[prateekswarup]

Introduction

In this day and age of ever increasing popular and mass appeal cars, I have strived to my find own niche way to rebel against the tide. I started my journey with a non-existent Fiat Uno and gradually progressed to a Polo GT TSI. Don’t get me wrong, I have the utmost respect for people going ahead with a mass market purchase as it really makes the most sense economically, time-wise as well as mentally.


The Hot Hatch

But, we’re petrolheads! When do we let our minds rule our hearts? Not that we would be able to rule anything else (the better half controls all other aspects of my life, I don’t know about yours.).

We scoff at the common, salivate at the prospect of owning a unicorn with terms like handing, power to weight ratio, body roll, steering feel, acceleration; elements contrarian to the mass appeal of mileage, service network, cost and re-sale value.

Hence the “Tale of Outliers”. For most of us who have been through an appraisal cycle, appraisals fall under the Bell curve with the only the best or worst being an outlier, identified at the tail end of the Bell Curve. This is a story of such outliers, two of which I currently own.

The Outliers

The first time I took the plunge was in November 2017. However, the idea came a couple of months earlier when I happened to get almost trapped in the water clogged rivers, we call roads, in parts of Gurgaon, during raining season. I had my trusty GT TSI, which in this situation, was only giving me “dollar sign” vision, thinking about hydrostatic lock and other wonderful technical terms related to the 7 Speed DSG gearbox. Make no mistake, the GT is a wonderful driver’s car (note, strictly 2 seater in my opinion) but the kind of deluge we were looking at during the 2017 season was causing me palpitations.


The Pleasure & the Pain

One such harrowing evening, I come home and decide that living in such fear is not healthy and we need to find a new way to commute the next rainy season. The genesis to look for a high ground clearance, go anywhere, easy on the pocket car happened then.

Some of the basic parameters outlined for the purchase:

1. Had to be an SUV, C-SUV, , etc. (any acronym to be used defining a high ground clearance car)
2. Can be a petrol as daily running was less than 10 kms.
3. Had to be easy on the pocket, both in terms of purchase and usage.

With the above guidelines, started looking at various new and pre-owned cars.

The Search

Popular platforms like Olx, Cardekho, Carwale were scourged with regular intensity to find possible contenders. Further discussions with dealers led me to the following nugget; Diesel SUVs – the ones in budget were very long in the tooth and were extensively used. Those that had low mileage had their meters tampered. So shifted my search for petrol only SUVs. These were few and non-existent in the market. Usual suspects were the Honda CR-V, Suzuki Grand Vitara, Duster, Hyundai Creta, etc.

Since I was already convinced that I wanted something that was different from the rest, the popular cars like Duster and Creta was struck off the list. Focus shifted to finding a good CRV or Grand Vitara.

Mind you, this was my first foray into pre-owned cars and while I had read a lot of how to go about the purchase, the initial couple of visits to the dealers was an educating experience. Test drove the Honda CRV (2007) model and while I liked the space and engine, the drive was very pedestrian and overall character was very sedan like. The in-dash gear box was a turn off and horror stories of Honda spares and service led me to remove this from the list. Focused more on the Vitara and saw a couple of ones across the NCR market. Mainly was able to test drive a 2.0 L MT one. Liked the light clutch, ease of shifting, the commanding view and the permanent AWD. Got to know that there is a 2.4L also, which is very coveted by rally-ists and hard to find.
After a couple of more visits to various dealers and owners, finalized on a 2.0L 2007 MT from a dealer in Karol Bagh.

The Preparation & Purchase

Since, this was a first for me, I wanted to get all the possible checks done before taking the plunge. Thanks to team-bhp I was able to go through the haloed threads of Sudev and Samurai and the comprehensive detailing of their Grand Vitaras. The two of them have created a compendium of knowledge for the otherwise non-existent beauty. Thread participants Sridhar, Amit & others helped shed some light on pre-owed cars and their issues and resolutions. I also took this opportunity to directly connect with Sudev to get some advice on how to check for common problems with the Vitara and he was his usual helpful self in guiding me through the various pit-falls of the possible contenders.

