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Old 7th February 2009, 21:03   #346
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Finally got a chance to TD the Linea.

Exteriors no need to mention- but cant help it - STUNNING. Interiors look good. But there are some areas where plastic quality could have been better. No bottle holder? When i sat in the rear i was almost the roof. Engine was quite noisy IMO. As already mentioned by members the you feel the power only when engaged to 3rd gear.

What i liked:
  • Brilliant suspension
  • Awesome handling
  • Steering - Feels great to hold on. It kinda spoilt me when i sat in my Swift after the TD.
  • Of course the looks & build quality & features.
What could have been better :-
  • Gearbox- I somehow didnt like when engaged from 2nd to 3rd. Kinda rubbery feel.
  • Power delivery could have been better. I would surely say i found it quite underpowered
  • Frequent gear change required.
  • Engine was quite noisy.
I think i ll do another TD -back to back between of Linea & City to make it easier to decide.
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Old 7th February 2009, 21:24   #347
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ajitsank View Post
My decision is hanging between buying a LINEA or SX4. I love both cars and there is no question about it. I love LINEA for many things and I hate it for the observations I had mentioned in my earlier post. It could be a personal observations or maybe the car I TD'd had a problem, by all means I am not a novice.
After going through your test drive report, I am surprised that you are still considering Linea. What is there in Linea to make you consider it still? Going by your report, you found almost everything uncomfortable in that car. IMHO, you should just go ahead with SX4, since you seem to have liked it.
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Old 7th February 2009, 21:46   #348
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Quote:
Originally Posted by karanraheja View Post
Finally got a chance to TD the Linea.

I think i ll do another TD -back to back between of Linea & City to make it easier to decide.
I suppose you TD'd the petrol Linea. Am I right?
Folks, it would help other members in this forum a lot if one mentions whether one drove the petrol of diesel Linea. Things can be confusing otherwise to persons who are thinking of buying a sedan.
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Old 7th February 2009, 21:50   #349
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Originally Posted by vnabhi View Post
I suppose you TD'd the petrol Linea. Am I right?
Folks, it would help other members in this forum a lot if one mentions whether one drove the petrol of diesel Linea. Things can be confusing otherwise to persons who are thinking of buying a sedan.
Sorry for not mentioning . I test drove the 1.3 MJD - Diesel. Petrol TD cars not yet available with my dealer.
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Old 7th February 2009, 21:56   #350
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RX135 View Post
After going through your test drive report, I am surprised that you are still considering Linea. What is there in Linea to make you consider it still? Going by your report, you found almost everything uncomfortable in that car. IMHO, you should just go ahead with SX4, since you seem to have liked it.

Well that is the easiest way out. Who knows I could be wrong in my observations, or as somebody mentiond the TD'd car is got some problem. Thus I am waiting for the other dealer in Hyderabad to get their TD car (Concorde is yet to get their Petrol TD car).

I am keenly watching this forum for any other member who would come out with their observations after a back to back TD and also early next week I am told that the other dealers in Hyderabad would get their Petrol TD car. I will take the final decision the coming week. Again maybe the observations I noticed could as somebody mentioned the characterstic of Linea/Fiat vehicles.
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Old 7th February 2009, 22:11   #351
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Originally Posted by karanraheja View Post
Sorry for not mentioning . I test drove the 1.3 MJD - Diesel. Petrol TD cars not yet available with my dealer.
Thanks! I initially thought it was a diesel (as you said it was a bit noisy), but later when you said you'd compare it with the City, I got confused.
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Old 8th February 2009, 07:06   #352
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Originally Posted by ajitsank View Post
Now to your other point. You have put in your thought that SX4 suspension fails after 20,000km. Now that is news to me and never had read about that in TEAM-BHP. If you could point me to the forum where people have report suspension failure and gear shifts in city it will be of great help. I searched this forum for both your complaints on SX4 and did not hit upon any report on that.

