[Samfromindia]

Excellent thread Samba ! I cannot comment much as i owned only one car so far with my own money and parents Amby was there since my childhood & sold off before i got my driving license. So here it goes:

Name of the car brand: Ford

Cars owned from that brand: 1

Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand: 5.5 Yrs

The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand: 80,000 KM

Pros & cons of that brand-

PROS

+ Very reasonable servicing cost. It averages 4.5 - 5K per 10,000KM / 1Yr for a 11L car
+ Repair costs low as well, more so due to child part strategy. Spare cost one of the lowest in its segment.
+ Solidly built & safe. 6 airbag option available for many models.
+ Fun to drive & nice highway dynamics.
+ Good equipment & features offered in its class range.

CONS

+ Power figures are not class leading in its segment.
+ Diesel engine not as refined as its korean counterparts.
+ Resale value of some models are not good as mass market brands like Maruti & Hyundai.
+ Performance modding options are not as great as some other brands.

[Laxman9192]

Car brand- Hyundai.

Car owned- Elite i20 (2018)

Number of years of ownership- 1 year and 6 months.

Total number of kilometers covered- approx. 26000 kms.

Pros and cons of ownership:

Pros:
1. No fuss engagement and negotiation experience at the service center. Sales staff seems to be aptly informed of the cars they intend to sell.
2. No monopoly of dealerships in my region. Even though Goa is a small state, we have two different dealers with a more or less equal reach pan Goa.
3. The build quality is great and the interiors seem as if from a class higher than the car owned. No rattles yet even though with widespread highway works in progress in Goa most of the roads have been in a bad condition since my ownership of my car began.
4. Pliant ride quality.
5. NVH levels are amazing!
6 After sales customer engagement seems to be great with follow-up calls from the local service centers and the national call centres being a routine after every service (paid as well as unpaid). The same holds true for any bodywork done.

Cons:
1. After sales service is kind of a hit or miss at one of the dealerships we have here in Goa. While my experience at the other dealership has been amazing!
2. Spares are not as reasonable as say that of Maruti Suzuki cars.
3. My experience with the their RSA has not been a good one.
4. FE is not a good as Maruti Suzuki cars in general but is sufficient if driven in a sedate manner. I get anywhere between 15-18 kmpl on highways and 13-15 kmpl in the city depending on traffic conditions.

[Enobarbus]

Name of the car brand- Maruti Suzuki

Cars owned from that brand- Wagon R (Duo)

Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand- 2.5 Years (2007-2009)

Number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand- 40,000

Pros:
1. Large number of service centres everywhere.
2. Good resale value


Cons:
1. Contrary to the general trend, my Wagon R was most unreliable and gave me no end of troubles. At least three major service centres in Hyderabad couldn't rectify the low power issue. Even company engineers could do precious little. (Its not that the car was a complete lemon. The guy who bought it from me took it to a FNG and it was rectified in a jiff. The FNG guy doesn't want to disclose what he did; he just smiles when we ask him how he did it!)
2. All that customer feed back mechanism didn't help me. The treatment at the workshops is good if you are a normal customer. Problem guys like me get the cold shoulder.

Name of the car brand- Toyota

Cars owned from that brand- Corolla

Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand- 6 Years (2009-2015)

Number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand- 65,000

Pros:
1. Rock solid reliability.
2. Routine maintenance is inexpensive.
3. Very professional service.

Cons:
1. Repairs are expensive

Name of the car brand- Tata Motors

Cars owned from that brand- Indica Vista, Indigo Manza, Zest, Nexon

Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand- 12 Years (2008- Til date)

Number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand- 4,00,000 (all four included)

Pros:
1. Solid value for money
2. Cheap to maintain and repair.
3. Excellent reliability
4. No fuss warranty claims.
5. Friendly dealers and workshops (although a bit lethargic); sometimes they don't mind doing minor jobs as a favor.

Cons:
1. Workshop guys not so thorough in their approach. Although it is improved a lot now, this had always baffled me because, they are never clueless about any issue (unlike the Maruti guys who didn't have a clue about my Wagon R's low power issues). Why were they so lethargic is beyond me.
2. Low brand image. (I never cared for brand image, but as long as I owned the corolla, my wife always wanted to be seen in it).

