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Old 30th January 2020, 15:15   #1
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Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

We have ownership reviews in Team-Bhp, which gives us an excellent insight on the car & it's brand.

A similar thread exists on this topic -
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...-team-bhp.html (Reliability and hassle-free ownership: Perceptions of popular car brands on Team-bhp)

I will request to post on the car brands which we have owned/used for a substantial period of time. Want to keep this thread limited to just first hand experiences from the owners.

The purpose of this thread is to have a gist of pros & cons of the manufactures/brands available in India. The focus will be more on the brand rather than the car. A particular car from a brand can be good or bad, but that do not define the overall image of that brand.

A discussion on the current available brands will be more apt, rather than discussing about car brands from the past or the brands which no more exist in India.

The format which we can follow for the ease of the readers:

Name of the car brand-
Cars owned from that brand-
Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand-
The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand-
Pros & cons of that brand- (This may vary from person to person as the experience from different service centers vary, but we can still get an overview.)

Let me begin with my experiences across different brands-

We have owned a Fiat 1100 Select, a Premier Padmini , a Fiat Uno in the past, but I will refrain from writing about these as they are things of the past.

1) Car brand -

Maruti

Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only-mediahandler.jpg

Cars owned - Maruti Alto, Maruti Alto K10

Number of years I used cars from Maruti - 5 Years

The total number of Kilometers covered by the cars from this brand- - 60,000 km

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1) Reasonable service cost.
2) Huge number of service centers available, so it's easy to find one even in a remote place.
3) Spares parts are easily available.
4) Outside service centers, local FNG mechanics are pretty well versed with cars manufactured by Maruti.

Cons-

1) Service centers are over crowded.
2) Many of the service executives will try to convince you on getting some extra jobs done, which are not mentioned by Maruti. They try to fleece the customers.
3) Work done is not always up-to the owners satisfaction. They are always in a hurry and they do not give much time.
4) Once a body repair work was done on my Alto K10, the work was pathetic.
5) After the warranty period, I preferred FNG's.

2) Car brand -

Toyota

Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only-2ec817a2e9b83b486892509b41bf0f35.jpg

Cars owned - Toyota Etios

Number of years I used cars from Toyota - 8.5 Years

The total number of Kilometers covered by the cars from this brand- - 95,000 km

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1) Very professional approach right from the purchase experience till servicing.
2) Service center guys are well trained and well equipped.
3) A complaint escalated, is taken very seriously.
4) Quality check.
5) Low maintenance cost.
6) Spares are easily available in service centers.

Cons-

1) I somewhere feel these guys are snob and suffer from superiority complex!
2) Warranty claim procedure is pathetic and time consuming.
3) Not at all flexible regarding their rules.
4) Even for minor works they may take a lot of time, just to release the cars who have come earlier!
5) Original Toyota spares are not easily available outside service centers.

3) Car brand -

Ford

Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only-unnamed.jpg


Cars owned - Ford Figo

Number of years I used cars from Ford - 3.5 Years

The total number of Kilometers covered by the cars from this brand- 35,000 km

Pros & cons of the ownership-

1) Friendly showroom & service center guys.
2) Reasonable service cost.
3) Spares are easily available in service centers.

Cons-

1) Not very professional at times.
2) Mechanics who are not well versed by cars manufactured by Ford, find it difficult to repair.
3) Procuring spares from outside of service center is difficult.

4) Car brand -

Renault

Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only-unnamed-1.jpg


Cars owned - Renault Duster

Number of years I used cars from Renault - 1.5 Years

The total number of Kilometers covered by the cars from this brand- - 17,500 km

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1) Higher up guys are easily approachable. If a complaint is escalated, they intervene quickly to resolve it.
2) Had pathetic experience with one service center, but the rest two i dealt with was just awesome.
3) Guys at Renault are more or less friendly and flexible in nature.
4) Claiming warranty from Renault is easy.

Cons-

1) Servicing is costly.
2) Spares are not always available off the shelf. One has to wait for it. Finding spares outside is even more difficult!
3) All service centers are not good.
4) Once Renault warranty expires and the extended warranty starts, which is dealt by TVS, claiming warranty will no more be a very smooth process.
5) Showroom experience is not very professional, but they make it up by their friendly attitude.
6) Service centers are less in number. So finding one at a remote place is difficult.
7) FNG mechanics find these cars a bit complicated to repair.

Note- The above pics are not clicked by me. Shared them from Google.

