[kalpeshc]

I was always a n00b when it comes to cars. I still am. When people open their bonnets and tweak a few things around, I always wonder what they'd be doing. I still cannot differentiate between a radiator, condenser, ECU, battery - okay, I can recognize the battery maybe. But despite all this, I always had a dream of owning my own set of wheels. I never used to dream about having the fastest car, but it was always about having the most comfortable one for my passengers - my family. If ever there was a liking, it was for gadgetry and the bells and whistles that one can find in cars.

I have been a passive member of this forum for quite some time now. It was only a couple of years back that I seriously started thinking of getting a car. But every year, some other financial goal prevented me from doing it. Somehow over a period of time, car slowly moved from being a luxury to a necessity. I have a 2 yr old son and folks have started feeling the effects of age. In the last two years, I've thought about and rejected on a lot of cars. Maruti was definitely the first choice but the only good offering that it had fitting (well a bit extending) my budget was maybe the Dzire when it was launched. A sedan was preferred as I wanted some boot space for highway traveling - Mumbai/Surat. Lots of my relatives advised a sedan (reasons were being able to fit a CNG tank and still having luggage space!). I never wanted to go the CNG way - a lot of R&D actually goes in designing cars and their engines which are fine tuned for a particular type of fuel. I did not want to pit my brains against theirs by fitting a CNG tank. If I cannot afford fuel, then maybe I should wait a bit more before buying a car.

Dzire was launched but I was not too taken away by it's looks. Then Manza was launched and the reviews (especially GTO's) were impressive. The cost/feature package was really good on this car. By the way all this time I did not know driving so started learning it a bit with cousins on empty roads. After tons of reviews and long term experiences on cars, I decided that it was time to go to showrooms at least. Took a friend along for a test drive of Manza at Surat. The experience at the showroom was not pretty good. Even the cars they had in the showroom had issues. Opening the door of the Manza gave a sound like opening an age old steel cupboard. The salesman said that it was a one off thing and there was some issue with that piece. Then we casually went across to the Indica and tried opening the door - it gave exactly the same sound ! The test drive went well, he allowed us to drive for a good enough distance and according to my friend the driveability was also good. But when I was sitting in the passenger seat the overall feel was not that of a new car at all. The plastics, buttons, steering wheel, door trims, etc. did not excite me. Mentally cancelled out the Manza at that very moment even though the car was extremely spacious and the family was comfortable in the back seat. Was not interested in Fiat because of the service hassles.

All this while I kept going through TBHP and read a lot of reviews on the i20. That was one car that caught my fancy. I really liked the looks and was impressed with the interiors and the gadgetry (electric ORVMs!). But it was quite beyond reach economically (Asta with ABS was 7L). I did not miss a single post on the i20 during this phase. I even recommended it to a close friend who chose it and I kept on advising him about the various updates on the same (courtesy Wildon's tips and tricks).

During this time my dad who's retired and is based at Surat got a Ritz. They wanted a city car with least service costs and Ritz fit the bill well. I drove it a bit and liked it even though it's a bit cramped for my taste. Came home and one fine Sunday took a test drive of Ritz Zxi (wanted ABS after the TBHP brainwash). Dealership experience was not bad (Spectra Motors, Ghatkopar). Since we had some time on our hands, took a rick and went to Asset Hyundai to check out the i10. All this while I had read a lot about these cars, Ritz, Punto, i10 and i20. My budget was allowing my to go for a Ritz or a i10. But when my wife who had not seen a i10 or i20 earlier, sat in the i20, she was super impressed. The look on her face and the way she was excited about the i20 (despite us deciding that it's out of our budget) made me cancel all plans about Ritz and the i10. Decided to wait a bit more, save some more moolah and just stick to i20 Asta.

