[sarfraz1997]

I am not going to bore you through my decision-making process as to how I ended up purchasing a Vento TSI. I will however start with a brief description of my purchase. I am rather going to focus on how the car feels to own. I will talk about many things such as what I love about the car, issues that I faced and how I solved them, upgrades, and retrofits.



What I like about this car :

• Build Quality – Best in Segment even after a decade from launch
• Very modular platform, with so much room for upgrades
• Gearbox response times
• Peppy petrol motor – Big plus within the city, Would’ve been best in the segment if not for the 1.0 TSI
• Comfortable seats for long drives
• Well balanced ride

What I don’t like about this car :

• Quality of brake pads and rotors after localization
• Flimsy air-con vents, need to check up on them after every service
• No foldable rear seats, although a big boot, at least a 60:40 split would’ve been good to have to fit those odd dimension items.
• VW’s service center experience in Hyderabad still leaves much to be desired
• Door pads creaking, common issue, VW’s fix is applying a grease which wears off with time
• Armrest latch alone has been impossible to source particularly for this model

Please note that all the above points are with respect to the segment.

My journey with this beauty of a car started in January 2018 after a lot of waiting for the color of my choice. I was very excited to be owning a turbo petrol. This was the third petrol car in my family after a famous Maruti 800 and a Honda Civic but our first-ever turbo petrol. During the time of my purchase, the car came with a 2-year warranty from the factory, which I’ve extended by purchasing a 3 year extended warranty (2+3) at 25k. At the time of writing this, My car has been through 3 services, with the odo being at 396xx kms at the time of making this thread.



Engine and Gearbox

While the engine has a meager displacement of 1200CC, it sure does make up for it with the turbo and the gearbox (While this is a bumpy boat ride, more on that later). The engine has a strong low-end and mid-range but a rather weak high-end in my opinion. It is very good for an average driver, The enthusiasts though won't be disappointed, will desire a bit more. The exhaust note though subtle, sure does sound sporty. I personally wished the exhaust was louder purely for its sound note. The gearbox in the 1.2TSI is a DQ200. This gearbox had its fair share of reliability concerns initially with cars such as Skoda Superb. VW has later changed the oil from synthetic to mineral. This has helped to a great extent but there still have been reports of issues. I have been experiencing the famous DQ200 shudders. This mostly happens at a slow pace between D3-D2 and D2-D1. It mostly happens while gearing down. If anyone is experiencing something similar but is not able to decide if it's the same issue, it can be very strongly felt inside the car to the driver. It feels as if the gear was not engaged in a manual car. But don't worry, the shuddering in these gears is common. This issue could be fixed for the lucky ones and couldn't be fixed for the unfortunate. People have claimed a software update helps. In most cases, this is not something to be worried about. You'll just have to live with it. As a safe practice, I'd suggest you guys slot the car into N if you have to wait for more than 15 seconds, while parking the car, I'd suggest you to put the car first in N, engage the handbrake and then put the car in P otherwise the pressure will be put on the parking pin. The DQ200 is a box you wouldn't want to mess with unless you've got a spare 1.5-2lakhs. I would also suggest you guys not rev the car when the engine is below its optimum temperature. I'd also suggest you guys to idle the car for about 30-60seconds after every drive to keep the turbo in top shape. This applies to all cars with turbo irrespective of the make and model. It isn't specific to the Vento.

Suspension

The suspension speaks of confidence and is about moderately comfortable for those bumpy city roads. The steering, however, has become a bit lighter making it easier to drive in the city in comparison to the older Vento (pre-2015 facelift) but it still offers the best feedback at speeds in comparison to its competition though this is over a decade old platform.

Brakes

Brakes are just about enough for an average driver but definitely not very strong. My first serious issue started very early in my ownership. Even before my first check-up at 5000kms, my brakes started making a noise. Their performance however was not impacted at the time but the sound definitely was a bit of annoyance. I have replaced my rotors and pads at 28k kms on the odo. The other annoyance about the brakes is the brake dust. The stock brakes produce a lot of brake dust. My otherwise silver color alloys are often turned to gunmetal if I don't get them cleaned on a regular basis.



