[anilisanil]

Originally Posted by Deep Blue

I think us, early buyers will be the guinea pigs for such niggles. Problem for me is a visiet to service centre means a 120km round trip through not so good roads and a day off from work. Till next service, I think I will have to just turn up the volume and drive.

Well try fisting the white plastic locks towards the end of the roof. Near the curves you can see the fabric material of the roof being clinged to using some plastic locks with circular heads. Just press/hit hardly with your fist whereever you see the locks! That would solve the problem for sometime at least!

[bijuiser]

Originally Posted by Deep Blue

Early 2011? Thought I read so in ACI.
Definitely,Figo is one of the most practical VFM hatches available today.
For a family man with resources to buy only one car, the Figo scores over the Swift and the Ritz.
For the single man, may be the Swift.
Ritz is a lost case.

I think Deep Blue has a point here. I was looking for a new hatch for my wife. After test driving Swift, Figo, Ritz, Beat & Punto. I was convinced that Figo delivers more comfortable and easy drive- with great interior space, easy to park and better view from the driving seat. I booked the Figo, but if I am the only one to drive the car my choice would have been Ritz. I strongly feel Figo is a VFM in it's segment.

[Deep Blue]

Thanks anilisanil, the left rear squeak has settled. The right rear squeak has become a little rare.
There is also a muted clap like rattle from the rt. front side, mostly on uneven or concrete roads. May be the steering or suspension, I dont know.

FE has dipped south. It was hovering around 16-17 earlier, with the last two tankfuls it has dipped down to 14-15km/ltr. Car has crossed 5100km mileage now. Almost 100% town driving. AC on 90% of the time. HP diesel.

[sumathindra]

Originally Posted by bijuiser

I think Deep Blue has a point here. I was looking for a new hatch for my wife. After test driving Swift, Figo, Ritz, Beat & Punto. I was convinced that Figo delivers more comfortable and easy drive- with great interior space, easy to park and better view from the driving seat. I booked the Figo, but if I am the only one to drive the car my choice would have been Ritz. I strongly feel Figo is a VFM in it's segment.

Yes you are right. FIGO is complete VFM and trust me it is a great car to drive around and an extremely well built car. I bought it 4 months back and enjoy the drive every day.

[Deep Blue]

I used to get a rattling sound from the rt.front wheel specially on bad roads or mild undulations. There was a Ford service camp here today, and it was narrowed down to the break caliper. According to the mechanic, this has been seen in the Figos and Ford has released a TSB on this which is yet to reach them.
Have any others had this problem? I suppose Fiesta mechanicals should be the same. How come only Figos are affected?
Funnily my old Alto too had this problem.

Bought these mats at a mat shop. Cost me a thousand bucks. Looks nice, better than the rubber mats. Feels softer as well on the bare feet, with shoes on nothing different.
I felt it will be better for our monsoon dirt. It may not be easier than the rubber mats to clean but should be easier than the carpet mats. Now I have to see if it is better at trapping dirt.



"Random loop structure"


It can be cut to size with a heavy scissors. Markings present on the back side to guide cutting to fit the car

[Deep Blue]

For milestone sakes!. It is 8 months since the Figo ownership began. It is been a squeaky ride !
Apart from the squeaks, which I have detailed before, it is been a very pleasing experience. I am begining to understand what a driver's car is, the way it encourages speed into the curves, the way it is stable at three digit speeds. I am learning a lot more than I have learnt in the Alto.

Fuel efficiency is stabilised at 17-18kms/ltr. Whenever I have stepped onto NH 17, either the road was miserable or clogged with traffic,so never really been able to check highway mileage.The maximum I have got is 19.

I dont change gears as much as in my Alto. The versatile third gear is able to handle most of in town requirements. Handling is excellent.Ride is good, but could have been better specially the low speed ride. Braking also could be better( a lil more "bite")though there have been no problems, purely a matter of perception. Steering is a tad lighter than the punto but not lifeless as in i20, exactly to my liking. I could do with some more underthigh support on the front seat and some more footwell space. The gear shift is nice and smooth.

Stereo and AC are very good, but the star feature is the obviously the bluetooth.
Overall I have been happy with my car.Ford seems to have found the right mix providing a fun to drive car with practical essential features at a very good price point making it an excellent VFM car.

