[DaiusPitar]

Originally Posted by TheTeacher

I booked my Minimal Grey T-Jet Emotion today. Wanted to do it last Sunday, but was house bound with flu-like symptoms. The guy from Vecto came to collect the cheque this afternoon. Now the waiting begins. Expected to take a week.

I asked about the reversing camera. He said they can fit one made by Autocop (who apparently supply Fiat with the power windows etc.). Cost is Rs. 13.5k and it will not void warranty. Can anybody comment on the cost, please?
.

Firstly Congrats..

I have found the Red Soul brand of reverse camears to be very good in reliability. They also have good service network across Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai. I purchased mine in Bangalore 5 years ago and has served me reliably.
Got it reattached when Wasan Motors Mumbai dismantled it by mistake. And got some decent jugaad done by their executives in Chennai when my daughter broke a mounting clamp for the rear view mirror.

Where are you based?

[TheTeacher]

I'm in Bangalore. I'll check out Red Soul. They're headquartered in Bangalore, according to their website.

[khoj]

I have posted a link to a wireless camera in my previous post. Besides that there is nothing else under my radar at the moment. BTW do let is know how the RedSoul works out

The Goodyears are fine tires but they do tend to become hard and noisy over time, no obvious issues with grip. I have used them before, they were OE supply(GPS something) on my City Type 2 and again in the Aveo (NCT 3) that replaced the City, so thought best to change them.

Originally Posted by TheTeacher

Thanks khoj. Any suggestions on the reversing camera, then?

Any idea if the Goodyears are worth keeping in terms of grip, noise, etc.?

As for the Bridgestones they are par for the course. Per my earlier experiences with them I found the RE88 Potenzas to be excellent where as the R322 were less than average with not much of a grip in wet. However had been hearing a lot of good things about them in the recent times, especially the Turanzas, MY01 and the Ecopia. I went looking for the Ecopia but they were priced in the Stratosphere. Found a bargain deal on 4 non ISI marked GR90s (the Top Gun in the Turanza range) and went for it. They had an MRP of 10600 per tire and my Jet's tires had an MRP of 7400/- each (dealer's purchase price was much lower) but since the dealer could not get rid of his tires due to the ISI stamp not being there I paid approximately 6+K on the exchange for four tires.

The Turanza GR90s have been excellent thus far (7000+ kms in 10 months) in terms of noise and handling. Infact I find them to be more silent than the Yokohama AVS dB550s that I have on my Cedia(26000kms+) but the MichelinLC that a couple of my friends have in their cars are definitely more silent than these two.

Originally Posted by PGNarain

Hi Khoj, thanks for the pic - I have been meaning to get my mud flaps changed for some time, will ask for the absolute mud flaps.

On a different note, I am contemplating changing the shoes on my Tjet some time soon. The car is still running on the stock goodyears. I noticed that you have Bridgestones. Could you perhaps shed some light on how has been your experience with them(in terms of tyre noise and grip), size and what they cost.

Thanks

The only red flag here w.r.t. the AVS dB is that these are unidirectional tires.

In case it is ever required, tires mounted on the Left side of the vehicle cannot be mounted on the Right hand side and vice versa. That is unless the tire is taken off the wheel, flipped around and remounted.

Apart from that these are a class apart. Excellent in terms of carefree usage, grip over all kinds of surfaces and pretty silent too especially over concrete surfaces(on which other tires make a racket) with a bit of rumble coming in if the coaltar black top is the grainy kind.

The Michelin LCs though are quite silent on any blacktop with a bit of a rumble coming in on concrete surfaces but more silent than the AVS.

Originally Posted by maverick145

Just confirming, the best tyres available for the Lina T-Jet 1.4 Emotion are:

Michelin 205/55R16 PLC
Yokohama AVS DB (model no?)

[Guite]

Originally Posted by khoj

Guite quotes between different dealers in the same city for any given vehicle always vary. If you do not mind sharing do tell which all dealers are you talking to. Maybe a different dealer might serve you better.

The stand of the NOIDA dealer w.r.t. the VAT is correct. If the car being bought in Delhi is to be registered in UP, I am sure the RTO there will ask you to pay up the difference in VAT. My vehicles are registered in HR and I have to deposit the difference in VAT between HR & DL in SBI and attach the receipt with the RTO file. Once you have bought the car you will not be in a positon to say no to the extra spend unless you clear this with the dealer beforehand and he agrees to pay the demand if any.

I have been intouch with Kashyab Fiat in Delhi and Oberoi Fiat in Noida. The only discount offered by Kashyab is 50% off on insurance. Oberoi if offering free insurance, RSA and basic accessories. If both dealers were offering same discounts, buying from Delhi may still offer more savings depending on how the extra 2% VAT is calculated.

