[octane1002]

Originally Posted by GTO

Yep, you spotted my car indeed.




To the readers of my ownership review, it is my responsibility to list all the negatives...whether you agree with their severity or not. If you are looking at a purely positive review, Team-BHP isn't the place to look up car opinions on.

1. Brakes : A known weak spot with the Sunny & Micra. Do search on the forum and you'll see innumerable complaints on the same.

2. Gruff engine at high rpm : The competition is powered by a more contemporary 16V DOHC diesel which is substantially smoother above 3,000.
That includes the Dzire, Manza and even older cars like the Fiesta.

3. High speed behaviour : We have to understand that high speed dynamics are NOT only for enthusiasts. Say, the average joe faces an emergency manouveur at 100 kph (realistic speed on the Indian highways of today). If he is in a Fiesta, Linea or Rapid, he's more likely to end up safe than in a Sunny. Remember, better handling also means safer cruising on the expressway. A poor handling car can lose control more easily on the expressway than one that's planted.



I'm not "weighed down" by it, and that's precisely the reason I bought the Sunny . Remember, my need was not a corner carver, but a chauffeur-driven family sedan.

Nowhere have I mentioned in my comments that I expect an entirely positive review on team-bhp, wonder what makes you misconstrue my post the way you have.In that case I would'nt have referred to "some" of the dislikes you have listed, would I?At the same time I also acknowledged the issue about the brakes that need no re-iteration.

All I meant to convey was that every car is a success or failure from an owner's perspective depending on how good or bad it is at delivering what it sets out to deliver.For a workhorse thats going to be driven by the chauffeur 90% of the time,how does an engine thats a tad gruff in the higher ranges of the rpm matter, practically speaking, right?If its a peppy modern diesel engine that you were looking for there were enough choices in the market elsewhere.The way to drive a diesel efficiently isnt about driving it anywhere above 3000 rpms in anycase..I agree whole-heartedly with what you say on the handling part and am a little surprised that the emergency handling at a modest speed of 100 kph(comparing to the speeds that people usually do on the e-way these days) on this car is such a cause for concern.

[drvhplyevraftr]

GTO & other Sunny owners:

Can you please check the color of the engine oil?. I find them too dark (not black) but dark brown and my car is hardly one week old. On my petrol Getz, I always used to find the engine oil on the lighter shade when new and turn darker as it gets old.

[greenhorn]

Originally Posted by drvhplyevraftr

GTO & other Sunny owners:

Can you please check the color of the engine oil?. I find them too dark (not black) but dark brown and my car is hardly one week old. On my petrol Getz, I always used to find the engine oil on the lighter shade when new and turn darker as it gets old.

It's like that for diesels
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...mediately.html

[dkaile]

Congratulations GTO on the Sunny. The colour you have chosen really makes the car stand out. I loved the C Class comparo photo where it really over shadowed the Merc. However I did not like the build quality of the Sunny much when I last tested it. The boot looked so flimsy in build as if they have used sheet of half thickness from other manufacturers like Toyota and Skoda, that I have experienced. But all this is forgotten once you see the amazing fuel efficiency.

Originally Posted by GTO

Pathetic Skoda like dealer experience

Now that is quite true. And in my city Meerut even the owners of the two are the same. Maybe that's why the same attitude flows through. They have much to learn from the likes of Toyota et al when it comes to proper after sales service.

But in the end this is a 'Taxi' class vehicle which is best suited to your requirement of the 'Beater' car. Enjoy and keep updating...

[Jaggu]

Neat and detailed review. I feel this is a perfect sedan for a normal indian family, its lot of caaaaaaar at a very respectable price tag and added bonus of the superb FE. Next year our family garage might be in for an overhaul, and this might be a good fit to take over the Ritz space. Yes Ritz is the beater car right now

[siddharthdeb]

Originally Posted by GTO

Dealer Experiences


Nissan is going to ruin its brand equity in India with such dealerships. These guys know nothing about selling a car, customer satisfaction or the importance of goodwill. Unless corrective measures are put into play, I'm afraid Nissan will end up as another Skoda story. My fingers are crossed with the thought of these guys working on my car when it's time for the scheduled services.

