| BHPian
Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Aizawl, Mizoram
Posts: 140
Thanked: 290 Times
| Finally, my Ford Fiesta (Classic) 1.6 SXi
Ever since I set my foot in Delhi 13 years ago, I have been riding DTC buses, blueline buses, auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and Metro trains. After finishing my post graduation, I have decided," This is it. I've got to have a new car". Well this is going to be the first vehicle registered in my name.
Background: I use to drive the Maruti 800(2002 model) when I am in my hometown for vacations. Occasionally, I have driven the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, which is a very reliable vehicle in the hills, where most of the roads are ill maintained with potholes, mud, steep gradient. Sometimes it felt this vehicle is meant for my hometown.
Present scenario: As I have mentioned earlier, I have been in Delhi for more than a decade and never driven a vehicle here. I have been commuting all my lives utilizing the public transport system, which is commendable, to say the least. Sometimes I envy the public transport system here and wished it were like this even in my native place. But the desire for owning a car is always in the mind.
Choice of car:
Body type: Having driven the Maruti 800, the thought of buying another hatchback never occur to my mind. Having driven the Maruti Suzuki Gypsy and seeing extensively Dad's Mahindra Jeeps in my childhood days, SUV body type never appeal to me. It has to be a sedan. I love the looks of a sedan. Brilliant dynamics is another bonus.
Brand: I don't have any particular favorite brand. For me, as a prospective buyer, my car has to look good be it of any brand. I used to be a very regular reader of the magazine Autocar India. And the first sedan I have ever driven was a Hyundai Accent during my 1st year of post graduation. The feeling of driving such a modern car(compared to the humble Maruti 800) was indescribable. It was just AWESOME. I think that's when I decided " I need to own one of these(a sedan)".
Final decision: Honda City is a hugely successful car. One of my workplace colleague own one. It is a beautiful car. But the interiors was a bit disappointing. It felt a class lower than the segment it belong too. Another friend own a Maruti SX4. And I have been driven in a number of times as a passenger. Another workplace colleague own a Hyundai Verna. This too, I have ride as a front seat passenger. But somehow more than these 3 cars(very worthy contenders), I always love the looks of a Ford Fiesta whenever I see one on the road or in the parking lot. I always end up staring at it for very few seconds whenever I saw one. Oh yes, there used to be one sitting beautifully in the NCR Ford showroom in Defence colony, New Delhi too. On top of that there was this article in Autocar India magazine January 2009 issue, in which there was a comparison test drives between these 4 sedans. Honda City was the winner but in the handling department Ford Fiesta was above all. My mind was almost set for the Ford Fiesta. After car buying decision was confirmed I thought I need to check out exactly how the owners felt about their car in one of these public forums. That's when I stumbled upon this website team-bhp.com. And the ownership review on this forum shows almost 100% of Ford Fiesta owners are happy with their car. That's when I decided "I am going to buy a Ford Fiesta"
Model chosen: SXi(Petrol)
Body colour chosen: Sea Grey.
The buying process
I decided to go 50-50. 50% down payment and 50% bank loan. Obtaining a bank loan was not so difficult. It was provided by Central Bank of India, in which I already have a Savings Account. I was hobnobbing all over Delhi Ford showrooms, trying to decide who can give me the best offers. Finally decided to have a deal with Harpreet Ford, Moti Nagar, New Delhi, who were willing me to give me a discount of INR 75,00( INR 65,00 cash + INR 10,000 worth gift card). I was browsing the internet(to this very website team-bhp.com) everyday hours on end during this whole process, to learn the know how, the do's and don'ts when buying a new car. And I must say this website is a big source of knowledge for first time car buyer like me. The initial booking amount paid by me was just INR 25,000 as suggested in the forum. The booking amount asked from me by the Sales Manager was much more than that. The model SXi was available only in white colour in the showroom, so I was told my choice of colour(Sea Grey) need to be ordered and will be delivered from Ford's Chennai plant. I was promised anywhere between 15- 20 days. The car was delivered on the 16th day from the day booking amount was paid. Kuddos to Harpreet Ford, Moti Nagar, New Delhi for this.
Specification details of the car:
Model: Ford Fiesta Classic 1.6 SXI Petrol.
Colour: Sea Grey.
Dealership: Harpreet Ford, Moti Nagar, New Delhi.
OTR price: Rs. 749073
Accessories: Rs.14000(Reverse parking sensors, Teflon coating, Gear lock and Sun film, all with warranty)
VIN: MAJBXXMRTBBL42742
Date of delivery: 29.10.2011
Short ownership report:
Completed kms:400 km plus. Daily usage ~ 30 kms. Did twice a North to South Delhi in the past week.
