Team-BHP > Team-BHP Reviews > Test-Drives & Initial Ownership Reports


Reply
  Search this Thread
3,587 views
Old 11th May 2011, 00:58   #1
BHPian
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Delhi/Cuttack
Posts: 390
Thanked: 202 Times
Balenopati

I was hunting for an used car - see posts here.

2 Sundays back and I was still looking for a car, and then I get a call from the Vasant Kunj FirstChoice guys saying "Sir, there is a Baleno Lxi 2006. You will like it."

I say "Ok..will come down in an hour". Then following the routine that I have established over the last couple of Sundays, I set out by 2 pm to see the car. I carry my cheque book around as well, having gotten sapped and tired by the Delhi heat day in day out, I was on the verge of putting my money down on bullock cart with four wheels if it had an AC.
Balenopati-img_8880-facebook.jpg
There is a black colour Baleno which I am given to test drive. First thing I do, is switch on the AC. Perfect! the car is reasonably cooled in 4 minutes in that 2 pm heat. Strike one.

I roll it out. and in third gear, at around 4000 rpm it has hit a ton. Strike two.

There is no noise from anywhere. Strike three.

It is black. Strike four. any colour as long as it is in black. Samurai's old Baleno shot beautifully by Rudra here and here had anyways removed all doubts from my mind as to the beauty of this car. And I had always wanted a low slung car.
Balenopati-img_8879-facebook.jpg

After hehawing for an hour I finally decide this is it- there can always be problems with cars, and I had anyways rejected a lot of cars, all the tension I was going through was only normal because this was a big expense. Once I figured that out, and was sure it was not some third sense warning me against this particular car, I went back to the yard to check the car in detail, and got one of the First Choice guys to make a note of things I wanted to be fixed before I took delivery.

Needed new tyres. Needed new front bumper. Needed left rear tail lamp. Needed paint touch up. Full interior vacuuming and cleaning. AC gas filling.

Gave Rs. 25k advance and cut from there.

Last Sunday went back to First Choice, this time at 1 pm. They still had not washed the car/vacuumed it. Touch up was still happening in some places. At least tail lamp had been replaced, and some new tyres were there. But they surely didn't need to call me at 1 pm so confidently that all was done.

It took me till 5 pm that I was finally done from there and took delivery of the car. Ripped it till a ton on the empty Vasant Kunj stretch, reached the first petrol pump and filled fuel. And I was ready to go!

This is my first sedan. This is my first time in Delhi. This is my first time in life without a fixed assured parking slot. (Kailash Hills as an area is pathetic for parking.)

I went straight to Elegant at Lajpat Nagar, and fitted an autocop gearlock for Rs. 1100, as these were pre-engine immobiliser cars. Got the remote for central locking replaced for Rs. 700 (Nippon).

The next morning I promptly, as the first thing in the morning, scratched the car while reversing it out. The boot..it is so painful to reverse a sedan!

Car has been driven for 120 km since I got it. I have a feeling that the battery might need to be replaced. Sometimes I get the feeling that cranking of the starter motor is not as sharp as it should be. And once at night, with the lights on, I tried starting the car, and the lights started dimming and it would not crank. I switched off the light, and started the car. Have filled the battery with battery water since then, but I do not have peace of mind.

My new tyres (given by First Choice) seem to be Winter Snow tyres. They are Bridgestone Blizzaks. All google searches tell me that they are awesome for snow. It was 40 C last i checked the weather reports.

Life seems good now though. Tracy Chapman's baby I got a fast car keeps running through my mind.

Last edited by manolin : 11th May 2011 at 01:02.
manolin is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 01:42   #2
Senior - BHPian
 
esteem_lover's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Madras/Py
Posts: 7,556
Thanked: 500 Times
Re: Balenopati

Congrats manolin. Baleno is a beautiful car. Hope you did not overpay for this one as First Choice guys are big cheats down here in south.
esteem_lover is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 02:56   #3
Distinguished - BHPian
 
lamborghini's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Mumbai
Posts: 6,108
Thanked: 5,753 Times
Re: Balenopati

Great car!
How much did the deal cost you?

About the parking issues: Have you considered installing parking sensors? It would help you a lot.
Also, since the tyres are new, why not go to a tyre dealer and trade them in for something you would like. Maybe something a bit meatier for added grip?
lamborghini is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 07:52   #4
Senior - BHPian
 
MileCruncher's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: MH01
Posts: 4,230
Thanked: 580 Times
Re: Balenopati

Congrats!

Thats a nice looking car. Can you share how much did it cost you and how much has the vehicle.

And are you planning any mods?

Cheers
MileCruncher is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 08:07   #5
Senior - BHPian
 
mjothi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 3,287
Thanked: 231 Times
Re: Balenopati

Fantastic. Baleno is a great car. Hope you got a nice deal.

Happy miles & smiles.
mjothi is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 08:38   #6
v&v
Senior - BHPian
 
v&v's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Delhi
Posts: 1,545
Thanked: 1,205 Times
Re: Balenopati

Congrats manolin. its a gem of a car. i have y2k model. Done 1L+ kms.
Only the power window switches which used to trouble my car a lot and are expensive too.
Upload some more photos and whats the ODO reading.

