[Parthasarathig]

Test drove the XUV500 and Thar back to back today. Totally blown over by the XUV. A complete package: things that i need and then there are things that i didnt think id need but its there for good measure. Loved all its features especially the MicroABD(iirc) feature that shuts down the engine on neutral.

The SA was showing me so many facilities that i lost track of it completely. Cruise control, hill hold, rain sensing wipers, touch screen MMI, etc etc. I mean if one lists out the features it would become a small book in itself.

And the price is reasonable for the features that one gets. I mean in an 18lakh innova you get nothing except basic features. But here at 2 lakhs less you still get so many nifty features that ease your life.

I do know about the niggles but still its one hell of a package even though some parts do feel cheap. The automatic closure mechanism of the mirrors feels cheap. Atleast on the demo car it was turning with some sort of vibrating mechanism.

Then comes the Thar. When you come from an XUV test drive you are immediately taken aback by the Thar. For 9lakhs you get nothing. Its better to get a military jeep and rebuild it. Every material in the Thar feels like it was added as a last thought. I dont want to insult anyone here. No doubt the Thar is a capable machine and very good lifestyle product which id enjoy having but the asking price is too much. Ive always loved jeeps. Driving the Thar without any interference from anyone was a welcome change today.

I saw 5 customers who sat in the thar and then bolero and scorpio and none of them booked the thar. One of them even booked the xylo. I wish the quality of the interiors were better in the Thar. Loved everything else about it. It not just looks the part but also performs.

Coming back to the XUV, there is one drawback. I drove it in the busiest hours in Bangalore today. Realised that bikers and autos are not as afraid of the XUV as they are afraid of Scorpio and Innovas and fortuner.

The steering of the Xuv felt worlds apart than the Scorpio steering that ive driven. I dont know if they presently have same steering though.

All in all Xuv is one hell of a car and should make its owner proud to drive one. Id be

P.s Mahindra is taking bookings only for the W8 front wheel drive model and it seems the green color cannot be booked currently. Thats what the SE told me. And i feel Mahindra is doing a great job by educating their SEs on the car thoroughly. Also each of them carried a tablet and were pretty well dressed. Good to see this in case of an Indian car company. Maruti showrooms should learn a thing or two from Mahindra. All i see these days are arrogant SEs in Maruti. Good job by Mahindra.

[reevester]

Dude, just GO for the car! You will definitely not regret it!!



P.S. For those of you'll who are using a USB Pen Drive to play music and have noticed that standard pen drives cause you to leave the flap open, go for this product!

I just got it today and it fits in superbly and you don't even realize that there's a pen drive inserted! And it works fine with the latest version of the IS Software.


Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please avoid quoting an entire large post. It inconveniences our small screen & mobile readers.

[redindian]

Originally Posted by NIP

Yes I also think there's nothing fishy about the whole thing. If you have the budget, I think you should go for the W8. Its definitely worth the upgrade.

Thank you guys for chipping in .

I did go down to the showroom and the dealer was open enough to show me his entire order allotment list for this month and the transit information for all vehicles - was satisfied enough that this vehicle is not been sitting in his stock yard for long.

He was also willing to let me see a few W8s and pick the one I want - just to assure me that he wasn't trying to peddle a particular piece on to me. He has offered 3 different vehicles to look and pick from ( His only condition being I cant change the color)


Finally decided to pay for the W8 and pick it up - heading down to the dealership in a bit to close the payment formalities today. Vehicle should be registered and delivered tomorrow evening or saturday max.

Dealer is sireesh auto in bangalore - he is matching the insurance quote from outside ( saves about 18K on his original quoted price )



Cheers

[DoneAndDusted]

Originally Posted by Parthasarathig

Test drove the XUV500 and Thar back to back today. Totally blown over by the XUV. A complete package: things that i need and then there are things that i didnt think id need but its there for good measure. Loved all its features especially the MicroABD(iirc) feature that shuts down the engine on neutral.


Coming back to the XUV, there is one drawback. I drove it in the busiest hours in Bangalore today. Realised that bikers and autos are not as afraid of the XUV as they are afraid of Scorpio and Innovas and fortuner.

The steering of the Xuv felt worlds apart than the Scorpio steering that ive driven. I dont know if they presently have same steering though.

