[Mpower]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

The guys at the yard told me they were not informed of my visit and hence could not wash the car. Also the day being Friday they were facing a power shut down. So I just checked the car inside and walked out

Congtars NC! You bought India's favourite luxury car. A/T is the practical choice.

Tell them to clean the dust with compressed air rather than cloth.

[razor4077]

Congrats dude! I drive frequently on the Powai road - an AT would definitely be a godsend during rush hour!

But yes, like others, I too am curious about your vRS to ANHC switch. Will wait for that. Till then, enjoy your new baby

[normally_crazy]

So I wind up work and reach home at 6 pm to find Dippy already there chilling with some snacks and soft drinks. We leave at 7 pm (staying true to IST) - reach the showroom in 10 minutes.

It's deserted - just a sales rep is having a meeting with a prospective buyer. I ask him about my delivery and he calls my SP. I am asked to wait for 10 minutes - paper work to be done.

I go and check the car out. It's being cleaned. I check it thoroughly and find a small (unseen by the naked eye) line on the bonnet and throw a tantrum. It's taken care of immediately. Checked out the parking sensors, anti rust and mirror locks - all seemed good. Now bring it on baby - I was itching to get behind the wheel.

Paper work takes another 15-20 minutes. I hand over the gift to the Salesman and a box of sweets for the showroom guys. It was time to get the pooja done and roll !!

The car was garlanded and my better half performed the small ritual.

The Tilak ceremony


Pooja being performed


The heart of the matter


All set


Breaking the coconut


I was informed there was 4 liters of fuel in the tank. I tip the guy wiping the car endlessly since the time I entered the showroom and roll the car out of the showroom.

Thankfully there is petrol bunk right opposite the showroom - tank up the car and we are ready to rock !

Pick up the family from Powai and Chembur and have a relaxed drive in maddening traffic right upto the Elephant God's adobe - the Siddhi Vinayak temple.

Go in and get an unlimited darshan of the Elephant God - feel really blessed - go out and garland the car again - blessing of the Elephant God.

Another T-BHpian, Vishu, joins us there and we drive down to Chembur for a mid-night snack. One more T-BHPian, RJK, joins us there. We end up chatting excitedly till 1 am.

Outside Siddhi Vinayak temple - with Dippy and Vishu


Drive home, park the car and sleep fitfully.

Tomorrow it's time to take the traffic jams head on

[supremeBaleno]

Nice car, N_C. And a good/safe choice in color too. Congrats.
Not sure whether you mentioned it somewhere, but was the OTR price ?

[SmartCat]

You should change your handle to Normally_Sensible now. ANHC A/T is a truly sensible choice. Congrats!

Pic No. 3 -> Have you applied Tilak to the engine too? I see some red/yellow stuff on the engine.

[vkochar]

Just read the entire thread

Nice choice gautam and lovely colour. This comes with Alloys and leather right ?

Looking forward to the rest of the pics + interior pics.

But I still say the price is pretty high. 11.xx OTR in Mumbai is steep !

[normally_crazy]

Thanks SB, SC and VK.

Yep I am coming to that part - the 11.xxx OTR (company regd) in Mumbai in a while. Having driven 500 kms - I will pen down the initial impressions.

And it has alloys and fog lamps - NO LEATHER !

[StarVegabond]

Originally Posted by normally_crazy

Yep I am coming to that part - the 11.xxx OTR (company regd) in Mumbai in a while.

I remember when the comapny gave me my palio way back in 2002, the company registration attracted very high registration fees (+road tax i am not sure)

Good thing is when the car gets transfered to individual name, then the higher fee difference (minus some part) is refunded back to the company (an inturn to the individual).

Is this still the case Gautam ?

[netarchie]

hey Gautam, congrats on the Honda A/T, nice color choice too, looks elegant.
I am sure you will enjoy the traffic now and the ripping on the highways with her too! ;-)

[dkhatau]

Gautam thats a very nice looking Honda. Congrats once again and hey do i have to stick with "himesh"?

[SohailPistawala]

Congratulations Gautam, Enjoy the traffic Jams.

[normally_crazy]

Dealer Check - These are all personal views based on my buying process.

I contacted 3 Honda dealers during my buying process.

Solitaire Honda - Great dealer - gave me an awesome deal on the phone immediately (it was the financial year end though). Follow up was good too. When I called them in May, I got a great deal too. There are 2 showrooms in Borivili and Andheri, I was speaking to the Borivili branch - only gripe for me was that Borivili was too far away.

Verdict - Highly recommended. Speak to a guy called Daniel.

Hallmark Honda

Very stubborn dealer and throws the Honda snob value a bit too much which was a put off. Located in Nerul, this was the nearest dealer to me but the most un-compromising. The showroom is big and airy, feels nice. The service area is huge too.

Verdict - Not recommended.

Linkway Honda

I was dealing with the Malad showroom. Very quick response to a sales query and eager to get it done. I had to sit and haggle quite a bit for the deal, once I told them about the deal I was getting - they were quick in bettering it. Also co-operated quite a bit during the whole 3 months of buying process. Communication was very good, not great. Delivery experience was a very good affair too. The Chandivali showroom is big but it could have been larger. There is chaos at the gates for entry and exit though.

Verdict - Highly recommended. Speak to Mayur from the Malad showroom.

My order or preference is -

Solitaire Honda
Linkway Honda


Next up - the initial 500 kms driving experience.

[GTO]

Congrats on the ANHC, Gautam! You've listed out the typical buying experience of most 10 lakh rupee sedan buyers. Lots of dilly-dallying over various alternatives, yet eventually most zero in on the ANHC. Reason? Its a safe purchase and an all-rounded machine. Sure, it lacks features & doesn't have the edgy feeling of the older generations, but the car ticks most of the boxes that count.

I only wish you'd have searched for pre-owned a little more. Not so sure of how much you'd enjoy this car after an RS. Your experience with Solitaire & Linkway matches mine; either of these dealerships is highly recommended.

[benbsb29]

Gautam, i resolved not to visit this thread till the guessing game was over.
So, finally it was the ANHC A/T. Congrats on your new car, and wishing you many more mileage championships with the same.

So, coming to your favourite question : Whats the FE like? :P

[suman]

Gautam, congrats on the new buy, so finally the suspense is over! Have fun with your new Autobox