[arun_josie]

Unexpected love affair with an Italian beauty – Fiat Linea MJD 2013



January 4th, 2014: The new year started with a bang for me. It was just another long drive in my Dzire from Bangalore towards Nagercoil (Kanyakumari Dist), the route was through Salem-Dharapuram(had some work there and hence the deviation in route) -Dindugal-Nagercoil) and as always, I was enjoying this long drive as well. I had a close friend for company till Dindugal and then it was a solo drive. Unfortunately, the drive ended abruptly 80Kms before my destination .

For more details on the accident, you can refer to http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/street...d-my-life.html

After discussing with few team-bhpians, friends and family, I decided to go with the IDV pay-out from the insurance company and go for a new car/used car. Sticking to the Dzire meant I will have to spend minimum of 1L from my pocket + resale value will get affected badly + end result of the repair work was a question mark due to some major damages to the under body + Airbag needs to be replaced.

Search for the next car begins with a tight budget for a decent sedan or SUV :
Our original plan for the next car was to take the Dzire till 1.25-1.5L and then move up to XUV500 or the yet-to-be launched SUV from Maruti or SX4 Cross-Over. However due to a limited budget after the accident, our first plan was to look at the used car market. I was very hesitant to look in the used car market due to the fear of the unknown. I was fine with a used car if it comes from close circles or from any distinguished team-bhpians. I was looking at Dzire/SX4 ZDi , or any other well maintained Diesel sedan. But this didn’t click. So, we moved on to the next plan of looking for a new car.


Requirement:

• Diesel Sedan (It was an easy decision because our Dzire was clocking around 2350 KMs per month)
• Good boot space mandatory as we do frequent long drives.
• ABS, Airbag(Driver + Passenger) - Mandatory
• Open for a 7-seater like Ertiga as well (Parents/In-laws visit us occasionally)
• Good FE
• Good build quality
• Good ground clearance (to escape giant speed breakers in Bangalore. We have plans for Leh/Ladhak as well)
• Since it was month of January, we were looking at good discount and fine with 2013 make as well
• We were open to look outside Maruti as well
• Immediate delivery - Mandatory

[arun_josie]

Selection Process - Test drive report

Test Drive Route: We decided to test drive all the cars in the same route so that it will help us to compare easily. The test drive route was the traffic heavy BG road, NICE Road and then some real bad roads off BG road. My wife took the rear seat always during the test drives to experience the back seat comfort.

Ertiga( 3 Test Drives):

Likes:

• Quickly I got the driving position right (May be because I am coming from WagonR and Dzire) and felt very comfortable with the driver seat.
• Ingress and Egress was a breeze
• Very spacious second row, good head-room
• Felt very much like a car
• Didn’t feel that it is under powered, but 1.6/1.5L would have made a big difference.
• Flexibility of 7 seater or Excellent boot space for long drives minus third row
• Good FE
• Excellent Service Network

Dislikes:

• No Climate Control like Dzire
• My wife was not happy in the second row at all, she felt it was very bumpy especially on the uneven NICE road stretches. She said Dzire was excellent in these stretches(I couldn’t believe this). To confirm this we took repeated test drives on different Ertiga from Kalyani Motors, but her feedback was same. So, we put Ertiga on hold.
• After discount ZDi was close to 11L. This was outside our budget. Accessories like seat cover, Reverse sensor etc will take it to 11.2L, way outside our budget.

SX4( Two test drives):

Likes:

• Again, like Ertiga it didn’t take much time to get adjusted to the driving position. I felt very comfortable.
• Ingress and Egress was a breeze
• Braking was good
• Good head-room
• Good ground clearance
• Excellent Service Network

Dislikes:

• Didn’t feel like an upgrade from Dzire
• @11L after discount, it is overpriced – Not a VFM car at all.
• Again my wife was not happy with the rear seat.
• Getting discontinued soon.
• Believe me, I was told a waiting period of 2 months since manufacturing is done based on orders.

