[Rohitj92]

Originally Posted by SaneOp

I am facing an issue on my two month old ertiga. Issue is that roof has slightly depressed at one of the ribs on top. Basically how I came to know was that water gets collected when I wash the roof. Now some background, I had installed a carrier a really nice black aluminium one from local accessory shop. These guys did shoddy job as the lower clamp on roof came out. Got that tighten and went to out station journey with family and full luggage on top. Journey was good , when I unloaded I saw that carrier had moved at least 4 inches from original position. Long story short when coming back I tightened clamps back in place and drove at 80 km/h. Issue remained the same, I went back and returned carrier.

Now I clearly remember not touching roof any way by myself or the guys who fixed carrier. Is it possible that the depression in middle of roof is due to carrier. When clearly nothin touched there.

Or is it some random design flaw maruti needs to look in.

Appreciate it response.

I guess the issue is because of the carrier. Even though it did not touch the roof, the roof must have definitely been damaged due to the luggage weight. Don't think so its due to any flaw in design by Maruti.

[a4anurag]

Originally Posted by SaneOp

I am facing an issue on my two month old ertiga. Issue is that roof has slightly depressed at one of the ribs on top. Basically how I came to know was that water gets collected when I wash the roof.

Or is it some random design flaw maruti needs to look in.

Cannot be a design flaw at all on the first place.

Could be that the carrier when fully loaded was not able to take the weight and hence bending to touch the cars body. With the car in motion and pressure over the whole top (luggage + improper carrier fitment) the depression would have happened.

Appreciate it if you post a few pictures of the depression.

[Aerobat]

Originally Posted by SaneOp

I am facing an issue on my two month old ertiga. Issue is that roof has slightly depressed at one of the ribs on top. Basically how I came to know was that water gets collected when I wash the roof. Now some background, I had installed a carrier a really nice black aluminium one from local accessory shop. These guys did shoddy job as the lower clamp on roof came out. Got that tighten and went to out station journey with family and full luggage on top. Journey was good , when I unloaded I saw that carrier had moved at least 4 inches from original position. Long story short when coming back I tightened clamps back in place and drove at 80 km/h. Issue remained the same, I went back and returned carrier.

Now I clearly remember not touching roof any way by myself or the guys who fixed carrier. Is it possible that the depression in middle of roof is due to carrier. When clearly nothin touched there.

Or is it some random design flaw maruti needs to look in.

Appreciate it response.

When I was passing by on a busy main road in Bangalore, a mineral water bottle thrown from one of the nearby buildings bounced off the roof of an auto ahead of me and then hit the roof of my Ertiga, subsequently bouncing off.

On reaching home, I checked and found a depression on the roof and was in a similar situation as you. After a few days, I went to the body repair shop of my Maruti Dealer and they were able to clear the depression by using an hand held vacuum device (suction). They placed the device at the center of the depression, locked it for suction and gently pulled. Voila ! the depression was gone. It just took 60 seconds.

[Shashidl]

http://www.amazon.com/Rightline-Gear...productDetails

Not sure if this has been discussed before. I think the luggage bags from Thule bring in a lot of advantages as against the difficult to store roof racks and the roof boxes for the occasional (read: once in a year road trips with family) long drives.

It's
-easy to install(just strap it on)
-easy to remove and store
-does not need roof rails hence cost effective as well
-waterproof

I think for Ertiga it would be a must have accessory considering the minimal boot space. Do reply with your thoughts and also share your experiences if anyone is using these kind of bags already

[hangover]

I owned a ZDI for 1 year and drove it for more than 20 k kilometers.

5 points from my side:

1. The main problem I faced was the number of gear changes you need to make when compared to other cars to travel the same distance. I believe its been mentioned by one of the commentors above. I found this very tiring. And on the occassional long journeys covering 400-500 km in a day, your left palm starts hurting really bad.
   
2. I found the suspension very "bumpy". Some how it seemed to convert into sound, every single road disturbance. This is not a rattling type of sound of others have mentioned. But a general thudding type of noise. I got the alignment, tyres (a goodyear of some variety) and suspension all checked by MASS but they did not offer any solutions. As a driver I found it uncomfortable. My parents and in-laws too were not enthusiastic about travelling in the rear seat.
   
