[kishore1984]

Why Car?

Buying a car has been in my mind since I moved to Bangalore in 2013, but the bug really bit me this year. Though I love my 160CC TVS Apache(my friends call her Bhagyalatchimi) even today, riding in Bangalore weather with family has become stressful, on top of that cold air blowing on to my 3 yr old daughters face while riding gave me the enough jitters to buy a car.

That’s when I called my dad and told him “I am booking a car tomorrow " , that's how things get done at my home, if you hesitate it gets postponed citing different reasons. I live in Bangalore but my native is the temple town of Tirupati where my parents and brother live. My parents always wait for the right time and reason to "buy/letus buy" anything, so I had to push hard to get their nod.


What Car?

Would you believe, I started off with KWID in my mind and ended up in a totally different zone!!!

Yes, When they launched the KWID in India, I viewed almost every review video and made up my mind to go for it, but when I checked it out in the showroom I didn't like the Interiors much and the rear hatch felt like a card board.



So we dropped the plan and walked into the Hyundai Showroom next door. Started walking around the Showroom and a Silver Grand I10 was on display, dad liked the design and started talking to the sales rep about the features, somehow I felt she gauged us based on the way we spoke and suggested that Magna variant will be the best bet. When I enquired about i20 she said it is out of our budget. Also apparently Hyundai Eon is for teachers (please be informed) as per her. Being a Sunday test drive vehicle was not available. So we took the brochures and came out



Then we drove to the Volkswagen Showroom on the same road a little ahead, they had a Night Blue VW Polo on display and I must tell you, that colour looks majestic in the showroom than on the road. The Service rep explained about the standard and safety features in the car, then came the question from Dad " Kitna deta hai ", Sales rep was practical and he gave the actual numbers as per on-road conditions which didn't impress us(remember!! We drove a Diesel Dzire), he offered a 60k cash discount if we are paying in cash (I wish!!). Same drill as above, collect Brochures and leave


Finally the New Baleno, I had my eyes on this one for some time but once I stepped into the NEXA Showroom, it was a Sunday Market, neither there were someone to assist us or even care. We took a good look at the car, liked it but the waiting was nearly 4 months. we got the price list only, brochures were not available. Would you believe if I said there was a line for Test Drive? Yes, indeed



First quarter of 2016 passed quietly as I wanted to buy Current Year model, I went to Nexa Showroom first and waiting period is now 32 weeks (add 4 more weeks and It would fell like having a kid) for Baleno. I stepped out of the showroom took my Bike and drove off. Somehow the VW Polo has been in my mind of quite sometime, every time a red one crosses, I used to check it out.

Once I took the test drive of VW Polo, it became evident that Polo is what I want. So I started calling the showroom guys inquiring about the car and price. I went for Comfortline Variant as it covers everything that I would need, only extra features like CC, Alloys and beige interiors are missing. Gear shift is something I need to get used to as I felt Dzire's has much better carry. Loved the drive but couldn't go longer due to Bangalore traffic.

We also tried i20 and Ford Figo (I loved the new car in white). I20 scored in rear seat and features, the Sportz variant that I liked was out of my budget. The demand for i20 is so high that neither you get a freebie nor any discounts, Take it or leave it. Figo to my surprise ticked every box but failed in rigidity, build quality is sub-standard so we dropped it.

So, Volkswagen Polo Comfortline it is!!



Why I picked a VW Polo:

1. Ageless design, it looks so elegant
2. Team-BHP, yes you heard it right. The Ownership threads from Gannu, graaja, robi and of course Frank Mehta. Though theirs is GT, I still wanted to buy something in that line. Went with what I could stretch to, a VW polo Comfortline
3. Endless Mod options, that the advantage of buying a car that is sold globally, if something isn't offered here, you can get it elsewhere (ask my cabin light!!)
4. VCDS, this was the final nail in the coffin. Once I found this thread I thought, here is another reason to buy a VW car

Petrol or Diesel?

