[skrao]

I have a 2009, trusted Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8 GLS. i acquired it from a friend who hardly ran it. As on date it has clocked 1.9 lac KMs and still runs like a dream.
Spares, service and routine maintenance are all pocket friendly, the engine has enough oomph to tirelessly much miles. Sad to let it go for scrap.
The irrevocable logic of a new car or a preloved newer vehicle makes eminent sense.

There is a three way debate currently on

1. Petrol Vs Electric
2. Car Vs SUV
3. New Vs less than 3 year old pre owned

The requirement:

1.We are a family of four, with a small dog.
2.We love to travel as a family with our pet in tow, we clock between 18 to 22 k per year
3. I am also at a life stage where one kid is starting university and that constrains the budget ( more prudence and planning than affordability) and the budget is between 20-23 lacs, and can be stretched a bit to 25- 26
4. We do go on some rough and village roads, not necessarily 4X4 country
5. Not great fans of the Korean makers


The Options

1. One of the VW/Skoda twin sedans - 1.0 or 1.5 ? DSG or MT?
2. An Indian SUV Mahindra or Tata? Safari or Harrier or Scorpio or XUV?
3. A Nexon electric? or stretch a bit and look at MS ZS EV?
3. Not really my option but wife is not averse to an Innova Hycross
4. A pre owned and loved car/SUV from any of the above

Also a final ask, scrap the Corolla? or get a fitness certificate and keep it as a local run around beater?

All help is greatly appreciated

[Love4Cars]

Let's breakdown your requirements:

1. Petrol vs Electric: Electric makes sense for your high running or at least a Hybrid (Hycross)
2. SUV or Sedan: An SUV makes sense as you will need it for your Village runs

With above two requirements, you are left with EVs and Hycross. Next question is do you travel long distances? if yes, how is the charging infra? If above issue is addressed, EVs make more sense, if not just buy a Hycross.
Among EVs you have Mahindra XUV400 (GC of 200 plus bigger boot) and ZS EV (More refined product with all bells and whistles).
I would suggest against Nexon EV as it is a smaller car for your pet and luggage and Kona due to low GC.
Test drive both Mahindra XUV 400 and MG ZS EV. You may get XUV400 even less than 18.5 depending on the state RTO.

[OpenRoads]

Originally Posted by skrao

3. Not really my option but wife is not averse to an Innova Hycross
Also a final ask, scrap the Corolla? or get a fitness certificate and keep it as a local run around beater?
All help is greatly appreciated

My logic:

1. With the kind of distance travelled each year an electric would be a BIG NO. Can't imagine the time and anticipation you need to put into recharging the vehicle.
2. A Safari/Harrier/Scorpio would be a good choice but that depends on how lucky your are. I mean in terms of quality issues they are setting the gold standard. I would not like to spend 20-25 lac for car and then keep visiting the service station.
3. Innova Hycross is actually one of the best choices in the lot given the space, hybrid tech, quality and peace of mind. If you can afford it then definitely go for it. Your dog would love it

Lastly, If you have the space in the garage and do not need the additional money then keep the corolla as a beater car.

Note: How do you save the seats from scratches or bites? I never had a pet so I am just curious to know.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by skrao

1. One of the VW/Skoda twin sedans - 1.0 or 1.5 ? DSG or MT?
2. An Indian SUV Mahindra or Tata? Safari or Harrier or Scorpio or XUV?
3. A Nexon electric? or stretch a bit and look at MS ZS EV?
3. Not really my option but wife is not averse to an Innova Hycross
4. A pre owned and loved car/SUV from any of the above

Also a final ask, scrap the Corolla? or get a fitness certificate and keep it as a local run around beater?

All help is greatly appreciated

I read your post.
Family plus dog have to be nicely accommodated in comfortable and reliable transport for your road trips.
Predictable and Controllable running and maintenance costs will be a good goal to focus on, considering that you already own a Toyota Corolla.
For now, given your specific need state, hold the Corolla for all the daily running about. It will never let you down.
Get a nice, comfortable, spacious, well-designed, proven and reliable Diesel tourer.
You can consider a well-kept Innova (used) or a new one. Or the Mahindra XUV700. Or the Scorpio N.
For you the 2WD version of the XUV or Scorpio should do the job admirably.
A friend of mine has bought the handsome new facelifted Tata Safari Diesel for a similar family oriented grand touring need. And the car indeed looks gorgeous and is full of comforts and features. You might wish to consider this too.

