MYCAR Baleno

Turboholic · 14th August 2010, 11:29

Got my self Baleno'ed!

After years of waiting and searching for a car (BALENO) that would suit my budget and liking I finally zeroed upon a Black Balno VXI.

Its a December 2004 model, 67k driven, Single owner, Immaculately maintained. I got it from MY CAR Maruti True Value dealer in Pune. The experience at MY Car was nothing great, as many here would agree about Maruti True Value.

Will be writing in detail about the experience later. Till then let the pics do the talking.

Please let me know how you like the car.

Cheers

wanderernomad · 14th August 2010, 20:44

The car looks clean. How much did you pay for it?

nvsport · 14th August 2010, 21:00

Lovely find there man. Love the pictures. How're the FE figures?

don_carmaster · 14th August 2010, 22:36

Congratulations turbo on your prized possesion

I have a 2000 sliver colour model run 130000
Waiting for a complete report.
OT -Never ever ever make the mistake of installing alternate fuel on this car period

wanderernomad · 16th August 2010, 14:58

I am seeing a lot of VXI without the OEM fog lights. Were they not offerred at all? Do you get them now in open market? whats the cost? I checked from a local dealer and he says the local ones are useless and need not be installed unless the purpose is to hide a gaping hole.

v&v · 16th August 2010, 15:18

Congrats Turboholic on your buy. A fog lamp will make the front view more aggressive.

Enjoy and drive safe.

v&v

shuvc · 16th August 2010, 15:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

I am seeing a lot of VXI without the OEM fog lights. Were they not offerred at all? Do you get them now in open market? whats the cost? I checked from a local dealer and he says the local ones are useless and need not be installed unless the purpose is to hide a gaping hole.

VXi's never had OEM fogs.

Lumax, Hella's probably cost around 2-3K for a pair. OE used to cost 13K !! Not sure of current prices and if they are available anymore.

rjstyles69 · 16th August 2010, 16:46

Turboholic congrats on your purchase. For a 2004 model that's a clean and neat looking baleno at your disposal. How much did you pay and also an insight into your buying experience would definitely help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

I am seeing a lot of VXI without the OEM fog lights. Were they not offerred at all? Do you get them now in open market? whats the cost? I checked from a local dealer and he says the local ones are useless and need not be installed unless the purpose is to hide a gaping hole.

Methinks the OEM fogs were being offered only from 2005 or so when the VXI came in the BS-III models with 14 inch alloys, Climate control and other accessories.

Turboholic · 16th August 2010, 20:05

@wanderernomad: Thanks for your comments. I would not like to disclose the price here. However I will send you a PM regarding the same. The car did not come with the OE fog lamps, I am planning to fit aftermarket ones but that would only be later.

@nvsport: The FE so far is around 14kms/litre with air con on fulltime. The best I got was 15.2 and the worst was 12.

@don_carmaster: Wow 130000 kms is really cool I am sure you can help me with the Do's and dont's with a Baleno. Your point regarding the alternate fuel LPG/CNG taken. I am personally not interested in going for it. If i wanted fuel economy I would have bought an Alto.

@v&v: Thanks mate. Point taken, could you suggest some good quality Fog lamps.

@shuvc: Will the Hellas fit in the space provided on the bumper? I am looking for fog lamps that would be a direct fit (Bolt on).

@rjstyles69: Your Baleno has been one of my all time favourites. I have been through your thread a zillion times. Infact I am planning to get the 14 inch Lenso GTR's as I think that they look absolutely amazing on a Baleno. The writeup will follow soon.

wanderernomad · 16th August 2010, 23:21

Thanks turboholic. The reason I asked the price is that I ahve just finalised the deal for a VXI 2006 model so wanted to compare. Even after the VXI came with alloys and climate control there were no fogs!!
I ahve heard that the OEMs are no longer available and after market ones, the quality is a suspect.

GTO · 17th August 2010, 20:08

Congratulations on the car! Please note that Team-BHP does not permit booking / buying experience threads in the Test-Drives section anymore. For the benefit of members & guests alike, it is now imperative to include a complete report on the car (the driving experience / comfort / features, what you like, what you don't like etc.).

