[Hayek]

Fantastic thread, @DevilsCry and thanks @GTO for linking to it. Services like Zoomcar will certainly change the way the urban Indian lives - if you think about it, with Uber and Zoomcar, there is no rational reason to own a car anymore. Let's hope they are actually viable and last, even when the bottomless spigot of VC money runs dry.

[Saarth]

Amazing review!

That's a really good selection of cars that they offer. Do they have any age barriers depending on which car you can take from them? Most car rentals that have premium cars (in Europe) use this as a means of safeguarding their assets. Just interested in knowing what the age bands are, if any.

[amitpatnaik]

They have a minimum age requirement of 21 years with a valid driving license to become a member. Once you become you can choose any car from their fleet from any location.

[DevilsCry]

Originally Posted by Saarth

Do they have any age barriers depending on which car you can take from them?

Originally Posted by amitpatnaik

They have a minimum age requirement of 21 years with a valid driving license to become a member.

- For Zoomcar, minimum age is 18 years.
- For Myles, minimum age required to rent Nano is 18 years and 21 years for all other cars.
- Didn't check about other rental services. 21 years is the most common age limit which is falling to 18 years due to competition.

[noopster]

Nice thread! Thanks to you I now know that Fortuners are available from Zoomcar. Have always liked that vehicle but buying it full-price never seemed appealing. Now I can just rent from Zoom the next time we do some long drive with the whole family.

I've only rented an A-class and Ecosport from Zoom so far. The A was for toodling about Bangalore one Saturday morning and it served the purpose nicely. The Ecosport I drove to Mumbai and back when my Vento was in the shop. Absolutely loved it. Will definitely rent the GLA sometime based on your feedback.

[rav11stars]

Brilliantly written and I particularly liked the summaries; no long write-ups, but the one-liners explained it all. Thanks a lot for putting up this thread. It deserves a 5 *.

When I came to know that Zoomcar was launched in Pune, I felt that had I known this earlier I wouldn't have even bought a car. Nothing can match the fun of driving different cars. In my particular case, with me being too finicky about cleanliness, my wife concluded that I've gone nuts after getting the car.
The only concern about rental cars being we do not know how they were driven(abused); Not all are and drive alike and I believe driving manners matter.

The post on the scenic locations is a nice bonus You've refreshed some forgotten memories of Bedse caves.

[BUXX]

Do any of the self-rentals offer any Roadside/Breakdown assistance? Do they provide an alternate car?

[Self Driven]

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

Q.

Honda Amaze


Likes:
- Has ABS.

Dislikes:
- Engine is extremely noisy. I've never sat in a car with a worse noise. Passengers clearly notice difference in noise level if you press throttle just 1 mm more.
- Poor ride quality
- Poor handling
- Hits belly too easily
- Lazy engine. RPM needle climbs very slowly (the car had done only around 5,000 kms).
- Poor interior quality
- Very poor build quality
- Bad steering feel
- Very costly to rent since City costs the same. The cheaper Figo is better in every single area.

+1000 to your point, I had rented the amaze once for more than 100 KM ride,
Cant understand how they manage to sell it (bought by customers) with this diesel engine

I haven't driven the City in Diesel avatar, so reserve my comment

[Acharya]

Thanks DevilsCry for the fantastic review and pics!!
India, by and large, remains unexplored with most of Junta cram already crowded tourist spots.
The forts, waterfalls, ghats and valleys in your pics show there is so much more to see here.

Another point is, after having tried so many cars on Zoomcars, do you still recommend to use Zoomcar for test drive?
Why not just use Zoomcar to fulfill one's desire of driving and riding different cars? A Big question mark for me.

I've rented 3 Series couple of times in Bangalore and truly enjoyed it in it's sport mode. I am not sure if I would enjoy my own car in such a way since I would be worried about the car itself, but when you rent out, your liabilities end with 5k INR which such a boon.

[DevilsCry]

Originally Posted by BUXX

Do any of the self-rentals offer any Roadside/Breakdown assistance? Do they provide an alternate car?

In case of a problem, Zoomcar will call the roadside assistance of your car's maker (like Ford, Honda) to get in contact with you. Send alternate car to you while you are on trip? Not possible.
On two occasions, I was informed before start of booking that the car I booked is not available and I was provided with an alternative car. Scorpio instead of Figo. GLA instead of CLA.

Originally Posted by Acharya

Another point is, after having tried so many cars on Zoomcars, do you still recommend to use Zoomcar for test drive?
Why not just use Zoomcar to fulfill one's desire of driving and riding different cars?

I certainly do recommend Zoomcar for test drive.
I already am using Zoom to enjoy different cars. Have driven GLA four times, have lost count of number of drives I did in Figo. I'm itching to drive CLA once again some time.

[Jaguar]

@DevilsCry and others in Pune, have you used caronrent (myles) at the Pune airport? I will be in pune for a few days in Nov and planning to rent the car from airport itself. Need to know how convinient is the airport rental location.

[RWD]

Great write up, DevilsCry. Thanks for sharing.

I am going to refer to this thread again to decide on my next weekend trip. Inspiring images and concise description.

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

There was no more work for me to do once the truck picked up the Figo. Zoomcar refunded remaining hours of the trip in credits and deducted full deposit of Rs 5,000. That's how convenient Zoomcar is.

It is a great relief to know, how smoothly Zoomcar handled the accident, and, it's zero subsequent effect on you, the customer. I wonder how Carzonrent would have handled the same situation, as they ask you to pre-authorise Rs.30,000 on your card for a hatchback, and Rs.50,000 for a sedan.

I had rented a Vento from them, a while back, in Delhi, and the condition of the car with multiple shoddy repair jobs and bald tyres, left a lot to be desired. Almost every panel had a different shade of blue, along with multiple scratches and dents. It was my first rental in India, and it made me worry about my deposit, as it would have been all too easy for them to blame any of those countless dings on me, and deduct from the deposit. Thankfully, they were equally oblivious at the time of return as well, and accepted the car without even bothering to do a walk around inspection.

[priyankar85]

Thanks DevilsCry for the detailed report. We did rent the CLA twice but it was for short trips. I had a small drive alone (without family) in the car and tried all 3 modes - S,E as well as the manual for a long empty stretch.
You are right, once you have a rented car where they are going to pay for the fuel, abusing the throttle is natural. Feels good to floor the gas and hear the engine growl.
Also, awesome list of places to visit around Pune. We were researching on all short trips(within 100kms) around Pune but had already visited most of them. There are a lot new places in this form, adding to my drive-list.
1 question I was pondering about - Did you check the papers, against whose name are the vehicles registered with?

[sokratus]

Love all these spots! I live in Kharadi and would really love to explore them before the season runs out. I'm planning to visit Kas Pathar this week.

[RoadSurfer]

Man, feeling jealous of you. You have covered so many scenic places around Pune, that too in a year's time. And to top it off, you have driven so many different machines. Liked you short and crisp writing along with the beautiful photos.

I have rented Zoomcar 4 times till now. 3 times it has been Figo. Can't think of any other car, I just love its steering and driving dynamics. Maybe it's time I move forward and check out other cars from their fleet.