[rakesh_r]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

This is so true, especially for Mumbai – Baroda sector. This is a highway that is busy in terms of both freight as well as private traffic. This is also a highway that takes one through continuous industrial and urban clusters for nearly 400 km. This is also a highway that is over utilized since a decade now and about time the Mumbai Delhi Expressway becomes a faster alternate that will ease the load on NH48.

Well summed up Paragbhai, your threads have always been an inspiration. Ever since the SCross came to our family we have never used any other mode of transport (train or air) to travel and thankfully my better half has become a huge fan of roadtrips. Travel to our hometown has always been by road and will be the same till situation permits.

[xsrahul]

Excellent update as always Parag Bhai. I am also at that stage when I have to update my tires from the current 195/60/15 Michelin 3ST that have given me trouble free and puncture free ride for 80k kms. Have been using Michelin for over 13yrs across cars so was finding it a bit difficult to know which to choose as they are no longer available for passenger cars.

Confused between Yoko Earth1s and Conti and as ever your thread has provided a good update on the UC6 so might consider looking for them soon.

Wish you steed many more happy miles and look forward to an update on the UC6

[condor]

Parag, one question:

I think I can safely assume that you drive with a/c on -> windows closed. You have the visors on the doors. Do these still help ? How ?

[narenteam]

@Parag
I am currently debating 2022 Ertiga VXI vs ZXI. Besides alloys and Android-device, the LXI misses put on rear-washer-wiper.

Considering your over 200K kms of driving in the Ertiga, did you feel the absence of rear-washer-wiper in the vehicle. Is that a deal-breaker if you were to consider a car today considering what you might have experienced in your long drives.

[condor]

Originally Posted by narenteam

Besides alloys and Android-device, the LXI misses put on rear-washer-wiper.

While Parag can answer on the questions, let me chip in about the rear wiper. Unless it is a sedan, I would want a rear wiper on my cars - whether a SUV or a hatchback. Very useful to see traffic better during rains.

[yoscenario2000]

Originally Posted by narenteam

@Parag
I am currently debating 2022 Ertiga VXI vs ZXI. Besides alloys and Android-device, the LXI misses put on rear-washer-wiper.

Considering your over 200K kms of driving in the Ertiga, did you feel the absence of rear-washer-wiper in the vehicle. Is that a deal-breaker if you were to consider a car today considering what you might have experienced in your long drives.

While you are awaiting reply from Parag, here are my two cents.

I was in the same boat after new gen 2022 Ertiga launch. I had pre-booked VXI CNG, but later upgraded the booking to ZXI CNG which was newly added variant after launch.

For me personally, Rear washer wiper is really a boon in monsoon highway drives for clear rear visibility. But this feature can be added after market as well. BTW you are also missing push start button, Keyless entry (request sensor) which is not available in VXI variant.

But on the cost part, it is still debatable whether all these added features over VXI really justifies the cost difference between both the variants.

[narenteam]

Originally Posted by yoscenario2000

I was in the same boat after new gen 2022 Ertiga launch. I had pre-booked VXI CNG, but later upgraded the booking to ZXI CNG which was newly added variant after launch.

I think since the ex-showroom price of VXI petrol is still under 10 lakhs and zxi is more than 10 lakhs, it adds to the additional life time tax, etc making the difference 1.7lakhs (on-road).

As an aside, do you drive a lot? What made you opt for the CNG?

[srvm]

Parag, your last post in this thread was in November 2021. Hope all is well with you and your Ertiga.
Please do update this thread. What's the ODO reading now?

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by srvm

Parag, your last post in this thread was in November 2021. Hope all is well with you and your Ertiga.
Please do update this thread. What's the ODO reading now?

All is well srvm. 2022 has been nothing else but hectic.

The odometer reading is little above 2.3L as of last weekend when we returned back from Dandeli. Also, due to the new addition in my garage (that replaced the WagonR), I am mostly taking out the new one to quickly complete 5000 Km.

[vikramv4u]

Originally Posted by narenteam

@Parag
I am currently debating 2022 Ertiga VXI vs ZXI. Besides alloys and Android-device, the LXI misses put on rear-washer-wiper.

Considering your over 200K kms of driving in the Ertiga, did you feel the absence of rear-washer-wiper in the vehicle. Is that a deal-breaker if you were to consider a car today considering what you might have experienced in your long drives.