Try having this conversation with my Dad, he would convince a guy who just bought a Petrol Car yesterday to go for a Diesel. A quick calculation about daily commute + weekend drives + occasional drive to my native was enough for him to convince me to go for a Diesel, so this is how it went

Renault KWID > Grand I10 > Maruthi Suzuki Baleno > VW Polo TDI CL
4,45,000 --> 5,62,000 -> 8,87,000 --> 9,20,000



I’ll snap if I stretch anymore

From where ?

From day1, I have been in contact with VW Apple Motors near KR Puram, they are 4 KMs from my home and have been diligently following up, so I decided to go with them but wanted to try other showrooms as well, Reviews about elite VW Hosur road were so bad that I didn't want to waste petrol trying.

Bargain

I started off with apple motors and the OTR price without extended warranty was coming unto 9.26L with 35k discount, so I went to VW palace cross( http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...te-motors.html ) and they quoted 9.18L OTR price, wasn't expecting this at all but I slowly started to understand their tricks of discounts. So I took it and went to apple motors and pitted it against them, this time I went with my cheque book. I wrote my asking price to him and after 2 hrs of bargaining, the cheque is signed and the booking is made for a RED VW Polo TDI Comfortline

OTR: 9,11,000 ( 0 depreciation insurance)
Freebies: car cover, mudflaps, floor mats
Booking amount : 50000/-

Colour change Chaos :

What started off as a mad love for a Red Polo, changed in less than a week. Everybody at home were against red. Grey or white was their choice, I tried to convince them for more than 4 days,my brother took them to the showroom to show the car in red but all in vain, so I changed the color choice from Red to Metallic Carbon Steel Grey. Which means the price has gone up as metallic colors cost 12k more.

During booking itself, the SA told that any color change later mean they would not honor the committed 4 weeks for deliver. They neither have one in stock or was allotted one for this month. I realized that waiting for your car once booked is the worst feeling. This is where I started going through Mods, VCDS and above all the car detailing thread that was 600 pages long. I called him again to figure out the status, no go. The week later I called him again to get an exact estimate but he said he cannot promise anything until June 25th. This is where I thought, why not try other showrooms and see if they have one in stock. I called Palace Cross first, they don't have one available. So I went to VW Elite Motors (fate!!), they had one in stock andalso know that other showrooms don't have this color readily available.

The SE at Elite Motors didn't budge even one bit when I sat down to negotiate, all in all I was offered 40k discount and nothing else, so I left saying I will get back to him. He tried to follow up that evening to see if I changed my mind but I kept him waiting.

In between all this, out of the blue Shiva from Palace cross called saying they got one in stock now, someone booked a CL grey and changed to Red but the records weren't updated, so the grey they had in yard stayed there in the customer’s name who already took delivery of Red one and left, I didn't believe him at first but don't want to miss the chance if it was genuine. So I called Apple motors to check for the final time before I cancel the booking, the SE told the same and advised me to cancel the booking and re-book later, I agreed and mailed him about cancellation, lost 2k in cancellation charges but still fighting for it.

Went straight to PalaceCross, got car cover added to freebies, don't know what more to ask for. Deal is set for 9,22,000. Booking amount paid again, also put in a strong word for a PDI before registration

Loan with SBI was a breeze, 5 yrs 6L loan at 8.75% interest, easy peasy. Transferred the remaining amount before 30th May as he wanted to invoice the car. Month end can move files at SBI and VW even on Sundays!!

I asked SE to bring a demo car home to check if it fits my parking, also to check if the metal covers on my sump and bore would hold its weight. My house is elevated about 3 feet from the road so we also checked if it scrapes the belly while driving up. Everything worked out fine and the car was a snug fit. The front Bumper scraped while taking out if I parked face first but didn't if I park rear first.

PDI:

SE Shiva informed me on 1st June that my car is ready for PDI, so I took my friend along to check it out, the car was not in delivery condition though, ODO was at 37Kms which is when I realized that this was the same car that was on display when I visited this showroom for the first time, Seat covers were removed already. VIN number checked out, it was April Manufactured and 2016 model, no dents, no signs of repair job. This is when I found that the spare tyre is 14" and not 15", was concerned but turns out VW has been this way for some time now. Tyres were GoodYear and not MRF or Appolo Alnacs

Does the Regular Tyre fit in the wheel well if I swap it with a regular one, has anyone done this?

