[dh.harshal]

I had been driving Vento1.2 TSI DSG Highline for 5 years which we sold recently. We have a Toyota Etios Liva GD manual at home, which is usually driven by my dad.
I've been searching for my perfect drive for the last 3-4 months.

Below are some of the expectations -
1) Automatic (should be at least decent if not fun, not dull/sluggish transmission)
2) C-SUV (no Sedan as roads near my hometown are horrible, it's hilly area)
3) Comfortably sit 4 Adults + 1 infant in Baby Car seat (70% of time single occupant, 30% of time all 5 occupants)
4) No compromise of Safety (minimum 6 airbags, good structural build & regular Active & passive safety features like ESP/ABD)
5) Offer good suspension & ground clearance (needs to be driven on some bad patches - 80% in B2B Mumbai traffic, 20% highway rides)
6) Should include essential & practical features (TPMS, 360 Camera, decent infotainment, Android Auto/Apple Carplay)
7) Don't care much about other Gizmos (like bigger sunroof or Voice commands, but then it should justify price with other driving characteristics)

Usual running -
Monthly about 1500Km (1000km in City + 500km on highway/long trips)

Options considered -
1) Kia Seltos - It actually meets most of the requirements bang on, But the safety rating scare me given a baby will travel along for almost 30% of time.
2) Hyundai Creta - Safety doubts again and look ugly to my family. Outrightly rejected.
3) Kushaq/Taigun - Fun to drive & perfect upgrade from my Vento 1.2 TSi DSG to 1.5 TSI DSG combo. However, the quality/ fit & finish is no match to old vento, forget the competition. Also, cannot seat 2 adults along with one baby car seat.
4) MG Astor - Another car that meets most of the criteria. Wife & I both, loved the design and interiors. It's decent to drive with TC gearbox & turbo engine. But rear seat is again not wide enough, for 2 adults & baby seat.
5) XUV700 - Meets almost all the expectations. But I did not feel instant connection with the car for me to spend 28 Lakhs (AX7 L AWD AT). I had that instant umbilical connection with Vento (rather TSI + DSG combo).
Also, little hesitant due to M&M's history of initial batches facing issues.
6) Harrier/Safari - Scores in drive/handling, but loses in material quality/fit & finish. Then there are those countless issues being reports of owner's groups.
7) Jeep Compass - Absolutely loved the drivings manners, but both the gearboxes are slow to react. Also, owners are reporting many small fitment & infotainment issues.
8) MG Hector - Again another good all rounder like Seltos, but CVT is gearbox is liner, not much fun. Also, the mileage reported is as low as 6-7 kmpl for petrol auto.

Timelines:

Currently working from home, returning to work mostly around February. Also, due to newborn, not car trips until March.

My question to the experts -

1) Which car would you choose in my position?
2) Shall I wait until January to take decision? By then -
Hector might introduce Diesel Automatic?
Jeep might have yer end discounts?
Initial niggles of XUV700 might get solved, but we will have price increase & long waiting period?
Harrier & Safari might get decent upgrades?
Any other cars in sights?

I was almost booking XUV700 AX7 L AWD, but then my rational brain took over. I feel, M&M has played it brilliantly to drive the frenzy around the car & I feel, I'm rushing my decision. Again, I'm okay to book the XUV700 on 7th October, if the experts here feel that's the right choice.

Please help solve my dilemma.

[dh.harshal]

I even have put some scores, weights and weighted scores as well

[abhishek46]

Buying a car with an excel sheet comparison is a really tough ask.
Drive all these options again and again, if possible under same driving route, and decide.

It's also better, if you wait it out for a few months.
By the time, Kushaq/Taigun's teething issues would have been resolved.
The XUV700 would have settled & any potential teething issues would have been taken care.

[anb]

T-ROC makes sense as a compact SUV in the 20-30L category. The CBU definitely worth 4-5 lakhs over Kushaq/Taigun for the quality and drive it offers. I don’t consider XUV7OO, Harrier and Hector as “compact” SUVs. Jeep Compass is definitely a good option but the diesel AT crosses 30 lakhs budget.

[JohaanTJ]

I appreciate the effort you put in to make that spreadsheet and those weighted scores makes sense. But in my opinion, those final scores won't really help you to find the better car in real life.

