[drmohitg]

Yes you read it right. Some call it boring and some call it dull. For us it’s one of the most reliable and practical car. So here is my initial report of the beauty & I guess this is the first one on the forum.

Background

August 2010: There was no urgent need for a new car and all our 3 cars were doing extremely well. It was a fine rainy evening and I came across GTO’s review of the Fortuner. My whole family had already been in awe of its looks since the time of its launch. And then and there the thought of changing and buying a new car got into my head. I shared it with my dad and he was fine with it. The current garage was getting slightly boring and a change was needed. Also the fact that we were going to shift to a new house with ample parking space available meant that we were seriously looking at buying a new car.
The next question that arised was which car to part ways with? We currently have a Lancer Sfxi (Petrol) done 65k kms, NHC done 60k kms and Toyota Innova done 80k kms. All three cars had been trouble free and we loved them all. For reasons unknown I was never attached to the NHC much. It was a very good car no doubt but was kind off lacking a USP. So it was decided we will change it.

With that established came the more difficult part then I had ever anticipated.

Which car?

It was decided that since we had migrated to sedans and sort of got used to them, so the new car will also be a sedan. And it should be a segment above. It should be a diesel as the rising petrol cost had started hurting us psychologically rather then financially. The car would be used by my dad and he is usually chauffeured most of the times. So back seat comfort was of huge importance.

The cars considered
GTO’s review of the Vento was so amazing that we almost decided to book the Vento. Now my dad had stayed in UK and USA for some years and he was a fan of VW. I was very much impressed by the looks of the car and we went to check it soon after its launch. The dealership experience was pathetic but the car screamed quality from all angles and we almost finalized it. The biggest Toyota dealership in Delhi is located right opposite VW and we went inside that too. One look at the Altis and both of us were just WOW. The camry looks, amazing interior space and the T badge were enough to make us realize that this was the car for us. The Vento was anyways not much of an upgrade over the NHC. The other cars considered and ruled out were:
1. New Verna: Awesome looks. But the rear seat was extremely claustrophobic. And hence the car was ruled out as that was something we couldn’t compromise on. Never the less Kudos to Hyundai for giving us a great product loaded with features at a very good price.
2. New Ford Fiesta: We hated the looks. The interior quality specially the plastic finish, rear seat armrest with those nauseating hinges and most importantly lack of space meant that it was ruled out.
3. Chevy Cruze: Now this car had got some very good reviews. It had killer looks, loads of power and was loaded with unseen/unknown features. We were impressed with the specs but then again the car turned out to be slightly disappointing with regard to the interior space. Also I like beige interiors and the all Black interiors made the car look more cramped. The silvery dashboard finish and some plastics made us remember the NHC and finally with a heavy heart it was decided to let go of it.
4. VW: The Jetta had arrived. I and my sister had both been blown away by its looks and I was eagerly awaiting for its launch. The pricing looked and only sad thing about the car was lack of ACC. Anyways it was decided that this was the car we will buy in exchange for the lancer. My dad was not comfortable with the idea of taking it as his daily ride. So if and when we decide to change the Lancer we are surely gonna buy this beauty (hopefully by this year end).
5. Skoda: Not considered. I support your cause Mr. Harish.
6. Tata Manza: Yes we did check this out too. It really impressed us with all its space, decent looks and VFM pricing. But somehow Dad wasn't convinced about owning a Tata. We have had our share of Tata cars when we bought an Indica some years back although I agree the quality has improved a lot since then.
7. Optra: Never considered seriously. But thanks to member Positive's continuous pushing, we did go to check it. The staff was least interested, told that it hardly sells, didn't have a TD car etc. And that was enough to strike the car out of our list.
A detailed account of my trying to figure out the right car can be found here: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/sedans...lla-altis.html

So finally we decided to book the Altis D-4D G ( middle variant). The news of Toyota increasing its prices across the range by 2-2.5% kind of added that sense of urgency to the whole process. The timing of booking the car was absolutely lucky for us as we almost saved close to 80k Since the very next day we registered our new car, Delhi govt decided to increase the road tax for diesel vehicles from existing 10% to 12.5%.

