[S2!!!]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

It was a mini jam & my car was stationary, there was no hard braking or anything of that sorts. Then suddenly I hear this HUGE bang.

Visibly, even I felt that there is no serious damage but when I tried to move my car, I could hear the bumper scraping against the tyre. I could somehow pull it back & drive it to the A.S.S.

They inspected & told me that the metal bar inside has taken a hit & is bent.

Estimate given: Rs. 4000/-. I am not claiming insurance.

It hurts because no matter how much we pamper our car, there are always careless drivers like these on the road.

Ouch again. First time it was an auto-rickshaw, what was it this time?? And at what speed did he ram you that your metal rod inside your bumper took a beating??

On a lighter side, he must be trying to read the sticker on your car and by the time he finished BANG!! Chill dude you drive in Bombay. It is bound to happen. Atleast there is no other damage visible. Build quality ehh??

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by S2!!!

Ouch again. First time it was an auto-rickshaw, what was it this time??

Let me recollect -

First time, it was in the car parking of VW Dowtown, some fool scraped the front bumper, got it painted at A.S.S.

Second time, a Verna guy rear ended almost similarly, when my car was stationary in Sion. No damage to bumper, got it repaired from A.S.S. for Rs. 850/-

Third time it was a biker who rear ended on the left rear fender, slight dent because of his handlebar. Not repaired as it is hardly visible & repairing would cost upwards of 6k.

Fourth time it was an over enthusiastic rickshaw guy who scraped the front bumper (again) when my car was stationary (again!).

Fifth time it was a lady driven Getz who came from the wrong side & tried to swerve to her side & scraped my car's rear bumper. Yes, my car was stationary again! Not repaired, but polished. Some light scratches visible on rear bumper.

Sixth time... is this one. Yes, my car was stationary.

Moral of the story : My car should not be stationary, under any circumstances!

And at what speed did he ram you that your metal rod inside your bumper took a beating??

It was quite a loud impact. I guess the impact speed must be around 20-30 kmph. My car lurched forward on impact, even though the brakes were slightly depressed.

The Alto had a bent bonnet, so you can guess it must not have been a light shunt.

On a lighter side, he must be trying to read the sticker on your car and by the time he finished BANG!! Chill dude you drive in Bombay. It is bound to happen. Atleast there is no other damage visible.

So should I paste a custom made bigger LTD sticker so that nobody have to come closer to read?

And then also stick "Keep safe distance" & "Horn OK Please" stickers eh?

And I know its Mumbai but again and again... within a year!

No damage visible, true. But I am assuming my wallet would be lighter by around 3500 INR.

Build quality ehh??

[raj_5004]

Repaired. Spent Rs. 3435/-.

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

Is this an upgrade, or did they change in under warranty because they found some issue with it? If this is really an upgrade, can you please get us the details? My car will be going to the service station soon to repair some dents and I want to ask them about this upgrade then.

Got the details -

Part No.: 0059117190
Name: Kit rear axle assy - punto
Rate: Rs. 4159.11/-

My car's VIN ends in AMZ.

Pintu has clocked 13000 kms -

Issues faced till now :

1) Rear LHS C pillar plastic trim came loose, was replaced by the A.S.S. under warranty.

2) Rear left bearing went kaput. Was replaced by the A.S.S. under warranty.

First service cost : Rs. 80/-
Second service cost : Rs. 5941/-
Total : Rs. 6021/-

Insurance amount for second year : Rs. 13406/- (No claim bonus)
Other misc expenses like roof vinyl, 3M polishin, etc. : Rs. 5910/-
Total : Rs. 19316/-

Accidental repair expenses : Rs. 9225/-

Approx fuel efficiency : 14 kmpl (peak time city traffic only with 100% AC, average speed - 15 kmph)
Hence, fuel bills : Rs. 41,786/- (approx)

Therefore,

Running cost which includes fuel & service = Rs. 3.6 Rs/km
Running cost which includes fuel, service, insurance & other expenses = Rs. 5.16 Rs/km
Running cost which includes fuel, service, insurance, other expenses & accidental repair costs (Actual approx running cost) = Rs. 5.87 Rs/km

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Note from the Team-BHP Support Team: Please use the "edit" button if posting within 30 minutes of the first post, instead of creating another back-to-back post.

[raj_5004]

Before -




After -

[hemanth.anand]

^^^ that makes it hotter.
I hope the red paint on the disc shown in this photo was removed afterwards.
Was it a DIY?

