VENT(O)ed out because I needed a (T)JET

sarmarishi · 26th November 2010, 11:10

Congrats Madhukar - Have a great time with her!

It will be interesting to see the Linea sales figures next month. I am sure a lot of it will from the T-Jet and mainly from Bangalore

NutsNBolts · 26th November 2010, 13:11

Congrats madhukar for the bold decision. So far, despite of countless horror stories, Fiat has not abandoned their customers and I am positive that they will continue with the same approach. The latest news is that some honchos from Italy are taking surprise inspection of service centers in India. Something positive only can come out of it.

Gallant · 26th November 2010, 13:15

Many Many Congrats Madhukar.

SPARKled · 26th November 2010, 14:43

That's a brilliant choice. Even I prefer the tjet over the vento purely on specs as I have haven't test driven either of them. One thing I have realized that its hard to ignore a fiat if you have test driven it even if it is not in your initial choice of cars.

PlatzdaTurbo · 26th November 2010, 15:07

Great choice ! congrats ! With those kind of looks, a bigger and meaner engine is the only thing the linea needed and now the list is complete. Have heard that its a cream of an engine, extremely free revving. Am curious to see the shade(colour) of your car. Awaiting pictures

gemithomas · 26th November 2010, 15:38

Congrats. Waiting for the pics.

madhukar_n · 30th November 2010, 10:59

Thanks for opening the thread !!!
Here is the continuation. I will update the pics within today or max tomorrow.

November 26:
The D day had arrived. Went to the showroom in the afternoon. As soon as i entered the Sunbeam biege was there standing. It was ROYAL !! I had not seen the color before I booked. I had seen the City in a similar color, but this looked much better on the Linea. Browsed the car from all angles. Since i had not had the time to do a PDI i did some then. Then did all the paper work. But the worst part was - There Was NO owner's manual or service booklet. There was no extended warranty card too. According to the guys, none of the T-Jet cars that came to their center had those. They said it will take about 2-3 weeks.

Took the car out and went for a short drive to the petrol station for the usual "5" liters that the dealer fills it up. Dropped back the SR and went sis's place and then to a temple for the pooja. After the pooja drove back home. It was incident free but the excitement was more, so did not notice any aspect related to driving. Went home and slept a content man!!

November 27:
Took the car out to the nearest Shell to fill it. On the way observed that the car was moving towards the left when i leave the steering wheel. thot it to be a wheel aligment/balancing issue and I still have not yet got it rectified. People can suggest me if the "Left leaning" is because of the Wheel alignment or I will have to show to the service folks. On the way back saw a few people turning their heads as i zoomed past and one particular fellow in a Santro came followd on the pretext of having a closer look.

November 28:
Cleaned the already cleaned car, just for satisfaction !! Took it for a drive with family and came back. My son just wants to be in the car always.

November 29:
First Day to office in the new car. The usual looks, admiration, "small" rounds, etc etc...

So far done about 155 kms. When i took the car from dealer it was 33 kms. So not driven much for comprehensive reports.

What I liked:

1) The Sunbeam biege color really looks awesome. Never expected it to look so good.
2) The feel of the steering and the hydraluic power steering.
3) The POWER.. alebit after 2000 rpm
4) Interiors gives one a premium feel. The plastics are improved to the previous Linea and Beige leather interiors adds a lot to the premium feel.
5) The rear windshield has a Sun protection screen. I have not seen anyone mentioning about it.
6) Solid Build.
7) The 16" alloys with a 205/55 profile tyres. They look huge and gives considerable weight to the look,especially from the front.
8) Rear seats are quite comfortable and enough for 3 adults.
9) The clutch is smooth, so unlike the palio's, petra's I had driven.
10) Suspension is good, missed a few road humps and the passengers did not feel much.
11) Braking is immediate !!

What I disliked:
1) A 10.8L comes with no mats. The free mats that the dealer gives is a waste. Fortunately I bought the fabric mats.
2) The Linea mud flaps. Does not look great, but for TINA factor. Spoke to the Fait accessories guy and according to them the moulded mud flap may come in 2-3 months.
3) The gear shift is a little differnt from the other cars, am not getting better way to explain. But i guess needs more time to adjust.
4) The turning radius is a issue for me, especially coming from a Baleno !!!
5) The good year tyres, was hoping for a Apollo Accelere at least.

What i would have liked to be there:
1) A choice of colors for upholstry

The other general obervations so far:
1) There is a slight turbo lag mostly in the second gear. need to push the pedal hard to get the "T" power. For normal bumber to bumper traffic it should not be a issue. The gear shift pattern can be adjusted to reduce the turbo lag.

So far it has been a seemless transition from a MAruti Baleno to a Fiat Linea T-Jet !!! Will post the pics once my camera battery is charged and will update this post on new observations and experiences.

greatDrive · 30th November 2010, 16:33

As I saw the car, I must say it looks too good in that color. Let the pics speak.. Upload it soon

aditya116 · 30th November 2010, 17:09

congrats on the car!you are making us impatient without the pics!Vento vs tjet must have been a tough choice.

madhukar_n · 30th November 2010, 17:23

Ok, here goes the pics !! the snaps dont match the car in quality...
Actually the best looks of the linea is from the side and that with the HUGE tyres it looks even more masculine !! will take those snaps and upload them shortly...

