[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by desidino

Further, the sales exec quite unexpectedly volunteered that I could save a further 8000 by not going for the body care package which basically is teflon coating.

Hey can u tell me the name of this sales exec? I guess this time I am gonna go to this VW showroom

Originally Posted by desidino

To me, there is no other option in the 10 lakh diesel segment. Petrol is a different story altogether, and I do not see Volkswagen posing a threat to Honda there.

I totally agree with you. Now I have myself started playing the diesel card to convince my dad to have another look at the car
I am hoping after the initial euphoria dies down there service will start improving. Even Toyota staff started acting snobbish as per some people on the forum after fortuner's unexpected run.

[oxyzen]

Originally Posted by msd63

However on the positive side, there is adequate power once the turbo lag is overcome

How bad is the turbo lag? According to GTO the turbo kicks in at 1800RPM. It is rather odd as the max torque band is starting from 1500rpm. What is your perception?

Originally Posted by msd63

Handling is good but I did feel a mild body roll in sharp cornering.

Really? I had an impression VW is excellent in this department. Body roll in Octavia was very very less. So I expected VW (which is even more prestigious brand) to be similar.

I have tried to book a test drive. Didnt put too much effort since I am not interested in buying it now but in 1-2 yrs. But they promised to call back & they didnt. Its almost a week now. Such is the carelessness at the dealer end.

Dealer attitude and A.S.S is very important in India. VW spares are expensive, we all know that. After sales will be crappy as far as I can see. However the products are excellent. I dont see things very much different from Skoda except the products are more VFM. But believe me once you have a Skoda reputation it becomes very very difficult to come out of it. Fiat is trying his level best but nothing much is happening.

If this attitude persists maybe I will go for Ford/Fiat in the future. But then again I will envy the 1.6L Crdi.

[kadanaJ]

Originally Posted by drmohitg

Hi everyone. Finally I am a member. Yipee .
This will be my first post so please overlook any errors.
I was very excited about vento after reading GTO's review( hats off to you). Even though there were no plans to buy a new car but after reading the review I got all excited and convinced my dad to change his NHC which has done a good trouble free 40000 kms and going strong. But all my excitement died down after my visit to Volkswagen Delhi West showroom. The place was not very crowded as I went there in the afternoon. But not even a single sales guy showed any interest in us. Anyways I already knew everything about the car (thanks to this excellent thread) and showed it to my dad (petrol highline). Finally after a good 20 odd minutes I myself went and asked them if they were interested in selling the car. After some more wait a TD was arranged. The sales executive who came along took me on a pothole dominated road(courtesy the incessant delhi rains) right outside the showroom. The hardly 1/2km long TD took some 5 mins and the whole time the guy was on the phone with someother customer whose Polo was to be delivered that day.
My dad had started to get very irritated by this time and requested the sales executive to take us on a proper road atleast but he flatly refused. We went back to the showroom and told him we were interested in buying the car. He told us the booking amount is 75k and the car would be delivered after 4 months. we agreed and he told us to wait for 2 minutes and he will get the documents. A cool 30 minutes went by since he had vanished and in the meantime I even requested a couple of other staff there to find out about the status but all in vain. After waiting for a 1/2hr we got fed up of the unprofessional attitude and walked away. That was the end of the vento episode for me atleast. And we are probably going to stick with the NHC.

Overall the car feels great and the only negative thing i found was the useless rear view mirror. Also I some how felt the leg room for the driver side a little tight. I am 6' and my knees were hitting the centre console everytime i moved them.

Cheers!!

Good Decision, if this is the attitude of VW dealers, I can only imagine how bad the after sales service will be. Haven't these people heard of customer satisfaction.
I predict VW to be the next Skoda. Makes me wonder if we'll start having Vento and Polo horror stories to replace all the Laura and Superb ones.
If you are sticking to petrol, I highly recommend you stay with your current NHC or go for the 2008 ANHC. When it comes to petrol, Honda beats all the competition.

