[vinodvaddi]

Hello Learned Bhpians

I'm a 37 year-old male from Bengaluru. I currently own a Hyundai Eon which has been serving me well since the last 7 years. I'm now planning to upgrade to an SUV.

It will be my only car. So it needs to handle the non-existent roads of my locality, be good for city commutes, as well as occasional highway trips.

90% of the time it will be used as a two seater (me and my wife) and will be driven in the city. But I do hope to do some trips to explore the beautiful scenery of Karnataka. The rear bench may have occasional guests.

Coming to the requirements, I would like:
1) Good ride quality and driving dynamics
2) Solid mechanical package (Tank like build, all-round suspension that can take care of bad roads and highway speeds with equal aplomb)
3) AT (for my wife, and to be frank even I prefer this convenience over driving fun, if that's what it takes to avoid knee pain and ankle pain)
4) Good sound system (A must)
5) Would like to have all 4 disc brakes (just for looks, if nothing else), Panoramic roof

I've done my research and shortlisted the below.

XUV300:

It's a baby Compass. Comes with all four discs, built like a tank and it's torque to weight ratio is the best in this list (better than SUVs from a segment above). I was ready to compromise on the boot space and take the plunge but I noticed in one of the test drives that the front suspensions is noisy. On slow speeds it hit a pot hole and made a loud noise as if something broke. The interiors, especially the unit below AC vents, looks like it's lifted from cars of the previous decade. The sound system is mediocre.

Compass:

It's a tank. It's beautiful.
Solid mechanical package with all four discs and electronic parking brake right from the base variant up.
But it's pricey. Also the AT is out of my budget. At the best-case, I can get the Sport Diesel Manual or the one with the Sunroof. But then it'll be a pain in city traffic because of the MT.

Harrier:

Solid build. Great sound system.
I took the test drive of a manual variant. It's an ergonomic nightmare. My knee hit the dashboard and the steering column multiple times. Blind spots scared me once when I was turning the car.
The ergonomic issue may not be problematic in an AT but the blindspots are still a concern. It doesn't have rear discs though and that parking brake is gimmicky. But Having said all that, it ticks most of the boxes and the top-end AT with panoramic roof and good sound system sits in the budget.

Also, the car looks stunning. As someone who appreciates good looking cars (I was a fan of Fiat; Linea, Abarth, and Avventura), this seems like the right choice.

Kushaq:

Elegant design.
Ticks most of the boxes.
Waiting to test drive 1.5 TSI .
But the downside is cost-cutting in the interiors and Harrier seems better VFM.

Creta:

I took a test drive and immediately understood why it is the number one on the sales chart.
1) It is easy to drive in the city. It took me no time to adjust from my toy car Eon.
2) Good enough for highways.
3) Offers plenty of features.
4) Surprisingly it is as capable off-road as the other car I test drove on the same day (Duster). The approach and departure angles made me feel it did better than the Duster.

But the design has no character/emotion. Build quality is questionable too.

Safari:

Seriously I don't need a 7-seater. Just considered to avoid that gimmicky parking brake of the Harrier and to get all 4 disc brakes.

TRoc:

Happened to see one on road and that 1.5 sounded sweet. But the 2021 has dropped some of it's unique features such as the lane assist and also lack of cruise control at this price-point is unacceptable. But on the other hand, it comes with panoramic roof, electronic parking brake, and all four discs. So it seems like a better VFM than Kushaq, provided ride quality on bad roads is bearable and if I can live without cruise control. It is the perfect size too.

Wildcard entry:

XUV700

I'm not looking for a 7-seater but 450NM of peak torque! If it comes at the same price range of the above cars, then it is worth a consideration.

Also the crossblade multilink suspension with frequency selective dampers is Jeep compass territory, if not better.

Now on the downside, it can be too big for a daily driver for 1 or two people.
Also from my previous testdrive of the XUV 300, I understood it's not about what the brochure says, it's about implementation. Waiting for the reviews to come out.


Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks
Vinod

[GTO]

A request first : There are several language, spelling & grammatical errors in your posts. This negatively affects the forum experience for other readers.

Kindly ensure that you proof-read your posts prior to submission. Also, it would be a good idea to use a spell-checker.

Thanks for the support & understanding

Originally Posted by vinodvaddi

90% of the time it will be used as a two seater (me and my wife) and will be driven in city.

Guess you don't need a lot of space then.

