[sachin_cs]

TeamBHP has helped to make a right decision while choosing a perfect car for me, so I would like to thank everyone one on this platform for helping thousand others like me who look forward to TeamBHP as a holy book before any new car purchase.

It's going to be a long ownership review and I will try to keep it updated with my service experiences as well. At the time of penning down this thread, the odo stands at 27,000kms in 15 months of its ownership.

MEET HEISENBERG!






I would like to thank Akshay the Vector Artist for this beautiful rendition, you may follow him on Instagram at akshay.kumar.3939



This happens to be my wallpaper now

Why the name Heisenberg?- Breaking Bad is a series with 9.4imdb rating and there's the lead who goes by the name Heisenberg. He has a badass yet classy character. And I relate my car's character to Heisenberg, wears a classy black suit on the outside with stonker of a drivetrain beneath.



The ownership review would be divided into 8 parts:-

• The Prologue
• Cars Considered
• Buying Experience
• Likes and Dislikes
• Experience so far
• The famous Skoda After-Sales
• Miscelleneuous
• Random Observations

1. The Prologue-

The idea for a new car was born in 2017 when the Compass was launched in our market and dad & I went all gaga over its appeal. We didn't have any new car requirement as such since our 7-year-old Estilo KB10 was perfectly doing her city chores and Compass was more of an aspirational proposition. There's a famous saying that Men will be men, I remember that day when we walked into the Jeep Showroom with a chequebook in our hand, the sales guy told us that the booking amount would be 90k and that's when it hit me Wait! We haven't yet asked mom about the car? I made a call to her & I started explaining that we kinda liked a car and we were thinking...... I got a one-word reply NO!! And that was the end of the story.


Fastforward to 2019: January I had my convocation and somehow a guy who never went to classes (I was always either in the Himalayas or working on our formula student car) managed to complete his Automobile engineering with rank 1 in his batch. My mom got all emotional seeing her kid receiving a medal and stuff, in the evening we were casually discussing as to how she always wanted to visit Jhansi.

Mom: We should plan a road trip since your college is over now.
Me: (I jokingly said) Mumma we will need a new car for that trip.
Mom: Okay then, which one do you like?
Me: You kidding me right?
Mom: I'm serious, but ask your dad first.
Me: Sure! (I was thinking to myself- Papa humare 2017 me hi ready the )



2. Cars considered-

So what we wanted in our new car? : Should be an automatic, comfortable (read: Supportive seats|Lot of glass area|no unnecessary body movements), fun to drive and of course safer the better. When it comes to after-sales service I believe it's subjective and it has more to do with the personal rapport with the service team rather than a particular brand because I've had bad experiences with brands which people swear by for their high-quality A.S.*. With no specific body type or set budget we ventured in the market to pick something which strikes a chord with our hearts, we considered the following cars (Yes! some people do cross-shopping and it was one of the most extensive test drive marathons I have ever taken)

Note: Cars were test-driven in 2019 Q1. Below observations are my personal opinion, no offence to the respective owners. I believe there's no perfect car, every car appeals to different tastes differently.

A. Hyundai Verna D AT:
Likes-

• NVH
• Rear styling
• Cooled seats
• Creamy 1.6D
• Under thigh support in the rear seat was best

Dislikes-

• Rear seat space
• Reliabilty issues cropping up in some cars
• Somehow didn't feel connected to the car
• High window line make things claustrophobic
• 6 speed AT sucks when driven hard. It robs away half of the 128 horses

B. Hyundai Creta D AT:
(Trust me when I say this-Raipur is flooded with white cretas, it's more common than even a humble swift)

Likes-

• Ground clearance
• Looks pretty in Black
• Safety features in SX(O)
• 1.6D in the manual avatar is fun

Dislikes-

• Body roll
• Steering is dead
• Feels overpriced for what it offers
• Claustrophobic rear for shorter passengers
• Felt too loose for my driving style, especially on the twisties
• Brakes- My close friend owns one and the brakes behave abnormally at times and company has not yet sorted it
• Felt a drone effect in the rear seat when driven at high speeds (This is something I have felt in most of the sub 20L pseudo SUV I don't know why)

C: Tata Nexon P/D:
Likes-

• Diesel is punchy
• Ground clearance
• Heavy build is apparent
• Space considering the under 4m size
• This car has brought accolades for India in EURO N-CAP

Dislikes-

• Drone effect in the rear seat
• Diesel clatter during acceleration
• AMT in 13+ Lakh car is nothing short of a daylight robbery
• Feels like an unfinished product in terms of fit and finish
• Other BHPians can confirm it but in the 3 different cars I test drove, the steering wheel would lock up when turned fully to either sides and required little efforts to bring back to normal play. SA said it's normal.

Checking out the colours at a dealer yard



The test drive car at home



D. Honda City P/D-
Likes-

• Japanese cool toy
• Comfortable seats front and rear
• Dual tone alloy design looks cool
• LED headlights were first in the segment at that time

Dislikes-

• Huge departure from the quality levels of yesteryear Honda Citys
• NVH is poor considering the price and the car felt flimsy on dynamics department
• Are you sure Honda that this Diesel engine belongs to a 17L Rupee car? And as far as famous iVtec is considered, I don't necessarily revv the nuts off the engine all time and at times I do appreciate low-end torque plus that petrol rubberised CVT was not to my liking

E. Honda Amaze D CVT:
Likes-

• Interiors felt comfortable
• Diesel + CVT mating is interesting
• Diesel automatic for 10L is a mouth-watering deal
• One of the very well packaged cars in the sub 4m segment

