Hello once again. Now for the final part of my two part post. To be very honest the following pictures hardly do justice to the natural beauty I saw over the last 3 days. Here goes...
This picture is quite unclear. But this is the Jazz's MID when we started. It was 6.44am on the 25th of December. The outside temperature was around 21C. The ODO read 1,608.7 km. Yes, this is what I have covered since 1st August, 2015. Also, please discount the 45kms that were already there on the ODO at the time of delivery. I recall seeing a Polo near the MTDC resort at Bhandardhara. The bumper sticker read 'Born to Drive Forced to Work'. Same is the case with a lot of us
On the way to Bhandardhara. That's my dad. We split the driving duty 50:50 to and fro.
I agree the car is on the wrong side of the road. But the road was empty and all precautions were taken
Introducing....Angry Birds...
Close up of Angry Birds. The one on the right has some attitude. Or you could say the one on the left is a hen-pecked husband to the core
On the 26th of December we set out for some sight seeing. This is what the resort manager handed us. Rest of the pictures will have references of this map.
This picture and the next few ones are taken near the point marked 'Mt Kalsubai Highest Peak in Maharashtra'. These are my parents.
Dad on the left and yours truly on the right.
This picture was taken near the Deep Valley Point shown on the map. Calling the road leading to this point atrocious would be an understatement. However the view in this picture more than made up for it.
Men..machine..mountains
The abysmal condition of roads around Wilson Dam
Seeing these roads made me realize why the hotel manager had this for a ride...
The Jazz, all covered in dust
The Jazz and the Wilson dam
The end. MID reading on reaching home. 384.1 kms covered. Best FE figure reached: 13.3 kmpl (had dropped 0.1 kmpl while parking the car)
(Mods kindly correct the orientation of this picture)
My take on the Jazz:
1) To be very honest after my dad's 11 year Wagon R the Jazz is the only car I have driven. I did learn to drive on my dad's Omni though. The Jazz was the only car I ever wanted to buy (actually it was the Fit, but then that's another story best not talked about). Did consider the Swift and Elite but did not give them a serious thought. After this road-trip am I satisfied with the Jazz? Yes. No second thoughts.
2) Is the Jazz under-powered? It did seem to struggle up the ghats around Kasara. But then I have never driven on ghats. Maybe better down-shifts will help matter.
3) One word for the handling: Sweet. The Wagon R used to feel as if it was flying when it used to hit 70 kmph on the JVLR. The Jazz felt 'planted' even at 80 kmph. My dad hit 100 kmph a couple of times and it still felt 'planted'. Driving down the ghats while returning today was a hoot.
4) The Magic Seats are definitely worth the money. Ok, the Jazz is over-priced I admit. But, have a look at this picture
(request Mods to correct this incase its upside down).

The other option for this trip was the Etios. But then why drag a boot when you don't need it. The Jazz was perfect for this trip. Sufficient boot space for two strolley bags. And enough space in the rear (after folding the right hand side Magic Seat) for a bird cage, an adult, and a bag.
To sum up things, I am happy with with my choice of car. Yes, its overpriced and quality has taken a hit (rattles already present) as compared to previous generations but then is there an alternative that's as practical as the current Jazz? Showing boot space on paper is one thing (Baleno) but making it practical enough to use is another. What's the point of having fancy features with premium quality when the rear bench feel claustrophobic (Elite i20)?
I have a lot of respect for Jazz's competition. They all have their positive points. But for everyday practicality the Jazz is surely the hatch to beat.
Thanks for your time and patience people. And this is my favorite picture of this trip.