Originally Posted by desidino

While the booking experience was quite shoddy, I will still buy the car provided I get corporate discount of 14000 and Insurance discount of at least 5000 as promised.

Further, the sales exec quite unexpectedly volunteered that I could save a further 8000 by not going for the body care package which basically is teflon coating. Going through the forum, it looks like teflon is unnecessary, so I think I will skip it.

This would bring the OTR to 10.15 lakhs.

The reason why I will still go with Vento is that the whole mindset of "I will not buy from you if you don't treat me right" works well if there are other options available. To me, there is no other option in the 10 lakh diesel segment. Petrol is a different story altogether, and I do not see Volkswagen posing a threat to Honda there.

Well there is the Hyundai Verna to consider. Not a great handler, but it has a great engine and is an option worth considering. There is also the Hyundai i20 CRDi, the Tata Manza, the Fiat Linea.
And if you're willing to buy used, you could consider the Skoda Octavia or Hyundai Elantra.

[nowwhat?]

Originally Posted by kadanaJ

I predict VW to be the next Skoda. Makes me wonder if we'll start having Vento and Polo horror stories to replace all the Laura and Superb ones.
If you are sticking to petrol, I highly recommend you stay with your current NHC or go for the 2008 ANHC. When it comes to petrol, Honda beats all the competition.

Going by your post, it seems that VW doesn't stand a chance...

I have dealt with VW Corporate and the dealer in Bangalore, who incidentally is also a Honda dealer, and can tell you that the rot is at the dealer. I wrote in some other post that the Honda dealer even behaved liked the VW dealer a few months back.

All the problems I am seeing on Team-BHP relate to dealer behavior, including normally_crazy's experience at 2 Bombay showrooms. Fact is the dealers are here to make hay while the sun-shines and they may just as well move to the next hottest thing if they sense an opportunity. How I wish VW would crack their whip on these errant dealers.

VW has always been courteous to me and I have always felt that they were serious in their care towards their customers.

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by kadanaJ

If you are sticking to petrol, I highly recommend you stay with your current NHC or go for the 2008 ANHC. When it comes to petrol, Honda beats all the competition.

Ya but somehow NHC stopped appealing to me since the launch of ANHC. But I dont want to again buy honda and looking forward to a different brand. And as a brand VW is very promising one with a nice car and under 10 lakhs.

Originally Posted by nowwhat?

All the problems I am seeing on Team-BHP relate to dealer behavior, including normally_crazy's experience at 2 Bombay showrooms. Fact is the dealers are here to make hay while the sun-shines and they may just as well move to the next hottest thing if they sense an opportunity. How I wish VW would crack their whip on these errant dealers.

VW has always been courteous to me and I have always felt that they were serious in their care towards their customers.

I totally agree with you on that. Its just the dealers who are giving it a bad name. I am praying that vento as a car and VW as a brand doesnt lose out due to that. A very good example of it is my experience with mitsubishi. I have a Lancer SFXI (2003 i think). The car is an absolute gem even today(apart from the FE) and thats the reason that I am planning to exchange my city(2006) for a vento but cant even dream of parting with the lancer. But the dealer here during its 2nd service charged me for changing some parts( air filter and break pads) and at the time of delivery my dad insisted that he show us the old parts. Finally it was discovered that the car still had an old worn out air filter but we were being charged for a new one in the bill nevertheless. since then I have always got it serviced outside and havent faced a problem ever.
sorry for being

[msd63]

Originally Posted by oxyzen

How bad is the turbo lag? According to GTO the turbo kicks in at 1800RPM. It is rather odd as the max torque band is starting from 1500rpm. What is your perception?


Really? I had an impression VW is excellent in this department. Body roll in Octavia was very very less. So I expected VW (which is even more prestigious brand) to be similar.

I have tried to book a test drive. Didnt put too much effort since I am not interested in buying it now but in 1-2 yrs. But they promised to call back & they didnt. Its almost a week now. Such is the carelessness at the dealer end.

