Ford Fiesta 1.4 TDCi ZXi - 25000kms/19months Review

[benbsb29]

Originally Posted by rajeshvin

It's amazing, you cover 600+ kms in one stretch, tell me it is passion to drive or passion to drive fiesta. Don't you get fatigue and man you drive in the night, it's credible.

OFF TOPIC : Having travelled with this guy, i must say he is a careful driver, and very sedate in his approach. He surely lives the owl's life.

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

OFF TOPIC : Having travelled with this guy, i must say he is a careful driver, and very sedate in his approach. He surely lives the owl's life.

Thanks Benny. Have you confirmed on your drive dates?

[krish3]

Hey Unni.. so you were home for Onam. That's great.

I got my Getz Crdi... driving back to Bangalore in that tomorrow. Driving today from Trivandrum to Cochin.

I think we can club together if our timing match in future. Our non-stop driving habits match

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by krish3

Hey Unni.. so you were home for Onam. That's great.

I got my Getz Crdi... driving back to Bangalore in that tomorrow. Driving today from Trivandrum to Cochin.

I think we can club together if our timing match in future. Our non-stop driving habits match

Hey Krish, great news indeed!! Congrats on the new car, it is a pocket rocket I had noticed the change in your profile pic yesterday. I should be having a drive to Kerala in October, will let you know for sure.

[unni.ak]

Sixth Service done. Odo at 27877 as of yesterday. This time, the service was done at a newly opened (10 months old) Ford Sevice Center at Mavelikara. Details are:

Parts
1. Engine Oil - 4lt - Rs 774.25
2. Oil Filter - Rs 312.54
3. Fuel Filter - Rs 912.76
4. Fuse 15 Amp - Rs 31.08

Labor
1. Paid Service - Rs 784
2. Head Light Replacement - Rs 73.50
3. Mics - Rs 150

Total - Rs 3399/-

The Mavelikara service center is below par when compared to the other Ford centers. Even though its 10 months since set up, the place looks like a road-side all-car garage. It actually was previously one, which had run down, and Kairal group has taken it on rent. It seems plans are on to construct and expand. The compaints I had when giving for service were;

1. Dash Board creak
2. Dim bulb of left head light conked

Even though I was told that the dash board creak has been sorted, it is very much there, if not increased. When I took the test drive, it was on real smooth roads and the creak didnt crop up. Will be driving down to Kerala in Oct, will have to get it checked then. Other than that, the car is performing as usual. Pretty happy.

The Hosur - Salem - Coimbatore - Palghat route has 5 toll points now and requires Rs 171 (total) of toll. I think its worth it. If not for the moronic drivers sticking to the right lane or coming in the opposite direction, good speeds can be maintained.

Oh, had a freak accident. I was reversing into the car park at home in Kerala, and a gust of wind slammed the gate on to the car. Took of 5mm lenght of paint, and gave a 50paisa circumfrence dent, at the door handle level, near the B pillar

[benbsb29]

Unni, you were charged for a 15Amp fuse? I was given replacements free by Lathangi Ford here in Bangalore. Also, you did pick up some spare fuses from the shop i mentioned, right?

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by benbsb29

Unni, you were charged for a 15Amp fuse? I was given replacements free by Lathangi Ford here in Bangalore. Also, you did pick up some spare fuses from the shop i mentioned, right?

Yes, they charged me for that. I did pick up two 15A fuses from the shop you had mentioned. Thanks for that. Infact I was discussing the price of the fuse with the Service Advisor and he told me that Rs 31 is nothing!!Seems there is a 7.5A fuse for the ORVM, which costs ~ Rs 300

[krish3]

Rs 3000/- for a paid service seems very much OK. Ford is not so expensive then. Good for me and other Ford owners.

Ben-: I think you were favoured when they didn't charge for the fuse. Everyone usually charges for the fuse.

Unni- When in Oct are you planning to go to Kerala?

