[EagleEye]

Dear friends,

As a recent member you might have noticed some of my posts regarding which car and what insurance etc on this forum. For the help that you have given me to choose my car and make the purchase (not to mention, perform a thorough PDI), I thank you all sincerely. Especially the folks who have made extensive and unbiased posts about their cars and issues faced. Here's me giving back to the community. Since I am not used to writing about cars, I may use incorrect terms at times. Please correct me wherever I am wrong.

Our requirements:

By 'we', I mean me and my better (and more beautiful) half. We are adventurous people who love to get out of the city (Mumbai) on weekends and go on long drives exploring territory. We would normally like to have some friends along, and occasionally 5 people would be travelling so the rear seat would have to be sufficiently wide and comfortable for long drives. Diesel was a must as long drives would mean huge expenses on fuel (I didn't know it then but because of the recent price hike I'm glad I didn't go for a petrol).

Other requirements were that the car should be reasonably steady at speeds of 120-130 kmph as we plan to take it on Mumbai-Pune expressway and Mumbai-Gujarat roads once in a while. I don't believe in driving over these speeds as no road in India is safe beyond this. Talking about safety, I don't like to make any compromises when it comes to the safety of myself and my dear ones. Therefore airbags and ABS were absolutely necessary. Above all I am a passionate driver (learnt driving at the age of 12 on our old old Amby) and thus steering and handling of the car needed to be excellent.

Our options:

Now as you would have noticed, these requirements pretty much eliminate from consideration all the lower variants of most of the hatches in the market today as they don't come with ABS and airbags. Personally I feel that these should be standard features like seatbelts in any car, but that's for another topic.

Anyway, what's more, as a person who just graduated and who's in his first job, my budget was constrained to 6 lacs max.

This brought us directly into the Ford showroom looking at the Figo.

Well we did visit a few other showrooms too, and I'll recount my experiences with different cars briefly:

Toyota Etios Liva: No diesel option yet, speedometer in the center looked ugly to both of us. Moreover we didn't need anybody in the back panicking about our driving speeds.
Hyundai i20: Most features in a car but... Too expensive! I was thinking of super-stretching my budget for a while but reading about the steering issues put me off. It is an issue for which Hyundai hasn't come clean yet. Also when I took a test drive I didn't like the way the car handled. Maybe it was just the TD car, but the steering was not precise.
Hyundai i10: When we were seriously debating the petrol/diesel argument among ourselves while chalking down requirements, this was one of our favourite options, but later discarded as the back seat wouldn't accommodate 5 and the tallboy stance affected handling, particularly body roll.
Chevrolet Beat: Had a feeling of sitting in a cage at the back, practically no backseat. A great car for one or two persons most of the time. Also, the diesel top model wasn't exactly a hell lot cheaper than the Figo.
Nissan Micra: Loved the features of the car but not the looks so much. Interior space is good and thigh support is nice too. Main issue was that it was ridiculously overpriced and even the top model didn't have passenger airbags or ABS.
Swift: Another killer car but: Dearest MSIL, I would never wait 4-5 months for a car. No, not under ANY circumstances. If you have such high sales, set up 2-3 more plants...

Didn't TD cars like Punto, Indica Vista, Polo, Fabia due to various reasons such as cost of ownership, reliability, lack of features and service network issues and these cars didn't make it to my list.


As you would have certainly gathered by now, we settled on the Ford Figo Titanium. Mainly because it satisfied most of our requirements, but also because it wasn't too cruel on the pocket either. At 6.5 L OTR we had to stretch our budget by 50k but we figured we were getting a good VFM product so we were happy to.

We took three test drives of the car and found it satisfactory features-wise and handling-wise. Of course, the car isn't perfect and it has its faults, but more on that later.

Buying Experience:

Once I had settled down on Figo, I decided to visit the two Ford dealerships closest to my house, which were SC Ford (Malad) and AVK Ford (Powai). Out of the two SC Ford was quoting a higher price, 6.63 L as opposed to 6.53 L of AVK due to some discounts.
However, as I found the people at SC Ford friendlier and more helpful as compared to AVK, I decided to find out whether I could have the best of both worlds. As soon as I discussed AVK's discounts with the sales person in SC Ford, he said he would call me back after speaking to his manager, and he did. He agreed to match the price! I further negotiated the price of insurance which he brought down by 5k without changing IDV.

So off we went to SC Ford to discuss the process and freebies.
The SP agreed to give carpet mats and sunfilm. Rubber mats would cost extra, he said. I would have been happy if he had thrown in free USB installation too, but after a lot of negotiating I realized that he was not ready to give anything else. (Paying extra for USB connectivity sucks!)

Anyhow we booked a Sea Grey Titanium by paying a sum of 25,000 by cheque. Delivery was due in 15-20 days. Colour was something we discussed back and forth about. We were never really satisfied about sea-grey, so 10 days into the waiting period we changed the colour to Silver.

