[rsm97]

Hi, believe forum now has significant number of Aspire owners. Request if someone who has bought 1.2L petrol can share experience about performance of the engine. How is the pick-up and how well it manages on slopes?

Thanks in advance.

[methecupid]

Cross posting from the more relevant thread on Ford Aspire/ Figo tyre upgrade because of urgency. Please delete if found irrelevant.

"To be or not to be.

I will be taking delivery of my Figo tomorrow, and the first thing on my bucket list was an upgrade of the tires. But this countless contradiction between what the dealers are specifying as against what has been categorically mentioned by Ford, have been in a conundrum ever since.

I think I can easily forego the 15" upgrade for two reasons. I don't want to mess up with the Ford disclaimers, and secondly, somehow I feel smaller alloys with relatively fatter tyres give a more comfortable ride than bigger tires with narrower aspect.

Having said that, I have read innumerable members upgrading to 185/64 R14 on their Figos and have been happier doing it. Another option is to go for 195/60 R14. Can any of the kind souls of existing members help me out in selecting one over the other?"

[samaspire]

Originally Posted by The Rationalist

Can we replace the boot lid struts to hydraulic struts, the current one opens upwards randomly on pressing the boot release button, as if it has a mind of its own! I hope hydraulic struts would cure the disease.

The boot opens violently. The first time I tried it in the showroom, I thought something broke. Then I saw that it bounces a bit after opening fully. Maybe the spring action is too strong. Loosening or changing the spring might be a solution. I would prefer it if the boot just unlocks and opens a little bit. Then it can be manually lifted.

If hydraulic struts can be retrofitted then nothing like it.

[The Rationalist]

Originally Posted by methecupid

I have read innumerable members upgrading to 185/64 R14 on their Figos and have been happier doing it. Another option is to go for 195/60 R14. Can any of the kind souls of existing members help me out in selecting one over the other?"

Hi methecupid,
I have driven the stock tires for close to 700 kms. They are adequate for most situations. But if you are a spirited driver and love corners I would suggest only 195/60/14. The low buy back offer for my stock tires were the only reason that I didn't go for 195.
The Rationalist.

[castiel]

Originally Posted by The Rationalist

Can we replace the boot lid struts to hydraulic struts, I hope hydraulic struts would cure the disease.

Originally Posted by samaspire

If hydraulic struts can be retrofitted then nothing like it.

I had asked about this in this thread earlier. Have any fellow owners found a way to replace the springs with struts?

[methecupid]

Originally Posted by The Rationalist

Hi methecupid,
I have driven the stock tires for close to 700 kms. They are adequate for most situations. But if you are a spirited driver and love corners I would suggest only 195/60/14. The low buy back offer for my stock tires were the only reason that I didn't go for 195.
The Rationalist.

Thanks Rationalist. Your inputs are highly appreciated, specially the work you got done on the aspire.

Not so much of a spirited driver, but will get a look at it tomorrow. My guy suggested S-drive for 195/60 and a plethora of options for 185/65. I only want the car to have a good poise, but going to make sure they remain inside the fender. I already am carrying that look on my Scorpio, lest people think I have gone bonkers

[jowes]

Originally Posted by rsm97

Hi, believe forum now has significant number of Aspire owners. Request if someone who has bought !.2L petrol can share experience about performance of the engine. How is the pick-up and how well it manages on slopes?

Thanks in advance.

Had a 800 km+ Wayanad trip in my Petrol Titanium+ car last weekend. We covered almost the whole of Wayanad. We used Google maps for navigation and this made us cover all sorts of roads - Highways, narrow slopes and muddy road full of potholes. The car was fully loaded: 4 adults and 2 young kids + boot full of luggages.

Here are some observations that we could make:
1) No problems at all with climbing Ghat roads, provided the car is in the right gear. My observation has been that the car in general has poor pick-up in lower gears. For instance, when I test drove Elite i20 prior to purchase, I was able to accelerate from < 25 kmph speeds even from the 3rd gear. That's not the case with Aspire. If we don't move to the appropriate gear, the car will stall, period. I was driving in the ghat roads for the first time, and my car stalled multiple times in the second gear. But I have now got used to it, so its not a problem.

2) We were not able to realize the advantages of 174 mm GC. The car's underbody hit multiple speed-breakers and bumps, including some heavy hits. Thankfully no damages. Overall we were happy that we could cover some of those tough roads without problems.

