Requirements/ wants
- Affordable for what I’m getting
- Usage is a mix of commuting to work (post-unlock) and monthly weekend trips. Without a car, we have been dearly missing impromptu weekend drives out of town
- Having driven small petrol motors, want my next car to be a torquey diesel
- Spouse prefers automatic for convenience (beginner-level driver). I prefer manuals over automatics. I see the benefit in automatics for city commutes and can bend for a good package, however don't want jerkily-shifting AMTs or rubber-banding CVTs. Would go for Torque Converter which gets high-reliability rating in T-BHP
- Planning to self-drive now with potentially a chauffeur coming on a few years down when I'm too tired to drive myself to work
Cars considered
- Kia Sonet HTK+ Diesel AT
- Kia Seltos HTK+ Diesel AT
- Mahindra XUV500 W7 MT
I had rejected Sonet because we wanted to seat three adults comfortably in the rear. Wasn't able to get a TD of XUV500, and of the remaining cars, we liked Seltos and booked HTK+ D AT. Loved the quiet cabin experience here.
I was peacefully enjoying the waiting period on the Seltos when a Mahindra dealer calls and offers TD on XUV500. While we grudgingly accepted the slightly stiff suspension on Seltos, XUV500 felt much more comfortable munching through potholes and the 2nd-row seat is amply spacious, and so is the boot space when the last row is folded down. We don't really need a 7-seater, it'd almost always be used as a very spacious 5-seater. Always loved the butch looks of XUV and Mahindra has only made the design better with every iteration. The mind gives in to the heart and Seltos booking is cancelled and XUV booked in its place. The next-gen XUV rumours are around but I wasn't willing to wait months without a car and Mahindra is known for two years of niggles on new launches.
I was peacefully enjoying the waiting period on XUV500 again and Mahindra announces that they are giving a new badge (XUV700) to the upcoming vehicle and that has started to worry me about the resale value of XUV500 and parts availability. Though there are no plans to sell the vehicle for the foreseeable future. I believe in keeping products for long to extract maximum value.
Should I take the delivery of XUV500 or look at other vehicles? Are my fears of unavailability of spares unfounded?
Let’s consider:
See, it's an old product now, I agree - but it's still competent. It still offers more features than many offerings, more comfort and flexibility than any pseudo SUV, better performance than any other diesel UV you can buy for the price, and well-proven reliability. Getting the current XUV500 on one a good Mahindra special would make it even more worthwhile.
What you get for your money:
- Very comfortable, supportive, and well-shaped seats. Flexible interior with an option of 7 seats. All this with impressive space too.
- Extremely reliable 2.2l mHawk motor, with really low maintenance in terms of engine and drivetrain.
- Impressive performance in both city and highways
- Feature list that is up to the mark even today
- Safety (XUV got 4 stars back then itself)
If you like it, go for it with closed eyes, you will love the ownership experience. It's an extremely VFM offering that does very well what it's supposed to do. I don't find any wannabe SUV like Creta or Seltos to be any better than an XUV500 other than the age, it's your old and faithful dog that will any day prove better than these new fancy puppies (Creta and Seltos fans are free to feel offended over this, they just feature-loaded pseudo SUVs in India with questionable safety standards).
Coming to maintenance and spares, you need not worry about that too, 2.2l block is still doing duty under the hood of the Thar, and at least for the coming 10 years; I don't see any reason for a spares shortage.
Since you are eyeing W7, I think there won't be any overlap with XUV700 lower trims too - so I don't think there is anything wrong in taking the delivery. Still, if you wish to wait, then you can wait for the XUV700 price unveil!
Considering the other side:
Going against the tide on this thread, but I wouldn't buy an XUV500 today. When it arrived, options in the segment were scarce. Today, there are way too many and most importantly, the all-new XUV500 / 700 launch is on the horizon.
Secondly, for your kind of usage and your wife's preferences, you are buying the wrong transmission. I'd go for an AT. The XUV500 has a smooth well-tuned AT and a clunky MT.
You clearly don't need a 7-seater and there are too many nice newer cars you should test-drive = the new-gen XUV, Creta, Seltos (already done) and Kushaq.
Because you keep cars for long, it is most important that you:
- Buy the right car (getting it on one of Mahindra’s new vehicle specials would be a bonus)
- Buy the right transmission. I know too many people who bought an MT, regretted it, sold the car at a huge loss and bought an AT. However, I have yet to meet a single person who regretted buying an AT.
- Buy a fairly up-to-date car. XUV500 feels outdated man, especially on the inside.
If you’re looking for an excellent Mahindra deal, then check out the current specials at Group 1 Mahindra.
.
.
.
Original article source: https://www.team-bhp.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment