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Old 27th June 2012, 18:00   #16
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Re: All Hail Crusoe!!! My Bronzo Scuro Linea T-jet+

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Originally Posted by mobike008 View Post
Note from Mod
Thank Mod!

Quote:
Originally Posted by nkrishnap View Post
But there is more to life than kpl, (GTO's tag line)
Thanks nkrishnap, This is my mantra as well. The money I could have spent on booze or fag, is spent on petrol. Being a teetotaler and non-smoker helps.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Driving_Nomad View Post
I wonder how you could negotiate for (did I read it right?) 2 Lakhs less than the on-road price! Need to take a lesson or two on this from you! Loved the way you put smileys without actually putting them
Thanks Nomad, I did manage to negotiate a good price at that point. Though I confirmed the booking and finalised the price in December, I couldn't take the delivery till Feb because of harrowing official assignments. I didn't negotiate in Feb to honour Oberoi's patience during these 2-3 months.

About the smileys, let's not talk about it else we might have a rule against surrogate smileys.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rohittunga View Post
And do post more and more pics of the car.
Thanks Rohit, more pics will follow...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shreyas Aterkar View Post
the true value of the tjet can only be realized by an enthusiast (no offence meant to anyone).
Thank you Shreyas, completely agree with you. I am glad to meet fellow enthusiasts on this forum.

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Originally Posted by esteem_lover View Post
What's with the registration number, never seen 5 digits, is it some temp registration ?
Thank you esteem_lover, it was the temp registration. Have got a proper UP 14 number now.

Quote:
Originally Posted by W.A.G.7 View Post
I would suggest for the colour of your car get the yellow LTD sticker. It will look nicer!
It's already there. Will put some pics with the LTD sticker soon.

Quote:
Originally Posted by aks_karthik View Post
Photos are not waranted the color as we see it in person.
Thanks Karthik, though Crusoe loves to pose capturing its grace on cam is not easy.

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Originally Posted by krish3 View Post
Keep updating this thread. Happy Driving!!!
Thanks Krish3, will try to be regular with updates.

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Originally Posted by vb-san View Post
By the way, what’s the Pujari (with stripes socks) doing at the wheel?
Ha ha ha, Crusoe's steering wheel can tempt even a Pujari. Jokes apart, he was there to apply the tilak, etc.

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Originally Posted by nkapoor777 View Post
Your Crusoe might find company in my soon to arrive FTA T-Jet plus. Will keep you posted.
Thanks Nitin, look forward to driving next to your FTA T-jet+ soon.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sameerg001 View Post
Recently, I heard a dealer in Gurgaon was giving T-jet for 7.2 L OTR.
Thanks Sameer, there are some crazy deals available in the market right now. I have heard numbers lower than 7 as well. I finalised the deal, on costs agreed in December and have no regrets towards it.

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Originally Posted by PGNarain View Post
Congrats Biraj

From one T-Jet+ Owner to another
Thanks Narain, I am sure you can relate to the high emotions. (oops, I am out of smileys now)
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Originally Posted by S_U_N View Post
Since the car was available in Dec, why did you wait till Feb to pick her up?
Thanks S_U_N, blame it on some crazy workload and my laziness towards the providing the necessary paperwork for loan.
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Old 27th June 2012, 19:51   #17
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

This is the best cars that money can buy in India. I have owned a Punto for last 2.5 yrs and believe I did a mistake by buying it and should have ideally bought a Linea. Well I am not rectifying my decision now by selling my Punto and buying the Linea - though I will go for the MJD and not the Tjet.

Linea is a very good looking car and hope to see many more miles from you in you Crusoe. Nice pick by the way.
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Old 27th June 2012, 20:29   #18
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

Congratulations and have a long great driving experience. I have picked up a T-JET+ and delivery is by the end of this week. Look forward to the speed machine !!
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Old 27th June 2012, 21:56   #19
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Congratulations on the buy. The color looks great. I think a spoiler will complete the looks at the rear. My friend, fellow BHPian Karthikk's T-Jet sports a spoiler which has really enhanced the already gorgeous rear stance. You can have a look at his ownership report for it. Have many more safe and happy miles with your T-Jet.

