2002 Fiat Palio ELX - 80,000 kms. review

sumitmitra · 23rd July 2007, 16:35

Hello Everyone !!!

This is my first post on Team-BHP. I have been an avid reader of all the "gyaan" for quite some time and became a registered member recently.

Last Friday, my 2002 crossed, what I thought was a major milestone of 80,000 kms. in my 5 years and 1 month of ownership. I bought the car in 2002 in Delhi and have visited Mussorie, Agra, Jaipur, driven from Delhi to Pune, done countless Mumbai - Pune trips (best time on Expressway - 55 mins for 94 kms

), Mahabaleshwar and Coorg. Apart from this me and my car braved the infamous 26/7 downpour in Mumbai spending more 16 hours stranded in soaking rains and having driven through headlight level water - but my Palio managed to get me safely to Pune through this deluge.

In the last 5 years plus of ownership, I had only one major problem which cropped up around 60,000 kms. when my AC wasn't cooling enough. Problem was diagnosed to a corrosion in the AC copper tubes which run behind the dashboard. The condensation outside the tubes turned the accumulated dust to slush which over time corroded the tubes.

Apart from this I have had 1 accident where a mobike guy managed to come on the wrong side of the road and bang head on in the center of the car from front, damaging my radiator.

The car has never given me any other problems and all my servicing has been during the recommended 7,500 kms. at the authorised service stations (Samyak Auto in Delhi, Ashwamegh in Pune and the latest 75,000 kms. at B.U.Bhandari at Pune). I have always found servicing the car to be an easy experience with knowledgeable staff (contrary to the experience of many others).

I changed my tyres first at 45,000 kms. to Michelin Certis along with Aura alloys. However, these seem to have worn quite quickly and I have recently changed the front tyres to Goodyear GT III and plan to change the rear ones soon.

I have been tracking my mileage consistently through all the years in an Excel sheet and I have been getting consistently between 12 and 13.5 kmpl, with an all time best of 15.4 kmpl. Of course, I am lucky not to have too much of 2nd / 3rd gear driving in stop and go traffic in my daily commute.

All in all my experience with my Palio has been fantastic. I love the drive and its been like a loyal companion with the bond growing stronger by the day.

moralfibre · 23rd July 2007, 17:38

Good review Sumit. Have you kept a copy of your service bills? Would help us know how much you have spent in all to maintain your car till 80,000 kms.

Hellcat · 23rd July 2007, 17:42

Good to see one more Happy Palio owner. Nice review.

Hellcat

gemithomas · 23rd July 2007, 17:43

Good review sumit. You seem to be loving your FIAT. All the best. And luckily it seems that your service centre guys are doing a good job since you have not complained. Where do you service the car and how are they at the job?

Firebird · 23rd July 2007, 19:56

Nice review sumit. I am at just 10% of what you have covered. Hoping that sometimes even I will be able to reach that level.

Felt nice to see your affection towards the car.

ravibhat · 23rd July 2007, 20:01

Thats nice revew, Its awasome machine. Iam sure you love your beast.

Enjoy your ride.

Regards,

Ravi.

akroy · 23rd July 2007, 20:13

Awesome Review Sumit and Welcome to the Forum....nice to see a fully satisfied Palio owner after 80K km of fun....

Abhi

extreme_torque · 23rd July 2007, 20:39

Are the mileage figures for city driving?

finneyp · 24th July 2007, 00:26

Nice Review Sumit! Good to see another happy Palio owner!

Keep rocking!

phamilyman · 24th July 2007, 19:44

Good post - would be enlightening to read the long term ownership costs of the car

sumitmitra · 24th July 2007, 23:07

Hi everyone,
Thanks for all the comments. Yes. I have been maintaining a detailed record of expenses for 80,000 kms. I will post it soon.
The average mileage figures I posted are for city driving (though not stop and go traffic). The all time best mileage is on the Pune - Mumbai expressway.
Cheers,
Sumit

pawan_pullarwar · 25th July 2007, 11:28

wow. that one is good..

sanjaymugur · 25th July 2007, 11:41

Sumit, good review, such kind of FIAT ownership only enhances FIAT's image.. good to see that your bond with the car is growing stonger.. its a beautiful experience... incidentally PALIO has clocked its highest ever sales in brazilian market this Q1 quarter.. how i wish one day it happens in INDIA...

FIAT, always.....

sushanthr77 · 25th July 2007, 11:50

Great to know that you are very happy with the car. 80,000kms without any major issues speaks for itself. We all know how much we love our Palios. Its simply a beautiful machine

. Cheers to Palio!

swathyd · 25th July 2007, 12:02

First time hearing such a good news from a palio owner. Usually it is like this ' I had lots and lots of problems with my fiat but I still love my fiat' . A different story from a [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]contented fiat owner.[/SIZE][/FONT]

