[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Fiat orders its plastic panels from vendor X. Tata was mimicking Fiat and ordering plastic panels from vendor X for Manza and Vista which are made at the same Ranjangaon plant to make them feel "upmarket".

The plastics on the Manza, Vista and Aria appear to be very durable and are also finished quite well if you were to compare it to anything else TATA sell.

[docmech]

a fantastic review of a fantastic car. My tjet plus is 10 months old and done 6000km and the same colour.

My observations:
PROS:
- I wont talk a lot about the obvious things like drive and comfort - way superior
- Interiors but for a few fitting issues I find it very pleasant.
- Blue and me is fantastic
- brakes are superb, so good i promptly got rear ended by an accent which got completely crushed, i have a few scratches and a slightly deformed rear end.
CONS:
- Driver seat position is hit and miss. (New Fiesta is so good)
- Gear box is a bit dodgy (Fiesta way superior)
- The bezel around the music system and the buttons looks and feels cheap (even the aluminum bezel in Palio looked and felt better)
- Storage space in the front is absent!!!

A true neighbours envy and owners pride--- my friends who advised me against a petrol car and that too a fiat envy me now.........

I own a Manza too, its a great value for money but no way near the linea in any aspect

[johy]

Originally Posted by KarthikK

Hijacking this thread with johy's permission for a some snaps of the beige kagu mats in my t-jet. They make the interiors look like a car from a segment above


The main issue is that the latch for the door is not located where it should be (on the centre of the glovebox lid). It is placed slightly to the left side, which makes the lid sag on the right side.

Karthik, nice mats! I could not concur with you more. I think beige is the color of choice for mats; either keep them very clean, or buy them every year

Also, your explanation for the glove compartment cover seems to be spot on!

Originally Posted by krish3

@johy - Brilliant ownership report with illustrative and quality pics. The review matches the official reviews here, with good and honest writings on the pros and cons of the car.

And nice to see a turbo petrol purchase in these times of Diesel mania. Wish you a very happy ownership for this very BEAUTIFUL car.

(Rated the thread a well deserved 5 stars)

Thanks a lot krish3 for your kind words. And for reading every bit of it :-) Isn't it strange, how the FIAT gets to your heart?

Originally Posted by BigBrad

Superb pictorial review johy. A true ownership review it is.

How I wish my car had the same power-to-weight ratio as yours....

You can try the suggestions from other members to help them fix it. Its been almost 3 months and mine is working fine now. Do make sure you get it fixed by the ASC guys and not let them escape with their usual excuses.

Thanks BigBrad. Who knows you might end up with an Abarth some day?

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Black Monday for me turned out to be Sunshine Monday after seeing a new T Jet owners review waiting on Team Bhp. Loved reading your review.

Sandeep, your post was a mini review in itself!

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I would like to highlight that more than handling, its the ride quality that sets this car apart. Its on another planet. There is a small weak spot in the T Jet's handling and its nothing really wrong with the suspension, springs and related components. The height of the car goes against it. I have wanted to push this car in a bend but a little afraid. The tail may never snap or it might take something to do it but you feel the slight shift in weight and this causes a little nervousness.

Sandeep, I agree. A friend on our very own local team-bhp Kolkata chapter suggested looking for a used Evo. Perhaps one day. And then we can sort out that corner! And another review. Who knows what the future holds.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I have never managed to hear this as well. I know its there but I need to listen hard and the surroundings need to be really quiet.

I read on some of the forums, this one and others, that in some cars the whine is prominent and in some not so. I am not quite sure. I live in a semi-urban part of India. And the hills are just 16 km from where I live. The forest only 4 kms away. So there is plenty of room for the whine. I also hear the whine in the city though. You must listen to it. I will try to see if I can have a small YouTube video on it one of these days.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

How effective is the speaker swap? I have been holding back as nobody has done just a speaker swap to report on the improvement in audio quality.

The speaker are good. Quite good. They are the entry level speakers (? MM) from Polk, but definitely worth it. I have a leaning towards Polk as I have the same brand for my home theater at home. The installer had told me to leave everything to him. He initially put components at the rear and coaxials at the front! He had to redo everything!

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

The stock tires are supposed to be the worst tire you can buy in the market.

Kartick mentioned some alternatives, so I will look them up in a few months or when the time comes.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I guess it would be safe to rate the steering on the T Jet as the best right up to the 20lac segment.

Ditto!


More responses later.

[dkaile]

Congrats on a lovely petrolhead's car!

Somehow I always felt that Fiat had so much potential in India, so much brand recall, so much nostalgia, and it missed the bus. They will really need to work pretty hard on regaining lost ground. And they better do something about the interiors and fit and finish of their cars which I feel is a notch below the expected european standards.

Do keep updating and once again congratulations...