Enjoy & drive safe
v&v is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 08:55   #7
BHPian
 
Skye1592's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Bangalore
Posts: 68
Thanked: 10 Times
Re: Balenopati

Congrats on your first ever sedan manolin! Sounds like the battery is weak! Check the connection, to see if it is recharging and discharging properly.

Consider installing reverse parking sensors. You will get the feed directly to your IRVM, or to a screen. It cost me about 2500/- and it sure beats turning your head all the time while reversing.

Baleno in black looks amazing! Please post a few pics of interiors if you don't mind!
Skye1592 is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 09:12   #8
BHPian
 
james's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Mangalore
Posts: 597
Thanked: 645 Times
Re: Balenopati

Congrats on gifting youself a beautiful sedan! In the case or Balenos, Black is beautiful!! I picked up a black one a coupla months ago and ive been in love with it eversince. It looks just like Samurai's ex baleno.
How many kms has it run? Care to share the price u got it for?
I would suggest reversing sensors since you are new to sedans! Drive safe and keep a tab on service intervals. Be careful while driving as spares for her are quite expensive as compared to other Maruti cars.

Cheers!
james is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 09:21   #9
Senior - BHPian
 
rjstyles69's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Bengalooru..
Posts: 4,343
Thanked: 842 Times
Re: Balenopati

manolin congratulations on laying your hands on the G16B. Definitely a rev' happy car and heck the 3rd gear does have oodles of power. How much has it clocked ? Do share that and will let you know what all needs immediate attention.

That said, the car looks clean. Drive safe.
rjstyles69 is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 09:46   #10
BANNED
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: New Delhi
Posts: 297
Thanked: 338 Times
Re: Balenopati

My friend is in the same boat as you and looking for used VXi since he likes the stock alloys a lot. Can you tell us how much did it cost you?

Congrats! Enjoy the drive.
akhilesh is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 13:40   #11
dot
Senior - BHPian
 
dot's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Ban Chang
Posts: 1,681
Thanked: 732 Times
Re: Balenopati

Congratulations. I am big fan of a Black Baleno. The subtle European-like curves and stance comes out truly in black. A colleague owned a black Baleno which had beige leather seats, door trims and steering cover. The combination was deadly.

What mods are you planning?

Have fun and drive safe.
dot is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 16:20   #12
BHPian
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Delhi/Cuttack
Posts: 390
Thanked: 202 Times
Re: Balenopati

Quote:
Originally Posted by mjothi View Post
Fantastic. Baleno is a great car. Hope you got a nice deal.

Happy miles & smiles.
Thanks guys for the appreciation. Really hope all these wishes move over any ill things which can brew in an used car.

Quote:
Originally Posted by v&v View Post
Congrats manolin. its a gem of a car. i have y2k model. Done 1L+ kms.
Only the power window switches which used to trouble my car a lot and are expensive too.
Upload some more photos and whats the ODO reading.

Enjoy & drive safe
Sir, your long term reports really helped in me making up my mind to buy a car with a fairly high odo reading. Hope to meet you sometime and compare. And also take tips on mechanics and service centers in delhi.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Skye1592 View Post
Congrats on your first ever sedan manolin! Sounds like the battery is weak! Check the connection, to see if it is recharging and discharging properly.

Consider installing reverse parking sensors. You will get the feed directly to your IRVM, or to a screen. It cost me about 2500/- and it sure beats turning your head all the time while reversing.

Baleno in black looks amazing! Please post a few pics of interiors if you don't mind!
I will take some snaps of the interior over the weekend. Fairly standard though. Thanks on the parking sensors tip, will pick them up if budget permits after mechanical checks.


Quote:
Originally Posted by james View Post
Congrats on gifting youself a beautiful sedan! In the case or Balenos, Black is beautiful!! I picked up a black one a coupla months ago and ive been in love with it eversince. It looks just like Samurai's ex baleno.
How many kms has it run? Care to share the price u got it for?
I would suggest reversing sensors since you are new to sedans! Drive safe and keep a tab on service intervals. Be careful while driving as spares for her are quite expensive as compared to other Maruti cars.

Cheers!
Quote:
Originally Posted by akhilesh View Post
My friend is in the same boat as you and looking for used VXi since he likes the stock alloys a lot. Can you tell us how much did it cost you?

Congrats! Enjoy the drive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by esteem_lover View Post
Congrats manolin. Baleno is a beautiful car. Hope you did not overpay for this one as First Choice guys are big cheats down here in south.
I got this car for Rs. 2.65L. It is a little on the higher side for a 63k run Baleno, but I had been hunting around for around 3 weeks, and had not found a better piece. 2005 Balenos presently go from Rs. 1.9 to 2.2L depending upon condition and dealer in Delhi. This is mid-2006 car. I am comfortable with the mileage, because that indicates that the car was run around 12k per year, which in Delhi means standard nee lesser than standard usage.

