[Dieseltuned]

I am in similar situation, currently on the fence for taking a plunge and I am tilting towards nexon xz+(O) variant. There are a few things though that I would like to ask here and get your opinion.
1. Is the GC better in Nexon or Ecosport?
2. ASS in Mumbai is better for Ford or Tata ? Considering Ford is now part of Mahindra group in India?
3. Intention is to use the car for more road trips so which is better for highway cruises ?
4. This would be an outright buy with no loans , is there any offers currently available in Mumbai?
Regards
Dieseltuned

[07CR]

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

1. Is the GC better in Nexon or Ecosport?
2. ASS in Mumbai is better for Ford or Tata ? Considering Ford is now part of Mahindra group in India?
3. Intention is to use the car for more road trips so which is better for highway cruises ?
4. This would be an outright buy with no loans , is there any offers currently available in Mumbai?
Regards
Dieseltuned

1) Shouldn't be a deciding factor. At 200 mm vs 209mm, both have ample amount of ground clearance. But still the Ecosport's 550 mm of water wading capacity vs 300 mm of Nexon, makes it a better fit on our waterlogged roads in monsoons!

2) I am not sure of Mumbai, but here in Pune Ford ASS is much better than Tata's. Have had some bad experiences with my sister's Tiago at Tata dealerships across Pune.

A correction, IIRC, Ford and Mahindra is going to be a partnership. Just like Maruti and Toyota. I am not sure if both of them will be sharing dealerships, haven't read about the same yet.

3) Will suggest Ecosport. Highspeed manners and NVH levels are much better than the Nexon.

4) Mumbai BHPians can shed some light on this. IMO, there should be good offers on Ecosport, Nexon being recently facelifted might not have lucrative offers. You can bargain hard though, due to the Covid scenario might get some pretty good deals.

Hope this helps.

[46TheDoctor]

We bought a Nexon diesel XZA+ last year but today my vote goes to Kia Sonet due to diesel AT (non AMT) and a few more features.

[Dieseltuned]

Originally Posted by 07CR

1) Shouldn't be a deciding factor.

Hope this helps.

Thank you for your detailed reply, you have made some good points. I would be driving both Ecosport and Nexon in the coming weeks and would pick the one which I find more suitable in terms of :
1. Driving comfort
2. Rear passenger comfort. Rear bench should sit 3 pax comfortably on longer drives.

Both these points are deal breakers for me and would be very thoroughly evaluated.

I have driven the pre facelift Nexon briefly and had found it good to drive. I am upgrading from a wagonR so immediately felt at ease with higher seating position. I am yet to drive the Ecosport, so will reserve my judgement on it.

Will keep the group posted.

Regards
Dieseltuned

[07CR]

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

1. Driving comfort
2. Rear passenger comfort. Rear bench should sit 3 pax comfortably on longer drives.

Regards
Dieseltuned

1. Nothing in the segment beats the Ecosport in terms of driving comfort or driving fun for that matter. Be it city or highway, car is at home in both environments.
That said, the low speed ride quality will be slightly better in Nexon as compared to Ecosport (Going by the prefacelift nexon's low speed ride quality)

2. If you will be seating 3 full size adults in the rear, better avoid Ecosport. In my family, we mostly travel 3 passengers, with my sister and brother in law accompanying us occasionally. My sis, mom and brother in law can sit comfortably in the rear. However, me, my dad and brother in law can't sit comfortably in the rear and it's a squeeze for us in our Ecosport.

It's better if you take the entire family and gauge the rear seat comfort for yourself.

Cheers!

[fiat_tarun]

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned

Thank you for your detailed reply, you have made some good points. I would be driving both Ecosport and Nexon in the coming weeks and would pick the one which I find more suitable in terms of :
1. Driving comfort
2. Rear passenger comfort. Rear bench should sit 3 pax comfortably on longer drives.

Both these points are deal breakers for me and would be very thoroughly evaluated....

Considering your second requirement I don't think the Ecosport is the right choice unless your passengers are of a smaller build. The Ecosport backseat has very good under-thigh support and decent legroom but does not have the width to accommodate 3 adults comfortably.

I would suggest the Nexon or the XUV-300 here provided you are ok with a small boot.

[Dieseltuned]

Originally Posted by 07CR

2. If you will be seating 3 full size adults in the rear, better avoid Ecosport.

It's better if you take the entire family and gauge the rear seat comfort for yourself.

Cheers!

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

Considering your second requirement I don't think the Ecosport is the right choice unless your passengers are of a smaller build. The Ecosport backseat has very good under-thigh support and decent legroom but does not have the width to accommodate 3 adults comfortably.

I would suggest the Nexon or the XUV-300 here provided you are ok with a small boot.

