Team-BHP - View Single Post - Fiat Palio Stile 1.3 MJD review. Now updated to 5000 kms

architect · 8th July 2008, 02:31

Mods, could you please edit the name of my thread and add "5000 kms done" or something to that effect. Thanks in advance!

Today is exactly a day more than 3 months since I took delivery of one of the first Palio MJDs on this forum. It has done 4927 kilometres so far. While this car has been the subject of a lot of discussion on TBHP (and still leads the votes in the thread against its competitors), I must add that it still is being bought by the newbies like me rather than the gurus. Perhaps, its all about experience making people wiser. Time to pen down an interim review before this thread is passe and I look forward to a Long Term review.

Why Palio MJD as my first car?
Robust build with good ride. Spacious at the back and nice boot space. Relaxed seating position. Positive steering with loads of feedback. SDE version is 60,000 bucks cheaper than Swift VDi. Delivery in 7 days flat. Imported engine and gearbox from Poland (?) on the first 100 cars. Only real alternative to Swift Diesel if you want something that's not 6 lakhs OTR and not an Indica.

Problems:
None so far.
(Left indicator did not self-cancel on smaller turns. Replaced combination switch under warranty at first service, but did not realise it was a feature of the car. Wasn't told by ASC either!!)

Fuel Efficiency & Driving conditions:
Worst kind of traffic in Delhi (Ashram, Nehru Place, Lajpat Nagar, East of Kailash) and 80% of driving between rush hours of 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm. Average F E: 15.5 kmpl. Highway (200 km trip): 19 kmpl. AC on 70% time.
Fuel: Normal diesel from HP and Turbojet.

LIVING WITH IT:

PROS:

Ride:Robust build and likes taking bad roads at higher speeds. Doesn't lose composure. Body Roll is present, but far lesser than WagonR, Santro etc and perhaps better than the Indica too. Rides really well. Suspension might be noisy but nothing much reaches the cabin except sounds.
Comfortable seats and spacious cabin.
Build quality.
Ergonomics of the interiors.
Engine & Gearbox: Powerful and a good cruiser. Very driveable in city as well if you can keep it in the correct RPM range. Gearbox positive though not snappy.
Economy: At Rs 2.00 - Rs 2.50 per kilometre (pure running costs), it doesn't hurt at all. Only the CNG guys are better off.
Good Insulation: Tremendous difference between noise levels with windows being shut or being open. Diesel engine sound is audible in the cabin but on the outside the decibel level maybe higher than Swift D / Optra D / Verna D but definitely lower than Octavia / Laura / Fabia / Accent CRDI.
Steering. HPS does a great job.
Illumination from Headlamp / Foglamp / Reversing lamp.
A few features like double crank prevention, parking light operable from ignition (so that headlamps or parking lamps are never left on unintentionally if the engine is off), dead pedal, placement of accelerator and brake pedal conducive to heel and toe, illuminated power window switches, day-night mirrors.
Drives more like a sedan than a flickable hatchback. Put that into the cons if you wish.
Exclusivity People ask you at the Fuel Station, at the Red Light, at the Parking lot. "Palio aa rahi hai? Abhi bhi? Bandh nahi hui?" "Mileage kya hain?" "Maruti walon ka engine isme laga diya?" "Palio ki service bekaar hain!" "Nazar nahi aati hai, gaadi fail hai!"

CONS:

Large turning radius is a problem during U-turns on narrow roads but hardly a problem in parking. Reversing into the slot is easier.
A.S.S. leaves a lot to be desired, but experience has been okay so far with one service done.
Interiors fit-and-finish is not so great. But nothing's coming apart or anything. It's not flimsy by any standards.
Clutch pedal is still heavy but has become a bit lighter after 3000 kms or so.
Car is definitely under-tyred at 165/80/R13. GoodYear GPS 2 tubeless radials make a lot of road noise.
While trying to sell the car you might have to convince the buyer that this is not an imported car or modifed by DC but a regular production version. Nobody knows about it in Delhi-NCR atleast.
Car is wider than the Indica / Indigo and many sedans. Watch it while squeezing into that narrow gap behind the Alto!!

COSTS

Rs 4.99 lakh OTR with extended 18+18 month, 3 lakh kms warranty.
Rs 7,500/- Sony Xplod HU & 4 nos Sony Xplod 6" speakers (Grey market).
Rs 450/- Original Palio Radio Antenna
Rs 2,000/- PU Leather seat covers and Steering wheel wrap.
Rs 1,900/- Anti Rust Treatment
Rs 1,750/- Left ORVM assembly (mirror replacement is about Rs 1200/-. SDE does not have left ORVM and hence the additional cost of replacement of two extra parts.)

TOTAL for Car and Accessories: Rs 5,12,600/-

Service Costs:

Routine Service (as per manufacturer's recommendation):
Rs 0/-

Non Routine Service (not recommended by Manufacturer but carried out by me)
Engine coolant top-up at First Service: Rs 250/-
Engine Oil and Oil Filter Change: Rs 900/- approx.
Bardahl Additive: Rs 400/- approx.
Total: Rs 1900/-

Accident Repair

Complicated denting of left side both doors and painting of bottom 1/3 rd of entire left side of the car as well as finishing it to match the rest. Work performed at KJA Anthony Garage, Delhi. Quality of work much better than ASC. Costs-half of ASC costs. Entire car vacuumed and dashboard polished before delivery.
Total Accident Repair costs: Rs 6,000/-

Service experience:
Vivek Automobiles: Stand on their head and make them do it.
KJA Anthony Garage: Visit them every other evening and watch progress. They are slow but they do the job well.

Total Time spent by car out of action:
Service and Anti-Rust treatment: 7 hours.
Accident Repair: 5 days including weekly holiday.

