[amateurpro]

Decision making process

It was an interesting 6 months of wait (half of it self imposed) to get my Etios. I have tried explaining the decision making process at various stages. The car I owned before Etios was Zen Estilo (Feb 2007) Vxi (without ABS / Airbags).

Reasons for going with Etios sedan

1) Class leading space
2) Good petrol engine with decent power and awesome power-to-weight ratio that should be exciting in highways
3) Diesel was a no-no. I feel petrol engines are far too refined compared to diesel ones at a given price point. (Though Ford Fiesta Classic Diesel appealed a lot)
4) Affordable entry point
5) Blind faith in Toyota brand (not surprising coming from an amateur)
6) Pleasurable for city driving with low end torque
7) Need ABS as I have started tasting highways.

Reasons for booking G(SP) initially

1) Had ABS / airbags
2) All door power windows / power steering - more than sufficient
3) External looks are the same as V and nearly same as Vx (minus the side skirts)
4) The seats looked better than that of VX (I personally hate black and red) though V (black and grey) had better looking seats.

Reasons for shifting to V

1) I certainly would need a CD player but I can always add to my G variant as an accessory.
2) I badly missed the rear defogger in G(SP) as I cannot even add it as an accessory. Rear defogger is an important safety feature and I wish Toyota has included in G(SP) variant itself. My Zen Estilo had it and it had been so useful on many rainy nights in Chennai.
3) Would I pay more than 50k additionally for getting just a rear defogger and a CD player in V? I know I also get alloy wheels in V and it costs quite a lot. The only question was, would I need aloy wheels? Little more research on the subject made me realise that alloy wheels have a functional role apart from improving the looks.

Why not VX? The positives

1) Audio controls on steering (Wow - sounds cool)
2) Side skirts (does enhance the looks)
3) Awesome steering wheel

Reasons for not shifting to VX

1) Black and red - A big turn off
2) Side skirts not compitible with mud guards (Oops. Someone did not pay attention to detail while designing)
3) Not prepared to shell out another 50K or so.

Closer to delivery, it became clear to me that Etios is going to be an awesome car from the point of view of performance and space. The one significant area of improvement would be the luxury quotient of the car. Toyota offers an interesting range of accessories at reasonable prices (link to accessory info available from etios site of Toyota - look for the menu "make my car").

My final list of accessories

1) Body coloured bumper corner protectors
2) Mud guards (thank god the spare wheel is not an accessory)
3) Side sunvisors
4) Reverse parking sensor (the only accessory that is not TGA but a dealer recommended one with digital distance indicator)
5) TVSS security system
6) Art leather seats (TGA - Cannot afford the genuine leather though I liked it)
7) Steering wheel cover (black and leather)
8) Blue illumination (super cool. Will upload pictures soon)
9) USB port
10) Floor mat (rubber - handy for rainy days)
11) Luggage tray (again cool)
12) 3M light tint sun film
13) Sun visor organiser
14) Car cover (silver)
15) 3M underbody coating

I have just completed 100 kms in my new car and so do not have much to say except the following

Instant Likes

1) Premium feel in cabin (many said the car looked a segment higher than what it is. I too felt it and the accessories have played a part too)
2) Engine is awesome (cannot agree more with GTO on this)
3) Space (ofcourse)

Minor dislikes

1) No auto door lock. My Estilo had it and I keep forgetting to lock the doors in Etios.
2) The power window switch need not be so hard to operate.
3) A colleague of mine noticed this though I missed it (2 inch of carpet material saved at an area where it could go unnoticed. U too Toyota?)

I was pleasantly surprised with the low noise levels inside the cabin once the windows are up. I remember GTO and many others pointing out about the noise issue earlier. Have the Toyota engineers addressed the noise issue in the recent batch of dispatches or is the reduced noise due to underbody coating and luggage tray?

Whatever, I am a happy and proud Etios owner now. I need to mention about my experience with the dealer who had been courteous, responsive and respectful throughout the six months and hopefully beyond.

