I generally get the detailing done annually. This time I also got the bonnet repainted since it had quite a lot of paint chips.

BHPian abhi_tjet recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Linea finally completed 100k kms today. It actually took 10 years and almost a month(24 days to be specific.) to reach this figure. This is the first time any of our automobiles has reached this figure.

This is the first car bought by me and my better-half. It’s special.

I wanted the 1 lac odo count to appear on some new route and not the mundane office one. Visited Tukaram Maharaj’s abode Dehu to mark the occasion.

Temple parking:

Got this figure at Christmas Eve:

Got the desired figure when I was about to reach Dehu:

100000:

Clutch replacement:

The clutch replacement was preemptive since it had became quite hard. The gearshift was still ok though but I anyways got it changed at 98500 kms.

The new and old A mount:

Clutch old and new:

Along with it, also took the opportunity to replace the A mount since it’s a tedious task otherwise. Accordingly, apart from B mount, rest 2 mounts are now new.

Detailing:

I generally get the detailing done annually. This time I also got the bonnet repainted since it had quite a lot of paint chips due to all the highway trips in recent years. Also, since it was repainted in mid 2017 after an accident. The paint job done by Pune FASS was not up to the mark and once it started deteriorating, I thought of getting redone it again.

Chose Aquatint for the job and they did it splendidly. There new store in Baner is quite close to my place, so that helped as well:

As much as I was happy, they too were quite elated to work on a Linea with a somewhat rare color. It had been a while since they worked on a Linea:

At home:

Tyres:

Continentals are serving nicely and apart from a puncture sometime last year have completed 11000 kms since I purchased them in May 2023.

Got the wheel alignment done, balancing and tyre rotation as well after the detailing activity.

Reached Darshan tyres, Baner for the task:

Niggle:

The left strut pad is still making sound. Stellantis has still not been able to find an OEM who can manufacture strut pad for its old models.

Some Trivia:

• The last 50k kms got covered within 4 years. - Linea clocked 19000 kms in 2022 itself. It’s the max I have covered in a year.
• The milestone of 50k came in early 2020, 60k in mid 2021, 70k/80k in 2022, 90k in mid 2023.
• Car is still on stock suspension, stock AC compressor, stock discs/rotors(this has all wheel disc) - the front ones have been skimmed once.
• Blue and Me finally gave up one fine day suddenly when I started the car in office parking during evening to return from office. It happened last month and I am using a FM modulator now and more than happy with its performance.

I am very happy to report that apart from regular service, replacement of wear and tear items - all’s good. Hoping it stays same and intend to keep this beauty for long.

Just didn’t get enough time to click some decent pictures of the beauty in a broad day light. Thanks for reading guys!

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The confusion on engine oil raised a concern and I requested them to show me the grade of engine oil used.

BHPian sachin_cs recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

There are a handful long term ownership reviews of the DQ 200 and I’m happy to share that my car is nearing the 90k kms marks and will turn 5 on 14th February 2024. A lot of things have happened since the last update and I plan to share the developments to the best of my ability.

Service centre visits:

26th August 2023- Annual service:

Odo reading - 80,820 kms

I sent my car for the 6th annual service and scheduling a service was a task in itself. I wanted the car on the same day but they had so much rush that they suggested that I leave my car. So, we decided on an appointment a week later when I would get a single-day delivery. I reached the showroom at 10 AM and handed my car to the service advisor. He explained the work and an estimate of 9k was shared with me, along with that they offered an option of service pack for 2 years at 19k. Which didn’t make any sense at that moment since I would be paying less if I paid on an annual-service basis. In the evening when the bill came, to my shock, it was billed at ~ 13-14k. I asked them the reason of deviation from the shared estimate, they gave an excuse that they calculated the estimate based on the prices of oil, filter elements of Slavia and Kushaq and not Rapid. I said I was not going to pay anything more than what was estimated, either you reduce the bill amount or get me a 2 year service pack for 19k. They said nothing can be done, as the bill is already generated, I made them realise that it was lack of communication by their team, I made it clear that don’t make me pay extra. Finally, they agreed for service pack after a lot of haggling and I paid 19.5k for 2 year service-pack but its activation itself took 10 days. Also, when I enquired for DSG oil change, they say the company doesn't recommends it, it's packed for lifetime, I'm not comfortable with sealed-for-life concept but I don't have an option.

The confusion on engine oil raised a concern and I requested them to show me the grade of Engine oil used because I have already read in Lapiz_lazuli’s post in TeamBHP that some Skoda dealers are using Petrol grade oil 0W20 VW508 in diesel cars but thankfully correct oil 5W40 VW505 was used, but it was from drum not oil cans. In the meanwhile, I noticed that all the used parts, cabin filter, screws were lying next to my car but the engine air filter was missing, this raised a suspicion. I asked the service manager, if they have replaced the air filter, which he assured me that they have indeed replaced. Don’t know why but I was still not confident and so I went to the service bay and asked the mechanic, if he has changed it, he said there’s no stock of air filter for Rapid how could he replace it in the first place. When I confronted the manager, he was blank, he said he will place an order and you may bring your car again. My ORVM controller knob was not functioning well and I placed an order well in advance before the service, these days everything needs to be ordered as the Rapid is not in production anymore. Since the car is under warranty, knob should have been replaced under warranty but it was billed, when objected, they took 3 hours to settle the claim. Everyone is clueless about their role, there’s no coordination among department, they lack proper training on customer handling, they are just managing to run it somehow.