8th July 2008, 02:31	#47 (permalink)
architect BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 215	5000 kms in 3 months Mods, could you please edit the name of my thread and add "5000 kms done" or something to that effect. Thanks in advance! Today is exactly a day more than 3 months since I took delivery of one of the first Palio MJDs on this forum. It has done 4927 kilometres so far. While this car has been the subject of a lot of discussion on TBHP (and still leads the votes in the thread against its competitors), I must add that it still is being bought by the newbies like me rather than the gurus. Perhaps, its all about experience making people wiser. Time to pen down an interim review before this thread is passe and I look forward to a Long Term review. Why Palio MJD as my first car? Robust build with good ride. Spacious at the back and nice boot space. Relaxed seating position. Positive steering with loads of feedback. SDE version is 60,000 bucks cheaper than Swift VDi. Delivery in 7 days flat. Imported engine and gearbox from Poland (?) on the first 100 cars. Only real alternative to Swift Diesel if you want something that's not 6 lakhs OTR and not an Indica. Problems: None so far. (Left indicator did not self-cancel on smaller turns. Replaced combination switch under warranty at first service, but did not realise it was a feature of the car. Wasn't told by ASC either!!) Fuel Efficiency & Driving conditions: Worst kind of traffic in Delhi (Ashram, Nehru Place, Lajpat Nagar, East of Kailash) and 80% of driving between rush hours of 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm. Average F E: 15.5 kmpl. Highway (200 km trip): 19 kmpl. AC on 70% time. Fuel: Normal diesel from HP and Turbojet. LIVING WITH IT: PROS: Ride:Robust build and likes taking bad roads at higher speeds. Doesn't lose composure. Body Roll is present, but far lesser than WagonR, Santro etc and perhaps better than the Indica too. Rides really well. Suspension might be noisy but nothing much reaches the cabin except sounds. Comfortable seats and spacious cabin. Build quality. Ergonomics of the interiors. Engine & Gearbox: Powerful and a good cruiser. Very driveable in city as well if you can keep it in the correct RPM range. Gearbox positive though not snappy. Economy: At Rs 2.00 - Rs 2.50 per kilometre (pure running costs), it doesn't hurt at all. Only the CNG guys are better off. Good Insulation: Tremendous difference between noise levels with windows being shut or being open. Diesel engine sound is audible in the cabin but on the outside the decibel level maybe higher than Swift D / Optra D / Verna D but definitely lower than Octavia / Laura / Fabia / Accent CRDI. Steering. HPS does a great job. Illumination from Headlamp / Foglamp / Reversing lamp. A few features like double crank prevention, parking light operable from ignition (so that headlamps or parking lamps are never left on unintentionally if the engine is off), dead pedal, placement of accelerator and brake pedal conducive to heel and toe, illuminated power window switches, day-night mirrors. Drives more like a sedan than a flickable hatchback. Put that into the cons if you wish. Exclusivity People ask you at the Fuel Station, at the Red Light, at the Parking lot. "Palio aa rahi hai? Abhi bhi? Bandh nahi hui?" "Mileage kya hain?" "Maruti walon ka engine isme laga diya?" "Palio ki service bekaar hain!" "Nazar nahi aati hai, gaadi fail hai!" CONS: Large turning radius is a problem during U-turns on narrow roads but hardly a problem in parking. Reversing into the slot is easier. A.S.S. leaves a lot to be desired, but experience has been okay so far with one service done. Interiors fit-and-finish is not so great. But nothing's coming apart or anything. It's not flimsy by any standards. Clutch pedal is still heavy but has become a bit lighter after 3000 kms or so. Car is definitely under-tyred at 165/80/R13. GoodYear GPS 2 tubeless radials make a lot of road noise. While trying to sell the car you might have to convince the buyer that this is not an imported car or modifed by DC but a regular production version. Nobody knows about it in Delhi-NCR atleast. Car is wider than the Indica / Indigo and many sedans. Watch it while squeezing into that narrow gap behind the Alto!! COSTS Rs 4.99 lakh OTR with extended 18+18 month, 3 lakh kms warranty. Rs 7,500/- Sony Xplod HU & 4 nos Sony Xplod 6" speakers (Grey market). Rs 450/- Original Palio Radio Antenna Rs 2,000/- PU Leather seat covers and Steering wheel wrap. Rs 1,900/- Anti Rust Treatment Rs 1,750/- Left ORVM assembly (mirror replacement is about Rs 1200/-. SDE does not have left ORVM and hence the additional cost of replacement of two extra parts.) TOTAL for Car and Accessories: Rs 5,12,600/- Service Costs: Routine Service (as per manufacturer's recommendation): Rs 0/- Non Routine Service (not recommended by Manufacturer but carried out by me) Engine coolant top-up at First Service: Rs 250/- Engine Oil and Oil Filter Change: Rs 900/- approx. Bardahl Additive: Rs 400/- approx. Total: Rs 1900/- Accident Repair Complicated denting of left side both doors and painting of bottom 1/3 rd of entire left side of the car as well as finishing it to match the rest. Work performed at KJA Anthony Garage, Delhi. Quality of work much better than ASC. Costs-half of ASC costs. Entire car vacuumed and dashboard polished before delivery. Total Accident Repair costs: Rs 6,000/- Service experience: Vivek Automobiles: Stand on their head and make them do it. KJA Anthony Garage: Visit them every other evening and watch progress. They are slow but they do the job well. Total Time spent by car out of action: Service and Anti-Rust treatment: 7 hours. Accident Repair: 5 days including weekly holiday. __________________ Pulsar 150 DTS-i 2005 - 38,000 km, 41 months; Palio Stile 1.3MJD 2008 - 13,000 km, 8 months; Last edited by architect : 8th July 2008 at 02:51.