[driving_smartly]

My First Initial Ownership Report on Team-Bhp
I am not good at writing, but have tried my best to put each and every details.

Built-up to car buying

Something unexpected happened in February 2013, my father scrapped his Premier 118 NE brought in Jan 1992.

This was shocking news to my ears. He was never an enthusiast car guy but it was always well maintained by him.

Getting parts seemed to be difficult task day by day and to add woes to wound the famous rusting body of 118 NE did not help it either.

All RTO process was done, registration number was cancelled and it was scrapped for mere Rs15000/-

118 NE was my father’s daily commute for a brief period of 21 years and 1 month and the only car driven by him since 1992 till Feb 2013. For him car is only for traveling from point A to B.

Though he had booked a Peugeot 309 by making a down payment of Rs 28000/- in 1994-95 (don’t exactly remember the year)sadly Peugeot 309 never made it our place and the Down payment made was lost forever.

Even I had emotions attached to 118 NE, as a small kid I always cherished playing /sleeping on its rear sofa, numerous Mumbai- Pune trips.

When I turned 18 learned driving on it, did all my early life driving on it for 5 years till my father bought me a Hyundai Santro in June 2006.

Somewhere in March 2013 there was a discussion at our home to sell our Sumo Grande GX – Make 2008 for a sedan or a hatchback which can accommodate 3 people comfortably at rear.

Sumo Grande was always chauffeur driven which was meant for my grandfather who was staying in our native place, prior to this he had used 2 Tata Sumo’s (You can say he was TATA Loyalist)

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23rd March 2013, a day prior to his 82nd birthday my grandfather passed away for heavenly abode. Post which it was decided to hold back the vehicle till all the rituals were performed. Later on father said we will not sell Sumo Grande.

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Fast forward to September 2013, post all rituals performed and having covered 8k kms on Sumo Grande with all the plastic parts, door handle falling and sourcing even smallest of the part was a tedious task for us and the bouncy middle and last row seating made life worse for passengers.

Mechanically there was no problem with Sumo Grande but a constant fear that being a vehicle from Tata stable in future something or other would crop up.

Other problem was with 8 seated vehicle at home, some close relatives were a nuisance to us as the Sumo Grande ended as guinea pig for their picnics and long tour at our expense.

And thus, it was again decided to sell Sumo Grande and buy a new small vehicle.

I had inquired 2 – 3 second hand dealerships in Navi Mumbai and got quotation between Rs 2.30 lacs to Rs 2.50 Lacs. When I said quotation is very low, they said “Sir there is no buyer for Sumo Grande and it is hard to sell it in market” I said ok and left the place.

A relative of mine who stays in Hadapsar, Pune was informed regarding selling Sumo Grande. This person runs taxi business and is also very much experienced in buying and selling vehicles. Price quoted to him was Rs 3.50 lacs so that the end use buyer even after negotiations would close the deal at a much better rate than dealer’s quotation.

He got the party to my place from pune and after lot of negotiations the deal was finalized for Rs 3.21 lacs which seemed reasonable for us as keeping this vehicle further would have depreciated a lot.

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[driving_smartly]

After all the Drama Above finally the buying process

Criteria

1. Comfortable rear bench with good legroom that can accommodate 3 persons compared to my Hyundai Santro.

2. Cheaper service bills, again compared to Hyundai

3. Reliability same as Hyundai in last 7 and half years my Santro has never let me down.

4. Has to be Diesel

5. Budget – Rs 6.5 - 7 Lacs plus minus.

6. Beige Interiors – My father’s wish was to have beige interiors as it feels roomy & fresh compared to dull black and grey.

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Vehicles Considered

1. Hyundai I20 – Would have loved it but petrol 1.2 with various reviews read would be under performer. Hyundai Diesel mill would have cost a bomb with regards to service bills in future running repairs.

2. Ford Figo – Outdated looks as per family suggestions (No offense to the owners)

3. Maruti Ertiga – Out of Budget.

4. Maruti Swift – VFM one of my cousins has it but my father was a big no for black interiors and smaller boot space, plus No ABS on Vdi. Zdi Out of Budget.

5. Maruti Swift Dzire – Out of Budget and we already have 2 of them in our immediate family so it was again a big no from my father, again Zdi was Out of Budget.

6. Ford EcoSport – My father liked it very much, but it was way out of budget

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I always had a soft corner for Toyota due to reliability offered by them

To my plus point my relative who helped me selling my Sumo Grande had an Innova which did more than 5 lacs kms and sold it without any issues and again bought an Innova and he was all praise for Toyota service and reliability

So next thing on cards was to visit a Toyota Showroom in nearby vicinity

Took test Drive of Etios diesel 2013 Model on 27th October 2013 at Wasan Toyota, Sanpada, Navi Mumbai.

Verdict from test drive

Started the car there was small amount of clattering that was hardly audible, the cabin felt silent. I never got a chance to drive earlier versions which were noisy as per the reports read on Team-bhp and Internet.

My father took back seat with my 2 years old daughter. I drove through Palm beach road and even at speeds of 100 the cabin was silent and the ride was very much comfortable.

