Fiat Linea MJD Emotion Pk - Ownership Experience: 2010 (Fresh from the oven!)

ceebeezee · 1st August 2010, 22:35

Sometimes, the things you hate/dislike the most, become a precious part of your life. So was the case with my wife (!) and now the Fiat Linea…

The story with the wife goes like this – We were classmates in college and she disliked me in the 1st year as I was pompous, an MCP and god knows what else! (her view); and by the 4th year we were seeing each other and have stuck to one another since then

The Fiat Linea – she was my ex-boss’ companion and I hated the car as much I did the boss, the vibes for the car stemming purely from the fact that my boss tortured me so much that a Linea reminded me of her rather than anything else.

I have moved on since then, and not long before started contemplating a new car. I have a Swift VDI(ABS), purchased after a thorough research on teambhp in 2007. But the car was bought on a loan with an ROI of 14.11% and I reasoned I could afford a new 3 box with that kind of EMI and what with current rates hovering at 9.75%.

The shortlist was Dzire and the Manza.

What Car?
Started reading teambhp and brand websites, and requested for test drives on the website. The fastest to respond was Tata Motors; within 24 hours the test car was at my doorstep.

Was satisfied with the drive, although similar pain points as others in the forum had pointed out – poor interior plastics, gear slotting not precise, etc etc; I was ready to live with the glitches as the only other option would have meant a 3-5 month waiting time.

Disappointed with Maruti, with whose A$$ from dealer as well as corporate has been excellent till today – No test car, no dealer calls – nothing.

The tryst with the Linea came about when I went to Autolinks to negotiate the price for the Manza. The dealer had taken up selling Fiat only recently and there she was all grand and new, the Linea in Blue (later realizing the shade was Fox Trot Azure! – amazing description, always imagine some lone guy in the mktg agency spending sleepless nights & loads of coffee with dictionary and online word generators to come up with fancy name for these shades!)

I was still apprehensive of buying this car with all my perceptions still flowing in the negative side – I had vowed to my wife that we will never own a Linea! Even then, started reading about the ownership experiences on the forum and the amount of concerns on the A$$ and the poor build of the initial lot of ’09 Lineas had me wondering!

But a TD later, was swayed by the oomph factor of the car! And decided on the Fiat Linea MJD Emotion Pack.

Positives
1. The design and package – excellent for this side of 10Lakhs: the grill, headlights, smooth lines, the key fob (drool! drool!)
2. The doors open wide with a 2/3 stage opening
3. Seating position was comfortable for me (5.8”tall & 85kgs of mass)
4. The steering wheel is ergonomically brilliant
5. Blue&Me: This was not a new thing for me as I had the Blaupaunkt Hamburg installed on my Swift which with a similar arrangement of Bluetooth enabled handsfree embedded in the system.
6. The boot was spacious

Negatives (or rather put-offs)
1. The central console looked dull, squarish design
2. The stalks – it’s the opposite of the Swift!
3. The rear arm rest is flimsy -with a 5yr old kid who occupies the rear, I doubt its going to last even a couple of days.
4. Head room is thin

The next step was dealer hopping, as I wanted (1) the best deal and more importantly (2) latest manufactured model. Since I was new to Delhi, I had no background or pre-conceived notions about any dealer. I approached
1. Rama Motors, Okhla (I read in the forums that the owner was a member here)
2. Autolinks, Hauz Khas
3. ABS Motors, Gurgaon
4. Techno Auto, Dwarka

Will write about each of my dealer experiences in the next post…

Amartya · 1st August 2010, 23:42

Congratulations on your purchase, and I liked the way you are telling your story, makes for a good read.

The car you've chosen is the best in it's segment (yes, even better than the City in my opinion, with only the Fiesta in it's petrol avatar being dynamically comparable). Well done.

PM - B · 1st August 2010, 23:55

Dear Ceebeezee, Congratulations on your Linea E Pack purchase. Wishing you happy motoring miles.

The car will grow on you, and the retuned diesel should be really really cool. My Linea MJD Emotion, completed one year yesterday at 21890 KMs.

I have been to the (Concorde Motors, Diary Circle, Bangalore) a few times, and so far so great. They have been very prompt and amazing in their attitude and response. Whatever complaints i have been to have been attended to cleanly and at no cost.

2nd August 2010, 02:33

Congratulations and best wishes, ceebeezee, on becoming a proud owner of a precious automobile. I wish you a happy and safe motoring in your Fiat Linea.

car-dent · 2nd August 2010, 10:26

congrats.. i to0 have booked a fiat linea MJD E+ in tuscan wine. will be getting in next 2 days. what colour did you buy?

aks_karthik · 2nd August 2010, 10:33

Congrats ceebeezee,

Welcome to Fiat Linea Club.
Post some snaps too...

Enjoy and Drive Safe

Deep Blue · 2nd August 2010, 10:41

Congrats! When are the pics coming?

nkrishnap · 2nd August 2010, 11:08

Congrats on the Linea. Nicely described there. Do enjoy many more miles with the Linea.

