[Anandg]

Hello Members,
Finally I got my swift VDI with ABS (white) delivered few days back. All the research and amount of time spent on team-bhp website (I would have become NASA scientist or someone similar if I had used this time elsewhere) and asking tons of queries to members here, has bore fruits or my dream car after 4 months of waiting period.

Got bitten by car bug:
================
Its been some time now after marriage that we started to think about the car due to reason like:
1) Bangalore being surrounded by beautiful hill stations and we loved to travel these places, traveling via public transport was inconvenient.
2) Relatives frequently visited our place and made sarcastic faces despite we had 2 two wheelers.And yes roaming around in them was a pain for all.
3) Almost all friends had them.
4) I felt owning a car gives you a feeling of achievement in your career and puts you in a different league altogether.
5) Safety was prime concern as Bangalore was not good for night travel in a two wheeler with your family.
6) Despite company given transport for office use, I felt a strange need to own mine.

My requirements were following:
------------------------------
1) 25% city drive 75% highway.
2) Good space on front seats with good driving view(as she is new to driving).
3) Good rear seat space for friends to popin for weekend trips.
4) Ability to hold decent luggage.
5) Good mileage/fuel efficiency(important).
6) Best riding comfort on those road ala craters and Mount Fuji type speed breakers here.
7) Good service network and low bills on maintainance in case of "I want to scrape your vehicle first" type of scenarios in mad traffic here.
8) Love to drive car with powerful engine to pull you safely on highways (important) and good steering feedback.
9) Looks good.
10) Has good safety features like sturdy body(abs / airbags ).
11) Price - in or closer to 6L bracket.
12) Average drive a month would be 1000kms or more(mainly those weekend escapes)
13) Car that can seat 4 comfortably(important)
14) Well built and should not have plastics that hate the car and like to run away. I mean low quality rattling plastics.
15) Power steering and AC must.(Do you now have any cars without them?).
16) My Height 5.10" with average built (read weight).


================================================== =============================

So here my research started:
-----------------------------
I first started with used cars both hatch backs (under 3 lakh range) and sedans (4-5 lakh range). I took test drives of mainly Swift / spark / honda city (old and mid generation) and many others. Some either were very costly and almost few thousands up from new car(I am sure bangalorians would agree) or some had bad history. Most of the dealers were like looking for bakra who can be easily fooled. Then I went online so as to contact the sellers directly but again got disappointed due to : high price, missed by 1 day deal, bad history. For some reason I felt that people online were aware of my budget and always quoted a bit higher. So even when I increased my budget they were ahead of me to increase theirs and would not budge! Finally I increased my budget to so much extent that it made more sense for me to buy a new car. Now here starts part 2 of my research story. It was now Nov 2009 when there were new cars or their launch dates were flooding the market mainly Jazz, punto, polo, figo and even new swift. This spelled more load on my head as I was finding reasons to avoid the charm of less or no featured swift and go for some creature comfort filled models. At the same time team-bhpians were also going ga-ga about their new models and host of new features ever seen in indian market. Maruti suddenly looked pre-historic to me in terms of what they offer.

My research was on for past one year and though my wifey was quite all the while and even assisted me in my quest but I could sense a volcano building up looking at my madness to this research. I even helped few of my friends to get thier desired cars but could not get one for me! That was like salt on the wound for her and my family as well. Travelogues on team-bhp made the matters worse as looking at those beautiful countryside pics always made me think when I would have similar pics in my own car. So who should my share my life savings with? With a preoccupied mind about swift (no one can escape its charm and even my dad loved swift), I finally started taking test drives of cars one by one and here are the results.

Note/ Disclaimer:- These are all my personal observations and may / may not represent true figures or others experience and are not meant to offend any owners here. Also I shall not be delving into pros and cons in details of every car as this has already been done by members here.

1) Jazz -- Can we call it a perfect nimble beauty? Perfect car with best of all worlds. However I have to cross my sanity levels and invite wrath from home ministry to bring it home - 8.25L is a bit too much. Also it is not a high pickup car and its engine takes yawning time to finish makeup and reach high speeds. Though you can push it to 180kms on good roads with passengers inside the car. It is good for big family short trips in a premium car.

