Ford Ecosport 1.5 TDCi Titanium (2016) Mars Red: The Mighty Apollo

[xkcd0137]

Abhi na jao chhod kar...
ki dil abhi bhara nahi...​

Abhee abhee toh aayee ho...
bahar ban ke chhayee ho...


Hawa zara mahak toh le...
najar zara behak toh le...


Yeh sham dhal toh le zara...
yeh dil sambhal toh le zara...


Abhi na jao chhod kar...
ki dil abhi bhara nahi...

​

This song comes to my mind whenever I see my Apollo.

Journey odo so far...
Day 4- 1000kms
Day 9 - 2000kms
Day 10 - 3000kms
Day 35 - 4000kms
Day 40 - 5000kms
Day 50 - 6000kms
Day 100 - 7500kms
Day 160 - 10,000kms
Current odo - 12500kms

Major trips undertaken -
Chandigarh-Gwalior
Gwalior-Pune
Pune-Kota

Note: This ownership review has gone bit too long. Since this was my first buy, and an emotional one at that, I couldn't control myself. So for the ones with hectic schedule -

TL;DR - I bought the best car one could buy. The Mighty Apollo.

Idea behind buying-
I started driving after my college got over, and I was jobless. It was nearing 2013-end, and suddenly I was driving the car everywhere. My mother who used to be the sole pilot of this plane had decided to give up on charioting us. She instead liked the comfort of the passenger seat by the side of her son.
Till mid-2015, when I was still at home, about to join some job, I had gained around 10,000 kms of driving experience and this bug had bit me hard, never not to drive again. We had travelled many times from Gwalior to Chandigarh, Agra, Delhi and been to Shirdi as well on our humble Santro Xing GLS (2009 model). Noticing that suddenly our highway bouts had increased by a lot, I started to ponder over the safety provided by the Hyundai-esque body of Santro. After an incident, door had misaligned and doesn't close properly till date. I kept pestering my mother to get a hatchback with safety features, but she never gave into my demands.

Come 2016-end, I was comfortable in my job and earning reasonable, when I decided to buy a 2 wheeler and a Triumph Bonneville at that. Went to get a TD but couldn't as it was raining that day. When mom got to know, she cancelled that plan and asked me to get a car instead which could do family's highway duties as well, to which I agreed whole-heartedly. Hence we decided to get a Car.

Cars shortlisted-
Me being an avid follower of TAI and team-bhp, had ample knowledge about the cars, but was confused at the same time. We had decided to get a rugged Car (No Maruti, Hyundai) with good GC (coz Indian roads and monsoon).

Once upon a time in 2014, my mum looked at a Kinetic Blue vehicle and said that 'We shall buy this Car'. It was an Ecosport. So, when we had to to buy a car, Ecosport was our first choice. It ticked all of the boxes, and was a looker.

We were completely decided on Ecosport but since me being the self-claimed auto enthusiast, I decided to check other options available in the market as well.

TDs in chronological order -

Vitara Brezza - TD at Kothari Motors, Viman Nagar, Pune. Was totally floored by its exterior, specially the Red-Black combo. Went for a TD and came back completely petrified. This can easily be the worst car I have ever driven. With mere 5000 km on Odo, this car was rattling like a rattle snake, had major turbo-lag issues, poor interior material, parking brake got jammed twice, and it didn't seem spacious (than ES) at back at all, as claimed. 11.2 on-road

Aspire - TD at Talera Ford, Pune. TD vehicle had dirty leather seats. Engine response was good, ample space but it didn't strike a chord.

Ecosport - Though the SA made us wait for half an hour before TD, the moment I got into the Eco, it was 'Love at each Rev'. Loved the interiors, color scheme, Engine response, stalks, seating position. Back space was sufficient and better than Brezza IMO. I was completely floored by the car but put off by the SA. No discounts. Then, I wanted to purchase the car at Pune and get it registered at home as Maha reg tax is a lot, but got a negative response for that too. Decided to check out with Planet Ford and others.
In the meanwhile tried many times to get a TD of Ecoboost, and Petrol Ecosport as well from Planet Ford and Sai Sakshi Ford, but they just couldn't manage to get the vehicle down to my office. Titanium: 11.2 on road

Me checking out ES at Talera

​

Creta - Only Petrol E+ variant was in my budget, and I also loved the Black-ish (non-chrome) grill of the base variant. Went to Sanjay Hyundai. They didn't have a TD vehicle so just had a look at some customer's car in their godown. Car was spacious, had touchscreen, boot was humongous compared to Eco's, but It didn't stood out.*
Personal opinion: I think Hyundai does offer premium quality interiors in their cars but they are pretty boring at the same time. I found Ecosport's interior better than Creta's, not in quality I guess but to look at. Totally subjective, this is.

