Looking to buy a 6 seater: Confused between the XL6 & Innova Hycross

Given that price is not a concern for me and I intend to keep the car for 10-15 years, I was leaning towards the Hycross.

BHPian transformlives8 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hello Team-BHPians,

This is my first post and I am looking forward to your opinions.

I have owned a Honda Jazz since 2011 and it has served my family's needs pretty well. We are a family of 6 including my parents and kids. With the kids growing up, I wanted to upgrade to a 6+ seater. My expected usage is pretty low - about 4000 km per year out of which 50% is city driving and 50% is occasional long trips on highways.

Not considering:

• Carens, because of its not so favourable reviews.
• XUV700, because it costs almost as much as Hycross GX. Although XUV700 has many features, Hycross feels a class apart in terms of comfort and am lured by the reliability of a Toyota.

The only cars that I considered were Hycross and XL6.

XL6 pros:

• Compact size makes it easy to manoeuvre in the city.
• Value for money given my low usage.

XL6 cons:

• NCAP 3* makes it unsafe for those few highway trips.

Hycross pros:

• Should be as safe as Crysta (5*).
• Family loved the comfort during the Test Drive (compared to existing Jazz).

Hycross cons:

• Much more expensive especially considering my low usage.

Given that price is not a concern for me and I intend to keep the car for 10-15 years, I was leaning towards the Hycross.

Within Hycross, the only important feature that I found missing in GX was 6 air bags and front/rear parking sensors. I am fine with not having rest of the bells and whistles that come with a VX/ZX. The 6L price difference between GX and VX overrides any gains due to the fuel efficiency of hybrid engine given my low usage. Hence I was leaning towards GX.

As this is a pretty big purchase, I thought to seek fellow BHPians opinions before going ahead with the booking.

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

HyCross GX non hybrid is an ideal car for you with your low usage. You will appreciate the refinement and comfort, while your family will love the room on offer. With no battery pack under the front seats blocking your feet, the sheer amount of space is astonishingly good. It’s not going to be a hoot to drive, but will serve your family well for years. And, it’s an automatic by default

Another car you can consider is the Hyundai Alcazar. Similar formula as the Innova on a slightly smaller, more city friendly scale. It’s a good car. Both engines are of 2000cc and have similar power outputs.

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

Looking at your requirements, the XL6 will serve your purpose very well.

On the other hand, if price is not a concern for you, I would suggest go for Hycross.

Not sure which 'not so favorable' reviews you read, but you should definitely check out the Carens at least once before finalizing. You will get best of both XL6 and Hycross and even more with 6 airbags, all 4 disc-brakes etc. as standard in all variants.

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

I would never recommend XL6 or Ertiga, due to its build quality which is worse than the its own first version (of Ertiga I mean). I would go for one of the following:

• Toyota Innova Hycross (if mileage is not concern) or Hycross Hybrid: Toyota Innova brings great quality in all aspects and the earlier Innovas have been enjoying good resale value (same or better than Maruti Suzuki Ertiga) and likely scenario that this Innova too will be in demand.
• If Hycross is expensive then mid or lower variants of Mahindra / Tata offerings: I find Mahindra XUV700 having so many variants that some variant would fit your liking and would also fit your budget
• If still I seek an offering within limited budget then Kia Carens or Hyundai Alcazar, I see many buying them instead of the big hatchbacks such as Seltos or Creta, simply because Carens or Alcazar can play dual role, as a small MPV for family travel and at times slightly larger hatchback for office commutes.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.