[samarjitdhar]

Originally Posted by joslicx

All HU mods after 2 years for me. I want to avoid playing with electricals for now. By the way I was looking at something like this:
Volkswagen double din 7" HD LED Digital Touchscreen GPS DVD Player | eBay

The cost is 24k, it has all the features in the world and an added advantage is steering controls will work with it! But I dont have permission from higher powers at home to spend this kind of money now on the car :(

This surely looks like a good deal though you will need to hunt for an installer. Also you would probably need a fascia plate to fix the HU. Thanks for pointing it out. I will add it to my list of candidates and like you will have to wait for approval from the home department .

Originally Posted by joslicx

Yes you guys have the turbo pull. We petrolheads have to do with the creature comforts. Although I'd say the 1.6 petrol is no slouch and in the city its as good as any car in this segment. I cannot comment on the highway experience yet. Am planning for a trip to Pondicherry next month so lets see how it comes out.

Thats good to know that the petrol A/T can handle traffic well. Normally even with the little bit of turbo lag on the TDI I can comfortably drive it like I used to drive my Zen weaving in and out of traffic. Will wait for your feedback about its highway manners. I have been in two minds about recommending the petrol version of the Vento to some folks I know. Feedback from you and other petrol owners is reassuring and seems this is a strong contender to the quintessential City .

[mempheS.D]

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

Do validate if you would want to put door guards (image attached) - I have several of these dot-scratches on the door edge. Someone or the other eventually scratches the door while opening. Since you already have had two blue cars in the past, guess you can decide easily!
Attachment 949075

.

Definitely! I would never hurt my baby intentionally. I have the exact some door guards in white, but never understood what would be a perfect place to fix them. I can't think of a better idea than ppark close to a wall, and identify the first point of contact.

In Bangalore, these door guards can be purchased from almost any automobile shop. I got mine from Reliance Autozone HSR. But, you'll need to get close colour match, else you run the risk of a visual disaster.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by nileshch

Don't know if blue came to you by chance or choice, your selections are just like mine. I am madly in love with the blue colour on cars. When my father booked the first metallic coloured Zen VX in 1998, I got to choose the colour and ofcourse chose metallic blue. And now, it's the shadow blue!

Thanks Nilesh. Well this time we might have bucked the trend and gone for another color but with Vento blue is kind of default if you dont want white/black. Theres virtually no choice of interesting colors like Brown or Titanium or Green or Maroon. I'd have loved Vento in same Mocha brown as the Passat.

Originally Posted by samarjitdhar

Thats good to know that the petrol A/T can handle traffic well. Normally even with the little bit of turbo lag on the TDI I can comfortably drive it like I used to drive my Zen weaving in and out of traffic. Will wait for your feedback about its highway manners. I have been in two minds about recommending the petrol version of the Vento to some folks I know. Feedback from you and other petrol owners is reassuring and seems this is a strong contender to the quintessential City .

Well If you ask me if one is in the market for Petrol sedan less than 10L then for me the Linea Tjet is a formidable option! I do not like the city that much, truth be told. Its highly overrated simply because of reliability. Compared to the Linea or the Vento it feels like made of paper! To tell you the truth if there were a Linea Tjet AT in the market, I'd have had hard time choosing one! I dont understand why still more people buy the City for virtually the same price! Maybe I am more of a romantic and people here are more realists or maybe they are just not informed enough. But thats altogether another discussion.

[sandeepmohan]

More than reviewing the car, I have say that this was a enjoyable read. Well written.

You made the right choice with an automatic. This is what our country needs more than anything else and as you said, is the best stress buster when you are out driving. Not to be compared, I am all praises for Volvo India launching their city buses with a automatic gearbox. I can't for the life imagine driving those buses with a manual box in our traffic conditions, that to with so much power.

One thing that I cannot stand is being made to wait for a car. It is ridiculous that we have a waiting period for cars in this country, even the one's that don't sell all that much have waiting periods. This whole waiting period has become a game of sorts. It is about time dealers started paying you as a penalty for making you wait for your car. I will wait for something like a MG or a Lancia Stratos but not a regular car like the ones we have.

About your driving style, what do you do with the gear stick if there are extended waiting periods in traffic?