After that I took the car to bumpy roads just to check how well the suspension fares as compared to Palm Beach road. Asked my father for any bumpiness observed to which he happy said no not at all. This was in comparison to my Hyundai Santro which I drove from same road to Wasan Toyota before the test drive.

Happily came back to showroom, inquired all the basic stuff took the quotation and came back home with smiles on our face.

My father was impressed, I casually asked him was the back seat space same as 118 NE to which replied almost same with a smile.

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At Home

My Mother, Wife and sister who could not accompany us for Test drive were all excited and started asking their questions and doubts to which I replied to some extent and told them that we will have one more test drive for all you three.

With Dipawali approaching and Dipawali snacks being prepared at home there was no time for a test drive.

In between upgraded My Santro’s tires to Michelin XM2 as earlier Michelin XM1 were left good for nothing and did not wanted to risk it with couple of highway trips coming after Dipawali to our native place and Pune.

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Post Dipawali

My father informed me that one of his good friend recently bought an Etios GD from Millennium Toyota, Thane just because he was saving money compared to quotation he got from Wasan Toyota, Sanpada. I never knew what amount of money he saving and how he was saving it.

So Millennium Toyota, Thane was next on my radar.

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9th November 2013, being Saturday I was sure that I can easily manage to make a quick visit to showroom. Logged on to www.toyotabharat.com searched for Mumbai dealers noted the telephone number and called up Millennium Toyota, Thane, asked about timings they said they are open till 6.30 pm in the evening. My work location is in Vidhyavihar - Central Line. Managed to leave office by 4.15 pm took train to Thane followed by rickshaw and reached Millennium Toyota at Sharp 5 pm.

It was a pleasant experience walking into the showroom as I was greeted by one of the staff members who made me sit comfortably and asked one of their sales representatives (Sr) to attend me.

Conversation

Sr: Sir what is your requirement and what are you looking for?

Me: Etios Liva – GD, Only White colour.

Sr: Ok sir, which model would you prefer, Liva – GD, GD(SP) or GD Xclusive ?

Me: My budget is Rs 7 lacs maximum, plus minus

Sr: Sir, Liva – GD / GD Xclusive will fit in your budget

Me: I want pricelist for reference.

I was given pricelist Vashi (Non LBT) and quotation form was being updated by Sr for GD(SP) and GD Xclusive on my request for margin money calculation. In meanwhile I was provided with a cup of coffee as per my request.

Asked few questions with regard to models available with them, Sr made a quick inquiry and confirmed that they have a White & New Dark Grey Liva GD – Xclusive in their stockyard in Bhiwandi. I said ok will reply you with my consent after few days.

Came back home compared the price-list with the one provided by Wasan Toyota, Sanpada and made a quick excel sheet for comparison the difference was Rs 21K which was good for me considering that both the dealers offered 10k discount for Liva GD Xclusive and 15k for normal Liva.

17th November 2013, took test drive with Mother, Wife and sister and they were mighty impressed with the rear bench and legroom space. After the test drive and upon consent from family members booked Liva GD Xclusive with Millennium Toyota, Thane. Lucky for us they still had Liva GD Xclusive white colour which was our choice.

Liva GD Xclusive had following features over Liva GD (non SP)

• 2 Tone Premium Interiors
• New Premium Seat Fabric
• Bluetooth Audio with Remote
• Chrome Accented Gear Knob
• Reverse parking sensors

All the aforesaid features were available by paying Rs 7K extra over Liva GD (non SP)

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What I did between 9th November (Initial inquiry) to 17th November (booking date)?

Read following threads umpteen number of times

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/offici...rive & Review)- Official Team-bhp review – Thanks Vidyut

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...00 kms update)- saadat1992

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...00kms update))- tsk1979

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...-3.htmlhttp:// -the-rare-one

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...at 30,000 kms)- amalji

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ership report)- Subratasenn

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...Diesel)http://- Kanwar_26

Though i was a silent reader, the official team-bhp review along with these ownership reports was very much informative. While going through these threads I realized all my doubts were mostly answered and it sealed my faith in booking Liva GD Xclusive.

Thanks a lot to all of you.

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19th November, Requested for VIN and it was MBJK4ZBT6000xxxxx~1113, as per “Find your car's date of manufacture (VIN)”, thread decoding was done as follows

For Toyota

-19th & 20th character represents the Month of Manufacture
-21st & 22nd character represents the Year of Manufacture

In my case, 19th & 20th character was 11 and 21st & 22nd character was 13

Thanks a lot Wildon

So it was indeed manufactured in November 2013 which was informed to me by Sr earlier but I did not trust till decoding was done.

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20th November, Applied for Loan from ICICI Bank since the dealer had already tie up with them.

21st November, All verification work was done and got a call from ICICI Bank that they wanted My Santro's RC book, which angered me and i said that although i drive santro but it is registered in my father's name. If you are going to ask such silly things i have another set of documents ready with me and i will approach some other bank.

22nd November, Once again got a call from ICICI bank this time it was to inform that loan was sanctioned.