Tyres

I can't speak much about the stock tyres. I don't even remember if my car came with Apollo or Goodyear. I upgraded to Michelin Primacy 3ST 195 section tyres on day 2 of my ownership. This is the first upgrade I made in my car. Paid around 14k for four after trading stock tyres. They're silent and offer a good grip and good comfort, thanks to the soft compound. I'd definitely suggest somebody looking to upgrade the tyres to try Primacy series but sourcing Michelin’s is difficult now. For those of you who drive a lot over rough roads, they might not be very good as their life will be substantially reduced. My car is currently nearing the 40k mark, there’s still a good amount of grip left but the rubber has definitely hardened as expected in over 3 years.

Lights

The stock headlight bulbs do leave something to desire. I can say that I've experimented a lot with the headlights. First, I upgraded the bulbs to LED of OPT-7 brand. I was very happy with their performance. I later was spoilt by my want for a better appearance. I purchased the Eagle Eye branded UU dual projectors assembly. To my first disappointment, the LED's were worse than the stock halogens in stock assembly. After fiddling with all the options, I bought OPT-7 Bolt AC 55W 5000K HID kits for both the high beam and the low beam. I still have a feeling that these lights will perform better in the stock reflectors. Alignment is a bit limited on these assemblies, but after getting it right, they’re decent. They do add a character to the front look. In the end, after all the permutations and combinations, I've stuck to the eagle eye projectors and the HID's. The lighting is now better than the stock assembly + halogens combination. I've also upgraded the fog lamp bulbs to 4300K LED's of Auxbeam brand.



Interiors

Moving on to the interiors of the car, the quality of plastics is decent. The front seats are the best place to be in the car as they're very comfortable and offer good under-thigh support. The armrest is at a good position as well for me. However, I broke the armrest latch just 2 days into my ownership. I am not sure if it was broken from the factory or if I broke it myself. I'll have to live with this one. The latch that came from the factory on my car has a single spring. I couldn't find the latch anywhere on sale in the last 21 months. The rear seats however are not as roomy as the Honda City but it is good enough for 2 healthy adults. The aircon is good if not great in temperatures of up to around 38°-39°C and the blower is more than powerful in the front. As is the case with most of the cars, the rear blower is pretty weak. A common issue with Vento, Polo, Ameo, and Rapid is the fragile AC vents. They break very easily. One has to be careful every time while operating it even if it's while cleaning. As is the case with most owners, I had a broken AC vent too. In my case, it is the front left vent. I’m of the opinion that it happened at VW during their ‘AC Disinfection’. Damage to the pocket is 850INR. It is a rather simple DIY to swap. One other issue is that, my rear power windows don't go one touch up whenever there’s dust near the window channel, as the anti-pinch function is triggered. I've also added a few things to customize the interior to my taste.



Mileage

I am going to skip a solid answer to the "kitna deti" hai part. This is entirely subjective to how we drive the car and the traffic conditions. Can go as low as 3-4KMPL in absolute bumper to bumper traffic where the average speed is less than 10kmph. Can also go upto 21KMPL if driven on a flat road sedately maintaining the car around 90-100KMPH apart from the takeover maneuvers.



Overall, I am very satisfied with the car. It offers a good balance of comfort, performance, and luxury while not breaking the bank. I've had just one service so far without the service value package. It costed around 12k. I have purchased the 2 year Service Value Package at 22k twice. The alternate service for the TSI is expensive as we've to change the spark plugs. The SVP covers the spark plugs as well and also a few other benefits. I've a handy tip for lower service bills. Skip on the AC Disinfection and Balancing/Alignment. I'd rather suggest you guys get balancing and alignment done at a reputable store outside. I've never come across anyone speaking highly of VW in terms of balancing alignment. My stock battery was an Exide, Made in India. It lasted just a couple of weeks over 3 years. I've replaced it with Amaron (30+25 warranty) and paid about 4.5k after exchanging the old battery. I wanted to get the longest replacement warranty possible, but both Amaron and Exide were the same in this regard, so picked the cheaper option. To summarize the issues I've faced,
1) Broken Arm Rest Latch - Not fixed, could not source the latch. VW says replace entire armrest, damage to pocket 10k INR.
2) Brakes - Fixed
3) Broken AC Vent – Fixed

