Team-BHP > What Car? > Sedans


Reply
  Search this Thread
28,110 views
Old 10th July 2009, 18:51   #61
BHPian
 
RajBajwa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Bombay
Posts: 126
Thanked: 194 Times

Hi,

I am new on team bhp. In fact this is my first post. Was searching around on discussion forums regarding the Linea. I am planning to buy it. I had been to the showroom twice. The first time I only saw the features of the Emotion Pk variant and was very impressed with all the bells and whistles. A couple of days back I did go for a test drive. I was extremely disappointed with the power. The car feels underpowered and not at all fun to drive. However inspite of the sluggish performance, I still am most likely going to book the car. The reasons being:

Whenever buying a brand new car, I prefer to buy a car which is a newly launched model and with some time gone by where reviews are available. Linea was launched just around 7 months back and hence the same model will most likely stay for atleast another 4 years or so. (The minimum lifecycle of the production run of any model). So for this period the car will still look fairly new. As long as I maintain it well, no one can tell whether I bought it yesterday or 4 years back. Whereas the SX4 or the fiesta are already more than 2 years old. (I don't know how much this matters to others, but the moment a new model is launched the earlier model no matter how recent it may be all of a sudden starts looking outdated)

The concern with a newly launched model is that there are not enough reviews from existing car owners. So far I haven't ready too many negative reviews from Linea owners. Even the negative ones are not as bad as say the unhappy Skoda owners. (Ask me about it)


Although I like to drive, I am not a race car driver and won't be taking my car to any circuits. Although I will surely feel bad when the Honda city next to me at the stop light zooms ahead of me when the lights turn green and I'll be struglling to catch up. However I am ready for that compromise for the better mileage. (A true Indian at heart!!!)

Being fascinated with gadgets, the blue and me feature has bowled me over. The other feature which I love is the AC vents for the rear seats. I always would fight with friends when in a car that it's only the driver and the front passenger who get the AC blow and the passengers in the rear seats get less of the cool air.

Certain things which I didn't like in the Linea.

The underpowered engine but as I mentioned I am willing to make that compromise.

I will have to pay extra for an additional alloy wheel as the spare wheel given is a steel wheel. I'll hate to show up at any place with three alloy wheels and one ugly looking black steel wheel in case I get a flat tyre on the way.

Last I am not able to make up my mind on the colour that I should go for. I have always been a black car fan and it's available in the Linea as well. But the Maroon one (They call it flamenco red or something) looks stunning.

Friends what do you suggest?

Last edited by bblost : 8th December 2009 at 15:27. Reason: font tags removed
RajBajwa is offline  
Old 10th July 2009, 22:12   #62
Senior - BHPian
 
finneyp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 2,716
Thanked: 319 Times

RajBajwa, Linea is a Great choice!

For the spare wheel, you need not buy the Alloy wheel, the stock tyres are tubeless & incase of punture, the air will last for quite sometime, even if not, you can fill it up with a portable air pump & drive down to the puncture repair shop!

For color, Linea looks best in Flamenco Red, Black looks good too!
finneyp is offline  
Old 13th July 2009, 23:15   #63
BHPian
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: karwar
Posts: 79
Thanked: 7 Times

Hi friends
Today metro ford-hubli actually arranged a petrol fiesta for test drive. The 1.6S!.
Pros
-Amazing power. I didn't feel this much power when I drove my friends' Ikon 1.6 2 years back. I think Fiesta is more powerfull. I test drove City 2 weeks back. I cannot distinguish between the two in terms of power. We were cruising at 120km/Hr when the rpm was at 3500. I am wondering when will I touch 5000-6000 rpm during my regular driving.
- The wider tyres on 1.6S offers better grip Brakes are good.
Now the cons
- It was more noisy inside the cabin compared to the diesel Sxi model. I wonder why?
-The doors were not giving that thud during closing. SXi was better. In fact it sounded just like my alto. Has ford done any cost cutting in the 1.6S? The test vehicle had 12000km on it.
- The tire noise was high.
- The main thing I noticed was the back seat horizontal section was loose. It could be easily lifted and no locking mechanism was there. There was huge gap between the horizontal and vertical(back rest) parts of the seats. The sales person was terlling that they have done some changes in the 1.6S? Anybody has any clue?
Finally the sales person was telling me two things
1. There is an updates SXi which will be coming within a month.
2. New Fiesta sedan this november. He was sure of it. But nobody has gone for any training.
Interesting?
gksunil is offline  
Old 30th November 2009, 19:27   #64
Senior - BHPian
 
ruchirtnt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 1,065
Thanked: 125 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by JVH View Post
You have observed that rear space could be a problem for a 6 footer in Fiesta.