The Dealership experience – Galaxy Toyota, Moti nagar
I have always been very impressed with theme. They have a huge space, clean and well designed, smart and helpful team of staff and the whole aura about the place is very positive. This is in extreme contrast to the VW dealer across the road and I think VW should do something about it seriously. I had also been a fan of there servicing wing. Its HUGE. I get my Innova serviced there and even though most vehicles Toyota sells are sedans/MUV/SUVs the area never feels cramped. So it was pre decided that we will not flirt with other dealers and stick to Galaxy. The SA, Mr. Jasmeet Singh who attended to us was quite professional and I have no qualms in recommending him. There were no freebies offered and we were fine with it. We got the insurance done from outside since the price difference was substantial. The SA didn't decrease his quote by even a Rupee and was fine with us taking it from outside. I was a little surprised as I had imagined him to atleast try and match the quote and was also happy at the same time that he didn't show any signs of being unhappy with us taking the insurance from outside. Finally booked the car on the 23rd. Took the Delivery on the 29th September and with Navratras starting there could not have been a more auspicious time. I took the TBHP PDI checklist but on seeing the car in flesh standing there waiting to come home, made me forget all about the checklist. Did a quick survey though with dad and found everything in order. According to the VIN it was a September 2011 make and the ODO read only 28kms ( Almost the exact distance from there yard to the showroom).
The Final OTR came to 15.3L.
Overall Rating : 8.5/10.

The Initial driving expressions

Start this car and you will not even realize that the engine is running. The NVH levels inside the car is very well controlled with only a slight sound from the engine filtering in indicating that it’s a diesel motor doing its job. For a guy like me who drives an Innova everyday, its pure Bliss.

Much has been said about the weak 1.4L engine. Well even I was extremely apprehensive till the time I took my first TD. Whatever small fragments of doubt were left, vanished away yesterday after taking delivery and driving the car for 80 kms in the city. This car is not meant for racing, period. There is a gentle surge of power as you shift through the gears. The Turbo boost kicks in around 2100 rpm and is enough to put a smile on your face. But it is unlike the other diesel cars and there is no prominent pushed back into your seat kind of feeling. This does not mean that you cannot over take vehicles. But yes you can’t race with a Cruze either.
The gear shifts are butter smooth, short and slick. 2nd and 3rd gears will take care of most of your city driving. I have been having some problems getting accustomed to the reverse gear and have already made the mistake of slotting into 6th rather then reverse twice.
The GC of 175mm means that scraping the bottom is a thing of the past.
The back seat is simply amazing. There is no more rubbing of your elbows with your co-passenger upfront. Both can easily rest there arms on the centre arm rest comfortably.
The AC is a chiller although the peak delhi summers have passed. I had to put the blower on minimum just after 3 minutes as it started to become very cold.
The last 80kms of driving the car yesterday since delivery returned a more then healthy FE of 16.3 according to the MID.

Accessories
I didn’t take much from the dealer except the following:
1. Muffler cutter.
2. Bumper corner protector strips.
3. Trunk luggage tray.

Accessories planned:
1. Seat covers. The Toyota ones will cost me 5200 Rs. I will go for simple fabric ones. So decided to buy them from outside as it will be much cheaper.
2. Sun films: Will get Vkool. Already got the quote from the VKool dealer and will get the films hopefully this weekend. I am guessing 3M will cost me a little less but there is no dealer for the same here ( couldn't locate a genuine guy) and I am not too keen on taking my car to one of those accessories shop who might not be able to do a perfect job.
3. Mats: Will get the star car mats from sai mag wheels. I got them for my Innova and they are quite nice. Anyone can tell me where can I find kagu mats in Delhi?
4. Parking Sensors: I am looking at just the Audio ones with indicator lights. The dealer had one from a brand that they only manufacture. He quoted 3500 for the same. I have to still check out after market makes and prices. But not sure if I want anyone from outside digging holes in my car. Any suggestions on which brand?
5. Lastly my uncles verna got flicked off right in broad daylight from outside his house. So I was thinking of getting one of those GPS tracking devices installed. The dealer had one from Atlanta( model robo g) and quoted 15k for the same.