[shajufx]

Originally Posted by unni.ak

and staying awake at night is second nature!!

Yes I agree BPO guys are more active in the night !
Do you always take the Hosur-salem-coimbatore-palaghat-trichur route ? What about the short cut through the Thoppur-Bhavani route ? Anytime tried the Mysore-Bathery-calicut route ? Thanks in advance ! Sorry for the OT, I am regular on the kerala-route thread, but not getting the latest update there.

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by krish3

Rs 3000/- for a paid service seems very much OK. Ford is not so expensive then. Good for me and other Ford owners.

Ben-: I think you were favoured when they didn't charge for the fuse. Everyone usually charges for the fuse.

Unni- When in Oct are you planning to go to Kerala?

Yes, if it is just regular service, the charges are pretty decent. As per other owners, parts prices have also come down. The Oct trip should be on 1st or 2nd Oct night.

Originally Posted by shajufx

Yes I agree BPO guys are more active in the night !
Do you always take the Hosur-salem-coimbatore-palaghat-trichur route ? What about the short cut through the Thoppur-Bhavani route ? Anytime tried the Mysore-Bathery-calicut route ? Thanks in advance ! Sorry for the OT, I am regular on the kerala-route thread, but not getting the latest update there.

Yes, all my drives to Kerala, except 2, have been Hosur - Salem - Coimbatore - Palghat route. Tried the Thoppur - Bhavani route once, didn't like it. There are a lot of people here who swear by it. Guess I like 4 lanes more!!

I had a drive to Wayanad 3-4 weeks back and had taken the Mysore - Bathery route. Didn't go all the way to Calicut though. B'lore - Mysore is Good. For about 10-15kms after Mysore, the roads are bad. Road work was going on then, and conditions will've surely improved. Except for occassional pot holes and rough patches, the route is good. Scenic as well.

[rajeshvin]

Unni, as you do night traveling, how you found stock headlights, are they adequate or ugrade to 100/80 is needed, usually I do travel mostly on highway, most of time I avoid night traveling but can't say, please share your views.

Thanks.

[lamborghini]

@rajesh: I have done a fair bit of highway travelling in our fiesta, some runs in the night too, and I have always found the headlights to be decently powerful.
In fact, me and our driver, both find the headlights to be more powerful then those in other cars previously owned.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

@rajesh: I have done a fair bit of highway travelling in our fiesta, some runs in the night too, and I have always found the headlights to be decently powerful.
In fact, me and our driver, both find the headlights to be more powerful then those in other cars previously owned.

That is exactly what I'd said too on an earlier post by someone who wanted to upgrade his headlights.
I generally drive in low beam in the city as a courtesty gesture to oncoming traffic, and change to high beam only when the other guy seems arrogant--almost always I get an immediate response from them.

[unni.ak]

Originally Posted by rajeshvin

Unni, as you do night traveling, how you found stock headlights, are they adequate or ugrade to 100/80 is needed

Originally Posted by lamborghini

@rajesh: I have done a fair bit of highway travelling in our fiesta, some runs in the night too, and I have always found the headlights to be decently powerful.
In fact, me and our driver, both find the headlights to be more powerful then those in other cars previously owned.

Originally Posted by vnabhi

That is exactly what I'd said too on an earlier post by someone who wanted to upgrade his headlights.
I generally drive in low beam in the city as a courtesty gesture to oncoming traffic, and change to high beam only when the other guy seems arrogant--almost always I get an immediate response from them.

Rajesh, you have got your answer. I agree with lamborghini and vnabhi. You may have noticed that I had to replace the left dim-bulb during service since it had conked. Infact, I drove for about 60kms or more before realising that I'm running with just the right side light working. And almost all thru the drive, I was on dim.

[rajeshvin]

@ lamborghini, vnabhi and unni.ak

Dear Seniors, thanks a lot for your valuable inputs, now I don't have to play with stock headlights, your inputs gave me enough confidence to retain and enjoy stock headlights.

Thanks.