[vinodv001]

Thanks rajesh2812 and parassoni for introducing Rouf rail in other Ertiga threads.
We were using a standard 'Goldsun' make luggage carrier, which I had to fix in an urgent decision to ravel with 6 people + luggage. Though this is useful for luggage carrying, it spoils the look of the car and was looking for other alternatives and came across the the product rouf rail in some other Ertiga threads. This item is made by Sundar auto care in Coimbatore.
Upon calling the owner Sundar in Coimbatore, I was told that he dont have facility to ship item to Trivandrum, I decided to buy it directly on my way to Ooty in March end.

Initial ownership experience: Excellent accessory for improving luggage carrying capacity without spoiling the car's looks. Common man may not recognize this as an additional item on the car, as the exterior is of body colour itself.
Method of fixinf: Outer frame is made of FRP which has 4 legs, rests on the rubber beading ( covering the welded joint ?) on the roof top . Front portion clamped to the side with 2 clamps and 2 clamps at the rear clamped to existing screws ( of fixing hydraulic dampers for rear door); no drilling required.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

During the first 10k kms I vividly remember the kind of turbo-lag I experienced at low city speeds but now I hardly experience any. Unfortunately, I have no technical explanation to back up my facts

Turbo-lag doesn't just disappear. Fact is, you've gotten used to it.

The only other car this feature was also highlighted by the sales person is a Merc C Class.

It's the sales person job to exaggerate & mislead. There are plenty of cars this side of 30 lakhs that offer such a feature.

On my last trip I had 3 full sized travel bags, a food bag, 2 big jackfruits, a mosquito bat and a couple of other little bags stowed into that space.

A full size bag generally has a capacity of 80 - 100 liters. The Ertiga's boot - with all seat rows up - is 135 liters. Can I request a picture with this entire list of items placed in the Ertiga's boot?

My folks just couldn't have enough of that business class like seating experience.

Business class experience on the Ertiga's 3 row? Come on, who are we kidding.

I understand you love your car, so do we like our cars. The difference is : We are realistic. Lets accept a car for what it is. Read any of my reviews and you'll see all the pros & cons suitably highlighted.

A lot of people depend on Team-BHP for reliable information and your post has some misleading points.

Thank you for your support.

[swiftdiesel]

Originally Posted by GTO

Turbo-lag doesn't just disappear. Fact is, you've gotten used to it.

Thanks for that.

Originally Posted by GTO

It's the sales person job to exaggerate & mislead. There are plenty of cars this side of 30 lakhs that offer such a feature.

I just expressed my personal experience with no intention of offending anybody. But thanks for that info.

Originally Posted by GTO

A full size bag generally has a capacity of 80 - 100 liters. The Ertiga's boot - with all seat rows up - is 135 liters. Can I request a picture with this entire list of items placed in the Ertiga's boot?

Yes, I would love to take a picture, but the challenge is in keeping the boot open without things falling off. As I clearly mentioned in my post, I stuff as much as possible (through the back seat with boot closed) and these are the items I carried on my last trip. If a picture is the only evidence of veracity in my statement, let my statement be a lie for the benefit of forum members. Again, the problem is not posting a picture here, but clicking one with the boot open.

Originally Posted by GTO

Business class experience on the Ertiga's 3 row? Come on, who are we kidding.

I'm kidding no one here nor am I kidding myself making that statement. It's just that my expectations for a last row seat comfort is much lower than our forum members and its a subjective thing. And it's not what I felt, but what my family feels. I value their opinion about the last row any day than a reviewer commenting how the last row seating is, considering the amount of time he spends reviewing the car. They (people aged 50+) do a 1400 kms journey sat in that last row every month and let me tell you they know a thing or two about travelling comfortably over long distances. If their honest feedback posted here had misled people to make a skewed purchase decision, I rest my case.

Originally Posted by GTO

I understand you love your car, so do we like our cars. The difference is : We are realistic. Lets accept a car for what it is. Read any of my reviews and you'll see all the pros & cons suitably highlighted.