Last edited by BlackPearl : 30th January 2020 at 18:45. Reason: Typos
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Old 30th January 2020, 18:40   #2
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re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

Last edited by BlackPearl : 30th January 2020 at 18:42.
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Old 30th January 2020, 19:31   #3
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re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Name of the car brand: Maruti Suzuki
Cars owned from that brand: Alto (2003), Swift (2007), S-cross (2016)
Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand: 13 Years
The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand: ~77,000 kms

Pros:
Reasonable service cost for lower end models
Great Resale value
Service Centers everywhere

Cons:
Average or below average Sales Experience
Low brand Image or Brand always attributed to cheap (even if you own a S-Cross for 16 Lacs)
Service Centers always overcrowded



Name of the car brand: Hyundai
Cars owned from that brand: i10 (2008)
Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand: 1 Year
The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand: 8,000 kms

Pros:
Great Deals
Reasonable Resale value
Good number of Service Centers
Brand Perception upmarket than a Maruti

Cons:
Nothing in my experience



Name of the car brand: Ford
Cars owned from that brand: Fiesta (2010), Freestyle (2019)
Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand: 5 Years and counting
The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand: ~32,000 kms

Pros:
Reasonable service cost
Great Sales Experience
Mostly good service Experience

Cons:
Extremely Poor Resale value esp if it is a Petrol
Number of Service Centers is Low



Name of the car brand: Mahindra
Cars owned from that brand: Verito (2012)
Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand: 1 Year
The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand: ~15,000 kms

Pros:
Low service cost
Good Sales Experience

Cons:
Step-motherly treatment in Service stations
Number of Service Centers is low
Parts availability (may be it is an issue with this specific model)



Name of the car brand: Skoda
Cars owned from that brand: Rapid (2013)
Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand: 3 Years
The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand: ~31,000 kms

Pros:
Brand Image
Good Sales Experience

Cons:
Only One Dealer in entire city
usually Poor Service (especially in diagnosis)
Availability of critical parts come with huge waiting period (2-3 weeks)
Poor Resale value



Name of the car brand: Tata
Cars owned from that brand: Tiago (2019)
Number of years you have owned/used a car from that brand: 11 months & counting
The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from that brand: ~9,200 kms

Pros:
Great Sales Experience

Cons:
Poor Brand Image
Service So far is average at best
Usually Poor Resale Value
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Old 30th January 2020, 19:58   #4
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re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Here's my 2 cents on the basis of my experience which has been limited to only 1 brand-

Name of the car brand- Ford

Cars owned from the brand- Fiesta(2007 1.4 Petrol Zxi ,which I had for 1 year) and Figo 1.5 TDCi

Number of years I have owned a car from thae brand- 4 years

The number of Kilometers covered by the cars from the brand- 30000 km

Pros of the brand Ford-

1. Reasonable service cost.

Cons of the brand Ford-

1. Spares not available of the shelf.
2. Service advisors try to push unnecessary jobs which aren't mandated by Ford.
3. Poor service experience every time. This isn't the right place to elaborate but this poor experience includes everything from diagnosing an issue to the delivery of car on time to the behaviour of SAs.
4. FNG mechanics refer to Ford cars as - 'Lafdhe waali car' in other words, 'a car which gives them a hard time while diagnosing a problem'.

I tried to think hard about more pros of the brand Ford, but I could only think of pros about both the cars which I have owned and it won't be right to mention them here. I have to be frank and say that I have been disappointed with my experience here at the only Ford authorised dealer in Navi Mumbai. It is the product which makes up for it but there are hardly a few people in India who would be willing to swallow the bitter pill of average service for the sake of driving pleasure.

Does the fact that I have experience with only 1 car brand, narrows my perspective? Maybe.

Last edited by AYP : 30th January 2020 at 20:20.
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Old 30th January 2020, 20:18   #5
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re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samba View Post
The purpose of this thread is to have a gist of pros & cons of the manufactures/brands available in India. The focus will be more on the brand rather than the car. A particular car from a brand can be good or bad, but that do not define the overall image of that brand.
When you say focus on the brand itself, I assume it means more things than just service quality. Because I believe there is a lot more to a brand than just the quality of service and spare parts availability. So with that, here are my thoughts:


Brand: BMW
Cars Owned: 2017 320d
Number of years owned: 1 year and 7 months (and counting)
Number of km driven: 26,000km