Post loan sanctioning got a chance and posted details in http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-c...ml#post3300659 (The "I Booked my Car" thread) this includes OTR and Discount offered

23rd November, signed all the loan documents with ICICI bank at dealers place and also placed order for following accessories

• Rear Spoiler
• Armrest panel on all four doors (Wooden finishing)
• Fog Lamps
• Chrome on boot
• Mudflap
• Floor Matting

On the same day balance margin money along with add-on accessories was paid to the dealer through cheque.

26th November, got a call from Dealer's place that my cheque was cleared and also informed me that ICICI Bank disbursed the loan amount to them. They confirmed all my personal details & residential address once again just to ensure that details are right before preparing final Invoice.

I had informed SR for Delivery on Sunday 1st December as my father was out of town and he was supposed to come back by 30th November.

27th November, PDI was done and the car was sent to RTO for registration process. we had opted for choice number as per family members request. Had multiple choices discussed it with family and a particular number was sealed.

28th November, Liva was in their workshop for requested accessories to be fitted.

29th November, Got a call from showroom that Liva is ready and they requested me, since 30th November is month end for them, they wanted to take customary key handing process to be photographed to be sent to Toyota and also their Customer relationship manager would on holiday as 1st December being a Sunday. I agreed positively with a condition that No delivery on Saturday as i want it only on Sunday 1st of December. I was planning to visit a day prior to delivery to have a look with all the accessories fitted, so it was icing on the cake for me.

30th November, Reached showroom around 6 pm had a look at Liva for all the fitted accessories, went through all the original documents, warranty booklet & service coupons which was explained to me by Sr, everything as per the list was checked and found it to be ok. Then after that My Sr introduced me their Team leader - Sales, Customer Relationship Manager, and other staff members who all greeted me and customary key handing process was photographed. After which everyone congratulated me and Customer relationship manager asked if i can spare 5 to 10 mins with him, which i agreed and he asked for all the feedback right from the day of inquiry until this day. In the end he thanked me for choosing Toyota and assured me help from him in any further matter hereafter.

Clicked few pictures, sorry for poor quality they were clicked from my cell camera.





1st December, Reached showroom at 1 pm with my father. The Sr asked if document needs to be explained again, i said yes and once again all the documents were explained to me & my father without any hesitation. Again had a look at Liva with my dad and at the same time was gifted with Ganesh Idol and Chocolate box from dealers end. After that the Sr explained me with all the indicators on speedometer, Bluetooth functions on my stereo, opened the boot and showed me all the tools and then i asked for missing jack, Sr informed the same is fitted just beneath front passenger seat, and it was demonstrated by Sr. After all the mandatory demonstration process they arranged necessary articles for customary pooja, the Sr said the "Brahmin" who performs pooja was on leave being Sunday. Anyways, i wanted to the perform pooja as per our customs and tradition at home so i happily nodded with smile and performed pooja along with my father and gave Sr a sweet box from our end

After all the things, once again a key handing process was done.

As informed by Sr there was 7 litres of Diesel in Liva, Had a look at the ODO it was 60 kms started the car and moved out of showroom.

On our way to home filled diesel up-to the brim, came home after which Mom, Wifey and sister again performed pooja.

My 2 years old daughter "Aadnya" was super excited than me and kept chanting "Pappa chi new new gaadi" (My father's new new car). Her innocent & happy face was really a joy to treasure, which i will definitely cherish in times to come.

After everything took them for a short Drive which they were eagerly waiting for.

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[driving_smartly]

PROS & CONS

PROS

• T- Badge
• The Diesel Liva comes with ABS & EBD as standard.
• Tried and tested D-4D engine.
• Smoother gear shifts
• Very less turbo lag and easy to maneuver in city (but I miss the low end torque of Santro)
• Although the car is well built there are some panel gaps.
• Beige interiors feels fresh and gives roomy feel
• Electronic power steering is super light and weighs up as the speed increases but only by a smaller margin
• Very wide for a hatchback, and three passengers can easily find space on rear bench with ample of legroom
• Driver seat Height Adjustable
• Tilt steering
• The clutch is very light for a diesel vehicle.
• The brakes offer precise and sharp braking which is best in class.
• Powerful air-conditioner which is a bone chiller.
• 251 litres boot enough for our family outings
• No middle hump like the once in Santro which irritates middle passenger
• Stock bulbs seems very good, lower beam offers good spread
• One touch auto-down for driver side power window
• Stereo with Bluetooth on GD Xclusive
• Factory fitted reverse parking sensors on GD Xclusive
• Cool glove box
• If you unlock the door through remote and if there is no activity within 10-15 secs the door locks itself again.

CONS

• Absence of Tachometer is a major let down
• No Temperature gauge
• Below average sound output from stereo, my Santro’s music system has better sound output.
• Absence of door beading, I can already see dust and small water droplets accumulating after opening the door and boot but nothing inside cabin till now.
• First gear is almost of no use shift to second gear and you can feel power
• Single Reverse light, other is dummy - Cost cutting by Toyota?
• Internally operated ORVM a big thumps down.
• No Remote locking with sparse key provided, needs to be purchased separately for Rs 5500/-
• Engine does not like to be revved.
• No Dead Pedal
• Single horn is very weak – Changed to Skoda type horn (Minda)
• IRVM offers very less/strict view
• Door needs to be pushed firmly to shut
• No Illumination on power window switches

As of now the Pros are more than Cons, the more i drive the more i will be able to observe positive and negatives.

