Nov 08, 2005 06:16 PM
23900 Views
(Updated Jan 25, 2006 07:12 PM)
Having also owned M800, Omni, PAL-Padmini, Contessa Classic and Santro, I confidently feel that Palio is the most comfortable and safe car in the range.
Think it was Dec 2002, I wanted to buy a Palio for our daughter but opted for Santro as Palio had long waiting period. Frankly, I've not regretted the decision as it's quite a trouble-free vehicle but once you have problems, it will burn holes even in deep pockets. Repairs are expensive as hell. A light-weight, fun car to drive with decent milage but certainly neither it's Comfort nor Safety Levels even come close to the Palio.
After reading very helpful reviews at this site, much against advice from bankers, friends and family we recently bought a Palio 1.9D for our son. Everyone thought I was crazy but our son (naturally) being a rough driver SAFETY was a prime concern. I've seen my wife's anxiety until our daughter returns home . Yes, only God can provide absolute safety but with the Palio my wife has at least some degree of peace factor.
With just a knock on the body work, my wife was assured it was a damn well built vehicle, unlike any other vehicle in its range in India. And, to my sheer delight I've had the best experience with the Fiat Goa dealer so far. Trust me, they even went over-board to extend services not covered by Fiat. I wish my fellow Fiat-owners too had similar dealer experiences so we could see more Palios on the road.
The Palio is a very solidly built vehicle offering unparalled comforts and umnatched safety in it's class - probably putting to shame the so-called modern-day Swift. Actually I was madly in love with Swift's looks but eventually changed my mind after actually seeing the vehicle and comparing it's safety and comfort levels to the Palio. Yes, it looks fresh and offers lots of goodies but still I feel Palio scores on safety and comforts aspects.
I went in for the diesel because of rising fuel costs and although we don't drive it that much to justify diesel engine, in the long run I hope it'd be a good decision. Though a proud Indian at heart, I think Palio easily beats Indica on over-all ride quality, engine-noise, and fit-n-finish levels. Palio is a good car and I would happily recommend it to anyone who values comfort and safety above mere mileage issues. I personally feel except for Dealer Support and Fiat's management issues, the Palio is still ahead of it's class.
