[mishranishant]

Thanks starvegabond.

Here is the update. : The car has gone for the first service. I wanted the vehicle today by 1 pm since i intend to go to pune. Hence i called up the guys at Global Gallerie.

I dont know what to make of it, but the driver of the vehicle turned up at 11 in the night (instead of the decided 4 pm) to pick up the vehicle. I personally had given up on him coming and, since as usual, there was no call from Global telling me of the delay, i assumed it would be one long reason-baaji-session from these guys the next day. Since the vehicle has already done 2100 + kms, it had to be serviced. Taking it to pune would have meant an additional 400 kms at least. and doing the service in pune would mean 2300 kms +. Not done.

Well, i have sent across a list of things to be done. Of that, the call from the service guys have ticked off the wheel alignment part saying that it is all normal. trust me, they are simply not listening to me on it. O.K. will get it done when i visit them personally. in fact i was travelling to pune once with their company driver once and he also acknowledged the same. i still do not understand why they do not want to do the alignment. it is not quite evident in the city but at speeds of over 80, the vehicle definitely takes a liking to the left side. aaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhhhh.

i will update you guys on the service experience. take care.

[ramzsys]

what a thought process and attention to details, sir...

if the average indian car buying process is akin to this, many brands(read fiat) would have given the real competition to maruti suzuki.

[Klub Class]

Congratulations on your new car brother.Drive her safely

Originally Posted by mishranishant

b)The parking bulb went out the second day of the purchase. The technicians came to my office to fix it. Apparently the bulb had got loose in the holder. He dropped the bulb and could not find it. (the logan is the only car with an engine guard at the bottom. the replacement bulb he got was dim (reddish yellow) when switched on and I refused to have it put in my car. Finally settled with the bulb taken out from his vehicle. Works perfectly now.

By the way,according to the information that I have all the Fiat cars have engine guards(Not sure whether all Fiat Cars have the same).

[mishranishant]

i got the first service done.

complimentary pick up thanks to Global Gallarie.

Problems cited = 7
Problems Corrected = 2
Problems Avoided = 1
Problems Pending = 4
Cost = Zilch
Overal Satisfaction = 3.5 / 5. (Why such a high rating? - will tell you later.)

Went to pune immeidately after the first service. Empty tank - meter said fuel remaining 3 Lts - to empty tank - filled up 400 bucks / 10.89 lts regular diesel. Surprisingly good average.

Vehicle driven on the conservative side - like i usually do - average speed around 90 kmph (varied between 75 - 115 kmph). Drove it till meter read 2 Lts. and then refilled. Hard to believe but I drove 290 kms (Highway - 200 kms, city 90 kms) on approx 13 lts. avg - 22.31. Mind you - 100 % A/c, 150 kms of peak mid-day travel and windows have yet to be filmed.

If you want further information on the first service experience let me know. I will elaborate further. Vehicle has run in about 2600 kms. Definitely some loss in refinement, but i find it to be having more grunt in it. There is a definite problem in pulling power in the second gear. The third gear is a charm. There is absolutely no sudden push in the top gear even at 2300 rpm. Drove the vehicle upto 145 kms to check the stability issues. My wife sitting next to me did not even notice that we were travelling at that speed. Vehicle absolutely still. Do not know how much more it will go, but i chickened out after doing this speed for 10 kms. :-)

take care.

[pugram]

Congrats on your new car !!!..

I too have a 2 year old DLE (July 2007) and have had a good run in it.

The Variable geometry turbo kicks in at 1500RPM and from then on there is a strong pull as 16kgm of torque is available from then on. One has to upshift faster to get a smooth driving experience and a good mileage.

I have been getting consistent mileages varying from 17kmpl to 20kmpl depending on how i drive.

Your left side pulling problem might be because of the Steering wheel not aligned properly. One of my office friends had bought a Logan and had a similar problem. Finally it was found that the steering wheel was not centered and my friend was facing this problem while trying to center the steering wheel (we do this unconsciously). Please check.

142kmph is the official top speed of the car. We can see higher speeds on the speedo due to speedo error. But do pump the brakes for better braking efficiency.

Happy driving..

