Updated : 11th Jan 2010Composite suspension. Ooty in 3 hours flat.
New set of tyres - Nitro fill - floats
Green filters from Peter - Vroooom
Trivandrum - Kozhikode in under 7 hours.
Hindsight - would still buy a Scorpio.
Standard edition - 8 seater. An 8 seater so where does one fit all the luggage ? A carriage should have been part of standard equipment.Take your car from the showroom to the nearest wheel alignment centre if you want to save your new tyres !! Did 3000 kms in the first month.
A monster and a beast !! You get a lot of respect on the road as other vehicles give you way. Having driven a Zen for 2 years, this car is really something. There is hardly a problem in getting used to the controls. Did 720 kms in a day and woke up the next morning without any stiff joints.
A bit bumpy on rough roads but a 50 kg sack of sand at the rear did the trick when travelling with less then 4 people. Tyre pressure maintained at 29. Just started using it to go up the hills and the pickup is brilliant but the rear sways like a fat lady while taking elevated bends. Suspension certainly requires improvement. The vehicle becomes unstable with stretched beyond 120 kmph
Mileage of 12.9 - 13.1 (with reliance fuel) with my steady driving at 80-90 km on long trips. Drops to 9-10 on short / mountain rides. The aircon is a chiller. Kalhatty (Masanagudi - Ooty) was a breeze and the vehicle showed no sighs of strain, except for the treacherous and deceptive last part, where I had to shift to first gear. Would love to do that stretch again !!
The car gets a bit dangerous while driving in the rains as patches of water on the roads can splash on to the windscreen to blind you (bumper guard available now). I once drove 400 kms with 9 people and the handling was quite smooth. Gears should have been smoother. Perhaps it would improve after the routine service (It did) Music system requires oval speakers, so the one that comes along with standard stuff does not fit in. Ended up fitting box speakers at the rear.
I had evaluated Tavera and PS2 before deciding on the Scorpio. No second thoughts whatsoever. Value for money. Kids love it. Wife drives it too.The buying experience with the local dealer was quite terrible. I was shocked when they told that my payment was short by Rs. 300/- and unless paid, will not be able to take delivery of the vehicle. It was obviously an error in their proforma, which they later admitted. Time that they learn’t from the Maruti dealers on how to treat customers !! Was even unwilling to fix the number plate for me (A matter of 4 screws) Got wheel cups, floor mat and leather seating for another dealer.
Recently had to stuff 12 people and drove 50 kms on a ghat section. Brilliant again !!
6th year / 71 k kms, second set of tires. NO REGRETS.
Hardly any maintenance.. Eyeing an mHawk