Dislikes-

• Design is too boxy
• Clear example of under tyred car
• It's a point A to point B machine and nothing in between
• I was at 100kmph and over a flyover expansion it felt like a flying machine with a lot of vertical movements filtering in the cabin

F. Jeep Compass D:
Likes-

• Ride quality
• Timeless design
• Build quality is top-notch. Feels heavy.
• Lovely 2.0L multijet II is a hoot to drive
• Highway manners would put cars priced 2x to shame
• There's nothing like Jeep (It has different Brand value altogether)
• No cost-cutting in safety, even the base variant has ESC TC Rollover mitigation and stuff

Dislikes-

• Slightly on the pricier side
• Biggest deterrent was lack of an AT at that time
• Leaving blank switches on 20+L Rupee car is beyond my comprehension. Looks cheap IMHO

It will age very well



G. Toyota Yaris:
Likes-

• 7 airbags
• Seven airbags
• Did I said airbags enough?

Dislikes-

• The priciest in the segment
• One of the most boring cars I have driven in a long time
• There was no USP other than airbags and some more airbags
• Petrol automatic would take forever to pick up the pace when floored

(I know it's too many cars but I just wanted to be sure that we are picking up a right one, after all we were about to pour in a lot of our hard-earned money)


H. Toyota Innova Crysta:
Likes-

• One word- Comfortable
• I found the ride quality to be a lot more sorted than Fortuner
• Interiors were quite an upgrade from the previous generation
• Has got a good road presence and looks delicious in Burgundy colour

Dislikes-

• Engine and NVH is crude
• 2.8Z auto is almost in the Skoda Superb territory
• Not really a dislike but for us, the size would have been too bulky for daily office commute

I. Maruti Ciaz/Baleno/S-cross:

Lack of decent automatic kept me at bay and also I was keenly following BHPian Laluk's Kunfu Panda ownership review, so we decided to part ways from the Maruti family after being associated with them for past 15 years. Do I miss them? Nehhh... With so many cars on the service, the quality has taken a big hit. (We try to stick with the authorised service centre for all our servicing needs). But still, I would like to give a big thanks to the service manager of SKY Automobiles Raipur Mr Aneesh, for all those times when he went out of his way to give us the best possible service and he has saved us a lot of time and money for his courteous and frank attitude.

J. Ford Freestyle:
Likes-

• Peppy diesel
• 6 airbags and TCS
• Decent ground clearance
• Value for money proposition
• Ford Sync is one of the better stock ICE

Dislikes-

• It's not built like a Ford. Feels flimsy
• Plastic quality leaves a lot to be desired
• Lack of space and rear seats lack under-thigh support. I mean the Nexon for 4m is a lot more comfortable
• Lack of cubby spaces inside the cabin is undesirable on long journeys (ex- no bottle holders in rear doors)

Kheyy... Finally the car is here we all have been waiting for, I went in for the test drive of Skoda Rapid at the end of the food chain and boy oh boy, It was love at first drive.

Love at first sight




The test drive car at home

3. Buying Experience-

First of all, a huge thanks to my best friend M. Ali for having the patience to bear me with all my lunatic test drive exercises. It was exhaustive and time taking but we really enjoyed the whole process since this opportunity of buying a new car doesn't come too often and we BHPians can't leave a stone unturned when it's about 4 wheels.

So one beautiful morning we walked in the only Skoda dealer in Raipur- SPEED AUTOMOTIVE, we were attended very well and one SA was assigned to us, let's name him Mr X. After all the briefing we went for two test drives, the first one was Kodiaq for my friend and we really liked the car, it felt much better than entry-level German luxury SUVs TBH. Next up was Skoda Rapid DSG- man there's nothing in the segment which comes close to the way this thing rides and builds up speed, I drove it on some twisties and the car holds up the line very well for a stock setup and the way she envelops around you over quick directional changes was something which pseudo SUVs could only dream of. We took it on a longish test drive to experience it over every kind of roads and be it the ride quality over pothole-riddled roads or high-speed stability, everything felt like it belonged to a segment above. I was now sure that it's going to be a Skoda, but there was one tiny problem that in my family of 4, rest three members have not seen the car yet. My brother was leaning towards Nexon while dad is not a big fan of quirky designs and mom was neutral meanwhile I already gave my heart to the Czech beauty. I knew I could convince my mom for Skoda, while my brother was a tough one to deal with, so I came up with an idea to simultaneously call Nexon and Rapid for test drives at our home. Driving back to back both the cars, now even my brother was convinced as to why I was obsessed with the Czech machine. Just before closing the deal, I wanted my dad to drive both the cars but he lives in a different city 80kms from Raipur, I expressed my concern with Tata and Skoda team & they both promised to reach his office in the evening, but from what I remember Nexon guys never showed up and rest is history now. Dad liked the car, especially the performance in S mode, somehow the DSG makes you feel that it's a lot more powerful car than it actually is since I also drove the manual one and it didn't feel special as such. Finally, the Skoda people got the cheque from us and promised to deliver the car RAPID AMBITION DSG CARBON STEEL in two weeks time which we were okay with. My two cents when it comes to negotiations, Just let go of your hesitation and be shameless in quoting unrealistic figures I repeat let go fo your hesitation!, we were able to strike a very good deal with the SA which was essentially bringing it in the range of Verna manual and also a reverse camera was thrown in as a freebie (Its offered only in the Style variant, however from what I was informed, installing the camera is a matter of just a plug and play since the wiring is already present in the car). For price details, you can PM me.