Got connected to a trusty mechanic in Noida whom I took along with me for a thorough inspection. Overall the car was mechanically okay, in need of some paintwork and deep-cleaning. Usual suspects of power steering leak (a documented issue with Grand Vitaras), brake pads change, engine oil & filter change along with tyres replacement were identified.

I won’t bore you with the financial transactions and transfer of papers. Sufficient to say, the overall experience was quite pleasant with the dealer and finally I was able to get the beauty home. The registration was transferred to my name in 15 days and RC was promptly couriered home.

The Car

What did I finally get for all my troubles?


The Fabled Suzuki Grand Vitara

A black Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.0L MT 92000 kms run 2nd owner vehicle with a history of servicing at Maruti.

What I liked:

• Great styling, especially with the spare on the rear door – gives it a unique look
• Boxy looks, making it look like a true blue SUV
• Amazing driving position, gives you a very clear and commanding view from the driver’s seat
• Meaty tyres (16 inchers), short overhangs – front & rear
• Japanese fit, even after 92k kms, the cabin felt well screwed together with min. rattles (I have prior experience of the famed Maruti rattles in the Alto & Swift).
• Stanley Leather seat covers
• Loved the red lighting interior theme along with a very functional rotary Auto Climate Control
• The small rotary dial that lets you push the car to 4H-4L-4LL, giving you the confidence to tackle what the road throws at you
• Space – lots of it coming from a Sedan perspective. Front hugging seats and sufficient leg room for rear passengers
• Reclining rear row seats with parcel tray and adequately sized boot for those long trips
• The tyre mounted on the tail gate with Suzuki written in bold

Go Anywhere Advantage

What Could Have been better:

• Dated interiors with hard plastic across
• Simple instrument cluster with very basic trip meter (the 2.4L has an updated one)
• CD player without Aux or Bluetooth functionality (I know, we’re talking 2007 vintage)
• Basic noise insulation, cabin gets loud at and after 3000 rpm (but engine note is super awesome).

The Initial days

So, I finally got the car home. However, since I have already gotten the car vetted with the mechanic, I knew of the issues plaguing the Vitara. Some of the obvious ones were:

• Steering pump leakage – While it was small quantities, but I wanted this to be reliable long distance tourer and this needed immediate correction. The beauty of owning a Maruti, which I realized much later, is that you will be able to get the spares of their cars off the shelf from stand-alone outlets. And even if you get the spares from the MASS network, the labour charges are quite reasonable even for their premium offerings like the Vitara or Kizashi. So, I went to MASS (Pasco) in Gurgaon and enquired about steering pump replacement. They quoted a new pump cost upwards of 30K. Now this turned out to be a serious expense. So I called up Sudev and asked for his opinion of an FNG that could repair the pump rather than replace it. That’s when I got the reference of Ashwani, a.k.a, Chotu of Goodwill motors.
• All 4 tyres replacement – Since the current tyres were worn out, needed to get new ones. Since I was looking to drive it more on the highway than take it off-road, went for HT tyres instead of AT. Yokohoma Geolander’s looked to be the obvious choice and using the team-bhp directory, stumbled upon Star Wheels in Gurgaon itself.
• Interior deep clean and polishing – While the previous owner had kept the car in good nick, still there was that niggling doubt about the vents and other hard to reach areas. I wanted to thoroughly get the car cleaned – carpet and all. Went through various threads on team-bhp and finalized on the nearest 3M outlet for interior deep cleaning at around 5.5K.

The final touches:

With list of things to do, I went to Ashwani taking reference from Sudev. He went through the car and made a list of repairs that we essential - Power steering pump, brake pads, bushing and ball joints replacement, air filter & oil change. Since I was anyways leaving the car with him for a couple of days to arrange for parts and repair work, I also asked him to paint the whole car with original shade of Black-Blue, clean the headlights & other small cosmetic touch-ups.