3) Average mileage for the whole trip was around 14.5 kmpl. In the highways, the mileage was averaging at 18 kmpl. Our trip included around 650 kms of highways and 150 kms of narrow ghat/forest roads (where the max speed we would have touched is 50 kmph). We were driving with speed limit set to 100, so in highways we never crossed 100.

4) As many have pointed out, the boot needs some space to be left on the sides to accommodate the closing lever.

5) Rear comfort was great. None of the kids felt discomfort with body rolls on those curves.

6) The car felt planted when making fast turns, but then we never crossed 100 kmph.

[roms]

Originally Posted by methecupid

Not so much of a spirited driver, but will get a look at it tomorrow. My guy suggested S-drive for 195/60 and a plethora of options for 185/65.

If anything, 185/65 will only spoil the poise you are looking for and induce slight body roll as well. On the upside, the car may ride better and have increased ground clearance. 195/60 may make the ride harsher and steering heavier. It will also marginally affect acceleration but the car will have a slightly higher top speed (which isn't your priority).

I'd say stick to the stock profile. The nimbleness, chuckability and driving dynamics of the Aspire are just fine for most buyers. I've driven both the Figo and Aspire and in person, the tyre / wheel profile and size don't look all that bad at all. The car is brilliant BTW. My two cents.

[SJN]

I would appreciate feedback from TBHPians (especially Aspire owners) about whether to go for the Aspire IRVM reverse camera or to look for other options. Please share your experience such as general visibility and in low light conditions.

[vkaul1]

Did a test drive of Titanium+ Diesel as well as the Titanium AT from Talera Ford & my experience with them remains pleasant as was the first time around (when I had bought from Ikon from them - 10 yrs back). The diesel simply blows you away with the torque on tap & the easy drivability it translates to. Combined with the FE as well as the fact that there was no Titanium+ for the AT & for the price differential (at least to me) it did seem like a lot of compromise to go with the T rather than T+. Finally did go ahead & put the money down on the T+ Diesel in Blue. Now the wait begins

[arunphilip]

Originally Posted by jowes

Had a 800 km+ Wayanad trip in my Petrol Titanium+ car last weekend. The car was fully loaded: 4 adults and 2 young kids + boot full of luggages.
We were not able to realize the advantages of 174 mm GC. The car's underbody hit multiple speed-breakers and bumps, including some heavy hits.

Good to hear an owner's review of the 1.2 Ti-VCT engine, thank you.

In your opinion, were the underbody hits unexpected (i.e. did they happen on speed breakers that didn't appear to be car breakers), or was it reasonable given the load in the car? I'm curious to know if the previous Figo's problems of scraping and hitting the underbody have gone away in this iteration, or if it still persists.

Originally Posted by vkaul1

Did a test drive of Titanium+ Diesel as well as the Titanium AT. The diesel simply blows you away with the torque on tap & the easy drivability it translates to.

How was the AT? Was it good in performance (and just that the diesel was much more torquey), or was the AT lacking?
Also - do you have any real-life pictures of the Deep Impact Blue? I know it looks darker than Ford's previous signature colour of Kinetic Blue, but am curious to see how it looks on a car.

[jowes]

Originally Posted by SJN

I would appreciate feedback from TBHPians (especially Aspire owners) about whether to go for the Aspire IRVM reverse camera or to look for other options. Please share your experience such as general visibility and in low light conditions.

I have one. This being my first car, I have not seen it in any other car so my observation may not be taken for comparison. I am not happy with the quality of the video in IRVM. It is manageable, thats about it. For instance, when I reverse in the parking lot in my apartment, I have a hard time distinguishing between floor and compound wall. I also have sensor, so that helps. The IRVM does not have day/night mode, so when there is sun-light, its hard to see the camera display as well.

Originally Posted by arunphilip

Good to hear an owner's review of the 1.2 Ti-VCT engine, thank you.

In your opinion, were the underbody hits unexpected (i.e. did they happen on speed breakers that didn't appear to be car breakers), or was it reasonable given the load in the car? I'm curious to know if the previous Figo's problems of scraping and hitting the underbody have gone away in this iteration, or if it still persists.