All signatures were taken after the PDI is complete, by the time I was done with the last sign, the first sign and the last one were no match
While discussing about the registration, my friend insisted on KA01 registration, didn't know that we can register anywhere we want, I always thought since I live in KR Puram KA53 was the only option, SE accepted and we got the car registered under KA01 (looks like KA01 cars get a better resale value), we took some pictures and left

First sighting


looks good in every angle


the car wasn't in delivery condition though




ODO was at 37Kms, this car was on display when I first came to this Showroom



That's me


Partner in Crime


Turn Indicators on RVM..Yay!!

[kishore1984]

Delivery experience - first drive scare

I told SE that we will be taking the delivery on 9th june at 10 AM, I was so excited that I spent nearly 5k from booking to delivery day on other stuff

1. Jopasu Duster
2. 4 MF Clothes from 3M
3. Blind spot mirrors(returned them though)
4. 3M car care Shampoo, Windshield Cleaner
5. Garden Pressure Spray Pump by Kraft Seeds - Capacity 1 Ltr
6. Proklear Waterless Car Wash Concentrate RAW CX
7. VCDS cable
8. Set of 12pcs Car Radio Door Clip Panel Trim Dash Audio Removal



This is the outcome of that shopping, made out of duct-tape from those packages I received, I've decided to keep it growing

I even scouted the route from showroom to my house before hand, the best way is to go via Hebbal, Nagavara on Outer Ring road towards Ramamurthy Nagar.

After all the planning, we reached the showroom an hour late, thanks to Bangalore Traffic. Though SE had another delivery at 12PM he didn't rush us. I finished all the formalities, collected all the documents and verified them as per the checklist. A box of Chocolates ,VW keychain and small Ganesha Idol was gifted to us. I gifted Shiva a small utility Kit of a pen drive, purse and a visiting card holder. He called me later that day to thank me for that (guess he liked it)



well thought

Nifty Keychain, I liked it

We went downstairs to the delivery bay, took the customary pictures. SE introduced me to Customer Service person with whom we had a brief conversation, filled the feedback form. SE Shiva gave a demo of all the features in and out. Registration was complete but number was not allotted, so I had to come for it later




Let me tell you something here, I never drove a car in the city before. My only experience is driving our Dzire when I go to my hometown during weekends, a rented AMT Chevy Cruze while on a trip to Boston and those test drives I took, I was nervous in the beginning but felt good once I got the car out of the basement, started out slowly without paying much attention to those honking behind me. All it took was 5 minutes and I started to feel comfortable, drove it to the HP petrol bunk nearby, filled for 1k and drove home without much trouble. It was late afternoon so the Hanuman Temple near my house was closed


Safely home, that's my daughter in the corner calling her friends out to show the car!!

We went to the Temple in the evening and got the Puja done.

All in all, it was a very good experience at VW palace Cross. I would give it 5 stars for service

@the time of this review

ODO : 2769(started writing at 650)
Age : 3 months
ASS visits : 2
Minor Road Trips : Nandi Hills, Anand Donne Biriyani Hoskote, Kolar

Nandi hills and Kolar were no purpose drives, just to feel the car, but the biriyani drive wasn't, this guy opens at 6 AM/3 days a week and closes in less than 3 Hrs, do check him out.

Major : none

Likes -

1. Beautiful design, subtle yet stylish
2. Steering wheel, you gotta love the Flat Bottom Steering Wheel
3. VCDS, Unlimited Options
4. Being a global car, Mod options are Unlimited
5. Its a heavy car, no loose plastics any where and the strong body makes it feel safe car,
6. Low Center of Gravity gives you that extra confidence to turn tight curves at decent Speed

Dislikes :

1. Rear windows don't roll down completely. Guess its a safety feature from VW
2. The Hump in the Rear Seat, this is a 4 people car rather than 5
3. Lack of Under Body Protection
4. It's a noisy engine to start with, takes time to settle down
5. Single Horn, trust me this is a real let down


Interiors

I was in awe looking at the black interiors, but the seat fabric even though blackish is prone to stains, My 3yr old won't keep her feet on the floor. Seat covers are a must. Gear knob in all the TD cars had a glossy finish but I missed out on that as well(I would definitely upgrade it). Cozy front seats, rear ones have a dip that gives a little more under thigh support. the car will only have 2 people 90% of the time so rear leg room is only a rare complaint.


though its not slippery, I didn't like it.


