[RX135]

Originally Posted by aushdeep

One thing I would like to change in the Palio is getting the Swift Gearbox. It feels much better.

Shame on Fiat for doing this! One of the best part of Fiat cars is excellent gear shift. I would hate to drive an otherwise excellent car with rubbery gear shift.

[dhaval]

The number of Palio Stile Multijet owners are rising day by day on the forum. But what is happening in Pune!!??. So far i have not seen a single car on Pune roads even after 1.5 months since its launch. Hope Fiat is not having any production crunch and that MSIL is sparing some engines for them.

[swale84]

Originally Posted by dhaval

The number of Palio Stile Multijet owners are rising day by day on the forum. But what is happening in Pune!!??. So far i have not seen a single car on Pune roads even after 1.5 months since its launch. Hope Fiat is not having any production crunch and that MSIL is sparing some engines for them.

I've seen quite a few already. Most around the Camp area though, which probably explains why you haven't seen any.

I dont think MSIL 's engine consumption is a cause for concern to Fiat. They aren't sourcing engines frmo them

[dhaval]

Originally Posted by swale84

I've seen quite a few already. Most around the Camp area though, which probably explains why you haven't seen any.

Ok, could be true. Till date have not seen any on baner road or near to my work place on Bhandarkar Road, and you comparatively stay close to the camp area that explains why you have seen quite a few

Originally Posted by swale84

I dont think MSIL 's engine consumption is a cause for concern to Fiat. They aren't sourcing engines frmo them

Arey baba i know that. Now dont take it literally. Can you not see the big grin in the end!!??

[architect]

Just AFTER I buy my Palio 1.3 MJD, I get to read this forum, . Maybe this is the wrong forum to be discussing this, but this for the MJD, right?

Anyway, the deed is done, and you can read about it in my thread "First 200 km with Palio Stile 1.3 MJD".

What I have understood within a few weeks of visiting this site is that any mention of the word FIAT is sure to create a long thread! I understood Passion but not Idolatory! All Fiat owners can't be fanatics! As somebody has pointed out in another thread, so what if you might have driven through the entire country on the Palio, many people have done it on other cars, too. Did you expect your Palio not to do so? I am not so well up in the world of automobiles to get into serious technicalities, but I believe in a balanced approach.

I bought my MJD because it seemd to be a modern, successful and an award-winning engine. I was unhappy with the Swift backseat and the fact that for the same price (5 lakhs on road) I was getting an LDi Swift with no tachometer or power windows and the Test Drive of the Palio suited my style of driving (I build my speed slowly and like to maintain the momentum) as opposed to the Swift. As somebody said, If you want to have fun while driving, go for the Swift. I would add, If you want to enjoy a relaxed and a comfortable drive, the Palio works for you. Everybody doesn't drive like Schumacher (And GOD knows I am his fan).

I still have BIG concerns and sometimes still can't get over the feeling that maybe I have made a mistake in picking up this car (only regarding parts quality and maintenance, not regarding the design, space or anything else, I suppose).

I don't intend to sell this car for 6-7 years. This is my First and only car and I only have a VERY reliable Pulsar to fall back on. The car is the biggest depreciating asset (or liability, depending upon your outlook) anyway. I am not interested in resale or resale value as long as the car gets serviced easily and keeps running. I never even thought of resale with my bike, I just maintained it to keep it in good mechanical running condition!

I know Service is a problem and will remain so.... but I also know that for some reason (apart from poor resale value) Palio owners DON'T sell their cars.

Can the passionate (fanatic or non-fanatic) Fiat owners, in a balanced and honest way, based on facts, tell me:

1. Is there any reason why they are still holding on to their cars, despite poor service? Or has it really improved? Or is it because the resale value is so low that its better to stick to the car? Isn't the maintenance cost more than what you are losing in the resale?

2. Is the car reliable enough to venture out on long drives? I know I am sounding stupid asking this, but at the risk of going Off-Topic, I could take my Pulsar just about anywhere if I knew it was properly serviced. I have had zero punctures in 40,000 kms and no breakdown EVER.

3. Have read so many mixed opinions that I don't know, but is the Palio a generally trouble free car atleast for the first 60,000 km or so? Do you think (judging from your experience with Fiat or Tata-Fiat) that I can expect a reasonably competent Service Backup from them for 6-7 years?

4. I know the MultiJet is a new engine and the gearbox is not so great and no point talking about it till somebody actually drives it for that long! Still are there any specific things to remember from the 1.9 D legacy?

Thanks a ton, in advance, for all those who might care to respond. You could help in re-inforcing, or weakening my confidence on both my car and my decision. Not that it would change much, because the car's already there anyways. Maybe I just need some reassurance being new to the Fiat family or the Car Owners club.

