[Sankar]

Originally Posted by sriramv.iyer

The question for Etios is how many plastic parts were in their original place after the sprint

I still think its a well put together car. It is built to a cost but there is no cheapness in the way its all put together.

[deetjohn]

I recall reading about the Honda CRV beating the Civic on the track some years back. IIRC, it was a test done by ACI.

They attributed this feat to the excellent grip from the 4WD system.

[heman_369]

Originally Posted by Sankar

I still think its a well put together car. It is built to a cost but there is no cheapness in the way its all put together.

I have driven etios P for close to 9000 kms now.
Built to cost car? Yes
Flimsy/rattles etc? Absolutely not
I would suggest people to drive the Etios P and feel the torquey enigne, slick and smooth gearshift and balanced ride and handling.

[sriramv.iyer]

Originally Posted by Sankar

I still think its a well put together car. It is built to a cost but there is no cheapness in the way its all put together.

Originally Posted by heman_369

I would suggest people to drive the Etios P and feel the torquey enigne, slick and smooth gearshift and balanced ride and handling.

Didn't mean to offend any of you guys.

To each his own - But, I did check out Etios when it was launched. It is definitely built to a cost - that is much lower than what Toyota demands for it. There have been enough complaints about Etios / Liva in this forum too.

Their declining MoM sales, and their new offers 'Free Insurance' also shows that Toyota has feeling the heat. Etios / Liva will be what Logan is for Mahindra / Renault. It will no doubt sell 2-3K cars p.m. but will never capture the hearts like what Swift / i20 does. Even Vista / Manza seems to be better put together.

Just made my original statement in a lighter vein!

[hajaar]

I find it hard to believe that a fiesta has similar times to a civic considering I have owned both of them.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by sriramv.iyer

Didn't mean to offend any of you guys.

Just made my original statement in a lighter vein!

No offence taken as none was intended! I know you said that in jest.

[dkaile]

Etios is a solid Toyota product. It's true value will be realised by a majority of Indian Car Customers some years down the line. There's more to this vehicle than the 'missing' upfront bling.

[parsh]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Etios is a solid Toyota product. It's true value will be realised by a majority of Indian Car Customers some years down the line. There's more to this vehicle than the 'missing' upfront bling.

Rightly put. Its a class apart in the making but hardly anybody is realising what with the lack of jazziness. Atleast the Etios P is a thriller of a car. And although looks built to a cost it definitely seems sturdy and long-lasting. Every time I get hold of our Etios, I find it very hard to leave it and get into my Innova.

[madhukar_n]

"but do struggle for grip when you floor the pedal at the start line" - this is one of the statement from the article on T-Jet which i tend to agree after having driven it for 15,000 kms.
In a signal, if it is the only car and then start off on the green by pushing the pedal hard, for a split second the grip feels very loose, but recovers very well later.

[figo_mba]

I had driven the Etios petrol and I felt that the steering was more responsive and better weighed than the SX4. The SX4 Zxi with the 205R16 rubber is good in the handling dept but if it is the VXi then the handling and grip is not really upto the mark. Etios is really good and I think it is comparable to SX4 only but certainly not better than SX4.

[Durango Dude]

It all boils to the softly sprung suspension and the SUV matching ground clearance of 198 mm for the SX 4 ZXI and 193 mm for the V/LXI. If I met Karun Chandok I'd strap him up in one of the fibre glass tubs his family 'peddled' in the name of cars: Sipani D-1, Dolphin and let him loose in the middle of the desert run of Paris Dakar rally with no communication equipment.

[shortbread]

@ Durango,

Why did Karun Chandok himself force you to make a purchase?! People should be smart enough before buying a product.

If you are punishing present generations for actions of their forefathers guess German car makers wont exist anymore!!

Also in the regulations era almost every car maker apart from Maruti can be blamed for taking advantage of customers one way or the other, whether it was insane delivery periods, poor quality or reliability, appalling build etc....

[vishnugs]

Originally Posted by dkaile

Etios is a solid Toyota product. It's true value will be realised by a majority of Indian Car Customers some years down the line. There's more to this vehicle than the 'missing' upfront bling.

+1, having owned it for seven months, I second the post. Its engineered well and is sure to last for a long time. Positives such as handling, performance, maintenance, road handling, etc make it up for the not so impressive dashboard.

[Buffetfan]

Originally Posted by RegularIndian

Having owned and driven a Baleno for 60000kms and an Etios for 6000kms I can vouch for both the cars...

Though the Etios is very very agile at all speeds, Baleno has its own royal charm...

Im quiet surprised to know that Etios did better than SX4 given the paper specs...but having driven it I know what it is capable of...

As for plastic parts flying around..well, 80kmph on 2nd gear does not transfer any vibrations to the seat/dash/steering...

I own a Baleno for the past 72 k kms and have done a few long enough test drives of the Etios.

A. Etios is peppy but I did not find the Baleno slower at all. In fact, at around 2500 rpm, the Baleno just takes off, and I am sure will leave etios behind. The engine is happier being stretched out compared to the etios who seems not to like higher rpms.
B. Handling : Baleno corners better and feels planted on the road at 130+ kmph compared to the Etios.

C.Build quality - The Baleno wins hands down. My car after 72 k kms / 6 year is pretty rattle free and the plastics seem they belong to a new car. Much lower road noise compared to the Etios inside the car.

D. Seating : While the Etios rear might feel like having a bit more space, the Baleno has the more comfy seating. Of course Etios boot is nearly 50% more than Baleno in

I know the Etios is a worthy competitor, and safer with ABS and airbags, but ..if the Baleno was still around, would be a fun comparo.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Buffetfan

have done a few long enough test drives of the Etios.

C.Build quality - The Baleno wins hands down.

A test drive can NOT be made a parameter to compare long term build quality.