Used Mahindra XUV 300 Ownership Experience: Sensible Buy In 2024?

If you are planning to buy a car under the budget of INR 10 lakh and do not mind buying a pre-owned vehicle, the Mahindra XUV 300 might be a great option. This compact SUV has been an enthusiast’s favourite ever since it landed its feet on Indian soil on February 14, 2019. The car offers a long list of features, a spacious and comfortable cabin and possibly one of the best driving experiences under the budget of INR 20 lakh.

With strong competition from the Tata Nexon, especially after the latter's facelift in 2023, Mahindra decided to liven up the XUV 300. The compact SUV, now called the XUV 3XO, wears Mahindra's modern fascia and design cues, an upgraded list of features and a revised list of prices to make it more appealing. The result is the XUV 3XO crawling up the sales charts and giving a tough fight to the Nexon.

The older XUV 300, however, still remains a good buy in the used car market, despite finding polarising opinions. What's undebatable though is the engine's strong performance, especially in the diesel variant. 

But should you get a used XUV 300 in 2024? To find out, we asked someone who recently went through the marketplace and secured herself a 2020 XUV 300 W8 (O) with AMT gearbox in the prime of its health. 26-year-old Anubha Pandey, a media personality heading Hardwire.news, took time to share her insights on her new pride with us. She has spent some months with her 4-year-old XUV and hence, is in the best place to clarify common doubts.

Used XUV 300 ownership experience 

Why did you choose the XUV 300?

“I had to get a compact SUV and this checked all the boxes such as a comfortable and spacious cabin, fun-to-drive nature and great fuel-efficiency figures,” says Anubha.

For a car that seems to be in pristine condition, she managed to get a good deal on it. Anubha got this XUV 300 directly from a known first owner who sold it to her for INR 7.6 lakhs. After taking a test drive and getting the vehicle checked by an expert, she went ahead with the deal, thus securing an automatic XUV for the price of a manual hatchback!

Mahindra’s nationwide sales and service network also played a role in choosing this car over something else.

How has been the overall experience?

“The car is flawless (yet) and everything works fine. The driving experience has been pleasing till now,” says Anubha. She enjoys the convenience of the automatic gearbox because her daily commuting route is generally flooded with traffic. She also admires the fact that the car easily returns a fuel efficiency of 13 to 15 kilometres per litre in the city and 18 to 20 kilometres per litre on highways. 

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How has the service experience been so far, especially with Mahindra?

Anubha is yet to take the car to the service centre and hence, not in a position to answer. However, we spoke to a few other XUV 300 owners, who acknowledged the maintenance charges and cost of parts are on par with most of its rivals.

How long do you plan to keep it?

“Currently, I love driving this car, so unless and until I get bored of it, I am not changing it," said a happy Anubha. Her XUV 300 came out of the Mahindra factories in 2020 and that gives her another six years to enjoy her compact SUV on the roads of Delhi NCR.

Are you facing any problems?

Since the Mahindra XUV 300 wears the SUV tag, Anubha expected it to offer a commanding driving position like bigger SUVs. Sadly, the XUV 300 feels more like a raised-up hatchback than a compact SUV to her.

Other than this Anubha has no complaints (yet) with her XUV 300.

Would you upgrade to the new XUV 3XO?

"Not at all, because the fundamentals of the XUV 300 and 3XO are very similar and I don't want to upgrade only for the cosmetic changes," says Anubha. She added that the simple and sober aesthetics of the XUV 300 seem more pleasing than the XUV 3XO’s sharp and angular design language.

What are you buying next?

Anubha does not plan to upgrade in the near future. However, she says her next car might be a sedan because she is currently driving an SUV and wants to explore cars from other segments. Sedans are known to provide better space and performance and she believes this will only elevate her experience. 

Who should buy a pre-owned XUV 300?

Based on our conversation with Anubha, the XUV 300 is an all-rounder. The combination of good cabin space along with powerful engine options (in diesel and petrol) and all the necessary modern features makes it an ideal choice for first-time buyers in the used-car market. The Mahindra service network is also accessible to most parts of the nation to make the after-sales support hassle-free.

However, if you are looking for a car with a large boot space, then something like the Tata Nexon with 382 litres of boot space should be on top of your list. 

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