[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by komalthecoolk

So, after so much reading and bugging some of the patient BHPians, I finally went out and got myself a Silver TDCI Ecosport Titanium+. VIN number tells me Aug 2016 manufactured, so hopefully there's nothing fishy there.

Congratulations on the EcoSport, and I'm pleased you went in for the T+ with 6 airbags, instead of the 2 airbag variant.

An Aug 2016 manufactured version is fine, I hope you did a thorough PDI while picking it up.

Tyre noise with the MRFs I got. I am not sure what is a safe upgrade path for the tyres to get over this and may be give me a little better comfort.

Unlike the very rare ICE-related posts for the EcoSport, the EcoSport has healthy discussion and choices around tires, which you can check on this thread. A majority of people who got the MRF tyres (myself included) have chosen to swap it out for a different brand, for better grip and reduced noise.

Not being able to modify the seat covers because of the airbags. I would have liked a little more foam and a combination of lighter and darker colors.

Seat covers can definitely be changed, provided you get it done by someone who is familiar with airbag-designed seat covers. They put in weaker stitching near the B-pillar where the side airbags are enclosed (i.e. where the airbag tag is present), to ensure the airbag can tear through the seat cover during deployment. The TBHP directory itself lists a few places that deal with seat covers in Hyderabad - just confirm they've worked on cars that have side airbags, and ask them to demonstrate and explain how they'll do the work to ensure they're not just bluffing. Or, you can look for branded dealers like Stanley or Kärlsson who do leather seats for cars.

I would say don't rush to change/alter the seats, but get used to the overall comfort of the car before deciding exactly what changes you'd like, what extra support you'd need.

The diesel engine sound, no matter how less, is very evident and I need to learn to ignore it.

Turn up the volume. No other escape It will improve after your first oil change and a few thousand kilometres, but will definitely be noisier than a purring petrol!

No grab handles on a bumpy car because of air bags? Yet to see how my family rolls (pun).

Try and convince the back seaters to buckle up. No grab handles + leather seats makes it somewhat slippery. However, this might be the incentive they need to start buckling up in the back seat.

You can also consider this kind of installable handle (Amazon.in at 700/-) that fits onto the rods of the headrest:

I've personally not used this, but reviews on Amazon.com appear positive.

Power outlets always on. Not sure about that feature because I have a USB charger with LED lights. I also may forgetfully plug something in for long when away from the car.

Yeah, this is a bit of weird behaviour from Ford, I don't know why they do this. I have once left a USB charger plugged in and charging a cellphone I use as a GPS for over 2 weeks, and it didn't cause any problems, and have also left the charger plugged in charging nothing for similar durations. Nevertheless, it would have been ideal if it switched off with the ignition.

I could have stretched my budget and got any of the below cars but I found that even after spending a couple of lakhs more for certain features, they lack in something else that Ecosport was offering.

The EcoSport is good VFM, and is something I came to realize even more in my discussions with you. We have to thank Ford and Maruti for this - Ford for offering the EcoSport with good build and good kit at a fair price, and Maruti for turning the heat up on Ford with their Brezza!

Lots of thanks to everyone who's contributed on the all the threads I've been browsing and a big thanks to ArunPhilip for patiently answering every question I threw at him!

Happy to have helped you. I know we discussed several cars, and its nice that you've come back to selecting the EcoSport. Happy driving!

[wilful]

Originally Posted by komalthecoolk

So, after so much reading and bugging some of the patient BHPians, I finally went out and got myself a Silver TDCI Ecosport Titanium+. I'm going to write a little about my whole experience in brief here instead of starting a whole thread for it.

As some of you (victims of my harassment) might know, my choices were all over the place. That's because I found that for every particular requirement, there was one car that was excellent at it but there's no car, at least in my budget that, that satisfied all my requirements. I finally decided to get the car that attracted me from the beginning in spite of its few drawbacks.

Congrats on the new acquisition and welcome to the Ecosport family. I think you have done well after pondering sufficiently.
Somehow I was under the mistaken impression that you were looking for the petrol AT version.
Wishing you many miles of happy motoring.

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by wilful

Somehow I was under the mistaken impression that you were looking for the petrol AT version

No, you're not mistaken, wilful. He had booked the AT initially, about a month ago:

Originally Posted by komalthecoolk

After I've finalized Ecosport as the car that suits my many requirements, I went ahead and booked the AT version because of my lower back and knee problems.

