Tata Indica Turbo DLG - 117000 kms report

[discoverwild]

Hi friends,

This is the only Tata I currently own, so here's the review. Pretty short and direct.

Model: 2006
Distance travelled: 117000 kms
Top Speed: I have hit a indicated 140 with a full load, 4 passengers, complete baggage and camera equipment without breaking in to a sweat. My normal speed ranges between 75-80 (Yes, I am a very sane driver).
Tyre life: OE Bridgestones 165/65 R14 lasted 72000 kms, replaced them with Bridgestone tubeless 175/65/14. Done the remaining distance with still about 50% tyre life.
Major repairs: I once hit a huge unmarked speed breaker at 50 plus, breaking hard at the last minute which resulted in the car diving and cutting off the power steering fluid pipes. Just a replacement of the tubes and topping up solved the problem.

Clutch replaced at 107000 kms. Suspension bushes replaced twice. Shock absorbers replaced once. Replaced only the glass of the RHS ORVM four times. Gets knocked off if a biker hits it.
Mileage: 14+ in city, 21+ on highway. I have done Coimbatore - Bangalore - Coimbatore on a tankful. 50+ kms with the low-fuel warning light on.
Likes: Space, pickup and stressfree cruising, mileage.
Dislikes: A little rattling here and there but nothing serious.
Satisfaction: You bet. My average running expenses are about 2.50 per km. Cheaper than a bus if two of us are travelling. Can you beat that?

[kiren]

I also own a 2006 Indica Turbo DLG which has done 105000 kms.

Tyres I had initially 185/60 Goodyear NCT5 for 72K and was changed to 175/65 Acellere's.

Mileage of 21+ you are getting is excellent. Is it with AC or without AC. I have got 14-17 KMPL with 100% AC on.

[greenhorn]

72000K . I had plans to replace my tyres with tubeless, but they dont seem to be wearing out at all! at this rate, I'll still have these tyres 5 years down the line.

you might want to try out the new 2007 style ORVM's. the indigo LX ones with the stainless steel strip cost about 1.5k each - i havent had any issues with them.
Mileage sounds similar to mine. the rear stop lamp rattled quite a bit in mine. cured it with some double sided tape

A bit offtopic, Bouncer is a fellow indica/indigo owner who is also currently jeepless !

[SRShrikanth]

Nice to see you enjoy the true VFM factor that is marketing motherhood for the Indica V2 brand.

72K kms from stock tires is simply amazing.

Keep the good work going.

[discoverwild]

Hi Kiren,
21+ with the A/c on the highway at 75 kmph. Engine running below 2000 rpm.

Hi Greenhorn,
72000 kms is easy if you do it right. I still had about 5K left in the tyres. Wheel balancing and alignment every 5000 kms is what has always given me the best outcome.

Hi Shrikanth,
For a guy who travels (drives most of the time) an average of 50000 kms every year, VFM is very important. I try to get the best out of all my cars.

[hrag]

Nice. Nothing surprising about the 72K tyre life. My rears lasted 74K before I had to change the OEM JK Tornados.

[rajneeesh]

Well,

Indica is a true VFM machine. I am not surprised at all with your experience. My Indica has notched up 87K and I have never been left in the lurch by the old faithful. It may not be the most refined ,but reliable it certainly is. Even though I have bought an additional car ( SX4), I do drive the Indica atleast 10 -12 days a month.

It is a car much criticised by people who have not owned it. Most owners speak well of the car.

[discoverwild]

Cannot edit my first post - so will add more here.

Dislikes - Driver side window does not roll up straight, tilts forward and gets stuck. A shove is required to push it back in place and all is well. Haven't been able to fix this permanently.

Minor Mishap - One night, I enter a bunk to fill in diesel and the guy inadvertently puts in a litre of petrol, before I can stop him. It is close to 10.30 and I am 50 kms away from home. Call my friend who runs a Maruti A.S.S and he asks me to tank up on diesel. So, I fill her up to the brim, bringing the ratio to 1:30. I run it and I find some sluggishness initially for about 10 kms and then it is back to normal.

