1,00,000 km with a Tata Nexon: Experience by an ex-Palio owner

Been consistently getting a fuel efficiency between 18-20 km/l with a mixed bag of city and almost highway-like run daily.

BHPian birdie recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

This is my second vehicle crossing the magical 6-digit mark. My previous Fiat Palio MJD had clocked 2,65,000 kms before I picked up the Nexon. Obviously, my comparison will revolve around the Palio for the most part.

Being a nature enthusiast, 60% of my travels are in pursuit of wilderness and both cars have taken me through some amazing terrains giving me innumerable memories.

Nexon purchase decision

My colleague and I reached the venue for a meeting too early and we decided to take a look at the Nexon to kill time. It was love at first sight, though the showroom did not bother giving us a test ride. The next day, a test drive was arranged from a different showroom and the deal was struck. 2 Nexons booked, the only difference was the colour.

While I opted for a Silver colour which was not a fast-moving one, my friend booked a White. The silver one seemed to be lying in the yard for a few months and due to my nature of work and lack of time, I could not go to the yard to do a PDI in spite of promoting the TBHP checklist to everyone. The delivery PDI was much better compared to the Palio which was dropped off at home at dark with the rain pouring. However, I missed out on checking the spare wheel and the wheel well was a small swimming pool with a few litres of water travelling along with me for a couple of weeks. Part of the spare wheel rim was rusted and I raised a complaint and it was changed under warranty. They also checked for leaks and thankfully, the spare wheel well is dry over the past 4 years.

Ride Quality, etc

For a hatch on stilts, it handles wonderfully. Gives me a sense of arrogance while driving thru potholed roads and terrains with no roads alike. On highways, the car behaves amazingly well, planted and the steering feedback is spot on too. Braking gives confidence and the alignment is one of the best I have come across so far. More about this soon. No major squeaks and vibrations, ORVMs give a good view whereas the IRVM seems a bit cramped.

Modes

Never enjoyed the Eco mode, hence don’t use it at all. Until one of the software upgrades, the car used to start on the previous mode and it invariably used to be in Sport mode. However, after the upgrade, the car now starts on City mode and usually stays on this mode unless I’m on the highway. The best performance of the vehicle will always be at its peak output rather than forcing it to underperform either for mileage or other reasons and I feel it is the Sport mode where the Nexon behaves best.

Build

Having been used to the famous “Thud” of the Fiat Palio, the doors are relatively less heavy though much better than most. The nuts and bolts are a grade better compared to the Palio. Fiat was known for the quality of its products and it is an art to replace a bulb too. Most parts are of good quality and built to last. A direct comparison with the Palio is due here:

Clutch

The Palio MJD had the famous clutch issue—“Clutching the Clutch” was a common phrase. The first clutch lasted only 22k kms and the best performance of the clutch in the Palio was about 65k kms. The Nexon came with a super soft clutch and has remained the same after 1 lakh kms. There is some sign of wear showing up now but I’m sure it’s going to give me more miles before having to change.

Brake Pads

On the recommendation of SA at Prerana Motors, I changed the first set during the third service — around 27,000 kms. The second set is still going strong and though I have a new set with me, my present service centre confirms it's good for another 10k kms. This is amazing.

Alignment and Tyres

The alignment seems to be spot on and for the first time, I’ve been checking for alignment only during service or at 10k kms. The Palio had to be aligned every 5k kms or after a long drive into the jungles. The Palio had uneven wear issues too, though I didn’t face much of the infamous ‘left pulling’. No such issues with the Nexon.

For the first time in my driving history (should have covered at least 4 lakh kms in India), the OE tyres by Bridgestone gave me 87,000 kms. The service centre told me it was good for another 5k kms but I had a monsoon drive planned and didn’t want to risk the old tyres. Previously, I’ve been changing tyres at 35-45k kms based on wear and travel. Have tried most brands in the market though used to prefer Yokohomas for the Palio. Needless to say, I’m faithful to Bridgestone now. No upgrade, stuck to the original configuration.

Service and Warranty

Having bought the car at Prerana Motors, stuck to their service centre at Peenya. No major complaints with servicing. Used to stay back and pick up the vehicle for each service. Mr Ravindra, Manager at the service centre was proactive. Had to upgrade to P2P during the first service as the showroom did not mention the same. They goofed up again and I got the P2P plan for 3 years/ 45k kms only and I had almost completed 40k kms in the first year before Covid struck.