Faulty knob:

October 2023: ABS sensor:

Odo reading: 84,000kms

ESP light came on even before the famous VAG Christmas and I reported it to the dealer. I was suspecting it to be an ABS sensor going kaput but they insisted on checking the wires first. I took my car to the showroom and after 2 hours of inspection they said it’s the FL abs sensor and they don’t have it in stock. I asked them to place an order & waited for 2 weeks. Also, I avoided driving the car because ESP was non functional and I have a daily highway commute. Finally when the part arrived, the guy who looks at warranty went on leave. Upon further follow ups, I was informed that the guy resigned from his job but anyways had to get it repaired so I reached the showroom in the morning. It was a small 30 minute job and again they made a bill for me, I explained them that my car is under warranty, they were like- you should have informed earlier, which I already did, hence the wait right! Finally with their hit and trial in their system, they managed to register the claim and I left the service centre in the evening.

ABS error:

19th December 2023: Body shop work:

Odo reading: 88,000 kms

Somehow, the month of December is considered inauspicious in our family and it did prove itself right. For no fault of mine, my car had to face brunt of the morons on the road. Primary reason for following damages were a. Consumption of alcohol while driving b. Having a “ I don’t give a d@mn about others property” attitude. Damages on my car:

• My left ORVM was smashed
• Right ORVM had it’s indicator broken
• Dent on the right fender
• Dent on the right door

I’m not going into much details as to how it happened as the matter is still under consideration of police & appropriate authorities.

The nightmare doesn’t ends here, grab some popcorn for the upcoming ordeal.

Pathetic insurance experience with Acko:

I have been a loyal Acko customer from last 3 years and currently my 2 cars and 3 bikes have insurance from them. It gives an idea that how impressed I was with their service, but not anymore. I have bought the zero depreciation insurance for my Skoda Rapid with highest IDV, Roadside assistance, Engine Gearbox protection, ncb protection, consumables protection etc.

• I dropped my car on 19th December to Skoda service centre
• I requested them to send a surveyor so that there’s no delay in approving the claim
• I explained everything to the surveyor and we took photos of the car and damages
• The Skoda A.S.S. shared an estimate worth 37k to me and the insurer
• 22nd December (4 days) The guy from acko calls and he says they will cover only the left ORVM and rest I will have to pay! Why? Because he says the damages you have mentioned are old damages from a claim I raised in October but postponed the work. I explained him that I have never asked for the repair of the previous damages, kindly go through the documents again.
• I lost my mind as these guys took 4 days to decide that they will approve only a mirror change despite me spending the maximum amount on the insurance premium. If I have to shell money from my pocket, why I should even bother with zero dep insurances.
• I asked to cancel my claim, I decided I will get it repaired from my pocket.
• In the evening he came with another offer that they will pay for one ORVM, dents on fender and door. I agreed to get the other ORVM replaced by myself.
• The car was delivered to me on 29th December, the final bill came to 32k and I made the payment as they don’t have cashless facility.
• It took 5 days for them to process the payment with follow-ups from my side and I got the amount i.e. 24,800/- on 3rd January 2024. They blame dealer for the delay, dealer blames them for the delay. God knows who’s right

All these 15 days were out rightly frustrating for me because I felt as if it was my responsibility to coordinate with the insurance company and the dealership regarding my claim. These guys were not prompt with the updates. My insurance will expire on Feb 2024 and I’m for sure not going with Acko this time. Can someone suggest me which insurance provider has good service.

Skoda Horror story is back:

• Replacing ORVM and minor dent repair should not be a job of more than 3 days. I dropped my car on 19th December and got her back on 29th December. Full 10 days at the dealership and partly the delay is also because of insurance company.
• I knew it will be a week long job at the hands of Skoda Raipur, I requested for a courtesy but they don’t have one it seems. For these 10 days, I relied on taxis and borrowed car from my parents for my daily commute of 100kms
• The work order approval was given on Friday 22nd Dec 2023 by Acko but the actual work started on Monday 25th Dec’2023. All these days my car was eating dust and laying eggs on the showroom premises.
• I dropped by the showroom on 27th to just have a look at the work. I personally met the painter who knows me and my car since last 4 years and he assured me that he will do a good job, which he usually did until now.
• 28th Dec’ 23, I get a call that my car is ready, I went to the city as I live in the outskirts but in the evening I get a call that I should come tomorrow as some final touches are remaining.
• On 29th I left home at 10 am to pick my car but the staff again requested me to come after lunch hour and then the car will be ready, I said fair enough, I don’t want any hastily work to be done on my car and I wanted to give them proper time to work on my car.
• I reach the showroom at 4PM and as expected the car was not cleaned up to my expectations, the paint and dent work was sub par even by a roadside garage standard.
• There were a lot of rough surfaces, extra clear coat, dust particles, lack of gloss etc
• I showed my displeasure to the service advisor and he took the car back to paint booth. Good thing is that they acknowledged that the work they have done is not acceptable.
• The painter tried to do some last minute buffing but it didn’t made much difference as such. They are now saying that please drop your car some other time and we will address the paint issue. This is a regular affair at Skoda Raipur these days, please come back some other time, please drop your car again… why can’t you do the promised job at one go? I don’t have all the time in the world to give it to you.
• The person suggested that I should take the delivery the next day but I have had enough and I wanted my car right away.
• Even before I came to the showroom, I informed them to keep a chauffeur ready as he will drop my Kwid to my home and I will drive the Rapid. But chauffeur was not available as expected.
• I made the final payment of 32k to the Skoda dealer at 5:17 PM and apparently the driver was not available. I also suggested that let me take my Rapid and you can drop my Kwid later but it was denied.
• So I left in my kwid to a nearby cafe and waited for the Skoda driver. Finally, the driver came to the cafe at 8 PM and I gave him the Kwid keys and he left for my home in Kwid and I started the car to drive back home, the dashcam says an error “sd card missing”. I made the call to the dealership right away and they had no clue, they said they will call me later.

The problems:

• The quality of paint job is pathetic, despite giving them enough time to work on my car.
• My right ORVM has a small damage to the mirror. Mind you, this is a new assembly, new cover & new mirror.
• The boot release button has been replaced without my knowledge. I found my original button in the car.
• As expected, the car was not cleaned properly, swirl marks, dirty seats (they never use disposable seat covers)
• Scratch on front left alloy wheel.
• And the biggest disappointment- my sd card from dash cam has been stolen which had my important data.