[kiren]

Dislikes - Driver side window does not roll up straight, tilts forward and gets stuck. A shove is required to push it back in place and all is well. Haven't been able to fix this permanently.


Your dislike has been my problem also. I have got it rectified 3 times.

[greenhorn]

it happens to me just before closing. Usually winding it down a bit and up again solves it for me

[trrk]

Hi,

Lucky me!

Never had the glass tilting problem in my old Indica DLE or the present Marina.

Maybe running all the time with AC helps!

[gemithomas]

WoW!!!. Thats a real good car that you got. Never heard of an indica with just a glass tilt problem and a few suspension bushes changed evern after such high running. You must be real lucky.

And the tyres. How can they last for so long. have got maximum of 40-45K on any car. Whats the secret.?

[srinivasmhn]

Mar- 2008 Indica DLG, run 36K Kms. As of now no major problems
Some minor niggling issues can live with it. Problem with only
flat tyres.
Daily run 100 Kms. Mileage 17Kms without AC. Does not give more than this. Drive with speed around 90Kms/hr and the RPM will be around 2200.

[royalcruiser]

thats really a long life for the tyres!

i've been terribly unfortunate - had to get all the 4 tyres replaced by 24k kms. It was largely due to overspeeding with a full load, I guess. Moreover, I ended up driving close to 5-6k without proper alignment. the alignment was lost after a minor accident and i missed the point about the alignment not being correct which my service fellow told me about . only when i saw the tires getting worn-out from the insides, it struck me that i had forgotten to get the alignment done!

[discoverwild]

Originally Posted by gemithomas

WoW!!!. Thats a real good car that you got. Never heard of an indica with just a glass tilt problem and a few suspension bushes changed evern after such high running. You must be real lucky.

And the tyres. How can they last for so long. have got maximum of 40-45K on any car. Whats the secret.?

Tata's have always been lucky for me - 127000 kms with the Sierra (tyre changes at 54K - OE MRF Zigma VT and 112K kms - MRF Zigma GP) - 165000 kms with the Sumo and now the Indica going strong.

Inflate the tyres about 2-3 psi more than recommended. Reduces rolling resistance. Complete wheel balancing, alignment and tyre rotation every 5000 kms is the key.

Originally Posted by srinivasmhn

Mar- 2008 Indica DLG, run 36K Kms. As of now no major problems. Some minor niggling issues can live with it. Problem with only flat tyres. Daily run 100 Kms. Mileage 17Kms without AC. Does not give more than this. Drive with speed around 90Kms/hr and the RPM will be around 2200.

Reduce your speed to about 75 kmph and notice your mileage go up. After 60 kmph, air resistance does increase considerably. At 75 kmph, I might be losing about 5-10% mileage and at 90 kmph, definitely 15%+. I run the engine at slightly over the marked 1800 rpm. This gives me effortless cruising and in case I need to overtake in a hurry, the downshift puts me in the meat of the turbo for a quick move.

Originally Posted by royalcruiser

thats really a long life for the tyres!
i've been terribly unfortunate - had to get all the 4 tyres replaced by 24k kms. It was largely due to overspeeding with a full load, I guess. Moreover, I ended up driving close to 5-6k without proper alignment. the alignment was lost after a minor accident and i missed the point about the alignment not being correct which my service fellow told me about . only when i saw the tires getting worn-out from the insides, it struck me that i had forgotten to get the alignment done!

If you are carrying a full load, I suggest a minimum of 30-32 psi for all the tyres. Overspeeding tends to make it hard on the tyres, especially during emergency braking, going over ruts, off the road to avoid an idiot driving into you head-on. Relax and enjoy life around you.

If you go hard into a pot hole and bend your rim, get it balanced as early as possible. A few hundred kms with a bent rim is enough to do considerable damage.

Always rotate all your tyres including the spare. This will give you even wear and tear and when you replace tyres, buy all 5 new. Just imagine at this rate, you will probably be on your 3rd set before you hit 75000 kms.

Repairs: Had to replace the diesel tank after our driver drove over a broken tree stump while reversing. A.S.S advised to replace it rather than try repairing. I think it cost 4.5K. No fault of the car though.