You're sailing in the right direction and your shortlist pretty much has all the fun-to-drive options in the segment. Good news is, the sheer choice we have today. The Compass (2.0 diesel), XUV300 (both engines), Kushaq & Taigun (MT & DSG are both awesome), Creta & Seltos (1.4 Turbo, followed by 1.5L Diesel) are all fun if the right engines & gearboxes are chosen. Test-drive all & go with the one that pulls the strings to your heart the most. It should be a car that makes you fall in love with it, and you feel right at home in the driver's seat with.

Larger SUVs (XUV700, Safari) offer a different kind of fun, but in terms of the pure-pleasure-of-driving, they cannot match the smaller, nimbler & more chuckable options listed above. I'm a big fan of small + fun packages.

[Akshay6988]

Based on your requirements only, I would suggest you go for the Harrier Dark. It's not that big, ride and handling is sorted plus the engine is joy to drive. Just get the test drive of an AT variant for you both, in city and on the highway as well before signing off the cheque.
Kushaq will be my second option after the Harrier. Happy shopping !

[CEF_Beasts]

IMHO, if SUV/Crossover and fun-to-drive are written together then I would suggest the Jeep Compass without doubt. Feels the most premium out of all cars shortlisted, features list is very long and is a proper driver’s car! And the quality of the interiors and other bits make it feel it’s from a segment above.

Since mainly only 2 people will be travelling in the car, I don’t think you will mind the slightly cramped back seat of the Compass.

Other option could be wait for the XUV700 as well, check it out and decide on the 5 seater or 7 seater option. But I would suggest consider the XUV700 only by 2022/23 because initial batches are going to surely have niggles.

[suhas_raj]

Considering all of your requirements, Kushaq & Compass are probably best suited. Honestly I am a bit underwhelmed with Kushaq’s interiors, it feels very Un-Skoda on the inside, but once you crank the engine it’s some consolation. Somehow not a complete package, Skoda could have done better for sure! Heck, my 7 year old Rapid has better put together interiors.

On the other hand, compass seems to tick most boxes you need, it’s a great package if you love to be in the drivers seat. You’re getting what you pay for & the base variant offers good value proposition. If you can stretch go for the one with most safety equipment with at least 6 airbags, in the long run you won’t mind having spent a little bit extra for that peace of mind & that plush interior! Good luck with your car hunt

[vredesbyrd]

Since you're in Bangalore, the road tax is insane and in my honest opinion, going for a new car with KA registration is overspending. If I may suggest, have a look at ML250 or X3. They are far better than the ones in the list. X3 will have a great sound system and panoramic roof even in the most potato variant (the one with the puny 6.6 inch screen and miserable instrument cluster).

I'd say that just have a sweep through the used car market. If you're looking for something newer, the X1 (F48) sounds like a decent deal.

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by vinodvaddi

90% of the time it will be used as a two seater (me and my wife) and will be driven in the city. But I do hope to do some trips to explore the beautiful scenery of Karnataka. The rear bench may have occasional guests.

This means that a compact interior should not be a deal-breaker. And you mentioned "Fun-to-Drive" in the title itself which means that is the top priority. Given that, I would say that Compass, Kushaq and T-Roc are the right choices. These are fun to drive with good dynamics in their own right. Maybe XUV3OO too, but it has some compromises as you mentioned. Rest are more or less "soft SUVs" (with ride tuned for comfort than fun) with only "relatively" (compared to other SUVs) good driving dynamics.

I feel you can not go wrong with any of the three (Compass, Kushaq, and T-Roc) for your requirements.

Originally Posted by vredesbyrd

Since you're in Bangalore, the road tax is insane and in my honest opinion, going for a new car with KA registration is overspending. If I may suggest, have a look at ML250 or X3.

I'd say that just have a sweep through the used car market. If you're looking for something newer, the X1 (F48) sounds like a decent deal.

None of these cars will come under 25L in used car market in Bangalore, unless they are quite old (well beyond warranty period). You will only get about 7-8 years old X3 in 25L in Bangalore. And that will have its own headaches about maintenance (time and cost required to maintain it).

Unfortunately in Bangalore, the used car prices are as brutal as the new car prices.

[ramnaresh_2000]

Originally Posted by vinodvaddi

Compass:

It's a tank. It's beautiful.
Solid mechanical package with all four discs and electronic parking brake right from the base variant up.
But it's pricey. Also the AT is out of my budget. At the best-case, I can get the Sport Diesel Manual or the one with the Sunroof. But then it'll be a pain in city traffic because of the MT.

