[VW2010]

Struggles with 5ppl on board(AC on) at low speeds.

This is the same case with most of the cars in this segment. My Swift will definitely show its grumpy face when fully loaded with 5 adults. My friends i20 feels a lot better with 5 adults and definitely shows a little struggle.

Whenever I turn the A/C ON, the brakes loose their sharpness. I have had a close shave 2-3 times when the A/C was ON and I had to stop suddenly. Gosh! I am lucky.

I am not sure how AC relates to the sharpness of the brakes. This is something i would not blame on the AC but look at the tyre's as well as the brakes.

[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by VW2010

I am not sure how AC relates to the sharpness of the brakes. This is something i would not blame on the AC but look at the tyre's as well as the brakes.

@VW2010: This is a very well known problem with all Vistas. There is a separate thread dedicated to this problem. http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...-safire-c.html

Seemingly, Tata has no solution for this, atleast as of now. Just got to live with it.

[Reinhard]

Ah! AJ How did I miss this thread...Good one mate Nice details and regular updates...Glad to see a happy Vista owner. Keep this thread refreshed regularly please.

[ajay_satpute]

Thanks Buddy. I try to keep it updated. I can not write too much technical stuff, as I am still a beginner.

Next updates coming up at 15,000 mark. Mostly will get some good alloys for her by then. Any brands or dealers you know who can give me good price and guarantee?

[ajay_satpute]

My Vista crossed the important milestone of 15,000 KMs on the odo.

The car has been fantastic all the way. It has lived upto its VFM image. I have not spend any money till date, except one wheel alignment+balancing+rotation (300 Rs).

However, the car is due for servicing now. This will be the 4th Free servicing. There are some small issues that have cropped up.
1) Power window switches for all passengers are not functioning. Thankfully I can still operate them from the driver's console.
2) Slight, very very slight squeaking from the steering.

Otherwise, front bumper has few scratches, but I dont think I need to replace the bumper. A paint job should do it.

Things to do:
1) Sun film for the front wind screen. Yaaa... I still haven't got one. Just no time for extra-curricular activities.
2) Alloys. This will need a lot of time and vitamin M.
3) Scuff plates at the footsteps of all 4 doors. I just like this small but lovely techno.

I have been getting an FE of around 13 all the time. For a 65 BHP and overweight car, this is good enough for me. My usage is hardly near 1k per month. The last FE I calculated using TFTF method was 13.3. I AM LOVING IT!

Will update the thread post servicing with details and some pics. Hope I get the sun film and the scuff plates by then.

[smrtdvl]

Congrats on a landmark. Btw do update us reg the scuff plates cos when i enquired for the same during the delivery of my vista they said there are no such accessories for vista.

OT: Just tested my Vista's ABS cornering @ 90kmh and it was a breeze coming out of it.

[ajay_satpute]

Thanks smrtdvl.

My Vista was probably from the last batch of Vista before it got loaded with safety features. Even though I never felt unsafe yet, ABS is really good to have.

I had inquired about the scuff plates and they can be easily customized for any car as per the accessories guy. I will surely update the thread once I get them. I am planning to get them with Orange backlight if I can. That will go well with the color of the car.

[ajay_satpute]

4th Servicing done! KMs: 16700

Instructions given to SA:

1) Engine Oil
2) Oil Filter
3) Air Filter
4) AC Cleaning
5) Suspension greasing
6) Brake pads checking & cleaning (If required)
7) Co-passenger Power window switch not functioning
8) 3M Interior cleaning package
9) Wheel alignment + balancing
10) All top-ups

Final output after servicing:

All the instructions were followed and all issues resolved. I have driven for around 50 KMs after servicing and no issues observed yet. Infact, the car is running butter smooth. I don't know whether its just me or a universal truth, the engine has opened up really nicely now and is pulling effortlessly (ofcourse compared to my Vista's performance only, not comparing with other cars). I guess the load pulling with A/C on has improved considerably. The gear shift has improved immensly compared to feeling at 1K kms. The steering wheel response is also better. Coolant has been changed completely. A/C cleaning job has made the A/C powerful and it chilled the cabin in no time at fan speed of 1 without recirculation mode. Impressive!

The 3M interior cleaning package (Cost 800/-) is too good. The car is as clean as on day 1 from inside. I did not opt for the exterior polish package. Just a normal car wash was enough.

Billing & Delivery experience:

This was only average. I got a call from the SA saying that the car is ready and I can pick it up anytime. So I reached the service center and the SA told me that I can make the payment and we can go and have a look at the car. So I reached the billing section only to find out that the Job Card was not closed by the SA. Billing can not be done unless job card is closed. So went and told the SA. He said there is some problem in the system and he will close the card in 5-10 minutes. After 25 minutes, I started talking to the SA in louder pitch. I told him that he should not have said that the car is ready when these small things are still pending. While he was busy sorting out the issue, he called up some driver and told him to get my car to the delivery section. The driver called after 5 minutes and said he can not find my car. WOW! After that, the driver was searching for my car all over the place. When he found the car, he did not find the keys. It seems the SA had written wrong number on the tag and that made it more confusing. Finally the car arrived at the delivery section looking all dirty. It was washed thoroughly and wiped immediately. By that time, the billing issue got sorted out and I made the payment and I was out.

