May 01, 2007 04:26 PM
19062 Views
I bought my Fiat Adventure in July 2005(my second car- after a wonderful experience with Fiat Palio, the company Fiat India did not have a website(only info on the Adventure could be found then in the Brazilian website)- the showrooms were in tatters- in fact the dealer where I first saw the Adventure and fell in love is Dynamic Motors, Noida, who now sell and market 3 wheelers. It was hence providence that I bought this car because I had gone to the Ford showroom next door to finalise the Ford Fusion(who were closed that day), that I walked in the Fiat showroom and the rest in history with the car landing in my garage in the next 3 days.
Looks- Though I would have preferred a black Adventure, I went along with the red Adventure with black claddings. The picture is the most common one is websites etc, so you should know which one I mean. The looks of the car is quite a winner with front bull bar(this is only decorative), side railings, roof rails.
Interiors- The inside of the car is exactly a Fiat Palio with the only difference being an odometer, which probably my base version Palio did not have. The vision in the Palio has always been a problem for short people and the elevated seat gives a much better view of the road. Of course I personally have a problem with the seat and always get backaches if I do not use am Amron backrest(no problems with Palio). The boot of the car always evokes surprise reactions from people who see it- it is really big. However I really do not know how people think of putting another row of seats at the back. I suppose you can do it but it is going to be a problem and a lot of body ache for the people, who will squeeze in there. I have been wrong many times in my life- and if someone does on this occasion- I shall be happy to be wrong. The a/c is good for the people sitting in the front but the ones in the rear seat will have to do some compromises(forget the ones if there was another row of seating)
Dealer Satisfaction- If you are in Delhi, it is hard to be satisfied with the dealers because years of neglect from Fiat have made these people do other things in life.
Fuel Consumption- 11 kms/litre without ac and 10.5 kms/litre with ac. On highway conditions(with ac on)- 15 kms(minimum). Again the car is much maligned for being a fuel guzzler- but European cars were not designed to be fuel efficient. Moreover if you know how to use the gear box(also a low tuning helps)- fuel consumption will be less. Also please remember the car has a 1600 cc engine and with the power it generates, the fuel efficiency of the car is quite good.
Comfort- Has probably one of the best shockers for its price car.
*Problems
a) Tyres- the extra wide Pirelli tyres are a real eye catcher. The grip on the road is awesome with these tyres. But wait that is the end to it. My first tyre replacement was after 8000 kms due to a tyre burst. I had the stepni but finding the replacement was a nightmare. There are no tyres in the Indian market with similar specifications or tread. The only options offered were tyres for the Qualis, which are really not similar. I managed to get a replacement from a tyre shop in Khan Market dealing in imported tyres(but one is really not sure if you have the right thing). However after my next tyre burst at 18000 kms, I started digging deeper. I could see that the inner walls of the tyres have really melted and the steel mesh inside has come of. My tyre dealer confirmed that condition of my other tyres are also precarious and they need to be changed immediately. Then I found out that these tyres were manufactured in February 2002 for the TIN number on the tyres(3 years before I bought the car) and meant for snow conditions(that too probably not meant for Indian conditions). After a long battle with the dealer and writing to Fiat, they have now agreed to inspect the tyres.
b) Paint- This is probably a specific problem with my car, where after 3 months the paint started pealing off. The paint started pealing off from the bonnet, sides of the car, the inside of the car which is not exposed to extraneous elements(people scratching cars with keys/similar sharp objects). Only after a six month battle Fiat agreed that it is a paint problem and to repaint parts(some specific areas) of the car.
c) Spare parts- Again a huge problem area. With in the first month the fuel lock flap got stuck. It happened the night before a long drive to the mountains and the lid had to be yanked open. From 2005 to Jan 2007, I had to wait to get a replacement for this part(while the car went out of warranty) after getting in contact with Fiat directly. Similar is my hunt for the rear tail light(right side) of the car, requested for over a year. Other than that the car seems to be seriously compromised by putting in a lot of low quality stuff in the car- the prime example is all the rubber parts. Anything that is rubber in this car(side strips on doors/windows, wiper blades) has to be changed every three months. Also please keep with you a steady supply of fuses for all electrical fittings.
d) Noise inside the car- this is not the famous fan noise from Fiat or the engine(which is remarkably silent)- but in my case is the noise from the doors. The squeeks and screeches are extremely irritating and all adjustments to the door done by the service station last max 3 days.
e) Non-functioning of fuel meter- this is probably another car specific problem and stops working completely in mountains.
I also found out that I have made more trips to the service station with my one and half year old Adventure than my Palio. It seems my experience with the Adventure is turning out to be what the Americans always said about the Fiat- F.I.A.T= Fix It Again Tommy.
I have also doubts about the braking of the car in high speed conditions and the stability of the car over speeds of 130 kmph and if the second gear of the car is a pansy. However at present I am just hoping to get the basics correct and realy not focussing on the high funda stuff( I leave all talks of torque, BHP, twin cam engines to the experts)
