Thread Starter
#1
September 2013 - I got my Learners driving license
October 2013 - I got my official Driving license
The car which we had in our family was 2003 model Midnight Black Maruti Suzuki Wagon R LXI (1.1L,16valve)- Gem of an engine always , a ride which caters to passengers.
(I forgot this is an ownership report , not story telling competition ...LOL)
I started driving wagon r , at 35k km on odo as per Oct 2013 , in Oct 2014 it was 50k km - mostly I increased its running . Maybe because I learnt driving in it and also Dad had learnt driving in same earlier , the result of that was a clutch wear at 42k km , next set of issue at 45k km , suspension overhaul , next set of issue was the bulbs one by one were konking off (Indicators , Tail lamps).
Officially (At home) , the discussion came up , "Shall we upgrade our car ", asked Dad.
Mom - "Why, our wagon R is serving the needs quite well?"
Me- "I think the maintenance is also slightly cropping up now , so its better we can move on keeping Wagon r for city use"
Dad and Mom- "No way , maintaining 2 cars is difficult , also both will be having low running"
Dad- "You browse around for car within 10L budget , don't mind on Petrol or Diesel , but make sure it caters to our needs."
This was actually a great responsibility for me ,as I need to collaborate all their tastes.
From Oct 2014 , we started the hunt , me along with my bunch of car enthusiastic friends .
Needs (My view)
1.Enthusiastic driving (What wagon R lacked was handling , I needed atleast a teensy bit of handling , especially braking more)
2.A car for atleast 5 years - say it should have all features even when say after 5 years an entry level car is introduced , my ride should have its base model features in it . So only top variant.
3. From LXI , wagonR , power window itself is a gizmo for me , so pretty much you can expect if cruise control and all other bells and whistles are there.
Needs (Parents View) - They are mature and they shell the money so they know what we want more
1.Ingress and Exgress (My friend had bought Verna 1.6 VTVT during 2014, and as being neighbours , we generally share our rides , thereby although Verna was luxurious in all aspects , the ingress and exgress from it , especially rear seats , it was difficult.
2.Fuel preference - Petrol , as running is low , but if higher spec engine always for FE, better Diesel.
3. Maintenance Cost – The cost of maintenance should be less
4.Ease of availability of Service Centres
Rides which were test driven and considered (All had been extensively test driven , also looked for reviews in various forums online , me ,along with my friends or atleast a friend, which I always thank and count in , as always another person for test driving is good ,because one can note other points when the 2nd person drives)
Options deleted first itself - Renault Scala and Nissan Sunny ( Can't park in my car shed ) , Toyota Etios,Liva - Outdated , and didn't have equipments for the generation , Honda Amaze ( Noisy Diesel , non enthusiastic petrol engine)
Test drive method - One of us will drive for performance , another will drive sedately , both the mileage will be noted in MID(if equipped) , and -2kmpl will be the actual value which we take for accounting. The performing one will note down the braking as well as other handling paramters while the other in the mean time will , check the suspension setup ,and ride comfort in Backseat
Options considered
1.Global Ford Fiesta
Pros- The trend variant(option below top variant), came in our budget , is VFM , offered even Cruise controls .EPS (weighs beautifully) Braking ,ergonomics ,everything was perfect.
Cons- Top variant wasn't in our budget , lack of petrol engine , and the model was expected to be discontinued due to poor sales in India , thereby concerns over after sales and resale later on.
2.Ford Ecosport
Didn't want to leave from Ford that easily , so test drove Ecosport 1.5P,1.5D,Ecoboost.
Pros- Perfect as compact SUV
Cons- Budget doesn't permit for top variant both in Petrol and Diesel.
3.Ford Classic (Ford Fiesta classic)
Test drove only diesel, as have driven the petrol of my relative , which has poor FE and not as punchy as rivals.
Pros- One word , perfect as a segment between compact sedan and sedan. Hydraulic Steering well calliberated , both for city as well as weighs great in highways. King in handling and taking corners.
Cons- Going to be discontinued , and more concerns as 1.4 Duratorq TDCi motor , also is discontinued.