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by amateurpro

Whatever, I am a happy and proud Etios owner now. I need to mention about my experience with the dealer who had been courteous, responsive and respectful throughout the six months and hopefully beyond.

Very good write-up, loved reading every bit of it & yes before I forget, hearty congratulations to you on becoming the proud owner of the Etios (photos please). Also this post deserves to be on your ownership experience thread, so please start it asap.

Your Estilo is/was a 2007 model (if I am not wrong). What made you go for the Etios as a replacement for the Estilo within 4 years of ownership? I am still running my seven year old car

Initially the Etios was not in my shortlist as an upgrade. However the sheer pratical value this car offers is amazing. I am eagerly awaiting for its diesel version to get launched. I am surely going to get hooked up to your ownership thread once you start it.

[amateurpro]

Thanks Autoindian for your response. My primary drivers for an upgrade was to improve upon safety features (ABS mainly) and space (cabin as well as boot) as I have started enjoying long highway drives. A bigger and safer car was the solution that ruled out most premium hatches (for want of bootspace) except Jazz (too much premium for a hatch). I have ruled out diesel too and so it was practically Etios VS City. New, affordabble car won the race against the time tested and more expensive City.

[aaren]

Originally Posted by amateurpro

Decision making process

It was an interesting 6 months of wait (half of it self imposed) to get my Etios. I have tried explaining the decision making process at various stages. The car I owned before Etios was Zen Estilo (Feb 2007) Vxi (without ABS / Airbags).

Reasons for going with Etios sedan

1) Class leading space
2) Good petrol engine with decent power and awesome power-to-weight ratio that should be exciting in highways
3) Diesel was a no-no. I feel petrol engines are far too refined compared to diesel ones at a given price point. (Though Ford Fiesta Classic Diesel appealed a lot)
4) Affordable entry point
5) Blind faith in Toyota brand (not surprising coming from an amateur)
6) Pleasurable for city driving with low end torque
7) Need ABS as I have started tasting highways.

Reasons for booking G(SP) initially

1) Had ABS / airbags
2) All door power windows / power steering - more than sufficient
3) External looks are the same as V and nearly same as Vx (minus the side skirts)
4) The seats looked better than that of VX (I personally hate black and red) though V (black and grey) had better looking seats.

Reasons for shifting to V

1) I certainly would need a CD player but I can always add to my G variant as an accessory.
2) I badly missed the rear defogger in G(SP) as I cannot even add it as an accessory. Rear defogger is an important safety feature and I wish Toyota has included in G(SP) variant itself. My Zen Estilo had it and it had been so useful on many rainy nights in Chennai.
3) Would I pay more than 50k additionally for getting just a rear defogger and a CD player in V? I know I also get alloy wheels in V and it costs quite a lot. The only question was, would I need aloy wheels? Little more research on the subject made me realise that alloy wheels have a functional role apart from improving the looks.

Why not VX? The positives

1) Audio controls on steering (Wow - sounds cool)
2) Side skirts (does enhance the looks)
3) Awesome steering wheel

Reasons for not shifting to VX

1) Black and red - A big turn off
2) Side skirts not compitible with mud guards (Oops. Someone did not pay attention to detail while designing)
3) Not prepared to shell out another 50K or so.

Closer to delivery, it became clear to me that Etios is going to be an awesome car from the point of view of performance and space. The one significant area of improvement would be the luxury quotient of the car. Toyota offers an interesting range of accessories at reasonable prices (link to accessory info available from etios site of Toyota - look for the menu "make my car").