Ready to go

After 15 days at Goodwill motors, finally got my hands on the beauty. It looked as good as new (biased opinion) and drove like a dream. The various issues, sounds and other elements seemed to be sorted and I drove away from Goodwill motors, secure in the knowledge of a good FNG that can take care of my Vitara.

The Journey So far

I have been using the Garnd Vitara for almost 3 years & 35000kms. There have been the regular servicing and replacement of parts due to wear and tear – front shockers, AC compressor, engine mounting are some of the expensive ones that come to mind. I have taken it to various hill stations in and around Delhi, driven it to Lucknow and Allahabad for family weddings. The car is mechanically sound, comfortably seats 5 persons, is easy to drive and hauls luggage. On top of all this, I had the fun of off-roading with it in sand and other rough roads and it clears the same without a hitch (I’m still a novice at this). The AWD is a boon and the increased ground clearance has saved me numerous times in the waterlogged roads of Gurgaon.


In it's element?

Suffice to say, I’m pretty satisfied with my purchase and it is actually doing the tasks I had imagined of it. The best part is that thanks to this Vitara, I was able to get connected to some wonderful Vitara owners like Sudev, Amit, Tanmay, Debo, Vivek & now Ashwani, who have the same passion and knowledge about this car. This knowledge has helped understand various part sharing opportunity that the GV has with is Maruti siblings and has helped bring down costs of parts. Case and point – door stoppers of Dzire fit the Vitara at 1/4th the cost of the original Japanese ones.


Fellowship of the Ring

But What Next?

“Cometh the pollution, cometh the NGT rulings”. Year 2019. NGT has ruled that all diesel cars of over 10 years to be fined and not allowed to ply on Delhi roads. 15 year petrols’ to suffer the same fate. While I live in Greater Noida, we do however commute to Delhi for various reasons. The Grand Vitara is 2007 vintage. In the next 3 years it will be enforceable under the NGT rule.
This thought started a search for replacement, with the following intentions:

• Had to be better or equal to Vitara in terms of space, styling and capabilities
• Would last me for another 5 years – 2010 and newer (petrol), 2015 and newer (diesel)
• Did not want to spend a lot of money
• Easy to maintain

Since I had the experience of maintaining and running an old car for 3+ year now, the confidence level to take another plunge was far higher than what it was for the Vitara. With the parameters clear in my mind, I started to my search for the next outlier.

The Usual suspects:

• Pajero Sports (only diesel in the consideration set) – test drove a new one and was immediately smitten. Pre-owned (new grill, 2015 onwards) were really out of my budget. Hence, dropped from list. Still drool over one on the road.
• Another Grand Vitara (2.4L this time) – made a lot of sense. Was aware of the issues – service, parts and had an awesome group to help with the car. 2010 onwards was all 2.4L – a unicorn in terms of availability. Finally gave up due want for something different. Apart from larger tyre size (17inchers to 16inchers on 2.0) and a very peppy engine (170 bhp vs. 138 bhp), the car was the same as what I already had. Dropped from consideration with heavy heart for lack of excitement for me.
• Outlander (new shape) – the 2010 onwards 2nd generation Outlander had the famed Jet fighter grill (from the EVO) as well as EVO headlamps. Good cars were difficult to find but within budget. Being a petrol only with AWD system, it also ticked off the GV buttons. Goodwill Motors could arrange and service for parts.

After going through the options, decided to narrow down the search to Outlander. Went through a similar process of online & offline search, view, test drive and inspect potential options. Finally over a period of 6 months and 10 cars later, was able to finalize one.

What I got for my troubles

A 2010 1st owner, 98K kms done, Wine Red Mitsubishi Outlander with 2.4L, 6 speed CVT transmission.