This thread is temporarily closed. Please PM me or report this post once you are ready to update with a complete driving report; that's when it shall be re-opened. Thanks for your support.

Turboholic · 18th September 2010, 19:02

Sorry for not updating the thread all this while. The reason will be mentioned in my experience in the following days.

Thanks GTO for reopening the thread.

HOW IT ALL HAPPEND

It was in June 2010, one lazy afternoon in office that my friend asked me if I would accompany him to the Maruti True Value Dealer to check a Swift Diesel which his brother was interested in. As I was looking for a Baleno I told him that I would only accompany him if there was a Baleno there. In the next 15 minutes he confirmed that there was a Black Baleno for sale, that got me exited and I agreed to go with him to take a look at the Baleno errr no Swift.

By the time we reached the showroom his brother had already decided that he would be buying the car (Swift) and wanted me to take a test drive and negotiate. I obliged and the deal went through. Now I was eager to take a look at the Baleno. I was attended to by a sales girl who gave me details about the car, It was a December 2004 Black Baleno VXI (Top of the line Sir), with 67000kms, it came with a 1 year warranty from Maruti and 3 free services, there was comprehensive insurance till December 2010. She told me a price which I thought was VERY HIGH. There is no harm in taking a test drive (I said to myself). Saw the car parked far in the parking lot and it was Love at first sight, she stood there glistening in the late afternoon sun. First impression was Chakachak! Took a closer look all around for any minor dents, scratches, repaint job etc. She had some scratches on the bonnet and a small scar on the LHS rear quarter panel, for a 5 and a half year old car she was way too good. Took her for a spin (the car I mean), keeping in mind all the points to look out for, engine was smooth, suspension was good, handeling was good, the only concern was the humming sound from the tyres. I stopped and checked the same and found that the tyres were October 2004 stamped. The tyres had done 67000 kms, apart from this the car was performing absolutely brilliantly. (Wait a minute was I falling in love? Naaaah. I WAS IN LOVE!) I like the car but it was not in my budget, I decided to put to use all my negotiating skills. Guess what, first I didn’t show them that I was interested in the car, I told them that the car was OK OK and nothing great. I also told them that I would get a 2006 lxi in the open market for less than the price that they were quoting. Finally the sales girl told me that she was new and I was the first client, she wanted to close this deal and asked me what my offer was. My offer was 60k less than the price quoted by them (while going through the car papers in the file I came across a receipt signed by the previous owner I had seen the amount mentioned on it, My price was 20k more than that). Seles girl was reluctant at that price, I told her that I would pay cash and the deal can be finalized in a day or two. She said that she would have to consult her manager and she went off. I was in two minds now that I had really like the car, if they do not agree at my price I will have to use some other tact or for get the car the latter being ruled out. She came back and told me that the Manager had left for the day and she would get back to me tomorrow though she felt that the price that I had quoted was far less. I said ok to her and left cursing my self that I should have quoted a better price. I went home and told my wife the entire episode; she was of the opinion that if I had found the right car after waiting for all these years I should not let it go. I was restless and could not sleep a blink.

To be continued ...

sumathindra · 18th September 2010, 20:41

Thats a great car. The Baleno was what i was looking for before buying the Figo. I searched around Bangalore however was not able to get one as neat and well maintained as yours. The best part of this car is it looks so muscular! I would say this is the original "men are back" segment! Happy and safe motoring

Rastapopoulos · 18th September 2010, 22:58

Nice car Turboholic- Get us some pics of the interiors as well.
About the FE do you mean its 14 Kms/L with 100% AC in City? (back to back traffic)

Turboholic · 19th September 2010, 11:48

@ sumathindra: thanks and yes you are right this is the original "men are back" segment! cheers!

@ Rastapopoulos: The pics of the interior will come soon, the car is not with me and you know the reason for it. Regarding the FE in normal city traffic with air con on always around 13 to 14 kmpl. on highways with aircon on 80% of the time its 14 + always. The worst was 12kmpl when i was stuck in a traffic jam and it took me 4 hours to reach home, usually it takes 45 to 50 minutes for the same route.