.
hey ajit..
first of all no offends meant dude

a patient of mine owns a used car showroom and he told me about the suspension problem in sx4.

not all cars present with this problem but he has seen sx4s with less than 20000 kms presenting with suspension problems.he says that generally marutis are the most reliable cars as far as mechanicals are concerned and that he has not seen suspension problems creeping up in any maruti at such low running other than sx4.

let me tell you ajit personally i love the looks of the sx4 and you could surely search the sx4 reviews for the lack of low end grunt that i was talking about.
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Old 8th February 2009, 10:34   #353
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Originally Posted by ajitsank View Post
MY DISCUSSION IS PURELY INTERMS OF ENGINE REFINMENT. the paramount importance for me is the Engine refinement and what I hate the most is ENGINE AND ROAD SOUND radiating into the cabin. I just can't stand this.
Fair enough. And you found that:

Quote:
SX4:

Doing all that is the same with SX4, SX4 wins hands down, I mean there is nothing that is wrong in an SX4, the drive was smooth, no engine sound in cabin, power was awesome,
No engine sound in SX4 cabin? Are you sure? The SX4 has barely any sound deadening in the cabin. Engine, road and wind noise is extremely disturbing. It can get so loud that you literally have to crank up the stereo volume to listen to it because the sound gets drowned in the racket inside the car. You found the power awesome? The SX4 is DEAD below 2500rpm. Even after that the progress is slow. Of course, the engine makes a huge amount of noise but you actually don't go anywhere! Maybe you thought the power is awesome because the engine was making a lot of noise?

I drove the Linea MJD and found it rode much quieter then my SX4 on the same road and at the same speed. Engine, road and wind noise was so much more quieter. Even the suspension was quiet unlike the thrashy one in the SX4.

In case you are wondering, I have owned the SX4 for over 15 months now and have driven it for over 27,000kms. I don't recommend the car to anyone.

I can do a long comparo between the cars but I really don't see the point behind it in this case.

Last edited by amit : 8th February 2009 at 10:36.
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Old 8th February 2009, 12:01   #354
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amit View Post
Fair enough. And you found that:



No engine sound in SX4 cabin? Are you sure? The SX4 has barely any sound deadening in the cabin. Engine, road and wind noise is extremely disturbing. It can get so loud that you literally have to crank up the stereo volume to listen to it because the sound gets drowned in the racket inside the car. You found the power awesome? The SX4 is DEAD below 2500rpm. Even after that the progress is slow. Of course, the engine makes a huge amount of noise but you actually don't go anywhere! Maybe you thought the power is awesome because the engine was making a lot of noise?

I drove the Linea MJD and found it rode much quieter then my SX4 on the same road and at the same speed. Engine, road and wind noise was so much more quieter. Even the suspension was quiet unlike the thrashy one in the SX4.

In case you are wondering, I have owned the SX4 for over 15 months now and have driven it for over 27,000kms. I don't recommend the car to anyone.

I can do a long comparo between the cars but I really don't see the point behind it in this case.
Amit, i have followed your thread all the way from its start and I am sad that you had gone through a horrifying issues with your SX4. Now I don't see anybody in this forum ie's SX4 owners, who has gone through as much pain as you have gone through. So you are a one off or there could be few others more.

Now my observation on LINEA could be wrong too or the car I had TD'd had some issues. LetS waits through this week and then come up with my second TD report.

Linea MJD is quiter than "your" SX4. Could be true as you have genuine problem with "your" SX4.

No my observation of power of engine is not by its sound of engine in the SX4, my observation on power was in its pick up and speed in attainded when compared to LINEA petrol.
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Old 8th February 2009, 13:13   #355
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ajitsank View Post
Amit, i have followed your thread all the way from its start and I am sad that you had gone through a horrifying issues with your SX4. Now I don't see anybody in this forum ie's SX4 owners, who has gone through as much pain as you have gone through. So you are a one off or there could be few others more.
If you have gone through my thread then you must have noticed that there are quite a few owners who have had issues with the car. Vehicle shudder while start up is a common SX4 issue and a few people still don't have a solution to the problem. Maruti insists on shaft and engine mount replacement but the solution lies in clutch replacement. Apart from me, I know there is one more person who didn't manage to get the solution with the shaft and mount replacement.