23rd July 2007, 16:35	#1
sumitmitra Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 8 Thanked: 0 Times	2002 Fiat Palio ELX - 80,000 kms. review Hello Everyone !!! This is my first post on Team-BHP. I have been an avid reader of all the "gyaan" for quite some time and became a registered member recently. Last Friday, my 2002 crossed, what I thought was a major milestone of 80,000 kms. in my 5 years and 1 month of ownership. I bought the car in 2002 in Delhi and have visited Mussorie, Agra, Jaipur, driven from Delhi to Pune, done countless Mumbai - Pune trips (best time on Expressway - 55 mins for 94 kms ), Mahabaleshwar and Coorg. Apart from this me and my car braved the infamous 26/7 downpour in Mumbai spending more 16 hours stranded in soaking rains and having driven through headlight level water - but my Palio managed to get me safely to Pune through this deluge. In the last 5 years plus of ownership, I had only one major problem which cropped up around 60,000 kms. when my AC wasn't cooling enough. Problem was diagnosed to a corrosion in the AC copper tubes which run behind the dashboard. The condensation outside the tubes turned the accumulated dust to slush which over time corroded the tubes. Apart from this I have had 1 accident where a mobike guy managed to come on the wrong side of the road and bang head on in the center of the car from front, damaging my radiator. The car has never given me any other problems and all my servicing has been during the recommended 7,500 kms. at the authorised service stations (Samyak Auto in Delhi, Ashwamegh in Pune and the latest 75,000 kms. at B.U.Bhandari at Pune). I have always found servicing the car to be an easy experience with knowledgeable staff (contrary to the experience of many others). I changed my tyres first at 45,000 kms. to Michelin Certis along with Aura alloys. However, these seem to have worn quite quickly and I have recently changed the front tyres to Goodyear GT III and plan to change the rear ones soon. I have been tracking my mileage consistently through all the years in an Excel sheet and I have been getting consistently between 12 and 13.5 kmpl, with an all time best of 15.4 kmpl. Of course, I am lucky not to have too much of 2nd / 3rd gear driving in stop and go traffic in my daily commute. All in all my experience with my Palio has been fantastic. I love the drive and its been like a loyal companion with the bond growing stronger by the day.
	() Thanks

23rd July 2007, 17:38	#2
moralfibre Team-BHP Support Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: MH-12 Posts: 8,451 Thanked: 13,973 Times	Good review Sumit. Have you kept a copy of your service bills? Would help us know how much you have spent in all to maintain your car till 80,000 kms.
	() Thanks

23rd July 2007, 17:42	#3
Hellcat BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 222 Thanked: 5 Times View My Garage	Good to see one more Happy Palio owner. Nice review. Hellcat
	() Thanks

23rd July 2007, 17:43	#4
gemithomas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,366 Thanked: 143 Times View My Garage	Good review sumit. You seem to be loving your FIAT. All the best. And luckily it seems that your service centre guys are doing a good job since you have not complained. Where do you service the car and how are they at the job?
	() Thanks

23rd July 2007, 19:56	#5
Firebird BHPian Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mumbai / EC1M 3NH Posts: 470 Thanked: 65 Times View My Garage	Nice review sumit. I am at just 10% of what you have covered. Hoping that sometimes even I will be able to reach that level. Felt nice to see your affection towards the car.
	() Thanks

23rd July 2007, 20:01	#6
ravibhat Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,256 Thanked: 37 Times View My Garage	Thats nice revew, Its awasome machine. Iam sure you love your beast. Enjoy your ride. Regards, Ravi.
	() Thanks

23rd July 2007, 20:13	#7
akroy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: San Francisco, CA, USA Posts: 2,423 Thanked: 85 Times View My Garage	Awesome Review Sumit and Welcome to the Forum....nice to see a fully satisfied Palio owner after 80K km of fun.... Abhi
	() Thanks

23rd July 2007, 20:39	#8
extreme_torque Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Melbourne Posts: 4,377 Thanked: 5,105 Times	Are the mileage figures for city driving?
	() Thanks

24th July 2007, 00:26	#9
finneyp Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,716 Thanked: 319 Times View My Garage	Nice Review Sumit! Good to see another happy Palio owner! Keep rocking!
	() Thanks

24th July 2007, 19:44	#10
phamilyman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 5,968 Thanked: 4,642 Times	Good post - would be enlightening to read the long term ownership costs of the car
	() Thanks

24th July 2007, 23:07	#11
sumitmitra Newbie Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 8 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi everyone, Thanks for all the comments. Yes. I have been maintaining a detailed record of expenses for 80,000 kms. I will post it soon. The average mileage figures I posted are for city driving (though not stop and go traffic). The all time best mileage is on the Pune - Mumbai expressway. Cheers, Sumit
	() Thanks

25th July 2007, 11:28	#12
pawan_pullarwar BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Pune - Now in Munich, Germany Posts: 778 Thanked: 129 Times	wow. that one is good..
	() Thanks

25th July 2007, 11:41	#13
sanjaymugur BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 262 Thanked: 57 Times	Sumit, good review, such kind of FIAT ownership only enhances FIAT's image.. good to see that your bond with the car is growing stonger.. its a beautiful experience... incidentally PALIO has clocked its highest ever sales in brazilian market this Q1 quarter.. how i wish one day it happens in INDIA... FIAT, always.....
	() Thanks

25th July 2007, 11:50	#14
sushanthr77 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Mangalore / DXB Posts: 280 Thanked: 5 Times View My Garage	Great to know that you are very happy with the car. 80,000kms without any major issues speaks for itself. We all know how much we love our Palios. Its simply a beautiful machine . Cheers to Palio!
	() Thanks

25th July 2007, 12:02	#15
swathyd BHPian Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: thiruvananthapuram Posts: 774 Thanked: 25 Times	First time hearing such a good news from a palio owner. Usually it is like this ' I had lots and lots of problems with my fiat but I still love my fiat' . A different story from a [FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3]contented fiat owner.[/SIZE][/FONT]
	() Thanks