Experience with Santro - Team-BHP

herculesksp · 10th September 2006, 15:02

Hi all,
I finally joined a driving school and registered for a santro. After all the discussions from my previous threads where my preferences were changed from Indica to Santro/Wagon R, I thought learning on a santro would be good.

But here are my experiences. Firstly it was fun to drive the car. Finished 2 hours of driving already and doing good. But now comes the cribs.
1) The clutch rest is a real pain. When I am depressing the clutch, the moment my foot hits the clutch rest I think that the clutch is depressed fully and obviously gearing screws up then.
2) To avoid this I have to bend my left foot inward to clear the clutch rest and though this seemed fine at first after the 1 hour my foot started to ache at the knees. Plus my knees started hitting the steering column when I brought it towards the right.
3) I noticed that there is so much space between the accl pedal and the edge of the car. I felt it would have been so much more comfortable had the accl pedal been placed more to the right.

Note: the car was the older santro and not the xing. How different/better is the xing compared to the earlier santros in this regard?

This brings me to some observations. I need a car where there is good spread between the pedals. How do you rate the comfort levels in Indica Xeta and Wagon R as compared to the Santro?
Also, I realise that I cant judge the comfort of a car within a few mins of Test Driving it. Gotta be there for at least half hour.

Regards,
Prashanth

rranjith_kum · 10th September 2006, 21:54

Hi Prashanth
as a owner of zip plus its strange in your case .... but since you have come across this before buying the car you can definitely move for the spacious car but i think i can resolve your problem ... why don't you drive with your seats moved back a little off in the next driving class so that you don't hit your knees i do this because i and my mom share different seating position ... it works for me ... give it a try for yourself ... make sure you seat in correct positon if you want i will mail you correct seating posture.

Xing is only face lifted ... and changes like eRLX then ac vents so no changes to pedals and all...

rahul_intlad · 10th September 2006, 22:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by herculesksp

Hi all,

3) I noticed that there is so much space between the accl pedal and the edge of the car. I felt it would have been so much more comfortable had the accl pedal been placed more to the right.

Regards,
Prashanth

The accelerator has to be close to the brake since you have to brake with the right foot only and in tight situations you could loose valuable time if the distance between accelerator and brake be very large.Maybe thats the logic.

rahul_intlad · 10th September 2006, 22:52

Interestingly since this topic has been brought up,I had some problems adjusting with the clutch of the new Maruti Omni.The clutch in this car did take some time getting used to .

aZa · 10th September 2006, 23:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by herculesksp

1) The clutch rest is a real pain. When I am depressing the clutch, the moment my foot hits the clutch rest I think that the clutch is depressed fully and obviously gearing screws up then.

I think the foot rest besides the clutch is a great feature especially during long drives. i use it a lot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by herculesksp

2) To avoid this I have to bend my left foot inward to clear the clutch rest and though this seemed fine at first after the 1 hour my foot started to ache at the knees. Plus my knees started hitting the steering column when
I brought it towards the right.

Ok i always thought that Santro's Accelerator pedal was badly placed. i think instead of moving ur legs towards the right, move it towards the gear lever and turn ur foot inwards towards the clutch. Moving ur seat backwards a bit would also help. Plus if you drive your santro around for a while i'm sure you will find ur sweet spot.

Quote:

Originally Posted by herculesksp

3) I noticed that there is so much space between the accl pedal and the edge of the car. I felt it would have been so much more comfortable had the accl pedal been placed more to the right.

I dont think there is too much space between the accel pedal and the right edge. Though the accel pedal is awkwardly position and ur right leg will pain if u drive continiously. The too much of distance between the pedals is uncomfortable too

ramkya1 · 10th September 2006, 23:27

Hai There,

I think the dead pedal is a boon on long drives, I too use it a lot. I've found that if its not there you tend to rest your left leg on the clutch pedal and unconsviously press it which is bad for the clutch pads.

Also the distance between the brake and accelerator is OK; I think in an emergency this saves previous seconds.

It all boils down to getting used to the setting of the pedals.

Happy driving.

--Ramky

rks · 10th September 2006, 23:37

I too have had a similar problem with the foot rest besides the clutch -- it is a good idea, but I think it is a bit too close for people with big feet. My suggestion is to always use shoes while drving and keep your left heel in line with the clutch -- this has worked for me and as aZa pointed out, it can be useful on long drives.