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5th December, Fitted following accessories

New sweat velvet seat covers - Beige and mushroom colour


Steering Cover


Chrome Muffler



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7th December, Did a short Navi Mumbai - Pune trip with 5 people on board, Liva was happily cruising in speed between 80 to 100.

Though once i managed to touch 120 for 4-5 secs that to because i did not realize until my MOM pointed from back that you are exceeding speed limit.

Liva was pulling cleaning while climbing Khandala ghat with 5 people on board and AC on 100%, this was not the case with santro wherein i needed switch off AC in ghat for a brief period of time.

Being a new car i was driving extra carefully inside Pune city, i was more worried about the the Zigzag bikers and rickshaws scrapping my new car trying to maneuver through gaps.

It was here i realized how badly i missed low-end torque of Santro in city like Pune (I am still addicted to it).

The return trip to Navi mumbai was comfortable as well for all 5 on the board, as there was no fatigue or tiredness after doing 298.30 kms in a single day.

I feel Mumbai-Pune Expressway should be named as "Left hand-side over take highway" people were literally driving like maniacs and majority of them were overtaking from left-side at higher triple digit speeds and cutting cross from left lane to extreme right lane.

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8th December, Added more accesories

Skoda Type horn - Minda

Beige colour leather flooring


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10th December, Mom Dads 31st Wedding Anniversary Liva Made a short trip to Mahad - Ganpati , Pali - Ganpati & Lonavla. It stands at 705 Kms

[driving_smartly]

White Meets Black


Central Console


Attachment 1177612

[noopster]

Thread moved from Assembly Line to Initial Ownerships section. Thanks for sharing!

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by driving_smartly

White Meets Black
Attachment 1177613

Central Console
Attachment 1177609

Attachment 1177612

Congrats on a no non-sense car! Though I am NOT a fan of the Etios twins, I am mighty impressed with the Toyota low cost of ownership! And the new tail lamp design looks quite beautiful in the pic.

Are you sure ABS is standard on the diesel variant, it comes from the mid variant only if my memory serves right.

And, please do something about the steering grip - it's a wrong fit and that alone is taking down the interior ambiance to a big extent!

[driving_smartly]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Congrats on a no non-sense car!

Are you sure ABS is standard on the diesel variant, it comes from the mid variant only if my memory serves right.

And, please do something about the steering grip - it's a wrong fit and that alone is taking down the interior ambiance to a big extent!

Thanks swiftnfurious

Yes ABS with EBD is standard in Diesel variant



ABS with EBD on Xclusive


Steering grip is for time being i will replace it something that is pleasure to hold in hands, currently tied down with work pressure.

[Apple Master]

First let me wish you a very merry Christmas driving_smartly. And congrats again on your purchase. Good thread and was nice reading through your story. As you already know I will be doing my Etios Xclusive PDI on 1st Jan, your thread will come very handy.

Originally Posted by driving_smartly

Below average sound output from stereo, my Santro’s music system has better sound output.

What are your plans regarding the sound system, are you going to stick to OEM fittings and preserve warranty or is there some pondering going on regarding modifications? I know I'm confused regarding this, want to know your view.

Originally Posted by driving_smartly

Single Reverse light, other is dummy - Cost cutting by Toyota?

Didn't know about this

Originally Posted by driving_smartly

Single horn is very weak – Changed to Skoda type horn (Minda)

Is the Minda horn an aftermarket fitting? Then what about the warranty stuff, do they remain intact.
Also, can you shed some light on the rear armrest that comes as an accessory, are they fixed or can be removed when desired.

One small suggestion, change the beige steering cover, they don't seem to go well with the interiors


Keep Revving!!!

[driving_smartly]

Originally Posted by Apple Master

First let me wish you a very merry Christmas driving_smartly. And congrats again on your purchase. Good thread and was nice reading through your story. As you already know I will be doing my Etios Xclusive PDI on 1st Jan, your thread will come very handy.
Keep Revving!!!

Thanks a lot, Apple Master. Apart from my thread you can read threads which i had referred and are linked in above post no 2. I will stick to stock sound system no plans for upgrade as of now. I have planned for Tyre upgrade along with Alloys but Vitamin M is currently holding me back. Yes for liva one side reverse light is dummy I do not have any idea about Etios. I was shocked to see only a single horn provided by Toyota. It was so weak that even a cyclist wont look back.Yes, Minda horn is after market fitting. There was no cutting of wire it was simply detached from current horn and attached to new horn. After 10 days horn stopped working, I knew fuse had blown as i had read regarding the same in many ownership reports. Had a quick look at the manual, the fuse provided was of 7.5 Ampere which is situated behind the speedometer. Got it changed to 15 Ampere and no problems now. The rear armrest that comes as an accessory can be removed when desired. The same was covered by bhpian Amalji in one of his posts. You can PM him for more details. Yes next thing on cards is to remove that steering cover which will be done shortly

[girishglg]

Congrats on your new white aquisition. Very impressed by your description of detailed log of events and a very well balanced listing of the pros and cons of the car.