[Sreesh1009]

Car Brand: Maruti Suzuki
Model: 800 (1999)(Sold)
Number of Years owned and Kilometers : 1999-2010. 80k kms
Pros and Cons:

Pros:
1. Fuss free and easy maintenance. In the early 2000s it was quite cheap to service cars as the parts were repaired and put back rather than being replaced.
2. I don't know if this is a pro but the car grabbed a lot of eyes as it was yellow in colour.
3. Robust and built to last.

Cons:
1. No power steering meant it was a pain to drive.
2. Only 4 gears
3. Bare Bones (no cassette or CD player)

Name of company and car: Hyundai Santro (2005)
Number of Kilometers: 1,19,000
Pros and Cons.

Pros:
1. Peppy engine with great power to weight ratio.
2. Love the Xplod audio system provided by Hyundai.
3. Tall boy design
4. This car has been reliable unlike the other Hyundai I owned.

Cons:
1. Hyundai has terrible service. Work quality is poor and costs are high.
2. A/C seems to kill the car's performance to a large extent.
3. Resale value isn't that great.

[coolmel]

I sincerely hope all our dealers are reading this thread. And a shoutout to all FNGs which help take care of our machines, with a wide smile on their faces & superior customer care which these big shots are miles away from. My take:

Name of the car brand- Hyundai.
Cars owned from that brand- Getz 1.3 Petrol.
Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand- Approx 5 years.
The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand- 65000 kms.
Pros: None.
Cons: This car was a white elephant the day we bought it. Pathetic engine, mileage, ride quality. And the service centres barely did anything to help me with its niggles. In fact my FNG helped me keep the car reasonably worry free until it got too much to sell it off.

Name of the car brand- Toyota.
Cars owned from that brand- Etios Liva Diesel.
Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand- 6 years.
The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand- 36000 kms and counting.
Pros: The 60 min express maintenance service, cheap cost of ownership. Otherwise I am unable to reflect on anything extravagant or note worthy that makes me remember my free or paid service experience.

Cons: Superiority complex even in this economic slump, arrogance & an other worldly attitude that we are no 1.

[baskar]

Great thread. Here are my 2 cents

Car Brand - Hyundai
Cars owned - Santro, Elite I20
No. of years - 4 years split across calendar years
KM covered - 18000

Pros -
1) Very good quality for the price. Always seem to be a nice place to be in for the segment
2) Reasonable service costs
3) Very clean service centers and friendly service staff
4) Overall economical to own

Cons
1) Fuel efficiency can be lower

Car Brand - Maruti
Car owned - Wagon R 2016 model (Pre-owned)
No. of years - 4 years
KM - 21000 KM

Pros -
1) Very reasonable service costs
2) Can be serviced outside
3) Value for money -
4) Spacious and practical inside - Applicable for WagonR only

Cons -
1) Poor Gear shift
2) Rattles and fit/finish
3) Rusting

Car Brand - Toyota
Cars owned - Corolla , Innova
KM - 85000 KM

Pros
1. High quality interiors
2. Very reliable
3. Well engineered - can take good abuse
4. Very spacious and comfortable for family
5. Service center quality - very professional

Cons
1. Nothing major. If I want to nitpick, Paint quality is not at par with VW / Hyundai /

Car Brand - Tata
Car model - Indica V2 - 1997 year, Indigo Marina
KM covered - 75000 KM

Pros
1. Very spacious for family
2. Rugged and abuse friendly
3. Fuel efficiency
4. Reasonable service costs

Cons
1. Poor service centers - downright filthy (Now it may have improved)
2. Overall Service experience - Lost a few items, poorly trained service team
3. Lots of mechanical issues in Indica - Indica V1 & V2 were the first foray of Tata into passenger cars. Had harrowing tales to tell on these cars

Car Brand - Volkswagen
Cars owned - Passat and Tiguan
KM driven - 37000 KM

Pros
1. Driving pleasure
2. Premium and luxurious
3. Very good fuel economy even with high power
4. Safety and solidity
5. Spaciousness and comfort
6. Lots of features

