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Old 6th July 2015, 11:51   #1
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Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi

Buying a car is always such a tricky thing.

Especially more so, if you like cars! And infinitely more so if you’re a member of Team-Bhp!

I mean, just think about it!

Sedan or hatch, petrol or diesel, Maruti or Fiat, this dealer or that dealer, white or silver or red or blue, top variant hatch or mid variant sedan!

The choices are limitless!

Not just that, there are so many manufacturers out there at this moment, who have designed a car just for you!

OK. Maybe not just for you, but you get the drift right?

So what does a human do in this case! How does one make up his/her mind to buy one car from a plethora of choices in this vast ocean of cars!

Well, the situation wasn’t any different for us (my heart & mind ).

We went from considering an Alto 800, to a Vento TDI DSG, before we settled on the Hyundai i20 Asta CRDi.

How did we do it? Well, that’s more of a long story.

A story that was essentially a battle between Dil & Dimaag (Heart & Mind, for the hindi-challenged)!

So, read on! Make sure you have enough popcorn. This will be narrated in a manner slightly different from what is the norm on Team-Bhp.

Last edited by sourav9385 : 6th July 2015 at 19:36.
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Old 6th July 2015, 12:06   #2
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The Big Battle: Dil v/s Dimaag

The Big Battle: Dil v/s Dimaag

For the sake of simplicity, I'm going to refer to Dil as H(Heart) & Dimaag as M(Mind). Hope that will be easy to follow.

M: You know, the car is 11 years old.

H: Yeah, so?

M: Don't you think we should let it be? Rest in peace?

H: Huh?? But why? What's wrong with it?

M: Well, there's nothing wrong with it right now! But what happens if you're on a long drive and some crap happens? What will you do then?

H: Uhh, we haven't really been on any long drives, have we? Neither do we have a plan for anything like that!

M: Aaaand, why not?

H: Becau...Hmph, your reasoning is sound.

M: Murphy's law, right? Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong :P

H: yeah, well so be it. I'm not buying a new car. This country has no respect for new cars, and it sucks being an enthusiast.

M: I feel you bro, I do. But still, doesn't mean that folks don't buy new cars!

H: Did you just compare me with regular folks!!?

M: No no! just sayin that people DO buy new cars. And you, are people

H: Well, so what car do we buy?

M: LOL. Don't go there!

Last edited by sourav9385 : 12th July 2015 at 17:25.
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Old 6th July 2015, 12:24   #3
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How do we decide which car!!?

M: Alright, so we need a new car. How do we decide which car?

H: Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-td.jpg

M: Shut it! before you TD, you need to decide on a few things first.

H: OK, so what all things do we need to decide about?

M: Like, what type of car?

H: Supercar!

M: Get real man...

H: Lol. Ok. I'm thinking sedan.

M: Nope. No more sedans. Nope nope nope. Big tall glass of nope!

H: But why not!

M: Are you kidding me? How many times have I had to crane my neck out the damn window just to check if there was enough space in the front!

H: Well, you ride shotgun, how about helping out the driver once in a while huh!

M: Nope. I'm done doing that. No more. Hatch it is.

H: So you think if we get a hatch, I won't ask you to do anything like that?

M: Don't you dare!

H: Really? Hehe…

M If you really want a sedan, which one? Also, which hatch?

H: Merc....

M Get real! Not a merc!

H: Hmm, actually we need to decide on fuel type first.

M: Right you are. Petrol?

H: Nope.

M: You sure? I though you wanted petrol!

H: To be honest, I do. But it just doesn't make sense anymore.

M: I'm not gonna delve into the math of it all, but I assume you've worked out the stats? And diesel is the one to go for?

H: Yep. Sure.

M: And that includes long drives? To Leh and stuff?

H: lol. yeah.

M: Good. One down, how many more million things to go?

H: Quite a few I’m afraid.

M: Hm. So. Which hatch, is the next question I guess?

H: Nope.

M: Manufacturer then?

H: Yep.

M: And, I’m guessing you’re making a beeline for ze Germans?

H: Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-tb.jpg

M: Well, if that’s what you really want, VW it is, I guess?

H: Nah. No VW.

M: !! Did you just say, and I’m quoting here, “nah” to buying a VW?

H: Hehe. Yep, that’s true. VWs are all clever cogs and stuff, but, I don’t want any more hassles any more.

M: But doesn’t VW have the best gearbox and stuff?

H: Yep, that is true.

M: Then why aren’t you considering one?

H: Not that I’ve been burnt before by getting a VW, but I’ve seen so many folks get burnt with Ze Germans, that I just don’t want to go down that road. Especially in India. No. Won’t get fooled again.

M: But, isn’t it supposed to be reliable these days? The gearbox ?

H: Didn’t I tell you? Some chappie, who has an Audi RS5, a Merc S class, and a whole bunch of other awesome cars, just posted that the entire gearbox for his precious RS5 has to be replaced! He doesn’t even drive it like a madman! But still the damn thing needs replacement.

M: So did VW deny his claim or what?

H: Nope. They haven’t. But still. He has maybe 5 other cars that he can use meanwhile. What the hell will we do if that happens to us!?

M: I guess that does make sense.

H: Precisely. So VW is out.

M: Who else is left?

H: No Maruti that I want. No Toyota that I want. No Chevrolet either.

M: Honda? Hyundai? Ford? Fiat?

H: Hm, No Fiat please. Same reasoning why I rejected VW. Can’t bear the pain.

M: ok. So Honda, Hyundai & Ford. Anyone else you wanna consider?