The rear seat acceptability criteria narrows down the list to Xuv7oo, Hector and the Tata duo. I think you should wait for a few months so that the niggles associated with the initial Xuv7oo batches will get resolved.

You could also add the Tuscon to the list as it is also hovering around the Jeep diesel auto's price bracket. Except for the dated interior, it is still a competent car.

[mpod11]

I was in the same boat about a couple months ago and needed to replace my ageing VW Vento. Team bhpians rightly helped me select the hector CVT and I couldn’t be happier,
I think Hector CVT suits all your requirements to the dot. It has ample space, the CVT is pretty responsive to drive and mileage I get from my car is around 8-9 regularly. Has all the features you mentioned, ride is supple, NVH levels are segment best and easily gives the big car feeling. Build quality is top notch, though it has not been crash tested. It has been in the market for a couple of years and all niggles sorted out. The service and aftersales is top notch. In fact I have never experienced such positive feel good attitude in any of my car purchases!
Go for the hector CVT and enjoy your longer road trips too comfortably with your family!

[AYP]

If you are willing to compromise on the 360 camera and TPMS, the Hyundai Tucson it should be. That 190PS/400NM diesel engine must be experienced by any one willing to part with 30 big ones. It's only major flaw is its staid interiors but as a mechanical package, the Tucson is the one to go for. The top end GLS 2WD will marginally exceed your budget while the GL(O) will fit within it. This is without taking into account the discount factor.

On the other hand, the Compass diesel AT will exceed your budget by 10% while discounts in the range of 1-2L are mostly available on the Tucson, bringing the net delta to around 4-5L.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by dh.harshal

Comfortably sit 4 Adults + 1 infant in Baby Car seat (70% of time single occupant, 30% of time all 5 occupants)

Two adults & a baby seat at the rear means you need space. Cars like the Seltos, Compass etc. won't cut it.

Buy a better car, keep it for longer and it'll work out cheaper. If I were in your position, I'd wait to take a long TD of the XUV700 (but give Mahindra time to sort out niggles), the next-gen Tucson and also the Tata Safari (every year you wait for a Tata, the better the product gets).

If you are open to pre-owned, you could get an "almost new" Kodiaq (spectacular crossover), Endeavour 3.2L (punches way above its weight) & Alturas G4 (quite competent). Follow our used car checklist (including service history, checking past insurance claims etc.), get an extended warranty & your risk is almost zero.

Agreed with BHPians. Put your data into an excel sheet for analysis, but the actual decision should happen only after long test-drives .

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by dh.harshal

Options considered -

My question to the experts -

1) Which car would you choose in my position?

Whether you can wait is really a personal call based on your needs. I think size is relevant and cars like Kushaq / Astor etc are just a tad too small for your family, specially for touring.

My top picks for you from that list (from readily available options) are:

1. XUV 7OO diesel A/T AX7- (I don’t think waiting till Jan can make that much of a difference in sorting initial niggles - if you’re going to go the waiting route then you should be prepared to defer this to end 2022 / early 2023 for it to matter)
2. Toyota Innova Crysta Diesel A/T. No better product for peace of mind ownership for a largish family (roomy for 2 kids while traveling to hometown, safe car, etc).

Expanding further from the above:
3. Compass diesel A/T (you need to assess whether it is spacious enough - otherwise a brilliantly engineered premium feeling car)
4. Next gen Hyundai Tucson. (Not sure when in 2022 it’ll come though - only if you can wait for it)

Outside contenders:
5. Used Fortuner; used Kodiaq diesel if you have the appetite for VAG. I feel you will struggle to sell a second owned Alturas / MUX / Endeavour whenever you want to sell it. Not worth it when you can get a Fortuner or similar more acceptable alternative in the used market.
6. Hector petrol A/T.
7. Used current gen Tucson too perhaps if it gets you a very capable car, saves you a ton of money not to mention saves you the annoying beep at 120 kmph

If choosing between Tata and M&M in this segment I would somehow trust M&M more based on many Tata issues I’ve read. It’s really slim differences perhaps since M&M isn’t gold either but my perception is M&M will be more responsive to customer grievances.

Good luck!

[VW2010]

Ford Endeavour 3.2 if you can find one from one frenzy seller. Only reason to not buy is fuel efficiency. Everything else ticks your requirement and most used market price for these slightly used cars are around 20 to 25l.

The car is a luxury boat. Space is equivalent to a studio apartment and it will not only feel safe but also feel commanding on roads.

