The car is mostly driven on the highway 80% of the time and is returning a fuel efficiency of 22-23 km/l.

BHPian auto_enthusiast recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I prefer getting the car serviced beforehand so got the service done this weekend when the car was at 1,19,700 kms.

Since my trusted SA who had been servicing my Aspire and previous-gen Figo for the past 9 years had left Ford A.S.C. and started his own workshop, I too decided to go with my SA and got the car serviced from him. Mobil oil was sourced by me from the authorized distributor and all other parts were sourced by my SA. Even though I trust him, he showed me that all the parts had FoMoCo embossed on them, thereby assuring the genuineness of the parts. Brake pads were changed for the first time when the car was at 50k kms and this one lasted 70k kms.

Below mentioned parts were replaced during this service:

• Engine oil
• Oil filter
• Diesel filter
• Air filter
• Brake pads
• Sump plug gasket.

Off late, the car is mostly driven on the highway 80% of the time and is returning a FE of 22-23 km/l with speeds hovering around 110-120. Rest, the car is performing brilliantly and I enjoy driving it, every time.

1. Parts cost: Rs 4,500/-
2. Labour charges: Rs 1,000/-
3. Total amount paid: Rs 5,500/-(for this service)
4. Total amount paid: Rs 59,200/- (till date)

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Tyres are going to be the next big expense, along with a suspension overhaul.

BHPian Tgo recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Green One - 7 Years-Up! | 140K Service

With most of the fluids changed last time, this service was a quick one. The cost of the diesel fuel filter is touching Rs 3,500 bucks now. Other than that, the car has been fuss-free. It became difficult for my parents to travel during the heat wave. With the White one nearing 10 years, trips requiring travelling through NCR are done in this one only.

Insurance was renewed by Royal Sundaram and we managed to get Zero-Dep coverage for the 8th year of ownership. Expensive, but it's probably the last time it is offered.

Tyres are going to be the next big expense along with a suspension overhaul. Will wait for it till I get back in February and assess the situation.

Used just by my Dad these days who cycles between this and the white one. Still, it averages out at 20,000 km in the 7 years of ownership.

Here are some stats for the nerdy kin.

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Sure, you got to drive them carefully and spare parts are expensive, but they aren't fragile machines.

GTO recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

BHPian Androdev commented on his S-Class thread about how tough these cars are built, and I completely agree. Sure, you got to drive them carefully and spare parts are expensive, but they aren't fragile machines. On the contrary, I see so many parts & areas that are over-engineered. On Sunday night, the car ahead of me dislodged a medium-sized stone and sent it my way. Had no choice but to drive over it (my front right wheel). Nothing happened to the car. Checked it thoroughly and all seems okay. I have also had my fair share of big potholes & bumps at speed (inevitable on Indian highways), and the car has emerged unscathed (except for bent 18" rims).

Another point = I don't know whether it's my driving style or the 650 Nm torque or the Pirellis, but at 10000 km, the rear tyres have already lost a noticeable amount of grip (like 30'ish %). The car's butt now slides around too easily. It actually caught me out the other day = was in the rightmost lane and gunned it in 2nd gear. Slid a bit too close to the divider for my comfort. Going to be watchful.

Already spent 1.70 lakhs on 2 tyre sets in 48,000 km. The Pirellis cost about 70k in the market and last 20,000 km tops. Just pointing it out so others buying these kind of cars are well aware of the costs. If you drive 1500 - 2000 / km a month, you're looking at a full tyre set every single year.

Recent pictures from a drive-in movie @ Jio. Was a terrific experience.

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Completed 9 years. Continues to be a trouble-free ownership.

BHPian androdev recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Just got the car back from annual service. Completed 9 years. Continues to be a trouble-free ownership. Good experience with Sundaram Motors and MB in general. I thought I will share a summary of ownership costs. The first spreadsheet I made for a car and I think it is a bad idea to have this level of insight. I prefer my big-picture approach.

Purchase cost (OTR) in Apr 2012: 1.0 cr (98L or so I think)

Summary costs:

Details:

Miscellaneous notes:

• Never claimed insurance. Paid out of pocket on few occasions (for broken tail lamp, broken DRL trim, lost key)
• One warranty claim to replace an idler pulley.
• Spare wheel was never used, probably why spare wheels are skipped these day.
• The car has seen a great deal of rural and back roads of all types of terrains of South India. It has also seen the early days of almost-empty newly minted highways and ORRs where everything would be a blur.
• All the thousand buttons work and are heavily used by my gang who don't share my TLC - cause for many gentle arguments.
• Except for the bluetooth music streaming and a bigger engine, I don't miss anything in this car even after 9 years. Never say no to a bigger petrol engine if one has a choice.

