[sooshan]

Originally Posted by MrBeast

I don't think it is true. I have a Ford Aspire which we bought in 2017 and so far I haven't experienced any major after sales issues, TOUCHWOOD. There were a couple of problems which were rectified in no time. If the part was not in stock, it took maximum of 2-3 days for it to come. There were days when Ford After Sales was a mess, but I feel nowadays, it is no less than companies like Hyundai and Maruti. Also, I spoke to lot of Ford owners and hardly anyone complain about service issues or any other after sales related stuff.

Appreciate the reply mate!! That is indeed reassuring! Maybe I will give freestyle a shot. I did drive the aspire once. I liked the power. But I felt the gears were a tad too long to throw! Anyway, I will try the freestyle. Thanks again

[RMN]

My 2 cents:

I've owned the diesel Freestyle for over a year now and the driving dynamics aren't all that bad compared to the Figo. Even at speeds above 120 kmph, its stable and does not wobble around much. Figo with its lower stance will be better but nothing too much to worry about with the Freestyle either.

However, do note that I run on 195/55 16"

[foxworkz]

Originally Posted by sooshan

I hope this thread isn't dead as yet!
I have a similar dilemma. More so, given the random discounts on offer these days ..
I have been looking at a hatchback for around 7 lakh to replace my (pre-owned) ageing Getz GL.
Options ranged from i20 magna, freestyle trend/titanium, i10 grand sports, or the nios magna.
Now, the variant choices are based on the discounts on offer and hence a bit lopsided to be honest. While, I am tempted to go for freestyle, I am quite skeptical. A late entrant to this list (although not a hatch) is honda amaze.
Any inputs from the community would be vastly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

P.s. am looking for manual petrol.

Truth be told, you'll always get a "better car" if you "spend a little more"; but you don't have to. (trust me, I've done that rollercoaster ride more times than I'd like to admit).


Having said that, here's my 2 cents.

True that the Freestyle 1.2 Dragon petrol is not quite the beast as the 1.5D, but it's no pushover either. It's easily one of the peppiest petrol rides in the segment. So don't read too much into the figures on paper.

However, note that the 1.2 Dragon Petrol is a 3 cylinder engine. It's not (and cannot be) as refined as a 4 cylinder. To that end, why don't you also consider the Swift? The K-Series 1.2 P is a gem of an engine, quite fun to ride and the 1.2 Dragon can't hold a candle to it in terms of refinement. The gearbox and clutch on the Swift are WOW! butter-smooth, the instrument cluster and cabin are very sporty (with even a flat bottom steering), albeit the steering is a little dead for my liking. I'd consider the Swift over the i20 for a fun ride any day.

The i20 is PRICEY! Don't you think? What's more, it has a sluggish petrol engine, which I find boring to drive. Don't get me wrong, it's more than adequate for city driving, but if you're on the highway, it doesn't quite plaster a smile on your face. (Again, if you go on the highway once in 6 months, it really shouldn't matter IMHO). Hyundai service is definitely on the pricier side when compared to Ford/Maruti. Where the i20 (and mostly Hyundai) really shines is in the quality and features department. It comes with all the bells and whistles and the cabin feels really premium. Ford Freestyle cabin is nowhere close to that of the i20. Even the instrument cluster on my Freestyle is so boring with the 80s 8-bit like info display; in fact, I actually find the info cluster on Celerio more sporty than the one on the Freestyle. Make of that what you will!

Some enthusiasts may not agree with me on this one, but I'll still say it. If you're considering a fun-to-ride petrol engine, you should also try the Tiago/Tigor JTP siblings. They're quite fun and peppy considering their respective segments. The Tiago/Tigor are neat packages (although again 3 cylinder petrols), and with the JTP modified engine (which comes with all the company warranty and guarantee, no less) make them cars I'd definitely consider if I were in your shoes. At least a test drive for sure.

The Amaze has its merits, but the 1.2 petrol engine is not one of them. Again, nothing wrong with it per se, but it's just boring; you don't quite get the "vtec kicked in yo" feel like you'd get in the bigger 1.5 Petrol which is on the City. The Amaze has the best boot space in its segment, the gearbox and clutch are really smooth, and the car itself is spacious when compared to others in its segment.