It is just my observation but I felt the rear head room in Linea is also nothing to write about.

You haven't mentioned who will drive the car. If the driver of the car is not much concerned about driving dynamics, it would simply be Linea (not that Linea is bad)

If I were you, I would feast upon Fiesta 1.6 S simply because in terms of engine equivalent/upgrade, it would suit me and my driving style.

Edit - Just noticed your final observations. You yourself have ticked Linea, just go ahead with it :-)
This is the same observation with me, the rear leg space is a bit of worry for a 6'+ height person like me in fiesta, and all my family members are tall enough
ruchirtnt is offline  
Old 2nd December 2009, 11:04   #65
BHPian
 
kartho's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Pune
Posts: 132
Thanked: 2 Times

@Raj

Linea is a great car, no matter which color you choose, you will still have a beauty... IMO Linea is one of the rare cars which looks stunning in every shade... but the power and GC are still a disappointment. If you are not in a hurry why not wait for the TurboJet variant that will be launched with more features... the wait will be worth it !

My experience is, we all give importance to looks only till we buy, after we buy, there is nothing called an ugly car, every car has its own beauty and it lies in the eyes of the owner :-) so, after your purchase, as the car grows older and looks get common, you will look forward for power and driving pleasure more than anything else... good luck
kartho is offline  
Old 2nd December 2009, 13:49   #66
BHPian
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Pune
Posts: 224
Thanked: Once

@Raj
Regarding the things you don't like in the Linea:
Engine: I have been driving the Petrol 1.4 for the past 4 months. With a small change in gear shifting style, you can be sure that you will not feel it underpowered at all. Second, after 1000Km on the odo, it opens up more. And if you are on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, it is just amazing.
Sparewheel: finneyp has already answered your question and I totally agree.
Color: Linea looks good in all colors. I personally have the Flamenco Red, and love it. I think black is super too
Pragmites is offline  
Old 8th December 2009, 09:26   #67
Senior - BHPian
 
ruchirtnt's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Gurgaon
Posts: 1,065
Thanked: 125 Times

Linea has stunning looks, even i was confused when i saw the linea from the back it looked like a sonata, but the biggest problem is the rear headroom which is quite less, my head was hitting against the roof of the car
ruchirtnt is offline  
Old 8th December 2009, 13:25   #68
Senior - BHPian
 
vnabhi's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: DC -> DC
Posts: 5,958
Thanked: 2,384 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by ruchirtnt View Post
Linea has stunning looks, even i was confused when i saw the linea from the back it looked like a sonata, but the biggest problem is the rear headroom which is quite less, my head was hitting against the roof of the car
+ 1 to that. Even in the SX4 I felt headroom to be less in the rear. This apart, the Linea's driver's door curves inwards in the front portion, thereby reducing knee space to the right.
But nothing beats the Linea on the looks front--we gotta give it to her.
vnabhi is offline  
Old 8th December 2009, 14:11   #69
Senior - BHPian
 
clevermax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Tvm/Amsterdam
Posts: 2,086
Thanked: 2,628 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by RajBajwa View Post
A couple of days back I did go for a test drive. I was extremely disappointed with the power. The car feels underpowered and not at all fun to drive.
Not true. Have you test driven the MJD? I assume yes. You must have driven it in the dead spot ~1400 rpm in all gears. You've got to make use of the turbo and you've got to learn to work with the gears as well. Do not shift too early. Linea never felt too underpowered for me, but it is not very powerful either. One thing's sure - it does the job well on Indian roads.

PS: My dad was asking me whether our new Punto would not go beyond 70 Kmph. I only got to know why he asked it after a couple of days, when I sat with him while he was driving. He's making the shifts too early, well before the turbo ever kicks in! And with that kind of revving, even getting to speeds like 70-80 is not a quick job.

We had a road trip (Our Punto and Bro's Linea) last week and we could see the Linea flying effortlessly around 100-110Kmph with good acceleration from a slow start.