So you paid the VAT difference to the account number of concerned HR authority? Was the exact amount to be paid intimated by dealer or RTO? My car will be financed by SBI, so demand note from dealer should ideally be all inclusive, that is, total on-road price.

My current car was bought in Delhi and registered in Noida. I did not get into all this rigmarole that time. Maybe I was ignorant of these aspects then. That was five years back.

[khoj]

The amount was indeed calculated by the RTO clerk based on the figures printed in the original invoice.

Originally Posted by Guite

So you paid the VAT difference to the account number of concerned HR authority? Was the exact amount to be paid intimated by dealer or RTO? My car will be financed by SBI, so demand note from dealer should ideally be all inclusive, that is, total on-road price.

[TheTeacher]

Any 3M services recommended for a new car? Somebody I know mentioned paint sealant, not sure if it's required on contemporary cars. Any advice will be gratefully lapped up. Thanks.

[PGNarain]

Originally Posted by khoj

The Goodyears are fine tires but they do tend to become hard and noisy over time, no obvious issues with grip.

So, True - Agree with you on all counts. My TJet has done over 25,000 and though grip is not an issue and the tread too looks fine, I feel the ride has begun to suffer and tyre noise is becoming a bit much!!

Originally Posted by khoj

As for the Bridgestones they are par for the course.....

The Turanza GR90s have been excellent thus far (7000+ kms in 10 months) in terms of noise and handling...... MichelinLC that a couple of my friends have in their cars are definitely more silent than these two.

the AVS dB ....... these are a class apart........

The Michelin LCs though are quite silent on any blacktop with a bit of a rumble coming in on concrete surfaces but more silent than the AVS.

Thanks for the inputs.

I conclude from the above that the Yokohamas are the best overall considering tyre noise, grip and maintenance but Micheling PLC are the way to go if I want the most silent Tyres of the lot!!

Just one more thing - have you had any experience of driving over "Tiled Roads". It is not so prevalent in Delhi - but tiled roads are mushrooming all over Bombay!! If I remember correctly there is short patch of tiled roads in Delhi, on Bhairon Marg (connecting GT road to Mathura Road, near Purana Quila) - any time you have driven this stretch.

Sorry to be so specific, but just mentioned the above as it will help me reference your experience with mine!!

Thanks

[nishantgandhi]

I have TJet running on Michelin PLC and I drive in Mumbai (which means it's all *tiled* road - although its actually those stupid paver blocks). What's your question?

[KarthikK]

Originally Posted by TheTeacher

Any 3M services recommended for a new car? Somebody I know mentioned paint sealant, not sure if it's required on contemporary cars. Any advice will be gratefully lapped up. Thanks.

I'll try to answer that since I have paint sealant done on both my cars now. 3M's paint sealant is something analogous to a long-lasting wax coating (claimed period is upto 1 year). It will not protect you from scratches, but it will definitely act as a shield against normal dust, sun, rain and other natural weathering and will delay swirl marks from forming on the paint surface. In other words, the surface will look brand new for a longer time than without the sealant.

Coming to your question now - usually for old cars, since they will invariably come with swirls and scratches, there are other processes (rubbing, sanding, claying, etc) done to first remove the swirls and hide the scratches; then the paint sealant layer is applied on top of that. For a new car, there will usually be no scratches or swirls to remove so the process is slightly less complex, but the end result is the same in both cases - glossy finish which will last long with good maintenance.

Regardless of the treatment done, remember that the finish needs to be maintained for longevity by :

- use of a duster for dry dust. Try to prolong the period between washes. Don't wash it unless absolutely necessary.
- washing with a microfibre cloth, not just any 'old cloth'. Rough cloth will cause swirls and scratches.
- Even a paint sealant car can be ripped off by a local cleaner boy and his antics in a few weeks, so I strongly suggest firing such a person if he exists now

Hope this helps. About your query on other 3M services required for a new car, there's not much else required at this point since the car will be new. Normally new car buyers opt for underbody anti-corrosion treatment too, but Fiats seem to provide that from the factory, so you can skip that too I guess.

Originally Posted by PGNarain

I conclude from the above that the Yokohamas are the best overall considering tyre noise, grip and maintenance but Micheling PLC are the way to go if I want the most silent Tyres of the lot!!

Sorry to be so specific, but just mentioned the above as it will help me reference your experience with mine!!

Michelin PLCs should be slightly better than Yoko AVS DBs in grip also, going by some reviews I read. The AVS DB is also a soft-sidewall tyre if I'm not mistaken. I don't see how it offers substantially more strength than a Primacy LC. Both are delicate tyres meant for low noise and cushioned comfort. Michelin charges slightly more premium for the brand value over a Yokohama. You can take your pick, both will not disappoint but the PLC should be marginally better in the parameters you need.