---
Registration: I would like to place some emphasis on the registration procedure of the car. On the second day after booking the car I got a call from the dealer saying that since I didn't have a lease agreement there would be issues with registration (I had a company flat). He said if I paid 5000 bucks it would be taken care of. I was shocked as to how a reputed dealer like SC Ford could ask for such under the table dealings. I told him to forget 5000, I was not even ready to pay 5 Rs. extra. As it is we are paying through the nose for a Mumbai registration, and plus I am not the kind of person likes paying bribe. He said his agent in the RTO conveyed this information and that if I didn't pay up I would have to go to the RTO and face difficulties. I told him to go ahead and get the car delivered from the plant, I would take care of the registration. Once the car reached the stockyard of the dealer, we had to pay the full amount, and let the vehicle proceed for registration.

The dealer gave us a call and asked us to visit the Andheri RTO. It was 5.30pm when we reached there. We met the dealer's agent who's job it was to complete these formalities. He made a huge fuss that we hadn't brought my passport and that it was very much required... that the inspecting officer wouldn't even look at us since we didn't have it with us etc etc.
Now, being an average educated Indian and having some knowledge about how these 'agents' and govt establishments operate, I had previously checked up on the internet the necessary documents required for vehicle registration, and I knew that the passport wasn't one of them. I called his bluff and told him that I would talk to the officers myself. I grabbed our documents from his hands and went in directly to meet the inspecting officer. Handed him the documents and asked him to sign. He couldn't do anything but verify the documents and sign. Next I had to go to the RT Officer, one Mr. Patil. He was initially hesitant but when I asked him whether there was any problem with the papers he signed them.

Guys, my suggestion to you is to never give in to such tactics and pay anything extra to anybody to carry out work which you have already paid for. Visit the RTO yourself if you have to, once you are in front of them they cannot say anything or refuse because you are a genuine person.
---

It was a Friday when I visited the RTO, and I got a call from the sales guy on Monday itself saying that the number had come and the car was ready for delivery anytime I wanted.

Hooray! I was thrilled, because the waiting period of the car had now stretched to a month first because of the colour change and then because I had been out of town for a couple of weeks prior to making the full payment. Finally I was getting the car!

As I couldn't get myself out of the office in time to take the delivery in daylight, we ended up reaching the dealer at around 6.30pm on D-day. My brother also accompanied us for the procedure. At the dealer they explained to us about the warranty, service intervals, location of service center, their contact details, and other important stuff.

I had carried a printed checklist from team-bhp for the PDI. During PDI I noticed a huge scratch on the left front door at the bottom, and I was glad I had used my mobile's camera flash as torch to check the exteriors. The sales people apologized and said that it had been fine at the time of their PDI and it must have happened just now. They gave me in writing that the scratch would be taken care of by them whenever I visited the service center.

Other things were okay, they brought a coconut and lemon for puja, they had even kept a ganesha idol, an air freshener, and some chocolates in the car...

After this we drove out our brand new silver coloured Ford Figo Diesel Titanium!

Overall impression about SC Ford Goregaon West: Good to Very Good. I will not go so far as to say that they selflessly protect the interest of the customer, but they are honest and knowledgeable. Just don't buy any accessories from them as they are quite overpriced.


With over 850 kms clocked on the odo, it is now time for an UPDATE:

Initial Ownership report:

On the first day we took the car on a drive from Goregaon to Andheri East via Eastern Express Highway. First feeling was amaaaaazing... New car feel is really wonderful! Thereafter I have driven all the way to Thane taking the route around the northern border of Sanjay Gandhi National park, I've gone on a really enjoyable drive to Lonavala, and generally driven around the city of Mumbai in almost all types of traffic conditions.

I have listed below, in the order I remember them, the various good and bad things about the car I've experienced so far.

For your information and better understanding, I would like to mention that I have driven several cars over a period of several years. As my parents own a 2010 Verna Diesel AT, wherever I draw comparisons it will more often than not be with this car. Some of the other cars I have driven are: Swift, Ritz, Wagon R, Alto, M800, Qualis, Innova, Indica V2 (Petrol and Diesel), Zen, Zen Estilo, Fiat Uno, Esteem, and of course the Ambassador.


First the bad:

• There are some instances when car is moving at 20kmph or so, and second gear is not sufficient to pull it, unless I press my right foot quite a bit.
  
  
• The bluetooth feature of the ICE is the least user friendly contraption I've ever come across in my life, period. Sometimes it takes several tries to connect with my phone and often it connects the audio only for music but not for calls. I have an inkling of a feeling that my phone (HTC Desire) also has a part to play in this.
  
  
• Plastics are not of great quality. Interior and exterior.
  
  
• Rear wiper switch is designed in a manner that first the wiper has to be switched on before water can be sprayed. This means that if the rear glass is dirty, the wiper has a chance of scratching the glass before the water splashes on.
  
  
• Front wipers clean the windshield very well but all the dirt accumulates on the side and stays there till manually removed.
  
  
• Boot needs to be closed with force or else it will not lock.
  
