[ashwin1224]

Cars in the family:

2010 Polo TDI My personal chariot is a joy to drive. Polo mostly runs in town so its rarely speeding. Mid range grunt is great and sometimes I like to over rev it at slow speeds just for giggles

2011 Pajero SFX Love taking it offroad. In the town I drive it sedately. Cruising in town in the Pajero is really fun. Its got plenty low end torques. Handling at high speeds isnt really great but then again that is not what its made for.

2009 Innova Great car. Be it highway cruising or city driving this car takes everything very well. The size surprisingly doesnt affect the driving dynamics too much and even though it is a big car it still handles like one much smaller.

2013 Mercedes Benz GL350 CDI Even though this beast is supposed to be the best driver around, driving it in town is just a headache. Sensors keep going off all the time in bumper to bumper traffic, you've to be very careful as sometimes people get carried away staring at the Benz and its been 3 times when two wheelers have bumped into the back. On the highways the car runs like a dream. The ride is sublime. You dont have to worry about the road conditions and its really comfortable both as a driver and as a passenger. However the 3rd row is best left for kids.

2014 Maruti Suzuki Celerio Amt The car seems intriguing at first but the charm rapidly wears of at the auto box is really awkward. Gears change when you dont want to and dont change when you actually want them to. Going over steep inclines like the ones at mall parking lots is impossible in full auto mode and you have to change to manual to manoeuvre out from these places. Judging the speed is also difficult in this and you find yourself going at 80kmph often without noticing. It would seem like a good thing and that the car is really fast but the thing is the car shifts gears when you dont want it to and you find yourself at 80 when you wanted to be driving at 50kmph. But since it is used primarily as a city car by my mother who is a new driver, the simplicity works and it manages to not be terrible.

1994 Tata Sumo Kill it with fire! The thing just wont die. Its got a terrible gearbox, wasnt really maintained in its heydays and is really hazard now on the roads. It gets out once every few months but never breaks down or anything. You can take away the keys from this thing while it is running and it wont notice. You cannot start it with your hands over or legs near the gear lever. If you do, it will violently shake you and throw you out of itself or it will beat your legs until you've broken either one or both of your sorry legs. The whole family is just waiting for it to break down for good so that we may reclain the space it occupies in the parking.

2013 KTM Duke 390 The love of my life. Best thing thats ever happened to me. I wont go on describe how brilliant this beauty is as it has already been discussed to great lengths.

[RSM_TorqueZoner]

Mayankk - You the man! This thread is a delight indeed. Here I go.

2007 Swift Vxi - 8 years and still going strong, this remains my daily ride to office (mostly). I love revving up and redlining it. Break's arn't confidence inspiring, hence controlled aggression is the rule in gold. Steering is an absolute delight, feels more like a hydraulic unit. It's unfortunate that it has the pathetic roads and potholes in Cochin to counter. I let it take those hits, though not in the most absorbent manner. It covers all kinda urban terrain, and dispatches them with arrogance. Often pushes it to limits within city on my late night returns from office, but not over adventurous around corners.

2012 Nano LX - FUN! This one is so much fun to drive. Well, I'm obviously not talking about actual dynamics here, but more or less the fun you have at a theme park! It such a breeze within the city. My commute for city shopping and movies over weekends. This one can give the reckless auto rickshaws in my city a royal run for their money, can squeeze into the smallest of gaps, and can be parked just about anywhere. It's peppy, and I love it. I'm more careful over potholes and never ever throw it around corners. But it's perfect for some spirited driving in city traffic. I've taken it out on highways, but that's when you gotta be sedate on the nano. My GO TO machine within the city when time is precious .

