Team-BHP > Team-BHP Reviews > Official New Car Reviews


Reply
  Search this Thread
5,956,876 views
Old 20th March 2014, 12:40   #6961
Senior - BHPian
 
srishiva's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bengaluru
Posts: 4,375
Thanked: 2,256 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by ninjatalli View Post
Thanks for the feedback guys. Although the actual problem came out to being something else, both of you guys caught on to a potentially correct issue.

So yesterday morning I did a long "test-drive" with a senior technician to re-create the problem, with both of us driving turn-by-turn. Later we mounted the car and he deciphered two potential issues which was later checked during the day

- The inner section of the front bumper adjacent to the left front wheel had a nut loose and was making noise whenever we went over bumps or extreme turns. This has been corrected and so far I haven't heard the original noise again. But I'm a bit skeptical on this and am keeping check to see if the problem still exists.

- The shocker mount and gas strut (on the right) side needed a check for leakage/issues. Lated when I picked up the car, they have entered in the job cart as the current setup should work for now, however this would be validated again in the 4th servicing.
For last few days, I hear some loose metal like thing hitting something whenever I go over a hump. Its like its oscillating and hitting something. I called up the SA and he advised to get it checked sooner so that nothing bad happens. Will try to go on Saturday.

I have checked near the suspension and beneath the car and couldn't find anything loose or any leakage etc. Hoping nothing major is causing this.
srishiva is offline  
Old 21st March 2014, 00:13   #6962
BHPian
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Cochin
Posts: 57
Thanked: 35 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by ninjatalli View Post
.....The alloys, if handled well, age well. Most of the older vento owners haven't had issues, but there have been a few issues of alloy problems on the forum.......
Quote:
Originally Posted by el lobo 6061 View Post
Yes, you should definitely go in for OEM stock Vento 7 Spoke alloys. They look very good and add character to car. Eventually all alloys are soft since they are made from aluminium and develop scratch only when they are rubbed against another hard material. Recently did a 1500 Km journey on my Vento which had both 6 lane road to 2 lane road with loads of potholes. None the less all the alloys worked pretty well and still going strong. Earlier alloys were made by Borbet, Spain. Don't know if they still are OEM suppliers to VW.

My advice go in for them and you wont regret it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thoma View Post
Guys,

The ASC at my place is offering original Highline R15 alloys (last year model) for 16k for a set of 4 for a limited time. Should I take the plunge, especially when I read the below quoted post from an ownership thread? Mine is a Comfortline. P.S: I love the looks of the original alloys more than the aftermarket ones.
Hi guys, need some advice on the alloy wheels. I have a 2011 Vento HL, which was in a small collision today, with a motorcycle. The F L fender and wheel has sustained damage. The wheel spoke has an approx. L 120mm x W 10mm x D 4mm gouge and the rim edge has about 10 x 10 x 5 mm dent. Now I took the vehicle to the SC and while discussing, they said, nothing can be done other than replacing the wheel. Now I know this is a fact.

But, I asked them, if there was no other bend, and the insurance company declined to replace it, whether I could replace it at my own expense. He said a replacement wheel would cost INR 22k. I knew this was the original cost, but for a bit more than a year these wheels have been available for around INR 5k. So, I asked him about the wheels I saw they had for INR 20k for 4, when I had gone for my last service. That comes to INR 5k per wheel. He said, quote "the difference between your factory fitted wheels and the ones offered as accessory is like night and day, just like the price. If you had the accessory wheel, this collision would have broken it."

Is there any truth to this? I am hesitant to believe that VW would compromise on the quality of wheels that are sold through their dealerships as Genuine VW accessories. I was under the impression that the drop from 22k to 5k was because, the wheels were originally imported, but now were locally produced. Can anybody shed light on this matter please.

