Booked an XUV700 petrol: But do I reconsider & go with diesel instead?

Which version of the SUV would have more demand 5 years from now when I plan to sell it off?

BHPian Luvforcars recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am sure this has been answered a few times but I am at my wit's end now and need you guys to guide me

I have booked a Petrol AXL Automatic however some are asking me to consider diesel because of very low mileage. If I do it would be the 2WD. The difference between both models will be INR 1,10,000

Here are my reasons for considering Petrol:

• Max kms per year would be 10,000 - 11,000
• 90% drive would be on highways
• The car would be sitting idle for 3-4 weeks at a stretch if I am not travelling
• Lower maintenance cost vs Diesel (I think)
• Planning to keep the car for 5-6 years

The Mahindra rep told me that diesel these days doesn't need constant running.

Considering the above, should I stick to petrol or move to diesel? They are ready to give me a diesel as well without a new booking

Would diesel not cause a problem if it's not running for 4 weeks at a stretch? Which car usually would have more demand 5 years from now when I plan to sell it off? Diesel seems to be wearing off on its demand.

Here's what BHPian himanshu_trikha had to say on the matter:

You are yourself convinced with Petrol, let me assure you once again, it’s the right logical decision.

Here's what BHPian Aviator_guy had to say on the matter:

Usage of 10-11k km per year: Logic says Petrol. Currently, the resale prospects of diesel look bleak after 5-6 years. However, the way EV and Hybrid are getting more attention with each passing day, it is difficult to predict petrol resale as well after 5-6 years, especially for SUVs. Having said that, if you have to make a decision then head says Petrol for the low usage you are going to have.

However, I'd advise you to not look at petrol bills once you make a logical decision. It is easy to feel bad at the fuel station every time you refill but always consider this post to remind you why you took this decision.

Someone I know only runs 3-4k km per year, that too primarily city driving. Of course, diesel does not make sense for him from any angle. But he had driven diesel all his life and could not fathom paying high petrol prices every time he would visit the petrol bunk. The logic of petrol vs diesel resonated with him but as they say, old habits die hard. But thank God he listened to the logic part and went with petrol. Sometimes we know the answer but the mind vs head debate takes over.

Here's what BHPian Smartomotive had to say on the matter:

If I were to buy this vehicle today, especially an AT variant. I would go for a Diesel one. I own a Petrol variant and having run almost 19k KM in about 20 months, I've easily burnt over 2.5-3L in fuel (I fill only in Shell which comes with a premium pricing even for normal Petrol).

Avg. I get in City is about 7. x and in highways probably not more than 9-10. It's an AT variant driven by my full-time driver. AC is always ON. Vehicle is 80% on the highways but the route we frequent has a mix of good and bad condition roads and is not consistent.

We can argue it comes down to the driving skills and people can get better mileage and we could further save by opting to fuel at other stations than Shell but frankly, everyone's situation differs. You can't have consistency in driving and there are many external factors too that play a role AT variants anyway won't yield more mileage than what we could achieve and this is all based on ODO which I think is not accurate considering how much we have to keep refuelling every week.

Now looking at these numbers, the difference amount paid upfront for the Diesel variant makes much more sense than saving that and ending up paying every year more for Petrol.

Sure both have their pros/cons but if your usage is on the higher side and plan to get AT. Trust me, don't bother looking at Petrol unless it won't matter how much it gulps and you have alternate vehicles too.

We bought an EV recently and it's been a month, I can feel the difference in the savings vs XUV700 Petrol alas the upfront higher cost of owning an EV. The savings are translating into the EMIs for themselves and I'm not even discussing the power/performance and other metrics. We've already planned to shift fully to another 7-str EV shortly and replace XUV700. This is again applicable if your usage is higher but if not, then you'll be on the losing end.

I hope this helps from a practical usage experience.

Here's what BHPian lXUV_700_Owner had to say on the matter:

Just sharing my experience on the fuel efficiency part. I have an XUV700 AX7 Diesel Automatic. In the last 1.5 years, my vehicle has run ~15,000 KMs. A very recent road trip I made was in the last week of December - Hyderabad --> Hampi --> Chikmangalur --> Bengaluru --> Hyderabad. On the Bengaluru to Hyderabad stretch, I was consciously paying close attention to my car's fuel efficiency. It achieved an impressive 19.5 kilometres per litre (and possibly even higher!). This is noteworthy considering I had a full car with 4 passengers and luggage, and I mainly kept my speed at 90 km/h or below, avoiding unnecessary overtaking. Within the city also, in Hyderabad's traffic, I manage to get an average of 11-12 km/hr. So I am kind of very happy with the Diesel variant.

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