Pedigree

Jet Figher Grill

Well-put together interiors

What I like about the car:

• Striking design and colour – I get a lot of compliments on how it looks
• Bigger space than the Vitara – all over
• Amazing ride handling as well as more power, thanks to the 2.4 L MIVEC engine churning out 168 bhp.
• Smooth handling – simple to use CVT if driven in a relaxed manner
• Mile muncher – great highway manners and noise insulation
• Better interior than the GV in terms of plastics & leather used.
• The AWD rotary switch that lets you go from 2H to 4H & 4HLock
• Good ground clearance to tackle flooding and bad roads
• The split tail gate – the party piece!
• The 7 speaker Rockford Fosgate system with Aux and Ipod connectivity – drowns out whatever external noises manage to creep into the cabin
• The paddle shifters – much needed to coax the gearbox to show some excitement
• Keyless entry

Elegant Rear & LED Tailights

The Party Piece

What could be better?

• Parts availability – much of a hit and miss. Mechanical parts still available from markets like Kashmere Gate, but no off the shelf Mitsubishi parts from dealer.
• Expensive parts – almost a 10-15% premium over Vitara parts
• Rubber band effect – CVT does suffer from the infamous rubber band effect but is curtailed by using the paddle shifters
• Reduced approach and departure angles compared to Vitara
• Lower Driving position and poorer A pillar visibility due to large OVRMs when compared to Vitara. Not a deal breaker, need to get used to it I guess.

Exterior Design:

The pictures will have already done the talking. The EVO shape is a very different looking front, which cannot be mistaken for any other car. The overall design language is fluid, with more curves than boxes, making the Outlander look more urban than utilitarian. The long sweeping bonnet further accentuates the sleek profile. Bulging wheel arches add a macho look to it. The R16s are a little small for the wheel wells, with the international GT version carrying off 18 inchers with grace. But the higher sidewall helps really cushion the ride. The paint is original & even after 10 years, the shine is quite evident. The panel gaps are consistent and overall the built quality is good, not VW “thunk” like, but better than our homegrown Japs.

Interior Look & Comfort:

With a large window area the interior looks spacious and airy. The absence of a sunroof is a downer, but the overall Beige theme (upholstery), with top half of the dashboard in black, and silver accents in various places helps showcase the upmarket feel of the cabin. Coming from the Vitara and Polo, both all black interiors, the effect is more noticeable for me. The list of features for Comfort are well suited even in 2020.


Overall Red Theme is pleasant for night driving

ACC is always a boon and does its job quite well – I dislike to continuously fiddle with the temperature and fan settings. The lack of rear A/C vents can be felts in peak Summer. The large glass area takes time to cool and this involves the fan being on for full blast for a while to get the temperature back to bearable standards. I am looking at UV protection/car shades to tackle this problem next year. The vents can be fully shut if required.

There are plenty of cup-holders (2 in the center, one under drive side A/C vent, rear armrest) and doors can accommodate 1 Ltr bottles for those long journeys. There are 2 glove boxes, one slimmer for paperwork and the one on top with cooling feature. There is sufficient lighting options in the cabin – 2 in front, 2 at the back. Speaking of modernity, thankfully there are 2 charging ports for smartphones in the front (one USB in Armrest, one DC port in central console). For rear passengers, there is a DC charging plug point in the boot, which can help charge those tablets for kids in long journeys.

The rear seats can be moved forward or backward to allow for more cargo space, and have a 60:40 split folding feature. The entire rear seat can be folded and stacked to the front to free up a whole lot of space for those camping nights.
The IVRM is manual and the OVRM have auto fold and can be electronically adjusted. They are quite big and offer good visibility, however, I feel they are mounted a little high, which causes some problems in visibility when hard cornering, specially in hills. I think I have also been spoiled by the commanding seating of the Vitara, which has a better view-angle in this aspect. I guess it’s a matter of time before I get used to the line I want to take with the Outlander during such corners.


Fairly Big OVRM to get used to. Good visibility & Auto Fold.

