[JoshMachine]

Not much of an update except for the fact that the car has gone past the 80,000 km mark now.



As usual, the car doesn't fail to amaze me, what with the FE number still holding its own very well

Due for the 10th service visit now, will update on that one later.

[narayans80]

Nice to see a DQ 200 TDI closing in on the magic 6-figure mark. Bring it on!

[JoshMachine]

Service update

It had been over a year since the previous service update and the car MID had now started flashing the INSP (inspection due) message.
I had the option to delay the servicing for some more time (given that I had not driven much in the last year due to lockdown) but then I thought it prudent to follow the servicing appointments regularly.

So, this time as per schedule it was the 90,000 km maintenance service mark even though the actual odo showed 80,000+ km only. Another major milestone in terms of the service calendar. Thankfully, it was without any major surprise.

There was one major expense but I had been advised to plan for that since the last visit, so the entire servicing experience + expense was predictable.

After my last visit, I was advised to check and plan for the steering box replacement due to play developing in the assembly, resulting in occasional stiff steering, specially on U-turns. Since the problem only accentuated over time, I thought it best to get the replacement done with.
The steering box itself costs Rs. 10,390 but it comes with a set of few other items including mounting & other components which cost another Rs. 2700. The labor for this replacement activity is at an additional Rs.2,200.

Overall, the steering box replacement set me back by Rs. 15,000 and some small change.

As for the standard servicing schedule, it comprised of the regular filter replacements (pollen, fuel, air etc.), VW-spec 5W40 synthetic oil change and a detailed check given the high running of the 90,000 km maintenance - all costing about Rs. 13400.

If I add the above to my previous servicing schedule costs of approx. Rs 67700, then the total amount comes to about Rs. 95,700, averaging to approx. Rs. 15950 for 6 servicing schedules & few running repairs.. Seems reasonable, I would think, over an ownership period of 5.25 years.

Next up, I am availing of the second annual add-on warranty for another peace-of-mind yearly ownership.

[JoshMachine]

Ambition

Time will tell

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by JoshMachine

Next up, I am availing of the second annual add-on warranty for another peace-of-mind yearly ownership.

Bought the second add-on warranty few days ago with 10% discount. Wallet lighter by Rs. 26,440. Getting costly with every subsequent year, courtesy VW's weird policy to jack up the prices every few months or so.
This time round though, had to haggle a lot with the dealer due to the RCD 340 fitment. Looks like some error had cropped up during the scan and they were hesitant to go ahead with that. But sense (am assuming the margins on the warranty must be good) prevailed later and the warranty was issued with the disclaimer that any future RCD problems will be kept out of the coverage.

However, with the annual add-on warranty now secured, I am looking at the bigger picture of yet another comfortable, delightful set of 365 days ahead

Currently, am in the 6th year of the fuss-free ownership for the beautiful TDi DSG Vento.
Everything's like clockwork so far

[JoshMachine]

Over the weekend, drove down to the Tikona fort, about 1.5 hrs drive away from Pune.

Took the Pune - Paud - Hadashi - Tikona route. Road conditions were good in some areas and patchy for some. Concretisation underway at some places.

Just near the base of the fort, there are 2 parking spots, took the one closer to the actual base. Couple of local food serving eateries around, decent enough to have breakfast and lunch. You have to pre-order lunch by the way.

Parking accommodates about 20-25 cars.

Here’s mine getting baked under the sun, in the backdrop of the fort side:-



Had company of the monstrous Lamborghini Urus:-



Was told that the owner was one of Pune’s most respected business man, residing in Kalyani Nagar area of Pune.

Anyways, the trek level was considered to be a “medium” difficulty and we were prepared.

Few pics from the trek...

Sizing up the climb from the base:-



Afterwards, when I checked, the elevation turned out to be approx 1034 metres.

Somewhere midway during the trek, we stopped for a some refreshments (cool cucumber and lemonade), the summit still some distance away:-



And then after the final summit, beautiful views everywhere:-







Overall, we made it to the top in about an hour’s time or so. Stayed there on the top to soak in the sun and some nice breeze!

When we came down, lunch was ready comprising local food, very tasty and fresh.

