[PrasannaDhana]

Update: 1,16,000 km done



A few pics after a nice home wax treatment










With the cute little Tata



With another vehicle of mine

[PrasannaDhana]

Update

Odo : 1,16,700 km

Yes, that's 700 km in 4 days because I did two 250km trips in 2 consecutive days. And one of the trips proved to be disastrous on the ciaz

While I was driving slowly through rural landscape of coconut rich Peravurani town, a big coconut fell from a 50ft tall tree on the roof of the ciaz. It sounded like a big thunder inside the cabin and all I noticed was a small inward dent into the cabin.

"Damn!", I thought and got out to see a large dent on the passenger side of the roof. Being the guy that has a nasty temper during such sorrowful situations, I pushed the roof hard from the inside. It fell back into place, albeit a couple of small nasty dents that can't be done anything.

Visited the Maruti A.S.S, and they told me they will have to vaccum it up and paint will be gone during the process and they will have to repaint it. I got totally disappointed as I am a great hater for repaints. No repaint matched the factory painting, ever.

I have decided to let the dents be there, like "Drishti". But the first thought I had when I got out of the car to see the damage after the incident was "sell it, bugger, sell the car".

I don't know if its my genetics(my dad sold our brilliant first gen Swift diesel at 6th year mark because he had a minor accident) or typical south Indian sentiment. I am fighting the urge to sell it for a new car. Thankfully Corona has made sure my finances are a bit tight that I can't currently buy the car I like.

This is the effect of impact



You can see the damn tree's reflection



The after-effect of a hard push from the inside





This one bothers me though. There is a small gap between the headliner and the cabin light/sunglass holder console. It wouldn't fit in.



It totally spoiled my day. I drove the return leg of journey (125 km) for 3 hours. I usually do it in half that time. Somewhere in my mind, it is constantly telling me to replace the ciaz with any car that I can currently afford.

Maruti's light build definitely is a concern. I am just glad it was a coconut and not a damn branch of some other tree, and it wasn't the windshield that bore the impact. I don't think my Storme would have had such a damage for a coconut impact.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Maruti's light build definitely is a concern. I am just glad it was a coconut and not a damn branch of some other tree, and it wasn't the windshield that bore the impact. I don't think my Storme would have had such a damage for a coconut impact.

This is exactly where a ribbed roof would have made a difference I feel.

Both my cars, WagonR and Ertiga have ribbed roof and I had once stood on the roof of the WagonR to change the bulb of my parking when I was staying at an independent house. One can easily make out the difference on how a ribbed roof is indeed dent proof during such events. However, I can't imagine the Ciaz to have a ribbed roof. It just won't look good at all.

[Latheesh]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

This is exactly where a ribbed roof would have made a difference I feel.

It is both good and bad!

Ribbed roof will not cave in this much (like the one above), but pushing it back from inside may not be possible with ribbed roof.

@PrasannaDhana - Your muscle job on that roof is pretty good.

[paragsachania]

Originally Posted by Latheesh

It is both good and bad!.

Absolutely and here is something where the bad happened and I was thinking about the good .

[ike]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Update

"Damn!", I thought and got out to see a large dent on the passenger side of the roof. Being the guy that has a nasty temper during such sorrowful situations, I pushed the roof hard from the inside. It fell back into place, albeit a couple of small nasty dents that can't be done anything.

Sorry to hear about it bro, but stuff happens and sometimes we have to grin and bear it. exactly two years ago on the same day a mango fell on my S cross while it was in MASS for a service. I was right beside the car when it happened luckily, else I don't think they would have admitted to it happening in their premises. They did pull out the dent for free but did a shoddy job with the painting though. The less said about Maruti build quality the better

The area just caved in like food grade foil and this can't be pushed in from beneath too, there are 2 layers. Even the most expensive Maruti is still a Maruti.

[PrasannaDhana]

Ciaz was sent for wheel alignment today.



I went to Maruti truvalue first and then to cars24 to get my car evaluated.

Truvalue guys are well known to me. They told me they will send the quote in a few hours but are yet to do it.

Cars24 were very professional, took time to inspect the car and also did a test drive with me along.