[Shreyans_Jain]

There is no case for electric as Nexon EV LR is too small for your requirements and the ZS is outdated and hardly any more spacious. There have been detailed discussions elsewhere on the forum about canine friendly car options for touring, and the consensus has been that MG Hector is the best of the lot.

HyCross GX(O) variant, non hybrid, also makes a lot of sense for you.

Not exactly sure how the Kushaq/Taigun will work out for you as they are considerably narrower than your Altis and have much less space.

If you want to go down the pre owned route, make sure that the car is a 2023 model (read as E20 rated) and not older.

[UD17]

Originally Posted by skrao

1.We are a family of four, with a small dog.
2.We love to travel as a family with our pet in tow, we clock between 18 to 22 k per year
3. I am also at a life stage where one kid is starting university and that constrains the budget ( more prudence and planning than affordability) and the budget is between 20-23 lacs, and can be stretched a bit to 25- 26

XUV7OO should be the right choice. Your running are considerable to justify a diesel and 3rd row would also help. Budget in mind you can choose the suitable variant.

The waiting period is also reduced quite a bit. Dealer (Pune university circle) promised vehicle in 4 weeks.

[skrao]

Answering queries asked

1. How do I maintain the seats etc with the dog? It is a wiry haired Daschund, and well trained since she was a pup. Hair fall is an issue, but nothing that wont come off in a good vacuum.

2. Are you a fast driver? I would say more steady speeds with no heavy foot, been driving since 1988.Clocked more than 1M km across countries, I do enjoy long drives, often do trips like Hubli- Blr, Hyd- Blr , Goa- Blr etc but no insane speeding. 100-120 is more my style.

3. Is charging infra adequate on my routes- A mixed bag, we have some land in Coorg, beyond Mysore is a bit iffy. Similarly in many rural areas we go to. On most highways i have seen a steady improvement

4. Do I commute to work in Bangalore? - Fortunately no, I head a co that is completely remote and spares me the commute. It is mostly other errands and out of city trips. Kids also study in a school thats about 40 km from Bangalore, so occasional school trips.


5. Would I like to hold on to the Corolla? Heart says yes, head says consider the FC cost and the lower FE than newer cars

6. Why not seriously consider a Mahindra - Full disclosure, we do interact iwth Mahindra in a business capacity, seen too many lemons to inspire confidence. Same with Tata's vehicles. That said, the XUV 700 /Safari/Harrier make compelling statements

7.Would a 4X2 do or would you like a 4X4? 4X2 is adequate, an AWD would be great from a a safety point of view
8. Do I need a 3rd row? not really, a good boot would be great though

[bijims]

Originally Posted by skrao

I have a 2009, trusted Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8 GLS. i acquired it from a friend who hardly ran it. As on date it has clocked 1.9 lac KMs and still runs like a dream.
Spares, service and routine maintenance are all pocket friendly, the engine has enough oomph to tirelessly much miles. Sad to let it go for scrap.
The irrevocable logic of a new car or a preloved newer vehicle makes eminent sense.

There is a three way debate currently on

1. Petrol Vs Electric
2. Car Vs SUV
3. New Vs less than 3 year old pre owned

The requirement:

1.We are a family of four, with a small dog.
2.We love to travel as a family with our pet in tow, we clock between 18 to 22 k per year
3. I am also at a life stage where one kid is starting university and that constrains the budget ( more prudence and planning than affordability) and the budget is between 20-23 lacs, and can be stretched a bit to 25- 26
4. We do go on some rough and village roads, not necessarily 4X4 country
5. Not great fans of the Korean makers


The Options

1. One of the VW/Skoda twin sedans - 1.0 or 1.5 ? DSG or MT?
2. An Indian SUV Mahindra or Tata? Safari or Harrier or Scorpio or XUV?
3. A Nexon electric? or stretch a bit and look at MS ZS EV?
3. Not really my option but wife is not averse to an Innova Hycross
4. A pre owned and loved car/SUV from any of the above

Also a final ask, scrap the Corolla? or get a fitness certificate and keep it as a local run around beater?

