Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI (Booked Duster)

[Vindan]

Hello friends,

I am planning to purchase a new Car.

My requirements are
- 5 seater with good Luggage space
- Occasional 7 seater option
- Don't want a sedan
- Parking is also a consideration. I can park the Ertiga inside but doubt whether I can park either duster or Scorpio inside. In that case, I have to park it on road

Considered the following
Ertiga ZDI
- (+)Fully loaded with ABS and Airbags comes around 10.5L
- (+)Adequate seating arrangement for 7 persons. Middle row is not as comfortable as duster though.
- (+)MASS service and fuel efficient 1.3 MJD
- (-)MPV look. Does not have road presence of either Duster or Scorpio
Duster
- (-)Expensive. 85 PS RXL comes around 11.4L
- (+)Has the look of an SUV
- (+)Spacious interior, refined, fuel efficient and proven engine
- (+)Seems to have a better build quality then say Ertiga
- (-)Unknown service quality and cost
Scorpio
- (-)Bare bone LX costs 10.2L
- (+)Looks. Loves this.Nothing can come close to this (my perception)
- (+)Road presence & high seating position,
- (+)Surprised to learn how easy to drive this in City
- (-)Dated interior. Does not look modern when compared with the above two
- (-)Poor mileage compared to the above 2
- (-)Perceived poor service quality and niggles

I have test driven all these but I am not able to make up my mind. Initially not considered Scorpio but after a test drive, impressed with that somehow. I think I am impressed with the high seating position and the ease of drivability inside city which i never expected

Mind says go for Ertiga as it is the most safest of the lot. Heart says go with Scorpio. Duster comes as a compromise between these two.

My questions

Is buying a Scorpio at this point makes sense? (especially a new version is expected in 2014)
Is buying a LX makes sense? (budget constraint)
Is Duster comparable in terms of reliability and cost of ownership with Ertiga?
If I park my vehicle in road, what precautions should I take to make it 100% secure

Please advise

Thanks
AK

 

[manojodungat]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

Firstly, welcome aboard

If you ask me to choose one for the three for pure driving pleasure, Scorpio any day.
Will I buy a Scorpio LX today? No. Why?

• The ABS is a must have feature for me in an SUV of its dimensions. I drive a Scorpio equipped with ABS since 2009.
• A facelift with many significant changes are expected to be launched soon. If you want a Scorpio, waiting for a couple of months would be sensible.

Between Ertiga Zdi and Duster 85 PS RxL, I would buy the Duster with the optional ABS +EBD installed availing whatever benefits on offer. You don't buy these cars everyday, so stretch your budget a bit and get the one which satisfies you the most.
P.S

• I wouldn't buy a car which can't be managed in my parking area. I don't even take my Scorpio to places with no parking [guarded] available.
• I would include Safari Storme LX as a strong contender here. Please take a TD of one and you could get one around 11-11.5Lac with the current 1.23Lac offer.

Link to a Storme LX ownership thread [vikyjoshi's]

 

[K!NkY]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

Scorpio : It is realy outdated SUV in Indian market. If you can wait a little bit Mahindra to launch refreshed Scorpio soon. Otherwise this a real offroader SUV.

Duster : A mordern SUV with good driving dynamics. But it is little expensive when compared with Ecosport. Also if you are ready to handle with Service Center neglegence you can go ahead with Duster.

Ertiga: It is no where in camparo with SUV as it is a MPV. It is just a swift with 3 rows as per indonesians. It is VFM product but the looks might not please many.

I would suggest you to first make up your mind inorder to go in for a specific segment. Decide if you want a SUV or a MUV/LUV. If parking is a constraint for you then go in for compact SUV's.

 

[goencho]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

Vindan, you can say I am also in the same boat as you. I am also looking at similar vehicles in this budget.Can I advise you something, Please consider peace-of-mind value also in your requirements.

I'd suggest unless you have the time and the unlimited patience to bear with the constant niggles of a Scorpio and the breakdowns in a Safari,go for an Ertiga. I am an SUV fan ad I've never driven anything other then SUV's in my life but the peace of mind specially when you spend such a lot of money is priceless.The looks may bother you at first but as the year goes by it will grow on you.

The Duster/Ecosport are also good contenders but the lack of Service centers and long term details unknown I'd think before plonking the big 10 on them. My final answer go for the Ertiga and stay happy,after all it satisfies most of your requirements and comes with the services of Maruti Suzuki at your disposal all over India wherever you go.

 

[Raja]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

Vindan, you can say I am also in the same boat as you. I am also looking at similar vehicles in this budget.Can I advise you something, Please consider peace-of-mind value also in your requirements.

I'd suggest unless you have the time and the unlimited patience to bear with the constant niggles of a Scorpio and the breakdowns in a Safari,go for an Ertiga. I am an SUV fan ad I've never driven anything other then SUV's in my life but the peace of mind specially when you spend such a lot of money is priceless.The looks may bother you at first but as the year goes by it will grow on you.

The Duster/Ecosport are also good contenders but the lack of Service centers and long term details unknown I'd think before plonking the big 10 on them. My final answer go for the Ertiga and stay happy,after all it satisfies most of your requirements and comes with the services of Maruti Suzuki at your disposal all over India wherever you go.

