11th December 2010, 19:52
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| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Gurgaon
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| Long Term Figo 1.4 Titanium - 10200Kms Report The post is a little bit big, but i had to give my excerpts on the buying expirience thoroughly, hence kindly understand. A note to MOD`s: Please help me correcting mistakes if any done in this thread with regards to rules and regulations which i did tried to follow to the T. Hello Everyone  I would like to share some of the recent developments that took place in my life in last 6 months which in the end resulted in me buying this car.. and also bearing the outcome of the same How the whole car buying thing came into mind Well me and my mom in Feb had gone to my aunt`s place for the so called family reunion.. while my mom was busy chit chatting with other aunts there (n me getting bored big time), saw my cousin come along with his family at the same place in a "brand new" Maruti Suzuki Ritz (brown color). everyone present in my aunt`s house just went berserk and reached outside to check out the car (ladies.. u know them). Myself and mom also went outside to take a look, mom saw the guy and the car, greeted the family and forgot abt the same till we reached home, but the same could not be digested so easily by me as from long time I’d been convincing my mom that we Need a Car. Waited for the right moment, dinner was done, mom was busy watching news (yap she prefers news over saas bahu saga), went near her and sat... looking at me she realized that I wanted to tell her something and was a little reluctant to do so... She asked me to say what I’d to say to her... I agreed. Told her abt how I desperately need a car (also my family does: P) and explained her a few pros and cons of owning a car. only concern that she`d in her mind was with regards to rampant accidents and road rage incidents taking place in our dear Mumbai/Navi Mumbai area and my efficiency of the same at tackling these.. I explained her properly that i shall drive the car sedately (also the car will be with all the possible safety equipments) and not pick up fights with other`s even if they bang my car as I can recover the expense from insurance.. ‘Very well’, she said... Phew! Pre-Booking Experience Before zeroing on the Figo, I did test drives of atleast 5 other cars. I shall explain my experience with various dealers and car manufactures with regards to the same in next few lines in the chronological order of me testing their vehicles. Maruti Ritz VDI: As I’d seen the car earlier, I wanted to give it a GO, considering the rave reviews it has garnered all over the Auto-magazines as well as from the people who personally own it. Called a MS dealer of Navi Mumbai (SK wheels) on phone to arrange for a test drive as it is closest to the place where I live, but was disheartened to know that the car was not available in the Diesel nor Petrol version with them at that time and they also never took the pain of calling me back again once it might have reached at their place later. Fair enough, I looked for the details of other MS dealers on net and after trying like anything came across Vitesse. Although they had their regional office in Mumbai, they agreed to arrange a TD vehicle for me as their Yard is in Navi Mumbai (at a distance of 30 mins from my place). A TD version of the Ritz arrived at my place along with 2 sales personnels. The exterior feel of the car was overall good and somehow I was even convinced to accept its Rear part if only it could make me feel good with the Drive quality, Interiors, Features etc... Sat inside the car (or just went inside the car)... the car has good tall boy design and getting inside was very easy for my aching back. After sitting inside the car, I was somehow feeling like of being cramped from all sides (Height 6ft) and the whole area shouted of being a claustrophobic one. The attitude of the sales personnels was not inspiring either, they were sitting in the car as if the car belonged to me and I was taking them for a ride to have a look of the Navi Mumbai area. I also hated when they iterated that the test drive shall be provided only for 10 mins, I replied ‘if this the duration that you’re providing me for TD, then u can very well accept that I won’t be buying this car with my precious 6 lacs’. The car lacked any kind of WOW factor and even the accessories provided along with the interiors felt that something was lacking (may be coz it was a VDI version) Performance of the car was plain OK! Above the speeds of 80Km/h, I was not feeling confident enough while steering the car through corners or steep turns. Hence immediately decided this not the car meant to be. Overall it was a saddening experience. Reversing was pain in this car; I actually bumped it onto something! Hyundai i20 (Magna Diesel actually petrol): Called Sharayu Hyundai in Navi Mumbai and asked them to arrange a Test Drive for the same. The car was not available with them then, they asked me to wait for a day for the same. Next day they did call me again and enquired if am still gung-ho about the TD that I was asking them about earlier. Although I wanted to Test Drive ‘Asta’ version of the same but they said they didn’t have one... I Obliged! 