Now comes the twist-

As you would have guessed it, I don't know why but all of a sudden the world felt really slow, time was just not moving. It was probably the longest 2 weeks of my life . I called up Mr X and enquired about the status of the delivery, to which he said it will be delivered on time and he informed that the car has been allotted to us from the factory. That was some relief and I asked him for the VIN number just to be sure of the manufacturing date, which he said he will provide by the evening. Soon that evening turned into a week and a couple of times he said that he has already mailed me the VIN which was an absolute lie. This really pissed off my dad because he was of the opinion that even if you couldn't provide the VIN, we don't have a problem but why do you have to resort to a lie, this brings a very opaqueness to the buying experience and worst off he started avoiding dad's call and immediately I started recalling all the Skoda horror stories I had been reading in the forum. That was it- I lost my cool and I called the sales manager of Speed Automotive, he seemed like a gentleman and he apologized on behalf of Mr X and he assured me of sharing the VIN by evening which he delivered as promised. Now my all conversation & queries were being handled by Mr Praveen the Sales Manager and he was transparent throughout the process. Finally, the D-day arrived but due to some logistic issues the car was not with the dealership even by 6 in the evening, but the good part was Mr Praveen was communicating with me throughout the delay and the car finally reached their yard by 8 PM and he was ready to get the car prepared and deliver us at our home in the night itself. Thankfully my senses prevailed and we decided to take the delivery next day as I have read in TeamBHP car buying guide to avoid delivery in the dusk. There's no brownie point in guessing that I had a sleepless night in excitement.

Decided to draw this in our parking as a gift to our new car




Bought this cute little Buddha from Amazon, had this in mind from quite some time

Delivery experience-

We have had bought a few cars in the past and have accompanied many of our friends and families during their car purchase and believe me- it was one of the most seamless deliveries we ever had. All the documents were prepared in advance and a couple of signatures here and there and we were done and dusted in 30 minutes. What came as a pleasant surprise was that Praveen decided to throw in a rear trunk spoiler and a rear windshield sunshade as a gift for that one day delay. I couldn't ask for more, I was more than happy since I was actually planning for that classy looking spoiler and it costs somewhere around 8k. TeamBHP PDI list came as handy since we found that there was some damage to the armrest console and it was immediately replaced upon raising the concern (Later I was informed that it was damaged during transit). We specifically informed the Speed Automotive team that we want a very simple delivery with no fun-fare and ribbons-balloons were to be avoided at all costs. They obliged and a small pooja was performed followed by a photo session and we were out of the showroom in flat 1 hour or so. We received a 5L diesel coupon for an HP pump next to the showroom and after refuelling, we went straight to our home and did not go for any temple pooja as in my community (We belong to Halba tribe of Bastar region) we believe in the blessings of our ancestors and grandparents, whatever we are today is because of their struggles and blessings. So we got the pooja done by my Dadi Maa (Grandmother) when we visited our village.

A key to happiness




Finally it was ours




The first-ever picture I clicked of Heisenberg




Others machines making way for the new family member




Managed to do a reverse park on the first attempt




Went for a dinner to celebrate our new acquisition, I made sure to find the best parking space of that restaurant




Ahhhh.... I can spend hours here




Caught my dad taking a glimpse of the Czech beauty




Red contrast floor compliments the Carbon Steel colour








This Sumo is no more with us




The two different design language in one frame




Took it for a drive to the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Cricket stadium








Kitna deti hai?




Clicked during one of our monsoon drive to Bastar




The first nitrogen filling

To be continued...

[sachin_cs]