Cons
1. Parts availability - took sometime 8 weeks for a part to come
2. Poor service center experience - Pathetic knowledge of service team mostly, Even the service center ambiance is very bad, Not even a decent restroom.
3. Unreliable - Never know when some fault code will come and hit us
4. Expensive parts - Too many parts fail and expenses can hit thru the roof


From a service center perspective, I like BMW, though I don't own one - They always seem very knowledgeable , service center ambiance is excellent and very inviting. Many cars on display.

[smileline]

Name of the car brand: Maruti Suzuki
Cars owned from that brand: Maruti 800 (2000) Alto (2007), Swift Dzire (2012), Vitara Brezza (2017), Vitara Brezza AMT (2019)
Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand: 20 Years
The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand: ~97,000 kms

Pros:
Great Resale value
Fuel efficient
Ease of service at FNG


Cons:
POOR Sales Experience
Service cost appears cheap, but not so.
Brand image
Poor bodyshop jobs, can never match the paint shades.
Tin cans.



Name of the car brand: Hyundai
Cars owned from that brand: Santro (2007), i10 (2015)
Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand: 7 Year
The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand: 70000 kms

Pros:
Good quality of fit and finish
Resale value
Good Service

Cons:
Service cost
Not very fuel efficient

[King_pin09]

Here goes mine,

Brand: TATA Motors
Models used: Indica Vista.
Distance travelled: 62000 KM.
Duration: 8 Years.

Pros:
1. Low initial cost of purchase.
2. Feature rich.
3. Sturdy build. Rattle free.
4. Some service engineers will go many more extra miles to keep you happy.
5. Good showroom layout and etiquette.
6. Easy insurance processing.
7. Warranty replacements are hassle free.
8. Well behaved staff at service centres as well.
Cons:
1. Highly unreliable can break down at any moment.
2. High repair / maintenance cost – regular maintenance costed me about 25K per visit in last few years.
3. Spares not easily available even at authorized service centres.
4. Service staff clueless on certain issues and resort to “Jugaad” solutions at times causing repeated visits for same problem.
5. Surprise visits by guests (problems) - they just come and go by their own will and wish.
6. Cling, ding, clonk, karr, kurr, khuss, all seven musical notes plus several others, from anywhere and everywhere.
7. Low brand image and resale value.




Brand: Maruti Suzuki
Models used: Ciaz 1.4 ZXI, Ciaz K15 Alpha.
Distance travelled: 24000 KM.
Duration: 3 Years, 3 month (1.4 ZXI).
4 months (K15 Alpha)
Pros:
1. Highly reliable. Spacious and very comfortable ride.
2. Feature rich and reasonable pricing.
3. Good service network and reasonable service costs.
4. Great mileage – Pocket friendly.
5. Good showroom layout and etiquettes at NEXA.
6. Good resale value.
Cons:
1. Overcrowded, congested, small and not very clean service centres. Service engineers are not so easy going, I got a scary look when I requested interior cleaning (of course paid extra), who bluntly refused doing so. In-fact my car picked dents and scratches many times at the service centre itself.
2. Thin sheet metal, picks dents and scratches very easily.
3. Rattles everywhere, even in a car costing a million rupee plus.
4. Earlier days (i.e., pre Nexa / Arena days) the buying experience was not at all great. Typical socialist attitude to say. When I was enquiring for Ciaz in March -April 2016, the sales executive at one showroom did not even had proper sealed water bottles for customers. In-fact he offered me and wifey his own personal bottle to drink water from, after first gulping some for himself. Needless to say, although thirsty we refused. Things though have definitely improved big time, with NEXA.
5. Low brand image.

