[autorahul]

Originally Posted by anand.shankar

My previous Etios though well built, used to feel like it was made of Styrofoam, especially at highway speeds. There was no fun in going anywhere north of 100kmph, while you cling on the steering for your dear life.

This post in itself describes how pure feel is not the measure of safety. Etios has been rated pretty well in the Global NCAP test but the Anand did not feel confident in it. People on the other hand feel confident in a Scorpio which fared very poorly in the tests.

If one doesn't feel confident in the car then they can of course look for options. Losing some money is better than losing peace of mind.

[Gildarts]

Originally Posted by smartcat

Till GlobalNCAP tests the Indian made Baleno, we won't have much idea about how safe the car is. But that holds true for almost all the cars sold in India.

The ratings are out. Check out the link
https://www.drivespark.com/four-whee...88-015160.html

[ACM]

Irrespective of how safe the car might or might not actually be since you dislike it so much, I suggest you sell the Baleno and buy either a new Ford Freestyle, WRV, or i20 or pre owned i20.

You will get good resale value for your car right now.

Yes Door Damping can make the car feel sturdier. If going that route then also damp the floor and perhaps upsize your tyres. This can overall give you a sturdier build feeling though the safety level will actually not change.

[Waspune]

I have another option mate! Even with that light build you can still pursue city drives without a problem as we don't indulge in high speeds in city limits. When you want to do highway drive then you can rent a Zoomcar or other car rentals and there you can rent a better built car.

However if I were you, I would have sold off the Baleno , given the high resale it has and bought a better built car. Trust me its not a good feeling when you drive with your loved ones and in the back of your mind you feel its not safe!

Originally Posted by Gildarts

The ratings are out. Check out the link
https://www.drivespark.com/four-whee...88-015160.html

That Baleno had 6 airbags and autonomous braking, both of which is lacking in Indian Baleno. The one with 6 airbags scored 3 stars and the one with additional autonomous braking scored 4 stars.

[kiku007]

The only time ever I feel bad for a Maruti Baleno. The car does feel flimsy but that doesn't mean the car has to be vandalised by its owner this way.

[FIAT3031]

A cousin has the same opinion, he owns a Baleno and really regrets it now.
The constant rattling has irritated him and hence the decision to trade off.

To quality is so bad that the front fender gave in while he was leaning against the car."Huge Dent"
but on the contrary he reverse hit it from the wheel well side and out came the dent however leaving a mark on the fender.

[deehunk]

Originally Posted by GTO

If you absolutely cannot live with the car, swallow the bitter pill, sell it and do a lateral upgrade to an i20 / any other car If you sell used and buy used, you won't lose too much money (if at all). Since you appear to be keen on solid build quality, also consider a pre-owned EcoSport or S-Cross.

Again, my first suggestion would be to try to work things out with your current car though.

I agree with this suggestion since I too made series of errors in last 3 years and then getting rid of previous 2 cars. But you may be lucky as it is a Maruti product and people will jump to buy your car. I went back to Duster again after bashing of my 85PS variant everywhere because sometimes little compromise makes sense. Still, advise you to live with your car for atleast an year.

[theroadrunner]

Hi there!Like the rest of the people on this forum, I totally understand your feelings about the purchase.But, you know, end of the day, it could be like an arranged marriage where the love grows over a period. I would not like to have so much negativity while driving a vehicle as it could be highly detrimental to both the occupant and the other motorists and pedestrians. Afterall, this car does transport you from point A to B and elsewhere too. Please, leave out all these negative thoughts and focus on making your driving an enjoyable one. Else, as GTO says, just go ahead and sell this car and buy a more sturdier car that you believe in.
The next line lacks logic, but I think many will agree to it: Love your car, it will love you back.

Happy & Safe Driving!

[sumeethaldankar]

I would suggest to sell off the vehicle and move on. Since safety is more important to you (though I think the car is fairly safe). No point beating a dead horse here. With the Baleno's money you can get a used car which has more safety options. I got a used Civic in 2011 for a brand new Swift worth of money.