4. Likes and Dislikes:

Good bits-

• Carbon Steel is a very unique shade of black and grey. Looks dark grey under the sun while rest of the time it appears black
• A car with useable front armrest. It's adjustable in 6 positions and has a padded storage compartment where my phone sits perfectly
• Looks sinister with the smoked headlamps and fog lamps which goes very well with the dark shade of the car. Detailing inside the headlight assembly with chrome lashes and crystalline elements is a piece of art. DRL and projector add to the character
• A rare car with minimal use of chrome throughout the body. There are absolutely no dhinchak shiny chrome ornaments in the body, baring the grill and badges
• Much has been already said about the build quality, the way doors close, the heft in the bonnet speaks itself
• Interiors though old in design is very well put together, there's not a single rattle inside the cabin even after 27,000kms on the odo. The car has been to 5 states so far in all roads or no roads conditions.
• 1.5 TDi mated to the 7 speed DSG DQ200 is a match made in heaven. The driving experience is unreal- there's everything for everyone: for my dad D/S mode, for my brother S mode and you will always find me in the Tiptronic mode
• Underthigh support and side bolstering are perfect for my physique and I have driven it continuously for 21 hours from Lucknow to Raipur and never did I feel tired. This is coming from someone with a weak lower back
• Road manners are hands down one of the usp of this car. Maintain a speed of 100kmph and no matter what comes in the way be it potholes, deep ruts left by trucks or even if you miss a speed breaker the car just rides flat, I don't remember when was the last time my car felt unsettled
• Ride quality makes sure that you are not tossed around in any road condition the car is subjected to. Body roll and vertical movements are very well controlled for a factory setup
• Glass area is huge. The rear quarter glass helps in making the cabin airy
• Rear seat has a good amount of under-thigh support when compared to city and ciaz and probably second to Verna(It has the best rear seat under-thigh support)
• Boot is well designed and it gulps everything you throw at
• Space is good for 4 people (5th passenger is unwelcomed due to the tall transmission tunnel in the rear)
• Unlike other cars, costing twice or thrice as much don't offer this useful feature which is standard in VAG cars, that is- One Touch UP-Down and anti-pinch on all four windows (Yes you read it correctly On all 4 windows)
• There's no cost-cutting in the interior front, everything feels well put together and every single switch is backlit, be it at dashboard or steering wheel or power window switches
• You can roll up/down all the windows with the remote key. Very useful touch for summers
• Glove box is humongous and it swallows even a full-sized laptop plus it's illuminated which comes handy in night
• Lovely driving position, with seat height set to its lowest position, your butt is just above the ground and steering wheel adjustable for rake & reach helps in finding a perfect driving position in no time. Also, the Leather stitched gear knob and the steering wheel is a delight to hold (Thanks to part sharing between Rapid-Octavia-Kodiaq)
• Presence of android auto and apple car play is a blessing in disguise, people those who do frequent road trips would agree with me
• Integration of the new 330G plus in the central fascia is flawless and doesn't look like an afterthought. Screen response is fluid and the screen has matt texture and depth of black is really good which reduces glare during daytime (Ciaz has a reflective screen for example)
• Reverse camera quality is good in both day/night condition (It also offers various colour correction setting too) and its display is in the music system which is positioned below the ac vents as a result, it has minimal sunlight reflection during the day (A common problem I faced in the aftermarket IRVM mounted reverse camera displays)
• Fuel efficiency- the presence of the 7th cog makes a big difference in fuel economy. Even if driven spiritedly in long highway journeys, it delivers 20-22 kmpl and if driven sedately at speeds of 70kmph then I would suggest you have your feet firmly planted on the ground because you're going to see some 25kmpl+ figures. It was a big surprise for us considering the amount of punch this diesel engine packs in
• A proper mile muncher- Comes with one of the biggest fuel tanks in the segment at 55L, it's even bigger than the one on Crysta. Which effectively translates into 1000+ km of driving range. I remember driving 800kms from Raipur to Hyderabad and 900kms from Raipur to Jhansi without a fuel break, such is the versatility on offer.
• Lot's of cubby spaces all around the cabin with bottle holders in each door
• The quality of official accessory - floor mats with a mechanism to lock in the floor, memory foam pillow, window shades and rear windshield sunshade feels premium
• VCDS tweaks offer a lot of customisation options which keeps me intrigued(needle sweep, flashers count, brake bite etc can be tweaked at home)
• Chassis feels taught and even the sheet metal used for body panels feels heavy and doesn't reflex (Strong build saves a lot of $$ in your dent repairs)
• Underbody protection extends all the way to the rear of the car, it has saved heavy damage to my wallet once when I missed a big boulder in our village while parking and had it not been the rough road package, my sump and gearbox were gone for sure.
• Full plastic cladding in front as well as rear wheel wells. No cost-cutting here. It translates into an amazingly well-cocooned cabin insulated from the outside chaos. Wheel cladding along with underbody cover reduces road noise and isolates the cabin well, it was apparent when I was driving in monsoons and I hit a patch of waterlogged road at speed and the floor was completely free from vibration, which is something I have experienced in other cars where you can feel the water hitting against the underbody
• Battery management, if you are listening to music with the engine switched off, it will cut off the power supply if the voltage drops. The car will automatically switch off the boot/cabin lamp if you keep doors/boot-lid open for too long. Even in the case when you forgot to switch off headlights or cabin lights when leaving the car, it will automatically cutoff the power after a while.
• Attention to details like A. when you switch on the headlights for the first time and if the lights were left at high beam position during the previous use, it will always start in the low-beam position to avoid glare to oncoming traffic if you forgot to do so B. when you are using hazard light and then you tap on the indicator switch, it will override the hazard lights and indicator would be functional and when you bring the indicator stalk back to normal position, the hazards will again get activated C. wiper could be programmed for a tear swipe after using the windshield washer D. hazards start flashing in case of hard braking to warn the drivers behind (very Volvo-ish)
• Dead pedal is of good size and the A and B pedals are well spaced
• 4 year standard warranty and service package, I have not spent a single penny on its upkeep in the ownership of 27k km. All consumables along with labour charges are covered for 4 years. I'm also planning to get my warranty extended for 6th year. Never imagined I would have such a peace of mind with Skoda ownership because the internet has a painted a different picture altogether
• Safety features deserve a special mention- It has dual Airbags, ABS, Brake Assist, Traction Control, Hill-start control, Electronic differential lock, Electronic Stability Control, MSR(Engine drag control for that seamless gearshifts) and the likes. There's always a sense of safety when you get in, shut the heavy door and buckle-up to embrace our Indian roads.

Not so good bits-

• Engine clatter is high. Thankfully it doesn't filter in the cabin
• Headlights tend to fog up in monsoon and it seems like a common phenomenon in German cars
• Sun visors are pointless when the sun rays hit from the sides, they are a size too small to block sun glares
• DSG gets jerky in Tiptronic mode when used in city traffic condition
• Fuel efficiency takes a dip when driven in city as the DSG keeps on shuffling between gears
• Reliability concern over DQ200, I hope Skoda takes care of it as a goodwill warranty if something goes wrong after the warranty period, as has been the case with some owners
• Carbon Steel colour - I know I listed it as a pro but I'm a sucker for clean black cars and this colour requires a lot of care in order to keep it shining. Raipur is a dusty city and even after 1 hour of a drive the dust is visible on the car surface. My weekly routine goes like- clean Heisenberg with Zopasu duster after every drive and then cover it, I never let anyone touch my car and I always wash it by my self, even when I get her washed at Service centre I take my own set of microfibre cloth and give it to the washing guys (they have started recognising me now since whenever I take her for washing they themselves ask for microfibre cloth), I don't let them use any kind of polish, I wax (Formula1 carnuba paste) the car once every month or earlier if it loses beading property, I refrain from frequently using car shampoos, I polish the window beadings/tyres/grill/mud flap all by myself or with help of brother, I'm obsessed with clean engine bays and I occasionally use vacuum cleaner/blower/microfibre cloth to clean my engine bay and the mechanics at service centre always enquire if I got some kind of engine polish. It's always a funny conversation
• Brake dust accumulation in alloy wheels. One highway drive is good enough to make your alloys powdered black
• After every wash, some amount of water is accumulated in ORVM and it drips over a period of time leaving watermarks on the doors which I absolutely hate
• Throw from the low beam is not long enough and it is difficult to drive on unlit single lane highways with just the low beams. Bulb upgrade is advised
• We have 2 Asian cars and one German so a lot of time we keep using the wrong stalks for wipers-indicators and same happens when driving the other cars at home
• Mud flaps- when fully loaded and driven over bad roads, they do scrape and it's not a good feeling

