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Old 17th January 2009, 13:24   #46
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Originally Posted by Sahil View Post
Got delivery of our Altis A/T today. A sky blue which will be with us in Bombay(regn 3334) and a white one(regn 3355) will be in Pune. Paid Rs.2000 each for the numbers, without reciept.

Intial impressions:
-A complete no non sense car, has everything one needs and more without being too flamboyant.
-Engine is very smooth. Am trying to run her in well so kept her below 3000rpm. But the feeling I get is that the engine is not as free revving as a Honda. Nonetheless it is very smooth and low end torque is excellent!
-Driving position one of the best I have had in any car. The lower back support keep you very comfy and since it's electronically controlled, you get the exact position you need.
- Steering is gem! A boon to twist around in traffic.
-Interior quality is great both of leather and plastics. Center console ads an upmarket feel an look.
-FE so far with 75% highway,25% city driving with AC is 12.5kmpl.
-Xenons are a boon, add to the exterior look at night, especially with the sky blue color they match well. Provide brilliant vision, although I wish the high beam was xenon too.
- Outside noise is very well cut out, unlike most jap cars.
-Only complaint is that you buy a car that cost almost 15 lakhs OTR mumbai and don't get any matting with it !

Other options considered/Why I picked the Altis:
- Budget was 12 to 20 lakhs.
- I found myself using the Accord mostly during the daytime traffic after the BMW came last year, which is and still will be my most used car.
- Have been looking for a car for a year now, test drove the new Accord, Jetta DSG.
- Ruled out the Accord as I mentioned the car would be used only within the city and most often in traffic during the day. Hence I wanted something smaller as the Accord often is a pain to fit into tight parking spots etc. I often found myself picking the NHC whenever I needed to get out in the day. So a perfect size would be something between the two. Was very keen and almost finalized on the Jetta, but after pondering over it I realised the Jetta was not what I needed. Since the car would never be used on the highway nor would it clock many kms to justify the 4 lakh premium over the Altis.
- Had booked the civic hybrid but thanks to Honda's alleged scam my booking was cancelled. The only thing that attracted me to the Civic was the hybrid engine and I was not keen on the normal petrol A/T.
- I found myself at peace after TDing the Altis as it had a higher seating than the Civic which is the biggest reason for me not considering the Civic 1.8. My focus was not on performance either as there is not much you can tap in traffic either.
- Got Rs.60,000 off on Dec 2008 manufactered Altis, after which I sealed the deal.

Fittings to come:
- Will be getting tints put tomo.
- Have a Nokia bluetooth car kit lying around unfitted for a while so will get it fitted in this car.
- Contemplating on rubber. I find the bridgestones it has come with rather noisy. Although 215/60R15 is my top choice I fear they will put too much load on the car. Besides it's rare to find that size.
- Will get the chrome grill fin fitted during the first service.
Congrats Sahil on the entry to the TCA club on TBHP and thanks for your comments which focus on practicality rather than the lack of a red line loving engine that most people, including myself, like to praise. cheers:

The TCA is a 'nice' car at the very least. I drove on the GQ to Kolhapur/Belgaum/Hubli with my wife and found the car very comfortable. It is stress free driving and with the automatic you get cruise control. So much the better for long distance drives. The steering is a blessing in city driving and much better than my older 9G corolla thought there are comments about not enough feedback coming thru the steering due to the EPS when it's compared with the hydraulic set up the older car had.

I kept the RPMs below 3K for the first 1K Kms and varying the speed between 80-100 kmph. Around the 1400 Kms milestone, took the car up to 125 kmph. Will gradually increase further once she's near the 2K kms mark. It is difficult to keep the car below 100 as it seems eager to go. Yes, it is not as smooth as the Civic at 4000+ RPM.

I hope your car doesnt have that horrible brake screech that generally turns up after 350 kms of running. I'll be taking my car to the dealer next weekend for a fix after having received some prompt responses to my complaint from TKM followed by DSK Toyota. It is this responsiveness to customer complaints and the Toyota brand name that made me buy a Toyota for the 2nd time. Seriously, their service at least in Pune is top notch.

Cheers!

R2D2
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Old 17th January 2009, 13:25   #47
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congrats sahil!!! cheers:
great buy and auto tranny always fascinates me. post some pics soon.
enjoy and drive safe!!
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Old 17th January 2009, 13:36   #48
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pics please and Congo on your great purchase
only sad part is the limited color choices in India... no black color also? my Q is whats there in a color?
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Old 17th January 2009, 13:53   #49
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Congratulations on the new car Sahil

Pictures please.
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Old 19th January 2009, 10:35   #50
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Double CONGRATS to you Sahil for both your cars. It was really a decision based on all practical issues and really convincing. With limited usage TCA definitely made more sense than Jetta and its also better loaded than Jetta and better VFM than Jetta.

Wishing you many happy years of motoring in new TCAs.
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Old 19th January 2009, 22:34   #51
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Quote:
Originally Posted by R2D2 View Post
Congrats Sahil on the entry to the TCA club on TBHP and thanks for your comments which focus on practicality rather than the lack of a red line loving engine that most people, including myself, like to praise. cheers:

The TCA is a 'nice' car at the very least. I drove on the GQ to Kolhapur/Belgaum/Hubli with my wife and found the car very comfortable. It is stress free driving and with the automatic you get cruise control. So much the better for long distance drives. The steering is a blessing in city driving and much better than my older 9G corolla thought there are comments about not enough feedback coming thru the steering due to the EPS when it's compared with the hydraulic set up the older car had.