[noopster]

Originally Posted by joslicx

I do not like the city that much, truth be told. Its highly overrated simply because of reliability. Compared to the Linea or the Vento it feels like made of paper! To tell you the truth if there were a Linea Tjet AT in the market, I'd have had hard time choosing one! I dont understand why still more people buy the City for virtually the same price! Maybe I am more of a romantic and people here are more realists or maybe they are just not informed enough. But thats altogether another discussion.

We all love our cars but that is an unfair assessment, if you ask me.

The Honda City has ruled the C2 segment for a while now simply because of the fantastic value proposition it offers. I was pretty set to get a City AT before the Vento made its appearance. With the price reduction and an AT now offered with an optional sunroof, it is probably a more enticing alternative today.

"Overrated because of its reliability" is a funny statement IMHO. The Japanese- Honda and Toyota in particular- have made quality their hallmark and customers rightly reward them for it.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by noopster

The Japanese- Honda and Toyota in particular- have made quality their hallmark and customers rightly reward them for it.

Can't argue on this. When it comes to reliability, the Japanese are superior to the Germans by miles. The vault feel of the boot lid and the way the doors shut is all very impressive on a German car. On the overall, a Japanese car will hold together for longer without anything going wrong.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

More than reviewing the car, I have say that this was a enjoyable read. Well written.

One thing that I cannot stand is being made to wait for a car. It is ridiculous that we have a waiting period for cars in this country, even the one's that don't sell all that much have waiting periods. This whole waiting period has become a game of sorts. It is about time dealers started paying you as a penalty for making you wait for your car. I will wait for something like a MG or a Lancia Stratos but not a regular car like the ones we have.

About your driving style, what do you do with the gear stick if there are extended waiting periods in traffic?

Thanks sandeepmohan. Well yes you are right about the ridiculous waiting periods for certain cars in India. A friend had to wait more than 6 months for his Vento AT (though he got some freebies as compensation - 2 IPL semi-final tickets worth 33k + IPL kit). Last year people also got an interesting hand-written letter from "Your Volkswagen Engineer" as well

Originally Posted by noopster

We all love our cars but that is an unfair assessment, if you ask me.

The Honda City has ruled the C2 segment for a while now simply because of the fantastic value proposition it offers. I was pretty set to get a City AT before the Vento made its appearance. With the price reduction and an AT now offered with an optional sunroof, it is probably a more enticing alternative today.

"Overrated because of its reliability" is a funny statement IMHO. The Japanese- Honda and Toyota in particular- have made quality their hallmark and customers rightly reward them for it.

Agree about H City ruling this segment all along and it would have been my car as well if Volkswagen had not delivered the Vento but then it is more because there is no other choice (at least in AT space). I still feel its unfair to charge people for "reliability". Reliability should be a given (and I think most cars today are fairly reliable, at least I havent had any troubles so far in last 6 years owning 2 different cars prior to Vento). H City made its name when it had virtually zero competition but now almost everyone has caught up with it. Hyundai's Verna is outselling it for months now and for a reason. The combined duo of Vento and Rapid outsell it as well. So in the premium entry sedan space it has lost out to the competition. It is just no longer the default choice IMO.

Also one more thing is, in general the ownership patters are changing dramatically in India. Earlier people used to keep their cars for ages hence long term reliability was huge factor (and thats where the likes of Toyota, Honda, Maruti etc made their name) but now, the average keepage is dropping like anything (I'm told it is about 3 years now). Since every car company gives at least 4 year warranty (including extended) theres every reason to believe a car will not have major troubles during an average first buyers ownership at least. So this is affecting new car sales as well.

Of cource, the resale value factor still remains and the Japs will always have an upper hand there. I think still most people dont realise this aspect while buying but maybe in future it might become more important than the likes of FE or maintenance costs etc.

I would argue that right now, the name of the game is quality of service rather than anything else! And thats where still Honda is miles better than Volkswagen or any other European and that why they still sell so much. The day Europeans catch up with Japs on service front would be a turning point in Indian market!

Finally I have nothing against the H City and it really is a very good product (unlike my biases against Fords) but it does not mean it cannot be criticized or improved any further. We all like our cars and compare them against competition and in the end it is this competition that helps improve them (think about it, how competition helped shape the present City and compare it to its predecessor).

