[vivekgk]

Things were fine. Absolutely fine. I had recently been transferred to my hometown, thus putting an end to my fortnightly 400km trips, and our Tata Indigo CS, as well as our Nano, were now doing nothing more than the occasional weekend trip and city shopping runs. Truthfully, I had no desire to go on long trips any more. I am a spirited driver, though not particularly fast, and the effort and involvement required to constantly keep the Indigo's engine in the boost range was a bit tiring over anything longer than 100 kms. It just stopped being enjoyable. But, it didn't make sense to replace a car that was only being used occassionally, and had a lot of life left in it, and poor resale value.

The Old Workhorse
Our Indigo CS TDi had been with us since 2010. It had served us well for 6 years. The engine was excellent for a TDi motor, the Turbo still had good boost, NVH was normal, and it still looked good, especially after a small trip to the FNG for a service at 70K, touch up and polishing. The tyres (Kenda 185/65R14) were just about 10K old and had at least 40K more left in them. I didn't need an upgrade, I wanted it.

Here's a pic of the lady taken at Ponmudi Hill Station, Trivandrum.


The Trip
In June of this year, we had to make a trip to Kochi. As I didn't like traffic, I decided to make the trip at night, which would take just about 4 hours. The drive onward was fun, with the open roads and occasional good patches enabling us to hold speeds of more than 120kph in between speed cams. The car still amazed with the way it would accelerate from 80kph onward. However, the return trip had to be made during the day, in heavy traffic and rain. It took 8 hours, and Dad and I took turns, as the near constant clutch-work required to keep the car moving briskly was taking a toll on our legs. By the time we had reached home, we were convinced that we needed to change our car to something more driveable. Though I had raised the issue a couple of times since the car had passed the 4 year/ 50K mark, it was the first time that Dad had actually agreed with me, and not tried to discourage me.

[vivekgk]

The (In)Decision
At this time, I had gotten a raise, and some arrears, and I decided that this raise could go towards the EMI. We enquired around for the market value of our Indigo, and were disheartened to get figures ranging from 1.25 lacs to 1.5 lacs. However, we set the initial budget at around 7 lacs, which pretty much limited our choice to either a hatch or a compact sedan with petrol engine, or a used car from higher segments.

Later on though, we were able to sell our Indigo for 1.9 lacs. This, combined with some unexpected help, helped me raise a 3.5 lacs downpayment. I was willing to take a loan of upto 7 lacs, which enabled us to raise our budget to 10.5 lacs OTR. This helped widen our choice to a large extent, and CUVs and Sedans were also included in the mix.

I was completely confused and had no idea what I even wanted. I liked the Baleno and the Brezza that I'd driven, and since they had a long waiting period, I decided to book them so they'd be available by the time I made my decision.

Must Haves

• Responsive Powertrain- I had more than my share of sluggish engines driving the Indigo and the Nano. I wanted Fun!!
• Good Ride/Handling- The Indigo was a good handler, especially with the upgraded tyres and wheels. I wanted something at least at good, without compromising severely on ride quality.
• ABS - A couple of scary situations was enough to convince me that this was a must-have.
• Good Resale- While this wasn't a prime criteria, it would be good to have a car that I didn't have to struggle to sell when I traded up.

Optionals

• Climate Control - While the Kerala weather doesn't require more than an AC, the ability to maintain a comfortable temperature without frequent manual intervention would be welcome. Our Indigo used to have an icing issue on long trips, and the AC was too cold even at lowest blower speed.
• Rear Wash/Wipe/Defogger - At least on hatches/CUVs. It was a useful feature during rains, and too many cars even in the more expensive segments miss out on this in the base variants. IMO it should be standard, as it is a safety feature and not a luxury.
• Space for 5 Adults - The Indigo never failed us when we needed to take on one or two additional passengers. Initially this was an essential feature for me, but then I realised that the Indigo and Nano had really spoiled us with cabin space, and few cars could match.
• Alloy Wheels and Wide tyres - I was planning on upgrading the stock tyres anyway, so a car that came with fat tyres and alloys as stock would be good value, so long as there wasn't a significant premium.
• Good Ground Clearance/Strong suspension - With Kerala roads getting better, this is not a huge issue, but the random and dangerous encounters with new potholes after every monsoon, this is a good precaution. The Indigo required a small suspension check-up and bushing adjustment after every 500km trip on MC Road or NH to make it quiet again. I believe that vehicle suspension setups should be the strong/silent type.

