[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by sridharps

Congrats. You clearly are one happy customer!
Wow, your FE is too good. I have now managed to get around 10 under city driving for my 1.6 SXi but nothing more..

Thanks dude! How about an ownership report on your sxi? I'm sure you are enjoying it to the hilt, like me.

As regards F.E., it looks like Bangalore traffic is worse than Hyd. This apart, you may be using the car mostly when the traffic is the densest--like between 10 to 11 in the morning and 6 to 8 in the evening. As regards me, I leave early (830 am) and start my return at 530 pm sharp. Either way, it takes me around 30 minutes. If I have a delayed start or return, the journey time goes up to around 40 minutes. I guess this is the reason I get better F.E.

BTW, I was a bit surprised when the 1.6 S owner said he was struggling to get an F.E. of 9 in Hyd. Is that on account of larger rims and wider tyres? Do you have any information on that? Can 1.6 S owners please share their experiences?

[marlinspike]

Originally Posted by sridharps

Congrats. You clearly are one happy customer!
Wow, your FE is too good. I have now managed to get around 10 under city driving for my 1.6 SXi but nothing more..

My FE is just a shade under 10 in my Fiesta S. has 4.4 K on the odo, but I guess I shift gears at 2k rpm rathe than 3K, AC on half the time and 6-7 KM short trips doesn't help I guess. When I take it out on the highway its hard not to rev up, FE tends around 14.5 on the highway.

Good to know two years on Vanabhi's happy with the Fiesta and there are no major issues to loose sleep on, should be a maintaining very well to jeep it looking like 6 months old still.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by marlinspike

My FE is just a shade under 10 in my Fiesta S. has 4.4 K on the odo, but I guess I shift gears at 2k rpm rathe than 3K, AC on half the time and 6-7 KM short trips doesn't help I guess. When I take it out on the highway its hard not to rev up, FE tends around 14.5 on the highway.

Good to know two years on Vanabhi's happy with the Fiesta and there are no major issues to loose sleep on, should be a maintaining very well to jeep it looking like 6 months old still.

Thanks for sharing your experience, marlinspike. Your F.E. figures seem to match Sridharps's. I was a bit astonished when the 1.6 S owner I met said he never got more than 9---and mostly 8.5 in Hyd city driving. He even started asking the service center guys to check why his car was giving such less F.E. when compared to mine.
The service center guys felt bigger rims and wider tyres to be the primary culprit. Can other 1.6 owners please share their F.E. figures?

[Ravveendrra]

Thanks Venu for keeping and posting in such meticulous detail your experiences with a very good car. I was particularly impressed with the way you maintain a log of your refuelling and mileage.

I look forward to seeing your immaculate car in future meets/drives.

Cheers and happy motoring,

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

Thanks Venu for keeping and posting in such meticulous detail your experiences with a very good car. I was particularly impressed with the way you maintain a log of your refuelling and mileage.

I look forward to seeing your immaculate car in future meets/drives.

Cheers and happy motoring,

Thanks Ravveendrra. Actually it is not all that immaculate, as made out to be. It was the other guy's comments which lifted my spirits.
It has a few dents and scratches, but nothing very glaring. I got my first dent while reversing at the Ford workshop within a week of buying my car--they'd just then fitted a Nokia handsfree kit, and I did not see a low-height barbed wire fence while reversing, as I was a tad excited and talking to my wife over the handsfree.
The dent is at the very edge where the vertical part of the boot meets the horizontal part. I've left it as it is--you know that 'Nazar nahin lagega' saying?

As regards maintaining the F.E. readings is concerned---I've learnt that trick from some thread on this forum---can't recollect whose it was.

[sridharps]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Thanks dude! How about an ownership report on your sxi? I'm sure you are enjoying it to the hilt, like me.

Indeed, I am thoroughly enjoying my SXi. What a wonderful car and a real pleasure to drive. I have already done 5.5k kms in 6 months and have actually started an ownership post. Just a bit lazy and not updating it regularly. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...km-report.html

As regards F.E., it looks like Bangalore traffic is worse than Hyd. This apart, you may be using the car mostly when the traffic is the densest--like between 10 to 11 in the morning and 6 to 8 in the evening. As regards me, I leave early (830 am) and start my return at 530 pm sharp. Either way, it takes me around 30 minutes. If I have a delayed start or return, the journey time goes up to around 40 minutes. I guess this is the reason I get better F.E.

BTW, I was a bit surprised when the 1.6 S owner said he was struggling to get an F.E. of 9 in Hyd. Is that on account of larger rims and wider tyres? Do you have any information on that? Can 1.6 S owners please share their experiences?