They asked me how much I was expecting. I replied 6 lakhs and they told me they will have to upload inspection report and wait for the auction to happen to finalise quote.
After 2 hours they called me and quoted 4.75 lakhs telling me "Sir, the car is in excellent condition, your maintenance is pukka but the mileage is almost 1.2 lakh km and it's going to be 5 years, it's bs4 and non SHVS, that's why the quote is 4.75 lakhs".

I told them I won't budge below 5.75 lakhs and hung up. They called back in the evening saying that they had a discussion with their headoffice and are ready to offer 5.25 lakhs, and even 5.5 is possible. I told them I have received 5.5 quote from an individual already and am trying to push it to 5.75 lakhs.

An hour ago, I received this message



I guess they will finalise 5.7 if I insist a bit longer. I am in a minor dilemma here. I am thinking about pre-owned 2015 Jettas / 2018+ Rapids diesel manuals. Not sure if maintenance will be an issue though. Also, I have seen many instances of tampered odos and shabby FNG services done.

Head says "retain the car"
Heart says "Buy a D segment used car"

In case I decide to sell, cars24 requires a 8k commission + 1.7k (for instant amount transfer). I will be left to decide between new and pre-owned routes. I don't like to go for loans, which means I might be able to afford new Figo Titanium Blu diesel or Altroz XM diesel at best.

I need to enroll into meditation classes I guess, I seem to be deciding polar opposites between morning and evening.

But for sure, the moment of that impact of coconut keeps me thinking about selling the beloved ciaz. It may sound weird, but it is what it is.

[ike]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Ciaz was sent for wheel alignment today.

But for sure, the moment of that impact of coconut keeps me thinking about selling the beloved ciaz. It may sound weird, but it is what it is.

It seems to me that you have been bitten by the upgrade bug and have decided to sell your car. That coconut falling may seem like the catalyst, but we all know that is something that can be repaired and won't really affect the car's performance. Why else would you take the time to visit true value/cars 24 ? I think it's fair enough too, the car is 5 years and 120k KMS old.

If it is recommendations that you are looking for, just put up a thread in what car section and I'm sure you will get excellent pointers as usual.

[McLaren Rulez]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

I guess they will finalise 5.7 if I insist a bit longer. I am in a minor dilemma here. I am thinking about pre-owned 2015 Jettas / 2018+ Rapids diesel manuals.

The Rapid might be better built than the Ciaz but it will not feel like a proper upgrade. And do you really want to take your chances with a 2015 Jetta over your car? They might be cheap to buy but the hit to the wallet comes as maintenance.

The price you're getting for the Ciaz is quite good though but I think it would be better to either stretch for a bigger upgrade or hold onto the current car for more time.

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by ike

If it is recommendations that you are looking for, just put up a thread in what car section and I'm sure you will get excellent pointers as usual.

Yes, I need to do that.

Originally Posted by McLaren Rulez

The Rapid might be better built than the Ciaz but it will not feel like a proper upgrade. And do you really want to take your chances with a 2015 Jetta over your car? They might be cheap to buy but the hit to the wallet comes as maintenance.

The price you're getting for the Ciaz is quite good though but I think it would be better to either stretch for a bigger upgrade or hold onto the current car for more time.

True, Rapid isn't an upgrade. When it comes to NVH and space it is a downgrade. But ride is almost as good as ciaz and the build quality , performance are way better.


We have a 2013 rapid TDI in the family with 1.7 lakh km on odo. The suspension noise is bad inspite of replacing the suspension, but the engine is a gem.


PS : Update on resale value : Cars24 5.6 lakhs, Truvalue 5.75 lakhs. I am happy that the resale is really good for the mileage.

[PrasannaDhana]

Update:

Cars24 guys have been calling and trying to convince me 5.6 lakhs is a great price. Mean while I happened to meet another individual buyer through Truvalue. He was also an automobile enthusiast, already owning a few cars including VW GT 1.5 TDI and a Jetta 2.0 TDI DSG. He quoted 5.25. I really didn't want to sell it anyways and half heartedly showed the car.

I made up my mind that if the magic number 5.75 is hit, I will let it go or else it stays for another 6 months atleast.

The new car bug was still very much there and I decided to sell my 40k run 2016 Kwid 1.0 away. Test drove Tiago facelift and loved the little car.