[ninjatalli]

^^Not exactly disagreeing with you @joslicx, but (probably) the reason you aren't giving reliability that much importance is because you haven't had any reliability issues so far Ask a fellow who had had such problems, and he'll tell you the importance of reliability over other aspects like FE or available features/accessories. IMO the City was (and still is) one of the more popular C segment sedans simply because it's the jack-of-all-trades option in the petrol segment (I find the Vento tdi (or Rapid for some) to be the JOAT in the diesel segment).

And as for the numbers of Verna, Vento & other sedans, take away the diesel numbers and you might see the City (as) a worthy contender!

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

About your driving style, what do you do with the gear stick if there are extended waiting periods in traffic?

sorry I missed it. If the wait time is more than a min then I move to P and switch off the engine. Many crossings have timer here in Bangalore so it helps. if the wait is less than 1 min or there is no timer then I move to N and engage hand brake.

Originally Posted by ninjatalli

^^Not exactly disagreeing with you @joslicx, but (probably) the reason you aren't giving reliability that much importance is because you haven't had any reliability issues so far Ask a fellow who had had such problems, and he'll tell you the importance of reliability over other aspects like FE or available features/accessories. IMO the City was (and still is) one of the more popular C segment sedans simply because it's the jack-of-all-trades option in the petrol segment (I find the Vento tdi (or Rapid for some) to be the JOAT in the diesel segment).

And as for the numbers of Verna, Vento & other sedans, take away the diesel numbers and you might see the City (as) a worthy contender!

Actually its unfair to take away diesel numbers. The diesel is an option and people consider it so it has to be counted. There are other cars that have diesel option but still they hardly sell (sx4, new fiesta) so just having diesel is not enough isint it?

I didnt say reliability is not important. I just said I feel its unfair if automakers expect us to pay for it! A carmaker should always strive to build a reliable car (and most cars are reliable enough really).

[Bh.P]

Congrats on the new Vento AT. That is a good review and fair comparo between the City and the Vento ATs.

I was in similar situation last year, and decided on the City purely on reliability and the back leg room. The HUGE hump at the back of the Vento was a sure deal breaker. Plus, at that time there were offers on the City which made it cheaper than the Vento by around 50-60K plus some accessories (if I remember right). However, i still miss some of the features that Vento gives.

I think it is fair to remove the diesel numbers while comparing City with other sedans. Petrol and Diesel cater to different target markets in India, where people are more worried about running costs. I am sure if India had not subsidized diesel, then I feel the story may have been different, though that is speculative.

[dZired]

Congrats for the vento AT. It really is a "rare car on roads" . Looks super cool in that shade. Well I have to comment that you are the first person I am seeing who is having all the cars in one colour, that to - blue, as it is a rare colour and is very difficult to maintain. It shows your love towards that shade .
BTW, you are not at all a poor photographer. the pics looks great and enhance the overall appeal of your superbly written review. Thanx for sharing. Please do keep us updated.
Take Care and Drive Safe.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by Bh.P

Congrats on the new Vento AT. That is a good review and fair comparo between the City and the Vento ATs.

I was in similar situation last year, and decided on the City purely on reliability and the back leg room. The HUGE hump at the back of the Vento was a sure deal breaker. Plus, at that time there were offers on the City which made it cheaper than the Vento by around 50-60K plus some accessories (if I remember right). However, i still miss some of the features that Vento gives.

I think it is fair to remove the diesel numbers while comparing City with other sedans. Petrol and Diesel cater to different target markets in India, where people are more worried about running costs. I am sure if India had not subsidized diesel, then I feel the story may have been different, though that is speculative.

Thanks Bh.P.

The comparo between City AT and Vento AT is mostly early rumblings after taking test drive of both vehicles. Since at that time I did not own any of the two, so its mostly early impressions only. I think as you live with the vehicle you get to know it better and so some of the impressions might need change and some might become even firm! Anyway its tough to have a very objective comparison without owning the vehicles for extended periods.

Regarding the numbers, well Diesel is here to stay whether anyone likes it or not. Honda would do better to get their own Diesel engines soon else they'll be left behind further. Petrol owners are doubly punished these days - daily cost of running is much more + resale value is far less than Diesels!