Petrol vs Diesel

My monthly running was now expected to be less than 1000 kms. Financially, a petrol car made sense, especially with my fuel allowance of 25L from work.

However, I felt the diesel motors are more powerful and fun to drive, especially in the cars I was considering. My driving style is also more suited to diesels, as I disliked revving the engine too high, and enjoyed the higher torque of diesels. The problem I see with petrols is that the low capacity motors simply don't have the low end torque. The Revotron from Zest was an exception, with decent low end torque and good driveability. Most of them need to be really revved for any response, and have short gearing to compensate. It's surprising that Tata is the only one with an affordable turbo-petrol. The 1.5L petrol engines in the Etios and City are great, but I had scratched these cars off the list.

Also, once I'd decided on a CUV, the only petrol options were the seriously thirsty Duster petrol and Ecosport 1.5/1.0L. I felt that the Ecosport diesel was more fun, and the Ecoboost 1.0 was priced almost the same as the diesel.

[vivekgk]

The Serious Candidates

Hatches

1. Baleno - I liked the styling, the feature list and the light weight that gave it impressive pick-up and handling. My family hated the styling, but didn't oppose as it was a Maruti, and a sensible buy. I still maintain that this is the best driver's hatch in this segment, especially the petrol model with that sweet engine. If it was available readily without waiting period, I'd have bought the Delta Petrol model in June and that would have been the end of it.
2. Elite i20 - I thought it was overstyled, but I was impressed by the features on offer. The 2015 models were available at a heavy discount. The diesel engine was the most refined I'd driven, and the overall feel of the car was clearly premium. What I didn't like though was the lack of safety features on the lower variants. I was also wary about Hyundai's rep for costly A.S.S, especially for the diesel models.
3. Figo - While I was a fan of the styling and the engine, the lack of room inside and the small wheels, as well as Ford's threat to void the warranty if I upgraded the wheels, made me cross this out. Why they had to fit puny tyres and wheels on such a powerful and good looking car, I can't imagine.
4. Punto - I really liked the 90HP model, which was offered at just 8.05 lacs OTR. While it was available with mouth watering discounts, the lack of service centres in Trivandrum was a deal-breaker.

Sedans

1. Zest - Loved the build quality, the interiors, and the best sound system on a car under 15 lacs. The diesel engine though didn't feel like it had 90PS, especially when compared to the Aspire TDCi.
2. Sunny/Scala - 2015 models were avaialable for 10 lacs OTR for the XV Premium/RXZ models with all bells and whistles. A VIN check revealed the models to be of May 2015 manufacture, which was just too old. Morover, there were no test drive models available, and the Scala was out of production.
3. Ciaz - The SHVS Diesel had impressive FE, but I could only afford the VDi model which lacked a lot of goodies. Moreover, the handling was a bit mushy.
4. Aspire - The TDCi model got a price cut just as I was about to decide on the Zest, which made the Aspire TDCi look like a bargain. If I'd decided to go with a sedan, this would have been it, just for that engine.

