[JLN]

Originally Posted by joshguy

congrats on purchasing the preowned rocket



BTW are you kidding ? the K&N doesnt need replacement for 3 years is it? will is last for 30-50k kms?

That is what the Hyundai service advisor told me when I picked it up from service. Need to validate this though - any experts here on K&Ns?

[JLN]

MODS: Can you please change the thread title to "Used Verna Diesel Buying experience and initial ownership report - 2 months, 7000 kms)

I did 2 trips - Bangalore Chennai and back. Car was very comfy on both trips - did not feel as tired as I would get on the Indica.

Big things I noticed:

1) Braking - even with the abs and disc brakes front and rear the braking is not very comforting. You really need to plan well in advance for a stop. For a car with so much power, this is pretty bad.

2) Handling - lesser said the better. this is a straight line machine. all the power and torque are useless unless you get straight strecthes. On curves, the car gives very little confidence to the driver to push even slightly hard. My mind goes - maybe I should have just picked the Fiesta.

3) Fuel Efficiency: On the 2 chennai trips (approx. 800 kms round trip each), I got 17.5 kmpl average. Fantastic - I was expecting something around 15-16 based on the other reports on tbhp, especially since I was doing 110-120 almost consistently.

4) Bridgestone Potenza tyres: These tyres love wet roads - infact the grip levels are fantastic and the road noise considerably reduces on wet roads. Am thinking of getting Nitrogen filled - any thoughts?

Had my first dent - waiting to move on a crowded Chennai road, a few cows were on the side of the road - a calf got pushed by a bigger cow and hit the front left portion of the car. It was small hit and I did'nt expect the car to have had any damage - When I reached my destination, my wife told me that there was a dent. I checked and was shocked to see a nice crater on the front side panel. Man - what kind of material does Hyundai use for the Verna? I was worried not about the crater, but more about how the car would withstand an accident/crash. Decided to be extra careful with the driving. No wonder I see so many Vernas with multiple dents.

Overall Experience: Quite positive I would say - This is a good car for the price, family loves it - rear seat comfort is good - does not throw around like a boat as many have suggested. The boot is large. Fit & finish is superb. very comfy driver seat. Would have loved the car if not for the following: The poor build (materials used), pathetic handling, really poor braking (even with the ABS & discs).

[predatorwheelz]

Originally Posted by JLN

1) Braking - even with the abs and disc brakes front and rear the braking is not very comforting. You really need to plan well in advance for a stop. For a car with so much power, this is pretty bad.

This is surprising. I agree with you that overall braking on the standard Verna is not confidence inspiring, but the rear disc model has much much better braking (I have a similarly equipped model).

I suggest take the car to HASS and ask them to check the condition of the pads and discs. Change if necessary.

Originally Posted by JLN

2) Handling - lesser said the better. this is a straight line machine. all the power and torque are useless unless you get straight strecthes. On curves, the car gives very little confidence to the driver to push even slightly hard. My mind goes - maybe I should have just picked the Fiesta.

Is the handling really so bad? You've complained every time on this thread. I fully agree that the car is not a natural handler, but the stock car is not so bad either. Why don't you get the shocks inspected at HASS? Maybe too much of non-use by the previous owner has damaged them in some way.

Originally Posted by JLN

3) Fuel Efficiency: On the 2 chennai trips (approx. 800 kms round trip each), I got 17.5 kmpl average. Fantastic - I was expecting something around 15-16 based on the other reports on tbhp, especially since I was doing 110-120 almost consistently.

Not so surprising. I do about 130-140 consistently on the highway. My car gives 17-18 kmpl consistently .

[pras.oct25]

Originally Posted by JLN

That is what the Hyundai service advisor told me when I picked it up from service. Need to validate this though - any experts here on K&Ns?

K&N's come with 1lakh km guarantee/warranty I dont know which one.
You will have to pick up the cleaning kit. Have a look at kpzen's getz crdi ownership thread to get an idea of how much dust that thing filters!
I think recommended cleaning interval is 5000km, but he cleans it almost every 2500km or 3000km. A good clean air filter will help reduce turbo lag and improve engine performance to some extent.

About the poor braking - Have your brake pads and everything else checked up. Braking can also be affected by the grip level of the tires.

[JLN]

got the brakes pads and discs checked - no issues. I am probably expecting just too much from abs/discs.

got the suspension also checked - again no issues. on the handling, again maybe I was probably expecting a huge improvement over the Indica - maybe a problem of over expectations.

Though I have been cribbing about these two, the car has been fantastic so far. Great milage, unbelievable interior comfort including driver's seat, very easy to drive around the city (inspite of the small turbo lag). The Chennai trips have been virtually effortless - power on demand quite easily to rip the GQ highways.

[JLN]

I have had the car now for 4 months and the odo just touched 12,000 kms. Have done 4 Bangalore - Chennai - Bangalore trips and one Bangalore - Goa - Bangalore trip. On the way back from Goa, I drove all the way for about 12 hours with surprisingly low fatigue levels.