Second choice would be Innova. I do not see any other small suv shaped cars solving your purpose without a bunch of compromise.

Do not fall for features. Kia is loaded with features for a reason. Space should be your first criteria and rest all can be add ons to eliminate.

[dh.harshal]

Originally Posted by abhishek46

Buying a car with an excel sheet comparison is a really tough ask.
Drive all these options again and again, if possible under same driving route, and decide.

It's also better, if you wait it out for a few months.
By the time, Kushaq/Taigun's teething issues would have been resolved.
The XUV700 would have settled & any potential teething issues would have been taken care.

Thanks! I've driven all of the cars that I've mentioned
Kushaq/Taigun was going to be my 1st choice (being Vento owner & dan of TSI DSG), but they lack space for 2 adults and one baby seat in rear.

Originally Posted by anb

T-ROC makes sense as a compact SUV in the 20-30L category. The CBU definitely worth 4-5 lakhs over Kushaq/Taigun for the quality and drive it offers. I don’t consider XUV7OO, Harrier and Hector as “compact” SUVs. Jeep Compass is definitely a good option but the diesel AT crosses 30 lakhs budget.

Thanks! T-roc again lacks space in the rear bench.

Originally Posted by JohaanTJ

The rear seat acceptability criteria narrows down the list to Xuv7oo, Hector and the Tata duo. I think you should wait for a few months so that the niggles associated with the initial Xuv7oo batches will get resolved.

You could also add the Tuscon to the list as it is also hovering around the Jeep diesel auto's price bracket. Except for the dated interior, it is still a competent car.

Thanks! I agree to your shortlist. The only question is if I wait for XUV700, I don't want to be waiting forever.
The car is needed from Feb/March without a miss having sold my primary drive already.

Originally Posted by mpod11

Go for the hector CVT and enjoy your longer road trips too comfortably with your family!

Thanks mate! Hector seems to be best suited and value for money. The issue fuel efficiency and the liner CVT gearbox. This is going to be my primary car, to be driven in city for 1000Km a month (almost 70% of total running). Vento TSI DSG also returned around 9-10 kmpl in City, so anywhere near it is okay. But 6-7 kmpl seems far out to be ignored.
CVT is no means slow, but having used to DSG, it felt very linear to pick up. Can definitely live with it though.

Originally Posted by AYP

If you are willing to compromise on the 360 camera and TPMS, the Hyundai Tucson it should be.

On the other hand, the Compass diesel AT will exceed your budget by 10% while discounts in the range of 1-2L are mostly available on the Tucson, bringing the net delta to around 4-5L.

Thanks! Jeep is in my shortlist and willing to spend extra for what it's worth. But Diesel automatic comes only in 4*4 and I'm not a big off-roader, just occasional mild off-roader.
Tuscon is due for upgrade, so waiting for any news around it.

Originally Posted by GTO

Two adults & a baby seat at the rear means you need space. Cars like the Seltos, Compass etc. won't cut it.

Buy a better car, keep it for longer and it'll work out cheaper. If I were in your position, I'd wait to take a long TD of the XUV700 (but give Mahindra time to sort out niggles), the next-gen Tucson and also the Tata Safari (every year you wait for a Tata, the better the product gets).

Thanks GTO! I infact started with searching for Old Tiguan & Kodiaq inventory at discounts.
If anyone has any lead of a Tiguan/Kodiaq, please help.
I think, waiting for Harrier/Safari upgrade or new Tuscon also makes sense, however I'm in dire need of car from February as I've recently sold my primary car Vento.

Originally Posted by Axe77

My top picks for you from that list (from readily available options) are:

1. XUV 7OO diesel A/T AX7- (I don’t think waiting till Jan can make that much of a difference in sorting initial niggles - if you’re going to go the waiting route then you should be prepared to defer this to end 2022 / early 2023 for it to matter)
2. Toyota Innova Crysta Diesel A/T. No better product for peace of mind ownership for a largish family (roomy for 2 kids while traveling to hometown, safe car, etc).