CUVs

1. Brezza - First CUV I tried. I booked it immediately as it had a 9 month waiting period. Even after I'd taken delivery of my Ecosport, the Brezza was still showing the same priority number. The price was also increased from 9.94 lacs to 10.15 lacs.
2. TUV3OO - I really liked almost everything about this car. The engine was smooth, the low end was awesome, the ride was superb, and the handling was par for an SUV. Best of all was the seating position and the space on offer. Eventually, the continued issues being faced by TUV owners on the review thread scared me off.
3. S-Cross - Only the Delta 1.3 was within my budget. While it's build quality was the best in the segment, the Delta simply didn't have the features I was looking for. The engine was smooth but there was noticeable lag.
4. Duster - I thought the Duster was just about perfect. The ride and handling combination, as well as the butch looks and the space inside, were just awesome. If my budget could have been extended by 1.5 lacs more, I'd have gone for it, eyes closed.
5. Ecosport - Initially, I was skeptical about the Ecosport. The Brezza had more space, the dash looked jarring, with the monochrome display and all the buttons. It seemed cramped inside, especially compared to the Brezza, TUV and the Duster. I also thought that the styling was too edgy, while the Brezza looked much more like a scaled down SUV.

[vivekgk]

The Finalists - Ecosport Titanium vs Brezza ZDi

The first major decision was whether to go for a Premium Hatch, Sedan or SUV/Crossover. For my budget, which was now extended to 10.5 lacs, with the understanding that I wouldn't be changing the car for at least five years, I could either have a premium hatch, a fully equipped compact sedan/CUV, or a base-mid range sedan or Crossover. I thought long and hard before deciding that I really wanted the high seating position and the higher ground clearance offered by CUVs/Crossovers. While hatches and sedans had better manners, ultimately, all of these cars were tuned for comfort over handling. Ironically, the CUVs were the ones which prioritised handling over comfort, trying to offer a more car-like feel, and the cars themselves were tuned for mushy comfort, mostly. Sure, there are a few exceptions, but they came with their own caveats. While the Duster RxE and S-Cross 1.3 Delta were available at this price, it would mean missing out on a lot of features.

So, it had to be a CUV. The only CUVs at this price point were the Ecosport Titanium, the Brezza ZDi, and the TUV300 T8.

Although I liked the TUV, it was clear from the ownership threads here and everywhere that it wasn't really bulletproof. There was a high chance of encountering niggles that would never really get solved, and you had to work around. Even though it was the cheapest here at roughly 9.7 lacs after discounts, there was still about 1L extra that I'd have to spend on the car after purchase, to bring it up to my expectations, look-wise and feature-wise.

The Ecosport was coming to 10.3 lacs after all freebies and discounts, which made it the most expensive, but also the best equipped. The Brezza then, was a great deal at only 9.95 lacs. Though it was lacking certain features on the Ecosport and wasn't as fun to drive, it was certainly a good looking, popular and sure to turn heads, being rare (at least till January). There was just the issue of the 4 more months remaining in the waiting period.

I looked at the various reviews online and realised that although the Brezza was declared the overall winner, every review had good things to say about the Ecosport's powertrain and handling, calling it the better driver's car. Apart from the early recalls to fix certain issues, the vehicle seemed to be proven, and was even better in the 2016 update. Over time, the design of the Ecosport had grown on me, possibly due to all the time I was spending scrutinising the brochures. I started to appreciate the details. The plastics were better than the Brezza in quality, the audio system would not need upgrading, and had a better display than the Brezza ZDi which I was looking at. Most importantly, the Ecosport was COOL. It had several cool features that appealed to my techaholic side, like the voice controlled SYNC, and the smart keyless entry. The vehicle on the whole was a lot more impressive even to the layperson.

Going inside, the cabin was actually quite cozy, and it is easier for short persons like me to reach over and look for something in the glovebox, or even to get something from the tray under the passenger seat. I wouldn't have to bend over to fill fuel or unlock the trunk, as there were no floor mounted levers. As I am quite overweight, with a large belly, I usually needed to open the door for doing this on my Indigo. This was a major unexpected convenience feature!