4. Hyundai Elite I20
It was the model just launched then. test drove both 1.2Kappa petrol and 1.4 CRDi . Petrol was neglected as Hyundai's petrol are known for performance , and are fuel guzzlers (Justified with Verna )
Pros - 1.4L CRDi engine , it just pushes one into seat just like 1.6CRDi (Verna) with its turbo . Luxurious Hatchback.Hyundai knows how to attract crowd and mass market with segment first features like Rear A/c , etc.Superb braking .
Cons- Poor in Handling , especially steering feedback (Lifeless), doesn't inspire in Corners. Over priced then (9L for top end diesel)
One ride which parents fell for was this Elite I20 , but they had told Petrol as latter was too pricey .
Must appreciate Hyundai - You guys know how to attract crowd, all brands should learn that.
When morning newspaper brings a twist in tale
An ad of Swift Reborn was seen by dad and he insisted , why we don't check that .
Swift Reborn (ZXI)
The Firebrick red showroom model ,swept Dad in first glance , he loved the driving position (Atleast his opinion) .I had been at another place and I was asked to join them in showroom so I went there along with my friend.
Pros- Have packed it well with essentials , the two engines 1.2VVT,1.3DDIs , both have their own character . DDIs has the punchy low end torque for city , while 1.2 VVT has the additional power band in RPM , thereby compensates in highway . High confusion Diesel or Petrol ?
Opinion was asked with our mechanic - He told it easily , "For your running , its better with VVT , the DDIS , has its own Maintenance cost , also the VVT is better in terms of ample performance and FE."
Also Petrol had better Brakes (Many reviews are there answering and justifying same )- Technically , Maruti say , its the petrol has better engine braking , thereby making it feel having superior brakes (Experts can comment on it )
Handling meets segment standards (I loved it , didn't expect such miracle from Maruti)
Cons- Rear legroom , Rear bootspace (Answered by Dad - For our use there's sufficient Boot , also we will travelling mostly in 3 so rear legroom is adequate )
The ride was finalised . Extended warranty was added (2 years standard , 2 years Extended)
Exchange - Maruti to Maruti always they appreciate and my 2003 wagon R had fetched a decent 1.5L ( They specially acknowledged the Michelin XM2 Tyres and Pioneer Stereo which had MP3,Fm , Playback, Pioneer speakers ) Exchange bonus was 10k .
Finally delivery was on Jan 16 2015
Vehicle arrived on Jan 16 Morning in container , did PDI , 3M package of Paint Protection as well as underbody (5k, 3 additional coats of PP and 2 additional coats of Underbody), Mud Flaps , Vinyl Flooring was done , the second two being free, were done.
The vehicle was manufactured in Nov 2014 as per VIN.
Delivery was smooth. On road - 7.1L
Next day itself it had driven 200km (To my native place )
Overall experience (I will compile service records as well as my share of happiness and sadness in later posts) along with pics (Which I need to sort up).
Now , I know the question from readers - Why such a late review /report ?
1.Better late than never.
2. Felt there are only lesser swift owners (My reborn model) in forum , so thought of using this thread as a platform for same.
3. Its almost 4 years since its delivery , so I think its high time I should write one.
One ride which I would have definitely considered if it had been launched 6 months earlier would be Ford Figo Diesel (Which suited exactly my budget).
To thank - Mr. FordFiesta1.6 (He was insisting to do a report maybe from 2017), Mr.Suryaputhra ( Expert in Maruti Technical), Mr. Vishnuvichu and Mr,Deville_56( Haven't met though from Trivandrum , but his experiences with different shops and auto related stores , has helped me maintaining my ride ) , Akash bro (Akash1886) ( only person from Forum creators ,with whom I have interacted with a lot )
Mr.BHVM ,Mr.Mayankdixit, Mr.Allhyundaicars ,Mr.Vijay_968, and many others- whose ownership reports I constantly follow , and thereby get to know most of the Maintenance jobs in long run which is needed.
All other TAI members whoever i have left out , a little input from all of you has always shaped me along with my ride better.
To the mods and page managers - I know the report is quite different than the usual ones , if at all there is any issue , kindly let me know , and to my best of the knowledge i will edit and sort out the same .