Retrofits, Upgrades and Accessories

Now, moving on to the part which excites the enthusiasts the most, let’s talk accessories, upgrades, and retrofits

It is fair to say that the list is fairly long. The first upgrade that I’ve done was the tyres, which I’ve already spoken about, followed by the lights, which I’ve talked about too. Apart from these two, I’ve done the following upgrades and retrofits :

• Steering wheel with Paddle Shifters
• Maxidot Cluster
• 8K OPS
• MIB 2 Infotainment System (Composition Media)
• VW OE Dual Tone Horn
• Auto headlights switch with in-built light sensor
• VW OE Cabin light assembly
• VW OE Sump guard
• VW OE Euro Spec Air Guide Channel
• VW OE In-direct TPMS
• ORVM Dynamic turn signals
• Anti-Glare ORVM’s
• VW OE Leather Handbrake Cover





These pictures were taken during the time of installation of the 8K OPS.

I’ve added the following accessories to my car :

• Interior Ambient Strip Lights
• Carlinkit Wireless CarPlay Dongle
• VW OE Spoiler
• Xiaomi Dashcam
• Window tints
• 3M CR70 Windshield tint
• Skoda OE Alloy wheel bolt caps
• Aluminium pedals for the accelerator and the brake
• DSG carbon fiber trim
• VW OE Body Side moulding





All my upgrades, accessories, and retrofits are completely plug and play without a single splice/wiretap. None of the retrofits, upgrades, and accessories throw up an error on VCDS/ODIS, this is your best bet to not void the warranty. I would be happy to help with retrofits and upgrades for anyone who’s interested. I didn’t write about them as most of the ‘tougher’ upgrades are well documented already. Also, special mention to my good friend and fellow bhpian, fluidicjoy for his help with a few of retrofits. I got the Maxidot cluster, 8K OPS, and In-Direct TPMS done by Nikhil from NSquareAutoTech. He came down all the way from Pune to Hyderabad to do it and has done a very clean job at it. I’m mighty satisfied by his dedication, attention to detail, and overall work. His knowledge is unparalleled and I would recommend him for retrofits.

Having owned the car for 3 years and almost 40k kms, if there's anything I would have wished were better, the first would be the service centers in Hyderabad, second would be a better quality of pads and rotors. And the third would be the flimsy air-con vents.

I hope this helps any fellow owners, prospective used Vento buyers, and new car buyers. With all that said and done, please feel free to reach out to me in case of any queries. I will add any content that I might've missed provided I realize that I've missed something.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing! Your car is going to our homepage today .

Originally Posted by sarfraz1997

I am not going to bore you through my decision-making process as to how I ended up purchasing a Vento TSI.

You know, at least for me, that is one of the BEST parts of the review. The shortlist, different TD experiences, reasoning behind the choice, dealer experience etc.

Attachment 2116098

Right hand on the wheel, engine in turbo zone and an empty road ahead = beautiful picture .

[rangarx]

Brilliant Machine. The shudders while downshifting are there, more pronounced in my TDI DSG but that's how the gearbox behaves. Learnt to live with it for the awesome behaviour in the highway. Matchless.

On your electrical upgrades, weren't you warned by the showroom personnel about the void of warranty if you touch anything connected to electrical circuitry, like headlights, display etc? I was told even if I upgrade my headlamps, the warranty would be void. Just curious.

[sandeepmohan]

Nice. You are right, for a design so old, there is a lot of elegance to it, that appeals even today.

