Suzuki Grand Vitara 50,000kms report

[sudev]

Can I up the ante and post a 50,000km report here as well?

1. Just a irritating rattle that refuses to be identified right from about 5k onwards.
2. Having driven off road quite a bit there is now a clutch rattle if the rpm's get really low in second/third gear. Could be pressure plate springs have become soft?
3. Cracked glass (from a stone flying off the rear tyre of a vehicle in front) cost 16k to replace. Fortunately insurance took care of most of it. Took a month to get a spare from Maruti.
4. Firm handling and rattle free road presence.
5. Much better FE than people talked about.
6. Two small dents that I have kept for posterity.
7. Small scratches on the front left bumper courtesy my sons driving in an underground parking lot.
8. Firm seats and seating position are an asset and do not tire you, just drove back last week end in a day - from Sanchor (Gujrat/Rajasthan border) via Jaisalmer, Nagaur, Jhunjhunu to Delhi - approx 1150 kms without too much fatigue.
9. Rubber hangers of exhaust pipe tend of come off if the exhaust touches ground.
10 Bad wiper rubber leaves "haze" after sweeping the wind screen. Replaced once with OE but no use. Just replaced another set with non-O.E. blades.

[SumitB]

Originally Posted by sudev

10 Bad wiper rubber leaves "haze" after sweeping the wind screen. Replaced once with OE but no use. Just replaced another set with non-O.E. blades.

Why don't you give Bosch a shot if available for the Vitara? People have reported that it rocks!

[abhinav.gupta88]

Hey man you should definitely go for the Bosch ones, they rock
Also how old is your car ?
Any Pics.

[sudev]

Originally Posted by abhinav.gupta88

Hey man you should definitely go for the Bosch ones, they rock
Also how old is your car ?
Any Pics.

Have just brought a pair of bosch wipers will see how much better they are.
GV is exactly a month short of year with me. Been posting pics and all in 4x4 threads forum. Check it out there.

[SumitB]

Originally Posted by sudev

Have just brought a pair of bosch wipers will see how much better they are.
GV is exactly a month short of year with me. Been posting pics and all in 4x4 threads forum. Check it out there.

You drove 50,000 kilometers in 11 months?

[HappyWheels]

Originally Posted by SumitB

You drove 50,000 kilometers in 11 months?

Same thought here! Wow, you are utilizing the vehicle to the max!

[Jaggu]

Originally Posted by sudev

Have just brought a pair of bosch wipers will see how much better they are.
GV is exactly a month short of year with me. Been posting pics and all in 4x4 threads forum. Check it out there.

Congratz on completing the 50k mark. Blades will not help the haze, you need to look into other remedies like using the heater, or using other chemical/proucts to keep the windshield smog free esp at humid conditions.

[SumitB]

Sudev, you drove an average of 150kms daily for 330 days! And if we average out, you used 5000 litres of petrol (assuming 10kmpl mileage and 45 per litre) @ Rs. 2,25,000/-. Man you deserve a salute! Do you sleep in your Vitara?

[Samurai]

Sudev does recce for Raid De Himalaya and Desert Storm, so those KMs are not easy KMs either.

Good to know it can withstand such heavy driving on harsh roads without any niggles. I have done just above 5K and similar experience here.

9. Rubber hangers of exhaust pipe tend of come off if the exhaust touches ground.

This happened once for me, resulting in strange thumping sound on rough roads. Even the service station guys were perplexed until we zeroed in on the rubber hangar. Actually 3 of us were standing under the car and looking everywhere. Now I know how to put it back in 10 seconds.

[BAKIYA_2K12]

wow that's a lot of driving dude you used her to the max in 11 months

[extreme_torque]

50k's is a lot of mileage in 11 months. Nice to see Vitara being used the way it should be since almost all these expensive SUV's are used as urban playboys.

[sudev]

The wiper blade I am referring to is sort of whitening that occurs when wiper is used and this disappears after a while. It normally is associated either due to oily surface - remedy colin or similar cleaner - or due to bad rubber on the blades. O.E. are "syndicate" brand and in other vehicles I found them adequate but not here.

Imagine a night drive with on rain and oncoming vehicles. This is very frustrating and dangerous. Last monsoon the vehicle was not driven much at night and so just did a change of OE wipers some where after the last Raid. But this has been a niggling problem which I hope will disappear with the bosch ones.

No I definitely do not sleep in the GV. But been doing lot of recce stuff plus almost every other week I make a 500 km trip as part of my work to our plant. I know this sounds like a lot of mileage but even on my previous car I had odo past 1.6lac mark in four years.

I know a chap in Jaipur...may be he lurks here too...who does 10k a month in his scorpio, so I have way to go to catch up... ;-)

Okay so some pics here (may be repeats of whats posted on another thread)

[sudev]

Tow more observations:
One I am impressed with the doors on this vehicle that close with a very minimal push. More like european vehicles "thunk"
Two Nice reclining rear seats and leg space. Some times (not often) I have used these and iit was joy to be able to cross one leg over the other without feet pushing against the front seat.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by sudev

Tow more observations:
One I am impressed with the doors on this vehicle that close with a very minimal push. More like european vehicles "thunk"

Yeah, it does creep up on Palio territory.

Originally Posted by sudev

Two Nice reclining rear seats and leg space. Some times (not often) I have used these and iit was joy to be able to cross one leg over the other without feet pushing against the front seat.

Or in other words, this is the only car where I have been able to install child seat without having to come from the other side to insert the buckle. Usually one has to place the child seat from one side, pull the belt down, and then come from the other side to insert the buckle. The GV has so much leg space in the rear, one can bend past the child seat and insert the buckle from the original side. Parents who have used child seats can appreciate this a lot.

[sudev]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Yeah, it does creep up on Palio territory.

Yeah, many a times I have ended up telling the passenger "take it easy" when the close the door with usual WHAM...

Night driving is a pleasure given excellent lens dip and bright head. Of course getting it adjusted properly is something you will have to get done as most of the workshop guys have only "aim at the oncoming" driver mentality.

Okay list of things that had to be replaced:
1. Windscreen
2. Wiper
3. Rear left strut (embarrassing but went over some rocks in middle of highway at a speed at night)
4. Front struts and suspension arms (again rather embarrassing as it happened in front of many admiring eyes but again my fault of trying to fly over a ditch..the vehicle had to be towed away) plus radiator and a/c radiator plus front cross member.
5. Set of tires - stuck to original Yoko rubber

And despite #3 & #4 she is still behaving like a kitten purring along.