[BlackPearl]

Sorry for seeing this review so late. Awesome car and review. Voted 5 stars. In 2011 December, I had gone to the Tata Showroom to see the Xenon. They were not able to give a brochure, let alone show a Xenon, instead they showed us the Linea T-Jet Plus. I was on the lookout for a high GC vehicle, but the T-Jet had bowled over my wifey. It took me a long time to convince her out of it. Had I not been on the lookout for an SUV/UV, this vehicle was the best option.

[khoj]

Hey johy, nice review and congratulations on getting the Jet in FTA a lovely lovely colour that sadly will no longer be offered in India. I too was trying to get the Fox Trot Azure but could not get one. Finalized on Tuscan wine but a Bronzo Scuro came to the fore during the PDI session and it was a no brainer. Flew home the Jet and in yet another beautiful colour which too alas has been withdrawn.

Brilliant car the Jet. The only shortcoming if I might call it that is the 5.5 mts turning radius, in all fairness this is par for the course when compared to similar sized & on occasion vehicles with shorter wheelbases but I am spoiled by my Cedia's tight 4.9 mts turn. However on the open road the Jet gobbles the Cedia besides several other more powerful (on paper) & expensive vehicles chews them up and spits them out its exhaust the flight is just addictive. My Jet has flown 6800 kilometers in just 3 months of flying.

Originally Posted by johy

ProsHandling, Handling, and Handling.

Your wife surely has good taste

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

but the T-Jet had bowled over my wifey. It took me a long time to convince her out of it. Had I not been on the lookout for an SUV/UV, this vehicle was the best option.

[johy]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Sorry for seeing this review so late. Awesome car and review. Voted 5 stars. In 2011 December, I had gone to the Tata Showroom to see the Xenon. They were not able to give a brochure, let alone show a Xenon, instead they showed us the Linea T-Jet Plus. I was on the lookout for a high GC vehicle, but the T-Jet had bowled over my wifey. It took me a long time to convince her out of it. Had I not been on the lookout for an SUV/UV, this vehicle was the best option.

Thanks BlackPearl. I hope your wife did not take a test drive on the T-Jet then. Otherwise, your Bolero would have never happened! Did you guys take a test drive of this one?

Originally Posted by khoj

Flew home the Jet and in yet another beautiful colour which too alas has been withdrawn.

Brilliant car the Jet. The only shortcoming if I might call it that is the 5.5 mts turning radius, in all fairness this is par for the course when compared to similar sized & on occasion vehicles with shorter wheelbases but I am spoiled by my Cedia's tight 4.9 mts turn. However on the open road the Jet gobbles the Cedia besides several other more powerful (on paper) & expensive vehicles chews them up and spits them out its exhaust the flight is just addictive. My Jet has flown 6800 kilometers in just 3 months of flying.

Khoj, great description for your T-jet. I think flying aptly describes it, especially the ride quality.

I, in fact, did ask for the Bronzo Scuro myself. Apart from Sunbeam beige. That is another stunner. I was not initially looking for Fox Trot Azure, perhaps it looked a tad feminine for me. However, it looks fine in almost any color. Black. White. I like them all!

You have a Cedia and a T-Jet as well? How do you decide which one to pick for a drive? LOL.

[vb-saan]

An excellent review there Johy! Thoroughly enjoyed reading through. Thanks for sharing

Originally Posted by johy

Passion. That is what is missing in the Vento. Otherwise, as you have mentioned it is a torque monster, 250 Nm of it. Can go the distance and quick - whilst making a great deal of din and noise.

It is not how fast it can get there. It is how.

And how it can go from 100 to 0 when you need it.

The T-Jet's drive is much more involving. And that is what it sets is apart. (The engine, turbo, steering, suspension, those R16, 205, 55 tires, 4-disc brakes all come into play - in symphony.)

When I did a TD of the Vento TDI, I quite liked it (much more than the Fiesta Titanium). I will say it’s more like a complete car in the segment. It’s spacious and airy, quality and finish is excellent for the segment, Highline is now loaded with comfort features, steering is light but quite direct, and the car felt solid and well-planted. I was quite impressed that almost forgot about the slight hardness of the clutch. But somewhere in the back of my mind, had this feeling of something missing. I was actually looking for the right word, and you aptly described it – passion. I used to get that feeling of connection and communication with the car in my old Ikon 1.6, got a similar feeling when I did an extensive TD of the Laura DSG, and to an extent, the Fiesta also gave the same feeling. Probably it’s just me, but that connected feeling with the car is quite important (and satisfying).

When I visit India next, should go and check the new Fiat dealership. Did not like the earlier Tata-Fiat setup, and that’s why avoided a second visit when I was there last time. Whereas the customer service at VW, Skoda and Ford were exemplary.
Thanks for re-igniting the interest in Fiat

Enjoy the T-jet and do keep updating the thread regularly.

[carwatcher]

OMG !!!
What a lovely review of such a lovely car.
Congrats on acquiring the jet and pleasing all of us with such a wonderful review.
I am left speechless.
Title should be renamed from 'Love Affair' to 'Marriage'.