I'm an ex Fiat owner, may i answer some of them?
my ownership experience.
the car was great! really great! but TVS sundaram at cochin was an absolute nightmare.

what Fiat fanatics must realise is that, the other manufacturers have also upped their game tremendously, and Fiat does not have a monopoly on fun to drive or VFM propositions anymore like it used to.

Originally Posted by architect

I bought my MJD because it seemd to be a modern, successful and an award-winning engine. I was unhappy with the Swift backseat and the fact that for the same price (5 lakhs on road) I was getting an LDi Swift with no tachometer or power windows and the Test Drive of the Palio suited my style of driving (I build my speed slowly and like to maintain the momentum) as opposed to the Swift. As somebody said, If you want to have fun while driving, go for the Swift. I would add, If you want to enjoy a relaxed and a comfortable drive, the Palio works for you. Everybody doesn't drive like Schumacher (And GOD knows I am his fan).

all,very good reasons for buying a Fiat MJD. but the MJD can be driven fast too, with confidence. its just not as nippy as certain other hatches(not mentioning the name)

Originally Posted by architect

I still have BIG concerns and sometimes still can't get over the feeling that maybe I have made a mistake in picking up this car (only regarding parts quality and maintenance, not regarding the design, space or anything else, I suppose).

the build quality is still superior to other hatches available. all of them(except maybe the fabia) but I got the feeling that it wasnt as good as the original palio(ducking for cover)

Originally Posted by architect

I know Service is a problem and will remain so.... but I also know that for some reason (apart from poor resale value) Palio owners DON'T sell their cars.

not necessarily,Fiat had atrocious service when I used to own one. tata has changed that. it can only get better. getting parts...that might still be a worry. but current fiat owners are best placed to answer that.

Originally Posted by architect

2. Is the car reliable enough to venture out on long drives? I know I am sounding stupid asking this, but at the risk of going Off-Topic, I could take my Pulsar just about anywhere if I knew it was properly serviced. I have had zero punctures in 40,000 kms and no breakdown EVER.

no modern vehicle breaks down anymore. its exceedingly rare. yes the palio will do fine on long drives. no issues there. so will any other car.
regular maintenance is all a modern car needs.

Originally Posted by architect

3. Have read so many mixed opinions that I don't know, but is the Palio a generally trouble free car atleast for the first 60,000 km or so? Do you think (judging from your experience with Fiat or Tata-Fiat) that I can expect a reasonably competent Service Backup from them for 6-7 years?

it was trouble free for me(1.2 palio) till 60000kms, then I sold it. because we were crashing the car with amazing regularity(our fault, not the car's) and finding it difficult to get spares.we would wait for months, yes,months.
on the other hand, the other 2 cars in the family were also being crashed regularly(M800 MPFI,Zen D) but they would spend a max of 1 or 2 days in the MASS and be out wreaking havoc again.

things may have changed now about availabilty of spares.

[typeOnegative]

Originally Posted by architect

.......
I bought my MJD because it seemd to be a modern, successful and an award-winning engine. I was unhappy with the Swift backseat and the fact that for the same price (5 lakhs on road) I was getting an LDi Swift with no tachometer or power windows and the Test Drive of the Palio suited my style of driving (I build my speed slowly and like to maintain the momentum) as opposed to the Swift. As somebody said, If you want to have fun while driving, go for the Swift. I would add, If you want to enjoy a relaxed and a comfortable drive, the Palio works for you. Everybody doesn't drive like Schumacher (And GOD knows I am his fan).

I still have BIG concerns and sometimes still can't get over the feeling that maybe I have made a mistake in picking up this car (only regarding parts quality and maintenance, not regarding the design, space or anything else, I suppose).
......
I know Service is a problem and will remain so.... but I also know that for some reason (apart from poor resale value) Palio owners DON'T sell their cars.

Only 7 posts, and I already like you. Very balanced - always an asset in a forum. Come to think of it, your case is very similar to mine. In my case it was the Petra over the Baleno. Now, hoping that I am not a fanatical Fiat owner, let me try to answer your questions.

1. Is there any reason why they are still holding on to their cars, despite poor service? Or has it really improved? Or is it because the resale value is so low that its better to stick to the car? Isn't the maintenance cost more than what you are losing in the resale?

My car is 3 years old so two more years to go before I start considering selling it. That being said, I am from Mumbai - service with the Fiat guys (Anuroop) was excellent. I remember a time when my rear tail lamps were cracked by a biker - Anuroop told me in the morning that they were not in stock (those were the low days for Fiat), but by evening, they had managed to source the parts from somewhere and delivered my car to me the same day. When my rear door was smashed because of a truck, they handled the insurance people, did the car up in 3 days flat and gave it back. Too bad they had to close down. None of the Tata backed dealerships have been able to give me that satisfaction - though they are not bad on an average.