I haven't driven other cars... I just felt the extra cm of GC may not help much when passengers are in the rear. I do not mean to say its bad, I am just saying, the car may not hold visible advantage over those which come with 165mm. The car performs well when traversing normal speed breakers. All the hits that we got were at speed breakers that were slightly bigger and the semi-tar roads full of ups and downs.

[samaspire]

I'm having delivery problems (lol) with my Aspire. I posted about it in the "I Booked my car" thread but I think it needs to be referenced here for other ford buyers to gauge the company's responsiveness.

The story so far...

Saturday 11 am :

"I had booked my Ford Figo Aspire from Cauvery Ford Mangalore, Karnataka, on 9th September and had asked for delivery in October - latest by 21st October. Now they are saying that this would not be possible as the Ambinete (base) model production is not on priority. And they are suggesting that I either take the higher Trend model or the new Figo instead.

I really need the car before the 21st - so what recourse do I have to get the delivery on time."

Saturday about 1pm:

"Anyway, they called me after I posted this on Facebook (and referenced tbhp) and offered to speak to the dealer. The dealer called me 10 min later and offered me the orange colour instead of ingot silver. But that colour is not acceptable to any one in the family. (sorry KreativeGeek)"

Around 6 in the evening I again messaged them on Facebook asking for an update. I got a call immediately saying that they would get back to me on Monday.

Monday: As there was no news till 3 pm, I again messaged on the FB page and promptly they called again. This time he said "the dealer does not have an allotment of the required model for this month, but we are trying to do something as a special case."

That's the story so far. I liked Ford's responsiveness but maybe it's the FB effect (because mails to customer care went unanswered - both at dealer level and the company).

Whatever the case, my problem has not been solved yet. Hoping for good news tomorrow.

[methecupid]

OT alert!

Welcoming the newest member today. After mindless number of pondering hours, countless number of interactions with family and innumerable sleepless night reading fellow BHPians review of the elder sibling; we decided to take the plunge with the latest offering from Ford.



Brought about by this unnerving urge to get a new car, an ageing workhorse in the VW Polo (that almost completed 5 years with me) and the maddening traffic with even more nauseating feeling in the Scorpio, we decided to get a car that will not only be easier to potter around but also assist my left leg. Good guess - it's a spanking new Ford Figo 1.5 DCT.

Could I have gone for the Elite i20? Sure! It was my wife's favourite. The build has come a long way from when I evaluated it 5 years back, not to mention it's apparently quite a rage now.

Could I have waited for the Baleno? I wish I could. The car seems to have most of the check marks going for it. All basic safety and twinkling finger features in the palate.


Then why the Figo? I was sure it had to be an automatic. Thanks to the stone faced clutch of the Scorpio. Elite i20 gave it a miss. Flabbergasted! On the other hand, Baleno could be the next halo product from Maruti. However CVT was unchartered territory and seemed inferior to the dual clutch technology. I don't want to be stuck at the end of 4th year with a sinking feeling of outmoded virtues. Add to that, the MS engine and the rather light kerb weight of 870-odd kgs didn't enamour me. Maybe I will eat my words later, and maybe my next hatch would be the Baleno with Boosterjet. But for now, Figo ticked the engine and drivetrain boxes and Baleno didn't.

Jazz was a special case. I loved the way it drove, the automatic was adequate for my driving style. However the build was not only disappointing, but also mind numbing. Honda needs to reconsider its way forward. The GT TSI would have been a perfect hatch for my use. Seconded by my close relationship built on years of interaction with the VW workshop in my neighborhood (Dad had a Jetta in 2008, I got the Polo in 2010). But it just had to be babied so much, and with my "alleged" OCD problem, I was running every second weekend.

I can only wish for an uneventful ownership experience from Ford again, being the second me blue oval after the Josh machine!



P.S. Exclusivity was also considered. In our world of Maruti and Hyundai take-a-bow, I may just end up looking at a rather rare example in my garage

P.P.S. Can't upload pictures from the app. Will try them tomorrow from my laptop.

[manish84]

Congrats methecupid. Let me tell you, I am going through the same anxiety and sleepless nights deciding between Aspire DCT, Aspire diesel and Ecosport diesel. I know all 3 are different, but still I like all of them. However, owing to my wife preference, I have decided to choose and book the automatic. Yes I also did not choose jazz as I felt CVT was not as good as DCT. More so, can't wait for 3 months for Jazz. VW just went off my list due to the pricing.
So did you book Figo or aspire? And which color is this - grey or black or blue?