No damage on alloy while dropping my car:

New scratches:

Stupid people I tell you:

Work in progress:

New mirror:

Work in progress:

Pathetic paint job, feels rough:

Is it too much to ask for?

Fender looks matt:

Switch was replaced without my knowledge. It was working well when I gave the car.

SD card saga:

I have been using a 70 Mai dash cam from last few years and never have I ever removed the sd card from it. Even in the past 5 years, nothing has been stolen from my car on the many instances when I left my car at Skoda dealer. There was a time when some cash was left in my car and the staff returned it to me. But it was different this time. Why was the dash cam sd-card so important for me and loss of it is a breach of my privacy?

• The incident where the drunk guys hit my car was recorded and saved in that SD card only.
• The SD card has all the footage and details of the places I visit, place where I live, conversations I have, people I meet, my commute timings etc.
• I hope nothing happens to me or my family but it kinda puts me in a vulnerable position if that data lands on the wrong hands!
• Why would someone steal an sd card? If he/she needed an sd card or there is something in the dashcam which got recorded and they don’t want me to see

Response from Skoda India (prompt) and dealer(non satisfactory):

On 29th itself I informed one of my friend who was at senior position at Skoda India and he forwarded my concern to the headquarters

30th Dec I got a call from Skoda dealer as to what concerns you have sir? We have received a complaint. I informed him about the developments and he said he will inform me after an internal investigation on status of my SD card

3rd January 2024- Not getting any response from them on the “internal investigation’’, I decided to drive down to the dealership in the afternoon. My home is 40kms from showroom.

Met my service advisor, met the service manager, spoke to the workshop manager. Workshop guy said that no one has stolen the card in our premises, they have already checked it, nothing of this sort happens in our showroom, I’m hearing it for the first time, you might have forgotten it somewhere. He even suggested if you had data then why did you leave the sd card in dash cam? So where am I suppose to leave the sd card? At home?

I have been a loyal Skoda customer, I have given references for Skoda to my friends and family and many have bought the vehicle too. You may read my earlier posts on this thread as to how happy I was with my Skoda and the after sales service. I have always vouched for them and in a way I was a brand ambassador for Skoda in my circle (at least my friends called me one). Till the time Zac Hollis was here, the service quality indeed was good, there used to be quick response from dealer, there were not much delays in the work and car was delivered on time whenever I sent it for service. But things have changed, this is not a post which I’m writing out of frustration for one incident. This is something which I have been observing from last 2 years, specially after the launch of Kushaq and then Slavia. Gone are the days when there was attention to details, when people would listen, there were less cars and emphasis on quality. Now it has become so crowded and chaotic that the numbers of cars sold is far more than the numbers of cars they can handle in service. My grouse is that an entire organisation cannot be a one man show, it should not lose its charm if one man is gone, it cannot be person centric, it should be an organisation with customers on centre, an organisation with their own ethos, principles and integrity. Skoda has been in India from last 2 decades and they know very well how dealership experiences have shaped their image or rather spoiled their image. I can confidently say that, they haven’t learned from their mistakes. In entire Chhattisgarh, there’s only one guy who owns all the Skoda dealerships, we Skoda customers are at their mercy, even if you don’t have a competition, at least listen to what customers want, what problems we face. I don’t know if Skoda conducts mystery shopping like JLR does, if not, please hire or outsource mystery shoppers and it will help you understand the ground reality.

Silver lining:

Service advisor Shiv has been in constant touch with me throughout the process, I can see him making the efforts, going out of his way and arranging a driver etc. but when the structure of the organisation is flawed then even a good guy can’t do much.

The only thing I’m happy about the service centre visit was the touch-up done on existing scratches and clear coat damage.

My final thoughts:

I’m really disappointed with Skoda as a brand, I feel they have let down their enthusiast customers while being in the race of chasing numbers. I understand that at the end of the day the balance sheet matters for a company, but not at the cost of losing your customers who helped establish the brand value in India. For me, Skoda is like any other mass market manufacturer now, like they are in developed countries.

As far as Skoda Rapid as a product is concerned, I’m really happy with the car, the way it puts the power down, the way DSG changes gears, everything feels built to last, there’s a sense of solidity, surprisingly even after 90k kms there’s not a single rattle. I’m happy to inform you that the DSG is holding really well and the engine-gearbox combination is still one of the best under 30L budget even in 2023. I consistently get 22kmpl+ mileage, the car is fast, frugal, smooth and it’s very comfortable over long journeys. I did a 3000kms road trip with my mom and sister over 4 days and it was like a piece of cake. This thing is a proper mile muncher and a complete beast on open highways. I have reached 5 year mark and for the first time I’m not having a new car itch, it’s that good! I don’t know what I will upgrade to if I plan to add a new car, because, I have test driven cars like Elevate, Verna, Virtus, Kushaq, Slavia, Harrier, Nexon and XUV700 this year and it was only the VW and 700 which impressed me as a complete package, everything else felt like a compromise in more than one areas when compared to Rapid. I completely understand the plight of Rapid, Vento, Jetta owners as how difficult it has become for us to buy a replacement at a reasonable cost. Some photos to celebrate the 5 years of ownership:

Parked among the power centre of Chhattisgarh Government:

This one is funny, I went on a drive just after I washed and waxed my car and it started raining, so I took a shelter under the overbridge to save my car from getting dirty again.