Not a great quality pic :(


Seats with less than 10% occupancy in a year, the dip in the seats makes them a little more comfortable.

Steering wheel has no leather cover and a tad smaller than what I was used to, so it felt a little slippery in the beginning and took sometime to get used to also the flat bottom Steering Wheel adds more zeal to its appearance. I drive with one hand on the stick and one on the wheel, it hurt a little in the beginning to turn the SW while taking those sharp turns, The steering can be adjusted to your requirement which is the best part. I took it to JC road and got it leather wrapped

Devaraj's Brother It is (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/bangal...ml#post4042480)


I always wanted a steering wheel with audio controls on it, but had to compromise :(

I saw a lot of DIY's that Gannu did and noticed that a lot of them made it to standard VW offerings like front foot well lights, AC vent in glove box. But lights in glovebox and boot at still missing.



with a on/off switch mind you!

Cabin light is basic so i have already placed an order for another one which is in transit (link: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/OEM-D...08.0.55.WWvbqi)




The Showroom guys used some cleaning solution on the dashboard and made it slippery, I had to clean it with some water and MF cloth to get rid of it. After that I was able to stick the Ganesh idol in place, he always gets his part of real estate anywhere



The single horn is loud but bad, it serves the purpose but doesn't feel like VW, a Lowtone horn is not installed and costs 3800 at an ASS.Though of doing a DIY but the service center guy told me that the horn is located somewhere near the Airdam and is hard to reach without removing the front Bumper. so I shelved the idea for now.

AirConditioner

There is nothing to complain about the AC other than how the Knobs look, the AC console can't look cheaper than what it is now. Though its not climate control it does its job effectively, it has 4 levels and I never had to go beyond Level 2, felt that the blower is a little louder than other cars at level 2. I may have to get it checked

Audio system & sound quality

If the audio files are of better quality then the stock music system is enough, the audio is loud and crisp, I will run this console for a year or so then upgrade to an AHU. I am yet to fiddle with the stock sound settings

Instrument Cluster, Headlight knob:

The turn indicators, headlight knobs will take some time to get used to. The instrument cluster shows good enough information like Trip,FE, Fuel to refill etc., and with some basic VCDS mods, you can have more information displayed as well, Once you enable cluster sweep, you will smile every time the Ignition Key is turned on. Also, if the engine turns off while driving, you have to turn the ignition off and turn it back on for the car to start again.

Boot :

The Spacious boot is missing boot light very badly. I realized it when I came back from Grocery shopping only to leave couple of items behind in the boot itself. I was gifted a rechargeable lantern at an corporate event and it took its place in the boot now



(Continued...)

[kishore1984]

Exteriors

The color of the car is very nice and glossy, though I regret not buying a red one, I am glad that I didn't go for Toffee Brown that was recently launched. the Grey looks awesome when you park it under a street light. I was surprised to notice the reach and brightness of headlights but that raises a question, when did we last clean our Dzire's Headlights(Colgate it is!!).

One thing to admire was the fit and finish of the car. In every angle the car looks like it was finished to perfection, the bonnet edges smoothly end into the rest of the body and every other part neatly sits. And that is when I noticed that the rear right door-handle is hard to open from outside, more about that later.



Also, I noticed that the rear left door was not opening from the inside, apparently the child lock got engaged and I had to use my key to unlock it, I spoke to the Service person who told me about this. That's when I realized I should read the Manual that came along with the car. It has very good information

Under the Hood :

I did notice significant improvement in performance when compared to our DZire, during our drive to Nandi hills we noticed how fine tuned the engine is, the pull in 4th gear when you put your foot down is just amazing, we saw great FE numbers as well.

Fuel-Efficiency:

The real FE test was done during my lone drive till Kolar, details below

Being a little cautious about FE returns great numbers.