Fiesta Classic(Two Test drives):
This is the second time we are having a try @ Ford. Before booking Dzire in 2011, we were more interested in Fiesta Classic, but a bad dealership experience @ Lathangi made sure that we move away from Ford. This time again we had to check @ Lathangi since this dealer is closer for us,

Likes:

• VFM pricing, top end was around 9.4L
• My wife was happy with the rear seat ride quality
• Build quality looked good
• Proven diesel engine

Dislikes:

• Didn’t feel like an upgrade from Dzire because no climate control, skinny tyres, under powered when compared to Dzire, interior quality was not great etc.
• I was not happy with the driver seat, especially the under-thigh support.
• I was not happy with the attitude shown by Ford Lathangi/Elite. Especially, no proper and swift response for test drives. Had to follow-up with them so many times before they would come for a test drive.
• 20days – 30days waiting period

XUV 500 (Two Test drives):
Despite being obviously out of our budget, we couldn’t resist taking this for a test drive.

Likes:

• Very Spacious
• Noise level was very low considering the engine size
• Umpteen features
• I was very happy with the driver seat and the steering comfort.
• I am hearing good customer service from Mahindra, at least they are improving

Dislikes:

• To be frank, I didn’t find any cons apart from what is mentioned in the niggles thread.
• Pricing outside our reach

Skoda Rapid:
I was interested in this because there was an offer going on in which the down-payment was around 3.5L and EMI starts after 15months(this offer was for 2013 models only). This very much suited to our financial situation and hence we showed interest despite the –ve feedbacks on their customer service. But, top end models were sold out under this scheme. I checked with all the dealers in Bangalore but in vain.

Vento:
I have done a test drive couple of years back and liked its power, stability, build quality. But it was outside our budget at around 11.5L for top end.

Verna/New Honda City:
These were dropped since the variants that we were looking at were outside our budget.

Ritz/Punto:
I also thought of Ritz and Punto but my wife was not interested because of less boot space.

Linea MJD Emotion(Two Test drives):
This is our second attempt on Linea. Previously we ignored Linea due to ground clearance, but this time with good ground clearance we were interested in it. Some time back I drove my cousin’s Linea MJD from Bangalore to Nagercoil(670 Kms) and I was impressed with its handling on the highway. I had a discussion with KarthikK and Krishna(nkrishnap) and they suggested me to go with a test drive since some good discounts were going on for 2013 models.

Likes:

• Build quality
• Handling on highways
• Bigger tires
• Leather Seating
• Awesome looks despite being around for a long time
• Features like rain sensing wipers, auto lighting, Blue and Me

Dislikes:

• Driver seating position, as it was low compared to Dzire.
• Limited Service Network
• Niggles, especially the quality of their spare parts
• Ride quality was stiff to my liking especially on the city/bad roads

After the entire test drives on all the options we considered, we decided to go with Fiesta Classic or Linea MJD. Maruti lost out because SX4 is not a VFM at all and Ertiga was not in our range but still I was keeping this in mind.

[arun_josie]

Fiesta Classic Vs Linea MJD Emotion

The difference in price after estimation of accessories for Fiesta, came to around 50K-70K.

What we get in Linea for this 50-70K difference (approx)

• Leather seating
• Excellent ground clearance
• Bigger tires
• Auto lighting
• Rain sensing wipers
• Auto up/down for driver side windows, auto down for other windows
• RTO-approved tinted windows including the front windscreen
• Classy look
• Climate control
• Blue and Me - Bluetooth and USB connectivity to mobile phones
• Driver hand-rest
• Sun screen at the rear wind screen
• Much better interiors
• Immediate delivery

Final Decision: We decided to go with Linea and the only concern about the car that we considered was that this car was lying idle with the dealer for close to 9 months. However, we couldn’t find anything suspicious. The explanation given by the dealer was, this car was booked for some government office and after a long delay, they dropped the booking due to some internal issues. KarthikK helped with a thorough PDI and we couldn’t find any major red-flag issues with the car.

With all the above positives and after having one more discussion with KarthiK, Krishna(nkrishnap), my cousin and going through multiple Linea/Punto ownership threads, we decided to take the plunge with Fiat. Ertiga would have been a very close contender if not for my wife’s feedback .

[arun_josie]

Dealership Experience @ Vecto Motors:

I would say this experience could have been lot better if not for the Service Advisor who handled this sale.

• Before payment, the SA was very responsive and was answering my queries. But after the payment, his attitude changed a lot and after delivery he almost stopped responding to my calls.

• During the PDI, myself and KarthikK requested for a battery change as the stock battery has almost died during the PDI. The SA agreed and confirmed for a battery change. I noted down the battery number.