Last edited by Ayson : 21st March 2014 at 00:17.
Ayson is offline  
Old 21st March 2014, 00:23   #6963
Distinguished - BHPian
 
ninjatalli's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 3,786
Thanked: 15,371 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ayson View Post
So, I asked him about the wheels I saw they had for INR 20k for 4, when I had gone for my last service.
Go ahead and purchase the accessory wheel. If it makes you feel any better, ask him to give it in writing that there is a difference in the wheel quality at the level he's quoting, and see his response then. Not aware of the exact reason for drop in price, but localization clearly would be one of the main reasons.
ninjatalli is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 21st March 2014, 00:42   #6964
BHPian
 
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Cochin
Posts: 57
Thanked: 35 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by ninjatalli View Post
Go ahead and purchase the accessory wheel. If it makes you feel any better, ask him to give it in writing that there is a difference in the wheel quality at the level he's quoting, and see his response then. Not aware of the exact reason for drop in price, but localization clearly would be one of the main reasons.
If, in fact, there is no difference between the two, where are they going to find me the 22k wheel, and how will they be able to bill me 22k? Is this the dealership trying to rip me off? Or are they selling the 5k wheels through insurance claims for 22k and ripping off the insurance companies? I know these dealerships to be crooks.
Ayson is offline  
Old 21st March 2014, 08:25   #6965
Senior - BHPian
 
thoma's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Kerala
Posts: 1,980
Thanked: 1,447 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ayson View Post
I was under the impression that the drop from 22k to 5k was because, the wheels were originally imported, but now were locally produced. Can anybody shed light on this matter please.
The new wheel alone cost just 3100/- per piece. It is the fitting charges and the hub cap that cost extra. As per my SA, it is the same as the old one. How can Volkswagen sell an inferior wheel as a genuine accessory? And as per what I find, these are imported from China and they are not the earlier Borbet alloys. You can see the bill and the sticker on the carton at this post. For me, it was given as a set of 4 as an offer for ~16k, I do not know if the same can be purchased as one.
thoma is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 22nd March 2014, 01:43   #6966
Senior - BHPian
 
el lobo 6061's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Navi Mumbai
Posts: 2,048
Thanked: 2,192 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ayson View Post
Is there any truth to this? I am hesitant to believe that VW would compromise on the quality of wheels that are sold through their dealerships as Genuine VW accessories. I was under the impression that the drop from 22k to 5k was because, the wheels were originally imported, but now were locally produced. Can anybody shed light on this matter please.
One thing you can be sure of VW will never compromise on quality just to sell. They need to preserve their brand name since its a global brand. Just look at the recent NCAP test fiasco. VW Polo got air bags across range so that they could get 4* rating. Brand image!

SA just like anyone thinks same, since something is for 20K would be of better quality than which costs 3.1K. Normal logic, expensive means better quality. Another eg. though lame American Gardens Mayo costs Rs 265+ since its imported from USA and Del Monte Made in India costs half of it. Both of them are USA based company. Honda City alloys back in Dec 2010 came for 5K, which is a logical price for an alloy.

Go ahead with Rs. 3.1K 7 spoke alloy and it will be of same quality or even better than those over priced & expensive 20K Borbet. I'm too thinking of getting one for spare.
el lobo 6061 is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 23rd March 2014, 11:47   #6967
BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: bangalore
Posts: 170
Thanked: 91 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

While inspecting my to be delivered Vento TSI, I have noticed a way to see the week of manufacturing from the car.

Near the bottom of the passenger b-pillar, you can find a sticker with VIN number. On the right side you can find a 7 digit number printed vertically. Second and third digit of this number represent the week of manufacturing.

Eg.

sl no | VIN | 2nd&3rd digit(week no)
1 | B14 (feb14) | 08 (falls in Feb)
2 | K13(oct13) | 42(falls in oct)
3 | C13(mar13) | 12(falls in mar)

I found another car
4 | A14(jan14) | 52(falls in Dec)
Difference may be the start of production in dec and completed in Jan


Requesting the owners to confirm this theory.
ambadan is offline  
Old 23rd March 2014, 22:20   #6968
Senior - BHPian
 
thoma's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Kerala
Posts: 1,980
Thanked: 1,447 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by ambadan View Post
Requesting the owners to confirm this theory.
From where did you get this info? Mine is a Jan '13 make as per VIN and the 2nd & 3rd digit of the vertical number is 04. So mine matches the theory.
thoma is offline  
Old 24th March 2014, 07:51   #6969
BHPian
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: bangalore
Posts: 170
Thanked: 91 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by thoma View Post
From where did you get this info? Mine is a Jan '13 make as per VIN and the 2nd & 3rd digit of the vertical number is 04. So mine matches the theory.
I got the idea from this (http://www.hallvw.clara.net/dating.htm). They say the production plate gives day and production week.

