lakh on the odo. Like others I too saw the aria advertisement today in the newspaper. Inquired about it with the local Tata dealer. Here is the deal I am getting.

New Aria for Rs 9.9 lacs

Safari exchange Rs 4 lacs; (quoted over the phone)

Exchange bonus Rs 40000

So i get a new Aria excluding taxes for Rs 5.5 lacs.

Should I go for it?

Man-O-Man, I was just telling my wife this morning - How about calling the CM branch manager [who is a good friend of me] asking about the exchange price for our Safari [2010 Feb model, but run very low - 20K on odo] and if he says around 11L, why dont we buy ARIA ?
If I were in your situation and got that thought process, I would have just gone in for that and like ACM mentioned, I would think of the high-end as long as financials are good.

Good luck and I believe, you are thinking in right direction. Go for it.

I dont believe in resale value since, to me, we buy vehicle for using it, but not for selling it.

Prem.

[rrsteer]

Originally Posted by ACM

One never knows - But

That said I would seriously say that rather than pure the model from where one should start looking at the Aria is Pleasure or Prestige 4X2.

Thanks ACM. Have a test drive scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Why do you propose the pleasure/prestige model over the pure? My 4*4 requirements are minuscule.

[kaks15]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

Kaks15,

Please share what are the harrasment issues you are facing in your Innova. I assume you are driving a white board, private use vehicle. this info will be useful to all of us. I know wuite a few people who have innova and have done cross border trips (state border) and not faced any issues that I am aware of.

They also had all papers in order including a PUC Certificate for a new vehicle.

Hey scopriobharath

A thing about Delhi/NCR market - many cabs/taxies for local pick and drop generally from small time vendors work on white number plate. Three very big disadvantages of the same are
1) If you are a person like me who comes back late then you are bound to get unnecessary stoppages by local authorities as pointed out by me earlier. All my papers are in order but I just get irritated with the stoppages.

2) If I am with my friends then I am bound to get checked at these stoppages no matter what.

3) I just can not stop my vehicle near a bus stop because people start climbing inside thinking its a ferry vehicle and I have told them many a times that its not

On these days I feel I would have been better off buying a scorpio with its less then friendly suspensions rather than innova.

So now my list is very clear , anything selling in fleet segments more than personal segment is a strict no no. So its Aria, XUV, Merlin and new scorpio maybe.

[ACM]

Originally Posted by rrsteer

Thanks ACM. Have a test drive scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Why do you propose the pleasure/prestige model over the pure? My 4*4 requirements are minuscule.

Am recommending the Pleasure/Prestige 4X2 not 4X4 for the addtional feature set over Pure model. Do not pick up the 4X4 is you don't really have a 4X4 requirement, as they you will pay less and have a much faster and fuel effecient vehicle. (the 4X2 is 196 kgs lighter).

But if you take the Pleasure / Prestige with more features thrown in by default you will like the interiors even more and will not have to foul with the wiring to add stuff later. Check out the feature set difference on the Aria website and see what you really need I guess Pure may be too basic for you while Pleasure or Prestige will match your requirements in 4X2 variant.

[ajit_72]

I own a 2008 Safari and looking for an upgrade. This seems like a good offer on Aria but I am not considering it for 2 reasons. First, it is a stock clearance sale which would mean that one would get a 2011 model Aria. Second, after the pathetic A.S.S. that I have experienced over past 3.5 years of ownership, I am in no mood to take the risk again. I should also clarify one thing, during these years I have moved from Mumbai to Hyderabad to Noida and have been to at least 5 different service stations but unfortunately none of them turned out to be better than the other. Which just shows that Tata has made no effort at all to improve their service quality in spite of numerous issues and complaints. I do get the customary feedback call from Pune after every visit but that has never helped because every visit to garage is followed by at least 2 follow up visits for further issues that crop up because of poor service.

