[gemithomas]

Originally Posted by sudipt123

What are the part costs of the New Palio MJD? How costly are they compared to the Old Palio costs? I think the regular consumable parts of the MJD & vista are common (like air/ fuel filters, oil etc.)

I am contemplating buying the Palio MJD, due to huge booking times of the swift diesel.
@gemithomas- what are the suspension parts costs of the palio? I guess the MJD will have the same suspension costs as the old palio.

Well, as far as i know a rubber bush kit costed me rs.1200 8 months ago. Dont know what it costs now. The mechanic told me at that time that palio suspension parts are comparitively costlier. But i seriously think it was worth paying that for the comfort it gives.

But offlate news from the service guys suggest that they are just increasing the price without any particular reason.

[phamilyman]

MJD has perfectly okay prices for the consumables (thank the vista) except the fuel filter - buy the indian variant - the brazilian is 3300 vs 1100 indian vs 850 such like in swift.

rest the plastic parts are expensive(about +35%), but worth the price (Indian!!). ofc, suspension etc all these parts ka data I didn't bother.

key is a good service station. rest is moh maya.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by speedzak

And FIAT is standing over by the side and enjoying the show or what?
I'm sure they can do something to keep the prices under control. Ain't it?

You think Fiat India has the strength to dictate terms to Tata? The Company would have shut shop and left India by now had the tie up with Tata not materialised. In the arrangement that exists between the two JV partners, it is Tata that calls the shots. Tata not Fiat decides the marketing, pricing, servicing of Fiat cars. Fiat is just the manufacturing vendor.

[blue_pulsar]

Originally Posted by mahadev_kc

ORVM mirror only costed me Rs 475 :(

Rs.475 is a very reasonable price for an OVRM. Isn't it?

[vinodv001]

I was the one who ordered the airfilter assebmly for 1.2 after hearing the price is Rs.900/- When I received the cost was 2950/-.

Replaced the starter solenoid costed 2594/- Plus labour

Kulathunkal had replaced the bentix drive, costed Rs 1500/-. Which was an unnecessary excercise, so I asked to them to fix my old one back.

[speedzak]

Originally Posted by directinjection

You think Fiat India has the strength to dictate terms to Tata? The Company would have shut shop and left India by now had the tie up with Tata not materialised. In the arrangement that exists between the two JV partners, it is Tata that calls the shots. Tata not Fiat decides the marketing, pricing, servicing of Fiat cars. Fiat is just the manufacturing vendor.

Reading your post, it seems like every Fiat is a Tata product. Is it so?
If it's not, then Fiat has to do something to keep the parts' prices under control.

And if the company was indeed saved by Tata from closing down (really?), does Tata have all the rights to do whatever they feel like?
I think, Fiat has lost it's plot all together.
Think of it:
1. One has to buy a Tata product which is named as Fiat. 2. Pay hectic prices every time the car visits a garage. 3. Struggle with A.S.S which isn't the best when it comes to product knowledge and customer satisfaction. 4. Even if one struggles with all the above, he cannot sell the car for a reasonable price. 5. All this and still not a very good value for money product. 6. Not a very good fuel efficient car either.
A pathetic condition of a car buying and using experience!

My opinion is that Fiat should do something very urgently in improving some of the above said problems it has in it's hands.
Hope some solution is worked out for the Linea atleast. We don't expect the same like what happened with the Palio. Ain't it?

[sudipt123]

This certainly doesn't seem to inspire confidence on my decision to buy the MJD, as Fiat has lost interest in the Palio and concentrating on future launches. I sincerely hope that such strategy adopted by Tata, towards Fiat cars don't hold for the Linea and GP.
@phamilyman - Thanks for the info, but such attrociously priced spare costs don't send a good signal to potential customers.
@gemithomas- I just changed the lower arm suspension bushes of my v2, it costed me around 350/- with taxes for a set.
I agree with directinjection- There's more of tata in a Fiat nowadays- everyone spoke about the gearbox issue of the mjd- that it had a tata factor, Some even questioned the tank like build quality of the old palio to the MJD, So were the other niggles in the car.

[architect]

Originally Posted by sudipt123

This certainly doesn't seem to inspire confidence on my decision to buy the MJD, as Fiat has lost interest in the Palio and concentrating on future launches. I sincerely hope that such strategy adopted by Tata, towards Fiat cars don't hold for the Linea and GP.
@phamilyman - Thanks for the info, but such attrociously priced spare costs don't send a good signal to potential customers.
@gemithomas- I just changed the lower arm suspension bushes of my v2, it costed me around 350/- with taxes for a set.
I agree with directinjection- There's more of tata in a Fiat nowadays- everyone spoke about the gearbox issue of the mjd- that it had a tata factor, Some even questioned the tank like build quality of the old palio to the MJD, So were the other niggles in the car.

1. Tank like build quality is still 90% there.

2. Niggles on the MJD are not less or more than any other new cars. I suggest you seriously check the nature and number of niggles from the 10-odd MJD members here if you want to be objective. Including the niggles on my car. Also, MJD owners are a represented in bigger majority on Team-BHP than any other car in it's class, so your survey should be more accurate. Then compare these "niggles" to the "niggles" on new Tata Safaris (Fiats are still way better).