Do post the pics of the car

Klub Class · 2nd August 2010, 11:10

Congratulations ceebeezee on your new buy! Do upload the pictures of your beauty!

Drive her safe! Happy and safe motoring!

Regards
Amith

ceebeezee · 2nd August 2010, 11:44

Hi all,
The car order has not been officially punched in the delaers sytem yet.

My loan from HDFC has been approved but no one picking the call today for taking it forward.

The car has already come in the stockyard at ABS motors, Gurgaon - guess it came on Fri last; but the sales guys may have wanted to forward the sales to Aug (!).

The cost of the car (DL regn from Gurgaon dealer) is 9k more than what it would cost me from a Delhi dealer, but the only hitch is no one else has the color I want except ABS, Gurgaon - Bossa Nova White.

I am still negotiating with Autolinks, Hauz Khas - who tried to palm me with a demo car! - That's a separate story!

Will post the dealer experiences maybe tonight or tomorrow - Thats also an interesting tale...

BuRnT RuBbEr · 2nd August 2010, 13:18

certainly do need your help with dealer exp! looking at the same car right now! thanks in anticipation

joe1980 · 2nd August 2010, 13:32

Congratulations on your new car! By the way is MCP a Microsoft Certified Professional?

Can you please post the OTR price of the car?

BuRnT RuBbEr · 2nd August 2010, 13:41

^ no!

yes, please post the deal too

pawan_pullarwar · 2nd August 2010, 14:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by ceebeezee

who tried to palm me with a demo car! - That's a separate story!

Would be intesting to know

carfanatic007 · 2nd August 2010, 14:47

Hey

Congrats first and I too am interested in the Linea/Fiesta petrol since basically sick of waiting for Polo and saved some extra dough

.

I have 2 questions:
1) After going through various posts on T-BHP it looks like Fiat parts wear off/fall off very quickly (headlights blacked out, coolant pipe came off, ACC draining etc.) is the story same or has it improved. How did you tide over that fear?

2) Spares take too much time to arrive, I know I am being paranoid but few things like simple indicator replacement took many weeks for people on T-BHP so a bit worried over it, any improvements on the same would be good to know

1st August 2010, 22:35	#1
ceebeezee BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 61 Thanked: 38 Times	Fiat Linea MJD Emotion Pk - Ownership Experience: 2010 (Fresh from the oven!) Sometimes, the things you hate/dislike the most, become a precious part of your life. So was the case with my wife (!) and now the Fiat Linea… The story with the wife goes like this – We were classmates in college and she disliked me in the 1st year as I was pompous, an MCP and god knows what else! (her view); and by the 4th year we were seeing each other and have stuck to one another since then The Fiat Linea – she was my ex-boss’ companion and I hated the car as much I did the boss, the vibes for the car stemming purely from the fact that my boss tortured me so much that a Linea reminded me of her rather than anything else. I have moved on since then, and not long before started contemplating a new car. I have a Swift VDI(ABS), purchased after a thorough research on teambhp in 2007. But the car was bought on a loan with an ROI of 14.11% and I reasoned I could afford a new 3 box with that kind of EMI and what with current rates hovering at 9.75%. The shortlist was Dzire and the Manza. What Car? Started reading teambhp and brand websites, and requested for test drives on the website. The fastest to respond was Tata Motors; within 24 hours the test car was at my doorstep. Was satisfied with the drive, although similar pain points as others in the forum had pointed out – poor interior plastics, gear slotting not precise, etc etc; I was ready to live with the glitches as the only other option would have meant a 3-5 month waiting time. Disappointed with Maruti, with whose A$$ from dealer as well as corporate has been excellent till today – No test car, no dealer calls – nothing. The tryst with the Linea came about when I went to Autolinks to negotiate the price for the Manza. The dealer had taken up selling Fiat only recently and there she was all grand and new, the Linea in Blue (later realizing the shade was Fox Trot Azure! – amazing description, always imagine some lone guy in the mktg agency spending sleepless nights & loads of coffee with dictionary and online word generators to come up with fancy name for these shades!) I was still apprehensive of buying this car with all my perceptions still flowing in the negative side – I had vowed to my wife that we will never own a Linea! Even then, started reading about the ownership experiences on the forum and the amount of concerns on the A$$ and the poor build of the initial lot of ’09 Lineas had me wondering! But a TD later, was swayed by the oomph factor of the car! And decided on the Fiat Linea MJD Emotion Pack. Positives 1. The design and package – excellent for this side of 10Lakhs: the grill, headlights, smooth lines, the key fob (drool! drool!) 2. The doors open wide with a 2/3 stage opening 3. Seating position was comfortable for me (5.8”tall & 85kgs of mass) 4. The steering wheel is ergonomically brilliant 5. Blue&Me: This was not a new thing for me as I had the Blaupaunkt Hamburg installed on my Swift which with a similar arrangement of Bluetooth enabled handsfree embedded in the system. 6. The boot was spacious Negatives (or rather put-offs) 1. The central console looked dull, squarish design 2. The stalks – it’s the opposite of the Swift! 3. The rear arm rest is flimsy -with a 5yr old kid who occupies the rear, I doubt its going to last even a couple of days. 4. Head room is thin The next step was dealer hopping, as I wanted (1) the best deal and more importantly (2) latest manufactured model. Since I was new to Delhi, I had no background or pre-conceived notions about any dealer. I approached 1. Rama Motors, Okhla (I read in the forums that the owner was a member here) 2. Autolinks, Hauz Khas 3. ABS Motors, Gurgaon 4. Techno Auto, Dwarka Will write about each of my dealer experiences in the next post…
	() Thanks