If you are in the mood then:

During Harrier, Nexon test drive:

Look at the sheer stupidity of people when 5 cars were parked around my car and there was no other option but to wait:

1000km tank range means fewer fuel stops:

Tanks:

Nothing like spending Sunday afternoon washing your car:

One interesting story, our first car was a 2004 Alto LX pearl silver and this particular alto had almost the same registration number except one digit:

Signing off Heisenberg:

P.S. One funny incident I wanted to share: When I was leaving the showroom on 3rd January 2024, I saw a Slavia Style with temporary registration plate on the delivery area, I guess it was the test drive vehicle to be delivered and there was a Slavia ambition display vehicle parked next to it. So apparently, the display vehicle was donating it’s bonnet to the other Slavia. This operation was being carried out in open right in the delivery bay, I liked the confidence. All the best to the unaware customer who buys that display Slavia now.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

Cylinder deactivation works like a charm and I get an overall average of around 14-15 kmpl on mixed cycle.

BHPian Peterf recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Hey everyone,

After driving my Dhanno for nearly 6000 kms would like to share experience with my fellow forum members as well as prospective buyers.

I own a Skoda Slavia Ambition 1.5 DSG model. Bought it last year in September and have used it for 6000kms in both city and highways, in plains and on mountains. The experience has mostly been great, and I would like to categories it broadly in three categories. Things that are great, Things that I can overlook and then things that I just hate.

Great:

• The Engine and gearbox: This engine pumps out 150 bhp and 250 NM of torque and coupled with the extremely fast shifting DSG is plenty of fun on our roads. Overtaking traffic is easy and it is very quick to downshift even in D mode. S mode makes it hold the gears that much longer and is great fun of mountains and dual carriageways where in no time you are overtaking every thing on the road. Very few cars this side of 20 lakhs can give similar satisfaction. All this performance are not at a cost of refinement and the car definitely has got a personality. Sophisticated, charming but arrogant if need arises.
• Exterior Looks: Now I know looks can be subjective but Slavia has clean, strong European lines which will look good even 10 years down the line. It looks good in every color but my personal favorite are red and white.
• Safety: This is a 5 star GNCAP rated car with a strong body shell and you feel cocooned inside it. It is very difficult to pen down this feeling but it is a characteristic that I have only felt in FORD,VAG, TATA cars. Even the body panels are quite strong. Had an autorickshaw hit it sideways at large speed but it took it quite well.
• Paint Quality: I had taken an independent PDI and the guy told me that my car had the best paint quality among the 7 cars he had inspected that week.
• Ride Quality: Very composed ride although a bit stiff is composed over multiple kind of roads. Gives confidence on high speeds and enthusiastic driving.
• Rear Seat leg room: Being a sedan this has ample leg room and is a great four seater for long drives.
• Cavernous Boot: This boot can swallow a lot of luggage and then some more.
• Ground Clearance: You can tackle nearly everything that the Indian roads throw at you. Just great.
• Warning Chimes: Subtle, non intrusive just the way I like it. Convey the information without being jarring.
• Fuel Efficiency : Cylinder deactivation works like a charm and I get an overall average of around 14-15 kmpl on mixed cycle. With this level of performance this is just great.

Could be Better:

• Handling: Although it is quite predictable, I wish if the steering had more response. It just does not convey the confidence which lets say a ford would do.
• Turbo Lag: There is turbo lag at slow city speeds. You need to go above certain rpm for it to pick pace. Although if you press the accelerator hard the gearbox drops down gear and pushes you forward, but in general you can feel this lag in normal driving.
• The interior plastic quality: Although I am fine with the design, the plastic texture and quality leave a lot to be desired.
• The Horn: It is quite meek and in NCR traffic no one takes it seriously.
• DSG shifting: The gearbox gets confused a lot of times especially in low speed rides. Sometimes shifts eagerly to D2/D3 even in slowest of speeds and then sometimes just keeps lugging on in D1. I tried to make out a pattern but it is quite random. Best way to preserve and drive smoothly is to use the manual mode in slow moving traffic.
• Seats: The seats should have been better. The front ones are still fine but the rear ones just lack the width and comfort for more than 2 people. Even in front I am never fully comfortable. It is personal as I am a bit more chubby than required
• The speakers and infotainment system: Mine is the 8 inch one and to be honest it serves it purpose but seeing that I nearly spent more than 18 lakhs on this, they definitely should have been better. Not for audiophiles.
• Brakes: Now to be honest the braking is great. however it is more like a start stop system in my car. Either nothing happens or the damn thing stops like it hit a wall. Still have not got used to it.
• The door locking mechanism: I feel it is just too easy to open by just pulling the lever twice. Could have kept a separate button or something. Can be dangerous with kids, so keep the child lock on.
• Controls on the wrong side: Come on Skoda, weren't these supposed to be India specific cars.

• Now coming to the things I just hate:

• Air conditioner: Stay away if you are used to chilled environments in your car. It needs to be put at very low temperatures to make it bearable. Especially in Delhi NCR and this I am saying when I got my car in September.
• Start Stop System: I just hate it. If someone can suggest how this can be turned off completely I would be very grateful.
• Rattles: This thing rattles. Never thought I would say this about a Skoda. But if you get irritated with slightest sounds stay away from the car. We have some bad roads which may have exaggerated the experience but still my 12 year old Ford rattles less than this.
• Headlights: Now I may be a bit harsh on them but they just do not inspire confidence on highways. I need to always keep the fog lamps on to have some intensity in the beam. Need to do some upgrade.
• Rear Camera: Pathetic excuse for a rear camera. Skoda you should fire the executive who thinks that a VGA quality camera is good for this price and segment.

As you can see the car is not without its fault. However I am satisfied with my purchase. Its engine , gearbox and drive combo compensate majority of its short coming. Cars are always an emotional purchase and I always prefer cars that have personalities. I love my Dhanno and driving this thing on highway makes me forget life's tension. Waiting for the summers to see if this feeling change.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

One of the issues I felt in both cars is the aesthetics of the interior. Fairly below par for something costing in the 1 Cr territory.