All in all Xuv is one hell of a car and should make its owner proud to drive one. Id be

This was pretty much my experience as well! After much thought and waiting for duster, I booked the XUV W8 after TDing both the Duster and the XUV, back to back. If Mahindra improves the QC and addresses all the pending issues from existing owners, then this is a world beater in its class and price range!

[NIP]

Originally Posted by redindian

Thank you guys for chipping in .

Finally decided to pay for the W8 and pick it up...

Originally Posted by DoneAndDusted

...If Mahindra improves the QC and addresses all the pending issues from existing owners, then this is a world beater in its class and price range!

Congrats redindian and DoneAndDusted! I have a month old W8, and am yet to encounter any niggles so far.

[DoneAndDusted]

Originally Posted by NIP

Congrats redindian and DoneAndDusted! I have a month old W8, and am yet to encounter any niggles so far.

Thanks NIP. I have been informed that the vehicle will be available by end of September or early October. Can't wait for it!!

Originally Posted by redindian

Thank you guys for chipping in .


Dealer is sireesh auto in bangalore - he is matching the insurance quote from outside ( saves about 18K on his original quoted price )

Cheers

Congrats RedIndian! Can you please publish how the insurance quote you received?
Also, other XUV owners, please provide your inputs on the insurance as well. Which company, type of insurance and the price you paid.

[redindian]

Originally Posted by DoneAndDusted

Congrats RedIndian! Can you please publish how the insurance quote you received?
Also, other XUV owners, please provide your inputs on the insurance as well. Which company, type of insurance and the price you paid.

Did a bit of research on the insurance and there are a few options

1. Basic Comprehensive plan ( sounds like an oxymoron rt ?)
- ranges between 29K - 35 K based on provider

2. Zero dep
- ranges between 34K - 45K based on provider
- this is offered only for the first two years of ownership , after which the value does depreciate.



I took a few quotes from ICICI , Royal Sundram, Bajaj Allianz ( pretty easy to get this online on their website directly ) . Picked the royal sundaram zero dep at 34K. The dealer matched the same price.

I picked royal sundaram fromt the dealer for three reasons

1. My previous vehicle was insured thru Royal & they were very smooth in handling claims
2. Typically have found that its best to take the insurance from the dealership , helps get the cashless claim resolved in a much more smoother way
3. RS had a 20% NCB for 1st year and 25% for 2nd year - so the premium goes down quite a bit ( 7K - 8K) if there is no claim.

His original quote was 52K - you could get it for 30K or 34K based on which package you take.


Cheers

[magikrider]

Originally Posted by redindian

Did a bit of research on the insurance and there are a few options

1. Basic Comprehensive plan ( sounds like an oxymoron rt ?)
- ranges between 29K - 35 K based on provider

2. Zero dep
- ranges between 34K - 45K based on provider
- this is offered only for the first two years of ownership , after which the value does depreciate.



I took a few quotes from ICICI , Royal Sundram, Bajaj Allianz ( pretty easy to get this online on their website directly ) . Picked the royal sundaram zero dep at 34K. The dealer matched the same price.

I picked royal sundaram fromt the dealer for three reasons

1. My previous vehicle was insured thru Royal & they were very smooth in handling claims
2. Typically have found that its best to take the insurance from the dealership , helps get the cashless claim resolved in a much more smoother way
3. RS had a 20% NCB for 1st year and 25% for 2nd year - so the premium goes down quite a bit ( 7K - 8K) if there is no claim.

His original quote was 52K - you could get it for 30K or 34K based on which package you take.


Cheers

can you please elaborate the difference between the two and also if there is any more option available like bumper to bumper?

I have a 10 year old car with no claim bonus accumulated over the years. just inquired today and was told that the savings will be 50% on the new car as i had never claimed any insurance during its lifetime. but haven't decided on selling it yet.

[redindian]

Originally Posted by magikrider

can you please elaborate the difference between the two and also if there is any more option available like bumper to bumper?

I have a 10 year old car with no claim bonus accumulated over the years. just inquired today and was told that the savings will be 50% on the new car as i had never claimed any insurance during its lifetime. but haven't decided on selling it yet.

Not an expert - but let me try to share what I have understood from my research.

Bumper-to-Bumper : Just a fancy marketing talk - what it really means is that all part of your car are covered by insurance including Glass, Plastics, Nylon ( Tyres) etc.