My final list of accessories

1) Body coloured bumper corner protectors
2) Mud guards (thank god the spare wheel is not an accessory)
3) Side sunvisors
4) Reverse parking sensor (the only accessory that is not TGA but a dealer recommended one with digital distance indicator)
5) TVSS security system
6) Art leather seats (TGA - Cannot afford the genuine leather though I liked it)
7) Steering wheel cover (black and leather)
8) Blue illumination (super cool. Will upload pictures soon)
9) USB port
10) Floor mat (rubber - handy for rainy days)
11) Luggage tray (again cool)
12) 3M light tint sun film
13) Sun visor organiser
14) Car cover (silver)
15) 3M underbody coating

I have just completed 100 kms in my new car and so do not have much to say except the following

Instant Likes

1) Premium feel in cabin (many said the car looked a segment higher than what it is. I too felt it and the accessories have played a part too)
2) Engine is awesome (cannot agree more with GTO on this)
3) Space (ofcourse)

Minor dislikes

1) No auto door lock. My Estilo had it and I keep forgetting to lock the doors in Etios.
2) The power window switch need not be so hard to operate.
3) A colleague of mine noticed this though I missed it (2 inch of carpet material saved at an area where it could go unnoticed. U too Toyota?)

I was pleasantly surprised with the low noise levels inside the cabin once the windows are up. I remember GTO and many others pointing out about the noise issue earlier. Have the Toyota engineers addressed the noise issue in the recent batch of dispatches or is the reduced noise due to underbody coating and luggage tray?

Whatever, I am a happy and proud Etios owner now. I need to mention about my experience with the dealer who had been courteous, responsive and respectful throughout the six months and hopefully beyond.

Congrats on your new purchase !! Upload the photos and share your experiences and yes, your write up is very good and gives lots of info.

@ Mods: I guess this thread has to be moved to Initial Ownership Thread.

[RadiantKarma]

Originally Posted by amateurpro

Decision making proces
..............................

Nicely written brief on the logical decision making process and first impressions of the car.

I was pleasantly surprised with the low noise levels inside the cabin once the windows are up.

Yeah, having read so much about the cabin noise level, one actually gets surprised with the reasonably insulated cabin. I am pretty certain that the 3M coating and luggage tray are contributing significantly to this aspect. I went in for 3M thing during the 1st service, hence, I had the opportunity to notice the difference, esp. for road noise.

Premium feel in cabin (many said the car looked a segment higher than what it is.

This about a car that has been mercilessly flogged for poor interiors! I've mentioned similar thing in my review too. Thoughtful touches including good seat covers substantially alter the interior ambience of the cabin, which anyway has good fit & finish. My uninitiated friends, who have not seen/known about the original seat covers, have typically liked the interiors. They would refuse, not exactly out of courtesy, to buy my contention that certain bits of the car are below par and would dub me a nitpicker!

[amateurpro]

Here are some pictures of my new Etios (V - Serene Bluish Silver)



What is this round cut mark? Provision for an accessory or a mistake?




Shining Etios. Quite literally


Seat covers adds to the looks


Nice steering wheel cover


Front passenger side carpet - short by few inches


Need to upload a night shot to show blue illumination in all its glory.




Bumper corner protector adds to the appeal apart from doing its job

[amateurpro]

You must be right on underbody coating since you have experienced it pre and post coating. I took the luggage tray only because it is easy to clean and makes the boot look smart. It is great that it offers noise protection too.

[quote=RadiantKarma;2434937]Nicely written brief on the logical decision making process and first impressions of the car.



Yeah, having read so much about the cabin noise level, one actually gets surprised with the reasonably insulated cabin. I am pretty certain that the 3M coating and luggage tray are contributing significantly to this aspect. I went in for 3M thing during the 1st service, hence, I had the opportunity to notice the difference, esp. for road noise.

[fast&furious]

congrats on your new car amateurpro.Nice pics there.Would like to know more about that TVSS.I remember seeing people complaining about it not getting activated (on some other forums).Is it a new revised model?

[amateurpro]

Originally Posted by fast&furious

congrats on your new car amateurpro.Nice pics there.Would like to know more about that TVSS.I remember seeing people complaining about it not getting activated (on some other forums).Is it a new revised model?

