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12 comments:
I have an Esteem VXi, 2005 model on which I have already clocked 35,000
kms. I also have a 2005 Santro XG eRLX model. I’ll come to the reason
later for mentioning my also having a Santro.
The Esteem has
given me totally hassle free ownership experience for the past two
years that I’ve owned it. I was in two minds at the time of buying the
Esteem as to whether Swift VXi would be a better buy. But what made me
decide for the Esteem was Swift’s cramped rear seat legspace, small
rear door windows which made me feel claustophobic and tiny boot . What
I found better in Swift was higher seating position (getting in and out
of the Esteem is a real crawl!) and the bigger wheels which is supposed
to give you a better ride on rough roads (atleast theoritically!). But
then I was getting a ’new’ car (Swift) with the engine and gearbox of
the good ol’ Esteem - then why not buy the original and get a proper 3
box car instead of a hatchback! Ever since I have not had any occassion
to regret my decision to go with the Esteem.
Being the VXi
model, the tyres are lower in profile and wider - which translates into
softer ride and better road holding ability - so handling the car at
higher speeds gives you a lot more confidence and braking becomes
surefooted without ever feeling that the tyres might lock up on you
during hard braking.
Now I’ll come to the all important issue of
fuel consumption. I had a Santro Zip Drive previously which used to
give me an average of 10 kmpl. When I bought the Santro eRLX the
average fuel consumption within city (Kolkata) jumped up to 13 - 13.5
kmpl and I was overjoyed because I feel Kolkata traffic is one of the
worst in India! And on highways (I regularly venture out on weekend getaways!)
the Santro returns me anywhere between 18 - 21 kmpl (without AC). Now
when I bought the Esteem I had a faint expectation that hopefully it
will return an average fuel consumption figure somewhere near my
Santro. But what I got in return even left me wide eyed. I get a city
average of 14.5 - 16 kmpl (with occassional AC) and 21 (with AC) - 23.5
(without AC) kmpl on highways. The way I check my fuel average is that
I fill up the tank every Sunday from a particular fuel dispensor on
auto shut/cut-off from the same retail outlet and I reset my trip meter
to keep calculations simple. I always knew that the Esteem was good in
fuel economy but never imagined that it will return me such high
figures consistently. I do not know whether most of the Esteems return
such figures or am I plain lucky!!
I would recommend the car to
anyone who wants to own a Saloon but doesn’t want to spend over Rs. 5 -
6 lakhs and wants a car which has proven its worth over the years, is highly fuel
efficient, reliable and easy (read cheap!) to maintain. I am glad that I listened to my head rather than my heart when it came to chosing the Esteem over its more recent cousin, the Swift!
Purchase Price (INR): 5,69,000/-
Dealer Name and City: Auto Hi Tech
Model Year: 2005
I purchased my new Maruti Esteem VXi from Vitesse Ltd, Mumbai. I am very happy with this new car of mine. Earlier, I drove the Fiat UNO 1.2 ELX and was almost in love with it for the last six to seven years. It was really difficult to give up the UNO, but after a long and hard thought and some research on Indiacar.com, the largest automobile portal of India, I finally decided to upgrade to the Maruti Esteem VXI.
Immidiately, on taking delivery, I took the car from Mumbai to Ahmedabad and from there to Pune and back to Mumbai. In the span of 4 days, I drove almost 1400 kms. One can call that a real acid road test for a brand new car.
The drive quality was really very good. After the non-stop drive from Valsad to Ahmedabad, I was actually able to party with my friends. Obviously, there was no fatigue caused by the long drives. Maybe, the partial credit should go to the roads.
I havent been able to actually check the fuel efficiency, but a rough guesstimate tells me that I got anything between 16 to 18 kms per litre, and I havent switched off my A/c yet. That shows, that this car is quite economical to drive around.
The power steering, is quite featherlite, and parking is really very easy. This was the first change I noticed after giving up the UNO.
While returning from Ahmedabad, we were 6 adults in the car, and not one felt overcramped. This would mean that for 5 people, the drive would be even more pleasant.
Only one drawback I noticed in this car, is that if you are planning to have a 500 kms long drive, you need to stop for fuel at least twice, as the fuel tank is relatively smaller. I could not fill up more than 1300 to 1400 Rs. worth of petrol in the car at any given point of time. But I guess, having a larger fuel tank would have a adverse effect on the mileage of the car.
Overall, I can vouch for this car anytime. No wonder, this is the longest serving model in India.