H: Lol. Tata? Nissan? Renault? Skoda? Ooh! Datsun!

M: yeah right, you’re just wasting time, aren’t you?

H: Click image for larger version

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M: Come on man, I know you’re not going to get anything from Tata, or Nissan, or Renault, or Skoda or Datsun. Why go there?

H: You know me so well.

M: That’s why I’m the brains of the organization.

H: Hehe. So when are we going?

M: Let’s make some calls!

Last edited by sourav9385 : 12th July 2015 at 17:25.
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Old 6th July 2015, 13:46   #4
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Test Driving all the things!

Lots of calls and test drives later, we knew what we DIDN'T want to buy. Instead of mentioning too much about dealership experience, which has already been discussed to death here, I’m gonna condense all the car related info into points. Let’s start with the cheapest, and move up the ladder!

And, a word of warning to you who has willingly decided to read on: these opinions that you’ll read in a few moments time, are our opinions, and we are entitled to them. If you don’t like what you read, or if you don’t agree with our opinions, well tough noogies! Please don’t start a flame war here, ain’t no one got time for that!

Maruti Alto:
+Go-kart like feel.
+Cheap, really cheap.
+Maruti After Sales & Service assurance.
+Supposed to give great fuel economy for a petrol!
+Good AC.
+Tiny, really tiny!
-Frickin tin can. Made out of cigarette wrapping foil.
-There is no refinement whatsoever, none!
-Gearbox is a joke, and a bad one at that.
-No safety, whatsoever!
-Decided to check a Maruti even though wouldn't buy one, no matter what, just to get a reference point.

Maruti Celerio AMT:
+Easy to drive.
+Better interiors than the Alto, but that’s like saying syphilis is better than gonorrhea!
+Improved ride & handling than the Alto.
-3 Cylinder engine isn’t as refined as other 4 cylinder units.
-MT is overpriced and we’ll be 500 years old before we get our hands on the AMT.
-No safety with AMT.
-Decided to check a Maruti even though wouldn't buy one, no matter what, just to get a reference point.

Hyundai Eon:
+Better interiors that anything offered by anyone in the price range, hands down.
+Easy to drive, 800 cc engine feels peppy in city.
+Good AC.
+Hyundai’s supposed reliable & hassle free ownership experience.
-Enough space for 2 people. But that’s it!
-Over priced top variant.
-No safety on mid variant.

Honda Brio:
+Nice 1.2 i-Vtec. Loves to rev!
+Neutral ride, handling is OK.
+Availability of safety features is a big plus!
+Honda’s supposed reliable & hassle free ownership experience.
-Basic interiors. Not worthy of a car worth 7 big ones.
-5 speed CVT is easy to live with, but rubber band effect is prominent!
-Bad NVH. Tire noise at speed is high.
-Not the best AC.
-Too big window area all around, glass boot lid.
-Snooty dealers.

Hyundai Grand i10 Auto:
+Lovely lovely interiors!
+Super smooth refined petrol engine.
+Hyundai’s supposed reliable & hassle free ownership experience.
-Comical steering!
-Ruddy ancient 4 speed AT.
-Poor fuel economy as per user feedback.
-Not exactly a Value-For-Money hatch.

Honda City:
+Looks smart.
+Smooth engine.
+Loads of space.
+Supposedly reliable – but there’s a huge thread here about it NOT being reliable.
+Comes with a touchscreen – but it’s actually a hazard in disguise.
-Not worth 1.1 million for the petrol. Feels like Honda is extorting folks because of the brand name.
-Too many old folks being driven around in it.
-Pathetic dealers. Never had the proper variant for a TD.
-When asked for the variant (V, without leather seats) we wanted, refused point blank!
-Too much waiting period.

Volkswagen Vento TDI DSG:
+Sweet mother of god! The engine + DSG combo!
+Ruddy brilliant interiors!
+Excellent ride & handling! German feel is a class apart!
-Useless steering in a car that rides and drives so well.
-DSG reliability concerns, VW service hit or miss.
-Sub-Par dealership experience.
-Just because I don’t look 50 or am not fluent in the local lingo doesn’t mean I can’t afford a VW.
-Scary horror stories about German cars in general.
-Frickin fracking expensive!
/*Test Drove it, even though wouldn't have bought it at any cost, just to get a feel of the famed DSG*/
/*Actually wanted to TD a Polo TSI, but since it wasn't available, settled for the Vento TDI DSG*/

Ford Figo TDCi:
+Sweet little car.
+Lovely steering, ride & handling!
+Easy to drive, easy to see out of.
+Chiller of an AC.
-Looks dated.
-Not sure about Ford service.
-Too little creature comforts.

That just about sums up the cars we had shortlisted for a test drive.
We did inquire about the Ford Ecosport but the waiting period was so much, that we decided not to TD it at all.

We did drive the VW Jetta, just for the heck of it, but more on that later.

Last edited by sourav9385 : 12th July 2015 at 17:26.
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Old 6th July 2015, 15:35   #5
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So what the heck do we buy!! And Why?

So, finally, we had removed the cars that we wouldn’t buy, no matter what!

And, that left us with a BIG question. What the heck DO we buy??

And then, we remembered. The elite i20! Then it started all over again, Dil v/s Dimaag!

M: Check out the Hyundai i20!

H: . Hyundai? Seriously? Do you even know who you’re talking to?

M: Why? What’s wrong with Hyundai?

H: Dude! It’s like you don’t even know me!

M: Come on, humor me. Take the damn test drive. The review is really good. And you know it!

H: Abey, since when have you been depending on reviews?

