[dhanushs]

If you are open to used cars, why not a LandCruiser. ?

[CEF_Beasts]

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

Hi Guys,
So we have been looking for a SUV that fits in the 75 Lac bracket (OTR).

Heres the criteria it should fill:

Ride Quality
Offroadability
Highway-Mile munching (Most Important)

Dad booked a Discovery Sport 2021 MHEV Diesel a few days back. Seeing all the rage about reliability all over the internet, Can't figure out if we made the right decision.
Heard from current owners that they have made some huge improvements (none of theirs have broken even once). Have JLR really upped their game in terms of reliability, A.S.S etc. now? Or Is it just a "bad image" that remains now?

The A.S.S has improved in Mumbai atleast, my close friend has a Discovery Sport MY2019, they previously owned a W212 MY2014 E200. They always used to complain about the subpar service and reliability issues with the E-Class. No such issues with the Discovery Sport!

Also regarding the Discovery Sport, it flattens out bumps incredibly, flyover expansion joints are non-existent It has easily got the best ride quality compared to say the X3 or GLC. The back seat is also really spacious with the AC vents on the B-Pillar.

If ride quality and occasional off-roading is top-most priority then nothing beats the Discovery Sport, also this MY2020 facelift really looks nice!

Originally Posted by dhanushs

If you are open to used cars, why not a LandCruiser. ?

Issue with Land Cruisers is finding one is extremely hard, because no owner wants to part with one! And if they want to part with one, the price quoted will not have depreciated but rather appreciated .

I always wanted to replace my Fortuner with a used Land Cruiser (Prado included) but all examples available are old ones, either run 1Lakh kms+ or facelifted to look like the latest iteration. I would rather buy an original Prado/LC200 rather than a modified one with body kits.

[AKSarkar1]

Used to own a 2014 Mercedes GL350 CDI and everything about the ownership experience was a nightmare. Even a small dent or scratch used to burn a massive hole in the pocket. I remember once a small piece of Chrome garnish cracked and the price we were quoted was upwards of 10K! Same is the story of a friend who used to own a 2009 Audi Q7. Much happier with the current running costs of our C Class.

In your case too my advice would remain the same, if the Endeavour is too large maybe you might want to consider a VW, Toyota or Skoda. While size-wise they might not be a massive decrease, they are yet driveable and big enough. Also a much much cheaper option!

If it is brand name and tag-value that you are looking for, then maybe consider Audi, Merc or BMW. Another friend of mine who currently owns a Velar is extremely happy with the service and ownership thus far, maybe that is an option you might want to consider?

Hope this helps and happy hunting!

[RishavRBhardwaj]

Originally Posted by CEF_Beasts

Issue with Land Cruisers is finding one is extremely hard.

The scene with Land Cruisers are horrible in India. A friend was almost duped into buying a MY2015 that looked exactly like a MY2019.

[CalmConquests]

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

The scene with Land Cruisers are horrible in India. A friend was almost duped into buying a MY2015 that looked exactly like a MY2019.

I've been a land cruiser user for about 7 years now. Ive bought & used various second hand land cruisers & currently own 3 different generations. Honestly, if your friend couldn't run the VIN number or figure out the difference between a 2015 & 2019 car, I think he was being very naive.

These cars are more reliable than 95% of the latest SUVs on the market as long as you don't fiddle with the electrical system.

Coming to your budget, I agree that 75 lakhs is a huge budget. But with the current pricing situation, for an SUV , once you cross the 55-60 lakhs mark, the next tangible upgrade is only at around 1cr.

If I were you & I wasn't in a hurry, ill look for a good LC. You might easily find some good low mileage Prado. But even a Prado is twice as good as German SUVs in terms of rugged reliability.

If I wanted nothing less than a brand new car, I would perhaps save some more & buy a new Q7 or a GLE 400d.

[Big Smoke]

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

Hi Guys,
So we have been looking for a SUV that fits in the 75 Lac bracket (OTR).

Heres the criteria it should fill:

Ride Quality
Offroadability
Highway-Mile munching (Most Important)

Dad booked a Discovery Sport 2021 MHEV Diesel a few days back. Seeing all the rage about reliability all over the internet, Can't figure out if we made the right decision.
Heard from current owners that they have made some huge improvements (none of theirs have broken even once). Have JLR really upped their game in terms of reliability, A.S.S etc. now? Or Is it just a "bad image" that remains now?

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT but the Disco Sport when you don't have a dealership in your state!

First of all, Lexus Motors themselves is not a very competent dealership when compared to other JLR dealerships pan India. I've experienced it first hand. They just about manage to keep the ball rolling. And in case for have any minor/make issues at all, their standard modus operandi is to always replace parts. And it's not only because they want to make more money, but also because they are simply not competent enough to repair anything. While on warranty, you might not care, but once you are out, you will regret your decision. And that's around time when things in the car might actually start acting up.