Since the Outlander is deceptively big (it handles like a small car), good thing is that they have given inbuilt rear parking sensors for reversing into those mall parkings. The sensors emit a beep and I feel they are a little aggressively calibrated. However, they do their task well. The rear window is fairly large and hence the visibility while reversing is quite good, aided by the large OVRMs.
The rear has 3 headrest which are removable. Each passenger also gets a dedicated sear belts, even the middle row. There is slight transmission bump that might hinder comfortable seating for the 3rd person, but with generous foot space, I have yet to hear complains from family on this. The rear seat has a central armrest that also rooms 2 cup holders.

The boot is huge! The rear wheel wells do intrude to prevent a pure box experience, but size is quite good for any trips that you might plan. With 4 adults and 1 kid, during winters, we carried quite a bit of luggage for Mussoorie without facing any issues. The subwoofer does take up some aspect of the space, but is not intrusive. It has a nice metal mesh to prevent accidental impact from moving luggage. There are luggage hooks on the floor to tie down stuff incase you ever decide to go overlanding. A boot light helps with those early morning load-ups. The spare wheel is mounted under the boot area, with the screws to release it inside the boot. I have seen the process of removing the spare only once till now, when I was getting my tyres changed.

The Outlander is not a low vehicle and hence egress involves climbing up to the cabin. Overall the doors open wide enough to allow for easy entry and exit. My mother, who is short, did require some help getting down. A side-step I feel is an overkill and hence no future plans around it.

Drive & Performance:

The 2.4L MIVEC engine is a free revving unit, only to be restrained by the CVT. I can only imagine the redlines I would do if this was a manual. The power comes across linearly from as low as 800 rpm. The CVT does not like to be pushed around hard, but for casual driving it’s effortless. The “rubber band” effect is present and coupled with the “droning” noise, on hard acceleration, you somehow get the feeling that you’re prepping for a short take-off. However, if you are able to use the steering column mounted paddle shifters, this impact can be minimized. Till now, with over 8 months of ownership of expressway and city driving, have not felt the car being lugged or stranded for pickup. The downshifts are smooth. I’m still getting used to flicking the “Up” paddle to get back to Auto, but it’s a nifty feature. When I compare to the DSG of the Polo, the bumper to bumper gearing of the Outlander is smoother, but when push-comes-to-shove, the DSG really outshines the CVT in Auto mode. The low speed impact for the DSG can also be attributed to the turbo spooling & hence I would not call the comparison fair to both.

However, while the CVT is lazy, once the Outlander gets to steam, the momentum and ease of reaching 3-digit speeds in unnerving. It’s quite effortless compared to the Vitara, where you will feel the wind, engine and suspension giving the indication of the speed. In the Outlander, with better NVH, a more plush cabin, a more pliant ride, the speed is very deceptive. In the 1st couple of days of ownership, I ended up doing 100+ speeds on the expressway without realizing that I had crossed the speed limit.

If I had to compare, the Outlander is Pierce Brosnan, while the Vitara is Daniel Craig, in terms of James Bond. The Outlander will do the job with poise & grace without showing all the workout while you will feel the hard hitting impact of the Vitara, as it goes about dispatching the road with brute force.

Outlander’s suspension tuning allows for a more comfortable ride over bumps, less jarring over those society speed-breakers and cornering ability is very sedan like. The engine noise does not intrude into the cabin apart from the CVT drone. Tyre noise (I’ve upgraded to Yokos) is controlled. With the Rockford Fosgate system, these are eventually drowned out. Steering feedback is accurate and like mentioned earlier, the ease of control and accuracy is deceptively good for such a large car. I am yet to try out 4WD lock, but I did use 4H in the hills during slush, and to be honest, I did not feel any change except better traction. However, I am looking forward to extensively test the AWC. The turning radius is 5.3m. There have been no concerns on U-turns. The ride height prevent underbody scraping even on the higher speed breakers. Only thing I am a little concerned about is the approach & departure angles if I ever take it serious off-roading. These are quite low compared to the Vitara.