[balajird]

Congrats on your purchase Nishant, Wonderful writeup and a very practical decision and thought process. Too many calculation but at the end of day it makes sense to own a car that suits us for all practical purpose. I loved your write up in particular to some comments like

"“You are an obvious fool to buy that small car when you can get a Mercedes for lesser than that price”. Ahhhhhha – the lights turn on and it is realized - what she meant by Mercedes was a Sedan."

But i am not as lucky as you are, my wife would still love to own a "Mercedes" even though she knows it would cost more than 30L.

"Problems avoided = 1", thats funny, A.S.S. avoiding problems reported by the owner? If you feel that your first service experience would benefit fellow members, please do write about it.

Thanks for sharing your thought process and initial ownership experience.

[mishranishant]

Originally Posted by pugram

Congrats on your new car !!!..

I too have a 2 year old DLE (July 2007) and have had a good run in it.


I have been getting consistent mileages varying from 17kmpl to 20kmpl depending on how i drive.

Your left side pulling problem might be because of the Steering wheel not aligned properly. One of my office friends had bought a Logan and had a similar problem. Finally it was found that the steering wheel was not centered and my friend was facing this problem while trying to center the steering wheel (we do this unconsciously). Please check.

- its very slight. no sudden jerk to the left. and yes, its due to the alignment. you will not notice it in the city. on the highway, definitely yes. and funnily, the servicing guys simply refused to take down this as a problem.

142kmph is the official top speed of the car. We can see higher speeds on the speedo due to speedo error. But do pump the brakes for better braking efficiency.

- yep. you are right. but still, the vehicle is very stable.

Happy driving..

The Variable geometry turbo kicks in at 1500RPM and from then on there is a strong pull as 16kgm of torque is available from then on. One has to upshift faster to get a smooth driving experience and a good mileage.

- i am not so sure about the variable geometry turbo thing. When i had enquired about the turbo, nobody was able to answer it and neither is it available anywhere on the net. when i followed up with rajan, the product specialist at Mahindra, he put me onto the chief technician at Mahindra's. He very clearly told me that the turbo is a fixed turbo. I confirmed this by enquiring if it was variable or fixed and he replied as fixed and it gets activated at 2000 - 2200 rpm. but funnily, i dont get any kind of turbo boost while crossing this rpm. thats why i have mentioned that there is no sudden pust or anything going past 2000 rpm upto 2500. so here i think you could be correct that the turbo kicks in at 1500 rpm.

[hyd_traveller]

My Mahindra Logan GLX 1.4 Petrol gave me 14.5 kmpl with A/C switched on when driving long distance Hyderabad-Nanded-Hyderabad last week.

The car has nearly clocked 16,000 km at the moment.

Is the above average what I should expect from my Logan?

PS : I get 10.5 kmpl in Hyderabad city driving with A/C switched on and 2nd/3rd gear driving.

[maverickxx2006]

Originally Posted by mishranishant

Logan DLE 2100+ Ownership and experience
Apparently the bulb had got loose in the holder. He dropped the bulb and could not find it. (the logan is the only car with an engine guard at the bottom.

Congrats for the new car.

BTW, there is another car which also has engine guard at bottom - FIAT Uno.

[karpusv]

Nice write-up Nishant,

I myslef have the 1.5DLX since Nov 2007. Covered 22000+ till now.
Except for the bland looks (inside and outside) I really have not have any qualms about the car.

Driving in city & highway has always been a pleasure. Touched high speeds (upto 160) and crawling speeds in city.

Average in city has been steady @ 18kmpl since 2 yrs now and highways have been returning 25-26.

One happy customer, me.

[hyd_traveller]

"Renault, M&M alliance showing signs of strain" reports Economic Times at Hyderabad on 07-Oct-09.

If the alliance actually breaks and the JV is called of ...

1) What will be the fate of my Logan in such a scenario?

2) Do you think I should sell off my Logan and buy some other brand's car before the second hand market for Logans crash?

Please advise !!!!!

[mishranishant]

Here is the thing,

THE MORE I LOVE MY CAR, THE MORE STRONGLY THE SERVICE STATION BANGS ME DOWN TO EARTH.