The VW Vento Tsi was the car I had recommended to a colleague back in 2015. He was upgrading from a Suzuki Baleno. It was a significant step up in terms of car quality. Only one thing ruined the experience, VW service. This was the time he missed his Suzuki. He was so used to going to a authorized Suzuki garage for 10 years and managed by someone who knows the ins and out of cars. Problems were addressed in a jiffy. Going to VW felt like dealing with a bunch of retards. It felt like they would take only a text book approach to fixing a problem. No genuine problems solving skills. He experienced the same gearbox shudders and creaking door frames. Went back and forth several times to sort it out and finally gave up. Post the warranty period, he decided to hand the car over to his Maruti Suzuki garage. This was possible only because he knew the head of the garage.

[sarfraz1997]

Originally Posted by GTO

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Reviews section. Thanks for sharing! Your car is going to our homepage today .



You know, at least for me, that is one of the BEST parts of the review. The shortlist, different TD experiences, reasoning behind the choice, dealer experience etc.



Right hand on the wheel, engine in turbo zone and an empty road ahead = beautiful picture .

Haha, Thanks for the compliment about the picture.

I know many people want to read through the selection process, but to be honest, I've test-driven literally every AT car available in India from Alto 800 and Kwid to Creta, every car under 20 lakhs at the time of my purchase. My eyes were not fixated on the Vento from the start but they definitely were after driving them all. The list is very long, and frankly, after 3 years, I don't remember all the negatives of each car that pushed me towards Vento. Vento just seemed to tick all the boxes I wanted, build quality, responsive engine and gearbox combo, decent space, good boot etc.

Originally Posted by rangarx

Brilliant Machine. The shudders while downshifting are there, more pronounced in my TDI DSG but that's how the gearbox behaves. Learnt to live with it for the awesome behaviour in the highway. Matchless.

On your electrical upgrades, weren't you warned by the showroom personnel about the void of warranty if you touch anything connected to electrical circuitry, like headlights, display etc? I was told even if I upgrade my headlamps, the warranty would be void. Just curious.

Yes, we've become habituated to it now and seldom notice it.

On the upgrades, I checked with VW before I started upgrading the lights, at the time, I checked with my service advisor and sales advisor, they told me they wouldn't recommend doing it but that it won't void the warranty as long as it is plug and play. They usually add a remark either in their history or on the bill if they void the warranty, touchwood, nothing so far for me, as everything is plug and play and doesn't throw an error.

But recently, I had a sound coming from the left side of the engine bay. I was on the highway and had recorded a video to send it to get an idea of whether I can continue. They saw my Amaron battery in the video and straight away said that I could be in trouble with the battery for warranty purposes. Lucky for me, the issue resolved by itself and since I didn't face any other issue related to it, I let it pass. That's a fight for another day.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Nice. You are right, for a design so old, there is a lot of elegance to it, that appeals even today.

The VW Vento Tsi was the car I had recommended to a colleague back in 2015. He was upgrading from a Suzuki Baleno. It was a significant step up in terms of car quality. Only one thing ruined the experience, VW service. This was the time he missed his Suzuki. He was so used to going to a authorized Suzuki garage for 10 years and managed by someone who knows the ins and out of cars. Problems were addressed in a jiffy. Going to VW felt like dealing with a bunch of retards. It felt like they would take only a text book approach to fixing a problem. No genuine problems solving skills. He experienced the same gearbox shudders and creaking door frames. Went back and forth several times to sort it out and finally gave up. Post the warranty period, he decided to hand the car over to his Maruti Suzuki garage. This was possible only because he knew the head of the garage.

Yeah, though the sales numbers are poor for the Vento Rapid twins, It is a very well known and widely accepted fact that even today these cars are the default go-to choices for an enthusiast driver. The build quality and the engines are still the best in segment.

The service guys in my opinion are not as knowledgeable as I'd have liked. I know no service center would do 'jugaadu' work and would always replace the part in question, the issue with these guys is, they cannot pinpoint the part for sure. Plus, I've observed that they charge differently for the same part in different cities. In Hyderabad, we have many branches of PPS Motors and a single branch of Deccan VW. So it's a monopoly of sorts. I don't understand why the difference in parts cost when the MRP and GST components are same nation-wide. This is very disappointing.

[adi_sun]

I am one of those fools that picked up the car in Jan 21, fool because its a ten year old design but then no other car in this category gave me that joy of driving . Plus the Highline Plus in red had my heart the first time I looked at it.