• ]But during the delivery, I noted that the battery was not changed, I pointed the same to the SA but he said that it was changed. When I said the battery number is same then he said it was given for replacement but after testing it was found that the battery is good and hence they charged it and fitted back. I was not happy at all with this response because I was sure that they didn’t take any action at all. As suspected, just before the delivery, the car wouldn’t start. This time Krishna(nkrishnap) intervened with Vecto Motors and made sure that the battery was changed.

• Also, I had pointed few other minor things to SA during the PDI but nothing was taken care.

• The final on road pricing came to 10.25L which also includes zero-depreciation insurance policy and extended warranty.

My elder son collecting the keys,



With his cousin,


My younger son,

Service Experience @ Vecto Motors:

• The positive I see in them is they don’t hesitate to go the extra mile to satisfy the customer.
• They don’t make any fuss about parts replacement under warranty. They try to make sure that the issue is getting resolved no matter what.
• At times we may get some vague response as well. So, we should make sure that we are talking to the right person.
• Servicing is done only on prior appointment. It’s not possible to just drive-in and leave the car for servicing.
• Recently they have opened a service center on Mysore road as well.
• Overall, I would rate them good considering my experience with them till now.

[arun_josie]

Likes after driving 13000+ Kms(132 days/4months and 13 days):

• Engine: Definitely this car requires 1.6MJD. At the same time, 1.3MJD doesn’t disappoint you as well. Pickup is not great especially when I compare with my previous Dzire. Life starts at 3rd gear for this car and from then on, it’s a pleasure to drive. But not in Vento/Rapid league.
• Looks/Exteriors: Despite being a 5 year old model, it still looks good when compared to the new comers on the road.
• On Highway: Excellent stability, feels much planted, corners can be taken at good speeds, gives a secured feeling due the build quality and length of the bonnet area.
• Steering: It gives excellent feedback and gets little tightened as the speed increases. Also, steering can be tilted up/down.
• Clutch: Its butter smooth but has a long travel. It takes some time to get used to it, especially on bumper to bumper traffic.
• Gear Shifts are smooth as well.
• Brakes: Excellent braking, you can expect it to stop in a straight line even at good speeds.
• Fuel Efficiency: Fulltank-Fulltank(top-up) Lowest: 13.04 Highest: 19.94. Based on MID: Lowest: 13.40 Highest: 21. Most of my city drives are on the traffic-heavy Bannerghatta road.

Thanks to Anurag for assisting with the above chart.

• MID, some good information here - Instant FE, Trip FE, Avg Speed, Range based on the fuel balance, has Trip A and Trip B.
• Excellent ground clearance, no need to worry while taking the mega speed breakers in Bangalore roads
• Auto headlight is a good feature and helps while entering underpass, basement parking etc.
• Happy with the head lights/fog lamps, didn’t feel a need for an upgrade to 100/90 which I felt with my previous Dzire.
• I like the rain sensing wipers, it is helpful and even there is an option to adjust the wiper speed automatically. Also, the wipers do an excellent job during rains.
• Horn, I would say it is good
• Driver arm rest is a boon during long drives. It has some storage space as well and it is height adjustable.
• Decent music system, no complaints there
• Auto-up/Auto-Down of driver side window is a nice feature. We will feel the need especially @ the tolls. It comes with Auto-Down for all other windows as well.
• You can set speed limit warning, I normally set it at 100/120 based on the stretch I am taking and it gives a long beep when we touch this limit.
• You get a beep when hand brake is ON and you try to move
• When any of the doors is not locked properly, it displays which door is not locked along with a warning light.

• Driver seat belt warning is there. You hear a loud beep if the vehicle is moving when the driver seat belt is not engaged.
• Excellent Boot space, no worries during long drives. Boot can be opened either using the keys or using the button inside the car.
• All glasses are tinted including the front/rear windscreen
• It comes with a Sun-Screen as well, for the rear wind screen

• Bigger tyres (205/55/R16) and 16 inch alloys
• Factory fitted Leather Seating

• Rear Seat comes with Hand rest/Storage/Cup holders.
• The comfort level/back support in rear seat is good, this is the feedback that I get from the rear seat passengers.