BHPian Ponybha23 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Thanks everyone for your inputs. Test drove the fully loaded X3 M40i and the M340i back to back today. As expected the engine is mind blowing. And the burble, on the X3 especially (I think it’s an older version of the 6 pot?) was to die for. Oh, what aural pleasure!

Chennai roads are not the greatest and wanted to check out the ride which is of great importance to me since this is a daily driver. While the X3 was definitely better, the 3er wasn’t bad either. Was certainly better than my CLA. Took on the bumps relatively well. I am not sure how it would age though (my car is 7+ years old).

One of the issues I felt in both cars is the aesthetics of the interior. Fairly below par for something costing in the 1 Cr territory. I am not saying it’s not put together well but found the interiors or have a lot of hard scratchy plastics. Even the sensatec dashboard was scratchy. Almost like an MG Astor. Can’t even hold a candle to my CLA dashboard, definitely not the upper part. One special issue with the 3er was that it scraped on two speed breakers.

I know I am going back and forth but feel a little shortchanged to settle for a great mechanical car and fairly average interior. This would be worse with the special edition of the X3 (about 15L cheaper).

Waiting to test drive the GLC 300 and the NX 350h. Will probably do another round of test drives of the Beemers as well.

Fairly confused now! I am guessing going to get confused further with the other test drives!

Here's what BHPian nmn.070 had to say on the matter:

I was in a similar dilemma. I thought I wanted a great drivers car. But during the extended test drive for the M340i I realised that it's not even 5% of driving time when I can truly enjoy the b58. The ride to me was quite firm. The car really feels nervous at low speeds due to the suspension setup and the knowledge of having great firepower. I decided I'd rather have a daily which is taller to allow for drives in rains (waterlogging is an issue in most cities) and unknown terrains. X3 M40i would be perfect but for me it was stretching my budget conscience far too much. The other suv mid size options were:

• Audi Q5 - decent power and great comfort. But interior is very boring and outdated.
• Lexus NX - felt too small for what it is. Great materials but the design is too edgy and overall it did not feel exceptional. Unlike the excellent Lexus ES.
• BMW X3 - only offered in diesel now. Had they retained the X3 30i I would have picked it up in a heartbeat. Interior is again a little old but functional and well built. Rear biased AWD and good steering make the sedan-suv compromise more digestible. But I think diesel is very poor residuals if you keep the car for long.
• Mercedes GLC 300 - the power is good. Interior is the most updated but still creaky and not as well put together IMO. But driving pleasure is second only to the X3. Spacious and good looking. I found the ride to be on the stiffer side. Considering that I only explored SUVs for comfort, it was a bit disappointing. Also it lacked some basic features such as keyless go. But this may be the best contender in this price bracket. If you can excuse the chitzy interior and ride quality, this would serve well.
• Volvo XC60 - excellent comfort, simple but ergonomically amazing interiors. Felt it to be better put together than the merc. Only sore spot is the front biased AWD. But the seats, music system, massage function and overall look inside and out won me over. It is understated and elegant. I love the Android based infotainment. Google maps and Spotify in built is a big plus for me. I hate having to connect my phone for anything. I don't take calls when driving anyway. This system allows me to ignore my phone completely when driving. It's a little dated but I believe Volvo will not change it much. They are committed to going full electric and this would be replaced by an all new EX60. So the XC60 will serve for sometime with the ICE powertrain. Even if it changes, I think the interior and exterior will age gracefully over the next 7-8 years. The fact that it saves you close to 15 lacs over the GLC is sweet.

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Interior quality of VAGs are definitely a grade lower than Hyundai.

BHPian sachin_cs recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Went to Raipur Hyundai dealer to checkout the new Creta and thank god it does look far better than the previous one. I quite liked the car, there’s nothing to hate or love as such, this has got balanced design and build, truly a no nonsense car. Hopefully Hyundai has sorted the safety aspect, then it will be a no brainer. I’m anyways fed up with the after sales service of Skoda and for sure I would not even want to touch a Skoda with a barge pole, until they magically sort their service woes, which is not happening. Having a 3000km monthly running, I’m looking at Creta Diesel S(o) MT/TC, currently open to both but will decide after the test drive because TDI DSG is a big shoes to fill. My Rapid is still under warranty till 2025 and hopefully by this Diwali, she might be gone if Creta scores good on NCAP. I will wait for the TeamBHP ownership reviews and then take a call, seltos is also an option but Kia hasn’t made any announcement on safety as did by Hyundai.

Couple of observations:

• Car looks good in black colour, the design is more palatable
• Dark chrome front grill looks good
• I'm still not comfortable with the tubelight obsession these car manufacturers have
• Paint quality is definitely a grade lower than VAG
• Interior quality of VAGs are definitely a grade lower than Hyundai
• Seats are comfortable in front and back, recline angle is good at the back, underthigh support is good too for someone under 5'10
• The fabric seats on the lower variants will be a pain to maintain, they were already dirty in new car.
• Rear looks a lot better than the previous Creta
• Quality of materials used in the interiors feel built to last
• Integration of infotainment display and driver display looks really good
• Colour scheme used in the interior will take time to grow, grey all around looks slightly weird
• Engine bay is well designed and gets underbody protection unlike VAGs
• Sales person knew nothing about the car, I appeared more informed than them. According to them, S(o) doesn't come with the rear camera, sunroof and alloys
• NVH levels of Hyundai engines are really great. Diesel was dead silent.

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It has been quite a peaceful ownership so far, no issues, no fuss, just fill it, shut it, forget it experience

BHPian advaitlele recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

60,000 km update:

Now close to 61,000 KMs.

It has been 7 years and 10 months approximately to finish the 60k mark. It has been quite a peaceful ownership so far, no issues, no fuss, just fill it, shut it, forget it experience; be it city or highway driving.

So far, apart from 7 annual services (and three within first year as mandated by the service manual), there has not been any time the car has been to workshop for anything else.

