[D4D]

I have only driven Innova and Getz on highways. I'm 6' and I fit well in both cars. The Innova is simply brilliant. But one big drawback: Noise(on diesel engine.) The short ratios actually aid driving in Indian highways, but it should have come with the 6th gear.

Getz is quiet and has an amazing HPS, but tall gearing makes in a pain to overtake in 2 lane highways.

[zenren]

Among the ones that I have enough experience to comment, here is my order of preference:

Swift petrol - Though not as enjoyable in city conditions/speeds, the old 1.3L petrol engine is a delight in highways. Front seats are comfortable, though thigh support could have been better. Better NVH levels, smoother gearshift and clutch operation as well as a more linear power delivery make the overall comfort factor tilt towards Petrol variant for me.

Swift diesel - Turbo while giving a kick can wear out the passengers in the congested 2-way highways in Kerala, if you end up getting in and out of it frequently. The absence of dead pedal would be felt in long highway trips of reasonable traffic when the left leg is likely to get some work.

Zen petrol (carb) - Still drives like a charm and matches the journey times in our Swift diesel on the highways across Kerala. Thanks to the lesser width, it is much more easy to overtake in a Zen in the narrow 2-way highways in Kerala even if it doesn't have as much power. If you have a 2-wheeler coming from the opposite direction, Zen can still overtake while the wider cars can't do it and have to wait for the rare opportunities!

I feel most comfortable using this car than any others, probably because I learned to drive in this car and some of the habits/postures got naturalized around the layout of the Zen's driver seat. Even the absence of dead pedal is not felt much while driving this car since I don’t have to move my leg too much to operate the pedals. This would have been my top pick till a couple of years back but the power on tap is slowly becoming inadequate compared to the other vehicles on road.

Indica V2 diesel (non-turbo) - Overtaking was a huge pain in the non-turbo version we had and the corners needed much slower speeds to prevent under-steer. Rubbery gearshift quality ended up discouraging gear changes if it can be avoided. Usually took 1-2 hours more than in the Swift/Zen for the 250km journey to visit grand parents. Very comfortable to sit in, but can be tiring to passengers eventually due to the longer journey duration and the boredom.

Santro Xing - Much better brakes when compared to Zen/Wagon R or other competitors which inspires more confidence. It’s a pity that the rest of the dynamics took away that confidence. Posture was not as good as any cars mentioned above but not as bad as Wagon R either.

Wagon R (Type 3) - Drove my friend's car once during a long trip. Driving posture was uncomfortable even after multiple adjustments and finally ended up giving the steering back to my friend after a few hours! Passenger seats are okay.

[saadat1992]

The 3 cars that i have driven a lot on the highways are the Liva, Santro Xing & Dzire!

Santro : Good brakes. Nothing else is good for the highways. The engjne is alright, the ride is bouncy. The driving posture is very bad. You'll end up with very painful right knee. The bouncy ride makes it difficult to keep the speeds at 100 or above on uneven patches.

Dzire: The one i drove was my friend's ZDi version. The initial pick up is amazing. Especially when accelerating away after following heavy vehicles blocking both the lanes on dual carriageways. Handling is good. Brakes are mediocre even on the ZDi. The ride is a bit bouncy. Posture is decent & i had to sit kind of upright to make sure the rear passenger has enough leg room( I'm 6' & i had to set the position accordingly).

Liva diesel: Lacks outright power. Acceleration is not as good as the Dzire. The driving posture is very good, feels very relaxed & stretched out. The ride is brilliant! Does not feel skittish & bumpy over uneven stretches. Brakes are definitely the best in segment! It's definitely a very good highway cruiser. It could do better with little more power!

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[sam_sant2005]

I have owned Esteem, Swift DDiS, Fiesta Classic and currently Ertiga ZDi (Totalling more than 1 lac kms in last 4 years).
My Brother owns an Innova.