I was given a demo of TVSS during delivery but I am afraid I did not ask all the relevant questions then. To my knowledge, the alarm is activated only when there is an unwanted physical intrusion into cabin (entry without using remote or key). The alarm is not set off when someone tries fiddling with any door handle when the doors are locked (kid's play, thunder etc.). I prefer it this way as the alarm does not become an unwanted nuisance when there are no real security issues. Can anyone please add to this or correct me if I am wrong?

[fast&furious]

I guess this is similar to the ultrasonic movement detector in VW Vento.Just google 'TVSS not functioning' and you will know what I'm talking about. Even googling 'TVSS' returns a lot of links to these 'TVSS malfunction' threads.That's why I asked you whether it's a new system or not . Anways, have a great time with your car buddy!

[amateurpro]

Originally Posted by fast&furious

I guess this is similar to the ultrasonic movement detector in VW Vento.Just google 'TVSS not functioning' and you will know what I'm talking about. Even googling 'TVSS' returns a lot of links to these 'TVSS malfunction' threads.That's why I asked you whether it's a new system or not . Anways, have a great time with your car buddy!

Too early for me to comment about a possible malfunction. It is possible that issues are there but I dont know. Ignorance is bliss

Thanks for ur wishes.

[sraye]

Originally Posted by amateurpro

Thanks Autoindian for your response. My primary drivers for an upgrade was to improve upon safety features (ABS mainly) and space (cabin as well as boot) as I have started enjoying long highway drives. A bigger and safer car was the solution that ruled out most premium hatches (for want of bootspace) except Jazz (too much premium for a hatch). I have ruled out diesel too and so it was practically Etios VS City. New, affordabble car won the race against the time tested and more expensive City.

Congratulations on the purchase of a new car. I am going through exactly the thought process you have mentioned above. Till last night I was convinced that the ANHC is what my heart wanted. What is tilting me towards the Etios is primarily the higher Ground Clearance, Space and of course cost ( in that order).

[amateurpro]

Originally Posted by sraye

Congratulations on the purchase of a new car. I am going through exactly the thought process you have mentioned above. Till last night I was convinced that the ANHC is what my heart wanted. What is tilting me towards the Etios is primarily the higher Ground Clearance, Space and of course cost ( in that order).

Wish you finalise the option that suits your needs best. Looking at petrol, both City and Etios are fabulous cars. You cannot go wrong with either of them :-).

[gaurav911]

Originally Posted by amateurpro

What is this round cut mark? Provision for an accessory or a mistake?

Hey, congrats on your purchase! It looks good in that silver-blue color!

Its just a guess. But i think that the round mark on the front bumper is a covering for the tow-hook. Do check and confirm!

Why don't you start a separate thread under the ownership section and write down your views. Would like to know your opinion on various aspects such as the build quality, drivability, steering response, ride & handling etc.

Rgds,
Gaurav

[heman_369]

I am a proud owner of Etios VX vermillion red for the past 5 months and 6500 kms. I must admit I am one of those who booked the Etios on the 3rd day of the launch even before seeing the car in person, forget the test drive and to add to it this was the very first car that i was buying.

Here is a quick overview of my tryst with my Etios so far. I would be putting up a detailed review later as i have just got into T-BHP.

What I Love : The excellent, effortless drivability of this gem of an engine. The power and torque available on demand at low rpms. Coming from an Alto, it gives me a great adrenalin rush when i floor the accelerator pedal and the car just zooms off higway or city, with full load and AC. The precise and effortless EPS.I enjoy each and every km of the drive.

What I Like : Abundant space everywhere. Comfort of the highest order in front or back. Steering mounted audio controls and the ICE setup with extra speakers and USB. Cooled glovebox. Good AC

What i can live with : Absence of Auto climate control, single reversing light.

What i Hate : Absence of electric mirrors, absence of Auto door lock...Common Toyota this is not done !