re: Zoom Pay & Drive, New Self Drive Option in Bangalore, Pune! *UPDATE* Now in Gurgaon! I rented a Safari from Zoom for about 2 1/2 days for a trip to Kabini from Bangalore. We were 5 adults + 1 small child. We could have very well gone in our Laura, but the ladies started complaining that three abreast with the child in the backseat of the Laura is going to be very very uncomfortable. Plus as per feedback on the net, the roads leading up to the resort were pretty bad. I too was worried with the prospect of navigating a fully loaded car with 5 passengers and their luggage over bad roads. We have a Cab agency nearby that supplies us cabs regularly. But since we were 5 adults, the presence of the driver would force one of us to sit at the back and put luggage on the roof. Plus I hate sitting in the passenger seat over long journeys. A self drive rental would not have this problem. So I stared checking availability with Zoom and Carzonrent. A few negative reviews on the net plus the ₹ 50,000 deposit terms of Carzonrent tilted me towards zoom. Carzonrent is quite expensive too and the call centre guy told me that fuel cost is on the customer. They will give a car with a full tank of diesel. We are supposed to return the car with a full tank as well. Zoom's rental charge was not only cheaper but fuel was included too!
SUV options were XUV 5OO, Safari and Scorpio. I wanted the XUV, but since it was not available, I had to go for the Safari. Booked it online, made the payment and got confirmation. We wanted to depart on Sunday morning. The Safari was not available at any location on Saturday evening. So I booked the Safari from the only available location : Dairy circle at 7 AM. I stay in Sanjaynagar so I had to go all the way to Dairy circle early in the morning to bring the car. The Zoom executive called me at 5:30 AM asking me what time I will come to pick up the car! The formalities took about 15 mins and I was home in about 20 mins after that. The car had clocked about 27k kms was in pretty good condition. It was properly washed and cleanliness was good. Coming from petrol cars, the Diesel Safari with its long throw and notchy gearbox felt pretty crude at first. But I got used to driving the beast within a few minutes and quite enjoyed driving it over the 250 kms distance to our destination. The SUV was god sent as the roads were not just bad but horrible over the last 25 kms. The Safari just took everything in its stride. This is one TATA product I love. Its got so much character!! The seats were magnificent and the overall space was very well appreciated. Only fly in the ointment was the bouncyness and floatiness which they were not used to. My family is used to the tight ride of my Laura and they were complaining of a bit of nausea, induced mainly by the speed breakers of Mysore road.
Overall it proved to be a very wise decision to rent the Safari from Zoom. Its a great option for folks who own sedans/ hatch/ or no car and want to drive out for a holiday to locations which warrant a high GC vehicle. The return process was smooth as well. But driving the beast in peak evening traffic to Dairy Circle from Sanjaynagar was extremely tiring esp after driving all day from Kabini to Bangalore. Wish they allowed us to return the car to the nearest location. Likes- Good variety of cars to choose from
- Rates are very reasonable.
- Booking process is very simple.
- Refundable deposit of ₹ 5,000 is very fair.
- Cars are equipped with tablets for google navigation. Came very handy.
- Executives are prompt and professional.
- 125 km/hr speed limit. Keeps drivers honest.
- Better safety as you are driving the car yourself.
Dislikes- All cars are not avaialble at all locations
- Car was the low end trim without safety features like airbags. Rear seatbelt points were also hidden away under the seat covers and were unusable.
- Cars have to be returned to the same location from where they are picked. In a big city like Bangalore that's cumbursome. To return the car, I was on the road for nearly two hours in peak city traffic.
Last edited by Santoshbhat : 17th September 2014 at 13:27.
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