Its a pity, that on Mouthshut.com, I cannot choose 2007 as the model year of the car. Although it is now mid June of 2007.
Purchase Price (INR): 590000
Dealer Name and City: Vitesse Ltd. Mumbai
Model Year: No Comment
Its always been said in the world that the Korean cars lack quality & safety. The West unlike the most of the Asian countries are more watchful about the safety and comfort features of an automobile.
Even the trucks and coaches manufactured are very comfortable for the drivers also viz. Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Scania and others. But in India, people are more conderned about the maintenance cost & the fuels consumption of the car. The new Hyundai Accent CRDi takes care of all the above things.
The new Hyundai Accent CRDi is equiped with a Diesel engine based on the CRDi concept developed by the Mercedes Benz. This makes the engine less noisy, more fuel efficient and has a less maintenence cost towards it. The life of the CRDi engines is also more as compared to the other types of engines. Even at 1,00,000 kms they are as evergreen as Dev Anand or Amitabh Bacchan. They make the car a lambi race ka ghoda . If you are driving the Hyundai Accent CRDi, you get a feel that you are driving a petrol engine vehicle. The engine of Hyundai Accent CRDi is very smooth as compared to the other Diesel Engine vehicles in this segment. Hyundai Accent CRDi consumes Diesel at the rate of 17.5 kmpl on highways. The Hyundai Accent CRDi has safety features like Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Collapsible Steering Column and Anti-Submarine seats.
The Hyundai Accent CRDi also has a good resale value. The Hyundai’s have come a long way in terms of quality & performance since their inception in India in the late 90s. The quality of the Hyundai vehicles has alomost come at par with the industry leads like the Maruti Suzukis, Hondas and the others in the same segment.
In Hyundai Accent CRDi you get safety, quality, comfort, less maintenance cost & good fuel economy and plus more satisfaction at a very good price. In short, Hyundai Accent CRDi gets you good value for your money. Hyundai Accent CRDi is buit for India, Indians and Indian roads. Hyundai India has also a very well developed dealer & bodyshop network.
Hyundai Accent CRDi is owner’s pride and passenger’s drive.
Note :
For getting more technical information about Diesel Engines & CRDi Engines visit the following sites ~
http://www.swedespeed.com/news/publish/Features/printer_272.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_engine
I got myself a Getz GVS in April 06 from Sharayu Motors (New Bombay). Even though its been a lil over a year now, i fall in love with it everytime i see her parked outside my house
or at work. Its just a beautiful looking car..I wonder if other Getz owners feel this way.
My babys clocked lil over 14k Kms till now, never has it given me any trouble whatsoever. I got the under chassis treated for the rains and corrosion, right when I bought it. Have made no mods to it yet.
The fastest Ive clocked is 160Kmph (on palm beach road) . The Pickup is just a little short of giving you a sports car feel, but 83 horses arent all that bad for city driving either. I think it gives me about 12 kmpl without and 9 kmpl with AC on. The car holds the road very well due to its weight. This car lets you take sudden curves without you worrying about toppling over to one side.
Here are some of the things i love about the getz
1) The smoothest gear shift amongst hatch backs...even many sedans dont have a gearshift as sikly smooth and refined as the Getz does.
2) Very quite inside the car, it really is difficult to figure out if the car is ON at all when waiting at long stop signals. Ive had many friends try n turn the ignition key thinking the car isnt turned on.
3) Great amount of space inside, lots of leg room for all passangers
4) The power window controls are all placed on the drivers door. Much better than the wierd combinations offered by the indicas and the santros
5) Overall build quality is very satisfactory
A car for people who are ok with a little lesser fuel economy, but are big on comfort, and refinement on 4 wheels within a 5.5lakh budget.
Purchase Price (INR): 505000
Dealer Name and City: Sharayu Hyundai
Model Year: 2006
I bought Getz GLS on 5th Sep 2006. Its almost 10 months now. I have driven about 16000 (yes, drived a lot) in & out of city, on worst roads of pune to express highway of pune-bombay, gujarat.
First my need....
To accomodate myself, wife, kid & my father & mother.... This was my first car, so couldn’t think beyond this.