3. The diesel engine is underpowered. The car does manage to cruise at high speeds but you can feel the engine straining especially at the higher RPM's.
   
4. The wheelbase may be nearly equal to an Innova but I assure you the Ertiga is nowhere comparable to it. Interior space, power, quality of parts and suspension are inferior in everyway. I have found even the much abused and ill maintained Innovas used by local cab companies providing far better comfort.
   
5. Oh, I agree the FE is brilliant. But when I spend 10.5 lakhs on a car, I look for total driving experience. FE, atleast to me carries a very small weightage in the overall ownership score.
   
6. One really irritating aspect of all the dealers and Hyundai is worse, is that they keep calling you every 2nd week. Give us your rating, your service is due, rating of service and what not. After selling off my Ertiga I still get calls from the local dealer even though I have specifically written a letter to them that the car is no longer with me.
   
7. I feel some dealers take this "customer care" too far. I WILL complain if its bad. But if its good or at least above pass marks, then thats the minimum I expect from you. Don't keep expecting me to rate you or validate your work every time.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by hangover

I owned a ZDI for 1 year and drove it for more than 20 k kilometers.

The diesel engine is underpowered. The car does manage to cruise at 150-160 kmph but you can feel the engine straining especially at the higher RPM's.

Well what, do you need an engine that will let the car cruise comfortably at 160kmph? Come on mate, you should post considerable figures compared to this thing. Not claiming that the engine is a powerhouse, but I guess you are expecting too much. What did you replace the ertiga with? Innova?

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by hangover

I owned a ZDI for 1 year and drove it for more than 20 k kilometers.

5 points from my side:

That is good enough time and kms under your belt to write a comprehensive review. "5 points", I could see 7 (2 bonus points I believe)

The main problem I faced was the number of gear changes you need to make when compared to other cars to travel the same distance. I believe its been mentioned by one of the commentors above. I found this very tiring. And on the occassional long journeys covering 400-500 km in a day, your left palm starts hurting really bad.

Ertiga is a good highway cruiser. But given your scenario it seems the 400-500 km distance that you have covered in your Ertiga was full of slow moving traffic. You have to be in the max torque band (2000 rpm and above) to get the juice from the engine. There is no other option but to drop a gear or two in stop-go situation. This can be a pain on your left leg and left hand.

I found the suspension very "bumpy". Some how it seemed to convert into sound, every single road disturbance. This is not a rattling type of sound of others have mentioned. But a general thudding type of noise. I got the alignment, tyres (a goodyear of some variety) and suspension all checked by MASS but they did not offer any solutions. As a driver I found it uncomfortable. My parents and in-laws too were not enthusiastic about travelling in the rear seat.

I hope you had maintained the correct tyre pressure as this can make a lot of difference in your ride quality. How many of your were in the car, when you got this uncomfortable feeling? Does it make any difference in ride quality when you are alone and when fully loaded?

The diesel engine is underpowered. The car does manage to cruise at 150-160 kmph but you can feel the engine straining especially at the higher RPM's.

At the speeds that you have mentioned any car would feel strained. If you can cruise comfortably in the 100-120 kmph band, then this should be a non-issue. In any case, most of the diesels feel strained beyond 3K to 3.5K rpm. No point in revving them above that limit.

The wheelbase may be nearly equal to an Innova but I assure you the Ertiga is nowhere comparable to it. Interior space, power, quality of parts and suspension are inferior in everyway. I have found even the much abused and ill maintained Innovas used by local cab companies providing far better comfort.

You have hit the nail on its head. Although both are MUVs, with almost equal wheel base, they have a different suspension set-up and chasis/body structure.

The Innova has a ladder on frame structure, whereas Ertiga has a monocoque body. Hence in Ertiga most of the shocks are transferred directly to the body, whereas in Innova it is the chasis, which takes most of the shocks and little is transferred to the body. Now combine this with the independent multi-link rear suspension of the Innova (compared to the torsion beam set-up of the Ertiga). This makes a world of difference for the rear passengers.

Space is definitely bigger in the Innova. Power-Torque figures are almost the same on paper, but the Innova has more usable power in the lower rpm range (peak torque of 200 NM is available from 1200 rpm, where in the Ertiga you have to hit the 2000 rpm mark to reach the peak torque). Hence the Innova is more drivable especially in city traffic.

