The new Tata Safari is a Rockstar - a true SUV

The new Tata Safari is a Rockstar - a true SUV

After driving Hyundai Santro for 4 years, I decided to buy a new car. I wanted to make sure I choose a vehicle that gives me a new driving-experience altogether. My priority list included comfort, space and mileage. I test drove Sedans like Hyundai Verna, Maurti SX4 and Honda City with my budget range upto 9 lacs. All of them are good in their class, but no point in discussing them because the moment I drove new Safari, I dropped the idea of owning a Sedan.The sheer space and power of Safari attracted me to it. I thought of test driving the Mahindra Xylo, Scorpio and compare with Tata Safari. These were the only MUV's/SUV's under 10 lacs and within my budget. I test drove Mahindra Scorpio and found it to be shaky/non-comfortable on bumpy roads. The steering started to vibrate at 110km/hr. The dashboard was very unattractive and the controls were not at all exciting. The exterior of Scorpio was the only part that I liked the most. I felt the vehicle was under powered and pick up might be affected if fully loaded. The rear seat seems to be most uncomfortable with no leg room.Then I test drove Mahindra Xylo. It is far better than Scorpio in terms of power. The space is much better than Scorpio. The dashboard controls such as AC vents are attractive and better placed. It was comfortable on bumpy roads. But the exterior of Xylo was something that I did not like at all. It has no looks of a utility vehicle. It looks too bulky from outside. Also I see lot of Xylo as Cabs now and I did not want to own a vehicle called as a Taxi such as Toyota Innova, does not matter how good it is.The safari was circled in a week and I got instant delivery on payment. I liked the availability of the SUV as compared to Toyota Etois where people are ready to wait for months. I chose the EX Model with Pearl White color, though it costed my Rs5000 extra. Overall my budget was increased by 50k on this model but I was ready to take the hit as it comes with company fitted extra AC, fog lamps, engine immobilizer and other features. The moment I took it out of the showroom and brought it on the busy roads, I felt it was much easier to drive than sedans. You can view all the traffic from your cabin.Positives:1. The road respect a safari earns is commendable. Auto walla and rash taxi drivers will stay from you.2. Long drive is most enjoyable, I was able to keep the Vehicle at 130km/hr on Delhi-Chandigarh highway most of the time. No vibrations whatsoever.3. Extremely comfortable, long drive journey did not tire any of passengers. We could go non stop for maximum distance.4. On highway I was able to overtake almost every sedan/vehicle after me. The best part was the hatchbacks gave pass instantly I dipper them.5. The luggage space is ample and I could fit in whatever required, even my baby's trolley.6. With 5-6 members riding it, there is no difference in pickup or power. It is as good as 2 members in the cabin.Negatives:1. The badge color interior plastic is very ordinary and tends to get dirty quickly. You need to keep it cleaned too often.2. Few quirky sounds from back seats and dashboard are irritating. I got them fixed in my first service.3. The car has large turning radius making it difficult to turn in less space.Overall I am fully satisfied with Tata Safari. The vehicle is worth the cost you pay for it. I think the new safari has much improved engine. There is not much engine noise and exterior is very solid. I am getting a mileage of 12 km in city and 14 km on highway which I feel is good enough. I am happy I did not choose Scorpio or Xylo.