Second thing is, why do you want to load you money on the Disco Sport when there are better alternative available?
I suggest you, or your dad, ditches the idea of "exclusively / differentiator" and pick a new GLE 300d. It's ride quality is much superior (heck, it has a V i.e. limousine chassis series!), car is adequately engaging to drive, MB support is excellent, what more do you need?
Buy the car from Delhi / NCR, and your will get 6-9 lakh Rupee discount. Even if you stretch your budget of 75 lakhs by 4, 5 lakhs, consider it to be spent on peace of mind and a superior car.

Even if you guys are adamant in getting the "exclusivity", pick the BMW X4 30d eyes closed! Beautiful 6 cylinder engine (& it's a BMW, need I say more?), solid driving experience which will leave your dad grinning ear to ear, coupled with the best reliability you can get. All this while having a pretty good ride quality and an incredibly savvy looking body! Man, your dad will forget about the Disco Sport before he hits the bed that night!

[carthick1000]

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

Still a newbie, can't PM.

You cross post this thread in his thread and ask your question there. The whole point of discussing in forums is to get collective perspectives and PMs will lead to only perspectives of 2 parties.

[mohitchalla]

If you can get a Land Cruiser, get it. No other vehicle would be able to match its off-road abilities, ruggedness, and bullet-proof reliability.

[AamodB]

I'm assuming your budget is strictly under 75 OTR so I won't be asking you to increase it to get a GLE or an X5 which definitely fulfil the requirements of a luxury SUV and to be fair as a whole compared to the Land Rover stable. I from my own experience would recommend the GLC for your budget. It's the perfect size if you intend to drive it frequently in the city or any place with average Indian roads. The GLE and an X5 are a little too large sometimes even in a city with wide roads like Delhi. While the GLC doesn't have the road presence thing going for it compared to the Discovery Sport it does better in all other aspects.

And it'll for sure be a smoother ownership experience. A friend has a 2018 Range Rover Sport which visits the workshop to get sensors replaced quite frequently. So while LR may have improved a bit on the reliability aspect, it still falls short of the standard set by the Germans.

As for ownership experience of the GLC we've had absolutely no issues so far. We bought our GLC in 2017 and have covered ~50k km on the odo. It has never had to visit the workshop for any mechanical issues in the past 4 years. Since reliability is an important criteria in your decision, Mercedes probably offer the best reliability in the luxury market bar Lexus/ Land Cruiser of course. They also have the most widespread presence in terms of ASS in the country so that should be helpful if you ever have any issues.

However, the GLC could do better from driving fun point of view and does fall ever so slightly short of the now ageing X3 but ticks the box in all other aspects. We've done around 10k km on the highway so far and it is a breeze to drive. It eats up the km with no issues and doesn't feel underpowered in the slightest. It is only when you take it around mountain roads that you start to notice the body roll a bit more. It does suffer from tire noise and NVH issues for a 70L SUV but that problem can only be solved by buying something more expensive.

As for your point on offroadability, the GLC is surprisingly good. Of course it won't be as capable as the Discovery but the 4matic (4X4) version can handle most rough and uneven roads and dirt tracks and does quite well even on steep offroad inclines. It is only when you come across large rocks that you get a little concerned (more from damage point of view rather than actual ability to traverse).

Unless you've already taken a look at the GLC, I would definitely recommend that you go for a test drive and see it firsthand and ask your family to compare the two before settling in.

[Mission_PGPX]

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

Hi Guys,
So we have been looking for a SUV that fits in the 75 Lac bracket (OTR).

Heres the criteria it should fill:

Ride Quality
Offroadability
Highway-Mile munching (Most Important)

Dad booked a Discovery Sport 2021 MHEV Diesel a few days back. Seeing all the rage about reliability all over the internet, Can't figure out if we made the right decision.
Heard from current owners that they have made some huge improvements (none of theirs have broken even once). Have JLR really upped their game in terms of reliability, A.S.S etc. now? Or Is it just a "bad image" that remains now?

Late to reply but hope not too late. I would very strongly recommend Volvo XC60 or XC90, whichever fits your bill. With its safety features and level 2 autonomous driving possibilities (not capabilities since we are in India), giving max horses for your money of almost all competition (235BHP), its the best bang for your buck. The ventilated seats, designed by orthopedic doctors (from what i heard) along with massage function works as cherry on top. Germans may give you better fun to drive quotient, but after the water settles you would thank the air suspension and mile munching nature in highest comfort of the car. Its probably the car where even 5th passenger wont feel uninvited. It looks good too!!

Am I sounding a SA from Volvo?

Forgot to mention the 16 speaker Bowers and Wilkins sound system, that really costs money man and sound exclusive.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by CalmConquests

Ive bought & used various second hand land cruisers & currently own 3 different generations.

Do post more details and pictures in the relevant thread or open a new thread. Your experience with purchase and otherwise will be helpful.

figure out the difference between a 2015 & 2019 car, I think he was being very naive.

Some guys, like Automarc, does very good work. But it takes less than a second glance provided you know these things

These cars are more reliable than 95% of the latest SUVs on the market as long as you don't fiddle with the electrical system.

Having owned multiple 200 series will contradict, these are100 % reliable than any other single vehicle. I will like to know about the other 5 % that you have in mind Chances of anything going wrong on a LC is close to Zero unless something external happens. If you are doing regular maintenance, there should be none, period.

ill look for a good LC. You might easily find some good low mileage Prado.