2013 Fluence E4D - I'm a completely different driver here. I relish the elegance and comfort every single time I step in. Fluence is amongst the most underrated cars in India. The engine may not be a scorcher, but is by no means a slouch. It's the perfect mile muncher and feels like it can go on and on forever. I follow straight disciplined lines within city traffic. If I'm in no hurry, in a mood to enjoy some lovely music and a very comfortable commute to office, then the Fluence it is. But out on the highway, its a different story altogether. This is the perfect cruiser. Turbo kicks in post 1800 rpm and it's a very steady climb all the way from there. To say the ride is confidence inspiring will be an understatement. The steering is meaty and weighs up well, and power delivery is sufficient, though a notch below the Jetta and Octavia. I don't get jitters pushing it around corners. The ride is simply the best in class and uneven surfaces are dismissed with aplomb. When I have miles and miles to go before sleep , it has to be the Fluence. Steady, relaxed and comfortable - yet, fast and involving.

[apachelongbow]

RE Thunderbird 500: Just slot it into 4th or 5th gear and let it chug away @70-80kmph. The most relaxed way IMO to watch the scenery and the world go by. The thump gets amplified when entering tunnels, subways or when climbing hills.

Bajaj Pulsar 180: The original go fast bike. The only Indian bike at the time (2007) to zoom past 120kmph (speedo indicated), and the rare ability to pass highway traffic in 5th gear without ever downshifting. The bike I used to do Mumbai -Pune runs in about 2.5 hours (of course the traffic was negligible then compared to now)

Tata Safari 2.2 GX: The first 'big' car I owned. Everything about the car spoke 'relaxed cruiser' The ability to much long distances in sofa style comfort is unparalleled. The speedo showed 100kmph at 2100 rpm. Driving was re-learned for this car, especially with no rack/pinion steering, meant that one had to have one hand on the wheel, like the old hindi movies, also direction changes were lethargic at best.

Tata Storme VX: What a revelation from Tata!! Only when you own the previous Safari can you appreciate how much improvement has been made by Tata in the new iteration. Retains the fast cruiser character of the old car, interiors are way way better, and the engine/gearbox is re tuned to cruise faster at lower rpms. The rack and pinion steering and the hydroformed Aria chassis ensures that the Storme drives and turns like a car.

[Dr.Suraj]

Wonderful thread!

1. Tata Manza - Quadrajet 90 - Elan - Celebration Edition - 2011 :: Eleganza
(only one of it's kind in Mumbai - or so I am told)

The diesel workhorse, the highway cruncher.
Long trips with upto the brim luggage & packed to the core with 5 adults + a kid.
The everyday ride. My daily 'office' in the backseat.
The car that takes the wife & father to work and fro, keeps them cocooned - comfortable and relaxed in that 'sofa' of a back seat.

But to drive - even at 54000 kms - it's the same as day. Calm relaxed driving. Soft clutch. Won't accelerate as rapidly as you imagine (bulk of the car) - but can still surprise you with its turbo every once in a while. Post 70 climbs the speedo steadily.
Even with worst traffic - gives a decent 13 to 14 kmpl and on the highways - anywhere between 18 to 21 even today.

THe brakes do have a sudden bite, don't need too much of pedal travel. ABS kicks in whenever needed - can safely brake when needed.

Best driven as a 'luxury' sedan must. Soft accelerator, calm relaxed gentle ride.
Enjoy the world go by through the large windows.

2. Tata Nano 2012 - Lxi - Special Edition :: Stuart
(the small wonder - people wonder why I bought this small car - and when they sit inside they wonder - is it really a 'small' car?)

My car, the de-facto choice of car if anyone of us have to drive ourselves in the city!
The white little mouse that darts in and out of traffic and can park itself almost anywhere.
Loves being revved. Frequently surprises many big cars and bikers with it's start from the signal.
Enjoyable Sunday drive with the windows (power) rolled down too.
Brakes - unpredictable. Take their time to heat up initially. The vaccum boosted bit can get tricky. Must maintain good quality of tires always - otherwise inviting trouble.
Best driven in the green band and below 3 digits.
Is faster - it takes minimum 10 to 15 minutes lesser in the Nano to cover the same distance in the same conditions than the Manza.
The back seat has no neck restraints - so poses an issue for long journeys.
Can seat 3 in the back without too much fuss. Just don't expect it to pull beyond 70 easily then.
Returns figures of 18 to 19 kmpl with spirited driving.
Drive it like the Manza - and it too gives around 21 kmpl.
It is sheer FUN driving it (despite the lack of Power steering).
it can become a 'pain' parking it - but the turning radius and compact size balance it out.
Kids love it. Any new person who sits in it - approaches with a frown and is left gaping once inside - at the space and comfort.
So even after 2 & 1/2 years - it still carries some 'wow' factor.
Plus the fuss free ownership and zero economics.