October 2013 - I got my official Driving license
The car which we had in our family was 2003 model Midnight Black Maruti Suzuki Wagon R LXI (1.1L,16valve)- Gem of an engine always , a ride which caters to passengers.
(I forgot this is an ownership report , not story telling competition ...LOL)
I started driving wagon r , at 35k km on odo as per Oct 2013 , in Oct 2014 it was 50k km - mostly I increased its running . Maybe because I learnt driving in it and also Dad had learnt driving in same earlier , the result of that was a clutch wear at 42k km , next set of issue at 45k km , suspension overhaul , next set of issue was the bulbs one by one were konking off (Indicators , Tail lamps).
Officially (At home) , the discussion came up , "Shall we upgrade our car ", asked Dad.
Mom - "Why, our wagon R is serving the needs quite well?"
Me- "I think the maintenance is also slightly cropping up now , so its better we can move on keeping Wagon r for city use"
Dad and Mom- "No way , maintaining 2 cars is difficult , also both will be having low running"
Dad- "You browse around for car within 10L budget , don't mind on Petrol or Diesel , but make sure it caters to our needs."
This was actually a great responsibility for me ,as I need to collaborate all their tastes.
From Oct 2014 , we started the hunt , me along with my bunch of car enthusiastic friends .
Needs (My view)
1.Enthusiastic driving (What wagon R lacked was handling , I needed atleast a teensy bit of handling , especially braking more)
2.A car for atleast 5 years - say it should have all features even when say after 5 years an entry level car is introduced , my ride should have its base model features in it . So only top variant.
3. From LXI , wagonR , power window itself is a gizmo for me , so pretty much you can expect if cruise control and all other bells and whistles are there.
Needs (Parents View) - They are mature and they shell the money so they know what we want more
1.Ingress and Exgress (My friend had bought Verna 1.6 VTVT during 2014, and as being neighbours , we generally share our rides , thereby although Verna was luxurious in all aspects , the ingress and exgress from it , especially rear seats , it was difficult.
2.Fuel preference - Petrol , as running is low , but if higher spec engine always for FE, better Diesel.
3. Maintenance Cost – The cost of maintenance should be less
4.Ease of availability of Service Centres
Rides which were test driven and considered (All had been extensively test driven , also looked for reviews in various forums online , me ,along with my friends or atleast a friend, which I always thank and count in , as always another person for test driving is good ,because one can note other points when the 2nd person drives)
Options deleted first itself - Renault Scala and Nissan Sunny ( Can't park in my car shed ) , Toyota Etios,Liva - Outdated , and didn't have equipments for the generation , Honda Amaze ( Noisy Diesel , non enthusiastic petrol engine)
Test drive method - One of us will drive for performance , another will drive sedately , both the mileage will be noted in MID(if equipped) , and -2kmpl will be the actual value which we take for accounting. The performing one will note down the braking as well as other handling paramters while the other in the mean time will , check the suspension setup ,and ride comfort in Backseat
Options considered
1.Global Ford Fiesta
Pros- The trend variant(option below top variant), came in our budget , is VFM , offered even Cruise controls .EPS (weighs beautifully) Braking ,ergonomics ,everything was perfect.
Cons- Top variant wasn't in our budget , lack of petrol engine , and the model was expected to be discontinued due to poor sales in India , thereby concerns over after sales and resale later on.
2.Ford Ecosport
Didn't want to leave from Ford that easily , so test drove Ecosport 1.5P,1.5D,Ecoboost.
Pros- Perfect as compact SUV
Cons- Budget doesn't permit for top variant both in Petrol and Diesel.
3.Ford Classic (Ford Fiesta classic)
Test drove only diesel, as have driven the petrol of my relative , which has poor FE and not as punchy as rivals.
Pros- One word , perfect as a segment between compact sedan and sedan. Hydraulic Steering well calliberated , both for city as well as weighs great in highways. King in handling and taking corners.
Cons- Going to be discontinued , and more concerns as 1.4 Duratorq TDCi motor , also is discontinued.