Very difficult, have a look at this and even at such high prices, this is booked.

https://www.bigboytoyz.com/used/toyo...prado-5-detail

Most Prados on Olx will be over 100K on the ODO easily. And for LC200, some of the newer models from 2018/ 19 with low mileage are sold at 1,4 Plus, closer to what original owners paid.

But even a Prado is twice as good as German SUVs in terms of rugged reliability.

Yes, but, it's nowhere close to LC200. That puny engine does not do any help to pull that massive body. I will instead pick a Fortuner or Endeavour, but from what I can feel, OP needs something premium and it should appear different from regular SUVs.

[CalmConquests]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Do post more details and pictures in the relevant thread or open a new thread. Your experience with purchase and otherwise will be helpful.

Thank you. It means a lot coming from a distinguished BHPian like yourself to a newbie like me. I will try & come up with a Land Cruiser thread as soon as im able to think of a form & sequence for it. I am a newbie & the amazing quality of content here honestly makes me nervous about opening a new thread. Our garage currenlty has three Land cruisers - a 70 Series, a 100 series & a 200 Series. Ive always loved cars, however i may not even be half as technically knowledgeable as most of the members here. I always seek the help of trusted mechanics with these things when i evaluate a car.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

:Having owned multiple 200 series will contradict, these are100 % reliable than any other single vehicle. I will like to know about the other 5 % that you have in mind Chances of anything going wrong on a LC is close to Zero unless something external happens. If you are doing regular maintenance, there should be none, period.

I completely agree with you. However, since we are talking about used cars that can be over a decade old, certain failures are likely to happen. These usually tend to be items like Shocks or other parts of the AHC system, minor sensors like wheel speed sensors etc. Hence the balance 5%

Originally Posted by Turbanator

:Very difficult, have a look at this and even at such high prices, this is booked.

https://www.bigboytoyz.com/used/toyo...prado-5-detail

Most Prados on Olx will be over 100K on the ODO easily. And for LC200, some of the newer models from 2018/ 19 with low mileage are sold at 1,4 Plus, closer to what original owners paid.

I agree. Finding a good Land Cruiser takes a lot of time. Its not something you can find when it suits you. This is true for any used car but for a Land Cruiser, it may even take 2 years like it did for me (LC 200). I did finally find a great 2010 car with 40k kms(looks suspicious i know) for about 50 lakhs + cost of re-registration. Had it throughly checked with VIN & my trusted mechanic plus the toyota dealership. I also did a very close inspection of the interiors & every single trim. Most cars show their age here & the fact that my cars interior was of an unusual colour made it easier for me to check for consistency. I feel its very easy to tamper with the ODO but the interior trim is usually a dead give away.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

:Yes, but, it's nowhere close to LC200. That puny engine does not do any help to pull that massive body. I will instead pick a Fortuner or Endeavour, but from what I can feel, OP needs something premium and it should appear different from regular SUVs.

I agree its no LC200 but its still pretty okay in my experience. Since driving feel /agility isnt top priority with any Land Cruiser, i think its still pretty good at a munching long distance kms.

Finally, i also had a 2017 fortuner(4x4 MT) i just sold. I loved it to bits and think its pretty amazing in our road conditions. Prior to the pandemic, by daily drive was about 75 to 100 kms a day. I enjoyed every single Km! I only sold it because i got an unbelievable price for it & ive actually gone ahead and booked a new 4x4AT.

[quattroa4]

Please check out the Land Rover Discovery Sport , it's worth every rupee you spent . The German SUVs are just not worth on our roads .

[RishavRBhardwaj]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Do post more details and pictures in the relevant thread or open a new thread. Your experience with purchase and otherwise will be helpful.

Yes a Landcruiser thread would be amazing. I believe a lot of people here would have a lot of interesting bits to share.
Irrelevant to the thread but, Here's a picture of a friend's LC that he got a year ago. Black ones are not very common though. I think I'm going to start the hunt for one.

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by CalmConquests

IOur garage currenlty has three Land cruisers - a 70 Series, a 100 series & a 200 Series.

That's pretty impressive. Please do pen down. You don't sound or write like a newbie and am sure you know far better.

These usually tend to be items like Shocks or other parts of the AHC system, minor sensors like wheel speed sensors etc

Correct, with age probably, but I mean, there is probably no other vehicle that will have such fail-safe built.

I feel its very easy to tamper with the ODO but the interior trim is usually a dead give away.

Absolutely. You got lucky and I agree patience is the key but with LC, I will say, luck and perhaps the right circle too.

Originally Posted by RishavRBhardwaj

I think I'm going to start the hunt for one.

Actually, I will not recommend you going after a pre-owned unless you know somebody closely and he bought new. Most brokers will always scout for one with an open mandate to pick at any costs. I am personally aware of a seller who refused to give a 2019, 18,000 Km at 1,5 cr

You will drift away from your budget and requirements, so better you spend your efforts elsewhere. XC60 is one smart SUV that is worth checking in person.