Highways : I got a solid 25KMPL on my drive to Kolar, Nandi hills were around 20-21 KMPL
City : Around 12-14 but nothing more than that, weekends I get around 17 due to less traffic.



Driveability :

The car has been my daily driver for almost 3 months now, was very cautious since the car is still in its run-in period, though there is a burst of energy in the first gear, the car lacked the same in 2nd and I ended up-shifting early. I took it to the ASS and all it needed was some tuning which took care of the 2nd gear issue, I have driven in the worst possible traffic in Bangalore never had trouble maneuvering. It starts out a little noisy but calms down a little later. Overall, driveability in the city is smooth except for the long clutch carry that took me some time to get used to.

Highways :

Its like unleashing a greyhound, the car just zooms past everybody in its league and doesn't need to catch a break, overtaking doesn't need you to shiftdown, you can overtake at will. I must say this is a major upgrade for me considering I drove a D-zire. I haven't noticed any bodyroll at tight curves either, the car pulls through at turns with minimum roll

Gear shifts are smooth but I am yet to drive our Dzire again to compare them , I felt the Dzire's gear shift much smoother. One thing I noticed was mild vibration of the Gear shift at high speeds, you would notice this only if you are a single hand driver and keep your other hand on the Gear knob.

Braking :

I didn't notice any difference in braking but my friend who owns a Punto says its much better than his car. As far as I have noticed, the break pedal is not so deep and breaking is very smooth with minimum vibrations.

Suspensions seemed smooth as anyone who traveled with me never complained about the car being bouncy.

Handling :

Its highly responsive with almost no vibrations at high speed, I drove uphill,downhill and at different speeds with windows up and down, there isn't a significant difference in the way it handles, except the wind noise creeping in, it just cuts through the road without any issues.

Ground clearance

Now that I have crossed 2000K's I can guarantee you that you need not worry about Low Ground Clearance. The only time I scraped the belly was when the car was full with 5 people and I drove over a crazy hump that was abnormally high.

Door-handle and Gear Box issues :

I noticed that the rear right side door handle is very tight and takes some effort to open, Also there is a lag when driving in the 2nd gear, it was not pulling as much as i wanted it to(or as much as I am used to). I took it to the ASS in Whitefield, they checked and gave me an appointment to comeback next week.I took the car first thing in the morning, the SA asked me to wait in the lobby as it won't take long to fix it.

While I was there, I also told them to check the 2nd gear setup. After 90 minutes, the SA took me along with him in the car and asked me to drive, the 2nd gear issue seems to be fixed. we got back to the showroom

I tried testing the door handle again but I still noticed the same issue, I tried to explain the same but after opening around 20-25 times, they said its normal as the rear doors have child lock and are heavy. I was not convinced but decided to take it to different ASS for checking. The next morning I tested the door again and it still felt very tight, but once it is opened for 10-15 times, it started to get better(its like a workout for the car). I still want to get it checked

Edit: the issue is fixed now, 2nd visit to ASS and they fixed it this time

Rat scare

Even before I took the delivery, I cleaned up the empty plot opposite to my house, it had good shade under a tree to park my car during the day or on those days when I don't drive to Office. There were some Rat holes across the road but never under the tree nor anywhere in that plot. When I was filling gas the Shell petrol bunk guy opened my bonnet and gave me the shock of my Life.

There were Rat droppings all over the engine bay, they didn't bite anything but imagine this happening to a new car. I went into offensive mode. First I bought Tobacco leaves and tried it in couple of placed around the car. Got our street dog used to sleep near the car(not sure if it has any effect). My next would be Naphthalene balls. I didn't go for rat kill cakes as I don't want to kill our street dogs by mistake






And then I met Him/Her(I don't know)


Turns out, the garbage basket that we started keeping outside seems to be the reason. I have never seen him enter the bonnet if the basket is not there

Though its a little cramped, I started parking the car in my parking space at home. This gave me some peace of mind but I still open the bonnet every morning to check for rats.