If a fast/fun ride is not that big a deal (since you're considering the i20 petrol), I'll go ahead and suggest the Toyota Glanza. Sure, it's just the Baleno sporting a new badge, but I hear the mid variant (can't remember the name) of Glanza is the same as the second top spec of the Baleno, at a LESSER price. It's also quite spacious. Plus a 5 year warranty and the fantastic Toyota service seem like a really good deal. Check it out.

I haven't TD the i10 GS or Nios, so I can't comment. But I'll say this; The i10 GS is quite old as a model, so I'd pass it even if it's been updated feature-wise and all that. There were rumours that they'd stop the i10 GS (I can't be sure though), so better check before you consider it.

FORD Service: Just got my first service done. and I'm quite impressed. Ford has kept a tight leash on the service bit and it shows. If your feedback is anything else than a 9 (on a scale of 10; executives from Ford themselves call - not the guys from the showroom), they'll complain to the showroom service dept who'll again service your car. It was first service, so I didn't have much to complain anyway, but I was impressed with how seriously they take the rating and to what lengths they go to, to make sure the customer rating is high.



So here's MY petrol list:

For Fast/Fun Driving:
1. Freestyle - good GC, Traction ctrol, Hill assist, 6 air bags (only on top variant Titanium+)
2. Swift - very close to Freestyle, sweet K-series 4 cylinder, sexy looks, Maruti's service
3. Tiago/Tigor JTP - Lot of features, neat looking cars; will definitely do a test drive at the least


For no thrills but practical everyday use:
1. Amaze - airy cabin, spacious boot, smooth gearbox and clutch
2. Toyota Glanza - Toyota service, more spacious than i20, almost as many features as i20, cheaper than i20



Hope this helps. Good luck.

[sooshan]

@foxworkz, Appreciate your rather exhaustive reply to my query. Indeed i20 is on the pricier side. My test drive was rather short, so I am unable to comment on the sluggishness on the engine on the highway. As for the swift, I am honestly averse to the lightweight cars. This is the main reason I am not considering the baleno/glanza cars although I did try the baleno out.
As for Ford, quite a few who own the cars have positive feedback on the ownership. I tried out both the freestyle and the Figo yesterday. Also, with my budget, its either the Freestyle trend+ or the Figo titanium and am inclined towards the Figo titanium with its slight add on features like the push button start, electric folding etc, besides the fact that the trend + is Freestyle doesn't get the ARP and the other safety goodies. The titanium is a bit out of my budget. What would be your take on the comparison between Figo and Freestyle?
As for the JTP twins, I am concerned about the mixed reviews I have read.

Originally Posted by RMN

My 2 cents:

I've owned the diesel Freestyle for over a year now and the driving dynamics aren't all that bad compared to the Figo. Even at speeds above 120 kmph, its stable and does not wobble around much. Figo with its lower stance will be better but nothing too much to worry about with the Freestyle either.

However, do note that I run on 195/55 16"

Thanks mate, I am also considering the Figo 1.2 petrol, as I can afford a higher variant on the Figo

Mod Note: Please use the EDIT or MULTI-QUOTE buttons instead of typing one post after another on the SAME THREAD!

To know how to multi-quote, click here.

[Mi10]

Originally Posted by sooshan

Interesting... while I am tempted to lean towards the freestyle, there are a couple of fact that seem unsettling to me. Reviews on the petrol motor not being as peppy or exciting as the diesel being one and one that mentioned that ford is handing over its India operations to mahindra in its JV!!!!
Also, the amaze came in picture primarily because of the boot space and rear seat luxury it offered (In-laws have one!)

The 1.2 Dragon is the peppiest small petrol motor ever by Ford India.
In fact when you compare the low end grunt and the midrange, this motor pulls ahead of many other famed cars in the segment.

Although it loses out on NVH and Top end Performance to the Japs, it is good fun car to drive when you compare the likes of Gi10 / i20.

[sooshan]

Originally Posted by Mi10

The 1.2 Dragon is the peppiest small petrol motor ever by Ford India.
In fact when you compare the low end grunt and the midrange, this motor pulls ahead of many other famed cars in the segment.