Pros:
  • The brand is synonymous for driving pleasure, and most of their cars stand true to this.
  • May I say this brand has a good aspirational value too.
  • Puts a smile of my face every time I drive her.
  • Great ergonomics. Everything is well thought of and placed perfectly.
  • Top notch engineering. As an engineer myself, I always feel proud of the engineering prowess of this brand.
  • Sporty image, including the interior design theme, which oozes sportiness.
  • Great service experience. The best service experiences I ever had in any car brands so far came from BMW.
  • Spare parts availability is surprisingly good and they make sure spare parts are delivered on time.
  • Great communication with the customers. The brand is always in touch with me about various events, promotions and offers.
  • Almost feels like a BMW family, of which you are a member.
  • People at sales as well as service are very friendly, polite, and quite knowledgeable.
  • The showrooms and the service centers are very nice, clean, and well managed. It is always a pleasant experience to spend time there.
Cons:
  • Costs: Everything is pricey!
  • Even small official accessories can be ridiculously expensive.
  • Sometimes draws too much (unwanted) attention.
  • Maintenance costs, once outside warranty, can become a reason to worry.
  • Everything is proprietary and requires "official touch". Even a new battery requires to be programmed by the service center for it to work with the car's electrical system.
Brand: Maruti
Cars Owned: Maruti SX4 (2010)
Number of years owned: Almost 10 (2010 - current)
Number of km driven: 1,23,000km

Pros:
  • Absolutely reliable cars.
  • Absolutely worry-free ownership experience.
  • Great service quality.
  • Friendly customer service during both sales and servicing.
  • Knowledgeable sales and service staff.
  • Good availability of spare parts. Surprisingly good even for discontinued products.
  • Draws zero attention (exactly opposite of the BMW).
  • Due to the above point, can be parked anywhere without worries.
  • If required, can be fixed anywhere, anytime, even outside warranty.
  • Everything is "generic", and any generic part/accessories (such as new battery) works well without any "official touch" (again, exactly opposite of the BMW)
  • Relatively robust build that can easily handle the natural abuse given the Indian road conditions.
Cons:
  • Absolutely boring driving dynamics - not for the enthusiasts!
  • No aspirational value to the brand.
  • Beyond reliable day to day use, the car has zero "personality".
  • Zero "heart to heart" connect with the owner.
  • The service centers are crowded and in general a bit chaotic.
  • Absolutely no uniqueness in any sense: Every Maruti model, even the failed ones, always has a million of those on the road, so to speak.
  • The interior quality is strictly average. Nothing in the car feels really premium.
Brand: Fiat
Cars Owned: Fiat Palio (2002)
Number of years owned: 8 years (2002-2010)
Number of km driven: 50,000km

Pros:
  • Driving dynamics spot on for enthusiasts.
  • Cars have strong personality -good or bad, but never boringly neutral.
  • Solid build quality of the cars.
  • The brand can have some aspirational value, in some cases.
  • Some of the best tuned steering characteristics!
  • Relatively robust build that can easily handle the natural abuse given the Indian road conditions.
Cons:
  • Cars are not exactly reliable; frequent niggles a common experience.
  • Below average and mostly inconsistent service experience.
  • Poor availability of spare parts.
  • General lack of service centers and very few sales and service centers to begin with.
  • Messed up ergonomics.
  • Service center staff not exactly very knowledgeable.
  • Remains a niche brand, not exactly in a good way.

Other than these three cars, I have owned Audi and Honda in the US. But I will not comment on those here since this thread is about Indian context.

Last edited by Dr.AD : 30th January 2020 at 20:26.
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Old 30th January 2020, 20:53   #6
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re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Excellent thread Samba da.

However I'd like to deviate a bit from the laid down format of this thread and talk about the pros and cons of company policies which I have observed of cars I have owned or used significantly(and thus well aware of the pros and cons of owning one). Things like service center experience or their inventory of spares vary from city to city, brand to brand, model to model. An Alto customer may easily find ready stock of his car's spare, say a fender, but a SX4 customer won't. Or, maintaining an old Maruti is easier in my city, being a Tier2/3 city, but not so in Delhi NCR.

So I'll in general stick to the stuff which is common across the country in brands/share experiences of dealing with the parent company:

Brands Owned

1. Maruti Suzuki: We have been a long standing customer of Maruti, having owned numerous MSIL cars from 1992. It would make a long and boring list, so to keep it simple, there are still two cars from the stable: A 2000 M800 and a 2018 Ignis Zeta AMT, used by Mom.

