Why we switched from a Polo to a 2nd-owner Etios: Experience so far

We had to get another car immediately and we did check out brand-new models like the Kia Sonet, Nissan Magnite and VW Taigun.

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I'll divide this post into three parts:

• Why the Etios, that too a 3rd hand
• The car
• Our experience so far

(Note- It's my aunt's car so it was she making the majority of the decisions, I was the one giving suggestions)

Reason to go for the Etios

So search for a new car started somewhere early in 2022 after we had to part ways with our beloved VW Polo 1.2 TDI 2012 model unwillingly because of its sudden gasket failure which happened so suddenly when the car was doing well otherwise. The repair costs quoted were exorbitantly high and we had no option but to sell it on point (I wasn't even able to see it for one last time).

Letting that car go was/is the hardest thing EVER, mainly because of a special place I have for her in my heart and forgetting a car which you've had an association with for one long decade is impossible and even more so when it's your first love, which happened to you when you were as small as 6 years old! I still remember walking into the VW showroom with my tiny feet having zero interest in the Polo and leaving with only her in my heart (Also the Jetta!). Well, that's a story for some other day.

These were the cars we checked out:

(I wasn't present in any of the test drives so the showroom experience is from my Aunt's point of view)

Kia Sonet

It was a car my aunt insisted on test driving, but I wasn't as keen because it just wasn't the right upgrade to the Polo but she anyway test drove the 1.2 IMT and was okay with the performance of the car. The car overall was good but the quality was clearly a downgrade and the waiting period stretched to almost 6 months! And that wasn't okay because we wanted the car immediately, so the Sonet was kept on hold.

Nissan Magnite

Again a fantastic car. Nicely designed, offered great value but was struck out pretty easily as soon as my aunt closed the doors, The car literally shook and a friend who was accompanying her had to remind her that it was a Magnite and not the Polo. Despite knowing that it's a 4-star rated car, she just wasn't confident about its build. She didn't even bother to test drive it, Magnite was clearly off our minds.

VW Taigun

Now the Taigun wasn't on our list due to the price and also otherwise but she couldn't resist checking it out when the showroom was just opposite. Test drove the 1.5 GT plus and understood what the hype was about my aunt was really impressed with it but a downside that even she noticed was the build that was just slightly lower than the Polo but that was manageable. The Taigun looks absolutely Fabulous in the Curcuma Yellow. It was just the right car to upgrade to but what wasn't manageable was the price even the base Taigun Comfortline cost 13.50 OTR and hence there was no question about the Taigun.

We did see other cars but none picked our interest.

Now we were in a dilemma as to what next. My Aunt had the Sonet 1.2 Turbo petrol IMT on her mind, she was in a place where she wanted to try a new brand car but outweighed the negatives of the car which were in LOADS. The only thing putting her off was the waiting period of 5 months (which was good for me). I wasn't even remotely impressed by the Sonet. Knowing Kia as a brand I knew we were settling for something less.

Honestly, there weren't any great cars to upgrade to, the only car that could possibly be an upgrade was the Taigun, I wanted it to be the Taigun anyway (Now the Virtus!). Also, the feeling we get while buying a new car was absent. One of the reasons being the Sonet. We gave it a thought and to my relief, we decided to go for a second-hand car wait for a few years and ultimately go back to VW.

From here the journey of hunting second-hand cars started, this was around March 2022. Now with a budget of 3-4 lakhs we checked out a few cars. Our priorities weren't many apart from the obvious ones - safety, built, preferably petrol and one of the main ones was having a higher ground clearance making ingress and egress easy for the elderly in our family. This being the first second-hand car in the family we didn't know much about the criteria of inspecting the car.

Some people in the know suggested cars like Celerio or the Wagon R according to our budget but there was no way we were buying any of the two for 3-4 lakhs. We knew we would get a better car at the same price and continued our search. Checked out the City 2013 model, this car got an immediate green flag from me because of the comfort it offered and I personally liked the styling of the car but the problem was that it wasn't maintained well and GC was not enough either.

Next was the EcoSport which again got a BIG yes from me but was struck off because my aunt feared getting the same service experience as VW. Moreover, Ford's absence in the country only added to the concern. Saw the Duster and it was just perfect but that demanded us to stretch our budget quite a bit. After all of this, we came across a 2011 Etios VX, second owner and 66000 km driven. It immediately grabbed our attention because it was comparatively less driven and frankly, for a Toyota, 66000 km is nothing. And most importantly it was immaculately well maintained, there were a few small dents but they weren't any sort of deal breakers and also the price was well into our budget. In fact, almost half of it!

