Selecting the CarMy family has been thinking about a bigger car for some time now. Over time we have taken several journeys in Innova and Scorpio(as taxis) and have test driven them. In a roadshow about an year back, we test drove the Xylo and liked it - we just didn’t like the tacky interior finish then. Also the doors were not aligned well - all pieces had same problems.
We again save Xylo about 2 months back and instantly liked it - the interiors were definitely far less tacky; infact they were good and the door properly aligned. We decided to buy the E8 version.
The things that tipped us towards Xylo were:a. Great priceb. Good exchange price of our 8 year old WagonR & fair exchange bonusc. Free insurance worth Rs. 32900 for the first yeard. 4 year extended warrantye. Minor goodies that the dealer threw in! Mats, Mud flaps, etc.
Dealer ExperienceAs we wanted to buy the car immediately, the dealer had a limited selection of colors. We chose Red due to compulsion and not choice - however it seems nice now - probably we have grown used to it now! The dealer(Automotive, Secunderabad) promised delivery after full payment DD as advance. I deposited the DD in the morning and I was promised delivery at 4 PM.
However, after contacting the dealer at 4:30, I was told to come at 6 PM. The car was not to be see at 6:30 when I reached. The Mahindra First Choice did the paperwork and took my old car away in 10 minutes - really fast! The car was finally delivered at 9 PM - full 6 hours late. The car had a retouched scratch(which I could not see at 9 PM) and the paperwork incomplete. It was also not clean from inside - a lot of dust.I realized that the insurance promised was not given as per promise. They give insurance worth 19000 only instead of promised 32900. Form 22 from manufacturer was not there, it came in only after ringing the dealer many times. The scratch was done up(with a bouquet of flowers sent to me!) after someone from Mahindra called up the dealer about bad service.The worst part about the delivery experience was the lineup of dealer staff asking for "Bakshish" for delivering the car!
Registration in HyderabadI was told by the dealer to use the services of an agent(phone number given by dealer). I told them that I will get the registration done myself, however I was heavily discouraged by the dealer. I went ahead and did the registration myself. I was surprised that I could do the registration myself in 1 hour without a single person asking for a bribe - whow! I got my number the next day and RC card by speed post in a week.
City DrivingThe big car does not feel big when you are at the steering wheel - power steering feel is firm and smooth, the turn as expected. The turning radius gives maneuverability of a small car. The height gives better vision of the traffic ahead which helps make overtaking decisions easier.With friends and family on 3rd row seat, we find that the leg comfort is great! People could easily stretch without the knees touching the front seat.And the big car advantages in India as I surprisingly discovered with my new Xylo - people stop to give way to big cars, easier to park as parking assistants are eager to get a big car parked(obviously for a bigger tip!), less scratches as people keep some distance from big cars.
ParkingI have bumped a couple of cars in parking - mine and of a friend! I was really afraid of parking the big monster. The parking assist is one of the best features Xylo, it ensures that the car is not bumped against a low wall or a pillar. Its really easy to park this anywhere. I wish I could activate parking assist also on 1st gear and not just on back gear - any suggestions?
Long Distance DrivingI drove from Hyderabad to Bangalore(about 650 Kms one way - home to home) and back on a two week old car. With a family of 5 and an infant we were peacefully seated in the first two rows with lots of luggage in the boot. The 2nd row is spacious with my mother-in-law enjoying the foldable tray to keep her tea cup and other food articles.
The car has a soft suspension that takes care of the big potholes that our highways have. It also gives easy drivability and very comfy ride. On the other hand, the car feels slightly bumpy when the highways are good with ups and downs.I drove all the way from Hyd to Bangalore and did not feel tired. The fuel consumption at an average of 85 Km/hr was around 10. I once took the car on a good stretch to 140 kmph and the feel was very sturdy - I did not expect this!Night drive was great as the car had fog lamps that increased the side visibility! The little control that could change the orientation of the headlamps is cool.
Other little features that me and my family love:- the DDAS - with temp, kms to go on the fuel, speed, averages etc- remote controlled music system - down facing door lights that assist during alight- parking assist(how did I live without this)- electronic controlled rear view mirrors- very good air conditioning with individual vents even in 3rd row- a lit vanity mirror - my wife loves it- a lit glove box- space below driver seat to lock car documents- goggles keeper- the spaces around to keep bottles, cups- and the foldable trays to work on the laptop!
And things that we don’t like:- Effort in climbing up/down the car- Bad quality windshield wipers - they scratch the glass- I wish there was about 4-6" more boot space