[arb]

A short story of Big burly urban suv, for the urban folks like me, presuming-ly busy in our tiny little cocoons with attention span lesser than the fizz in a bottle of red, presenting my Bear, XUV5OO, written by ArB. Observations by a mix of individuals who became part and continue to be part of its urban escapades. Inspired by concoction in hand and inability to replace the perceived value of my Bear.

Chapter 1: The Beginnings

The story begins with Mahindra releasing a beast fondly called Cheetah into the urban landscapes in early 2010’s. The Cheetah with its size, car like maneuverability and costs ran the fastest sprint to sales success for Mahindra, at the same time allowing the masses in Indian subcontinent to see, feel and use a proper SUV far superior from the existing lot of taxis, or back breaking SUVs / UVs of the time. The XUV5OO whether as cheetah like Mahindra would have it or as a bear, was indeed a fresh offering pouring with perceived values, fiscal or feature you name it. And lo and behold, the SUV personification for my lady love was fixed.

Chapter 2: Love Lost?

The Cheetah kept running, with issues, with facelifts, in costs, yet continuing to deliver value to those who could tame one. And, half a decade later my dear lady love, now better half proposed our first car and you know it, has to be XUV5OO. What a car, at a cost dear ArB couldn’t tame, well no loan financial prudence may be to blame, a sparkling silver Honda hatch Jazzed into our live. Did I say financial prudence, oh, aah if only hindsight could lead ways I would have lumped the Jazz of a loan for my dear Bear.

Not to bear down for lack of the Bear, Jazz shined and glowed with all its might running two pair of shoes, Pirellis none the less in less than three years. By the mark of fourth, it was apparent the Jazz was drying up and so marks the end.

Chapter 3: Bear, Bear, Bear come here

While dear lady had her suv persona fixed, I had a different infatuation towards Sierra of the old, Safaris of the time. And now that I was married for a while, I am allowed to make a fuss, or so I thought . So, comes the Safari in its Dicor avatar and it was fairly cheap in its last days, but it was a dinosaur for the age, and by now extinct. Then came last mighty warrior from the stable of Tata all decked up, suited to the tee, with wide grin and slapped straight butt, the estate of the estates, boy was I hexed, evil spell my better half proclaimed. Yet had the Bear by the neck, back to back spell binding rides, offer after another, all getting hexed for the bear. As the Bear kept slipping, came a swift salvo from Mrs in form of the fiscal prudence with its ugly head, no matter the good it brings, it is ugly to behold. But insightful, evil can only stay for so long and Hexa, the evil for my Bear may not stay long in the market. Having shouldered a fifty percent downer on our bundle of Jazz, I was shuddered by the thought of another depreciation attack on my beloved materialistic possession down the line.

With no more trick up my sleeve, I passionately embrace my dear Bear, XUV500 with stick and an appetite of Diesel. Bear, Bear, Bear, come bear us!

Chapter4: Observations and Escapades

I told you da, short story! Observations and Escapades over half a decade, spanning more than a hundred thousand kilometer will be long.

Needs To Be Continued...?

~ArB

I would have probably hibernated for next few months had the short story been made live, thanks to dear moderators that is not to be. So bear me more, along with my Bear.

Chapter 4A: Why not Cheetah? How is this Bear?

I am writing a story, so it has to have sub stories right? It so happens, I have heard in family lore, my father used to teach in some god forsaken land in heart of India. Where apart from usual surfeited stories of pseudo Marxist socialism in names of naxals, maowadis etc etc lied the heart and soul of jungle dwellers, now villages. But like all stories the focus was always on the tangents, so back to mine, my father, a brave young soul did a bit on his part to teach, whatever little value it may have had in such a place, while working along coliyari. Don’t ask what is coliyari, I have come to presume it implies region with coal mining as main stay.

It is in such a place that my father, somewhat tall, lanky met his bear. One made by the mother nature, Blackish, Bulky, in search of divinity by what fell off the Madhuka trees. Well he did know Mahua of jungle is more enchanting than those of the world, what he wasn’t was, a bear can run way faster than him. And that day it was my father, the lanky guy and the bear. Since ArB is writing, its implied he lived, fell through some soil channel, slid faster or perhaps the bear chose to let him live for want of ArB in this world, as proclaimed by some gentleman years from now in an itihaas which is not to be. Too much concoction, okay period.

Well, so the story told as lullaby or as a father’s escapades sticks with me years from when it happened. Taking cue, when I did get to have a non-lethal metal version on four wheels, resembling a Fat Brown Bulky bear, Bear it became not Cheetah.

Bear is in the eye of the beholder, i would say

Chapter 4B: We get it, Bear it is. What next?