That is the sad story of my experience with the service guys. I think they are influenced by the marketing schemes of the consumer durables companies. Their motto being :

"GET YOUR CAR HERE WITH ONE PROBLEM AND TAKE BACK TWO FREE"

As i had mentioned earlier, these guys are really great guys to speak to and they are quite sympathetic to our cause also. However, resolution of our cause - aha - thats a different ball game altogether.

First servicing - one problem out of seven sorted out. Was promised complete satisfaction the next time when i take the vehicle there. Mind you - these guys are 45 kms off my place. So going there often is out of question. However, i decide to stay back on a three day long weekend and take the vehicle to the service station on 2nd october for problem resolution. I intend to stay there to get the job done properly. Before going there, i am promised exactly the same thing.

The service engineer meticulously takes down the various small issues in an ernest manner, we take a small test drive. He gratuitously agrees that yes there are issues. Then he throws the googly, get the vehicle next week. it will require to be left overnight for all the work to be done and he will get the vehicle picked up from my place free of cost. So what do we do today i ask? He says enjoy the holiday.

I bid him good bye, kick my *** (instead of mahindra's ***) and turn with my tail between my legs - fully knowing that i have been had, but dont know how to respond.

Well i can atleast get the filming done - right. i make the necessary calls. Dealer had promised huper optik. however, he says that huper optik has wound up its shop in india (i really wonder) and that he will get llumar films done. i say ok.

take vehicle to showroom. filming guy turns up at 1 pm. we reached at 10 am. We were at the service station at 8 am. Out of that place by 8.45. on hind sight, i guess this is what is called a royal screw. Anyways, lets move on . . . . . . .

The filming guy first films the dash window. i couldnt care less. however suddenly out of the blue something hits me. i decide to check out the quality of film being applied. the llumar guy dosnt help much. obviously he has been called in by the dealer who is his regular customer. i ask him to stop his work midway, ask for the film samples, call up abhtiks (a member here and a very close family friend) in pune. He in turn puts me to Dhanesh at Bafna automobiles, a mutual friend of ours.

Now, this Dhanesh guy from Bafna's is a cool guy with quick answers. I tell him the film number and he retorts back to keep the car nude rather than put that silly quality film on the car. :-). With the answer recieved, i speak to the guys at the dealer about the quality of film being used. They co-operate (how and why in some other post) and the llumar guys promises to come over to the residence the next day to put in the desired film. The film is done the next day at my residence. So the film done on the car is llumar Platinum Steel 50 SR in the sides and rear (one piece) and the font dash is diamond pp 75 SR. The effect is good.

Also got the teflon done. dunno what was done, but it was over within 15 minutes flat. i didnt see any cream or anything being applied to the vehicle. didnt protest. dunno why. maybe, i was out of protesting and resigned to my fate.

Well anyways, on monday next, the driver from the showroom turns up, takes the car, and brings it back the next day. i do not know whether to trust them with a new car, but the people there appear to be genuine. however, what work has been done happened on the vehicle, i am yet to find out.

But then, they have been true to the holiday shopping spirit. With my set of problems, they have given me three more issues free. There are now door rattles all around. i immediately gave them a call and once again a very nice voice greeted me saying that since a lot of free problems were being added, they would gratify me by sending their mobile squad to my residence and fix up all the issues. Well, it has been a week now. i am yet to recieve any call from their side for the same. :-)

Really dont know what to do. the engine sounds ok. But these small irritable factors - aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhh.

However, the people i have come across atleast appear to empathise and sympathise with you and acknowledge the problems. I believe that they are genuinely involved in trying to get to a solution. However, the backend service guys are simply not upto it. maybe thats the main issue of why the jv is facing troubled waters.

As of now, the status is - 13 problems (remember the addition of free problems). Solution status - wait listed. :-). Hope they get confirmed soon.

Am attaching the mileage figures for you to scrutinize. Average being clocked is a healthy 18 kmpl.

I will keep on updating you guys on the car. I would request you guys to put in a word or two to motivate me to keep the thread updated.

Wishing you a very happy diwali. Have fun, be safe.

[mishranishant]

Originally Posted by karpusv

Nice write-up Nishant,

I myslef have the 1.5DLX since Nov 2007. Covered 22000+ till now.
Except for the bland looks (inside and outside) I really have not have any qualms about the car.

Driving in city & highway has always been a pleasure. Touched high speeds (upto 160) and crawling speeds in city.

