It has been a great experience thus far and I am loving every bit of it.
BHPian jbpanda recently shared this with other enthusiasts.
7500 km Update!
It has been close to 6 months since delivery of my Black Fortuner Diesel MT 4X4 and I clocked 7500 Km after a 1100 Kms trip to Dharamshala/ McLeodgunj undertaken over the Good Friday weekend and I just thought of sharing my experience here. Have not had the time to collate an ownership review but have been posting short updates and pictures on this thread, which were practically easier. It has been a great experience thus far and I am loving every bit of it. Since MT ownership is rare, I am taking the liberty of sharing below a summary of my experience thus far.
Summary of trips undertaken So Far:
- Bhubaneswar to Gurgaon (Via Sundargarh, Varanasi & Lucknow) – Approximately 1700 Kms
- Gurgaon to Chail and return (Via Chandigarh) – Approximately 1000 Kms
- Gurgaon to Landour (Via Dehradun & Mussoorie) – Approximately 700 Kms
- Gurgaon to Patiala/ Chandigarh and return – Approximately 700 Kms
- Gurgaon to Dharamshala/ McLeodgunj (Via Ludhiana) – Approximately 1100 Kms
Likes
- Power and torque at disposal [Tried the Sports mode for a short while over an open stretch and the vehicle just transformed into a beast and the monstrous torque pulls it like a train. It can take the car to insane speeds in no time. I drive in Normal mode which is more than sufficient for day-to-day driving. I have tried Eco mode but prefer the balance Normal mode provides.]
- Butter smooth gear shifts in manual transmission [I prefer MT over AT, which is a rarity these days. I love the gear shifts and my father also loves the gear shifts of the Fortuner much better as compared to his Innova Crysta]
- Menacing looks and particularly in Attitude Black it is a head turner (unwanted attention for a modest lawyer, who is mistaken for someone important which is not the case )
- Imposing road presence and excellent visibility [Other cars usually give way when they see this elephant on their IRVM. Even at circles and crossings, people do not try to cut you and prefer giving way without even bullying other cars, which is usually the reputation people associate this car with. The road visibility it provides is also excellent when you are literally sitting on top of a mountain.]
- Very good fuel economy considering the vehicle of this size [Initially I was getting 12+ kmpl and now I am consistently getting 14+ kmpl with mix of city and highway driving. I maintain prescribed speed limits of 50-70 kmph in Delhi NCR and generally use Xtra Green Diesel by Indian Oil.]
- Heavy steering which is good to hold on to [It weighs up nicely for the vehicle of this size. I like the hydraulic steering of my Abarth Punto so this steering is relatable.]
- Plenty of space [No worries about carrying extra luggage even for shorter trips, it is actually a 1 BHK on wheels. The average luggage that we have been carrying for our trips has generally increased.]
- Effectiveness of the AC [In spite of the black colour and size of this vehicle, the cabin cools in no time.]
- Highway cruiser and mile muncher [It can cover thousands of miles all day without breaking a sweat. Long drives are a breeze. The 80L fuel tank is also very helpful which provides a range of almost about 1000 Kms which will only get better with time and Kms on the ODO.]
- Go anywhere ability [Ground clearance, humps, roads or no roads, nothing is a concern. It can take you to places where most other cars can only dream of.]
Dislikes
- Ride quality [Our 6 year old kid who usually occupies the 2nd row feels nauseatic as compared to our trips in our Brezza/ Abarth Punto. My father’s Innova Crysta’s comfort levels are simply unmatched. However, the ride quality in Fortuner gets better with load, which I believe is typical of body on frame vehicles. I signed up for this when I got it so I am not complaining.]
- Size of the vehicle [With the wide roads in Delhi NCR, most of the time the size is not a problem. It is just that in narrow roads in the hills (Chail, Landour and Mussoorie) and in Cuttack and Varanasi that I found it a bit cumbersome.]
- AdBlue refills [Got the popup to refill at about 3500 Kms on the ODO when it consumed about 8 litres and now again at 7500 Kms on the ODO it has popped up. Though it gives you a range of 2400 Kms to enable you to plan and refill at your convenience, it is surprising to note the frequency and the amount of AdBlue it is consuming. Not sure if it is just me.]
- Horn could have been better for a vehicle of this size [Easier to upgrade but I prefer not to tamper and like it stock.]
- Headlights effectiveness could have been better for driving during rain/ fog [The fog lights improve the visibility but still inadequate during rain/ fog. I believe it is more to do with the white light, which is fine for normal driving but the effectiveness is comparatively low while driving during rainy/ foggy conditions. I understand the effectiveness and throw of the Legender’s head lights are better.]
- Basic interiors and absence of bells and whistles for the price [While I am perfectly fine with the absence of it as the mechanicals, reliability and the driving pleasure more than makes up for it, but it would have been good to have some of those bells and whistles considering the price tag and in comparison to what the Ford Endeavour offered back then.]
- H/T tyres for 4×4 and A/T tyres for 4×2 [I have not been able to understand Toyota’s logic behind this. Is it because of any price difference or some other factor? Since I have not used 4×4 as yet and would not be using it for hard core off roading, it may not be a necessity but for those who actually want to will have to necessarily upgrade the stock tyres.]
Sharing some pictures for you to enjoy!
Keyword: Toyota Fortuner 4x4 MT: Experience after 7500 km & 5 major road trips