Zero-Dep : Typically Insurance companies will start depreciating the value of car the day it is bough ( usually 5% first, followed for 15% or so for next year and so on). With Zero Dep, you "delay" this depreciation by a few years. In the case of Royal Sundaram it is aleast 2 years. From the third year the value of car depreciates - again, this depreciation is purely from insurance claim perspective, so in case of any damage claim or theft, you get higher payout from the insurance provider


NCB : Most providers offer a 20% for 1 year, 25% if there is no claim for 2 consecutive years and so on. It caps at 50% for 5 years.

NCB is transferrable , if you change providers or change cars -> i.e. If you buy a new car and sell of your old car ( and registration is on the same name) -> then you can claim the NCB on your new insurance.

General rules of sales & service apply for insurance as well - > meaning, if you buy insurance thru dealer, he makes a cut - and is likely to service you better, when you make your cashless claim/ repairs much smooth.

Give that for a new car, you are unlikely to give it our for repairs at places other than your dealership - I have always thought, its a better idea to buy insurance from the dealer itself. That way, dealerships know, they are going to come to you next year for premium renewal, so they better treat you well on the insurance claim part. They often go out of the way to make sure , they fight on your behalf with the insurance agent to settle claims faster in case of repairs.

[fundagenie]

Originally Posted by redindian

Did a bit of research on the insurance and there are a few options

I took a few quotes from ICICI , Royal Sundram, Bajaj Allianz ( pretty easy to get this online on their website directly ) . Picked the royal sundaram zero dep at 34K. The dealer matched the same price.


2. Typically have found that its best to take the insurance from the dealership , helps get the cashless claim resolved in a much more smoother way

I had opted for the Royal Sundaram provided by the TVS, cochin. For bumper to bumper he quoted 40k. Mainly had gone for it for cashless claim and for the matter I dont want any hassles as the vehicle would be used in bangalore.

FundaG

[awanish]

Hello friends! I have been very keenly following team-bhp for years (almost since its inception), mostly as a passive enthusiast. Very proud of team-bhp, equally proud to be a part of the same. Incidentally this is my first post, mods are requested to correct impropriety, if any.

I am waiting for the launch of Twin Turbo 170 Bhp 400 Nm automatic variant of XUV 5oo. Any news on the same?

I am sure that in case this more powerful variant is launched, simultaneously Mahindras would address all the various niggles that the existing owners have pointed out. In addition, I would recommend the mahindras to recalibrate the speedo of XUV 5oo upwards to around 260 Kmph (Present calibration upto 220 Kmph looks humble even for the 140 bhp version). For a customer who loves the attention and admiration that his vehicle commands amongst passes-by and co-passengers, a low calibrated speedo is a turndown. To a not so well informed on-looker, it reflects a 'low maximum capability' of the vehicle. For example, very few would agree that Maruti Zen 2001 mpfi (speedo calibrated to 160 Kmph) is almost as fast as (or may be faster than) VW Polo 1.2 Petrol (speedo calibrated to 240 Kmph). I hope the Mahindras are listening

[Tushargohil]

off topic, today i saw this message on XUV500 page, "Prices are being updated. This page will be available shortly " is there any news? priced got revised again?

http://www.mahindraxuv500.com/product/price.aspx

[Venkytalks]

Originally Posted by Tushargohil

off topic, today i saw this message on XUV500 page, "Prices are being updated. This page will be available shortly " is there any news? priced got revised again?

http://www.mahindraxuv500.com/product/price.aspx

Oh this is bad news - assuming they are pricing it up rather than discounting it.

Actually Mahindra has an advantage of pricing in Rupees - all other SUVS have to import much of the kits (in various percentages) and so with weak Rupee, they may have to jack up prices to maintain profitability.

Mahindra can withstand pricing pressure better and might benefit from exports.

Yesterday I went back to Mahindra showroom and sat in the XUV again. Still looking great. Still cant afford it.

I did notice this time that the central steering console juts down and hits the legs when the seat is kept in the maximum up position - but the problem disappears when seat is lowered.

Which means visibility has to be compromised for the sake of leg comfort.

Has anyone else experienced this problem - steering column jutting between the knees?

Thanks,

[Warhound]

Has anyone had problems with playing songs on USB mode ?

Ive found the software to be extremely slow in jumping tracks (while pressing skip/forward). There is literally a 10 second delay in jumping to the next track and gets agonizing if ones jumping the first 20 or so songs.

[Zappo]

Yes the software is slow... and this becomes more acute if the USB is too big and/or has too many songs in it. I notice this particularly when the system boots the first time. USB takes too long to kick in!