I have spent on below items as part of spares / accessories over last 7+ years:

• Changed battery at the end of 4th year
• Four tires at the end of 5th year
• Key fob batteries - twice for both key fobs
• Floor mats for cabin and boot and steering cover (twice)
• Ceramic coating at the end of 5 years and coating service at six years
• Dashcam (three cameras - 2 Blaupunkt and one more from Amazon) and two 32 GB sd cards

Total I drove in 2020 (3049) and 2021 (4403) - two years combined - was 7452 KMs.

I have spent Rs.337,679 overall with 3994 ltrs of petrol, average cost of Rs. 84.52 per liter. I filled my first tankfull for Rs 2800 at 64.25 ltr that got me 43.57 ltr of petrol on 14th Feb i.e. the day of delivery. Last tankfull (after finishing 60k KMs) was on 18th Nov at 60,011 KMs - Rs 3800 at 105.91 that got me 35.87 ltr Petrol.

I have spent total of Rs. 276,161 for total Insurance, servicing, replacement (tires, battery, keyfob batteries etc.), accessories (mats, dashcam etc.) and ceramic coating over the years.

Total cost of ownership for fuel + insurance + service + accessories = 613,840 over 7 years, 10 months and 60k + KMs.

That comes to most important question for car ownership (and esp Marutis) i.e. Kitna Deti Hai --

• Avg 15.022 KMPL
• TCO per km - 10.22 Rs (613,840 / 60,011)

This has been a total peace of mind ownership and I am quite happy with the decision I made to buy Ciaz on 31st Jan 2016.

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Curious and a little alarmed, I inspected the whole car minutely. Interestingly, there is no other sign of rust anywhere else.

BHPian SS-Traveller recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Our Ciaz has been leading a sheltered life, with not much driving and nothing to report. In 4 years and 9 months, it has only done 31,6xx km. I personally clean the car when required, and when I do it, I also inspect the bodywork and engine bay at the same time.

Back in October 2023, I detected rust on the front right-hand door sill (running board) and under surface of the door. This was unusual, in that there has never been any accidental paint or metal damage, nor any repainting done to that area. And in all my experience of owning cars, I have not seen rusting occur in that area in many, many years, at least, not since the 1990s. (And no, the car has never been to any seaside or salt-laden area, nor been immersed in floodwaters).

Curious and a little alarmed, I inspected the whole car minutely. Interestingly, there is no other sign of rust anywhere else - the other doors and running board areas, underbody, gutters, bonnet- and boot lid rain channels, insides of the front and rear fenders (which often accumulate dust, mud and leaves, and show rust). Nothing - all clean.

So I took the car to Maruti Service Master (JJ Impex) Okhla, New Delhi at the end of October, to show them the problem. Their Bodyshop person had a close look at the damage, took some pictures (in fact, those are the same pictures I am sharing on the forum). And I was told that they would take it up with MSIL for warranty cover / manufacturing defect.

Some days later, after I sent an email as follow-up to my visit of 27 October, I received a call to bring the car over once again. This time, an alleged paint specialist from Axalta had a look, and took another set of photographs. One week later, I received a reply email from MSM Customer Care, saying that according to the paint expert's report, the rusting issue is not a manufacturing defect. Apparently, the rusting has occurred because the problem of rusting of metal has arisen due to moisture/water accumulation and hard water. Very insightful, I might say! The email also mentioned that Your car work will be done on payment basis.

I decided to escalate this issue upwards, and wrote...

Maruti is not taking into account that the location of the rust is unusual; no other car shows rusting and perforation in a single location like this (also please note that no other door or body panel is rusted in this car); and there is no reason for water or hard water to accumulate in that area. The car is not located in a coastal area with high salt, and nor has it drowned in flood water. Therefore, this is not a normal wear-and-tear issue. The onus is on Maruti to determine whether it is a manufacturing defect or painting fault, but it is certainly not due to customer's fault or normal usage.

Once again, I received a reply, this time from someone in MSIL (not MSM). It said that upon inspection, it is observed that the alleged rusting/corrosion on right front door and running board issue is due external cause or factor. There is no defect/abnormality attributed to manufacture which was observed in this regard. Again, very insightful!

Of course, the customer management rulebook says a customer must always be blamed for anything that goes wrong. So MSIL told me, For better upkeep of the vehicle and rust prevention, may please refer “Appearance Care” section in Owner’s Manual & Service Booklet. Moreover, the required repairs are outside the purview of extended warranty in terms of clause 3(i), and hence the said repairs need to be carried out on payment basis. Yeah, right, I really need lessons on car maintenance from a booklet.

Most people would have stopped following up at this stage. Not me - I'm a little pig-headed, I suppose. I still had a lot of faith by Maruti to do the right thing. So I escalated the issue to the top as a last resort.

I am finally starting to lose faith and confidence in MSIL products after having used Maruti vehicles since 1986, and I am writing to you as a last recourse, regarding the matter of unusual rusting of my Maruti Ciaz Alpha... Of the 6 Maruti vehicles I have used extensively over the last 37+ years, not one has ever had a corrosion problem, whether similar or in a different area, except this Ciaz, one of Maruti's most premium vehicles at the time of purchase.

In my verbal & written interactions with Maruti's service department over the last 3 weeks and more, I have been repeatedly blamed of faulty maintenance for the rusting issue, as elucidated in the attached photographs. Maruti have washed their hands of their responsibility, as is evident from the email trail below. While I understand that paint damage may well cause corrosion, there has been no such damage in the area in question. There is no rust in any other area of the body of the vehicle - not even on similar areas on other doors/panels. Nor have I seen any other vehicle of similar age showing rust in that area, amongst the multitude of cars I've inspected out of curiosity. This vehicle has been carefully used & driven by me alone, has done just 31,000+ km, and has never been exposed to seaside / salty atmosphere.