Last edited by guyfrmblr : 27th June 2012 at 22:00.
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Old 28th June 2012, 10:13   #20
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

Congrats Biraj, lovely purchase and a great write up. I really liked your analogy of 1 car year = 4 man years. Personally i would think it would be more like 5 man years . Loved the color, so far i am yet to see the Bronze color on a Linea. How much did you finally pay OTR?
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Old 28th June 2012, 10:46   #21
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

Congratulations Biraj,
Welcome to the club.
I have seen people finding it difficult to wait for even one day for this car and you waited for months.
Anyways better late than never.
Enjoy your ride to the fullest.
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Old 28th June 2012, 14:32   #22
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

Quote:
Originally Posted by kailashnj View Post
though I will go for the MJD and not the Tjet.
Thanks Kailash, I find Punto the best premium hatch available in India. Driving a Linea would be even more fun, especially due to all the admiration that you would receive.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rganeshiyer View Post
I have picked up a T-JET+ and delivery is by the end of this week.
Congrats Ganesh, great choice and a brave decision. I read your other post and I can tell you that no other car would have matched your crave for performance better than T-jet, after driving Palio 1.6.

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Originally Posted by guyfrmblr View Post
I think a spoiler will complete the looks at the rear.
Thanks guyfrmblr, even I have been contemplating about spoiler but I seem to prefer it without the spoiler.

Quote:
Originally Posted by supertinu View Post
I really liked your analogy of 1 car year = 4 man years. Personally i would think it would be more like 5 man years . Loved the color, so far i am yet to see the Bronze color on a Linea. How much did you finally pay OTR?
Thanks Supertinu, I agree, it might be somewhere between 4-5 man years now. Healthcare in India seems to be improving after Satyameva Jayate. I got it for 8.4 when OTR in Noida was ~10.35 (December).

Quote:
Originally Posted by carwatcher View Post
Congratulations Biraj,
Welcome to the club.
I have seen people finding it difficult to wait for even one day for this car and you waited for months.
Thanks carwatcher, It's difficult to describe the frustration during that period but had to pay attention to responsibilities towards the job else, affording the petrol at later stage would have been difficult.
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Old 28th June 2012, 20:42   #23
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

Here's a pic with the LTD sticker. The Palio parked next to mine belongs to another BHPian (Architect).

Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+-ltd.jpg

Btw, Crusoe gives a to the price cut and asks for more.
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Old 29th June 2012, 19:03   #24
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

Very passionate post biraj. The T-jet definitely the best car for a petrol head. And seriously spending on petrol is better than "other things" (i'm scared of mods )

Congrats on your buy. Happy T-jeting! Cheers.
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Old 29th June 2012, 19:43   #25
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

Fantastic, comprehensive ownership thread Biraj! Congratulations and wish you a great time with the Jet. It is really a very satisfying machine to own.

The Bronzo Scurro color looks really unique, upmarket and smashing to say the least. Do upload more snaps, the current set does not satisfy our appetite for more pictures .

How has the service experience been so far at your place? From what I seem to read, most of the Fiat dealerships down south are trouble-free, but I heard some up north have been upto some mischief
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Old 29th June 2012, 20:08   #26
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

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Originally Posted by thumpingheart View Post
Very passionate post biraj. The T-jet definitely the best car for a petrol head.
Thanks thumpingheart, at a time when petrolheads are on verge extinction we need more T-jets to keep the faith and culture alive.

Quote:
Originally Posted by KarthikK View Post
Fantastic, comprehensive ownership thread Biraj! Congratulations and wish you a great time with the Jet. It is really a very satisfying machine to own.

The Bronzo Scurro color looks really unique, upmarket and smashing to say the least. Do upload more snaps, the current set does not satisfy our appetite for more pictures .

How has the service experience been so far at your place? From what I seem to read, most of the Fiat dealerships down south are trouble-free, but I heard some up north have been upto some mischief
Thanks Karthikk, driving a T-jet is so addictive that my monthly usage has increased despite my office being just 8-9 KMs from home. My average usage earlier was 1000-1200 KMs per month but now, it is 1500-1800 per month.
My cam and phone (Nokia N8) have been jealous of Crusoe and have stopped working. Will get a worthy replacement for them and start posting more pics. I am planning a trip later in July, hopefully that will allow me to post better pics of Crusoe.
Oberoi motors in Noida is considered one of the better service centers for FIAT in NCR. There wasn't much work in the first service apart from replacing a faulty power window motor. I really had to insist on changing the engine oil, they were too reluctant in doing so. The service in-charge tried his best to convince me against the oil change with arguments like, this is a new-age engine and running in doesn't affect the oil, etc. I just didn't want to continue with the same oil for another 10K. Overall, I am fine with Oberoi Motors. If only, the people servicing Fiat start wearing Fiat branded T-shirts instead of Tata.
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Old 30th July 2012, 17:08   #27
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

Update - Completed a 4 day trip to Kalatop (Dalhousie), Khajjiar, Mcleodganj and Dharmshala. Crusoe performed exceptionally through out the 1270 KMs.