Brother I agree with you on some points and also not agree respectfully with some points you mentioned .

Considering the Scorpio and safari you are right they can have niggles and breakdowns ( you yourself have faced that with your safari ) but then on the other hand there are many and infact countless stories of happy ownerships of both the vehicles too . So we can't generalize the issue .

Beside that so far members have suggested the OP to wait for the new Scorpio rather then buying the current one ( which will be much much improved version then the current Scorpio ) and storme rather then the old safari ( which is much much improved version compared to the older version )

And I completely agree with you that if peace of mind is something which is anybody's first priority then a ertiga is a relatively safe bet on all counts compared to all the options the OP has in mind although it does not come in a SUV category per say .and plus for the amount paid the ertiga gives you good safety equipments , better mileage and hopefully will give a better resale value too ( if that's important for the OP ) when relatively compared to the options .

 

[Vindan]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions

Firstly, welcome aboard

If you ask me to choose one for the three for pure driving pleasure, Scorpio any day.
Will I buy a Scorpio LX today? No. Why?

• The ABS is a must have feature for me in an SUV of its dimensions. I drive a Scorpio equipped with ABS since 2009.
• A facelift with many significant changes are expected to be launched soon. If you want a Scorpio, waiting for a couple of months would be sensible.

Manoj, I agree with your comment on ABS and waiting for the new model. I heard it will be around end 2014. Are you expecting it to be released in 2 or 3 months?

Also as a Scorpio owner, I would like to ask you about the reliability of the vehicle. Niggles are manageable I guess but breakdowns in a far away place will be painful. Please comment on this.

Scorpio : It is realy outdated SUV in Indian market. If you can wait a little bit Mahindra to launch refreshed Scorpio soon. Otherwise this a real offroader SUV.

Duster : A mordern SUV with good driving dynamics. But it is little expensive when compared with Ecosport. Also if you are ready to handle with Service Center neglegence you can go ahead with Duster.

Ertiga: It is no where in camparo with SUV as it is a MPV. It is just a swift with 3 rows as per indonesians. It is VFM product but the looks might not please many.

I would suggest you to first make up your mind inorder to go in for a specific segment. Decide if you want a SUV or a MUV/LUV. If parking is a constraint for you then go in for compact SUV's.

K!nky, I understand Renault serivce will not be comparable to Maruti, but do you think it will be as bad as say Tata, Skoda etc...

Vindan, you can say I am also in the same boat as you. I am also looking at similar vehicles in this budget.Can I advise you something, Please consider peace-of-mind value also in your requirements.

I'd suggest unless you have the time and the unlimited patience to bear with the constant niggles of a Scorpio and the breakdowns in a Safari,go for an Ertiga. I am an SUV fan ad I've never driven anything other then SUV's in my life but the peace of mind specially when you spend such a lot of money is priceless.The looks may bother you at first but as the year goes by it will grow on you.

The Duster/Ecosport are also good contenders but the lack of Service centers and long term details unknown I'd think before plonking the big 10 on them. My final answer go for the Ertiga and stay happy,after all it satisfies most of your requirements and comes with the services of Maruti Suzuki at your disposal all over India wherever you go.

Brother I agree with you on some points and also not agree respectfully with some points you mentioned .

Considering the Scorpio and safari you are right they can have niggles and breakdowns ( you yourself have faced that with your safari ) but then on the other hand there are many and infact countless stories of happy ownerships of both the vehicles too . So we can't generalize the issue .

Beside that so far members have suggested the OP to wait for the new Scorpio rather then buying the current one ( which will be much much improved version then the current Scorpio ) and storme rather then the old safari ( which is much much improved version compared to the older version )

And I completely agree with you that if peace of mind is something which is anybody's first priority then a ertiga is a relatively safe bet on all counts compared to all the options the OP has in mind although it does not come in a SUV category per say .and plus for the amount paid the ertiga gives you good safety equipments , better mileage and hopefully will give a better resale value too ( if that's important for the OP ) when relatively compared to the options .

@ goencho @ Raja, it is mind vs heart

 

[raj_5004]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

Given your requirements, I would go for the Ertiga. Ertiga is not the most spacious car, but given that you will use the third row only occasionally, the Maruti does make sense.

I would not buy the Duster because I think it is overpriced. Plus it does not have seven seats.

I would choose the Scorpio only if I can afford atleast the middle variant, because it has ABS. Moreover, If I am considering the Scorpio, I would also not neglect the Storme as it is a better choice over the current Scorpio. Plus, the base Storme LX at an ex-showroom price of Rs. 10.21 Lacs has ABS.

 

[manojodungat]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

Also as a Scorpio owner, I would like to ask you about the reliability of the vehicle. Niggles are manageable I guess but breakdowns in a far away place will be painful. Please comment on this.