M: I know you don’t depend on reviews, even if I do. So I believe it’s the right thing to check it out and give it a chance!

H: Hmm, but you know my stance on Hyundai and stuff right?

M: Oh yeah, about that. You mean to say that Hyundai cars are made without passion and flair. That they all are just a filler-gap in the market, designed by an excel sheet rather than by emotion, that sort of thing?

H: Yep! Absolutely!

M: And you believe that if a car isn't German or Italian or British, it isn't a car, right? It has to be full of passion and flair, reliability and after sales be damned. Everything else is just a thing designed for morons by other morons?

H:

M: Good. Now tell me how all that helps us. Tell me how a car designed with an excel sheet, to suit you, is a bad thing. Tell me how reliability is a bad thing. Tell me how a fuss free ownership is a terrible thing to have over having to open the damn hood every 2 minutes to check the engine & gearbox temperature! Tell me why you’d want a car like that!

H: Because it’s fun to drive! Because passion! Because it feels nice to take the car to the red line, carve a corner, do a full throttle start & hear the engine roar!

M: Oh hogwash! How many times a day do you take your own car to the red line? How many times do you do full throttle starts? How many times a day do you carve up a corner at 100+ kmph? And engine noise? Don't you have enough noise already all around? Cars, trucks, buses, autos, bikes & horns, isn't all that enough noise for you to tolerate that you want to add to it by listening to your own engine?

H: Well, I don’t do all that anymore. And yes, I would like a nice quiet car.

M: When was the last time you took the car to the track?

H: Never.

M: When did you measure your laptime around the damn city?

H: Ok. Ok. I get it. Passion is over-rated.

M: No. Passion isn’t over-rated. It just doesn’t work in daily life, most of the times! If you own a Ferrari 275 GTS that had milk bottle tops for brakes, a mis-aligned propshaft, and you drove it once a year maybe, it would make you feel special. But why would you want that in a daily drive??

H: Well, you are right.

M: Besides, think about convenience. Even GTO agrees that reliability plays a very big role over everything! It doesn’t make sense owning something that is all passion and flair, but doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do!

H: Fine. Agreed. You do have a point. But how about a compromise? How about something that's good to drive AND reliable at the same time?

M: Buy a Swift, easy.

H: Noooo! Not a Swift. Too many of those around.

M: I knew you'd say that! Which is why I suggested the Hyundai i20

H: *heavy sigh* I hate it when you’re right.

M: Like you said, brains of the organization!

H: Fine, lets give it a shot. But if we don’t like it…

M: You don’t have to buy anything you don’t like. But give the damn thing a chance to impress you before you remove it altogether from your choice!

Last edited by sourav9385 : 6th July 2015 at 17:38.
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Old 6th July 2015, 16:15   #6
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The Test Drive!

The test drives:

I’ll be honest. It took a while to convince both of them about the i20.
Quite a while, in fact. Here’s what happened. All that you read below has been compiled by taking multiple test drives.

M: Hmm, so?

H: *putting the foot hard down while driving the petrol i20* what the heck is that engine doing? Why isn’t it responding?

M: Like it said in the review, the petrol isn’t that impressive.

H: It isn’t just un-impressive, it’s boring and slow. Super slow!

M: But it’s very quiet!

H: Well, no one would buy it if it was noisy and freakishly slow now, would they!

M: Right you are. So…would one want one?

H: Nope. Definitely not the petrol. And definitely not the Asta trim. Too much for such an underpowered engine.

M: Well, I think this engine + car combo isn’t for you. I know you’d like a bit more power. But this genuinely seems slow.

H: Really sad. I came prepared to like this car.

M: Well, you haven’t driven the diesel yet!

H: Huh? Diesel? You want me to drive a diesel? What the heck is wrong with you!!!

M: Oh shush, just take it for a test drive.

H: You drive me nuts!

M: Oh yeah, and I’m the one with all the passion and I drive YOU nuts? Quit stalling. Drive the damn thing.

/*A few minutes later, H & M are out for a TD in a shining Asta CRDi*/

M: *while driving the diesel* So…how do you feel?

H: You know, it’s surprisingly quiet in here. I hope the engine isn’t broken or something.

M: Broken? How can an engine sound less if its broken, you moron!

H: Then it’s unreal. How can a diesel be this refined?

M: Now I get to say: I told you so

H: Hold your horses man, I’m not sold just yet. I just said that the engine is quiet. Let’s see how it sounds once I open the taps on this thing.

M: As you please…

H: *putting foot hard down in 2nd gear & keeping foot down after shifting to 3rd* Holy cow! What is that!!

M: I think that’s the turbo kick, at-least that’s what I believe it is!

H: Whoa! That felt good! But hang on, you said that the diesel doesn’t have any turbo kick!

M: Well, maybe we’re coming from the petrol fraternity so we’ve never experienced any turbo kick before. So…to us it feels like a kick?

H: Hmm, interesting. I liked it, you know? It felt good. And did you notice how quickly this thing got upto a 100?

M: Yes, I know it’s a quick car. Review mags have it pegged at 12.something to a ton.

H: Get off! Really? 12.something to a ton?

M: Stop being sarcastic you! This isn’t a supercar, this isn’t even a hot hatch! So by those standards, it’s fairly quick.

H: yeah yeah… you keep telling yourself that.

M: So, how did you like it so far?

H: well, engine is unbelievably refined! And the suspension is really good, it’s not noisy at all. And the engine actually sounds nice post 2.5k!

M: Hmm, and what about your fabled ride & handling?

H: Well, it isn’t an enthusiast’s car, that’s for sure! But it’s very…mature. Like, it was developed for comfort over corner carving.