Pros:

1. No monopoly of a single dealer. There are multiple dealer workshops, MASS, MSMs. Also service touch points are available almost everywhere. Link: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...workshops.html (An insight into Maruti's After-sales network: Different types of workshops)
2. Easy access to spares: Having a concept of Distribution of spares makes it very easy for owners to access spares even outside dealership.
3. Reasonable ownership costs if one is vigilant. Spares price is mostly reasonable(Except those which are imported).
4. Proactive customer care, good escalation matrix and good control of Maruti over each dealer/MASS.
5. Good resale value in general.
6. Their cars are mostly simple to diagnose and repair, so even the FNGs are pretty competent.
7. Absolutely worry-free ownership experience till now.

Cons:

1. Poor "perceivable" build of cars, poor safety record/ratings and lack of refinement in general. NVH is strictly average.
2. Offlate very weird feature distribution. Link: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/india...car-range.html (Weird feature distribution in the current Maruti-Suzuki car range)
3. NEXA customers are stuck with Dealer Workshops and MSMs only. They aren't allowed to get their cars serviced in MASS.
4. Service Advisors often tend to fleece if the owner isn't vigilant/knowledgeable. Given that first time owners still form a major chunk of their sales, that is quite a significant number who get cheated.
5. Overcrowded service centres.

Toyota: Technically we own that Innova(last gen) but its used only to ferry around grandparents at our native place. However its service is done when it visits ranchi once a year. Most often its done as DIY or at FNG. So here is my experience of dealing with Toyota:

Pros:

1. Supremely reliable. I can count on my fingertips the number of times that car has visited ASS in its 12 years/1.9L kilometers of life for stuff other than normal service. Defines worry-free ownership.
2. Work ethics, service quality and control of Toyota over its dealers is simply the best in the country.
3. Access to spares: While its not as easy as Maruti, the workshops still get you the spares for over the counter sale. All they take is VIN/Registration number.
4. FNGs are well versed with their cars.

Cons:

1. As I have mentioned earlier, sourcing spares isn't as simple as in Maruti.
2. Some spares are atrociously priced.

Hyundai: Mom had an Elite i20 petrol for around a year(2015-2016)

Pros:
1. Easy availability of spares through their MOBIS distribution network.
2. Many dealerships/service outlets are often there in a single city, so no monopoly.
3. Rich feeling cars in general.
4. FNGs are well versed with their cars.
5. Despite having a good workload, the workshops aren't as chaotic as say a Maruti.

Cons:
1. In my experience, the dealers are absolute thugs. Might be a region specific issue, but what's horrible is that Hyundai has absolute no control over them. Also the escalation response with Hyundai is downright pathetic. 2. Poor Mileage from their Petrol Hatches. We never got more than 10kmpl with our i20.

Volkswagen: Mom bought a VW Polo GT TSi in November 2014, and had the car till Feb 2015.

Pros:
1. The car, no one buys VWs and Skoda's for anything else.

Cons:
1. Monopoly of a single dealer in Tier 2/3 cities.
2. Our car had a minor shunt when it was barely 2 months old, which needed new bumpers, hood, lights, radiator, condenser, radiator support to be replaced. Usually for such minor jobs, downtime in case of a Maruti car is maximum 2 weeks. Our VW dealer couldn't get a new radiator in even 3 months. Given mom's area of posting, downtime is a strict no-no for her. So eventually we gave up and sold the car to the dealer himself.

May be the dealer/system of VW has improved, but this is what we had experienced back then.

Never Owned one, but have something to share:

Tata: While I have never personally owned one, I have enough experience with Tatas. When I was in college, I had a Tata Indica at my disposal(2012 to 2015). Belonged to my friend who didn't know driving, so I was the user in actual sense. After that, during the short stint at my last employer, I was informally the incharge of the Fleet Maintenance department. The Tata cars in my department were some Sumo/Spacios and couple of Tata Stormes. So I think I have good experience with them:

Pros:
1. Availability/access of spares. Very easily available in Dealer workshops, distribution channel and outside market.
2. Attitude of Tata Motors: Absolutely no fuss in Warranty claims. While the process itself was time consuming, it felt that they actually wanted to help you out.
3. The service costs/labour charges are surprisingly cheap.
4. Spare costs are very genuine. Almost everything is made by Indian vendors and thus priced extremely competitively.
5. Usually there are many workshops, so no monopoly of a single dealer.