In the meanwhile kept pestering my mom to get a TD of Eco and Creta at home to decide on one. But she couldn't as she is the busiest person I know of. Meanwhile, luckily I was able to get 2-3 days of holiday and ended up at Gwalior for a day. I called both Ford and Hyundai dealers for a TD.

Creta (again, with 5 people) - I clearly asked for the Petrol variant but as I had expected, SA bought the top-end 1.6D SX variant. Since, my mom was pretty busy that day also, I told him to take leave without TDing. Thats when my mom happened to come back to home, and asked if we could go to their showroom to get the TD. Clearly, my mom was excited to get the car too. Enroute the showroom, I drove the 1.6 D, and the experience was exhilarating. This car just surges in any gear. I was totally sold on 1.6D but my budget wasn't. Finally, we got to drive the 1.6P TD vehicle. It was a casual event. While reversing uphill at a place, I experienced lack of torque. Rest was okay. We headed back to showroom and saw a Black E+ MT variant with Black grill and my whole family had fallen for it. It was costing around 11 on-road. We head back home as mom had to go back to work.

Ecosport (again, without mom) - Clearly, 1.5TDCi was nowhere as compared to the 1.6D but better than 1.6P. Rear space was a little less as compared to Creta as well. Boot was a lot smaller, but was sufficient for our family. Build quality was a major plus. Got a quote of 10.8 for Titanium.

Decisions-
Car - Did some mind-math and found ES to be a better option for us, as we were getting an Eco Diesel in the same price of Creta Petrol. For our 'expected' increase in travelling and extra torque for expected Ladakh-ish trips, diesel seemed to be a better bet.

Color - I am not a fan of White. I hate it. We wanted something black this time, but Eco clearly looked ugly in black, contrary to Creta. I liked Golden Bronze and Mars Red but preferred the former for its classy understated shade. But family preferred the latter. So after a few heated discussions, decided to go for Mars Red.

Life- I went back to pune, asking my family to get the car booked at Ford Gwalior. But it got delayed by a week or two and chances of getting the car around Diwali slimmed. Then after booking, dealer says that there is no Titanium available in Mars Red. And we won't get one till diwali. Titanium+ was available. Got the booking cancelled. Got the amount refunded after a month of numerous visits.

Meanwhile, my relatives at mohali asked me to check with dealer there. Cars are pretty cheap in Chandigarh and since Mohali is next to chandigarh, it gets somewhat same treatment too. I call Saluja Motors, Mohali up and the SA says that Mars Red Titanium is in transit and will reach in a day and can be delivered before diwali. She offers me a lucrative deal, 10.12 on-road to be precise, a lakh cheaper than Pune, if I book that day itself for a meagre Rs. 2000. I ask for a proper quotation with discounts mentioned and book the car next day on 16 October, 2016 after I feel comfortable that I will not be scammed.

Then after two days, SA calls me and apologizes for a goof up and says that car that was in transit is a Petrol instead of a Diesel, and tries to sell me a Golden Bronze instead. I ask them to get the MARS RED DIESEL arranged for anyhow. {Lots of drama ensued}. I even call up other dealers in the city to ask if they have car available but none have it. Then SA says that she will fresh-order the car for me and it may take 15-20 days to get the car after 'allotment', which may take any amount of time. That is when I was introduced to the Ford's way of allotting cars to the dealers, for which dealer should ask in 3 months advance. MOST STUPID THING EVER.

Some more Life- I wait for a week but the car hasn't been allotted to the dealer yet. And with no concrete reply from their end I get anxious. I made a visit to mohali on 28th October to have a conversation in person, and got nothing out of it except for blank promises. I realized that it wasn't there fault exactly. Meanwhile, my car loan from SBI was passed and I had a car loan but not the car. Diwali came and went.

After a few days, they seemed positive to get the car by mid november or something. I went back to pune and got my air-tickets done for 13th November from Pune to Chandigarh to get delivery of my car. But again, even after a week the Car wasn't even allotted to them. Just then I lost my temper and gave some piece of my mind to the SA and was on verge of cancelling the booking and get the car from Pune itself, but sense prevailed and on 4 November, 2016, I sent a mail to 3 ford email ids I got from team-bhp, stating my misery. In a few minutes I got a reply, and that is when I realized that I had mailed to the MD of Ford India himself. He was reassuring, and asked me to give hime time to sort this issue. Following monday, I got a call from Sales Manager, Ford plant at Chennai and he assured that everything is being done to get the vehicle allotted to me asap. Lots of calls were made by dealer and Ford Chennai to other dealers in North India to see if someone had the vehicle in stock but to no avail.