Purchase story:
Space was one of the very important criteria in mind. Fuel economy was not much but now it is as I am driving a lot & not getting enough milage. But anyway, I am still very happy with my Getz. We roamed around for almost 6 months to look for ’love at first sight’ car & taken the test drive right from M800 to Sonata Gold ( leaving honda city, as i don’t like those egoistic dealers). Actually we went to Hyundai to check Accent Viva CRDi as I heard it gives milage of about 20 to 25 & again its diesel car. On my first visit, my wife was insisting me to have a look at Getz but I didn’t as I was more keen on Accent Viva CRDi. Second time, we decided to look on Swift & went to Hyundai showroom as it was on our way to have a look at Getz (just to make my wife happy). But when I actually sit inside Getz in showroom it took me just another 1 hour to buy a Getz GLS (though we started with GVS, but ended with GLS as my wife’s fav color was not available in GVS).
Now about 10 months down the line, based on my experience, I think below are points which a new purchaser of Getz may probably find useful....
(It also has points which I like most about Getz)
1) Look: Its one of very different looking cars & quite sporty. Among regular looking other cars & cartoon character Siwft, I think no other car has looks which comes even close to Getz, not even Aveo-uva which appears a clear copy of Getz.
2) Space Inside: Most of the cars (even viva crdi) we sat inside fails immeidately when it competes with Getz in terms of space. I will recommand a new buyer should sit inside every car (atleast test drive them) to really understand how comfortable & spacious Getz is from inside. Full marks for it.
3) Engine: 1.3L engine below the hood producing 83bhp is definitely good. I will not term Getz as driver’s car as it has slow pick up compare to others & engine takes time to really make to you feel powerful, but once gone to higher zone, it amazingly catches up with every other car. Best part comes now, even at speed of 140 to 150kmph (yes, that’s the one i drove it with), its unbelievably stable (don’t try that ... its dangerous even if you make a small mistake at that speed). Its like deamon waking up from sleep.
4) Noice: Its noice level is quite low. Manytimes you don’t even realise that even it is on or not. You need to look at rpm meter to realise it.
5) Fuel Economy: I was bluntly told by my dealer that it is not very fuel efficient car. It gives me milage of 10kmpl constantly no matter whether city roads, high way, with or without ac. Not sure if this has to do with my driving habits or with car itself. But I think it is on slightly lower side. I have seen reviews on this site from people saying they get 14 or 15 which may also be true but I haven’t received that yet.
6) Gear Shifting: Amazingly smooth. I shift the gears using single finger. It moves in such a sleek way that on its way to shift it only gives you very very gentle reminder that it is changing. Once I was driving Swift, it was not really good, sound like doing on/off with electric switch board, quite hard & get locked couple of times. Engineers has really done great job in this one. This is one of the best thing I like about this car.
7) AC: Quite good. It definitely meets expactations & cools the cabin very very quickly.
8) Clutch Lock: This is quite useful feature in Getz specially if you have very very naughty kids. It really saved me on many occassions. I am not very sure but it is not available in most of other cars.
9) Foot Rest: Once I was driving Alto of my cousin, then I realise how useful this is when you go for long drives specially for more then 4 to 5 hours journey.
10) Interior: Getz is known as one of the most refined car. Its interiors are very very rich. Infact it was its interior first that we liked much. First have a look at maruti or tata cars & then look at this one, you will realise the difference. Illumination of window switches definitely helps in night driving. I have seen new Getz Prime & it was sad to see that Hyundai has degraded its interior. Anyway, GLS is still there in same way.
11) Price: it is definitely priced on higher side of range (probably 30 to 40K) but its definitely worth putting some extra money in this car. In same range you get Ikon Flair or Tata Indigo but those who are ready to pay for more refined car, this is really worth paying for it.
12) Dealer: As usual, sales staff is good, service staff, they need to spend more money on atleast with people who deal with customer. Also never eager to serve better, sounds quite cheap. They never had any reverse horn which was never working in the car I got. But can’t do much, these guys don’t expact second time business from you. I cancelled my plan to go for Accent with them due to their service. But were definitely better then Honda guys. Sales guy really gave me good deal & made every effort to make it financially same as Ikon Flair.
13) Tyres: Got replaced normal with tubeless in deal only which helped me a lot.
14) Boot space: Its not very spacious like other cars but is okey if you don’t carry too much of laugage.
All in all, its really very good car if you are really going to need comfortable drive.
Hope that helps all you new buyers.
Thanks..
Purchase Price (INR): 550000
Dealer Name and City: Kothari, Pune
Model Year: 2005
I have had this car for 80,000km(4 years).
It was one of the first cars imported into the country, and was a CBU kit from Brazil.
At the time, it was the fastest Diesel in the country, with a price that blew it’s competition out of the water.