[devansn]

Originally Posted by vb-san

When I visit India next, should go and check the new Fiat dealership. Did not like the earlier Tata-Fiat setup, and that’s why avoided a second visit when I was there last time. Whereas the customer service at VW, Skoda and Ford were exemplary.
Thanks for re-igniting the interest in Fiat

Enjoy the T-jet and do keep updating the thread regularly.

Congrats Johy, for selecting one of the best driver's car south of 25 lakhs, may be? How do you compare the interiors of your Jet to a normal 1.3 / 1.4 Emotion Pack Linea? Of course, sans the Italian leather seats.

vb-san, I had been to the Hyson Fiat at Thrissur for fixing a few rattles that had developed on my 1.3 EP Punto. I must say that they do an excellent job. The SA, Mr. Madhu is gem of a person. Since my car is close to 3 years old and is out of warranty, I asked for the bill and I think they felt bad about it.

In the last three years of my life with the Punto, regardless of whether it was a Tata-Fiat service center or exclusive Fiat service center, I am completely satisfied with their service. A good 9 months after my warranty expired, they replaced one of my power window assembly for free. Whenever I take the car for fixing minor squeaks and rattles here and there (that only trained ears can pick up), I get a full car wash and interior for free. I really don't understand why Fiat became so infamous in after sales service!

[johy]

Originally Posted by devansn

How do you compare the interiors of your Jet to a normal 1.3 / 1.4 Emotion Pack Linea? Of course, sans the Italian leather seats.

Hi devansn, I have not see the inside of the other Lineas. But sure, I will take a look one of these days.

[BlackPearl]

Originally Posted by johy

Thanks BlackPearl. I hope your wife did not take a test drive on the T-Jet then. Otherwise, your Bolero would have never happened! Did you guys take a test drive of this one?

Unfortunately they did not give a test drive of the vehicle. Instead they gave a 1.3 Multijet for a drive which felt quite sluggish. They were giving a huge discount on the T-Jet which made it a very lucrative buy. But I was very firm on my decision to buy a high GC vehicle because of my previous experiences with the Baleno. The Baleno is a lovely vehicle, but I felt that I had to concentrate too much on the road lest I scraped the bottom. It became a headache for me as well as the passengers, as they had to get down at many places . Saying that, a sedan is a sedan and the drive experience cannot be matched by an SUV/UV. The hills are quite far from the place I live and I long for a drive in a sedan on the transport sections. Once I cross Siliguri, the Bolero makes me happy. So I think the decision to buy the UV would still remain after a test drive of the T-Jet .
One question to you, the hills are so nearby from your place, but you still do not get an SUV. Is there any reason?

[johy]

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Once I cross Siliguri, the Bolero makes me happy. So I think the decision to buy the UV would still remain after a test drive of the T-Jet .

I appreciate that decision. Otherwise we would not have those wonderful travelogues.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

One question to you, the hills are so nearby from your place, but you still do not get an SUV. Is there any reason?

I don't go to the hills that often, a few times a year (ghar-ka-murgi-dal-barabar story). When I do, it is mainly for trekking and in which case I simply hire a vehicle, go to my destination, and head up the mountain. When I am back, I take another vehicle back. I save a lot of hassles that way. It is also a great way to catch on to the local gossip and conversation. For the same reason, I never skip the local barber shop or the local driver . And I feel I am also supporting the local economy.

Of course, if I were making the trip more often, which I might do in the days to come, I might go for that SUV. It will then become almost a necessity. So right now, for my usage pattern, a sedan-hatch serves fine. Even on the occasional time I need to go to Darjeeling, Gangtok or the like, I just take my Wagon R. It is very well suited for shuttling around in the small streets of these hill stations.

[vb-saan]

^^Hills - are we talking of nice winding roads, or going on hills with no roads? If its former, a nice handling sedan like the T-Jet should be more fun than a SUV

[johy]

Originally Posted by vb-san

^^Hills - are we talking of nice winding roads, or going on hills with no roads? If its former, a nice handling sedan like the T-Jet should be more fun than a SUV

Hills could be - Normal hill stations. Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik, Gangtok. T-Jet more fun to drive most of the way. However, in certain routes, especially along the Teesta section, one could encounter bad roads, broken roads, where the long wheelbase of the T-Jet would make it bottom out. Again, when you do reach the hill stations, a small hatch is 1) Easy to park in the town 2) And easy to maneuver.

Hills could be the rough Jeep tracks like Sandakphu. BlackPearl has made some amazing trips there in his Bolero 4WD. A sedan would break here.

A hatch could go to "base camp" like I call it. I have taken the Wagon R to Yuksom from where the Dzongri-Goechala trek starts. I think a hatch is better than a sedan in the hills (these North Bengal/Sikkim hills).