Must say the peace of mind in buying a Toyota is far greater than a very well engineered car. Agreed that the Etios twins do not win beauty contest and also solid build, for sure they will serve as expected and not have the very many niggles associated with many other brands.

Keep us updated on the ownership experience and any interesting events. Cheers and happy driving!

[driving_smartly]

Originally Posted by girishglg

Congrats on your new white aquisition.

Keep us updated on the ownership experience and any interesting events. Cheers and happy driving!

First Service update

14th December 2013, received call from Millennium Toyota for 1st service reminder and appointment for 28th Dec 2013 was booked for 9.00 am slot. There was a follow up Sms on 26th & 27th Dec 2013 for service reminder.

On the day reached Service Center at 9.15 am, parked the liva in slot provided to me, ODO was at 970 Kms.

Service in-charge was the same person who briefed me about my Liva and answered all my queries a day prior the delivery. Being my cars first service i was provided with Toyota Shubharam kit, which was nothing but wastage of papers.

He bought a cloth along with him placed it on driving seat and asked for any problems faced till date, as there were none he went ahead and checked the car and generated job card for me and informed that vehicle will be ready in One and half hours.

I was curious to know about what all is done in first service and the service in-charge was courteous to answer as all my queries as he said that First service is just a general check-up for all the things as per standard procedure followed by them. I asked him about oil and other stuff he replied that if required it would be a top-up free of charge

I informed him that i will collect in evening he said sir if you could wait for an hour max he will try to deliver the vehicle within 1 hour, but i wanted to attend a marriage in thane that very day so informed him will collect it in evening only and left from showroom for my office.

Collected it at 5.30 pm, it was washed and vacuumed. The bill generated was zero. Later on i realized one of the rear door was not properly cleaned where the door beading would have been had Toyota provided.

My dissatisfaction was conveyed to Millennium Toyota when they called for feed back on first service.

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Fuel Consumption


Screenshot from fuel log on my Android Phone

As of now Liva has covered only 127x.xx kms in 55 days of ownership.

My daily commute to office is through Local trains, within a span of 1 year my office is shifting to Bandra-Kurla Complex and work on Chembur-Santacruz Link road is in full swing. Therefore considering to drive liva to office at-least on weekends.

At present tied down with too much of work and My boss has said no holiday till 31st March which means no highway drive / holiday plan

I haven't really calculated FE, but rough estimate is between 16-17.

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Fuel Indicator

As there are 8 bars on fuel indicator and liva's tank is 45 litres, by simple math 45/8 = 5.625 litres. However, the manual says when the last bar is left and orange light is flashed there is 6.8 litres of fuel.

Does it mean 45 litres - 6.8 litres = 38.2 litres, 38.2/7 = 5.45 litres. ?

The other day last blink came in and i knew 6.8 litres of diesel was left. However after covering 32 -35 kms the last bar also vanished, luckily i was within city limits and near petrol pump and did refuel.

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[girishglg]

Originally Posted by driving_smartly

First Service update


Collected it at 5.30 pm, it was washed and vacuumed. The bill generated was zero. Later on i realized one of the rear door was not properly cleaned where the door beading would have been had Toyota provided.

My dissatisfaction was conveyed to Millennium Toyota when they called for feed back on first service.


I haven't really calculated FE, but rough estimate is between 16-17.

The servicing experience seems to live up to the Toyota way which confirms the hassle free ownership experience. Curious to know the reaction of the servicing folks on hearing the complaint.

On the FE front seems to quite frugal in the city traffic and could improve in future. Do keep us posted.

[driving_smartly]

Originally Posted by girishglg

The servicing experience seems to live up to the Toyota way which confirms the hassle free ownership experience. Curious to know the reaction of the servicing folks on hearing the complaint.

On the FE front seems to quite frugal in the city traffic and could improve in future. Do keep us posted.

Yes, as on date 1400 + kms on ODO, hassle free ownership experience.

When i told them about the lousy washing, they apologized for the same and said in future if any concern is to be raised i should call them immediately. I think it must be routine statement for the them, don't know if they really mean it, because after that i did not received any call. Anyways as it was not an major issue for me so took it with pinch of salt.

Since i was in a hurry to attend marriage that evening i did not checked whether Liva was cleaned properly or not.

My personal opinion was they should have called me again for a quick detailing session and i would have obliged more than happily as it would have given me another chance to drive Liva for a return trip of 60 odd kms

As of now the FE seems reasonable considering the fact that its city all the time, i think it should have been better. Though i have not exceeded speeds beyond 80, may be my heavy foot & petrol revving habit has its part to play. For last 100 odd kms, i have to learn't to carve my instinct for heavy foot and now driving more sedately.