VCDS mods

Here at the mods I have done so far

1. Needle sweep celebration(what's a car that can do this but doesn't have it enabled ?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKGmBSivmEU

2. Tear wiping
3. Acoustic Locking and unlocking confirmation(it echoes when I lock it in my Office MLCP)
4. Refill Quantity in MFG
5. Hazard lights on emergency braking
6. Changed Number of Lane Clicks to 5

Mods in line :

1. Cabin Light(done)
2. Gear knob
3. Dash cam
4. toll slip clip(on its way)
5. Automatic Head lights(on its way)
6. Illuminated 12V socket (on its way)
7. Dampners for rear seat pull Handles(on its way)
6. Android Head unit
7. Steering Leather Wrap(done)

Don't know what kind of warranty issues these Automatic headlights and Android head unit can cause, but I am gonna go ahead with them in time

Time for some Pictures

[kishore1984]

First MileStone - 1K completed

















L shaped headrests


Duster, light and some water spray for emergency bird poop treatment

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[lHarpreetl]

Congratulations Kishore1984 on your new possession. VW indeed has the timeless design and looks good every time you look at it. Grey looks great and I wish you many happy miles ahead.

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by kishore1984

ODO was at 37Kms, this car was on display when I first came to this Showroom

Congrats kishore on your latest acquisition and it looks smashing buddy

I bought my GT from VW Palace Cross back in 2014 and it was quite a smooth affair. Glad that things have remained the same and you also had a pleasant car delivery experience.

Let me warn you of few things from my experience of a VAG car:
- You will start comparing every car you drive/sit in with your Polo and you may start hating the other lesser cars for the quality & build.
- The TDI engine is so addictive that you may completely stop driving the Dzire !!
- This machine is so much fun behind the wheel and so easy on your pocket as well, that you may actually stop using your Apache too.
- You could be searching for the silliest of reasons to take your stead out on the highway.
- The Polo is so mod friendly that once you start adding stuffs, there is no stopping. You may blow up all your savings on this baby !!
- Your family/friends may start wondering what has got into you as you may just blabber about your stead all day with a silly smile plastered across your face.

All said and done, I think personally, I would swap those wheel caps for some good dark shade Alloys/Rims with a fatter rubber, to complete the look. I can bet this will happen sooner or later.

Wish you a happy motoring and many mile munching.

Drive safe.

[abhinav.s]

Originally Posted by kishore1984

First MileStone - 1K completed

Congrats on your new car Kishore! Wish you many happy miles with the new car. I am a prospective buyer of the Polo Highline TDI shortly.

PS: Noticed that you had mentioned that it was good you did not opt for the Toffee Brown color. I know color choice is subjective but any specific reason why you mention that.

[kishore1984]

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Congrats on your new car Kishore!

thank you

PS: Noticed that you had mentioned that it was good you did not opt for the Toffee Brown color.

No specific reason, but I picturised the same colour without the glossy finish(which it would be couple of years later) and it didn't please me much

Do not step back with regards to the variant, In less than 2 days I regretted not buying the Highline Variant(I did get a warning about it from other BHPians but didn't listen)

Let me know if you have any Questions!!

[McLaren Rulez]

Congratulations from a fellow Polo owner!

May I suggest that you also invest in a good child seat? The Polo is one of the safest cars for the adults up front and a child seat will ensure the same for your daughter. Wish you many happy miles ahead.

[kishore1984]

Originally Posted by Vik0728

Congrats kishore on your latest acquisition

- You will start comparing every car you drive/sit in with your Polo and you may start hating the other lesser cars for the quality & build.

Thank you, That is so true

Originally Posted by Vik0728

- This machine is so much fun behind the wheel and so easy on your pocket as well, that you may actually stop using your Apache too.

the Bike has started coming out only if its a less than 2KM drive now

Originally Posted by Vik0728

- You could be searching for the silliest of reasons to take your stead out on the highway.

IF its a Govt holiday and I am working, there is no reason NOT to drive to office instead of office cab

Originally Posted by Vik0728

- The Polo is so mod friendly that once you start adding stuffs, there is no stopping. I would swap those wheel caps for some good dark shade Alloys/Rims with a fatter rubber, to complete the look. I can bet this will happen sooner or later.

a Long post is getting ready for the mods done so far. I have planned to upgrade the alloys before the first service

kishore