30,000 km review 30,000 km/2 year Update
I am finally 18! When i came back to Mumbai in Dec, I got my learner's license and was allowed to drive. In the 1 month that I was there, I must've driven the Fiesta for a good 2000km.
Here's the 30,000km review, with a driving impression finally!
As mentioned before, the car was involved in a small accident in around Oct/Nov 2007 and when the car was getting repaired, dad got all the small scrapes repainted as well and when I came back, the car was waiting at home for me, looking all new and shiny.
First the driving impression:
The minute I got my license on the 25th, I sat in the fiesta, for the first time in a long time. The feeling was amazing! Visibility was beautiful and there was loads of space (atleast in comparison to the Skoda). I am 6'1" and I didn't feel the need to push the seat fully behind at all unlike in other cars.
I started her up and since it was a cold morning, I could make out the diesel noise (the noise however, has increased though it is still quieter than the brand new Skoda and IMO the merc as well). After a while, the car reached it's optimum temperature and was pretty quiet and no vibrations could be felt, which is very good.
In the city, the car is amazing! the visibility is amazing, the car is perfectly weighted - not too light but not too heavy either) and the engine has minimal turbo lag. However, at 7am on Marine Drive, one can feel the limitations of the engine. The 4.5K redline can be reached pretty shortly and the car feels a tad underpowered.
However, the handling is amazing, with the car feeling stable at all times. Infact, there have been times when my dad has actually told me to drive faster because he felt we were going to slow. The car corners really well and the steering feel is simply amazing! There was times when I had to brake a bit hard at speeds of 40-50 and the car seemed pretty surefooted unlike some of the scarier times that I have mentioned before. I am still looking at upgrading the tyres when I come back though.
However, there are some niggling problems with the car.
Firstly, the squeaking noise is still there. In fact, it seems to have gotten louder.
Secondly, the CD player is still acting up and skipping songs and getting stuck in the middle. I was looking at upgrading the deck but I will have to wait till I come back again in July.
Also, the car has been belching out black smoke under hard acceleration from 1st. Would using regular diesel instead of the Permium diesel help?
Apart from these problems, the car has been behaving impeccably. The A.C. is pretty chilly, the interiors have held up and still look and feel nice, the car looks pretty good and the suspension is still nice and firm. and now that I can drive, I just love this car even more!
In these 2 years, the car has held up pretty well and feels as good as new. Even in the face of intense competitors like the Verna D and Magnum, I would still recommend this car to anyone looking for a good diesel sedan. Especially those who are new to driving or are buying their first bigg car!
Last edited by lamborghini : 5th February 2008 at 01:02.
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