Hi,

I know the question was addressed to the guru.. but just giving my 2 cents as i have an Ertiga (2012 model Petrol)..

I have personally never found the need for the rear wiper.. due to the fact that my driving style is mainly looking at the side mirrors n not sooo much reliance on the rear mirror/glass.. also my Highway usage isn't extensive

Factors you can consider before making this decision is:
- City vs Highway driving
- Driving style (reliance on rear view vs side mirrors)
- Price difference n value

Etc etc

Thanks

Vikram

[mohan41]

Parag, it is always good to read your updates. My Ertiga VDI is almost as old as yours but has run much less, around 75K.
Recently gear shifting has become slightly harder and noticeable during all gear changes. Service Advisor at Kalyani Motors Nayandahalli is saying it is due to synchronizer ring issue. I am not convinced because if its synchronizer ring problem, I think gear shift is not even possible directly between gears. In my case I feel it is just harder than normal. Also I had changed synchronizer rings at 59K.

[narayans80]

Originally Posted by narenteam

did you feel the absence of rear-washer-wiper in the vehicle.

In a hatch or crossover a rear wash-wipe is a safety feature. Not always are you going to have a clean side mirrors when it rains. The IRVM and rear wiper makes sure you atleast have your direct rear visibility is unaffected.

[paragsachania]

9 Years and 232,000 km:

The faithful companion completed 9 years of trouble-free ownership in the month of October. Year 2022 had been extremely hectic on professional front that the Ertiga clocked barely 16,000 km. Due to this, the outstation trips were very minimal for my standards:

• March - Belur & Chikmagalur ~600 km
• April - Aurangabad & Shirdi ~2300 km
• May - Belur & Sakleshpur ~600 km
• July - Konkan (Ganapatipule & Malvan) ~1800 km
• October - Dandeli ~1200 km

Hence, barely 6500 km of highway runs with the rest 10,000 km purely within the city and primarily for school drop and pick-up duties. Thanks to the Baleno that replaced the WagonR, I drove around that car for 5000 km in 3 months too, including one highway run with 5 of us family members with parents.

In terms of service, there were just 2 visits to the workshops for the following:

• 2 engine mounts including the hydraulic one were replaced in April at 220,000 km. This was done at Surakshaa Car Care (ASC)
• Steering rack was replaced at 228,000 km at Swastikaa Auto Centers (FNG) as it had started to make noise while passing on rough sections and had pretty much lived its life (170,000 km) since at 57,000 km on the odo the stock rack replaced under extended warranty and that was the only warranty replacement this car had seen
• Engine oil was replaced and intercooler was cleaned during the same visit too

Issues that the car currently has and I intend to fix it sooner:

• Caliper pins have gone dry and are begging for grease and making noise over rough surfaces
• The speedometer needle upon braking has started to show signs of jittery shakes when speeds get reduced. Haven't really noticed this carefully while accelerating. Will have to check the speed sensor if this is at fault
• Battery was last replaced in July 2017 and upon cranking, the DRLs go off for a second clearly indicating that its time to replace the battery soon
• A very important and proactive replacement is due soon - Timing chain since the first replacement happened at 120,000 km. Even if it has shown no signs of unusual noise as a result of slackness, I would like to get this replaced around 240,000 km.

Components that continue to perform without any complaints:

• The brake rotors are stock even at 232,000 km and during my visit to ASC when I replaced the engine mounts, they inspected and confirmed that they have a lot of life to live
• The alternator hasn't shown a single sign of weakness so far
• The AC compressor too chills as good as day one, not even once the refrigerant has been topped up
• Injectors have never been cleaned nor could I have a reason to do so
• Turbocharger continues to deliver the output without much ado

Drives planned in upcoming weeks/months:

I am more than sure that there will certainly be many of them happening in the near future (few impromptu as well) which will add at least 10-15k km in the next 6 months alone. I have promised myself and the Ertiga that 2022 end and 2023 will be all about driving more; fingers crossed!!

To wrap up this update, here are some images that depict the year that it was with whatever drives the Ertiga could take-up in 2022:

• At our Chikmagalur home, daughter poses with her second home through which she had travelled by road for lakhs of Km by now.