[lamborghini]

A little late to the thread. Posting about the brands I've personally been looking after for servicing, etc. over the last 10 years or so:

1. Brand: Mercedes
Models used: 2004 - 2014 W211 E270 CDI; 2016 W205 C220d
Distance traveled: 100,000 KM.
Duration: 13 years

Pros:
- Well Built : Newer models feel lighter but are equally solid when it counts
- Superb Stability, especially on the highway. These cars are terrific cruisers!
- Fluid steering is a joy to use
- Stellar sales & service quality
- Insulating : The interiors, the NVH, etc. Once you're inside you're quite well insulated from what's going on outside
- Luxurious Interiors : from the design to the materials use, most of them shout quality & go a long way in creating a calming & relaxing ambience
- Receives a lot more respect on the roads compared to peers

Cons:
- Overpriced / lacking in features
- Expensive service & maintenance costs compared to it's peers
- Niggling problems
- Rattle Prone : especially the newer models

2. Brand : BMW
Models used: 2008 - 2017 E60 525d; pre-owned 2012 F30 328i (2 years)
Distance traveled: 85,000 KM.
Duration: 10 years

Pros:
- Reliability compared to peers
- Maintenance costs compared to peers
- More often than not it is the best in it's segment to drive (though the F30 is a little too soft for my liking): brilliant suspension & chassis mated to some competent engines & gearboxes
- Understated & younger choice in it's respective segments
- Good value for money, especially with their lucrative discounts

Cons:
- Average sales experience
- Not the most practical to live with - the E60 5 series for example didn't have door pockets that could accommodate larger bottles easily.
- Quality of materials isn't quite up there : Sticky door handles is something a lot of F30 & E90 owners would relate too, similarly paint quality IMHO isn't quite Mercedes level yet.
- Not senior citizen friendly : especially on Sunday morning Expressway drives with the family

3. Brand: Audi
Models used: 2011 - Present A6 2.0 TDi
Distance traveled: 52,000 KM.
Duration: 8.x years

Pros:
- Well built : relatively quite rattle free
- Timeless design : These cars age rather gracefully
- Brilliant for mile munching : in my experience, Audi's are great for cruising on the highway. Great stability, an incredibly quiet cabin, a well tuned suspension, responsive brakes!
- Jack of all trades: timeless design, decent equipment on offer, stellar discounts, well balanced suspensions for most part, understated but quality interiors

Cons:
- Master of none: Want a driver's car - there's BMW. Want a chauffeur driven car - there's Mercedes. Want a bit of both - there was once Audi, now there is Audi, Jaguar, Volvo, Lexus, etc. It doesn't help that a lot of the positives are let down by various negatives as continued below
- Poor engine choices, numb steering, FWD layout takes away from the driving pleasure which is a shame given the suspension & chassis can handle it.
- Understated, but quality interiors - but the part sharing with other VW & Group products is a bit of a downer since a lot of owners would be upgrading from Skodas & VWs.
- Pricing levels: Honestly, I feel VWAG's India strategy is to sell on discounts. No one wants to buy an A8 at 1.5 Cr plus, and neither does someone want an A6 at nearly 60L; but give it a few months & market the same A6 for a special price of 45L ex-showroom and it will sell
- Niggles & issues keep cropping up
- Poor service quality, but to be fair my recent experience was pretty decent so here's hoping for the best

4. Brand : Skoda
Models used: Octavia Combi 1.9 TDi L&K, Laura TDi DSG L&K
Distance traveled: 105,000kms
Duration: 10 years

Pros:
- Well built
- Feature laden
- Great balance between ride, handling, performance
- Strikes a great balance between the Germans, and every day commuters - far more practical for daily use than the stiff C class, low 3 series, etc. whilst being more involving to drive than say the Corolla or Elantra.