I think the main reason for the lower FE in my case is the wider tyres ( 195/60 R14 - Michelin PP1). I am told that it can reduce FE by as much as 1 Km per litre. But I would like to hear others on the forum comment on this.
Apart from that I drive with AC 100%. Yes, Bangalore traffic is bad. I now shift gears between 2.5k and 3K rpm. Very rarely do I try to cross 4 K rpm, although the temptation is there on wide open roads. I have done 3 highway trips and the FE is decent on long trips now - around 14.

But under city driving conditions, FE doesn't go beyond 10 for me.

[vnabhi]

Thanks Sridharps for your information. Yes, it does look like wider tyres and bigger wheels have a telling effect on the Fuel Efficiency. I am still awaiting comments from 1.6 S owners.
I've read your review and could recollect the image of your car.
BTW, I'm astonished that you use AC 100%. In a city like Bangalore, I think only peak summer entails AC usage, but I may be wrong. In Hyd, I've started using AC 100% only from a week back.

[joy_swift]

Nice to know that we have a very happy Ford customer.

Seems they have improved the A.S.S a lot. I recollect readin in What Car a few months back where they had rated the experience of applying for a TD from the official car sites. Ford was rated at 5/5,same as Maruti. Thats a tremendous achievement. Tata was rated at 0.

And also Venu, you seem to have maintained your car really well.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by joy_swift

Nice to know that we have a very happy Ford customer.

Seems they have improved the A.S.S a lot. I recollect readin in What Car a few months back where they had rated the experience of applying for a TD from the official car sites. Ford was rated at 5/5,same as Maruti. Thats a tremendous achievement. Tata was rated at 0.

And also Venu, you seem to have maintained your car really well.

Thanks joy_swift. Yes, Ford service has improved by leaps and bounds, especially at Hyderabad. Most of the improvement has come after a second dealer came into Hyd in 2005.
That TD rating is news to me, but they do deserve it. But on the A.S.S front, I think there are places in India where they need to improve, going by some posts in this forum. They also need to widen their network--currently their service centres are mostly concentrated in Metro's and state capitals, and in a few big cities.

[sridharps]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

BTW, I'm astonished that you use AC 100%. In a city like Bangalore, I think only peak summer entails AC usage, but I may be wrong. In Hyd, I've started using AC 100% only from a week back.

, Yeah somehow I got used to AC and struggle a bit otherwise..that is an area for improvement

[marlinspike]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

But on the A.S.S front, I think there are places in India where they need to improve, going by some posts in this forum. They also need to widen their network--currently their service centres are mostly concentrated in Metro's and state capitals, and in a few big cities.

I think I have a decent sales and after sales service experience with Lathangi Ford Bangalore. Lathangi was known for the better service with Mitsu earlier so we can say its the dealership thats doing its bit. A friend with an IKon from Metro is actually happy with Metro Ford as well. I have talked to those guys and they seem to be OK too.
I think its the perception issue that FORD A.S.S = bad thats still hurting Fords image.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by marlinspike

I think I have a decent sales and after sales service experience with Lathangi Ford Bangalore. Lathangi was known for the better service with Mitsu earlier so we can say its the dealership thats doing its bit. A friend with an IKon from Metro is actually happy with Metro Ford as well. I have talked to those guys and they seem to be OK too.
I think its the perception issue that FORD A.S.S = bad thats still hurting Fords image.

Oh, then that is another feather in the cap. Good to know this. I've hardly gone on long trips, save a few, and I make it a point to take a print out of all authorized service centres in the vicinity of the route I'm taking. Could save me a lot of effort in case of an emergency.

[AirWind]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I'm astonished that you use AC 100%. In a city like Bangalore, I think only peak summer entails AC usage, but I may be wrong. In Hyd, I've started using AC 100% only from a week back.

Use AC to keep us from pollution... hate a white shirt going grey, don't we?

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by AirWind

Use AC to keep us from pollution... hate a white shirt going grey, don't we?

OK gotcha. A bit OT--Is Bangalore that pollution-prone, despite the myriad gardens and tall trees? I have a fond recollection of Bangalore in the early 80s---it was a place I always loved to visit.

[marlinspike]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

OK gotcha. A bit OT--Is Bangalore that pollution-prone, despite the myriad gardens and tall trees? I have a fond recollection of Bangalore in the early 80s---it was a place I always loved to visit.

Bangalore.. early eighties is like a half a century in other places.
Its nowhere near as pleasant like in the eighties. Its lot even as good as it was six years back. except climate (read temperature,humidity levels) which is deteriorating slowly, every thing else in Bangalore is on the fast track to breaking point. Most traffic lights are like 200 + seconds and imagine waiting for the light while half a mile long train of vehicles pour out their soot on you.
AC is not a choice its a necessity.