And an excellent product it is. I have a holiday home in Panvel 150 kms out of Bombay, and the car makes routine bi-weekly trips. The roads on the highway are mostly decent, however the farm ’’paths’’ are another story. Potholes visible from the moon are pretty common, but I never break a sweat with this car. The build is exemplary, the ride quality superb and the feel is very stout and solid. No complaints in that department.
The stock tires wore out after 45k kms. They were the OEM 175/70 Bridgestone Tube radials. Once they died, I upsized the Wheel size to 14 inch alloys, complete with 185/60 R 14 Michelin Tubeless rubber. I never expected the car to look, handle and ride as well as it did after that upgrade. This is the tire and wheel package it should have come with. The grip is incredible and the cars roadholding is phenomenal.
The engine is the bullet proof 1700cc engine used in the Uno with the addition of a Garett Turbocharger with Oil Cooler(no intercooler-probably for cost cutting. A sad omission, as they usually improve power and reliability)
I have realized the benefits of an air intake system on cars with forced induction and have removed the air filter box and replaced it with a k&n performance filter. This improved throttle response and protects the engine better. It never has to be replaced. Probably added a couple horsepower too. I also removed the stock muffler which was very restrictive and replaced it with a straight through muffler. This, combined with the filter helps the car breath easier. I also use Mobil-1 fully synthetic oil as a precaution, as it is far superior to the regular stuff available. It also lasts longer and lets the car revv easier. I also use TurboJet- a new age diesel fuel manufactured by Hindustan Petroleum, which has additives to clean the fuel system and restore optimum performance. I figure I’ve got nothing to loose and it only costs Re.1 more than regular diesel. It is hard to find out of Bombay though!
With all the modifications made to the intake and exhaust, combined with the better lubrication and fuel quality, the car should improve upon the factory 0-60 time of 17.1 seconds, and raise that to high 16 seconds (not much you say? read on). That’s on par with the Petrol Indigo, 1.3 Icon, Cielo and better than several small petrol cars including the Santro and Matiz. All at a Rs.10 savings per liter. That makes the Siena one of the best all-round diesels available. And while it cannot compete with current common-rail technology (read: Accent CRDi and Mercedes) in terms of refinement and performance, it shouldn’t have to. After all, this is one reliable, tough-as hell powerplant which will easily take on the 100,000 km milestone and ask for more, while giving the driver a smile as he engulfs other cars in his diesel after-smoke.
On the flip side, this car has trouble passing PUC emission tests. After my modifications it comes closer to passing, but is still not a ’green’ vehicle. It is also noisy when cold. At 80,000 kms the engine is running strong and the transmission is like silk. I expect an overhaul requirement after 100,000 kms but not before. Maintainance is a bitch, NOT because the car is unreliable, BUT because the dealers overcharge on the parts and labour(FIAT-enough said), and the spares are harder to get at bargain shops.
Its not too spacious in the rear either. But the 500 litre boot makes up for it. It is a car FIAT designed to tackle rural countries lacking infrastructure, and hence it weighs 1100 kgs. A bit too much reinforced steel for a city like Bombay, where a lighter car equals a faster, more efficient car. But perfect for those crazy, bombed wastelands called our highways. Safety is another strength, and this is one of the few cars that conform to Euro III safety norms. Believe me, this car feels as solid as a Tiger Tank, even after 4 years of use. A side note, the car has a Drag Co-efficient of .33, which is excellent. Designed by Guigaro of Ferrari fame, the car demonstrates little wind resistance, and it’s curvy shape - while unpleasant to some - slices through air with ease. It even has Veglia Borletti gauges and Magnetti Marelli parts, both OEM suppliers for Ferrari.
It averages 10 kmpl with the A/C (60%) in city traffic and that number climbs to above 12 on the highway. Even higher without climate control.
Overall, a great diesel if you know how to look after your cars. It has served us well, and continues to do so. My next car? Probably a Skoda TD...
UPDATE: 10/8/03 - The car now has 83,000 km on it. I had the timing belt and a number of bearings changed, and the injectors and diesel pump serviced.
The result: dramatic change in the smoothness of the car. NVH characteristics are much better.
Wanted to buy a used car for performance & reliability. Short listed cars are Baleno1.6, Ikon1.6, Accent1.6, Old Honda City(OHC 1.5/VTEC)
& Petra1.6 with less than 25000kms on its Odo. Finding
these used cars in Chennai is not a problem. Checked out some of the used car dealers/brokers/owners. Individual owners are always better than other two. Worst case go with dealers. I’m not comfortable with brokers. Test driven all of them.