PS: A huge thanks to everyone on TBHP to give in there valuable inputs at every step right from choosing the right car to buying the insurance. A special thanks to Anoop ( Yes yes you deserve it ), positive, dkaile, oxyzen, clarthom, akshay.
Cheers!
Mohit.
I have a small function in the house this Sunday so unable to find time to click some proper pictures. They will surely be put up very soon.
Meanwhile attaching some pics taken from my phone while taking delivery.

Standing at the dealer


Love this angle the most


Upfront and the not so impressive back




Dad and Sister and the small ceremony at the dealer


A pic of the dash in the eve. It looks absolutely stunning.

[revintup]

Congrags on acquiring one of the most practical cars in the market.

[quote=drmohitg;2528142] which car to part ways with? We currently have a Lancer Sfxi (Petrol) done 65k kms, NHC done 60k kms and Toyota Innova done 80k kms.

I personally think you should have sold the lancer.



So back seat comfort was of huge importance.

Guess that sealed the decision in favour of the altis.




Accessories planned:
1. Seat covers. The Toyota ones will cost me 5200 Rs. I will go for simple fabric ones. So decided to buy them from outside as it will be much cheaper.

I would advise you to stick on with the oem ones for now.If it gets dirty you can change it then.Most of the after market ones are of inferior quality.

I would advice you to go for leather seats though.Improves the interiors dramatically.Should be available for 20k appx.

[quote=drmohitg;2528142]

[sachinj12]

I doubt if your's is the first Diesel Altis on the Forum. Remember reading one sometime back. Nevertheless, all those aside, congrats on the oil burner! Drive Safe.

[Furebo]

Originally Posted by revintup

I personally think you should have sold the lancer.

+1 to that! Also I feel it was a very brave decision to buy a car that is going to be replaced next year with the new one.

Anyways, It suits your requirements so congrats!

[vb-saan]

Congratulations Mohit! IMHO, Altis indeed is the best packaged Toyota sold in India. On the first glance I thought you have ditched the idea of Jetta, and got the Altis. On reading further, got to know that Jetta is in for yearend plans

Enjoy the car, and please do post some more interior pics!

[Aurum]

Congratulations, Mohit!

I had the same feeling as you about the checklist, but I went through with it anyway

These are exciting times for you! Once you get over this one, it will start all over again by the end of the year with your new car.

[mayankjha1806]

Congratulations on a sensible buy, brand Toyota brings a sense of mental peace to a large extent. I test drove the petrol Altis and still waiting for the SA to give me TD of Diesel Altis. I am glad you liked the drive-ability of the car.

[RadiantKarma]

Hey drmohitg,

Hearty congratulations for the trustworthy beauty!

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Some call it boring and some call it dull. For us it’s one of the most reliable and practical car.

Boring could be for the chauffer, occupant needs comfort, which the car provides in ample measure. And who can beat a Toyota in reliability and practicality?!

So here is my initial report of the beauty & I guess this is the first one on the forum.

I am mighty surprised to know this.

Which car?
It should be a diesel as the rising petrol cost had started hurting us psychologically rather then financially. The car would be used by my dad and he is usually chauffeured most of the times. So back seat comfort was of huge importance.

With these needs, I guess Altis D is a great automatic choice.

2. Sun films: Will get Vkool. Already got the quote from the VKool dealer and will get the films hopefully this weekend. I am guessing 3M will cost me a little less but there is no dealer for the same here ( couldn't locate a genuine guy) and I am not too keen on taking my car to one of those accessories shop who might not be able to do a perfect job.