What next you ask, I say चलो स्वाँग बांधते है. Don’t bother your translator, all I mean is let’s sing praises or something like that.

The Brown Bear I tamed, bulky it already is, takes a couple of minutes to rev past 2K and then dashes straight like the bear. Also lately growls on a similar note. That’s all with the bear I would say. Now, to Bear of the story XUV5OO.

Yes! I paid the fine, one of my contributions to government welfare fund.

Chapter 4B1: Anything but the heart

Has four wheels, with two of them live and two for the turning duties. Had Bridgestone Duelers as first pair of shoes, followed by Michelin ATs. Has five well-built doors, does the ‘thud’ if you ask. The fifth one lately makes more of ‘thuud-thad’ thanks to the gentle folks at numerous gates it has been enduring for more than half a decade now. Also has a window for the peeping toms through the roof, with a motor to assist single touch opening. The motor is mighty pleased with ArB, considering amongst all the other motors it did the least exercise in so many years. Few of its compatriots have been dead and so have their replacements, like the one in ArB’s door window.

Has seven seats, which have seen fair usage across the board. If you have Sheldon’s butt, you might actually feel the driver’s seat screams ArB, other than that rest are more or less the same as day hundredth. Shoulder clothing in some form of Beige persists, continues to age well along with the pseudo leather seat covers. There is also some form of leather in the steering, which has neither cracked nor sored and as tight as day one. What remains is black, glossy, patchy, matt all kinds in a mishmash of textures along with the acres of glass. Has a sore throat, though on medication by Arkymys it remains फ़टा बास, with six speakers run by a monolithic artefact which overall is cohesive and pleasing to look at, quite unlike the flat panels of today.

Also, has a lot of buttons no less than a cockpit I presume. While there is room all around, its the amount of storage for nick knacks that makes finding my little ones socks after long run a big pain in a, yet not content so it also has a roof carrier along with an Amazon carrier bag. I take my home along, if you are wondering. That is pretty much what is inside, lets talk about the innards.

the Old and the New


Plethora of buttons, but nonetheless cohesive

Chapter 4B2: Innards, the Heart

Has a mighty engine, which off late growls a bit more than I like. But is nevertheless engaging and perhaps more soothing than the traffic around. Its 2.2 mhawk, another animal of its own, runs, pulls, purrs like it should. It ran hours, scores plus at a stretch with drivers switching or standing still with the engine running, loaded to the tee with aircon beaming and even with such working conditions it endures. And we complain about seventy hour work week.

Run, ran, numerous times clocking an average twelve hundred kilometers in each of those times, until it snapped, the pulley sheared, belt riped, armature busted. Had ArB and his progeny stuck in one of those heartlands of India, loaded to tee like always pleading with different RSA’s come take me away, while having moshi-moshi moments with laptop over bonnet in my alter corporate self, the only difference being my call earned no pounds. Strike the right pressure, push more than it can, metal, rubber all snaps, what chance does a meagre mortal with flesh and bones stand.

Nevertheless, my progeny had their first encounter with lack of electricity and what it takes to endure summer heat. Quite an epiphany, in the urban cocoon of ours, replete with fail safes they have never experienced any stressed environments. There is no realization of power cuts, seasonal extremes, manual labour, or in general, the privilege we are bestowed with.

Back to the Bear, once sorted, replaced parts make the engine hum as before, with ArB being a bit more considerate in his runs.

Belt across alternator in different shades of misery


Pulley, two way


Once, so far!

Chapter 4B3: Pesky little things

All good and no bad, have never read anything such amongst the many books I have read, whether written by men, women or by higher order. There is always a chink, pesky little thing.

When it comes to the Bear, it has its share of pesky little things. Starting with ramblings, it rambles on and on, some call it rattle I say it’s the Bear rambling in its own space. I have tried peacefully, in rage, in my diplomatic best, no matter what I try, tie, stuff, choke or replace, it will not stop. Thus I made peace with the ramblings, and when it rambles hard, I push harder or let croaky throat take over.

Rattle points – tumble seat joint; seat belt holder; sunroof control panel

Acres of room did I say earlier; it is true if you are in the front or middle. Go to the third row and you will be magically teleported to a closed room much like the boys’ hostel rooms in many of our premier institutes. No openable windows, shady looking glass pane owing to the permanent sun shade fixed by ArB, thankfully comes with its own aircon vents and controller. You are still at mercy of ArB, since the controller controls only volume, the aircon itself is controlled via head unit.