Quote:
Originally Posted by MileCruncher View Post
Congrats!

Thats a nice looking car. Can you share how much did it cost you and how much has the vehicle.

And are you planning any mods?

Cheers
Quote:
Originally Posted by dot View Post
Congratulations. I am big fan of a Black Baleno. The subtle European-like curves and stance comes out truly in black. A colleague owned a black Baleno which had beige leather seats, door trims and steering cover. The combination was deadly.

What mods are you planning?

Have fun and drive safe.
After around 6 months when I get slightly bored with the power delivery, I want to add headers with a free flow (but tuned down sonically). Heard they are not that commonly available for the Euro III version? Is it true?
I will adding some ice over the weekend as well. But it will be simple stuff: a pair of co axials only. It has a sony system right now, with some crap speakers. The earlier owner had an amp and good system, that is evidenced by the RCA cables lying in the car.

Quote:
Originally Posted by rjstyles69 View Post
manolin congratulations on laying your hands on the G16B. Definitely a rev' happy car and heck the 3rd gear does have oodles of power. How much has it clocked ? Do share that and will let you know what all needs immediate attention.

That said, the car looks clean. Drive safe.
Riju, I would be glad for any help. Your threads and Black Pearl's greatly helped in this purchase.

Presently, first I want to run the car for 200-400km and then give it for a full check up at either a good Maruti service, or with an trustworthy independent garage, who can tell me everything about its mechanical state, and then I want to change all things from a preventive maintenance point of view.
As I can see:
1) the battery needs to go, alternater and other things need to be checked;
2) clucth seems fine;
3) suspension seems fine;

Quote:
Originally Posted by lamborghini View Post
Great car!
Also, since the tyres are new, why not go to a tyre dealer and trade them in for something you would like. Maybe something a bit meatier for added grip?
4) tyres I am very confused about - there is a lot of road noise from these tyres and I am not sure whether running these is a good idea or not. On the other hand these tyres have barely run 100 km and were free of cost, so I could run them for 10k km, and get decent ones. I have to exchange which dealer should I try with: normally my friends pick up tyres from the petrol pump tyre shop in Kalkaji on the ORR. How much can I expect for these tyres?
5) the engine growls a bit (maybe for 2 secs) when started. these is a blip in the rpm counter, and then it settles in nicely at 700 odd.what could be it?
6) sometimes, the front of the dashboard has a slight vibration (for 3 seconds odd). This happens always when I am off the throttle. In happens if I am coasting, with clutch disengaged, or if I am at idle. Seems to me to be linked to the alternator coming into play, but then the slight vibration is felt and can be seen on the gear lever, and on the steering wheel. What could it be? (I have the Ac on at all times)
7) the lights need a major upgrade and need to be focussed. How costly are Hella xenons auxillary lights? Will they fit into the fog lamp slots?

Immediately I would be glad to get a decent garage to carry out my checks. Pandit and Co. or any specific Maruti Service? Any recommendations would be very helpful.
manolin is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 16:50   #13
Team-BHP Support
 
Samurai's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Bangalore/Udupi
Posts: 25,808
Thanked: 45,332 Times
Re: Balenopati

Congrats Manolin, Baleno has a cult status in TBHP along with Palio GTX and OHC Vtec. They were the original TBHP trinity. Had some great moments in my former Baleno. It could revv smoothly all the way to the redline. Not been able to see that in my later cars.

Quote:
Originally Posted by manolin View Post
It is black. Strike four. any colour as long as it is in black. Samurai's old Baleno shot beautifully by Rudra
Wow, I sold mine much before you joined TBHP. I am surprised how you guys keep track of such old stories.

Quote:
Originally Posted by james View Post
I picked up a black one a coupla months ago and ive been in love with it eversince. It looks just like Samurai's ex baleno.
Oh really? probably because the number plates match.
Samurai is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 16:55   #14
BHPian
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Delhi/Cuttack
Posts: 390
Thanked: 202 Times
Re: Balenopati

Quote:
Originally Posted by Samurai View Post
Congrats Manolin, Baleno has a cult status in TBHP along with Palio GTX and OHC Vtec. They were the original TBHP trinity. Had some great moments in my former Baleno. It could revv smoothly all the way to the redline. Not been able to see that in my later cars.

Wow, I sold mine much before you joined TBHP. I am surprised how you guys keep track of such old stories.

Oh really? probably because the number plates match.
Lol! thats because I have been reading team bhp from around the time you joined it, way back before i could ever afford a car, in college. I created an id, but didn't post much because I had nothing to contribute (especially without a car). Lost that log in.

Once I started working, t bhp became an addiction.
manolin is offline  
Old 11th May 2011, 17:06   #15
BHPian
 
Sabby-069's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Hyderabad
Posts: 68
Thanked: 19 Times
Re: Balenopati

Congrats mate!! Baleno is one beautiful car, from stand still all the way to the redline. I have a black one myself!!
Do keep us posted on the mods; if you are planing any.
Cheers!
Sabby-069 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