• In 2022, even weekends weren't guaranteed due to critical work on professional front that we decided to visit a resort at the foothills of Nandi Hills for an overnighter. A distance less than my office commute:

• This happened when we had driven to Aurangabad to pick our parents and did a dash to Shirdi on one of the days and returning to Aurangabad after darshan:

• Unusual pic for my Ertiga but with parents in tow and the need to use the 3rd row for my daughter for the return journey of 1000 km, I picked up this luggage carrier for the roof for temporary needs. Since I didn't want to spend on anything fancy, I decided to go for the most basic one:

• The return journey with the loaded rack as a first time experience along with 5 of us. I was apprehensive for the initial 150 odd km and would keep checking if the luggage or the carrier were in place after every toll booth. I had used heavy duty nylon zip ties to secure the luggage before wrapping it up with a large plastic cover anticipating rains. Thankfully, the journey was fantastic and my daughter could have the 3rd row all for herself. The car also behaved very well without throwing any tantrums, especially when cutting between traffic at highway speeds.

• In June, I had ordered quite a lot of these parts from Boodmo with the intent of replacing them during my free time. I must admit, they still lie inside a carton box and I haven't got time to for the DIY at all:

• Then comes July and we finally managed to drive to the Konkan coast for the much needed monsoon drive, first time after Covid wave had started:

• Return from monsoon drives means a mandatory visit for a pressure wash:

• July also saw welcoming of a new car, the Baleno Alpha AGS that replaced our faithful WagonR:

• I was bored of the dashcam in Ertiga which I had purchased in 2013. The Transcend DP 200 was flawless but the plan was to upgrade it with 70MAI A800S 4K dual dashcam for the Ertiga and move the Transcend to the Baleno:

• After installing the 70MAI A800S in the Ertiga:

• Baleno got the good old 9 year old Transcend DP200:

• One the few things that was different in 2022 were the impromptu drives on weekends to nearby locations, thanks to few friends at the apartment who would invite us for these short rides.

• After along gap, I thoroughly enjoyed riding the Kawasaki Versys 650 on the Hyderabad highway, giving me a chance to reminisce my riding days:

• The time of the year where you return the favor to your faithful companions:

• A cancelled family drive in June & July (thanks to my own professional commitments) transpired into something solid in October when 3 families drove to Dandeli. This was the only pic of the car taken during refueling at MRPL station at Hubli on our return leg:

• Month of December has been courteous and hence on yesterday I spent some time cleaning the complete exteriors, fixing small little streaks/scratches with rubbing compound and waxed the car my myself. After a pressure wash at a nearby service center, I return back home and use my sprayer can to wipe all the surfaces clean.

• I used the rubbing compound to fix small scratches accumulated over all these years of driving.

• Followed by application of wax polish.

• And the result that the efforts yielded

• The dent on the front right fender has been there since 5+ years as a result of a Santro that T-boned at slow speeds driven by a learner driver.

• Few more images of the exteriors.

• The odometer reading captured 2 weeks before. As of now, This should be around 232,500 km:

• Incidentally, I realised that I had published the ownership report of the Ertiga almost exactly 9 years back in Dec 2013 and couldn't help but have these 2 images compared side by side:

[itwasntme]

And we wonder why Maruti-Suzuki is so successful in India! So nice to see your heartwarming experience with the Ertiga.

[audioholic]

As good as day one! Super updates boss!

Originally Posted by itwasntme

And we wonder why Maruti-Suzuki is so successful in India! So nice to see your heartwarming experience with the Ertiga.

A lot of people bash Maruti for not so good quality panels or switch gear(ignore the body and safety stuff) and parts sharing. But little do they understand that when it comes to ageing of these parts, no other brand can come close to MSIL other than maybe Toyota to some extent(but the parts are far more expensive). Bring in a ten year old Tata or Mahindra or even some Germans and there is a vast difference in how well the Maruti has held up being close to brand new. My 14 year old SX4, now with my friend still looks like how it was when we brought it. Except the gear knob which cracked, everything else looks and works like it was on day one.

In case of Parags Ertiga and my SX4 as well, we have been using 100/90 headlights from a long time and they have still not managed to fade away the headlight reflectors. Similarly the other plastics too havent aged much considering how cheap these parts are. Speaks a lot about how the Japs keep their vendors on their toes with respect to quality compared to Tata etc.