Pain @ third row, the seat and the in/egress space


Pain @ third row, feet space, max and min knee room

Great if you have made it so far, thank your eyes for being working receptive sensors. We humans have limited senses, aided by similarly few sensors ears, eyes, tongue, skin I presume and that’s designed by the folks of higher order. And we the meagre mortals made things with sensors fitted in every nook and corner, and what a pain it is. Bear had its ABS sensor aching for more than a year, that’s four of them playing whodunits. There are more whodunits, the TPMS brothers and their propensity to go bust just after tyre rotations. Then, there are even more of them, last of it being the fuel sensor turning an angry face. Long story short, the sensors are sensory pain for my wallet.

Seemingly ABS plug joint, which kept me on run for an year and a half

To drive is my nirvana in this day and age and I presume for many other team bhpians. Now, imagine you had a wonderful drive, your supposed nirvana, elated, in a state of presumed enlightenment, ready to douse the worries of the day and about to step out in bliss, just then your knee kisses the edge of dashboard and shunts back like a shot arrow hitting your heel in a manner as if the calcaneous would break. What nirvana, I might come back from my pyre and shout out the choicest verbal comforters I know, that is what this pesky little protruding corner does.

Pesky little corner, missed while I was taking images too

Recall the endurance bit from earlier, we humans have it easy there are easy supplements to more modest resilient ways of improving our endurance and when at pain much other ways to sober our aching joints, red, white, sparkling, aged, Swedish, deep tissue and what not. But for my Bear, all that is available is supplements and heckling from dear service centres and some pampering from the 3M’s of the world. While I may enjoy my aged after a deep tissue all Bear gets is more pain, getting worked through the dear service centres is perhaps the biggest chunk of pesky little things. This one single pain point alone drives me to not recommend the manufacturer almost always irrespective of the wonderful products they are churning off late.

Talking ill about service centers and no stats? What malarkey! So here we go -

• Number of months Bear has been with me - 70
• Visit to MASS - 26, averaging 1 visit every 2.6 months. And mind you no visit is ever less than a day, and almost always has taken more than whatever the dear SAs' committed for.
• Cost so far, around 2.2L , averaging 3.2k per month of ownership or approx 8.5k per visit to MASS.

Some love, paid pampering!

Chapter 4C: Bear in the urban concrete jungle

The Bear primarily munched its miles in Puna as my spouse's daily ride for its first two years, thereafter it’s been my daily in namma Bengaluru. As a daily ride I find it under utilized in my limited run of ten-twelve kms, but those limited kms are bliss to me. I am cocooned, calm and somewhat not affected by the chaos unfolding around me. Schlogging off the parking, with diesel spewing of the fuel assembly into the intake manifold, and a shot of warm wooshing off the exhaust, with more than just a hint of torque steer, leaping off, out the ramp comes the Bear in sun, ready for ArB’s routine run. If only this could have been true! ArB is such a slouch, and mighty apprehensive of being accused for being in the bigger car, so all he does is purs and honks while making his exit off the ramps. No it doesn’t stop there, the pattern of run is regular, mundane, easy across all its travails. The Bear notwithstanding it’s want caters as gently as thy command of ArB. It takes in its stride the simple easy runs, purrs and poofs instead of growling intimidation.

One of the milestones

In her hands, the Bear growls and is a beast true to its nature. Agile, nimble and steady in her erstwhile daily runs of forty plus kilometers never stranding her, always surefooted. Out in the highways, mannerisms are similar irrespective of the master at the wheel. Like suggested earlier, the Bear ran hours together in journeys spanning thousands of kilometers across middle and southern India, never breaking a sweat until very recently. Nevertheless, once sorted its back with a bang finishing a seven hundred km sprint effortlessly.

ArB once had the Bear run more than five thousand kilometer in his quest of eastern shores in a span of ten days, running on arrow straight tarmac in Andhra, TN, to being afloat in a Ferry over Chilka, touching the shores with its own shoes in Digha, to some not so near, blessed by the many iterations and forms of Durga portrayed across the city of joy to the old and charismatic temples in Orissa all blessing the travails of the Bear and its lesser folks.

While the Bear had seen a lot of places, Mahabaleshwar in the west is where it prowled like it was meant to. Having only two powered wheels never caused it to skip a beat. Ran there when it was raining tempers in house, or when it was actually raining in there, with fog to company, and many many lesser mortals, sometimes just for the sake of hill run, the Bear kept finding reasons to be up there, creeping through the smallest of lanes, flying amongst the fog.

Few more lesser mortals had been part to some or many of these escapades and never had a reason to complain. The seniors amongst them loved the airiness, the space and ease of in/egress, kids at times had the entire third bench to them or wherever you tag them were fairly comfortable. No ISOFIX mounts, if you ask. My elder one is on forever quest for jutting out through the sunroof, largely unsuccessful endeavour I must say. Learning his lessons of failure, with a few successes in the seclusions of jungle stays the Bear has had in plenty.