M: Oh for the love of Merlin's saggy left testy, how many times a day are you corner ca….

H: Oh fie! I know. I’m not corner carving every day. Sheesh. You never let go of stuff.

M: LOL. Look, put aside your incessant desire for passion & flair. Tell me, honestly, would you drive this car daily?

H: Well, I wouldn’t mind driving it. I mean, it looks superb, drives great, feels reasonably quick, has a very good ride, and is loaded to the hilt with all kinda creature comforts! Only thing is, it’s not very enthusiast-ish.

M: I know. But what else is there that is to an enthusiasts taste and that YOU would want to buy?

H: Nope. There isn't. Not the Polo. Too much headache. Not the Swift. Too common.

M: So, you'd consider buying this then?

H: Let's take a longer TD.

M: Onwards, my noble steed!

A solid hour later, after the SA had to tank up the car with diesel as we had driven it so much, H & M returned home, for what would be the final call.

Last edited by sourav9385 : 12th July 2015 at 17:26.
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Old 6th July 2015, 16:39   #7
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It's the Final Countdown!

M: Please tell me you’ve decided something! I’m even OK if you say you won’t buy the i20 Diesel. I’m getting tired of running around doing test drives, honestly.

H: Hmm. It’s a tough one you know. On one hand, I really like the car for what it’s supposed to be. A no-nonsense hatch, frugal, comfortable, good looking, well riding, loaded with creature comforts that one can use within the city & take on long drives as well without having to constantly worry about the damn thing breaking and the manufacturer refusing to honor the warranty claims. Plus, it looks really really good!

M: Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-jaw.jpg

H: LOL. No, I’m being serious. I like it. A lot! The 6th gear is almost like an overdrive. It feels like this hatch will do great on the highways.

M: You mentioned that you liked the car on one hand. What was the other hand that you haven’t mentioned yet?

H: It’s not something that you will understand. It’s pa…

M: Passion. Yes. I do understand. I’m a part of you, remember? I know you want passion, and flair, and tire smoking powaaaaah like Jezza, and handling like an Italian, and refinement like a British, and efficiency like a German. But there is nothing that we can buy, as of right now, that gives us all that. So what do you want to do? Buy something that handles like an Italian, but also breaks down like an Italian all the time? Is as refined as a British, but is also unreliable & unpredictable as a British? Don’t get me started on the so-called German efficiency & reliability.

H: Well, I was hoping to buy something fun.

M: Isn’t the i20 fun? Can’t you take it long distances without worrying about warranty claims? Isn’t THAT fun? Can’t you drive it all the way to Leh knowing that there WILL be a service center to help you? Won’t that journey be fun? Or do you want to buy something that is fun to drive to the office every day, but the moment something breaks down, you’re left down in the doldrums because the damn manufacturer is a scumbag that refuses to honor your warranty claims! Tell me which is more fun!

H: Never thought I’d agree with you over anything, any day, but I guess there is a first to everything.

M: Wha …do you mean that we’ll consider the i20?

H: No. We won’t consider the i20. We’ll BUY the i20

Last edited by sourav9385 : 12th July 2015 at 17:26.
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Old 6th July 2015, 18:13   #8
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Buying & living with the car they both like!

The dealership experience, in one word, was exemplary! Right from test drives, to discussing financing, to discussing variants & colors, we were assisted in each step of the way.

The variant booked was Asta, as safety was paramount & we needed a car with a minimum of 2 airbags & ABS as standard, and it came loaded with all creature comforts.

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-taillamp.jpg

Color was unanimously agreed as White, though Blue was considered and promptly rejected citing maintenance concerns for dark colors. The committed delivery time was 5 weeks, but the car was delivered within 4 weeks! All in all, an absolutely fabulous delivery experience. We did not ask for any freebies, and we have not gone for the extended warranty as of now, as we believe its better to see how the sales & service department responds during the normal warranty term. Extended warranty will be purchased at a later time, hopefully. The dealership threw in for free mats & mud flaps, & zero depreciation insurance from HDFC Ergo. The PDI was done at the stockyard once the car had arrived, and a quick VIN decode indicated a June manufactured vehicle. Tires were manufactured in 18th week of 2015, May to be precise. All else was well, no scratches etc. From then on, registration was done in the usual 3 days time, and we even got the number plates at the time of delivery. They even gave us an excellent 6 figure sum for our 11 year old Optra, which we happily exchanged. The whole exchange process was completely hassle free. The delivery process was smooth, though it did take a while as there were 4 other vehicles that were being delivered before us.

Here's a snap of the car after getting it washed after some spotty rain had made it a bit dirty.

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-11.jpg

Now, let’s move on to the car itself. The whole reason behind this thread!

To keep things brief, here’s the peek at the good stuff that we like very much:
+Looks, looks & more looks.
+Interiors, interiors & more quality interiors.
+Enough creature comforts to keep Jeremy Clarkson happy!
+Spine chilling AC!
+Mature & sorted ride, handling.
+Height adjustable seats!
+Plenty of space for 4 medium sized adults
+Rear AC vents!
+*touchwood* Hyundai’s much touted reliability & fuss free ownership experience.


And now, here’s the bad stuff:
-Steering. More on this later.
-No auto locking doors!
-No real time fuel efficiency indicator!
-No distance to empty indicator!
-Spare wheel is a ruddy steel rim!
-Too much hand-holding through the MID.

H & M are very happy with the car. Here’s what they have to say in their own words.

H: Hot damn, that thing looks suh-weet!

M: Yes it does.