I kept the RPMs below 3K for the first 1K Kms and varying the speed between 80-100 kmph. Around the 1400 Kms milestone, took the car up to 125 kmph. Will gradually increase further once she's near the 2K kms mark. It is difficult to keep the car below 100 as it seems eager to go. Yes, it is not as smooth as the Civic at 4000+ RPM.

I hope your car doesnt have that horrible brake screech that generally turns up after 350 kms of running. I'll be taking my car to the dealer next weekend for a fix after having received some prompt responses to my complaint from TKM followed by DSK Toyota. It is this responsiveness to customer complaints and the Toyota brand name that made me buy a Toyota for the 2nd time. Seriously, their service at least in Pune is top notch.

Cheers!

R2D2
Ok guys, back from my 850 KM journey across 2 states (MH and KA). Fuel consumption according to the car's meter was 14.6 kmpl and while calculating using the tankful to tankful method (dispenser auto shuts off) it was 15.5 kmpl.

Road rumble is low courtesy the Turanzas and you are insulated from most outside noises, high speed braking is MUCH better than my old 9G Corolla. I think the Altis has bigger disc brakes at the rear.

The car has done about 2000 KMs. From the 1500 kms milestone, increased the speed to 125-130 kmph and holding it there for a few minutes but always varying speeds. I will baby the engine till for another 200 odd kms after which she's ready to stretch her legs even more.

Off to the dealer for that low speed brake screech fix this Saturday and will get the engine oil changed as well. Will keep you posted.

Rgds,

R2D2
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Old 19th January 2009, 22:54   #52
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15.5 is awesome!

I just wish I could take my babe out in proper roads for long distance runs and see some good mileage figures.

Looking forward to more ownership stories
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Old 19th January 2009, 23:01   #53
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Hey R2D2, that's really good to mileage. But please describe in detail the driving experience of the Altis. How is the car on highways.
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Old 20th January 2009, 01:21   #54
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upgrade the Tyres this evening to 205/65R15 Yoko A-Drive.
I wasn't pleased with the handling or noise levels of the stock Tyres. The yokos came at a diff of 6000rs for 5 in exchange of the ER300s.
Had a quick spin and find the car more sturdy as speeds get higher. The noise level are greatly reduced. A slight increase in ground clearence which is a boon in our current road conditions. Most of all the wheel arches are nicely filled up and the car has a planted look from the rear.

I found a reciept in the car today that had the engine no etc printed and a date of 15th october. Not sure if that is the mfd date but incase it is then would my car be a part of the suspension recall?

Last edited by Sahil : 20th January 2009 at 01:27.
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Old 20th January 2009, 01:23   #55
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Sahil can you post some pics with the new tyres in daylight? I want to see how the stance changes. I actually felt the 195/65-15 make it feel too raised.
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Old 20th January 2009, 13:49   #56
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Quote:
Originally Posted by R2D2 View Post
Ok guys, back from my 850 KM journey across 2 states (MH and KA). Fuel consumption according to the car's meter was 14.6 kmpl and while calculating using the tankful to tankful method (dispenser auto shuts off) it was 15.5 kmpl.

R2D2
15.5 is a great one that too in A/T i suppose. Your smart running in tech showing its effect. I haven't got a chance yet to take it on highways.

To all Altis owners: If possible keep posting random pictures of your car.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sahil View Post
upgrade the Tyres this evening to 205/65R15 Yoko A-Drive.
I wasn't pleased with the handling or noise levels of the stock Tyres. The yokos came at a diff of 6000rs for 5 in exchange of the ER300s.
For 6000 its not a bad deal. It would certainly increase the ride quality and look of car. Do you suggest others to go for it or is it ok.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Sahil View Post
I found a reciept in the car today that had the engine no etc printed and a date of 15th october. Not sure if that is the mfd date but incase it is then would my car be a part of the suspension recall?
That could be date of engine. Open the boot and look for the sticker badge with date of manufacturing along with chasis number. I think only the first 2000 cars had that problem. Mine is Aug08, so maximum till sept 08 2000 cars were in showrooms.
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Old 20th January 2009, 14:26   #57
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What is the consumption you are getting in city driving ? I am debating between an MT/AT Altis and fuel economy is something i would like to know from other owners.

cheers.
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Old 20th January 2009, 16:57   #58
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Originally Posted by ankur View Post
What is the consumption you are getting in city driving ? I am debating between an MT/AT Altis and fuel economy is something i would like to know from other owners.

cheers.
I'm getting between 11.5 and 12 kmpl three times, all city driving at average speed(from MID) at around 25 kmph. Almost no A/C. I have manual.
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Old 20th January 2009, 18:22   #59
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Sahil,

Pictures please
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Old 20th January 2009, 20:56   #60
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ImmortalZ View Post
15.5 is awesome!

I just wish I could take my babe out in proper roads for long distance runs and see some good mileage figures.

Looking forward to more ownership stories
Thanks Immortalz. Well, I cant help comparing this car to my old 9G. As you know it is the same engine (1ZZ-FE) but tweaked to produce more power and better fuel efficiency. The old car would give about 14-14.5 on the same run with A/C on. I think Toyota's done a pretty decent job but wish they had give us the new 2ZR-FE engine. Interestingly this new gen engine has had some issues (I read up on 2 US based toyota forums) of excessive oil consumption which Toyota acknowledged and fixed by reflashing the ECU with a newer version of the software. Go figure.

Cheers!

R2D2
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