Here are my parameters
**********************
Looks
Fuel Economy
Performance
Engine & gear shift
A/C
Safety
Maintenance
Baleno
******
Baleno’s performance/FE/Engine/AC are good but has oddball looking. I do not like the low slung bonnet. I do not feel safe enough & Interiors are not great either. The A/C is remarkable. Heard it gives around 14km/lr. That is Reasonable. But its expensive to maintain
Ikon1.6
********
What a terrific performance. Looks small when compared with Baleno. A/C is effective. Poor gear shift. Safety & Interiors very average. Heard it gives around 12km/lr. That is also Reasonable. But its expensive to maintain
Accent1.6
**********
I do not like its performance & its rubbery gear shift. Looks bigger than Ikon from outside. A/C is effective. Poor gear shift. Safety & Interiors very average. Heard it gives around 12km/lr. That is also Reasonable. But not expensive to maintain
OHC/VTEC
**********
It has killer performance & very good gear shift. Looks small compared to others. A/C is effective. Interiors very average. Felt insecure. Heard it gives around 15km/lr. That is very good. But its very expensive to maintain
Petra(Siena1.6)
***************
Love at first sight. The car looks big. The Audi like headlights are pure seductive. It has excellent performance & gear shift. Looks rock solid and built like a tank. A/C is superb. My family felt totally safe inside the bulletproof tank. Heard it gives around 14km/lr. That is very good. Its not expensive to maintain and after TATA’s taking over, all the service related issues are sorted out. Remedy for those have back pain. Finally my feeling was it is a proper blend of all the goodies from Baleno, Ikon, Accent & OHC VTEC.
Before deciding checked out as many places possible. I’ve not seen any major negative comments on Petra other than few service related niggling. As I mentioned earlier, Since TATA dealers are servicing, have not seen/heard any service problems.
I remember reading some where in one of the leading Indian auto magazine mentioning that the Siena 1.6 ELX performance figures are comparable with Old Honda City. In my experience, Yes its TRUE.
It has been more than a month now. I’m absolutely happy about the car/tank. Overtaking with full A/C is a child’s play. Driving in Chennai traffic with 25km/hr in 3rd gear is absolute delight. I’ve seen many people in other cars looking and praising the Italian beauty, As if they had missed the opportunity.
Overall I would recommend Petra as an all-rounder.
Again the above is purely my personal review. So no offence please …
I am writing this review so that other people like me who were looking for reviews on Palio Stile will be able to make a better decision. Frankly, when I was in process of buying
a new Palio Stile, I had only a few reviews to see and make judgment. I urge other people who own Palio stile write their reviews. This will definitely help others who are still under the impression that Palio’s mileage, after sales service and support is not so good.
I want to share my experience with all you people out there. I purchased Palio Stile SLX 1.1 from B U Bhandari last month. Sales guy there was truly very co-operative and gave all the information I needed. He initially asked me to look at Indica Xeta GLX but since I had made my decision, he didn’t force me to rethink. Some features in the car which he was not aware of, he asked the Fiat technician to explain in detail. Before buying this car, many people raised their eyebrows on my decision. But, now even they appreciate that I made this decision.
Now, coming to the features in new Palio Stile SLX 1.1. I will not be comparing this car with any other car as people would think I am biased towards Palio Stile.
Technical Specification -
Engine Type Petrol - 4 cylinders FIRE.
Displacement (cc) - 1108
Maximum Power - 57 PS @ 5250 rpm
Torque - 92 Nm @ 2750
Valves Per Cylinder - SOHC, 2 valves
Fuel System - Electronic multipoint with 32 bit microprocessor
Space inside - SpAAAAAcious. Five Adults can comfortably sit without feeling cramped even in a long journey.
Fuel Efficiency - Traditional ’tank full to tank full’ method - 16 KMs/Ltr (before 1st servicing with minimum A/C). After 1st servicing (Car has still not run 2000 Kms), it has given me 16.96 Kms/ltr (again with minimum A/C). Fiat claims in it’s manual that the average will stabilize once the car runs for more than 2000 Kms.
Safety - Do I have to mention anything on this? If yes, read a few of them here:
1. Rock Solid body - Just close the door of the car and you will realize what material has been used to build the car.
2. Fire Prevention System (FPS) - This acts like a firewall between the engine and passenger cabin in case of fire in engine.
3. Double Crank Prevention System - This prevents the engine from being recranked when the car is already on.
Reverse Gear Lock - Another smart feature so that you don’t put reverse gear accidentally.
