Mahindra Bolero [2011-2020] User Reviews

Take an all-terrain suspension, with extra large wheels, add power steering, power windows, boosted A/C and a seven-seater capacity - no other make or model on the Indian roads offers these features at such a moderate price. The fuel efficiency is as good as any other vehicle in the SUV/MUV bracket. Moreover, this vehicle is shorter in length and thinner in width than almost all other competitors - requiring less space in  traffic and while parking. Even the ground clearance is on the higher side allowing one to confidently negotiate those potholes found on almost every road.
It is important to view this vehicle for what it is and what it can do rather than descend to unfair comparisons. You cannot pay for a utilitarian vehicle and expect the amenities of high-end premium models.
There are only a few areas that need to be improved:
A. The base lining on the interior cabin floor is a clingy felt-like material that is very difficult to maintain clean and dust-free.
B. The standard issue floor mats are of poor quality.
C. Speakers of the sound system are poorly located (forward speakers are near the leg space of the forward seats).

But all this can be rectified by custom-made fittings at a cost that is a fraction of the amount saved in price-difference when buying this vehicle. In fact with a little thrift and resource-management, plus a careful appraisal of what we want/need against the array of accessories available in the market today - we can easily convert this vehicle into a comfortable haven catering to the particular needs of ourselves and that of our family.

Consider these additional favourable attributes:
1. Cheap repair and spare parts costs.
2. Panel type construction allows ready replacement of large body sections for minimum expense.
3. Metal re-inforced fender forward and behind together with the aluminium running boards all along the sides reduces chances of damage to the car body and affords an all-round protection to the inmates.

There are a few areas of concern:
1. In my city of Chennai, there are very few certified repair stations and not conveniently located.
2. This causes a lot of difficulty for owners for whom the car forms an integral part of their daily life - to send the car for servicing/repair for a whole day requires a whole lot of adjustments to routines/schedules etc.
3. There is a possibility of the repair stations having a backlog of vehicles which may result in your vehicle not being returned on time - easy to visualise what that would mean.
4. Spare parts are not readily available in the retail market which could delay repair works or servicing schedules.
5. After-sales service could definitely improve.

But on the whole a very impressive package for the associated price tag. Though I personally have this trait of changing vehicles once every 3-4 years, I like this one so much that at present I feel that I will dispose of it only if and when I am unable (due whatever reason) to maintain it the way I want to.
Great Value for money. Simple no-frills vehicle that performs adequately.External engine noise could be muffled

well if u cant afford a scorpio simply go for vlx crde, there is no difference in performance,the SUV easily touches a top speed of 130kph speed while the AC on.It looks good,ride & handling good,fuel efficiency is good for such a powerful engine & the rest depends on how u drive & mantain the vehicle.A very reliable & durable engine,cheap spare parts & easy to mantain,a perfect family SUV can be taken anywhere in india.Tackle bad roads & rough weather brilliantly...GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY...
fuel economy,power & pickup,muscular image,reliable & durable engine.odd pedal positioning,simple dashboard & gear lever is a bit short in height.

I am not a automobile engineer or kind of. I can share my recent experience as a common user only, as I purchased a Bolero ZLX just 2 weeks back. I am a Bangalore based and purchased the car from St. Marks Road India Garage.

Exterior All good. They did a lots of improvements. Being a Bolero lover it is nice to see.

Although initially Sales people didn't inform that with ZLX version, they cannot fit the rear wheel cover (the new sporty cover), only at time of delivary I found it, so better be carefull.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) The interior they tryed to improve, but failed totally. Very very cheap plastic work, not going with Mahindra's/Bolero's toughness. After purchasing, first day only I faced the below issues

1. Aircondition stopped working. switches came out....after checkup they confirmed that there was a issue with some part and needs to replace (2 days new vehicle !!!).

2. sound system speaker and other stuff came out from its fitting position, after complaining, they fixed it with fevicol :-(.