Still, it wasn't an easy choice, as the Brezza was the latest model, which would hold its value well for years. But then MSIL made the choice much easier for me by being greedy. I'd already been informed that I would not be able to take the insurance from outside, as first year insurance had to be taken from dealer itself, and no there were no discounts of any kind, not with so many people in the queue. Then, MSIL also hiked the price by about 13K ex-showroom, which brought up the OTR price to about 10.15 lacs. Now, the Ecosport Titanium at only 15K more looked like a bargain. And if there was one thing I couldn't resist, it was a bargain!

The Ecosport TDCi Titanium - Choosing a variant

So, it was definitely the Ecosport. I had initially contacted Harry Ford, the newer dealer in Trivandrum, after hearing that they were better than Kairali Ford, the dealer nearer to me. They came over with a test drive car, which was a Petrol Automatic, though I'd asked for a diesel. They also took a token amount of Rs. 1000/- as booking amount. Kairali Ford contacted me after I'd requested for a TD from the Ford website. The SA I dealt with, Mr. Sameerkhan, was especially courteous, understanding, well informed and was never pushy. He gave me three test drives, and was never insistent for a booking amount of any sort. I would recommend Kairali Ford Trivandrum wholeheartedly based on my experience with them.

Kairali Ford was also offering better discounts than Harry Ford. The OTR price for the Ecosport Titanium variant was 10.68 lacs. The price I paid was 10.3 lacs. I got a 10K cash discount, 11K discount on insurance (Reliance, Zero Dep.) , Free Extended Warranty worth approximately 12K, as well as free basic kit, which was 4.8K. I could have saved a further 5K if I'd gone for insurance outside with National Insurance, but opted to go with the dealership as it would make things easier in the first year.

One thing that I liked about the Ecosport was that even the lower variants were nicely equipped with all the essential features. Even the second variant, Trend had ABS, 2 Airbags, electric ORVMs, rear wash/wipe/defogger, seat height adjust, tilt/telescopic steering and a decent audio system. The Trend+ model added climate control, silver roof rails, LED parking lamps, fog lamps, MID, and chrome front grille.

One notable issue with Ford in general is that they are not very tolerant of non-standard accessories. They informed me that any modifications done outside would likely void the warranty of the part involved. Even upsizing of alloys would be grounds for voiding warranty in case of suspension related issues. This meant that buying a lower variant and upgrading it to your satisfaction would be either costly or risky depending on whether you chose to have the work done at the dealer or outside. I think that Japanese and home-grown brands are a bit more accommodating about this. Even with the ridiculously negative offset wheels on my Indigo, they always honoured my extended warranty for suspension issues.

Another thing to be kept in mind is that it isn't easy to procure aftermarket alloy wheels for the Ecosport, owing to the rare 4x108 PCD used by Ford. It's also next to impossible to get a set of 5 alloys. The other choice is to get a set of 4 and a spare wheel cover, which costs 13K at the dealership and about 7K outside, or even less for rexin type covers.

The Titanium variant had 5 16" Alloy wheels, 205/60R16 tyres, driver seat lumbar support adjustment and armrest, sunglass holder, cooled glovebox, leather wrapped steering and gear lever, smart keyless entry, ISOFIX, rear parking sensors, and SYNC Audio for calls and messages. I worked out that I would need to spend an additional 45K after tyre buyback to upgrade the Trend+ with 16 inch alloys and wheels. The price difference between the Trend+ and Titanium was 67K OTR. Basically, I would be paying just 22K extra for warranty on alloys/tyres and the other features. That seemed like a good deal for me, since getting that stuff done from outside would have it's own issues. Things like the smart key and start button couldn't be added from outside either. I didn't look at the higher variant Titanium+ as it didn't seem VFM to me.

For each vehicle model, there is a variant that is the sweet spot, which is the best balance of included features at a price you think is reasonable. For me, the Ecosport Titanium TDCi was the sweet spot.

[vivekgk]

Color Choice and The Buying Process

I had initially chosen to go for the Black Edition in Silver, which would cost 15K more and came with blackout effect on grille, lights and wheels, and also a roof rack. However, this was vetoed by the rest of the family, and I had to choose again. Much to their distress, I chose Kinetic Blue, which I liked because it was bright and stood out. After much cajoling, threats and pestering, I finally relented and switched to Golden Bronze, which was my next favourite shade, and also the only shade available immediately at Trivandrum other than the Silver Black Edition.