Previously:
3. Tata Indica V2 - Lxi - Petrol - 2005 :: Jumbo
(yes, yes - we bought that)

A baby elephant, heavy beast!
Powerful 1.4 litre guzzler of a petrol engine.
A clutch so hard - gave me knee pains towards the end of 6 years
(Wasan Motors is more to blame for this than Tata Motors)
A car so heavy and tank like feel that it was literally a cocoon.
Had all the creature comforts back then - four power windows, music system, rear wiper, rear defogger, front & back fog lamps.

The ride was SOLID - planted and firm. Could go over the worst patches and best tarmacs. Wouldn't make you feel squeamish well beyond triple digits.
Really kicked in only after 80 kmph.
City driving was a PAIN !

Oh! - I almost forgot - it had a Turbo button !
Right there on the dashboard. Somehow - Tata Motors labelled it wrongly as the AC button.

Switch it off and the car would behave like a different beast.

Yet - always advisable to not push it too much in the city - even if petrol wasn't expensive then - it gulped it like crazy!
But we all loved the little fellow to the core. We still miss the sweet design that grows on you.

I have driven a couple of other cars too - extensively (more than 2000 kms) - but not sure if I think I have already rambled enough)

[anilp]

Originally Posted by Dr.Suraj

Oh! - I almost forgot - it had a Turbo button !
Right there on the dashboard. Somehow - Tata Motors labelled it wrongly as the AC button.

Switch it off and the car would behave like a different beast.

Hahaha, our Indica V2 also had the same button. I've never heard it being described so well.

[psispace]

Interesting thread Mayankk.

My present cars:

Polo GT TSI:
(The spoilt brat in the family. Everybody wants to play with her. Makes a lot of noise when mummy isn't around.)

The GT is a relatively new car and is hence presently driven rather sedately. Most of the time driven by my wife or the driver. But when I get my hands on it (and no one is with me), its pedal to metal on the stretches. I use the S mode intermittently just for the fun of watching it rev. A nearer to empty fuel gauge the next day is a strong deterrent and potential wife irritator

Volvo S60 D5:
(The teenage girl. Loves to show off, but a bit more restrained in public.)

The Volvo is mostly driven by me. Its' a bit difficult to blend into traffic with this one. And since this car is recognized locally, I consciously drive in a restrained fashion. Its' difficult to drive this briskly in city traffic anyway. On highways I let her loose as is legally (and a bit illegally) as possible. But no mad bursts of acceleration with this one. Although I do lose myself sometimes with too many cars crowding around trying to overtake. In such situations, I look for a gap, and slam the accelerator. Few seconds later, no more bugging traffic.

Toyota Camry
(The mature kid in the family. Well behaved and disciplined. Makes noise only when its' needed.)

This car is mostly driven by my dad (and his driver). It is the choice of car when more family members travel. Two reasons; one - lots of space, and two - I drive sedately(or appear to). Where the S60 occasionally gives cause for those sudden bursts of acceleration, the Camry provides no such stimuli. She will give you the acceleration, but in a lot more relaxed manner. Every time I sit behind the wheel in this car, I can almost here Vivaldi's Four Seasons symphony in the background.(Yawn)
The experience is quite soothing though, when you are genuinely not in a hurry.

[rrsteer]

I have 2 Toyotas - Etios (Petrol) & Innova (diesel) that are as similar as they are different to drive.