Then one fine morning, my friend who had bought i20 Sportz in June 2010, gets a super break from his company who decided to give him a long term on-site opportunity in the US. He had to sell off the car ASAP (he had to fly in less than 10 days) and asked me if I can spread the word around. So in March 2011, he wanted to sell of a June 2010 i20 Sportz (O) which he had only driven for 2500 kms and had seat covers + sun film installed at 5L. Quickly called up a few friends and relatives and decided that this was a value for money deal. In 30 mins after the call from my friend, called him up and decided to get the car myself. Considering he's a very close friend, money matters were settled very easily. Finally in the second week of March, I had a well maintained, extremely less driven i20 in Berry Red color sitting in my garage. I went ahead and bought a 2 yr extended warranty for it (considering the steering rattle issue that is nagging this car).

Since I was not comfortable driving yet, for the next few days, practiced driving in my parking lot and in my building compound. The car was easier to drive than the Ritz (mind you this is from a newbie point of view) and I was able to practice well on ramps, speed breakers, etc. within the compound. One fine day, I just took the car out on the main road and went to a petrol bunk. Felt comfortable in driving, without revving too hard - the gear shift indicator is a bliss for someone who's new to driving. The clutch felt smooth (though the travel is extremely long), the acceleration is good enough for a new driver, brakes are also good. Basically from a new driver's perspective, all these three have quite linear responses. The interiors always bring a smile to my face.

Likes
- Electric ORVM
- Chrome on parking brake and gear knob
- So many cubby holes to keep your knick knacks
- ACC
- USB
- Steering adjustment
- Boot space (with illumination)
- Smooth gear shift
- Horn (Even though it's pathetic, since I tend to honk more since I am a novice, I am liking it!)


Dislikes
- The central locking can be opened by the co-passenger.
- No audible sound during central locking/unlocking
- Lack of power in the 2nd gear. You almost always have to downshift to 1st.
- Long travel of clutch
- A pillar at times comes in the way of visibility during right turns.
- Headlights (Will upgrade to Osram NB+)


Driving experience
I have been driving it on Sundays to close by malls, etc. I am still not extremely confident to tackle heavy traffic. But from whatever traffic I've encountered, it felt quite easy to move the car in traffic. The smooth clutch and effortless steering helps quite a lot. The car moves on half clutch (without the accelerator) and this is quite handy for our traffic conditions. This is with the AC on and a co-passenger. On the highway though I was a bit scared because of the steering and was really focusing on not moving it much. Drove around 100 kms and found the car quite refined. I tend to over-revv at times but that's because of my mistake and the gear indicator keeps correcting me. This is a good car for new drivers and I've not noticed a real lack of power (maybe because I am not the type who's keep to get off the blocks at signals). Once you're on empty roads, the 4th and 5th gears are meaty though. If I press the accelerator when in the 4th, the speeds start increasing almost immediately.

Wildon's thread helped a lot and got myself the glove box lamp. Also set the autolock feature at 40 kmph. Have not measured fuel efficiency as yet as I am revving hard at times and may not be getting a good figure. Also the bunk tends to fill even after the auto cut-off to round off the bill amount! I found it quite strange and quite a few tend to do it before you ask them to stop. I am not sure whether it's detrimental to the car's health. Planning to get the reverse sensor fitted as I am bad at parking and get myself a GPS as I am bad at directions too! Alloys and tyres are not on the radar though. I've heard good things about the Apollo Aceleres, so no XM1's for me for the time being. Need to understand grip levels, etc better before even thinking about it. Somehow I also like the rim design on this one - to me it looks better than the stock alloys on Asta (to each his own).

Have not posted pictures as I have not had a chance to click good ones and there are quite a few in the other threads. I've already had an incident with the car (will update the same soon). Also, thankfully I've not yet experienced the steering rattle. Maybe it's because I've not driven on bad roads yet. My VIN though is in the list that Wildon has published of i20 batch which may have the rattle.