Some underbody inspection




Getting the temporary registration stickers removed at dealership




People here leave the stickers intact and put number plates on top of it, looks horrendous to my eyes




Notice the sheer difference in length




Estilo was bought in 2009, it was one of the first Dusky Brown vxi of our city




Would you believe if I say that this Estilo is 9 years old and has done 2,00,000 kilometres?




My dad is very particular when it comes to maintaining our cars




It was my idea to go for the same registration number








Took her to the lifeline of Chhattisgarh for a photo shoot




The mighty Mahanadi River




Conincidently this river originates in my native village




Mahanadi flows through Chhattisgarh and Orrisa over a course of 860kms before draining in the Bay of Bengal

















I'm a big fan of sunsets (probably because I do not wake up at Dawn)




Mom trying her hands behind the steering wheel




Time of the day when the colour appears dark grey





One with my neighbour's car




One of those times when I just wanted to be alone... This is a pretty little artificial lake next to my society




We went to our farm once




This is why we bought the car... Roads like these bring unparalleled happiness




This was clicked before entering Bastar




Surprisingly you will find the best roads of Chhattisgarh in Bastar




One with my Dadi Maa.... She is one of the most down to earth person I've ever met




This is our ancestral home, most of my childhood, as well as my parent's childhood, was spent in this very home.




It's always a delight to drive on the roads of New Raipur








What you looking at huh..???

To be continued...

[sachin_cs]

5. The Experience so far-

The car was bought with keeping road trips in mind & I am happy to announce that this machine has exceeded our expectations. It's fast, it's reliable(touch wood), it's comfortable, it's safe and the icing on the cake is it's efficient as well. I have had the opportunity to drive all the way to Hyderabad in July 2019, to Lucknow in August 2019 and also countless trips to our ancestral home in Bastar, Heisenberg has never disappointed us and never did I had a second thought regarding my decision. We have driven it over varying degree of surfaces right from 8-lane highways to single-lane country roads to a river bed and the suspensions never complained nor did the passengers. Once we took it off the road while exploring a hidden waterfall in the dense jungle of Bastar, it did had few underbelly scrapes (six to be precise) but we had nothing to worry about as the underbody comes well armoured from the factory itself. It's so much fun behind the wheels that I'm always on the lookout to find excuses to take her out, if I don't find one then once everyone sleeps at my home, I secretly sneak out in the midnight from my home to have some me time with the car, which happens quite frequently if you ask me . Once I had an exam in Lucknow and we had the option of 2 routes, 1st was ~800km via Bilaspur-Allahabad while the 2nd one was ~1250km via Nagpur-Kanpur but had 4 lanes throughout and we choose the longer one to have the peace of mind and that extra time on the roads was an added bonus.

Sooraj ko main.... Nigal gaya




Dusk and Dawn bring amazing lighting for photography




Is it grey or is it black?












Do you notice something interesting about this?.....The vector art is based on this picture




This is one my of my favourite click








This photoshoot was done once when we were returning from our natives and we did not have the home keys with us








I think I click a lot of half profile pictures




Just look at those timeless lines... No fancy stuff, simply clean and crisp




Looks all business from front 3 quarters

Heisenberg is our darling-

Of all the cars we own/owned, Heisenberg is the most pampered one and receives the utmost care from everyone in the family. I remember once my parents had to visit a family function in Orrisa village and the roads were not good nor was the parking so they took Sumo instead similarly for running all the city errands our humble Nano is the choice of our vehicle, it's not that Skoda can't do these duties but it's because of the fact that cars are never safe from bikers and vandalism, being a dark colour it picks up scratches too easily and when we have alternate options available then why to risk such a wonderful paint job. So far so good, after driving her for 27k kms over every road condition, I can confidently say that we are happy with the car, it has met our expectations and also exceeded in some parameters and the best part is it still drives the way it did on the first day.

I'm ready to pay anything for such beautiful evenings




Butter smooth roads and paper-thin traffic- welcome to New Raipur




One with our 2012 Nano. I call her Dhanno




When Google is going through its mood swings




All thanks to Google auntie




Clicked during the Hyderabad trip




This was clicked somewhere before Adilabad, Telangana, IIRC








Android auto is by far the best thing happened to automobiles. It makes our lives so easier




The feeling of unleashing 110 horses in such wonderfully laid & well-marked roads is something which can't be put together in words





After driving through Pench National Park. Yes you guessed it right, this is where Rudyard Kipling wrote the famous Jungle Book




This picture was clicked in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh. Here's a link to my Raipur-Lucknow travelogue
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...d-tdi-dsg.html (4 Wheels - 4 States - 2 Souls - 1 Beast! Road-trip in a Skoda Rapid TDI DSG)




Somewhere between Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra border. P.S.-This is the time of the day when the car looks black




One with my Thunderbird 350. Here's a link to my Ladakh Travelogue
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/trave...ty-ladakh.html (Dreams: A tale of Mighty Ladakh)





It's always a dream to drive on the roads of Bastar amid such lush greenery




Heisenberg is the only European car even in my extended family




Bastar has a lot of hidden gems. Unfortunately, it's famous for all the wrong reasons but I can assure you one thing-
you are as safe here as you are in other metro cities! BHPians are most welcome, I would love to take you around

To be continued...