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

^^^ that makes it hotter.
I hope the red paint on the disc shown in this photo was removed afterwards.
Was it a DIY?

Thanks mate. Yea, the red paint on the disc is gone.

It happened as, while painting, the car was on a jack in gear but without handbrake. As soon as we lowered the car, it rolled a bit back thus spreading the paint.

It was not a DIY as I could not source the right paint myself.

[nkg77]

Originally Posted by raj_5004

It was not a DIY as I could not source the right paint myself.

Your Pintu looks cool now, hey you can get the paint from http://www.com-paint.com/

[raj_5004]

Originally Posted by nkg77

Your Pintu looks cool now, hey you can get the paint from Aeroaids Corporation - Com-Paint Touchup Spray Paint, Aerosol Spray Paint Manufacturers

I will get basic red colour anywhere buddy, but this is a Dupont premium paint with sparkle. Mixing it to my liking was the priority.

Its not evident in pics, but it is a dark shade of red.

[raj_5004]

Some pics of Pintu from a recent drive to Amby Valley -

[raj_5004]

Hey guys, its been quite some time I wrote anything about the Punto. Since I had nothing much to say about the car, I thought of this awkward comparison between my Punto and the Innova. For this comparo, I have been judging and driving both the cars back to back for the past 3 days.

Since, there are numerous pics in my ownership threads of both the cars, I wont add to many pics in here. Those who feel that this comparo is weird and waste of time --->

Looks :

Well, people say looks are subjective. I agree. I have been an SUV fan and I like big/huge vehicles. The Innova is BIG but errr... it just does not cut in. It does not have the presence nor the image of a big vehicle. It is not sporty nor is it brawny. It is a typical mini van which looks like it is meant to ferry a family in decent comfort. And does a family man care about looks? Heck, no. It serves the purpose. Clearly, the japanese Toyota has given priority to function over form.

It's the opposite when it comes to the Italian Fiat. Functionality be damned, the car should look sexy... I have never been to Italy but I just admire them for the sense of style and aesthetics that they have. See any Italian car and they look drop dead gorgeous - FIAT, MASERATI, ALFA ROMEO, FERRARI and LAMBORGHINI. Yes, please ignore certain models of LANCIA! Ok, now coming to the Punto, this timeless design was sketched way back in 2007 but still looks oh-so-good. It is a clean design with the right amount of muscularity and stance. I feel sorry that the car had to be raised for the Indian roads. There are no confusing creases and cuts, it's just a simple and classy looking car. I have seen very few people complaining about the way the Punto looks.

Innova - 0
Punto - 1

Engine and performance :

The Innova comes with a 2494 cc D-4D engine which produces 102PS @ 3600 rpm and max torque of 200 NM @ 1400-3400 rpm. The Punto has the National engine - 1248 cc Multijet engine with 93 PS @ 4000 rpm and max torque of 209 NM @ 2000 rpm. Yes, you read it right... The 8 Lac Punto makes more torque than the 15 Lac Innova!

But point to note here is - how and when is the torque produced. If you notice, the Innova attains it's peak torque a whole 600 rpm before the Punto. And that matters a lot in the city. In real world conditions, especially in the first two gears, the Innova feels much more responsive and sprightly when compared to the Punto. On a drag race, the Innova will leave behind the Punto, atleast for the first few seconds.

But things change when both the cars reach 3rd gear. This is where now Punto shows it's true colors. Performance from here onwards is strong and you can expect a pull which will bring it closer to the Innova which was leading till now. By the time you reach 100-110 kmph, the Innova gets bogged down in 5th gear whereas the Punto still pulls easily in 4th or 5th gear. The Punto climbs all the way till 140-150 kmph easily whereas the Innova struggles beyond 120 kmph.This is because of the superior aerodynamics and power-to-weight ratio of the Punto.

So overall Punto wins this round.

Innova - 0
Punto - 2

Space and comfort :

The cabin of the Innova is leagues ahead of the Punto. Be it the space or the quality of plastics used, the Innova has an edge. But surprisingly, the front seats of the Punto feels more spacious than the Innova's. In the rear seats, there is no comparison. Innova is business class and the Punto is economy! Innova has the advantage of the 3rd row too. Boot space is obviously more in the Innova as it has the flexibility of folding the 3rd row. Even Punto's rear seat can be folded, but because of the enormous width and height of the Innova, it is a no brainer that the Innova comes out as a clear winner in this one.