In my case, all four numbers were started with 7. Hence the day theory was not valid . I was thinking that fourth digit was the day of production. However, in one case, it is zero. So it may be wrong.

I think this number is (model no) (week number)(5 digit production number)

may be if we have more data, we can decode the day of manufacture also.
ambadan is offline  
Old 24th March 2014, 11:35   #6970
Senior - BHPian
 
Sn1p3r's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Germany
Posts: 1,022
Thanked: 231 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Hi Guys,

My wife is up for car change. I have to ask all you Vento owners and specially 1.2 TSI owners

1. If you feel there is something amiss in the Vento.

We had a short ride in Gurgaon peak hour traffic of Polo and my wife drove it very cautiously so I could not make anything of the car's character apart from the smooth upshift/downshifts at low speed.

Vento 1.2 tsi is up against Verna 1.6 SX(o) with bells and whistles.

2. Rumoured facelift seems to be a reality but are there clues to specify any dates? Or simply should we wait or just buy now.

3. The price for 1.2 TSI in Gurgaon is approx 1008000/- due to mere Rs 8001 a Vento owner pays Rs 30000 extra as taxes. I heard 1.2 was supoosed to be pass benefits to the end user.

4. Do we have any updates on reliablity of DSG box?

5. Any specifcs that I need to discuss with Dealer? Tyres, coating etc. Are there any discounts etc.

Thanks for helping me finalize.
Sn1p3r is offline  
Old 24th March 2014, 12:22   #6971
BHPian
 
dean5545's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: mumbai
Posts: 812
Thanked: 1,555 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sn1p3r View Post

Vento 1.2 tsi is up against Verna 1.6 SX(o) with bells and whistles.

If your other choice is the Hyundai Verna A/T then I would say go for the Vento tsi. The Verna's a/t is very primitive to say the least. It's got just 4 gears, the rubber band effect of the cvt can be felt largely and lastly my friend has never got more than 7.5 kmpl in his Verna a/t where my other friends polo gt gives 10-11 easily. There have been times the mid displayed a mileage of 3.6-4.0 kmpl also. Of course that was in dense traffic.Also the steering response as well as the suspension is bad in the Verna.
dean5545 is offline  
Old 24th March 2014, 14:10   #6972
Distinguished - BHPian
 
Rajeevraj's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 4,604
Thanked: 17,633 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sn1p3r View Post
Hi Guys,

My wife is up for car change. I have to ask all you Vento owners and specially 1.2 TSI owners

1. If you feel there is something amiss in the Vento.

We had a short ride in Gurgaon peak hour traffic of Polo and my wife drove it very cautiously so I could not make anything of the car's character apart from the smooth upshift/downshifts at low speed.

Vento 1.2 tsi is up against Verna 1.6 SX(o) with bells and whistles.

2. Rumoured facelift seems to be a reality but are there clues to specify any dates? Or simply should we wait or just buy now.

3. The price for 1.2 TSI in Gurgaon is approx 1008000/- due to mere Rs 8001 a Vento owner pays Rs 30000 extra as taxes. I heard 1.2 was supoosed to be pass benefits to the end user.

4. Do we have any updates on reliablity of DSG box?

5. Any specifcs that I need to discuss with Dealer? Tyres, coating etc. Are there any discounts etc.

Thanks for helping me finalize.
1. From a drivability perspective it is brilliant. Both in city and in highway. No question about it. I personally have missed cruise control and the fact that there is nothing to differentiate it from the regular Vento. And it does not have some of the fancy things the verna has, but it is mostly some convenience features and I did not really miss anything.

2. There is no clear picture yet on the launch of the face-lift. Bunch of rumors are floating around with respect to new features like more airbags, rear screens etc... In any case I dont think any changes in the engine or transmission are expected. If you are not in a hurry, it may make sense to wait at least until there is a clear timeline on the face lift and what is expected.