  
• FE: On first fill I got a mind numbing 12.1 kmpl!!! (full tank method) It was mixed driving and mostly in the city, but I never expected such low figures. I don't care if mileage goes down by 1 or 2 kmpl as that is not my main concern, but 12 is...! That too when I am treating the car as a newly wed and taking care of the run-in by not going above 2000 rpm.
  Anyway, I have consoled myself saying that after first service it will improve. Other owners please give your views.
  
  
• As the HUD is is red themed with a black background, it is not as easy to read the meters in the daytime as other cars' that have white and black themes. It is not very difficult either, but I feel Ford did not put much thought into these minute details.
  
  
• My car came with MRF tyres. They are good, but not very comfortable. Uneven patches of road mostly make their presence known to my spine. Am thinking of upgrading, and getting alloys as well. Unfortunately not much moolah on me right now.
  
• USB connectivity should have come factory fitted; I can't imagine why Ford is being miserly about ~1000 bucks when I am buying a 6.5 lac car!
  
  
• This point has got to do more with the dealership: My car's month of manufacture is June, although my booking was done in August and delivery in September. Seems like it was lying around for 2-3 months with no takers. Odometer reading was 102 km at the time of delivery. I know it is too late for this question, but please tell me if something sounds fishy to you.
  
  
• I never found the driver's seat adjustment to be of any good, for it is more of a tilt adjustment rather than of height.
  
  
• AC vent for the feet cools only my left foot while I'm sitting in the driver's seat. Seems like the vent is not angled in a way that air reaches both feet.
  
  
• Fogging noticed inside my headlamps more than once. When I spoke to the ervice center regarding this they said that it is only to be taken seriously if the fogging doesn't disappear after keeping headlamps switched on for 3 minutes. So far it has not persisted, but is still a cause for concern. Is it normal?
  
  
• Tell me one thing guys, when the doors lock the handles turn inside. However anyone can open the doors by just pulling the handle first to disengage the lock, then to open the door. I would have felt more comfortable if the lock was separated from the handle like in almost any other car.
  
  
• If I sit at the backseat barefoot and stretch my feet, they have a chance of being scratched by the sharp edges under the front seats as they are not padded. I'll have to figure out a DIY to suppress this potential troublemaker.
  
  
• No cup holder for the driver. I know the attention of the driver must always be on the driving, but what if I'm parked somewhere and need a soft drink?
  
  
• Interiors leave a lot to be desired. The colour theme is dark red for the seats and black for the dashboard. I feel they should have used a more contrasting theme. Now the entire interior looks too blackish.
  
  
• The cabin light is not at all adequate. Can I install a better light there without frying any circuits?
  
  
• Only one trip meter. What if I want to measure mileage and a particular trip distance at the same time? - this is one of my major gripes.
  
  
• Very difficult to know by feel the different buttons on the remote for keyless entry, due to their placement and lack of differentiation.
  
  
• You already knew this, but - I'm talking about my 6.5 lac car here ----> NO POWER WINDOWS AT THE BACK!!!
  
  
• And finally - the car is a guano magnet... Just kidding , but since I don't have a covered parking yet all I seem to do these days is scrape bird crap off the car body!

And now coming to the good stuff!!

• NVH levels are really very well controlled esp. for a diesel! After reading some reports on tbhp and on other forums I had expected a bit more NVH from the Figo. Just lower your window for a while and you'll instantly realize how much commotion and mayhem you are being spared from. I am totally loving the smooth, silent sailboat that my diesel Figo is. No rattles (yet - touch wood).
  
  
• Almost everybody who talks about the Figo mentions 'handling' or 'steering' in the same breath, and it's easy to see why. I have never before driven a car which is so brilliant in its steering precision and feedback. My first impression was that the steering was a tad too heavy at slow speeds, but I soon got used to it and will never go back to any EPS if I can help it. Handling is miles ahead of the competition. I don't automatically feel the need to slow down when approaching curves like I get with other cars. Like someone rightly mentioned in another thread, it sticks to the road like a leech. Stock tyres are quite adequate here.
  
  
• Turbo lag (the lack of it) is also something that is praised to no end when it comes to this car, and I wholeheartedly concur. It is not noticeable at all and you may drive your Figo D almost like a petrol. When I compare this to the Verna AT... no I'd better not, they are like apples and jackfruits and are in no way comparable.
  
  
• Bluetooth facility of ICE: I spoke of this as a negative point because of its complex menu system, but it is no doubt a blessing once connected. Calls are loud and clear and the other person can hear me properly even if I talk in a normal voice. There is (supposed to be) a 'privacy' mode which transfers the call to the handset when you want but I'm yet to figure out how to use it. Bluetooth streaming for music is lovely. I can imagine a situation where I am travelling with friends who would like to play music from their mobiles and BT eliminates the tussle with wires and ports.
  
  
• While on the topic of ICE, I will do injustice to the designers of Figo if I don't touch upon the quality of the speakers. Ok, it's no JBL set and I'm no connoisseur of music, but bass etc. is excellent! Thanks for putting speakers in all four doors. I find myself smiling in appreciation of the crisp and crystal clear sound whenever I stream those high bitrate songs. A volume level of 6 or 8 is sufficient for comfortable and enjoyable listening. If you want to leave your windows open and be the cool dude with the heavy metal and bass you can do that at level 20.
  
