[BlackPearl]

40K kilometers in 2 Years and 8 months is not that bad. So I think I am in a position to write a review about this car. please bear with me as it is going to be a long writeup.

The Beginning - To be frank I was never fond of the Baleno due to its looks. But on March 12th 2005 I went to Maruti Dealer to the process of getting a new tax token for my then to-be-wife's alto. (A workshop in durgapur, where the car had been given for some repairs had manage to lose it.) Anyway, was getting out of the showroom when my eyes suddenly fell on a black car standing amidst the dazzling lights and for the first time it seemed that the Baleno was looking beautiful. I immediately went back to the sales guy and got all the details about the car including the EMI required. I had just got confirmed at office two months back and was getting a salary of Rs 17,500. The lowest EMI that this guy was ready to agree was Rs. 9600 per month if I took a loan of 5 lacs. I dont know what calculations went through my mind at that time, but everything pointed in the direction that I could easily go along with this deal. I could not think about anything else for the rest of the day, and next day I went to that showroom to get a quote for my Palio. The evaluator quoted 1.2 lacs and I did not hesitate. The process for taking the loan was immediately started. On 14th night I went to the showroom to sign some final documents and saw two customers looking intently at the car that was supposed to be mine in a few days. They were getting in and out of the car, opening and closing the doors which irritated me a lot. So I asked the sales guy that I wanted to take this car immediately and would not listen to any arguments. After much debate and threatening, they called up the manager who told me that the car could not be registered in such a short notice and they cannot let a car go without registration. Then I threatened to cancel the deal and after a battle of 3-4 hours I was able to convince them that I was going to get the car next morning without registration and without insurance. So the next morning i.e 15th March 2005 I went to the showroom and got hold of the car. Before that they had taken the car to the RTO to start the registration process.

The experience that will continue - After driving the Palio for 7 months I was not very happy with the interiors of the Baleno. I had the feeling that the Palio interiors were better. But the driving experience was amazing to say the least. A 1.6 after a 1.2 was bound to be thrilling, but the Baleno's performance exceeded my imagaination. I was extremely happy with the buy and the looks already had started to grow on me so much so that I started defending her looks. I ran in the car for 1 week and crossed the 1500 mark. Then I took her for a long trip of around 1000 Km to Asansol, Bakreshwar, Shantiniketan and back in two days. When the car had done 3000 kilometers we went to the Airtel All India Rally in May 2005. We travelled 5500 Kilometers in 6 days under terrible summer heat. The route was Kolkata-Bhubaneshwar-Raipur-Nagpur-Jaipur-Delhi-Kolkata. The Baleno was awesome during the entire trip and did not let me feel any sort of fatigue. While returning from Delhi we travelled 30 hours with only a few 10-15 mins halts. From that trip onwards I had tremendous respect for this car and her abilities to munch up miles without effort. I could and can drive her for long hours without needing a break, which I can in very few cars due to a slipped disc problem. I learnt a lot of things during that trip and the most important thing is that I started loving the highways like nothing else. During the 1st year i.e from March 2005 to March 2006 I travelled 24000 Km mostly on the highways. That included numerous trips to Digha-Shankarpur, Maithon and Shantiniketan. Two memorable trips were Simplipal Forrest in Orissa and Sikkim. In Sikkim the Baleno again proved her capabilties by going to places where even a tata Sumo was struggling. few people beleived me till I showed them the pics of the roads and steep inclines which she had been able to conquer. For the next 1 year I went through quite a cash crunch and could not drive her that much. Only a few trips to here and there and mostly travelled in my wife's alto. So from March 2006 to March 2007, clocked only 9000 Kilometers. Things started improving this year and presented her with an FFE from Elektra Performance in June. Also took her for a long trip to Hyderabad in August and again she behaved immaculately. I have changed engine oil every 3000-3500 Kms apart from the regular servicing prescribed by Maruti. So I have lost all accounts of the maintenance costs. But roughly I have spent more than 70 % of my salary in the last 2 and half years and 50 % of my time outside office in maintaing her .
I know that this is not a very good review as I have not mentioned about her faults, but what to do? cant find any faults with her.... touchwood

[Surprise]

Good review.

All this reviews are fueling my thought of selling the Swift and going in for a Baleno. More people needs to be convinced, but before that let me get convinced

[revved_up]

Well, A review straight from the heart..!
I am also about to do something similar (Buying a car .. for which the EMI would be more than half my salary ) I am sure i wont regret it .. just like you.

All the best mate.

[akroy]

Sumitro, Nice Nostalgic Review of BlackPearl !! But I donot understand your logic of changing engine oil every 3.5K kms. What oil do you use?
I suggest put Mobil1 and forget for remaining 15K kms, isnt it?