Kindly remove the stickers as it will create a negative aura every time you step in the vehicle. Keep a positive frame of mind while you drive any vehicle as it will prevent from any harsh actions eg. If you drive with anger in mind this will reflect in your driving style. At times my used civic would throw tantrums and I would get mad and drive the vehicle rashly. Removing those stickers and keeping calm will help you in the long run.

Also I believe the sheet metal is just the skin of the car. The bone structure are the inner members etc which I don't think are weak. Just like a bruised skin does not lead to broken bones a dented sheet metal probably would not compromise the integrity of the car.

[ike]

As others have pointed out, you should move on. However I cannot refrain from pointing out (as many others already have) that it is not the sheet metal that will save you in case of a serious crash. If sheet metal was an important factor, princess Diana would probably have survived. The car she was in was (apparently) bolstered with an armour.

[silverado]

I woudn't put stickers on any of my cars like this just because of light sheet metal.If your car was a Lemon, then it could deserve such treatment IMO.

Mine has done 19k and there are no rattles, it could be just your car buddy as far as rattles are concerned. Is any one else facing rattles?
Also where are the rattles coming from?

I get a feeling, you will not sell this car and continue to use it with these stickers for some time and eventually remove them.

I am sorry, but to me it seems you are influenced by some youtube videos.

[deep_bang]

Originally Posted by theroadrunner

But, you know, end of the day, it could be like an arranged marriage where the love grows over a period.

Well, the same thought occurred to me, but unlike a marriage, the other party here is a machine (granted bhpians take care of their rides even better than their spouses ). So, since the machine in question is not really desirable to a certain person, it becomes a more objective question - about what it costs to replace it, say X rupees. Then it becomes a question of whether it seems worth or not spending X to get say a I20 (or equivalent).

The good resale value indicates that there are others who love the car and show it, the care it deserves (however flimsly the metal is, love goes beyond it, isn't it).

[Added_flavor]

I think this thread is a testimony to the fact that safety in cars is a seriously misunderstood concept by not only the mango people but also the members of this esteemed forum.

Before the forum becomes another Facebook group, I believe it's time Team bhp leads the way and publishes technical but simple to understand articles on,

• The aspects that determine safety of cars in general,
• Crash tests - how they're performed and how they evolve every year.
• How each crash that happens in real world is different.
• What exactly contributes to build quality of a car.
• The impact of metal thickness on safety (How a car like etios scored 4* and Punto scored 0 in the crash tests)
• How even 5* safety rated cars don't make you invincible and you can still die on the road.

It's ironical that the OP feels a car that has isofix mounts is not safe for an infant and he's being suggested to go for a "safer" car that doesn't have adjustable head rests even in its top variants.

[AltoLXI]

I had booked Baleno last year and just a week before the delivery I cancelled the booking for the reasons mentioned by you. In April I bought new i20 Asta. I love the looks of the car, the interiors and the build strength. Took the car to Goa with family, drove 1500 kms in 2 weeks and was happy till...

..the time people around started commenting on the low mileage, bad service, costly spares etc. I knew these things before hand after reading the various reviews in TBHP. Questions like - Why you did not buy Honda? Why Korean company? It's engine is not a performer right? - sow seeds of doubt in mind. A person will start losing faith in himself, his sense of judgement and feels like a lost child.

As GTO says, check if you can accept the flaws and live with the car - like all the things in life. Look at the positives as well. Lower weight of Baleno has improved the mileage as well - my i20 gave 16 kmpl on the highway drive. Now I feel my Alto was better than i20

[Sankar]

Man, you have paid with your own money for the Baleno, and you realise the car was not upto your standards, but then you again pay money to get stickers done and you keep driving it?

Why??!!

If you don't like it sell it, why spend again and tell the world that you have bought crap with your money?

Sell it and move on, unless you are making money on this.