Cons:
- Few small niggles do crop up
- Poor resale value

5. Brand: Toyota
Models used: 2011 - 2016 Etios Liva GD, 2013 - 2018 Etios VXD, 2018 - present Corolla Altis VL
Distance Travelled: 135,000 kms
Duration: 12.x years

Pros:
- Reliability : All of these cars feel tight even after years of use! At 50Kkm, when we sold the Etios the engine didn't even feel opened up!
- Build Quality : minimal rattles, switches are solid to operate, etc.
- Decent resale value
- PRACTICAL : the space, layout, and overall comfort in Toyota vehicles is more often than not a notch higher than it's rivals. Especially for those who are driven!
- Safe
- Abuse friendly

Cons:
- Average service quality & pricing
- Bland interiors & average driving experience
- Premium pricing

6. Brand : VW
Models used: 2018 - Present VW Tiguan HL
Distance traveled: 9,000 kms
Duration: 1.5 years

Pros:
- Similar to Skoda, with nicer interiors

Cons:
Similar to Skoda with the following additions
- Below average service quality (worse than Skoda)
- Skoda variants are usually the more practical options (Kodiaq with 7 seats / bigger boot; better value for money Rapid; better kitted Laura v/s Jetta; larger superb v/s Passat etc.)

I also wanted to mention about Maruti, having owned S-Cross 1.6, but to be fair the S-Cross 1.6 is quite un-Maruti given it's superior performance, better build quality, presence of small niggles, etc.

[Max63]

Thank you Samba for this thread, here is my experience with the cars that I owned

Brand: Ford
Models used: Ecosport Titanium
Distance Travelled during my ownership : 126,000 kms
Duration: 5 years

Pros:
- Reliability : I felt is the most reliable car and very comfortable in driving.
- Build Quality : Super build quality and very sturdy and feel very safe.

Very professional sales team and also the service guys, very helpful, i think Ford is the only company who allows the owners to have a look at the servicing and never tries to fleece the customers. Service guys are very professional and have good knowledge about the car and are well trained by Ford. Never faced any issues with Spares, some of the spares are made available in one days time at the max.
- Spares and service charges are very cheap and very transparent in their pricing, one can check at Ford website

Cons:
- Very slow in taking decisions regarding new launches, I was waiting for a 4X4 Ecosport which was launched in the international market but still India is waiting.
- Less service centre, very hard to get spares outside and outside mechanic are not well versed with car for repairs.
- Average resale value because of Ford name

Brand: ISUZU
Models used: D MAX V Cross High
Distance Travelled and still counting : 16,000 kms
Duration: 1 years

Pros:
Reliability : Very rugged and safe car and very good and reilable for offroading.Good driving comfort with a huge wheel base.

Build Quality : Super build quality and very sturdy and feel very safe.

Sales ream were very professional and customer friendly, also their service team, very helpful, You can be at the service bay and check while servicing, also they advises about various problems and how to tackle it.
Never faced any issues with Spares,

Faced some issue with the clutch padel and immediately the service guys took it seriously and replaced the master cylinder without asking any question. This problem was with a particluar batch of manufacturing and now they have recalled all the trucks and changing the Hose pipe and the master cylinder which was imported from Thailand.

Cons:
- Less service centre, should increase it, its only 4-5 years since its lau nch
- I dont see any other issues as of now.

[vredesbyrd]

Great thread!

Brand: Skoda
Model used: 2009 Superb 2.0 TDI DSG
Distance Traveled: 11000 Km
Duration: 2 years in May 2020

Pros:
- Power and driving dynamics. Fun even with a length of 4.8m
- Comfortable. Hyderabad to Udupi in 2018, not tired. Udupi to Bangalore in 2019. Still,
not tired. Bangalore to Selam and back in 2019. Only issue being that the branches I
had to visit, didn't have parking. It was sitting at the hotel for 2 days in a 5 day trip
- Loaded with tech. People from my colleges and workplace are in awe about electric
seats, adaptive headlights, sunroof and front parking sensors. Plus, it makes life a
little easy

Cons:
- Service is a hit or miss. Below average experience with TAFE Mangalore. Way better
with Hosur Road TAFE. Took them just three days to fix wheel arch, two doors and a
quarter panel
- Random small niggles. Kind of expected at this age and especially as the previous
owner treated the car really bad (I'd love to meet him. With a baseball bat )
- Eye-watering part prices and availability delays
- You can't park it in Bangalore. You just can't

[Sasanka_Sanga]

Brand:- Maruti Suzuki

Cars owned -

Current: Nothing
Sold: 800 (1995) with Subros AC

Number of years used cars from Maruti Suzuki - 8 years

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1) Large number of dealerships/service centers.
2) Ease of availability of spares.
3) Local mechanics can easily fix most of the mechanical issues
4) Excellent customer service.

