[BrakeFree]

My enthusiasm was uncontrollable, my nervousness was clearly visible. The queue had started building up and I wasn't really sure if I'll make it as per my plan. But I had waited for this day since way too long and I will not shy away from giving my best. The hot and humid monsoon was adding to the aggravation. It was my 18th birthday and I was at Sheikh Sarai RTO/Driving License Authority, Delhi to get my Learner's license made.

The predicament was our first car was arriving in less than 24 hours and my father wouldn't let me drive it till I earn my learner's license. He resolutely believes in going by the book and prefers to keep things simple - follow the rules and leave no room to provide justification later. If I don’t get my learner's license today my dream of driving the car out of the showroom would be shattered. Yes, I wanted to be the first one to drive our arriving soon the humble Maruti 800 Ex in a refreshing ‘Caribbean blue’ color.

Did I mention till this point in life I had never driven a car! You must be thinking that do I believe in miracles, but honestly, I had a plan. Here is what my bullet proof plan looked like:
1. Reach the DL authority early in the morning to beat the queue - This was managed well.
2. Show the documents and if document's are valid, appear in the written\theory exam for learner's license for the immediate next available slot - Deep in my heart I was reciting all known prayers during this time.
3. Clear the theory paper (I had the road sign's all learnt by heart) and get the learner's license.
4. Post lunch, my friend will get his car and his father's driver to my house. I'll take a crash course on driving for an hour or two. All I wanted to get acquainted with was to get the car rolling in first gear from stand still without stalling and predominantly in one go. There was a slight issue here as well - my friend's car was none other than the most iconic car of its time 'The Opel Astra'. What will happen if I crash or bruise it – the thought that will my parents disown me did cross my mind!
5. I was on top of my theory lessons about driving since last few weeks with the help of another friend of mine. He had shared a trick which will never let the car stall in first gear (leaving out the details for another day). I knew I could blindly trust my friend as he was coveted with the honor in his own house to park the cars in the driveway one by one, close\lock the gate. Get up early in the morning, unlock the gate, park the cars outside the driveway. This was exactly what I fantasized about at that era.
6. Convince my parents that I have magically learnt to drive overnight (remember it's was my birthday so this would be an apt gift to ask\plead\beg for).

With such a solid plan, all I needed was some blessings from the almighty.

Well, this was supposed to be my introduction to the mavericks of the automotive world. So, coming straight to the point. I am a 37-year-old Delhiite, settled in Hyderabad for a decade now. You would have already guessed by now I am software engineer as everybody is in the field of software in Hyderabad. As a family we love to drive to our destination as much as possible. And the best part is, my parents and kids (the twins) love long drives. My wifey doesn't mind the drive till our pit stops hover around good food.

I am super excited to be part of this community and would like to thank each one of you who are the torch bearers in creating a knowledge base about everything related to automobiles and beyond which in my earnest opinion is absolutely unbiased, accurate and fiercely honest. My handle here is akin to my philosophy that I always yearn to drive at a speed which minimizes the use of brakes. This includes let get off the accelerator some distance before the turn or the speed bumps. Change and choose the lanes appropriately. Trust me your car and travel mates will love you for this. The pun is also international as driving allows me to break free from the daily rigmarole.

And yes, my plan did succeed with some impromptu amends.

I promise to share the list of my rides in next post along with a spellbinding incident when I bought my fist car.

[BrakeFree]

Here is my journey with different rides:

1. Maruti Suzuki SX4 ZXi (Sunlight Orange) 2008 Jan – 2008 Feb – Owned it for just 4 days

Well this was the first car I bought with my own money. It was a joyous occasion in the family and there no social media which could apprise me of the malpractices of the dealers. The car came home, we did the customary pooja. Pandit-ji from Ram Mandir @ Lodhi Road, Delhi also took the car for a short spin. He confirmed that the car is indeed VFM.
The weekend went by quickly and on Monday I took the car to my office in Gurgaon. The drive was little unnerving as I was over conscience about my new possession. While parking the car in my office parking lot I observed a small nick on the speedometer. It was about a centimeter long and very thin but the angle at which the sunlight hit it, it appeared glaring and observable for the first time. It was the first bummer, but I had an uneasy feeling about it. However, I refused to get upset about it and headed in to my building. During lunch time my colleagues went to the parking lot for a stroll and stopped by the car. There were dozens if comments and compliments. But one of the comments spooked me like I have been pricked when I am all by myself in the room. One of my friend snarked, it’s a nice color but most of the showrooms have the same color on display. Yes, you guessed it correctly. The showroom car parked for viewing that I remember gazing around for more than an hour before I took this decision to buy this car had a scratch at the same location. That car also had ‘Sunlight Orange’ color.
To be honest I wasn’t very sure about my ability to remember such a minuscule detail that too from something that happened around 2 months back. I got back to work but the thought had disturbed my peace of mind. The deal with the dealer was I need a 2008 model and I can wait for it. Even though there is a discount running on 2007 stock, but I am not interested. I searched online how to find out the date of manufacturing of the car. This is when I noticed the richness of content in team-bhp. There was no PDI List as such but I got plethora of information. Armed with the newfound knowledge I rushed back to the parking lot, opened the car bonnet and found the tag with VIN details. The letters/numbers at specific location in VIN would let me know the month and year of manufacturing. And to my horror, the car was indeed manufactured in November 2007. It was the same car kept in showroom display. I felt cheated and enraged to the level that I immediately dashed to the dealer location in my car. On the way I was rehearsing and planning how to handle the situation, my ask and evaluating my odds of success.
Jumping to the good part, the dealer agreed to replace the car with a new one though I had to wait for the next lot. Was this so easy? No, I had to pull strings at multiple levels and remain without a car for a month for which I was already paying EMIs. And in March the new SX4 arrived.

2. Maruti Suzuki SX4 Zxi (Silver) 2008 March 90k

We were super cautious on this one. We got the car assigned from Maruti directly and my brother tracked its movement right from where it loaded in to the container truck to the dealer stock yard this time. Sadly, in next few days I would bid adieu to Delhi to relocate to Hyderabad due to a new job stint. I thought I will be back in Delhi soon to enjoy my car but both the car and me are still holding their positions. I left the car in Delhi with my brother who is maintaining it so well that I am dreading that the 15 year scraping policy will be an injustice to it. I often wonder if the government policy takes into account the complete carbon footprint incurred to dispose a fairly efficient 15 year old car and produce a new one (with better emission though). Vehicle condition should have been the sole criteria for private vehicles at least and not the iron fisted time bound rule imposed by NGT in NCR.

3. Honda City ZX Gxi (Galaxy Grey) 2011 Pre-worshipped 42k – 68k (sold in 2015)

A good car that takes you from point A to point B. Exceptional build quality and engine refinement cannot be expressed in words. I find newer Honda City model’s always felt a notch down in quality. The car had aged so gracefully that there was no rattling at 68k mileage, emission tests numbers where same as what the car had at the time of manufactured. Sedated driving on the out skirts on Hyderabad often gave us 21+ kmpl. Bright headlights, compact dimensions and a big boot - I loved the simplicity of the car.

4. Fiat Punto Grande Dynamic Diesel (Fox Trote Azure) 2012 July 82k

Initially brought it for my parents but now I have been using it frequently as a daily driver. Rubbery gear shift and cheap looking plastic surrounds you. But the car has grown over me and the driving dynamics and the looks from outside makes it fun to drive in a city. This is truly one of the underdogs in our market.

5. Skoda Superb Elegance 1.8 TSI MT (Mocha Brown) 2013 Pre-worshipped 8k – 45k (my brother drives it now)

It’s a sleeper car. The car needs to be worked upon from the stop line, a typical characteristics of turbo petrol as power available is very less till the turbo spools in. But it’s a mile cruncher. Drive it for 10+ hours without a hint of fatigue. The silence of the cabin and a good audio system transform you to another dimension. The car has acres of space inside and a boot you can use to move your house. The car easily returns 15 kmpl on highway. The car has been absolutely trouble free till now. A lot of thoughtfulness has gone into the making of this car like an umbrella holder with water drain in the rear door, twin options to open the boot lid (sedan type and hatchback type), light sensitive internal and external RVM, completely flat folding rear seats, soft close boot, electric seat adjustment for passenger and drivers, accessing the boot from the rear seat hand rest, auto hill hold control and the color changing bi-xenon headlights are few of the features most of the luxury cars lack even till now. Now 3.5-year-old son craves for this car. The first time he sat in this car he went gaga about it. He has been asking me for his 4th birthday if we can we get back the Superb!

