[nilanjanray]

I have Karlsson on my SX4. Good stuff. Seats are doing fine. Only the steering wheel carbon fibre leather (i don't know what the mix is e.g. how they do the carbon fibre coating over normal leather) is peeling off after 2 years.

[amalji]

Originally Posted by charthom

But is Karlsson available in kerala?
God!I do agree with you-can't believe it is an aftermarket fit

However the original steering wheel of the top model Etios is unbeatable. Bigger cars like Corolla are no match.

I left the VXD variant with a heavy heart only because of that steering. The rest of the additions didn't make any sense to me. The flat bottomed steering has one hidden advantage in addition to giving the sporty looks.

After getting used to the tilt adjustment in Etios' steering, I love the lowest position of the steering during highway cruising because it forces my hands and shoulders in a relaxed position. The negative effect is that your legs scrap the bottom of the steering while getting in and out of the car. With the flat bottomed steering, this con can be controlled.

Originally Posted by charthom

Are 3D mats available for Etios yet?Planning? any spoiler in the plans?Filling N2?

1) With regards to 3d mats, I'm more interested in the random loop structure mats that I used to have on my Esteem. The advantages are that it sucks in the dust keeping the surface clean always. Another advantage is the soft and cushion 'feel' it gives to bare foot especially for people who prefer driving without shoes. I'm yet to find one that matches the size of Etios.



2) Spoiler, I prefer a subtle one. The Toyota genuine accessory looks good for me on photo. But, need to see it in real before I buy one.

3) Already filled Nitrogen from TyreX, Cochin

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

I have Karlsson on my SX4. Good stuff. Seats are doing fine. Only the steering wheel carbon fibre leather (i don't know what the mix is e.g. how they do the carbon fibre coating over normal leather) is peeling off after 2 years.

Thanks for the info. Could you please post the photos of the steering cover condition now ? Also, I was told that they will be using the most premium 1.5 mm Scandinavian leather for steering covers? Was it not the case? Any logical reason why Carbon fibre leather was used for steering ?

[Tornado]

Hi guys,
I am also getting interested to buy a Etios diesel after going through your posts.
Recently i have considered used fusion, optra magnum etc. But etios D seems really economical.
One guy is selling his Etios VD model (2.5 months old, done 3.5k KM) at less than 8 lakhs. seems like its a good buy. When i compared with expenses of running my innova and palio , Etios can save my 35-50K in a year. So i might sell my 2 vehicles and go for Etios VD.
The flat rear floor and good space for 5 people made this replacement possible.

As Amalji said, the VXD steering is superb, i liked it very much. I asked sales executive at Nandi toyota B'lore if there is any way to get one for VD. :-)

I am sure this vehcile serve minimum 3-5 lakhs KM if periodic maintenance is taken care.

I am looking for a long term reviews from Amalji and other folks.

Do you have any news on improvement of dash board by toyota in the near future?
Nandi guys told me that they can paint the dash to beige colour.

Regards
Denny

[charthom]

Originally Posted by amalji

I left the VXD variant with a heavy heart only because of that steering. The rest of the additions didn't make any sense to me.

Even the steering mounted audio controls are good-esp if you plan on HUs like Caska,MegaAudio etc.

1) With regards to 3d mats, I'm more interested in the random loop structure mats that I used to have on my Esteem. The advantages are that it sucks in the dust keeping the surface clean always.

If the dust is sucked in and retained, it can cause allergy problems-right? The 3D mats are soft,waterproof,very easy to clean.I suggest you check them out.

Thanks for the snap.And frankly-spoilers are unnecessary. Only add slightly to the boxy look. There is no end to the list of add-ons at extra cost. But the ownwership experience is only as good/bad as the original car. A drop of snobbery apart

Originally Posted by Tornado

Hi guys,

Nandi guys told me that they can paint the dash to beige colour.

@Tornado,

Pl avoid paiting the dash in beige.Beige coloured dash can cause a shadow on the windshield which can be distracting while driving. I can tell you from my i10 with beige dash. My City with dark dash has no problem.

Note that for the new i10,they have done away with the beige dash for this reason.

[hyd_traveller]

I had a look at Etios GD-SP, the lowest variant with 2 Air Bags, today morning and my jaws dropped seeing the price.
Rs. 8.24 Lakhs OTR at Hyderabad including registration.
Delivery in around 1/2 months.
It is the cheapest sedan if you consider air bags as a must.
595 Lit Boot compared to 500 or lesser for all others.

Mahindra Verito D6 has only 1 Air Bag. No variant has 2 Air Bags and their Music System is a horror.

Tata Manza Quadrajet Elan has 2 Air Bags but is around Rs. 1 Lakh more despite various offers.