[bluevolt]

Let me be the first to congratulate you on your Hyundai i20. A fantastic car with breathtaking looks. I think you got a good deal for this pre-worshipped i20. You have written a nice review but please add pictures of your car to complete the ownership report. Take good care of her and update the thread regularly. Drive Safe.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by kalpeshc

Have not posted pictures as I have not had a chance to click good ones and there are quite a few in the other threads.

Congrats on the buy. Very neat and crisp report. Though there may be pics in the other threads, there will always be a special feeling about your car. So please post a few pics though they might be random ones.

Wishing you many happy and rattle-free (steering) miles with the car!

[kalpeshc]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Wishing you many happy and rattle-free (steering) miles with the car!

Thanks. Honestly I am not that hopeful of having a rattle-free ownership. After reading the many experiences of BHPians here and knowing the fact that I may drive this beauty on bad roads in the future, I am expecting the rattle to raise it's head sometime next year. The only hope that I have is that I've got an extended warranty as recommended by TBHP and would have an option to get this fixed anytime in the next 3 yrs.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by kalpeshc

The only hope that I have is that I've got an extended warranty as recommended by TBHP and would have an option to get this fixed anytime in the next 3 yrs.

Good you have got the extended warranty. And if your VIN is showing up in the list which might have probable issues, then better get it fixed with the slight hint of a rattle after your drive on bad roads!!

[kalpeshc]

The first major drive that we had was from Mumbai to Surat on the NH8. This route is good but lately has been plagued with a lot of diversions because of the flyover constructions. Hopefully once the flyovers are ready, this route would become an absolute breeze. My friend was driving as I was still a 'kaccha limbu'!

Unfortunately near Vapi, at one of the diversions, when we were crawling, a truck braked real hard and both of us were busy talking to each other. We were a bit late in braking and the car had it's first major damage. The bonnet was bent at the front, alignment went askew, one of the headlight broke, scraping at the front. Thankfully, no other damage to the radiator or headlight lamps. We were able to continue and reach Surat quite easily. The car performed very well and my friend even managed to touch 130+ (albeit without telling me) for a brief period of time. He said that the car felt stable unlike other small cars he had driven. The ride at the back also was smoother compared to my dad's Ritz that we'd experienced on the highway.

Once we went to Surat, I tried my hands at driving on the isolated roads outside Surat and really enjoyed the car. Got a lot of driving practice under the belt during the few days that I was there. The first thing that I had to do after coming back was repairs and the insurance claim. When I had got the car from my friend, he was carrying the insurance policy sold by the dealer from Iffko Tokio. I was planning to continue the same until June when it was due for renewal. I don't know why but I contact Rupesh Vora (rjvora_2000), a distinguished BHP member for my insurance requirement. He was extremely helpful and proactively helped me finalize Bajaj Alllianz Drive Assure for an IDV of 5L for my car. The premium was around 20K. This one has the 0% depreciation which is popular on TBHP. I'd strongly recommend Rupesh for all your insurance requirement.

This turned out to be an excellent decision in hindsight after the major damage. I took the car to the Asset Hyundai service center at Bhandup. The overall experience was really bad. Even though this is part of Bajaj Allianz's cashless network, the surveyor delayed his visit by 2 days and work was not started until the third day. The service center did not even give me an estimate and not a single phone call during the 8 days that my car was with them. I had to call up daily to ask for the status of my car. Once the free services are done with, I am planning to move to HMP at Cotton Green which has a better feedback overall. The overall bill was of around 18.5K out of which I had to pay 776 for compulsory deductible + consumables + car wash (!!)

When I went to collect the car, the new bumper was not even aligned properly, even the headlight's alignment was questionable and the car was washed the previous day with wax in the gaps !! I was really put off by this shoddy work. Got everything done again in front of me. Was finally marginally satisfied and paid them and got the car home a couple of days back. Noticed a major scratch on the rear bumper but was too frustrated to fight for the same. During this experience too Rupesh was more than proactive and kept on mailing me the updates from Bajaj's network.