After a sumptuous meal, we bade goodbye to our co-trekkers and proceeded back home.

Again on this trip, like so many other trips, the Vento was solid and sturdy throughout.
Not once did we feel the strain of the road undulations.

All in all, another set of fond memories for us, courtesy the ever reliable DSG Vento

[JoshMachine]

* Trip to Shrivardhan (God's own courtyard)*

Did a weekend trip to Shrivardhan (wiki).
This is the 2nd time in as many years that we have visited this place.

Such is the tranquility and quaintness of this place, that I have to label it as God's Own Courtyard!

Here's what I mean by tranquility:-



Along with the soft lull of the gentle sea waves lapping on the beach:-



The mesmerising pattern created by the withdrawing sea water:-



Or the warm radiance of the setting sun:-



Beautiful, ain't it!

We stayed at the same place as last time round - Hotel Sea Wind beach resort (website). One of the very good hotels in the region, must admit.
The place is run by former city administrator and has staff brought in from Nepal, Uttar Pradesh. A dedicated and courteous lot.
Super experience staying at this hotel.

This time round, my brother (+his wifey) and my folks had also joined us for the trip. Had good fun just roaming around the quite places.

Enjoyed classical local food, however it was not what we expected in terms of the taste.

Went to Harihareshwar temple as well, which is just 30 min drive from Shrivardhan.

And just like every single time, the Vento took all in its stride. Without flinching a bit. Kudos to the solid engineering that we enjoy our road trips without any hassles

Parting shot:-

[JoshMachine]

Some more months had passed since my previous long drive and I was not able to do enough justice to the Vento's desire to stretch out on the highway, thanks to covid restrictions preventing extensive travelling.

However, as luck would have it, I got a chance to do a Pune- Mumbai - Pune expressway dash couple of weeks ago, to pay a courtesy visit to my extended family in Mumbai.

It felt really great to go out there once again and just drive the car on a lovely, misty Saturday morning. Had been drizzling over some parts of the expressway.

And with some good hits from The Police, Scorpions, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd etc for company - the drive was even more rejuvenating

Clicked some pics along the way:-





This FE benchmark has spoilt me for good



And while I am writing this, there comes this faintest glimmer of "hope" that our office routines might open up in the near future.
Never have I missed my daily 60km office commute so much.

[JoshMachine]

Weekend getaway

It had been almost a month since I had taken out my Vento on yet another long drive.
This time, the family destination chosen was a typical monsoon weekend getaway, a resort named Tikona Farms (https://www.tikonapicnic.com/), about 45km away from where I stay in Warje, Pune.

It was only a day trip but was loaded with all the typical goodness of a family outing - family, kids, songs playing out /crooning along in the car, rains, lush green carpets all around, nice clouds swishing around and ofcourse the destination - a tony resort tucked away near the famous Hadshi lake.

Cross-posting some pictures from this travelogue. (Monsoon weekend getaway near Pune | Trip to Tikona Farms)











It being peak monsoon, the road conditions were just about decent at most places and welcomed us with craters at some other.

However, even with a full load, the Vento behaved very well. Again, thanks to the lovely suspension and overall comfort, nobody complained about the road undulations

With this, the Vento is inching closer to the 83,000 km mark. The 6th birthday is getting closer, will need to plan some TLC

[JoshMachine]

Monsoon duty for the Vento

The Vento did some heavy lifting over the weekend, courtesy the cavernous 490+ liter boot capacity



We, as a family, are so used to such wonderful functional/utilitarian aspects of the Vento, that we have been taking these things for granted over the last 6 years.

[JoshMachine]

Took out the Vento for a short ride sometime ago.

The odo as of today:



Couldn’t resist snapping the rear portrait:



“You don’t analyse such a twilight perfection, you just admire its splendour”

(borrowed from Stephen Fry)

[JoshMachine]

6 years ownership update

Had it not been for covid, the odo would have crossed 1 lakh km by now. But I will let the “What If” situation run another day. The actual reading went past the 83,500 km mark sometime back on the eve of my Vento’s 6th birthday.
And what an eventful 6 years I have experienced so far, with the Night Blue stallion!