Tubeless tyres - Tubeless 165 / 80 R13 - Provides firm grip on the road and tyres will not suddenly go flat in case of puncture. Tubeless tyres together with great suspension provide smooth ride even in case of big potholes.
Overdrive on 4th and 5th gear - Overdrive is usually given on top gear to increase fuel efficiency. Palio has it on both 4th and 5th gear.
Boot Space - 260 ltrs. Adequate to a family of 4 to travel long distances for 3-4 days. One thing which I didn’t like is the boot floor is not even/flat. Fiat should have at least provided a hard mat. Not a big deal tough.
Engine immobilizer - This makes sure that the car will start only with it’s original key. You can compare this secured access though finger print recognition or eye recognition. Fully secured hah!!!
Power/Pickup - This is one area where the car lags behind. This is only true for 1108 cc engine with 57 BHP. I have driven this car mostly on Highway and I feel it is slightly underpowered. People looking for power, please go for 1.6 Palio Sport.
Fuel tank capacity (Litres) - 47 Ltrs. looking at the fuel tank capacity, my friends calls this a truck.
Double Barrel Clear Lens Halogen Headlamps - Gives a stylish look to the car which was till now available only in high-end car models. You don’t believe me? See for yourself. As I said, I will not compare this car with any other car. :)
Turning radius (m) - 5.1 - This is also one of the cons I must say.
First servicing - I had no major complains while getting the first servicing of the car done. I took the car to B U Bhandari workshop @ wakad and the experience was good. Gear shift from 4th to 5th was a bit hard, they changed the gear cable; now it’s smooth. Time in the digital clock is not clearly visible. I guess, I have to leave with it. First servicing cost - Zero
Hope, this is good piece of information to all of you who are thinking of buying a Palio Stile.
Hi, I am pleased to write this review after using my beloved Italian -Gas Turbine inspired power packed hatchback for the last three years. It has now clocked 24,000 kms. (Last one year i was traveling
between cities on my work , not used the car much)
When i was contemplating to buy the Small car in Sep ,2003 i had the options like Santro Xing , Tata Indica V2 and ofcourse Maruti ALTO, ZEN .
To be honest, i didn’t compare the Palio with Indica, Alto VX1.1, Zen. It deserves more than that i compared that with IKON 1.3 Exi , Flair, and Corsa Sail.
When i test drove the Palio Petrol , i felt it is hep car for the trendy younger generation ( by the way i was getting married then in my late twenties). And i also travel 30-40Kms per day , and when i calculated the running cost with petrol variant , it will be more. ( in Karnataka fuel cost is more ) Then i decided to look into the Diesel variant of it.
All my colleagues ,friends were cautioning me that Palio Diesel is not a good car , will have all troubles like any other diesel cars, will face problem in servicing because of bad dealer networks ,Fiat may report bankrupcy etc...
But still , i went and test drove the car , ( i insisted to get me a new car , they gave me a one with 8 Km clocked ) . Actually for the Test Drive , i had taken my friend also with me. When i hard pressed the acc pedal ( I had the feeling that for Diesel cars , it lacks power ,have to press hard), it zipped and almost it was going to bank another one parked inside . Then i realized Palio Diesel is diesel driven IC engine that had been inspired by the Gas Turbine thrust technology . My friend was taken back on the initial thrust itself. (He commented that Test Drive is the session where you get a nice car and a good looking female of the Dealer firm to have a joy ride )
I don’t want to write about its inertior, looks and all, because most of the people have acknowledged that is class apart.
On comfort it is the best in class , i had self driven the car in OOty Hills ( Mysore, Mudumalai, Masinagudi route) , sea shores of Tiruchendur , Kanniya Kumari , and the fertile paddy fields in Tanjore , Trichy District , every where the drive was pleasure . So on a scale of 5 , i give 4.5 for ride comfort.
Reliability means to me a life saving incident on the road. On enroute to Ooty from Mysore , my friend was driving the car , myself and my wife were at the back , one more friend was in the front.
In one of the sharp curves , my friend mis judged the parked lorry , and we were at 100-110 Kms speed , in that sharp curve at that speed , if it is some other car , it would have either banked the lorry and would have toppled , but the Italian legend stopped at 5 mts gap as if nothing had happened . My friend who was driving (He has IKON 1.6 Nxt ) was taken into surprise.
For reliability and stability, i would rate 5 out of 5.
Experinces on Service with Sundaram Motors had been pleasant throughout till the dealership changed to Tata Motors dealers. The quality and workmanship was very good, all these also comes up with a little bit high cost. Yes Sundaram Motors is expensive in Servicing.