Cons:
1. The products in general seem to be very inconsistently made. No two problematic cars have the same issue. And this is perhaps why TaMo is unable to fix it permanently. A Widespread issue can be rectified by recalls. In Tata cars there is no pattern of failures. While the Spacios and Sumo's were largely trouble free, the Storme wasn't. One had many recurring electrical failures, while the other was absolutely reliable.
2. Agonizingly slow process of anything. The entire system felt like a Govt office. Not sure what the situation is now. They took their own sweet time to deal with anything.
3. The Tata UVs have very complex suspension system it seems. The Tyre alignment stores used to avoid these cars like anything, and even the process used to take around an hour. The technician told me it was even worse in Sumo Grande, which thankfully our department didn't have.
4. Over crowded and ill managed service centres.
5. I had a feeling that while the ASS was adequately equipped, the technicians lacked knowledge in general. Again this could be a service centre issue.

Mahindra: Our office also had Boleros and Scorpios. Also my cousin owns a KUV100 which I use often. So I'll also briefly pen down my experience with them:

Pros:

1. Easy access to spares. Ordering spares with them is as easy as Maruti.
2. Customer Service/Escalation is one of the best IMO.
3. Many dealers/service points, so no monopoly of a single dealer.

Cons:
1. Electronics: While their mechanicals are trouble free, the electronics simply suck.
2. Poorly managed ASS in general.

Do note that this is entirely based on my personal experience with the brands and not on hearsay. The pros and cons might vary for others.

Regards,
Shashi
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Old 30th January 2020, 21:56   #7
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re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Excellent thread. This will definitely give an insight to a prospective buyer before deciding the next car.


Brand:- Mahindra

Cars owned - Scorpio, XUV5OO

Number of years I used cars from Mahindra - 7.5 years

The total number of Kilometers covered by the cars from this brand- - 1,50,000 km (approx)

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1) Service advisers are usually friendly
2) Service cost is reasonable. Spare parts are not very expensive either
3) Spares are easily available

Cons-

1) I feel they lack the professionalism. They are friendly but the job done leaves a lot to be desired.
2) Commenting from the experience of being one of the first batch XUV5OO owners, service people lack the knowledge of repairing niggles of a new model. Problems keep coming back until it becomes unbearable.
3) Spares like brake pads, clutch plate etc. suffer from excessive wear and tear. They need replacement more often than that of similar cars from other brands.


Brand:- Honda

Cars owned - City
Number of years I used cars from Honda - 5 years and counting

The total number of Kilometers covered by the cars from this brand- - 30,000 km (approx)

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1) Service advisers are very friendly.
2) Spares are normally available and last long.
3) Usually professional and job done is satisfactory. This includes body work as well.

Cons-

1) Service is not very cheap like some people think it is. Problem with older models is that they have a 6 month service interval schedule while some other brands have service interval of once a year.
2) Sometimes they fail to rectify the problem at one go.
3) Warranty claims are not always handled properly.
4) Service people try to sell unnecessary stuff e.g. two car wash/polish for 3K

Last edited by BlackPearl : 30th January 2020 at 22:41. Reason: Typo
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Old 30th January 2020, 22:46   #8
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re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Excellent thread Samba.

Here is mine

Maruti
Cars - Swift diesel 2012 (2,70,000 km), Brezza 2017 (53,000 km)
Pros - all have been said already
Cons - feels cheap, flimsy, unsafe

Hyundai
Car- Santro Zip drive 2000(1,40,000 km)
Pros - all have been said already
Cons - Service costs I felt were on a higher side. Towards end of life, the Santro’s monthly maintenance was higher than EMI of a new car.

Last edited by Thermodynamics : 30th January 2020 at 22:49.
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Old 30th January 2020, 23:10   #9
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re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Excellent thread Samba. Here is my list -

Brand:- Fiat (India)

Cars owned - Palio

Number of years I used cars from Fiat - 1.5 years

The total number of Kilometres covered by the cars from this brand - 30,000 km

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1) Solid build quality, saved my life in a big accident
2) Service cost is cheap

Cons-

None apart from service centres going out of business

************


Brand:- Maruti Suzuki (India)

Cars owned - Alto, Zen, Esteem, Baleno

Number of years I used cars from Maruti Suzuki - 15 years and continuing

The total number of Kilometres covered by the cars from this brand - 300,000 km

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1. Ultra reliable
2. Cheap to maintain
3. Service experience is at a different level


Cons-

1. Rattles
2. Cheap build quality in case of Esteem. Baleno was very good

************


Brand:- Honda (USA)