Yes, by making that post I wasn't being unrealistic. Just because somebody else doesn't appreciate what I appreciate, doesn't make it unrealistic. Moreover, I take special precaution (in lieu of the posting etiquette of this forum) to not hurt anybody's sentiments in relation to the cars they own. If there's a hard and fast rule that I should intentionally manipulate my thoughts about my car to suit everybody's taste, then that's nothing but a manipulated post and I personally don't subscribe to that, sorry.

Originally Posted by GTO

A lot of people depend on Team-BHP for reliable information and your post has some misleading points.

Thank you for your support.

Again, I didn't intend to mislead anyone by my post. As a personal ethic, I never read reviews to make a buying decision. I test drive it myself and decide because I don't entertain someone telling me what's good about a car and what isn't. To each his own.

My apologies if anyone took my post to heart and went and booked an Ertiga. My humble suggestion - cancel the booking. Take a test drive first and make an informed decision.

[reddy6980]

Hi,

I own an VDI, last Friday when i was travelling on the NH 7 suddenly the check engine light was glowing, called the nearest service station they asked me to proceed to the service station if the engine temperature was normal.

since the temperature was normal proceeded to the service station, they connected the diagnostic tool and it showed that the Boost pressure solenoid was faulty, the mechanic unplugged the connection and connected again, the check engine light went away, now according to the service center guys this seems to be a problem with some ertigas and they have solved it by replacing the solenoid under warranty, since they didn't have the stock they asked me to continue the journey and change it when i reach Bangalore.

Now have any of the people had this issue.

[amalji]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

Yes, I would love to take a picture, but the challenge is in keeping the boot open without things falling off. As I clearly mentioned in my post, I stuff as much as possible (through the back seat with boot closed) and these are the items I carried on my last trip. If a picture is the only evidence of veracity in my statement, let my statement be a lie for the benefit of forum members. Again, the problem is not posting a picture here, but clicking one with the boot open.

The best way for you to show this is using a video. Get the help of a friend to do the camera work while you do the job of filling up the boot. Upload to youtube and then post the link here.

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

I value their opinion about the last row any day than a reviewer commenting how the last row seating is, considering the amount of time he spends reviewing the car. They (people aged 50+) do a 1400 kms journey sat in that last row every month and let me tell you they know a thing or two about travelling comfortably over long distances. If their honest feedback posted here had misled people to make a skewed purchase decision, I rest my case.

I agree somewhat to the backseat comfort of the Ertiga. I felt at home and really like the incline of the back and the thick arm rests on both sides. I could transfer the weight to it very easily. I guess, it depends on the height and the length of legs specifically. I'm 5'8" and found it quite ok. A taller person might not find it comfortable because there is not enough knee room. Push in the shortest of the 7 persons in the car and they will find it reasonably comfortable on the 3rd row.

The reason why the older members of your family mentioned it as business class could be because of those thick and solid arm rests. It really elevates the comfort level. The incline angle is good as well.

I had liked it even when I saw the car the first time

Dear @swiftdiesel, there are a few points you should consider here.

1) @GTO's experience is vast. He's like a Sachin Tendulkar in cricket with regards to cars. I hope, you also agree with this without any debate. There is absolutely zero reviews in India, which can beat his reviews.

Some things will appear to him as silly mistakes because he has seen and experienced almost all cars. So, when he says something, trust his intentions. And that's always to make sure that team-bhp is as unbiased as possible. We all tend to love our cars and sometimes get blinded with it. It's always a good thing to get a knock so that we don't forget the responsibility of being a bhpian.

2) Being a Sachin Tendulkar doesn't mean he can never ever make mistakes. Yes, mistakes can be made. When you feel that there's something that GTO did miss, try your best to convince him about it.

3) With certain members, we need to give the benefit of doubt always - @GTO, @vid are a few examples. Their only intention is to make the forum a source of as much unbiased information as possible. Even if they scold you, just take it as a piece of advice. Hope, you remember the tussle I had with @vid on the Etios thread. I said sorry to him after that because, he is someone who deserves that for the sheer effort he puts on team-bhp to create those unbiased and quality reviews.

And I hope to see more posts from you as always. Cheer up and give a shake hand to GTO.

[romeomidhun]

Chill out, guys! All people will have their own love as well as hate towards some manufacturers and cars. Their statements will reflect it at some point of time. Please don't take anything personally. After all, we are here because of our love as well as hate towards some cars, and not because of any love or hate towards any person.