Somewhere near Mulshi Lake, Pune -

The Big Daddy


Take me to where the mountains meet the sky


Ready to Race​

contd...

 

[xkcd0137]

Re: 2016 Mars Red Ford Ecosport 1.5 TDCi Titanium - The Mighty Apollo

With her eyes closed


...and open
​

Life continued- By 7th November, I was allotted the vehicle from Chennai itself and delivery was expected between 20th-25th of november. On 10th November I get the VIN no. and everything seemed okay. Car was 16-26 October manufactured. Meanwhile, my air ticket got wasted and I got another reservation for 22nd November. Meanwhile, Demonetisation happened and I got a call that the truck carrying my car may get delayed due to logistics but since this time Ford sales team themselves kept me updating, I was convinced that I will get the vehicle within a day or two of the given date.

The eve of D day had arrived and I was enroute Mohali to get my Apollo. While I boarded the volvo bus from Delhi to Chandigarh, imagination of me driving my own car on the same roads filled me with joy. I call Saluja Ford and SA says that car has indeed reached mohali and I may get delivery the next day. Meanwhile, I again get call from Mr. Vadivel from Ford Chennai stating the same thing and I thank him for co-operation.

​

The Last Milestone- Next day I accompanied by my maternal-aunt and uncle reach the showroom. Mom and sisters couldn't be there with me due to their job engagements. There, I see a Mars Red Ecosport parked in the front porch next to its big brother Red Endeavour (The Mighty Zeus). I went week in my knees and starting drooling over my to-be-companion for life. It was Love all over again. I did a basic PDI as mentioned in the PDI list. Few glasses were made to be dusted again. Rest seemed perfect.

I had come ready to haggle a bit more for all the troubles they had caused me. Few things on my list were to 1) get the MRFs replaced with Goodyears, 2) skid plates, 3) sill plates etc. But the manager there, Mr. Ganesh didn't budge on anything, not even exchanging tyres with some other vehicle. He knew I had come more than 1200kms to get my ride. Note: Dont keep bargaining for last meet/minute.

Somewhere near Chittorgarh, on my way from Pune to Kota



same place
​

After an hour of failed attempt, I transferred the down-payment to their account around 2 p.m., which ensued little more drama due to restrictions after demonetization. Then asked the bank officer to transfer the rest of the money. Which took a little more time and could happen only around 4p.m.. Thereafter, I gave my papers to get the car registered as they said further process will not begin until they had money in their account. Asked them to put on Black Vinyl seat covers, the only accessory I bought, since stock covers were light colored and prone to get dirty. Also since BLACK looks cool.

Match was made, bride was ready, all that remained was some paperwork.​

We were told that it may take 2-3 hours and we may come back later. We went around to get some of our work done and returned around 7p.m. to see the showroom almost getting closed. We hurried inside and were informed that process is almost done and only the Vehicle no. needs to be decided. They gave us a sheet filled with 50 numbers to select from. I called home to get the selection done since I didnt knew it has to be decided instantly since other dealers are booking nos. at the same time as well. I told them the choice. It was already booked. Then I searched the next best option instantly and told them to book that and Voila! I got that one. I have come to love the number.

Then we had a little delivery ceremony around 7:30p.m., in dark, with Apollo covered in blue Ford satin cloth. It looked magnificent. They gave a proper demo, a ford-embossed diary to keep all the paperwork (neat), a perfume, a pack of chocolates and two keys. I was thoroughly impressed with this. They made this a great event for me.

Sorry for the poor quality pic, and cat eyes. I was visibly very happy to care for the pic
​

Thereafter we left the showroom for the nearby market, then next fuel station, then a long late night trip, and many more miles I have covered on my steed.

First 1000 kms. Console during daytime


Console at night​

Quote I received -
Base price - 9,37,366
Registration fee - 67,000
Insurance - 21,000
Essential Pack - 4,880
Seat cover - 7880
Discount - 25,880 (21,000 + 4,880)
Total - 10,12,166

As you can see, I got insurance and essential pack free. I also got 3rd year Extended warranty free.