I still remember the buying process vividly back in Sept’15 and how just after paying the booking amount, the world swirled around me - yes, with the VW’s emissions scandal coming to the fore.
To stay with the booking in that situation & not cancel, was perhaps one of the most difficult decisions that we (wifey & I) have taken. Thankfully, it has paid off and how, we have actually enjoyed every year of the ownership experience

Well, with every long term ownership perspective, I also want to pen down a summary with my likes and dislikes:-

LIKES
• Ease of driving: the DSG + the linearly responsive EA189 diesel engine makes all driving – city or highway, a wonderful experience. Many a threads have been dedicated to the DSG (for good or bad) so I will not go into that again, but one thing’s clear, I wouldn’t have bought the Vento had this piece of engineering weren’t present in it.

• Ride quality: thanks to the McPherson and the semi-independent link setup, the ride quality is always in comfort mode. I seldom go around carving corners in ghats, just not my preference

• Safety – ESP, ABS (got triggered once), cornering fog lights, anti-pinch windows, Hill-Hold and airbags (well, just couple of them. Never got to use. Hoping it should stay that way). The sheet metal & the overall build quality feels robust & confidence-inspiring

• Ergonomics – the Vento seating is lower but sorted. I am 6’ tall but am able to ingress/egress relatively ok. Not so much for my dad & mom, who need make some efforts to step in/out. But once seated, the firm yet pliant seats and the ergonomic position give you that snug feeling

• Fuel efficiency – like the forum’s hidden gems section, this one too has been a serendipity of sorts for me. Over the last 6 years, I have managed to reach highs of 27+ km/l while the general average FE has been hovering around 20-22 km/l, in city + highway with the air-conditioning ON almost 100%.

• Interiors fit & finish – barring the odd-AC vent control louvre coming loose and the initial door squeaks, almost everything inside the cabin feels like it will stay like that forever. Even today, I hardly hear any rattle. Feels like a tomb if you are just coasting on a highway.
• NVH – the overall NVH levels are good, aiding to the overall ride experience

• Air-conditioning – surprisingly, I have found the cooling to be quite effective (unlike some of the owners who have had some issues with this). Well, I also do other basic stuff like religiously opening up with windows before I step into the car + keep the rear window sun blinds + try to park in shade wherever possible etc. We have undertaken long distance trips from Pune to Bhopal/Nagpur in the peak summer months of April/May, however, found the AC to be doing the needful quite well.

• Design – nowadays the debate for the sedan vs SUV design rages on, with the latter winning. However for us, the simple yet elegant & clean design of the Vento (accentuated by the wonderful Night Blue color) have always held us in awe. It has a very proportionate silhouette and a timeless look to it.

• Cost of maintenance – overall, this factor has been very predictable and reasonable. I have spent close to a lakh till date including regular servicing + running repairs. There have been no bill shocks as such

DISLIKES
• Lack of power – the engine specs state 105 bhp. At times, I have felt this is way too less and have realized I could do with atleast 1.5 -1.7 times more power

• Pedal ergonomics – the dead pedal is probably of no use to me. Being a tall person, I like to sit with the seat pushed back but even inspite of that, I am not comfortable with placing my left leg. I have to make continuous adjustments.

• Headlights – well, the stock lights are totally ineffective. No other way to put it. All the deer can roam around easily without any fear of getting caught in the Vento’s stock headlights. It’s a different thing, that I got the bulbs upgraded to Philip Extreme Vision

• In-Car Entertainment – the original RCD 320 setup was a big downer. No in-built navigation. Just some buttons & switches here and there. Even the humble vanilla ice cream will not take it happily if I were to use the term ‘plain vanilla’ for the Vento’s ICE. Again, I had to upgraded to something better, went for the RCD 340.

• Lack of lumbar support – even I am still in my early 40s, the lack of lumbar support sometimes can be a pain. And this has become pronounced in the last 1-2 years when it comes to long distance travel.

Besides the above, my entire thread has been interspersed with various updates including things like tyre rotation, family trips and how the Vento has fared over long distances, city traffic etc.

