This is the first time I am writing a review for my car. Before I start, a brief about myself. I am from Patna, working in IT education Industry and have deep interest in automobile ever since childhood.
I learnt driving on a left-hand drive Willyz jeep, then shifted to Ambassador, then to Indica V2 and currently my Vista. I purchased the car on 16th. October 2009 from Guinea Motors Pvt. Ltd., Patna, who also happen to be my next door neighbour..:).
Till date, I have done 18600 kms, which includes several long distance travels also. I would like to present my experience as below :
- Dealership - I got the car on day of Dhanteras, and needless to say, the showroom was overflowing with customers that day.
(They delivered a total of 160 cars that day !!). However, the Relationship Manager, with whom I had been dealing earlier, gave me enough time and paperwork etc was done within reasonable timeframe. The car was washed and cleaned before delivery, no to forget the red ribbon!
However, one thing I dislike is the way drivers and guards surround you the moment you are leaving showroom with car and start demanding for tips. It seems to have become a custom now - I have encountered this in Service centre also.
- Ride Quality - Having driven Indica V2 prior to buying this car, the ride quality was extremely good. Bumps and jerks were absorbed somewhere deep down under and nothing passed on to driver or passenger.
Having driven various other cars - like WagonR / Spark / Alto / Dzire etc., I can definitely say that suspension system of Indica Vista is much superior to any other car of its class, and it can even beat bigger cars in this department.
- In-cabin space - There is loads and loads of space inside - much more compared to any other car of its size. 4 average-sized people can easily sit in rear seat, with their legs spread out. The only negative I look at - more storage space could have been generated in dashboard.
Also, boot space is quite less. I wish few more inches are added to its width to make storage better.....WagonR has better storage space. And yes, the bumpers are too plasticky. While driving from Patna to NewDelhi in January 2010, a stray dog suddenly came in my way.
I was doing around 110 kmph at that time. It crashed against the bumper, went below the car and ran away, crying. When I got down to check the car, I found that front bumper was completely damaged, and had to get it replaced.
- Engine noise and performance - The first crank of engine gives you a sense of satisfaction. The idling sound of engine is much quiet and delightful compared to my older V2, which sounded more like a 2-stroke genset.
Also, with fundamental changes done to placement of alternator and fan belts, the screeching belt noise, so prevalent in earlier V2, is history now. And, the best part is engine’s performance with AC switched on....there isn’t an iota of difference felt while driving now.
The Turbocharger does an excellent job the moment engine touches around 2000 rpm - feels like someone has pushed the car from behind and it surges ahead !!.
- Mileage - In city driving in Patna - 15 kmpl without AC, 13kmpl with AC. Highway driving - 21 kmpl without AC, 20 Kmpl with AC. Now, there figures are not assumed ones. I have tested this using simple method of getting full tank diesel and setting tripmeter to 0. Once I completed 300 kms.,
I got tank filled up again. Now - 300 divided by litres of diesel needed to make the tank full - that’s it!. Highway - I have measured the same way. And yes, I have driven extensively on highways ever since I purchased the car - Patna to Kolkata - 2 trips (2400 kms), Patna - New Delhi - 1 trip (2500 kms), Patna - Lucknow - 1 trip - (1300 kms), Patna - Ranchi - 10 trips( 7000 kms) . And during all my trips, I have calculated mileage and it has been consistent.
- Maintenance - I have had two major maintenance issue till date -
(1) oil leakage from crankshaft oilseal. For this, the whole gearbox had to be unmounted and the oilseal changed. This cost me around Rs2000/- and problem has not recurred since then.
(2) A loost connection in main fuse circuit, which lead to headlights switching off randomly. This cost me around Rs.550/- to get repaired.
- 21/05/2011 - My feedback upon completion of 20000 kms and 4th. free service :
This service requires change of engine oil, oil filter, diesel filter and transmission oil. Upon change of all these and additional works - change of ball joint and left suspension arm, wheel alighment and balancing - the entire cost was Rs.6700/-.
This was the first time I got wheel alignment and balancing done - tires have not been eaten away though. I say this to denote how good the suspension system of Indica Vista is. The mileage of my car has been consistent and no other mechanical problems have occurred till now.
Yes, I did do some highway trips in between - Patna - Kolkata - Patna - total of 1500 kms. The car holds beautifully on highway at 100 kmph, with no in-cabin noise. Yes, the parcel tray in boot space has given away due to weight of speakers.
When I contacted service centre for this, they suggested that I get a locally made tray installed, as the OE tray is not designed to hold speaker’s weight !!
I am planning to do another long-haul drive from Patna to Ahmedabad and Surat sometime this year. I am sure Vista will keep up to its reputation...:)
To sum it up, my experience with this car is quite satisfactory. Anyone who loves to drive and has a budget of around Rs.4.5L can go for this car.