Maruti Dzire ZDi has 2 Air bags but is tad more expensive and lacks rear seat leg space and boot space.

Nissan Sunny Diesel XV has 2 Air Bags but is more than a lakh extra. There are no reviews about NVH on this forum but the dealer at Hyderabad is not willing to allow a TD above 60kmph and his behaviour suggests that the levels may be pretty high above 110-120 kmph.

Etios is the way to go and GD-SP is the VFM variant.

Originally Posted by amalji

Higher NVH levels compared to Dzire DDiS - NVH has come down after 4000 kms. But, still the Swift DDiS is the benchmark here. Does it feel irritatingly high? No, thanks to that tall 5th gear which allows me to be on 3000 rpms even at speeds of 140 kmph.

Originally Posted by Vid6639

What you won't: NVH levels are very high in the cabin above 3,000 rpm

Just wondering whether NVH levels will be bearable on a long distance drive or not?

[amalji]

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

Just wondering whether NVH levels will be bearable on a long distance drive or not?

For a turbo-charged diesel engine with a spiky torque curve like in the case of Etios D, the best way to shift gears is to shift early. There is no point working the engine beyond 3000 rpms because you will get more "resultant torque" ( The torque available on the wheels after considering the gear ratios ) on a higher gear than trying to take the rpms further. Toyota has designed the gear ratios keeping this in mind. Etios Diesel has the tallest gears and hence you will never need to cross the 3000 rpms, unless you plan to cross 140 kmph. But, even at such high speeds, you won't feel the noise irritating because wind noise will be higher than the engine noise at that speed.

PS: I've done around 750 kms in a day with cruising speed of 120 to 140 kmph mostly. Top speed was 155 kmph. No one inside the car complained of any irritating noise. Vibrations are well controlled. It's ( vibrations ) even better than the Swift DDiS! If you want to try out my car at high speeds, just ping me.

Originally Posted by charthom

If the dust is sucked in and retained, it can cause allergy problems-right? The 3D mats are soft,waterproof,very easy to clean.I suggest you check them out.

It doesn't come out easily on the said design. On normal mats, it comes back though. I have many allergic people at my home. So, I can safely recommend this option to anyone. Between, thanks for your suggestion on 3dmats. I'll surely check it out.

Originally Posted by charthom

@Tornado,

Pl avoid paiting the dash in beige.Beige coloured dash can cause a shadow on the windshield which can be distracting while driving. I can tell you from my i10 with beige dash. My City with dark dash has no problem.

Note that for the new i10,they have done away with the beige dash for this reason.

+1
My uncle have an i10 with beige interiors. He told me that the front windshield has a tint which is irritating his eyes. I checked it out and couldn't find any tinting on it. Finally, I understood that it is the "beige glare" that he was referring to. I also don't like driving cars with beige interiors on a sunny day. It really irritates your eyes if you have sensitive eyes.

Also, if you do beige painting and then the paint starts to peel off, it becomes worse than the default looks as well. Regardless, I too heard that Toyota will come up with a better colour combination for the 2012 Etios.

Originally Posted by Tornado

Hi guys,
When i compared with expenses of running my innova and palio , Etios can save my 35-50K in a year. So i might sell my 2 vehicles and go for Etios VD.
The flat rear floor and good space for 5 people made this replacement possible.

As Amalji said, the VXD steering is superb, i liked it very much. I asked sales executive at Nandi toyota B'lore if there is any way to get one for VD. :-)

I am sure this vehcile serve minimum 3-5 lakhs KM if periodic maintenance is taken care.

I am looking for a long term reviews from Amalji and other folks.

I wouldn't sell an Innova. The travelling comfort on an innova is unmatched.

[amalji]

My Etios Diesel odo is @ 8300 kms now. Noticed a couple of issues. So just wanted to document it.

1) During a recent road trip ( Athirapally - Valpara ) through the jungle roads, we started hearing a subtle "quack" sound from the rear seat when taking hard turns at a speed and when the rear seat is occupied by passengers. I'm sure the sound is from the rear seat. While the sound is not irritating and is very subtle, I would like to get to the root of the problem when I do my 2nd service at 10,000 kms.

2) During the same trip, I got the chance to be at the rear seat for most of the time. It was a nice experience thanks to the abundance of leg space and knee space available. Lack of arm rests was an issue. But, I compensated for that with a pillow. But, one thing I was concerned about was the lower back support on the rear bench While the front seats of the Etios offers excellent back support ( both lower and upper ), the lower back support on the rear bench is not adequate for long trips. I'm planning to do custom upholestry to get this corrected.


3) The 3rd point is related to a couple of cons that I had mentioned on my initial review. So, quoting them before I explain it further.

Originally Posted by amalji

Littles cons that deserves a mention
3) Lack of height adjustment option for the front seats.

