[Voodooblaster]

A used Honda BRV CVT could be a good compromise for you

Of course, try to buy one with Warranty and proper service records

[DustyWanderer]

If the usage is very less then, would you consider going for pre owned car option?
I would suggest a good condition pre owned Honda BRV CVT would do the job.
you will easily get one for under 10 lakhs.

When buying a preowned car, it is always safe to set aside 10% of the cars total value for its maintenance. For example : If the cars value is Rs.10,00,000 then you have to set aside Rs.1,00,000 for its maintenance. So total value of the car is 11,00,000 .

My preferred option would be
- Preowned Honda BR-V (5 Star Safety Rating as per ASEAN)
- Kia Carens (3 Star Safety Rating)
- Suzuki XL6 (3 Star Safety Rating)
- Renault Triber (4 Star Safety Rating)


I prefer purchasing a used car if the car is sitting idle for 90 to 95% of the time in your garage/parking lot depreciating in value.

[Tanmay_868]

To me the answer appears simple.
The stable of MS, Kia, Hyundai are all poor in safety. No two other words about it.

Coming to XUV7OO it is a good car with a great mix of safety, engine and features. Also its waiting period has significantly dropped (at least in Northern India) where we can now get one in Petrol in max 4-5 may months. Also niggles are mostly sorted like the steering rod and suspension noise.
It would be your best bet.

The second and probably the best choice for you would be of HECTOR PLUS. It is most reliable vehicle out there. And is safe too. Engine is adequate at best though(petrol CVT).

Innova Crysta appears too crude in comparison. NVH would disturb you and interior plastic quality is bad.
Innova HyCross too has cheap interior and is overpriced.

[karthikd21]

Let me add a different perspective. You mentioned 6-7 seats are not always needed and also the running is not that high. I had a similar requirement and bought a Honda City 5th gen as most of the time its just the 4 of us(2 adults and 2 kids). For those occasional full family trips, just hire a 7 seater cab/get a self drive as per need. We tend to overthink the need for a 7 seater. You would save upfront on the premium paid. Using a fraction of the saved money, you can easily manage one off requirements of 7 seater. Just my two cents!

[07CR]

Carens is actually the best car for you. I don't see any major niggles or issues with it. The Cherry is buy any engine gearbox combo and it won't let you down.

Yes safety is a question mark, but it's a bigger one with Maruti.

[NiInJa]

Originally Posted by Manudon

Yes, you read that right.

Ertiga seems like a pretty decent option with the lowest TCO. The engine is meh, but should be able to manage with the 100-110 range that we drive in and the occasional hill run. With it's previous generation tech, the chances of anything failing in next 10 years are low. Safety seems to be the weakest link, but Ertiga has scored a decent 3 star with 2 airbags and I can put off my purchase till later half of the year when 6 airbags are expected to be mandatory.

If you are going to drive a 7 seater at speeds above 90kmph, then better stick with Innova. I own an Ertiga for the last four years and can tell you it is not a good idea to drive the car at high speeds, especially when its loaded with people. The weakest link I feel is the bad brakes on this car.

I don't feel the sheet metal is as flimsy as other cars from Maruti Suzuki (Baleno/Swift/Wagon-R). The engine is not explosive but serves the purpose. Since BS6 arrived, they are now giving ESP on top end variants (earlier it was only available with AT). I find the stock music system better than Honda City and Skoda Rapid.

I had exact same requirements as you stated: Big family/new born baby etc. and went ahead with the Ertiga back then as there was not other option. In my experience, people tend talk a lot about this car at first, but once they sit inside and understand how comfortable and practical it is, they have a change of opinion.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by arnav17

One of the rare Indian Buyers who wants a safe car and not just "Kitna deti hai"!

Last evening I was talking to an elderly (80+) neighbor who shuttles between Madurai and Chennai frequently. He stopped driving some years ago and uses call drivers nowadays. He was using a Qualis which he bought new, for a very long time and finally replaced it with a used Ertiga last year, because the Qualis maintenance costs were really biting him.

I asked him how was the Ertiga. He said it was no Toyota but was acceptable. And mentioned that the quantity of fuel which he used to fill at Madurai to reach Chennai by the Qualis, now suffices to make a round trip. And it's maintenance is easy on his pocket too.

[inwester]

Originally Posted by Manudon

4. Kia Carens - Low safety rating (even with 6 airbags), can see issues cropping up across various ownership threads.

6. Toyota Hycross - Variant which makes most sense to me is GX given my low usage.

7. Maruti Ertiga -

I've owned a Kia Carens Diesel Auto for the last 3 months and it has been a great car so far. I feel it's a great value for money car and is loaded with all "necessary" features around 22 lakhs OTR (Kerala prices). The car is spacious, very comfortable, economical to run and even has decent luggage space behind the 3rd row for a weekend getaway. I get 11-13 kmpl in the city (Kochi, Kerala) and 18 kmpl on the highways. The car isn't a drag race queen but the diesel is powerful enough for most situations and I never felt the engine lacking even during a weekend trip to a hill station. (I haven't driven the petrol equivalent). The Kia Connect app is excellent and so is the infotainment and sound quality. The only thing that could've been better is the 3 star crash rating.