Vkool... hmmm, performance guaranteed! But hey, is it worth that much $$?! With a chiller of an AC, I'd think Garware Icecool should serve the purpose very well. I know Garware brand has been getting a lot of flak. But then, IMO, the brand has got maligned because most of its sale comes from its low-end sun-films that hardly serve the purpose except for making the glasses dark! The top-end Icecool range is great VFM. And, since Garware commands over 90% market, it's available in every single store. Sure, you should check this out with the gurus before taking the plunge.


Wishing your Dad a great time being comfortably chauffeured around in the superb car!

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by revintup

I personally think you should have sold the lancer.

Its on the cards too! But you know how sometimes we get attached to our cars. The Lancer was the first BEEEGG car we bought. It was also our first black colour car. I still remember when we bought it very few cars used to have auto folding mirrors and I used to flaunt it so much . So the bottomline is we love it still, its a hoot to drive and I feel its one of the best driver's car. So its been unanimously decided that even if we buy the Jetta or anyother car, we are not going to sell the Lancer.

I would advise you to stick on with the oem ones for now.If it gets dirty you can change it then.Most of the after market ones are of inferior quality.

I would advice you to go for leather seats though.Improves the interiors dramatically.Should be available for 20k appx.

If I don't get anything better I will buy those. I somehow felt OEM accessories are a little pricey without exactly justifying the cost. For 5k I will get decent fabric options outside. We are not big fans of leather. And anyways 20k for seat covers is not in my budget lol.

Originally Posted by sachinj12

I doubt if your's is the first Diesel Altis on the Forum. Remember reading one sometime back. Nevertheless, all those aside, congrats on the oil burner! Drive Safe.

Well the other threads are all about Petrol Altis and hence I called it a first. Nevertheless I am loving it !

Originally Posted by Furebo

+1 to that! Also I feel it was a very brave decision to buy a car that is going to be replaced next year with the new one.

By next year prices would have increased so much. The thought of buying the Altis had started last year as I posted in the opening message. That time the same model was costing me 14.4 OTR. Now I paid 15.4L OTR. And as of Monday onwards the same model will cost me 16+L due to the increased road tax and prices by Toyota. We are anyways going to keep the car for a good 7-8 years so I am not worried on that front.

Originally Posted by vb-san

Congratulations Mohit! IMHO, Altis indeed is the best packaged Toyota sold in India. On the first glance I thought you have ditched the idea of Jetta, and got the Altis. On reading further, got to know that Jetta is in for yearend plans

Enjoy the car, and please do post some more interior pics!

Yea The Jetta plans were put on hold because both me and my sis might have to go outside Delhi from next year for studies, MD and MBA respectively. So don't want the Jetta to just stay parked. By this year end things will become clear.

More pics will surely be posted tomorrow or monday.

Originally Posted by RadiantKarma

Vkool... hmmm, performance guaranteed! But hey, is it worth that much $$?! And, since Garware commands over 90% market, it's available in every single store. Sure, you should check this out with the gurus before taking the plunge.

Well to be honest I am myself not comfortable putting 13k on the sunfilms. But I couldn't locate a genuine 3M dealer in Delhi. Just got the contact details of a BHPian who deals in Llumar. Will check out that too because noopster has it on his vento and he is pretty happy with them.

Thanks for all your wishes guys.

[souravc]

Dear Mohit , my heartiest congratulations on your new car . I remember you to be a pretty active member on the Vento threads so was a bit surprised ( just for a moment) when I saw your thread regarding the Altis but I do remember you good experience with your Innova ( and Toyota ) .
Altis oozes comfort and assures a long trouble free ownership experience .
Congrats once again !

[Y@SH]

Congratulations on your car mohit! A good and practical choice. Do you find it underpowered sometimes?

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by souravc

Dear Mohit , my heartiest congratulations on your new car . I remember you to be a pretty active member on the Vento threads so was a bit surprised ( just for a moment) when I saw your thread regarding the Altis but I do remember you good experience with your Innova ( and Toyota ) .
Altis oozes comfort and assures a long trouble free ownership experience .
Congrats once again !