Niggles, Parts and Warranty

1. Spare wheel changed due to rusting mentioned earlier.
2. Had a problem while slotting third gear and it would slip to neutral arbitrarily. They changed the gear shifter first and then the gearbox under warranty and the problem was sorted.
3. The water pump developed a leak around 60k kms and in spite of Prerana servicing the car post warranty, they did not recognise the problem/ chose to ignore it. This is when I decided to get all the servicing done through a trusted service centre that has immense experience with Fiat and Tata vehicles and is an ex-employee of Concorde Motors. Absolutely no problem after this change of service centre.
4. The reverse camera in the head unit has a mind of its own. It behaves perfectly sometimes and other times behaves like a B/W TV screen of the Doordarshan era. Had raised a complaint and a Harman executive came for a check and said everything is fine. Presently, living with the issue.
5. The central locking unit on the driver's side gave up one fine day and had to replace the same. TASS charged almost the cost of the lock as labour charges!\
6. Last service, at 94k kms, changed the Timing belt. The water pump was fine and didn’t have to change that.

The overall cost of service, parts like oil, filter, etc are quite reasonable and most of the time readily available. The service experience has been quite good and comes with peace of mind and confidence.

Fuel Economy

Been consistently getting between 18-20 km/l (calculated tankful method) with a mixed bag of city and almost highway-like run daily. The best I’ve got is 22.5 km/l on the highway but the worst part of the vehicle is the MID. It is off by almost 25-30%, a massive error by any standard. MID consistently shows 26-27 kmpl.

Seating and ergonomics

It took me about 5k kms to get used to the seat in spite of all the adjustment options. Used to get a weird pain in the back of my leg after a short drive. After much research, bought an air cushion which distributes pressure evenly and finally the problem was sorted. I miss the Palio seat even today.

Android Auto

Works well with the original cable of the handset. In recent times, had major problems with connection and part of the problem was the Nokia handset with a loose adaptor. With a new handset, it's working fine and the old cable is doing its duty.

Likes

• Worthy upgrade from a 1.3 MJD to a 1.5 Dicor.
• The GC is amazing and in spite of the height, road mannerisms are excellent.
• Responsive engine and happy to be revved when needed.
• Braking instils confidence and the present set of front brake pads gives phenomenal life.
• Fit and finish have aged well. No major signs of wear, noise, vibrations, etc except for the gear knob showing some peeling on the sides.
• Engine mounts, other rubbers etc are holding well. Yet to change anything.
• Mechanicals, nuts and bolts, and rubber components have all survived these 4 years and the 6 digits on the odometer.
• Ageing gracefully. Paint is quite intact and so are the plastics inside and outside.

Dislikes

• Android Auto and the location of the USB port
• IRVM is inadequate
• MID

Thrills

A competent cruiser and a decent off-roader. Have had no issues traversing on bad and no roads too. A worthy partner for my wildlife and birding trips.

Spills

Thankfully, nothing major. Some scratches and small dents thanks to city traffic.

Pampering

I believe in maintaining the running components in immaculate condition and rarely add anything extra externally. Got the first oil change done during the first service at 1000 km. Try my best to change the engine oil to around 10k kms rather than the recommended 15k kms. Flushed the coolant system and changed the coolant twice. After a long drive, I clean the air filter without fail. Before and during travel, I check for all fluid levels and for any tell-tale evidence of rodent movement in the engine bay. Though I have never used tobacco, my car has the habit. Use tobacco leaves in the engine bay to keep the rodents away.

It has been a wonderful journey this far and hopes to keep the beast for some more time.

Here's what BHPian bejoy had to say on the matter:

Awesome report on your Nexon, Doc! Speaks volume about the build quality of Nexon coming from an ex-Palio owner. Right, upgrade there! Please share some more pictures.

Here's what BHPian srvm had to say on the matter:

Thank you for the detailed post on your Nexon experience

I presume yours is diesel based on fuel efficiency.

Can you please share the details of the workshop where you get your Nexon serviced? There are many (including me) Tata owners in Bangalore who now find it very hard to get a service appointment with TASS. Most service centres are overwhelmed with too many cars, many of them are within the warranty period and the 6-month service interval in newer Tata cars isn't helping either.

Here's what BHPian charanreddy had to say on the matter:

+1 to Nexon ownership. I have the diesel Nexon XZA+. Despite shoddy maintenance by Tata ASC, the car has survived and thrived. I have done 56 K KMS in 4.5 yrs of ownership and driven it across the bad road, good roads, and ghats, you name it.

The torque is addictive. The good year excellence stock tires are really subpar and do not allow the complete torque to be delivered at the Tarmac, there is a lot of wheel spin. My continental UC6 s have made a world of difference. Despite ~30K extra expense, highly recommended.

Despite Tata’s reputation as an unreliable brand, I can say Nexon is somewhat immune to it. My recommendation has always been, up to Nexon one can buy a Tata. A big no to Harrier / Safari due to their reputation of being unreliable.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.