[(Alok)]

Great thread. Actually we are reading the things we already know/ faced.
My experience…
In 2005 my friend who is an architect, intended to buy a car. Budget was four lakhs and like every one confused between Wagon-r & santro. Many time I gone with him by taking grace leave for few hours from my office for TDs and other discussions. He also wants a car for status symbol. I tried to convince him to for SWIFT Lxi instead of WAGON/ Santro and if not swift as he is first time owner and a new driver better to go for MSIL product.
Result was the santro. How?..............His wife’s decision. Reason…………….. santro’s LOOKS BETTER. She was never in a Wagon or santro and decision was made on the basis of outer looks only.
After two years he was regretting that ‘ Yaar pahle hi badi gaadi e lete’ and my reply was ‘ isi liya hamne swift ke liya kaha tha’.

Now same friend is also going to do another mistake. Intended to by a desire VDI instead of Hyundai verna.

My suggestion to all Team – Bhp friends……
Never try to explain those types of people, who asks ‘What is the difference between Mercedes & M 800’? Merc also accommodate 4 persons M 800 also accommodate 4 persons why to spent 40laks?

[Speed Pujari]

My dad suggested me to buy an 800 if the intention was only to learn driving and its the cheapest car. No worry even if u hit and get dent. I said what about a 500, he gave a green signal thinking its even cheaper than the 800 LOL!. (All in pun mood LOL.)

My sister (and my brother in law) is a fan of Wagon-R and resists buying any other safe car with airbags, ABS, EBD etc even if they can afford a sub 11 lakhs car. The reason is, couple of months back the car met with an accident which left my dad with severe hand fracture. My sister feels the car is so good that everyone came out alive. Its difficult to convince her that even the hand wouldn't have got fractured if it was not a tin-can and had it was something like Linea.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by for_cars1

( ABS is most helpful in slippery road conditions esp on curves)

Actually, that is not right. What you say applies to TCS, not ABS. ABS prevents the wheels from locking up during hard braking, therefore you won't skid and lose steering control. In other words, ABS lets you retain steering control while braking. Very useful if you have to brake in curves. This generally applies in proper tarmac.

In slippery conditions, the ABS will get confused and activate pre-maturely. On ice/snow, ABS can get activated even if you brake at 10kmph. It can be quite a racket. That is why offroaders don't want ABS in slippery offroad conditions.

[sanagg1]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

Both the things she said could potentially be atleast partially true. All low end automatics are slow off the block and that coupled with the fact that the indica diesel has decent low end torque, one can easily mistake the indica to be faster.

Philips CRTs - especially the matchline/pixel plus series ones had excellent SD image quality and panasonic LCDs have horrible SD image quality. If all she watches on the LCD is standard definition, then the philips CRT is definitely gonna look better.

+1
Right on spot .
I was not knowing how to explain the second part . You did a splendid job.

cheers

[rajushank84]

Oh how could I forget this one... My father in law kept asking me what's the price of a "Hondai", whether 2 lakhs is a good price for a 2nd hand one. I kept asking him is it old model City, or Accent, Santro... But he had no clue. He just kep asking me whas the price of "Hondai". I couldn't even laugh, because it won't be polite. Imagine my plight...

[DRC]

Originally Posted by EFF-EIGHT-BEE

One fine day me and my friend were struck in traffic and their was a bus in front of us on which ABS was written (obviously this was just a sticker job bus was not having ABS) my friend on seeing it told me “what’s the fun of installing ABS in a bus? The driver won’t even use it!”
And one more according to my friend Verna and Swift got same engines as they got similar acceleration feel!

Well, when written on a bus, ABS means "Air Bus Suspension"
I saw this on a bus with expansion written in small print.

[blueraven316]

My profession is related to doing up cars so I somehow dont meet any of these enlightened bunch and their great comments,
Most of my friends are petrol heads, some hardcore some mild, but all know most of the stuff, no dumb assumptions

Even my 66 year old dad knows a lot about cars for his generation.

