Jun 04, 2007 02:42 PM
46881 Views
(Updated Oct 17, 2008 09:56 AM)
Oct'08 UPDATE
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Its been more than a year since I have writen my first review of the Logan. Now after having driven 20, 000 Kms I feel I need to share my experience with all.
First things First - Excellent value for money package. In short my Logan has impressed me time and again. Mine is a Diesel Top End purchased in May'07
Some Stats:-
1) Total Kms Driven : 20, 500
2) Mileage in City : 15-16 Kms with AC
3) Mileage on Highways : 21-22 with AC
4) Top Speed : 150 Km/Hr
5) No of Services : 4 (Includes the 3 Default Free Services)
6) Total Service Cost till Date : Rs. 7000.00
Being one of the first owners of the Logan, many have asked me time and again about the performance, fuel efficiency and the driving comfort of the Logan. Some had even written off stating that I had made a bad choice and should have taken the Ford Fiesta or the SX4. My answer to all the critics are in the stats listed above.
Invariably the vehicle has returned fuel efficiency figures > 20 Kms on every road trip irrespective of the condition of the roads. I am a driving freak and have driven between Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Mysore, Nagpur, vijayawada on many occations. I always drive with the AC on hence I am not sure of the figure with the AC turned off.
The Seating comfort is excellent. This is the only true Sedan which can seat 5 comfortably on long drives and can take loads into the boot. frankly I have never run short of boot space till now.
Below are some of my suggestions for a smooth drive
1) Service the vehicle once every 7500 Kms or 6 Months - Engine & Gear Box Oil change
2) Replace the current 50/60 head lamps with 90/100 head lamps for better visibility in Night on highways
3) Install a remote boot opener if the same is not available in your model
4) Rotate tyres every 15, 000 Kms facilitates even wear and tear
5) Wheel alignment and Wheel Balancing after long drives of 1000+ Kms on bad stretches
ORIGINAL REVIEW - June'07
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Mahindra Logan is a good value for money car. Lots and Lots of Space, A decent drive experience and great mileage.
Its been a week since I have been driving and to describe the experience it has been good. Ofcourse it could have been lot better had the clutch been more soft. Strangely the petrol logan that i had test driven had a very soft clutch. One more area where mahindra can improvise is the space between the clutch pedal and the bottom of the dash, In city traffic one has to rest his left leg on the clutch for frequent gear shifts.
Height adjustable steering could have been provided, and users who are above 6 feet will find it a little little clumsy to get in and get out.
Acolades to Mahindra and Renault on the Mileage front. Over the last week I have driven more than 200kms and I need to say that I was really impressed with the figures. In City the vehicle has returned an impressive 18+ Kms/Litre. Let me tell you in bangalore you seldom get to drive the vehicle on the 4th gear. I am still to drive the same on the highway so I would refrain from pro castinating the mileage on long stretches.
The on board computer offers you details regarding
(1) The amount of fuel consumed in Litres based on the reset of the trip meter
(2) Distance to Empty(DTE)
(3) Mileage calculation based on the trip meter reading and the fuel consumed
(4) Average speed of the vehicle
While having this information is really good, sometimes it gets a little confusing under start stop conditions as the DTE is recalculated frequently after every stop and start. If you drive in Bangalore you would agree that it is the way of life around here.
Front visibility is excellent. However there are quite a few blind spots as the Rear View Mirrors provided are useless. One more strange observation is that the RVM's cannot be closed. There is no provision for closing the RVM'S it has to remain open so I am sure we can expect a few scratches and broken RVMs.
One feature that I have come to appreciate is the lumbar support I think other vehicles in this class should also offer.
I would not want to comment on the space as it is known that there is lots and lots of space in this car. The seats both the front and the read are also very comfortable. But if there is something missing then it is the cup holders in the rear. The ones available on the front cannot be practically used as it interferes with the operation of the AC controls.
For users used to driving others cars the position of the power window switches come as a jolt. Over all I would suggest the vehicle to be a good buy.