Cons-

1) With AC on, there is a stress on the engine and obviously lower pickup.
2) Safety was a concern as the car is not rugged.

Brand:- Hyundai

Cars owned -

Current: Nothing
Sold: Xing eRLX (2005)

Number of years used cars from Hyundai - 9 years

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1) Good road manners and excellent to drive in the city.
2) Ease of availability of spares.
3) Excellent customer service.

Cons-
Pragmatically nothing and we have upgraded to an MUV considering the family size

Brand:- Honda

Cars owned - Mobilio

Current: Mobilio V I-VTEC
Sold: Nothing

Number of years used cars from Honda - 6 years and counting

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1) Good road manners and excellent to drive in the city as well as highways.
2) Extremely reliable.
3) Excellent customer service.
4) Low cost of ownership.
5) Man Maximum and Machine Minimum technology provides acres of cabin space

Cons-
Pragmatically nothing excepting for availability of spares.

Brand:- Mahindra and Mahindra

Cars owned - Thar CRDe 4X4

Current: Thar CRDe 4X4
Sold: Nothing

Number of years used cars from Mahindra and Mahindra - 7 years and counting

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1) Rugged and abuse friendly design.
2) Extremely reliable.
3) Most of the spares matches to its old Scorpio machine so ease of spares availability.
4) Low cost of ownership.
5) 4X4 comes handy and gets you out of most of the tricky trails with ease.
6) The feel of riding this machine can't be explained but for sure can be experienced.

Cons-
1) Cheap Interiors.
2) NVH levels are way above the bearable limit.
3) Rattles and vibrations are very common for a performer like this.

[iamahunter]

Brand : Maruti Suzuki

Car : Swift VDi(sold) | WagonR VXi

Year : 8 Years | 2.5 years

Driven : 1,06,000 kms | 35,000 kms

Pros

• Very Very Reliable.
• Driving Pleasure, one of the best handling cars in the market(Swift).
• Many local garages well versed with the engines, no need to take to Service Center every-time.
• Service centers available throughout the country in case of a breakdown.
• Spares are comparatively cheap and easily available.

Cons

• Not a very awesome sales experience.
• Spares & Service cheap but quality is also the same.
• Ownership is no more cheap.
• Service and Sales concentrate more on the add-ons.
• Have experienced this : Billed for a work not done during service.
• Overall built is of lower quality, easy dents and rusting.

-----------------------------

Brand : Ford

Car : Ecosport Trend TDCi

Year : 1 Month

Driven : 1,800 kms.

Pros

• Solid Built quality.
• Provides many features on the lower variants.

Cons

• Power figures on lower side compared to competition.

-----------------------------

I have also owned couple of Bikes, hope its allowed to mention the experience with the same.

Brand : Hero-Honda

Bike : Hunk (sold)

Year : 6 years (2010 - 2016)

Driven : 85,000 kms.

Pros

• Bulletproof Honda engine.
• Hardly needed maintenance.
• Spare easily available.
• Local mechanics can fix any issues.
• Most of the maintenance is DIY stuff.

Cons

• Serivce centers were not very friendly.

-----------------------------

Brand : Benelli

Bike : TnT 300(sold)

Year : 2 years (2016 - 2018)

Driven : 20,000 kms.

Pros

• Beautiful Engine could do highway speeds all day long.
• Comfortable tourer.
• Grippy Pirelli tyres with all models (optional).
• Friendly service staff.
• All bike have the most beautiful sound.(exception : TNT25).

Cons

• Very expensive to maintain.
• Short service intervals(4k kms/4 months).
• Spares not easily available.
• Spares very expensive (I had paid 13k for the chain + labor).
• Overall built quality was just okish.

-----------------------------

Brand : Honda

Bike : CBR250R

Year : 1 year (2018 - current)

Driven : 18,600 kms.