Mr. ... has pointed out that Clause 3(i) of the extended warranty does not cover paintwork, bodywork and mouldings, water entry into the vehicle, corrosion of body parts, glass, Mirrors (inner & outer), lock cylinder & key & interior trims. It therefore appears that Maruti is not committed to provide paintwork or bodywork of sufficiently durable quality, and the onus of blame is always passed on to the owner / user. OTOH, it is remarkable that Toyota, whom Maruti is closely associated with, checks for rust & paint deterioration in their 12+-year-old cars, as is evident here: https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ml#post5650371 (Toyota Etios 1.5L Petrol : An owner's point of view. EDIT: 10+ years and 100,000+ kms up!).

I therefore leave it to your esteemed decision about whether the said corrosion is user-induced or is a paint & metallurgical defect at manufacturing stage. I am not seeking a minor discount on paid repair which has been offered to please me (as communicated to me over phone); however, if you consider this to be a paint / metallurgical defect, the rectification of this corrosion damage should be done as MSIL's responsibility.

Looking forward to your decision and reply.

Sent this email on a Sunday afternoon, to receive a call on Monday morning. They'd like to send another paint expert to my home to inspect the car, and its parking spot. Fair enough, and they're most welcome! No one came. End of the day, I received another call asking me to bring the car once again to MSM Okhla (some 15 km from my home) the next day. So off I went in the afternoon on the Tuesday.

This time, it was a paint expert from Nerolac, who arrived an hour behind schedule. He then proceeded to inspect the damage, as well as measure the paint thickness all over the bodywork with a DFT (Dry Film Thickness) meter.

And strangely enough, the paint thickness on the affected part of the running board was thicker than in other places, especially similar areas around the other doors. Of course, there was no repaint or panel damage there, apart from the rust.

They also took the car up on a lift to inspect the underbody, where there was no rust either.

In the meanwhile, I was told verbally right there that the right-hand front door would need replacement, and some special epoxy material would be used by the workshop to fix the rusting!

And then all was quiet for over a week, till I wrote another email:

At the time of inspection, I understand that there was a large discrepancy in the dry film thickness of paint in the area where the corrosion is occurring, despite there being no accidental damage or repainting done there. This may point to a defect at the time of manufacturing. I presume MSIL may not want to share the technical details with me, but I seek a rectification of the same.

How soon can I expect a resolution from your end, if at all?

A phone call the next day told me to wait just one more day. And 3 days later, MSIL finally refused to own responsibility and fix the rust. I received an email today from a senior person, which essentially said the same things I have been told earlier - but what is revealing is this:

...upon inspection patches of foreign compound/ Hard water accumulation found on rusting location and alleged rusting/corrosion on front RH door rusting is due to acid entrapment between door seal and side sill, resulting in paint damage in same pattern. Cause of rusting is foreign chemical / Hard water accumulation between weather strip and side sill areas. There is no defect/abnormality attributed to manufacture which was observed in this regard.

And there we are once again, blame the customer for the corrosion...

we understand that the vehicle has been plied for 4 years and 9 months since purchase. For better upkeep of the vehicle and rust prevention, may please refer “Appearance Care” section in Owner’s Manual & Service Booklet.

Moreover, the required repairs are outside the purview of extended warranty in terms of clause 3(i), and hence the said repairs need to be carried out on payment basis.

However, please be assured that the best possible support of will be provided by the workshop.

So patches of 'foreign compound' miraculously appeared and increased the paint thickess, hard water accumulated right there and nowhere else (I wish MSIL did a water hardness test for my water supply!), there was 'acid entrapment' there (which acid?), and of course, I don't know how to maintain my car!

So I shall be taking the car to my favoured FNG bodyshop (and not to MSM which wants to change the whole door) to fix the rust and prevent any recurrence. My faith and trust in Maruti products and quality of customer service has just tripped over and fallen flat on its face. I have had enough past experiences with rust in HM Ambassadors and Premier Presidents and Padminis decades ago, and I had thought that those days are over with the turn of the century - but I am obviously wrong!

What piques my curiosity is, what is the likelihood of such rusting happening in a car today, that is <5 years old? How many Team-BHP members can report rusting in a similar area which has never been damaged or repainted? And if this is not a manufacturing defect, what is it?

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Stock brake is still going good. However at 8 years and 63K kms, I decided to get it replaced.

BHPian kotirajendra recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Update on 70,000 kms service of my Etios VX purchased on December 2015:

Service was done at 63K on the ODO.

Problem areas:

The clutch has started to become a bit stiff. Pickup, gear transition, drive quality etc is still top-notch.

Stock brake is still going good. However at 8 years and 63K kms, I decided to get it replaced no matter if it would run a few thousand kms more. I have neither any interest in doing mental calculations of how much more the brake pads would last nor do I want to visit the service station for an unscheduled brake change visit.

Clutch:

When I was doing my test rides, I was really impressed by the soft and short clutch throw of the Etios and how lovely the test drive experience was on my daily commute route at peak hour. Now with the clutch starting to become stiff, I was robbed of this delight.I went through the Etios maintenance bible maintained by BHPian Samba and found the following to ease my decision making.

My takeaway from what Samba mentioned was the following:

For both Samba-ji as well as me, the clutch started feeling stiff at 63K. The pleasure was beginning to fade.

A clutch cable change didn’t solve the problem.

The car was driven for 30K kms more but with a stiff clutch and only a replacement could bring back the smile and joy.

I told the service advisor that I wasn’t happy with the clutch and wanted it back as new again. Service advisor said that the pressure plate seems to be giving in but will easily last few more thousand kms. The Etios clutch overhaul is required only around 100K kms. I asked him to go ahead and make the change regardless of how many more thousand kms it would last. Thankfully he agreed without any further discussion.