14th August 2010, 11:29	#1
Turboholic BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 66 Thanked: 23 Times View My Garage	MYCAR Baleno Got my self Baleno'ed! After years of waiting and searching for a car (BALENO) that would suit my budget and liking I finally zeroed upon a Black Balno VXI. Its a December 2004 model, 67k driven, Single owner, Immaculately maintained. I got it from MY CAR Maruti True Value dealer in Pune. The experience at MY Car was nothing great, as many here would agree about Maruti True Value. Will be writing in detail about the experience later. Till then let the pics do the talking. Please let me know how you like the car. Cheers Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

14th August 2010, 20:44	#2
wanderernomad Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 2,534 Thanked: 1,276 Times View My Garage	The car looks clean. How much did you pay for it?
	() Thanks

14th August 2010, 21:00	#3
nvsport Newbie Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 22 Thanked: 2 Times	Lovely find there man. Love the pictures. How're the FE figures?
	() Thanks

14th August 2010, 22:36	#4
don_carmaster BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 289 Thanked: 224 Times	Congratulations turbo on your prized possesion I have a 2000 sliver colour model run 130000 Waiting for a complete report. OT -Never ever ever make the mistake of installing alternate fuel on this car period
	() Thanks

16th August 2010, 14:58	#5
wanderernomad Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 2,534 Thanked: 1,276 Times View My Garage	I am seeing a lot of VXI without the OEM fog lights. Were they not offerred at all? Do you get them now in open market? whats the cost? I checked from a local dealer and he says the local ones are useless and need not be installed unless the purpose is to hide a gaping hole.
	() Thanks

16th August 2010, 15:18	#6
v&v Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 1,545 Thanked: 1,205 Times View My Garage	Congrats Turboholic on your buy. A fog lamp will make the front view more aggressive. Enjoy and drive safe. v&v
	() Thanks

16th August 2010, 20:05	#9
Turboholic BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 66 Thanked: 23 Times View My Garage	@wanderernomad: Thanks for your comments. I would not like to disclose the price here. However I will send you a PM regarding the same. The car did not come with the OE fog lamps, I am planning to fit aftermarket ones but that would only be later. @nvsport: The FE so far is around 14kms/litre with air con on fulltime. The best I got was 15.2 and the worst was 12. @don_carmaster: Wow 130000 kms is really cool I am sure you can help me with the Do's and dont's with a Baleno. Your point regarding the alternate fuel LPG/CNG taken. I am personally not interested in going for it. If i wanted fuel economy I would have bought an Alto. @v&v: Thanks mate. Point taken, could you suggest some good quality Fog lamps. @shuvc: Will the Hellas fit in the space provided on the bumper? I am looking for fog lamps that would be a direct fit (Bolt on). @rjstyles69: Your Baleno has been one of my all time favourites. I have been through your thread a zillion times. Infact I am planning to get the 14 inch Lenso GTR's as I think that they look absolutely amazing on a Baleno. The writeup will follow soon.
	() Thanks

16th August 2010, 23:21	#10
wanderernomad Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 2,534 Thanked: 1,276 Times View My Garage	Thanks turboholic. The reason I asked the price is that I ahve just finalised the deal for a VXI 2006 model so wanted to compare. Even after the VXI came with alloys and climate control there were no fogs!! I ahve heard that the OEMs are no longer available and after market ones, the quality is a suspect.
	() Thanks

17th August 2010, 20:08	#11
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,527 Thanked: 300,718 Times View My Garage	Congratulations on the car! Please note that Team-BHP does not permit booking / buying experience threads in the Test-Drives section anymore. For the benefit of members & guests alike, it is now imperative to include a complete report on the car (the driving experience / comfort / features, what you like, what you don't like etc.). This thread is temporarily closed. Please PM me or report this post once you are ready to update with a complete driving report; that's when it shall be re-opened. Thanks for your support.
	() Thanks

