[ron_9191]

I have been searching for a larger vehicle for getting traveling with my family over long distances. When I say a family, it is going to be my wife, my 11 year old daughter and maybe as a near future addition a Daschund.

Initially I had my mind fixed on 2 vehicles, a classic Mitsubishi Pajero and a Toyota Fortuner. I struck out the Pajero only and only because if its scarcity of parts and the lack of a service network. The Fortuner ticked all my boxes. Reliable, spacious, rugged, 4x4 and I was particularly fond of the model that was there right before the current one. However, one test drive destroyed everything. On a straight line the Fortuner felt absolutely glued to the road, however once the road gets a bit uneven, you are almost immediately and uncomfortably informed. My only saving grace I feel is probably buy a decent one and upgrade the suspension according to what I want. I am very confident that this will happen considering the vehicle in question here is a Toyota that has global presence and I may not be the only one who thinks that the stock suspension on the Fortuner is ----

Although I am fixated on the Fortuner despite its only drawback which happens to be its suspension, I came across something I never though I would actually consider, a 2011 Volvo XC60 D5 AWD. The one thing I know about Volvos is that they are built like tanks. Probably the safest things on 4 wheels even by standards that are almost 10 years ahead. Should I even consider the Volvo? What should I expect from the ownership experience?

Welcome everyone's thought on this.

[Sreesh1009]

First of all, what's your budget?
When you spoke of the Fortuner and Pajero, I'm assuming you were talking about used options(?).

Coming back to the topic, I would go for the Fortuner rather than the Volvo. Reasons being :
1. Exorbitant service bills
2. Constant part replacements due to age (suspension, tyres, trims etc)
3. Low resale value.
4. Small dealer network.

If you're going through the used market, I'd suggest you take a look at the Innova, BR-V or an Ertiga as well. They are quite big and will fit your entire family as well.

I hope this helps.

[BMvW.Rajat]

I wouldn't go for an almost 10 year old Volvo. Even if it is maintained really well, things are going to be up for replacement and these replacements wouldn't be cheap. As a former owner of an S60, I can tell you that they don't really keep many parts readily available and the wait can sometimes take upto 30 days. I had to wait a long time on 2 separate occasions and this was when the car was just between 2 and 3 years old. Once for the cover of the headlight washer and the second time for a solenoid for the gear selector.

I would personally recommend the Toyota. But sometimes the heart wants what it wants.

We had to drive our car like this for almost a month

[Cessna182]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.aut...0-review%3famp

I'm sure you've been through similar articles. It seems like a good used car. There were recalls so maybe you could check if that's affecting your model.

As for spares, Volvo owners would be able to guide you the best. In the worst case one can import parts from Dubai if they are not available. XC60 is quite popular in many countries and parts won't be a problem if you're willing to wait and pay for shipping.

[ron_9191]

@sreesh my budget is between 10L and 17L and I really want an AWD or a 4x4, I would have bought an Innova with my eyes closed otherwise. Ertiga and the BR-V I really don't think those vehicles suit me mentally or physically.

The Pajero fits me like a glove and so does the Fortuner. But really thankful for your suggestions. I mean I guessed the bills are going to be pretty much on the higher side. I think thats the case with almost anything European in India. But parts wearing out frequently I will have to see or probably discuss out here.

I am not really concerned about the resale value as the only car I ever owned is still with me and its resale value is almost zilch. But she is still pampered like one of my own.

[Rahul Bhalgat]

You shall reject S60 for the same reason you rejected Pajero. As Sreesh1009 suggested, consider Innova. You will be happy.

In fact, I will recommend Innova in place of Fortuner.

[MAS]

Since you mentioned “to travel long distances with family”, please go in for the Fortuner

A 9 year old Volvo’s reliability is not going to be better than a 2015 Fortuner (assuming you get a 2015 Fortuner 4 x 4 for 17 L)

[hserus]

Originally Posted by ron_9191

@sreesh my budget is between 10L and 17L and I really want an AWD or a 4x4, I would have bought an Innova with my eyes closed otherwise. Ertiga and the BR-V I really don't think those vehicles suit me mentally or physically.

Try a Hexa XT 4x4 - checks ALL your boxes. You can get one new if you stretch your upper range of budget by 4-5 lakh, else very nice used options.

