1 lakh KMs and going strong.
My memory goes as back as when I was barely a 5 year old boy!
When I was 5, I fought with my father for a bicycle.
When I was 10, I fought for a bigger bicycle.
When I was 15, I fought for a second hand Bajaj Chetak/Priya scooter.
When I went to college, I fought for a bike.
I can't remember but, I might as well have fought for a tri-cycle when I was 3.
Some of these wishes were fulfilled and some were ignored, but, I always remained dissatisfied with the set of wheels I owned(or did not get to own).
Fast forward to 2014, I was doing well in my corporate job and had filled enough ITRs to be able to get a car loan. I was decided on getting myself a car - my first one and I did not know how to drive a car. Here is how it all panned out:
The Noise...
As this was going to be first car in our family, everyone was excited. There was no shortage of suggestions and recommendations from family, friends and well wishers:
Everyone be like - "You don't know how to drive - get a second hand Alto"
Father be like - "Maruti hi leni hai"
Mother be like - "road par bahut accident hote hain, don't buy a car"
Siblings - "Koi bhi gadi lo but jaldi lo"
Car expert friend - "Get Maruti Alto or Hyundai Eon for your first car"
More experts - "Wagon R/Santro/Celerio if not Alto/Eon"
And Me...
Like a monk, I was listening to all this quietly. I took my sweet time till all the excitement died and everyone was convinced that I just created a hype and was not serious about getting a car. In my heart I was in love with the VW Polo but, it always remained above my budget. I also had my eyes on Nissan Micra, Honda Brio and Hyundai Grand i10. It was that time when I discovered this legendary forum called Team-BHP and I spent good part of 3 months going through the different threads on car ownership and advice.
One thing Team-BHP does is to push you to go for what you truly want. So the forum convinced me that my thought process was right. In my mind I had shortlisted the Honda Brio and Hyundai Grand i10. Still, like a true Indian buyer I visited showrooms of different brands just to be sure that I did not miss on any hidden gem of a car. Since I did not know how to drive, I would check for the look and feel of the car inside out and ask the SA to drive me out on the road while I gauge the ride quality and anything else I could pick up during the test drive.
The Decision and booking...
One look at the Honda Brio and that odd rear coupled with small boot made it easier for me to decide on the Hyundai Grand i10. By this time Nissan Micra was out of contention for no specific reasons. Having finalized the car, I was excited and eager to get the car home, but, alas! Hyundai Grand i10 was a car in demand and commanded a waiting period of more than 6 weeks. I went from one Hyundai showroom to another but to no avail. All this while I never thought of any other car, so, I had to get the Grand i10.
Finally, one of the dealers promised to deliver the car within a month and I quickly made the booking. Since the car was high in demand there was no discount but I managed to get accessories worth 8000. The loan was processed within a week and I had also arranged for the down payment.
Wait, wait, more wait and Delivery...
I kept chasing the SA on daily basis who was a nice guy for a salesman. He kept me informed and genuinely tried to speed up the car allotment. Finally after 3 weeks (felt like an year), the SA advised me that the car would reach the dealership the next day and I can take the delivery on the same day. I reached the dealership as early as the showroom opened even without confirming with the SA. As the luck would have it, the truck ferrying the car got delayed and could not enter Delhi in time before the traffic restrictions are enforced in the morning. The truck could only enter Delhi at night and it meant the delivery could only be taken the next day. Even 1 day seemed a long long way away at that moment. I asked the SA for a workaround, he talked to the showroom manager and they arranged for a driver who would get the car off-loaded from the truck and drive it to the showroom - I agreed at once and we were back on track to get the car delivered the same day. Since the truck was some 50KMs away, the SA advised us to go home and come back after 3-4 hours. We went to the nearby shopping mall as I did not want to go home without the car. We somehow killed those 4 hours and went back to the showroom. The SA advised the car would reach soon, he had also completed all the formalities in the background. The car reached the showroom by 8:30PM and we did the PDI - thanks to my friend. I was so excited that I didn't even bother about the PDI.
Since it was late, the SA asked me to take the accessories with me and get them fitted the next day. I happily took the delivery.
It is now more than 7 years and 1 lakh KMs and I am every bit happy with the decision I took 7 years back. Here, listing down some Pros and Cons:
Pros
1. Great ergonomics(realized after driving other cars) and super easy to drive.
2. Feature list can put cars a couple of segments higher to shame - cooled glove box, rear AC vents, electric adjustable and folding ORVMs, push button start, keyless entry and go.
3. Spacious cabin as compared to the competition.
4. Easy to get serviced and reliable - haven't left me stranded anywhere.
5. NVH levels - stop at a traffic light and tell me if the ignition is ON even after 1 lakh KMs. Even on the move, the cabin is silent.
Cons
1. No safety feature apart from the brakes and seat belts.
2. The body seems relatively fragile.
3. Long journeys can be tiresome.
4. The engine is dead below 2500RPM level.
5. The boot is adequate at best.
100000 KMs...
The car has been driven on the city roads for about 70000 KMs. But, I have taken it to places where it is not intended to go. I belong to a remote village in Uttarakhand and regularly take the car there. Sure, the roads have improved a lot, still the last few KMs have the worst or no roads. I have taken the car to Badrinath and the valley of flowers in extreme monsoon season and it did not disappoint. The car has seen remote places in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himanchal, Rajasthan. Every time I think this is the limit, the Grand i10 pushes me for more in the grandest fashion. Few parting shots from some of the road trips I made in the Grand i10:
On the way to Badrinath Close to the Valley of Flowers My hometown on the way to Kedarnath
P.S. I am upgrading to a new car and "The Noise" is back - "get a Sonet/Venue/Nexon". Well, I have just booked myself a MG Hector.