The test drive after the servicing surpassed all expectations. For the price of a mid-end mobile phone, I have regained the pleasure of driving a new car. At 60K the engine is silky smooth and paired with a new pressure and clutch plate its whole new experience altogether.

Work done:

Replace clutch plate and pressure plate

Total parts cost: Rs 6725, Total labor cost: Rs 3500

• Oil change (semi-synthetic), oil filter and gasket.
• Replace brake bad and brake fluid change.

Total cost for this service including parts and labour was Rs 18500 /-

Parts replaced so far:

At 55K on the ODO:

• Bush Stabilizer (2)
• Cushion Stabilizer (9)
• Link Stabilizer (2)
• Retainer Cushion (8)

These were done because I had reported that my car had a boat like wobble on uneven roads. These replacements made it a bit better, however I found out by accident that filling the tyres to 34 PSI completely solved the issue.

At 63K on the ODO:

• Clutch and pressure plate assembly
• Brake pads

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As of now, I've done some silicon and paint touchups to slow down the corrosion from spreading.

Anto Pandian recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

I am facing a severe rusting issue on my 2017 Maruti Ciaz Petrol. All 4 door panels of my car have rusted within 6 years from the date of purchase. As of now, I've done some silicon and paint touchups to slow down the corrosion from spreading. Also attaching the response given by the company after multiple email follow-ups.

Response from the dealership:

Based on your feedback & request, the vehicle was thoroughly inspected by our Technical team of M/S Aadhi cars on 22-04-2023 in your presence at your residence. Technical team observation was the rusting is due to an external source/climate source and not due to any manufacturing defect. Hence the complaint will be rectified on a paid basis.

Requesting your valuable approval.

Here's what BHPian mints21 had to say on the matter:

This is not new. My own Maruti Ciaz which was purchased in May 2016 is having similar problem in Delhi NCR. Spoke to many advisors at Nexa and they say it's a common problem with many cars from Maruti stable and the only way out is change of doors which costs approximately Rs.15000/- per door. I have decided to sell the car and move on from Maruti once and for all.

The so called NEXA is only premium when it comes to selling a car. Once you are at a service station of so called NEXA you see nothing which is premium.

Case in point is Rohan Motors, Sector-1, Noida. According to Maruti this is the so called platinum dealership.

May be there awarding criteria is only and only sales and no service.

Here's what BHPian anjan_c2007 had to say on the matter:

Hats off to those intelligent inspectors from M/s Aadhi Cars for such a very significant finding. We never really knew that rusting is due to only "some unknown and anonymous external source/ climate source (or ET source?)" and not at all due to any manufacturing defect.

Hence, Marutis now get added to the rust bucket list. The list includes manufacturers like Mahindra too. And a coastal town would be the best testing ground for the metal succumbing to vagaries of nature faster than drier towns.

We had thought that the "rust era" epitaph was written long ago, post the disappearance of Padminis and Ambassadors with their siblings. But no, we are wrong. The rust era survives and is rocking.

The car metal needs to be treated well to last for at least a decade without any issues. But the OE's are more concerned about production, despatches, profits and company balance sheets.

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

To my eyes this is a classic case of improper washing & care for the vehicle. I think we`ll see some more rust in areas like the corner the doors, the edge of the wheel well, possibly the weld seam on the roof, bottom of the windshield and many more places if we go looking.

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

This is definitely due to the poor workmanship of Maruti, compounded by the high TDS of ground water used for daily wash.

I have seen similar problem in 3 balenos in my street of 18 houses. Sharing some pics of the door before the repairs. All other cars had similar issues.

This is just an evidence of the cost cutting happening in all stages of car manufacturing. Our 1987 model M800 old body never had any such issues. The only rusting we witnessed in that car was due to damp carpets which was addressed at home with removing the carpets, the woolen stuffing underneath, allowing the car to dry out, cleaning and applying a layer of rubber seal. that held up for the next 10 years till we sold that car in 2003.

Unfortunately, does not suffice anymore. I replaced one door and repainted another on my baleno of 2016 vintage, before selling it off earlier this year as the rust was reappearing in new places on the doors.

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I have had 3 Skoda’s in the past, multiple cars from different brands over the years, but never had such a thing happened.

BHPian Thegreyghost006 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Need major advice.

Greeting to fellow Bhpians.

I have a Skoda Slavia 1.5 manual transmission. The reason I went for the manual transmission is because I had to have one, not because DSGs are unreliable. Also, all my other cars were automatic.

The incident which I am about to share started during my first service. The advisor told me that the clutch pedal was getting stuck midway. After a week of the car being left at the service centre, they replaced the clutch master cylinder, and it was good to go.

After a few months, it happened again when my friend was driving the car. The pedal got stuck, he also panicked for it was something very new to him and he didn't know how to react. I told him to pull it back using his foot. Long story short, the car went back to the service centre and after 4 to 5 months there, came back with a brand new (according to the service guy) modified gearbox and clutch. I was finally at peace, enjoying my car and damn, it happened again!

I have had 3 Skoda’s in the past, multiple cars from different brands over the years, but never had such a thing happened. Now, I have come to believe that there is some major manufacturing defect and the only solution is that Skoda India replaces my car. But I don’t know how to approach the problem or whom to contact. The helpline and service are just in the mood to take the car, keep it and try to fix it. Even after changing all the components, how would things be any different?

I hope I get to escalate this to Skoda India and they they take responsibility and help me get my car replaced. I just want to reach out to them. Any advice on this would be a boon.

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

Reach out to Skoda on X via @SkodaIndia & @SkodaIndia_PR and also to @PetrSolc_ (Brand Director -Skoda Auto India).

If this is happening for the third time, you have to ask the dealership to connect you to service head for the region also. Also do write an assetive and strong mail to document the whole ordeal.

Generally following up with them regularly via Social media should make them get your attention. Or else if anyone in the forum knows a senior guy with regards to customer experience or service at Skoda India, then they can connect you to the right executive.

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