[Y@SH]

Kindly note that any preowned luxury car would demand huge repair bills. Parts go bad with age and wear and tear items do need replacement. Ac Compressor, Timing belt, Water Pump, suspension overhaul etc just to name a few. You may be getting a car priced significantly lower than what it was when new, but the maintenance cost would be of a 45Lakh Car.

Also being an old/discontinued model consider waiting for spare parts rather than having them readily available. These complicated machines are not easily repairable at any garage and repairs won't be cheap. You haven't mentioned how long you intend to keep the car or how many kms the volvo has done or the condition of it. If I were you I would rather go for cars that are easy on the wallet and a peace of mind. Eg. Fortuner, CRV, Endeavour. If you want a luxury car dont look for anything more than 2-3years old, specially if you dont know the owner personally.

If you still have your heart on the Volvo get it throughly inspected at the authorised dealership , check the insurance history and also keep a lakh every year aside for servicing/maintenance. Also find a honest and experienced service centre to get it serviced yearly.

[V.Narayan]

I would advice you as follows:

1. Check out the full service and parts replacement record with the authorized ASS centre - check if every part was replaced on time or not.
2. Ask the centre manager for what parts are scheduled for replacement as planned maintenance over the next two or three 10,000 kms service milestones - get their cost. That will give you a reasonable estimate of cash outflow to expect over the coming 30,000 kms.
3. My experience with my Volvo XC60AWD, over 6 years, has been that parts do not fail just like that and only need replacement at the time of scheduled checks as per Volvo's planned replacement list. After all it's a Volvo and not a frail Mercedes.
4. If your assessment passes the above three tests you are good to go.
5. Parts are priced more expensive than Toyota and less than a Mercedes.

My experience over 69,000 kms has been first class and so is their A.S.S. It's a tough car.

[GTO]

There is no way that I would recommend buying a 9-year old luxury car to anyone, not even my enemy. Forget major failures like the engine & gearbox, even electronic modules & turbochargers will start costing you 2, 3, 4 lakh rupees. Not to mention the headache of repair & the l-o-n-g wait periods for parts. Please avoid for the sake of your sanity & bank balance.

You should look at newer cars from the mainstream segments as the D1 & D2 category cars (especially) have really upped their game. There are several sedans, crossovers & SUVs that you can get.

But avoid the Volvo or any old luxury car. Remember, there is no such thing as a "cheap" or "VFM" luxury car in India.

[ron_9191]

Thank you everyone for the time you took for me. This is what keeps Team-BHP really going. I have been looking around for a proper SUV for a while now. I started with a beautiful Mitsubishi Pajero SFX that I found on the classified section here. The car belonged to Mr. Sanjay and believe me it was the hardest NO I had say to a person who genuinely took care of his vehicle which was on sale. What stopped me was the lack of spares and the technicians who could work on it considering the age of it. But it was very difficult to let it go.

If I were to bring all your suggestions and zero it down to 2 cars, both of them are Toyota! It is either an Innova or a Fortuner. And I believe the wisest thing to do is to buy a decent Fortuner, do some mods on the suspension for comfort and be happy. A long term ownership of a BS4 vehicle and the lack of clarity to what could possible happen to them in the long run is also something that concerns me a bit. Could someone throw some light on that too?

[AnandB]

Santa Fe 2nd gen AWD is a good option too.

[ChoosetoCruze]

Originally Posted by ron_9191

If I were to bring all your suggestions and zero it down to 2 cars, both of them are Toyota! It is either an Innova or a Fortuner.

I believe this is what you may be looking for - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...-2-4l-awd.html (Heart over head! My pre-owned Honda CR-V 2.4L AWD)

If not the above, then it really has to be the Innova.

I really wouldn’t recommend messing around with the suspension of the Fortuner & expecting miracles to happen. Especially in your case, since you want to soften the ride quality.

If it has to be the Fortuner, make peace with all it's shortcomings.

[starter]

Hi Ron,
Long time. I'd reached out for a bullet mechanic for my electra 4s many years ago.
I have a 3L D4D Fortuner - 4WD MT. I bought it in Oct 2016 when the new one was available.
There are suspension kits available for it from reputed manufacturers like ARB, IronMan.
Such a kit would cost you roughly around 1L.
Making the ride too soft would mean pronounced body roll on winding roads. There is already quite a bit even with the stock suspension.
Try playing with the tyre pressures and see if the ride quality is something you could live with.
You are free to drive mine to get an idea. Hope, this helps.
Cheers