Mar 19, 2012 10:25 AM
14060 Views
Exactly 6 months back I got the delivery of my white whale aka Toothless. Incidentally that was also a Monday
Toothless completed 10000 km's this weekend, which is in 6 months’ time. I think it is an appropriate time to do a quick summary of my views about the car:
Total Kms: 10217
Total Days: 181
Avg kms / Day: 56
What I like:
An extremely practical "Family" sedan. Enough space for people, luggage and other small nick nacks. IMHO, there has not been a time when I could not carry all I wanted to due to shortage of space in the Toothless. This is sometimes travelling with 5 adults and their luggage’s.Inexpensive to maintain(details below)Fuel efficient diesel(details below)Reasonably quick and comfortable to drive/ ride in, does not tire me or family much. We did a non-stop 700 odd kms from Goa to Bangalore(except lunch & tea)Reliable so far. No breakdowns etc apart from the unfortunate accident that took place on 7th Jan 2012.No ownership surprises. Everything is going on as expected(both good and not so good bits)Road presence is really good, if you stick the nose in a gap then the Bangalore autowala’s especially don’t even bother cutting you. Also when overtaking just a single small honk is what is required to get space.
What I don't like:
A very very sedate driving experience, the initial response from the engine could have been a tad more fasterTurbolag quite frustrating sometimes during city drives when other cars just shoots ahead, but I have got used to it now as I know I can always catch up later Service experience. Folks at ASC's are helpful but at times technically challenged and still need a little bit more learning to handle these technically advanced cars. This was brought to the fore when they were trying to solve a “Jerking” issue in the car.
Below is the summary of expenses I incurred on maintaining it.(Does not include the accessories cost)
1k km 1st service - rs.500 for wheel alignment(No complaints reported)5400 km 2nd free service, - rs.0(Complained about the “Jerk” and suspension sound when going over humps)9800 km 3rd Free Service – Rs. 4500(Oil+ Filter change)9700 kms accident repair in Chennai – Rs. 9400(Total bill was 56k)9900 kms; windshield developed a hairline crack – Rs. 1255(50% for the rubber sealent)
Problems Faced
- “Jerking” – Rectified
Used to face this problem when the turbo opened completely at around 2800 rpm range. The technicians tried all their resources but were not able to isolate the issue. I pointed them to check with Turbo Energy the manufacturer of the turbo kit for Manza, those guys did not find any issues.
Later, the issue was solved by changing the EGR valve which was causing the gases to not recirculate properly and since then the issue has not resurfaced.
- “Suspension Sound” – Rectified
Used to hear clanking sound from the front suspension when going over humps, the issue was solved by reassembling the front and changing the bushes
- “Steering Sound” – Open
There is a loud metal sound when you reverse and turn the steering to the left, this happens when turning slowly and intermittently. During the 3rd service they replaced the bearings but the problem still persists, I have generally informed them about the existence but since its not a major issue I am not pursuing it further until the next service.
- “Dashboard Rattling” – Open
The dashboard sounds like something is loose when going over bad roads. Had reported this during the 2nd service, but it was not solved, forgot to report during the 3rd service, but since its nothing major, I have left it for the next service.
- “Left Pulling” – Rectified
The car used to pull to the left when leaving the steering free, this was rectified at Madhu’s after a wheel balancing & alignment. Since then I have not got the wheels aligned at the A.S.S
That's about Rs. 5600 for 10k km's excluding Rs.10.6k on accidental repair as this cannot be generalized. This equates to around Rs.0.56/km maintenance cost.
FE remains~14.5 – 15.3kmpl in city limits and 18-21kpl on highway drives.
Considering the higher initial cost of acquisition I would say the car has been pretty economical to drive around.
Accessories Fitted
Door Pad covers: Fixed Black Nepa leather door pad & steering cover from KarlssonsAlloys: Fixed 15” AVA Hyper Black AlloysICE: Kenny 6046 HU along with my old speakers & ampHorns: Fixed Bosch Symphony horns ala Skoda typeWipers: Hella Dyna Edge wipers with Graphite finished tip for silent and smooth operation
Would I buy it again if the time was re-winded back to Sept 2011; Oh YES I would