If someone asks me what is timeless I say VW Vento, loved your car and the mods you have done.

Would like to know more about these, the cost associated and where you procured these from :
VW OE Dual Tone Horn
Anti-Glare ORVM’s
Carlinkit Wireless CarPlay Dongle -how's the performance ?
Skoda OE Alloy wheel bolt caps

[sarfraz1997]

Originally Posted by adi_sun

I am one of those fools that picked up the car in Jan 21, fool because its a ten year old design but then no other car in this category gave me that joy of driving . Plus the Highline Plus in red had my heart the first time I looked at it.

If someone asks me what is timeless I say VW Vento, loved your car and the mods you have done.

Would like to know more about these, the cost associated and where you procured these from :
VW OE Dual Tone Horn
Anti-Glare ORVM’s
Carlinkit Wireless CarPlay Dongle -how's the performance ?
Skoda OE Alloy wheel bolt caps

Oops, it's true though, no other car in this segment comes close in terms of driving pleasure.

1) VW OE Dual Tone Horn kit from VW Pune, my friend fluidicjoy procured it for me, it was about 3k, included a horn, a clamp, a bolt, a zip tie and a wiring harness. It was entirely plug and play.
2) Anti-Glare ORVM's from AliExpress, they were about 3k too, with EMS shipping, I overpaid a bit here, but that was because of lockdowns, and me being forced to go with EMS.
3) Wireless dongle is very good, no hiccups, no issues at all. Procured from a Chinese seller, transaction via PayPal, so with 5% PayPal fee, customs duty and shipping it was about 8.5k. Would've been cheaper if AliExpress was available.
4) Skoda OE Alloy wheel bolt caps from a Skoda dealer in Bangalore, again, one of my friends helped me procure. They costed 1300 for 20 caps. They're manufactured in Czech Republic and the part number is 1Z0-601-173-UZ7.

[rkv_2401]

Thanks for the review, and congrats on the purchase and upgrades! That Maxidot cluster and interior lighting look awesome.

I see they've given you trouble about changing the battery outside the VW service center too. They made me cough up 500Rs. to unlock the audio system, and told me I can't get a 5th year extension of my extended warranty(2+2) to boot. Doesn't matter. I would have paid them 20k and stayed with them for servicing for 3 more years, now I'm going to take my business elsewhere. The Amaron battery I installed is far healthier than the feeble Exide one the car came with.

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

Nice. You are right, for a design so old, there is a lot of elegance to it, that appeals even today.

Post the warranty period, he decided to hand the car over to his Maruti Suzuki garage. This was possible only because he knew the head of the garage.

I believe you can get cars of all makes serviced at Maruti garages. I just dropped by the neighborhood garage one day and asked them to look at my '04 Elantra. They were happy to do so, and they did a very good job. While I was there, I saw many cars by other marques, but there were quite a few silver Ventos in particular that stood out to me. They were able to get their hands on Genuine Hyundai parts at a low price, and I was happier with their approach to service than I was with my authorized Hyundai service center.

[sarfraz1997]

Originally Posted by rkv_2401

Thanks for the review, and congrats on the purchase and upgrades! That Maxidot cluster and interior lighting look awesome.

I see they've given you trouble about changing the battery outside the VW service center too. They made me cough up 500Rs. to unlock the audio system, and told me I can't get a 5th year extension of my extended warranty(2+2) to boot. Doesn't matter. I would have paid them 20k and stayed with them for servicing for 3 more years, now I'm going to take my business elsewhere. The Amaron battery I installed is far healthier than the feeble Exide one the car came with.

Thanks, yes, the maxidot cluster does look very good.

I’m of the opinion that we are allowed to have aftermarket batteries. What will one do if stuck on a highway with a drained battery?

Did you ask for extension of your 2+2? Or did you ask for 2+3? I waited a bit to get 2+3, it wasn’t available at the time of purchase of my car, the 7 year warranty news broke out and then they told me I can purchase 2+3 now, and add 1 year add-on warranty twice, taking it to a total of 7 years. The add-on warranty however is offered as a tie up with insurance companies and is not as trouble free as standard or extended warranty. And they might not cover the full expense either.