Although it loses out on NVH and Top end Performance to the Japs, it is good fun car to drive when you compare the likes of Gi10 / i20.

Thanks for the positives. I am not planning to do tracks days on the petrol.
So, as long as overtakes don't need extensive planning and downshifts, I guess I am happy with that!

[kiku007]

Originally Posted by sooshan

After sale services and parts supply are my concern. Someone I happened to speak to about ford had a not-so-great info of a lot of cars having to wait for parts to be imported if the issue in question is from parts that arent kept ready stock.!

Fords have a high level of localisation and I'm surprised to hear this. I haven't had any spare part issues with the Ikon, Fiesta (Classic) or the Aspire. The Global Fiesta didn't sell much so may be it's parts aren't that readily stocked at the dealer.

Can this someone also let us know which cars and decade they are referring to?

Because the Mondeo days are way back!

Having said that, the issues that I have faced were vanishing dealers. MPL Ford and Eureka Ford had some financial issues which led to closure of some showrooms and service centres. During the worse days the dealers didn't have cash to place orders for new cars or spares!! But most recently our Aspire was serviced at Dhruvan Ford and I understand that the job was well done.

[sooshan]

Originally Posted by kiku007

Can this someone also let us know which cars and decade they are referring to?

Touché! You know how it is. I am neck deep in trying to figure the right car out.

[tharian]

Originally Posted by sooshan

Touché! You know how it is. I am neck deep in trying to figure the right car out.

This was one of the reasons for Ford's downfall in India.
Yes, their initial models were expensive to maintain, but starting from the Ecosport and more so with the old gen Figo, they reduced the part prices a lot and added child parts so we don't have to spend on buying the bigger part. Made a lot of sense and helped with the sales of the Figo too.

The sad thing being, people of who know nothing about a Ford or for that matter is a layman, goes around telling someone who has bought a Ford or interested in a Ford, that the servicing prices are the highest among all cars and that Maruti and Hyundai are way cheaper. I have heard this multiple times since my second car is a Ford. That is sad since Ford tried, although a bit late to change this outlook.

In my 9 years of owning a Ford, I have never felt I have been ripped off after a annual service or part replacement. I have felt that multiple times with a VW Polo and a Maruti Swift in the family.

Having said that, choose the car which you will think you will enjoy driving for a long time.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by tharian

This was one of the reasons for Ford's downfall in India.
Yes, their initial models were expensive to maintain, but starting from the Ecosport and more so with the old gen Figo, they reduced the part prices a lot and added child parts so we don't have to spend on buying the bigger part. Made a lot of sense and helped with the sales of the Figo too.

The sad thing being, people of who know nothing about a Ford or for that matter is a layman, goes around telling someone who has bought a Ford or interested in a Ford, that the servicing prices are the highest among all cars and that Maruti and Hyundai are way cheaper. I have heard this multiple times since my second car is a Ford. That is sad since Ford tried, although a bit late to change this outlook.

In my 9 years of owning a Ford, I have never felt I have been ripped off after a annual service or part replacement. I have felt that multiple times with a VW Polo and a Maruti Swift in the family.

Having said that, choose the car which you will think you will enjoy driving for a long time.

I second each and every line of the post. In 2017 when I was among those who had limited knowledge about cars was in the market to buy one. I dearly liked the Ford Aspire but was told by my in-laws that their cars are very expensive to maintain. Apparently they had an old generation Endeavour and sold it because the parts were very expensive. As a result, I dropped it and went for a VW. (I know you all must have really judged me, but that was few years ago)

Post being bit more wise and knowledgeable about cars, I could not resist the temptation and bought a Figo Sports even though the model was discontinued and the car was nearly a year old. I am so happy with my decision today that each day I prefer to drive the Figo over my VW cars.