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I personally think that these days, you can get a decent android that will last you a couple of years for 20K (Motorola G 5G, Xiaomi Mi 10i 5g, Samsung M42 5G etc), and a decent car for under 10 lakhs.

BHPian turbo recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I've been an avid reader of this forum, and I have seen numerous buying decisions being made and various cars being dropped due to the availability/non-availability of Apple Car Play/Android Auto.

Recently, in a thread, a member said that he dropped buying the EcoSport because Apple Car play was not available in the Ford. And my first reaction (in my mind) was, "mate if you can afford a 1 lakh rupee phone, why are you even looking to buy an 8 lakh rupee car?" (Of course, I didn't type that out) (That's a 12.5% relative cost of phone to car).

And that got me wondering, what's the cost of your phone, relative to the cost of your car?

I personally think that these days, you can get a decent android that will last you a couple of years for 20K (Motorola G 5G, Xiaomi Mi 10i 5g, Samsung M42 5G etc), and a decent car for under 10 lakhs. So its about 2% relative cost.

I'd love to know what your phone costs, relative to your car.

Note: I am in no way calling iPhones overpriced, I understand that they use top of the line hardware and software, and that they make their own chips etc etc. (If you apple users are so offended by this post, mentally substitute iPhone for Galaxy S21 ultra and re-read this post). I just think that such expensive gadgets should be bought after you reach a certain amount of financial comfort in life.

Here's what BHPian Akshay6988 had to say on the matter:

One can buy a 40 lakh rupee car and be happy with a budget smartphone for 10k rupees. OTOH, I've seen people buying iPhone on EMI which they clearly couldn't afford. I believe it boils down to each individual's decision. Me personally, I don't see any point in spending more than 20k on a phone as 90% of the time only I would see, feel the phone's quality, screen and hardware. When it comes to a car, everyone sees you driving it and they know it is "your" car! Can't say the same about a phone.

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

I’ve actually been thinking about this topic for a while, so here goes. I don’t mean to disagree with you @turbo, but the first thought you had when you read that post — that’s something I’ve heard a few times and I view that thought differently.

• A smartphone is a necessity. We use it almost 24x7, so spending 1 lakh or more on it can easily be justified because it’s being used that much.

• A car on the other hand, is going to be idle for 90% of the time for many people (especially during the lockdown). So a person who has a 1 lakh phone may not feel that it’s worth it to spend 30 lakhs on a car for wireless CarPlay.

• The smartphone experience in the car is a big decision making factor for many people and justifiably so. If CarPlay or Android Auto makes you use your phone less while driving, it’s a big win.

• Lithium ion batteries degrade quite a lot over time, especially in compact devices such as smartphones. So someone spending 1.5L on a phone will face the same battery life issues a couple of years down the line as someone who spends 20k. That’s why phone purchases are essentially like subscription services where you just replace the device every 2-3 years regardless of how good it is.

• Car purchases for me at least are far more long-term, so a minor missing feature annoys me a lot for a lot longer.

Now to answer the original question, my phone cost around 20k but the car was around eight big ones. I went for the top model in the car because I wanted some features such as a stock Bluetooth stereo. With the phone, I can totally afford to get a mid-range device as it’ll be updated anyway and the trickle down effect happens a lot quicker. Flagship features come to budget phones within a couple of years these days.

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

In 2004, I bought the cheapest phone available (Rs. 1k? 2k? don't remember) and the most expensive car I could afford (Chevrolet Optra LT 1.8 petrol manual, Rs. 11.3 Lakhs on-road Bangalore).

I have come to realize that cheaper the phone, the more careless you become. You tend to misplace it and drop it more often (since you don't care about its value). Cheap phone = frequent replacements. When it comes to smartphones, this becomes worse since they are so fragile. I used to buy low-cost smartphones for Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 12,000. This meant frequent replacements due to dropping, overheating (it was under the pillow the whole night), phone slowing down, misplacing somewhere on a holiday etc.

So I finally bought a Rs. 36,000 Nokia 8 in 2017 I think. Because it is relatively expensive, I'm a lot more careful with it. Kids don't get to pick up the phone & play with it. I don't drop the phone very often. Possibly due to stock Android, it is still as slick as it was when I first bought it.

Meanwhile, my brother bought an Alto in 2007. I loved driving the Alto as much as I loved driving the Optra/Civic. That's when it struck me -> A car does not have to be expensive for driving fun. Cheap cars offer the same feel good effect as relatively expensive cars. That's because I enjoy driving slow too. I don't need wheelspin or revving to 6000 RPM or cornering G-forces to enjoy the drive.

After such a realization, I have stopped buying expensive cars. Actually, in city traffic, my A-star automatic is more enjoyable to drive than my old Honda Civic manual.

My cheatsheet:

Smartphones -> More expensive the better, but not over the top.

Cars -> Cheaper the better, but not bargain basement cheap.

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