She has done around 32000 km.
Me and Navin, both are running at the same speed in this area.
He’s planning to keep his car till 2011. He has a way superior machine and most probably she’ll serve him perfectly for long time to come.
I’ve no idea how long my car will last.
I’ve no idea how long I’m going to keep it.
But I’m not tired with her look, her feel, and with her mannerisms.
Her behaviour got better over the years. She has understood properly what it takes to keep my mouth shut.
She’s not a sprinter. She’s a cruiser. She’ll behave perfectly on so called high speed. She won’t ask for sound deadening layers for ICE fitment. She’ll help you to conceal all those speakers without damaging her body. And yet she’ll give you a perfectly balanced sound for an old man like me.
Definitely not something to enjoy in a car but albums like Richard Wagner’s Parsifal (conducted by Herbert Von Karajan) creates magic. Especially, during the night when the roads are clean. Air conditioner at low setting and right amount of warmth from seasoned leather upholstery surely add to the experience here.
How your car is going to behave will depends a lot on how you’re going to behave with your car. You look after it and it’ll look after your expectations. And of course it’ll vary here and there based on its overall construction and cost.
In Team-bhp we have mixed bag of perceptions about the Optra’s maintenance cost, which is mostly on the higher side. Let me give here some examples. Sundaram Motors have changed four parts for my car in these five years. Two out of those are regular wear and tear. Third one was front right shock absorber, where they felt it was little weak. Fourth one was my O2 sensor. So here goes the cost:
Front right parking light bulb – 73.60 (inclusive of tax and labour)
Security alarm switch under hood – 342.00 (inclusive of tax and labour)
Front right shock absorber – 3655.00 (inclusive of tax and labour)
O2 sensor – 8303.00 (inclusive of tax and labour)
Car has been through six times so-called regular services. Except for the first 1000km service none of them were according to their service book interval. Car went for service whenever I felt it should. Service consists of underbody wash, engine bay wash without anything but water. Oil check. Vacuum cleaning passenger area and luggage boot. Engine oil (Mobil1) and flushing oil been supplied by me from 10000km onward. Car is currently running with 2nd change. AC filter has been changed once. Air filter is replacement K&N and I do the cleaning myself.
Tyres are not exactly due for change but I would like to change those in next few months with a slight increment in profile. Current make is Potenza RE711, 205, 50/15. Our in house tyrewallah has given me an approval of my choice of Michelin PP2, 205, 55/15. Only comment he has made about softer sidewall. My current tyres have no marks from any gash or bang.
There is absolutely no rattle from any doors or body. Leather parts including steering wheel are absolutely fine. Electrical switches haven’t developed any play. No noise squeak from suspension. Headlamp bulbs were changed long back to Philips Rally 90/100. It was a present for my birthday from Robin. I did think about HID but after seeing light on Tadu’s Elantra, I’m not really keen.
So if there’s question as if I have any issues with my car, my answer would a
BIG ZERO. I’m not the one who wants to sell his car every five years. Frankly I don’t see any logic there except for depreciation benefit.