Believe it or not , the maintenance cost are moderate only when compared with traditional Diesel cars. Each time Service cost will be around Rs 1800-Rs 2500.
On Fuel consumption, when i took the car for first long drive ( Blr- Kanniya kumari) , by then it was hardly done about 300Kms , it gave me 21 Kms per ltr without A/c . After 24,000 kms now it is giving 16-17 Kms on Highway with A/c, and 12-13 Kms inside the City with A/c.
Last but not the least; Palio Diesel is the car which gives you feeling of Big Car, Value for Money, Low cost of ownership and still elegant in its style and look.
Purchase Price (INR): 5,48,950(on road)
Dealer Name and City: Sundaram Motors ,Bangalore
Model Year: 2003
This is from a car enthusiast too!! I absolutely agree with all those who love this car for its realiability, comfort, response, noiseless cage & a superb engine. There are few other things some of us owners & buyers need to consider. There are few written here and there are few open for debate.
Report:
Used in Hyd, in its 5th year and clock shows 52,000km. Mileage / litre continues to be a proud 12.5~13.4 with AC On/Off. Its gives me 13+ w/o AC. Long distance mileage is a easy 17+ with AC.
Battery last for 5 yrs. 2 mo. before I changed it couple of days ago.
Horn was replaced about a month ago.
Brakes stayed on active for a good 28,000 km instead of its prescribed life of 25,000km.
AC super charged as always (except for the annoying noise & a bad AC cluth design)
Suspensions stayed as good. Bumpy rides are still very far away.
Engine performance continues to be top class & silky. A cleaner air filter & 6000 km oil change will keep it silky.
No body / cage / trunk noise. Seems like they put every nut and bolt in a rubber base.
Poor service & trouble-shooting skills. Need to know somebody at workshop to ensure things are REALLY fixed. (Anuroop, Hyd)
With little added maintenance, will do another 7 years easy without anything major.
WHAT TO EXPECT AND KEEP IT GOING?
1. Steering column sounds (only if EL as its a Rack & Pinion)
2. Brake pads & calipers
3. Suspension checks & replacement if required
4. Air filters.
5. Under coating (to prevent monsoon damage)
FOR MILEAGE, HERE ARE SOME TIPS I CAN OFFER:
1. Use the cars weight. Don’t drag in 1 / 2 gears too long nor retard too much. Have a smooth & continous drive with traffic in your sight. This avoids too much gear shifts & usage of brakes. 4th / 5th gears have over-drive, it will work for you starting at 40kmph.
2. Take the leg off the cluth except when shifting gears. This will also spoil your cluth & increase consumption.
3. Ride it in right gears. 1st - upto 10kmph, 2nd-upto 30kmph, 3rd-upto 40~45kmph, 4th - 40kmph upwards.
4. Ensure your engine firing timing is right. It takes 250/- at the work shop to fix it.
5. Check which petrol filling station gives you better mileage. You will have to try few before you know. Check it from fuel light to light. This will add 2-3 km extra per litre.
6. Make sure the air filter is clean. If you know it, you can clean it yourselves gently. Clean it once 10,000 km.
7. Try to switch on the AC while your foot is off the gas pedal. It will use mech energy to turn on and at the same time useful to slow down the car.
8. Ensure the tyre pressure is optimum. Once in 20 days is a good way. Tubeless are better.
9. If having a driver, educate him on distance between vehicles, speed in gear mantra & use of weight.
10. Use normal Petrol. Any other higher grade of petrol is useless as it is controlled by a computer. The volume consumption remains the same.
11. Turn off the engine if waiting at signals for more than 30 secs. Turn the AC off before the engine. Turn the AC on after the car is in motion.
Trust me, the mileage does’nt change even if there is adrenalin rush and the engine obeys your needs. Certainly avoid jerks. Everything else is absorbed easily.
Purchase Price (INR): 4,2x,xxx
Dealer Name and City: Anuroop, Hyd
Model Year: 2002
I have a tata indigo LX diesel model, without DICOR, bought in nov 2006. I paid 598000 for the vehicle. It has so far done 14600 km, of which about 8000 is on the highways.
MILEAGE:
I am very happy with the car. It gives me about 14 km per litre in bangalore city driving conditions (AC on 30% of the time), and about 17 km per litre on the highways. The best mileage I have got on highway is 19 km per litre on my ride from Bangalore to Coimbatore. The fuel tank of 42 litres mean I drive from Bangalore to Cochin without refuelling and with about 10 litres left in the tank. Very economical if you are driving with four folks.
