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Mahindra XUV700 MX5 petrol ownership review from an ex-Vento owner

25th July 2024, 15:33 by Rahul Nagaraj

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Fuel economy on the highways, I have got 15 km/l with the MID at some point going up to 17 km/l.

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Likes:

Brilliant 2.0 Turbo petrol with lots of torque
Excellent ride quality over broken patches
Solid built quality
Exceptional value for money

Dislikes:

Big and bulky to navigate through the congested streets.
Poor choice of gear ratios
Unreliable electronics

The Hunt

My VW Vento was nearly 13 years old, and it was time to consider a new vehicle. Repairs and maintenance had become increasingly frequent, with several unresolved issues. The radiator fan would not turn on when the engine overheats. I spent around 50K replacing almost everything: the temperature sensor, thermostat, water pump, and even the ECU, but nothing fixed the issues. Ultimately I had to use a hack, which is to turn the AC on to start the radiator fan. The ABS sensors continued to fail despite numerous replacements. The lock carrier regularly broke and needed replacement once every 2 years. The suspensions were leaking fluids and required replacement. The engine occasionally accelerated on its own, requiring shifting to neutral and waiting a few seconds for it to resolve. Shifting to 3rd gear was problematic, especially in cold conditions, sometimes requiring me to shift from 2nd to 4th. Finally, there was oil leakage in the spark plugs that needed the cylinder head to be opened up. Every time I solved one problem, a new one would crop up, and eventually, I got tired of it. To be fair, I purchased the vehicle used for 4L with 35,000 KM in 2018, and it served adequately until 2022. However, the last two years have seen things start to deteriorate.

Test driving the VW Virtus 1.5 GT

The obvious first choice was the VW Virtus GT, considering we already have two Volkswagen Ventos at home. I drive the petrol while my dad owns the diesel. I knew the feel of 250NM torque from the 1.6 TDI, and the idea of having that torque along with higher revs to play with seemed very exciting. However, my visit to the VW showroom left me quite disappointed. Despite my high expectations, the 1.5 TSI did not impress. After driving the Virtus, I found it hard to believe that both the Vento 1.6 TDI and the Virtus GT could produce the same amount of torque. The power delivery between these two cars was vastly different. Everything felt softer and more subdued in the Virtus GT. The steering did not feel as direct as that of the Vento, the suspension was a bit softer (though the ride quality was much better), and most importantly, the power delivery was not immediate. Initially, the throttle response was poor, then the gearbox needed some time to make the downshifts, and finally, there was noticeable turbo lag. Combined, these factors left me feeling quite disappointed. While the Virtus GT isn't a bad car by any means. It is simply more mature and less fun. I was also irked by the digital instrument cluster. Every time you cross the speed of 80, out goes my tachometer and in comes an ugly speed warning. So I can't even enjoy seeing myself redlining the car? Overall, I wasn't enthusiastic about purchasing one. Perhaps I was spoiled by the 1.6 TDI, or maybe it was my aversion to automatic transmissions, or perhaps the price was simply too high to justify. In comparison, the rental 1.4 TSI Jetta with a 6-speed DSG that I drove in the US was far superior. To make matters worse, the salesperson was not interested in selling the car and to let me test drive one looked like a chore to him. Had he been more persuasive, I might have tried a manual transmission and who knows, I possibly could have ended up purchasing one.

Test driving the XUV3OO 1.5D MT

With the Virtus out of the picture, I went with the tried and tested turbo diesel in the form of XUV 3OO. This test drive was at my hometown & I came in on our beloved 1.6 Tdi. And honestly, the 300 did not feel much of a downgrade. The power delivery was almost 90% there compared to the VW and it was way more refined. The gear ratios were perfectly set up and I believe this car would smash any roll on acceleration times. The suspension was also pretty good and the body roll was well within my comfort zone. The only issue with the 300 was the outdated interiors but I was willing to wait for the upcoming facelift. I kept following the news articles related to the launch date of the new 300 but weeks and months passed by. The spy pictures that were coming out were not enticing at all and my wife kept complaining about the minuscule boot. As a result, the purchase was again put on hold.

Test driving the XUV7OO 2.0 MT

In the meantime, my Vento Petrol began experiencing more issues and required frequent repairs, which were becoming increasingly costly. Feeling the pinch of maintenance expenses I made up my mind to pull the plug on the 13-year-old vehicle. With this decision in mind, I headed back to the Mahindra showroom to test drive the 700. The MX petrol variant was only 3L more expensive on-road than the top-end 300 Diesel. Initially, I was a bit apprehensive about the vehicle's size and its higher seating position. However, there were no complaints about the performance or ride quality. The interior of the AX7L appeared upmarket and well-organized, although I anticipated some compromises with the MX variant. Overall, this vehicle was cheaper than the Virtus GT and offered a more enjoyable driving experience. Since there was no sight of the new 300 launch, I decided to finalize my choice of the 700.

Variant and Colour

The variant and fuel choice were easy. I got almost everything I wanted in the MX. Electrically adjustable ORVM, driver seat height adjustment, telescopic steering, android auto, remote locking, driver armrest, rear AC vents. The next logical choice would have been the AX5 but the premium was not justified for the added features. Another option was the MX diesel, I probably would have selected that had it not come with a lower state of tune. The cost for upgrading from MX petrol to AX3 Diesel was a whopping 4L on the road and did not make any sense especially when the performance for both is roughly the same. The 7OO looks best in dark colours but it is not practical in India with the scorching weather and dusty environment. Hence settled for the universal white.

Funding the Purchase

I have never taken a car loan and don't plan to in the future either. So, I had around 15L invested in an arbitrage fund for some time to fund this purchase. That's when I truly grasped the concept of opportunity cost. Every day the market was open, that arbitrage fund would grow by approximately Rs. 500. It made me realize how much we crib about fuel economy. An additional Rs. 500 per month at the petrol station seems trivial compared to the daily opportunity cost. And this is without considering depreciation and maintenance costs. Just because we don’t pay the opportunity cost out of pocket, we do not feel the pinch. Hence “Fuel Economy is overrated and Opportunity cost is underrated”.

During the car registration process, I encountered an unexpected hurdle. I was informed that the Maharashtra government had essentially made the BH series unavailable. Now, if you work in a private company with three or more office locations, you're required to provide an additional transfer letter and salary slips with different state names on them to register under the BH series. This directly contradicts the BH series rules, but it seems these rules are being trifled with. It will give them more money to dig up perfectly fine roads and pay more to the traffic police who will turn a blind eye to the rule-breaking 2-wheelers. Even West Bengal with a lot less road tax is able to maintain roads at much better quality.