[sachin_cs]

6. The famous Skoda After Sales Service-

As I've already mentioned that the service experience depends a lot on the relation with your service team rather than a particular brand. The number of cars sold by Maruti, Tata & Ford dealers in Raipur is beyond the numbers they can handle, this is coming from my personal experience and it's a fact that when you have such a high service target to achieve in a day, the quality does take a hit. With Skoda, I knew that the number of cars is relatively marginal in Chhattisgarh which would translate into better attention to details and my speculations did prove right. I have taken my car for 1st checkup at 7.5k mark then service at 15k, followed by an insurance claim for front bumper when my brother drove over a waterlogged road and he missed a sewer hole and numerous other times when I had some confusion over features or even when I felt slight rattling sound coming from the front left door- in all these occasions I was attended patiently and the staff there is really courteous and makes you feel as if you are there to purchase a vehicle not service it. Probably the best service experience I ever had in Raipur including two-wheelers as well because the problem with other service centres are that there's no one to listen to your minute requests. And here whenever I visit them, the sales manager Mr Praveen is always there to greet us and he is a knowledgable & fun guy to discuss cars with and also the service advisor Ashish needs a special mention, he is a very sweet & patient guy and whatever erratic requests you make in the job card, he makes sure to get that done. No matter if you visit them for service or minor repair they always offer to chauffeur you around in their own car if you plan to drop the car. This experience has come as a revelation to me as there's so much negativity about the brand on the internet that they have lost many prospective buyers just because of word-of-mouth from the people those who don't even own Skodas themselves, so I would suggest folks do have a look at the wonderful cars which Skoda offers at a bargain rather than sticking to conventional options just for sake of resale value. We BHPians buy cars to enjoy them, not to sell them at better prices later! And I hope that Raipur Skoda team stays this way throughout the period of my ownership and they remain as humble and courteous as they are right now, you have got a prospective buyer in me and I won't think before choosing another Skoda in near future.

Note: I'm in no way associated with Speed Automotive Raipur, it's just my personal opinion and I'm quoting whatever I have experienced over a period of 1.5 years of my Rapid ownership.

These washing guys are really sweet and they always oblige to use the microfibre cloth I bring with me




I see a lot of OD registered cars here for servicing. Kodiaq in case here




Mirror, the outer cover and the indicator lense were all gone, the cost of repair was only 350 bucks, I remember when just the mirror was broken in our Estilo and we had to buy an entire assembly for 3k because Maruti didn't sell mirror bracket separately. Talk of high maintenance now




While returning from the gym my brother missed a sewer hole due to waterlogging. Scratch was such that it was not that visible.
But my OCD was driving me crazy and I got the whole bumper repainted. The paint job was good, there's no colour mismatch




Floor board also had a scratch which was repainted along with the bumper




I observed this scratch above the rear number plate after 2 weeks into the ownership and it appeared that someone tried to cover a scratch with clear coat. I raised my concern with Praveen and he got it repainted in no time. Though the paint match is perfect, the surface is not as smooth as the factory finish




Initially the car came with partial underbody cover and I looked into various TeamBHP threads and realised that VW sells it for an additional ~5.5k, I asked Praveen if they had one in stock, well this gentleman offered it to me for no cost and I only paid for the labour work. Now the Heisenberg is fully armoured for those unforeseen circumstances




My brakes started shuddering heavily around 23k kms and upon inspection, I was informed that the rotors have gone bad. Which I felt was premature wear. Since the warranty procedure is time-consuming, the service team decided to change the Brake pads and the rotors for the time being as they are a crucial component for one's safety and then apply for a warranty claim





I got a mail from Skoda West Zone that my warranty claim was not accepted citing it's a wear and tear part but I expressed my disagreement since there's no mention of rotors in the warranty book as a wear & tear part. I'm ready to pay for the pads but rotors I feel they need to improve their material quality. As of now, there has been no communication from the West zone





Once this emission light showed up for no reason and the next thing I did was scavenge the user manual and it said to turn off the ignition for a while and then again start the engine. Voila, it worked! I also got it hooked to OBD scanner at the service centre and no error was found, it was probably due to a voltage fluctuation I believe