Also you got to concede that just having Diesel option is not enough else why would the likes of Linea, new Fiesta, SX4 etc languish so far!

Originally Posted by dZired

Congrats for the vento AT. It really is a "rare car on roads" . Looks super cool in that shade. Well I have to comment that you are the first person I am seeing who is having all the cars in one colour, that to - blue, as it is a rare colour and is very difficult to maintain. It shows your love towards that shade .
BTW, you are not at all a poor photographer. the pics looks great and enhance the overall appeal of your superbly written review. Thanx for sharing. Please do keep us updated.
Take Care and Drive Safe.

Thanks dZired. Well I never had a say when it came to color - Alto's was my sisters choice while the subsequent cars have been my wife's (something you learn when you get married - you acquire a wife but you lose your right to opinion!) It just so happened with the Vento our choices matched (primarily as Vento doesnt come in any bright shades. It also helped that the Blue gang here had posted some really smashing pics of their Ventos.)

Personally speaking though, I favor more sober, dull-er colors like Brown! Actually with Vento one thing that can be said is, it looks good in all colors.

Thanks again for the compliments on the pics. We have a few really good shooters here and hopefully someone would do justice to the car someday. I'll try using a proper camera next time (but I only have a point and shoot so I dont expect very good results there).

[Hayek]

Great thread. You really have one of the rarest cars around. Was told by the Bombay dealers that there have been close to no deliveries of 2012 petrol Ventos. Surprised that your car did not have leatherette seats, as the VW website mentions them in the Petrol AT spec list. Great comparison with the City.

But I must agree with the point someone made on the value of reliability and why people buy the Honda City - its the fabulous feature that nobody notices till its missing. Best of luck and keep posting.

[joslicx]

The 2500 KM update

Time for updating with thread since now Wittels has done more than 2500 Kms (Odo is around 2700 mark now).

1. FE has been around 10 consistently (tank to tank method). Mostly I use Shell Normal unleaded petrol (only once or twice HP normal petrol used). No discernible difference observed in FE between the two (Shell and HP). Most recent tankful was yesterday at Shell (44.3L of petrol while tripmeter since last tankful indicated 432KMs ~ 10Kmpl) The mode 2 FE at the console was 10.8 kmpl (I had not reset it ever so it is the reading since I got the car). A/C usage is about 80% and all the running has been in Bangalore city only. I generally keep 34 psi in all 4 tyres.

2. The NBPs are quite pathetic in rains I had gone for them as I was concerned about warranty troubles in case of 100/90 upgrade but it looks like it was a bad decision. Yesterday night it was raining and I was on some dimly lit roads without any dividers and the headlamps were rendered almost useless! Constantly I had to engage high beam to see if there were no speed breakers ahead. The traffic in other direction with their high beams was terribly frustrating. I am thinking of lights upgrade now.

3. A/C takes some time to cool the cabin on a hot day. Though its still managable here in Bangalore as temperatures rarely go beyond 35. I cannot comment how good/bad it would be in say Delhi summer.

4. Have had one Vento scare moment so far. One night saw the gear box locked at a particular gear (5th) while coming home. Gears were not changing even on slowing down or even with Triptronic. As I was very close to home, decided to call VW service next morning. But everything was back to normal in the morning and has been since. Could have been some ECU problem. People here maintain that shutting down the engine for about 15 mins helps in these kind of cases.

5. One general observation is that the car is super efficient if driven in 4th, 5th or 6th gears (I can see FE improving all the time on the console in these gears). But it drinks like a fish in 1st and 2nd (its terrible in 1st). So a 5-10 mins drive in peak traffic (so common during office hours) and I've seen average fall from 14 to 10! This engine likes cruising rather than start/stop traffic. Thankfully the AT makes it a pleasure to drive in any traffic notwithstanding the FE.

6. Rattles/squeaks: Can feel some squeaks from the doors, esp on bad roads. Will try WD-40 and see if it makes any difference.

[kvothe_rules]

Joslicx,
Its a long time since we had an update from you. I am a newbie and am planning on getting a Vento AT myself and would love to hear how you are doing with your lovely Wittels.