Hello dear mouthshut friends,
Here is my review of the Tata Nano lx - a sparingly run car that I purchased from a friend of mine who owned it. We closed the deal at 1 lakh & I drove home this cute yellow car which still looks oven fresh!
I actually wanted to buy a new Nano - but gave it a second thought & wanted to know the pros & cons of owning one. Hence my decision to buy an used Nano that would be easy on my pocket. During my initial days of driving the Nano I found it very hard to drive as it had no power steering, the clutch was as hard as that of a tractor! gear box was quite vague & had lots of play, the steering column was un adjustable for either rake or reach & my knees would always brush the steering wheel. The car was also very noisy particularly with the air conditioner running. But eventually as time passed all these niggles grew upon me & I began to adjust well & mastered driving it so much, that I started setting out on long journeys. The Nano also comes with the stigma of being the cheapest hatch. If that is the only car one happens to own, people around you may mistake you for having incurred financial losses! Better positioned as a second or add on car.
Immediately after the purchase I deliberately changed the following:-
4 brand new bridgestone tyres, replaced clutch, cable & other components, flushed out all fluids using 3M care kit, serviced & charged the A/C unit, installed a brand new pioneer audio system, replaced ORVM’s. The car was mechanically up to date now. All this costed me an extra 30k but was well worth the investment.
I have been extensively using this little wonder on a variety of terrains that include city driving, steep ghat sections, highway tarmacs & even on bad roads. The Nano can withstand any amount of abuse and does perform well beyond expectations without even a single glitch. The seats are very basic but have good elevation & one can still get down without complaining of knee pain even after long hours. The car is deceptively small when viewed from outside but has acres of headroom & generous legroom. Its almost an year since I have owned it & have driven it for about 18000 kms till date. The cabin space is like none other in this segment & can put much bigger cars to shame. Despite the puny tyres the Nano suprises with a very good ground clearance. One can confidently reach upto 80 kph & still bring it to a grinding stop.Have to appreciate Tata for the gauge of steel that has been used. Feels solid enough.
The Nano’s that are on sale now is a much improvised version of what I own. Team Nano at Tata have done a great job of addressing all the underpinnings the Nano had. The fuel tank has a higher capacity of 24 litres as against the 15 litres one. Aircon condensor has been moved to the front of the car for better efficiency. Fit & finish, trim levels, equipment level, the bluetooth audio system, the driver info display & many more features have been incorporated now.
If one can chance upon a sparingly driven single owned Nano at a decent price tag - It would be well worth it.
If I have not bored the readers so far, here is a point wise pros & cons as to why you should be owning one:
PROS:-
The affordable price tag of course.( Poor resale value of the Nano is definitely an advantage for the used car buyer.)
Cute and refreshing out of box curvy design that turns heads wherever it goes.
Amazing space all around you inside. Decent interior quality for the price.
Very good fuel efficiency figures. 12-15 kpl in city & 20 - 24 kpl on highway runs.
Bone chilling air conditioner.
Excellent build quality & paint job.
Overall Reliability & availability of spares & service centres.
Large glass area keeps the cabin bright & makes the drive enjoyable.
Very powerful headlamps & fog lamps. On coming trucks & buses will use dippers!
Futuristic design & appearance. Might still be contemporary even by 2020.
CONS:-
Lacks safety & safety features, You did actually be praying to God that he be with you throughout the journey.
Under powered 624 cc power mill struggles on inclines. Heats up considerably too.
Hatch cannot be opened & access to the rear & engine bay is tricky. Tiny luggage space.
Two different tyre sizes - leaner at the front & broader at back - spare tyre provided is the leaner one.
Unsafe at high speeds & lack of disc brakes make the Nano unpredictable.
Bumpy ride quality made more awful by the very basic shock absorbers & puny tyres.
In convenient location of fuel nozzle inside the front bonnet.
MY VERDICT:-
The Nano is a superb car to buy, own & drive. It can squeeze into tight parking spaces & is a boon to drive in city conditions. I somehow still blame Tata Motors for not giving it the necessary impetus for the Nano in terms of sales. Despite being the cheapest homegrown car its sales numbers are dwindling! A sword now hangs upon this baby & one wonders whether it will meet the same fate as our iconic Ambassador did! Lacklustre sales personnel at dealerships & a lethargic attitude is sure to shoo away genuine buyers. Time for the top brass at Tata to whip up some dust.
Is the Nano worth the moolah? - In one word - YES!