  
• Similarly AC at fan position 1 or 2 is more than sufficient to chill your bones in 30 seconds flat from 35 degrees outside. But if you like the sound of hurricanes and were adapted to arctic climates before you migrated to India you may go to position 3 and above.
  No, you need not keep switching the AC on and off. Yes, you can adjust the thermostat to a comfortable level.
  Point to be noted: The whole cabin is cooled evenly. Compare this to the Verna where in spite of the ACC, the people at the back (my parents) keep complaining about the inefficiency of the AC while the guys at the front (me and bro) are freezing to death.
  
  
• Suspension seems to eat up potholes when travelling at high speeds. There was this moment when I was doing 80-90 kmph on the Western Express Highway and a bad pothole suddenly appeared in front of me. My heart jumped to my mouth as I expected the deafening thud but there was nothing.
  
  
• The motors of the power windows are very fast compared to those in our Verna.
  
  
• Contrary to certain reports, I find the headlamps (both dim and bright) quite adequate. Maybe it's just me or maybe Ford has taken corrective action to feedback from a lot of users, but I am facing no problems yet. Even the factory fitted fog lamps are very bright and light up the road immediately ahead very well. The Verna's fog lamps are noticeably feebler, although its headlamps are quite good.
  
  
• Loove the operation of the headlamp dim/bright switch. You have to pull it fully to toggle between dim and bright. Pull slightly to flash bright lamps while in dim mode, and pull slightly to flash dim lamps while in bright mode! This is the first car I've driven that has this feature.
  
  
• Lane change indicators are a neat feature which I use extensively on the highway on my way to work.
  
  
• There's a small coin compartment just below and right of the steering wheel which is very convenient for putting change for tolls. Now it's not as smart as an overhead coin flap near the cabin lights, but good enough.
  
  
• Horn is not at all hard to press (like I read someone complain in another forum) and is of optimum loudness (it's quite audible without being too annoying).
  
  
• Really like the 'autolock after 7 kmph' and the 'unlock after ignition off' features. Also the 'unlock in case of accident' feature is very thoughtful.
  
  
• Boot-open button on the dash is very convenient. No more confusion which is the boot lever and which is the fuel hatch lever. The boot-open button on the wireless remote is really a blessing and I use it all the time.
  
  
• Pressing the 'lock' button on the remote twice in quick succession makes the Figo blink its lights four times: as the range of the transmitter is good, it's helpful to locate your car (especially in underground parking places where the orange light will reflect off the ceiling).
  
  
• Boot space: More than enough. With the back seats folded, I might be able to make space for a bed in there to camp.. lol
  

Other notes, observations and questions:

• 2 weeks into the ownership, the ABS suddenly light came on in the dashboard and wouldn't go off. According to the manual it indicates a malfunction with the ABS components and the brakes work like normal without ABS. As it turned out, one of the ABS sensors had an internal circuit failure and had to be replaced. (Read full report of it here:)
  
  
• There was a kat-kat-kat sound coming from the back tires/brakes/suspension while braking hard, even at slow to medium speeds (This has also been mentioned in the linked thread above). The brake pads were cleaned along with the above repairs to resolve this issue.
  A manager at the service center told me to see whether the sound is only noticeable when the car has just been started and not driven much or whether it is still noticeable after a long drive. I have so far not noticed it since the brake pad cleaning, but can anyone tell me what this funda is?
  
  
• On very rough patches like one which I have to cross every day to work, there is a (very faint) series of thuds noticeable from the back. Maybe the spare wheel is moving about? Don't know; have to check. Has anyone else observed this?
  
  
• Will reiterate the mileage problem as now the second tankful is almost over, and has returned only just about 450 kms. Pathetic I say, please help guys!
  
  
• Already got a scratch on the rear bumper from a taxi driver who was over-enthusiastic about manoeuvering through nearly standstill traffic. He vanished without a trace afterwards.
  Can someone tell me how much it would cost to get these scratches fixed? What work would need to be done? (Have nil experience in this field)
  I vaguely remember the sales person telling me that the bumpers of Figo are all plastic and can be replaced for ~2.5 k. Unlikely, but do you know if this is true?
  
  
• It is most probably just me, but getting a good riding position takes some time after the seat adjustments have been changed by another driver.. I feel the gear should have been placed slightly behind where it is placed now. Is it possible to get an armrest fixed for my left arm?
  
  
• The insides of the doors have a patch with the same colour and material as the seats. If I change my seat covers, will it be possible to change these as well? And where in Mumbai can I get affordable seat covers?
  
  
• In December 2010 I had checked out the car markets with an intention to buy if necessary. The necessity did not arise then and I dropped the idea. But I had noticed (correct me if I'm wrong) that fog lamps were not part of the accessory list even for the Titanium. Now they come factory fitted, and are excellent. Also I was told that starting August 2011 the six speed variable intermittent wipers would be done away with. Since my car was manufactured before Aug, I have got this feature too. It's very handy.
  
