Well, almost there.. Review on Nissan Sunny

Choosing a car is never easy and one can;t find a model that fits all your expectations. That is the same with the Sunny Petrol XV that I purchased in Aug 2012. I have organised the review in 2 sections : 1. DECISION MAKING 2. OWNERS EXPERIENCE So, here it its for your use and feedback DECISION MAKING : OTHER MODELS CONSIDERED : Hyundai Verna Toyota Etios Honda City VW VEnto Skoda Rapid TATA Manza was never considered as I do not see TATA as a great auto builder !

Reviews ; Inputs were taken from Team-BHP, Autocar, Carwale, Mouthshut. Zigwheels and Ibnlive. Summary Outcome : Verna  - seemed to have the best of features, and looks - but the convenience of not having to take the keys out of my pocket to open doors, boot, and starting/stopping the engine coupled with more or less similar features tilted the decision. Bluetooth etc was not important to me.. Etios - good engine performance, but many reviews complained about the Cost cutting / Made in India parts, that impacted the car quality. City - great contender, but Scrapes every possible road hump ! Rapid - great engine (Diesel) , very responsive, but interiors, lack of features and poor service network made this great competitor pale away. For long I was in a dilemma between the Sunny and Rapid. Loved the test drive on Rapid , esp with the turbo kicking in ...However what bugged me was that my left leg / knee was totally constrained by the gear console unit and the huge rear floor hump . plastics, location of switches etc were other pain points. However, do check this car out before deciding. Vento - well almost same a Rapid but with a higher price tag. The key reasons to choose Sunny , and Petrol were : 1. Daily commute was about 30 km, so break even in ~ 4 years even with inflated petrol price. 2. Seating - esp rear seat is unmatched by any other car. 3. Features are functional ( folding mirrors with button, Keyless piece for sure !) 4. Real big boot ! 5. Easy drive and maneovrability in city 6. Acceleration was linear and responsive 7. Price - esp with dealer taking care of insurance and 10K worth accessories. 6. Dealer experience  - They took care of all my special requests (like Bridgestone tyre) ! OWNERS EXPERIENCE : So, here are some detailed insights of my experience with the Sunny : 1. Dealer experience : Shahwaar Nissan, Bangalore, gave me some early "cold shoulder" experience - the reason was that their salesperson left the team and did not bother to hand over the sales leads.

l could trust that. Their sales Manager was quick to respond to my request and personally walked every step till the car was handed over. There were some co-ordination gaps between the sales call center and the sales team - but nothing major. Importantly, they got me my bridgestone tyres !! During the sales phase, I had requested that I be allowed to speak to the service manager and a few customers. This was done with a genuine touch and promptly. Those guys gave me the confidence to take the risk. Overall experience 9/10. 2. Looks and aesthetics : Average looks, but nothing really to complain about IMHO. 3. Functionality and usability: Good set of features - esp that I do not have to take the key out of my pocket at any time !   The rubber push button on the door is flimsy though ! Trip meter is good and so is climate control. Audio is average - 6/10. But like the steering controls AC works fine - esp. if you switch on the rear blower unit (looks like NIssan made some smart defect fix there for the rear seat passengers) Folding the mirrors by a flick of switch is nice to have in a close traffic/parking scenario. Everything works as intended. Glove compartment and storage is pathetically low The sun visor is of poor quality and size. Mirrors are functional and never found anything amiss so far. Wish the car had a auto dimming rear view mirror. 4. Drive : Behaves well in the city - sensible car , handles well. engine is fairly refined.

You can hear the harshness at ~2500 RPM. Brakes are perfect ! (this was reported as a issue in many reviews, but I trust the brakes after some near misses !) Gears are little notchy / clunky and occasionally irritating. esp shift from 2-3 at 30 kmph. Engine whine (like an autorickshaw accelerating) can be heard inside if you are in a peaceful zone. Wish the engine compartment was padded. External noise elimination not really there. - 7/10. Rear glass is so sloping that at times it was difficult to reverse ..lack of view. But rear sensors mitigate the issue. Drive comfort is fine for a 6' person like me. Same for the rear seat passengers , with me driving .. Wish the thigh support for a tall driver was a little better - nothing really to complain. Road noise is a irritant alright ! because of the hard suspension I guess.

The big sharp bumps give a scary , loud thud in the cabin :-( Mileage improved to 11.4 kmpl in Bangalore city with conscious use of 4-5th gears 5. Service : first service done a while back and clearly immaturity showing with the dealer. The service agent was missing at the designated hour. No one else would take up the case. trouble shooting printer issue had no IT support team etc. Yet the spirit to do good service to the car was visible . All is well so far.  Overall a value for money car... I  like my Sunny..