2 Hyundai Sales personnels bought the car at my place as per the time requested. One of them went out of the car seeing that my girlfriend would be sitting at the back to judge the car while the other one sat next to me in the front. The initial reaction after looking the car from outside was just WOW. The car looks awesome and feels sturdy too. Even the interiors are of very good quality compared to other competitors in the segment. Spacing was also good for a person of my height. What I didn`t like about the car was the very unjust disconnection between the steering wheel and the responsiveness of car. I did know that i20 had an EPS, but Ritz EPS was still better compared to that of the i20. After driving it for like 10 minutes I realized that the car`s NVH level were really high considering it had only ran 12k Kms and out of curiosity I asked the sales P about the same being common in all diesel variants of the i20 ? To my utter surprise the sales personnel replied that the car was not a diesel one but the petrol one. I was dumbstruck after hearing this. First of all I asked for the diesel and they sent a petrol one and didn`t even try to inform me about the same. Finished of the Test Drive and didn`t look at any other i20 with respect again. (An overpriced car which feels disconnected, literally!). Fiat Punto: 1.3 MJD: I was simply in awe of this car from the day I saw for the first time on the roads of our country. Everything about this car just spoke about sheer brilliance and efforts put into detail but only from outside. When I actually sat in the car for the test drive which as arranged quickly as the dealer was a friend of one of my friends, I just couldn`t understand how things can go so much horribly wrong.. I was like how can a maserati lookalike from outside, feel like driving a normal M-800 from inside (being hysterical and no offense meant towards the owners of Punto, I still love the car). The car handled brilliantly on the roads which I took her for testing precisely the fast stretch of Palm Beach Road Navi Mumbai and Khargar hills to check out its power. On the smooth stretch like that of Palm beach road, the car was like some mechanics turned into happiness thing, but when I got on the swirling and climbing CBD-Khargar hills, the car fell short of the power and I was just not able to pull the car in the same manner I pulled the other car`s up. Above on that when I tried to get my family in the car for a joint test drive, the car`s front door instantaneously bruised my mother’s forehead (not once but twice) and we decided to let go the car.[/FONT] [FONT="]The car is great, provided it had backing of good service (affordable?) and comparable interiors with other car`s sold at the same price tag as it does. Tata Indica Vista Quadrajet: Tata Indica Vista Test drive was purely a sorry affair. First of all to get the car booked for test drive I sent numerous sms`s to the numbers provided at their website, which were never paid heed to. Then I myself called the nearby dealers at my region to arrange a TD vehicle for me, but again all my tries went in vain when even after booking the car for test drive at a specific time, the vehicle didn`t show up and I had to make numerous calls back to dealership so as to co-ordinate things properly. Even though I was disappointed by the way things were proceeding as of now, but I didn`t wanted my initial perception of the dealer`s responsive become a hindrance towards me buying a locally made purely Indian Car with a Italian heart fueling its pumps. The car arrived, it was white in color, was badly maintained and comprised of two SA`s who were not that inclined towards letting me understand or rather make me understand the basic nuisances of owning a Tata Vehicle (the vista) and how it shall be a good thing for me to invest in this vehicle rather than looking for other competing options. Took the test drive, the gears were as hard as pulling sugarcane out of an grinding machine, the car felt underpowered, the grip on the road above speeds of 80Kmph felt dangerous and thus the decision was taken to let it go. The placement of the center console and the color option of the interiors didn`t help much either. Now, the Ford Figo 1.4 Titanium: As I had discussed earlier, I was looking for something that could give me economy of a small hatch but at the same time give me power and space of a big car along with providing substantial safety accessories built in. I was once recommended by one of my friend to have a look at the figo who cited its specifications to above the industry standards if pricing is taken into consideration. I searched a few images of the vehicle through Google and was just disappointed by the way it looked in those pesky little images to be found on net; Thought of not even considering the car for Test Drive and started looking for other options prevalent in the market. The very next day, I had to take my fiancé to a shopping mall in my region to buy her some beauty products and clothes (here I am trying to get my