The Instant Fuel Consumption with slight green showing ECO driving

The MID has a nifty instant fuel consumption meter that’s like a bar-graph, changing basis your accelerator input. It also has a average consumption mark on the scale. I find this feature conditioning my driving behavior towards better fuel economy. Just like in Honda City the cluster glows green in Efficient Driving mode, the instant consumption turns green when you modulate the accelerator to get the best in momentum. This also helps in reducing braking by allowing me to use the throttle & paddle shifters for engine braking. Overall Mitsubishi seems to have gamified consumption and the reward of seeing the average go up is addictive, leading me to plan my driving better. Currently with mix of expressway & city driving I’m averaging 10km/l on tankful to tankful. City driving will come down to almost 7-8, with expressway around 12-14km/l. Overall I’m doing 65% expressway driving.The Outlander is fitted with all 4 disc brakes and they do a good job. I have not felt any panic moments even in hard braking. The pedal feel is slightly spongy but the bite comes in mid-way to the push. It holds the line without any twitching or nose-diving. Overall, no complains till date.

Service & Maintenance:

Bear in mind that this is a 10 year old car with a marque that has limited service and part options. I have got the car serviced at Excel Motors in Faridabad (only Mitsubishi apart from Ghaziabad Excel Motors in NCR – rest have shut shop). The parts are expensive (eg: V-belt costs around 8K). However, you do get after-market parts which are cheaper (1.2K for v-belt). For most of my repairs I go to my trusted FNG (Goodwill) in Gurgaon. Apart from mechanical parts, I am worried about sensor failure and what not which are difficult to procure as per my understanding. Have been scouring online parts websites like Boodmo & PartsSouq for options.

As an owner, the Vitara is easier to service and maintain with Maruti parts available on order. While most parts are available with Mitsubishi, the costs are good 4 times after market parts. Recently I managed to break the LED tail light, for which I was quoted 34K. Looked it up on Aliexpress and got a set for 8K. So, yes, it’s a relatively less common car and hence there is more effort that goes into it’s upkeep. My aim is to keep the routine maintenance done from FNG with pre-emptive replacements to help ensure reliability. For any major faults, will need to go to Mitsubishi, who while are expensive, seemed to be well-trained in handling the Outlander.

Experience so far:

It’s been 8 months since I have purchased the Outlander. Have already driven it around 6000 kms. The process of making the car better in terms of replacement of common wear and tear parts (front shocks), cosmetic changes are still on-going. However, with my experience with the Vitara, and knowing my nature of chasing perfection in my cars, I know that this process will continue as I keep exploring options to make the Outlander even better.


Aggressive Stance

Have done a family road to trip to Jaipur and Mussorie and the decision to invest in this Outlier had been vindicated. It’s comfortable, easy to drive and gives you the confidence to push it even further. It has also been taken on bumper to bumper office traffic and has proved itself on urban commutes as well.


In the Hills

I would like to thank Bhpian Devdath for answering queries regarding both Pajero Sports and Outlander.

Conclusion

I now have a 2 car experience in purchasing pre-owned cars. What I have learned from these experiences are:

• As mentioned in many threads in the forum, pre-owned / pre-worshipped cars have become number one option in my future car shopping list. They are more economical to purchase; a well maintained one will be as good as a new car ownership experience.
• However, some of the pre-requisites that I feel are important in trying to get one. There is a lot of information as well as checklist that is available on the forum. However, for sake of continuity, highlighting a few of the top ones that come to mind:
  • Be patient, as good cars are hard to find
  • Set a budget, as “Thoda Aur” mentality will not let you shortlist relevant choices
  • Know a good FNG if buying slightly non-mass cars
  • Look for a 1st owner car as it will have service history & service history is important to understand previous owner usage
  • Don’t get emotionally involved in the purchase – easier said than done. I always have taken some friend / family member along to point out the obvious flaws in the car as I tend to get all excited / romantic about the car. They will help you stay objective and grounded.
  • Take a mechanic along before quoting final price to understand the expected costs that will be incurred post purchase. This will ensure that you do not bleed post your initial investment.
  • Check all paperwork – RC, insurance and pollution.
  • Lastly – be okay to walk away from a deal if your gut tells you so.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the team-bhp community for continuously keeping the threads of GV, Outlanders, FNG services, buying pre-owned guides updated and informative. These nuggets of information really helped me take these plunges into the wonderful world of pre-owned cars.