To sum it, as you would have gathered, my driving style has been mostly that of a cruiser rather a corner carver. However, it doesn’t mean I am content with the horses on tap!
But since I am not the one to play with the system OEM mech setup, no remaps for me.

I have been paying attention (sometimes, I feel rather too much) to peace of mind rather than being dissatisfied at times
Wonder whether the time has come to upgrade to something powerful, plusher, more pliant?!

However, a related rather interesting perspective I would like to share. In the last 1.5-2 years, there have been already 2 occasions where I had that itch to upgrade.

But every time I felt that my amygdala wanted to hijack my limbic system, my head overrode that by pointing me to this (wonderful?) thread - https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ownin...rade-swap.html (ARTICLE: YOUR 5 year old car : Keep, Upgrade or Swap?).

Alas, only time will tell, how much further can I keep my amygdala in check.

Till then, I will keep on drooling over this handsome steed

Some pics for your viewing pleasure, too:-





And some, under the moonlight (eh, the streetlights too):-







3 cheers for my Vento!

[AKSarkar1]

Loved this thread! Coincidentally, I also happen to own a Vento from 2015 which crossed the 6-year mark recently.

I think VW really outdid themselves with the 2015 facelifted version of the Vento, especially the Highline iteration of the car. Prior to the Vento I also owned a VW Polo but post the 5-year mark the ownership fatigue started to set in and even a few nifty upgrades didn't help, eventually had to let go of that car. However, with the Vento, I have no intentions of an upgrade anytime soon and I can't exactly fathom why that is the case (a happy confusion to have though).

While sadly I don't get to enjoy my car as much as you on the highways, it is always nice to fellow Vento owners make the most of their beasts! 80-90 Kms is still nothing for the Vento, wishing you many more happy miles ahead!

[svmvale]

I have absolutely enjoyed reading your thread and periodic updates.

I own a 2017 Vento TDi Highline AT. Have clocked 94000kms on the odo. Since Apr'20, highway travel has reduced drastically.

I absolutely love the drive train. Very good engine & a super slick DSG unit. Touch wood is been super fun to drive and reliable too. And i drive with a light right foot.

Until 75000kms, all services were done at VW authorized service centre. But for the 90000km service used a known FNG close to my town.

Service Done:

• Timing belt & water pump replacement
  EGCR cleaning
  Engine oil used - MOTUL 8100 xcess
  Replaced all four struts with TRW air suspension
  Replaced DSG gearbox oil
  Steering rack also replaced as per VW service guideline

Tyres : Continental MC5 195x60 R15 - changed during 75000kms service.

Post this overhaul, ride and handling has improved with the new struts.

Most impressed is the drive-ability. Engine is more free revving and engine braking is very less. Feels super smooth. I personally feel, the EGCR cleaning and engine oil is the difference. Wish VW uses, this higher grade oil.

Used TRANSWERKE, Erode, TN as my FNG for the above overhaul. Would recommend them.

A close friend of mine, also with a 2017 Vento Highline TDi AT also did his 90000kms service with the same FNG.

Since both are cars were out of warranty, we used a FNG instead of VW authorized service centre.

Happy Motoring. Cheers.

[JoshMachine]

Originally Posted by svmvale

I have absolutely enjoyed reading your thread and periodic updates.

Thanks a lot

Service Done:

• Timing belt & water pump replacement
  EGCR cleaning
  Engine oil used - MOTUL 8100 xcess
  Replaced all four struts with TRW air suspension
  Replaced DSG gearbox oil
  Steering rack also replaced as per VW service guideline

----
Post this overhaul, ride and handling has improved with the new struts.

Great to know, the original ride of the Vento is already pretty sorted. I can only imagine what this improvement could mean!
Mind sharing the approximate costs of this overhaul, specially the TRW suspensions?

Most impressed is the drive-ability. Engine is more free revving and engine braking is very less. Feels super smooth. I personally feel, the EGCR cleaning and engine oil is the difference.

Were you prompted to do the EGR cleaning by the FNG or is this part of the standard 90k km service routine?

Since both are cars were out of warranty, we used a FNG instead of VW authorized service centre.

Do keep on posting regular updates here, would be eager to know about them