Pros

• Beautiful smooth engine for single cylinder.
• Good mileage in city for a 250CC, even better on highways.
• Comfortable in city and touring.
• One of the best looking faired bike in the segment, well balanced look (suits work and party equally).
• Honda is for Reliability

Cons

• Does not require rigorous maintenance
• Spares cheap and easily available.
• Not all Honda SVCs are competent enough to service the bike well.

[YashD]

1) Car Brand - Hyundai

Cars Owned From That Brand - Santro Zip Plus, Santro Xing XS, Getz 1.3 GLS, Hyundai i10 1.2 Sportz, Hyundai i20 1.2 Asta, Hyundai Verna 1.6 Petrol, Hyundai Grand i10 1.1 CRDi Asta (Current)

Number Of Years Used - We are outright Hyundai loyalist and have always had one from the year 2001. Currently, we still have the Grand i10 diesel.

Kms Clocked - Overall, 4.7 Lakh Kms & Counting

Pros

• Absolute Value for Money Cars, Hyundai has always met our requirements in that particular budget.
• I have always loved the way Hyundai vehicles are designed, they always had that tinch of elegancy in their design. For e.g the rear tail lamps of Santro Xing & I10, the matured front of the Grand, the overall silhouette of the i20.
• The interior Fit & Finish along with the equipment offered really makes you feel pampered, Tight Panel gaps, high quality materials & loads of fancy gadgets. I still remember my i20 having so many segment first and my friends used to just get awestruck with the package it offered. I was the guy with the cool ride in my college days! Quite a number of people bought the i20 seeing me.
• The excellent After Sales Service, I have never had a complaint from these guys. Several times these guys have went out of their ways and honoured my warranty. I have been provided loaner vehicles in times of accidents and warranty claims without any hassle.

Cons

• The uninspiring Petrol motor, I never bought a Hyundai for the way it drives. The value for money factor has always made me choose it over anything else. In no way, am I saying they're bad to drive. I have grown up driving Hyundai all my life and I don't regret it one bit. Infact I love them to the core but the Petrol motors just weren't great. They were good & adequate but I always wanted that extra oomph from the 1.2 Kappa.
• The suspension setup has always been on the softer side which is great for day to day driving but you simply cannot push a Hyundai to it's limit without making some upgrades.
• The steering, I got used to them at quite an early stage and frankly it was never a problem for me. I have given a neck to neck competition to several other cars way above the segments but then I hadn't experienced what the real steering feel is all about until I drove the other vehicles in the market and understood what my cars lacked.

2) Car Brand - Honda

Cars Owned - Honda Civic 1.8 VAT, Honda City 1.5 i-vtec, Honda Jazz 1.2 (First Gen), Honda City 1.5 ivtec SV AT (Current)

Number Of Years Used - Began in 2007, Still continues

Kms Clocked - 2.05 Lakh Kms & Counting

Pros

• The design, Hondas have always looked something different and have stood out from the rest. Be it the Civic, City or the Jazz. All had the special kind of feeling in terms of it's design.
• The i-vtec, I don't need to say anything further.
• Reliable & Super easy to maintain, the only manufacturer to offer CVT almost throughout it's range.
• Something unique in most of it's car, for e.g the Civic had a digital instrument cluster in 2007 & the Jazz got the Magic Seats. The City had that opening infotainment system for AUX & USB Connectivity.

Cons

• No Ideal upgrades after a point.
• The cars began feeling overpriced for what they offered, for e.g the Jazz.
• The equipment levels were just not good enough until the new City arrived.
• After Sales Service wasn't as good as Hyundai though it has always been decent.
• Expensive spares (Civic & Jazz)

3) Car Brand - Toyota

Cars Owned - Innova 2.5G & Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8 GL

Number Of Years Used - 2006, Still Continues

Kms Clocked - 2.5 Lakh Kms & Counting

Pros

• Reliable
• Super cheap & Easy to maintain, Availability of Spares
• Loved by Elders of the Family for the sheer comfort it offers, It's just too comfortable.
• The engines are best of both world, performance is top notch as well as extremely efficient and can last longer than you
• The No offense design, it's understated design has always appealed to me which has that tinch of sophistication.
• Spot On Ergonomics
• The interiors age extremely well over the years