Yes Innova is unmatched in comfort but still my best till date is 2700kms in 4 days on my Fiesta Classic (Engine is a let down on highway). Trips were between Bangalore - Kerala. Although I said engine was a let down, fiestas amazing dynamics ensures that you have good lap times and the super plush suspension takes care of comfort. Hence Fiesta is definitely better than the Maruti's in terms of driver fatigue.

[a4anurag]

For me of ask the cars that I have driven and owned till date, I find the WagonR, Ritz and Ertiga to be comfortable for long hauls!

All the the cars mentioned are tall boys so they have a tale seating, larger greenhouse area yield to better visibility hence more light inside an airy feel. That makes things simple and less strain on the driver.

On a universal front if asked, it is the Innova eyes closed. I am yet to come across a worthy competitor for that MUV.

Anurag.

[IshaanIan]

Never really understood the whole Innova thing. Either people have never been used to much else but the Fortuner (which has terrible ride quality), or they just haven't sat in any good sedans First let's talk about MUV vs Sedans at handling highways; in a sedan, you get better acceleration, better gearshifts, better braking, more silent ride and better dynamic capabilities due to the low center of gravity, one can continue to take a slight curve on the highway without disengaging cruise control or braking to slow down, secondly sedans just feel a lot safer not sure what it is but anyway I even know for a fact that they are so when going faster, I don't feel as scared.
Now let's discuss the interiors; at it's current pricing, the Innova is a premium product. However, I feel really bored inside the car since it is down on features as well as quality (I am not talking about the old design of the dash since the age of a design isn't really something that puts me off) secondly, seats are okay, but have you had the chance to sit in a Fluence? or a Kizashi? or even tried the plush Teana? you just don't feel like going back and sitting in an Innova after that all that the Innova offers to me, is one less sit-up (getting in, and getting out)
I like having an Innova around to take or pick me and my friends up from a football game, but that's about it.

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Other cars that I have liked very much for long distance drives have been the Subaru Forester 2011 model which I drove on the motorways in the UK

Ah I forgot to mention the Forester absolutely brilliant. Such a low center of gravity, the rumble from that boxer engine, simple ergonomics, low bonnet itself due to the boxer unit, and well sorted dynamic capabilities from the rally bred chassis. If one goes through my list of cars, it is clear that I believe sedans are the way to go. The Forester makes my list and I think that itself, is saying a lot

[farhadtarapore]

For the folks suggesting safari or scorpio: what about all the issues/horror stories about those vehicles? The questionable reliability? Doesn't that eclipse the comfort part?
As far as SUVs go, Safari and Scorpio are the only ones in my budget. Fortuner and above are hopelessly overpriced. But the quality issues remain like a splinter in my mind. Lots of folks I have talked to have told me to keep away from Tata cars :(

[Shanksta]

The most comfortable car that I have driven on the highway till date has to be my Innova and I have come to this verdict after multiple long drives in my car. The longest I have driven till date was Chennai - Rameshwaram roughly 520+ kms and I was still very fresh after reaching my destination. Also it is a very good mile-muncher and is very taut and stable at high speeds, the steering also weighs up very well giving the confidence to belt the car at 100+ all day. Granted the cabin becomes noisy post 110kmph but set the music at decent volume and it helps. Yeah and also managed Dindigul - Chennai(home in nanganallur) 410kms in 5hours 26mins flat !!! It was 11:00am when we left and 4:26pm when I parked the car at home , including a 30min lunch break.

[sourabhzen]

Originally Posted by farhadtarapore

For the folks suggesting safari or scorpio: what about all the issues/horror stories about those vehicles? The questionable reliability? Doesn't that eclipse the comfort part?
As far as SUVs go, Safari and Scorpio are the only ones in my budget. Fortuner and above are hopelessly overpriced. But the quality issues remain like a splinter in my mind. Lots of folks I have talked to have told me to keep away from Tata cars :(

Please refer other threads to discuss the other issues about these vehicles. This thread is not for discussing other issues related to cars.

People are just giving their viewpoint on the comfort levels as per their experiences in driving various cars.