I had made an advance payment of Rs. 5K in July itself. Once I had arranged for a loan of 7 Lacs from my bank, the remaining payment was made to Kairali Ford's account via RTGS. The allotment was done on the next day itself, and the temporary registration taken the very next day, as a holiday came in between.

At the time of registration, the number series at Thiruvananthapuram was KL-01-BY and it had run into the late 6000s. I decided to wait out the full one month and go for either BY-9XXX number or BZ-XXX numbers.

The delivery process was a rather fuss-free affair. I went to the dealership in the morning before they were taking the vehicle out to get temporary registration, to do the PDI, TBHP checklist in hand. They had brought it to the dealership but were yet to wash it. I was surprised to see that the car had a spare wheel cover fitted, already painted in the body color. The SA informed me that it was a special model that came with the cover from factory. I could opt to keep it for 10K extra, which was still 3K less than ordering it as an accessory later. After confirming this as not a rip-off, I refused the cover. Before leaving, I saw a delivery being taken for an Ecosport Automatic. All of the staff came outside and stood alongside while the key was being handed over to the family, and a pull-type cracker was used to flag off the vehicle, with much applause and cheering. Since I saw that the car was covered in glitter and paper afterwards, I told my SA to forego the cracker for my delivery.

Sameer, the SA called me in the afternoon and told me that the vehicle could be delivered any time after 5 pm. My dad consulted an astrologer who had recommended that day for taking delivery, and was told that after 6 and before 6:30 would be a good 'muhurtham' for taking the delivery. Accordingly, we were there in time, with some boxes of sweets which we handed out to all the staff and customers at the dealership. There were three deliveries to be done in this time slot, and mine was the second. The first one was also an Ecosport, and it was a memorable one, as the driver forgot to take off the hand brake and stalled the car spectacularly, to much applause and ribbing from his friends and family.


Here's a pic of the key being handed over to me. Seems my Dad took the pic from inside Whatsapp, so this is the only quality I have. Meh.

Then it was my turn, and after quickly placing a lemon and betel leaf at the front of each wheel, Sameer explained the various features like the Smart Key operation and the basics as quickly as possible, and I tried to keep my attention on him while being distracted by the sights and sounds, while trying to adjust the seat and the steering at the same time. As soon as I was settled, I double checked to see that the handbrake was off , pressed the Start button with the clutch down, slotted fully into first, and let off the clutch slowly, all the while grinning ear to ear!

As soon as we were out of the delivery area, Sameer handed me the gate-pass and a 5L coupon, with apologies for not having filled it earlier. I waved off his apologies, shook his hand and drove out, feeling awesome!!

As soon as we were out, the first stop was the nearby pump, where I filled up with the coupon. I also had the air checked, and found it to be mostly correct, quel surprise!! Then, it was off to the nearest Ganesha temple for the Pooja. Dad insisted that there was a closer temple than the Pazhavangadi temple we traditionally went to, and I took his advice, though I wasn't sure it was a Ganesha temple. On reaching the temple, we found that it was a Subramonia temple, but decided that the Pooja should be done there itself. Perhaps, we were called there.

After reaching home, I was restless. Even though the next day was a holiday and I would be able to drive as much as I wanted, I wanted to drive it again! So, I dragged Dad out for a late night drive after 10 p.m, through mostly empty city roads. I completed a full round of the city, and while I was driving thru the now deserted roads, I realized that I was completely happy with the car. It was refined, there was enough power on tap, I was comfortable, the music sounded great, and I had a great view of the road ahead. The engine was tractable enough to amble along at low speeds, and yet, had no trouble picking up the pace when a long, lone stretch of road beckoned. And best of all, I had no regrets about my choice.