  
• If I pull the light switch once the front fog lamps are switched on, and if I pull it further an icon lights up in the HUD which I imagine is for the rear fog lamps. However, it is not physically present. Can I get rear fogs installed? How much would they cost?
  
  
• Looks! The car is ugliest when viewed from the side: very boring and almost looks disproportionate. I think the front looks brilliant: different, smart and naughty. And with the fog lamps on, it becomes a different beast. The back is not as beautiful as the front with its old style light compartment, but pleasing nevertheless.

-----------------------------------------------------------


So there, that's my initial ownership report, and apart from mileage I'm loving every bit of the car. It's definitely more pleasurable to drive than most other cars. What Figo lacks in outright power, it more than makes up for with its superior handling and practicality.

I know you will ask for pics, so let me tell you that I'm definitely going to post them soon. =) It's just that I'm not getting enough daylight with the car as I've been leaving office quite late these days.

Thanks for reading my post, and looking forward to reading your comments!

[Vik0728]

Congrats on your buy EagleEye and a pretty nice writeup as well.

As promised, more info on the driving & owning experience along with Customery pics to complete this post. Drive safe, happy motoring.

[dar3dev|l]

Hey congrats on your Figo ! Silver, sure is a better choice of color. And thanks for the info about the registration process, this will be helpful for me as my i too was asked the same but by hyundai !

Do post pictures for your figo !!

Cheers

[motomaverick]

Congrats on the Figo, Happy motoring ahead

[bigvishnu]

EagleEye - Congrats on your new ride... All the best and dive safe!

The RTO experience - its been 6 years since i went to any agents for RTO - during this time, got my wife a Driving License, got a duplicate RC book for my Royal enfield all for less than Rs 200, next on the list is to get myself a new DL, the photo in the current one looks like a century old

v

[GTO]

Thread moved back to the Initial Ownerships Forum by Vid6639. Thanks for updating the opening post!

[misquitas]

Wow, that's one heck of a good-bad observation list and an Eagle Eye at that. Being neutral and honest about one's car is a rare trait and I deeply appreciate the finer details that you have listed.

I still have a soft corner for the Figo and it could well have been in my possession in December last year.

[shashank.nk]

Superb report Eagleeye! Most of the owners shower their cars with praises but you've posted a report in an unfair manner, definitely a big plus for anyone considering to buy the car i future.

Read somewhere on the forum that the Figo engine is very sensitive to driving styles, and accordingly your FE may vary vastly. Don't recollect where, else would've surely posted the link

[raviacc2825]

Hello Eagleye,

Congrats on your purchase!!!

Figo, as per me is VFM in this segment. Very rightly said about waiting on Maruti Swift, I too would never wait such long for a car until and unless its an exclusive one.

Keep us updated on each and every service, waiting for the pics.

Ravi

[aaren]

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Dear friends,
---
Registration: Handed him the documents and asked him to sign. He couldn't do anything but verify the documents and sign. Next I had to go to the RT Officer, one Mr. Patil. He was initially hesitant but when I asked him whether there was any problem with the papers he signed them.

Guys, my suggestion to you is to never give in to such tactics and pay anything extra to anybody to carry out work which you have already paid for. Visit the RTO yourself if you have to, once you are in front of them they cannot say anything or refuse because you are a genuine person.
---

It was a Friday when I visited the RTO, and I got a call from the sales guy on Monday itself saying that the number had come and the car was ready for delivery anytime I wanted.

First the bad:

• Rear wiper switch is designed in a manner that first the wiper has to be switched on before water can be sprayed. This means that if the rear glass is dirty, the wiper has a chance of scratching the glass before the water splashes on.
  
• Fogging noticed inside my headlamps more than once. When I spoke to the ervice center regarding this they said that it is only to be taken seriously if the fogging doesn't disappear after keeping headlamps switched on for 3 minutes. So far it has not persisted, but is still a cause for concern. Is it normal?
  
• If I sit at the backseat barefoot and stretch my feet, they have a chance of being scratched by the sharp edges under the front seats as they are not padded. I'll have to figure out a DIY to suppress this potential troublemaker.
  
• No cup holder for the driver. I know the attention of the driver must always be on the driving, but what if I'm parked somewhere and need a soft drink?
  
• The cabin light is not at all adequate. Can I install a better light there without frying any circuits?
  
• Only one trip meter. What if I want to measure mileage and a particular trip distance at the same time? - this is one of my major gripes.
  
• Very difficult to know by feel the different buttons on the remote for keyless entry, due to their placement and lack of differentiation.
  
• You already knew this, but - I'm talking about my 6.5 lac car here ----> NO POWER WINDOWS AT THE BACK!!!
  
• And finally - the car is a guano magnet... Just kidding , but since I don't have a covered parking yet all I seem to do these days is scrape bird crap off the car body!

And now coming to the good stuff!!