All help is greatly appreciated

The Altis is a gem of a car and I am sure you have had many great memories with it, now considering an upgrade for a family of four, along with a pet dog, you should ideally consider a 6/7 seater so that your whole family along with your dog can travel in comfort. The 25 lakh budget gives you a wide range of options to chose from and here are my recommendations:

1. Toyota Innova Hycross
Having owned a Toyota and the rock-solid reliability it comes with, the Hycross seems to be a logical choice, but considering your budget, it is the Petrol CVT variants (non-Hybrid) that are available. However, in my opinion, the Hybrid would have been a better fit owing to the great fuel efficiency, power, features, etc, but the premium over the CVT just doesn't feel justified, moreover, it will take you over 8 years to break even the additional investment from savings in fuel costs.

2. Tata Safari
The Tata Safari is a safe, modern, feature-loaded, and spacious SUV that would be a great option considering your requirements, it comes with a diesel engine (the same one used in the Jeep Compass) mated to either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed AT, you can choose the transmission and trim based on your preferences and if you can get an My 2023 model (dealers still have a few in stock), you could get discounts worth upto 2 lakhs, which would make it a great deal.

3. Mahindra XUV700
The XUV700 is one of the best options in this segment, and an option worth considering based on your requirements, it is available with both Petrol and Diesel engines, with Manual and Automatic transmissions in each of them, a feature-laden car, with a good balance of ride and handling, its almost as spacious as the Safari too, both engines are powerful and torquey and power the SUV effortlessly.

The Mahindra Scorpio-N is also an option worth considering from the SUV range but considering you don't need the 4x4 drivetrain and BOF chassis, the other options will be more suitable and should provide a more plusher ride.

I wouldn't recommend Electric cars just yet owing to your higher yearly running and considering their limited range. Moreover, outstation trips in EVs require great planning as well. However, if your trips are limited and you can make do with the hassle of charging along the way on long trips (or your trips are limited), EVs just could be an option, and the notable options are the MG ZS EV (available with huge discounts), Tata Nexon EV and XV 400.

As regards sedans, I wouldn't recommend the VW/Skida twins only owing to the fact of your higher running and the not-so-reliable nature of these cars, especially the DSG. Moreover, they aren't made rock-solid and reliable like Hondas or Toyotas (the real Toyotas, not the badge-engineered ones)

Overall, I would recommend you choose among the ICE SUV lot first, if not and you are willing to go Electric, then the ZS EV would be a good buy considering the price cut and offers available. The Hycross is also a contender if you want the space and reliability of a Toyota.

[IshaanIan]

First of all why scrap your corolla if it is running perfectly fine? Fitness renewal is a very cheap and simple process I hope you are aware.

Why haven’t you considered the Grand Vitara? 1.5cylinder motor may not be the quickest but is super reliable and economical and will not fuss over being made to hold revs at any speed.

[shankar.balan]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

Why haven’t you considered the Grand Vitara? 1.5cylinder motor may not be the quickest but is super reliable and economical and will not fuss over being made to hold revs at any speed.

A very good suggestion. I happened to test drive this vehicle in this past week. It is surprisingly nice. Nice tractable engine. Manual has AWD and a mild hybrid. Plush interiors. Very comfortable driving seat and all passenger seats too. Excellent ground clearance. Excellent boot space. Well appointed. Good AC. Good product and a good price too. This is a very accomplished family vehicle.

[Pythonista]

I suggest you to look at ICE cars, as based on your running, electric cars are a no. If you're not fine with the Hycross, do check the XUV700 and the Scorpio-N.

Both are very capable cars, with enough tech to keep your family happy, enough performance to keep you happy and enough space to keep your dog happy.

Personally, I wouldn't recommend the Tata twins, as they might be a headache with the poor Tata experiece.