How on earth i manage to find Toyota biased people, god knows ?

It seems my Liva might have couple of Company within this quarter. One of our Neighbours and another a well known acquaintance of mine, both are looking for a new small car and are totally sold for space and back seat comfort this hatch back has on offer apart from driving pleasure. My neighbour already has a Innova (Second innova) & Fortuner and acquaintance also has a Qualis & Fortuner.

Both would be first time hatchback users. As per conversation with them they have test driven number hatchbacks. They are willing to compromise on bells and whistle's, all they want is a cheaper to maintain fuss free hatchback that would serve them for a longer duration and they are backing their instinct for reliability of Toyota.

[driving_smartly]

Caution very long post

21st October 2014 my phone rings “Millennium Toyota calling”, sir your vehicle is completing 1 year on 28th November 2014 and we would like to know the ODO meter reading and book your 10k interval service, I said 7.4K kms and please book my service for Saturday 22nd November 2014 for 9 am slot. The lady asked if i was facing any problem/s in the vehicle. I was more than happy to report two things

1. Vibration from couple of AC vents at centre, if positioned at certain angles.(Note: There is no other rattling noise from dashboard)
2. Thud noise from right side rear suspension while crossing speed breaker (which happens once in blue moon)

Points were noted down by her and the service was booked for 22nd November 2014 for 9 am slot for which I received SMS for confirmation of booking with date and time. Apart from the aforesaid there were no other issues with the vehicle. (to be continued....)

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26th October 2014 just after Diwali we went for a small family trip.

It was raining the day we started on 26th Oct and slight drizzles on 27th as well; a perfect climate to travel and the remaining two days were contrast with harsh sun beating down.

Day 1 – Left from home at 4.00 pm reached karad (stay) at 10.30 pm with tea & coffee break in between

Day 2 – Left from Karad with three/four destinations Sangali (Ganesh Mandir), Narsobawadi, a newly formed Ganesh Mandir (this was not planned) then check-in at Hotel Tourist, Kolhapur after some refreshment quick visit to Mahalaxmi Temple

Day 3 –Was leisure day so visited Siddhagiri Museum, Shahu Palace & Rankala Lake.

Day 4 – Chafal (Ram Mandir), Satara for lunch, Kaas (upon wife’s insistence just to see barren land with no flowers) back to Navi Mumbai

Couple of pics from Narsobawadi



Ganesh Mandir



Ashtavinayak Ganpati (not in order)









Shahu Palace


"Killa"(fort) of Great Maratha Warrior Shivaji Maharaj


Couple of views while coming down from Kaas Plateau



Liva performed very well, both on highways and ghats especially in Kaas. I was not at all exhausted and all the passengers were equally comfortable too, no fatigue what so ever during the entire trip.

Fuel efficiency for the entire trip (24.14 kmpl)

• Total distance covered: 965.7 kms
• Diesel: 40 litres (little less than 40 litres)
• Air Conditioner: 70-75%
• Occupants: 4 Adults & 1 Child & Luggage.
• Speeds: Between 80-100 kms per hour

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10K Interval Service Details

15th November 2014, 11 am got a call from Millennium Toyota, sir we are waiting for your vehicles first service at what time you are expected today. I said I have booked the service for 22nd November 2014 and not today, the lady on the call apologizes and again books the service for 22nd November 2014 9 am slot. 21st November again got a reminder call for servicing appointment and the lady asked me to come at 3 pm. I gave her peace of my mind and said I am coming at 9 am tomorrow if you don’t have slot for my vehicle i will get it serviced from another dealers ASC the lady on the phone apologized and said ok sir I am reserving slot for 9 am.

This was totally unprofessionalism from dealers like “Millennium Toyota, Thane(Wagle Estate)” with as many as 3 calls and one confirmation SMS they still managed to screw up the service appointment date and timing.

On the day, 22nd November 2014 sharp 8.55 I am at dealers ASC, parked the vehicle and got token number 7 but was quickly attended by Service Advisor (SA). With all the anger and negativity in my mind about servicing appointment experience, the overall experience for servicing of the vehicle turned out to be good if not better.

The SA already had papers of my vehicle that had two aforesaid issues mentioned in it, further he also asked if any other problems are faced by me apart from these two issues and I was happy to say no. We both sat inside the Liva SA took the driver’s seat noted the ODO at 8877 kms and started the vehicle, switched on the AC with fan speed at 2 and checked the AC cooling, he calmly as asked me is it diesel? (Thought SA to be Dumb or unprepared even after having all the information already with him) I replied yes its “GD”, the NHV levels are much better than pre March 2013 manufactured models and also the fact that ASC is 28 kms from my home the engine had already warmed up enough for cabin to remain silent. Early morning cold starts and the engine clattering is clearly audible even with windows rolled up, however once it is warm the cabin is pretty much silent. I religiously follow “ Idling Rule” for a minute & half and for initial 2 kms i do not exceed speeds over 40.

