Update on my remapped VW Vento TSI after 10 years of ownership

Even after 10 years, the car has held itself together very well. Both the exteriors and especially the interiors.

BHPian Rajeevraj recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

2023- The 10th Year-Clarity of thought and at peace with the car

• One major issue in the 10th year was an issue with the radiator fan which was not functioning properly(somehow got a lot of play) and resulted in a coolant warning as I was returning from a long drive. The coolant looked okay and the light went away and I continued the journey. The next day a local service center identified the issue and Engineering Exponents helped fix it the same day as I had to leave on another trip the day after. I was very fortunate that a breakdown did not happen in some remote place.
• All the modifications succeeded in freshening up the car significantly. The drive experience due to the remap makes it feel like a whole new car. The drivability has improved across the rev range, the power feels obvious more, and even the mileage has increased when driven sedately. The drive experience is the first thing that ties us to a car and an already great experience has been upgraded at the right time.
• In addition, the new tyres, more premium shocks, HU, and speakers have added to a fresher experience with the car.
• Even after 10 years, the car has held itself together very well. Both the exteriors and especially the interiors. Wear and Tear has been minimal.
• There is still scope for a lot of functional and aesthetic upgrades and now that I started doing it and have a good FNG to do stuff, feel confident about going further down this path.
• All these reasons, coupled with the challenge of buying a car in 2023-24, as nicely discussed in this thread have resulted in me being at peace with this car and barring some exceptional event(either positive or negative) that can trigger a change, am now clear in my mind that this will be my car for the next couple of years at least.
• Do I miss new features that are almost standard in cars of today. Of course- Especially things I cannot retrofit- Starting from 6 Airbags, I work in the ADAS domain so I know how useful those features can be, then it the nice to have things like ventilated seats, 360 Cams, cruise control, powered seats, auto headlamps/wipers to name a few.

Another beach view

A new Turtle Wax Studio opened very close and I do my monthly washing from there now. They do a fairly good job.

After one of the washes.

2024 and beyond The way forward: Upcoming Plans:

• One item that was pending for the last few months was a cruise control retrofit. Have got the cluster and the stalk and have confirmed that my BCM supports Cruise Control, the fit has been getting delayed due to a tool availability issue. Hopefully should be done this month.
• Also planning to do some damping on the doors which I wanted to do last year but put off.
• Even with all the detailing work, the exterior is looking a little battered. Maybe will do something about it over the next year.
• Cars that excite and interest me today: Although no immediate plans like I mentioned earlier, there are 2-3 cars always in my head as something I would like to own and would be a major upgrade. I am generally a fan of pre-owned cars and the first option would be to look for a nice pre-owned example when I get to that stage.

Audi A4: A friend recently got one and had a chance to drive it. Lovely understated premium car with all the needed features.
Volvo S60(2019+): An unconventional choice. Have always loved this car and actually did see a couple of good preowned examples too.
A set of BMWs- Primarily the 530d and 340i. Will probably remain out of reach, but no harm in wanting them.

That concludes my 10-year update. Thought it would be shorter, but guess I kept rambling along. Google throws up frequent collages of my cars. So signing off with one of those that nicely extends from 2013 to 2021

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