[cormodore]

Originally Posted by sarfraz1997

What I don’t like about this car :

• Quality of brake pads and rotors after localization
• Flimsy air-con vents, need to check up on them after every service
• No foldable rear seats, although a big boot, at least a 60:40 split would’ve been good to have to fit those odd dimension items.
• VW’s service center experience in Hyderabad still leaves much to be desired
• Door pads creaking, common issue, VW’s fix is applying a grease which wears off with time
• Armrest latch alone has been impossible to source particularly for this model

Thank you for sharing your ownership experiences
I have the same model in Titanium Bronze color which I bought in 2016 and I can relate to the dislikes that you have mentioned, especially with respect to the following points.

1. Brake pads – Its a common issue in Vento's and I guess it’s because of the heavy localization that VW has implemented post 2015 models.
2. Service – In the four years of ownership, I had to deal with four service advisers, and they do not have a clue of what needs to be done apart of the routine engine oil, filters and spark plugs. Any new thing or issue, they have no clue and first thing they advise is to replace the entire part. Part availability is also a joke in Hyderabad VW service centers.
3. Armrest latch of mine is also broken, but I did not change, as VW wanted me to change the entire unit.
Unfortunately, I could not find any decent independent garages and must live with VW service centers for the time being.

[sarfraz1997]

Originally Posted by cormodore

Thank you for sharing your ownership experiences
I have the same model in Titanium Bronze color which I bought in 2016 and I can relate to the dislikes that you have mentioned, especially with respect to the following points.

1. Brake pads – Its a common issue in Vento's and I guess it’s because of the heavy localization that VW has implemented post 2015 models.
2. Service – In the four years of ownership, I had to deal with four service advisers, and they do not have a clue of what needs to be done apart of the routine engine oil, filters and spark plugs. Any new thing or issue, they have no clue and first thing they advise is to replace the entire part. Part availability is also a joke in Hyderabad VW service centers.
3. Armrest latch of mine is also broken, but I did not change, as VW wanted me to change the entire unit.
Unfortunately, I could not find any decent independent garages and must live with VW service centers for the time being.

Yeah, these are common issues with the Vento/Polo.

I know a good mechanic, he’s located at Masab Tank, he knows his stuff, and does a decent job. Let me know if you need any details.

[dashy]

Hello @sarfraz1997, very informative and immensely liked the post, having owned a vento for nearly 10 years now. Pl. share the details on the OEM HU (cost, availability). I have a DLF IPL HU with navigation but that is now showing age and also dont have apple carplay connectivity.

[sarfraz1997]

Originally Posted by dashy

Hello @sarfraz1997, very informative and immensely liked the post, having owned a vento for nearly 10 years now. Pl. share the details on the OEM HU (cost, availability). I have a DLF IPL HU with navigation but that is now showing age and also dont have apple carplay connectivity.

There are two viable options, RCD 340 and MIB2, the one I have on my car now. Which one are you interested in? RCD 340 is about 325-350$ now, while MIB2 is about 55k now, both items will have duty on top of this.

[Achalchoukhany]

Hello @sarfraz1997, superb post, loved your car. Seeing your car i'm really confused as to go with mods like what you have done, as in spend to make the car look really good(maxidot), comfortable(TPMS, Paddle Shifters & 8K Park pilot) and safe(with brake pad upgrade) or go for remaps and power upgrades like free flow exhaust, brakes and suspension cause only have such budget that i can follow one path.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by rkv_2401

I believe you can get cars of all makes serviced at Maruti garages.

That's interesting. General service can be done by just about any garage. The dsg gearbox is about the only thing fng mechanics are reluctant to work on as they have no prior experience. It is complex.

The idea behind my friend handing over the car to his Maruti garage was to get a more thorough job done as he knew how they worked on his Baleno. The gearbox shudder could not be resolved but they did manage to sort out the creaking door with some Wurth spray. Its a felt liner sort of material and I've not see the use of such a material on any car.