Time flies and first anniversary of Wanderer arrived. So, I thought about sharing overall ownership experience (till now) on this occasion and share my perspective in nutshell.
My Use case :
Any opinion is based on personal requirements. Opinions differ for same thing based on different requirements. In my case below were the requirements.
- Pleasure to drive
- Comfortable Long drives for family of four. Occasional short drives with two families.
- All Essential safety features
- Easy to drive for office-commute i.e. automatic. The only solo drive Time.
- Should have enough utility spaces.
- No new launches. Did not want to spend energy on teething problems of new launches.
- Decent Music system. Wireless Android Auto Support, steering mounted controls. - Did not want advance electronics in car like ADAS.
- Available off the shelf.
- Panoramic sun-roof was must. (Family Wishlist)
Of all the contenders, we finally unanimously selected Safari Dark XZA+ and bought it home last year July 2022.
Dislikes:
- Fit and finish for such an expensive vehicle
- Even for top end variant, there is no front parking sensor and camera. Official accessory also did not look good solution to me.
- Reverse camera quality is not good. Camera also sits out in open and gets dirty with ease during rains causing inconvenience during reverse motion. For such huge vehicle, two additional corner sensors are a must to give more confidence. Just two placed towards the centre are no enough.
- Infotainment with android auto has issues at the start. However, with software and android auto upgrade, it's much stable now. But still at this price, touch screen has to be more slick and responsive. Software is too buggy. They fix one issue and plant new one in new SW upgrade.
- No auto boot opening mechanism in top variant. At least if it's manual, there has to be something substantial to hold-on for opening the boot. During rains it sometimes get irritating if your hands are wet. Do note, that I am not complaining about heavy boot lid here. I think it's required for third row passenger safety.
Likes:
- Robust and sturdy build. Provides a sense of safety inside it.
- Airy cabin. Command seating for front two rows. Even third row is usable for short trips. Kids spend lot of time switching between second and third rows.
- Great ride quality. At higher speed you glide over bad roads without much undulations being transferred inside.
- Comfortable and wide seats: Seats are not too soft. It has perfect cushioning for long drives. Second row accommodates three grown-ups easily sitting side by side without anyone needing to bend their shoulders.
- Amazing driving experience. Good road visibility. Planted on highways at higher speeds. Braking is solid and confidence inspiring.
- Ample utility spaces on doors and between the front two seats. Third row seat has its own blower control along with bottle holder.
- Dark interiors have a premium feel.
- Good Music and sound system.
- Terrain response modes are useful. I have used WET mode frequently during Pune rains.
Overall, likes above have higher credits as those are what create travel experiences. Dislike are more like complains of feature being not provided even on paying for top end variant.
Issues faced in last one year:
- One TPMS sensor went bad. Was replaced under warranty.
For a reference, below details should provide how the vehicle has been used for a year:
1) 17K on ODO
-- 40% for solo office commute
-- 60% for family trips outside city.
2) Fuel Economy(AC always ON, default CITY mode):
-- Average 11-12kmpl in city runs
-- Average 17-18kmpl outside city
3) Drive modes usage:
-- 80% CITY mode, 10% SPORTS Mode 10% ECO mode.
-- Manual Mode used only once(for trial).
4) Terrain response Mode usage:
-- Wet mode frequently used (during rains)
-- Rough road mode (never used)
5) Traction control never switched off.
6) Hill descent used only once for trial(on office parking ramp
![Smile](https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.png)
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7) Average speeds:
City - 20-25kmph
Highway - 80-90kmph
Overall Experience:
It has been fun-filled one year with great family outings(both short and long). Ride comfort is great and family members never reported fatique after long 8-10 hours drive. Seats are not very soft and are perfectly cushioned for long drives. It's a pleasure to drive and handles very well on highways. Family really liked the commanding seating position it offers for first two rows. For me, it provide all the usable features. Service centre experience is satisfactory. Things get done but at slow pace.
Hopefully the good experience continues.
Keep revving!
Negi