6. Hyundai Verna Fluidic 1.6 CRDI Ex AT (White) 2015 Pre-worshipped 6k – 38k

Wifey’s daily drive to office. 4AT on paper looks dated but the 125 bhp engine pulls like a locomotive. Kick down takes forever but from stop line this car puts a smile on your face. The engine is very smooth oil burner once it has reached its optimal temperature. The car suffers from not so great mileage. It gets to single digit mileage in traffic jams. Also the low ground clearance is something we have to actively watch out for when more than 2 adults passengers are present.

7. Volvo S60 Cross Country D4 (Osmium Grey) 2019 Pre-worshipped 10k – 15k

The apple of our eyes currently. Mostly used for outstation trips and weekend hangouts. I never feel good driving a SUV. I feel they got stuck in the evolution chain between the truck at one end and sports car at the end. Sedans appear closer to the finish line. Please don’t hate me for this analogy but I just shared what comes to my mind whenever I try to drive a SUV (compact or ladder on frame) on the smooth tarmac.
So when I wanted a car that should be a sedan, huge ground clearance (something that will put CSUVs to shame), AWD (so that I can drive to the fabled Gurudongmar lake in Sikkim), close to 200 bhp and a torque engine and 5-star safety rating. Initially I felt nothing of this sort would exist. But here it is, looks like something tailor made for my requirements.
Small boot (due to the afterthought spare wheel addition) and a noisy 5 cylinder 2.4L diesel engine (though off late I have started to like gnarly growl). The car returns mileage in single digit in city stop and go traffic. On highways with decent load and spirited driving it gets to about 15.5 kmpl.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by BrakeFree

My enthusiasm was uncontrollable, my nervousness was clearly visible. The queue had started building up and I wasn't really sure if I'll make it as per my plan. But I had waited for this day since way too long and I will not shy away from giving my best. The hot and humid monsoon was adding to the aggravation. It was my 18th birthday and I was at Sheikh Sarai RTO/Driving License Authority, Delhi to get my Learner's license made.

Welcome to Team-BHP, BrakeFree! What an amazing start to your intro, hooked man...

Well, this was supposed to be my introduction to the mavericks of the automotive world. So, coming straight to the point. I am a 37-year-old Delhiite, settled in Hyderabad for a decade now. You would have already guessed by now I am software engineer as everybody is in the field of software in Hyderabad. As a family we love to drive to our destination as much as possible. And the best part is, my parents and kids (the twins) love long drives. My wifey doesn't mind the drive till our pit stops hover around good food.

Hyderabad, I have been there 3-4 times, and every time I'm amazed with the how the old and new integrate together. One one hand you have your swanky building and posh roads, but the older part still has that medieval and homely feel to it! Also good to have family members that all love driving, infact you are one of the lucky ones here.

I am super excited to be part of this community and would like to thank each one of you who are the torch bearers in creating a knowledge base about everything related to automobiles and beyond which in my earnest opinion is absolutely unbiased, accurate and fiercely honest.

My handle here is akin to my philosophy that I always yearn to drive at a speed which minimizes the use of brakes. This includes let get off the accelerator some distance before the turn or the speed bumps. Change and choose the lanes appropriately. Trust me your car and travel mates will love you for this. The pun is also international as driving allows me to break free from the daily rigmarole.

Glad to have you onboard, looking forward to your posts and threads!

Originally Posted by BrakeFree

Here is my journey with different rides:

1. Maruti Suzuki SX4 ZXi (Sunlight Orange) 2008 Jan – 2008 Feb – Owned it for just 4 days

And to my horror, the car was indeed manufactured in November 2007. It was the same car kept in showroom display. I felt cheated and enraged to the level that I immediately dashed to the dealer location in my car. On the way I was rehearsing and planning how to handle the situation, my ask and evaluating my odds of success.