Dealer attitude and A.S.S is very important in India. VW spares are expensive, we all know that. After sales will be crappy as far as I can see. However the products are excellent. I dont see things very much different from Skoda except the products are more VFM. But believe me once you have a Skoda reputation it becomes very very difficult to come out of it. Fiat is trying his level best but nothing much is happening.

If this attitude persists maybe I will go for Ford/Fiat in the future. But then again I will envy the 1.6L Crdi.

When I test drove the Altis Diesel there was a clear experience of sudden change in pulling power. With the Vento I don't feel that it is so clearly demarcated so the power is probably more linear. With the Jetta the pulling power was there right from the word go. Body roll as I said is minimal. The suspension is probably not that firm as has been described and some body roll is inevitable. I have not taken the car out for long drives when I will be more able to experience the suspension.

[diabloo]

Fiat India did nothing wrong. It was Fiat dealers. Finally Fiat had to full the plug and go surrogate with TATA. Now see where Fiat is

Originally Posted by nowwhat?

All the problems I am seeing on Team-BHP relate to dealer behavior, including normally_crazy's experience at 2 Bombay showrooms. Fact is the dealers are here to make hay while the sun-shines and they may just as well move to the next hottest thing if they sense an opportunity. How I wish VW would crack their whip on these errant dealers.

Why only .5KM? How can anybody assess the car that will with him for 5 years in 5 minutes?

Originally Posted by drmohitg

The hardly 1/2km long TD took some 5 mins and the whole time the guy was on the phone with someother customer whose Polo was to be delivered that day. My dad had started to get very irritated by this time and requested the sales executive to take us on a proper road atleast but he flatly refused.

How did this 4 months come in? Is it some random number? And will they pay interest on the booking amount for 4 months?

He told us the booking amount is 75k and the car would be delivered after 4 months.

Best thing that happened in VW showroom

After waiting for a 1/2hr we got fed up of the unprofessional attitude and walked away. That was the end of the vento episode for me atleast. And we are probably going to stick with the NHC.

Isn't leg room in the front hasn't as spacious as NHC? Anybody else faced this?

Also I some how felt the leg room for the driver side a little tight. I am 6' and my knees were hitting the centre console everytime i moved them. Cheers!!

[khoj]

Originally Posted by desidino

The reason why I will still go with Vento is that the whole mindset of "I will not buy from you if you don't treat me right" works well if there are other options available. To me, there is no other option in the 10 lakh diesel segment. Petrol is a different story altogether, and I do not see Volkswagen posing a threat to Honda there.

But there are options available

Latest option Fiat Linea Tjet. Caught a portion of its review earlier today on NDTV. It will be on again at 1630hrs on NDTV 24x7 in case any one wants to watch it.

Old option Optra Magnum 2.0 Tcdi.

Options are always available, the question is one willing to go along them or accept the boorish behaviour of the sales team who behave as if just by having a certain logo on their buildings will result in actual sales.

The various VW sales stories here remind me of the way that Honda's sales and service personnel's attitudes were about 4 odd years ago. I believe they are on the mend now. Eventually & hopefully some one at VW will have the sense to see what is going on and try and turn things around.

Untill then here is another story. This is a friend whom I met last night. He is the Manager of a Bank's branch that is in turn is the banker to one of the VW dealerships in BOM. Now our man has booked a Vento highline Petrol and paid the entire money upfront. He had requested for a Navratra delivery but now is feeling all lost as the dealership is not responding clearly as to when his car will be delivered. So guys if they can treat their bankers in this manner, God save mere mortals.

This however brings me to a query. My friend says that the Vento highline petrol comes with climatronic air conditioning. Now is that correct? Can someone confirm this.

[vijuvarghese]

About VW:

Has anyone tried contacting VW India folks through email or phone for addressing sales issues?

When my cousin was buying Passat from BLR soemtime in 2008 he too had issues with the dealer. One single email with VW India sorted things out.