3. Plastic they used very very bad quality and didnt do any kind of "good" finishing work.

4. Charger point broken on first day itself, after complaining they replaced (!!!).

5. Micro-Hybride was not working due to seat belt problem.

Once they rectified few of them (air condition parts yet to come, and I am waiting for past 10 days!!!), then after 2-3 days again I faced the below issues (still I am facing these and god knows when they will get time to fix these).

1. Lots of sound comming from Break (when ever I am using break).

2. Sensors not working; always showing fuel tank is empty (showing the signal on digital board).

3. continuously "voice assisting" - "the car is running in reserve fuel" though the fuel tank is full.

4. always showing the "High tempareture of coolent" and other details wrongly.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox As of now I drove around 2000 KMs and getting around 8 KM/liter as a milage. When I contacted the company sales guy, they told it will be fine after sometime and I will get a improved milage. So waiting for that good day to come.

Final Words I was always  a great fan of Bolero for past 10 years or so. But with the kind of experience I had in last 2 weeks I will not recomend anybody to purchase any Mahindra Cars now onwards. I feel the Market is very good for them as everybody is looking for Deasel car and more a Utility kind of vehicle... So they are not giving enough attaintion towards Quality test before despatching the Car and Customer Satisfaction.

Areas of improvement Lots of, as, first thing they need to improve the customer service and satisfaction. They need to understand, when somebody purchase a car (a high end varietion specifically), the kind of expectation customer could have. Apart from increasing market and sales, they should think how to maintain their own reputation. I was a follower for Mahindra for past 10 years and obviously, I will never think of Mahindra Cars in future and I am regreting about my decision this time as well

Good look and good to drive in indian roads, lower priceVery very bad and cheap interior, after sales service is below expectation

If you want ur insurance immediately "Buy Bolero Camper DX". Check mails below.Rajesh Jejurikar
Executive Vice President - Marketing & Sales, M&M Automotive Sector Managing Director, Mahindra Renault
Dr. Pawan Goenka
President & Member of the Group Management Board
 
 
Sub:  Regarding Vehicle # KA 04 MF 3520 Mahindra Bolero Camper DX
                        Engine No- GA84D38719 Sl.No-83E58432                         
 
           I have purchased the above said vehicle from India Garage (St. Marks Road), Bangalore. Delivery was taken on 11/06/08.On 12/06/08 while driving the vehicle I almost ended up avoiding a major accident when I applied the brakes on the highway, as the vehicle swerved to right outbalancing my steering. When I contacted your authorized service center at Hesarghatta road, I was told to get the vehicle to the garage for inspection.
I took the vehicle to the garage around 1.45 pm wherein after I was informed that the 2 bolts of Suspension Sturt Bar were missing and duly replaced at the garage.
I wish to bring the following points to your attention, for which I need a satisfactory reply.
 
1)      How does a newly manufactured vehicle, after due inspection for quality at all levels is delivered to the customer without suspension sturt bar bolts.
2)      Next day morning (13/06/08) when I have to take the vehicle to garage, It did not start. I contacted Mr.Dileep (sales Executive), he suggested to check the battery terminal, I found he was correct, the terminal bolt was dislodged.
3)      Vehicle was brought into the garage at 1.45 pm and returned back at 8 pm.
4)      (Repair No-M-10284) The two bolts required for my vehicle were not available at the garage stock,  these were removed from another Bolero right in front of me.
5)      When approached with the problem, the trio Mr.Ravi, Mr.Radhakrishnan and Mr.Banu Prakash were simply incapable of taking responsibility to see that the problem was attended on priority basis.
6)      The infrastructure at the garage leaves a lot to be desired. The space requirement to move the vehicle on the balancing ramp was inadequate.
7)      After rectifying the same bolts problem when the vehicle was being brought out of the garage by garage people, there was a small damage to the vehicle as the passage is too small to take turn.
8)      I am finding there are other manufacturing problems with my vehicle and considering the response I have got, I am not confident to take the vehicle to that garage.
9)      Who is to be held responsible in case any unwanted incident occurs out of this fault.
10)  How you are going to compensate 1 days work and my official responsibilities which I was not able to attend due to this problem.
11)  Imagine the mental torture I have undergone at the garage during my 6 hours stay in the garage.
12)  How M/s Mahindra and Mahindra can appoint such irresponsible people to handle the customer / vehicle problems responsibly.
13)  How do I expect good service in future from your Authorized Service Station.
14)  How the spare parts change hands within the Authorized Service Station from a new vehicle to a under-repair vehicle.
15)  What will be the fate of customers unaware of such actions.
16)  What guarantee is there that my vehicle parts will not change during servicing at your garage.
17)  I have a mobile video clip where the technicians were idling their time away without attending to my vehicle's problem.
18)  Do all your vehicle come with such quiz type snags wherein the customer has to identify the faults and get rectified before driving.