[sooshan]

Thanks tharian and VWAllstar for your confidence inspiring post. Especially, after a chance encounter with an acquaintance who would swear that Ford is a no-go. He told me of a friend's aspire that's been waiting for spares for almost fortnight. Now, since he dint mention "what" spares exactly I am unable to comment on the same.
However, one point i would like to ask you guys here is, according to him, Ford engines (including the dragon series) dont last even a lakh kilometer, unlike the first generation Fiesta.
To be honest, I really liked the Figo, and comments like these are scaring the living daylights out of me. And his suggestion was to head towards Maruti/Tata/Honda.
Would love to hear your views on this too.
Thanks guys.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by sooshan

However, one point i would like to ask you guys here is, according to him, Ford engines (including the dragon series) dont last even a lakh kilometer, unlike the first generation Fiesta.
To be honest, I really liked the Figo, and comments like these are scaring the living daylights out of me. And his suggestion was to head towards Maruti/Tata/Honda.
Would love to hear your views on this too.
Thanks guys.

There are two threads on this forum with Figo Diesel been run more than a lakh Kms. One of them is given below.

http://https://www.team-bhp.com/foru...0-km-up-8.html

Maruti and Toyota are used a lot in the Taxi segment hence there are many examples of their engines been run over a lakh or more than that. Whereas Ford is bought mainly by private users and especially by those who are aware of all the good things about their engines (especially TDCI) The dragon petrol engine is new and not much can be said about it but with company warranty of 1 lakh kms, there is no reason why you must be worried about it as well.

As Tharian has said in his previous post, all these negative thoughts about Ford are from people who have never owned them. His post actually summarizes why most feel Ford cars are expensive to own which in reality is not true.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by sooshan

comments like these are scaring the living daylights out of me.

If you want a long-term review, talk to someone who's actually owned/driven the car you want long-term (new models/engines are obviously a bit of a leap of faith).

Don't buy something someone else likes or has confidence in. You'll be driving it, so buy what fits your budget and appeals to your tastes.

[bhphog]

Originally Posted by sooshan

Thanks tharian and VWAllstar for your confidence inspiring post. Especially, after a chance encounter with an acquaintance who would swear that Ford is a no-go. He told me of a friend's aspire that's been waiting for spares for almost fortnight. Now, since he dint mention "what" spares exactly I am unable to comment on the same.
However, one point i would like to ask you guys here is, according to him, Ford engines (including the dragon series) dont last even a lakh kilometer, unlike the first generation Fiesta.
To be honest, I really liked the Figo, and comments like these are scaring the living daylights out of me. And his suggestion was to head towards Maruti/Tata/Honda.
Would love to hear your views on this too.
Thanks guys.

A car could be in a workshop for 14 days for the slightest of things. Unavailability of a part doesn't mean that the car is a bad product, it can be caused due to multiple reasons like a poor ASS workshop.
I have had friends whose cars had been in the workshop for more than a month for tiniest of parts, read door handle.

Also, I personally can vouch for the life of a Ford engine. I have a '16 Figo with over 1lakh on the odo and nothing major or minor has been changed yet, read clutch, etc. And trust me, I am one of the drivers which can put a car through its paces and have done that.

PM me and I can clear all your apprehensions in detail.

Don't go on someone's word who hasn't put his own money buying this car. People like to act smart and knowledgeable, when in real life they are full of, for the lack of a better word, poop.

Ford - Built Tough.

[murthy_p]

Originally Posted by sooshan

Thanks tharian and VWAllstar for your confidence inspiring post. Especially, after a chance encounter with an acquaintance who would swear that Ford is a no-go. He told me of a friend's aspire that's been waiting for spares for almost fortnight.

I will share my experience if this helps. I picked Aspire Titanium TDCi after reading the detailed review in this forum during December 2015. Few of my well wishers commented that I was buying a white elephant.

I learnt car driving after this purchase and my plan was to strictly use this car for daily commute to office (buying a car made sense instead of depending on UBER as I got fed up with their surge pricing). Things changed within few months as I got addicted to torquey diesel and started driving on highways every month.

The car has now covered more than 35k kilometres and I am extremely happy with after sales service provided by Ford. I even got my stock MRF tyres replaced under warranty https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-...ml#post4250130 (Ford replacing problematic MRF tyres on Figo & Aspire)

The annual maintenance cost is lesser than what my well wishers pay for their cars and Ford has been transparent in publishing this information in their website and service centers.

Additionally, I get the wheel rotation, balancing and preventive checkup done every 5000 kms to have peace of mind as I am not a technical expert.

Do PM me if you need any clarification.

PS: I am no way associated with the brand which I am happy with.