We are a family diametrically opposite to being lean

So back bench for 3 persons is a must.

I had a brief look at the XUV300 and the boot space is a deal breaker. I have moved house in my wagonR so boot space is a must and also XUV300 will definetly be priced more than Nexon.

Regards
Dieseltuned

[gopi_rm]

Hi Enthusiasts,

One of my friends in Bangalore is planning to buy a Diesel manual CSUV and has booked Kia Sonet last week. But due to poor GNCAP result for Seltos, I informed him to cancel Sonet booking and recommended him to choose between Nexon and XUV3OO which are 5 star rated.

His primary usage is on highways that too once or twice per month between Bangalore and hometown in TN. Occasionally he drives the car in Bangalore city. His approx. mileage is 20,000 kms per year.

He test drove both Nexon and XUV3OO and the feedback is as follows:
Nexon: Front looks good and engine in sport mode is nice to drive. Boot space is sufficient for his usage. But gearshift is not as smooth as Sonet/Venue and 7 inch touchscreen is not smoother.
XUV3OO: Engine feels more powerful and car is good to drive compared to Nexon. But boot space is less and no Android Auto. Also mid variant is bare bone and top variant is too expensive.

He is thinking between Nexon, XUV3OO and Ecosport manual diesel models. Since Ecosport in Indian market is not tested by GNCAP, we have excluded it from the list. Now the choice is between Nexon XZ, XZ+ and similar variants in XUV3OO.

Please give your opinion regarding which model and variant to choose.
Is there any other diesel CSUV should we consider apart from Nexon and XUV3OO?

Thank you in advance. Happy Diwali!!

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by gopi_rm

Please give your opinion regarding which model and variant to choose.
Is there any other diesel CSUV should we consider apart from Nexon and XUV3OO?

Thank you in advance. Happy Diwali!!

I would advise you to not discount a car as well built and full of safety features (traction control, hill hold, 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, rollover mitigation suite etc.) as the Ecosport merely because of a lack of GNCAP rating. The car is built like a tank and there are a plethora of information and incidents available on how sturdily it is built and how well it generally survives most untoward incidents on the road. In your position, I would definitely give the Ecosport the top spot especially given how fun to drive, refined and well built it is. Not to mention, droolworthy looks even today, as compared to any other offering in the C-SUV space, especially in the top end S guise.

[gopi_rm]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

I would advise you to not discount a car as well built and full of safety features (traction control, hill hold, 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, rollover mitigation suite etc.) as the Ecosport merely because of a lack of GNCAP rating. The car is built like a tank and there are a plethora of information and incidents available on how sturdily it is built and how well it generally survives most untoward incidents on the road. In your position, I would definitely give the Ecosport the top spot especially given how fun to drive, refined and well built it is. Not to mention, droolworthy looks even today, as compared to any other offering in the C-SUV space, especially in the top end S guise.

Thanks for your suggestion. But I am skeptical of made for India Ecosport's safety rating because made for India Aspire scored only 3 stars in GNCAP test.

In a new Ad, Ford is claiming that Ecosport is beyond 5 stars because of solid door thud sound, an accident video and says all other cars are 'tin cans' compared to Ford. How absurd is this when there is no GNCAP rating for Indian Ecosport and we already have not one but two 5 star rated cars in the same segment. Simply export a base variant of Indian Ecosport to GNCAP, get the safety ratings and publish an Ad with the evidence. Is it a difficult task for Ford when Tata can do this for Altroz even before launch?

I agree Ford builds high quality cars and I am in love with it's driving dynamics. But we have seen multiple times where Indian version of international models scored bad safety rating where as the international versions score 4/5 star ratings.

Ford Aspire crash test

Ecosport Ad

[pu5han]

Need an opinion/suggestion for a friend buying a car for family use.
The duel is between the Nexon (XZ+) and Ecosport (titanium+)
both petrol engines BS6, Usage city/highway - 75/25

1. Overall which is better/preferred
2. How is service quality & cost
3. Fuel economy

[Reinhard]

Originally Posted by pu5han

Need an opinion/suggestion for a friend buying a car for family use.
The duel is between the Nexon (XZ+) and Ecosport (titanium+)
both petrol engines BS6, Usage city/highway - 75/25

1. Overall which is better/preferred
2. How is service quality & cost
3. Fuel economy

Both cars are good overall. The moment you mention FAMILY USE - Nexon has an upper hand. Cabin space is noticeably more. Ride is more comfortable than the EcoSport certainly for passengers.

Service quality & cost in most parts of the country are more or less same for both to a large extent. Nexon I feel has a better average fuel efficiency based on what I have heard from friends who own both these cars. If the question was about Diesel - I'd be able to confidently tell that Nexon has better FE.