Cars owned - Accord Automatic, Accord Manual

Number of years I used cars from Honda - 3 years

The total number of Kilometres covered by the cars from this brand - 210,000 km

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1. Ultra reliable
2. Parts were costly but lasted forever
3. Excellent resale value

Cons-

None

************


Brand:- Toyota (USA)

Cars owned - Camry Manual and Corolla Automatic

Number of years I used cars from Toyota - 3 years

The total number of Kilometres covered by the cars from this brand - 210,000 km

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1. Ultra reliable
2. Cheap to maintain
3. Excellent resale value

Cons-

None

************


Brand:- Mahindra (India)

Cars owned - Bolero and Thar

Number of years I used cars from Mahindra - 8 years and continuing

The total number of Kilometres covered by the cars from this brand - 160,000 km

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1. Reliable
2. Rugged and go-anywhere capability
3. Excellent value for money for the Bolero, not the Thar

Cons-

1. Terrible plastic quality
2. Bad ride quality
3. Non existent safety features
4. Needs constant attention during servicing

************


Brand:- Mini (UK)

Cars owned - Mini Cooper

Number of years I used cars from Mini - 2 years and continuing

The total number of Kilometres covered by the cars from this brand - 35,000 km (approx)

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1. Beautiful
2. Fun to drive
3. Reliable
4. Cheap to maintain
5. Solid build quality

Cons-

None

************

Brand:- Land Rover (UK)

Cars owned - Range Rover Sport Automatic

Number of years I used cars from Land Rover - 1.5 months and continuing

The total number of Kilometres covered by the cars from this brand - 6000 km

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1. Brand heritage
2. Beautiful
3. Excellent ride quality
4. Capable off-road as well as excellent on road. A mile munching machine

Cons-

1. Service cost is high

Reports say it is unreliable, but too early for me to comment. I believe it will be reliable as long as it is maintained well. Keeping my fingers crossed.

************

Last edited by BlackPearl : 30th January 2020 at 23:11.
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Old 31st January 2020, 00:37   #10
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re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Nice thread Samba. Here's my experience with Maruti and Hyundai over the past few years:

Brand - Maruti Suzuki
Cars Owned - Swift
Ownership Period - 5.5 years, 32k kms and counting
PROS - Dependable, reliable cars, wide service network, easy availability of parts in local market, minimal niggles or part failures over long term, good resale value.
CONS - Service cost is at par with other brands, poor experience at service centers, cabin starts to rattle in 3-4 years time, inferior brand image as compared to others.

Brand - Hyundai
Cars Owned - Eon
Ownership Period - 2 years, 25k kms and counting
PROS - Wide service network, dealers and service centre folks have a more professional approach, class-leading cabin quality across segments, reasonable service cost, easy availability of parts in local market, relatively premium brand image.
CONS - Parts are on the costlier side, average paint quality, cars are not abuse friendly, resale value isn't as good as one would expect.
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Old 31st January 2020, 05:52   #11
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re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

1.Brand - Hyundai.
Car owned Santro Xing.
Ownership period - 16.5 years.
Distance covered - 97 thousand kms.
PROS. 1. Reliable,strong work horse. Just an occasional visit 5-6 months for some minor jobs and yearly service. Never visited service center more than twice a year.
2. Spare availability - Santro Xing was discontinued some time back. There has never been a moment where my car has been stuck in service center waiting for spared to arrive. Something very sparing used like gear lever covering material, ( made of rexine or something) too was easily available one month back.
3. Widespread service network.
4.Santro Xing has sold in large numbers and hence even if I am away from authorized service center, I can easily find one or the other person who can help me reach nearest safest location.

Cons.
1. Service charges on higher side. Some times labour is more than cost of spares. I got my viper blades changed last monsoon, for 150 Rs worth vipers, 120 Rs labour charged.
2. Fuel efficiency on slightly lower side.
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Old 31st January 2020, 07:38   #12
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re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Brand: Hyundai
Cars: Grand i10
Kilometers driven: 2.8 years, 60,000 Kilometers and counting

Pros & cons of the ownership

Pros:
1) Vast service network
2) Reliable and efficient cars as well as after sales. If they say they'd return the car on a particular date, they'd return it on that date.
3) Servicing costs have been very reasonable till now at Rs. 3200 to 4500 including the tasks I ask them to perform separately.
4) Availability of spares has been a plus till now. Didn't have to wait for any spares that I ordered as of today.
5) Resale value is a good bonus. Probably after MSIL, Hyundai enjoys the best resale value.
6) After each service, I've been receiving calls asking for my opinion on how the work was done and was I satisfied.
7) Hyundai mechanics are greatly knowledgeble at least for my car. They know their way and what they are doing.