My Wish List for etios - 2012

8) More angle for steering tilt.

The driving position of Etios is on the higher side. While it offers excellent visibility and thigh support, it becomes a disadvantage for tall people. The higher driving position combined with the 2 cons that I mentioned above - "Lack of height adjustable seats and lesser travel for the steering tilt", reduces the head room and also causes your legs to scrap the steering wheels while entering/exiting the car.

PS: I'm 174 cms tall, and I have no issues with problem number 3. Infact, I use the steering tilt to get the steering to the lowest position! But, tall people might find issues with this.

Regarding the drive quality, I enjoyed every bit of my drive. That flat peak torque band starting from 1800 rpms till 2400 rpms, short, slick and precise gear shifts, well thought out gear ratios, and the excellent steering makes driving fun on this car whether you are on the ghats, highway or the city.

Posting a few pics during the trip.


Etios @ Athirapally-Valparai Reserve Forest. Absolutely 0 human inhabitation here and this is in the middle of a 120 km stretch
( Chalakudi to Valparai ) of road without any Petrol pump


Another view of the Athirapally - Valpara route.


Etios besides the Sholayar Dam


Met a fellow bhpian during the trip. Forgot his exact user id though. It was Arvind**, I guess. :(

[amalji]

Did the 2nd service today ( 10,400 kms ) at Nippon Toyota, Kalamassery

Complaints

1. Small vibrations on glovebox.
2. Spring like subtle noise from rear seat when taking curves at high speeds with rear seats occupied.
3. Rear seat belt not locking properly

Complaint number 1 fixed.

Complaint number 2 was due to after market speaker fitment by Emperor Car Accessories, Cochin. Since, they were not able to source a chip wood tray for Etios, they used a wooden spacer instead and had assured me that it won't cause any issues. But, that turned out to be the reason for the squeaking noise. Even though, the Toyota Service Engineer told that they have strict instructions not to touch custom works, they finally obliged when I pleaded to get it corrected somehow. The sound is gone for now.

Complaint number 3 was due to the misplaced seat belt lock ( centre and rear left got inter changed. ). For safety purposes, seat belts lock only with the correct locks. So, just had to correct the misplacement and seat belts started working fine.

The customer care at Kalamassery Nippon Toyota was excellent.
I opted for Synthetic Oil from Toyota and hence my bill came to Rs. 4150/-
Had I opted for Mineral Oil, the bill would have been somewhere around Rs. 1700/-

Replacements done

1. Oil Filter
2. Windshield washer fluid
3. Wheel Balancing Weight
4. Oil Pan Drain Gasket
5. Synthetic Oil - 4 liters

Other Works

1. Wheel Alignment
2. Wheel Balancing
3. Tyre Rotation
4. Nitrogen Top-up

The body wash and interior cleaning is excellent. The car came out with a glossy finish. It seems, they have applied some wax both on the exterior as well as the interior.

The service engineer was curious about the team-bhp sticker I had on my car and he requested me to give him a few stickers for his car. I told him that I'll surely give him in a week's time.

He also mentioned that Etios Motor Racing will be coming to Kerala soon. That's great news for me. I hope, Toyota removes the stupid age limit of 26 for EMR ( Etios Motor Racing )

Another info, I got from Toyota is that Toyota initially planned to completely change the dash design. But, then delayed it since they did not want their initial buyers to feel let down about it. He told me that the dash will get a new look from next year on. For now, they just changed the colour to a darker shade. Service Advisor was of the opinion that Etios is an excellent car, if you understand the inner beauty of a car. He agreed that Toyota could have made the interiors better and there wouldn't have been any competition for this gem of a car.

Overall I'm impressed with the kind of service I get from Toyota, Kalamassery. I hope, it remains so.

[amalji]

This thread is about Toyota Etios. But, I want to mention a simple incident that happened today at Maruti Service Masters - Autoteam, Cochin. This has got nothing to do with Toyota or Etios.

I went to pick my friend from Autoteam, Cochin since he was giving his Esteem ( my old car ) for service. The service center people saw me and talked to me and then saw a small scratch on the rear bumper of my Etios. On seeing that, they asked me how it happened and then took the car to their paint shop and did a touch-up with brush. I never asked for anything. But, the gesture was so amazing for me. And they did not charge me as well. Even though, I enjoy the service at Toyota, I do miss the personal care I get at Autoteam Maruti Service Masters, Cochin which I consider as the best Maruti Service center in Kerala.

Thank you, Autoteam. You are simply the best as far as customer empathy, technical skill level and customer care is concerned.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by amalji

... I do miss the personal care I get at Autoteam Maruti Service Masters, Cochin which I consider as the best Maruti Service center in Kerala.