They are different because:
1) they sip different types of fuels and thus the different engine characteristics that manifest
2) One is a sedan and the other a MUV and hence a lot of difference in how they handle

They are same because:
1) Both offer immense driveability - by providing lots of torque lower down the range (joy to drive them in city) and hate to be revved (not so joyful to drive them on highways-especially the innova; but both are good cruisers)
2) Both the cars give a feeling of sitting 'on' the car, rather than 'in' it

[Sheel]

Thing is, after my transition of driving Trucks, I am getting more of them and I love it. So whether I drive my 4WD Scorpio or the 2WD one, its relaxed & letting the torque do the work, similar ways for the friend's Fortuner & Pajero & the Storme.

But I do sometimes drive the Yeti [quite a lot actually] and revel in slick shifting 6 speed 'box and do shift close to 5,000 revs. More refined diesel? Haven't driven one.

Same thing with the Vento, exiting toll gates with wheel spinning in 2nd is priceless.

But I do love the way a ladder on frame SUV drives and think, I am going to stick with them for the time being

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

Bajaj Pulsar 180: The original go fast bike. The only Indian bike at the time (2007) to zoom past 120kmph (speedo indicated)

Hi! The Karizma was around. And in 2007, Bajaj launched the P-220 DTS-Fi

[sumit_jain_usa]

Indeed a good thread to start posting back after too long. Much needed thread different and experience sharing.

Have 3 cars in family.

1) Pajero Sport 4x4 - 2012 make himalayan white in colour has clocked close to 40k kms driven by me mostly. Lil pain for daily commuting but cant help. Mostly travel for work to neighbouring states to West Bengal the longest drive was to Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan (20kms close to a silent border of Pakistan) Off late havent taken it to a long ride. The PS just surprises even more with its ability, carrying its legendary Pajero heritage even one leap further the power is just monstrous climbing upwards of 3 digit is now effortless. Even the frugality is better than the previous gen SFX and gives out double digit figures if driven sedately. The growl under 3k revv just keeps the passerby be aware of its presence no need of those powerful twin blaring horns. Recently updated it wit brembo brake pads to keep this mammoth to halt on a better note.

2) Ertiga ZDI - 2013 make is dark grey in colour has clocked 30k kms this is a purely for my mom sis n wife nd now my kid as well. We just love this car of being so big when needed (loads of passengers and at times loads of luggage)and being not so big when need to get to some of the narrowest alleys of Kolkata. This ones tuned to remove those lag issues and have upgraded to 205/60R16 hankook rubber. Have also installed a heavy audio system just to make remembrance of my good old bachelor days. This ones loved by all in the family. Our choice of Caaaaar driven by our oldest DJ (DriverJee).

3) Duster 110ps RXL DAbag model - 2014 make is pearl white in colour has clocked close to 30k kms and is dads ride its our mile muncher. Just throttle it and see the surge thanks to the chipping its really brings a big smile on dads face and is his choice even over the PS. This was the first piece of RXL that came loaded with ABS, Airbags, Rear Sensors in addition to the regular features of RXL 110ps. Have upgraded them with A/T tyres on day one from Hankook and it just goes the harder places with much ease. The A/T's do make handling lil non-confident and broadening has led to mild bumps being felt on high speeds but thats what the duster is not meant to do. Just keep on munching miles it the mantra. The noise these rubber makes just gets annoying rest its a beauty still has loads of tread left onto it seems as good as new. We have driven it twice to Jaipur and is eager to munch miles. Have extensively toured in this car and feels like will cross the 1,00,000kms in less than 5 years. Must admit the best A/c of all the three cars (in terms of cooling the cabin so fast). Just hope renault gives an optional kit to all owners to upgrade to 4x4 with some additional cost

[karthick_b]

Mahindra XUV500 W8 2WD - The Beast
Make: 2012
Mileage: 41000 kms
FFE: 11 kmpl in city - 17 kmpl on highways
A capable beast with a gem of an engine that has a strong torque curve post 2000 rpm. It is very cumbersome in city limits because of wide body, heavy clutch and harsh low speed ride. Best driven in a sedate manner within the city. Early upshifting in interest of fuel economy.