Comparison between the two Outliers:

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[ninjatalli]

Originally Posted by prateekswarup

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge and thank the team-bhp community for continuously keeping the threads of GV, Outlanders, FNG services, buying pre-owned guides updated and informative. These nuggets of information really helped me take these plunges into the wonderful world of pre-owned cars.

Comparison between the two Outliers:

Attachment 2006633

Thank you for sharing so much detailed views at every stage of the ownership process.

Pre-owned cars is still a ballgame of looking at good cars in the 1 - 5 years old vehicles, and detailed threads like these on purchasing ~10 year old gems in the market are rare.

One additional aspect, if you don't mind sharing, is the visibility on the pricing aspect. What were the options that you got at what price marks? How it differed wrt the brands you looked at, and wrt the number of past owners, and conditions of the vehicle. And compared to that, a ball park figure on how much has the maintenance cost been on a yearly / overall basis?

Can you share that information? Would help a great deals for folks on the fence.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by prateekswarup

The genesis to look for a high ground clearance, go anywhere, easy on the pocket car happened then

Well penned reviews of two extremely competent international spec cars. Great to see that you've done 35k on the Vitara in just 3 years

The high ground clearance and go anywhere parameters assume even more significance now, given the pitiful state of roads in most cities during the monsoon.

The Outlander has heated/cooled seats - I hope you noticed that there are switches on the center console next to the seats for this.

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

ball park figure on how much has the maintenance cost been on a yearly / overall basis?

Pitching in with my inputs; I have owned a 2007 Grand Vitara for 6 years and my usage has been a mix of rough road, city and highway.

SGP parts are mighty expensive and inching close to BMW 3 Series territory. Having said that, there is a plethora of aftermarket options on boodmo and Amazon US.

My biggest expenses on the car were a set of 4 tyres (30k), the rear brake shoes plus wheel cylinders (9k), a drive belt (3.8k) and an old ABS Unit (bought off an engine dead Grand Vitara).

No issues with the suspension, steering, AC till date.

I've sourced parts from the UAE (Palatty Motors) and from Amazon USA, because boodmo was unreliable till a year ago.

The total cost of ownership (excluding capital) over 6 years has been 1.5 lacs. This includes parts, labour, insurance, cosmetic correction like touch up, and even the small ticket car wash.

I helped a friend get a 30k done 2009 Outlander 2 years ago - he's only had to spend on the oil change once and nothing else.

[Ashutosh]

@prateekswarup,Thank you for sharing your experiences. You have had some of my favorite cars starting ffrom Polo to Grand Vitara and finally Outlander.

Maruti should have done much for Grand Vitara. It was the alternative for Safari but everything good in Maruti fails to capture the mass-market audiences and gets neglected.

Old Outlander has a unique charm if you compare it to the new one. Rear especially. Also if I remember correctly the ingress is very comfortable for senior citizens in the Outlander.

Wishing you great drives with this purchase!

[Researcher]

Very crisp review! I would be lying if I say that I haven't checked the used prices on both of these at times just for the sheer value the deals possess. But their age, risk of a big ticket cost and NGT ruling has stopped me from taking the plunge (at least till now ). In fact if I recall correctly, I have not seen the split tailgate in any other Japanese SUV apart from the mighty Land Cruiser.
On a lighter note, maybe you can get a CR-V next time you change from the Outlander and complete the holy trio of petrol Japanese SUVs!

