[manasmadaan]

Hello Everyone,

After a long and fruitful partnership with my XUV500 W10 AT (4.5 years & 1.10 lakh kms on the ODO), I decided to hunt for a new car (SUVs, Sedans, crossovers, all were included).

There were no definite or set criteria for the search. New and used, both were being considered. The only condition was that the car had to be automatic and preferably diesel (but not necessary)

Just for your information, my XUV fetched me Rs. 9.45 Lakhs (sold directly to an end user).

The following were the cars looked at and considered during the purchase.

1) Ford Endeavour AT (4x2): This was the first and foremost choice for me. I had always been in awe of it ever since the new version was launched. Loved everything about it. After all the negotiations, it was costing me approximately Rs. 36 lakhs on-road. It was way over my budget but the heart kept beating for it. The head though turned the other way.

2) Toyota Innova Crysta Z AT: My family wanted a spacious family seater car. So, this was high on the priority list. Furthermore, my 10 year old daughter loved it, especially the way she could move freely between last and middle row seats. Loved the ride and comfort of the car. The new, detuned engine seemed capable enough in the city and on the highways. The ICE though, was a big let down.

3) Seltos/Creta: These were looked at just for the sake of it, but were never serious contenders because of the small footprint and our family car requirements. I loved the Creta's interiors though and that would be on top of the list for my wife's car upgrade from her i20.

4) Honda City Petrol AT: This seemed a totally different car from the previous gen model. The appearance, the interiors, the lay out, the features - everything was much improved over the previous one. I loved the CVT Petrol transmission. Had there been a diesel CVT option, it would have been a very strong contender inspite of being a 5-seater. I put this at 2nd spot for my wife's upgrade.

5) Skoda Superb L&L AT Diesel: Saw this ad on olx for Rs 21.50 lakhs in Ludhiana. The car had run 29,000 kms and seemed to be in really good condition. I had been in awe of the Superb ever since the new gen was launched and the possibility of owning it started giving me goosebumps. But then, I heard that the Skoda showroom in Amritsar had closed and there was no certain time period when it planned to reopen. So with a heavy heart, I let it go

But the Skoda Superb deal made me hunt for more used car options in the market.

I started looking for a used Endeavour in the market enthusiastically. But all of them had run almost 60-70,000 kms and the asking prices were around Rs. 25 lakhs. I did not want a car that had run more than 40,000 kms. So the possibility of a used endeavour was shut out.

Meanwhile, I came across a used white Innova Crysta Z AT, 2017 model that had run 34,500 kms. The asking price was Rs. 18 lakhs. It looked good but the insurance had expired. After many negotiations, the deal was settled at Rs. 16.50 lakhs with an additional expenditure of Rs. 60,000 for the insurance, which I bought from Toyota for peace of mind.

And so, came home my pre-worshipped Toyota Innova Crysta Z AT. My family was happy, my daughter was thrilled and in the process, I saved a cool approximate Rs. 20 lakhs (had i gone for the Endeavour).

I have driven approximately 3,000 kms since acquiring this beast of a vehicle.

LIKES:

1) Aggressive styling with commanding road presence
2) Really nice looking, spacious & luxurious interiors
3) Beast of an engine (2.8 L)
4) Comfortable for a family of 6 with adequate boot space with all rows up.
5) AT transmission. Makes driving extremely easy and relaxing.
6) Fuel Economy: I was really apprehensive about it but i have been getting amazing figures. Recently, I got up to 18 km/l on a 350 km highway run. Obviously, being light footed and using the eco mode helps.
7) Top speck safety features
8) Good turning radius within the city despite a large footprint
9) Highway cruising and straight line stability is good. Not a car for the corners though
10) Adequate ground clearance.

DISLIKES:

1) No bench seats in Z AT variant. Almost was deal breaker
2) Thin sheet metal, very prone to denting.
3) Silver panels in the interior are prone to scratches
4) Poor sound output from the basic speakers. Would rate it 3.5/10. Got them upgraded. Details later.
5) No android auto
6) Halogen lights all round (got them replaced with LED)
7) Just 2 reverse sensors on a car this big and expensive.
8) Steering is very heavy for city use. Requires effort to operate at low speeds.
9) Paint quality is not up to the mark
10) FE figures within the city. Although highway figures are great, city FE figures hover between 8-10 km/l. The last FE figure for an entire city drive of mine was 9.5 km/l.

Exterior:
The exterior looks very good and gives an SUVish look especially from the front. The front profile gives a great and imposing road presence. Front chrome bar with black contrast, large bumper and narrow headlamps look great and give it a muscular look. The lower part of grill is glossy black which gives a nice contrast.

The side still gives it an MPV look. The glass area is large which aids visibility and gives an airy feel. The rear styling is good with good looking vertical tail lamps and indicators. The chrome covered ORVMs look good and give good view of what's behind. Mine were already auto fold/open-ready with door lock/unlock. The shark fin antenna looks much better than the previous gen and the rear spoiler gives it a sporty look. I just wish there is an option to install the black body cladding that comes in touring sport. That will give it a nice look and contrast and beef up its muscular stance.