H: And the toys, oh the sheer number of toys!

M: Yep, this has bucket loads of them!

H: But, the fly in the ointment, the biggest problem in such a well thought out hatch by a country mile, is that ruddy steering!

M: I know what you mean.

H: I mean, who the heck designed that! The damn thing feels like it’s connected to a rubber band! Like, it can’t wait to get back to the center!

M: Maybe Hyundai’s engineers think their customers can’t keep the cars in a straight line LOL.

H: Seriously! Even when I’m moving in a straight line, and I want to make a correction, the damn thing feels like it’s just refusing to move! It’s so frustrating at times. It’s just sad.

M: You’re not going to start crying now, are you?

H: No. I mean, it’s disappointing because I’m wearing my enthusiast’s jeans. If I take them off and put on my sensible pants, then all is well.

M: Hmm, so maybe you should let me do the driving from now on, eh?

H: Heh, you do have a point.

M: So what other peeves do you have?

H: The MID, that’s a peeve. I mean, I know what gear I’m in right now. Why does that thing keep telling me to shift down all the time?

M: Maybe it’s because you’re driving it wrong?

H: Nah, I think it wants me to stay in the turbo zone all the time. The moment I’m below 1500 rpm, it wants me to shift down. That’s the only reason that I can think of.

M: is that a bad thing?

H: No, it isn’t necessarily bad. It’s just irritating to see the indicator come up every now and then. I wish I could turn it off.

M: What else?

H: I wish they could stop emulating Porsche.

M: Whaaaa???

H: Hehe, bad analogy I know. But hear me out. Porsche have a knack for removing stuff from your car, and then charging you for it.

M: So what have they removed from this car?

H: The 2nd power outlet. What harm would it have done to leave it in there? And why am I getting a ruddy steel rim when I’m paying close to a million bucks for this!

M: Whelp, you know what they say, there is no perfect car!

H: True that, and if you leave all these niggly little things aside, then this is really great. I never thought I'd say this, but I LOVE this Hyundai!

M: Aww. That's sweet.

H: Well, so is this car. It's a sweet little thing. Apart from the steering, and the MID.

M: Hush. It can hear you.



So, apparently, all the following points are needed if I'm posting an ownership thread LOL.

Well, let’s get on with it! I don't really have much to say here, except maybe a few of my findings which will differ from the official review.

What we like:
+Looks fabulous.
+Interiors are a class apart.
+Loaded with gadgets & gizmos!
+Spine chilling AC!
+Mature & sorted ride, handling.
+Super refined 1.4L Diesel Engine with an excellent 6 speed manual transmission
+Hyundai’s much touted reliability & fuss free ownership experience.

What we don't:
-Comical Electronic Steering.
-No auto locking doors!
-No real time fuel efficiency indicator!
-No distance to empty indicator!
-Spare wheel is a steel rim!
-Too much hand-holding through the MID.
-Not an enthusiasts car.
-A tad expensive for all the creature comforts.

Exteriors:

The car looks excellent from the outside, whichever angle you look at it from. The fluidic concept has been toned down. It looks decidedly European in my opinion( Hyundai haters look elsewhere please, no need to start a flame war here) Looks are always subjective, so I won't write too much on this, just that as a hatch it looks cool. If you prefer timeless classy looks, perhaps the Polo will suit you better. The paint finish is exemplary, as is the fit & finish of all the panels. I can't spot a single panel gap anywhere! Each and every panel feels well built. The variant we've chosen is the Asta CRDi. It comes loaded with 195-55 R16 tires. We've got the Bridgestone B250 with the car. They look decent, and on the drive they seem OK. I'm yet to drive it on wet roads, so cannot comment on grip levels yet. But on normal tarmac roads, the tires are not at all noisy. Hyundai wants users to keep the tire pressures at 33 psi, which seems a tad too high. maybe its because of the low profile, high rim size. Either way, I'm OK with the tires at this time. The ORVM's are electronic, as befits a car of this price, and they are fairly wide. Though I wish they could be a bit taller. The antenna is an eyesore, as is the reverse camera, which for some reason, is not hidden away as is in other cars. It's stuck to the damn boot lid, like an ugly zit that won't go away! I can't do anything about the reverse camera, but I have replaced the ridiculous mile long FM antenna with the stubby Sparco one.

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-exteriorchrome.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-exteriornoire.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-side-profile.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-diamond2-.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-orvm.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-request-sensor-2.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-sparco2.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-eyesore.jpg

Interiors & Gadgets:

The interior is the pièce de résistance in the i20. If you're like me who wants the interiors of a car to make one feel special, then this is definitely the car for you. Short of electronic seats, cruise control, and auto dimming ORVMs, this car has pretty much everything in it! Climate Control? Check. Reverse Parking Sensors? Yep. Reverse Parking Camera? Bingo. Park Assist with adaptive guidelines? Double check. Auto headlamps? Da! OK, how about auto dimming rear view mirror which is not present even in the flagship Hyundai SUV, the Santa-Fe? Hehe, yes it has that too. Pure Keyless Go? Oui! Auto folding ORVMs? Oh yes! Rear Wash wipe? Yep! Bluetooh streaming, phone controls and on board memory to store calls/contacts/music? Yep, and then some! 1 GB onboard memory as well, of which 864 MB can be used. Aux Post, USB Port, rear AC vents, Electronically adjustable ORVMs, the list is endless. In short, there's a lot of kit as standard in the Asta variant that will make your life very easy once you're in the car.