• NVH levels are really very well controlled esp. for a diesel! After reading some reports on tbhp and on other forums I had expected a bit more NVH from the Figo. Just lower your window for a while and you'll instantly realize how much commotion and mayhem you are being spared from. I am totally loving the smooth, silent sailboat that my diesel Figo is. No rattles (yet - touch wood).
  
• Loove the operation of the headlamp dim/bright switch. You have to pull it fully to toggle between dim and bright. Pull slightly to flash bright lamps while in dim mode, and pull slightly to flash dim lamps while in bright mode! This is the first car I've driven that has this feature.
• Lane change indicators are a neat feature which I use extensively on the highway on my way to work.
• Really like the 'autolock after 7 kmph' and the 'unlock after ignition off' features. Also the 'unlock in case of accident' feature is very thoughtful.
• Boot-open button on the dash is very convenient. No more confusion which is the boot lever and which is the fuel hatch lever. The boot-open button on the wireless remote is really a blessing and I use it all the time.
  

Congrats on your new Ford Titanium and that was a detailed report.

Am glad about the way you went about in respect of the registration process. Now that I also bought a new car, let me do some googling on this.

Many of your observations are really sharp and could not have come at one go. And with decent amount of mileage logged in these comments have come in such as regarding the rear wiper. It takes a bit of observation and playing around to find out smaller details.

On the day Ford Fiesta was being launched, I did take a look at Figo and I was taken aback with the amount of space this car has to offer. Seriously. But by then, I had already locked into Honda Jazz.

Could you elaborate on the "Lane Change" feature ? Button in the dash for opening the boot is a real good feature. Not sure whether Jazz has it.

Wishing you many miles of smiles and safe driving !! Keep the thread updated !!

[ghodlur]

@Eagle eye,

Congratulations on completing 1.1K in this wonderful car. Must appreciate the details your have mentioned the +ves and -ves in an honest and unbiased manner. Although Figo's characteristics have been discussed to death in numerous posts but this one refreshed them again, thanks for that.

I am surprised at the low FE your are getting. I have driven my friends car where an FE of 17 is easily achievable in the city runs. I guess you should get the same after the first service. Your experience at the RTO was an eye opener, not many of us would venture of getting the regsitration done on our own. Hats off to you. BTW what Insurance Co did you finally opt for?

Do change the stock MRF tyres to Michelin energy XM1+, your will notice the difference instantly. I had changed it during delivery of my Fiesta. Regarding the door locks thats one feature which is not good in any Ford cars, once you lock the doors, it can be still opened from inside during car running. Had a bad experience when my son was sitting in the front, now made it a point to make him sit at the rear with child lock on.

Happy mile crunching, drive safely.

[DevilsCry]

Sorry for being late to congratulate you. I somehow missed this thread. I am an owner of Figo petrol LXi since about one and half months.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

During PDI I noticed a huge scratch on the left front door at the bottom

My car too had a scratch on its windscreen by the wiper which was visible when sitting in the car. I did same as you. I got them to sign a paper that they will fix it when I come to service my car.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Plastics are not of great quality. Interior and exterior.

I agree!

Originally Posted by EagleEye

My car came with MRF tyres.

Mine is MRF too and I am very satisfied with them. I am not planning to upgrade them or buy alloys.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Odometer reading was 102 km at the time of delivery. I know it is too late for this question, but please tell me if something sounds fishy to you.

It does sound fishy to me. My odometer read only 23km and it had left the company only two days before I purchased my car. But I don't know what you can check for.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Fogging noticed inside my headlamps more than once.

I had noticed fogging in my headlamps on two occasions when I reached home from night drive. I can't understand what could be the reason. On checking, the headlamp clusters seem fine to me. I am choosing to ignore them.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Tell me one thing guys, when the doors lock the handles turn inside.

I am not too bothered about it. The handles go deep inside the doors so there is minimal chance of accidental opening. I would say that this is better than conventional locks.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

If I sit at the backseat barefoot and stretch my feet, they have a chance of being scratched by the sharp edges under the front seats as they are not padded.

Thank you BIG time! I had failed to notice this. From now, I am telling my family to wear only shoes if they want to sit in the rear. Once again, thanks for saving my family members from cutting their foot in a nasty way!!

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Interiors leave a lot to be desired.

I agree. I want to upgrade the entire interior. Not only seats but dashboard and door plastics also need to be changed/covered. I am still searching for best upgrade.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

The cabin light is not at all adequate. Can I install a better light there without frying any circuits?

Don't! If there is any problem in your car, even if it is not connected to circuits, the dealer will blame your cabin light upgrade.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Only one trip meter. What if I want to measure mileage and a particular trip distance at the same time?

You are not supposed to be calculating all these during a drive

Originally Posted by EagleEye

You already knew this, but - I'm talking about my 6.5 lac car here ----> NO POWER WINDOWS AT THE BACK!!!

Would you prefer cage like small windows of Swift/Beat or large windows of Figo?