Interior plastic quality is far better in the Innova. My pre-worshipped Innova looks new even after 6 years. no rattling plastics whatsoever.

Oh, I agree the FE is brilliant. But when I spend 10.5 lakhs on a car, I look for total driving experience. FE, atleast to me carries a very small weightage in the overall ownership score.

With your above statement, I think you made a wrong choice by going for the Ertiga (no offence please for you or any Ertiga owners). Each has his own criteria. For total driving experience (especially on long drives) you should have considered the Innova (at least a used one if the new was out of the reach of your budget).

To tell you the truth, I had test driven the Ertiga more than double the times I test drove the Innova. This question was always at the back of my mind, whether the Innova is really a better choice than the Ertiga, because if you read the Ertga official review carefully, it has been clearly mentioned over there, "The Ertiga gives you 85% of what the Innova and Xylo offer, but at a lower price point and with a car-like experience"

However some of the critical factors, which I have listed below, the Innova had a very clear edge over the Ertiga, hence I went for the Innova (albiet a used one):

• I wanted a car with a rear wheel drive, so that when fully loaded, it can take the toughest of the ghats or inclines with great ease.
• A comfortable 6 or 7 seater, so that my aged parents can take up long journeys without any complaints.
• Bigger the engine, better it is. Although this adversely effects the fuel efficiency, it does not get strained when carrying additional loads on long journeys.
• Ladder-frame chasis and independent multi-link suspension filtering out the road undualtions from the cabin improving passenger comfort.
• Each seat has a separate overhead AC vent adding to the comfort in hot summers.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Now combine this with the independent multi-link rear suspension of the Innova (compared to the torsion beam set-up of the Ertiga). This makes a world of difference for the rear passengers.

Innova doesn't have an independent rear suspension setup. It's a cool sprung live axle with 3 locating links (2 trailing and 1 lateral) which is what most of the coil spring non independent suv or muv has at the rear end. Of course in the innova it's set up to be pretty comfortable.

[Grr7]

Originally Posted by hangover

One really irritating aspect of all the dealers and Hyundai is worse, is that they keep calling you every 2nd week. Give us your rating, your service is due, rating of service and what not. After selling off my Ertiga I still get calls from the local dealer even though I have specifically written a letter to them that the car is no longer with me.

The letter thing wont really help.
I was facing the same nagging issue after I sold my zen, getting calls for insurance renewals as well as for the service reminders. Your best bet is to visit the service center and request a change of phone number and address.

This way, you would be free from spam and the new owner shall be in better sync with the maintenance schedule of his Ertiga. Change of phone number is a 2 minutes process and can be done by the service center computer, they have the access and authority to do that.

Regards

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by Sankar

Innova doesn't have an independent rear suspension setup. It's a cool sprung live axle with 3 locating links (2 trailing and 1 lateral) which is what most of the coil spring non independent suv or muv has at the rear end. Of course in the innova it's set up to be pretty comfortable.

My bad, I assumed it to be multilink and hence independent. However it is indeed multilink, to be specific it is "Four link with lateral rod". Refer the specs below from Toyota website

http://m.toyotabharat.com/products/i...fication.html#

Whatever that may be, the rear suspension set-up of the Innova is one of the most comfortable of the lot. Whatever the terrain, the last row passengers in the Innova don't get tossed and pitched like those in other UVs. That is the poi t I wanted to make.

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Whatever that may be, the rear suspension set-up of the Innova is one of the most comfortable of the lot. Whatever the terrain, the last row passengers in the Innova don't get tossed and pitched like those in other UVs. That is the poi t I wanted to make.

Agreed The ride is well sorted in the Innova.

[hangover]

Originally Posted by AutoIndian

Whatever that may be, the rear suspension set-up of the Innova is one of the most comfortable of the lot. Whatever the terrain, the last row passengers in the Innova don't get tossed and pitched like those in other UVs. That is the poi t I wanted to make.

Thanks very much for your explanation regarding the suspension. Now I understand the reason for the better ride of the Innova. And you are right. I made a mistake with the Ertiga. Please note, this is my personal experience and opinion. I have absolutely nothing against other Ertiga owners who are very happy with their vehicle.