In the case of any car's maintenance, it is the way the dealer is that matters. I have heard that BU Bhandari in Pune is quite good.

2. Is the car reliable enough to venture out on long drives? I know I am sounding stupid asking this, but at the risk of going Off-Topic, I could take my Pulsar just about anywhere if I knew it was properly serviced. I have had zero punctures in 40,000 kms and no breakdown EVER.

Punctures have more to do with the tyres. And yes, any car can be taken anywhere these days.

3. Have read so many mixed opinions that I don't know, but is the Palio a generally trouble free car atleast for the first 60,000 km or so? Do you think (judging from your experience with Fiat or Tata-Fiat) that I can expect a reasonably competent Service Backup from them for 6-7 years?

Define 'trouble free'. I have had trouble due to a starter motor conking off - that was something that was not my fault - and it did not take much time fixing it. Regarding competent back up, assuming an asteroid does not strike the earth, and a lot more other such assumptions, why not? Tata has made a world of difference to the service and I have a sneaking feeling that like all bawas, the Tatas have a soft corner for Fiats.

4. I know the MultiJet is a new engine and the gearbox is not so great and no point talking about it till somebody actually drives it for that long! Still are there any specific things to remember from the 1.9 D legacy?

Drive petrol. But on the gearbox, please press the clutch fully before engaging. If it is rubbery still, then I hate you Fiat.

[phamilyman]

architect bhai, at the expense of being labelled a anti-forum guy, I'd say just chill. sit back and have a beer/kaapi/your fav poison. Over a couple of weeks, you'll get answers to all your questions over and over again. And your posts indicate that you have the fine sense to distinguish that from the cacophony of all the threads

If you post them, then you never know if it gets sucked up in the void between the fiat-lovers & haters on tbhp!

[neon_daytona]

Originally Posted by architect

1. Is there any reason why they are still holding on to their cars, despite poor service? Or has it really improved? Or is it because the resale value is so low that its better to stick to the car? Isn't the maintenance cost more than what you are losing in the resale?

We have a 2002 Palio (1.2) in the family with close to 40k on the odo. No intentions of selling it. The only time we went for servicing was when the AC was not effective. Do not remember the reason and it was fixed at Hubli in a week's time, under warranty. Its been working fine for 4 years now.
The battery is getting week owing to not that frequent usage and time to replace the tires (getting bald).

Once in 6 months servicing is all that we do.

Had puncture thrice (If I remember correctly) in the last 40000kms and I attribute it to bad roads.
Reliability - Yes. We have done trips of more than 500 kms (in a day) atleast 10 times in the Palio. Never had any issue.
The last trip was for 366km on a hot summer day with AC on all the time (10Am to 5.30pm), except for breaks. The FE which we got was around 13.5kmpl. We had tank full before starting and on return it took a little above 27 litres to fill it back at the same Petrol station. Not much traffic, but not great roads either for some 150 odd kms in that trip.

Its more fun to drive than the Accent GLE which we have (Personal preference, nothing against Accent or Hyundai) as well as the rear seat thigh support is better for long drives.

[architect]

Originally Posted by typeOnegative

Only 7 posts, and I already like you. Very balanced - always an asset in a forum.

That being said, I am from Mumbai - service with the Fiat guys (Anuroop) was excellent.

None of the Tata backed dealerships have been able to give me that satisfaction - though they are not bad on an average.

In the case of any car's maintenance, it is the way the dealer is that matters. I have heard that BU Bhandari in Pune is quite good.

Being from Delhi, I don't seem to have much choice on the service, especially because the older stalwarts in Delhi like Prem Nath and Samyak will probably not touch the MJD. I have a 1.5 lakh km, 3 years warranty and I will have to stick to the NEW list of Authorised Tata-Fiat Service Centres. (both the above mentioned names are not on that list but they are servicing Palios). I have bought the vehicle from Vivek, Delhi and even today, the Showroom might have 85% Tata and 15% Fiat vehicles but the Workshop has 90% Fiat and 10% Tata vehicles. These figures indicate the situation at the old Fiat dealers that are Tata-Fiat now.

I hope Mr Ratan Tata and his people know that there will be a lot more people buying Fiats if they continue the trend of improving things for Fiat. But the question is, who will they be wooing? The Swift buyer or the Indica buyer?

Thank you for all your inputs, and your complements on the balanced approach...I hope it lasts till I turn into a defensive, fanatic Fiat lover! I think I have made the choice out of logic than blind love.

