Well, I have been using a Scorpio for the last one and a half years and shall attempt to give an impartial view on it.
First the looks - its really good looking, no doubt about it. I mean, practically all SUVs look good to men. But most women (including yours truly) dont generally appreciate the huge, box-like look that most SUVs sport. But the Scorpio is an exception. It has a smart look that can make heads turn.
Second, the space - its certainly spacious. We usually travel in a group of 6 adults and 4 highly boisterous kids. Believe me, any car that can house 4 kids peacefully has to be amazing on space.
Third, maintenance - this was one thing we were afraid of since the general rumour is that diesel vehicles need lots of expensive maintenance. Well, its been 1 and 1/2 years and we haven’t really spent anything except the periodical servicing and oil changes. Apart from that, there was a knob which had come off from the dashboard but that was replaced free of charge by the company.
Fourth, noise - yes, this does make quite a bit of noise like a typical diesel vehicle. I believe this has been removed in the more recent variants but I haven’t checked it out for myself. We had an Esteem earlier, and that was noiseless.
Fifth, smoothness - I must say this is much more bumpy than other low cars.
Sixth, ease of driving - We have a model which has power steering and anyone who has driven it, says that its one of the easiest cars to drive. Not to forget the bully power that one wields in a place like Kolkata !
Seventh (the last and not the least), Sturdiness - well, a few months back, we were standing at a traffic signal when an Esteem came at full speed and banged our Scorpio from the back. We watched with dread as their windshield came crashing down (the people were thankfully unhurt) and the front of the Esteem went right in. Believe me, there was just about a scratch on our Scorpio.
In all, a good buy. I am definitely a satisfied customer. Beware of one thing though, you might be the one forever footing the diesel bill wherever you go since no one else will bother to take out their cars!