Now if only Ford could find a permanent solution to the squeaks and open some more workshops

[Deep Blue]

I recently had an opportunity to drive a Punto MJD(12000kms & 1 ½ yrsold) for about 200kms, both city and highway.This was just after driving my Figo TDCI(8000kms & 6months old) for about 200kms continuously. I could not help comparing the two diesels. Since I own the Figo, I am a little biased towards the Figo.
Punto obviously is the looker, but Figo’s clean lines do not disappoint either and it grows on you. A lot changes once you step inside. Punto’s plastics are pretty bad. When I first saw the Punto plastics in June 2009(when my FIL bought the car), I thought it was okay, though my wife did point out many finishing inadequacies. It was still livable and never a deal breaker to me. But now, I see it, it is pretty bad, looks very dated. The car is 1 ½ months now, but the plastics easily looks 3yr old, seems to attract and hold dirt, lot of scratches(cant blame the car for it). However, all the switches,knobs in Punto feel better damped and nice. Figo’s plastics are only 6month old now and seem to be holding well though are very scratch prone.
I felt the Punto’s seats(driver) to be more supportive. They are wider, have better underthigh support, better lumbar support and thicker cushions. Felt more comfortable on longer drives. The front legroom also felt more in the Punto. Figo’s seat fabric is the best I have seen. Although Figo has better rear legroom, it was never a problem in the Punto for my largely under 6 feet family. Head room is better in Punto. Low waistline, large windshield and a lower steering wheel position gives me a feeling of “sitting on” the car in the Figo and gives a good view outside. Punto’s metal wraps all around and the higher steering wheel position gives the feeling of “sitting in” the car and also gives the “tank like” feel.
Figo scores with its music system and AC. Though lacking the climate control, the Figo AC cools much faster than the Punto. I am not an audiophile, but the Figo’s music system sounds much better. The Bluetooth phone audio also sounds better in the Figo.
Punto’s build feels better. When I sit in the car, I have the “sitting in a tank” feel more in the Punto. Figo is better than the Japs and the Koreans, but not upto the Punto. The Punto also does not have any rattle/squeak after 18months whereas my Figo is full of squeaks and rattles.
I prefer the slightly lighter steering in the Figo. Though both have excellent feedback, Punto is slightly heavier to my liking. Also I preferred the smaller steering wheel in Figo. The steering position is adjustable in Punto.
Ride is far better in the Punto particularly at low speeds, broken tarmac, potholes are absorbed much better. I suppose the 15inchers in the Punto make the difference. Both the cars have excellent stability straight line as well as handling abilities in the everday curves I have encountered in the highway.
Despite the turbo lag, I felt the Punto is more driveable in the city. The third gear is quite versatile and is able to pick up from low speeds of 15-20kmph effortlessly even with four people on board. Fourth gear was equally competent on the busy Kannur- Kozhikode highway. Figo does fine, but with four people on board, I felt, Punto was better. The gear shift though is much better in Figo. Smooth and precise. It is rubbery and vague in the Punto.
The boomy engine noise of the Punto is little disconcerting. Figo is not very quite either, but I prefer the Figo's roar to the Punto's boom.
Punto epack is much better kitted, but figo titanium does have the essentials to keep me happy on a daily basis. For me, two thing that stood out as bad in the Punto were the plastics and gearshift, whereas, in the Figo, nothing stood out as bad(maybe the squeaks).
Fiat has a wider service network than the Ford and both have the same reputation of being equally capable or incapable. The Punto Epack was 70,000Rs more than the Figo Titanium in Karnataka when I bought the Figo. But the Punto Epk has lot more features. So I would say both cars are excellent value for money at their respective price points. Due to vitamin M problems, I preferred the Figo and I have no regrets. I only wish Punto would do as much as Figo in sales numbers. Punto, I feel is a better car than i20 and as their prices are a better match, Punto should have sold atleast half as much as i20.

[gemithomas]

Thanks a lot for the comparo. A few more pics would do justice.

The punto is the car you would buy with your heart and the Figo is what you would buy with your head.

[Sheel]

No two ways that GP looks hawt and prior to my purchase I didn't find the Figo appealing, but for sure the look has grown on me and I have started liking it.

I can say this with certainty that Figo's black interiors (particularly dash-board) looks much rich and is nice to look at. Is better put together too.

(I have had many goes in a GP & Linea and though finance was a factor for choosing the Figo, but with few guys whom I spoke to, all advised to go in for the Figo, but then most drove the 90HP as their test-mules and haven't logged miles after running the Car in and I believe Figo too would turn out to be nice after running in, though still IMO 90HP will have a upper hand. And yes, I feel brakes were better in the Fiat.)

[Deep Blue]

One more thing I forgot to add,
The Punto has a better midrange. Figo has hardly anything to offer after 3000rpm,whereas the Punto still has some grunt left. Useful in the highways to overtake.

[figo_united]

very good comparison Deep Blue.
i actually felt figo plastics are themselves not too good. surprised to hear they are better than punto's!
I second your opinion on the figo seat fabric. Its really good. One reason i'm taking ages to get my seat covers done, but not feeling too desperate yet!