4. Hyundai Elite I20
It was the model just launched then. test drove both 1.2Kappa petrol and 1.4 CRDi . Petrol was neglected as Hyundai's petrol are known for performance , and are fuel guzzlers (Justified with Verna )
Pros - 1.4L CRDi engine , it just pushes one into seat just like 1.6CRDi (Verna) with its turbo . Luxurious Hatchback.Hyundai knows how to attract crowd and mass market with segment first features like Rear A/c , etc.Superb braking .
Cons- Poor in Handling , especially steering feedback (Lifeless), doesn't inspire in Corners. Over priced then (9L for top end diesel)
One ride which parents fell for was this Elite I20 , but they had told Petrol as latter was too pricey .
Must appreciate Hyundai - You guys know how to attract crowd, all brands should learn that.
When morning newspaper brings a twist in tale
An ad of Swift Reborn was seen by dad and he insisted , why we don't check that .
Swift Reborn (ZXI)
The Firebrick red showroom model ,swept Dad in first glance , he loved the driving position (Atleast his opinion) .I had been at another place and I was asked to join them in showroom so I went there along with my friend.
Pros- Have packed it well with essentials , the two engines 1.2VVT,1.3DDIs , both have their own character . DDIs has the punchy low end torque for city , while 1.2 VVT has the additional power band in RPM , thereby compensates in highway . High confusion Diesel or Petrol ?
Opinion was asked with our mechanic - He told it easily , "For your running , its better with VVT , the DDIS , has its own Maintenance cost , also the VVT is better in terms of ample performance and FE."
Also Petrol had better Brakes (Many reviews are there answering and justifying same )- Technically , Maruti say , its the petrol has better engine braking , thereby making it feel having superior brakes (Experts can comment on it )
Handling meets segment standards (I loved it , didn't expect such miracle from Maruti)
Cons- Rear legroom , Rear bootspace (Answered by Dad - For our use there's sufficient Boot , also we will travelling mostly in 3 so rear legroom is adequate )
The ride was finalised . Extended warranty was added (2 years standard , 2 years Extended)
Exchange - Maruti to Maruti always they appreciate and my 2003 wagon R had fetched a decent 1.5L ( They specially acknowledged the Michelin XM2 Tyres and Pioneer Stereo which had MP3,Fm , Playback, Pioneer speakers ) Exchange bonus was 10k .
Finally delivery was on Jan 16 2015
Vehicle arrived on Jan 16 Morning in container , did PDI , 3M package of Paint Protection as well as underbody (5k, 3 additional coats of PP and 2 additional coats of Underbody), Mud Flaps , Vinyl Flooring was done , the second two being free, were done.
The vehicle was manufactured in Nov 2014 as per VIN.
Delivery was smooth. On road - 7.1L
Next day itself it had driven 200km (To my native place )
Overall experience (I will compile service records as well as my share of happiness and sadness in later posts) along with pics (Which I need to sort up).
Now , I know the question from readers - Why such a late review /report ?
1.Better late than never.
2. Felt there are only lesser swift owners (My reborn model) in forum , so thought of using this thread as a platform for same.
3. Its almost 4 years since its delivery , so I think its high time I should write one.
One ride which I would have definitely considered if it had been launched 6 months earlier would be Ford Figo Diesel (Which suited exactly my budget).
To thank - Mr. FordFiesta1.6 (He was insisting to do a report maybe from 2017), Mr.Suryaputhra ( Expert in Maruti Technical), Mr. Vishnuvichu and Mr,Deville_56( Haven't met though from Trivandrum , but his experiences with different shops and auto related stores , has helped me maintaining my ride ) , Akash bro (Akash1886) ( only person from Forum creators ,with whom I have interacted with a lot )
Mr.BHVM ,Mr.Mayankdixit, Mr.Allhyundaicars ,Mr.Vijay_968, and many others- whose ownership reports I constantly follow , and thereby get to know most of the Maintenance jobs in long run which is needed.
All other TAI members whoever i have left out , a little input from all of you has always shaped me along with my ride better.
To the mods and page managers - I know the report is quite different than the usual ones , if at all there is any issue , kindly let me know , and to my best of the knowledge i will edit and sort out the same .
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![[roll]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Roll.gif "Roll Eyes [roll]")
But still a nice review and hope pictures are on the way?