Thanks GTO for this wonderful thread http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...rged-cars.html

After that SA quickly inspected the vehicle for scratches/ dents if any and we made our way to his Desk. I was briefed by SA for all the worked to be carried (details mentioned below)

1. Oil Change
2. Oil Filter Change
3. Oil Gasket Change
4. Air Filter Cleaning
5. AC Filter Cleaning
6. General check-up as per their standard list
7. Check-up of all Bulbs / Electrical (don’t know what electrical he was mentioning)
8. Tire Rotation (No wheel alignment or Balancing unless it is required)
9. Washing / Interior vacuuming ( I conveyed him that last experience with washing was totally unacceptable to me)
10. Ac vent vibrations (they will fit anti rattling kit to all AC vents free of cost worth Rs 3k for which they require approval from Toyota)
11. Thud noise from right side rear suspension ( They will check and revert)

Job sheet was generated but last two items were missing to which the SA replied it will be covered under warranty and hence not included in job sheet. The Estimated amount was Rs 2200/- inclusive of Tax.

Left the ASC at 9.40 am and around 12.30 pm got a call from SA that all things related to servicing were carried out and they will now fix Ac vents issue as dismantling the dashboard and applying kit is time consuming and after that washing and interiors vacuuming will be done.

4.30 Pm got call from SA that the vehicle is ready. Reached showroom 5.30 Pm was made to wait for 15 minutes as SA was not on his desk and attending some other vehicle in workshop, meanwhile collected my Insurance policy (Cholamandalam Zero Dep) from the insurance department of “Millennium Toyota”.

SA was back on this desk and said they are still waiting for approval from Toyota for anti rattling kit and it’s just an online process they need to do. Met my Sales Representative and I was more than happy to check Innova & Fortuner on display. The approval process was done and finally we went to check the Liva, it was thoroughly washed this time and was shining like new. SA showed me the engine bay was cleaned and engine dressing was done, I quickly pulled out dip stick to check oil level and colour (the level was maximum and oil was new). The interiors were vacuumed and dashboard along with floor matting was shining as good as new, the tires on side profile were also polished. Started the Vehicle checked lights, AC cooling, Ac Vents (it feels tighter to move after fitting anti rattling kit). Regarding suspension issue the SA said they did not find any problem with it and in future & if I do find it problematic please get back the vehicle they will again check. Nodded my head positively, the bill generated was RS 2037/- inclusive of Tax. Paid the bill and moved out with my shining Liva.

Issues Post servicing

Overall I was satisfied with the work perform but, on my way back to home there was a twist, after 20 odd kms whenever I use to engage brake before speed breaker “Grr Grr” (although slight noise) started from rear side. Checked the same next day (Sunday) it existed very much, then called SA and told him the issue faced he said it is from rear suspension and asked me to diagnose the issue just to check if it’s not because of tires. He said Just drive for 14-15 kms (Normal Driving) and check RIMs of both the rear tires with bare hands and it should not be hot and if the sound persists get the vehicle back to service centre on Monday and he will get it thoroughly checked. Did exactly as per his instructions and the RIMs were ok. Tried this couple of time and no issues were found also the sound vanished on its own.

My younger sister’s engagement ceremony was fixed in last week of December 2014 which meant i was busy in preparations and it was impossible to visit workshop and ended up covering more than 1100 kms in December 2014 with some occasionally thud sound from rear suspension & Grr Grr sound while braking.

The engine note feels much smoother after oil change

January 1, 2015 Liva reaches 10,000 kms Mark (65-70% of those Kms have been highway)


The service feedback call came after 18 days from the date of servicing which was quite surprising; usually I expect it to be within 3-4 days or maximum within a week. Gave them my overall ratings & feedback about the issues of Grr Grr & Thud noise but their reaction appeared lame to me, Somehow I was not satisfied with the feedback call.

Rectification of Issues

My masterstroke appeared to be call from TOYOTA BANGALORE; I never thought any manufacturer would take feedback / Criticism so strongly. With the rating system which goes stage wise i rated them 4/10 when it came to sorting out issues and overall feedback with service centre 7/10 (it’s a complaint by Toyota Standard). It took 15 minutes to explain my issues to the lady on the phone. She replied they will look into this matter, I thought it to be another call with all show and no go.

20th January 2015 got a call from unknown number “Good morning sir I am Imran Sheikh, Service Head, Millennium Toyota Thane” and there was a big smile on my face. Sir this call is regarding your recent feedback to TOYOTA BANGALORE; about 10k service interval. Explained him all the things right from messing up appointment date and time to unsolved suspension noise and latest Grr Grr noise after taking back my vehicle from service centre, he was apologetic and said sir I can arrange someone to collect your Car but I would recommend you to come personally and get all the issues sorted out, we at millennium Toyota take feedback very seriously and if you would have mentioned the issues in our feedback call we would have definitely sorted out the issues. I said i don’t expect to get service feedback call after 18 days from the date of servicing and I had mentioned the issues to your feedback call but there was no reaction regarding it.