7. Miscelleneous-

• Underbody cover also helps in keeping the engine bay clean in monsoons
• Bumpers have a decent protrusion, which helps in safeguarding the bodywork
• Ambition variant doesn't come with a cooled glovebox, can someone help me with a DIY
• The trumpet horn which was made famous by Skoda is unfortunately not offered in Rapid anymore
• The recommended Tyre pressure appear little high to me at 38/35psi F/R for two passengers and 38/39psi when fully loaded. I have made peace with 35 all around
• There's a slight grrr noise which appears after switching off the car, I will have to get it checked in the next service
• In these 27,000kms, effectively I have got it serviced only once and for the same number of kilometres my RE thunderbird 350 needs 9 servicing in total. I was doing the math and maintaining the car turns out to be relatively cheaper if there's no part replacement involved in both the machines
• There's no physical lock switch on the individual doors. Locking/unlocking job is done by the knob on the driver's door. Doors can be opened from inside without having to resort to lock switch, just a pull on the front doors or two consecutive pull on the rear doors unlocks the car. In short- the doors don't lock from inside
• Tyre size in Ambition variant is 185/60 R15 while the Style and Monte Carlo are shod with 195/55 R16 rubber
• One quirky feature I found is- you can switch on the DRL and backlight of only one side when the engine is off using the indicator stalk
• Lowest fuel efficiency was 3kmpl when it was stuck for 2 hours with AC on and the highest efficiency was 27kmpl when driven at speeds of 60-65kmph.
• I would like to thank BHPian JoshMachine with his detailed Vento DSG ownership review and for enhancing my faith in DSG reliability as his steed Night Blue Vento is at 75k+ km now and also a big thanks to BHPian laluks for sharing his ordeal with S-cross, since at one point of time we were seriously considering it.
• Those who are interested to see the automotive vector artwork by Akshay can click on this link https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shift...strations.html (Automotive Vector Art & Illustrations)

I went for a dinner with my friend to renowned restaurant-Ashoka Biryani and this couple decided to use my car's bonnet as their personal furniture. I got this footage after a lot of haggling with the management.




The morons left this as a gift for me. For no fault of mine, my new car was scratched and who was to be considered responsible? I confronted the management to either provide me with the contacts of the person in question or either pay for my damage. They offered free dinner for my family which I politely refused and I just stopped going there. It broke my heart but I have moved on now




Heisenberg doing the duty in the time of Corona pandemic




Air pressure suggested by Skoda




I can't enough of Bastar




Some random click




This was the jungle trail where we had 6 underbelly hits




The beauty was worth the trouble




The Tamra Ghoomar waterfall




Bastar has a lot of hidden gems to offer. Narayanpaal Temple built in the 12th century by the Naagvanshi King, dedicated to Lord Vishnu




Yours truly




One of those times when I sneak out




Built like a tank! This picture reminds me of ownership review by BHPian laddz1121




Enroute my Dadi's




Clean Bastar-Green Bastar




Twinning


I would end this section, with two interesting pictures-



I bought this set of TeamBHP stickers in 2013 itself when I was not even a member of the forum. I had used many of the stickers on my cars save for one- got bhp?, I always felt that this special sticker need an equally special car




Seven years later I believe I have met the one

To be continued...

[sachin_cs]

Random Observations after 27k kms:

Engine, Gearbox, Suspension, Brakes-

-Power on tap is sufficient for most of the situation throughout the rev range and still you are in dire need of power then there's always the S mode for you
-Diesel clatter is high during cold start and once engine warms up things get better
-Skoda manual says do not idle during cold starts, just drive off immediately, I follow this habit however I do idle for a minute or two when switching off the engine after a drive
-Dampening materials are used generously as they don't let much NVH filter in the cabin
-DSG masks the turbo lag very well however the D mode unnecessarily lugs the engine around low rpm & keeps on slipping clutch
-1.5L motor feels surprisingly rev friendly for a diesel
-Fuel efficiency in stop-go traffic is 12-13kmpl while the highway efficiency is always 20+ for our driving style
-Upshifts are unnoticeable however same can't be said for downshifts in Tiptronic mode
-Ambition variant with R15 wheels sit comparatively lower than the variants (Style/Monte Carlo/Onyx) shod with R16s
-Braking feels sure-footed and the car stops in straight line with absolutely no drama however if driven at speeds above our highway speed limits then they feel inadequate
-Steering feels considerably heavier than the Petrol Rapid & Octavia in a good way. Changes in road surfaces can be felt at the steering wheel
-Low-speed ride quality is definitely on the stiffer side when compared to the competition and it gets supple with increase in speed




Some clicks...

The hazard switch glows in sync with the indicators




Nice theatre effect in F/R cabin lights




Rear camera sits next to the electric boot release switch & also notice the LED number plate lights




Fabric padded armrest on all 4 doors




Security warning light flashes in interval when the vehicle is locked




13L illuminated glove box




Centre armrest with rubberized storage, helps in keeping the rattle at bay




Double layer door beading helps in good NVH




Everything feels solid. Notice the cockpit design language is driver focussed




Memory foam pillow came as a standard Skoda accessory, feels premium




Leather stitched steering wheel and DSG lever




Decently spaced out A B pedals and dead pedal for the left foot




One of the Fuse box lie below the steering column, the other is in the engine compartment




Sturdy bonnet release lever. It can be only operated when the driver's door is opened. Smart positioning




We are yet to utilize the full capacity of humongous boot




Plenty of bottle holders throughout the cabin front & rear




Front and rear 12v charging sockets. The rear sockets were introduced in 2019 models




Simply clever touches by Skoda




Small touches like these make a difference- nifty cardholder, height-adjustable seatbelts and coat hook(There are total 4 coat hooks in the rear)




Stalk to control MID, wipers, high/low beam and further, the intervals of intermittent wiper settings can be altered with that tiny lever on top of the stalk




MID throws in a host of information like the DSG modes, coolant temperature, outside temperature, average speed, speed limit if set any, fuel consumption, DTE, driving duration etc




Android auto in the house and speak of attention to details- notice the small notch which resembles the Skoda butterfly grill




Sunshades for the rear windows, rear windshield and also quarter glasses. They feel sturdy and do not rattle




All Switches are backlit and come quite handy in nights. No cost-cutting in this department




Custom made Nappa seat covers with extra under-thigh support




Coolant reservoir comes with a sensor but I'm not sure if there's a warning light for same




Rear windshield comes with defogger




Beautifully designed engine compartment. Everything looks flush. Notice the hood insulation




Rear parking sensors don't protrude




Subtle boot spoiler adds a character to the otherwise simple looking rear

If you've survived reading this long then a huge thanks for taking out the time to read such extensive ownership review, I'm always open to suggestions so please feel free to help me improve my writing. I will try to keep this thread updated with the service aspect and if you have any queries regarding Rapid or Skoda, in general, I would be really happy to answer that. Stay indoors stay safe!



