Now in...Officially

ShellZee · 4th September 2015, 11:20

Hey Guys,

Great to finally be a part of Team-BHP. I have been reading the posts for a couple of years now though, so I don't really feel like a newbie.

I am a third generation armed forces officer who, believe you me has been on more Govt ordered adventure trips than I would have liked in one lifetime, both on and off the road. A biker at heart I have done most of the common circuits, Leh, most of Himachal (barring Lahaul, Spiti), and of course Rajasthan. Never been south of Pune sadly... hope to make it there soon though. I own a Ford Fiesta 1.6ZXI, and a Honda Brio. Also in the stable are a RE Classic 350 and a new gen RE Thunderbird 500 which I am absolutely in love with.

Why Team-BHP? For the last couple of months been planning to get myself a crossover/ SUV and that's where the Team came in. Read the ownership reviews for days on end with the the long term ownership reviews really striking a chord. Oscillated from Duster AWD to Scorpio 4WD to Scorpio 2WD and XUV500. Finally decided on the XUV500 W8, booked it and will get the delivery sometime next week. The Team played a pivotal role in the decision buttressed by advice from some auto engineer friends and some foreign based automotive sites, mainly to decide between 4WD/AWD OR a FWD. The reviews and other posts were immensely insightful and form the basis for my ultimate decision. So a big thank you is in order.

I will soon post more about the initial ownership for my XUV and long term ones for my Fiesta and Brio.

Thank You again.

Aditya · 4th September 2015, 15:38

Hi ShellZee,

Welcome to Team-BHP. Good to have you here.

The XUV500 is the most sensible choice among the vehicles you were considering. It's more modern than the Scorpio and has more seats than the Duster. The Fiesta 1.6 is among my favourite cars. I've covered the whole country (well, almost) in one.

It's sad that you haven't been able to tour the south. There are a whole load of beautiful places there. Our Travelogues section serves as a good guide.

See you on the forum.

V.Narayan · 4th September 2015, 16:10

Welcome. Great to have a man in uniform on our forum officially :-). Curious to learn the difference between 4WD and AWD. - Narayan

ShellZee · 5th September 2015, 17:47

Thank You Aditya and V.Narayan.
The Fiesta 1.6 Petrol has been a dream, especially on the highways. The general crib about it being a petrol guzzler and expensive to maintain has been a mystery to me personally. No part failures, no expensive service and boy what an engine with a distinctive race car like grunt when taken to task. All good things in life just need a little loving to stay in top shape and the Fiesta is no different.
The Brio on the other hand is a no nonsense, no frill city runabout which again is a delight to drive.
And to address V.Narayan's query: an AWD, especially the one in XUV is an automated torque management system while in a 4WD it is solely reliant on the system being engaged by the driver. The 4WD has both low and high ratio gears wherein the 4L helps in slush, fording, steep inclines on non existent tracks, basically genuine off roading. The 4H on the other hand provides enhanced traction on higher speeds in rain, slippery situations like sleet and light snow. The AWD is similar in function to 4L just that it is either automated like in XUV or Full Time AWD like in certain models of the Fortuner.
So for dune bashing and the like I already have the dependable and very well taken care of Maruti Gypsys and my purpose for buying a new car was long range touring and like all of the 17-18 automotive sites I researched you need to spend that lakh extra and carry around the weight of an AWD and of course the minor loss in mileage only if you live in places with moderate to heavy snowfall/ very heavy rains. Otherwise a FWD with winter/ rough terrain tyres can take care of most of your traction requirements. The engine being on the front wheels and more than adequate grunt in these modern crossovers takes care that of traction and also the Pull required for the uphill drives.
That is how I understood it and it made sense. I will therefore use the money I save on some accessories and of course a tyre upgrade. I'm getting Apollos which I am upgrading to Pirellis.

