Used Toyota Fortuner or a New Small SUV, What Should You Choose?

• Published On: 28 June 2019
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What should you buy, used Toyota Fortuner or new compact SUVs?

With the growing size of the auto industry of India, the used car market is also facing a similar rise and the used car market is growing in size by the day. The customer perception toward used cars is also changing and the customer is now more willing to buy their first car as a used car due to the value-for-money aspect that used cars bring to the equation.

However, often the budgets of two segments clash and the end user is left wondering as to which car they should choose, a top range used car or a mid-range new car. Take for example a budget of 11-13 lakh rupees, this not only gives the customer an option to buy a new sub-4 meter compact SUV, instead this also arms the customer with the option of buying used second hand full-size SUV, say a used Toyota Fortuner. It is now that the customer starts getting confused, should they go for a brand new car, or a reliable option that has been moderately used? Let us help you out in this regard and present to you a fair comparison between a new Ford EcoSport, Maruti Suzuki Vitara Brezza, Tata Nexon or Mahindra XUV 300 and a used Toyota Fortuner, and help you in understanding what suits your needs.

Why a Toyota Fortuner?

There is no denying the fact that Toyota Fortuner is tremendously popular in India, reliability, brand image, and rough and tough nature all combined make this Japanese full-size SUV pretty popular in India. The used car market also provides good options as far as Fortuner is concerned and you can find many half a decade old Toyota Fortuners are available in the Rs. 10-15 lakh price range.

1. Road Presence – This will always swing in favor of full-size SUVs. No compact SUV can dominate the streets like the older Fortuner does, let alone a sub-compact SUV. Therefore as far as street presence is concerned, Toyota Fortuner should be your natural choice.

2. Easy on Mileage – Accept it for once and all, a full-size SUV should only be bought when mileage is not even the last thing to come to you mind. Seeing that the only available options will be the older generation, the SUV will come with a 3.0-litre diesel engine rated for 169 Bhp and 343 Nm. This engine will give you a mileage of around 12-13 km/l. Contrast this with the Brezza’s 24.29 km/l and Nexon’s 23.97 km/l and you can see what you are losing here. Therefore, only go for Fortuner if mileage is no concern for you.

3. 7-seater – What a small sub-4 meter compact SUV can never match when compared to a full-size SUV is the amount of space inside and the seating capacity. All the sub-compact SUV options present today are 5-seaters, whereas the Fortuner is a full-fledged 7-seater SUV.

4. Need the 4X4 – Off-roading on your mind? A proper 4X4 is the answer, and so far, only Fortuner comes with the option. Not just off-roading, but Fortuner’s 4x4 will also help one in daily life situations. The other sub-4 meter compact SUV options do not come with a AWD option, let alone 4x4.

5. Well-Maintained SUV – Exercise proper diligence and it should not be difficult to find. A well-maintained Toyota Fortuner will not only work flawlessly for years to come, you will also benefit from the vast and customer-friendly service network that Toyota has in India.

Take Caution! – There are a few downsides to buying a used Toyota Fortuner in this price range as well, and you should know about the same. The first generation model of Fortuner was not too known for its brakes as they did not offer proper bite to the drivers. If the SUV will travel a lot in the city, the size factor will also play against you, not to mention that one can buy cheaper automatic SUVs for the city and the automatic version of used Toyota Fortuner will pinch one’s pockets.

Why Ford EcoSport, Tata Nexon, Maruti Vitara Brezza or Mahindra XUV 300?

Want the satisfaction of a warranty

Warranty – Carmaker warranty gives the customer a peace of mind factor and this can only come with a brand new car. With the companies now offering warranty upto 5 years, this is sure a major factor to consider when buying a new car.

Compact car – The name says it all, sub-4 meter compact SUV is the logical choice if moving in the city is your major motive. Not to mention that parking is so much easier when the car you drive is small.

Modern Features – The only thing that travels faster than human desire is technology. With the tech becoming affordable and advancing at the same time, it is no wonder that 5-6 year old cars look so badly outdated these days. Advanced features such as automatic headlamps, automatic wipers, cruise control, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and others can only be found on a new car.

That Feel – The sheer thrill and excitement of buying a new car cannot be matched by any other thing on earth. The smell of a new car and the gentle feeling of care can only be showered on a new ride, and no old Toyota Fortuner can match that.

No Off-Roading – If driving in the city is what you’ll focus on, and off-roading will never cross your mind, you are better off buying a sub-4 meter compact SUV.

Take Caution! – Like with the Fortuner, there are a few things that you must know about buying a sub-4 meter compact SUV as well. First is the space. Although the new sub-4 meter compact SUV promises to be a 5-seater, things can get cramped pretty fast inside a compact SUV. The second thing to keep in mind is the lack of road presence, sub-4 meter compact SUVs are nothing but supersized hatchbacks and it looks the part on the road.