Klub Class · 30th November 2010, 18:20

Congratulations Madhukar for becoming a proud owner of a Jet.

Though it is very hard to drive the T-jet with light foot, I would highly recommend you not to rev the engine hard during the initial days.

I would love to drool over your car's pics. So, please upload more high resolution pictures.

Few queries :

1) The leather wrapped steering looks a bit whitish when contrasted to the steering wheel of our Fiat Punto. I guess that it's due to the camera flash.(Correct me, if wrong)

2) Are the scuff plates illuminated? Did it come along with your car? or did you buy it as an accessory?

Drive safe and have fun within the limits

Sathya_sc · 30th November 2010, 18:24

Fantastic ride there! Please post us with the mileage figures and the "drift left" problem.

Sathya

greatDrive · 30th November 2010, 20:30

Hey Madhukar,
The pics just tells about 10 % of this beast. next 40% beauty comes out when you see it personally. rest 50% .. you know what, when you sit inside with your foot on the padel and zooming off.
Thanks for calling me for the test drive of Linea and I also had a fun to drive that car for 15 Kms.
If I had vitamin M, I would have really upgraded from my Petra to Linea TJet.

Utopian · 30th November 2010, 20:45

Congrats madhukar for the awesome Fiat. The color complements the color really well. And with those meaty tyres, its quite a looker.
Kindly upload more pics of the T-Jet ASAP.
Happy driving with the T-Jet.

madhukar_n · 30th November 2010, 22:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by Klub Class

Congratulations Madhukar for becoming a proud owner of a Jet.

Though it is very hard to drive the T-jet with light foot, I would highly recommend you not to rev the engine hard during the initial days.

I would love to drool over your car's pics. So, please upload more high resolution pictures.

Few queries :

1) The leather wrapped steering looks a bit whitish when contrasted to the steering wheel of our Fiat Punto. I guess that it's due to the camera flash.(Correct me, if wrong)

2) Are the scuff plates illuminated? Did it come along with your car? or did you buy it as an accessory?

Drive safe and have fun within the limits

It is the camera flash + my bad with the photo editor !!!

the scuff is the non-illuminated one. those cost about 3000. the one i put is about 300.

26th November 2010, 11:10	#16
sarmarishi BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 429 Thanked: 89 Times View My Garage	Congrats Madhukar - Have a great time with her! It will be interesting to see the Linea sales figures next month. I am sure a lot of it will from the T-Jet and mainly from Bangalore
	() Thanks

26th November 2010, 13:11	#17
NutsNBolts BHPian Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Jammu Posts: 817 Thanked: 41 Times View My Garage	Congrats madhukar for the bold decision. So far, despite of countless horror stories, Fiat has not abandoned their customers and I am positive that they will continue with the same approach. The latest news is that some honchos from Italy are taking surprise inspection of service centers in India. Something positive only can come out of it.
	() Thanks

26th November 2010, 13:15	#18
Gallant BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 34 Thanked: Once	Many Many Congrats Madhukar.
	() Thanks

26th November 2010, 14:43	#19
SPARKled Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Navi Mumbai Posts: 1,110 Thanked: 656 Times	That's a brilliant choice. Even I prefer the tjet over the vento purely on specs as I have haven't test driven either of them. One thing I have realized that its hard to ignore a fiat if you have test driven it even if it is not in your initial choice of cars. Last edited by SPARKled : 26th November 2010 at 14:44.
	() Thanks

26th November 2010, 15:07	#20
PlatzdaTurbo Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,304 Thanked: 327 Times View My Garage	Great choice ! congrats ! With those kind of looks, a bigger and meaner engine is the only thing the linea needed and now the list is complete. Have heard that its a cream of an engine, extremely free revving. Am curious to see the shade(colour) of your car. Awaiting pictures
	() Thanks

26th November 2010, 15:38	#21
gemithomas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,366 Thanked: 143 Times View My Garage	Congrats. Waiting for the pics.
	() Thanks