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-13.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-eng-start-stop.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-steering-mounted1.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-steering-mounted-2.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-center-console.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-climatronic.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-irvm.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-side-panel.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-boot1.jpg

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-boot-2.jpg

Stuff that’s not in here? Feels really stupid to type this, but nothing can be done. So here it is.
No real time fuel efficiency indicator.
No auto locking doors.
No distance-to-empty indicator.
No vanity mirror on the drivers side: Expecting only male drivers, are we Hyundai? Tsk tsk tsk...
I can only assume that they forgot to add these, or perhaps all these will come as an added feature in some upcoming facelift!

Space, Dashboard & Ergonomics:

Space? Yes, there's plenty of it at the front. There is enough space at the back for 2 medium sized adults, just don’t expect to step into an Innova, OK? Seats have good support; driver’s seat is height adjustable, although the seatbelts are not. I'm not complaining though, it's not a feature frequently used by me. The steering is a nice unit, adjustable for reach & rake. It has buttons for pretty much everything there is, volume control, music track control, phone controls, MID controls, mode control. It works for me. Not a fan of too many buttons on the wheel, if you ask me.

The dashboard is well laid out, all bits and bobs fall within reach. Thankfully, no touchscreen yet, a feature that I wouldn't want no matter what. Knobs feel nice to touch; plastics are not very hard either. Pretty much every button you'd want is available on the dash. It’s all very logical and simple to use. The whole thing lights up like a Christmas tree at night, I’m not joking! There’s even a button to control the level of illumination of the lights on the dashboard! Never thought I’d get something like that in a hatch from Hyundai!

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-dashboard.jpg

Overall ergonomics are great, & there's even a dead pedal for those who crave it! The front A pillars are a bit thick, but I’m OK with them as I am used to the Greek columns masquerading as A pillars in the Optra. Visibility is good, enough headroom in the front for all sizes, good elbow room and the footwell has ample room as well. The park assist is integrated into the IRVM, and the sensors aid while parking with very loud & rapid beeps if you get too close to an object. You never need to crane your neck to look behind while reversing.

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A special mention of the AC is needed, IMO. You see, we live in Chennai, where it’s perennially hot. Yes, there is no winter here, though some folks do sport mufflers and sweaters in December, January & February when the temperature is around 25 degrees LOL. But, for the average Joe, it’s always sunny in Chennai-Delphia. Add to it the traffic, the humidity, and the fact that it’s a coastal town, and you’ve got a sweltering heat that never dies down even when the sun goes down. You either need a special level of heat tolerance that only folks born & brought up here actually have, or you need a car with an AC capable of producing arctic chills inside the cabin, if you want to drive around. Thankfully, the elite i20 delivers just that. Hit the Auto button on the dash, and all is taken care of by the climate control. Sometimes the air intake switches to the fresh air mode, which can get irritating, but one press of the recirculate button gets rid of that annoyance, and it stays that way. There is no sun-film protection anymore, and those sun-shields don’t really block any heat, just light, so the AC has a lot of cooling to do. And it does that beautifully. Have driven the car under a 40 degree sun with 75% humidity, and all was chill in the cabin at 22 degrees. Kudos to Hyundai for giving the elite i20 a great AC!

The Drive:

The experience of driving the petrol & diesel has already been highlighted in previous posts. I’ll just mention a few more things here. The clutch is not very light, but you don’t need to start going to the gym to be able to depress the clutch. It isn’t a VW Vento, that’s for damn sure. More like a petrol cars clutch that has become hard LOL. I like it. Travel is a bit long, but I’m OK with it.

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-engine.jpg

Walk up to the car, and the ORVM’s auto unfolds when the car recognizes the keyfob about your person. The car will only respond if you’re really close, like near the hood or the boot. One peeve here is the absence of the request sensor on the passenger door side. Hyundai should not have skimped on that. But anyways, just walk up, press the request sensor and the doors open and mirrors unfold. Step in, and the engine start-stop button has a nice blue glow to it. So no fumbling around at night if the cabin lights are not on. Press it once to fire up the accessories mode, or depress the clutch and press it longer to fire up the engine. The engineers at Hyundai deserve a special mention here. Terrific job with the refinement! With windows up and the AC firing up in a few seconds, you can barely notice the fact that it’s a diesel engine. Refinement is, in one word, unreal.

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-crdi.jpg

Seatbelt reminder bongs 5 times if it doesn’t detect the driver belting up. Then it becomes a steady blink-blink on the dashboard. 10 points off for that. It should have been a steady bong if the driver did not belt up and start driving. You provide a car with airbags, ABS, but don’t enforce belting up? Really sad, Hyundai.

Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi-engine-insul.jpg

Handbrake off, clutch released, the car creeps forward smoothly. Shifting gears is very easy, as there is hardly any throw to the stick. You just move your wrist and gears get changed, its that easy. The MID indicates two trip meters that you can toggle through the button on the wheel. A long-ish press on the OK button resets the trip meter immediately. No stalks to press here.

On the move, the engine feels unbelievably refined till 2K rpm. It doesn’t sound anything like a diesel. On the open road, slot it into 6th gear, get some tunes going, set the AC to a comfortable temperature, and you’ll never be able to tell there’s a diesel under the hood. Even in the city, there’s hardly any engine noise & absolutely no diesel clatter till 2k RPM. Only when you move above 2.5K rpm, there’s a distinct growl from the engine. And, no it doesn’t sound terrible even then!

There have been many complaints on Team-Bhp about braking on the elite i20, though I've not experienced anything like it. I know that the pedal feel for a car equipped with ABS will differ from a non-ABS model, and I guess I'm used to it. But I've never had to panic brake yet, and I hope I never have to. Under normal circumstances, braking seems adequate, though I would have liked a bit more bite from them. Pedal feel is a bit muted, though.