There were two challenging tracks during the trip.
  1. The stretch from Kalatop forest reserve to the rest house (3 KMs) was a narrow track (non-macadamised). This was tough as I was tired and it was getting dark. While returning, we really enjoyed this scenic drive. The pic below was clicked during the return journey. I will upload a video of the drive in the TL. Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+-20120727127_1.jpg
  2. Steep incline at Mcleodganj (Khadadanda Road): I did this stretch last year on my Santro but a longer wheelbase combined with rain, did make this stretch tougher. At one of the steep inclines, there were a number of vehicles that were coming down hill and none of them felt like giving the vehicle climbing the incline, its right of way. Thus, a heavy usage of clutch was made and it resulted in a strong burning smell. I had some anxious moments till I reached the hotel (on the same road) then some googling helped me relax.
Overall fuel efficiency for the trip (as per the MID) was 11.1 for 1270 KMs. It was 12-13 in plains and 8-10 in hills. I somehow feel that the car returns better efficiency post 2K RPM. I noticed the DTE (distance to empty) used to improve when I did 60-80 in 4th gear instead of 60-80 in 5th. Not sure, if others have experienced it.


I am extremely satisfied with Crusoe's behaviour on highways and these long trips make me fall in love with it even more. On the flip side, my usage is becoming very high. I used to do 12-13 K per year on my Santro and now, I have crossed 9K in just 5 months.


Here's one of my favourite clicks of Crusoe from the trip. Will upload more pics in the TL that I intend to complete over the weekend.
Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+-dsc00393_3.jpg
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Old 13th August 2012, 18:25   #28
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

Completed 10,000 KMs in less than 6 months These 10,000 KMs have been as good as a dream with excellent performance and reliability. Fortunately, I haven't required too many trips to TASS and Crusoe has been niggle free (apart from the wiper jet) all this while. However, the drive is addictive and I need to bring it under control before my fuel bills start taking me towards bankruptcy.

The decision to purchase a petrol was based on a daily run of 25 KMs and occasional trip to highway however, after Crusoe there have been 3 trips to highways. Keeping the economics aside, I am in love with this car. I took Crusoe to Agra via Yamuna Expressway yesterday, at higher speeds this car can give confidence that's difficult to match for cars even 5 lacs more expensive than T-jet.

The average fuel efficiency in city is ~9.5-10 KMPL with 100% AC. On highway, it depends how much one pushes the car. A consistent 80-90 KMPH can lead to efficiency as high as 17 KMPL however, maintaining a T-jet at that level is extremely tough. If driven aggressively the Highway efficiency is 11.5-12 KMPL again with 100% AC. This definitely isn't a car for someone concerned about KMPL.

The damages so far are :
  • A minor ding on left front door (seems someone parked his/her car too close and then didn't know the mannerisms of opening the door.) It's a minor ding but does pain a lot.
  • A scratch on bonnet: This is a deep one inch long scratch right above the left headlamp. This one couldn't have been a hit as it's wavy and seems an act of jealousy rather than an act of human error. Finding Bronzo Scuro paint for touch-up is difficult so, I have decided to live with it as an evil eye.
  • Had installed LLumar AIR 75 - need I say more
Will keep you all posted on further progress.
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Old 14th August 2012, 03:28   #29
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

Wonderful thread Biraj , can see that you are having a lot of fun with your Tjet. 10,000 in 6 months is quite high for a petrol car but doesnt matter when you are having all the fun of your life.

Driving Linea on the hills is a dream, have taken mine to Himachal atleast a dozen times and it plasters a big grin on the face every single time, superb dynamics.

Planning a himachal tour next week, can you let me know how were the road conditins. Mine is a 1.4 non tjet and a friend told that road conditions ate very bad with landslides etc so was thinking of taking Scorpio instead, if Linea can go i would definitely take it instead.

Thanks
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Old 14th August 2012, 13:33   #30
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re: Crusoe Chronicles: Eleven years with a Fiat Linea TJet+

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Originally Posted by coolboy007 View Post
Planning a himachal tour next week, can you let me know how were the road conditins. Mine is a 1.4 non tjet and a friend told that road conditions ate very bad with landslides etc so was thinking of taking Scorpio instead, if Linea can go i would definitely take it instead.

Thanks
Thanks Coolboy007, It indeed is a pleasure driving a Fiat on hills. The control along with the luxury of 3rd gear's range helps a lot. Where in Himachal are you heading? I did encounter landslide on my way to Dalhousie still, it was manageable. My Linea didn't scrape the bottom anywhere on the route. If you are going to Mcleodganj, avoid climbing up on Khada Danda road, take the longer route. The longer wheelbase doesn't help on such narrow, steep and twisty inclines. If you intend to cover some pass then take your Scorpio else, Linea should do well in all roads. The way this car eats miles is purely Awesome.
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