[amvj]

Hope this fits this thread.

I have made a very wrong decision of buying Baleno. It has shockingly light weight metal and I am not at all feel safe to drive with my toddler in that crap. Also countless crash photos in Team-bhp and speaking with people who crashed Maruti cars now justifies what really they are made of. It is just 6.5Kms done and rattles are already started.

Initially purchased it thinking that I will use it for 5 or more years but lack of Vitamin M prevents me from selling this tin box and buying a proper one.

I absolutely hate this car in every way. I need to express my anger in some form. Unlike some people, I don't feel ashamed to admit that I have made a silly decision of buying this crap. BTW this is my first car. GTO's words regarding i20 now makes sense. Almost everyone in the office questioned why I booked Baleno and now I understood

The Tin-can sticker was custom made online.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by amvj

I have made a very wrong decision of buying Baleno. It has shockingly light weight metal and I am not at all feel safe to drive with my toddler in that crap. Also countless crash photos in Team-bhp and speaking with people who crashed Maruti cars now justifies what really they are made of. It is just 6.5Kms done and rattles are already started.

Sorry to hear about this, man. Didn't you check the light build quality of the Baleno before buying it? Yes, it is very light and one of the many reasons I prefer the Elite i20 to it . At some point, all of us have made the wrong automotive decisions. But since you've already paid a huge amount for it, my suggestion to you would be to accept its flaws, focus on whats good about the car and enjoy the ownership. To improve the feel of the doors, get them damped. Will also improve NVH. If the rattles bother you, turn up the audio volume and force workshop to remove them at every service!

However, each of us have our own tolerance limits. 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 (related thread). 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.

EDIT: One more idea

Since you don't feel safe in the Baleno, use it only within the city. When you are heading out on the highway, rent a self-drive car from Zoom / Myles that has a 4 - 5 star NCAP rating .

At Bangalore's crawling traffic speeds, even a Nano is safe enough. For the highway runs, you can pick a top-class car. Problem solved.

[2000rpm]

I understand the feeling friend. I did an objective assessment of cars and the "Analytics" show that I should buy a Ford Freestyle. But my heard is sold on a used - D Segment Sedan (inspite of lower GC, low FE, High maintenance costs).

Thankfully your choice is a Maruti, please sell the car and cut the losses.

Its not a good feeling to worry about safety, it will remain at the back of your mind and will impact driving style especially on highways. And that is not a good state to be in.

[rajshenoy]

I think its all about the perspective.

A friend of mine was almost decided on Celerio automatic top spec and after i insisted him to check out Baleno, he went with Delta spec Baleno manual and till date is very happy with the car for over 2 years !! According to him the car feels definitely safer compared to Celerio, comes with better engine, premium interior. The comparision in his case was Celerio vs Baleno.

However, i am not sure how you ended up with Baleno. Why did you skip i20 or the Polo ? why not Jazz or Ford figo ?

[Dr.Naren]

Originally Posted by amvj

Initially purchased it thinking that I will use it for 5 or more years but lack of Vitamin M prevents me from selling this tin box and buying a proper one.

It is very obvious from your posts that you absolutely hate the car because of light build and concerned about safety.

Baleno has good resale value, sell it off right now, there should be good amount of Vitamin M. Use that and buy a car with better build. How about Freestyle Petrol?

[vinair]

More or less on a same boat mate! Having bought a Ciaz, I am just appalled at the cheap quality and the lousy service! But, stopped bothering much and just started looking at the positives.

One recommendation would be to get rid of those stickers and also mask your number plate please, if at all you want to sell it, this might work against the selling price you are expecting!

[Bigzero]

Ah, Baleno! I have one in my stable - wifey drives it, and I just supported her choice for the car. its a year and a half old now, and is acquiring dimples and dents at an alarming rate. I have already spent some money to iron out some of them. I think it will become a bit of a yearly affair for me. A kiss from a two wheeler, a touch from a cycle parked next to it, anything goes. She is somewhat like the touch-me-not flower, collapses at the slightest touch

But that said, we have taken it on a couple of long trips already, and apart from the sheet metal itself, have not found any other faults with the car. It has much better highway manners than my first-gen i20, and has been quite trouble-free so far. The service from Nexa has been excellent, and it has become the first choice for all those short commutes that we make.