[joybhowmik]

For me, the Innova - any day. One reason why I continue to hang on to mine and harbor dreams of continued long drives. Scores full marks in terms of driving comfort, seating comfort, climate comfort, ride comfort ... you name it - it's right there at the top.
The Palio 2004 which I had for a long time was also good for a long drive - driving comfort was great, seating comfort was not as good as the Innova's, ride comfort was definitely good, but it used to have a low GC - and hence prone to underside knocks.

The Santro 2003 AT is another car which I have taken for long drives. It does not score as well for ride comfort or driving comfort. Climate comfort could be better - sometimes I feel the AC struggles. But the Santro does have its uses in terms of getting into those narrow lanes adjoining temples and turning is a breeze.

I have driven the Toyota Corolla 1996 and Honda Civic 1994 extensively - used to take both these cars out on long weekend drives. The Toyota Corolla was definitely better in seating comfort than the Honda, the Honda on the other hand used to be a better ride.

But definitely to-date, the best car I have driven so far which ticked all the boxes is the 2001 Ford Explorer. I used it as a regular drive from Philadelphia to New York for a couple months before September 11 (was lucky to get a all-new rental!).

That beast was superlative. Low noise, unimaginable number of seat settings and seats that would hug you, great suspension, fantastic climate comfort - a uniform temperature zone that was just right for you... in other words a great experience.

Note from Mod : Please use space in between paragraphs for ease of reading. Your text was all clubbed together. Thanks

[agbenny]

Originally Posted by farhadtarapore

For the folks suggesting safari or scorpio: what about all the issues/horror stories about those vehicles? The questionable reliability? Doesn't that eclipse the comfort part?
As far as SUVs go, Safari and Scorpio are the only ones in my budget. Fortuner and above are hopelessly overpriced. But the quality issues remain like a splinter in my mind. Lots of folks I have talked to have told me to keep away from Tata cars :(

I suggest Scorpio after driving a Van, Sedan, Hatch and SUV - after 14 years on road in 4 wheeler, for a guy of 6'2" - Scorpio would be the best in India to drive!
I remember a tall lady told me from my rear seat that if she ever buy a car, she will only buy a Scorpio - She just loved the road view and the leg space. The Driving position in Scorpio is amazing - I would say. Try Scorpio for a 100KMs and I am sure you would start loving it.

Now to clear your doubt - I am going to touch 80000 KMs in couple of weeks, after 5 years and 2 months. I had no problem with the Vehicle except a clutch pedal issue (This is after a rough off road in Mudumalai forests once and a puncture noticed when parked.

I agree with the niggling issues that you mentioned - But your heart will ignore it as a driver, though you may not like it as a owner. :-) However, If you love the vehicle with proper care, I am sure its going to love you back!

[diffsoft]

As an aside car is just one of the factors for a comfortable long drive, probably more so in India. That's because of the quality of roads, traffic and fellow drivers, poor laws (and its enforcement), stray animals (mostly dogs) and pollution.

Then there are co-passengers, especially kids!

So if I want a comfortable long distance drive, I find it best to get someone else's car along with a driver. Tension free, all risk outsourced May not be pleasurable though!

Cheers,

[holysmoke]

Skoda superb. Nothing else less than 75L comes close.

[s_pphilip]

Camry. Period!

I have spent time on highways in our Sonata (D), Fabia (D), City (P) and i10 (P), and of these I like the Fabia most, stable, less turbo lag, FTD and efficient, (anyways the question here does not ask about maintainence costs which is a different story).
I have also been in Laura (D), and it mirrors the Fabia, add power ++.
But my friends Camry beats everything above to pulp in highway comfort, it is as luxurious as it gets, front, rear, anywhere.

Now that I am thinking of it, I don't have any rich friends with S class or 7 series, hmmn, need to expand my circle. :-)

[zenren]

Originally Posted by diffsoft

all risk outsourced

Driven by someone whom you don't know in a car you don't know about is certainly not going to be a risk-free proposal. It has its own share of risks. I understand that the stress of driving and damage to own car is outsourced but how is it that all risk is outsourced? Are you not going to be sitting in that car? The way I see it, the biggest risk is on the life and I don't see that outsourced.