[shibujp]

I didn't get a chance to read through all the replies but on the whole the reviews seem to be positive.

However my test drive did not leave me with a good impression.

My gripes were as follows:
- cheap interiors. the plastics were literally horrible and finish was poor.
- good engine but a very heavy clutch. After the light one in the Swift Vdi this felt like an exercise for your calf muscles.
- when using the clutch my shoes kept getting stuck in the footwell. Might be cos i wear size 10 but the Swift doesn't have such a problem. Then again you can reengineer a car but not my foot
- the gear shift as a result was not easy to use and I alway got the feeling that I had not depressed the clutch enough leading to tentative shifts. Good engine it has, but if you don't like to use the cogs then you can't use the power.
- Refinement was not a patch on the Swift and the cabin became positively boomy when you revved up
- Somehow the engine felt quite stressed when revving up as opposed to that of the swift.
- Seating comfort seemed fine as did the boot space which is better than the Swift.

This also makes me wonder that praps Kulathunkal Motors did not prepare the car well enough prior to the test drive. Another TD might get me on the same page with you but so far this is my impression. I think the Swift is worth the extra Gandhis.

drive on,
Shibu.

[pawan_pullarwar]

I bought used Palio which was done only 20K KMs when I bought. After buying it within 8 months now my odo is showing 34K KMs and that too only weekend drive. I never ever thought I will drive 14K KMs within 8 months. I will sell it only for yet to be launched Fiat Punto Multijet.

[Slick]

My brother is planning to buy a hot diesel hatch.
Paio MJD and Skoda Fabia Diesel were the two cars that we shortlisted.

When we went for the test drive the Fiat Dealer was unable to provide us with a test drive. They do not provide test drives on sundays (The mistake was ours though as we did not inform in advance). The Skoda dealer was very welcoming and made sure that we got the test drive (Uninformed here as well).

This reflects the attitude of the dealershios for both these models. My brother liked the skoda immensely for its looks, Build quality, interiors, image and the drive quality.

We just got a chance to start the palio diesel and we were amazed at the refinement in that engine. .
But the FIAT factor steps in and everything goes astray.

PS: The interiors, as mentioned earlier in the forum are poor but considering the price at which the car is being offered cant complain either.
Palio 6Lks,
Fabia 7.5
(Both figs are approximate, onroad Mumbai)
Needless to say my brother is buying the Fabia. The turning factor though was the stories he has heard about Service and the first hand experience we got.

Just feel bad for FIAT, They are so goood, if only they could pull themselves up.

[typeOnegative]

Originally Posted by Slick

My brother is planning to buy a hot diesel hatch.
Paio MJD and Skoda Fabia Diesel were the two cars that we shortlisted.

Why not the Swift DDiS? That is a competent car as well. Regarding your final decision, can't blame you. But if you do have the money to spend on a Fabia, better that than buying a car you will be apprehensive about.

Originally Posted by architect

I have bought the vehicle from Vivek, Delhi and even today, the Showroom might have 85% Tata and 15% Fiat vehicles but the Workshop has 90% Fiat and 10% Tata vehicles. These figures indicate the situation at the old Fiat dealers that are Tata-Fiat now.

Stick to these as they will have residual Fiat knowledge that will help you. The Tata name is helping Fiat no doubt. In fact Tata has taken over all aspects of the operations expect the brand - the last Italian manager left at the start of this month (and good riddance if I might add). And with regards to the positioning, I think a Fiat sale will be aimed at the Swift. Because to my mind what the Tatas are trying to do is to have a car in every segment and sub segment. From a Nano to a Ferrari. All the others better watch out.

[speed-demon]

I test drove the 1.3mjt sde, yesterday. One word to describe it, amazing. As read in few earlier posts, there are a few contradicts. First of all i would let you all know that i have been driving Palio sport 1.2 from the past 6 years. The 1.3 has a very good pick-up, it zooms as you push the accelerator. I found the 1.3 much quicker than my 1.2. Steering feel was as ever "great". The engine is a little noisy, it is the same as that of swift. I have driven my friends brand new Swift diesel. I did not find much difference. The ride comfort and breaking was great. The approach of the customer care personnel was good. Only thing that is a let-down is the same old interiors, infact i like the interior of my sport better than the new Mjt. According to the company guy, palio will return a mileage of 17-18kmpl on city roads and 20-22kmpl on highway. which we should assume as 16kmpl in city and 19-20kmpl on highway. The experience of driving the MJT was really good, the way it zoomed, there was no lag in the accelerator and the gearing was a pleasure. We had 5 people seated and the AC was on 3 during the test drive.
regards to everyone.