BUT, when we talk about comfort, we also need to check the seats. The front seats of Innova are not as good as the one on the Punto. My Innova has rear bench seats which again is not as good as the one in the Punto. But Innova comes with an option of captain seats in the rear and they are supremely comfortable. Punto has a clutch foot rest which is a boon on long drives. The Innova lacks this. So this one goes to the Innova...

Innova - 1
Punto - 2

Reliability and ownership -

Even a kid knows that Toyota is the epitome when it comes to reliability. My 1.1 Lac driven Innova has had no issues other than general servicing and some worn parts. BUT, Toyota's A.S.S. is damn expensive. The oil change is every 5000 kms and servicing costs and spare parts are very very expensive.

Comparatively, Punto has it's service only once in 15000 kms. Servicing charges are cheap and even parts are cheap. Reliability is not bad, though not as good as Toyota either. I have had a bearing failure within 12k kms.

A.S.S. experience depends. Right now, FIAT is giving me better service than Toyota. But that is my personal experience. If we go by user reports across the country, then it is quite evident that Toyota is far better than Fiat when it comes ownership experience. So i give it to the Toyota here.

Innova - 2
Punto -2

Ride and handling :

When compared to other UVs, the Innova has a great ride and handling combo. The ride is flat and cushioning always. But due to the small tyres, it can get a bit choppy and hard at slow speeds in potholed roads.

Punto is known to be the leader when it comes to ride and handling. The handling is amazing to say the least, stability at high speeds is perfect and the suspension soaks up all the bumps without transmitting anything inside the cabin.

No doubts about it, Punto is the clear winner when it comes to ride and handling. But when compared to the UVs, the Innova is the best. So let's give this a tie...

Innova - 3
Punto - 3

Features :

My Innova has AC, rear AC vents, power windows, electric ORVMs and power steering in the name of features! All these are standard even in a 3 Lac hatch, so nothing extra ordinary here.

Punto has all of the above plus Automatic Climate control, Blue&Me, My Car, MID, etc. I am not mentioning the small extras like flip key, mood lighting, automatic door lock, speed sensitive audio, etc. Punto does have rear AC vents but it is under the front seats and pretty mediocre, not like the one in the Innova.

My Innova does not have a USB facility and steering mounted controls which the Punto has. But the new facelifted Innova has these, so I'll let it go!

Even though the Innova is much larger than the Punto, both the car comes with 15" alloys. So, Punto wins in this round.

Innova - 3
Punto - 4

Safety :

Innova has seatbelts, 2 Airbags with ABS. That's about it. I feel it is not good for a 15 Lac van.

Punto has a 5 star crash test rating. Apart from the above, it also has rear fog lamps, ABS with EBD.

If it matters, build quality and sheet metal strength of the Punto is far superior. Innova feels flimsy and tinny in comparison. The bumpers are wafer thin in comparison.

Innova - 3
Punto - 5

So, in the end, it is the Punto which I feel is more value for money when compared to the Innova. Some may have expected this! There maybe some Toyota fans who may feel that Toyota is asking a premium which is justified but sadly, I dont feel the same. I dont understand the logic behind paying a huge sum and then being deprived of a powerful engine and features and living with an expensive A.S.S., all for the brand value. Adios.

[SDP]

^^
Some interesting comparison there...weird but definitely interesting!
Finally people like you and me buy a 'car' and not a 'B1 segment hatch' or a 'D1 segment sedan'. We all have individual needs which are addressed by specific segments of car. But finally its a car. So if one owns 2 cars, a comparison is inevitable (even if it is weird or even unfair).

PS: I also do this comparison mentally when I switch between my 2 cars.

[hemanth.anand]

The thing I like about this post of your is that you've put out facts as it is.

Though its a weird comparision and unfair at some places, its a good read and a shows the fact that Punto is VFM as perceived otherwise.

Whatever the scores may be, IMO you have two best cars in their respective segments.

Thanks for sharing this unique comparison. Enjoy both of them, Cheers.

[punto_]

Interesting and wired comparo, raj!

I always felt that Innova can attain better top speed than Punto, isin't that correct?
I reached 175 on my Punto (just for the testing purpose on a straight line with no traffic anywhere near - wound't suggest these speeds to anyone!)

How much do you think Innova can achieve?

[Buffetfan]

Originally Posted by punto_

Interesting and wired comparo, raj!

I always felt that Innova can attain better top speed than Punto, isin't that correct?
I reached 175 on my Punto (just for the testing purpose on a straight line with no traffic anywhere near - wound't suggest these speeds to anyone!)

How much do you think Innova can achieve?

The diesel would do 150 easily and given the right tailwind would canter up to 160 kmph! No more.