Top end XZ+ Dual tone is 7.2 lakhs on road with 15k discount and 10k exchange bonus.

The car looks stunning in all colours just like the Altroz. The interior is really nicely put together and the car felt solid. The seats were comfortable and the Harman ICE was superb. 85PS was peppy and the fully digital instrument console was an icing on cake. The flat bottom steering wheel, diamond cut 15 inch alloys and the rear camera were nice touches.

Most importantly 4* GNCAP rating and cute looks made me go for it. I may book it tomorrow. Primary user will be my dad. I loved the flashy red, superb grey and blue colours while my dad liked it to be elegant, and hence white dial tone with black roof.

Delivery will be on my dad's birthday, 29 the of this month But that is only provided that the kwid gets a decent resale at Tata dealer. Showing it for evaluation tomorrow.

Look at this beauty, the polo of the A segment

[Redline6800]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Update:
I made up my mind that if the magic number 5.75 is hit, I will let it go or else it stays for another 6 months atleast.

Hi Prasanna, your Ciaz is another example that modern cars are built to last and can rack up the kms reliably with regular servicing.

Why dont you put the car up for sale on TBHP classifieds?

That is how I found my 5 year old pre-worshipped VW Jetta, which I purchased at 98,000 km.

You car looks immaculate and would easily serve another careful owner for 5 more years at Maruti Swift money.

You may find the upgrade from the Ciaz to be quite expensive, you may need to spend 1.5 to 2 times, the money of a new Ciaz

The new Honda City could be a very good option or even a used Honda Civic at approx 20-22L. The XUV 300 could also be another good option.

Or in a different league would be this - http://classifieds.team-bhp.com/buy-...olvo/S60.html/

We actually considered it but dropped since we stay in BLR.

[Mile10]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

Update

Visited the Maruti A.S.S, and they told me they will have to vaccum it up and paint will be gone during the process and they will have to repaint it. I got totally disappointed as I am a great hater for repaints. No repaint matched the factory painting, ever.

Hi Prasanna, I have been an avid reader of your thread and the constant updates that you post on the Car. Being a fellow Ciaz Zdi owner as well, I'm always fascinated with the mileage you achieve and the reliability of the car. It has always been like a benchmark for my car.

So when you did actually post about the incident of the coconut falling on the roof, I did feel quite sad and I can understand totally what you are going through. I'm aware that you are looking at possible upgrades and have decided to sell the car if you get your desired price.

Would just like to bring to your notice however that I had another friend of mine who had a similar incident with his Red Polo a few years back. He didn't want to sell his car or repaint it since he was worried about matching it to the factory finish, so he eventually decided to get a 3M roof wrap in gloss black after removing the dent. I must say it completely changed the look of the car and gave it a new lease of life. So something for you to mull over!

[samay300]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

But for sure, the moment of that impact of coconut keeps me thinking about selling the beloved ciaz. It may sound weird, but it is what it is.

Hi Prasanna sir, I have been reading your thread for quite a long time. I have read all your threads related to the long term review of your Ciaz right from the start. As a car Enthusiast, I have strongly felt how passionately and with utmost care you have maintained your car and you have inspired me for doing the same. Sir, I completely understand how irritating it feels to have a dent on a car but as long as the dent is not that major I think you should live with it and do the necessary repairs because I think for people like us that's the beauty of maintaining a car. Sir your Ciaz is in immaculate condition.

Sir I want to see your Ciaz with 2,00,000kms in the odo completely driven and maintained by yourself. I want this because it's really inspiring.

Sir you bought this car brand new, single handedly driven it and maintained it. It has a feeling attached with it. You know nothing can go wrong with it. And exchanging such a pristine car with a pre-owned car in my opinion is not worth it. Not in the sense that pre-owned cars are bad or something , but I feel ( it's just my opinion, opinion can differ from person to person) your Ciaz doesn't deserve a pre-owned replacement. If you really want sell your Ciaz then go for a new car. But Sir as I said earlier, I want to see your Ciaz clock 2,00,000 kms or also the fancy no. 2,22,222

[PrasannaDhana]

Originally Posted by Redline6800

You car looks immaculate and would easily serve another careful owner for 5 more years at Maruti Swift money.