30th November 2010, 10:59	#22
madhukar_n BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 395 Thanked: 179 Times	Thanks for opening the thread !!! Here is the continuation. I will update the pics within today or max tomorrow. November 26: The D day had arrived. Went to the showroom in the afternoon. As soon as i entered the Sunbeam biege was there standing. It was ROYAL !! I had not seen the color before I booked. I had seen the City in a similar color, but this looked much better on the Linea. Browsed the car from all angles. Since i had not had the time to do a PDI i did some then. Then did all the paper work. But the worst part was - There Was NO owner's manual or service booklet. There was no extended warranty card too. According to the guys, none of the T-Jet cars that came to their center had those. They said it will take about 2-3 weeks. Took the car out and went for a short drive to the petrol station for the usual "5" liters that the dealer fills it up. Dropped back the SR and went sis's place and then to a temple for the pooja. After the pooja drove back home. It was incident free but the excitement was more, so did not notice any aspect related to driving. Went home and slept a content man!! November 27: Took the car out to the nearest Shell to fill it. On the way observed that the car was moving towards the left when i leave the steering wheel. thot it to be a wheel aligment/balancing issue and I still have not yet got it rectified. People can suggest me if the "Left leaning" is because of the Wheel alignment or I will have to show to the service folks. On the way back saw a few people turning their heads as i zoomed past and one particular fellow in a Santro came followd on the pretext of having a closer look. November 28: Cleaned the already cleaned car, just for satisfaction !! Took it for a drive with family and came back. My son just wants to be in the car always. November 29: First Day to office in the new car. The usual looks, admiration, "small" rounds, etc etc... So far done about 155 kms. When i took the car from dealer it was 33 kms. So not driven much for comprehensive reports. What I liked: 1) The Sunbeam biege color really looks awesome. Never expected it to look so good. 2) The feel of the steering and the hydraluic power steering. 3) The POWER.. alebit after 2000 rpm 4) Interiors gives one a premium feel. The plastics are improved to the previous Linea and Beige leather interiors adds a lot to the premium feel. 5) The rear windshield has a Sun protection screen. I have not seen anyone mentioning about it. 6) Solid Build. 7) The 16" alloys with a 205/55 profile tyres. They look huge and gives considerable weight to the look,especially from the front. 8) Rear seats are quite comfortable and enough for 3 adults. 9) The clutch is smooth, so unlike the palio's, petra's I had driven. 10) Suspension is good, missed a few road humps and the passengers did not feel much. 11) Braking is immediate !! What I disliked: 1) A 10.8L comes with no mats. The free mats that the dealer gives is a waste. Fortunately I bought the fabric mats. 2) The Linea mud flaps. Does not look great, but for TINA factor. Spoke to the Fait accessories guy and according to them the moulded mud flap may come in 2-3 months. 3) The gear shift is a little differnt from the other cars, am not getting better way to explain. But i guess needs more time to adjust. 4) The turning radius is a issue for me, especially coming from a Baleno !!! 5) The good year tyres, was hoping for a Apollo Accelere at least. What i would have liked to be there: 1) A choice of colors for upholstry The other general obervations so far: 1) There is a slight turbo lag mostly in the second gear. need to push the pedal hard to get the "T" power. For normal bumber to bumper traffic it should not be a issue. The gear shift pattern can be adjusted to reduce the turbo lag. So far it has been a seemless transition from a MAruti Baleno to a Fiat Linea T-Jet !!! Will post the pics once my camera battery is charged and will update this post on new observations and experiences.
	() Thanks

30th November 2010, 16:33	#23
greatDrive BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 547 Thanked: 7 Times	As I saw the car, I must say it looks too good in that color. Let the pics speak.. Upload it soon
	() Thanks

30th November 2010, 17:09	#24
aditya116 BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: calicut Posts: 317 Thanked: 51 Times	congrats on the car!you are making us impatient without the pics!Vento vs tjet must have been a tough choice.
	() Thanks

30th November 2010, 17:23	#25
madhukar_n BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 395 Thanked: 179 Times	Ok, here goes the pics !! the snaps dont match the car in quality... Actually the best looks of the linea is from the side and that with the HUGE tyres it looks even more masculine !! will take those snaps and upload them shortly... Attached Thumbnails Attached Images
	() Thanks

30th November 2010, 18:20	#26
Klub Class Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: KA17\|KL65\|KL41 Posts: 4,867 Thanked: 1,935 Times	Congratulations :) Congratulations Madhukar for becoming a proud owner of a Jet. Though it is very hard to drive the T-jet with light foot, I would highly recommend you not to rev the engine hard during the initial days. I would love to drool over your car's pics. So, please upload more high resolution pictures. Few queries : 1) The leather wrapped steering looks a bit whitish when contrasted to the steering wheel of our Fiat Punto. I guess that it's due to the camera flash.(Correct me, if wrong) 2) Are the scuff plates illuminated? Did it come along with your car? or did you buy it as an accessory? Drive safe and have fun within the limits Last edited by Klub Class : 30th November 2010 at 18:23.
	() Thanks

30th November 2010, 18:24	#27
Sathya_sc BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Chennai Posts: 545 Thanked: 730 Times	Fantastic ride there! Please post us with the mileage figures and the "drift left" problem. Sathya
	() Thanks

30th November 2010, 20:30	#28
greatDrive BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 547 Thanked: 7 Times	Hey Madhukar, The pics just tells about 10 % of this beast. next 40% beauty comes out when you see it personally. rest 50% .. you know what, when you sit inside with your foot on the padel and zooming off. Thanks for calling me for the test drive of Linea and I also had a fun to drive that car for 15 Kms. If I had vitamin M, I would have really upgraded from my Petra to Linea TJet.
	() Thanks

30th November 2010, 20:45	#29
Utopian BHPian Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 603 Thanked: 123 Times	Congrats madhukar for the awesome Fiat. The color complements the color really well. And with those meaty tyres, its quite a looker. Kindly upload more pics of the T-Jet ASAP. Happy driving with the T-Jet.
	() Thanks