The headlamps look great with the jewel-like appearance. However, they would have looked better if DRLs had been included. I plan to do that later.

The panel gaps are uniform for most of the part without any major uneven gaps. I didn't like the alloy wheel design. Moreover 2 of them were dented, so I got them changed.

The best view in my opinion of the vehicle:



Smart looking tail lamps



The side view cannot hide the van like looks



Large sized ORVM provides a very good view of the action behind



Interior:

• Best interiors of the Innova I have seen. The black and tan colour looks awesome. In my view, the interiors look way better than the
  Fortuner's.
• The front doors open wide and the fabric inserts give it a plush luxurious look.
• The wide and large dash with fake wood inserts looks brilliant.
• The steering wheel is joy to see, hold and operate.
• The MID with 3D look and blue light looks great
• Adjustable under-thigh support
• Awesome look and feel of seat upholstery. Also the seats are slightly wider than before, which gives greater comfort.
• Wide ORVM with good adjustment range
  • The touchscreen ICE is user friendly and easy to use.
• The rear seats are slightly higher, which offers an excellent seating position.
• Good AC flow at the back with independent controls
• Place to keep your mobile and charge it
• Food table on the seatbacks of front seats
• Rear mood blue lighting. Would have loved more colour options.
• One touch access to the last row seats.
• Usable 3rd row seats

Rich luxurious looking cabin with tight fittings

Attachment 2060901



Very good looking and Nicely weighted steering wheel for the highways. Although within the city, it feels a bit heavy. All the buttons are well spaced and easy to use. The long press action for the mute button is a strict NO though.



Chrome ringed start button looks good and I feel it is at the right position (right of steering wheel)




Good looking, soft suede-like fabric for the armrests looks and feel luxurious




Smart phone holder and USB port for the rear passengers. Looks good although the depth for the phone holder should have been a bit more in my opinion.



High set rear seats give a good and comfortable sitting posture



Blue lounge lighting looks awesome at night. Few more colour options would have been nice though.



Rear parcel tray



Toyota logo in night



Cup holder beneath the front AC vents. Keeps the drink cool



Sunglass holder is prone to rattling

[manasmadaan]

The Drive:

The drive so far has been really comforting and pleasing. The large 2.8 motor has more than adequate power, so much so that my entire driving so far has been in ECO mode without feeling the need to switch to power mode ever. The upshifts and downshifts are as per the requirements without any unpleasant surprises so far. The way the vehicle moves from a standstill is smooth. The creep mode makes the Innova crawl easily. There is adequate torque early and upshifts happen easily at lower RPMs. The Eco mode is quick enough in the city and delivers a respectable FE (11-12 km/L)

On the open road, its a beast. The big engine and enough torque will never leave you for want of more power. It's at your foot whenever you need it. The Innova crysta AT is a very calm cruiser. At 100 kph upto 120 kph (2000 rpm), the cabin is silent and well insulated.

The biggest surprise the awesome FE that i have been getting. Recently on a 350 km trip, i got close to 18 kmpl with 2 on board. That's an insane figure for a beast this powerful. Obviously being light footed, cruise mode at 100 kmph and 2 on board helps matters. I am pretty surprised and pleased with this.

FE figures:



Modifications and accessories:

• 16 inches Alloy wheels
• 16 inchers michelin tyres
• Chrome cladding for the doors
• Rain visors

LED tail lamps





Front LED fog lights with all interior LED lamps





Brown 7D floor mats for front and rear seats

[manasmadaan]

ICE upgrade: As mentioned earlier, the sound quality was pathetic with the cheap speakers that are installed in the car . The head unit was good so i decided to retain it and upgrade the speakers, install an amp and a sub-woofer.

The following pictures are of the speakers and their installation along with damping of all 4 doors.

All 4 speakers were components, the details of which are as below.

[Cessna182]

Superb review and a great purchase. The mileage you shared is very good. The Innova has become a brand in its own right. People use the term "google" for the action of searching something on the internet. In India, people use "Innova" for any MPV style vehicle. Best wishes for the kilometers ahead.

I think that the tail lights you used will become the new trend in the next gen cars. I already see a few models from Toyota running the LED strip throughout the width of the car bootlid and most will catch on.

[toretto]

Please help us with a comparison against your old car XUV500 automatic

[vigsom]

Congratulations Doc,

Waddi soni gaddi hai Ji !! (beautiful car)

I fell in love instantly with the Crysta Z when I saw her in a showroom back in 2016; maybe someday I'll acquire one.

The Crysta was Toyota's first departure from their trademark plain jade interiors.

Few Observations on your darling !!!

1. I love the steering wheel and seats on your car - so original.

2. The surround mats in the dark walnut shade give the car a very plush look

3. The ICE is absolutely necessary. Except the Camry, Toyota has never had a good audio set up in any of their cars. The MDF rings also look good and well fitted.

4. However, permit me to say that you needn't have changed the OE alloys - they'd have looked better. If it is possible, please revert back to the OE alloys.

