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Originally Posted by aditya.bhardwaj Hi Everyone,
Need some advice. Please note that this will be a long post.
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Thanks |
There is no doubt about the fact that the Bolero is a very rugged and abuse friendly vehicle that is considered ideal for bad roads, hauling loads and people and for commercial applications. However, you must consider the following:
1. A used Bolero in good shape is almost impossible to find. Most people who buy a Bolero do not use it as a garage queen. These cars get crammed with people, get driven roughly over bad roads and are driven a lot; typically, a 4-6 year old example could have done well over 1-2 lakh kilometers. Most of them have tampered odometers as well. Even if it is a white plate car, there is no guarantee that it was used as a private vehicle. Even if you do find a privately used example, it is likely to have modifications and alterations that may not be of good quality.
2. Boleros are very susceptible to rusting. The body as well as the chassis have a terrible tendency to rust. The cowl top, running board and door edges tend to rot.
3. Bolero doesn't have great interior quality; a used example could have sagging seats, broken latches, hanging headliners and dysfunctional electronics.
4. The mechanicals are solid and reliable, but an abused car will definitely require work with respect to the clutch, gearbox, suspension and even the engine.
5. The older Boleros with the bigger 2.5 engine are very noisy and unrefined. Uncool for a family car.
Thus, if you have to go for a Bolero at all, it is a much better idea to get a new one. The latest BS6 iteration has an airbag, a much more refined 1.5 liter engine from the TUV, much better brakes with ABS, and a few modern touches like power window switches on the doors, remote locking etc.
For your kind of usage, a Bolero does make sense, but to make it more comfortable, you will have to invest in interior and exterior upgrades.
But before buying, please do consider the fact that the Bolero itself was launched 2 decades ago and the platform dates all the way back to the 1960s! Even after upgrades, it will have almost zero crash safety, will feel crude and poorly built, the leaf springs will give rear passengers a hard time and the terrible driving position may become painful on longer drives. Once the initial novelty wears off, one tends to realise the flaws of the product that was mainly an emotional purchase.
If you really like the Bolero, I would recommend you to wait for the upcoming BS6 TUV300 or look for a used example. It is a much better engineered product than the Bolero and its ruggedness will probably suffice for your usage. You should also consider a used Scorpio; one is much more likely to find a privately used Scorpio in good condition. Also consider the Ford Ecosport diesel and the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga. Both these cars are not only great for urban families, but can also carry a lot stuff with their seats folded. They also bring modern safety and comfort features to the table. They also don't suffer from the taxi image that the Bolero carries.