Things I like about Apollo -
Everything! :D
The shade - Mars Red
The ergonomics are spot on
Everything is chunky or appropriately sized
Feels good to hold steering
Solid build
Fun to drive
Great horn

Dislik.. err.. What is that?
But seriously, apart from the boot rattle noise due to the spare wheel, there is seriously nothing to dislike.
About Boot rattle noise - It originated around 7000kms. Got it checked at around 9500kms during 2nd service but it has crept in again after 11500kms. This stops me from throwing around the car in corners and spoils my mood at times. But now that I have got it sorted, I am totally in love with Apollo.
And.. and.. There is a minor cribbing about the tyre noise and some cut on the front tyre.

I am planning to get the new Ecosport in the family if that spare wheel is removed from the boot.

Things I am unsure of -
1) Haven't found the ideal air pressure for tyres. Maybe I am less sensitive at times and hyper senstive at other times but dont really know.
2) From other ownership reviews, I expected the mileage to increase beyond 16kmpl after 2nd service but it hasn't happened. I haven't got more than 17kmpl. Though I drive with a heavy foot. I am 25, what else do you expect?

Things bought/upgraded -
1) Frameless 12' wiper for rear - pretty useless
2) Proklear Rinseless Wash
3) Formula 1 Microfiber cloth
4) Jopasu Duster - seems to have degraded its quality
5) Philips X-treme Vision+ - One of the bulbs conked off in a month. Asked for replacement from powerbulbs.com but unfortunately I have left Pune and couldn't get them before I left.

Planning to buy -
1) Vacuum cleaner
2) 3D mats
3) California Duster
4) Bosch Clear Advantage wipers for front

Related threads -
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...oked-mohali-dealer-unsure-delivery-dates.html
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...l-ford-ecosport-owners-trend-vs-titanium.html
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...t-tdci-titanium-vs-trend-vs-creta-1-5p-e.html

Thats all for now. Thank you for reading.

 

[dicor]

Re: 2016 Mars Red Ford Ecosport 1.5 TDCi Titanium - The Mighty Apollo

Congratulations for lovely beast. When this car was launched, I saw it from the rear while I was waiting a signal at Kalyani Nagar bridge. I though this is some BMW until I saw the logo. It looks amazing from all angles.

Initially I wondered about your first 5000 KMs run but then understood the reason after reading your review.

As you have spent some significant amount of time with your car. You can make it more helpful by giving some insights like mileage, service experience, service cost. Things you like about it, area of improvement.

Can I also please ask what do you do for living. Are you in defense? I am asking because you are driving a CH registered car in Pune. Have cops ever stopped you?

P.S. --> I really wish Transport ministry should take some actions on this and should make Road Tax nation wide for private cars.

 

[a4arun]

Re: 2016 Mars Red Ford Ecosport 1.5 TDCi Titanium - The Mighty Apollo

Normally vehicle registration comes under state government purview. Just like public transportation and roads. Hence it cannot have the same rates.

Dear xkcd0137, an excellent choice. It's an absolute workhorse. Colour choice is spot on. Once your heart is sold, it will surely look beautiful. Congratulations and have a million miles with Apollo.

 

[xkcd0137]

Re: 2016 Mars Red Ford Ecosport 1.5 TDCi Titanium - The Mighty Apollo

As you have spent some significant amount of time with your car. You can make it more helpful by giving some insights like mileage, service experience, service cost. Things you like about it, area of improvement.

Can I also please ask what do you do for living. Are you in defense? I am asking because you are driving a CH registered car in Pune. Have cops ever stopped you?

P.S. --> I really wish Transport ministry should take some actions on this and should make Road Tax nation wide for private cars.

Thanks dicor for the kind words. I will update mileage, and experience in my second post in a day or two. This review was already for 2 months in making, final posted it yesterday.

I teach students for preparation of IIT JEE. As I used to work in Pune earlier, had to take the vehicle there. Also, Cops have never stopped me for this reason till now.
Since I plan to settle in Chandigarh/Mohali few years down the line, i thought it best to get it registered there instead of in Pune.

 

[xkcd0137]

Re: 2016 Mars Red Ford Ecosport 1.5 TDCi Titanium - The Mighty Apollo

Normally vehicle registration comes under state government purview. Just like public transportation and roads. Hence it cannot have the same rates.

Dear xkcd0137, an excellent choice. It's an absolute workhorse. Colour choice is spot on. Once your heart is sold, it will surely look beautiful. Congratulations and have a million miles with Apollo.

Thank you, thank you a4arun. These are the nicest words I have heard in a while.

