Confused between 3 Mahindra XUV 3XO variants after multiple test drives

I think maybe it's worthwhile to consider the Maruti Brezza, Honda Elevate, Skoda Kushaq or the Slavia facelift.

BHPian mizu recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I did a test drive of the Mahindra XUV 3XO AX5L with TGDI today. Some points that I noticed:

• The steering response of this variant was much better than the AX5 I tested. But still, it wasn't consistent, I could feel the weight of the steering change drastically and this didn't feel natural. I did not feel in control and in confidence of the car.
• Of course, there is a turbo lag. But it's not very noticeable. The high torque at low rpm kind of masks the lag by getting you to 2000 rpm quite quickly (~2s) and then the turbo spools up.
• I really miss the paddle shifters I tried on the Brezza.
• Weirdly I could not get it to downshift in the manual mode. I was at 28 kmph trying to go down to 1st gear. It worked when I was at 25kmph, but nothing above that. I am not sure if this is expected, or if it will behave differently in other gears. I would like to know from others if engine braking would work on higher gears (I don't think it rev-matches when downshifting, and I am not sure how to do that in an AT).
• AC was okayish, erring on the side of weakish! 30 minutes of test drive with dual control AC maxed out on FAN and on the lowest temperate settings and yet this could not cool the cabin to my liking (Mumbai 11:30 am). The sunroof cover was open for half the ride. I can't imagine how hot it will get in the AX7 with a pano sunroof + leatherette seats.
• There was a rattling sound coming somewhere from the back seat, I tried to enquire and the person said it was because someone crashed the car from behind, but I didn't find any dents and the explanation didn't make sense. So, a loud rattling sound inside could be an issue.

Leatherette seats are my major concern with the AX7. The pano sunroof is something I really wanted, and the 360 camera and ADAS are things I would rarely use (so AX5L is not a worthwhile upgrade).

But the thought of sweat dripping down the white leathertte seats in the summer WITH a pano sunroof WITH the okayish AC of 3XO is already making me burn!

Arghhh, I'm so confused!

• AX5 for VFM + Fabric seats, lose on engine and pano sunroof
• AX7 for Pano sunroof + engine, lose on leatherette seats/sweat
• AX5L for fabric seats + engine, lose on VFM
• Look for something else! This is a wide car and a bit hard to park in my garage, maybe it's worthwhile to consider Brezza or Elevate or Kushaq or the Slavia facelift.

Here's what BHPian ashishk29 had to say about the matter:

Forget about rev-matching. It's a very niche sporting thing, not very useful in real life. And you cannot do it in any auto box since the actual shift timing is not in your control.

About the downshift, maybe there is some protection built-in where it doesn't let certain shifts happen at certain speed thresholds? I mean might make sense. Dunno. Not sure.

Curious. I have been finding the AC on my 300 sufficient. I recently got a chance to test it in 43-degree Nagpur heat too!

P.S. In dual mode, you will not get the max amount of cooling anyway.

I mean, leatherette seats were not enough to deter me from the package that you get. You can get layers to put on top of the seats. Something like this maybe. And that will manage the seat back problem.

But in my books at least, it is not enough to walk away from an otherwise great car. I myself tend to run on the hotter side, i.e. I feel warm more easily than the other guy. But I've been happy with my 300 for the past 3 years. So I understand your apprehension, but go for the variant you want in terms of features, and don't be deterred by these seat covers IMO.

Here's what BHPian ksavai had to say about the matter:

I also test drove the same car I think from the Kandivali showroom. About the rattling sound, they said the car was just received and they were not sure. They will check it. There was something in the trunk but they were not able to find it. I am sure it was car-specific. Other cars that I tried, don't have it.

AC, I found sufficient.

And yes, the seat covers, I think it is something you should not take a decision on because it can be easily managed by covers or other accessories.

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