The Innova Hycross GX is not a bad option at 24 lakhs OTR, for about 10 lakhs less than the VX its a decent buy if you can live with having zero features and pathetic interior quality. I've driven the Hycross hybrid, but not the petrol version.

Personally for me, Ertiga and XL6 doesn't make sense as the engines are very anemic and the city fuel efficiency (9-10 kmpl) is nothing to write home about. Safety scores are actually marginally lower than Carens as well. Its also missing a lot of mechanical and comfort features compared to Kia.

If money is no object then get the XUV 700 or Hycross hybrid.

I would recommend you give a serious 2nd look at Carens. Everyone who's been in it has been impressed.

[PreludeSH]

I have driven friend's Ertiga on highways. First time I was surprised with the refinement it had. It does provide a sitting on top kind of feeling and never felt underpowered even with 5 people on board. They should do a strong hybrid version of it tuned for mileage since the battery is still sub 1KWh. Safety is the only doubtful aspect about it.

I think people who test drive it and not so bothered about safety will end up buying it !

[EV Fan]

Originally Posted by Voodooblaster

A used Honda BRV CVT could be a good compromise for you

Originally Posted by DustyWanderer

- Preowned Honda BR-V (5 Star Safety Rating as per ASEAN)

As Voodooblaster & DustyWanderer put it, looking at that requirements & that list, the BR-V might be a very good option to try out.
Have one in the family, always prefer that over the Ertiga.
Pros
- CVT over automatic gearbox
- Looks long but behaves like a smaller car
- Great ground clearance

Cons
- Needs to be maintained well, maintenance cost slightly higher than the Maruti
- No tech features & discontinued (but never mattered)

[aniketi]

I am happy owner of new Ertiga for last 1.5 years now. Did few highway trips and it performed really well with 6-7 people on board as well. Engine is super silent and has sufficient power along with great fuel efficiency. This is not enthusiastic peoples car for sure but a perfect family car. It's reliability is rock solid, hardly anything can go wrong with Maruti. First year's maintenance cost me only Rs. 1500 including first 3 free services.

[amiya.c]

Like others, I would also request you to have a second look at Carens. It ticks all boxes if you are not after those butch SUV looks. Kia Prestige plus 1.4 Turbo petrol DCT is what I have shortlisted after going through all this conundrum. What it gives you is:
- Comfortable ride, both in city and long road trips for all passengers
- AC works like a charm
- Loads of space, load whatever you want to.
- Easy to drive feel
- 6 airbags and lots of other safety kit from the base version.
- Punchy engine that won't feel out of breath at highway speeds and would climb ghats without a fuss.
- Good service experience, at least for the time being.

What it does not give you is:
- Good sound system
- SUV looks
- 4-5 Start NCAP rating
- An everyday vehicle, for example I won't use it for daily office commute. It just feels like a vehicle specifically made for road trips.

[WDYWFM]

My current drive is an Innova Crysta BS6 version. A few months ago, friends and I were at Goa and we rented an Ertiga to drive around. I drove it exclusively ~400kms. I was actually impressed with what Ertiga could pull-off. It was easier to drive than Crysta with a light steering and better suspension. The motor had enough power to pull a loaded car and maintain decent pace on highways. Never throughout the journey, I felt a Crysta would have been better.

In my opinion, Crysta would be better than Ertiga/XL-6 only:
- If you plan to do some slight off-roading. The FWD of Ertiga would be a prob
- Crysta has better 3rd row

In summary, don't discount Ertiga/XL-6. Totally value for money.

[ToThePoint]

Ertiga is a pretty sorted car in itself (frugal, reliable, mile muncher, low maintenance), but definately not enthusiast's choice.

Do reconsider MG - Hector and Hector Plus. There have been no major issues reported and should soldier on for long without trouble. Those who have purchased have only good things to say about them.

[prakhar1998]

If you're able to manage with 5 seats, I would strongly suggest looking at the Slavia/Virtus twins.

Extremely spacious, comfortable, and fun-to-drive without any concerns wrt safety due to its full 5-stars in the global NCAP.

I would any day trade highway stability, performance, and solid safety over a third-row (especially if its not explicitly to be used for carrying passengers).

You could look at Kushaq/Taigun too, especially since the CSUV form factor can be suited to having a pet in the boot with the parcel-tray uninstalled.

Their 1 year/15,000km service period will also be suited to your requirement of minimal visits to the service station.

I have owned Skodas since 2008, and the service experience today is beyond excellent.

Going to a Maruti/Honda/Hyundai after owning a solid European car like the Punto would most definitely be a downgrade. Get the 4 year service maintenance package and extended warranty from Skoda/VW and enjoy a stress-free ownership experience.