Originally Posted by vinodv001

Initial ownership experience: Excellent accessory for improving luggage carrying capacity without spoiling the car's looks. Common man may not recognize this as an additional item on the car, as the exterior is of body colour itself.

How much did it cost you? Is their anything from this company for Ritz?

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by vinodv001

....Method of fixinf: Outer frame is made of FRP which has 4 legs, rests on the rubber beading ( covering the welded joint ?) on the roof top . Front portion clamped to the side with 2 clamps and 2 clamps at the rear clamped to existing screws ( of fixing hydraulic dampers for rear door); no drilling required.

Looks very neat. I see a KL registration, so my doubt - What would you do in rains? This accessory is going to be useless for 3-4 months and even if you plan to cover it up by way of a plastic sheet or so, you will be introducing a lot of drag.

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

....I did make a couple of good friends here, especially in the Ertiga thread, and I'll cherish them for times to come. See you guys and keep revving!

-swiftdiesel

Man, that's too emotional!

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

....If a picture is the only evidence of veracity in my statement, let my statement be a lie for the benefit of forum members....

Sorry, but such comments don't help anyone, but only damage your credibility. I understand your situation of what you explained above, but I guess we need to bring up some out-of-the-box ideas to get it done.

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

....Yes, I would love to take a picture, but the challenge is in keeping the boot open without things falling off. As I clearly mentioned in my post, I stuff as much as possible (through the back seat with boot closed) and these are the items I carried on my last trip. If a picture is the only evidence of veracity in my statement, let my statement be a lie for the benefit of forum members. Again, the problem is not posting a picture here, but clicking one with the boot open...

+1 to what @amalji said, please try & take a video. Other suggestions:

1. Try to use some ropes or something to keep the stuff from falling off temporarily

2. Shoot the pics from inside of the car, just like how you stuff it from inside (kneeling on the 3rd row).

It's an open forum and there will be questions on certain points which may seem un-reasonable. A very easy & common example is the FE screenshots and the question "is it tankful-to-tankful or...". I think it's ONLY fair to ask for a proof and also to provide one if one has it. Nothing personal here.

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

...It's just that my expectations for a last row seat comfort is much lower than our forum members and its a subjective thing. And it's not what I felt, but what my family feels....If their honest feedback posted here had misled people to make a skewed purchase decision, I rest my case...

Same point as above; here you could have added the physique style of the passengers which would have helped people relate better. Now you see people mentioning their height and then providing their feedback, don't you?!

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

...Yes, by making that post I wasn't being unrealistic. Just because somebody else doesn't appreciate what I appreciate, doesn't make it unrealistic....

You do keep a clean language, no two ways about it. One improvement area I see in some of your posts is your word selection. Words like "Arabian Chariot" or "Business Class" will ONLY add confusion and take comparisons to a totally different league.

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

...My apologies if anyone took my post to heart and went and booked an Ertiga. My humble suggestion - cancel the booking. Take a test drive first and make an informed decision...

Hey..! Now, whose gonna refund all those cancellation charges man?!

The trick is to put it in such a convincing & objective way so that rest of the members can relate to it and also feel it's correct. There are certain things which are purely subjective (looks of a car), some purely objective (tech specs) and there are certain other things which are based on conditions (eg, middle row space). The middle row will be obviously spacious for a shorter guy any day in any car than a much taller guy in the same car. It's best to describe such points with a reference to a measurable quantity. I always try to write that "I am a 6'2" guy and I found the middle row space to average / good / bad... etc". Helps to compare better!!

I don't think anyone has been banned here for debating against the Mods on any topic, as long as those are healthy. I don't think you will be either. I don't find anything personal in your replies, but would have rather liked you to respond with proofs than certain replies.

You write quite passionately about your car and I have seen the car growing on you. To be frank, I have seen you getting a bit carried away with some of the posts (like the below one), but NOT to the extent of calling you a fanboy. If you like, please do spend sometime tracking where you have crossed that thin line and please come back to the forum if you believe you can add value. A lot of us do like to read more on your thoughts & experiences.

