Ring Out the Old, Ring In the New

Second Report

Current Odo reading: 4764

Previous Odo reading: 1871

Kms covered: 2893

Overall economy: 15.3kpl

Best: 17.0kpl

Worst: 14.2kpl

Whaley has still not gone for its first service (blame it on me for being lazy) but even after doing about 3000 more kms on the odometer the car did not once scream to go for its first servicing. The first service was due when whaley crossed the 1500 mark but even at 4764 on the odo it still is at its best. A lot happened during this 3000 km run. In the midst of all its trips, this ranged from driving down to Pune and then to Valsad (Gujarat) for New Years, whaley became a victim of road rage. The incident happened in Thane and I have still not clearly understood the reason for this. The dent at the rear of the car is a clear indication as to what would have happened if the stone that hit the metal sheet, would have flew in through the glass.

Disheartening as it was, life moves on and so did I and whaley. I went on with the usual drives in the city and realised how heavy and rather bulky the steering wheel is as compared to its competitors like the Nissan Micra and the Fiat Grande Punto. But the heavy steering does not make it difficult for the car to manoeuvre in city traffic. The blind-spot mirrors on the side-view mirrors are addictive as they help you keep a watchful eye on those motorists who are always in a hurry to overtake your vehicle.

I added a clip-on rear view mirror which is broad and this significantly gives you a wider perspective of the vehicles that are on your tail. The gear shifts are not as smooth as they were earlier and the shift from the second to the third gear is a task in itself. But then again it can be easily solved by using a lubricant and that will be taken care of in the first servicing of the car.

There is still a lot of driving to do, lots of places for whaley and me to explore so do keep reading and wave us a good bye if you see both of us doing the roundabouts of the city or the highway. At least I will wave back, can’t say that about whaley though!

First Report

Current Odo reading: 1871

Overall economy: 15.3kpl

Best: 17.0kpl

Worst: 14.2kpl

After a lot of contemplation, deliberation, debate and financial calculations I was still stuck to the fact that I could not give away my Indica V2 Turbo a.k.a Flying Machine, to buy a brand new car. . My red coloured devil that was accustomed to flying on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway heightening the envy of a great deal of on-lookers, had been with me through thick and thin. My Flying Machine (not be mistaken with the popular jeans brand) used to scram it way on the highway leaving no trace . I made it a point to try my best to give the Mercs and the BMWs of the world a chase; however, the 75 bhp could never match any of those fast cars but still I tried to keep pace with them.

My Flying Machines turbo kicked in and added that amazing punch as it whizzed past the mountains and the greenery, quiet obviously annoying a host of co-passengers who wanted to wait and enjoy the scenery. This red devil had a turbo indicator and one has to wait for a few seconds before cranking the engine every morning. The delay did wonders to the way the turbo kicked in once the car was revved beyond 2000 rpm and the sound of the well tuned engine just made me feel so good about going out into the city traffic and being comfortable inside. However, the car started giving me a lot of trouble of late and it was mutually decided that this red devil of mine, with whom I spent four years driving in the city, some picturesque locations and ofcourse some great highway runs had to be given up. I did protest, but well my pleas to let her be with me fell on deaf ears. Sigh!

The decision for any middle class individual to buy a car is a big one and I needed to either sell her or give her up in exchange. I did choose to exchange, but which car would give me the same performance level, the same space and a similar handling quality? After long hours of net surfing, numerous showroom visits and a huge collection of a heap of documents bearing diverse financial options, I was rest assured that the only car that I could put my money on was the Indica Vista, the 4th generation Tata small car and being a diesel fan, I went in for the Quadrajet.

Ring Out the Old, Ring In the New contd...

The Indica Vista Quadrajet Aura+. My choice was made. I could sense the ‘not letting go’ situation as my red devil refused to start on the day of the delivery. Even so, at the end of it all, I was at the showroom taking delivery of my new Marine Silver Indica Vista Quadrajet Aura+. The Indica Vista is a more rounded and looks a more docile creature than its cousin. The deal was done and I left my red devil with the Tata guys and started my ‘whale’ of a journey with the Vista. The Indica Vista Quadrajet Aura+ is a car loaded with features as well as space.

The first thing that you notice when you get into the car is the sheer space, both on the front and at the back that it has to offer. The car came to me when it had clocked only 35 kms on the odo, and I was happy that the rest of the driving would be done solely by me. The Vista had done some amount of city driving and it urged to fly on the highway. I took it out for a spin on the expressway and the sound of the engine was simply immaculate.

The refined Fiat engine in the Vista does make it a lot more mature car than its predecessors. The odd thing about getting into the driver’s seat is that you do not see the instrument cluster in front of you. It is placed to your left between the co-driver and the driver’s seat. The positioning is odd, in the sense, why would you like the other occupants in the car have an easy access to know what speed you’re on? The Aura+ trim has a lot of features to offer which you discover one by one on your own or just look it up the owner’s manual.

The Aura+ is the top-of-the-line variant in the Indica Vista squadron of cars and is priced at 5.37 lakh approximately (ex-showroom price Mumbai). It’s got ABS, Airbags, and an in-dash music system with Bluetooth connectivity. It boasts of an Aux-in and a USB as well. So the Aura+ did make a lot of sense when I thought about upgrading my car. I have named it ‘whaley’ since it a) looks like a whale to begin with, b) it is massive when it comes to space for a hatch and finally c) it’s simply adorable!. Whaley will be going for its first servicing soon and I sure hope she does not create a fuss about it. I am bound to like my car but I cant help but notice certain stark cons in the car.

The interior plastic quality has improved and there is significantly less rattling in the car but the rear view mirror has a mind of its own and starts rattling once the 100kph mark is crossed. I also noticed that the stock on the right hand side of the steering wheel is a little hard and indicating left or right sometimes takes a bit of effort. Then again its a Value for Money Car and I will keep updating you about the progress of dear whaley. You might see me and whaley cruising on the expressway soon, so may be the next blurr you see while driving might just be us!