Or in a different league would be this - http://classifieds.team-bhp.com/buy-...olvo/S60.html/
.

Thank you pal, I think the car will serve me for the next 5 years on a hatchback money.

Regarding used luxe marques, I run away from large maintenance bills. So it is a big NO NO.

Originally Posted by Mile10

Would just like to bring to your notice however that I had another friend of mine who had a similar incident with his Red Polo a few years back. He didn't want to sell his car or repaint it since he was worried about matching it to the factory finish, so he eventually decided to get a 3M roof wrap in gloss black after removing the dent. I must say it completely changed the look of the car and gave it a new lease of life. So something for you to mull over!

Thank you Mile for the suggestion.
For now, I have decided to let it be the way it is, atleast until Covid19 parts ways with us.

Originally Posted by samay300

Sir I want to see your Ciaz with 2,00,000kms in the odo completely driven and maintained by yourself. . . . , I want to see your Ciaz clock 2,00,000 kms or also the fancy no. 2,22,222

This made my day brother! Thank you so much. I look forward to that day too.


Update:



Ciaz has completed 1,18,000 km on the odo. June has averaged 100km a day so far. So, the 5th anniversary is just about 35 days away, which means the car would have completed 1,20,xxx km. 3.5 years to 70k km and 50k km in the last 18 months! The usage is going to go higher and not the other way.

Moreover, I had a dozen sleepless nights over the confusion of selling/retaining the car, over the prices offered by various people, over various pre-owned cars that I was about to buy, about new small cars I was planning to replace my kwid with. Though I knew what I needed to do, I did post a poll on this forum asking suggestions from fellow BHPians about the options I had for ciaz replacement / retaining the ciaz. As I expected and wanted, 75% of them voted for retaining the ciaz. I had already decided on it and the poll sealed the decision rather concretely.

More than anything, I realised that the love for our car is something that will NOT be considered in the used car market. For them, the odometer reading and the physical outward appearances matter more. Only one among the many people who wanted to buy my car was even slightly interested whether I have service records of the car. No one cares about how many people drive the car regularly, and the fact that the car has been driven all the km on the odo by one single driver doesn't mean anything to them, unlike the number of owners in the RC. No one really showed interest over how the roof got dented, nor how there are small surface level scratch marks at the lower part of the front fender. No one cared about the tyres nor when the clutch/battery was replaced. Well, I can keep ranting, but it is a fact that a lot of people who want to buy an used car, buy it because they need a car at less than half its original price.

And yes, no one is going to take care of your car like you cared. It may be any car, be it a Mercedes or a Maruti, the emotion and the attachment are the same. 120k km is a lot of km for a man to have spent with the car, and as some of the BHPians rightly pointed out, there is this connection that is strongly established. Imagine the hours spent behind the wheel, hours spent washing and cleaning it, hours spent on maintenance and other stuff. A mere 3 bundles of 2000 rupee notes of resale does not mean much if you think about how well the car has served you. The best part is, there is no signs of it slowing down in serving me in any way.

Ciaz is going to stay a long time indeed. Thank you everyone for tolerating my oscillations over here.

A few shots from the routine highway drive to work from today





And that side profile




My kwid replacement plan with Tiago didn't go as expected as my dad didn't like the Tiago after the test drive. There is something with the old people that keeps them away from Tata and sticks them with Maruti. I decided to go ahead with the sweet new swift 1.2 ZXI MT. But God(and Covid19) had other plans.

Since the lockdown, I have had almost 0 income but the need to buy a new vehicle was there for sure, along with the moral responsibility to pay my employees. I had to spend on it this time or else i will have to lose a lot of progress in the coming times. And my habit of staying away from loans and hypothecation made it sure I had to spend a lot over this purchase (24 lakhs in total). Well, this is the one that we have booked now- Swaraj Mazda LTD - S7 52+1 seater school bus for one of my schools



I may post a new thread on selection process of this bus purchase and an ownership review (lol) in the coming days.

New cars have to wait. Kwid is at 43k km on odo after 4 years. With a new set of tyres (probably 165 sections), it will be good to go for another year or two.