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

...P.S: Something else happened to me in this trip as myself and my Ertiga had our lone time together on the highway. I say this with a sheepish grin on my face - I'm now a self-confessed Ertiga fan, a.k.a, Ertigan.

PS:: My replies are NOT with any intention to put you in a spot, but rather would like to see you address your weak points (we all have some) and emerge stronger. I have seen that you are open to feedback and are willing to change/improve; hence my 2 bits so that we do NOT lose a passionate guy from the forum.

[rajshenoy]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

My apologies if anyone took my post to heart and went and booked an Ertiga. My humble suggestion - cancel the booking. Take a test drive first and make an informed decision.

-swiftdiesel

If someone invests 10Lakh+ just by reading a review, he is stupid. But what a review can do is to make a person shortlist a car for the potential investment. So keep writing blogs and reviews

I went through your comments. Just like we say looks are subjective, comfort factor is subjective too.

Our elders are used to cars like 800, Omni and 5-6 people sitting on Amby back seat. So naturally they will find it much more comfortable on any seat of any modern car.

Also there are factors like a persons height, weight etc which we typically ignore. and our feedback are based on such factors which vary family to family

I have sat on back seats of Xylo,XUV and innova and never liked any of the back seats. How worse Ertiga can be ?

For an indian family with average height, last seat can be pretty decent for average built people of height 5.3-5.4ft. And ladies typically are lost in gossiping, they dont complain about seat comfort.

Its always good to have different perspectives. No body is offending anybody here.

[denver85]

Originally Posted by reddy6980

Hi,
I own an VDI, last Friday when i was travelling on the NH 7 suddenly the check engine light was glowing, called the nearest service station they asked me to proceed to the service station if the engine temperature was normal.
Now have any of the people had this issue.

Faced the same issue 2-3 times in my Ertiga ZDI in my highway drives. This happened to me whenever I was trying to maintain around 130-140 continuously for 15-30 minutes. All the time this happened in the middle of the trip and drove with the light glowing for the remaining trip. Never faced any issue doing this and everything was normal. The ASS guys were not sure about the issues when I went first and second time and they changed some sensors, asked me to check this in my next long trip as the replication of the issue is not possible inside the City. Never faced the issue after doing the sensor change last time. Hope they have changed the Boost pressure solenoid last time.
Hope your problem will get solved after replacing this

[vinodv001]

Absolutely true, Additional drag is inevitable; whether it is with cover or without. Products like Thule box will reduce drag by way of aerodynamic design. On the open rack, we can arrange the bags properly to reduce drag ( that’s what I feel).

In my case, the rack is used for only short period during the year, rest of the time it just remains in the roof. This product is having better aerodynamics than the conventional rack (I had goldsun brand which was making lot of noise at high speeds), so that we can permanently keep it fixed. And we normally doesn’t travel extensively during rainy season. Thule box will a far superior than rouf rail, but the cost (50-60K for thule and 15K for Rouf rail) and intermittent usage pattern made me choose this.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Looks very neat. I see a KL registration, so my doubt - What would you do in rains? This accessory is going to be useless for 3-4 months and even if you plan to cover it up by way of a plastic sheet or so, you will be introducing a lot of drag.

.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by swiftdiesel

Yes, I would love to take a picture, but the challenge is in keeping the boot open without things falling off. As I clearly mentioned in my post, I stuff as much as possible (through the back seat with boot closed) and these are the items I carried on my last trip. If a picture is the only evidence of veracity in my statement, let my statement be a lie for the benefit of forum members.

I'm sorry, but its simple math here. If your boot can accommodate 135 Liters (according to Maruti's official tests & statements), I fail to see how you managed to stuff THREE full-size bags that are a minimum of 80 - 100 liters in size.

It's like me making a statement that I filled 150 liters of diesel in my Jeep, when Mahindra says that the fuel tank can only take 40 liters of fuel.

It's just that my expectations for a last row seat comfort is much lower than our forum members and its a subjective thing.

I fully understand the value of subjectivity.