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Just lower your window for a while and you'll instantly realize how much commotion and mayhem you are being spared from. I am totally loving the smooth, silent sailboat that my diesel Figo is.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Handling is miles ahead of the competition. I don't automatically feel the need to slow down when approaching curves like I get with other cars. Like someone rightly mentioned in another thread, it sticks to the road like a leech. Stock tyres are quite adequate here.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

The whole cabin is cooled evenly.

Indeed! Figo's AC is simply best designed. Period! What I like other than this is how little time it takes to cool the interiors after it has been parked under sun for a long time.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

My heart jumped to my mouth as I expected the deafening thud but there was nothing.

Often makes me guilty that I have been abusing my car over potholes and yet she would not complain.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Contrary to certain reports, I find the headlamps (both dim and bright) quite adequate.

I find my Figo's headlamps better than my old Esteem too.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Loove the operation of the headlamp dim/bright switch.

Me too!

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Boot-open button on the dash is very convenient.

Sigh! I don't have it in my LXi. It is embarrassing when I enter parking lot of malls and the security guards are baffled to see that my car's boot can't be opened from the driver. Could something be fitted on LXi to solve this, I wonder.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

There was a kat-kat-kat sound coming from the back tires/brakes/suspension while braking hard, even at slow to medium speeds.

It is confusing for me too. I hear this sound only when I just have started my car and am backing out of my garage on a downward slope then braking. I have no idea if it is an issue or not.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

On very rough patches like one which I have to cross every day to work, there is a (very faint) series of thuds noticeable from the back.

Have not noticed anything like this yet.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Will reiterate the mileage problem as now the second tankful is almost over, and has returned only just about 450 kms. Pathetic I say, please help guys!

Let's hope it improves. My petrol Figo doesn't have mileage problem (yet?).

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Can someone tell me how much it would cost to get these scratches fixed? What work would need to be done?

I don't know but I can assure you that the cost will make you think that leaving the scratches is better.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

I vaguely remember the sales person telling me that the bumpers of Figo are all plastic and can be replaced for ~2.5 k. Unlikely, but do you know if this is true?

Sounds too good to be true. I really love those soft and form regaining bumpers!

Overall, it was really a nice ownership thread. Better than mine at http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...go-petrol.html

Have fun and all the best!

[anilisanil]

hey, nice to see such an elaborate review and congratulations.

A few points:

1) Mileage should improve with time, mine started with 14-15 and is now hovering at around 18-19 with odo 21K, but get it checked.

2) boot door should close w/o effort. If it requires more than a gentle push then could be a problem with alignment.

3) Cabin lights can be added in moderation. I added a few blue leds to lit up the fot well.

4) Let the scratches be, find a local painter and get them touched up and if you have enough scratches, you could get bumper repainted once in a while for about 1500-2000.

[SwiftSD]

Firstly Congratulations on the new purchase. Wish you load of happy miles. Drive safe

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Anyway, I have consoled myself saying that after first service it will improve. Other owners please give your views.

The mileage figure would go up after the first service. In the mean time check the tyre pressure and keep them at the prescribed level.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

Odometer reading was 102 km at the time of delivery. I know it is too late for this question, but please tell me if something sounds fishy to you.

This should have been pointed out during the PDI check. Usually anything below 50 km is ok, though there could be other reasons why the the km reading went up. You can have a casual chat with the dealership guys and check why the reading was on the higher side. 100 km should not be much of a concern.

Originally Posted by EagleEye

I never found the driver's seat adjustment to be of any good, for it is more of a tilt adjustment rather than of height.

On the contrary, I found the seating position and height adjustment pretty good in the figo.

[EagleEye]

Originally Posted by misquitas

Wow, that's one heck of a good-bad observation list and an Eagle Eye at that. Being neutral and honest about one's car is a rare trait and I deeply appreciate the finer details that you have listed.

I still have a soft corner for the Figo and it could well have been in my possession in December last year.

Thanks, misquitas. The Figo seems to be a popular car in Goa. On my last visit, I saw more Figos than anything else: of course, they say you see what you want to see.. ;-)

Originally Posted by shashank.nk

Superb report Eagleeye! Most of the owners shower their cars with praises but you've posted a report in an unfair manner, definitely a big plus for anyone considering to buy the car i future.

Read somewhere on the forum that the Figo engine is very sensitive to driving styles, and accordingly your FE may vary vastly. Don't recollect where, else would've surely posted the link

Thanks shashank, I don't know whether my driving style is the problem.. Will have to look into it.

Originally Posted by aaren

Congrats on your new Ford Titanium and that was a detailed report.

Am glad about the way you went about in respect of the registration process. Now that I also bought a new car, let me do some googling on this.

Many of your observations are really sharp and could not have come at one go. And with decent amount of mileage logged in these comments have come in such as regarding the rear wiper. It takes a bit of observation and playing around to find out smaller details.

Thanks for that! I believe the devil is in the details.

Originally Posted by aaren

Could you elaborate on the "Lane Change" feature ?

