My Fiat Petra... Three years & 25000 KMs ownership experience

[hellspawn]

how did the injectors get damaged.now thats a first...havent ever heard of injectrs getting damaged so early..

[drpullockaran]

Originally Posted by omar1310

Hey Rishi,

Good Review I must say! Very happy to see a FIAT owner for 3 years with no compaints about the A-S-S. By each passing day, I am proving all those who asked me to stay away wrong. With your review, I hope and pray that I will prove them wrong for few more years.

Enjoy your car!

You would be surprised to know that I have owned a GTX for 4 years(last 3 years on LPG) and 39800km and the only thing I have changed as of yet is a set of wiper blades. As far as aftersales is concerned the normal fluid change is the only thing I have asked of them at which the service center has been exemplary. By each passing day, I too am proving all those who asked me to stay away wrong. I hope and pray that I too will prove them wrong for a few more years. Compared to that in my Junkindica which I still own; in the first 2 years of ownership of the car I had to change Rs68000/ worth of parts and the after sales service is pathetic compared to FIATs. I have not taken my GTX for service to the TATA service center for service and never will because I love the GTX too much to commit HARAKIRI.

Bye and wear your seat belts.

[rishi_kapoor]

Originally Posted by sreenivass

The report shows your passion for the car Rishi. I too own a 2004 model 1.6L and have no complaints about ride, build. If at all I would like it to be a couple of inches wider and probably a foot or two longer with 120+ BHP engine. It is so close to my ideal car. What other brands did you consider for 185/65 tires ?

I went in for Michelin, I did consider Yokohama but since I knew some senior guys in Michelin, I chose Michelin energy after some online research and feedback.

[rishi_kapoor]

Originally Posted by hellspawn

how did the injectors get damaged.now thats a first...havent ever heard of injectrs getting damaged so early..

Dont know...I gave the car for service in perfect condition (though I did experience some jerking once, but since it never happened again, I dismissed it as bad fuel etc); the car started jerking after washing and they tried to replace coil which did not solve problem and finally, they checked all injectors and one found failed.

[speedzak]

25,000kms in 3 years! Dude, you really pamper your car!
That is hardly 23kms a day man!

Nice to know you love your Petra and it has not fallen into pieces yet!

[extreme_torque]

Hey Rishi,

Nice report, although you can elaborate a little on the drive and FE you get. Its indeed a very good car.

[greatDrive]

Originally Posted by speedzak

25,000kms in 3 years! Dude, you really pamper your car!
That is hardly 23kms a day man!

Mine is 11K in 2.5 yrs, This is what happens if you stay near your office and walk down to work and just have time to drive out on weekends.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by speedzak

25,000kms in 3 years! Dude, you really pamper your car!
That is hardly 23kms a day man!

If you see he has 2 other cars, namely a Palio GTX and a Lancer Invex.

Originally Posted by speedzak

Nice to know you love your Petra and it has not fallen into pieces yet!

Can you elaborate on this a little more?

[rishi_kapoor]

Originally Posted by speedzak

25,000kms in 3 years! Dude, you really pamper your car!
That is hardly 23kms a day man!

Nice to know you love your Petra and it has not fallen into pieces yet!

Dude thats because since last over a year this is being used only on fridays and all long drives (recent 1250 Kms (including 1000 in hills). I have done several Mumbai-Delhi trips in car too.

In city I drive automatic Lancer since last over a year but when it comes to long drives -I trust only Petra. This is a very special feeling, you have to own a Petra to experience it.

I recently test drove SX4 and this cant even touch the dust Petra leaves behind in terms of solid performance on road. I only miss ABS in Petra else none of the C (or even some D) segment car comes near it in terms of safety, road handling and comfort.

And...I asssure you...even if I keep this vehicle for another 15-20 years...it wont come apart.

[speedzak]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

If you see he has 2 other cars, namely a Palio GTX and a Lancer Invex.

Good he has put those cars into good use!

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Can you elaborate on this a little more?

A thread can be started if you insist. Anyway, most of it has been scattered all around the forum. I will put it all together for your pleasure.

[rishi_kapoor]

Originally Posted by extreme_torque

Hey Rishi,

Nice report, although you can elaborate a little on the drive and FE you get. Its indeed a very good car.

Drive is solid, exceptional road handling, no rolling or uneasy feeling while manouvering the vehicle. I regularly get 11.5 in city conditions with 100% AC. Highway average varies between 13-15.5 (I have sometimes even got 16) depending on driving conditions.

With a car like Petra, you cant help flooring accelerator on highways (for that matter even in city...ocassionaly when you get empty roads.

Only car in my experience that comes near solid built of Petra (Palio included) is Octavia.

[wanderernomad]

Anyone can put me in touch with somone who owns a PETRA 1.9 D? Please i need help urgently.

[rishi_kapoor]

Originally Posted by speedzak

Good he has put those cars into good use!

A thread can be started if you insist. Anyway, most of it has been scattered all around the forum. I will put it all together for your pleasure.

Not sure if you are referring to *** etc...I would not like to argue with 1% of the cases, I encourage you to join Fiat Club India group on Yahoo and you would be surprised how myths and grapewine can hurt a good product.

I have got excellent support for both my cars...and yes I had to fight too for the right support but it is no different for what I have experienced on other brands that I have owned (including Maruti). I own Petra and GTX since 2004 and had a Palio 1.2 earlier since 2001, zero service issues till date except a bad power steering rack issue on Petra.

Talk about customer satisfaction (and blah-blah), last weekend I wasted my 40 KM worth of fuel and 3 hours to test drive an agreed Grand Vitara, only to find that i have been cheated and they dont have a test drive vehicle as yet (Call up Competent Gurgaon to confirm this, PM me if you need the number).

Now lets talk about Honda...I have my club members doing a Bangalore-Leh-Kargil-Srinagar-Mumbai-Bangalore trip. They got stuck up in Pune yesterday as clutch (replaced 2 weeks ago at Honda Bangalore) gave way on one of the vTec. Pune Honda service told them it would take 4 days to arrange stuff...same reply from Mumbai. I somehow made the parts available through personal contacts in Mumbai and got these installed through Honda service in Mumbai today so that they can continue. And ofcourse Mumbai Honda refused to honor warranty on 2 weeks old parts replaced by Bangalore Honda.

Try making a call to any Fiat Dealer (not Tata) and tell him you are stuck on road and hear the response.

And as I said earlier I would not like to indulge in a argument here.

[drpullockaran]

Dear Rishi,
I too am a DIE HARD fan like you. I own the GTX and other than changing the wiper blades I have not had to change any thing as of yet and thats 4 years and counting with 39000km on the odo. The low odometer reading is because I have 53 horses(feels more like 35 horses) of Junkindica in my stable as well.
I believe that if you test drive the Palio Adventure you will have another 100horses in your stable.
Bye and wear your seat belts.

[extreme_torque]

Originally Posted by speedzak

A thread can be started if you insist. Anyway, most of it has been scattered all around the forum. I will put it all together for your pleasure.

Dont bother.... I wish you had owned one, till then you are not qualified to comment.