Forte -- Huge huge Space and excellent build quality with all safety features.
Bad -- Price and small engine for big car.


2) Polo -- Good petrol car with that nice sounding race note.Great seating for driver but rear seats are bit cramped compared to its external length due to huge boot space it has. Also it is feature less unless you go for top variant that is bit costly - 7.05L. One sore point here is they have all interiors including floor carpet in light cream color. I wonder if VW engineers are so fat that they cannot look down to see that this color is more prone to getting dirty esp. in India where we love to eat and drop more inside our cars(though we eat and drop every where) not to mention what happens when you use the car in rainy season. Service is yet something that you can not trust as of now, in non metro areas.

Forte --Good petrol Engine, great handling and good quality parts.
Bad -- rear space and cream interiors.


3) Vento -- Best sedan at entry level. Has good space in rear, racing engine handles brilliantly at high speeds. It was pleasure to change lanes so confidently at high speeds. It should be a petro head's dream car. Same light color carpet issue and high price of 8.45L. I wonder why Indians still do not have a good choice in 5 - 7 L range in both sedan and hatchback domains it terms of handling, interiors/exteriors, price and A.S.S!

Forte -- Engine and drivability. Space was bonus
Bad -- high price


4) Punto MJD 75bhp-- This car loves to eat bad roads. I mean that thumping effect appears as if it is killing all ants in those pot holes with a heavy foot. Very stable at high speeds too.But this comes with a compromise. Madam italiano takes too much prays to lift itself and run and has biggest nose (or attitude) in the market to take a U turn in city drives. Space is average. Service in Bangalore is devils paradise. They brought me a new car to test drive with speedometer cable removed so that car does not counts meters and they can sell it to some gullible buyer. Hits road at 7.5L (high end). Good thing as compared to swift is its high end versions come with airbags and this indicates that manufacturer's respect for life of customers as they do in west. It made booming side when at high speeds.

Forte -- Designed for bad roads and gr8 handling.
Bad -- Service issue and interior quality fit and finish need improvement as it has gone too much in selecting bad manufacturers for its parts.


5) Fabia 1.2 D-- Costly of them all compared to features it offers. Indian management of skoda are hell bent to kill this car's name out from market with this new version. I tested only diesel and it was like I drove a cow with cough and cold.It might be a problem with this specific car as well. Engine was too noisy and car was jerking on every gear change. 2nd gear response was the saving grace. Space was best of lot but again they, like VW, had the same cream floor carpet with hidden warning "this car is for driving with bare legs inside your house only so you do not spoil the creamy rug on the floor". Had great exteriors though.

Forte -- Good quality interior parts and was feature rich. Even the base model had airbags.
Bad -- Bad ride and gear box.


6) i10 -- One of the favorite cars of IT people and newly wed / just become parent couples due to its tension free ownership. Their engines are super silent even on heavy load indicating good sound insulation. But I found Hyundai's are bit costly, have less space and steering feedback and driving on highway brings you that dead feeling that you closer to god in them. However build quality is the best here. Forget about fuel efficiency, it would be in less range among petrol cars. They are best for city driving. Hyundais make powerful and good engines but not suitable car bodies matching these horses. Last but not least their looks department I am not ok with.

Forte -- Quality of interior parts and wide service network.
Bad -- Becomes bouncy on bad roads and high speed.

7) i20 -- Costly car from Hyundai. Both interior and exterior looks are like love it ot hate it. faces same AC and steering feedback issues as in all other Hyundai cars. Steering is said to be pure video game type. Though they are made for city drives, highway driving is be done carefully if you love to drive very fast on those swanky toll roads coming up in every place in india. They are light so makes the rear passengers go bouncy every time car passes on uneven roads. All applies to verna as well. Due to great quality of parts these cars are really built to last --their santro has indeed become a living legend and so will other cars. Some new owners claim that hyundai has rectified the AC issue in new batches.