finances right to purchase the car and the girl just wants to shop, he he). When were entering the mall I could see some press photographers standing at the entrance of the mall and a good number of people thronging at the entrance door to have a glimpse of something that`s kept inside. I got curious and my decided to get in the thronging bandwagon to see what`s so special about the item that’s inside. I Couldn`t believe what I saw… It was the same ugly Ford Figo that I`d early seen on those pesky little images that I`d seen before now looking monstrous, macho and at the same time elegant. My heart just jumped one storey up from my rib cage just to end up gloating in my neck. Hurriedly I got through all the security checks that are attached with the entrance area and just ran towards the car along with my fiancé. I still couldn`t believe the same car I was so disgusted about to be appealing me so much that I instantly decided to buy it. (GTO`s review can’t be ignored either). Checked the car inside-out and made them note my number for a test drive supposedly to happen very next day. The SA arrived bang on time and I was pleased with the smile and attention he offered to someone like me who`s new in the driving scene and a little bit hesitant putting money over any car without thoroughly testing its capabilities and economies. I was gentle while test driving the vehicle, gave great attention to the way the gears moved, the steering rotated, application and responsiveness of the brakes etc, and I was happy with all of them. Somehow the SA felt that, I was not actually testing the car to its potential and requested me to hand over the keys to him. I accepted his offer as it would now allow me to understand the car from the passenger`s perspective, but things aren`t that simple with the SA`s rite. The SA wanted me to feel the car, connect with the car. He moved the ignition key, pressed clutch, took the handbrake down and throttled gas like anything. Within seconds, the car was above 120kmph and this where he started me showing the handling capabilities of the car, the good grip of the tires on the road and the driving dynamics offered by figo. Also to help me understand the ride quality/comfort offered by the car, he took the car at some place filled with rubbles and potholed roads and again on the speeds of 70kmph-80kmph showed me the maneuvering abilities and shock absorption poweress of the car. The interiors of the car were of manageable quality and atleast by the looks of it, didn`t speak about low quality. Me and my fiancé were instantly convinced that this one had to be the car we wanted and hence convinced mom too for giving purchase nod. The car was booked and duration for delivery was cited as 60 days, I was okay with the same as I had to arrange the finances so as to pay during delivery. Delivery Day: Cutting down on the part of arranging the finances, I shall directly move towards the D-Day. 28th of May, I receive a call from my dealer stating that the car has arrived at the depot and is ready for delivery provided that I make payment instantly. I notified the same to my bank and the payment procedure started while I started to haggle with the dealership to offer me some freebies. The insurance amount was reduced by good two thousand rupees and I was promised of a sun-film from garware. Also took the Manual Pre-delivery check file loaded on T-Bhp to make sure the car was in acceptable condition. Comes 1st June 2010, I receive a call from SA confirming my presence to collect my Figo. At home everyone`s delighted after waking onto a day where we shall be riding in our own car for the first time, it felt like an auspicious day of a festive season where only happiness could be seen in our eyes and amusement in other`s. I went at the dealership at the time allotted and waited for my lovingly beautiful new car donned in white avatar to be handed over to me. The experience ended up being nothing like I fantasized about, the car was washed, attached with some ribbons and was handed over to me with keys so as to drive off the scene (Bhavna Ford). I made sure that my SA again explained me about all the basic nuisances of maintaining and using my Figo and also checked whether all the papers were in proper arrangements as prescribed. Sat in the car, the odo at that time showed 43KMs and ‘fuel low’ indicator was on. Looked at the SA again to ask how much fuel did the car posses at delivery, he asked me to visit the nearest pump and fill it to glory rather that relying on the dealership. I moved On… Called Mom while driving (first call using BT module) asking her to come at a nearby temple to our residence for a Pooja. Was surpised to see family members already waiting for me towards the gates of the temple, although it was me who was driving a car, whilst they just came walking (they were already there, that I came to know later, first car enthusiasm). Did Pooja, parked the car right outside the house, again did a pooja and went with family for a small joyride to end the day. Initial Driving Expirience and further report of first service and the 10k interval shall be put ahead in further posts. Last edited by Arihant.EXE : 11th December 2010 at 20:12. Reason: Pics attached |