Please let me know what is the course of action you are planning to pursue with the above facts in your mind, wherein my further action depends.
Sunil Pillai

Good Insurance claiming planBuy Bolero Camper DX- experiment

Dear friends Please note I am writing this review based only on driving experience and not on ownership experience.
First impression and looks.......:
Bolero looks good from all sides and angles but only from a distance. when you get closer, you can see uneven gaps in many places, for instance the panel gaps (between the body and bumper both rear and frontal , quality of plastics used for wheel arches, interior plastic quality ) is uneven and ugly.The fit and finish is not even average both inside and outside the bolero.Even the beeding on the sides in the top model is not fixed perfectly.it is opening and showing the paste used for sticking it in many points. (To check this i went to a dealer showroom there were about six bolero's on display and none of them had a perfect fit and finish and on top of it the sales person agreed that boleros come from the factory like that only????) Well ...Yes!!! the bolero looks macho from front.But when you look at it from the sides or from the rear  at close quarters you will really not feel so , In fact you may feel my god this could break easily on impact or like wise...The head light lens and assembly  looks promisingly of lighting up the darkness ahead of you satisfactorily .The rear light lens looks decent.The graphics on the sides could be better ( Crde engine). Atleast  the Crde version could sport a roof spoiler factory fitted and better sound system and alloy wheels..Nothing to say about DI Turbo looks plain and bland.There is only one horn provided behind the front grill, the horn looks cheap..
Interiors :
The interior space is nothing to rave about. The dashboard is small and primitive ,the plastics scream of cheap quality.The dashboard is utterly useless you cannot keep anything on it.i would say maruti omni had better dashboard. The door pads are not better. In the Crde version the front doors had a small map holder which is useful but built cheap.And there is a door handle at the bottom of the door i couldn't understand the purpose of that and neither the sales person could .the DI turbo has just plain door pads no holders or so...The seats are stiff and bench like in the rear and the head rest pokes on your neck.really the rear seats took me to my good old school days where we used to sit in stiff wooden benches.Coming to the front seats the bucket seat looks good but once you climb on to them they r not a bit comfortable. In fact they feel like a different version of the rear stiff seats.The seat is the same in Both the engine versions.The roof material looks average. The steering feels ok to drive sufficient  enough. the bolero is suitable only for 4 to 5 people and not 7 or 8 like they advertise.
Driving it:
There are two types of engines offered (1). Crde 2.49L & 97HP.(2).DI Turbo & 68 HP.
(1). Crde 2.49L & 97HP
First about the Crde engine.The engine is quite silent and once inside and windows rolled up the cabin noise is not harsh or too much The noise level inside is acceptable and less compared to other boleros .The power steering is excellent.Braking is also good.The engine response is very good.The engine feels good to drive and overtaking in city and highways will not be a problem.The Air-con is also good.
The CRDE engine is good.
Comment: The Crde is good but if you look closely at the front grill you can see the Inter-cooler for the turbo-charger,I personally feel that the inter-cooler is placed way too forward... in case of any frontal impact it will be first one to get damaged even if the total impact is less..I hope you understand what i mean..A front bumper guard will he helpful to a certain extent..
(2).DI Turbo & 68 HP.
The Di engine is really a miserable and shitty engine to drive. The engine response is bad and even without A/C the pickup is not that much.The power steering and Air-con remains the same as above.The only good part is mahindras claim a mileage of 14 to 16 in city which i think is not bad if at all it is true.(But i doubt it)The badge on the bolero screams turbo but the engine hardly moves ..
The DI Turbo is very average or below average. I think my old vehicle has better pickup .
Gearbox feel :
The gear leaver of the bolero ( both engines ) are placed in such a way which is difficult to access and shifting to second gear makes you feel that toy are trying to shear off the gears from the shaft , and my god shifting to reverse is really pain in the backside, very crude and not a bit smooth. gear box is poor in both engines..
Reliability:
Both the engines score 100% for reliability factor both engines have been around for some time and proven their capability and reliability both in city and beyond it..And i believe that the spares will not cost a bomb.Bolero is definitely suitable for Indian roads.It has the go-anywhere ability.
My personal choice:
Personally i would prefer a used, good condition CRDE bolero and do up the interiors nicely and make seating comfortable (definitely i will have to replace the front seats and re-cushion the rear seats ) and add a good amplifier and a sub-woofer, sport a roof spoiler, remove the lousy looking graphics,If possible try to relocate the inter-cooler at a relatively safe place,fix a couple of extra driving lights , keep riding the bolero happily ever after ...
Will i buy a NEW one ??
I would never want to buy a new bolero because
Considering that a guy pays 7.4 lac for the CRDE engine or a minimum of 6.10 lac for the basic version if DI Turbo engine What he gets is a something worthy half of the money he pays. I would say the maruti alto or even 800 have better interiors.
Bottom Line: 
The bolero is compaCrde engine ,Power steering, NVH levels inside cabin, A/C ,DI engine , interiors,cheap plastic quality, poor fit and finish, Gear box,