Forte -- Quality of interior parts and good CRDI engine for straight line acceleration.
Bad -- No road response and poor AC


8) Figo -- Small car from outside but big in space from inside. Not sure if ford even used car designers to make this nice machine. Lightweight materials used make you feel that you are not safe. Yet to receive response from market about its safety. Low ground clearence that is good for city with properly designed speedbreakers only. Very good pickup or low ended torque in both petrol and diesel which is best of all the cars. Looks are really not upto the marks of ford that makes some of the bench mark cars in EU and US-- pure jade. Add to that half roll window that indians never appreciated even in old fiat padmini. Milage reported is not good and Ford is yet to prove its A.S.S. Though it is a well designed package at a great price.

Forte -- good diesel engine in small outer body and lagless turbo. good fit and finish typical American quality standards.
Bad -- looks. Less shoulder space for front passengers. We had nightmares in service costs with dad's fusion.


9) Micra -- Did not try it because Nissan is new entrant and also bit of girly looks.Though they have a great engine and now it comes with diesel, giving tough competition to diesel hatches. It would be a good buy once nissan settles down in india and prove their worth on road.

Forte -- Good space inside with neat finish. Even the base model had airbags.
Bad -- No service network.


10) Alto -- Good for first timers but was no no due to size on the front side and overall space and did not match any of my requirements. This is one of the car that tolerates all your driving abuses. The new k10 engine would sure replace Zen from peoples mind.

Forte -- good engine and wide network
Bad -- pricey


11) Spark -- Very good interiors but a small car. Has best of every thing that GM can offer but lately they seem to have lost interest in india. Resale value not good. Ride quality is great and comes with great discounts apart from 3 year GMs free support. Center console was big turnoff.

Forte -- very good suspension
Bad -- Doubt safety


12) Beat -- Very radical design good for 21 - 25 yrs age. Rear seats like a jail and very poor on mileage. Good for driver though. It has really redefined that hatchbacks can have ferocious looks too.

Forte -- Stylish design.
bad -- Rear space very claustrophobic.

13) Aveo and Getz not tried due to their age and their companies closing doors for them.

14) Ritz -- Amazing car that inherited all the good features of the swift. Despite tall stance it was stable and not wobbly like wagon R or estillo at high speeds. Great mileage and comfortable space and seating were added bonus. The only turn down were looks and that something missing part when compared to swift.

Forte -- Good space and better built quality. Minimal body roll. New colors.
bad -- Looks (highly subjective )


15) Wagon R and estillo: They were not considered as despite new engines I could not find anything exceptional while driving. Only space and colored interiors were the saving grace. Wobbly nature was quite visible at speeds of 70+. However they make good city cars to carry loads of your household stuff and their driving positions make them boon for lady drivers. Also my dad had old wagon r that server him well for 6 years.


16) Vista -- Did not try tata vehicles at all due to their current image in market about - service, looks and customer care department. Though they were best in interior space and features that they provide at low cost. Also they are good buy in case one is not concerned about their looks. Tata has great product but it is let down by poor product design be it indigo, indica, vista or manza. They do not want to let go the ugly front facia that is going on for decades now.


16) Swift DDiS (vdi with abs) -- Here comes my first love among cars (started 3 years back). Had asked ample of questions from experts and owners here about this car in and out. Best engine and good handler. Maruti still thinks that they are selling God car under this name and there is no issues with the car whatsoever. This is evident from the fact that I am fighting with maruti a separate loosing battle with their quality issues since last 2 years. I mean what makes think that there is no need for ZDi as the diesel guys are anyways immortals! This car has good space like fabia but because of big antique sofa type seats the interiors look claustrophobic and add to that black color in interiors make matters worse. The designer who built its interiors must be an ambassador engineer to ignore some basic stuff inside the car that is not cheap at 6.6L. Also you need to have a good audio system to over hear this rattling queen. Some bhpins too have reported quality issues that come as soon as you take the car home for first time as if it does not likes you and gives you hints in its own different ways. Though models after 2008 have resolved many of the above issues. Petrol k12 is bit slow in terms of low end troque as compared to other petrol cars or is it me who noticed it. And big question was do i need diesel. Heart said yes. Just for the fun of driving and not thinking about pocket every time.

forte -- Best front space and great engine. Good mileage and road handling is added bonus.
Bad -- age and rattling. No airbags option.