[Kimified]

@KalpeshC. Congrats on your first car. Always a special feeling!. Wish you many safe miles with the car. Pictures Your report ain't complete without it

[Me-hul]

Hey congratulations on purchase of the car. You've got yourself a very good deal. Also I think the driveability in 2nd gear would improve as you pile on more kms. I've felt the difference in my 2nd gear, as compared to the day I got the car.

Its always a special feeling when you get your 1st car. Eagerly waiting for the pics.Enjoy driving your 'Korean Beauty'.

[mdsaab]

First of all congratulations on your i20.
you were really lucky there and got a great deal from your friend, with the low mileage as icing on the cake.
Too bad you had to have your first accident so soon. But chalo atleast it's out of the way. and you were lucky with the insurance claim too.
Wishing you many miles of joyful motoring with your berry beauty.
@wildon's thread is really useful, i don't have an i20 but still popped into his thread to say thanks.

[libranof1987]

Congrats on your ride!

Hope you have a nice ownership period.

Just one thing : I hope the 130 km/hr was not after the accident!

Have the alignment checked from a stand-alone tyre shop; I feel they do the job much better than workshops.

Among the dislikes you have mentioned, I must tell you, they are there with almost every car; be it no sound during lock/unlock, central lock open/lock by co-pilot or lack of power in the 2nd gear. So, don't worry about it!

Now, for the pictures.

[dot]

Really enjoyed reading your heart felt review. Congratulations. The first car is always a very emotional affair at the end. Glad that you could get the car of your dreams in such a delightful fashion where things feel in place at the right time.

Originally Posted by kalpeshc

I never wanted to go the CNG way - a lot of R&D actually goes in designing cars and their engines which are fine tuned for a particular type of fuel. I did not want to pit my brains against theirs by fitting a CNG tank. If I cannot afford fuel, then maybe I should wait a bit more before buying a car.

Well said.

Originally Posted by kalpeshc

Opening the door of the Manza gave a sound like opening an age old steel cupboard.

LOL!

Originally Posted by kalpeshc

One fine day, I just took the car out on the main road and went to a petrol bunk. Felt comfortable in driving

Must have been some sensation to driving around on real roads for the first time, no? Difficult to describe.

Originally Posted by kalpeshc

The smooth clutch and effortless steering helps quite a lot. The car moves on half clutch (without the accelerator) and this is quite handy for our traffic conditions.

A suggestion from my side. Once you are used to driving your car with full confidence, try to minimize "half- clutch" riding. Just upshift to lower gear in these cases. Not that great for the health of the clutch on the long run. Nothing will happen if used for a short while though.

Felt aghast to learn about the accident. Good to know that the repair has been done. You did a very sensible thing to invoke the claims. Drive safe and have fun.

[kalpeshc]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Just one thing : I hope the 130 km/hr was not after the accident!

Have the alignment checked from a stand-alone tyre shop; I feel they do the job much better than workshops.

No - the 130 was prior to the accident. Post that we were just driving at a sedate speed keeping an ear open for any misfit sounds.

Also the alignment I mentioned was that of the bonnet and not the tyres. Sorry if I was not clear enough.

[kalpeshc]

I recently sat in a relative's i20 Sportz P and the blower sounded very quiet. Somehow the blower fan in my car is just too loud. If I set it on 3 or 4 it becomes quite audible and when on full it's amazingly loud.

Is this a problem?

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by kalpeshc

I recently sat in a relative's i20 Sportz P and the blower sounded very quiet. Somehow the blower fan in my car is just too loud. If I set it on 3 or 4 it becomes quite audible and when on full it's amazingly loud.

Is this a problem?

Have the a/c vents cleaned; there could be dust/dirt or some other residue that is obstructing the flow of air and making the blower sound loud.

[Pancham]

My i20 is 5 days and when I put the AC in the auto mode the blower is LOUD, seriously loud.