But to say that the Ertiga's last row is akin to business class seats, that is ABSOLUTELY MISLEADING information. You might find it comfortable enough, but clearly, there is no comparison with a business class seat. If someone has never sat in an Ertiga and reads your post, they will think it's like this (pic of a business class seat : Source)

If there's a hard and fast rule that I should intentionally manipulate my thoughts about my car

No offense, but unfortunately, the quoted bits of your post are inaccurate. Whether that's manipulation, bias, blind love or lack of knowledge, I have no idea and it greatly disappoints me that a member of 2 years has still to fully understand what Team-BHP stands for. In the future, I suggest you read a couple of unbiased ownership reviews to understand an effective way to communicate the good / bad about your car. We all love our cars, don't get me wrong, but we accept them for what they are.

I can tell you this : At Team-BHP, we work VERY HARD to keep things real. If you post on this forum, be prepared to gracefully accept corrections too. For the record, and you might search through the forum, each time I'm corrected on my review, I accept it and make the necessary corrections immediately. To me, providing neutral information is a lot more valuable than trying to prove what is obviously wrong, incorrect and misleading.

[anachronix]

If the weight of the vehicle is on the rear wheels while, it means more traction from the rear wheels where a RWD will score better than FWD. So why do you think RWD vehicle is less successful?

Originally Posted by Rajain

Between FWD and RWD vehicles I will say FWD are more successful because upon climbing the weight of the vehicle is on rear wheels.

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by anachronix

If the weight of the vehicle is on the rear wheels while, it means more traction from the rear wheels where a RWD will score better than FWD. So why do you think RWD vehicle is less successful?

The way I understand it and I could be wrong - in RWD upon climbing the weight on the rear wheels increases their chances of digging deeper in the slush and therefore spinning with no traction. A FWD with pull coming in from the front will hold better traction since there is lesser weight (climbing vehicle will lean backwards). Now, one extreme case in this is the degree of incline, weight of the vehicle may actually raise (slightly) the front part of the vehicle and may lead to front wheels spinning in the air. This is a rare case but I have seen this happen to heavy/overloaded trucks on a steep incline.

My experience of noticing this comes from Rani Nallah (Rohtang Pass) climb on a extremely slushy area. A mahindra commander (RWD) was struggling - with rear wheels spinning and unable to gain momentum. At the same time a Santro with 5 people on board moved slowly past. I think that Santro with 5 people on board would have been roughly 1400 kgs and an empty mahindra commander probably 1750 kgs or so. I also saw a loaded mahindra pick up in similar situation with wheels spinning. Not that santro's front wheels were not spinning but it was certainly moving better and faster than the mahindra commander in the same situation.

Now, one can argue that the relative weight of these vehicles, driver's technique (both were HP vehicles so I would imagine locals who knew the terrain), engine capacity, fuel type is different and that maybe same catagory vehicle would have been an apples to apples comparision but yes from what I saw I felt a front wheel drive vehicle holds better while climbing through slush. Obviously a 4x4 is the best in those conditions. Also, I agree a rear wheel drive would hold better grip when its a properly tarred road.

The forum would have 4x4 off roading experts who maybe far better informed than I am on this specific point of tarmac or slush.

Happy to listen to other points of view on this.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by Rajain

The way I understand it and I could be wrong - in RWD upon climbing the weight on the rear wheels increases their chances of digging deeper in the slush and therefore spinning with no traction. A FWD with pull coming in from the front will hold better traction since there is lesser weight (climbing vehicle will lean backwards).

Sorry, that is a very incorrect statement.

Tyre spinning happens because of lack of traction for that tyre. Adding weight to the tyre actually helps regain traction, not otherwise. When you saw that spinning tyre, did you notice the other tyre on the same axle? The other tyre would not be turning, let alone spinning. That is why the vehicle would be stuck.

In a FWD, on the incline, you have much more potential to spin the tyres.

[Rajain]

Originally Posted by Samurai

Sorry, that is a very incorrect statement.

Tyre spinning happens because of lack of traction for that tyre. Adding weight to the tyre actually helps regain traction, not otherwise. When you saw that spinning tyre, did you notice the other tyre on the same axle? The other tyre would not be turning, let alone spinning. That is why the vehicle would be stuck.

In a FWD, on the incline, you have much more potential to spin the tyres.

I am sure you correct. I am an not an off road person, have not driven in climbs that have slush and if I had walked over to the other side maybe that rear tyre was not turning. I deduced from what I saw. But thanks for pointing out. Appreciate it.