Cons:
1) Cost of some spares specially those made in Korea will cost a bomb sometimes.
2) There might be instances when work done will not be up to the mark. This might be due to the fact that the Hyundai service centers are a very crowded place and they try to finish working on a particular car as soon as possible.
3) SAs try to push extras like throttle body cleaning into the job sheet and they'd go to the extent of arguing if you ask them not to.
4) FNGs at my place are still unsure about working on a Hyundai.

Apart from the Grand i10, there is the Harrier and Figo TDCi in our garage but they are still below 5,000 and 10,000 kilometers respectively so I'd wait and observe before commenting since the ownership of these two is still at the initial stage

Last edited by Tanveer02 : 31st January 2020 at 07:55.
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Old 31st January 2020, 08:12   #13
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re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Boy- I have a longish list starting with

Hyundai- Santro- 45000 km
Pros:
1) Very efficient service by Kothari Hyundai Pune
2) Rattle-free build quality , endured worst of Konkan roads.
3) Decent resale value
Cons:
1) Had trouble with fuel injectors from time to time.
2) Terrible quality OE tyres.
Overall, a good long lasting product and hassle free service experience. Hyundai was still a newbie back in 2003, but it never showed in their customer service.

Maruti:- Dzire VDI (2008 model) 44000 km

Pros:
1) Fantastic pre-sales experience from Sai Service. Got my choice of car (diesel had a long waiting list at that time), and colour and from selection to delivery (including registration) was all of 2 and a half days-with delivery on Christmas Day !
2) Well built (externally), and easy ergonomics.
3) Terrific resale value.
Cons:
1) Cheap plastic quality
2) Bad OE tyres (JK)
3) Occasional trouble with engine going into 'limp' mode, but addressed promptly.
4) Got an impression that service costs were padded up to fleece customers.

Fiat Linea T-Jet 26000 km
Pros:
1) R-O-B-U-S-T as hell external build quality.
2) Hassle free service (contrary to general perception)
3) Riding dynamics and A++ brakes.
4) Boot space, unhindered by hinges due to hydraulic struts.
Cons:
1) Surprisingly poor interior space.
2) Shockingly low quality PDI- My car wiper stalk was not working on the day of delivery. I walked into the cabin of Pandit Auto GM and gave him quite an earful. He promptly ordered his team to leave everything else and get the unit replaced on the spot.
3) Small niggles (water tube for the wiper spray got cut, fuel cap nozzle malfunctioned, IRVM got broken)
4) Not the sprightliest of performances inspite of the on-paper capability. This I say in hindsight after recently owning the Honda City, its long time rival.
5) Poor resale value.

Tata Nano
Pros:
1) Pretty much served the purpose of its positioning.
2) Good ability to off-road in urban conditions.

Cons:
1) NVH levels were terrible
2) After sales service was not the best.
3) Part quality questionable- my right headlight became opaque in just 6 months.

I have no regrets about the car. It was more of a fun experiment at urban mobility, but somehow I grew tired of the manual shifting , the wooden clutch and the general lack of refinement.

Nissan Micra
Pros:
1) Excellent pre-sales experience
2) Boringly reliable city roundabout.
3) Good build quality-rattle free cabin.

Cons:
1) Timid highway performance.

Renault Duster

Pros:
1) Good pre-sales experience.
2) Reliable performance
3) Excellent ride quality.

Cons:
1) Sub-par cabin experience for the price
2) Poor quality OE headlights.
3) Average AC performance.
4) Expensive OE spare parts.
Again, can't blame the manufacturer for some of this, as it was a case of WYSIWYG. What I do regret, however is not buying the AWD version upfront instead of the 2WD RXZ, even though there were good discounts. I had read 'mixed' reports of the AWD transmission and some failures on T BHP itself. Hence decided to keep it safe.

Volkswagen Polo GT TSi
Pros:
1) Premium, classy brand image.
2) Excellent pre and after sales experience. Not a penny extra charged. No gimmicky offers for non-essential services.
3) Performance is as promised. Solid build quality and surprisingly good urban off-road ability.

Cons:
1) Space good enough only for 4.
2) AC performance is just par for the course, nothing stellar.
3) Stiff suspension results in jerks, bumps and thuds being felt at slow speed.