Regarding the accelerator pedal, I feel it is actually a bit too far from the brake pedal. So if your right heel is in line with the brake pedal, you will find yourself reaching awkwardly for the acc pedal. The danger with this position is that your foot may get caught under the brake pedal when you try to brake in an emergency, especially when you have floored the acc pedal -- your foot would have to come up in an arc to avoid getting caught under the brake pedal. So you should probably place your right heel either in line with the acc pedal or somewhere in between the brake and acc pedals -- in any case make sure that you get this right so that there is no problem with braking in an emergency.

And as people have pointed out -- move your seat back to make yourself comfortable with the steering wheel and also less cramped with your arms and feet. Your seat should also not be reclined -- this not only gives a poor view of the road, but is also bad for your back in a long drive.

subbarp · 10th September 2006, 23:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by rahul_intlad

The accelerator has to be close to the brake since you have to brake with the right foot only and in tight situations you could loose valuable time if the distance between accelerator and brake be very large.Maybe thats the logic.

Also, in some cases, you might share the same foot across break and acceleration as I do when starting up an incline. I have my leg fully depressing the break and as I start to move off the incline, the weight shifts gradually from the break onto the acceleration to make the car move up the incline. Pretty useful starting off red-lights on an incline especially.
Some people use the handbreak for this but I find this method providing more control.
subbarp

SLK · 11th September 2006, 01:19

Well... front legroom is at slight scarcity in santro... wagonR is better and indica is best.

Pull your seat as back as possible... and recline the seat back a very little bit.

rks · 11th September 2006, 01:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLK

Well... front legroom is at slight scarcity in santro... wagonR is better and indica is best.

Pull your seat as back as possible... and recline the seat back a very little bit.

I agree -- I should have mentioned in my earlier post that a slight recline in the seat is necessary in the Santro to avoid cramping your arms and legs. What I meant was to avoid too much recline.

Insane Devil · 11th September 2006, 15:06

Hey herculesksp,

AS per ur requirements for more legroom in the front near pedals, the Indica is no doubt the best in this case! the Santro/WagonR are all too cramped! and even the seatings are not that good as compared to the Indica!

Try taking a drive in the Indica next time and then see which u like.

junkishya · 12th September 2006, 00:15

Try test-driving a Palio in city Traffic .. Do the same for 30 minutes .. and you will be surprised by the difference .... Palio's cluch is a bit heavy and has to be pressed down .. though it appears cumbersome initially, once you get used to it, you can keep on doing it for hours without getting any pains ..

Santro is worse on the highways where you start getting Knee pains if you drive for 3-4 hours continuously ... Have tried the same with Palio .. Drove between Hyd and Mumbai Non-Stop with one 10 minute halt at Solapur (after 5 hours) and one 20 minute halt at Pune (after another 4 hours). Did not feel anything either on the knees or on the back .. 700 kms covered in 11 hours .. Palio is absolutely funtastic on the long drives .. you can just keep driving it ..

revharder · 12th September 2006, 14:31

herculesksp,
i am very happy to see that you started learning car-driving before going for any heroics.
good to see you going for a lighter car like santro.

you can see yourself, the difference of self-knowing the things. in just very less time, you are giving your opinions about a car!

and regarding the pain in ankles and knees, it'll decrease with a little more time spent behind the steering, very much like exercise.
that dead-pedal or foot-rest is used to keep left foot upon it while driving. never ever get used to keep your left foot resting over the cluthc, it'll kill the clutch very soon.

Happy "L"(earning)!

10th September 2006, 22:52	#4 (permalink)
rahul_intlad Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Pune Posts: 1,563	Interestingly since this topic has been brought up,I had some problems adjusting with the clutch of the new Maruti Omni.The clutch in this car did take some time getting used to . Last edited by rahul_intlad : 10th September 2006 at 22:56.

10th September 2006, 23:27	#6 (permalink)
ramkya1 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 1,073 View My Garage	Matter Of Getting Used To. Hai There, I think the dead pedal is a boon on long drives, I too use it a lot. I've found that if its not there you tend to rest your left leg on the clutch pedal and unconsviously press it which is bad for the clutch pads. Also the distance between the brake and accelerator is OK; I think in an emergency this saves previous seconds. It all boils down to getting used to the setting of the pedals. Happy driving. --Ramky Last edited by ramkya1 : 10th September 2006 at 23:29.

