New Mahindra Thar or used Toyota Fortuner: which should I buy?

I’m looking to buy a cool-looking SUV that oozes road presence, comes with a diesel engine and an automatic gearbox, and I have a budget of about Rs 20 lakh. I had my heart set on the Mahindra Thar but the dealer is telling me I’ll have to wait for three months for delivery and I don’t want to wait. I saw online that there are used Toyota Fortuners (2013 to 2015 models) that will also fit in my budget. Should I take the chance on a used Fortuner or should I just wait for the Thar?

Amit Mandawewala, Mumbai

Autocar India says: The Fortuner is a tough-as-nails and reliable SUV that definitely has the road presence you’re looking for from the Thar – in fact, it’s bigger and that’s something you should be aware of in case you need urban manoeuvrability. The Toyota’s diesel engine is a strong performer and the automatic makes it much easier to drive. Look out for issues with the diesel injectors, brake wear (it’s a big SUV and needs an adequate amount of stopping power), and body damage, as panels for the SUV aren’t cheap and some owners may have gone off-roading with their Fortuner. Negotiate hard and you may get a much better deal in the Rs 16 lakh-18 lakh range. You can’t really go wrong with a Toyota Fortuner.

Also see:

Used SUV buying guide: Toyota Fortuner

2015 Toyota Fortuner 3.0 4WD automatic review

2013 Toyota Fortuner 5-speed auto review