Honda City ZX CVT
Pros:
1) Very good pre and post sales experience.
2) Generally rattle-free, contrary to recent reports from other owners .
3) Smooth as silk power delivery.
4) Epitome of Man maximum, machine minimum in contrast to my earlier Linea.

Cons:
1) OE tyres look too delicate for Indian conditions, its as if the car is sprinting on the highway wearing party stilettos instead of running sneakers.
2) rubber-band CVT effect on occasion, but can be mitigated by Sports mode+ paddle shifters.
3) Incredibly agile for its size . Its not dangerous in terms of stability though ,but can surprise other vehicles behind or to the side with its ability to dart around at speed.
4) Horribly slow Digipad ICE. Had to factory reset it once.

Last edited by fhdowntheline : 31st January 2020 at 08:22.
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Old 31st January 2020, 08:55   #14
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Re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Just two brands in terms of ownership till date, but fairly decent amount of experience with both:

Brand:- Maruti Suzuki

Cars owned - Omni, Wagon R (first gen), Swift 1.3 petrol, A Star, 800, Celerio, Swift 1.2 petrol, and new Wagon R (yet to be delivered!). Pretty much most of the small cars produced by Maruti.

Number of years I used cars from Maruti - Starting from 1993 till date

The total number of Kilometres covered by the cars from this brand - More than a couple of lakh kilometers.

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1) Super reliable and mechanically sound. Hardly any mechanical issues ever in any of the cars. Great fuel efficiency.
2) Service cost is reasonable, though at par with most of the Jap competitors.
3) Good performance of most models due to high power to weight ratio. The Swift was a proper enthusiasts car, and still largely remains so.
4) Huge brand equity especially with respect to reliability and peace of mind. Brilliant resale value as a result.
5) Anyone can repair a Maruti.

Cons-

Build quality is just about OK though much better with the recent models in the market. Otherwise, no other cons. All cars have served us well and for long. No matter how much one disses the brand, their core fundamentals are rock solid.

Brand: Honda

Cars owned - Brio 1.2, City 2019 iVTEC

Number of years I used cars from Honda - 2012 till date

The total number of Kilometres covered by the cars from this brand - Around 41,000 kilometers.

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-

1) Super reliable and mechanically sound. Pretty fuel efficiency given the performance on offer.
2) Service cost is reasonable, decent enough for me not to complain.
3) Fantastic performance offered by both the iVTEC engines that I own, the 1.2 and now the 1.5. Especially the 1.5 IVTEC. Naturally aspirated engine performance at its very best, at this price point. The 1.5 is pure double cream when it comes to smoothness and performance.
4) Another Jap brand offering reliability and peace of mind, due to solid core mechanicals.
5) Service center experience pretty decent over the years, barring a couple of small irritations.
6) Space optimisation in vehicles is absolutely magical. The Brio is way more spacious inside than my erstwhile Swift.

Cons-

1) Build quality is decent though not on par with Europeans.
2) Service centers tend to upsell unnecessary services, but to back off once they realise you are an informed customer.
3) ICE systems are average, but serves me well since I use only radio and the occasional bluetooth feature.

Last edited by arindambasu13 : 31st January 2020 at 09:01.
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Old 31st January 2020, 09:48   #15
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Re: Pros & cons with different car brands - Owner perspectives only

Car brand - Maruti Suzuki

Cars owned - WagonR & SCross 1.6

Number of years I used cars from Maruti - 15

The total number of Kilometers covered by the cars from this brand - ~125,000 Km

Pros & cons of the ownership-

Pros-
1) Superior service than any other car manufacturer in India
2) Easy availability of spares
3) Fantastic response by manufacturer for any escalations (for WagonR)
4) Cars can be driven anywhere as the support is spread across the nation
5) Personally, I feel Suzuki SCross 1.6 is fantastic product
6) Fantastic mileage compared to cars of same segment from other brands
7) MSIL takes customer's service feedback seriously (mostly with SCross)
8) Most products are VFM (not sure if SCro 1.6 is to be considered here)

Cons-
1) Maruti = Tin can image by general public
2) With WagonR, we had experienced (at Cars India, ABT, independent MASS in Chennai) mostly hurried up work. But thrice in KL at 2 different independent MASS, we had experienced meticulous satisfactory work
3) Once Cars India had not only damaged my WagonR, but also didn't start the work even after a week's time. No they didn't charge me extra, but I still landed up paying the bill amount, not even an apology to customer
4) Sales is not up to the mark like Hyundai or Ford
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