Boot space has been highlighted many a time, but adequate for my travel and got used to travel with duffel bags instead of suitcases.
BHPian Duckdoc recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
90000 km in 3 years and 2 months with a XUV 300 W8(O) Diesel MT: a short midterm ownership review of the last 14 months of ownership
I was not planning to write, especially after this detailed, comprehensive review. However with the launch of the 3XO, I thought people worried about the reliability and driveability of a Mahindra vehicle might want to have some idea about the reliability of its predecessor, as mechanically it is the same.
Mine is a 2021 top end model purchased mid March 2021
Having run 50000 kms in 2 years including a 5700 km road trip in March last year, I did a shorter version of the above road trip covering 4000 km in August, with a small problem of a burst turbo-intercooler hose in AP.
Replacements:
- The rear brake pads were replaced at 76000 km, though the front pads were fine then.
- The front brake pads were replaced only at the 90000 km servicing.
- The entire clutch assembly was changed at 78400 kms. The clutch had become hard and the mileage had also dropped.
- I got the car back at 5pm and had to take a trip to Madanapalle across the border and back the same day during which time I stalled the car 4 times and pressing the clutch felt weird and the spring back was extremely strong.
- A couple of days later I had to take a trip to Central Kerala through Kumily. For the first time the calf muscles on my left leg were sore. I was actually thinking that the clutch needed bleeding again but at 1400 kms following replacement it felt much better and only at 2000 kms following replacement the clutch settled. I never realised that clutch replacement would be such a pain.
- One set of tyres was replaced at 72000 kms and another at 78000. I had changed from the MRF Ecotred at 20000 and 25000 kms earlier. The Conti UC6 was good for 50- 55000 kms till the tread depth comes down to 3.5 mm.
- The battery was replaced in 2 1/2 years.
- The front wipers have been changed twice and the rear once.
- The key fob battery was dying at almost 3 years of ownership and changed
ASC experience:
Good so far at the local dealership.
The time I had a blowout of the intercooler hose, it was on a Sunday, 30 kms past Cuddapah. RSA service was good and a tow truck arrived in a little over an hour. The ASC there opened the centre on a holiday to fix it.
The cons:
- Boot space has been highlighted many a time, but adequate for my travel and got used to travel with duffel bags instead of suitcases.
- The lack of steering feedback is an issue but one gets used to it. I drive in Sports mode on highways and Normal inside busy areas and nevere used the Comfort mode even for tight parking.
- There is a perceptible shift of the rear on going over rumblers which can be disconcerting if inadvertently taken at high speeds especially at those placed near curves like at Thoppur Ghat and near Dindigul but one doesn’t lose control.
- The absence of AC vents at the back was not an issue except this year with temperatures touching 48°C.
- Of course, for one coming from another vehicle, in the beginning, one has to get used to the long clutch and gear travel as well as a relatively cramped footwell, and one gets used to it quite fast.
Comparisons with 3XO:
The number one safety measure I look for in all cars is the 3 point seat belt for all seats and I’m happy that it has been made standard now. I got the lap belt for the middle rear seat changed to the safer one in the first year of ownership. I am also happy that it comes with a TC, though I still belong to a dying breed which is content with MT.
While the floating touch screen creating better placement of the AC vents and presence of rear AC vents is welcome, I have 3 reasons why the outgoing model is better, at least in my view.
- With my not infrequent driving across long stretches of sparsely inhabited areas, I prefer having a full size spare tyre. in fact I changed the r16 rim it came with to r 17 to match the other tyres.
- The model I have has 7 airbags.
- The ground clearance has been raised and I am not sure what it does to the driving dynamics. Mine has 180 mm and taking curves has been comfortable and I’ve scraped the bottom only once, next to a level crossing with a massive speed breaker with an adjacent huge crater near Purulia, WB and don’t see the need to raise the CG.
Having driven in 11 states and a Union territory, it is remarkable to see the difference in road infrastructure and driving manners in them.
The most improved state appears to be Kerala with excellent roads and with the exception of the buses and autorickshaws,people drive with sense and with predictability. Being single lane in most places, there are instances of aggressive overtaking, though it was interesting to see the difference in aggressiveness between Kottayam and Tiruvalla though so close to each other. However, coming from the most lawless traffic wise city in TN it was a nothing burger. I also feel that some in this forum are unduly harsh on Kerala. It was also good to see strategically placed mirrors on blind corners In fact, TN where one takes for granted good roads even in the interior serves up noticeably bad roads near the border with Kerala in the south and middle. Toilets in the fuel stations (non Shell) are the cleanest I’ve seen with TN a distant second.
Interiors 3 years on though we travel with dogs periodically
Read BHPian comments for more insights and information.