3. What gearbox issues? It is not the short throw (a-la Swift) gearbox, but there are no "issues" to it beyond that, AFAIK. Please enlighten.

4. Totally agree about parts being expensive after recent hike, but do not agree on points 1-3 with you.

[roms]

Originally Posted by blue_pulsar

Rs.475 is a very reasonable price for an OVRM. Isn't it?

I believe its the glass mirror inside the OVRM assembly mahadev is talking about. The entire assembly costs somewhere close to 2K as far as my memory goes, I had to replace the left OVRM some time back.

[sudipt123]

Originally Posted by architect

1. Tank like build quality is still 90% there. There is a loss of build quality which you are acknowledging. Accepting the "thud" of the doors is still there

2. Niggles on the MJD are not less or more than any other new cars. I suggest you seriously check the nature and number of niggles from the 10-odd MJD members here if you want to be objective. Including the niggles on my car. Also, MJD owners are a represented in bigger majority on Team-BHP than any other car in it's class, so your survey should be more accurate. Then compare these "niggles" to the "niggles" on new Tata Safaris (Fiats are still way better). Tata's are not in comparison sir, I've had enough of Indica v2 niggles, I am comparing it to the Palio's made earlier pre Tata-Fiat JV.

3. What gearbox issues? It is not the short throw (a-la Swift) gearbox, but there are no "issues" to it beyond that, AFAIK. Please enlighten.
The New gearbox is not at par with the earlier gearboxes on the Palios. This has been confirmed by many Fiat enthusiasts on the MJD tested and Ripped thread. Even I have felt it in my test drive of the MJD compared to the Palio NV 1.2
4. Totally agree about parts being expensive after recent hike, but do not agree on points 1-3 with you.

What I want to bring home the point is- that Fiat with the JV of Tata has not gained much, but look at tata- they have improved substantially in product quality and design proof is - the vista.
And to top it all Attaboy TATA has increased spare prices of the palio!

[phamilyman]

Sudipt,

Let me break down my logic in NOT buying the MJD, despite almost writing the check.
a. resale - please kiss it goodbye. With my plan of 1L km in four years, I dont expect much resale after five years from any vehicle
b. Serviceability - Very high. Except the gearbox, there's alot of kit that's common. The laptop software for ECU diagnostics (insert jargon here) is same, so chill man.
c. Spares - Issue for plastics. But like I seriously tell you, you get almost what you pay for - its ahead of the Swift (bumpers etc).
d. Sales - Tata sales guys are thoroughly incompetent, and selling Palio is like beyond them completely.
e. Service - This is the key. Mostly incompetent often, and stocking INDIAN spares is key.

I had only one ASC in 15km, the horrible Dhingra motors, who only had Brazilian parts. The REALLY good ASC (Elegant) was some 50km away, so that sealed it for me.

Lastly, if you will be the only one driving it, and are in a not so mad job, buy it. As the primary family car, buy it only with a good ASC nearby. Slightly loses to swift as a touring car for the sheer reason of less ASCs. Else its rock solid reliable to a fault vehicle.

Except body roll/slightly sluggish, it is totally VFM (some 40+k cheaper) and is more car per car any which way. Interiors are dated, but its not worth a rat's rearside to me. A.S.S is king.

[directinjection]

Originally Posted by speedzak

Reading your post, it seems like every Fiat is a Tata product. Is it so? If it's not, then Fiat has to do something to keep the parts' prices under control.

When I bought my Adventure from a Tata-Fiat dealer two years back, the manufacturer's invoice to the dealer was issued by Tata Motors, not Fiat. Thanks to those papers, my registration certificate shows Tata Motors as the manufacturer.

Originally Posted by speedzak

And if the company was indeed saved by Tata from closing down (really?)

Isn't selling <15000 cars a year in a million-cars-per-annum market as bad as closing down?

Originally Posted by speedzak

does Tata have all the rights to do whatever they feel like?

I think, Fiat has lost it's plot all together.

If Tata is calling the shots in this alliance, Fiat have only themselves to blame as you yourself suggest.

Originally Posted by speedzak

My opinion is that Fiat should do something very urgently in improving some of the above said problems it has in it's hands. Hope some solution is worked out for the Linea atleast. We don't expect the same like what happened with the Palio. Ain't it?

At least I'm not aware of any serious attempt being made to address the problems. Unless Tata (more than Fiat) is serious about selling the Linea, I fear it'll meet the same fate as Palio.

[mahadev_kc]

Originally Posted by roms

I believe its the glass mirror inside the OVRM assembly mahadev is talking about. The entire assembly costs somewhere close to 2K as far as my memory goes, I had to replace the left OVRM some time back.

Yep. it is only mirror. Whole assembly with mirror cost Rs 1200/- + painting charges and whole comes to around 2200/-

On another aspect, the right side ORVM mirror which I replaced is completely out of sync with central inner RVM and left-side ORVM. What I mean is that objects look very far in right side ORVM compared to left-side ORVM and central RVM.

[shantyrocks]

iv read in novembers what car issue that fiat has just slashed the prices of spares by 17% for all their models.this will reduce the costs substantially.

[gemithomas]

Ok. Try to digest this.

The Fuel Pump for the 1.6 that costed around Rs.4500 earlier is now billed at around Rs.10,500!!!!