Average in city has been steady @ 18kmpl since 2 yrs now and highways have been returning 25-26.

One happy customer, me.

Wow. Thats a great average that you are extracting from the vehicle. I get an average of 18.5 kms. which includes highway runs on weekends and atleast 10 kms of half-clutch-first-gear runs on weekends.

Originally Posted by hyd_traveller

"Renault, M&M alliance showing signs of strain" reports Economic Times at Hyderabad on 07-Oct-09.

If the alliance actually breaks and the JV is called of ...

1) What will be the fate of my Logan in such a scenario?

2) Do you think I should sell off my Logan and buy some other brand's car before the second hand market for Logans crash?

Please advise !!!!!

The experts here would be in a better position to guide you. However, the average that you have mentioned in your earlier post is fine as per my information. Anything over 14 in a petrol car should be taken as a bonus. And with my experience with the service station goes, the people are nice, but when it comes to technically servicing the product, i guess any change would be for the better. i am planning to upload the experience that i have had with the service station soon. keep reading.

[mishranishant]

Ok, here it is. The 10,000 km, second servicing report. It has been a positive feedback so far on the Logan.

It is now exactly six months with the diesel logan. And every kilometer driven on it has been worth the price paid for it. I have been unable to regularly write in the forum so will catch up with a few developments which happened in the meantime.

The car was given for the first free service. Zero cost. Inspection and washing done. Also go the first coat of “Teflon” done which came as a combined offer at purchase. The Teflon here meaning a rub down with some kind of a wax. What I have seen with my friends car is that they apply about four different coats. In my case, it was wipe and swipe job. 15 mins and off I went. If my backside was as big as the car, maybe I would have taken more time wiping it off after I did my big job in the morning than the time time taken by these folks to Teflon my car. Didn’t sulk though. The teflon story dosnt end there though. More on that later.

In the meantime though, I was side swiped by a lady in a zen. Noticeable damage, but manageable. A small dent in the wheel flares and long straight scratches with a small dent on the right back door. Scratches reduced considerable in the rubbing received at the first servicing. Didn’t bother to get it rectified on a personal acquaintainces request. Hardly noticeable though.

Second major mishap. A dog got hit by me at a speed of about 40. The Impact was BAM. I thought I killed him. Was wrong. When I got down, I saw the dog running away. The way he was running, appeared to have all the bones intact. [FONT=Wingdings][FONT=Wingdings]J[/FONT][/FONT]. Then with the hutment dwellers gathering around to create an unwarranted ruckus, it was my turn to run away. Went home and checked the damage. In the night, nothing noticeable. Drove the vehicle for a couple of days. Nothing much, but the potholes that I normally clear easily, starter touching the bumper. So checked thoroughly this time around. Saw that the entire bumper had come off from its screws from the bottom.

Took the vehicle for a checkup the next morning itself to G3 motors at Malad after taking an appointment. He checked up the bumper and refixed it. No major damage done. Now here is the funny thing. He said nothing serious and since the job was done within a few minutes, I thought he would not charge me anything for it. So, out of graciousness, I requested him to get the tyre rotation done on the wheels. Those cost 200 bucks. In the meantime I asked him details regarding the way tyre rotation is done etc. I was in for a surprise when I was billed for fixing the bumper – 150 bucks and the tyre rotation also. No harm. Made the payment and was on my way.

Incidently, went off to pune on the weekend. When taking out the luggage from the dickey, decided to check the stepny for wear and tear. WONDER OF WONDERS, it was BRAND NEW. THE TYRES HAD NOT BEEN ROTATED. Felt like an *** for not checking up the job for which I had paid up. Called up the service advisor. He, in turn called up the engineer, and replied that they had missed doing the rotation. WOW, WOW, WOW.

He has offered doing it for free. It has been over two months now after the incident. I am simply not getting the time to get the rotation done. But G3 MOTORS – WOW WOW WOW WOW service. Really, I am short of words here for you. One very wonderful thing came out in this meeting though. My car, which was promised to me to be a July manufactured car, was actually a feb manufactured car lying in stock with G3 motors. It was just transferred to GLOBAL and billed to me. And wonder of wonder again, my invoice says that the vehicle is July manufactured. [FONT=Wingdings][FONT=Wingdings]J[/FONT][/FONT] So there is one more free ride that I didn’t intend to take.