Over my daily usage of about 20 kms round trip from my home to the office & back, I've covered 437 kms as of now since we took delivery on 27th June. The fuel gauge has reached halfway. Since there is no real time fuel efficiency display, I can only assume that the car is delivering somewhere close to 18-20 kmpl in the city. Couldn't ask for more, and am extremely satisfied with that number. Highway mileage remains to be seen as I'm leaving on a 3 day trip soon. I can update that later. The ground clearance is at a healthy 170 mm, and I've gone over some pretty bad craters & speed-breakers without any scraping. Hope I never end up scratching anything. For normal city use, ground clearance seems absolutely great.

One thing I'd like to mention about, is the gear change indicator on the MID. The damn thing is constantly making suggestions! You might think I'm driving the car wrong, but I'm not. I shift up within 2k rpm, and keeping rpm's above 1.5k. But the moment you slow down, or brake, and then press the loud pedal, a little annoying notification with a number and a down arrow symbol pops up in the MID. And, it won't go away. Unless you change down, or speed up, the damn thing stays on! I think Hyundai is worried that people will complain that the car is sluggish, or that the car stalled for some reason. And to avoid all that, they've made the indicator so aggressive! I don't know who was responsible for this, but it's really annoying. And, you cant turn off the damn thing!

The ride:

The ride is quite good. It’s supple and not bouncy at all. Reasonably pliant over broken roads, and the suspension is not noisy at all. It feels good to take it on any type of road. At high speeds it feels reasonably planted, though I haven’t exceeded 100 yet, so can’t comment for sure. It should be a good highway cruiser. I didn’t any nervous twitch or flailing steering action while driving on the highway.

However, make no mistake; it’s not even remotely German or Italian. It is, at the end of the day, a Korean hatch. The South Koreans make excellent feature laden cars, with great interiors, that’s a given. But they are yet to come close to the Europeans when it comes to ride & handling. So, if you’re looking for a hatch that reminds you of the driving sensation of the erstwhile Palio, or one that can replace your Polo, this isn’t it. Look elsewhere, buy something else. You don’t buy this hatch because you are looking for the Fun-To-Drive factor. No, I’m not being un-kind to it. It’s just how it is. Some cars are fun. Some are not. This is the latter. There is no joy you’ll receive by chucking it into a corner.

The Mega "Kitna Deti Hai?"/"Average kya hai" question!

Yes, ultimately it is a diesel. Which means, somewhere down the line, I do have to answer the damned question: "Bhai, gadi kitna deti hai?"

Well, I have nothing but good news on the subject!

I did a 400 KM round trip to Tirupati & back, in 3 days or so. And over that period, I seem to have consumed 1/3rd of a tank full of diesel. So considering 45 liters is the max capacity, and I never fill any more than the auto cutoff, I seem to have averaged quite a high KMPL figure! This is the readout from the dash, after I pulled into the garage:

Click image for larger version

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Which means, I've easily hit more than 20 KMPL. Couldn't be happier than this. The more the merrier. And no, I didn't drive it at a steady 40 kmph. There were enough fast stretches on the 6 lane highway connecting chennai to tada, so decent 3 digit speeds were maintained throughout. I'll update this thread with the total KMPL figure once I've consumed the diesel currently left in the tank.

Some Titbits That You Won’t Find in the Official Review:

• Press the green phone button on the steering wheel and the call menu comes up. But, can you scroll through the call list using buttons on the wheel? NOPE! What the heck, Hyundai? You have to take your hands off the wheel, and use the scroll button on the dash. Really annoying!
• Making an outgoing call through the phone using Bluetooth? Great! Disconnected the call through the red cancel button after you were done talking? Yep! But…Uh Oh..why isn’t the streaming working again? Surprise Surprise… Sometime the streaming just stops after hanging up the call! You will have to cycle through the modes->Radio->USB->Bluetooth, and THEN the streaming will resume. Hey Hyundai, how about hiring some good quality testers huh?
• Pulled up near your garage, put the handbrake on, and walked out to open the garage with the key fob in your pocket? Get ready to hear a shrill warning noise! Earlier, only a warning used to appear on the MID.

Last edited by sourav9385 : 12th July 2015 at 17:27.
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Old 6th July 2015, 18:28   #9
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Itne Paise Mein Itna Ichh Milenga



I managed to post a thread about my car! Phew, now that's an achievement.

Yes, I'm very lazy. As I'm sure you can see, over the past 8 years that I've been a member of Team-Bhp, I've only made 270 & some posts

I don't have too many photos of my car at the moment, as there are many updates which are currently in progress.

Nothing mechanical, only cosmetic. Don't worry, I'm not stickering it, or adding under-body neons to it.

Nope, no vinyls either. More on that later.

There is also a 3-day trip planned in the coming days. I'll update the thread when we get back.

Keep watching this space, I'll keep adding to it as and when we spend more time & miles with our newest acquisition.

Meanwhile, thank you for reading. I hope this thread was an enjoyable read.

Not that I mean to say that other threads are boring, no.

It's just that I didn't want to pen our ownership in the same fashion as most other reviews here are in.

If you want facts & figures, there is the official review.

If you want images from every conceivable angle, there is the official review.

If you want real time fuel economy updates & on-road pricing details...well, search!

I've written this in the exact way we went about buying the car. A big battle between heart & mind.

Also, thanks to many members here who have penned their ownership experience on team-bhp!