[sjain2054]

Originally Posted by skrao

The Options

1. One of the VW/Skoda twin sedans - 1.0 or 1.5 ? DSG or MT?
2. An Indian SUV Mahindra or Tata? Safari or Harrier or Scorpio or XUV?
3. A Nexon electric? or stretch a bit and look at MS ZS EV?
3. Not really my option but wife is not averse to an Innova Hycross
4. A pre owned and loved car/SUV from any of the above

Also a final ask, scrap the Corolla? or get a fitness certificate and keep it as a local run around beater?

The Options

1. One of the VW/Skoda twin sedans - 1.0 or 1.5 ? DSG or MT?

My take: Your requirement might be of a bigger car than the Slavia/Virtus twins. Therefore, please do visit Spinny/Cars24 and search for 2019 or newer VW Tiguan in either the 2.0 TDI version (2019 make) or in the 2.0 TSI version. You might be happier with the larger VW. Yes, it does have a stiff ride quality but I would not see that as a deal breaker. Our beloved forum's founder GTO's sister bought the Tiguan 2.0 TDI and there was a post by him on that. Search for it and you will find more details. Also, another reason for suggesting against Slavia/Virtus is that they have the dry clutch DSG off which there are tons of horror stories on TeamBHP (do search and read). The Tiguan 2.0 TSI and TDI both use the wet cluch DSG which should be fine (do verify what I have said here though). Also, I am suggesting VW instead of Skoda Kodiaq (or Skoda in general) because coming from a Toyota after sales service experience you will find VW after sales service bad enough so it will be best to avoid Skoda after sales service shockers altogether (many stories about this on Teambhp. Do search and read)

2. An Indian SUV Mahindra or Tata? Safari or Harrier or Scorpio or XUV?

My take: Go with your first hand knowledge on this one. If you know for a fact that these companies are making lemons then do not buy from them. Otherwise, you might be kicking yourself later that I made a choice despite knowing the perils and then there will be no excuse at all. Personally, I would totally buy an Indian car because my first hand experience is different. I own the Tata Nano from 2010 and not a single problem in 14 years. But I have had many issues with the quality of after sales service and it has been a headache. But much lesser a headache than the Skoda/VW twins (I am saying after reading about other people's experiences on TeamBHP - do search and read).

3. A Nexon electric? or stretch a bit and look at MS ZS EV?

I love electric cars and I feel they should take over from ICE cars very soon. A lot of folks say that EVs pollute as much as (or maybe more than) ICE cars and they may be right but my take is if they pollute as much then I might as well drive an EV. With time the tech will improve and the pollution levels due to batteries etc will go down significantly. Therefore, now is not the time for investment in an EV car. 2027-2028 onwards we will see EV cars good enough to buy in India.

So please avoid EVs right now.

3. Not really my option but wife is not averse to an Innova Hycross

You do not want Koreans. I have already given my reasons why you should avoid Indian cars. That leaves us with one awesome carmaker - Toyota. A new Hycross or a used 2019 or newer Innova 2.4 ZX AT/2.8 ZX AT is your best bet. You will never regret it. Lots of space, beautiful to drive, very decent mileage, great great service by Toyota and if your heart changes after few years or a damn good EV comes along in 3-4 years, sell it. You will get great sales value if you sell it.

4. A pre owned and loved car/SUV from any of the above

Toyota Innova 2.4 ZX AT or the 2.8 ZX AT. ZX implies the top model.

Also a final ask, scrap the Corolla? or get a fitness certificate and keep it as a local run around beater?

Sell it. Do not keep it. But do not be in a hurry. It might be 15 years old but you can extend the registration and sell it for 1-2 lacs may be more. Its more money than scrapping it. Whatever little money it is you can put it into the purchase of the next car. Big city like Bangalore may not have takers but smaller towns in KA will definitely have takers for a well maintained old Toyota for 1-3 lakhs or so.

[07CR]

Originally Posted by skrao

There is a three way debate currently on

1. Petrol Vs Electric
2. Car Vs SUV
3. New Vs less than 3 year old pre owned

With your kind of running, Electric is out of the reckoning.
I would rather suggest Diesel, because with that kind of running DPF issues would be taken care of and you would easily recover the investment of buying a diesel car.

With a Dog in tow, I would rather go for something with a 3 row setup for a spacious cabin for the dog (and maybe it's own space) and the 4 human passengers.