Now coming to GLOBAL GALLERIE guys. My staple guys where I get the servicing for my vehicle done. You give them a list of things to be done, the only job they will do is change the fuel filter, oil change, air filter change and wash. The rest of the list is simply ignored. However, their intentions are not bad – that’s my observation. How do I know that – well my car has visited them 6 times in the past 6 months for getting the same things done over and over. I have now given up on asking them to fix the rattle in my doors, or fix the water jet holes. They simple don’t see that in their scheme of service things.

Now one of the things I have been complaining of from the first service itself is a slight whimper (chuuuu) sound emanating from the right front suspension when going over speed breakers. Time and again I have complained and the advisors simply refuse to acknowledge the same. This time when I went there, took a ride with the “technical specialist” – Name : Ram Mishra. His history includes stints at maruti and Toyota. Great guy. He acknowledged the same and the work started.

After the usual oil, filter(s) change, one more thing came to the fore. The radiator was missing a nut and bolt. I am not pointing a finger at anybody, but I think that the car came in that way. It simple could not be the dog hit as the bolts are protected by the bumper, crash guard, engine guard and the radiator itself. Anyways, an indent for the missing parts were raised and car given back to me.

As regards the suspension sound, a bottle of WD40 sprayed and a request to drive the vehicle for a couple days to see if there is any improvement. Reluctantly said ok and moved on. Needed the car. It must be said that the sound did reduce.

I requested Mr. Sanket, the advisor there if I could witness the servicing process. I must again confess here, the service provided by Sanket is really wonderful. See, his job is to provide a face to the workshop and ensure a happy customer, and he does that great. Getting the car repaired is the job of the mechanics. He ensured that he kept me well humored during the process. And – I got the see the vehicle being serviced. The radiator bolt would have gone unnoticed / ignored if I would not have been there.

Total cost for servicing – 2900. Satisfaction level 3.0 / 5 (small clitter clatter still present) (suspension sound still there though reduced). Would have been higher if I would have not have checked for what they were going to do and refuse the various additives and treatments for diesel and oil. Approx cost
Fuel filter : 1200, Air filter : 350, Oil Filter : 350, Oil : 700. Rest Taxes. Amount : 2900.

Took the vehicle again the next weekend for the suspension sound and radiator bolt. Both done under warranty, except I was charged 350 for consumables. I witnessed the work done. They actually took out both the suspensions, greased oiled etc the whole thing and then set it back. I do not know if it is a good thing or a bad thing for such a thing to be done so early in the life of the car, but the sound now is gone. Also during this, got the second coat of “Teflon” done on the car. Abhi, chamak to rahi ha. [FONT=Wingdings][FONT=Wingdings]J[/FONT][/FONT]

Overall also, after the oil change, the vehicle is running much smoother (expected) and quieter. Total spend on the second service including the suspension work : 3400 aprox.

The total cost of running the vehicle so far is as follows. It is mostly city driving. The ratio should be 65 % city : 35 % highway.

Fuel Cost :
Total Days : 217
Total Fuel Amnt Spent : 18430
Total Diesel Consumed : 509.96
Total Kms Run : 9850

Average Kms / Day : 45.39
Average Kms / Rs : 0.53
Average Kms / Ltr : 19.32
Average Rs / Day : 84.93
Average Rs / Km : 1.87

Total Cost :
Servicing cost : 3400
Grand Total Amount Spent : 21830
Avg Rs / Km : 2.22

I am attaching the fuel expense sheet alongside for easier perusal. Queries, suggestions and sharing of information is welcome. If possible, this thread can be placed in the correct section with the title changed.

Regards,
Nishant.
9322198742.

[deutscheafrikar]

Originally Posted by maverickxx2006

Fiat Uno also has engine guard at bottom.

It does not have a sump guard. Trust me I should know cos I've paid 5k to Spectra years ago to change a damaged leaking sump with the oilpump strainer. And I know a friend who has damaged the sump of his car right now.
Nishant nice buy and I've enjoyed reading your post. Lots of humour. Good luck. Any idea whats the change period of the Diesel filter?