1st August 2010, 23:42	#2
Amartya Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Evanston Posts: 1,748 Thanked: 736 Times	Congratulations on your purchase, and I liked the way you are telling your story, makes for a good read. The car you've chosen is the best in it's segment (yes, even better than the City in my opinion, with only the Fiesta in it's petrol avatar being dynamically comparable). Well done.
	() Thanks

1st August 2010, 23:55	#3
PM - B BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 215 Thanked: 326 Times	Dear Ceebeezee, Congratulations on your Linea E Pack purchase. Wishing you happy motoring miles. The car will grow on you, and the retuned diesel should be really really cool. My Linea MJD Emotion, completed one year yesterday at 21890 KMs. I have been to the (Concorde Motors, Diary Circle, Bangalore) a few times, and so far so great. They have been very prompt and amazing in their attitude and response. Whatever complaints i have been to have been attended to cleanly and at no cost.
	() Thanks

2nd August 2010, 02:33	#4
J.Ravi Posts: n/a	Congratulations and best wishes, ceebeezee, on becoming a proud owner of a precious automobile. I wish you a happy and safe motoring in your Fiat Linea.
	() Thanks

2nd August 2010, 10:26	#5
car-dent BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: NOIDA Posts: 284 Thanked: 469 Times	congrats.. i to0 have booked a fiat linea MJD E+ in tuscan wine. will be getting in next 2 days. what colour did you buy?
	() Thanks

2nd August 2010, 10:33	#6
aks_karthik Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Chennai Posts: 1,947 Thanked: 341 Times View My Garage	Congrats ceebeezee, Welcome to Fiat Linea Club. Post some snaps too... Enjoy and Drive Safe
	() Thanks

2nd August 2010, 10:41	#7
Deep Blue BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Udupi Posts: 747 Thanked: 684 Times	Congrats! When are the pics coming?
	() Thanks

2nd August 2010, 11:08	#8
nkrishnap Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 3,983 Thanked: 7,407 Times View My Garage	Congrats on the Linea. Nicely described there. Do enjoy many more miles with the Linea. Do post the pics of the car
	() Thanks

2nd August 2010, 11:10	#9
Klub Class Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: KA17\|KL65\|KL41 Posts: 4,867 Thanked: 1,935 Times	Congratulations ceebeezee on your new buy! Do upload the pictures of your beauty! Drive her safe! Happy and safe motoring! Regards Amith
	() Thanks

2nd August 2010, 11:44	#10
ceebeezee BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Mumbai Posts: 61 Thanked: 38 Times	Hi all, The car order has not been officially punched in the delaers sytem yet. My loan from HDFC has been approved but no one picking the call today for taking it forward. The car has already come in the stockyard at ABS motors, Gurgaon - guess it came on Fri last; but the sales guys may have wanted to forward the sales to Aug (!). The cost of the car (DL regn from Gurgaon dealer) is 9k more than what it would cost me from a Delhi dealer, but the only hitch is no one else has the color I want except ABS, Gurgaon - Bossa Nova White. I am still negotiating with Autolinks, Hauz Khas - who tried to palm me with a demo car! - That's a separate story! Will post the dealer experiences maybe tonight or tomorrow - Thats also an interesting tale...
	() Thanks

2nd August 2010, 13:18	#11
BuRnT RuBbEr BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: DL 1 Posts: 367 Thanked: 13 Times	certainly do need your help with dealer exp! looking at the same car right now! thanks in anticipation
	() Thanks

2nd August 2010, 13:32	#12
joe1980 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Andromeda Posts: 336 Thanked: 155 Times	Congratulations on your new car! By the way is MCP a Microsoft Certified Professional? Can you please post the OTR price of the car?
	() Thanks

2nd August 2010, 13:41	#13
BuRnT RuBbEr BHPian Join Date: May 2005 Location: DL 1 Posts: 367 Thanked: 13 Times	^ no! yes, please post the deal too
	() Thanks

2nd August 2010, 14:47	#15
carfanatic007 BHPian Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 207 Thanked: 10 Times View My Garage	Hey Congrats first and I too am interested in the Linea/Fiesta petrol since basically sick of waiting for Polo and saved some extra dough . I have 2 questions: 1) After going through various posts on T-BHP it looks like Fiat parts wear off/fall off very quickly (headlights blacked out, coolant pipe came off, ACC draining etc.) is the story same or has it improved. How did you tide over that fear? 2) Spares take too much time to arrive, I know I am being paranoid but few things like simple indicator replacement took many weeks for people on T-BHP so a bit worried over it, any improvements on the same would be good to know
	() Thanks