Hi chandrakanth here. I brought a SLE model in june.The most amazing thing is abt the mileage.......just guess...18+ on a hiway with ac on .....Im really suprised.I do agree tht engine noise should be somehow reduced ...overall its great and stylish
And can someone suggest how 2 reduce the engine noise .

ONE simple thing BE INDIAN BUY INDIAN MAHINDRA BOLERO ! INDIAS NO.1 SUV JAI HIND!this model gives a very excilent average! looks are very dashing! suv for all purposesimple interiors with good looks

Exterior Bolero looks a very muscular SUV & will shine if you maintain its looks. Visibility for driver is all around & new models have desent options of accessories.

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Electronic displays, power windows, central locking, child safety lock, beige interiors etc make me feel like i am in a car. If you say ride is bumpy, do not go for Bolero!! :) Still feel music system (infotainment) should be provided as upgrade option.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox DI is awesome in torque. Performance is quite impressive on long drives - never felt tired, both me n bolero. Gear throws make it a slow vehicle in traffic, otherwise you need to push it, n scare people around you!!!

Ride Quality & Handling Ride is of course bumpy, but new models are very well improved with coil springs & dampers. SLX is easier to handle both in traffic & offroad.

Final Words If you wish to buy BOLERO, go for it. I am sure you will be the happiest one. Fit, finish, chatters, bumps is something a compliment, so enjoy it!!

Areas of improvement High end music system with connectivity, ABS, EBD, Airbags.

Rigidity, looks, Fuel economy & torqueNot a quick vehicle in traffic

Exterior The one thing that this car has lots i: exterior, exterior & exterior! Looks really a mean thing in rear view mirrors & smaller minnow cars tend to scoot out of the way real quick. A nice tall stance & perfect for my kind of farm land trips. Exherts a confidence that it can manage anything!

Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Very spartan. very basic.  A/c chills the bones & power steering is nice & large. However, 2nd row seating space is really pathethic. I am not so tall (5.7") but when I slide the driver's seat, there is hardly any space for the 2nd seat passengers.

Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Too new to comment right away. Will reserve for post 5k kms.

Ride Quality & Handling The showroom guys had filled the tubeless radials with 43 psi!!!!! The metal monster was really jumpy. Good thing I realized & reduced the pressure to 30 psi. Now, it chews up the bad road like it is meant to.

Final Words Good entry level MUV. If you go to places with negligible / non-existent roads (this will cover 70% of India), this car is the car to be in.

Areas of improvement 2nd seat space.

Angry "get aside" looks, macho presence2nd row seating very less