He offered me to book my appointment for next day itself, since weekdays is not possible for me and 24th to 26th January being a long weekend I already had planned to visit my native place for a marriage function. On 29th January booked my service appoint through Personal message on What’s App to service head for 31st January 9 am. This time he himself confirmed my appointment & on 30th January got call for next day’s appointment. On 31st Jan reached sharp at 9.05 am and i was quickly appointed service adviser and I had explained him all the issues that were not attended last time. After noting down all the issues, we both went for a quick test drive to check the noise from rear suspension and after driving over 4-5 kms within city limits over 8-9 different speed breakers it was confirmed that thud noise was very much prevalent but no grr grr noise. Met the Service Head after the test drive and it was conveyed to him by SA that thud noise is audible. Leaving the vehicle in service centre i left for my office. Around 1.30 pm got call from SA that they are performing work and the call is just to keep me updated, i was busy in some urgent work in office and did not listen properly what work was done and what was going to be performed. Reached Service centre around 6 pm the vehicle was ready, me and SA went for a test drive SA took the driving seat and off we went. After 1-2 Kms i took the driving seat and drove it over good 5-6 speed breakers there was definitely difference, rear suspension feels marginally stiffer than earlier with no Thud noise.

The following work was performed and i was explained in detail by SA.

1. REAR BOTH SHOCK UP REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY - FOR REDUCING THUD NOISE
2. REAR BRAKE LINER SPRING KIT REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY – FOR GRR GRR NOISE (They found some minor issue that could have been managed by cleaning, but they preferred to replace it under warranty)
3. LOWER ARM BUSH WAS CUT MARGINALLY FOR REDUCING THUD NOISE (Can anyone shed light on this, I am not a technical person)

Attaching the pictures and invoice for more details

New Rear Shock Absorbers



Invoice


The SA informed me that apart from aforesaid Job, front Shock-ups (Both) were checked and cleaned and they found no issues with it. The bill generated was ZERO

Just as i thought everything was fine there was another twist in the tail, one fine evening on 10th Feb 2015, after coming from office my wife and sister made me feel very comfortable than usually they do and said something has happened to our LIVA. I asked what happened. They said our neighbour (girl) with her TATA Indica (with bull-bar) managed to dislodge the rear bumper from right side while parking her car. I was so furious with it that i quickly went to inspect, although there was no dent/s in the bumper but the clips from inside which holds the bumper was completely broken. Mud flap was also dislodged from its place and somehow i manage to temporary fix the mud flap so that it does not come in contact with tires.

The girl was kind enough to let my family know that she takes the responsibility for the damage and she is willing pay for the damages as it was her mistake, i was in no mood to talk to her and waited 2-3 days for my anger to get settle down post which we had discussion wherein she apologised and I obliged her offering to pay for damages either through third party insurance or if the damage is minor she won’t go for insurance and pay the amount. I made one thing clear that I won’t be going for any insurance claim from my policy as it will hamper my No claim bonus to which she agreed.

Did not get time to visit service centre for bumper work as am tied down with March ending and also busy in pre-marriage shopping for my sister.

Till date covered more than 640 kms no more Thud or Grr Grr noise and it feels much better to drive with stiffer suspension in city.

Fuel log till date



Pros

1. It is more spacious than some of the sedans in market (first timers do praise about lots of space in rear)
2. City Driveability is very good
3. Cool glove box (It’s a boon for us carrying milk for my daughter on highway & short trips)
4. Adjustable driver seat height & Tilt Steering (again a boon for person like me who is just 5.4”)
5. FE in city is 17-18 KMPL and on highway it’s always more than 23+ KMPL for me.
6. Bullet proof reliability of Toyota and Cheaper to maintain

Cons

1. Not so good looking amongst the competition
2. Tachometer missing
3. The Door does not shut properly if pushed gently, one needs to apply more pressure to shut it properly at once (My Santro suffers because of this, Family members are now used to apply more pressure which results in Santro doors getting banged)
4. Center mounted speedometer is not a deal breaker for me but the quality of display in speedometer is something that I am not happy about. (Its dull and boring compared to swift’s and polo’s)
5. Inclusion of MID, DTE would have been more helpful.
6. Temperature gauge/ indication missing
7. With 5 adults managed to scrap on huge speed breakers couple of time.

Other observations

1. Single wiper is a boon in rainy season, find it way better than regular 2 wipers of santro
2. Clutch is not heavy in my case (I have read that clutch is heavy in diesel liva)
3. Braking inspires confidence & Steering has much better feedback than lifeless steering of My Santro
4. Plastic quality of interiors might be cheap but it’s fixed in such a way that it does not rattle.

I know Liva is criticized very much but, If one can forego short comings it’s a no non sense hatch and a very under estimated car for the practicality it offers.

A pic before the RHS bumper was slightly dislodged

[swiftnfurious]

Well written report. I do NOT agree with you saying that the service feedback call was late (18 days after service). That's actually good so the owners can put some decent miles before they receive the call. In my case (Swift), I used to get a call within 2-3 days of servicing and I may NOT even have done 50 kms. I sometimes find issues after a week or two when I put some miles on the car and the next reaction is, "You told me the car was fine"!! And the ONLY thing that makes me think about a Liva / Toyota product is the service bills! They are freaking cheap.