But then he dropped the AT plans and looked at the diesel EcoSport alongside other vehicles (Linea, Verna, City, etc.):

Originally Posted by komalthecoolk

After reading your post multiple times and after test driving the Figo AT I was very impressed with the technology. But after watching related videos, reading about the possibilities of one of the clutch wearing out with slow moving traffic and reading global grievances and issues with the DCT, I've decided not to go for it :(

For a technology that's relatively new and seeing Ford silently replace many problematic transmissions all across the globe, it did not give me enough confidence to have this as my vehicle for the next 5-6 years. May be in the near future, if budget permits, I'd like to have the Figo AT as my secondary car though

EDIT: Response to gaddiwale:

Originally Posted by gaddiwale

Bangalore BHPians, what is the actual FE of EcoSports Petrol and Diesel versions?

The EcoBoost gives me 11-13 km/L within the city, depending on traffic.

[gaddiwale]

Bangalore BHPians, what is the actual FE of EcoSports Petrol and Diesel versions?

[vsh]

@ arunphilip
Thank you verymuch, it would take me one step nearer to my decision.

I started with i20 and then the launches of baleno, brezza and the price cut of Ecosport complicated my selection process. My starting budget of around 9.7 lacs has now gone upto 10.7 lacs. Hope to decide about the vehicle in the coming 15 days.

[komalthecoolk]

Originally Posted by arunphilip

No, you're not mistaken, wilful. He had booked the AT initially, about a month ago:


But then he dropped the AT plans and looked at the diesel EcoSport alongside other vehicles (Linea, Verna, City, etc.):

Haha... I can feel how much you have suffered because of the constant pestering. Just the fact that you know everything that has happened in my brain regarding to the car selection proves this

I really would have loved the AT but just like I was quoted here, I think the use of this technology from Ford and VW is still young and they are clearly trying to make it better with time. Eventually the technology will get mature and I will adopt it with open arms. Until then I wanted to explore driving more outside the city, which I haven't done much so far. That's why I decided to go with a diesel car and a safe car and one that many have said is enjoyable on long drives on the highways.

[kkat]

Hi Kamal ;

Congratulations on your new acquisition , I am sure you will not be disappointed with it.During the Dasara vacations last week I took her for a spin to Pune from my hometown Bangalore and she did not disappoint one bit.I went to Dapoli in Konkan from Pune and the last 67 kms was no road at all full of deep potholes but could still travel at a commendable speed of 50-60kms/hr.
Enroute visited Ganapatipule from Dapoli and the roads were better but still lots of potholes on the way , I did not face any issues due to good ground clearance , in my earlier car the old I20 , I would not have even have dared to put her to any tasks to mile munch in potholed condition. I have easily driven her for 8-10hrs without feeling fatigue..

[k.sumit]

Originally Posted by komalthecoolk

So, after so much reading and bugging some of the patient BHPians, I finally went out and got myself a Silver TDCI Ecosport Titanium+.

Congratulations buddy! I too was sailing in the same boat a couple of months back and finally zeroed down on Ecosport after a lot of brain dead moments. When I sold off my new Honda Jazz, my top priorities for a new vehicle were built quality and a powerful engine. Needless to say that Ecoboost impressed me a lot for the outright punch it delivers. Its simply hard to believe that its a three cylinder 999CC engine working under the hood. I got the petrol variant since I don't commute much because of my work from home job. ArunPhilip's hands on information helped me a lot in the decision making process.

After using it for a couple of months, the only compromise I see I've made is the backseat space. Where jazz could easily accommodate 3 adults, Ecosport is a tight fit, but its not something that is unbearable since my family members are medium built. Yes, the stiff ride is apparent but I've got used to it now. The only thing that I am not able to get over is the second gear acceleration. The car feels absolutely DEAD in the second gear after rolling over a speed breaker and this, I believe is the single sore point of the Ecoboost engine. I'm sure the diesel does much better in this case but being a petrol head for over 14+ years, the diesel clatter is something I cant live with and hence chose petrol over it. I went through various post of yours in Creta/S-Cross/Ecosport forums and absolutely understand how confusing it is to choose a vehicle these days. All thanks to the Brezza, I was able to afford the Ecoboost engine and the new Trend+ variant while keeping my budget in check.

Wish you good luck with your purchase and hope its a stress free ownership experience throughout. After all, you and I have been though enough stress while making a decision and now is the time to enjoy the product. Do post some pictures.

[Eyas337]

Despite all the positive reviews on Ecosport ride quality (though it being on the stiffer side), what I've felt (my experience) is that Ecosport isn't good for those with aged parents or one's suffering with back pain. There is lot of tossing around of passengers (including driver), involved when driving on a bad patch of road. Not sure if the leather seats (not much cushioning effect) and no hand grab support in the Tit+ version (due to 6 airbags) add to the misery.