Ahoj!... Pronounced like Ahoy-Its for Bye in Czech

[GTO]

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

Your car is shortly going to our homepage .

[BZ25]

Congratulations sir, on your acquisition, and what a comprehensive review! I recall first reading about the Rapid when I was in fourth grade. Back then, Skoda was planning to name it Lauretta! Thank goodness they didn't keep that name.

Now I'm getting ready for college, it's great to see that the Rapid still has merit even when compared with newer rivals (that's German Engineering). Same case with the other budget VW Group offerings. I used to literally despise the 1.6l TDI & its successor, the 1.5l TDI as I could never get over it's tractor like noise! But I've come to respect it for its tractability and all-round usability.

With Skoda slowly improving it's service, I'm positive that in the future we will see many erstwhile Polo/Fabia/Vento/Rapid owners move on to the group's future MQB AO IN offerings! Take care & please keep updating this thread.

[sachin_cs]

Originally Posted by BZ25

Now I'm getting ready for college, it's great to see that the Rapid still has merit even when compared with newer rivals (that's German Engineering)

Thanks BZ25, I completely agree with you, infact Rapid official review was the first thing I ever read in teamBHP and I was blown away with car as well as the comprehensive review by TeamBHP. Since then I was trying to register myself in the forum and it finally happened in 2019 after so many failed attempts

[krish3]

That's a wonderful review straight from the heart. The sheer amount of pics you've taken shows the love for the car. I guess, I've not taken so many pics of my XUV and I click a hell lot of pics.

Wish you many more wonderful miles and smiles with the Rapid. Do keep updating the thread in future as well.

[Diesel_Drives]

Dear sachin_cs, loved reading the review and your adoration for your ride shows through your detailed descriptions and the perfect angled shots of your cars

The colors of both of your cars, Estillo and Rapid, look good and being uncommon would get you right amount of attention, I am sure.

Writing this I realise that all the other cars featured, from Sumo, Estillo and Nano have been part of my Garage too at some point of time. Now like yourself, I too am enjoying the newfound love for DSG gearbox in Rapid.

Look forward to your other reports as we move along.

[Col Mehta]

What an amazing looking car on that shade. And equally well written review. Just love the way you maintain your car. And regarding OCD - welcome to the demented club . Congratulations and wish you many more happy miles.

[catchjyoti]

Fantastic review of the Rapid Diesel DSG - a gem of a car. Since you seem to keep cars for long, I wish you tens of thousands of kilometers in this.

Also, great introduction to Bastar - one of the hidden gems of interior India. I still remember the majestic beauty of Chitrakote falls which I had visited during monsoon decades back.

[KANNURAN]

Thank you for the wonderful ownership log. I own a Rapid Ambition Diesel - Manual, approximately the same age as your Heisenberg and I vouch for your views on this amazing car and how underrated it is.
Unbelievable quality, solidity and (surprising) mileage too.
Perhaps, I have erred in not having opted for the DSG, coz the heavy clutch takes a heavy toll on on ones knees

A few pics of my blue dyed boy:`

How I wish VAG-India realized the gems in their stable and got themselves to a respectable market share.

[GipsyDanger]

Congratulations sachin_cs! Boy, isn't she a beauty?
Wonderful choice of color! The name suits it perfectly too- If Breaking Bad were to take place elsewhere, Heisenberg would definitely be driving an understated European sedan! Looks menacing and elegant at the same time.

Nearly a decade after its launch in India, the Rapid has managed to outlive it's biggest rivals in a single generation and still thrive in the age of modern rivals. Props to Skoda for actually updating the model regularly; Apart from the interiors, the car looks and feels like it was launched only about a year ago! Can't say the same about it's rivals during its prime.

I'm glad the Skoda service at your locality is good. It's still chequered, but the after sales experience in general has come a long way. Ours is a 2013 1.6 TDI Prestige, driven by my brother GeneralJazz, and has proven to be an excellent highway cruiser. We did have doubts regarding the 1.5 TDI, especially about the much-mentioned lack of"turbo-kick"that made the 1.6 TDI so special. But I'm glad it's still a strong, reliable workhorse of a motor.

The 7-speed DSG is still yet to be dethroned as the finest automatic transmission in mainstream cars.

But yeah, it's a double edged sword. It's a very delicate piece of machinery. But you'll be fine as long as you make sure it doesn't overheat in traffic, via steps explained in a separate post regarding DSGs, hope you've taken a proper look at it. Otherwise, it's a masterpiece.

Anyways, wishing you many happy miles with "the one who knocks." Such a damn, fine machine.

Let me take a moment to show off our beauty: 7 years and nearly 40,000 kms in, still looks and feels like new. Enjoy your ride!

[roby_dk]

Congratulations on the acquisition of the DSG machine.

This gearbox is one to die for and I really admire the dual clutch transmissions over the CVTs and regular TCs (AMTs not even considered). I have a 6 speed TC(Endeavour) and 7 Speed DSG (GT TSI) at home and the way the latter picks up speed in 0-60 i.e stop and go traffic is worth to mention. The gear shifts are super smooth and lightning quick making it a pleasure to drive.

With long term warranty periods I think it is a safe bet to put your money on DSG boxes, I have 7 years warranty on my Polo.