I have been hearing folks report 17-18 km per litre in city conditions on the indigo. I think they are poets or arch-liars. Many folks have the habit of exaggerating the mileage they get. I did a study yesterday and found that from november 2006 till date, I have got a cumulative mileage of 15.25 km per litre. I derive this figure by doing a basic calculation - total distance driven by total amount of fuel consumed. I meticulously keep track of every single drop of fuel put into the car as well as other maintenance expenses encountered. Again, the above mileage figure is due to the fact that 50% or more driving has been on highways. IF I used the car to get to work everyday in Bangalore, this figure will surely go down.
Other stuff:
The huge boot is a big plus for me, since I carry a lot of stuff on my long drives. There is more than enough space for the luggage of four people.
The suspension is superb. You dont feel too much of the bumpy roads.
The fact that it does not have a ABS does not bother me much... I love the headlight adjustment feature to compensate for more weight in the rear of the car. LX comes with a standard fog lamp too.
The biggest bone of contention is the noise the diesel engine makes. The turbo diesel makes a fair amount of noise even on highway cruising. The noise level is the cabin is decidedly higher than the older tata indica DLS models without turbo.
The fact that the turbo gets turned on only after 2000 rpm makes city driving a little harsher. But it is only a question of getting used to. So if you are driving a diesel car for the first time, dont think you will be impressed.
The interiors are neat looking and does not feel of cheap plastic... All my friends who have been in the car has been impressed with the overall space, interior finish. Only put down was the engine noise. Though autocar claims it can go from 0 to 100 in 17.5 seconds, I have never tried any of those feats. 0-100 speed tests are something you would like to do on a rental car, not your "own" car! :) At any rate, 0-100kmph time is not even a factor for me when I consider buying a car. Those are figures to pep up the automotive journals - for under 20 somethings to read and drool on the acceleration of cars.
Most of my highway driving is between 90 and 110kmph. The steering feels adequate for me at all speeds. I really dont have a clue of what they mean by understeer and oversteer in some auto magazines.
I fill the front wheels with 34 psi and rear with 32 psi, higher than the company recommendation. First oil change was done at 7200 km.
Issues faced:
1)Front power windows malfunctioning. The rubber beading was not proper and hence glass would get stuck in between sometimes... Got fixed in two hours.
2)AC broke down after about 7000 km of running. Got fixed in less than a day.
3)AC drain pipe was not proper. Water used to leak very slightly inside the driver space, typically 2-3 drops in an hour when you drive. This was fixed by fitting a new pipe that leads the water under the car, instead of into the driver cabin!
4) Front wheel got punctured at exactly 10000km. It was not some nail in the road, but the appollo tube had a split where the rubber is joined together... seems like a poor quality tube to put in such a car.
Dislikes:
1. AC is too strong. There does not seem to be temperature adjustment in the Air conditioner, though the knob goes from thich blue (AC) to Thich red (heater).
Feedback from friends:
1) Brake pedal too hard.
2) Clutch too hard.
3) Man, diesel car is tough to drive!!
4) Why did you buy a diesel car?
Other vehicles driven:
Although briefly, I have driven the Hyundai accent crdi and the Toyota Innova 2.5L V model. Both of them have very refined engines that cannot even be compared with the Tata Indigo diesel motor. However, the accent is at least 2 lakhs more costly and the Innova model I drove was 5 lakhs more costly.
I call my car lovingly as "the truck".
Also, the indica non-turbo model is a lot less noisier than the indigo on highways.
Snobs and their view:
There are a lot of software snobs that I meet on a daily basis in Bangalore. Driving a diesel car is considered very de-classe and on top of that a Tata diesel car! I have rarely seen folks in software with the Indica. The taxi cab issue is the major one - people dont want to buy a car used by cab folks. For me, that is precisely why I would buy a car - because it indicates the car is trouble free and easy to maintain. You dont see palios running as taxi on the road.
Indigo fortunately is not seen with that much revulsion, thankfully.
So if someone wants to buy a car and impresses the Joneses, keep away from any Tata car.
Safety:
Veeresh Malik, the automotive writer in Outlook money magazine, says tata cars are very safe and it seems they are the only manufacturer in India to have their own independent crash test facility. Of course, safety is not a big concern for most Indians, except the ones buying the D-segment cars. Just check with any dealer on the number of Swift ZXi models sold and you will know what I am talking about.
Purchase Price (INR): 598000
Dealer Name and City: Prerana Motors, Bangalore
Model Year: 2006
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