The XUV comes into its own on the highways and its engine shows its full potential. Fantastic pick up in 3rd and 4th gear. Effortless overtaking and ride is more settled at higher speeds. Predictable handler. Sixth gear aids cruising ability with fantastic fuel efficiency figures. Trust me, 90 kmph at 6th geat @ 2000-2200 rpm (not sure of rpm range) returns a fuel economy of 16.5 - 17 kmpl.

Driving style of XUV in city: Sedate
Driving style of XUV on highways: Cruise mode (occassional Vin Diesel inside of me kicks in just to experience that torque)

Toyota Qualis GS BSII - The Indestructible.
Make: 2001
Mileage: 2,05,300
FFE: 9 kmpl in city, 11 kmpl on highways

This is my parents prized possession. It is a car that built Toyota's bullet reliability badge onto our Indians. It is a bit long in the tooth now, but my dad just cannot let it go. It has been his companion for all his construction projects. It has been our safe people mover over long trips within Tamil Nadu. More importantly, it has never let us down.

Within the city, the Qualis' maneuverability is surprisingly good. It responds well to our steering input and reasonably comfortable for its age. The best part is the engine response in city, even after 2 lakh kilometers on its shoulders, the engine's 70 PS of power feels peppy. Best to upshift soon as that pep disappears soon and engine becomes noisy. Clutch is light and progressive. And then there is that gearbox, which does not even have a single squeak after all these years. It is butter smooth. M&M, learn the quality from this car.

On the highways, the Qualis can surprisingly keep up with most cars (though they are small cars ). Acceleration should be carried out in a slow and linear manner without straining the engine. Though the Qualis is surprisingly stable at high speeds, cornering should be strictly avoided. Our Qualis has only seat belts to protect us on the highways. No airbags, ABS, ESP, etc. One of the main reason we bought the XUV500. But again, Qualis was launched when these features where totally unheard off with us.

Driving style of Qualis in city: Enjoy low end torque and upshift
Driving style of Qualis on highways: Slow, steady and stable

[speedsatya]

" racing car " as my son calls it ( because of the exhaust note ) it's the Zen that I prefer driving whenever I am alone. Sometimes I use it to pick up my son from school.



The Ciaz is the one we use for outstation drives , it also happens to be my daily drive to work

[FORTified]

Toyota Fortuner 4X4 MT :
Graduated from Opel Corsa to Innova V to Fortuner. The first difference I find is the attitude. 'Go anywhere' - this car doesn't bother too much about what it is running on. It takes whatever comes its way with ease, because it CAN! Drive responsibly and it lasts a life long and will take you anywhere you want.So far, my fort has seen the Sands of Dhanushkodi [southern tip] and the dunes of Hunder [North tip, on our way back from Turtuk] and is getting ready for Tawang. For its size, the maneuverability is amazing. I drive it in the Bangalore traffic and never had issues. Its size, looks and road presence command respect [You won't believe, once a tempo traveller actually gave me way!!!] Way to go FORT.

[mayankk]

Catered to a need, it seems!!

Actually, I got to thinking about this when an ex-colleague of mine got into my Santro, some months ago, and in typical fashion, started complaining about how it doesn't feel like his car, doesn't drive like it, so jumpy, doesnt pull."Uth nahi rahi", the most oft used phrase. ( Not pulling, accelrating etc)
His car is an SX4, btw.
And I was sitting there, told him, How can it? How can a 10 year old, 1.1 ltr to the limit engine, bought for just about 3L, car, feel and drive like a 7L petrol saloon?
That got me thinking, how us guys treat each car differently.

Originally Posted by anilp

Hahaha, our Indica V2 also had the same button. I've never heard it being described so well.

My family's 97 Zen too. ZLVE turbo!!

Originally Posted by rsm97

Nice off-beat topic Mayank.

I do take opportunity to mention about my 10 years old Santro first. Drives light and peppy on roads. I don't push it hard, prefer keeping it below 100 kmph all the time as has tendency to understeer. Rear passengers like the raised bench but dislike its jerky suspension. All in all, quite convenient for short travels.

