[yatin]

About 2 months ago, I took the car to Green Tracks (Silk Board) to get the tyre problem checked. They found out that a front tyre was leaking air with the wheel-balancing weights clipped on - I guess that points to a bad tyre. The quick fix was to swap front and back wheels, and replace the wheel-balancing weights on the bad tyre with sticker weights. I agreed to it, as I wanted the car back quick. They were non-committal about giving me a replacement tyre.
- the reason they switched tyres was that the weights had to be there up front for wheel balancing; but now, I have to worry about how to do tyre rotation ...

At the same time, I wanted to get a replacement for the fallen-off rear logo. I went there once before, and they only had newer, smaller logos in stock. This time, they had obtained the older, bigger logos but they were front logos which for some reason don't have the same fixing mechanism as the rear logos. I didn't have the patience to go there again, so I will try to get it during the 2nd service (1 month away).

After the tyre quick fix, I have not seen any problems with tyre pressure. Recent FE calculation was (1011kms on 74 litres) = (13.66); this was on normal petrol, totally city driving with lots of stop-and-go traffic and A/C usage < 10%.

@gatsri007:
I'd love to get your city FE, but you seem to be in a league of your own .
I got 17+ earlier with a even split of highway and city driving, so I have hopes of improvement.

@:
Does anybody know if the new (< 1 month old) Shell outlet behind Lal Bagh (on the road from Wilson Garden to Lal Bagh East gate) is genuine? I didn't find it on the Shell website.
I also didn't know that Shell normal petrol is just 1% more expensive than IOC/BP/HP normal.

[yatin]

F.E update:
Almost entirely before the 2nd service, I covered 1375 kms (50-50 highway-city split, A/C on maybe 15% of the time; the highway trip involved ~150kms on bad roads around M.M hills, Kollegal district - at one point, I spent 20 minutes in 1st gear behind a bus on a 1-lane road!) on ~83 litres (60+ Shell normal & 20+ IOC normal). That works out to 16.6 kmpl. Given the driving conditions, thats pretty good for this car's configuration. I am expecting an improvement after the 2nd service.

2nd service:
A week back, I took the car for its 2nd service (free) a week later than scheduled. The odo reading was just past 5100kms. I went again to Green Tracks, Silk Board junction, Hosur Road, partly because I didn't expect anybody else to do better and partly because I could stay there the whole time and return with it. They took the car in at 2PM and gave it back at 6PM.

The listed 2nd service procedures seemed to be followed. I was billed for engine oil + filter + steering pump oil top-up + consumables. Additionally, I got a replacement for a stolen rear badge (Rs.200), and got the interiors shampooed (dunno if it was worth Rs.750 - it smelled of shampoo for a week after! But I hadn't driven it much or let it air itself out). The total bill was a little over Rs.2000, within their initial estimate and around what I expected.

Driving impressions:
After the 2nd service, the engine seems to have "improved" a little bit in the city. I can't say it has smoothened (certainly not roughened), I can't say it has become responsive. But it certainly moves better, especially while shifting gears, and A/C usage doesn't get it down as much as it used to. The ride is a bit more uneven than before, and I have to see if the tyre pressures are awry. I am waiting to take it to the highway. BTW, I got marble beads for the driver's seat and love it!

I am considering adding the stabilizing bar up front. I suppose I better do it quick before it becomes difficult to procure - they might listen to T-BHP enthusiasts' reaction to the Grande Punto (real looker in red!) and phase out this car!

[yatin]

Things have been quiet lately and I didn't do much driving around :-( in the past 6 months - I got the odo to only tick past 8000 with in-city driving, so had nothing to post.

My car went in for its 3rd (free) service 2 weeks back. I went again to Green Tracks, Hosur Road. This time, they didn't give it back in 3 hours; I dropped there in the morning and picked it up in the evening. There was nothing special to do in the service - just regular oil+filter change and stuff. It amounted to INR 1400.

Niggles:
- Ever since the 1st service, the brakes creak and groan when partially applied, but do the job. Whole hog braking is silent and pretty effective. They just haven't explained or fixed that.
- Just as I was about to hand it in, I noticed that the fuel filler lid was not closing properly. After a few tries, it worked. But it has started acting up again. I suspect time-pass activity by pedestrians when it was parked.
- The rear logo, which is _not_ screwed on by design, fell off again. I am not putting it back again - Fiat better come up with better ways to make me give them 200 rupees more every 6 months!

Otherwise, the car is good... It has gotten smoother and more refined after the service, and comfort levels remain as good as I had expected. I am now well-tuned to its 'initial inertia'. I will try to post a FE update some time.

[yatin]

A few weeks ago, I gave my car to Green Tracks, Hosur Road, for the scheduled 4th (paid) service. Nothing particular to note, the usual 1.5 K for consumables and, starting with this service, 1.5 K for servicing (this tempts me to go to Hariprasad, Basavanagudi, for servicing, but not sure if warranty+extended warranty will hold). There wasn't much change in the vehicle after the service, but they always seem to under-inflate the tyres .

Odo reading ticked past 12K some time after the service.
Recent FE (after the service) with a 80% highway (5 people on board, very good roads, 75% AC, 100% comfort ), 20% city (city bustle, 1/2 people on board, no AC) was around 17+ kmpl.

As a reasonably FE, very comfortable car, it is fulfilling expectations.

[Sujith1100]

Nice, honest and time-to-time review of your Palio. Post some pics too.. New Palio Stile sales are picking up again these days. No, I am not joking!

[yatin]

I can't believe how long ago my last post about my own car was! Almost 3 years!