[vivekgk]

The first 1000 kms - Discovering the delights and the quirks

The next day was a holiday, and I was up early to play with the new toy and take pictures.




The VIN sticker on the left side rear quarter glass. Can I remove this, and how do I do it without scratches or glue residue?


The car is shod with MRF ZV2K 205/60/R16 tyres. These are noisy, but seem to have adequate grip. I don't know if the ride quality is good or bad as I havent had a chance to compare with other brands. Since the tyres are expensive at about 6K per tyre, I think I'll keep them for about 3 years or till they wear out, whichever comes first. Tyre shops were not giving good exchange rates for MRFs.

I do have a crazy idea to get a set of 235/70R15 tyres and 15 inch deep dish, negative offset wheels, but I'll be putting that off till the Vitamin M situation stabilizes a bit more. I think the 15 inch setup will improve the looks and the low speed ride.















Later, I took the car to visit my uncle and cousins who lived nearby. I took my cousins for a drive around the city, and they were all delighted by the car.

The sound system in particular is quite amazing, and not just by OE standards. It is a genuinely good setup. Only the Titanium variant and above come with the SYNC system and CD player. I had fun playing around with the SYNC voice commands, and the passengers had fun listening to me trying to show off the voice recognition and the system dialing the wrong people most of the time. But the issue seems to be that I have several of my contacts saved with Malayalam script, and the system obviously couldn't read it or display it. Also, my phone had my outlook contacts (from my Windows phone) and my Google contacts mixed up in the contact list, leading to a very complicated contact list with lots of duplication. Now, I just read out the numbers to dial, and it works, till I find some way to organise all of it. The dialpad is also a big help.

Adjusting the seat and steering to my preference took the better part of a week before I was able to figure out that I actually liked the seat to be low, rather than high, and the steering to be low as well.

The one thing that I don't like is that the driver seat headrest angle is awful. It keeps digging into my neck, and I end up with neck pain after a few hours. The driver head rest is at a weird angle and it doesn't seem to be adjustable other than for height. I have ordered a set of neck pillows which should solve this issue, hopefully.



The first 'trip' I took was to Ponmudi, which is kind of the first destination if you get a new car. It was me, dad and a couple of our Family friends, and the trip was great, with the winding roads and hairpins really letting me get a feel of the car's power and handling characteristics. I was more interested in the drive, and didn't take too many pics.



Here's a pic of the car near the top. We stopped here to stretch our legs, take selfies and enjoy the magnificent view.

[vivekgk]

So, it's been 6 years and 16 days and 40K kms since I updated this thread. I have posted regarding the various updates on my car in the Ecosport thread, and several other threads, but I never came back and finished this. The fact is, a lot of things changed. I became a husband, then a father, then I got promoted and transferred to a more demanding position, and I just kept pushing off the updation till it was too far gone.

The Ecosport has done just under 40K in six years. It was mostly idle during COVID time, and since I was staying very close to work, I never had the need to drive the car too much. I did drive it as much as I could though.









Kerala is a very vehicle dense state, with almost every family having at least one vehicle. This has meant that the driving experience is becoming less and less fun due to the heavy traffic, and a diesel manual with a heavier clutch was not very enjoyable most of the time. I had even resorted to taking the longer trips to Trivandrum exclusively at night, to avoid the traffic. On one such trip, the AC failed, and while the night time meant that we didn't suffer, it wasn't a comfortable trip. It made me aware that things could fail, and it might leave me stranded at night in the middle of nowhere with my wife and infant daughter. So that was basically the end of the night runs, and it was back to early morning or late evening drives, with the hard clutch leaving me exhausted at the end of each long trip.