I really don't know whether the thin sheet translates to low crash safety - I think those are different things altogether. I think this is quite a safe car, and of course one has to drive within its limits.

This is one car I have come to like more and more, as each day progressed. Of course, I had my arguments and shows of frustration when those dimples appeared, but nowadays, those things dont bother me much...

Just take care that you dont brush against anything as you drive, thats all !

[CoolFire]

Maruti is the heart throb of the country for one reason - resale price. Use it to your advantage and buy some thing you can enjoy owning and using. I too would suggest Ford Freestyle. Though not upto EcoSport levels, it is still well built and great VFM.

[Aaron:)]

Originally Posted by amvj

Hope this fits this thread.

I have made a very wrong decision of buying Baleno.

Sorry to hear about your experience. IMHO, the Baleno (though not my top choice from its segment) is a capable car, but if you hate it so much then you should sell it. The Baleno, being a Maruti best-seller should have good resale value.

Hyundai i20 and Ford Freestyle are some cars you could upgrade to. If you're willing to buy used, the EcoSport, and maybe even cars like the Corolla or Accord could interest you.

[extreme_torque]

I know how you feel mate. I have always said and I will say it again, I am not comfortable putting my family in any Maruti. They are just too flimsy and light and it doesn't feel right. Like others have said, your bad decision in way is also a good decision. You wouldnt loose as much on resale as you would with another brand. If I were you, as GTO said, I would seriously look at a pre-loved EcoSport Diesel.

P.S. Remove those stickers before you put it up for sale

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by amvj

It has shockingly light weight metal and I am not at all feel safe to drive with my toddler in that crap. Also countless crash photos in Team-bhp and speaking with people who crashed Maruti cars now justifies what really they are made of.

You are over-reacting. Please don't be influenced by Baleno Vs Autorickshaw or Punto Vs Bulldozer photos on Whatsapp and blog posts. Even on Team-BHP, you can safely ignore posts like "This guy apparently crashed his <insert usual suspect> into a tree at 120 kmph. And not a scratch".

You basically need to do a more research on crash safety. Heft of sheet metal mostly affects the stiffness of the body structure. That means, a car with hefty sheet metal is unlikely to have rattles in the long run. But sheet metal offers very little protection against accidents because it does not have any impact absorbing capabilities.

Crash safety mostly depends on design/strength of these members -



All cars have a similar structure, but then some manufacturers make improvements to the design. Example:



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.

[sridhu]

I would agree with SmartCat.

I did some research between the Jazz & Baleno (got the Jazz AT) and found (a) Jazz is slightly better at protecting front occupants & slightly better rated and (b) NCAP seem to have used the European models for the test.

Indian models seem (stress, 'SEEM') to have skimped on safety in both cars.

However, like a bad marriage, it is better to get out if you hate your car so much.

Why is buying a used i20 not an option?

[pkulkarni.2106]

Don't worry dude. We all make mistakes, as GTO said above.
I agree that the Baleno is a lightweight car, but I don't think it's bad enough to get rid of it.

I suggest you get the rattles sorted out, not that difficult.
For the light build quality, nothing can be done. Driving safe is the only option here, in fact we must drive safe no matter which car we own.

[PrideRed]

If you are driving the Baleno mostly in the City, I think you should overlook the rattles/build quality and be happy for the 1.2K series engine and its fuel efficiency. Now if you are travelling on a highway often, may be you should consider selling Baleno and buy a different car. While Baleno has 3 star safety rating, I get what you feel. Being light, doesnot inspire a lot of confidence and partly spoils the party too. For example, I was travelling in Baleno on a 4 lane highway, while the engine was peppy, i never felt comfortable crossing 3 digit speed. There was strong winds I could feel the car getting carried along.

[karan561]

Hi,

Sad to hear about your story but also happy to see you brave enough in admitting the same.

Overall a lightweight car is not that bad thing to be honest, but Regarding highway safety ? I believe if you upgrade & upsize the tyres then most of your problems will be SOLVED