Hi Vinod, I was sailing in the same boat few months back. Even I felt a brand new base variant Compass was way above my budget. I was lucky enough to find a 1.5 years old hardly used Limited variant. You can check my ownership thread below.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ip-review.html (Red Phoenix - My Used Jeep Compass Limited (D) MT : An Ownership Review)

There is a beautiful thread by GTO which explains the beauty of hardly used second hand vehicles. Please read through that post. Aim for used Compass which are well within warranty. Thanks to new facelift, the pre-facelift version top end Limited Plus can be purchased within 15-18 lakhs. You can then spend some 10k on detailing and 40k on 2 years extended warranty and enjoy the Compass.

Aim for 2019 manufactured Compass, you will not regret it. AT might be a challenge as there are not many AT diesel Compass available in used market but there are many AT petrol available. Compass is built like a tank and many safety features available from base variant itself. Please note that maintenance is high compared to competition. A simple general service will set you back 17 to 20k. Spares and accessories are also insanely costly.

Do not go with Harrier/Safari, as the ergonomics are all over the place. XUV700 is also a good buy the base or mid variants, but again wait for version 2 of XUV700 as M&M are famous for using early adaptors as their QC testers.

Best of luck

[anandavinash]

I second what vredesbyrd recommended. The used car market is pretty hot and you may just get a good deal on a good X1/X3, Q3 or GLC at the price that you are looking at.

When I went to collect my Audi A3 from Audi Approved Plus last month, there were three Q3s lined up for delivery. All were 3-5 years old and had run less than 50K km. If I remember correctly, they were all being picked up between Rs. 25 and 30L. There's nothing listed on their website at the moment but it would be good to talk to them as their inventory is often transient.

[Tucker48]

I would like to suggest MG ZS EV. Do check it out as well. It has a real world range of approximately 350 Kms.

[DrSumit]

Vinod, please drive the Compass for yourself. Q.E.D.

Like many BHPians I drive cars just to get a first hand feel of what it's like. I'm an outright sedan lover and wouldn't plonk money on SUVs. Despite that, I have a soft corner for the Compass (especially the current uplift). It's a luxurious tank with very good dynamics and in gear acceleration. Urban driving needs just that, right?

Also, like the Octavia, there's a reason it keeps selling (albeit in low numbers) at a price 50% higher than competition.

[amol4184]

Everyone's idea of fun to drive could be different, but man new Thar petrol AT is a LOT of fun IMHO. I see that its not listed in your OP, even though 90% of the times it will be a 2-seater vehicle. To me it also looks better than other cars in there. Besides its the only real SUV?

[anb]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Everyone's idea of fun to drive could be different, but man new Thar petrol AT is a LOT of fun IMHO. I see that its not listed in your OP, even though 90% of the times it will be a 2-seater vehicle. To me it also looks better than other cars in there. Besides its the only real SUV?

The primary requirement is good ride quality and driving dynamics. Thar fails to delivery on both counts. Thar is good as a 2nd or 3rd car in a garage as it has a very poor boot space and rear seats.

[speedfreak77]

When you think of buying a replacement vehicle for a price bracket, you stumble upon so many options and choices that one can wonder what will be the best for them. Bangalore Traffic is the worst and as much as I want to suggest you to get the Compass, I would not ask you to buy an MT. Like @GTO said some cars are a joy to drive when you buy them with the right engines and variants. With the Compass, the 2.0L Diesel is a must and an AT will be a joy. However, there are a lot of cars that will put a smile on your face when you check them out.

Tata Harrier XZA plus: This will tick all the boxes you have. The car isn't that big when you start driving it. The engine is great. Interior is fantastic. Features are top-notch. The exterior is beautiful especially of the Dark Edition.

Volkswagen T-Roc: If you have no problem with a petrol car then the best on the list for a petrol
is this. This is better than the Kushaq in both looks and drive feel. Removing those features from the T-Roc was not a smart move by VW but the car is phenomenal to drive.

Hyundai Tucson: This is over the budget but you can end up picking good discounts on this. Do take a look.

Not suggesting the tin-can Korean sisters. Even though I own the Seltos, It's not good in terms of safety. The features are a plus point and the cabin is nice. Considering the car which you buy will be the only one you will have in your stable and you'll keep it for a long period, you're better off with the Compass/T-Roc/Harrier/Tucson. These 4 offer a better package overall.

[sunikkat]

From the cars you shortlisted and based on your priority, if Petrol - TROC or Kushaq and if Diesel - Compass.
If in your place would have got Compass Diesel mid variant, even if slightly more expensive. If you are keeping the car for more years you wouldn’t repent.