How I almost bought a used Innova Crysta, while waiting for Scorpio-N

Went in to check out the Fortuner SUV, but test-drove the Innova Crysta and was impressed instantly.

BHPian vredesbyrd recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Some of you may know that I already have a booking for a Scorpio N Z8L AT 4WD. While the delivery is really really far away and pricey (will be 28.8L on-road with the current price), I still haven’t given up on other options, yet.

Sometime back, we took a test drive of a Z8L G AT (can you believe that? AT in Lucknow? Impossible, right?). Right across the road was the Toyota showroom with a Fortuner having a used car cone on top.

Now Scorpio N might be a new and fancy piece, but I still feel like Fortuner is just a bit better, despite its age. Also, my heart seems to bend towards higher displacement. Couldn’t catch that one but went again yesterday and test-drove something that was not on my original list:

There she was like it’s just been days or weeks since delivery.

Let me tell you a little about this one:

2016 2.8L Z AT with 1,87,000 km on the odo at 15.30L

Interiors were refurbished and suspension work was done by Toyota

By and large, the interior was in really good shape, sans a broken frame on an AC vent. We went over all kinds of roads and not a single squeak or rattle, impressive for a vehicle that has run nearly 2L kms. But again, that’s something expected of a Crysta/Fortuner

Now, here’s a summary:

1. 2.8L IS GREAT! Mods weren’t joking when they said ECO mode is more than enough for the city. Gets really loud above 2000 rpm and that’s something I really appreciate. It sounds lovely.
2. Handling is good for a heavy ladder frame. Also, why do people keep complaining about the steering being heavy? It is not. Just has the right amount of heft and is sufficiently precise. I have weak arms. All kinds of speedbumps, potholes and craters felt really soft and muted. This is first-class ride quality.
3. NVH is really good. Shut the door and the world is gone. Can only hear the engine and that pathetic horn.
4. Presence. You creep up to a smaller vehicle really fast and then slow down. You flash your headlights and sound that iconic and pathetic Crysta/Fortuner horn which makes a miserable “PREEN” sound. Two-wheelers, sedans and hatches get out of the way. Add chicken curtains and an India flag on the dash and you are set. Cops usually don’t bother if you are driving normally. Driving it felt special.
5. I drove like a madman and it returned 12.6 km/l.
6. Slammed the throttle halfway through a U-turn. Tyres squealed, the rear slid a little, the TRC light blinked, and countersteered back into line. Dad and the salesman were like – This is not something every car would do and it made me fall in love again.
7. Brakes are quite good for something this big, and heavy and have drums at the rear. It would probably stop way faster than my Vento.
8. The low beam is beautiful. Especially the chromatic aberration near the cut-off.

Here’s the suboptimal list:

1. Front parking sensors. A car this big needs them. They fixed that in BS6.
2. I cannot see the bonnet.
3. This was a fantastic deal but still overpriced. Sometimes I think of buying it right now for 15.30L and then selling it 3 years later for 18.80L. Might even pull that off considering the Toyota situation.
4. AA/Carplay. We got aftermarket solutions for that and the same goes for a 360-camera setup.

You know what? There isn’t much to complain about, at all. One of the best points was that at max seat height, the steering didn’t crush my belly or legs as it did on the Scorpio-N. This could become a major deciding factor.

The Crysta is so damn good that I am willing to forego 4WD/4X4. But with that said, I don’t think I will miss an opportunity if a 4WD AT Fortuner falls in my lap.

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Keyword: How I almost bought a used Innova Crysta, while waiting for Scorpio-N