Disclaimer Long post
Customary Milestone Picture Let me pen this down in the below order- How the likes and dislikes have turned out in the 500 days of ownership
- Issues Faced and resolutions provided
- Service experience, body repair and parts availability
- Accessorizing the car
- Cost of ownership
Part 1 - Likes and Dislikes Likes- Looks good from any angle and the Bosa Nova White color suits the car quite well. I would not have picked the current Pearl White color, somehow dislike it
- 16" Turbine blade alloy wheels with meaty 205 section tyres go well with the car, though it robs a bit of the performance
- Ride, handling and stability quite good even with the raised suspension and slightly more body roll than the pre 2012 version.
- Steering feedback and the steering wheel is perfect
- Chiller AC
- Light clutch
- Comfortable front seats
- Good quality High beam
- The speed masking capacity is superb with good noise insulation inside the cabin.
- Blue n Me comes handy along with steering controls
- Hand rest is a boon on long drives.
- Auto headlamps quite useful when entering the basements or tunnels.
What could have been better- When launched it was fully loaded, but now the segment has moved on with more features, time for Fiat to pack in some more features
- Not so good brightness for the low beam, but the spread is decent. Projectors with HID would have been very good
- A nice slick gearbox would have been better as the shift is rubbery but the gears slots perfectly fine.
Dislikes- No bottle holders in the car.
- AC Blower is a little too noisy at full speed for comfort
- The rain sensing wipers has a mind of its own and no option to disable it.
- Atrocious audio quality from the stock speakers
Part 2 Issues faced Issue - Rattle from driver side door
Resolution 2 attempts, it was finally nailed and fixed, the power window wiring was the culprit
Service Center response Co-operative in fixing the issue, though it involved multiple attempts
Issue Right rear window making weird noise
Resolution Window rubber beading changed under warranty
Service Center response had to pressurize them to change it under warranty after the rubber treatment spray failed to resolve the issue
Issue Front left door making noise when the glass is fully down
Resolution The glass has slipped out of the glass guide. The guide put back in place, the noise has disappeared for good
Service Center response Co-operative in fixing the issue, it was done at the first attempt
Issue Brake shuddering
Resolution The rotors and brake pads replaced under warranty, the issue has not reappeared
Service Center response Co-operative in fixing the issue, it was done at the first attempt
Issue Weird noise while closing the boot
Resolution First the lubricant was sprayed and it did not resolve the issue. The hydraulic struts changed under warranty
Service Center response had to pressurize them to change it under warranty after the lubricant spray failed to resolve the issue
Issue Dead pedal plastic not fixed in place
Resolution The clip that holds the dead pedal was loose, it was fixed properly and the issue was resolved
Service Center response a quick fix
Issue Wet Carpets due to water logging
Resolution Carpets removed and dried.
Service Center response Took about 4 days to get his dried and put the interiors back in place
Issue Clutch judder
Resolution Clutch plates replaced under warranty.
Service Center response it was replaced under warranty though I thought I had to pay for it
Issue Broken Center AC vents
Resolution None yet as the chrome AC vents not in stock
Service Center response Part ordered, awaiting delivery. The status has been the same for a month now :A
Issue Driver Seat squeaking issue
Resolution Lubricate the seat rail and tighten the bolts. But appears again after a month or so. Permanent fix not found yet.
Service Center response Co-operative, but no permanent fix found yet.
PS The issues listed are not in chronological order and I did not have to visit the service center individually for these issues
Part 3 Service experience, Body Shop & Repair and parts availability Service Experience First Service (5000 kms) Experience
Link Second Service (15000 kms) Experience
Link Third Service (30000 kms) Experience
Link
Body Shop and Repair Bumper painting experience
Link Carpet drying experience
Link Bonnet repair and paint experience -
Link Overall Impression and Parts availability
My Linea has been serviced by Prerana Motors/Vecto Motors only. Routine service has not been an issue, the experience has been satisfactory. To be fair, the car has not given trouble (touch wood) to replace something critical and hence it would be unfair to judge on how it would have been dealt with. The regular spares are not an issue, however the critical and not so fast moving parts will need anywhere between 7-10 days to procure but this observation is not holding good for the AC vents
The myth that one has to wait for months get parts from Fiat has not been true at least in my case.
On a different note, its a good thing that a few parts can be picked up from 99rpm as backed once the car out of warranty or if one chooses to forego warranty. I am from the former category.
Part 4 Accessorizing the car Exteriors
I have opted for the CF wraps and the PPF at a few places on the car. The CF wrap on the doors and mirrors above the PPF. The PPF for door edges, running board and the boot lid.
CF Wrap
Link PPF
Link Interiors In Car Entertainment
The stock speakers are nothing but a piece of crap if you are an audiophile. The car saw two stages of audio set up and dampening.
Initial set up
Link
Front ARC Audio 6.5 components with cross overs; rear Cerwin Vega 5.25 co-axial, Cerwin Vega 4 channel amp and 12 inch subwoofer in compact box for tighter bass
Current set up thanks to water logging issue and a conked amplifier
Link
Front ARC Audio 6.5 components with cross overs, rear Stage Audio 5.25 component, ARC Class D 4 channel amp, Stinger RCA converter and 12 inch subwoofer in compact box for tighter bass
With the current set up, its really hard to even hear the stock audio for a min
Foot Well Lights
Link Gear boot and hand brake lever leather upgrade
Link Part 4 Cost of ownership
The odometer currently stands at 34013 kms which I have approximately split into city, mixed (40% city and 60% Highway) and Highway
Fuel Costs
The car has been quite economical to run and it is one for the reasons for the success of the Multijet engine. Total fuel cost as on date is
Rs. 111,041 The car has been refueled at the PSU and a couple of times at Shell bunk.
Mileage Mileage over 12 months Mileage for all refills Diesel cost over time Service cost Rs. 24557
Total Running cost has turned out to be Rs. 3.99/- per km.
All costs
All other costs incurred as of today from the date of purchase has been tabulated
I am paranoid about the car getting dirty and I have depended on the car care. I have spent a bit on the detailing part. Of the overall expenditure, detailing has 4% share which amounts to 13001. I do get the car washed often mostly depending on how dirty it is and would have spent for about 15 odd foam washes costing around 450 each.
The amount spent in keeping my car as good as new till date amounts to Rs. 13,001 + (15 *450) = 19,751/- for 500 days and amounts to a shade below 40 bucks a day which I find it quite reasonable.
Overall Impression
The car has been fantastic to drive, quite reasonable to maintain and with above average levels of service back up. I have traveled quite a bit with the car and it has helped travel across 11 states and 2 union territories. The Linea has given me fair share of driving fun, got me a good set of new friends and last but the least, the family loves the car very much. Hoping that the Linea continues to serve me well as long as I own it.
Signing off with a few pics of the Linea