Rs. 12 lakh new or used SUV to replace a Honda City

Post that, all our trips were in our Ford and no doubt it has been a really great mile muncher.

BHPian SK01 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I'm looking to buy a preowned SUV as a secondary vehicle for long drives with the family.

Presently, we have a Honda City iVTEC 2014 model and Ford Freestyle 1.5TDCi 2018 model.

The Honda City has been our long drives companion until the Ford arrived. Post that, all our trips were in our Ford and no doubt it has been a really great mile muncher. However, there is a real issue: the lack of rear-seat comfort compared to Honda City. My mother, who is always in the rear seat, complains of cramped legroom and lack of rear AC. She always gets tired and my grandmother develops severe leg and spine aches that last for months.

Now we are looking for a proper replacement for our Honda City and that should be a perfect tourer and a long drive companion.

New options considered

Ford EcoSport 1.5 TDCi

Pros:

• Excellent CSUV with a very strong diesel engine.
• Solidly build. Amazing driving dynamics.
• IT"S A FORD.

Cons:

• Cramped rear seat. Lack of rear AC vents makes life miserable during summer drives for the rear occupants.
• Comparatively smaller than the City.

We've decided not to consider any sub-4m car since no one in our family liked them (EcoSport is an exception). They say they look more like a grown-up hatchback than an SUV.

Nissan Kicks

Pros:

• An excellent all-rounded package.
• Punchy 1.3 Turbo Petrol.
• Best in class ride and handling.
• After all, it's the Duster derived platform.

Cons:

• The badge, "Nissan" and the uncertain future in India with just 2 cars and 1 being almost nonexistent.
• Wafer-thin service networks.
• Nissan's exit from India after taking the Kicks spending 15L would be the worst nightmare.

Now comes the part of considering preowned alternatives.

Pre-Owned Alternatives Considered

Mahindra XUV500

There are many XUV500s driven for almost a lakh km selling for 11-12 lakhs. While some seem like they a very well maintained vehicles, some are horrendous!

Questions:

• Is taking a 1L driven post-2015 XUV500 advisable?
• Are they as reliable as the Toyotas?
• What would be the average service and maintenance cost for the vehicle post 1L km?
• Are there any serious niggles and issues that make the vehicle avoidable post 1L km?
• What all shall I look for before buying?

Toyota Innova (post 2014 & Crysta)

There are many Innovas in the used market. Cars driven for 1L post-2014 models are demanding an upwards of 11L. However, I have genuine concerns over the usage of those vehicles. Since many of them are used by the political and business class whose primary purpose is travel, travel and travel.

Questions:

• Is taking a 1 lakh driven post-2014 Toyota Innova advisable?
• What would be the average service and maintenance cost for the vehicle post 1L km?
• Are there any serious niggles and issues that make the vehicle avoidable post 1L km?
• What all shall I look for before buying?

Tata Hexa

Not many I could find in the used car market except some 3-4 cars that run for a lakh km for 11-12 lakhs.

Questions:

• Is taking a 1L driven post-2015 Tata Hexa advisable?
• Are they as reliable as the Toyotas?
• What would be the average service and maintenance cost for the vehicle post 1L km?
• Are there any serious niggles and issues that make the vehicle avoidable post 1L km?
• What all shall I look for before buying?

Wildcard entries

• Honda CR-V
• SsangYong Rexton

Need suggestions on choosing the best SUV/MUV.

Here's what BHPian akash_v12 had to say on the matter:

First of all, no matter what vehicle, be it a Toyota or a Tata, do not ever look for vehicles driven past 40k km (at the maximum). This is simply because not everyone is an enthusiast and many (if not, most) treat their cars as simply machines which they might drive in the most harshest of manners.

A car driven more than 1L km in that manner will probably lead to you to spend more than what you might've spent on the car just to get it fixed.

Your best option in terms of ride comfort would be none other than a used Tata Hexa. That will be followed by a 2.8L Innova Crysta. My probable last choice would be the Harrier, a 2020 facelift if that. Since, you did not mention too much about safety, maybe a older 2019/20 Marazzo M8 or a new Ertiga might be worth a look.

What exactly is wrong with the City? You could just swap the duties of the City and the Freestyle, right?

The iVtec City's are great cars and the Freestyle is also a good city muncher.

You could run with these cars for a while and then with a bit more savings, you could easily get a car like the Crysta.

Here's what BHPian 07CR had to say on the matter:

I am not sure how many people will be using the car regularly, and of what sizes.

Coming to the cars:

1) EcoSport- My dad recently purchased a sparingly used, almost new EcoSport S TDCI, in absolute black car. Currently, the car is majority of the times being used by 3, with 2 additional occupants on some rare days. So in this case, me with my dad (Large body shapes occupy the front), while my BIL and mom (Large body sizes) along with my sis (Small body size), occupy the rear seat. The legroom and headroom isn't an issue, however, the width is a slight issue. It's not uncomfortable, but definitely not anywhere near the City.

In terms of aircon effectiveness, the car was blazing under a 2 PM sun (44 Degrees that day), yet when we entered the car, it took barely a minute for the AC to completely cool the complete car. The aircon of the EcoSport is simply in another league compared to other C-SUVs IMO.

Do analyze the space for yourself. If that isn't a hindrance, go with EcoSport blindly (will suggest getting the top variant only). Since this will be majorly used on the highways, EcoSport is just a crazy mile muncher! Tank like build, great Road presence, NVH, Power, Torque, slick gearshift, light clutch, excellent suspension (for high speeds), great chassis and an equally great steering. This is just the perfect mile muncher for me. Add in the very well loaded cabin (SYNC 3.0, Auto Wipers, Auto Headlamps, all backlit switches, mood lighting, Auto dimming IRVM, HID headlamps and much more), and it becomes a great package.

2) Nissan Kicks- Would avoid it. Personally this car never allured to me, maybe because of it's a bit odd design (especially the rear). But this is a major sales dud, and maybe Nissan won't leave India, but Kicks is definitely a gonner by this time next year.

Preowned:

1) XUV500 and Tata Hexa - Both cars with nearly 1L Kms on the odo is a strict NO from me. Although Hexa is my favorite Tata car till date, I would still advice against it. Anything over 30K km is a strict no from me for the Tata and Mahindra.

2) Innova- Ohh these will be reliable. PERIOD. I don't think you will spend too much on the maintenance parts too, maybe BHPians can advice more here. IF you find a good specimen (that is a big IF, considering 1L km), definitely can be a great option.

Wildcards

CR-V and Rexton - Both are pretty old vehicles and were never very hot sellers (especially Rexton). Will definitely avoid both, as the parts procurement will be a herculean task for both these long discontinued models.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.