[kamilharis]

Congrats on your new car. 2.8 is an icing on the cake I would say.

The LED tail lights looks great but the strip creates too much of bling at the rear, just the lamps without the connecting strip would've looked better & simple. Just my opinion.

And by the way you will be finding it really difficult to replace this car in the future.

[TheGearBox]

Congrats! You seem to have found a rare low mileage example of the Innova.

Originally Posted by kamilharis

And by the way you will be finding it really difficult to replace this car in the future.

This is probably true.

[Bsimhan]

Originally Posted by manasmadaan

The Drive:


The Innova crysta AT is a very calm long distance cruiser. 100 kph comes in at around 1700 rpm, while 120 kph is seen at 2000 rpm. The cabin is insulated from the engine sound at these speeds.

The biggest surprise the awesome FE that i have been getting. Recently on a 350 km trip, i got close to 18 kmpl with 2 on board.

Sir, those figures that you have quoted are awesome. In comparison my Innova VX 2013 gives me a FE of roughly around 13 on the highway. At 100 kph, the revs are around 2500/2600. If I step it up just a bit it goes to 3000 rpm. On a side note, the engine sound has gotten a bit better after I personally changed to synthetic. Good luck bro. You've got yourself a rare gem.

[manasmadaan]

Originally Posted by Cessna182

Superb review and a great purchase. The mileage you shared is very good.
I think that the tail lights you used will become the new trend in the next gen cars. I already see a few models from Toyota running the LED strip throughout the width of the car bootlid and most will catch on.

I agree. I too am amazed the FE figures i keep getting on it. As mentioned before, the eco mode and being light footed and cruise control probably helps

These tail lamps really look good. The LED indicators along with matrix style indicators look cool

Originally Posted by toretto

Please help us with a comparison against your old car XUV500 automatic

The XUV AT was a very good highway performer with ample torque and good drivability. It was smooth with upshifts and downshifts as per the need most of the times.
Crysta AT shares similar characteristics with limited period i have been driving it. Although, it seems slightly more refined to me and delivers a better FE ( Max i got out of XUV is 16 kmpl)

Originally Posted by vigsom

Congratulations Doc,

Waddi soni gaddi hai Ji !! (beautiful car)

Few Observations on your darling !!!

1. I love the steering wheel and seats on your car - so original.

2. The surround mats in the dark walnut shade give the car a very plush look

3. The ICE is absolutely necessary. Except the Camry, Toyota has never had a good audio set up in any of their cars. The MDF rings also look good and well fitted.

4. However, permit me to say that you needn't have changed the OE alloys - they'd have looked better. If it is possible, please revert back to the OE alloys.

Thanks
The 2 alloys were slightly dented so had to replace them.

[manasmadaan]

Originally Posted by kamilharis

Congrats on your new car. 2.8 is an icing on the cake I would say.

The LED tail lights looks great but the strip creates too much of bling at the rear, just the lamps without the connecting strip would've looked better & simple. Just my opinion.

And by the way you will be finding it really difficult to replace this car in the future.

Thanks. I agree, the 2.8 engine is a gem.
I would also have liked to skip the connecting strip but my family liked the whole strip better

Originally Posted by TheGearBox

Congrats! You seem to have found a rare low mileage example of the Innova.

This is probably true.

Yes, its really difficult to find a low run innova. I got lucky i guess

Originally Posted by Bsimhan

Sir, those figures that you have quoted are awesome. In comparison my Innova VX 2013 gives me a FE of roughly around 13 on the highway. At 100 kph, the revs are around 2500/2600. If I step it up just a bit it goes to 3000 rpm. On a side note, the engine sound has gotten a bit better after I personally changed to synthetic. Good luck bro. You've got yourself a rare gem.

Yes, as i mentioned, the FE figures amazed me

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[manasmadaan]

Just came back from around 450 kms trip to Dharamshala and mcleodganj. There were 3 persons on board with luggage and the vehicle performed admirably. Again, i am amazed by the FE figures. It returned 15km/l on the round trip. These are fabulous figures for a vehicle this size and with a beasty engine. I am happy

[jkrishnakj]

Excellent review. The 2.8 Auto is so good to drive and is very effortless on highways and even that roads.

The mats look good on the car. The FE you got is super good. I manage a decent 14.5 to 15 on highways in Eco Mode but have not been able to manage more than that.

You’ll enjoy this car for a very long time to
Come. Best wishes!

[manasmadaan]

Originally Posted by jkrishnakj

Excellent review. The 2.8 Auto is so good to drive and is very effortless on highways and even that roads.

The mats look good on the car. The FE you got is super good. I manage a decent 14.5 to 15 on highways in Eco Mode but have not been able to manage more than that.

You’ll enjoy this car for a very long time to
Come. Best wishes!

You are absolutely right. Its super easy to drive and comfortable for the copassengers too.
The FE is truly amazing.
The only thing lacking is the adjustable lumbar support. It was really good in XUV and made long drives a breeze. I found it lacking a bit in crysta.
Any solutions for it?