There was no way we were letting this car go. We had a look at the car and were very satisfied with it. So the Etios it was, got the paperwork done and bought her home on Akshay Tritiya on 3 May 2022.

The car

Exterior

The car as I said before was extremely well-maintained. It didn't remind the fact that it had changed a couple of owners. There were two dents below the ORVMs and a small one on the boot lid, the headlamps had turned yellow and that was the only thing that needed replacement, which we replaced in the first service. It looks okayish on the front but a hundred times better than the rear. My most favourite part ahead is the Innova-derived cute smiling grill.

On the back, the car looks too much like the Logan/Verito sedans and moreover, I am not a fan of those stubby triangle-shaped taillamps and to add to my discomfort, the car came with black bumper protectors which I hate. To me, they spoil the look of the car.

What I personally liked is the Serene Bluish Silver shade as Toyota likes to call it, it's an interesting colour where sometimes in direct sun it comes upon as various shades of blue and silver.

From the side the car looks pretty proportionate, doesn't look like a Liva with a boot stubbed forcefully on it. I like how the shoulder line continues its way from the A-pillar all the way back to the C-pillar. The side skirts definitely do good to this car and add a hint of sportiness. The alloys do a good job of filling the wheel arches but in my opinion, a set of 4 chunky alloys would look just great.

Built wise the car is very light, the doors are feather light they just won't hang on the way and are always on the way to close themselves quite the opposite of the doors on the polo which had three steps for opening and closing.

Like everybody says the Etios is a very plain-looking car. It doesn't try hard to impress you. Toyota certainly played it safe with the design but to me, I think it's a kind of design that grows on you after a while.

It's a car where a car is the way it is, it does not die to grab your eyeballs. It's having that kind of an attitude like 'I am the way I am, if you like me then that's great, if you don't then that's your problem'. I think Etios is that type of car and I've come to like it, moreover, the smiling grill only adds to my appeal.

Interior

Now this is a part where I think Toyota messed up big time. The interior design as well as the quality feels horribly cheap, especially after getting used to the quality of the Polo, the Etios felt extremely inferior.

Problem isn't with the no-nonsense approach but the way things have been put together and the tacky quality. For eg - the buttons do not have a reassuring feel to them.

Aesthetically the dash looks just okay not a fan of having the instrument cluster in the centre, but I like the round AC vents though.

Equipment wise, this car doesn't offer much, just the necessary things like air conditioning, power windows, central locking and a few others including a cooled glove box. This being the VX it came with leather seats and red fabric inserts on the door pad. What I like the most about being inside though is the space, there's acres and acres of space, and it's by far the most comfortable car in our family. In the Polo due to the low ground clearance and limited space, my grandparents used to find it uncomfortable to get in. Initially, we doubted if this car would be comfortable in case of ingress and egress for them but we were more than happy when we got a thumbs up from them.

Seating 3 abreast is not at all a problem, in fact fitting 4 skinny people for short distances is possible. Also, the cushioning of the seats is perfect. The fact that the seats are not contoured adds to the comfort of the middle passenger. The boot is HUGE by every standard, everybody always complained about the small boot in the Polo and how they couldn't fit their luggage while on trips but with the Etios they can fit all their world and can sleep in the boot themselves! On a serious note, Etios' boot can really put some executive sedans to shame.

Overall the whole interior was stock apart from the tacky steering wheel cover the previous owner had put. The only change that We made was the Audio system which according to my Aunt looked old and weird, I personally don't like to mess up with the electricals of the car and prefer to keep it stock and I tried to convince her to keep the stock system but... anyway.

Etios under the cracked skies

Mechanically the car does well. The 1.5 motor does a good job being under the hood, the car feels peppy to drive and it's a joy when you receive the power in a quick and linear way. This 1.5 motor feels much more active than the sluggish 1.2 TDI which used to get alive only past the 2000 rpm mark and used to need working the gears under heavy conditions, the light weight of the Etios helps a lot to make it light on its foot. It feels more drivable than the Polo. What it cannot match is the course stability and the handling dynamics of the Polo. Etios just doesn't give the confidence on high speeds the way Polo gave. Comparing them would be an idiot's task.

The ride quality is very nice, soaks up all the bumps and this is even when the shock absorbers are not in their ideal condition. The thing that messes up the experience is the poor sound insulation, the wind noise is clearly audible even when you aren't at high speeds, which takes away the sense of the otherwise comfortable interior.