ABS is a boon - drove twice from chennai to Bangalore in heavy rain and could sense the abs at play on a number of occassions. Figured out why Braking and handling were not that great. Once I replaced the brake pads, braking has considerably improved. On the handling, tyre pressure was the issue. With 32 psi all around on the Potenzas, grip levels seem better. I was earlier filling at 34 psi for the front and 33 psi for the rear. Plus I have probably gotten used to the beast now and have figured how to push her to deliver the right away. The wider Potenzas are fabulous on wet roads - confidence inspiring.

Even with ac on all the time, milage has consistently been 15+ in the city and in the 17-18 kmpl range on highways.

Got an wheel alignment, tire rotation and balancing done at 10k kms. got a top-up done at the hyundai free service camp. I did a service at 4k Kms - so am waiting to hit about 13-14K for the next full service.

After just 4 months with the car, I can understand why the Verna diesel has been so popular. This is definitely a very practical and economical sedan for our roads.

On the bad side - got a minor hit - one in the rear, where a biker just came and hit when raining. Paint has gone in a few small patches in the rear bumper - paint touchup to be done.

[pras.oct25]

Originally Posted by JLN

I have had the car now for 4 months and the odo just touched 12,000 kms. Have done 4 Bangalore - Chennai - Bangalore trips and one Bangalore - Goa - Bangalore trip. On the way back from Goa, I drove all the way for about 12 hours with surprisingly low fatigue levels.

ABS is a boon - drove twice from chennai to Bangalore in heavy rain and could sense the abs at play on a number of occassions. Figured out why Braking and handling were not that great. Once I replaced the brake pads, braking has considerably improved. On the handling, tyre pressure was the issue. With 32 psi all around on the Potenzas, grip levels seem better. I was earlier filling at 34 psi for the front and 33 psi for the rear. Plus I have probably gotten used to the beast now and have figured how to push her to deliver the right away. The wider Potenzas are fabulous on wet roads - confidence inspiring.

Even with ac on all the time, milage has consistently been 15+ in the city and in the 17-18 kmpl range on highways.

Got an wheel alignment, tire rotation and balancing done at 10k kms. got a top-up done at the hyundai free service camp. I did a service at 4k Kms - so am waiting to hit about 13-14K for the next full service.

After just 4 months with the car, I can understand why the Verna diesel has been so popular. This is definitely a very practical and economical sedan for our roads.

On the bad side - got a minor hit - one in the rear, where a biker just came and hit when raining. Paint has gone in a few small patches in the rear bumper - paint touchup to be done.

JLN good to see that your enjoying the car. I can relate to your point on the low fatigue level. As long as your not doing insane speeds and making the car go beyond its handling comfort level and maintain steady speeds, the long drives are a real breeze.

Can you review the Potenza gIII please?
How is the noise level? Grip in dry and wet conditions?
One point I see is that your tire pressure is rather high. Perhaps a reason why your struggling in the braking department? I have always maintained 30. Experimented with 33 for one fill and immediately reduced it back to 30 the next time. The car was not able to grip properly with the kind of torque and started to pull crazily to one side if I floored the gas.
The car has a tendency for heavy brake pad wear, so do make sure you have your alignment and stuff done regularly with the upsized tires.

[JLN]

Originally Posted by pras.oct25

JLN good to see that your enjoying the car. I can relate to your point on the low fatigue level. As long as your not doing insane speeds and making the car go beyond its handling comfort level and maintain steady speeds, the long drives are a real breeze.

Can you review the Potenza gIII please?
How is the noise level? Grip in dry and wet conditions?
One point I see is that your tire pressure is rather high. Perhaps a reason why your struggling in the braking department? I have always maintained 30. Experimented with 33 for one fill and immediately reduced it back to 30 the next time. The car was not able to grip properly with the kind of torque and started to pull crazily to one side if I floored the gas.
The car has a tendency for heavy brake pad wear, so do make sure you have your alignment and stuff done regularly with the upsized tires.

Potenza GIII - The tyres I have are 195R15. The noise levels seem high on dry roads (especially on the concrete roads). On clean tar roads, the noise levels are acceptable. The tyres just seem to love wet roads - I sometimes feel that these tyres were designed for driving in wet conditions. Upto about 80-90, noise leves are virtually non-existent. Beyond those speeds is when the noise levels start filtering into the cabin. I will try with the lower pressure level of 30.

I am planning to get the alignment done every 5000 kms and balancing every 10000 kms.

[JLN]

After having the Verna for 9 months and having driven over 15000 kms, I am very satisfied with the car. For me, it ticks all the practical boxes very well - comfortable for 4 adults even on long drives, great engine that makes driving especially in the highways fantastic, milage of 12 in the city and 15/16 on highways quite consistently with ac on all the time, no ground clearance issues, small exterior makes parking and manouvering in traffic quite easy, Decent boot that can take quite a bit of load. Only negative is that general/regular maintenance seems to cost about 4000/5000 bucks - compared to my indica (2000/3000 bucks) that is higher. But I guess the pros outwigh the cons significantly.
For those looking to buy a used diesel sedan, I would strongly recommend the Verna. Guess with the new Verna coming soon, things may get even better.