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11th December 2010, 20:45
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11th December 2010, 21:40
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11th December 2010, 22:45
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11th December 2010, 23:11
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11th December 2010, 23:31
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| Re: Long Term Figo 1.4 Titanium (White Mammoth) 10200Kms Report Firstly Many Congratulations. Nice writeup too with good detailing on TDs. Are those Ford sourced Alloys? I have given up my search since Ford showroom in Mangalore does not have 9-spoked alloys anymore. Only 8-spoked ones available. Happy driving & keep us posted on FE, other adds, etc. |
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11th December 2010, 23:39
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| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Gurgaon
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| Re: Long Term Figo 1.4 Titanium (White Mammoth) 10200Kms Report Quote:
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12th December 2010, 16:34
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12th December 2010, 16:46
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| BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Gurgaon
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| Re: Long Term Figo 1.4 Titanium (White Mammoth) 10200Kms Report Quote:
i agree the number plates are not approved by RTO and are illegal and as of now from past 2 months have been removed too and the car is used with default simple plates. there was a reason so as to stick this plates as my maternal uncle is an regional party MLA, requested me to bear with his this one request for a limited time period as they were doing some promotional campaign at the area of my residence and didn`t wished me as his family member give an outlook of being unsupportive towards him in front of others. long story short, it was a family request and i had to oblige, now the plates are back to normal and have been from past 2 or more months PS: these plates do help a lot but, when you go for some serious long distance driving and serious uncertainties are looming over with respect to the errant mob culture prevalent in India and the weird methods of driving adopted by fellow drivers on the road. got saved twice ! Quote:
the alloys although looking very good and built sturdy as well (trust me they have been tested well in rigorous conditions under my own supervision), their chroming just started to peel off. it was qualified as an manufacturing defect and after waiting for 4 months, it`s replaced now with a new chrome set of '69' alloys. shall update the pics of the same as i reach towards the 2nd service landmark while writing my experience with the car here warm regards Last edited by Arihant.EXE : 12th December 2010 at 16:50. | ||
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12th December 2010, 19:53
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| Team-BHP Support | Re: Long Term Figo 1.4 Titanium (White Mammoth) 10200Kms Report Quote:
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12th December 2010, 20:49
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13th December 2010, 16:01
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13th December 2010, 17:30
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| Re: Long Term Figo 1.4 Titanium - 10200Kms Report Quote:
Locally Made: NO Made in: Taiwan Warranty: 1 Year Price Paid for the same: 16000 Rupees + 700 Rupees (lug nuts) Set of: 4 Alloys Quality: Awesome, but Chroming started wearing in the first month itself. Replacement: After 4 months, to a new set of alloys Pics: shall be update for the replaced alloys as soon as i click them Size: 14inch Tyre Size: Default Quote:
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shall update with the first service report in a day or 2 Quote:
My Fe: Initially before first service: 11kmpl (my driving might habits were not as matured as they are now) after 2500kms i.e first service: between 13kmpl to 15kmpl depending on my driving style (sedate or spirited) as of now when nearing my second service i.e 10000kms: i am getting constantly 17kmpl + irrespective of how spiritedly i drive (which i now do on a normal basis, the car just doesn`t let me stop playing with it). Highway testing with current freed and revv friendly engine has still to be tested Quote:
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16th August 2011, 02:20
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| Re: Long Term Figo 1.4 Titanium - 10200Kms Report Dear Arihant.EXE, What happened to your long term report? Liked your descriptive style of writing and was expectantly scrolling down the thread only to see that there wasn't any more.. Would be of immense help to me, as I've just booked a sea grey diesel figo titanium.. Also seeing your pics I feel like changing the order to white colour. |
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