[motorworks]

Need some advice folks! My Father is contemplating letting go off his 6 year old Duster, and we are looking at options in the 8-9 lakh budget segment. Since my father is close to 6 ft and a bit on the heavier side as well, he prefers a cross over. Plus, he drives to our farmhouse every week, so tackling rough roads is a requirement as well. The Duster has done a decent job over these years, but I must say it hasnt particularly aged well and the lack of refinement is glaring, when I compare it to the cars I have driven, like my earlier Rapid and now the 2018 Creta. And Petrol would just do, since his running is not that high. He is going to be driving the car himself most of the time, but because he is just over 70years, I anticipate that we may have a driver in 2 years and he may then occupy the 2nd row, meaning 2nd row comfort is a also something that is key.

So, with these clear requirements and a fixed budget in mind, i went thru all options and zeroed in on the Nexon XM and the S Cross Sigma. The Nexon XM has slightly better features, seems like a much fresher car with the new updates, on the other hand the S Cross is a bigger car, but almost no features in this sigma variant. For some reason my father did not like the Nexon at first glance. I have urged him to take a 2nd look. He was sort of satisfied with the S Cross.

With almost no discounts on the new Nexon, and about 30k off on the S Cross, both these variants would end up at around 9.3 lakhs. With the S Cross we need to add a audio system, while the Nexon has something basic built in. My father visited few other showrooms like Renault, Mahindra as well. I asked him to stay away from the Triber since I feel its built to a cost, and although he really liked the XUV300, the boot space in this car is a huge downer. He has been using the duster to carry a few farm related things etc, and hence I feel a compromised boot space will not serve him well.

Other contenders that he hasnt checked out is the Kia Sonet and the Ford Ecosport. The Sonet, in my opinion is a very narrow car, and the Ecosport does not seem to have decent variants around the 9 lakh mark. Any suggestions please? At the moment it looks like the S Cross seems like a fair choice, but its been around for a long time now and I get a feeling Suzuki may even discontinue this model in a year or two.

[sen2693]

Hi folks - The time has finally come in my life where owning a car has now become a necessity. Owning a car has been a long time dream but I held myself off until I felt it was absolutely necessary to do so. Now that I would be moving on from traveling alone to traveling as 2, I feel the time is now to own a comfortable ride in 4 wheels.

Background: I would be moving to Bangalore in a few months and intend to buy car from that city only. Till now, I have been a proud owner of Suzuki Gixxer and that was enough for me to commute from home to office and vice versa. I liked driving my bike, good throttle response, decent braking - a very fun bike to drive. My family never owned a car and so never had the opportunity to learn driving much. In past 2 years, I went to a driving school, wasn't much impressed with the way they taught, and then went with friends to isolated places first, drove around a little and then with a bit more confidence, started going out on late night empty roads. Then once or twice took a car out on city roads with bit of traffic. But then the pandemic stuck and my progress was halted. All in all, still a new car driver. I am being given a confidence that any car you buy, you will "master it" (not my words) in 2-3 weeks and hence that is not a concern while buying one. I am planning to buy the car while am still in my hometown (rural setting with much empty roads) so that I can get used to it before taking it out on highways and then Bangalore city. Started looking into cars and boy is it so confusing with all the options available out there.

Usage: Most of my commute would be driving from my hometown to Bangalore and vice versa. Apart from these, Bangalore has lot of weekend getaways around so probably driving there as well. And sometimes drive inside the city on weekends to malls etc. I do NOT intend to use the car for daily office commute as such (with the WFH liberty, don't intend to go to office at all much). So am predicting my usage would be 70% on highways (probably also on western ghats) and 30% in City traffic. Given the usage on city is less, am okay with driving a manual now instead of an automatic.

Important parameters to be considered while picking a car in the order of their priority (this is what I feel, let me know if am stressing too much on few points given my usage) -
1. Safety - Given more time would be spent on highways, safety takes primary importance. Also tomorrow, if I become a family of 3, it takes even more priority.
2. Ride handling/driving comfort - Going on long drives means driving comfort and also proper handling are also important.
3. Passenger comfort - The passenger (importantly the front passenger) should also feel comfortable on long rides.
4. Upgraded on tech - Android auto, digital instrument cluster, Kms to fuel empty etc, google maps in the cluster.
5. Ground clearance - Few roads in hometown are pot hole ridden. Also, I hear few places in Bangalore as well.
5. Comfortable seating for second row passengers even when seated 3.

Cars that I have considered as of yet (in order of current preference). All these pros/cons are basis my understanding from reading this forum or watching reviews on Youtube. I understand that "to each his own" and I should test drive the cars to come to a conclusion on few points like driving comfort. Absolutely correct and I do intend to test drive them in coming few weeks.