Originally Posted by prateekswarup

If I had to compare, the Outlander is Pierce Brosnan, while the Vitara is Daniel Craig, in terms of James Bond.

As a 007 fan, I must say, very well put.

[vredesbyrd]

Great review! I am planning to jump the same bandwagon with a 2010-2012 Outlander as well. Seeing your review makes me think that it can still be used and maintained for another 5 years. Was also looking at CR-V 2010 (2013 if lucky and some financial aid). Would the CR-V (10) be easier to service (despite the costs)?

[Abhi5868]

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Taken from the famous poem "The Road less Taken" by Robert Frost.


Congratulations on this beautiful acquisition sir, you surely have guts of steel to take the less driven path. May you have a seemless experience.

Greetings from a fellow ex Uno owner

[Sandeep500]

Great choice of vehicles and outstanding review Preateekswarup. Really it can be a guide for someone thinking of buying these cars. I also am a great fan of these two,specially Outlander but due to living in a non metro city was afraid of buying one, although the thought crosses my mind even now to own one.

[McLaren Rulez]

Great taste in cars! The Uno, Polo, GV and Outlander are all very underrated cars. You need a bit of patience with all of them (e.g. waiting for spares) but the overall quality of the product makes up for the hassles.

[CARNAMA]

Wonderful to see another Mitsubishi Outlander owner in the forum. I've 2016 Outlander in US as my personal vehicle. i also have a Mirage. It had done almost 30000 miles. I absolutely love my car. I stay in San Francisco, I've driven to Arizona, Utah,Nevada ,Seattle without any fuss. I have a friend here who does not drive & because of seven seats they can easily tag along.
People here were skeptical when I bought Mitsubishi over HONDA & TOYOTA, but now I'm glad that I see lot of Outlanders in US.

I wish you many many pleasant miles in both of your cars.

[Prozac]

My 2011 Outlander puts a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel! With a high performance engine oil and an after market air filter (I'm running BMC) the manual mode can be quite fun to drive in. The car handles like a sedan and ride quality is plush. Truly one of the most underrated cars around. All Outlanders sold in India were build in Japan and nothing ever goes wrong with it.

[CARNAMA]

Originally Posted by Prozac

My 2011 Outlander puts a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel! With a high performance engine oil and an after market air filter (I'm running BMC) the manual mode can be quite fun to drive in. The car handles like a sedan and ride quality is plush. Truly one of the most underrated cars around. All Outlanders sold in India were build in Japan and nothing ever goes wrong with it.

True, that was one of the reason I went for Mitsubishi. During my Initial days in US I drove a rental Outlander from SF to Seattle and back. There was absolutely no rattle and no issues despite being rental car. All Mitsubishi's are made in Japan and shipped to US unlike others being manufactured in Mexico. Japanese take a lot of pride in their work and that shows in the product as well.

[Sounak04]

A well written review of not only one, but two beautiful cars. I have to say that both the cars owned by you are really unique.

My close relatives owned a 2nd hand Grand Vitara for a brief period of time and i have to say, it was one of the best products of Suzuki. The build quality was on another level (compared to the maruti cars sold here), the Engine was really good and the car really did handle well. Shame that the car was CBU and costed quite a bit. But considering its a Suzuki at the end of the day, party availability was never an issue.

I have to say you are really brave to have bought a second hand Mitsubishi considering company has almost no presence in Indian Market. That being said it is truly a gem of a car. Just a question. U said that the car has 96k kms but the Odometer in one of the photos shows 58500 kms. Has the odometer been tampered with or am I missing something here?

Once again a big Congratulations on acquiring such a gem of a Vehicle. Happy miles to you.

[Paleo]

I owned an Outlander for five years. It was simply the most solid, niggle free vehicle ever. I Spent only on oil changes at regular servicing. Absolutely reliable and rock steady on highways. Had to sell recently due to travels

Enjoy the outlier!