Exterior styling & design: Always love it since the very beginning. I love the head lamp design with chromed reflectors inside(this only in the SXi model). The rear tail lamps look good too. They remind me of the tail lamps of Mecedes E class. The chromed front grill, chromed boot lid and chromed ORVM looks good too(this feature only in SXi again). The alloy wheels design and colour is looking good too. Although the 175/65 R 14 tyre is a bit thin. Wish they provide the 195/60 ones, like the ones in Fiesta S.
Build quality: The door feels solid when closing with a reassuring "thud". The noise insulation is very well accepted. And engine vibration is very minimal even at high speeds.
Fit & finish: The panel gaps in most areas are not so large and acceptable by most standards. The leather wrapping on the steering wheel, faux wood on the centre console, leather wrapping of the gear knob and hand brake felt very premium.
Interior design & quality: The dash board plastic quality felt premium too. The colour combination of balck and beige felt upmarket too. The height adjustable driver seat is a well thought feature too. I keep at the highest position when I am driving. The view from the driver seat is good too with very small blind spots as I am used to high driving postion where I can see the bonnet while I am driving( as in the Maruti 800 & the Maruti Suzuki gypsy). This is not the case with Honda City( I drove a friend's car once). In the Honda City you cannot see the bonnet while driving, whereas in the Fiesta you can. This driving position, I feel, is important when maneuvering your car in tight spaces.
Interior space and comfort: The space in the back seat is less. No arguments to that. But I don't really care as I am going to be in the driver's seat 99.9% of the time. The boot space is huge though. And the floor carpet inside the car and in the boot feel they are of high quality. The clothes hanger&head lamp for the back seat passengers and the boot lamp are a nice touch too.
Engine: The Duratec engine has been praised by many critics. The acceleration is good but not as great as I thought it would be. I have a cousin who owns a second hand Ford Ikon 1.3. We used to do late night sprint in his car. And I must say, the acceleration in both these cars are almost comparable. Well, thats how it felt like. Although I did a 120 kmph sprint twice in the open stretch in the night in my new car. And that feels totally AWESOME. By the way, that's my top speed record till date. In any car. Yes, 120 kmph.
Gearshift: This is also not as slick as I had expected. May be it is too new to comment upon. But I like the design of the gear knob on this car. Although the exclusivity of this design is gone as the very same gear knob is used in Figos. Same goes with the steering wheel design. Beautiful design but exclusivity gone(again Figo, the culprit)
Fuel efficiency:~10 kmpl in city with full AC. I feel that's not so bad, until I hear Honda City's owners boasting a 15 kmpl. :-(
Suspension & ride quality: Not bad at all. I think the stiffer suspension on the recently discontinued 'S' is impractical on many of our roads. The ride is good with very smooth suspension travel and minimum body roll.
Handling: Superb as expected. The famous great feedback from Ford steering is finally experienced by me. The power steering is not overtly soft as in many power steering of today's cars. The turning radius is good too- easy even in tight parking space. Throwing the car in corners was another high point for the already famous Ford chassis.
Overall practicality: Given the pricing and the equipments it offers, it still is the best option in this segment. Although I very much longed for USB support music system and bluetooth.
1st service report
Date :Took the car to Harpreet Ford, Moti Nagar, New Delhi for its first service on 31/01/2012.
Odometer reading: 996 kms. I got shifted to an accomodation nearby my workplace in December 2011 and was out stationed for about 2 weeks in December so the less usage of the car.
Complaints: Nothing major, a few scratches on the front bumper and the side below the front door on the passenger side.
Fuel economy: ~ 10 kms/L with 100% AC on.
Services done: General check up of the car, car wash and interiors cleaning and polishing, paint reapplied over the mentioned scratches, electricals checked, oil filter cleaned, air filter cleaned.
Service costs: None.
Overall satisfaction of services received: Fully satisfied. The service center personal who attended me was very courteous, took time in explaining to me all my queries and informing me of every work done.
2nd service report
Date: 28/04/2012. Harpreet Ford, Moti Nagar.
Odometer reading: 1962 kms. As home to work is walking distance now, my use of the car is restricted to weekend outings and occasional shopping. Still manage to run 966 kms since first service.
Complaints: Nothing major.
Fuel economy: ~ 13 kms/L with 100% AC on. I was really happy and surprised. After 2 refills it came down again to 10.5/ 11.
Services done: General check up of the car, car wash and interiors cleaning and polishing, electricals checked, oil filter replaced, air filter cleaned, engine oil changed, wash fluid refilled.
Service costs:Rs.1200/-
Overall satisfaction of services received: Somewhat dissatisfied this time. I had to wait really long for getting all the work done although I reached the service center at the appointed time. Reason given for the long duration of service was that it was Saturday and weekends are usually busy.
