First car was a maruti 800 Dx and wanted to have something bigger, faster, safer, etc etc. was considering a zen or an indica. My husband did a lot of surveys and somehow got smitten by this ugly duckling. my first reaction when I saw it in the showroom was a big no no. Finally took delivery in September 2003. since then after almost 3 1/2 years and 51, 000 kms later, when I look back, it was probably the most sensible decision. still have the 800 for daily office commuting from faridabad to gurgaon in which my driver says he’s getting 18-20 kmpl minus the AC while I think im getting 16-17 kmpl. as for the versa.
Finding the next car is the biggest problem since no other car meets or even comes near the specs. If you dont stand outside and look at your car then versa shud be everyone’s choice - except when you r driving alone. A huge interior which can gobble anything, an engine which gives the swift and lancers a run for their money, a ground clearance which gives SUV’s a complex, a riding stance which is similar to being in a A340, plus a husband who is willing to be a driver any day. The fuel consumption on high speed NH1, NH2 and NH8 is about 9-10 with the AC on and doing 130-140 kmph.
With a bit more sedate driving its 12-13 kmpl with speeds of 70-80 kmph on the highways. we did the udaipur stretch from delhi non stop in 11 hrs flat - a distance of about 670 kms with only a single 5 minute break for coffee since my hubby was feeling sleepy. while coming back via chittaurgarh we were running at 140-145 kmph (indicated) and managed 105 kms in 50 minutes. after more than 3 1/2 years of ownership my husband is looking for any excuse to go for a spin. We have done after dinner walks of 30-40 kms via ballabhgarh and occassionally palwal since he finds this the best way to unwind. my daughter likes to snuggle up in the 3rd row in a blanket and her favourite pillow ’kauli’.
She prefers it to our home. my niece who is afraid of cars because of the claustrophobic effect simply enjoys being in this airplane. we have a single ac unit model but the blast is equivalent to a hurricane, better than any model in a similar package. Last year in the rains the roads in our sector were under almost 12" of water. while coming back from gurgaon we found cars stranded and parked along the road. Seeing the waves moving on the road when ever a truck moved through made me afraid, but atul simple slided into 1st and we drove through without a hitch. it was only after 3-4 months that we needed a clutch replacement. What i’m actually saying is the versa has never let us down.
The battery has only now been replaced recently. tyres still running and maybe will last another 6-7000 km before I get them changed. but after 10 years of owning a car all I can say is if the service boffins were even half aware and inclined as the models they repair we would have a lot ore peace of mind. whenever ever the car goes for servicing I keep my fingers crossed that it will come back with some other gremlin. the only problem we had was the alternator was showing ’ not charging’. a portion of the harness which feeds into the +ve of the battery including the charging lead slowly corroded and the jhonny at the service centre said that it would cost lots of money and so he’ll provide a local jumper cable. the cable was unable to take the load and melted a away within a couple of months.
When I went to the service station they were not ready to accept that the job was done in their service station. the way we act high and pompous as only we Indians can. I manged to save the day by getting their complete records out which showed that the vehicle had been diagnosed with a charging alternator fault but they did not have any details of the rectification done to sort it out. a lot of phone calls, haggling and emails to maruti and finally they invited me back to replace the same even though the two years warranty was over but the 4 years extended warranty was in place. but this replacement was actually done since the fault was identified with in the actual 2 years warranty.
Even during servicing there’s not much they do except oiling and greasing and cleaning of filters, oil change, etc. even I prefer it that way since the car behaves in an impeccable fashion even after so many years. touchwood. the only grouse I have is the limited shades available. I wanted something slightly more vibrant and lively but had to settle a metallic grey. one more problem which I have seen is the absolutely useless headlights.
I have tried all combinations including different wavelengths but have finally settled for 60/55 watt halonix + 60. would prefer the 100/90 watt halonix + 60 but am not sure how the wiring would take it and so persist in a half blind state. the irony is that the versa can do a good 120+ at nite bt the lights are fit for 40-45 kmph only. I find that no body has raised this issue of lights in this or any other forum. as for the vehicle I would give 11 out of 10 for the price at which they sell this dream machine.