[tsgoutham]

Greetings, fellow BHPians!

My name is Goutham and I'm a software professional working in Chennai. Automobiles are a very dear interest of mine and Google brought me here while I was generally researching cars. Besides automobiles, my interests include travel and photography.

I recently bought a car of my own (will come to that later) and found that I was ending up in team-bhp for answers to most of my questions as a new car owner. The genuine interest in members here, the effort and attention that goes into every thread and the diligent moderation inspired me into wanting to be a part of this community. After one failed attempt at acquiring membership, here I am, a proud BHPian! Thanks for taking me in!

I have a 2016 Volkswagen Polo 1.2 MPI Highline. I bought it in January 2017 in Chennai. I will discuss the buying decision in a separate ownership thread. Before this, I was in the US for around 3.5 years on deputation and I had a (used) 2008 Mazda RX8 40th anniversary edition. That was my first car and the experience of having it was surreal while it lasted! Here's a couple of pictures of my Polo and RX8. I haven't yet had a chance to properly take photos of the Polo, please pardon the lack of other angles! I will post more in the ownership thread.









Well, so much for now. I look forward to making some new friends here, and for all the learning and discussion to come.

[GTO]

Welcome Goutham .

Thanks for the compliments to Team-BHP.

I see you're a pre-owned car fan too. Why didn't you continue with that in India as well? Congrats on the Polo. Despite its age, the hatchback is very competent even by today's standards. Can't say the same about the 1.2 MPI engine though. Decent driveability, but not much else.

Hope you share a detailed ownership report. Great to have you with us!

[tsgoutham]

Thanks GTO!

I definitely see the perks of a pre-owned car - broken-in mechanicals, they're easier on the wallet, less of a heartache when there's a minor ding or scratch, and I'd be more confident fiddling with them, doing minor mods and tweaks, etc. Nevertheless, there's a couple of reasons why I decided to go for a new one.

Firstly, I missed having the opportunity to care for a car fresh out of the showroom. I took great care of the RX8 and handed it to its next owner in better shape than I received it. However, an example of what I mean - every time I saw the paint swirls on it, I wished I had a chance to avoid them. Yeah I'm one of 'those guys', I know (detailing freak, etc) :rolleyes:. When I acquired it, it had a couple of minor parts missing as well, like the driver's side sun visor and the keyless entry request button. Secondly, I was not too sure about prior maintenance. I was not confident with my own ability to research used cars for their history and condition either, so I did not want to take that chance. If I ever get myself a second car, maybe I'll go for a fun pre-owned!

As for the current Polo, I agree with you - I could have used a peppier engine and there are moments of mild regret. But besides that, the car is absolutely loveable. Team-BHP has opened my eyes to the possibilities with this car owing to its international presence. So I'm sure ownership is going to be fun even if the driving isn't as much as it could have been. I eagerly look forward to the times to come with this car.

And yes, I will start a detailed ownership thread.