11th September 2006, 01:19	#9 (permalink)
SLK Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: DL XX XX XXXX Posts: 1,016	Well... front legroom is at slight scarcity in santro... wagonR is better and indica is best. Pull your seat as back as possible... and recline the seat back a very little bit. __________________ Č╠╣€€Я$ $£Қ

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10th September 2006, 15:02	#1 (permalink)
herculesksp BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 188	Hi all, I finally joined a driving school and registered for a santro. After all the discussions from my previous threads where my preferences were changed from Indica to Santro/Wagon R, I thought learning on a santro would be good. But here are my experiences. Firstly it was fun to drive the car. Finished 2 hours of driving already and doing good. But now comes the cribs. 1) The clutch rest is a real pain. When I am depressing the clutch, the moment my foot hits the clutch rest I think that the clutch is depressed fully and obviously gearing screws up then. 2) To avoid this I have to bend my left foot inward to clear the clutch rest and though this seemed fine at first after the 1 hour my foot started to ache at the knees. Plus my knees started hitting the steering column when I brought it towards the right. 3) I noticed that there is so much space between the accl pedal and the edge of the car. I felt it would have been so much more comfortable had the accl pedal been placed more to the right. Note: the car was the older santro and not the xing. How different/better is the xing compared to the earlier santros in this regard? This brings me to some observations. I need a car where there is good spread between the pedals. How do you rate the comfort levels in Indica Xeta and Wagon R as compared to the Santro? Also, I realise that I cant judge the comfort of a car within a few mins of Test Driving it. Gotta be there for at least half hour. Regards, Prashanth

10th September 2006, 21:54	#2 (permalink)
rranjith_kum BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Coimbatore/ Aachen Posts: 632 View My Garage	Hi Prashanth as a owner of zip plus its strange in your case .... but since you have come across this before buying the car you can definitely move for the spacious car but i think i can resolve your problem ... why don't you drive with your seats moved back a little off in the next driving class so that you don't hit your knees i do this because i and my mom share different seating position ... it works for me ... give it a try for yourself ... make sure you seat in correct positon if you want i will mail you correct seating posture. Xing is only face lifted ... and changes like eRLX then ac vents so no changes to pedals and all...

10th September 2006, 23:37	#7 (permalink)
rks BANNED Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: ?? Posts: 1,197	I too have had a similar problem with the foot rest besides the clutch -- it is a good idea, but I think it is a bit too close for people with big feet. My suggestion is to always use shoes while drving and keep your left heel in line with the clutch -- this has worked for me and as aZa pointed out, it can be useful on long drives. Regarding the accelerator pedal, I feel it is actually a bit too far from the brake pedal. So if your right heel is in line with the brake pedal, you will find yourself reaching awkwardly for the acc pedal. The danger with this position is that your foot may get caught under the brake pedal when you try to brake in an emergency, especially when you have floored the acc pedal -- your foot would have to come up in an arc to avoid getting caught under the brake pedal. So you should probably place your right heel either in line with the acc pedal or somewhere in between the brake and acc pedals -- in any case make sure that you get this right so that there is no problem with braking in an emergency. And as people have pointed out -- move your seat back to make yourself comfortable with the steering wheel and also less cramped with your arms and feet. Your seat should also not be reclined -- this not only gives a poor view of the road, but is also bad for your back in a long drive.

11th September 2006, 15:06	#11 (permalink)
Insane Devil BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 880 View My Garage	Hey herculesksp, AS per ur requirements for more legroom in the front near pedals, the Indica is no doubt the best in this case! the Santro/WagonR are all too cramped! and even the seatings are not that good as compared to the Indica! Try taking a drive in the Indica next time and then see which u like.

12th September 2006, 00:15	#12 (permalink)
junkishya BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 43	Try test-driving a Palio in city Traffic .. Do the same for 30 minutes .. and you will be surprised by the difference .... Palio's cluch is a bit heavy and has to be pressed down .. though it appears cumbersome initially, once you get used to it, you can keep on doing it for hours without getting any pains .. Santro is worse on the highways where you start getting Knee pains if you drive for 3-4 hours continuously ... Have tried the same with Palio .. Drove between Hyd and Mumbai Non-Stop with one 10 minute halt at Solapur (after 5 hours) and one 20 minute halt at Pune (after another 4 hours). Did not feel anything either on the knees or on the back .. 700 kms covered in 11 hours .. Palio is absolutely funtastic on the long drives .. you can just keep driving it ..

12th September 2006, 14:31	#13 (permalink)
revharder BHPian Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 405	herculesksp, i am very happy to see that you started learning car-driving before going for any heroics. good to see you going for a lighter car like santro. you can see yourself, the difference of self-knowing the things. in just very less time, you are giving your opinions about a car! and regarding the pain in ankles and knees, it'll decrease with a little more time spent behind the steering, very much like exercise. that dead-pedal or foot-rest is used to keep left foot upon it while driving. never ever get used to keep your left foot resting over the cluthc, it'll kill the clutch very soon. Happy "L"(earning)!