• I like the Thud Sound that comes from the front doors while closing.
• Double cranking is not possible. If the engine turns off accidentally then we will have to turn off the key completely and then start again.

Some interior pics,

[arun_josie]

Dislikes:

• Driving position (awkward)/Driver Seat, it took some time before getting adjusted to the driving position and driver seat. For my height, I have to push the seat back than the normal position. Also not as comfortable as my previous Dzire as under-thigh support is not adequate.
• I find the Foot rest/Clutch area little cramped, especially when I am wearing shoes.
• Pathetic 1st and 2nd gear ratio. At slow speeds in bumper to bumper to traffic or while taking speed breakers, I have to down shift to first gear. Even on some inclines, I have to come down to 1st gear. I didn’t face this issue with Dzire
• Ride quality on patches/bad roads is hard, could be due to the suspension which is little stiff and also the Goodyear tyres are very hard. I planned for a change to Michelin 3ST during delivery, but decided against tyre change at the last moment
• Wind noice @80+ Kmh speed, looks like this is due to the ORVM design
• No bottle holders on the doors. Very less space to leave your personal paraphernalia in the cabin.
• Niggles despite 5 years since launch
• Less Service Centers, requires appointment for normal servicing as well. I miss MASS here.
• USB port is in a weird location, its inside the glove box
• Sun glass holder is just above the driver side door. Since I am tall, when on bad road or trying look behind on the right side, I get a hit on my head.

Neutrals:

• Rear seat space/leg room is limited considering the size of the car. But the seats are comfortable.
• A/C Effect: It is inconsistent. Some times excellent and at times average. For rear seat, especially when the outside temperature is around 24 degrees and when the inside temperature is set to 20-22 degrees it is average. Not sure what exactly is causing this issue.
• Steering is adjustable but it hides the MID console at certain heights.
• Ingress and Egress is little difficult as this is a low slung vehicle.
• Rear window doesn’t goes down completely
• No indicators in the ORVM(Now they have introduced in New Linea.)

[arun_josie]

Issues faced/Parts changed under warranty:

• Battery was changed on the delivery day.
• Front (right/left) shock absorbers replaced, it was giving some sound while going on rough patches.
• Front Wind Screen replaced due uneven finish on the borders with the sealant coming out.
• Hand Brake was not working intermittently and hence replaced.
• Rear right side door lock/latch was not locking/unlocking intermittently and hence replaced.

Service Experience @ Vecto Motors:

• The positive I see in them is they don’t hesitate to go the extra mile to satisfy the customer.
• They don’t make any fuss about parts replacement under warranty. They try to make sure that the issue is getting resolved no matter what.
• At times we may get some vague response as well. So, we should make sure that we are talking to the right person.
• Servicing is done only on prior appointment. It’s not possible to just drive-in and leave the car for servicing.
• Recently they have opened a service center on Mysore road as well.
• Overall, I would rate them good considering my experience with them till now.

My Overall impression on Fiat based on my current experience

• Excellent products, Linea and Punto. But to compete with other majors they will have to improve the Quality Control which can reduce the niggles and give confidence to the prospective customers or the one waiting at the fence. Bringing down the price is just not enough to attract new customers. Also, they require few more products, Service centers to make an impact.
• They don’t make any fuss in changing parts under warranty but obviously it increases our visit to the service center when it is outside our regular servicing visit.
• The Fiat dealer, Vecto Motors does a good job in resolving the issues. They make sure that the customer is satisfied. Also, they do provide loaner cars if the case really justifies one.
• Despite poor sales, good to see them maintaining the build quality and not compromising it for the price.
• We need some patience to enjoy this product especially when there are initial niggles.
• New Linea looks more matured, hope its free from niggles.

[arun_josie]

A word about my previous cars:

Fiat Padmini: First car in our family, my dad used to drive this one and the car which pulled me towards driving. I learned and stabilized my driving skill in this car.

Wagonr Lxi: 5 years and around 63000 Kms, during my entire ownership I never came up with any reliability issues or spare parts quality issue. No niggles as well.

This was the last pic before selling the car,



Dzire ZDI(Diesel): 2 years 8 Months and 74493 Kms, again no quality issues or reliability issues. Only the rear axle was changed at around 60K Kms under warranty for a tyre wear issue. You know what? This tyre wear issue was minor with the tyre life going till 48K Kms. But still MASS went ahead and replaced the axle. Not sure if this will happen with any other Manufacturer.