================================================== =============================
Finally I narrowed down to white swift vdi abs due to following:

Handling - Excellent
Average -20+ kms to one liter of diesel on highway with AC ON
AC Cooling - Excellent. Maruti knows Indian temperatures best.
Space - Ok, we are a family of two-we feel ok.
Reliability - Good. Amazing service network.
Mods - One of true mod friendly cars of the world.

Petrol was not considered despite low waiting period, discounts, features(zxi) and less price due to fun of driving this acclaimed diesel car.


The Positives:
==========
The Swift VDi handles very well and it feels secure while driving. Cornering and stability is a strong area of the car. The engine response is terrific and can be exhilarating at 2000 rpm, when the turbo kicks in. For all the power it has, the fuel efficiency is remarkable. Haven’t made a long trip yet, but it’s round the corner and will post the FE numbers once run in period is over.

1) Cabin space: - it may not match up to a punto/polo or figo in terms of high quality and ergonomics and features but is decent and no nonsense type and can accommodate 3 mid size adults at the back. Even though I’m 5.10' feet tall, I don’t have to push the driver’s seat all the way back, which allows additional space for the rear passengers. Front seats are very comforting and have good thigh support for long drives. Seats are like upright big sofas. Boot space is sufficient for small family.

2) Interiors: - The controls and indicators are fairly well organized and easy to read. . The fuel gauge does not stay in its position i.e. when the ignition is switched off, it drops to "E". The tachometer is useful, especially when you are running-in the car (first 1000 km). Unfortunately, the LDi lacks this feature where as all other cars basic version have this. This is height of cost cutting by maruti.The front and rear doors have provision for speakers, which is an advantage and prevents the luggage space from being used for your listening pleasure. Though audiophiles might not be happy for this lack of space for all their car theaters. But I am happy as this space is good for budget audio systems.

3) Exterior features: - the shape and design is a big turn on (although this is a personal thing). The wide stance of front makes it appear like a tiger paw. The wide outside rear view mirrors give you a clear idea of what’s happening behind you! Though you need to be bit careful in driving its buldging body.

4) Accessories / electronic gadgets: - Is there any? This was the only downside as compared to what punto / polo / fabia / jazz / beat / i10 / 120 offers. Lowest of them all. Vdi in swift range was even poorest of them all. Maruti need to learn that in todays world creature comforts matter when making a buying decision or even while driving a car.

5) Drivability:- You get tooooooo emotional when goes past 2000 racing mark. Amazing out of world experience which is prime forte for this car. You always feel going in for that adrenaline rush.Has best in class and time tested gear shift.

6) Fuel Efficiency: Do I have to say more here. Both Diesel and petrol are like benchmarks for others to follow as of now.

7) Service: Really exceptional. Just one mail to maruti would cause dealer to run behind you till issue is resolved. They have really worked on this aspect.

8) Others: The cabin as of now is well insulated and no rattles so far. I pray god that it remains like this forever. Turning radius is smallest among its counterparts so it is good to drive in roads of Bangalore(or whatever you like to call them) and suspension is not bad either. Excellent seat support. Theater style dimming lights, very less turbo lag felt.

The negatives:
===========
1) 6 Months waiting period makes you even forget buying any car.
2) Parts quality in both interiors and exterior are not even upto other hatches smaller its size and prize.
3) Space is just ok.
4) Tyres need heavy investment as soon as you purchase the car.
5) No ZDI trim that can offer ZXI/other cars like features and safety equipment like airbags,climate control, rear defogger and wiper, audio system, steering tilt adjust,big tyres, Fuel consumption display and list goes on and on.
But still I took Swift as it pulled my heart strings and played flute and what not like no other.


Delivery:
======
After booking in july the dealer and maruti said it has a waiting period of 6 months(crazy @#$%^&*(). After hell lot of fighting with maruti people from top to bottom and customer care I got my car in 4 months on 18th Nov and yes it is an achievement. Though my experience with maruti was not good but yes this particular sales man from the dealer helped me a lot in understanding this car and he assisted me in every possible way he can till the time of delivery mitigating all the bad and long waiting period. He also home delivered the car, as the showroom was 30+kms from my place and by driving myself (I am yet to learn driving properly in Bangalore traffic) I do not want to scrape my beauty on the first day on nasty ORR traffic. I did not get any accessories(except basic ones) for free as with other models of same and different companies. From the showroom the car came with 50psi air pressure on all 5 tyres! I got them reduced to 33. Also got 3M -20 Sun film from dealer on 50% sharing basis.