But now I have sold it and am saving up to buy a brand new Innova. I am aware that a new big vehicle has fairly big depreciation but I have a silly preference towards buying new and fully paid up. Hence I avoid 2nd hand vehicles and never take loans.

Cheers All.

[a4anurag]

Not sure how I missed this post. We too have a Ertiga ZDi for over an year with 20K on odo similar to yours. Here are my replies.

Originally Posted by hangover

[*]The main problem I faced was the number of gear changes you need to make when compared to other cars to travel the same distance. I believe its been mentioned by one of the commentors above. I found this very tiring. And on the occassional long journeys covering 400-500 km in a day, your left palm starts hurting really bad.

It all boils down to the 'right gear : RPM band' that one of driving-in that will influence the number of gear changes. With a light clutch and short throw gearbox, I love changing gears on both the Ertiga and my Swift.

Knowing the DDiS engine for 4 years in a row it is a pleasure to drive it around.

Originally Posted by hangover

[*]I found the suspension very "bumpy". As a driver I found it uncomfortable. My parents and in-laws too were not enthusiastic about travelling in the rear seat.

Hope you were sticking to manufacturer's tyre pressure recommendation. An over inflated tyre will make car jump around.

Originally Posted by hangover

[*]The diesel engine is underpowered. The car does manage to cruise at 150-160 kmph but you can feel the engine straining especially at the higher RPM's.

1.3L engine developing 90PS with speeds at 160kmph which IMO is @ 3800-4000 RPM. Am i right?

With the needle at 4K RPM, it is almost at its revving end and no point in killing it further.

Any car even the Innova or Xylo would be straining and I can tell you that our highways aren't safe to be crusting at 160 kmph. The amount of attention needed to be safe is far far more as compared to crusting at 100 kmph. Not advisable brother.

Originally Posted by hangover

[*]The wheelbase may be nearly equal to an Innova but I assure you the Ertiga is nowhere comparable to it. Interior space, power, quality of parts and suspension are inferior in everyway. I have found even the much abused and ill maintained Innovas used by local cab companies providing far better comfort.

Ertiga top-end is available at 11L;
Innova top-end us around 15L IIRC. Quality of materials etc will vary somewhat.

I love the Innova more than the a Ertiga but if either of these cars are seen individually then the Ertiga is a cracker of a vehicle in that budget and that to from Maruti Suzuki. A compete car in all ways.

Innova being the king of the segment moves the yard stick further but for its price.

Anyway now that you have sold the Ertiga, all the best for the Innova. Awaiting the ownership thread of the Innova. Congratulations in advance.

[paragsachania]

I suppose a few lines from my side too would do no harm now after I have driven my Ertiga VDi for almost 45,000 kms in the last 18 months-

• If you bought the Ertiga to travel full 7 seats all the times – I am sorry for that
• If you bought the Ertiga thinking you will do 0-100 along with Ventos or Rapids – My sincere apologies
• If you thought you can redline through while you shift up and watch others applaud you vanish – Expect a bicycle rider to do that
• If you thought you can Zip, Zap, Zoom with that 1.3 Multijet in narrow by-lanes through the gaps between 2 cars – Please buy a Hot hatch

That 3rd row:

The Ertiga like I have been mentioning on various threads is not an all time 7 seater but a flexi 5+2 seater. That said, the +2 Adults can sit without complaining if you are taking them for a day drive on regular roads. My mother who’s 62 could’ve disowned me by now otherwise. The +2 Adults in that 3rd row need all the TLC when you drive as the suspension is on the softer side and taking undulations and speedbreakers at high speed is not going to be a good experience for them at all.

Is this so irritating that you stop making use of that 3rd row? Well, it is more of getting used to driving when you know the 3rd row is occupied than expecting it to behave like Innova or a Linea. I realised the shortcomings of that 3rd row pretty soon as I glanced through the ORVM and adjusted my driving. If I took that undulation at 100KMPH with just 2 rows occupied, I would do that at 70-80KMPH with the 3rd row occupied.

I reached home a little late that I missed the CBFC Certificate of that movie that had just started. So, either live with it and learn to tackle or don’t use that 3rd row (and as well not buy the Ertiga) at all.