Last edited by clevermax : 8th December 2009 at 14:17.
clevermax is online now  
Old 8th December 2009, 14:20   #70
BHPian
 
SX4LOVER's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Highway
Posts: 304
Thanked: 173 Times
three choices - SX4, SX4 and SX4

hi everyone,
the SX4 is the best choice as it beats all other cars in every feature. looks are imposing and get you respect on the roads, space is in abundance in fornt as well as rear, equipments fully loaded, FE is not bad and only a notch below ANHC, great service network, ride and handling is superb.

I have driven SX4 ZXi for a year and 14000 km and have always got a minimum FE of 13 in city and 14.5 on highways. in fact some of my friends haveing ANHC havel got only 15.5-16 on highways as well as city.
SX4LOVER is offline  
Old 8th December 2009, 15:19   #71
Senior - BHPian
 
clevermax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Tvm/Amsterdam
Posts: 2,086
Thanked: 2,628 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by SX4LOVER View Post
equipments fully loaded,.
Does it have DIS? Driver Armrest? Follow me home? A Sunblind? Speed limit indicator? Service interval reminder? Speed sensing wipers? Blue&Me? Single side park lights on?

It can't be termed as fully loaded while comparing with Linea.

Last edited by clevermax : 8th December 2009 at 15:31.
clevermax is online now  
Old 8th December 2009, 16:51   #72
Senior - BHPian
 
pramodpk's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 1,089
Thanked: 580 Times

Ford Fiesta is the one to choose as it is the best driver's car in the class. Also it has the most responsive engine of the lot. I have driven all the 3 cars
pramodpk is offline  
Old 8th December 2009, 23:45   #73
BHPian
 
SX4LOVER's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Highway
Posts: 304
Thanked: 173 Times
Jeez!

Quote:
Originally Posted by clevermax View Post
Does it have DIS? Driver Armrest? Follow me home? A Sunblind? Speed limit indicator? Service interval reminder? Speed sensing wipers? Blue&Me? Single side park lights on?

It can't be termed as fully loaded while comparing with Linea.
what are you talking about man! DIS, armrest, SERVICE INERVAL REMINDER!

a REAL man dosnt need to be reminded of those. SPEED SENSING WIPERS!! HO HO HO! who needs those? and every car has got single side park lights these days. can LINEA glide (read FLY for SX4) over potholes. and by the way, all cars in the range are lesson learners from SX4 when it comes to features and trims. and armrests, bluetooth, etc are something you can get today on a M 800 (or a fiat palio) I should say.

Get cleaver!
SX4LOVER is offline  
Old 9th December 2009, 08:10   #74
Senior - BHPian
 
clevermax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Tvm/Amsterdam
Posts: 2,086
Thanked: 2,628 Times

Quote:
Originally Posted by SX4LOVER View Post
what are you talking about man! DIS, armrest, SERVICE INERVAL REMINDER!

a REAL man dosnt need to be reminded of those. SPEED SENSING WIPERS!! HO HO HO! who needs those? and every car has got single side park lights these days. can LINEA glide (read FLY for SX4) over potholes. and by the way, all cars in the range are lesson learners from SX4 when it comes to features and trims. and armrests, bluetooth, etc are something you can get today on a M 800 (or a fiat palio) I should say.
Get cleaver!

You sound like saying all those features SX4 is having are good and a must to have, and anything additional is useless!! Hmm. DIS - Driver Information System - SX4 has only clock and temperature display instead of that!

Speed sensing wipers - nobody needs is as such, but these are thoughtful designs which will only make your experience in the car better.

Speed warning - nobody needs it as essential feature, but it is not bad to have. Especially while driving through highways with strict speed limits.

If SX4 do not some features like these, then how come all the other cars are lesson learners from that car?

Sunblind - Not essential, but nice to have. Oh yes. real men can sit in a car without that. Comes handy when there's family with a small kid etc.

Armrests, Bluetooths etc can be bought aftermarket, and if you search you can get nice ones for the SX4. Having them factory fitted is useless? Oh sorry I forgot, real man doesn't need these.

And for the flying over potholes part, My humble Palio can do better in that business than SX4. No offense meant. I actually like the car SX4. I liked the drive. That's one car I'd recommend for anyone who wants it from Maruti itself.

Men are (at the) back!

Last edited by clevermax : 9th December 2009 at 08:13.
clevermax is online now  
Old 9th December 2009, 09:38   #75
BHPian
 
SX4LOVER's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Highway
Posts: 304
Thanked: 173 Times
Peace!!

I do agree with you, especially you last line.
SX4LOVER is offline  
Reply

Most Viewed
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

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