3. I read that the excise cut resulted in a reduction of almost 60,000 on the OTR price of the TSI. But not sure

4. No issues reported at least until now at least in this forum or online. And now the TSI has the extended warranty available.

5. Don't think anyone has got any discounts till now. As supply is limited and there are enough buyers.

In addition, as mentioned above, I don't think Verna AT is a good choice, primarily because of the older 4 speed gear box. Apart from the Vento TSI, I would suggest you look at the new Honda City CVT also.
Rajeevraj is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 24th March 2014, 14:35   #6973
Senior - BHPian
 
Sn1p3r's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Germany
Posts: 1,022
Thanked: 231 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rajeevraj View Post
1. From a drivability perspective it is brilliant. Both in city and in highway. No question about it. I personally have missed cruise control and the fact that there is nothing to differentiate it from the regular Vento. And it does not have some of the fancy things the verna has, but it is mostly some convenience features and I did not really miss anything.

2. There is no clear picture yet on the launch of the face-lift. Bunch of rumors are floating around with respect to new features like more airbags, rear screens etc... In any case I dont think any changes in the engine or transmission are expected. If you are not in a hurry, it may make sense to wait at least until there is a clear timeline on the face lift and what is expected.

3. I read that the excise cut resulted in a reduction of almost 60,000 on the OTR price of the TSI. But not sure

4. No issues reported at least until now at least in this forum or online. And now the TSI has the extended warranty available.

5. Don't think anyone has got any discounts till now. As supply is limited and there are enough buyers.

In addition, as mentioned above, I don't think Verna AT is a good choice, primarily because of the older 4 speed gear box. Apart from the Vento TSI, I would suggest you look at the new Honda City CVT also.
Thanks Rajeev,

I will revisit VW this weekend. The car decision is urgent for she wants to pick the car in April. Honda is out but maybe Verna manual top model is in her mind. Projector headlamp, leather seats, 6 airbags and rear disk brakes are playing on her mind.

Can our friends here confirm the pricing of TSI in Delhi/Gurgaon?

Thanks!
Sn1p3r is offline  
Old 24th March 2014, 22:55   #6974
BHPian
 
Guite's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Noida, NCR
Posts: 732
Thanked: 625 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sn1p3r View Post
Can our friends here confirm the pricing of TSI in Delhi/Gurgaon?
As per price list of VW Noida, price of Vento TSI with Delhi registration is 11.50 lakh. Noida registered is less at 11.25 lakh.
Guite is offline   (1) Thanks
Old 25th March 2014, 12:23   #6975
Senior - BHPian
 
StarScream's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Noida/Delhi
Posts: 1,263
Thanked: 665 Times
Re: Volkswagen Vento : Test Drive & Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sn1p3r View Post
Thanks Rajeev,

I will revisit VW this weekend. The car decision is urgent for she wants to pick the car in April. Honda is out but maybe Verna manual top model is in her mind. Projector headlamp, leather seats, 6 airbags and rear disk brakes are playing on her mind.
The features you mention in the Verna are attractive and greater than the Vento TSI but the latter has electronic stability control and all its attendant components. The way I look at it is that the Verna may get you into situations because of its high-speed handling characteristics where you need the six airbags, which hopefully the electronic wizardry of the TSI will prevent from happening.

If your wife is going to drive herself and would prefer an automatic the choice is very clear - the Vento TSI.

To answer two of your other questions - all Polo and Vento DSGs now come with mineral transmission oil. So if you believe that VW has fixed the issue with that change, then all new cars have it. If you don't, then there is extended warranty

There are no discounts on the car whatsoever. They are selling all that they are making.

Having driven the Vento TSI for a few weeks, I have a theory for what causes strain on the transmission, especially if people are used to driving a traditional torque converter AT but maybe I'll mention that in an ownership thread.

Last edited by StarScream : 25th March 2014 at 12:35.
StarScream is offline   (1) Thanks
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Team-BHP.com
Proudly powered by E2E Networks