 

[Ambylovers]

Hi,
Congratulations on your new Ford Ecosport. Wishes to clock many more miles without issues.

 

[krishna6239]

Congratulations on your new ride . Enjoy, happy & safe miles

 

[Tenida]

What a wonderful ownership review by you. Congratulation buddy. Drive safe

 

[sourav_petrolhead]

Congratulations on your new ride.. You have got yourself a beast indeed. It's a perfect combination of style and statement. Even i am a proud owner of Ecosport 1.5 Diesel and i can vouch for that. Wishing you many happy miles with your new mate.

 

[xkcd0137]

I am lazy. Sorry for not being regular with updates. I'll try to be regular from now on.

1st Service Experience @ Planet Ford, Bibvewadi, Pune-

I had already crossed 2500km limit on the day I reached Pune from Chandigarh. I dashed to Planet ford at around 9:30 am and met the SA and asked him to get the car serviced as early as possible as I had to join the office as well. He was very respectful and outgoing. He ensured that my car was looked at on priority. Since this was first service, only inspection was to be done. SA also entered ODO reading as less than 2500kms so that I don't lose my warranty. Got the car by 11:30 without Wash as I was getting late and I wanted to try the 3M workshop too. They ensured that I can avail a free wash next time I am there.

While they inspected my car, I sat in the customer's lounge. It was opposite their work floor at ground level. One could watch work being done on his/her car. It had a separate area for commercial vehicle drivers as well. There was a Television, a water purifier for us and a Tea/coffee vending machine as well. One could serve him/herself or was served by them. All staff was courteous and I liked the vibe there.

Total damage - Rs. 0

2nd Service Experience @ KS Ford, Kota -

As I was about to leave for out station, I decided to get the car serviced a little early at 9300kms. Since there wasn't much load at work, I decided to stay at service station for the service. It took around 3 hours for the whole process. Engine oil, Oil Filter were changed.

This workshop too had a neat and clean customer lounge but unlike Pune, I didn't find any customer waiting for their cars. Also, It was on a separate floor than the workshop, so one had to be pro-active to know about the service status.
Manager at this workshop, Mr RK Soni, is a great guy. He has been very outgoing in customer satisfaction till now. Hence, I haven't had chance to interact with more people, I tell him the issue, and he gets it sorted.

Total damage was around Rs. 1722
Breakup -
Gasket Drain Plug - Rs. 41
Engine Oil Filter - Rs. 356
Engine Oil - Rs. 1105 (Rs. 291/ltr * 3.8ltr)
VAT - Rs. 220

Pretty satisfied by Ford service. Cheap service costs backed by good workers.

Only other experience I have is of ASM Hyundai, Gwalior. They are frauds and try to fleece you every time you are in their premises.

It has been a pleasure driving this car, and I know no other car under 20 lakhs would have made me happier. It has faced a few accidents as well, which I'll mention in my next post, but it is still rattle free at 17000kms. Plan to complete 20000kms before its anniversary.

Only grouse I have now is that the Fuel economy is a constant at 16kmpl for me since 2nd service. Maybe, its my aggressive driving style or faulty sync system but I was expecting it to increase.

Thank you for reading.

 

[xkcd0137]

Headlight upgrade has been on my mind even before I bought my Ecosport as headlights on the Santro, we have at home, are bad too. I had ordered Philips XtremeVision Plus for Rs. 1600 from powerbulbs.com Though the bulbs seemed better than OE bulbs and were okay in city, served no purpose on highways.

I had been contemplating upgrade to 90/100w bulbs for some time but was put off by necessity of relay. I was preferring sth of plug and play sorts. Hence wandered into LED domain for some time as well. Researched about LED bulbs and got advice from fellow TAIian bhvm and was eager to get CREE XHP50 LED Bulb with Glare shield from Aliexpress sold by Cnsunnylight retailer. These are comparatively cheaper LED bulbs but still expensive, priced at Rs. 3100 for a pair. CNSUNNYLIGHT Super Bright Car LED Headlight Kit H4 H13 9007 Hi/Lo H7 H11 9005 9006 w/ XHP50 Chips Replacement Bulbs 3000K 4300K-in Headlight Bulbs from Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

Later I had some realization and did some mind math. LED bulbs are good but technology is still developing. I have no first hand experience with these bulbs and if they didn't perform as per my expectations, I couldn't even return them. And if one of them went kaput for any goddamn reason, I wont be able to afford a replacement for sometime. And I thought if I have to spend huge bucks, why not go all the way and get the best setup available. Hence, started looking for other options.