Regarding the suspension, the way it has been handling bad patches of roads has been terrible. Read few posts from the experts here, regarding adjusting the way you drive over speed breakers / bad patches of roads, etc., and tried them - but didn't help much.

After going thru few reviews on T-BHP posts where Rogers suspension had improved the ride quality, went ahead and got the RogersAB suspension installed at Hyderabad, Madhapur @ xenex for Rs. 6200.

Drove about 1000 kms (1k) post installation - highway driving mostly (including about 200 kms within city). Must say, the ride quality has gone terribly bad compared to earlier (tyre pressure of 32 PSI on all 4 wheels).
- On smooth roads at high speeds, feels like sitting in a speed boat against waves in a sea
- On bad patches of road (even in the driver seat), I felt very uncomfortable involving lot of crazy frog like jumping (involving all 4 wheels)
- The rear passengers complained of very harsh ride experience as well (lot of tossing around).

Not sure if I've described the above misery in an understable way.
I will get this checked once during my first service scheduled for this Saturday and get them removed after few more weeks of testing.

Probably Rogers suspension not meant for Ecosport and wasted Rs. 6200

[komalthecoolk]

As someone with on and off chronic back pain , I also felt that Linea, City and Duster were less bouncier. But then, if you go right now to the Honda City thread, there are people who're complaining about stiff ride and that blows my mind! Duster was definitely smoother than Ecosport but the seating was bad. For both these cars, No lumbar support and no telescopic steering adjustment made it less ergonomic for me as a tall guy. Smooth rides may be comfortable while driving but bad ergonomics can do long term damage to the physical functioning of the body. Having said that, yes, bouncing is a headache with big potholes and speed bumps but everything smaller than that is gobbled up by the Ecosport.

[shivkumar19]

Originally Posted by gaddiwale

Bangalore BHPians, what is the actual FE of EcoSports Petrol and Diesel versions?

mine gives around 12.4 with AC all the time.

[gaddiwale]

Originally Posted by shivkumar19

mine gives around 12.4 with AC all the time.

Thanks. I guess its a Petrol version!

[saleem_k]

Originally Posted by gaddiwale

Bangalore BHPians, what is the actual FE of EcoSports Petrol and Diesel versions?

On my recent trip to Goa, I got around 18kmpl on my TDCI. 80% of the time the roads were good and I was cruising above 100kmph this 80% of the time.

[BB311]

Originally Posted by Eyas337

Regarding the suspension, the way it has been handling bad patches of roads has been terrible. Read few posts from the experts here, regarding adjusting the way you drive over speed breakers / bad patches of roads, etc., and tried them - but didn't help much.

I agree to the above point. Suspension is a sore point in Ecosport and perhaps it would be the primary reason for me to change my car next year. However, the way I see it, Ecosport gobbles up all the small road potholes and medium imperfections on road when rushed through at speeds greater than 40 KMPH. On big speed breakers, and also on those sharp small speed breakers its a back breaking car. Believe me, I sometimes regret my decision of buying an Ecosport and not Elite i20. Also, point to note is, diesel is a bit more comfortable than the Ecoboost version due to higher engine weight. Perhaps @Arunphilip can confirm this.

ROGERABS

Drove about 1000 kms (1k) post installation - highway driving mostly (including about 200 kms within city). Must say, the ride quality has gone terribly bad compared to earlier (

I too bought Rogerabs, and used them for roughly 3000 KM. I even recomended in the forum for Rogerabs, however, the only reason was that if you are someone like me who rushes through bad roads and speed breakers, Rogerabs works like a charm. It eliminates the thud thud noise and also landings after being in air for short duration was more cushy (This is how I used to drive when rogerabs were On )

However, I removed them a month ago (as body roll was 2x when compared to before), and It might be a placebo effect but I feel that now the suspension (after the 3 months abuse i gave it) has improved and gone soft. I feel, suspension in Ecosport improves with age.

[komalthecoolk]

Originally Posted by BB311

It might be a placebo effect but I feel that now the suspension (after the 3 months abuse i gave it) has improved and gone soft. I feel, suspension in Ecosport improves with age.

You could be right about that. My friend's Ecosport that is 2 years old has softer suspension and a quieter diesel engine. I hope that is how my Ecosport will age too


By the way, a question for Diesel Ecosport owners. Can you please confirm that this silver cover in the middle in the photo attached ( I don't know what that is for) is a little disfigured like this or is it the case with my 2 day old car? The SA while giving me the demo for the car during the delivery showed me this and confidently told me this is how it is for all Ecosport. These cars are assembled by robots and there's no chance for damage during assembly. Can someone confirm?