Expanding further from the above:
3. Compass diesel A/T (you need to assess whether it is spacious enough - otherwise a brilliantly engineered premium feeling car)
4. Next gen Hyundai Tucson. (Not sure when in 2022 it’ll come though - only if you can wait for it)

Outside contenders:
5. Used Fortuner; used Kodiaq diesel if you have the appetite for VAG. I feel you will struggle to sell a second owned Alturas / MUX / Endeavour whenever you want to sell it. Not worth it when you can get a Fortuner or similar more acceptable alternative in the used market.
6. Hector petrol A/T.
7. Used current gen Tucson too perhaps if it gets you a very capable car, saves you a ton of money not to mention saves you the annoying beep at 120 kmph

Good luck!

Thanks! This is going to be my primary drive in the city (1000km a month) for almost 70% running with single occupancy. So Fortuner or likes do not make the cut.
I think, I'd search for a used Tiguan/Kodiaq.

Originally Posted by VW2010

Ford Endeavour 3.2 if you can find one from one frenzy seller. Only reason to not buy is fuel efficiency. Everything else ticks your requirement and most used market price for these slightly used cars are around 20 to 25l.

Second choice would be Innova. I do not see any other small suv shaped cars solving your purpose without a bunch of compromise.

Thanks Friend! Cannot go to full size SUV territory as mentioned above.

[Axe77]

Originally Posted by dh.harshal

So Fortuner or likes do not make the cut.
I think, I'd search for a used Tiguan/Kodiaq.

I completely understand the sentiment on wanting to avoid the full fat SUVs like Fortuner. I too would keep this as an outside contender if I were in the same market (without ruling it out completely).

Given you're already a VAG owner (and presumably a happy one) I think the used Kodiaq / Tiguan is a brilliant option, specially if you can land a BS4 diesel. It'll be great to drive, will feel properly premium, will have the right size and space (L and not XXL). Do take a call if you're fine with the ride quality. I have heard it is a tad on the harsher side although given the choices at hand, that may be an acceptable compromise.

The diesel engine tranny combo is presumably more reliable on the relative VAG scale and it will be reasonably fuel efficient as well. No beeping issues, less DPF issues - all in all an excellent choice.

[Lowflyer23]

After driving a German you won't be able to connect to any mainstream brand in terms of driving (except maybe Ford and Jeep). I understand how the emotion and character is not present in the XUV700, despite class leading power figures (some people believe this is paramount).

Going by your requirements, I'd suggest you to extend you budget by 3-4 lacs and pick up a new Tiguan Allspace. A stage 1 map later down the line and a good aftermarket suspension would leave you grinning madly on those long drives . The stock suspension is a bit stiff though, but being a VAG MQB product, the mod potential is HUGE!

I seriously doubt you'd be able to get a good deal in the pre-owned market because it's clearly a seller's market presently. I searched hard for a less run, well maintained endeavour a few days back and couldn't find a single one. The 3.2 ones being sold at 20-25 lacs have mostly done more than 80k - 1lac kilometres. The 2.0 BS6 versions are not even available below 30 big ones, that's a lot of money for a pre owned SUV whose maker has packed up and left.

We thought that the resale value of Ford cars would sink after it's exit, but it's certainly not the case at all from what I have seen so far. The same is the case for Kodiaq diesel, 2017 ones run around 50k kilometres are being sold for 30+ .

[sunikkat]

I think you should wait for Tiguan 5 seater, if you are not in a hurry. It will be spacious, good performance, premium quality and should handle well too considering VW. But might be 35 lakhs and above on road mostly.

Not sure how satisfied you will be moving to Hector from Vento. I felt Hector had very soft ride and doesn’t feel like a well engineered car like Compass.

Honestly none of the SUVs in that price range are a complete product, you need to sacrifice on something or other. Of the lot Compass is great but cramped and performance is not very exciting. End of it you need to see what you are ready to compromise.

[vjbox]

If some of the gizmos can be compromised, how about a Innova Crysta? I mean it could take rough roads, has a pliant suspension, munches miles like no ones business and to top it all, comes with that bullet proof reliability. I saw someone in the forum even remapping the engine to make it much more powerful. Seating, space is never an issue as people move houses with that.

If SUV/ Crossover is a must, I would recommend either a pre-owned Kodiaq (in its diesel guise) as the new upcoming one is Petrol only and we don't know how thirsty it would be. A wildcard is the Citroën C5 Aircross. While we don't really know its reliability yet, it did impress me with its ride quality and the space on offer which was better than the Compass. Tiguan Allspace is an option too in parallel to the Kodaiq and its fairly loaded as well.