I work in Chennai but hail from Pondicherry. I was using a Maruthi 800 for the last 10 years, the reason being I have a small parking space at home. I could not change to a bigger car, though I wanted one.
Then came the sub 4 meter Sedan. I called up the show room in Pondicherry- Manakular Motors and told them that I will take an Indigo CS, if they can bring a demo piece and park the car in my parking space.
Wow... they got a diesel version and parked it. In the pic you can see that the car is parked in such a small area. There is hardly any space left and its fits well. I could not have parked any other sedan there. I test drove the car on that day... This was in March 2008. My budget was really tight and hence I had decided on the petrol version and took a cosmic blue. I waited for a month for the car to be delivered. I got it on 20th of April 08.
Overview
Now its more than 6 months old and I have crossed 5000 kms I thought I could share my experience. I drive both in Chennai City traffic as well as on the Chennai- Pondicherry highway.
First let me delve on the critics. While deciding to buy Indigo, be clear that you are getting value for money. If you are willing to spend a few more lacs, you will get a better car in terms of performance, in terms of features etc. So never buy that argument that d’zire or Logan is better than indigo. The comparisons are meaning less. We should compare products, which have similar features and cost more or less the same. TATA could have provided all that, but they would have also jacked up the price. I spent around Rs.4.30 lacs on my Indigo (accessories included- seat covers, floor mats, mud flaps, mp3 player and speakers). What will Maruthi or Huyndai give me for this money? I felt TATA motors gave a better deal.
Quality Issues
Still some improvements could have been made without increasing the cost much.
There are some compromises which the TATAs could have avoided or given at a little extra cost. They are
The quality of the plastic on the horn and the steering wheel.
The way the door shuts could have been smoother.
Better head lights. (In fact I changed the bulbs as recommended by the dealer).
Give the anti rust treatment as part of the regular product not give it as an add-on.
Problems I faced during the last 6 months
When I opened the boot, the boot would not stay but come down. The spring had a problem. I just told the service guys and they corrected it. (Manakular Motors)
Head light was not good for night driving especially on the highways. I fitted a set of Osram bulbs and now it is better. It cost me Rs.1600/-
While driving in Chennai - the car got two deep scratches and the service in Pondicherry (Manakular Motors) did a good job of it. The cost was around Rs6000/- but I claimed Insurance.
*Driving Experience and tips
City: Initially I had problems of adjusting to the size of the car as well as judging the distance in the front. I find this an advantage because I am more careful and this leaves a lot of space in the front and side when driving and parking. Do not try to be perfect and park too close in the front. If you are doubtful, get down check and then move the vehicle ahead. You will learn quickly.
Reversing was also a problem for me but now I am well settled. Initially you need to ensure that somebody is there behind you while you are reversing.
Because the car size is sub 4 meters it behaves beautifully in the city. Taking a U turn itself is not a problem.. The rest is easy.
The gearshift and accelerator behaves well.
I am more interested in the mileage than the pick up so the car easily cruises at 20 KMH in third gear and you can be in your fourth gear at about 30 KMH. The torque is less than 2000.
Hence my driving experience in the city is pleasurable. I look forward to it daily.
*Highways
*Most of the weekends I drive down to Pondicherry from Chennai. I enjoy driving. People here want to test the car as how it behaves at 120-130-140. Let me be more practical. We usually drive most of the time between 80-100 and the car behaves very well. Absolutely no problems. If there is a problem of overtaking, I wait and then proceed. I am not in a hurry
Mileage
My car givens me a mileage of around 12-14 in the city ( with AC on) depending on the traffic jams. On highways it gives me 14-16 ( with AC on). I have never driven my car without AC so do not know the mileage without AC. I guess it must be around 3-4 Kms more.
*Summary
I had a dream of buying a sedan, thanks to TATA I fulfilled it. It could have been a little better especially on what I wrote above... But I am 100% satisfied with the product and the service at Manakular Motors, Pondicherry.*
Update Sept 2009
I have logged 16000 kms and I am really happy on having purchased Indigo CS. Though I want to write more especially on tips and mistakes you can avoid but am not able to write because of space constraint. The Service and treatment I get at Manakular motors is top class and I am very happy about it. The mileage, pickup and maintenance is as expected and nothing adverse on this front. I had locked myselt out of the car one day and it was a harrowing experience. The car was in the middle of the road, luckily the time was 6 AM. This is about it at 16K Kms. I will update when I reach 25 K.
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