And the last pic before the accident, @3M HSR


Maruti:

• Both Wagonr and Dzire were very reliable and I still feel that they are cheap to maintain when compared to other competitors in the market.
• Excellent Service network
• In case of any issues or unsatisfied service experience, it is easy to escalate and they are very open to hear our concerns/issues and address the same. Also, the feedback are taken very seriously.

[arun_josie]

Some random pics during my Kanyakumari trip,

[arun_josie]

Some random pics during my Hyderabad trip, thanks to my friend Goutam for these pics,

[arun_josie]

Finally, I would like to thank team bhpians KarthikK, nkrishnap, speedsatya, and the multiple Linea/Punto threads which helped to decide on Fiat Linea, especially when I was NOT a Fiat fan.

Here is what my wife has to say about Linea:

Excellent car. Back seat comfort is very good. Sometimes, the cooling effect of the A/C isn’t consistent, even with the blower on for the back seat. The front-seat passengers will be freezing while those in the back are sweating. Great boot space when traveling long distance with 2 kids in tow. You know how it is to travel with kids. One has to pack a village for a 2-day trip. No bottle holder on the doors. Leg space is crammed if the front-seat passengers decide to push back their seats. That being said, it’s a stable car to be in, while on the highways.

And now the land mark, 13000 KMs in 132 days(4months and 13 days)

[arun_josie]

Dash Camera: Mini DVR 0801

Purchased from: http://www.aliexpress.com
Link to the Product: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Mini-...858074589.html

Review of this Dash Camera:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdPHXv8Hzj8&app=desktop

Price: It was around 100$
Storage: Bought a 32GB Samsung card

Likes:

• It is fitted on the windscreen using a double side sticker.
• Its directly behind the Rear view mirror and hence it is not a obstruction for driver as well as passengers.
• No wires hanging in front of you.
• No shaking.
• Good clarity.
• It captures time, speed and GPS coordinates.
• Option to click pics as well.
• The wire goes along the border of the windscreen, then below the glove box and reaches the power point.

View from the driver seat,



Here are couple of videos,

The files are stored in .mov format and hence when we convert to .mp4 and upload the same to youtube the clarity is lost big time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My_P7CVhleg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQ6zH4cy_Q0

Here is a pic from the above video captured before converting the file,

[manson]

Thread moved to Test-Drives & Initial Ownership Reports section. Thanks for sharing.

[a4anurag]

Let me be the first to CONGRATULATE you for buying this absolutely good looking car.

Undoubtedly nothing comes close to the design and build quality but I am shocked with the niggles you faced along with the parts changed within such short time. On the matter of fact, most of the parts should last the life of the car (except battery).

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Battery was changed on the delivery day.

What was the reason for the failure and what brand is it?

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Front (right/left) shock absorbers replaced, it was giving some sound while going on rough patches.

Manufacturing defect, Eh?! What was the diagnosis from Fiat for this?

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Front Wind Screen replaced due uneven finish on the borders with the sealant coming out.

Clearly manufacturing negligence from Fiat. What the QA team doing when this car was rolling out of the line?!

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Hand Brake was not working intermittently and hence replaced.

Was it the handbrake cable fault?

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Rear right side door lock/latch was not locking/unlocking intermittently and hence replaced.

This issue too seems vague and was the latch part only replaced or the door locking mechanism changed?

I wish you long long happy miles with this car.

Anurag.

[desdemona]

Congratulations man! You've chosen well, specially given all your highway driving en famille, it just has the best-in-class harmonics of ride-handling-steering-braking-safety-comfort! All the best.

I too have a white Linea, a 2010 1.4 petrol, have been lucky I guess: no niggles, rattles or squeaks. One or two fit and finish non-issues inside. Fiat did do a recall-type action to replace the clutch cylinder. And that's all.

Engines, transmission, electricals, electronics, suspension, plastics, paint and body work are of fantastic quality and reliability. But there are potentially , as in your case, irritants like the door locking mechanism etc.

The car needs a bit of care and attention IF one is fastidious, otherwise it will, like all Fiats, last forever. Am glad to hear of the Vecto Motors FASS being good and diligent.

cheers, and may you, your family and your Linea be safe on those highways you frequent!