Sunroof does make for a happy kid pic

Parting note from ArB

If you are still reading and wondering who rambles more? the Bear or the one who tamed this Bear, it is probably going to be a tie. So here I bid adieu, letting the story of Big burly urban suv sink in the trenches of internet.

Some stories entertain, some enlighten, some comforts and some simply fades away with the waning night for want of a fresh morning. I hope this does one of it. Nevertheless have you seen the post guidelines? There are around forty line items as suggestive writing points, while not all I did cover some of them amidst the stories of my Bear.

Sincere gratitude for reading through, ignoring my language pitfalls, bad tenses, jumping persons.

~ArB

[Aditya]

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

[DieselWanderer]

The XUV500 would be the only Indian SUV that was or is way ahead of its time. I had mine given away due to the pathetic after sales experience after the warranty period got over. Still it was a great companion for 7 years/200k kms. Have now upgraded to ScorpioN Z4 D-AT

[DIV17]

Very well written. It had been a long time since I saw a post about the XUV500 on the forum with other Mahindras stealing all the attention.

Anyways, our XUV too just turned 5 and has only clocked 65k in all those years. It is a bit temperamental, throwing tantrums here and there but the reliability has been fantastic. Zero breakdowns, never left us stranded anywhere. Unmatched space in the first and second row (don't ask about the third row though). Great highway cruiser with solid power and FE. It is made for the open roads. Wish the low speed ride was better though.

The Bear looks beautiful and I love the Lakeside Brown color. Happy mile munching.

[HKP]

That's my baby too! Got it back in 2018 and now it's clocked 50K (yeah, those 2 COVID years). It's still a head-turner and feature-rich. When I see new cars offering premium features like rain-sensing wipers, cornering lights, cruise control, sunroof, etc., I think, "This Mahindra had those packed in the W9 and W11 back in 2018."

Beautifully written and a great tribute to one of those iconic cars.

[vredesbyrd]

Nice thread and that is a lovely colour. XUV500 was the first Mahindra that I ever drove back in 2021 and it had such a profound effect on me that I drive a Scorpio N today.

I drove the AT and the gearbox was perfect. Seamless shifts and 6th comes at a flexible 83.
2.2 can haul it’s bottom at 3 digit speeds all day long.

Here’s a video of the 500 on Agumbe Ghat:

https://youtu.be/SpIHa1Bix1g?si=mOIOhQgAq_2cWhoY

[rahulkr14]

We have a 2018 XUV 5OO W11 AWD -Manual. Going through this thread brought back memories of the whole buying experience. It was a massive upgrade for us (we had a Santro Xing at the time) and we felt proud to own it. It's still running trouble free and has clocked close to 50k KMs. Looking at today's car prices, I think it was great VFM considering we got a diesel AWD for sub 20 Lakhs. And no BS6 tantrums either! Like others have said, it has its shortcomings but is a great family car and a mile muncher. Very pleased to on one.

[marinerandy]

We had ours in 2013. It was registered in my father's name. Drove it for 6 years and passed it on to my cousin brother in law in village, where it is now on the duty of lifting and transporting some farm goods as my BIL is a farmer. Many nostalgic memories associated with it. Saw my kids growing up with this car. We used to take outstation trips with all rear seats down and a thin mattress laid on. Kids used to play and sleep on it during our long trips. Here I am standing with my XUV 5oo in 2013 when we took it for first long ride after delivery.
After parting with it, I again ventured in this foray and bought 7oo this year.

[mpksuhas]

Not often that one could see new XUV 500 ownership reviews coming up. Interesting way of putting across the ownership experience.

[arb]

Thank you for sharing your stories around the XUV5OO, it is indeed a car which serves well, barring few issues it does goes long. Post the hiccups this year, I fiddled around the idea to add another primary to garage however it was extremely hard to find a replacement fit with similar cost value as XUV5OO. The current one costs nearly double for what I paid in 2018 and pretty much remains the same car with much better clothing, anything else touches or crosses fifty. So I ended up writing about the Bear, and in the process reclaimed my Bear, and proclaimed as my primary for another eighty thousands.

Originally Posted by DIV17

It had been a long time since I saw a post about the XUV500 on the forum with other Mahindras stealing all the attention.

Originally Posted by mpksuhas

Not often that one could see new XUV 500 ownership reviews coming up. Interesting way of putting across the ownership experience.

True, given the onslaught of fantastic cars from Mahindra, XUV5OO certainly faded away. It so happens or from what I recall of this particular facelift, it did not get a mention/ short review in tbhp either. Before taming mine, I did wait anxiously for an update on the existing review.

While its too old for having any mystery around or which is already not covered by other fantastic ownership reports in the portal, I am happy to answer if any specific concerns remains to be unshrouded.

~ArB