*Fifth Post 25-Apr-2012(35000+ KM):
It's been almost 3 years since I bought this vehicle. Service costs usually comes to Rs.2000/- or less. Still I'm driving above 100KMPH in highways and 50KMPH in city. Getting a mileage of 13KMPL in city with AC(checked several times by filling up tank). Recently had an accident, brakes worked excellently and prevented me from hitting the vehicle in front. Too bad they are not making this vehicle anymore. Never had any service issues with MPL Ford Chennai. **No other problems. Never regretted buying this vehicle.
*Fourth Post 10-Nov-2010(13000+ KM):
*Third service over. Cost= Rs.4000/-
Will I still recommend this vehicle? YES
*Third Post 23-Jun-2010(10000+ KM):
*Second service over. Cost= Rs.1800/- No major problems. Some kind of seal related to Gearbox was broken(probably I crashed it over a speed braker), was replaced for free promptly. till now my service experience is very good.
Done two long trips(up/down total=1000 KM* 2 trips). Extremely pleasant. Eagerly looking forward for such trips. AC worked well with 4 adults+ 2 kids in scorching May. Never turned up the knob more than 1 or 2 notches.
City Mileage= 13 kmpl(with AC+ with traffic+ if you resist the urge to step on the pedal and drive around 55km). Highway mileage is probably 2~3 KM more than that. Truly a driver's car!
*Second Post 05-Jan-2010(2900 KM):
*3 months have passed and first free service done last month. Free pickup and delivery done by MPL Ford at no extra cost. No hassle. No complaints from me either. Since it is free service, the bill amount is zero.
First Post 30-Oct-2009(1100 KM):
I was using 2 generations of Tata Indica diesel from 2000. Now wanted to move up to a petrol vehicle+ sedan. So I dropped Tata from the race as I got too used to it. Budget was around 5.5L+. So the choices were Dzire, Ikon, Logan and Accent. Now, I am a simple middle class guy who appreciates things like mileage, cost and comfort over sporty looks and racing attributes.
Accent has 1.5 engine and hence mileage was around 8/L I heard. Logan doesn't seem to have proper service back up(as per what I heard). Dzire looked good but had a waiting period of 2 to 6 months(Insane if u ask me) and there were complaints about the rear seat space.
So I selected Ikon pertrol. Complaints against Ikon were:
1. The engine was old - Well, that can be taken as a positive aspect as it is a tried and tested engine.
2. The maintenance would be high - Ford says now the parts are less priced and hence the maintenance is similar to Dzire. They have a chart showing the comparison. But I have to wait and see about this. I'll update this space regularly about that.
3. The looks suck - Now, that is quite objective. I like the looks. The impression to me was that of a solid/dependable vehicle. Way better than the abominations from Hyundai and Maruti.
4. The interiors suck too - Nope. The interiors are two tone biege and I like that very very much.
Remember that I was moving from Indica to Ikon. I haven't driven other cars. So, my mind would be comparing mostly against Indica.
Moving on to my experience with Ikon:
1. Driving Comfort - My God! What a pleasure it is to drive this beast. The acceleration and overall speed are so smooth. There seems to be still more power left and it is begging us to go more. But due to mileage and traffic constraints, I stop myself from crossing 100kmph often. In Indica, going to 100kmph was like touching the peak. Very difficult to push the vehicle further in city traffic. But here, I guess that fun starts at 100kmph. I drive within the city as of now and with an Indica, we have to really push the pedal to move out of traffic or to accelerate. With Ikon, I can get out of the traffic when I find a little gap and zoom ahead.
2. Mileage - I drive in thick traffic city situation where I have to go in 1st/2nd gear for 50% of the time, 3rd/4rth gear for 40% and 5th gear for only 10% time. Not much scope to reach 100kmph. AC is on in the mornings and off in the night(because it is damn chill to sit inside). With this conditions, I get a mileage of around 12KM per litre. Need to take her on a highway and see how the mileage is there.
3. Driver Seat - Positioned comfortably to see the road and the bonnet. I'm 177cm tall and I feel comfortable in the seat. Arm rests on the window are rightly placed.
4. Rear Seating - Three adults can sit fine in the back. The space is definitely a bit more than old Ikon(I feel as my uncle has the old ikon).
5. Entry/Exit - In old Ikon, I had to bend a little to enter and exit and felt that the seats were a bit low. In new Ikon, I enter and exit easily like I did in my old Indica.
6. Noise - If you hear it, let me know. Hahaha. Yes really, after driving Indica for 10 years, you become deaf to interior noises. So I don't know if the interor is noisy or not and to a guy like me, it has zero importance while buying a car.
7. Brakes - Superior to my old indica. Very sharp and reliable for city conditions.
8. Dealer Satisfaction - MPL Ford did a great job in delivering the vehicle. They didn't take booking just for their counts. Sales person Mr.Charles(9841200071) clearly said that only one vehicle with Morello color is available for delivery within 3 days. And so it was delivered on time.
9. Accessories - The vehicle already had power windows, stereo(Kenwood), electronic boot opener, fog lamps, left side rear view mirror, thick rubber floor mats and mud flaps. All that remained were to go for sun control film(Rs.1800, Kalyani car jewels T.Nagar) and seat covers(Rs.1500, Jeewaajee General Pattersons road). No other fancy items please.
Recommendation - I felt I had a very good deal for the money I gave. If you have a family or even if you are single, go for Ikon as it a driver's car. I used to keep my Indica in house and travel by train just because I really hated driving in traffic. But now, I look for excuses to take my Ikon out. The strain and stress are not there anymore. I'll update this space regularly about how the service is and what the maintenance costs are.