I would avoid the pre owned route for now, especially for the vehicles you have suggested.

Originally Posted by skrao

5. Not great fans of the Korean makers

With your requirements, you are losing out perhaps the best bet, if you ignore Kia. A Carens Diesel AT/Turbo Petrol DCT in the six seater guise can be the perfect bet for you. The four legged friend can be plenty comfortable in the last row, while the front two rows can be supremely comfortable for the other less important family members (Yes, I am a dog person). Both would also be inside your budget, without making that extra stretch. I recently purchased a Seltos GT Line DCT, and Carens had me thinking for a long time, if I should go for it over the Seltos!

You may not like Koreans, but just for the sake of it, do take a test drive with family!

Originally Posted by skrao

The Options

1. One of the VW/Skoda twin sedans - 1.0 or 1.5 ? DSG or MT?
2. An Indian SUV Mahindra or Tata? Safari or Harrier or Scorpio or XUV?
3. A Nexon electric? or stretch a bit and look at MS ZS EV?
3. Not really my option but wife is not averse to an Innova Hycross
4. A pre owned and loved car/SUV from any of the above

1. I would rule out sedans, because you will definitely need 3 rows.
2. If it's Indian, I would definitely go for Mahindra than Tata. I prefer niggle free and reliable cars, therefore Tata is out of question. Mahindra too would report niggles, but it would be less severe and lesser in numbers. Do take into account this factor. Your Altis may have made you consider reliability and niggle free nature for granted.
3. Hycross is another great option, but you would be waiting for long (mostly 6 months at minimum). Also you might need to stretch your Finances.
4. Hector/Hector + are other good options

Originally Posted by skrao

Also a final ask, scrap the Corolla? or get a fitness certificate and keep it as a local run around beater?

Gem of a vehicle. Don't sell/scrap it if you don't have any parking constraints. Emotional values matter more than $ sometimes!

[Sidban85]

For travelling with a pet, I would not consider electric cars. Charging infra and pet friendly eatery is a difficult combination to find on highways. You would not want the pet to wait in car while it is charging or be in Indian summer outside, if the charger is next to a place that does not have pet friendly restaurant.

Innova Hycross and Maruti Invicto seem like good options for high running. Hector Plus will be also good if OK with diesel manual.

If you can reconsider Korean Brands, Carens and Alacazar, with less waiting period than Japanese.

[sjain2054]

Originally Posted by skrao

All help is greatly appreciated

My wild car suggestions and honestly the cars I would consider if I were you -

1. Citroen C3 Aircross AT 5+2 seater with automatic transmission.

It is such a fantastic car to drive. It has left quite an impression on me after a test drive. Buy it in the top variant. Irrespective of the car you end up buying, please take your family and visit the showroom to test drive it. You will find the following -
a. Very friendly staff at Citroen
b. Great great looker. Your family will love it (I hope so because looks are subjective)
c. Space space space..
d. The best suspension in the world. Ok, I am exaggerating. The best suspension for Indian roads. You will fall in love with the ride quality.
d. Please read owners' take on Citroens after sales service on TeamBHP. They are really good and are going out of their way to create a good image.
e. You will get it for about 15-16 lakhs on road. Do verify this for Bangalore. Great great value for money.

Please read/see Citroen C3 Aircross AT 5+2 seater with automatic transmission reviews on TBHP or Autocar India.

2. Maruti Suzuki XL6 5+2 seater only

It is a car much like the Citroen's C3 Aircross. But it trumps Citroen in terms of creature comforts. The only place the Citroen trumps this car is in terms of the suspension, looks and that beautiful engine+transmission combo.

XL6 has -
a. Lots of space
b. Maruti's backing
c. Good resale value
d. 360 degree camera and really really good ventilated seats (please read TBHPs official review)
e. A very nice and reliable 1.5 litre engine with a reliable tranmission.

3. MG Hector 5 seater or the Hector plus (5+2 seater)

I do not have first hand experience with this car. But I have read wonderful things online. Such as -

a. It is genuinely spacious and comfortable for a family + pet
b. MG's after sales service is really good
c. The engines (petrol & diesel) and the transmission are decent (not great)

Please do check it out and read about it online.