[esteem_lover]

Great to know that you are enjoying your ride more than ever. Please do tell us of your pondy drive experience. There really is a SEA change when we shift from MRF/JKs etc to Michelin/Yokos etc.

[Venom_rider]

The car has done around 400kms so far (Mostly highways) & the tyres continue to impress me.

The real test (Had to happen I guess...)

I was on the way to Villupuram and somewhere between Vandalur and Chengalpet. Since it was not open highway yet, I was doing decent speeds of only upto 80KMPH. Approached a mini-truck from behind & honked for way... I was surprized to see him immediately give way for me. I decide to accelarate a wee bit more, only to realize that the bozzo had moved to the left as there was COW in the middle of that lane. I brake in panic, cut a gear and try to slow car down. HEREZ where I was totally impressed with the tyres... There was absolutely no drama what so ever, no screeching (both car and wifey!!!), the car braked perfectly in line and I finally missed the cow by miles and got behind the truck to over take later . It almost felt as if it was a false alarm (Would've been a different story had it been JKs).

• The tyres grips really well on longish curves.

• Much easier to stick to your lane at relatively higher speeds due to the improved grip.

• Very little "noise" upto almost 120 KMPH, beyond which the sound does go up. I am sure it would be better in other cars, Esteem hardly insulates any sounds.

&

• It is certainly great VFM...

Here are a couple of snaps taken at Pondy.








Cheers!
Goutham

[black12rr]

Nice review , thanks .Whats the mileage you get both in normal and aggressive driving ? .

BTW is this KA car in Chennai ? no issues there ?

[Venom_rider]

Originally Posted by black12rr

Nice review , thanks .Whats the mileage you get both in normal and aggressive driving ? .

Normal Driving:
I get almost 12 in city traffic & ~17 on highways with almost 100% A/C.

It drops by almost 1-2 kmpl if its' pushed hard though.

Not sure if the mileage has improved with the new tyres, if what the dealers' saying is true, it should improve the mileage by atleast 10%.

[/quote]

Originally Posted by black12rr

BTW is this KA car in Chennai ? no issues there ?

Nope none so far (Knock-on-wood, fingers crossed, etc., etc.,...)

Cheers!
Goutham G

[Meer]

hey Goutham,

Good to hear that the car has become much better with change in rubber. Even in my Esteem, I had changed the tyres to bridgestone turanza and the difference was awesome in all departments - NVH, grip, comfort drive.

Enjoy madi and get the alloys if possible

Cheers,
Meer

[Venom_rider]

Originally Posted by Meer

hey Goutham,

Enjoy madi and get the alloys if possible

Cheers,
Meer

Aiye aiye captain...

My car's new avatar...

[sumeethaldankar]

Really nice set of alloys and quite decently maintained car.Try to get rid of the scratch/dent on the rear door as it is somewhat spoiling the look of the car.

[Venom_rider]

A quick update after almost a 2 years. Too bad I didn't have time to update more regularly.

The car has done 81500 kms. Still runs like a dream & rattles like it always did . Been servicing her regularly at the recommended 10,000/- service limit.

I however had a relatively major complaint during the 80,000 kms service. The cars A/C went bust, upon inspection we found that the cooling coil was the culprit. There was a leak in it, since there is no point in getting it fixed I decided to replace the unit. Got the entire A/C serviced, ducts cleaned & gas recharged to specifications. A/C on the Esteems was never its best bit, but the service has made a huge difference. With the onset of summer here in Chennai, I am only glad that it is fixed & fixed right.

I had replaced the LHS drive shaft during the earlier service. The other one was also complaining off late (the usual KAT-KAT-KAT noise while turning under full lock), this was also replaced in the recent service. The other items to be replaced were all the rubber belts (preventive), changed all the oils (Engine, Power steering, gear box), decarbonised the engine, got the throttle body cleaned, replaced the filters (including the AC filter), looked into a couple of electric gremlins & finally replaced all the spark plugs. AND NOW... The car feels as though it has got a new lease of life.

The channel that holds the RHS window was rusted (I really don't know how) & decided to give way suddenly just before the service. Got the channel also replaced during this service. Though it was a small issue and relatively easy to fix, I am worried about the reason!

Been enjoying journey with the Esteem to my heart's content. Long drives have been awesome & she has been very reliable. We have been to Mysore (a few times), HYD, Yercaud, Yelagiri, Pondicherry & many other places. She takes both the GQ & SHs with aplomb. If driven with a light foot, she rewards you with an awesome mileage of 17 - 18 kmpl with A/C on 80% of the time. A few pictures from the several drives that we've been to.

















Have also taken to a few track days here at MMSC in the last couple of years. This is where the car really shines, it is light and well balanced. The rev happy engine comes "alive" when she is on the track. The gearing is just perfect for the kind of power she delivers, the back straight sees the speedometer nudging the 140kmph mark in the 3rd gear. The best time I've been able to acheive is a respectable 2.27.X, I am sure in more experienced drivers hands it would clock even better numbers. A few pics from the various track days (A few of them were shot by Rahul).









I don't have any major plans in the near future, but I hope to retain her when the time to pick up another car comes & then get into modding her for more power.

Thank you for reading.

Cheers!
Goutham