4th September 2015, 11:20	#1
ShellZee BHPian Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 37 Thanked: 49 Times View My Garage	Now in...Officially Hey Guys, Great to finally be a part of Team-BHP. I have been reading the posts for a couple of years now though, so I don't really feel like a newbie. I am a third generation armed forces officer who, believe you me has been on more Govt ordered adventure trips than I would have liked in one lifetime, both on and off the road. A biker at heart I have done most of the common circuits, Leh, most of Himachal (barring Lahaul, Spiti), and of course Rajasthan. Never been south of Pune sadly... hope to make it there soon though. I own a Ford Fiesta 1.6ZXI, and a Honda Brio. Also in the stable are a RE Classic 350 and a new gen RE Thunderbird 500 which I am absolutely in love with. Why Team-BHP? For the last couple of months been planning to get myself a crossover/ SUV and that's where the Team came in. Read the ownership reviews for days on end with the the long term ownership reviews really striking a chord. Oscillated from Duster AWD to Scorpio 4WD to Scorpio 2WD and XUV500. Finally decided on the XUV500 W8, booked it and will get the delivery sometime next week. The Team played a pivotal role in the decision buttressed by advice from some auto engineer friends and some foreign based automotive sites, mainly to decide between 4WD/AWD OR a FWD. The reviews and other posts were immensely insightful and form the basis for my ultimate decision. So a big thank you is in order. I will soon post more about the initial ownership for my XUV and long term ones for my Fiesta and Brio. Thank You again. Last edited by Aditya : 4th September 2015 at 14:05. Reason: Spacing
	(6) Thanks

4th September 2015, 15:38	#2
Aditya Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 17,835 Thanked: 77,062 Times View My Garage	Re: Now in...Officially Hi ShellZee, Welcome to Team-BHP. Good to have you here. The XUV500 is the most sensible choice among the vehicles you were considering. It's more modern than the Scorpio and has more seats than the Duster. The Fiesta 1.6 is among my favourite cars. I've covered the whole country (well, almost) in one. It's sad that you haven't been able to tour the south. There are a whole load of beautiful places there. Our Travelogues section serves as a good guide. See you on the forum.
	() Thanks

4th September 2015, 16:10	#3
V.Narayan Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Delhi-NCR Posts: 4,071 Thanked: 64,306 Times	Re: Now in...Officially Welcome. Great to have a man in uniform on our forum officially :-). Curious to learn the difference between 4WD and AWD. - Narayan
	() Thanks

5th September 2015, 17:47	#4
ShellZee BHPian Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 37 Thanked: 49 Times View My Garage	Thank You Aditya and V.Narayan. The Fiesta 1.6 Petrol has been a dream, especially on the highways. The general crib about it being a petrol guzzler and expensive to maintain has been a mystery to me personally. No part failures, no expensive service and boy what an engine with a distinctive race car like grunt when taken to task. All good things in life just need a little loving to stay in top shape and the Fiesta is no different. The Brio on the other hand is a no nonsense, no frill city runabout which again is a delight to drive. And to address V.Narayan's query: an AWD, especially the one in XUV is an automated torque management system while in a 4WD it is solely reliant on the system being engaged by the driver. The 4WD has both low and high ratio gears wherein the 4L helps in slush, fording, steep inclines on non existent tracks, basically genuine off roading. The 4H on the other hand provides enhanced traction on higher speeds in rain, slippery situations like sleet and light snow. The AWD is similar in function to 4L just that it is either automated like in XUV or Full Time AWD like in certain models of the Fortuner. So for dune bashing and the like I already have the dependable and very well taken care of Maruti Gypsys and my purpose for buying a new car was long range touring and like all of the 17-18 automotive sites I researched you need to spend that lakh extra and carry around the weight of an AWD and of course the minor loss in mileage only if you live in places with moderate to heavy snowfall/ very heavy rains. Otherwise a FWD with winter/ rough terrain tyres can take care of most of your traction requirements. The engine being on the front wheels and more than adequate grunt in these modern crossovers takes care that of traction and also the Pull required for the uphill drives. That is how I understood it and it made sense. I will therefore use the money I save on some accessories and of course a tyre upgrade. I'm getting Apollos which I am upgrading to Pirellis.
	(1) Thanks