That is when I found out about Morimoto bixenon projectors. https://youtu.be/w9JmIyfqb-k
And believe me you, they are just eye-gasm for any automotive guy out here. That cut-off line, how can something be so straight and yet feel better than curves. Excuse the pun. But their price have put my plans on hold. They require very big money i.e. Rs. 20000 worth. I started looking for something cheap yet again.

That is when I realized that 90/100w bulbs with relay are the best cheap option I have. One time investment for Relay and cheap bulbs if one ever conked off. Now, I am contemplating getting Hella 100/130w relay (6 months warranty compared to NO warranty for Philips relay) and Philips 90/100w Rallys bulb setup in my car. My 2 doubts -

1) There is a dust cap in Ecosport with no holes in it. To install a relay and connect its wire with the bulb/socket, I will need to make 'holes in the Dust Cap'. Is there anyway around it? If not, how do I cover them after setup?
2) Can I install the relay myself? I am a bit illiterate about electrical stuff. Is there any online guide on how to do it? I just want to avoid any mechanic to put his hands on my car. In my city, 90% of them don't know what they are doing and care zilch about your car. Can I ask Ford ASS to do it? They are the only ones I believe in.
3) Will I forfeit my warranty by installing these bulbs? Since, this doesn't involve any splicing of wires.

OR...
I just found out this baby on Aliexpress. Has great cut-off line and spread from pictures posted by customers. Can I install them in headlights or foglamps? What about warranty?

http://s.aliexpress.com/FvuUNZri

 

[Sakthivel Rajendran]

Kindly avail 150000 lakh kilometer / 5 years warranty, highly recommend for any Ford Product.

 

[xkcd0137]

Finally went with this -
CNSUNNYLIGHT Super Bright Car LED Headlight Kit H4 H13 9007 Hi/Lo H7 H11 9005 9006 w/ XHP50 Chips Replacement Bulbs 3000K 4300K-in Headlight Bulbs from Automobiles & Motorcycles on Aliexpress.com | Alibaba Group

Its very bright and white, has great visibility, yet to test in rains. Only issue I am having with these is that in default settings this bulb lights in high beam instead of low beam. Yet to get some solution for this problem.

 

[xkcd0137]

[NOOB ALERT]
Over last 1.5 years, my ride has acquired many swirls, some minor scratches and paint has deteriorated as well. Earlier my car used to be parked under a tree, due to my ignorance, which led to sticky tree wax all over the car all the time. Now it is parked on a road being repaired, with all the dust and sunlight in the world. Though its interiors do seem clean to any normal eye, but I guess I have developed an OCD now and can't stand my interiors as well.

I have not been living in metros since I have gotten the car and hence couldn't get paint protection or avail services of expert detailing gurus. Alas, the people involved in Car accessories business at my current city don't even know what detailing or claying is. Even 'The Car Laundry' guys don't know better than to wash a car under direct sunlight (Truly Horrible experience) and were blank when I asked about their detailing packages.

Anywhere I get my car washed, they tend to spoil it even further. Even a few fortunate wash at some 3M car care workshop on some out of station visit leaves me wanting for more. Though they vacuum interiors very well but I can still see dust at a million places. Now I have decided to do something about it.

I have ordered a few things and intend to follow the below procedure. Kindly advice if anything is amiss.

Interiors -
1) surf wash the Mats
2) clean wipe the Door pads with Meguiars Carpet and upholstery cleaner foam.
3) clean rub the Centre Console, Air vents, steering and every nook with a tooth brush
4) buy local noodle mats for front and rear

Exterior -
1) wash the car with 3M Car shampoo and Crab washing mitt, Tooth brush for grill, Paint brush for alloys
2) Clay the car with Carpro Polyshave Block and Proklear rinseless wash as Lube
3) apply Meguiars Ultimate Polish with Meguiars applicator pads
4) apply Meguiar's Ultimate Compound
5) apply Meguiar's NXT 2.0 wax

I'll be doing this whole process by hand so I don't expect complete removal of swirls but it should get better than what it is right now, right?

Few more queries -
a) should I do it in one go or split it in 2-3 days?
b) should interior be done before exterior or any which way?
c) Is Ultima Elastrofoam (₹1770) better than Carpro Polyshave Block (₹750)? 'Double-the-price' better?
d) some colleague suggested a guy who offers 'wash-at-home service' for his cars. This guy has a machine as well. Should I take the risk and pay him to do the whole process?

Any other advice???