Originally Posted by nishantgandhi

I have TJet running on Michelin PLC and I drive in Mumbai (which means it's all *tiled* road - although its actually those stupid paver blocks). What's your question?

+1! Another T-Jet running on Michelin PLCs here, ready to answer questions. I don't have tiled roads here in Bangalore though. In fact, I have no roads at all right now, thanks to rains and their spawned potholes.

[PGNarain]

Originally Posted by nishantgandhi

I have TJet running on Michelin PLC and I drive in Mumbai (which means it's all *tiled* road - although its actually those stupid paver blocks). What's your question?

Hi Nishant!! Khoj had given a rather comprehensive reply as to the quality of the ride offered by the above discussed tyres on all surfaces except Tiled/Paver Roads.
Since both Yoko's and Michelins are almost at par - I just wanted to know which offers a better ride on Tiled / Paved Roads and if the difference in ride comfort is substantial between the two brands.

[maverick145]

Bad experience to start with Fiat for me. I had booked a test drive online 2 days back but did not get any response. I tried calling the local dealer but did not get a proper response. I somehow managed to get an Executive's number and called him. He told me that they do not have any 2013 Linea models and it will take a month for them to get one for a test drive. He offered me a test drive on some customer's old Tjet model for now.

Fiat expects its prospective buyers to drive an old used model and book a new model? What kind of crap is this?

The dealer in Raipur is a new dealer and just started operations like 3-4 months back. I am not sure what kind of service I can expect if their sales strategy itself is so poor.

Worst of all, I then called the Fiat India toll free number and there was nobody there to answer the call. I hung up after holding the line for 5 mins. I am now really re-considering if I want to even take such risks with Fiat. These guys have really messed it up in India.

[julupani]

Originally Posted by maverick145

Bad experience to start with Fiat for me. I had booked a test drive online 2 days back but did not get any response. I tried calling the local dealer but did not get a proper response. I somehow managed to get an Executive's number and called him. He told me that they do not have any 2013 Linea models and it will take a month for them to get one for a test drive. He offered me a test drive on some customer's old Tjet model for now.

The dealer in Raipur is a new dealer and just started operations like 3-4 months back. I am not sure what kind of service I can expect if their sales strategy itself is so poor.
.

I guess you havnt checked, but FIAT hasnt launched the 2013 Tjet on a pan-India level yet. It is limited to I think to only the top 8 big cities for now.

So overall, I give credit to the dealer that he bothered to find an existing Tjet owner and convinced him/her to give you a test drive.

[akshay4587]

Originally Posted by julupani

I guess you havnt checked, but FIAT hasnt launched the 2013 Tjet on a pan-India level yet. It is limited to I think to only the top 8 big cities for now.

So overall, I give credit to the dealer that he bothered to find an existing Tjet owner and convinced him/her to give you a test drive.

I agree Tjet is only available in tier 1 cities for now.

[TheTeacher]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Michelin PLCs should be slightly better than Yoko AVS DBs in grip also, going by some reviews I read. The AVS DB is also a soft-sidewall tyre if I'm not mistaken.

My understanding is that the PLCs are also soft-walled and self-destruct pretty easily when one hits a pothole at some speed. Considering that I plan to do some highway runs and cannot see / anticipate all road hazards, I'm wondering if it makes sense to swap out the OEM Goodyears. Soft tyres are great for noise and grip, but we don't have highways and roads like US freeways or German autobahns.

[julupani]

Originally Posted by TheTeacher

My understanding is that the PLCs are also soft-walled and self-destruct pretty easily when one hits a pothole at some speed. Considering that I plan to do some highway runs and cannot see / anticipate all road hazards, I'm wondering if it makes sense to swap out the OEM Goodyears. Soft tyres are great for noise and grip, but we don't have highways and roads like US freeways or German autobahns.

The "softness" of the Michelin tyres, especially the PLCs in my view are severely exaggerated.

I have been using PLCs on my Punto for about 10,000kms now. I have taken them out on rural roads with massive potholes, completely unpaved roads with stones, roads which were under construction with loos gravel and sharp stones. Overall I have done about 500-600kms on seriously bad roads. And I havnt had a single puncture yet. Grip is pretty good, quite a good bit better than the old Goodyear GT3s I had. Comfort has improved also, and most of all the PLCs added about 0.5-1kmpl to the fuel efficiency compared to 23000km old GT3s.

And they are supremely quiet. I get to hear the throaty burble of the 1.4NA engine all the more clearly now.