Quote:
Linea MJD is quiter than "your" SX4. Could be true as you have genuine problem with "your" SX4.
It's not an issue with my SX4. Engine noise is high on the SX4 specially at higher rpm's. Most auto magazines like ACI and OD have also commented on that. They have also mentioned that road and wind noise is on the higher side on the car. Suspension is also noisy. It thrashes through rough patches on the road. Forget the Linea, my Palio is quieter on the move and through rough roads then the SX4.

Quote:
No my observation of power of engine is not by its sound of engine in the SX4, my observation on power was in its pick up and speed in attainded when compared to LINEA petrol.
The SX4 "feels" faster because of the higher engine noise and poorer sound deadening. Another reason could be stability. Some cars (Euro cars in general) tend to hold the road better then Japanese and Korean cars. People who cannot drive have commented on how the Palio feels like it's doing 80 when it's actually doing 120kmph while it's the other way round in the SX4. I have found that the SX4 is quite twitchy and nervous at high speeds as compared to the Palio. The EPS plays a major role in that behaviour but you said you prefer EPS.
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Old 8th February 2009, 17:20   #356
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Quote:
Originally Posted by amit View Post
If you have gone through my thread then you must have noticed that there are quite a few owners who have had issues with the car....
...
...
...
...The EPS plays a major role in that behaviour but you said you prefer EPS.
Amit: Points taken loud and clear. Very valuable inputs

Last edited by Rehaan : 8th February 2009 at 20:34. Reason: Hi, please avoid quoting an entire large post. It inconveniences our small screen & mobile readers. Thanks.
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Old 8th February 2009, 17:49   #357
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Not reading the sheer amount of posts on the thread I would just like to add my 2cents.

I test drove the Petrol version, although I loved the interiors and the nifty little tricks the car has up its sleeves. I hated the build quality of many parts of the car. My 8 Year old mondeo feels better built. The car's drive was pathetic felt like the handbrake was engaged while driving. It kills the whole car. They need to get a new engine in there ASAP because the 1.4 was the worst car I ever drove. The first car I drove (M800) felt more responsive that this.
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Old 8th February 2009, 18:26   #358
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Similar observations as I had mentioned earlier is detailed in overdrive magazine.

1.Engine Sound (Petrol & Diesel)
2. Gear Shift
3. Driver position
4. Somewhere in the report there is a talk about the suzuki engine being better.

Please see this link: Overdrive - Lineattack!

Please I am not a fiat hater or suzuki lover. Neither have I owned both fiat or Suzuki cars. I am trying to get to the root of my observations and to understand if my observations are true or false.
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Old 8th February 2009, 22:19   #359
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Ajitsank, I guess you have test driven both the cars (Linea & SX4), go-ahead and buy the car you like.

You are the best judge since it is your money, there is no point depending on someone else viewpoints or observations, and if you really wanted it, there are plenty of those on this thread itself.

Last edited by finneyp : 8th February 2009 at 22:21.
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Old 9th February 2009, 10:58   #360
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Well, on Saturday again took the TD. This time I wanted to check the blue n Me system. The salesman demonstrated us the system (On E+ diesel). It rocks !! My wifey is so impressed by it that she is asking me to sale off my faithful 1.2 Palio and get this new beauty home. Recession guys recession !!! Otherwise I would have booked it on 14th Jan itself. But for that I have to search for an equally passionate person who will take care of my Palio as a baby rather than a car.

On the TD:

Car: 1.4 FIRE, Emotion

1. AC is quite good and ACC is a boon.
2. Blue n Me rocks. Call voice quiality is good.
2. It did not feel sluggish even after putting AC on. Performace may improve when AC is switched off (My observation as seen in my Palio).
3. Clutch is good as compared to Palio.
4. Engine makes sound when pushed really hard through gears
5. Rear seat cup holder is seriously a NO-NO. Very poor quality.

I have a weird observation : I felt very awkward in Active version. I did not find the visibility adequate. I am short - 5.5 but cause of seat height adjustment, I was comfortable driving Emotion. Active is strictly No-No for me at least.
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