Are they consistently so good? If so, I would like to check their services once; just to know them! How are their charges like? Do you have any more pointers discussing about these guys?

[amalji]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Are they consistently so good? If so, I would like to check their services once; just to know them! How are their charges like? Do you have any more pointers discussing about these guys?

They have the expertise, passion and the patience to fix complicated issues. But, they are a bit slow as well. If you are ok with the slowness and more interested in getting the problem resolved, Autoteam is the place to go for.

Some of my good experiences.

1) Engine Grooving
2) Our zen had an issue with the distributor. Every other service center including Popular, Indus, and Sarathy recommended a distributor replacement which would have costed me Rs. 10k plus. Autoteam director Rajan Sir told me that it can be corrected, but I need to give him time because it would involve trial and error. Within one week, the problem was resolved. Cost - Rs. 1200 odd/-. Works perfect even after 1.5 years after the fix.
3) There was an issue with the power window motor on my Esteem. Every other dealer suggested power window replacement which would have costed me 10k +. Again, Autoteam gave me a work around solution where an additional relay was fitted which helped the power window motor draw more power. Works perfect even after 2 years
4) He also configured a custom "Cool air intake" for my Esteem. Did not charge me anything extra for that because of the long term relation, I have with Autoteam.
5) Then, the countless discussions I have with Rajan Sir of autoteam with regards to cars.

In short, Autoteam believes in fixing the root cause rather than go for the easy fix - ie, to replace, replace and replace.

[amalji]

A typical day out with my Etios Diesel through the busy NH47 highway in Kerala ( Cherthala - Alleppey stretch )

Etios_Diesel_Passing_Acceleration.AVI - YouTube

Latest odo reading - 10,600 kms

[amalji]

Originally Posted by amalji

One thing I'm concerned about with the Etios is the cost of brake pads. From Corolla owners, the brake pads used in Corolla seems to very costly. I guess, the same or similar brake pads should be used in Etios as well. Etios having excellent brakes have changed my driving style a bit as well. I accelerate more during city drives which in turn results in more braking. This kind of driving should surely affect the life of brake pads. Will have to get into conservative mode again. Also, will have to check out the rates for Etios brake pads.

Just called up Toyota to inquire about the cost of brake pads.
Good news is that it's very cheap compared to the Corolla Altis even though the brake pads used is Bosche

Front brake pads - Rs. 2,600/-
Rear Drums - Rs. 2,000/-

So, it's just 30% the cost of Corolla brake pad replacements.
And, I hope it lasts longer than the Corolla as well due to the lighter load.

[amalji]

Etios crossed 11,000 kms on the odo.
Performance seems to be much more smoother on the Toyota synthetic oil ( especially on higher rpms )

Exploring the following options now.

1) Engine ECU re-calibration ( to improve drivability of this already very drivable engine ). The plan is to improve the torque even further between 1500 to 3000 rpms ( which I consider as the rpm where the vehicle spends more than 90% of its time. The max power ( PS ) doesn't matter to me at all because it's insignificant for such turbo charged diesel engines. ).

I've had a good conversation with enginecal . They seem to know what they are talking about and we can make them tune the engine the way we want it without adversely affecting the durability of the engine. They have themselves bought a Liva Diesel and they will be trying out re-mapping after the run-in period is over ( probably in 2-3 weeks ). They told me that Liva Diesel is a tuner's delight due to its already linear torque curve and the bigger engine compared to Swift DDiS ( 1.4L instead of 1.3L ) . I'm waiting for the torque curve from them of the re-calibrated Liva DIesel engine.
Expecting a cost of 20,000 plus

2) Air filter upgrade ( More air without compromising on engine protection ). Exploring different possibilities including K&N. Will stick with the stock option though, irrespective of the brand I go for. Open filters are too risky for me. The enginecal people told me that the Air Filter upgrade even though will be good, will not be as effective as in the case of a Petrol car.

[amalji]

Originally Posted by amalji

Just called up Toyota to inquire about the cost of brake pads.
Good news is that it's very cheap compared to the Corolla Altis even though the brake pads used is Bosche

Front brake pads - Rs. 2,600/-
Rear Drums - Rs. 2,000/-

So, it's just 30% the cost of Corolla brake pad replacements.
And, I hope it lasts longer than the Corolla as well due to the lighter load.

With regards to the brake pad usage on my Etios, I had 7mm of brake pads left after 10,300 kms inspite of very high speed driving and frequent braking.
A new brake pad would have 10mm of thickness. So, I expect around 25,000 to 35,000 kms coverage with one set of brake pads which is a relief for me after seeing the thread on Corolla brake pads going bad in 15,000 kms. Add to that the much cheaper cost for Etios brake pads ( just 30% the cost of Corolla brake pads ).