• Except for a clutch cylinder failure, my Scorpio didn't let me down at all.
• No niggles and no rattles at all, even after driving 60,000km+ in 4 years.
• The support from Mahindra and all the 4 different A.S.S.Cs with whom my scorpio got asscociated with, in these four years were above average.
• Apart from my frequent commute of Palakkad-Munnar, I did a Goa, a Kodaikkanal, multiple Velankanni and lastly very recently Palakkad[Kerala]- Mumbai-Anand-Mumbai-Panchgani-Mahabaleshwar-Palakkad without a single rattle and niggle.
  • If time permits, will be doing a Leh in the near future
• You can find all the details with lots of pictures here.

http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/ownership-reviews/10485-powered-m-hawk-mahindra-scorpio-sle-4-years-60000-km.html
Posting a picture of my 4 year old scorpio,clicked a couple of months ago.Hope you don't mind.

I heard it will be around end 2014. Are you expecting it to be released in 2 or 3 months?

Very unlikely in 2-3 months, but we will probably get to know more details about the changes by then. You may then be in a better position while deciding on your SUV.
If you are ok with an MPV and no second thought about it, go for Ertiga ZDi. It's too an excellent vehicle to own and drive around. We do have a brand new Ertiga Zdi joining our family very recently which is going great as well.

 

[Vindan]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

@Manoj, Thanks for your input. Your Scorpio looks excellent. Can't believe it is 4 years/60000 KM old.

@raj_5004, I guess I have to ask to change the thread title to Scorpio Vs Ertiga Vs Strome . No one is suggesting Duster. I will soon go for a test ride of Strome. It looks really nice. My only worry is TASS. In the last 3 years I approached twice the tata dealers as I was interested in Vista. Both time I came out disappointed. No follow up. In the first instance they not even bothered to collect contact information. Hope things are better now.

 

[K!NkY]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

@Manoj, Thanks for your input. Your Scorpio looks excellent. Can't believe it is 4 years/60000 KM old.

@raj_5004, I guess I have to ask to change the thread title to Scorpio Vs Ertiga Vs Strome . No one is suggesting Duster. I will soon go for a test ride of Strome. It looks really nice. My only worry is TASS. In the last 3 years I approached twice the tata dealers as I was interested in Vista. Both time I came out disappointed. No follow up. In the first instance they not even bothered to collect contact information. Hope things are better now.

Almost most of of the manufactures release good package car in this modern world the issue comes after sales service that is where maruti, hyundai and toyota score lot of up's practicaly speaking like Tata with fiat motor has a better car manza club class than maruti products but realtime scenario speaks a lot. Tata lost lot of sales in market. They failed to convert enquiry into sales I don't see any change in their harizon next still their sales outlet act to be a government office.

 

[DJ bro]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

The Ertiga makes more sense as a family easy to use and handy people mover! Has wole lot better value than the Duster and well built than the Scorpio! Have you taken a test drive of all? The Scorpio's handling and dynamics aren't safe and the Duster has severe cheap cost cuttings and lacks equipments for the high price! You can get a ZDi Ertiga for the base version price of Duster! If you look carefully, there is no rubber beading on doors of Duster and it has just a cheap rod to slide the seats and the ergonomics are not as good as is the heavy clutch and gearbox! In the Ertiga, you get better flexibility of capacity of 7 people and excellent luggage space, if folded down! For a sensible and safe middle class family man, the Ertiga is the best! Well actually it's the LUV that got me in love at first sight. It has won a lot of hearts too!

 

[safarian]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

Welcome VINDAN at TAI,

It's 2.2 vs 1.5 vs 1.3 . Come on MAN, the call is yours.

Regards,

ROY

 

[hari.d]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

@Manoj, Thanks for your input. Your Scorpio looks excellent. Can't believe it is 4 years/60000 KM old.

@raj_5004, I guess I have to ask to change the thread title to Scorpio Vs Ertiga Vs Strome . No one is suggesting Duster. I will soon go for a test ride of Strome. It looks really nice. My only worry is TASS. In the last 3 years I approached twice the tata dealers as I was interested in Vista. Both time I came out disappointed. No follow up. In the first instance they not even bothered to collect contact information. Hope things are better now.

Lets have a try again with a TASS. there is wide speculation that the sales and service both are improved a lot i.e in the last 6 months. Also ertiga and duster is no match for scorpio and storme. Have a TD of storme, who know with the current available offers you may even tilt towards storme. Base model have ABS, body color cladding and most of the essentials.

 

[raj_5004]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

. No one is suggesting Duster. I will soon go for a test ride of Strome. It looks really nice. My only worry is TASS. In the last 3 years I approached twice the tata dealers as I was interested in Vista. Both time I came out disappointed. No follow up. In the first instance they not even bothered to collect contact information. Hope things are better now.

Give the Storme a chance.

Regarding the A.S.S., it depends on where you live and which service centre you choose, in short... your luck!

Storme has everything you need and I feel it is more VFM over the Ertiga.

 

[DJ bro]

Re: Duster 85 PS RXL vs Scorpio LX vs Ertiga ZDI

Well, I dont think so, the Ertiga is cheaper and for that price, you get what is worthy of that price, but in the Safari, you get space, comfort and poor jump seats and value not upto Ertiga actually, I think it could have got more equipments like the XUV for the almost equal price!I doubt TASS too as I have had enough with my Indica!