Total cost of 4th Servicing:
1) Engine Oil: 2890/-
2) Coolant: 899/-
3) 3M interior cleaning package: 800/-
4) Wheel balancing and alignment: 325/-
5) Labour cost: 0/-
6) LHS power window switch replacement: 0/-

Total bill: 4914/-

Overall, I am completely satisfied with Vista till date. I have not spent a single Re besides routine servicings on the car. The car is now returning a FE of around 13.8-14.2 which is very satisfactory.

Here's a recent pic of the car:

[condor]

@Ajay, congrats on the 15k. And a nice write up in your posts.

Must agree with you that Tata vehicles are definitely VFM, both for buying & ownership. While people say there are shortcomings, the benchmarks they use are also priced just as high. Eg: the Jazz itself - almost 8L on road ? You have got a car at about 60% of that. There are some disadvantages of a lower priced car, but there are also advantanges in terms of spares & servicing costs too. It's a mixed package, but end of the day the important point will be our happiness.

Reg the power available when going up-hill: try one gear lower. You should be fine.

And you can avoid the interior-exterior packages, unless you do not clean your car yourself regularly, or if the car really needs an interior job. Will save you some.

Drive safe !

[ajay_satpute]

Originally Posted by condor

@Ajay, congrats on the 15k. And a nice write up in your posts.

Must agree with you that Tata vehicles are definitely VFM, both for buying & ownership. While people say there are shortcomings, the benchmarks they use are also priced just as high. Eg: the Jazz itself - almost 8L on road ? You have got a car at about 60% of that. There are some disadvantages of a lower priced car, but there are also advantanges in terms of spares & servicing costs too. It's a mixed package, but end of the day the important point will be our happiness.

Reg the power available when going up-hill: try one gear lower. You should be fine.

And you can avoid the interior-exterior packages, unless you do not clean your car yourself regularly, or if the car really needs an interior job. Will save you some.

Drive safe !

Thanks condor! I agree with you 100%. I always believed that the first car should always be a VFM car, even though your budget permits you to go for a higher valued car. Just that you get used to all features and enjoy lower running costs at the same time.

Regarding going up hill, I am very much used to this shortcoming now and I can handle the car well. I opted for the interior package because I really liked the output the last time it was done. I do get the car cleaned regularly (washed daily), but the interior cleaning happens like once in 1-2 months. And spending 800/- once in 10K KMs is worth it IMO. However, I agree with your point to some extent that by doing some DIY cleaning, I can save some bucks.

[Fordmanchau]

Hi Ajay,
Fantastic ownership report and details of your Vista.
Good to know that you are having a good time with your car and that it has kept you happy and at the same time, have been economical enough to run and maintain.
Infact, I was pleasantly surprised to see that you and I have almost equal running.
Even my Ikon went for 4th servicing at around 16800 kms, and like you, even I have not spent anything extra on maintenance except on regular services.
With regards, to interior cleaning, I opt for it once in a year.But haven't done it till now this year. Have been thinking of DIM, lets see when .
Wish you many more happy kilometers on your Vista.

[ajay_satpute]

Thanks a lot Fordmanchau.

Yes, I am having a good time with my Vista. It has served me really well till date. Hope it continues the same way. And, we, Team BHPians, take good care of our possessions, so unless its a manufacturing fault, nothing much is going to go wrong with our vehicles.

[DieselAddikt]

Well kept car Ajay ! Looks new from outside. You really din't need an exterior cleaning package from 3M.

And believe me, 16K kms is nothing for this car. I have done almost 40K on mine in 18 months and it is as good as new. It will not even rattle like some others. All I had is one rattle till date. Mine is a QJD version and not a penny has been spent other than the routine service. VFM has definitely been proven, my friend. Wish you a lot more miles of happy experiences.

[ajay_satpute]

Thanks DieselAddikt.

I agree with you regarding rattle-free experience. People buying premium hatches have spent all the time resolving the rattles in their cars, while our super VFM cars have no signs of rattles. I just love that part.

[ajay_satpute]

Its about time I get nice alloys for my Vista(utilize the bonus i got from this year's appraisal ). I think I would stick to the 13" size. There are too many brands and too many places where I can get the alloys. Hence, I was not very sure where to go.

Experts and Punekars, pointers please. The last time I had enquired for alloys ( I guess Plati brand), the cost was around 12k for a set of 4. I think that was a good deal. Also, is it necessary to buy set of 5 against set of 4? I feel that the 5th alloy is going to be lying in the boot all the time.

Secondly, my Vista's colour is solar orange as you can see in the pics above. What kind of alloys would suit this colour? Personally, I like 7 spoke or more on the alloys, but i am open for options. I am not planning to upgrade the tyres so soon. Its just close to 17k mark on the odo and I feel the stock tyres can do another 20k easily. I've got Bridgstones as stock tyres.