But it's good fun once in a way to listen to some ignorant talk, would be nice to make jokes later over a drink with friends. Somehow, I dont meet such people and probably even if I do they dont open their mouth in front of me

[kkg]

Some of my such experiences:

when bought our first bike a HH Passion,one of our uncle when visited our home said to my father " you shouldn't have allowed them ( me and my bro) to buy it as these bikes are very fast" LOL.

last year when i visited some relatives, one of my distant Sis in law was driving a Qualis (with 10 people including me), she would not go beyond 2nd gear (even on speeds around 40-50 kmph),i asked why?? She said " jiju 3rd gear dalne se accident ho jata hai" ( shift to third gear may cause accident) I was like

Since I own a Nano, i frequently am asked " flyovers pe chad jati hai?" . I just smile.

[Samurai]

I had the following experience when I had bought the GV.

Originally Posted by Samurai

Today I had taken the vehicle to RTO for registration. They said it is the first GV in the district, probably so. Meanwhile one fellow who heard the price from my agent (dealer appointee) starting foaming in the mouth. First he said the whole body must be fiber. Then he said what a waste, it surely won't fetch half the price at resale. Then he suddenly realized he was talking next to the owner and shut his trap. I just shrugged and told myself... Muggle!

Muggle is the term to describe non-magic folks in Harry Potter series. I use the same term for people who do not understand the magic of automobiles.

When you come across auto ignoramus folks, just shrug and say Muggle!

[EFF-EIGHT-BEE]

Originally Posted by DRC

Well, when written on a bus, ABS means "Air Bus Suspension"
I saw this on a bus with expansion written in small print.

No my friend it was written as ABS and brakes below that. It’s a common sticker used on buses in Punjab here

[anandpadhye]

Originally Posted by kkg

Since I own a Nano, i frequently am asked " flyovers pe chad jati hai?" . I just smile.

Ha ha ha...this is nice.

A wonderful thread - made my day.

[rajushank84]

The more I read this thread, more I recall.

One friend got an old Kinetic Honda, I mean it was really old and he bought it for some 3K or so. He was here for just a few months and needed a vehicle for temporary use for a short commute.

Another friend borrowed it from him, and he asked this guy,

"If I give accelerator too much black smoke is coming.. is that ok?"

"Oh thats ok. Thats just the turbo getting on after some time, turbo will give black smoke".

"Oh cool".

What a laugh we had after this guy left with his turbo, revving away to glory

[Dose]

Originally Posted by Samurai

In slippery conditions, the ABS will get confused and activate pre-maturely. On ice/snow, ABS can get activated even if you brake at 10kmph. It can be quite a racket. That is why offroaders don't want ABS in slippery offroad conditions.

Actually, this does not seem right either. ABS systems do not get confused and act prematurely merely under slippery conditions unless they are defective. Maybe it is better to say that they can be too sensitive for the conditions and most street cars do not have a dashboard switch for adjustment. Plus we have to define slippery conditions. I have not driven an ABS street car extensively on plain ice or gravel, but I have driven in the rain and snow, under freezing and above-freezing temperatures, on tarmac roads. While driving in either rain or snow, the ABS never activated, never got confused, and definitely did not activate prematurely unless I, the driver, incorrectly applied excessive brake pressure for the given conditions. It was always driver error and not computer error. Also, vehicle speed was not a factor.

A normal street car ABS system will do exactly what it is programmed to do regardless of whether conditions are slippery or not. It will not activate unless 1) it detects lock-up; or 2) if the driver -- I don't know if all street cars have this problem -- brakes correctly, without any lockup, while hitting a pothole or a bump.

In the second case, the ABS is, IMHO, definitely getting confused, surprised, and activating prematurely due to one or both of the front wheels hitting a road imperfection.

[HotChillyPepper]

Originally Posted by prateek99

2. This one I have read on a forum, not T-BHP, mind it.
"I got a mileage of @# kmpl with 100% AC and music system"

Not sure this is an idiotic comment. I have seen myself, when music system of heavy load, or head light turned on while car idling, it automatically increases engine RPM by around 100 rotations. Also noticed if I go below 900 RPM in tight traffic, ECU unit cut off AC compressor to reduce load on engine. So I feel this could affect average FE.

[gavinimurthy]

Originally Posted by amitwiz1

Off-Topic:

@prateek99 / anyone,
What does happen when the reverse gear is engaged by accident? Ive never really known this...

The reverse gear won't get engaged even at moderate speeds like 10kmph . You hear lot of kur..kur..sound if you keep on trying.

Murthy