I needed an automatic car. I'd decided to keep the Ecosport, as it was still feeling like new, with only the tyres and some grey plastics showing any age. The decision was further reinforced when I enquired about the resale value of the car, which would mean that I would be left with little to fund a replacement. I was beginning to regret not going for the Brezza, just a bit. Besides, Ford dropped the bombshell that they were leaving India, and that shattered the already average resale value of the car to new lows, with Ford owners panic selling their cars. I took to OLX, hoping that there would be someone panic selling an Ecosport AT or an Aspire AT, but most of the sellers were looking for ready cash, whereas I needed to arrange a loan. I missed out on a lot of excellent deals at this time.

In between, I booked an XUV700 and got a booking for an AX5 petrol with price protection. But when the vehicle arrived in May of 2022, there were a couple of unpleasant surprises. Firstly, the price of the XUV had increased by about 1.7 lacs, and while I had price protection, I would have to pay road tax and insurance based on the increased amount. Secondly, Kerala state refused to allow BH registration, which meant that I had to pay a tax of about 3 lacs. As this was completely out of my budget, I had no option but to cancel the booking. Besides, I was getting a transfer back to Trivandrum, and the associated expenses would mean that I had to push off a lot of dreams.

So back to Trivandrum it was, and after I got settled, the new car bug bit me again with all the new launches this year. I managed to somehow snag a price protected booking of the Scorpio again, and the waiting period gave me time to re-assess my options.

Firstly, I had to decide if I was going to keep the Ecosport as a second car and buy a smaller automatic car, or replace it with a bigger, more up-to-date car. As much as I loved the idea of keeping the Ecosport and doing some tuning on it to make it an adrenaline machine, it didn't make much financial sense to keep a second car basically as a toy. Moreover, since the Ecosport was still under finance, it left me with a budget of just about 10L for the additional car, and I was not impressed by any of the automatic options available in that price range. I just couldn't get my head around the idea that I had paid 10.3 lakhs for the Ecosport, and just 6 years later, I couldn't even buy a fully equipped Swift for the same money.

Since the car had done just under 40K, and had just got serviced, with renewed insurance, and only needed new tyres, I decided to bite the bullet and place some ads online. I priced it on the higher side, at what dealers were selling similar, or even worse cars of the same model. I took some good pictures of the exterior and interior, and placed an ad with a good (IMHO) writeup. The interiors were well kept, and I had added premium looking 7D mats, upgraded to LED lighting everywhere, and gave the car a good detailing session for any "suitors".

I was initially disappointed at the flurry of low-ball offers, with an occasional slightly higher offer, but after a talk I had with some friends, I came to know that this is how dealers operate. When they see a good car that they can flip easily, they make a ton of fake IDs and low-ball the seller until they lose their nerve and make a panic sale to a slightly higher offer. In my case, I was offered prices from just under 5 lacs to 5.25 lacs, with the occasional 5.7 - 5.8 lacs offers. I decided to stick on, and after a couple of days, I started getting more genuine offers for higher amounts. I had decided that I wouldn't sell for less than a figure that I had set in mind, and was prepared to drop the whole idea if I didn't get that price.

Finally, I got what I think is a great offer from a genuine person, and his only demand was that I should allow him a couple of weeks for processing a car loan. Since his offer was higher than what I had received so far, and actually slightly higher than I was expecting, I took the chance and agreed. It took considerably longer to complete the sale than I had initially thought, due to technical issues during the loan disbursement. And this, even when he had a pre-approved car loan limit. In the meantime, he had asked for a detailed test drive. I asked a couple of friends to test drive the car beforehand, so that they might spot out any issues or noises with the car that I had missed. They both said the same thing: While I was selling the car for a good price given its age and market value, the buyer was getting a low km, solid, safe and well maintained car for less money than a new Swift. I guess our market is weird that way. People have no qualms about buying an abused, taxi used, beaten up Toyota or Maruti, but wouldn't give a fair price for a much better car from another brand. If I were selling a Brezza in the same condition, it would have fetched at least a lakh more. Something to think about before finalising my next car, certainly.