Etios with her very old relative

The Experience

It has been almost 2 years with the car and it has given us no issues whatsoever (it's a Toyota after all, what else do you expect), we've crossed the 85000 kms mark and are looking forward to making it upto the lakh mark. The car serves its promise of being practical and importantly reliable. We get around 10 kmpl in the city and 16 kmpl on the Highways, it drives well and is considerably fun to drive, especially with having the 1.5 motor in such a light car it actually feels breeze-like to drive. It is exactly the 'Fill it shut it and Forget it' type of car, totally tension-free. It's a relief to own her, especially after owning a German car for so many years, which gave me a new problem every month (hey, I am not complaining!). My Aunt finds the fact that the earth would not end if this car is not serviced on time oddly uncomfortable.

Just the regular service at 6-month intervals because of the high running. It's doing great, even maintenance-wise the bill hasn't crossed the 10k mark, and we haven't changed anything mechanically yet. We only replaced the audio system and the headlamps which was worth the 3000 bucks because now the car looks a thousand times better. Tyres are the same, suspension also doesn't need any work. So basically the car is all good to go for 1 more year before it is set to be replaced. A hearty thanks to the previous owners of the car for treating her so nicely. Whenever the time comes I hope she goes to an owner who will continue to treat her as nicely.

Etios and long drives

Things I wish were improved

• Quality- Even if it is a 4-star rated car, the build doesn't inspire confidence. I am sure a bit more weight wouldn't take a hit on the fuel Economy. The quality of interior trim reminds me of cars that are well below the segment. On high speeds over the highways when you go over a few rumble strips, the whole dashboard vibrates as if it's going to fall apart anytime. In some places like the boot and the front doors the panel gaps are clearly evident, the first time I noticed the gap on the bootlide I thought the boot was actually open. Toyota didn't have to make the fact that 'the Etios twins are built to a price' public.
• Equipment- I am not much of a techy person but would certainly not mind having a few basic useful features like a Bootlamp, keyless go, rear reading lights, Rear fog lamps and a nice pair of keys.
• Rear End- I do not have any problem with the look of the car but the rear end is something I can't stand. For me, the front and rear do not compliment each other. The split tail lamp-like effect that Toyota tried to give with the Platinum Etios polished things a bit but there was a whole room for improvement even further.
• Sound Insulation- Now this comes under quality but it deserves a special mention. All the wind noise is clearly audible at high speeds, as it is Etios does not inspire much confidence at high speeds and the poor sound insulation adds to that.
• Desirability- All the above-mentioned things I wish were improved. It isn't a desirable car by any means. It's genuinely a good car but you understand that only once you live with it. Toyota became so strict with the car that it was deprived of desire.

Interestingly, when you think about the two cars, the Polo and the Etios, you realise that despite them being so different they are yet too similar. The biggest similarity is the strict no-nonsense approach, you don't get unnecessary crap like 10 air purifiers, 100 colour ambient lighting, 50 wireless chargers to tickle your fancy, the two offer the stuff that you require and then some more. Both the cars are well-built and safe, Etios takes a small step back in the former though. You'll have fun in the driver's seat of both these machines, the Polo gives you a sudden bang after a considerable turbo lag whereas in the Etios power delivery is linear. Most importantly both of them are very respectable cars, both of them have strong fan bases who swear by these machines. Also, The two cars fabulously depict the values of their respective brands then may it be the Tough build and the German engineering of the polo or the Japanese reliability of the Etios.

The best angle of the car

Honestly, I wasn't happy with the idea of getting the Etios initially because it didn't feel right after experiencing a VW for a decade. Also, its Uber image didn't go well with me but over time when I looked at the Etios as an independent car I came to like it because firstly it's a fantastically engineered car, if you see, it's a car which has got all the basics right and how! - Comfort, Ride quality, safety, peppy to drive and space, everything thing that matters is more than perfect.

This car doesn't have the flash, both technologically and aesthetically that some other cars have but it's more than perfect in the areas it must be. Etios is an introvert who is shy to interact with others but is quite confident and capable of doing great things. Toyota actually did an exceptional job considering that the Etios twins were their first small cars but they outdid themselves to a great extent that it misfired. All the positives became negatives.

The twins were so good that they found more taxi drivers than private owners, Don't forget the Toyota badge that cemented the trust even more. Of course, nobody wants to be seen in a car which is so common in Taxis. Most of the time people just pass it on as if it's something utterly inferior by saying it's a Taxi car and fail to understand how remarkably well-built the car really is overall. It's a shame that people really didn't care about the car, how comfortable, how spacious, how balanced it was, all they were bothered about was the image. The fact that people never truly understood the potential of this car, my friends, breaks my heart.

Etios says Bye!

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