[Deep Blue]

Thanks guys!
Maybe I should not blame poor plastic quality on Fiat alone. My FIL hardly has time for the car and the driver too has not been maintaining it well.
@gemi - I have random pics of the punto, not the ones where you can compare the two cars. Next time I go to Kannur, I will take them.
@sheel - That is one more thing I forgot. Punto brakes are much better than Figo
@ figo_united - Figo fabrics are so good that I never felt the need for seat covers.

Second service :

My appointment was booked for 28th jan, accordingly reached Cauvery Ford workshop at Mangalore at 9.15 am sharp. I was attended to immediately. My SA was the same guy as in the 1st service. I told him about the squeaks and rattles. I have many – rt front caliper noise, dashboard rattle, rt driver door/roof squeak, right and left rear squeaks-He got another guy to go with me on a drive to check out the noises. This guy seemed more knowledgeable technically and he confirmed hearing most of the noises. Back after the drive, I reminded the SA about the TSB on brake fluid sensor I had read about in the T-bhp. He confirmed the same. I had also asked about head lamp alignment but he didn’t seem too keen to do it however agreed to check it (In the manual, it is actually listed as one of the things to be done for second service). Anyway, he asked me to come at 6pm to collect the vehicle.


The SA didn’t inspire confidence. Going through Tbhp, I know what the common problems of the Figo are. But each time I mention the common problems like the rear squeaks, his response is as if he is encountering it for the first time. I am sure they receive atleast one figo/day for service. The day I was there, there were three other figos. One of them had come for first service and had the trademark rear squeaks. Even when I reminded him about the TSB, he was not aware of it. Only when he keyed in the VIN no. in his comp. the TSB showed up.


I was back at the workshop at 5.30pm. Car was not ready. They still had to check the caliper rattle and wash the car. Lounge was neat, equipped with TV, AC, magazines, wifi. No coffee though. Finally, at 7.30pm, the car was ready. I was taken for one more test drive. Luckily for them, there were no sounds then. Following works were done as per the SA. What was diagnosed as a caliper rattle in their own service camp at Udupi is now attributed to some play in brake pads. If the sound persists, I was told the suspension will have to be opened. There was a small gap where the dashboard meets with the windshield on the left side which has been packed with foam. The roof over the rt.front door has also been packed with additional foam. The plastic locks in rear roof panel have been properly seated in the panel. Brake fluid sensor TSB was checked and my car is fine and doesn’t require additional wiring. Car appeared clean enough from what I could make out in the dark. The total cost came to Rs 2042.
Engine felt smoother, engine roar also softer. New oil at work I suppose. About 30kms into the drive back home to Udupi, the right rear squeak reappeared. Back at home, I checked the area near the brake cable, there was a good blob of grease there. Still the squeak persists. I also took the car on road in Udupi where all the noises used to appear. The caliper rattle is also there but albeit muted and not very frequent. Few days after service, the right rear squeak persists. The front rattle is rarely there. Other squeaks seem to have been sorted out.
In the melee, I realised I had forgotten to tell them about the rear winder problem.

I am somewhat satisfied with the service. Routine work is done well. But their ability to diagnose problems seems poor. They could also do with better trained SAs. Cauvery Ford has service centers across Karnataka and TN. They could collate vehicle problem data across service centres and arrive at solutions I suppose.
I also realize I have to live with the squeaks. Next time, I think I will check out PVS Ford at Kannur.


Some other statistics :


1. Running cost is Rs 2.6/km considering only the fuel cost.
2. Running cost is Rs 3.5/km considering all the expenses ( tints, service,mats, some painting work etc)
3.Average fuel efficiency till now 16km/ltrs.

[gemithomas]

Thanks for the update. The rear right squeak can surely be eradicated by liberally using some grease on the part shown in my thread. Get it done at some car wash centre or any place that has a lift.

[highwaypatrol]

^^^ Only thing u need to sort out this issue is take your car to the ford service centre and they will replace the metal hook in the c pillar with a plastic one and your problem will be solved...

[Deep Blue]

Originally Posted by gemithomas

Thanks for the update. The rear right squeak can surely be eradicated by liberally using some grease on the part shown in my thread. Get it done at some car wash centre or any place that has a lift.

Actually I checked that when I reached home. There was a good blob of grease at that area. Now I have distributed it around a little and the sound has disappeared.

Originally Posted by highwaypatrol

^^^ Only thing u need to sort out this issue is take your car to the ford service centre and they will replace the metal hook in the c pillar with a plastic one and your problem will be solved...

The sound comes right after I drive out of the Ford service centre after the second service.When I gave the car I had complained of all those sounds. Any case, the squeak was from what Gemi pointed out and not the hook.