Abhi

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Excellent review!

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

But roughly I have spent more than 70 % of my salary in the last 2 and half years and 50 % of my time outside office in maintaing her

This statement is confusing. hehe. First i thought you were saying negatively.

[mobike008]

Quite a heartfelt review. Sumitro, we could not catch up during your trip to Hyderabad. Maybe someother time

[kkr2k2]

hey buddy,
what an exhaust your car has!

I still have the sound recorded in my cell phone and lot of my friends are dumb-struck, when i say its the exhaust note of a baleno. (most of them thought its the exhaust note of some sports car or F1)

Isnt your car up for sale??. Not that i am going to buy it. Just curious isnt your car sold.

raj.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

hey buddy,
what an exhaust your car has!

I still have the sound recorded in my cell phone and lot of my friends are dumb-struck, when i say its the exhaust note of a baleno. (most of them thought its the exhaust note of some sports car or F1)

thanks, thats some compliment.

Isnt your car up for sale??. Not that i am going to buy it. Just curious isnt your car sold.

raj.

I had thought of selling as I thought that she would not be maintained properly if I go to onsite for long term, but decided against it after getting feedbacks form the bhpians on what to do. also I am too attached with her to let her go.

Thanks mobike, akroy, Crazy Driver, revved up and Surprise for the compliments.. will pass that on to BlackPearl in the form of servicing and a good polish tomorrow morning

[gemithomas]

Thats one great review. THis was one car that i would have loved to take when i was planning on my Adventure 1.6. The only things that made me move back was the low seats, the interiors, and the ground clearance. I got scared seeing that exhaust pipe twisting under the rear wheels and yelling out to me that "i'm gonna hit the road". And with the discoutns available the adventure was almost a lakh cheaper. THats how i settled for the Adventure. THough i still admire the Baleno. Its one of the best cars by maruti.

Just curious..hasnt the ground clearance been an issue with the kind of travel you have mentioned.

[itwasntme]

BlackPearl,

What custom exhaust do you have and how much did it cost? And kkr2k2: upload the exhaust note on Rapidshare and let us all hear it

Originally Posted by kkr2k2

hey buddy,
what an exhaust your car has!

I still have the sound recorded in my cell phone and lot of my friends are dumb-struck, when i say its the exhaust note of a baleno. (most of them thought its the exhaust note of some sports car or F1)

Isnt your car up for sale??. Not that i am going to buy it. Just curious isnt your car sold.

raj.

[shuvd]

Arrey Mr. Polished dome, how about the alloys and shoes upgrade now?

@ Itwasntme - Dude you got to hear the note in person to believe it. IIRC, the whole setup was done by Electra Performance and the fitting was done in Calcutta.

[theMAG]

Great review - heartfelt ones are the best to read.

Some suggestions:

1. Those mudflaps! Pl consider the regular moulded type
2. Some nice tints
3. Some nice fat tyres

[kkr2k2]

Originally Posted by shuvd

Arrey Mr. Polished dome, how about the alloys and shoes upgrade now?

@ Itwasntme - Dude you got to hear the note in person to believe it. IIRC, the whole setup was done by Electra Performance and the fitting was done in Calcutta.

are you saying, he needs to go to calcutta to hear the exhaust note (OR) are you hinting sumitro(blackpearl) to go for another trip this time to banglore

@Itwasntme, sure buddy, i will upload it for you all with sumitro's permission. (you know it is copyright protected....)

raj.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by itwasntme

BlackPearl,

What custom exhaust do you have and how much did it cost?

@itwasntme - the header, midpipe and end can were all supplied by Elektra Performance of Chennai and was fiited in Kolkata. It cost me around 15K + fitting charges of around 600 bucks + 500 as bribe to a police officer while taking the exhaust from railway godown to the garage (as a part of the pipe was sticking out of my car and it is supposed to be illegal)

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by gemithomas

Thats one great review.

thanks gemithomas.

Just curious..hasnt the ground clearance been an issue with the kind of travel you have mentioned.

yes the ground clearance has created some problems while travelling to places like Simlipal forest and a few places in Sikkim. In Sikkim we were travelling from Pelling to Rinchenpong and had mistakenly taken a road that was under construction. At many parts there were no roads at all with mountain springs flowing over them and full of large boulders. So my wife and me had get down quite few times to move the boulders and rocks to make way. The main problem occurs when there are 4 to 5 persons in the car. 2 is quite manageable but above that the car becomes so low that sometimes we have to ask some people to get down while going over big humps. that is an embarrassment but people generally do understand . But everything is forgiven once I hit the Golden Quadrilateral