[nilanjanray]

Anshuman: Good to see an update on this thread. I guess that your Fortuner has done the highest number of kms in this forum - as a fellow Fortuner owner, it is comforting for me to know that you still have 'nothing to report'. Btw, I agre with all your observations.

@ dilipkumar:boss, you are not doing justice to her - she loves to take the miles in her strides :-). I will reach your figure - in 6 weeks - after a couple of hundred kms.

A couple of questions:
1. Has she started running smoother?
2. Did you see any change in FE after the first few thousand kms?

[salman_ferrari]

You've done 20,000 kms and the car looks brand new. Very well maintained. Good Job!.

[.anshuman]

The Fortuner now at 35000kms is doing great with no issue to report. Overall Urban FE is hovering around 12.5 kpl mark going by the MFD. Fortuner is incredibly fuel efficient for a SUV of this weight with a 3000cc engine.

This tough as nails SUV is just the right vehicle for Gurgaon roads with potholes which are deeper than the craters on moon. High suspension travel and high profile rubber helps this SUV dismiss potholes without any worries but overall ride composure could have been better, especially for the second and third row. Overall build is very good with the Fortuner feeling like a brand new SUV despite having done 35k kms on NO Roads.

The AWD system helps it secure safe handling characteristics on all kind of surfaces. Overall handling is very safe but not exciting. The slow steering is well weighted, sometimes it feels heavy at parking speeds.

I would have loved to see rear Differential lock and ESP offered in other markets here too. High NVH is amongst the few things i hate about this SUV. Overall feel is more utilitarian than luxurious.

I have heard a lot of people say 'Why pay 20L for this when you can buy a X1 for 24L?' Believe me this SUV is built to last decades. And Yes i get to Drive a X1 frequently, it not a SUV or even a crossover by any stretch of imagination. More on this in another thread soon....

Some pics for old world chassis based SUV lovers.

[n.devdath]

I really envy your garage Anshuman. A Laura DSG, A Fortuner, a Grande Punto. You have the perfect mix of cars for all roads.
Congratulations.
One question:

If you were to choose one car for all occasions of normal use and touring cross country(no delibrate off roading) for a maximum of 4 people, would you choose the Fortuner or the Laura and why?

[bluevolt]

Nice quick update anshuman. My uncles owns this beast and I my must say this car is the best 20 lakh rupee SUV (but it has noisy cabin for sure). Please upload some pictures of engine bay.

Originally Posted by .anshuman

This tough as nails SUV is just the right vehicle for Gurgaon roads with potholes which are deeper than the craters on moon.

This is very true. I don't know what the govt. is doing? Gurgaon is such a nice place but the roads put its image down. Now even Delhi has some fantastic roads. Good to see your Fortuner is not having any issues with such roads. We are afraid of driving our ANHC during monsoon here.

PS - I love your ownership threads along with photos.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

If you were to choose one car for all occasions of normal use and touring cross country(no delibrate off roading) for a maximum of 4 people, would you choose the Fortuner or the Laura and why?

n.devdath, It would be really unfair to compare both these cars directly. I am a person who finds it extremely unfair to compare Crossovers to Chassis based SUVs, this comparison gets too extreme.

First of all it depends on the requirements of the buyer. Traditional chassis based SUVs especially the ones in the segment Fortuner/Endeavour/Pajero are can take a lot more abuse than Crossovers in the segment. While the Ladder Chassis and long travel solid axle rear suspension give these SUVs a definitive edge when going gets tough, it also spoils the onroad dynamics. The high travel suspension can cushion the worst of the bumps but the overall ride composure is far from comfortable. Even more sophisticated and expensive chassis based SUVs like the Prado cannot match the cheaper crossovers like CRV, Outlander etc for ride composure and overall comfort.