18th September 2010, 19:02	#12
Turboholic BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 66 Thanked: 23 Times View My Garage	Sorry for not updating the thread all this while. The reason will be mentioned in my experience in the following days. Thanks GTO for reopening the thread. HOW IT ALL HAPPEND It was in June 2010, one lazy afternoon in office that my friend asked me if I would accompany him to the Maruti True Value Dealer to check a Swift Diesel which his brother was interested in. As I was looking for a Baleno I told him that I would only accompany him if there was a Baleno there. In the next 15 minutes he confirmed that there was a Black Baleno for sale, that got me exited and I agreed to go with him to take a look at the Baleno errr no Swift. By the time we reached the showroom his brother had already decided that he would be buying the car (Swift) and wanted me to take a test drive and negotiate. I obliged and the deal went through. Now I was eager to take a look at the Baleno. I was attended to by a sales girl who gave me details about the car, It was a December 2004 Black Baleno VXI (Top of the line Sir), with 67000kms, it came with a 1 year warranty from Maruti and 3 free services, there was comprehensive insurance till December 2010. She told me a price which I thought was VERY HIGH. There is no harm in taking a test drive (I said to myself). Saw the car parked far in the parking lot and it was Love at first sight, she stood there glistening in the late afternoon sun. First impression was Chakachak! Took a closer look all around for any minor dents, scratches, repaint job etc. She had some scratches on the bonnet and a small scar on the LHS rear quarter panel, for a 5 and a half year old car she was way too good. Took her for a spin (the car I mean), keeping in mind all the points to look out for, engine was smooth, suspension was good, handeling was good, the only concern was the humming sound from the tyres. I stopped and checked the same and found that the tyres were October 2004 stamped. The tyres had done 67000 kms, apart from this the car was performing absolutely brilliantly. (Wait a minute was I falling in love? Naaaah. I WAS IN LOVE!) I like the car but it was not in my budget, I decided to put to use all my negotiating skills. Guess what, first I didn’t show them that I was interested in the car, I told them that the car was OK OK and nothing great. I also told them that I would get a 2006 lxi in the open market for less than the price that they were quoting. Finally the sales girl told me that she was new and I was the first client, she wanted to close this deal and asked me what my offer was. My offer was 60k less than the price quoted by them (while going through the car papers in the file I came across a receipt signed by the previous owner I had seen the amount mentioned on it, My price was 20k more than that). Seles girl was reluctant at that price, I told her that I would pay cash and the deal can be finalized in a day or two. She said that she would have to consult her manager and she went off. I was in two minds now that I had really like the car, if they do not agree at my price I will have to use some other tact or for get the car the latter being ruled out. She came back and told me that the Manager had left for the day and she would get back to me tomorrow though she felt that the price that I had quoted was far less. I said ok to her and left cursing my self that I should have quoted a better price. I went home and told my wife the entire episode; she was of the opinion that if I had found the right car after waiting for all these years I should not let it go. I was restless and could not sleep a blink. To be continued ...
	() Thanks

18th September 2010, 20:41	#13
sumathindra BHPian Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Bangalore Posts: 762 Thanked: 492 Times View My Garage	Thats a great car. The Baleno was what i was looking for before buying the Figo. I searched around Bangalore however was not able to get one as neat and well maintained as yours. The best part of this car is it looks so muscular! I would say this is the original "men are back" segment! Happy and safe motoring
	() Thanks

18th September 2010, 22:58	#14
Rastapopoulos BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 215 Thanked: 18 Times	Nice car Turboholic- Get us some pics of the interiors as well. About the FE do you mean its 14 Kms/L with 100% AC in City? (back to back traffic)
	() Thanks

19th September 2010, 11:48	#15
Turboholic BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 66 Thanked: 23 Times View My Garage	@ sumathindra: thanks and yes you are right this is the original "men are back" segment! cheers! @ Rastapopoulos: The pics of the interior will come soon, the car is not with me and you know the reason for it. Regarding the FE in normal city traffic with air con on always around 13 to 14 kmpl. on highways with aircon on 80% of the time its 14 + always. The worst was 12kmpl when i was stuck in a traffic jam and it took me 4 hours to reach home, usually it takes 45 to 50 minutes for the same route.
	() Thanks