Well, neither car nor driver has gone anywhere. Literally. Odo is still around 28K. Part of it is because of my usage pattern, which is sporadic drives in a 200KM radius, interspersed with periods of inactivity.

The service story hasn't been as even as the driving :-(

Green Tracks (Hosur Road) went too much downhill (didn't properly close the coolant lid during my last time there & gifted me an almost-seized engine at the beginning of a week-day).

Hariprasad Automobiles (Shankar Math, Basavangudi) has been good (especially with bodywork). After a sad trial somewhere else (see below) & the resultant inactivity, I have gone back there just today.

The trial was an unfortunate time at a nameless garage behind Sevakshetra (Banashankari); somebody I know recommended it to me (a couple of months before his own vehicle went irretrievably bad & he had to buy a new one!). The guy spoke well & seemed knowledgable, & gave back a decently "maintenanced" vehicle. But, on my next trip (Bangalore-Ooty via Masinagudi - demanding on the car!), the front suspension started squeaking, the car started generally behaving misdirected & less responsive than before. I have never seen a vehicle go downhill (no reference to Masinagudi there!) that much that soon after a service.

I guess Fiat's reputation for backing up its older vehicles isn't that great.
So the upcoming independent dealerships/service stations may not hold any hope for Palio Stile owners. Hopefully, Punto/Linea owners can hope to have some hope there!

[yatin]

Long time, no post! Generally busier, that's life - but now, something to write about.

I might go in for a new car soon, primarily for boot space but hopefully get a better drive and comfort too; so this is retrospective/nostalgia.

After 8 years & 43k kms, the car is doing quite OK; the main problem is petty neighbours doing a Pakistan, scratching the metal & the windscreen whenever they get the chance

At 37-38k kms, I replaced the original clutch with the Punto variety; much lighter. The interiors are showing their age, but mechanically it still runs like a charm. FE has dropped by maybe 1kpl (age? or just because of wider tyres up front? South Bangalore's Hariprasad Automobiles voluntary ECU tuning?); it was 13 in city & 17 on highway, without much A/C - global warming necessitates more A/C use & its at 11 in city & 15+ on highway nowadays. The immediate requirement is to replace the creaking and hardened suspension, but might instead switch cars.

This wasn't a decision to regret; its a great car that was at a great price too. I really should have bought the SLX for ₹20k more (very penny-wise, pound-foolish of me). The engine is very manageable, especially cruising at a speedo-indicated 80-110 kmph. At under 4 lakhs 8 years ago, its resale value now doesn't feel like a big dent; it would have felt like a bigger dent if I had been tempted to put in ₹1 lakh more for the 1.6.

I will try to pick TBHP brains on my next car in a separate thread, but I have already decided it won't be another Fiat, and I will miss this car's road manners, seat comfort and suspension .

[prashkul]

Originally Posted by yatin

I might go in for a new car soon, primarily for boot space but hopefully get a better drive and comfort too; so this is retrospective/nostalgia.

After 8 years & 43k kms, the car is doing quite OK; the main problem is petty neighbours doing a Pakistan, scratching the metal & the windscreen whenever they get the chance

I too own a 2007 Stile 1.1, SLX version Mg grey in color. Done about 55K kms with long periods of low mileage when I was out of the country and car was at parents', doing about 1K kms per year. IIRC, major work I have got done are: tyre replacement in Apr 2013 for about 23K (odo was at 24k approx.), spent around 20K for audio upgrade in Jul/Aug 2014, dent/re-paint probably in 2013 or 2014 for about 10K I guess, and another round of dent/re-paint now for 20K+. I consistently get 18+ FE on my highway runs with AC on. Within city mileage has dropped to about 13+. I've also begun my second car search about 3 months back, and it won't be a Fiat But, I'm in no mood to sell this car. Partly because of pathetic re-sale value. But, mainly because of the ride quality it offers. I have drastically cut down on the in-city use of the car. Almost all my outstation travels (250 to 650Kms+ one-way) have been in this car and I simply love this car way too much to let it go.

[yatin]

Originally Posted by prashkul

I too own a 2007 Stile 1.1, SLX version Mg grey in color. Done about 55K kms with long periods of low mileage ...
...
I consistently get 18+ FE on my highway runs with AC on. Within city mileage has dropped to about 13+. I've also begun my second car search about 3 months back, and it won't be a Fiat But, I'm in no mood to sell this car. Partly because of pathetic re-sale value. But, mainly because of the ride quality it offers. I have drastically cut down on the in-city use of the car. Almost all my outstation travels (250 to 650Kms+ one-way) have been in this car and I simply love this car way too much to let it go.

Good F.E Even with my sedate driving and little A/C, I only used to get 17+ earlier; nowadays, with A/C on more of the time, it is around 15+. SLX seems more efficent than SLE!

Glad to hear you have the option of holding on to it ; there are not too many cars out there that are as comfortable and as good at holding the road. It only needs better sound insulation.

[yatin]

Minor update about tyres & F.E.

I had been running an asymmetrical setup for maybe 2 years; the factory tyre size, 165/80 R13, wasn't available anymore, and I had replaced only the front tyres with 175/70 R13. It had a weird grippiness, which is understandable; the stance looked better . I rotated them to the rear & put in new 175/70 up front, and got the balance back.

On a recent trip, I got a speedo-indicated 900 kms on around 58 litres of petrol. Accounting for 1.5% speedo error, F.E seems to be < 15.5 kmpl; < 10% was bumper-to-bumper traffic, 30% state highways mostly at around 60kmph & < 60% on NHs at 90-110 kmph (95% AC).

Odo at 46+k now. Likely will move to a Platinum Etios petrol in a couple of months, fingers crossed.