We wouldn't have got the car, if it wasn't for all the amazing insights you have shared with us.

Finally, thank you Team-Bhp.com! Each and every thing we have done for this car, Team-Bhp was the source for it all.

Be it reviews of cars, PDI checklists, loan/dealership info, VIN decoders, you name it, we got it from this treasure chest.

I've never been more proud of the being a member of Team-Bhp.

PS: Please excuse my poor & lame photography skills. All images have been taken from my 2 year old iPhone 5S. And, I didn't have all the time in the world to edit them.

Last edited by sourav9385 : 12th July 2015 at 12:47.
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Old 13th July 2015, 11:01   #10
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Re: Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!
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Old 13th July 2015, 11:18   #11
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Re: Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi

Congratulations for the Elite i20, sourav9385. Excellent write-up!

The white colour compliments the design language of the Elite i20 very well (without being flashy) and is perfectly suited to the visual modifications that you have planned. I liked your style of writing, crisp and full of humour. It was definitely a change after reading other ownership reviews, which focus on what already has been said in the detailed official review. Not that they are bad, just that this one was a class apart!

Wish you lots of miles with smiles in your car. Keep the thread updated. Drive safe.
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Old 13th July 2015, 13:09   #12
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Re: So what the heck do we buy!! And Why?

Your heart and mind do have a lot of conversation. They tease and taunt each other, get into factual discourses as well. Wonder if you can hear your wife/boss talk, considering your ears are busy picking up M&H conversation all the time.

Jokes apart, an excellent write-up. I own a Asta CRDI myself, which is now 9 months and 14K kms old. Your initial ownership thoughts, and your comments about the features very much mirror mine. The more you drive the car, the more you'll get addicted to the fuss-free driving experience and the premium feel of the interiors. Wish you many happy miles with your new acquisition.

The steering isn't that bad. I've driven the car more than 5K kms on highways already. It loads up speed, and gives you a natural feel the more you get used to it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sourav9385 View Post
H: Hmm, but you know my stance on Hyundai and stuff right?

M: Oh yeah, about that. You mean to say that Hyundai cars are made without passion and flair. That they all are just a filler-gap in the market, designed by an excel sheet rather than by emotion, that sort of thing?

H: Yep! Absolutely!

M: And you believe that if a car isn't German or Italian or British, it isn't a car, right? It has to be full of passion and flair, reliability and after sales be damned. Everything else is just a thing designed for morons by other morons?

H:

M: Good. Now tell me how all that helps us. Tell me how a car designed with an excel sheet, to suit you, is a bad thing. Tell me how reliability is a bad thing. Tell me how a fuss free ownership is a terrible thing to have over having to open the damn hood every 2 minutes to check the engine & gearbox temperature! Tell me why you’d want a car like that!

H: Because it’s fun to drive! Because passion! Because it feels nice to take the car to the red line, carve a corner, do a full throttle start & hear the engine roar!

M: Oh hogwash! How many times a day do you take your own car to the red line? How many times do you do full throttle starts? How many times a day do you carve up a corner at 100+ kmph? And engine noise? Don't you have enough noise already all around? Cars, trucks, buses, autos, bikes & horns, isn't all that enough noise for you to tolerate that you want to add to it by listening to your own engine?

H: Well, I don’t do all that anymore. And yes, I would like a nice quiet car.

M: When was the last time you took the car to the track?

H: Never.

M: When did you measure your laptime around the damn city?

H: Ok. Ok. I get it. Passion is over-rated.

M: No. Passion isn’t over-rated. It just doesn’t work in daily life, most of the times! If you own a Ferrari 275 GTS that had milk bottle tops for brakes, a mis-aligned propshaft, and you drove it once a year maybe, it would make you feel special. But why would you want that in a daily drive??

H: Well, you are right.

M: Besides, think about convenience. Even GTO agrees that reliability plays a very big role over everything! It doesn’t make sense owning something that is all passion and flair, but doesn’t do what it’s supposed to do!
Perfect logic. This is the reason that even people who think themselves to be petrolheads (me, me!) end up buying cars like this. In the end, we are normal people leading normal daily lives, and we need a car which gives us the maximum comfort and value-for-money.
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Old 13th July 2015, 14:04   #13
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Re: Test Driving all the things!

Creative!!
For the most part I see the Heart making rather sound arguments.

Quote:
Originally Posted by sourav9385 View Post
Honda Brio:
-5 speed CVT is easy to live with, but rubber band effect is prominent!
I don't think Brio has CVT. It has torque converter.

Last edited by MaheshY1 : 13th July 2015 at 14:15.
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Old 13th July 2015, 14:07   #14
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Re: Fooled around & fell in love! Our Polar White Hyundai Elite i20 Asta CRDi

Congrats on your sexy beast! It was interesting to read your impressions on the vehicle.
I'm not sure whether I missed it somewhere, but about the mileage that you got on your Thirupathi trip, did you calculate it as 45ltrs/3= 15ltrs, 400kms/15ltrs = >20? or did you do a tank refill and check? I ask because I thought using the fuel indicator to approximate mileage is inaccurate.
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Old 13th July 2015, 14:41   #15
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Re: Buying & living with the car they both like!

Quote:
Originally Posted by sourav9385 View Post
-No distance to empty indicator!
Sourav,

First of all, Heartiest congratulations.

You can try an OBD II reader to read the Distance to empty indicator.

The recent one that Anurag bought for $50 seems to be very good. It comes with Hyundai presets as well. Can be used to diagnose many other things.

Link : http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...-software.html

Last edited by MunnabhaiMBBS : 13th July 2015 at 14:46.
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