While driving my Fiesta on the other hand, always look for emptier routes. The fun is in the mid range and the car actually distinguishes itself at speeds above 70 kmph. I personally am ok with its limited power as have a self imposed speed limit of 120. Clutch is hard (wife avoids driver seat) so life gets easier when gear shifting is less frequent. Its low slung structure and tight suspension is in complete contrast to Santro's.

I ,in fact, moved from the Santro to the Fiesta, and what a moon-landing step that was.

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

Bajaj Pulsar 180: The original go fast bike. The only Indian bike at the time (2007) to zoom past 120kmph (speedo indicated), and the rare ability to pass highway traffic in 5th gear without ever downshifting. The bike I used to do Mumbai -Pune runs in about 2.5 hours (of course the traffic was negligible then compared to now)

Originally Posted by Sheel

Hi! The Karizma was around. And in 2007, Bajaj launched the P-220 DTS-Fi

2001 Original "Gol-batti", 5 neutrals P180.Black.
Reached an indicated ,er, speed(!) on the then empty and flat Shanti path. That bike was ridonculous! Its still parked and does services occassionally just for "feels", but here now only for sentimental reasons.
5 neutrals = one between 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-5, and one floating point neutral which could come up as a surprise quiz!

Oh, and an RX100 which had to be sold off to finance the Pulsar. Big mistake, but not my fault. The bikes were a gift from my brother to a college going useless fellow.

Keep it coming guys. Its so refreshing to know there are other OCDs like me around.After 5 years here, I knew it , but this confirms my suspicions!

ZLVE: Zero Lag Variable Everything.

[Carpainter]

Excellent thread. Very unique idea and nobody has ever thought of writing something about it. So kudos to Mayank.

Two cars I've got in my garage are relatively new. So I drive them carefully.

Innova: This is the new family workhorse. In the last five months it has run over 6.5k kms and it feels hassle free to drive around. A great city communter and a reliable highway cruiser. Although not that powerful to zip past traffic but a cool customer for the family. The thing is our chauffeur drives it more than me.

City ivtec: This car is apparently for a sedate driving style but it has enough juice when you need it. Want a certain burst of speed..yes sir, want to zip past traffic on hoghways..yes sit, want to take corners at speed.. eh. no sir. City is a good driving package and offers good ride at high speed but it's not sporty to drive. The engine has enough power to pull you out but you can never take chances with this car. So I kind of take it easy. Afterall, I'm a safe driver.

[kalyan_hyd]

Nice thread, sir. Here's my take on the two current cars I drive:

1. ANHC - 12/2009 - VMT - Being my first(serious) fully owned car, I raised it up like a baby. I would not let the RPM go beyond 2500 revs and would stare at anyone mentioning the iVTEC growl to me for the first 10k kms. The car finished 50k kms recently and I am glad that my partnership with T-BHP and the car both started November, 2009. In the five plus years of ownership, I have thoroughly enjoyed the ride, the subtle power, the control, the drives, long, short, all kinds. It is time to get rid of some stock stuff like the tyres, the lights and the horn. There isn't a day I might have regretted taking this car out of my garage be it on the highways or the busy city traffic. Yes, of late, I did give owing an auto transmission vehicle a serious thought.

2. BMW X1 - 06/2015(pre-owned from 10/2012) - xLine - I recently purchased this pre-owned bimmer. I like the way it rides on a highway. The drives to airport et al have become very cheerful and fun. Whereas, I am still struggling with my drives in the bumper to bumper city traffic. Being an auto transmission vehicle, I guess I am still adjusting myself to the style. Am unable to reap the benefits of the Sport/ Manual mode at the moment. And am stuck with the first two or at best third gears for the city drives. I need to pick a trick from here and there to be able to manoeuvre this 2 tonner. And the hydraulic steering, no matter how much I love it on the highways, in the city and parking lots, is a pain(IMHO). I know I can start a war with that line on a bimmer forum but that is what I feel for now.