The First Grand Vitara Ownership on Team-BHP (5000Kms Update)

[lohithrao]

COngrats Samurai, I know am late in wishing. am just back from mangalore and belive me was thinking how right you are in buy GV (present road conditions).

hehe this machine looks Great! COngrats once again

btw did your cousin get the delivery of Gorkha? i did vist the mangalore force dealer and thats when they told that they are delivering a Gorkha sometime this week. this person happens to be waiting for last 7months... i presume its your cousin??

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by lohithrao

COngrats Samurai, I know am late in wishing. am just back from mangalore and belive me was thinking how right you are in buy GV (present road conditions).

Yeah, I know. It simply doesn't make sense to own a sedan this place if one can afford a SUV. That's how I started on the Gurkha journey and ended with GV.

Originally Posted by lohithrao

btw did your cousin get the delivery of Gorkha? i did vist the mangalore force dealer and thats when they told that they are delivering a Gorkha sometime this week. this person happens to be waiting for last 7months... i presume its your cousin??

Yup, that's him. No, delivery has not happened. Actually he has waited much longer than 7 months, it is more like 10-11 months.

[VBV]

Hey Samurai,

congratulations.

I was in Udipi/Manipal last week and I climbed down Agumbe in my SX4. My route was from chikmagalur-Sringeri-Udipi-Karkala-Kudremukh-chickmagalur. As you can imagine, the route was a great place for testing out your kind of a vehicle. I would suggest the same to you. Also you might want to try the Kollur/Kodachaadri/Arishinagundi road on your new GV.

I'm amazed you could go on 4th on Agumbe ghats.

I also see you've got some pics on end-point. Nice place to get photographs.

By the way, what was the temple where you got your car worshipped? Sounds like a nice place for me to visit when I go to Udipi next.

Vinay

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by VBV

I also see you've got some pics on end-point. Nice place to get photographs.

Never taken the GV to end-point yet, anyway the end-point is getting destroyed now, they are building the new DC office there.

By the way, what was the temple where you got your car worshipped? Sounds like a nice place for me to visit when I go to Udipi next.

Pernankil Temple: Wikimapia - Let's describe the whole world!

[tsk1979]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Never taken the GV to end-point yet, anyway the end-point is getting destroyed now, they are building the new DC office there.

Where will the students go for extra curricular activities. You should hold a candlelight vigil

[Samurai]

Today I had taken the vehicle to RTO for registration. They said it is the first GV in the district, probably so. Meanwhile one chap who heard the price from my agent (dealer appointee) starting foaming in the mouth. First he said the whole body must be fiber. Then he said what a waste, it surely won't fetch half the price at resale. Then he suddenly realized he was talking next to the owner and shut his trap. I just shrugged and told myself... Muggle!

Originally Posted by tsk1979

Where will the students go for extra curricular activities. You should hold a candlelight vigil

I am sure the students will do so. The government managed to wrench that property back from the Manipal group I think.

[Rudra Sen]

So we can't take the car there anymore?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

So we can't take the car there anymore?

Huh! Why not, what do you mean?

Edit: You mean endpoint... We can, to what's left of it.

[dhall_gagan]

Samurai,

Do some story writing, write up some novels and if you dont start photographing some mean-machines...
Write-up was good and the pics were awsome and it sure shows how this beast might give the "Honda CRV - The City SUV" some tough beaing....

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by dhall_gagan

Write-up was good and the pics were awsome and it sure shows how this beast might give the "Honda CRV - The City SUV" some tough beating....

Thanks, in my opinion it is a better looker than the current CR-V.

Meanwhile, some fresh data on mileage. Today I had to travel 30 Kms on NH-17 followed by 8 Kms on local broken roads. Since the stretch on NH-17 has been recently patched up, I figured I can do some normal driving. So, I reset the avg FE reading on the FE monitor to get a fresh reading.

The highway in question is a two lane roads with no divider, recently patched, lots of bus, truck and two-wheeler traffic apart from the usual cars. Every overtake needs quick acceleration and pass maneuvers. I could maintain a speed between 40-80Kmph, including some slow ride through towns. In other words, the best driving so far done using GV. The FE reading started creeping up and for the first time showed 2 digit figure. It stayed around 10.8 for quite a while and finally settled at 11.2kmpl at my last two miles of highway. Then I turned into the local pothole filled roads, after 8Kms of that, the FE had come down to 10.8kmpl.

Assuming this monitor is accurate, I am able to 11.2kmpl on a moderately crowded 2 lane highway. You folks who have access to expressways and golden quadrilateral roads might be able get even 12-13kmpl. That's not at all bad for a full time 4x4 SUV.

[theMAG]

Something that I'd forgotten to ask: did the dealer mention whether the door paddings have damping inside? If not, I'd suggest you get some damping done anyway. No fancy stuff - some good quality sponge-foam material will go a long way to ensure no rattles crop up from the door pads.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by theMAG

Something that I'd forgotten to ask: did the dealer mention whether the door paddings have damping inside? If not, I'd suggest you get some damping done anyway. No fancy stuff - some good quality sponge-foam material will go a long way to ensure no rattles crop up from the door pads.

Why is this? I haven't heard of rattle problems with the doors from other GV owners worldwide.

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Thanks, in my opinion it is a better looker than the current CR-V.

Meanwhile, some fresh data on mileage. Today I had to travel 30 Kms on NH-17 followed by 8 Kms on local broken roads. Since the stretch on NH-17 has been recently patched up, I figured I can do some normal driving. So, I reset the avg FE reading on the FE monitor to get a fresh reading.

The highway in question is a two lane roads with no divider, recently patched, lots of bus, truck and two-wheeler traffic apart from the usual cars. Every overtake needs quick acceleration and pass maneuvers. I could maintain a speed between 40-80Kmph, including some slow ride through towns. In other words, the best driving so far done using GV. The FE reading started creeping up and for the first time showed 2 digit figure. It stayed around 10.8 for quite a while and finally settled at 11.2kmpl at my last two miles of highway. Then I turned into the local pothole filled roads, after 8Kms of that, the FE had come down to 10.8kmpl.

Assuming this monitor is accurate, I am able to 11.2kmpl on a moderately crowded 2 lane highway. You folks who have access to expressways and golden quadrilateral roads might be able get even 12-13kmpl. That's not at all bad for a full time 4x4 SUV.

Lovely news.
Quite encouraging.

Just a thought - Are you planning to measure the FE in the old fashioned way (tank fill to tank fill) so we can also confirm the accuracy of the meter?

[theMAG]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Why is this? I haven't heard of rattle problems with the doors from other GV owners worldwide.

Well, the trims on these new gen Suzukis have simple plastic clips holding them in place. Atleast on the Swift with its stiff suspension on our road conditions causes annoying rattling from the door pads even on good roads after a while of usage. I had professional quality damping done recently after the Nandi Hills drive, that turned my car from a reasonable orator to a pure audience. Absolutely blissful silence and costed me 3 digits.

See whether you can check other GV owners' experiences in India. This should give a better marker abt any such niggling issues if they exist.

PS:The followup discussion has been moved to http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...ow-rattle.html (Front window rattle)

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by theMAG

See whether you can check other GV owners' experiences in India. This should give a better marker abt any such niggling issues if they exist.

From what I have heard, all 2006+ GVs worldwide are shipped from Japan. Therefore I can rely on International data for GV. There is hardly any feedback on GV from Indian customers anywhere.