[SAMUDRA]

looks like an irresistible offer :-)
But have already booked XUV and waiting for the delivery in Feb.
I have owned Tata vehicles for the last 11 yrs (Sierra-3yrs and now Indica for last 8 years)

if this offer was give to me back in October would surely have gone with Aria.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by kaviprem

Honestly, we are talking too much of an extreme about the TASS and its service. Me, owning TATA vehicle for the past 7 years now [Marina for 5 years, Safari for 2 years], I have to mention this, never I had a problem with them NOR the vehicle as such.

However, I never had problems with the quality of the customer lounge as well in TATA's service centers - both Concorde [both Dairy circle & Hosur rd] & KHT in Bangalore.

I often notice this in TBHP - people who dont own a TATA car commenting [mostly negative] a lot about the TATA vehicle and its service station. To all those people, please stop bad-mouthing. It doesnt help anyone at all.

NOTE: I am not a TATA employee, but just want to be neutral and want others too to be neutral.

Prem.

+10 to that. I own a Tata Safari for 6 years and I have never faced any issues with the car(s).

[Y@SH]

I think what TATA really needs to do is start marketing arias new stating price. There is still very little information to others about this massive discount.

[scopriobharath]

I also noticed in the newspaper ads that Aria is available for 2 lacs downpayment. That is good news for corporates et all.

[cyberwhizs]

Doesn't anyone want to wait for service pack 2 i.e. V2. Just like MS, Tata V2 are generally much more reliable, niggles persist though.

Any idea if a V2 is on the anvil? Looks like a good buy given the price.

[scopriobharath]

Originally Posted by cyberwhizs

Doesn't anyone want to wait for service pack 2 i.e. V2. Just like MS, Tata V2 are generally much more reliable, niggles persist though.

Any idea if a V2 is on the anvil? Looks like a good buy given the price.

I really doubt there would be a facelift now. Tata has spent millions on the Aria and thanks to its dismal sales figures, they would not even have made a break-even. It is highly unlikely that a facelift / modified version would be rolled out in the near future.

It does not make sense to wait for the facelift to someone who needs a luxury 7-seater in the near future.

[scopriobharath]

UPDATE: I had a casual chat with one of the people associated with a Tata Dealer and acording to him, this discount has not set booking charts on fire. People do come over to see the Aria, but as soon as they notice most features missing, They feel Scorpio, XUV500 are better value for money.

[power ranger]

How can it set the charts on fire ? Aria needs a complete revamp of the interiors and the plastic quality has to be dramatically improved. I would not buy this even with 3 lakhs discount. I am saying this after owning safari and manza. They have to even make the third row sliding. Wonder,when Will they improve

[SDP]

Originally Posted by scopriobharath

UPDATE: I had a casual chat with one of the people associated with a Tata Dealer and acording to him, this discount has not set booking charts on fire. People do come over to see the Aria, but as soon as they notice most features missing, They feel Scorpio, XUV500 are better value for money.

No surprises there. Given the problems reported by Aria, Tatas need to bite the bullet and reduce the price significantly and permanently (NOT as a year end deal). Hondas got the message, when would Tatas get it for Aria?

Once there are enough Arias on the road, the quality gradually improves and positive word of mouth spreads, then Tatas can dream of asking for a premium on Aria.

[ebonho]

Is it true that the dealers are giving this 1.6 lac discount over the overall calculated OTR price (and not on the ex-showroom price)?

I just spoke to Pandit and Millenium in Pune, and both say that they would be deducting the 1.6 lacs from the OTR price (and not the ex-showroom price) which is actually computed on the original ex-showroom price.

This is somewhat of a scam in that case as the company advertises "starting at 9.99 lacs" for the Pure 4x2 version.

Discounting the ex-showroom price reduces the Insurance and RTO amounts as well in a pro-rated manner, as well as the green tax (?) which is levied on all cars above 10 lacs ex-showroom.

On pointing this out, the showroom guys say that they would then invoice the car at 9.99 but then the insurance and RTO would need to be done by the customer ?!

So by their calculation, for Company purchase (PMC area, without Octroi), the Aria Pure 4x2 would come to 12,12,000 OTR (instead of the pre-discount 13,72,000 OTR).

Please chime in on whether this is what dealers elsewhere are doin too or are these guys being extra smart?