Cons

• I hate the after sales service of Toyota. The insurance claims are a pain & these guys are just not co-operative. Furthermore, I feel it's shady. Everytime I have got the car back from service, something just didn't felt right with the way it drove. After warranty, decided to move to FNG.
• Unimpressive Handling, the steering is just too lazy and disconnected from the front wheels, It's just not the car you would like to drive spiritedly.
• Lack of Equipments, No frills. My dad loves it but I don't
• The dealers, I didn't had a good experience with any of my Toyota dealers and I have dealt with 3. They're an outright arrogant bunch

4) Car Brand - Mercedes Benz

Cars Owned - C200 CGI

Number Of Years Used - 6 Years

Kms Clocked - 61000

Pros

• Design, Be it the exterior or Interiors, The C always gave me the luxurious feel.
• Ride Handling & Engine Performance, the CGI is a Hoot to Drive.
• Spare Availability was surprisingly excellent.
• Tan Interiors, It just looked lovely. Both BMW & Audi didn't had the option in 3er & A4.
• After Sale Service, These guys go out of their way to get the job done. Simply fantastic!

Cons

• Can't think of any except the Low Fuel Efficiency, The C200 was a guzzler. I never got more than 6 - 6.5 kmpl in city driving but that was more of a car thing rather than brand.

5) Car Brand - BMW

Cars Owned - 320d Luxuryline LCI

Number Of Years Used - Almost 1.5 Years (Current Ride)

Kms Clocked - 40000

Pros

• The basic reason why you buy a BMW, Performance.
• Ride & Handling is just PERFECT.
• The design, Elegant yet with a tinch of Sportiness.
• The 8 Speed ZF
• After Sales Service & Sales Experience along with BMW India's personal touch by staying in contact with it's customers.
• The dealership Management, extremely courteous & friendly, knowledgeable lot.

Cons

1. Poor Availability of Spares
2. Not as Reliable as Mercedes Benz
3. Expensive Service and too short intervals, I am changing the engine oil almost after every 8-9k kms.
4. The basic spares don't age well, For e.g Brake Pads.
5. BMWs are not as well equipped as Mercedes Benz
6. Too formal, for every petty thing you have to shoot these guys a mail. I over drove the vehicle by 200 kms after the oil change reminder, had to shoot a mail regarding the same. For every petty thing, be it even for adjustment of speaker mounts I have to formally mail them stating the same, in a way it's good but gets annoying at times.
7. The after sales service is excellent but extremely slow, it takes them ages to get any additional job done except the regular service. It took them more than a couple of weeks to change my car's radiator fan.
8. BMW interiors don't age well, the leather on steering for e.g feels ages old now.
9. As my fellow 320d owner above, everything needs to be programmed by BMW Service hence frequent visits.

[Biraj]

Brand - Fiat

Cars owned:

• Linea T-jet+ - Feb 2012 till present - 68,000 Km
  
  
• Punto Emotion (Diesel) - Sep 2012 - 28,000 Km
  
  

A subjective list of pros and cons. Not in any order.

Pros:

• Beautiful cars
• A niche product (as per the owners, at least).
• Fantastic ride quality
• Great handling
• Possibly the best steering in the segment.
• Nice shades and good colour quality. Eight years of ownership to verify that.
• Tuned for performance instead of fuel-efficiency. Especially, the Tjet.
• Safety. Really, built like a tank.
• Has more passionate followers than most other car brands.
• Doesn't under-tyre their cars. The right size of wheels and tyres.

Cons:

• Plan a service visit. Either due to the distance of the service centre, or availability of slots, or the reputation of the centre.
• Waiting period for expensive or non-regular parts. Especially on the Tjet.
• Dealerships have lesser number of cars to recover their costs. Thus, the chances of intentional misses/errors are high.
• Dissapointing ICE. Especially, the stock speakers. Both my cars had poor quality speakers.
• Space management. Cars smaller than Linea have more legroom at the rear.
• Headlamps. Stock lamps are inadequate for highway trips.