Well you tap the indicator stalk in the direction you want, when you want to change lanes; it blinks 4 times while you change the lanes.
And if you tap and hold, you can control the length of the blinking.
I enjoy not having to pull the stalk back to its off position like other cars.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

@Eagle eye,

Congratulations on completing 1.1K in this wonderful car. Must appreciate the details your have mentioned the +ves and -ves in an honest and unbiased manner. Although Figo's characteristics have been discussed to death in numerous posts but this one refreshed them again, thanks for that.

I am surprised at the low FE your are getting. I have driven my friends car where an FE of 17 is easily achievable in the city runs. I guess you should get the same after the first service. Your experience at the RTO was an eye opener, not many of us would venture of getting the regsitration done on our own. Hats off to you. BTW what Insurance Co did you finally opt for?

Thanks ghodlur! Oops, forgot to mention the insurance company, did I... Went for New India Assurance in the end as they were giving me a quote of 17k. Of course, Royal Sundaram had an enticing offer of 13k, but the words 'Royal Sundaram' and 'cheats' appeared too many times in the same sentence all around the web, which made me justify the extra.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Do change the stock MRF tyres to Michelin energy XM1+, your will notice the difference instantly. I had changed it during delivery of my Fiesta.

Is this to decrease rolling resistance and increase mileage? Dunno anything much about tyres, you see. I am thinking of getting alloys to improve the look of the car but am in a dilemma about changing the tires too. My purse strings need to be kept tight for a while.

Originally Posted by ghodlur

Regarding the door locks thats one feature which is not good in any Ford cars, once you lock the doors, it can be still opened from inside during car running. Had a bad experience when my son was sitting in the front, now made it a point to make him sit at the rear with child lock on.

Whoa, got to be really careful about this then.

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

Sorry for being late to congratulate you. I somehow missed this thread. I am an owner of Figo petrol LXi since about one and half months.

You are officially forgiven. You know, yours was a thread I read in detail and one which I found extremely helpful for making the decision.

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

I am not too bothered about it. The handles go deep inside the doors so there is minimal chance of accidental opening. I would say that this is better than conventional locks.

I don't agree. I feel the locks need to be kept separate from the handles. Refer ghodlur's report above.

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

Thank you BIG time! I had failed to notice this. From now, I am telling my family to wear only shoes if they want to sit in the rear. Once again, thanks for saving my family members from cutting their foot in a nasty way!!

You're welcome! I believe the workaround should be an easy DIY thing, and we can go back to sitting barefoot back there.

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

I agree. I want to upgrade the entire interior. Not only seats but dashboard and door plastics also need to be changed/covered. I am still searching for best upgrade.

You know, the Ford showroom was offering a complete interiors makeover at 40k extra with a light brown theme. Don't know if it can be done after the car has been bought, at the same price.

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

You are not supposed to be calculating all these during a drive

Please? =(

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

Would you prefer cage like small windows of Swift/Beat or large windows of Figo?

You have a point. But they could have made the windows powered irrespective of the fact that it doesn't roll down fully. Also I've seen the Punto's rear windows which are almost equally airy.

The funny thing is, the salesman was trying to justify the Figo's lack of rear power windows by saying "it's for safety". There is more safety in power windows as you can just lock the rear ones from the front whenever kids are sitting at the back.

Anyway, wonder how he will sell Fiestas.

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

Sigh! I don't have it in my LXi. It is embarrassing when I enter parking lot of malls and the security guards are baffled to see that my car's boot can't be opened from the driver. Could something be fitted on LXi to solve this, I wonder.

I doubt it. But you're missing one of the best features! :-(

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

It is confusing for me too. I hear this sound only when I just have started my car and am backing out of my garage on a downward slope then braking. I have no idea if it is an issue or not.

Now that you mention it, I've noticed the sound when I've just started the car and braking while on an incline. (Not backward though)

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

I don't know but I can assure you that the cost will make you think that leaving the scratches is better.

Sigh!

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

Overall, it was really a nice ownership thread. Better than mine at http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...go-petrol.html

Oh I wouldn't say that, you sell yourself short Mr. DevilsCry.

Originally Posted by anilisanil

1) Mileage should improve with time, mine started with 14-15 and is now hovering at around 18-19 with odo 21K, but get it checked.

I asked a service manager about it and he says the maximum mileage any diesel Figo gets is 14 in city so I'm doing fine. I'm surprised he got a job there.

Originally Posted by anilisanil

2) boot door should close w/o effort. If it requires more than a gentle push then could be a problem with alignment.

Aha. Didn't think it could be a problem rather than a design flaw. Will get it checked at first service.

Originally Posted by SwiftSD

This should have been pointed out during the PDI check. Usually anything below 50 km is ok, though there could be other reasons why the the km reading went up. You can have a casual chat with the dealership guys and check why the reading was on the higher side. 100 km should not be much of a concern.

As a matter of fact it was the first thing I pointed out to the sales staff during my PDI. He said the stockyard was quite far away.. blah blah.. In any case the car was already registered and there was nothing I could have done about it. Just crying over spilt milk here...


Once again, thank you all for the comments and sorry for being so long with the photographs.