Dear Bhpians,
I was in the look out for a used driver focused petrol car for the past 2 months. My priorities were: fun to drive quick car, decent fuel efficiency (10-11ish kmpl), good ride and handling, ease of service and availability of spares. My budget was flexible, maxing out at Rs. 4lakh.
Models i went through:
1) Fiat Punto 1.4 Emotion (Pros: awesome ride and handling, features, build and feel; Cons: rubbery gear box, lack of good examples in the used market and rust issues on the a couple of 09 models i saw) One of the options i came across:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...eview-429.html, (Dear #Mods, i am posting a new thread as my previous one has been moved to Punto official review thread)
2) Fiat Linea 1.4 (Same as the punto, even better ride, handling, build and feel but the power put out by the NA 1.4 was not enough to make me grin)
3) Ford Fiesta 1.6 (Pros: Steering feel, good pickup, very sweet gearshifter, visibility from inside the car, compact dimensions, decent ride, low price in the used market. Cons: Relatively expensive spares compared to fiat and suzuki and lack of child parts, not so great fuel efficiency and suspected issues with suspension and steering unit)
4) Honda Civic 1.8 (Pros: Handling, grip, power, ride, seats, features, looks, brag value and many more. Cons: Ground Clearance!, FE and expensive spares)
After having driven various examples of the models stated above and doing exhaustive research on my parameters/priorities, I have finally shortlisted on a Fiesta 1.6 Limited 2009 model with 43,000km on the ODO and complete service record. The car doesnt have any modern day bells and whistles but the way it drove and rode made me forget all the addons and gadgets since i aint much of a gadget freak to start with. Power windows, fogs, 4 speaker stock ICE and driver seat height adjust are all i get. I would have loved to have abs and airbags though but i guess keeping myself strapped in should do the job in most cases (god forbid!).
I took the car to a ford service center (Astro Ford, Dwaraka) and got it checked for engine, suspension, clutch, gearbox, underbody etc.
The service manager gave me a green on the condition of the car and i did a 6-7 km test drive on all sorts of roads driving upto 90kmph. The car seemed good with out any rattles, steering pull/offset, odd noises from any of the components, the clutch was a little hard and the service adviser said it'd last another 10,000 km atleast. The entire suspension of the vehicle was replaced under warranty (in extended warranty period of +2 years) at 36,000km according to the owner but he doesnt have a record. I am checking up with Delhi Ford, Vasant Kunj on the same. The owner is a gentleman working with hero motorcorp in the after sales team so i trust him with maintenance of the vehicle. He has kept the car totally stock and didnt even get a remote lock/unlock installed as he didnt want to mess with the original wiring!
I am getting the car for a very decent price and i have factored in Rs. 50,000 for repairs and accessories over the next 6 months. The tyres on the car are the ones it came with but have decent tread left about 60% (MRF ZVTS 175x65 R14). I plan to get them changed in a month or so. I also plan to add a 1.6s spoiler and a base tube/woofer and a pair of speakers.
My humble request to all bhpians of the fiesta brotherhood
, i cant wait to be a part of it is to give me a headsup on what other components/ parameters of the car i should look into before making the final plunge. I have just paid an advance as a confirmation of my interest. I would like to take a well informed decision as i am in no hurry to buy the vehicle.
Also, please guide me on what all service and parts issues that might crop up in the coming one year based on the 5 year age and 43k km usages till date. some headsup on the FE i can expect, dont intend to hypermile but looking at atleast 10-11 kmpl in delhi traffic with a/c. I intend to keep the car atleast for 2-3 years or even more if it serves me well.
I intend to seal the deal by next weekend and will be extremely grateful for all your inputs, suggestions and advice!
PS: I have always loved the fiesta for its handling ever since i drove it for the first time way back in 2006. My first experience was in the 1.4 Duratorq and i loved it. When i finally got my hands on the 1.6 Duratech in 2008, i was smitten!