Attachment 936845

Well I second that too. When we bought a Micra Last October, Ichibaan chaps were really slow in responding. In fact these chaps were ready to dump a Jan Manufactured car on us not once but twice. It was only after a lot of exchanges of not the polite kind did they allocate a newer lot car.

+ The extended warranty booklet came after 1 and a half months after followups.

This was nothing compared to the fact they gave me a 15 day lead time for the 6 month service for the car. I don't think there are too many Nissan's on the road to have a wait time like that. Even bigger was the i got when i reached the service center at Kurla (its near the New Phoenix Mall), the approach road to the service center was nothing short of the Rally stage for WRC. The Center itself looked bare bones, i could see construction work on the site, with just signs where machines should be. The Service Adviser offered no Test Dive before or after the service, but then there was nothing wrong with the car on the first place. He did enable the speed sensitive auto lock and unlock on key removal, which i later discovered can be done on your own. It is there in the manual.

But I guess as you said the experience leaves a lot to be desired, these guys are lucky the cars are much better than the service level provided, or perhaps I have been spoilt by Vitesse for the service provided for my swift.

[cityvic]

Brilliant Review GTO.

Dad's been wanting to sell of the City i-VTEC and get a Sunny Diesel since long.The City i-VTEC runs 20k a year so getting a diesel is more sensible.He fell in Love with the car after sitting in one of his friend's Sunny and being amazed by the Excellent Rear Seating Comfort and the Legroom.The car will be used for daily runs here and there,Home-School/Tutions etc.It will be chauffeur driven always.
I have been telling him not to because of the ugly looks of the Sunny.

My dad refused to go in for a Vento/Rapid because of the Bad Rear Seating Comfort.
The SX4 is too old in the market.
I refused to go in for a Verna Fluidic because of the cheap build quality.I call it a Designer Suit with Fancy Korean Gadgets.

Does it make sense to Sell of the City i-VTEC and get a Black Sunny Diesel or convince him for a Black Altis Diesel or a Black Jetta.Or should I wait for a year and get a City i-DTEC?

Thanks for your reply in Advance
Rohin

[anilkalvani]

An excellent, fair & unbiased write up. Congratulations Rush. Now you realize why i have not sold my Logan. The near zero turbo-lag engine. And that excellent Fuel Economy. Its been 4 years & have been near close to selling it, but haven't. And in my write up of the Logan after selling my Indigo, just like you, i have sworn off Indian Engineered Cars. My next buy will have the Sunny dCi right up on the list. The only problem i have is that i'm keen on a diesel automatic. Will have to wait or just simply get a manual diesel.

Congrats once again. Love the way, as a responsible forum admin & car enthusiast, you're promoting speed limits & safe driving (i.e. The Expressway write-up brief). Attention to detail. Super.

[vb-saan]

Thanks for the review. The bold blue color indeed adds some real character to the car. I feel this is a car which does well what it is supposed to do – spacious and comfortable city car. And on the highways, if it does well in the speeds around 100, it should be more than adequate – Nissan never claimed that this is a car with sporty pretensions

Another point I have noticed with Nissan; their cars may be light and the doors may sound tinny, but their cars are quite sturdy in comparison to their Japanese peers.
Enjoy the workhorse!

Edit: And happy that you did not mention the word Caaar anywhere in the review

[fuel_addict]

Nice comprehensive ownership review there. You have balanced the likes and dislikes columns perfectly . The bold blue colour stands out and makes the car look royal.

Barring the few shortcomings such as high speed behaviour, old school 8V engine and weird rear and side end profiles of the car; this vehicle looks like a long lasting work horse. I am amazed you actually get 16-17 kpl in Mumbai traffic. Are 8V engines more fuel efficient than contemporary 16V ones?