Loan Process:
==========
SBI guys in JP nagar were really great as they were far better than any private banks I have interacted with. They took minimal time - 4 days and very less paper work or running here and there and did all work in jiffy.


Mods:
====
I would like bhpians to pour in their expert opinions about the following upgrades:
1) I have got MRF tyres with car instead of pathetic JK. Should I still go for upgrades to Michleans etc?
2) I am looking for budget audio system. Would Pioneer 6050 double din make a good buy? what about speakers?
3) What should be ideal tyre pressure on front and rear wheels?
4) I have got 3M film -20 installed with help of dealer. Is it ok?
5) Should I go for anti-rust/corrosion coating and 3M paint protection?
6) I have got seat covers. Any recommend place in south Bangalore where I can get them fitted?
7) Team-bhp stickers- I am not able to order via debit card. Not sure why?
8) Anything else I missed?

Final words:
=========
Thanks for reading till here. I poured whatever I had in my heart as I now own my dream car. I thank all members here and esp Jaggu, Eddy, Geeksrik, Mevtec, Harishnayak, shantanumishra,Diesalfan, Smartcat, Navi, noopster, Thad, Laluks and GTO for taking out their precious time and replying to my big and small queries.

This car is like no frills airline.Overall, I would say the Swift DDIS is a great car and is excellent value for money. I am sure this car would serve me well in city and highways.

Pics to follow..

[Anandg]

When she saw me first:

[GreenDay]

Congrats Anand! Swift will surely serve you well in city and highway. No tension of A.S.S. So just enjoy maadi!

[Eddy]

Wow.. Thanks for the detailed report, made for a good read. Congrats on the car and drive safe

[Anandg]

Thank you guys. I have always experts here to look forward to for any issues.

I would like bhpians to pour in their expert opinions about the following upgrades:
1) I have got MRF tyres with car instead of pathetic JK. Should I still go for upgrades to Michleans etc?
2) I am looking for budget audio system. Would Pioneer 6050 double din make a good buy? what about speakers?
3) What should be ideal tyre pressure on front and rear wheels?
4) I have got 3M film -20 installed with help of dealer. Is it ok?
5) Should I go for anti-rust/corrosion coating and 3M paint protection?
6) I have got seat covers. Any recommend place in south Bangalore where I can get them fitted?
7) Team-bhp stickers- I am not able to order via debit card. Not sure why?
8) Anything else I missed?

[W.A.G.7]

Congrats on the Swift! Even I was considering buying it, but as you said the waiting period put me off.

Originally Posted by Anandg

9) Micra -- Did not try it because Nissan is new entrant and also bit of girly looks.

Err, I don't think it's girly. Cute is the first word that comes to your mind when you see it.

It would be a good buy once nissan settles down in india and prove their worth on road.

They were planning to add 12 dealerships by the year end I think.

Originally Posted by Anandg

Bad -- No service network.

+1 to this, but should improve by the time new dealers are added.

[Surviving Brain]

I'm very much surprised to see that you ended up buying Maruti Swift even after considering 15 other cars! Maruti knows for sure, how to win the trust of common man

I can guarantee you that, few years down the line when you look back at your decision, there would be a big smile on your face.

Now, I'm eagerly looking forward to see more updates from your side. Religiously

Originally Posted by Anandg

7) Service: Really exceptional. Just one mail to maruti would cause dealer to run behind you till issue is resolved. They have really worked on this aspect.

Do you mean that you've to mail the officials every now and then to get proper service? (I'm just kidding, don't take any offense)

8) Others: Theater style dimming lights, very less turbo lag felt.

I never knew that Maruti Swift came with theater style dimming lights!

Are you sure that there is less turbo lag? IMHO, Maruti Swift and the other cars powered with the same engine have prominent turbo lag. Among the hatchbacks that I have driven so far, Ford Figo has the minimal turbo lag.