Ya man thanks a lot. I know it all started with the Vento. To be frank both me and my dad still like vento a lot. But the Altis finally won because of:
1. More space and luxurious then the Vento.
2. T badge means total peace of mind for a long long time.
3. VW long term ownership is still a suspect.

Originally Posted by Y@SH

Congratulations on your car mohit! A good and practical choice. Do you find it underpowered sometimes?

Well first of all let me tell you I don't drive above 120 even on the highway. I have driven the Altis for around 120 kms till now most of it in the city. Took her to 120 today on an open road and she didn't disappoint me at all. The power is adequate till then but once you cross that I doubt it will go above 150-160 max. Although I haven't tried the 6th gear so it might help with that.

Overall its actually a very decent car to drive.

Guys is a running period needed for these modern age cars? What is the safe RPM range I can take her to? Till now I have not crossed 2500rpm. Mostly kept her between 1500-2000 but waiting for 2k kms to finish is a very tedious task.

[bigron]

Congratulations Congratulations. I was soo looking forward to an altis diesel ownership review. I absolutely love this car. The petrol is great and the diesel with our rising fuel prices even better. And that color makes even a plain jane altis look nice. Any specific/ major difference between the model you bough and the GL version. ( apart from the headlights and leather seats) ? Have been sitting on the fence for a long time to buy a new car and this would compliment my other "white elephant " that I just picked up. With your thread up and running I think i will make my mind sooner than later. Ride safe.

PS: I know those black bumper guards protect the bumper but they really do look out of place. Maybe a white one would be slightly less offensive.

[ashis89]

drmohitg congrats for the new Altis D. As stated above by many, I would like to repeat the same the Altis is most practical car having one the best rear seats. It looks decent from any angle that you look at it and i just love it for the same.

People criticize the Altis D for its performance but i would view it differently. Both the Altis and the Innova(also the erstwhile favorite Qualis) have been tuned in such a way so as to be more reliable than being more powerful. Thus they happily last more than 300k Kms without any major hiccup.

Secondly,the Altis is pretty fuel efficient too(as you have already posted) which is a boon in today's world of rising fuel prices. So just enjoy the magnificent car which has just entered your garage. Wishing you many happy miles in your new car.

PS: Best wishes to you and your sis for your higher studies.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by bigron

Any specific/ major difference between the model you bough and the GL version. ( apart from the headlights and leather seats) ? Have been sitting on the fence for a long time to buy a new car and this would compliment my other "white elephant " that I just picked up. With your thread up and running I think i will make my mind sooner than later. Ride safe.

As you have said its a purchase you do from your heart. This car is the epitome of reliability and I actually love the camry like looks. To me its one of the best looking sedans out there and it has a decent presence on road.
The difference between the top end and this is the leather seats( which are kind of nice), fog lamps, headlamp washers and automatic focus, automatic IRVM. None of those are good enough though to pay 1+L. I can easily get stanley leather which will be pretty awesome for around 30k.

PS: I know those black bumper guards protect the bumper but they really do look out of place. Maybe a white one would be slightly less offensive.

Well they had only 1 colour and I didn't wanna take them from outside. They come with a 1 year warranty. Also in the above pics there is a blue tape which is covering the chrome part of it. May be you will like them once I remove them it will look nice. They had put the same strips on there display fortuner ( pearl white colour only) and it was kind of looking nice.

Originally Posted by ashis89

Secondly,the Altis is pretty fuel efficient too(as you have already posted) which is a boon in today's world of rising fuel prices.

PS: Best wishes to you and your sis for your higher studies.

Thanks a lot man. Its highly fuel efficient. Till now done 130 kms and the MID shows average fuel consumption as 15.8 kmpl. This includes almost half an hours drive in bumper to bumper traffic. I expect 15+ kmpl at all times in city traffic with 100% AC. In the current fuel pricing scenario thats excellent.