Upgrading from the Indigo to a Sunny is a big transition and looks worth the money spent despite you having to break your own rules.

[lsp]

Congrats GTO!!

The color looks fresh and the car ticks the right boxes for the beater car.
For the enthusiast in you, any plans to get it Pete'd? (Is the box available for Sunny?)

[rahulrajeev]

Great review for this wonderful mile cruncher. Waiting to see the service experiences and cost incurred for the same. I have a question for you, if Ertiga was an option for your family would you have gone for that ?

[BUXX]

^^ see page 2..

asked and answered !

[manson]

Great benchmark setting initial ownership review Rush, and congratulations again!

Originally Posted by GTO

Dealer Experiences

In one word, AWFUL.

Not surprising, Nissan's Indian operations are partly promoted by the Ichibaan group who were known for their shoddy dealer experiences back in their days with Honda. Classic case of how a principal's influence can rub off on its subordinates.

On the flipside though, Orion Nissan at Navi Mumbai were extremely forthcoming and arranged for a test drive of the Sunny Diesel at my doorstep within 30 odd minutes of calling them one evening.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by octane1002

For a workhorse thats going to be driven by the chauffeur 90% of the time,how does an engine thats a tad gruff in the higher ranges of the rpm matter, practically speaking, right?

Not a tad gruff, very gruff. Even the most sedate driver will need to cross 3,000 rpm when overtaking on the highway or climbing up a steep hill.

Basically, it's a disadvantage at a time when the competition is far more refined.

If its a peppy modern diesel engine that you were looking for there were enough choices in the market elsewhere.

No one buys an SUV for handling ability. Yet, if an SUV handles poorly, it needs to be reported in a comprehensive review nevertheless. A weak area IS a weak area, whether the car was meant for it or not. When reviewing cars, its important to list all the pros & cons. No one has stated that the Sunny should be avoided because of its gruff engine. Equally, the fact is, the Sunny's engine is the MOST unrefined at high rpm from all the C1 sedans.

BTW, the Sunny is the most peppy diesel from its segment. Faster than all of its direct competition.

Originally Posted by dkaile

However I did not like the build quality of the Sunny much when I last tested it. The boot looked so flimsy in build as if they have used sheet of half thickness from other manufacturers like Toyota and Skoda, that I have experienced.

Rightly said. Also, the rear doors are very tinny.

Originally Posted by siddharthdeb

But I guess as you said the experience leaves a lot to be desired, these guys are lucky the cars are much better than the service level provided, or perhaps I have been spoilt by Vitesse for the service provided for my swift.

Hey, I'm a HUGE Vitesse fan too. Been going to them since the earlier nineties with my Zen & Esteem. A truly top-class organisation that Ichibaan Nissan could learn from.

Originally Posted by cityvic

I have been telling him not to because of the ugly looks of the Sunny.

Have you thought about a CNG kit? Doesn't make too much sense selling if your City is a recent build. You stand to lose way too much in depreciation.

My dad refused to go in for a Vento/Rapid because of the Bad Rear Seating Comfort.

I think the Rapid & Vento have very good back seats.

Originally Posted by anilkalvani

Its been 4 years & have been near close to selling it, but haven't.

I've sat in a Logan cab (owner driven) with 150,000 clicks on the odo and was amazed how it didn't look the age at all. The Logan is also a true workhorse.

Originally Posted by vb-san

And happy that you did not mention the word Caaar anywhere in the review

I actually hate that TV ad.

Originally Posted by fuel_addict

I am amazed you actually get 16-17 kpl in Mumbai traffic. Are 8V engines more fuel efficient than contemporary 16V ones?

I couldn't believe it myself, especially since the Indigo gave 13 - 14 kpl in the exact same driving conditions. Old tech aside, Nissan has tuned this motor for fuel efficiency & driveability only.

Originally Posted by lsp

For the enthusiast in you, any plans to get it Pete'd? (Is the box available for Sunny?)

Not really. The car has enough pep in stock form.