The Power under 1.3 DDiS or Under Power’ed:

Usual Flat highways-

The Ertiga is a cruiser and an able one at that. With full load (read – 2 rows, 1 Driver and 4 Passengers, Loads of luggage), it does this job very well. 100-120KMPH is the best band that you can utilize the punny 1.3 Multijet’s Turbo. My recent drive exactly 2 weeks back was Bangalore-Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar (1530 kms) in a single day with just myself behind the wheel and 3 Adults and luggage. The journey took 21 hours during onward and 22 hours on return. Taller seating, Diesel cruising advantage and ensuring that the 3rd row was not folded (Luggage stacked on 3rd and whatever little boot) meant the rear seat passengers too never got a hint that they crossed Karnataka, Maharashtra and now entering Gujarat and before they could realise, we were at our destination in Gandhinagar!

And certainly a point that I had to make is about the Engine note – It doesn’t cry at some good speeds. 4000 RPM in 5th Gear and you know what I am referring to. More than this? Well, Pick up a Vento.

One fellow sitting in the back seat was working from home (In the Ertiga) while we drove this distance and was often working on the Laptop connected to that Belkin and I kept probing him if he felt OK and he did and was never complaining at all. The 4th passenger on the second row happily reclined the rear seat whenever he wanted.

On Ghats and Twisties-

The Trick is to remain in Turbo band or downshift as soon as the RPMs are dropping below 1800 and this always works. What I often notice is that people take that Hair pin bend in 3rd and halfway through downshift to 2nd and then that “LAG”. Tried this many a times now – Charmadi Ghats, Chorla Ghat, Anshi-Kaiga, Khabmhatki Ghats, Mollem etc and all this with at least 4 Adults and luggage. It took me few kms of climbing to realise this and accept that redlining won’t help but remaining in right Turbo band does.

Crawl or cruse with all rows occupied?

This is certainly something one must realise. 90 Horses are good enough. Would it beg for more? Well, it depends whether you want to take off from Zero or start from Zero. With all 3 rows occupied, the momentum after the speed-breaker is slow till 60kmph due to the load &I have explained this in my ownership review as well as this official review too. Nevertheless, when you are at cruising speeds of 100KMPH, you won’t really know if the car is fully loaded. It still takes a mild push on that Accelerator Pedal to overtake and see that needle climb up from 100-120-130 without a fuss. Now, if you slow down to almost 20KMPH, it does take some effort but not to the extent that you would want the last row passengers to hop onto that B9R in your rear-view mirror.

In City Driveability-

I have made a point earlier that a DDiS equipped Ertiga has made me a patient driver when driving within the city. The lag does matter when you see other 800/1000 cars zoom past you from that traffic signal but the real fun starts after 60KMPH. Although I agree that one needs more than the usual downshifts when driving under full load inside the city, something even better would be to take the car driving in 3rd gear and using it as automatic than thinking of upshifting to 4th. I guess it’s a matter of getting used to which certainly is not a compromise at all.

It took me 2 Test Drives to decide on the Ertiga. First one didn’t convince me while the second one did when my family too acknowledged. I still drive ~70 kms every day for my office commute alone in Bangalore traffic and I don’t struggle myself.

Pick the Ertiga if you want the following-

• Flexi 5+2 Seating
• Excellent Cruising manners on Highways
• More than good FE (18-22KMPL) for your cruising speeds of 90-120kmph
• Flexible 2nd Row that’s spacious and Roomy
• All this at a VFM Price Tag

Stay away from Ertiga if you want the following-

• Space in 3rd row like other MUVs – Innova, Xylo etc (or even Enjoy)
• Driveable torque at low revs under full load
• Non Bumpy 3rd row (In comparison to the Innova)

[vinodv001]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Pick the Ertiga if you want the following-

• Flexi 5+2 Seating
• Excellent Cruising manners on Highways
• More than good FE (18-22KMPL) for your cruising speeds of 90-120kmph
• Flexible 2nd Row that’s spacious and Roomy
• All this at a VFM Price Tag

Excellent writeup; Strongly agree with you based on experience with Ertiga Zdi for 30 months and 40K Kms.

We just made our ertiga some more flexible by splitting the 3rd row seat into 50-50 foldable. And reduced the height by roughly 2 inches ( by removing the small curve on the top portion) .