Apart from that 1 digit from the back number plate was blown off during washing although I got it replaced again free of cost. The service center personal didn't show any interest in hearing any complaints/queries from my side; they just go on about with their work like employees in government offices just to get the job done. And I was never informed about the work being done unlike during the 1st service where I was informed before hand of their every move.
Accessories n tools: I got myself a new leather seats in beige colour from the aftermarket for Rs.2600/-. And I bought some utility car combo from indiatimesshopping.com through The Times of India. 5 materials- car jack, tubeless tyre repair kit, air compressor, vacuum cleaner and screw driver n bits set for Rs.2500/-
Off topic: The Supreme court of India ban on sun films is a real put off. As majority of the team bhp member I too voted for "I will ground my car and wait & watch for the order to change" in the opinion poll.
I just want to mention that I moved out of Delhi to my hometown, Aizawl, Mizoram in February 2013. I had my car shifted too. Obtaining the No Objection Certificate took about a month. I must mention fellow team bhpian Rollin' Thunda's thread on "For how long is an NOC valid" very useful. I shipped my car with Aggarwal Packers& Movers Ltd, costed me INR 33,000(inclusive of all taxes). This includes accidental insurance also. The duration was though a bit long(much longer than the promised 21 days) as the road conditions after Guwahati was in bad conditions. I was thankful though as it reached my place without any scratch or any niggles. I immediately applied for registration in my hometown and the proceedings didn't take too long as many of the officials working here are acquaintances of my father. In no time I got the new registration number with life time road tax fully paid
Minor problems faced after leaving Delhi
1. Squeaking noise somewhere in the front wheel/ suspension: I showed it to a local workshop as there are no Ford authorized dealers/ service station in Mizoram. The mechanic found it was the bushing in the stabilizer link of the left front wheel. The parts need to be replaced. I had to call a friend in Kolkata to purchase and shipped it for me. After the shipment reached we found out it was not original Ford parts. Had to go ahead with it anyway as there are no shops selling Ford motor parts in the whole state. To my relief the squeaking noise disappeared after replacing the faulty stabilizer link.
2. Steering felt very hard: I checked the power steering fluid level and found out the power steering fluid level was way below the Minimum mark. I was shocked and was afraid the steering column might gave me problems as this was a known manufacturing defect in many Ford Fiesta Classic products. Had to procure the much needed power steering fluid from Kolkata(again not the Ford specified fluid) and topped up the fluid. The steering somehow felt normal again.
Recently purchased the required power steering fluid, brake oil and coolant from Harpreet Ford, Moti Nagar, New Delhi(the dealership from where the car was originally purchased) through an acquaintance in Delhi. I was relieved they were courteous in supplying me the much needed fluids. I got 2 oil filters, 2 air filters, 2 stabilizer links from them too. I had to asked the same person to purchase the specified engine oil 10W30 Mobil Super from outside the dealership in Delhi as the dealers got only 100 Litres barrel of engine oil(Castrol). The reason why I asked the engine oil from Delhi is again the specified 10W30 engine oil was not available in my hometown.
Grievances after moving out of Delhi
There is no authorized Ford dealer or service station in the whole of Mizoram. There is nothing like timely service here. I really miss the Delhi for the authorized timely servicing. Here it's a totally different story. If your vehicle is not giving you problems, keep driving. Once it gives you problems, show it to the local mechanic. If you need a spare part, source it from a dealer in the metropolitan through an acquaintance.
The good part
Thankfully no major problems again till now. Hoping for a problem free ownership in the long run. Had to mention the road conditions out here is really bad. That's where I miss Delhi very much again.
Major players in my state
Maruti Suzuki, Hyuandai, Chevrolet, Mahindra, Tata & Toyota have authorized dealers and service centres. No authorized dealers/ service centres for Ford, Fiat, Honda, Skoda, Nissan, Renault, Volkswagen.
Maximum number of vehicles you will see on the roads are Maruti 800(yes the carburetor wala), Maruti Suzuki Gypsy, Tata Sumo, Mahindra Bolero, Mahindra Scorpio.
Invitation
Do visit Mizoram, the 23rd state in the Indian Union if ever you plan a trip to the North Easter part of India.
Off topic
Recently came across Delhi NCR team bhp meet. But sorry to say, I am disappointed to see my ex Delhiites commitment for the meet. And their apprehension to venture outside New Delhi. I must say do make a road trip in the Delhi - Agra expressway, Delhi - Chandigarh highway, Delhi - Jaipur highway. Do click lots of snaps and upload them. There is no thrill in driving around the confines of New Delhi. And you would't be able to gauge your cars' capability until you let it out in the open stretches/ highways.
Last edited by GTO : 19th June 2014 at 15:47.
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7th November 2011, 16:45
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