Jumping to the good part, the dealer agreed to replace the car with a new one though I had to wait for the next lot. Was this so easy? No, I had to pull strings at multiple levels and remain without a car for a month for which I was already paying EMIs. And in March the new SX4 arrived.

Wow
Thanks a shocker of an experience. But I'm glad the dealer provided you with a different car! I don't know why some dealers resort to this tactic of keeping the customer in the dark, but as they say, alls well that ends well.

2. Maruti Suzuki SX4 Zxi (Silver) 2008 March 90k
3. Honda City ZX Gxi (Galaxy Grey) 2011 Pre-worshipped 42k – 68k (sold in 2015)
4. Fiat Punto Grande Dynamic Diesel (Fox Trote Azure) 2012 July 82k
5. Skoda Superb Elegance 1.8 TSI MT (Mocha Brown) 2013 Pre-worshipped 8k – 45k
6. Hyundai Verna Fluidic 1.6 CRDI Ex AT (White) 2015 Pre-worshipped 6k – 38k
7. Volvo S60 Cross Country D4 (Osmium Grey) 2019 Pre-worshipped 10k – 15k

Nice set of cars there! One can tell this is the garage of an enthusiast. Do start an ownership thread, especially for the Volvo as I too am not a big fan of SUVs and would like to know how the car is treating you.

Do take a look at the forum rules before you start.

[BrakeFree]

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Welcome to Team-BHP, BrakeFree! What an amazing start to your intro, hooked man...

Thanks blackwasp. Have always loved reading your threads especially "Behind the Scenes: A salesman's life in a car dealership". It was a revelation!

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Nice set of cars there! One can tell this is the garage of an enthusiast. Do start an ownership thread, especially for the Volvo as I too am not a big fan of SUVs and would like to know how the car is treating you.

For the brief period of my ownership of Volvo S60 CC, I find it a very practical car. And with the cool aids like city safety, BLIS and close proximity detection warning my driving has been transformed a fair bit. Will surely create an ownership thread car but looking at the lofty standards of ownership thread, I need to up my ante.

Originally Posted by blackwasp

Hyderabad, I have been there 3-4 times, and every time I'm amazed with the how the old and new integrate together. One one hand you have your swanky building and posh roads, but the older part still has that medieval and homely feel to it!

Once you stay in Hyderabad, it's very hard to leave this city of Nawabs. Good food and awesome roads (like ORR, Hyderabad-Bangalore (NH44), Hyderabad-Vijaywada (NH65) and Hyderabad-Nagpur (NH44)) roads for long drives. These roads are ideal ground to bring out the true character of cars and bikes!

[SS-Traveller]

Welcome to the forum. Interesting write-up and choice of cars.

Originally Posted by BrakeFree

...to my horror, the car was indeed manufactured in November 2007.
Was this so easy? No, I had to pull strings at multiple levels...

I can well imagine why you've never bought another Maruti car after that.

[BrakeFree]

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Welcome to the forum. Interesting write-up and choice of cars.

I always wanted to thank you for your thread https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...m-wrongly.html (DSG Mechatronics Failures: Are we driving them wrongly?). I was looking for a highway cruiser and was thoroughly confused about Skoda's DSG menace. After going through the thread I was sure what I really wanted. We finally got to own Skoda Superb 1.8 TSI MT. It is explosive on the highway and absolutely reliable. Rather when we decided to buy our first automatic city car, I knew I needed a TC and nothing else.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

I can well imagine why you've never bought another Maruti car after that.

That's an interesting observation. This never caught my attention. I am not sure for how long can I really stay away from Maruti/Suzuki car, as one fine day, my wife expressed her desire to switch to a car with more creature comforts. So I started my research on team-bhp. On prodding her, she said something which hit me like a dart "I has to be a Ciaz in dark blue color and the AT variant. Rest of the things you can decide". Ciaz Delta AT did come out as a compelling buy. However due to lack of significant upgrade from current Verna Fluidic (D) AT, we dropped the plan. Not sure when will this conversation be back again.