Tata Nexon
Pros-
1. 5 star Global NCAP rating
2. Decent ride handling and driving comfort
3. After sales service and service network is not a concern.
4. Has also safety features like - ESP, TCS etc.
5. Cheaper spare parts and service cost (??)

Cons-
1. Low resale value
2. Interior quality and design are not that great.
3. Bit on a costlier end as compared to Magnite/Kiger

Nissan Magnite
Pros-
1. 4 star ASEAN NCAP rating
2. Full option variant much cheaper than Nexon XZ/Kiger
3. Has also safety features like - ESP, TCS, TPMS etc.
4. Better looking than Nexon.
5. Build quality better as compared to other compact SUVs

Cons:
1. Suspension not so great
2. Ride handling is also not being called as that good.
3. After sales service and service network.
4. Steering feedback is also not the best in segment.
5. Little room for resting left foot during long rides.
6. Low resale value

Renault Kiger
Pros-
1. Similar platform to Magnite so expected to have a similar safety rating.
2. Looks like a jacked up Kwid and I like how the Kwid looks.
3. Build quality better than Magnite
4. Ride handling is also much better than Magnite
5. Full option is cheaper than Nexon XZ model.

Cons-
1. Safety features like ESP, TCS are missing.
2. Low resale value.
3. Not sure if this is a Con as am personally not aware about Renault's service network.

Skoda Rapid
Pros -
1. Because Skoda . What is there to not like about the brand. You get what you pay for.
3. One of the classiest looks out there (at least in the front)
2. 5 star Global NCAP rating
4. Top notch driving comfort and ride handling.

Cons -
1. Looks from behind not so great.
2. Outdated tech.
3. Missing safety features like ESP, TCS.
4. Service network - Take it out on a long drive and if you need road side assistance, then you could be struck for hours.
5. Apparently after sales service is a nightmare.
6. Very low ground clearance which would be a problem in pot hole ridden roads.
7. Definitely a car enthusiast's car but not the most practical in the segment.
8. Can only afford the Rider Plus variant.
9. High spare parts and maintenance cost

Other cars considered - Kushaq (hopefully launches at least the base variant under 11L OTR but few cons listed for Rapid would still be present), Hyundai Venue (decent variant with Turbo engine comes around 12L OTR), Altroz (not the best looking car personally to me), Kia Seltos (only 3 star safety rating, decent variant is 12L+ OTR). XUV300 (Can only afford the base variant under 11L OTR).

Side question - How relevant are features like TCS, ESP are in FWD cars on Indian roads? I know there is a separate thread for this but most of the conversation is from few years back. India road scene has changed a bit since then I believe.

Also, are naturally aspirated engines still relevant?

P.S.: A quick thanks to the community. Been shadowing it for few years and has been the best place to learn about cars for me.

[TrackDay]

Originally Posted by sen2693

Hi folks - The time has finally come in my life where owning a car has now become a necessity. Owning a car has been a long time dream but I held myself off until I felt it was absolutely necessary to do so. Now that I would be moving on from traveling alone to traveling as 2, I feel the time is now to own a comfortable ride in 4 wheels.

Congratulations on reaching that stage in your life! This is indeed a milestone & you need a good ride to take you ahead in the Journey called life. All the four shortlisted are nice cars

Originally Posted by sen2693

I do NOT intend to use the car for daily office commute as such (with the WFH liberty, don't intend to go to office at all much). So am predicting my usage would be 70% on highways (probably also on western ghats) and 30% in City traffic. Given the usage on city is less, am okay with driving a manual now instead of an automatic.

Kindly do check this out again. I have often heard first time buyers wishing they had selected the other transmission option.

Originally Posted by sen2693

Important parameters to be considered while picking a car in the order of their priority (this is what I feel, let me know if am stressing too much on few points given my usage) -
1. Safety - Given more time would be spent on highways, safety takes primary importance. Also tomorrow, if I become a family of 3, it takes even more priority.
2. Ride handling/driving comfort - Going on long drives means driving comfort and also proper handling are also important.
3. Passenger comfort - The passenger (importantly the front passenger) should also feel comfortable on long rides.
4. Upgraded on tech - Android auto, digital instrument cluster, Kms to fuel empty etc, google maps in the cluster.
5. Ground clearance - Few roads in hometown are pot hole ridden. Also, I hear few places in Bangalore as well.
5. Comfortable seating for second row passengers even when seated 3.

From the requirements above and the cars you shortlisted I would go for the Nexon (Manual if your going for that). I am not familiar with the tech on that vehicle (if absent, not so difficult to add these days at a good aftermarket store), But the Nexon manual is a good vehicle and can handle the bad rural roads too. However if your decision changes to automatic, the CVT of the Kiger/Magnite would be my choice. The rapid is a good car, but since you said rural pot holed roads, I ruled that car out.