Originally Posted by blue_pulsar I recently bought a used 2009 i10 Sportz with 20K on the odo, as mentioned in my earlier posts on this thread. Here are some points in observed:
1) i10 is an overhyped car. Doesn't deserve the hype it gets. It all depends on what is your notion of an "overhyped' car. The i10, as you have admitted below, delivers a great engine and gearbox. In addition, it delivers great interiors (for the segment). In my book, the i10 as a car delivers on these three crucial factors and hence, it is not an "overhype" for many owners, including myself.
2) Only positive points of the car are its engine and gearbox. To many, especially those on this forum, a good 'engine and gearbox' are among the most important requirements for a good car. Having said that, as someone mentioned earlier on this thread, the i10 offers a little of everything and was never meant to excel in any one area.
3) Beige interiors!! I'm sure I'm gonna hit someone or something one day. Way too much reflection on the glass. What were Hyundai thinking? The new i10 has resolved this issue to a great extent. If you are concerned about denting yourself or the car due to the beige reflection, do consider denting your wallet a bit and investing in a dashboard cover.
Regarding the quality, it doesn't have soft touch plastics. Just has the right texture. And marginally better than others in its segment. Doesn't deserve the hype. Do remember that the i10 arrived in India at a time when quality fit and finish was not common in a sub Rs 5 lakh car. The Maruti hatches prior around that time had, in comparison, cheaper interior quality. You have purchased a 2009 i10 and you are now probably whining about it in comparison to cars of today. If I were to use your own argument, I could say, for instance, that I happened to notice the plastics of an old Swift and boy, I was swiftly disappointed. The old i10 had FAR better plastics than the old Swift. If this was something to hype about, it would have had my vote any given day.
Beige is no longer 'premium' as lot of you think. Even the Nano supposedly has beige interiors. Most manufacturers brag on the 'beige' interiors of their cars and Hyundai is no different. So, no point in faulting only the i10 for this.
4) The ride quality is simply the worst and bumpiest I have ever seen. I used to believe that Swift had the worst ride quality. Its the i10 now! At least, the Swift handles beautifully whereas the i10 handles like crap. The chassis is totally incompetent. I agree that many are unhappy about the ride quality of the i10, but then expectations differ from person to person. For me, the i10 is a perfect city car, where I'm more interesting in getting the car to ride (in heavy city traffic) rather than in the quality of it. On the many fairly smooth roads here in Goa, the i10 certainly does not handle like 'crap'. But since I have not driven a Swift, I will not comment on the ride quality of the Swift vs the i10. But having read various posts on this forum, I am inclined to believe that the Swift is superior on this count.
5) Fuel Economy what I get is between 9.5 and 10 in Bangalore city, peak hour traffic, 50% A/C. Too low for a 1.2. Before you claim that I don't know how to drive, let me quote some facts. I used to drive a Swift diesel 3 years back on the same roads and I used to manage at least 14kmpl. FE always depends on various factors, driving skills being one of them. Why do you compare the FE of a diesel (when you know that diesel tends to give better FE), if you plan to berate the petrol of an I10? Please compare apples with apples. Do give us FE figures of a petrol hatch you have driven under similar conditions in Bangalore, so that we may compare it with the FE of your i10.
6) The car is way overpriced. Was your 'used' 2009 i10 overpriced or do you feel that a 'new' i10 is overpriced? If former, you could easily have opted for other 'used' cars. If latter, I am of the opinion that price is attached to the perceived VALUE of the car. Those who perceive value in the i10 will not find it overpriced. Those who don't see any value in the i10 should not be buying an i10 in the first place.
Having owned the Swift and the i10, I would definitely recommend the Swift over the i10 anyday. Swift has its basics correct. You can buy it with your heart. i10 on the other hand, is just a glorified small hatchback. 'Beigeified', overpriced and forced to believe it's 'premium' which it is not (cannot justify either buying it with your heart or with your head). I feel that the new WagonR is a much more VFM package anyday. Since you have owned the Swift and the i10, you are entitled to your recommendations. But assuming that the i10 is crap, 'beigified' and overpriced is, in my opinion, a clear case of someone who did some shoddy homework in choosing a car and is now blaming the car instead. If you "cannot justify either buying (the i10) with your heart or your head", pray tell me which part of your body was used to seal your deal. Or let's hope you were not threatened at gunpoint to buy the i10.
My advice: if you are so unhappy about the car, please consider selling it off ASAP. To your good luck, you may not lose much as you have bought a pre-owned car.
There are thousands of people who were fooled by the ARAI mileage of 20.xx (over the IRDE's 19.xx). And Mr. Shah Rukh Khan fooled them into believing so. Just search over the internet and you can find many people who are unhappy with i10 Kappa's mileage. All manufacturers claim 'ideal' ARAI readings (under ideal conditions -- Bangalore, unfortunately, is certainly not one of them) which are rarely obtainable under real-time conditions. If the ARAI certifies the FE to be x.x, kindly blame the ARAI for its flawed technique. No point in rebuking Hyundai or SRK for these figures. Hyundai in general, and i10 in particular, is not responsible if you live in one of the busiest cities in the country, where obtaining a great FE is next to impossible. Also, neither Hyundai nor ARAI would claim that you WILL get these ARAI FE figures EVERYTIME, as these FE figures depend on various driving conditions.
Kindly read my i10 thread on this forum and see the FE figures that I have consistently obtained since Dec 2010. |