[diabloo]

I have been following this forum for 3~4 years. To things in perspective, true there might 1 or 2 odd Honda dealers across the country then. But,

• Refusal of test drive?
• 4 months waiting period?
• Non availability of basic accessories like mud-flaps?
• Dealer giving hand written slip as proof of booking?
• Refusal of PDI?
• Doing PDI without lights?
• No warranty booklet during delivery?
• Salesmen vanishing into thin air, keeping the customer waiting?

Never saw it happening.

Originally Posted by khoj

The various VW sales stories here remind me of the way that Honda's sales and service personnel's attitudes were about 4 odd years ago.

Note: The above points are based on these thread:

• Vento Experience at VW Downtown (Elite Motors, Bangalore) - Team-BHP
• Volkswagen Navi Mumbai - PATHETIC. EDIT: And now VW Chembur too - Team-BHP

Looks like contacting VW is a must than an exception.

Originally Posted by vijuvarghese

Has anyone tried contacting VW India folks through email or phone for addressing sales issues?

[adimicra]

Good points diabloo..one of the main reasons for not buying Polo 1.6 was because of the dealer attitude in Hyderabad. I had to make at least 10 calls for the TD,I was refused TD at my residence or office (only car dealer to do so). Finally when I went for the TD, it was the diesel and not the petrol because the display car was sold and the petrol TD car has been put up as a display car. Please note that I had called the dealership 30-45 minutes before coming and informing about my intention of TDing a petrol Polo. Really pissed me of. The story does not end there.
Reluctantly I started driving the diesel.After 2 minutes, the SA tells me to take a U-turn and head back to the dealership. I refused strongly. I wanted to check out the handling etc and so started driving little fast. And this bugger tells me that if there is even a minor accident during the TD, I have to pay for all the damages or buy the TD car. I felt like banging the car at that moment itself but somehow controlled my anger. That was the end of VW for me.

Also, look at the link below where the turbo of a Polo Diesel goes kaput in a brand new car and both VW and the dealer are unable to rectify it for 2 months or more. And the owner seems more irritated with VW corporate than the dealer. How are these things different from Skoda?
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...-2000-kms.html

[bblost]

Note from Team BHP Support:

Please note that this is a TEST DRIVE AND REVIEW of the VW Vento.
This thread is not about the dealership issues.

Please stick to the topic,
Thanks,
TEAM BHP SUPPORT

[desidino]

kadanaJ and khoj,

What I meant was that "for me" given a budget of 10 lakhs for a Diesel Sedan, Vento is the only car in the consideration set. Polo, and hence Vento too have always spoken to the heart. While GTO's review takes care of the brains. So, looking purely at the car itself, to me it is clearly the best one out there for my requirements and budget. As for the T-jet I don't think its coming in diesel ?

[krreddy]

I understand this is a test drive and review thread, but from adimicra test drive experience, customers ought to take this public.

From our Skoda service experiences, i will really think hard before i buy a Skoda/VW/Audi vehicle in India.

adimicra, was this at Orion Motors or VW Secundrabad?

[drmohitg]

Originally Posted by diabloo

Why only .5KM? How can anybody assess the car that will with him for 5 years in 5 minutes?

Exactly my point. I am paying 10 lakhs for a car and i dont even get to test drive it properly. I even offered him to pay for the fuel myself but he flatly refused and blamed it on company policy

Originally Posted by diabloo

How did this 4 months come in? Is it some random number? And will they pay interest on the booking amount for 4 months?

I guess thats the same number being quoted by most dealers. He said its refundable thats all. The best part was he said 16 wks. I asked so that means 4 months and he replied back "No sir 16 weeks"

Originally Posted by diabloo

Isn't leg room in the front hasn't as spacious as NHC? Anybody else faced this?

Well thats what i felt personally. I think someone else also mentioned something similar in this thread before. GTO may be able to clarify on this better.