Comparing the Fortuner and Laura head on-

• Interior quality- Laura wins.
• Interior Space-Fortuner wins by a big lead(rear)+ All seats recline.
• NVH- Laura as quiet as a Petrol in comparison.
• Performance- Laura runs away and Fortuner leaves wondering where it went. Fortuner very good for a SUV.
• FE- Weight matters.
• Luggage Space- Not an issue with both, but with 7 people onboard the Fortuner, a roof rack is required.
• Ride- Fortuner gobbles up bad roads without any worries but nowhere as composed and comfortable as Laura.
• Handling-No prizes for guessing.

Overall there is no point comparing, both of them are excellent automobiles, each one good at doing what they were designed to do.

Personally i love the SUVs to be tough and chassis based, if on road dynamics are important pick a proper sedan. For me crossovers are worst of both worlds.

For touring with 4 people onboard if roads are not extremely bad and there is no need to step off the road i would pick the Laura. If roads are really bad and there are more passengers Fortuner would be better.

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

For me crossovers are worst of both worlds.

Now that is something new for many out here I m sure. But don't you think that a crossover offers the best of both worlds by being able to do most of what each one these can? The Yeti for example.

Originally Posted by .anshuman

For touring with 4 people onboard if roads are not extremely bad and there is no need to step off the road i would pick the Laura. If roads are really bad and there are more passengers Fortuner would be better.

Thank you for that detailed reply.

So in a nutshell, would it be fair to say that the Laura would suffice for most places across the country based on your experience for 4 people and luggage?

[Red Liner]

Originally Posted by .anshuman

And Yes i get to Drive a X1 frequently, it not a SUV or even a crossover by any stretch of imagination. More on this in another thread soon....

Is this up for reading somewhere? Can you please point us to it?

[CliffHanger]

"High NVH is amongst the few things i hate about this SUV. Overall feel is more utilitarian than luxurious. "

Noise insulation is a costly affair especially in bigger cars. Still, noisy cabin in modern day cars is something that I can never digest.

It spoils all the fun while traveling and at times when your music gets exhausted you end up getting really annoyed by the noise.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by Red Liner

Is this up for reading somewhere? Can you please point us to it?

Not posted yet, will inform you when i post a report on X1.

Originally Posted by CliffHanger

"High NVH is amongst the few things i hate about this SUV. Overall feel is more utilitarian than luxurious. "

Noise insulation is a costly affair especially in bigger cars. Still, noisy cabin in modern day cars is something that I can never digest.

It spoils all the fun while traveling and at times when your music gets exhausted you end up getting really annoyed by the noise.

Fortuner is not that loud to intrude in music or get annoying over long distances but it's not as refined as the cars in the segment. I expect the cabin to be better filtered for a SUV of this price, if you compare it's still quieter than cheaper SUV's like Scorpio and Safari.

The Engine again starts pulling from as low as 1200rpm and has decent top end poke but it feels strained at the top end of the rev band. An AT version as an option would have been great too, not that i hate to shift but over the time the roads have become so crowded that one needs to shift every few seconds.

[nilanjanray]

How's your Fortuner doing, Anshuman? I completed 15000 kms recently, all fine.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

How's your Fortuner doing, Anshuman? I completed 15000 kms recently, all fine.

See post#63, nothing else to report after that. This is a real Fill it Shut it Forget it vehicle. *YAWN*

[mobike008]

Wow Anshuman. Firstly, Belated Congrats on the mighty beast. Secondly, If I am not wrong your Fortuner did 35,000kms in less than a year?

Going by that figure, it seems to be on road most of the time. Is it mostly highway travels?

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Wow Anshuman. Firstly, Belated Congrats on the mighty beast. Secondly, If I am not wrong your Fortuner did 35,000kms in less than a year?

Going by that figure, it seems to be on road most of the time. Is it mostly highway travels?

Limited to just city use.

[MAS]

Hi Anuhuman,

Excellent Ownership Report!!!

As your Fortuner has already run for 35 K kilometers, please give us the break-up of service costs for the first three services. This would benefit the community and rule out any assumptions of high service costs for the Fortuner.

I know it is not a fair comparison, but how do you compare the service cost of the Fortuner to that of the service costs of the other cars in your garage?