It was hard to let go of the car, as it felt like I was giving up a true friend, who had been with me through some wonderful and some terrible times and had endured all with little complaint. It felt like my life had changed so much since I got the Ecosport. I had met my wife for the first time in this car, I had gone to my wedding and brought my wife home in this car, and I'd taken my pregnant wife to the hospital, and brought home my firstborn, in this very car.

Once the advance was taken, I deliberately refrained from driving the Ecosport anymore. I had taken a small trip with my family the week before, so they could have some good last memories with the car. I borrowed my Dad's Nano AT for my office commute. This was done for two things. Firstly, I wanted to keep the ODO under 40K, and secondly, I wanted to desensitize myself from the feel of the Ford, so that I wouldn't unfairly compare my next car with it.

Regarding the service experience, I never really had a bad experience with Kairali Ford Trivandrum, who did all my servicing. The service bills were reasonable, and I never had to fight with them for something unnecessary that they'd done. They'd always call me before starting the service, and neve coerced me for expensive treatments or packages. I was surprised to know that the service costs were even lower than for a Brezza.

Now, I think that I had a great ownership experience with the Ecosport and Ford in general. The Ecosport has the reputation of a sporty driver's car, and it always gave me a sense of pride when I went anywhere in it. Even in 2022, I think it looks drop dead gorgeous, with the beautiful 16 inch wheels and the origami like folds and curves. The steering was most communicative, and the engine was a delight especially one you got above 1500 rpm. The chassis made you want to drive it hard, and no matter whatever mischief you got upto, the car always had your back like a true friend, and would get you out of it. The brakes never failed me even when the tyres had got old. I'm sure that the new owner, a guy about a decade younger than me, will enjoy driving it. Me, I'm a supposedly "responsible husband and parent" now, and I'm ready to move on...


Goodbye Dear!

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Samfromindia]

Woah ! So you have started composing this thread 6 yrs back during car purchase, and finally taking it live when its sold. This should be a first

I'm sure that the new owner, a guy about a decade younger than me, will enjoy driving it. Me, I'm a supposedly "responsible husband and parent" now, and I'm ready to move on...

Glad that you had a great ownership experience and well pretty sure that this spirit will pass on to the new owner

[vivekgk]

Originally Posted by Samfromindia

Woah ! So you have started composing this thread 6 yrs back during car purchase, and finally taking it live when its sold. This should be a first

Glad that you had a great ownership experience and well pretty sure that this spirit will pass on to the new owner

Yeah, it felt very awkward to request the mods to move this out of assembly line after 6 years. Thanks Guys...

But I felt that I needed the closure, like I had with my previous car. I hope to update the thread more regularly for my next car. I also wanted to make my experience available for other members so that they could avoid my mistakes and maybe even get something positive from it.

[knightfurry]

Wow! A very well written farewell to a capable friend. We have so much in common except I met my wife in college . My Whiteblade had done 65K & we were thinking to upgrading to Endy when Ford dropped the bombshell. Finally settled on an automatic Jeep Compass a couple of months back. In my opinion, Jeep Compass is the true spiritual successor of Ecosport.
We are now we are thinking of letting go Ecosport in next couple of months due to parking issues. May God give me strength to part ways with a reliable companion

[aks812]

I was initially disappointed at the flurry of low-ball offers, with an occasional slightly higher offer, but after a talk I had with some friends, I came to know that this is how dealers operate. When they see a good car that they can flip easily, they make a ton of fake IDs and low-ball the seller until they lose their nerve and make a panic sale to a slightly higher offer. In my case, I was offered prices from just under 5 lacs to 5.25 lacs, with the occasional 5.7 - 5.8 lacs offers. I decided to stick on, and after a couple of days, I started getting more genuine offers for higher amounts. I had decided that I wouldn't sell for less than a figure that I had set in mind, and was prepared to drop the whole idea if I didn't get that price.

[/quote]

i am also in the same boat, selling off my 2018 Ecosport and initially got many offers on olx accepting my price and then no reply from them followed by very low offers from multiple people. just like you, i am holding my last price that i have in my mind and hoping some genuine buyer would come along.