5) No ZDI trim that can offer ZXI/other cars like features and safety equipment like airbags,climate control, rear defogger and wiper, audio system, steering tilt adjust,big tyres, Fuel consumption display and list goes on and on.
But still I took Swift as it pulled my heart strings and played flute and what not like no other.

IIRC, even the Maruti Swift ZXi does not offer Fuel Consumption display.

I do agree with the other points that you've mentioned. But, still Maruti sells 10k+ Swifts per month with ease!

[joshguy]

Congrats Anand,

I think we should get together and start a White VDI Fans thread,what say?

There will a lot of team bphians who bought swift for its white colour / frugal engine and i am one among them :-)

I have Jk in mine and has done 35k kms till date,if you are planing for wider tyres go for a change other wise let the MRF be on..

[Jaggu]

First a BIG CONGRATZ! Enjoy your new ride and do keep updating the thread

1) If you do lot of highways or spirited driving move to 185's.

2) Basic Pio + JBL Front compo will cost around 12k.

3) F 34 R 32

4) If the job is good dont bother

5) Yes

6) Any good accessories shop, its a simple job even dealer can do it

8) Run in well and do an oil and oil filter change at 1k kms

Originally Posted by Anandg

I would like bhpians to pour in their expert opinions about the following upgrades:
1) I have got MRF tyres with car instead of pathetic JK. Should I still go for upgrades to Michleans etc?
2) I am looking for budget audio system. Would Pioneer 6050 double din make a good buy? what about speakers?
3) What should be ideal tyre pressure on front and rear wheels?
4) I have got 3M film -20 installed with help of dealer. Is it ok?
5) Should I go for anti-rust/corrosion coating and 3M paint protection?
6) I have got seat covers. Any recommend place in south Bangalore where I can get them fitted?
7) Team-bhp stickers- I am not able to order via debit card. Not sure why?
8) Anything else I missed?

[goandude]

Originally Posted by Anandg

I would like bhpians to pour in their expert opinions about the following upgrades:
1) I have got MRF tyres with car instead of pathetic JK. Should I still go for upgrades to Michleans etc?
2) I am looking for budget audio system. Would Pioneer 6050 double din make a good buy? what about speakers?
3) What should be ideal tyre pressure on front and rear wheels?
4) I have got 3M film -20 installed with help of dealer. Is it ok?
5) Should I go for anti-rust/corrosion coating and 3M paint protection?
6) I have got seat covers. Any recommend place in south Bangalore where I can get them fitted?
7) Team-bhp stickers- I am not able to order via debit card. Not sure why?
8) Anything else I missed?

1. 165/80 is under tyred for this chassis engine combo. but for sedate driving and FE concerns it is adequate. IMHO 185/70 yoko/michelin/accelre are ideal for spirited driving and the car feels planted at three digit speeds
3. 33/29 psi
5. No not if you live in Bangalore. 3M is not recommended by many members of team BHP
8. upgrade bulbs to 100/90 add a good quality harness with relay and ceramic holders
Enjoy your ride. Drive safe.

brain - dzire vdi comes with dimming interior lights

[Anandg]

Thanks guys for all your expert and quick inputs. This is best part of team-bhp. Swift and team-bhp know each other in and out. This was one of major reasons to get this car.
Guys should i get anti rust coating done now? From dealer or outside?

[RaSing]

Congrats on your purchase !

Originally Posted by joshguy

I think we should get together and start a White VDI Fans thread,what say?

.

Thats a great idea , can we do it soon !

[Anandg]

Hi joshguy,RaSingh,
I agree. Colors make a huge impact on your purchase. So where we can start this thread?

[bhp_maniac]

Originally Posted by Anandg

Hi joshguy,RaSingh,
I agree. Colors make a huge impact on your purchase. So where we can start this thread?

+1 to that. Another white VDi. We have a hell lot of White VDi's here. Between, congrats friend for the buy. Its a great VFM in terms of A.S.S and FE. I am consistently getting 18-19 these days with 40/60 City/Highway ratio.

[Anandg]

Guys where I can find the car care link in team-bhp? I mean thread for washing / waxing / cleaning the car in best possible way to avoid any scratches.
Please post the same.