[DevilsCry]

Introduction
I am a college student and I have a family of four consisting of my father, mother and a sister. We live in New Delhi. We are all average sized. We have never bought a new car, only pre-worshiped cars. We wanted to buy a new car for the first time and hence, needed extra caution.

Existing car
We have a 2nd hand Maruti Esteem'1995 bought in 2002. It was in excellent condition till 2010, after which it started having problems with its carburetor. Instead of spending money on a new carburetor, we decided it was time for a new car. We were in no hurry since we always traveled by Delhi metro and by radio cabs in important cases, and used the car mostly for fun and for trips.

Requirements
1. Budget: 4.5 lacs for a hatchback and 5.5 lacs for a sedan (on-road price).
2. Mom made it clear that it should be a new car, NO more pre-worshiped cars (alas!). A sedan was highly desired due to its higher status compared to hatchbacks.
3. The car would be used only for fun and for trips since all of us use Delhi metro for daily travelling. Monthly usage will hardly go above 300km. Hence only petrol was considered.
We started looking for new cars in April 2011.

The choices

After researching a lot on Team-BHP, we decided that among hatchbacks, Ford Figo suited us best and among sedans, Toyota Etios. At mom's request, we also considered "safe choices" namely Suzuki DZire, Hyundai i10 and Hyundai i20 (though i20 exceeds mentioned budget but an exception can be added due to its status as a rich man's car).

1. Ford Figo
Pros AC is unbelievably quick and effective.
Cons Everything except for AC was no better than my Esteem.
Verdict Rejected by mom due to pathetic ride quality on bad roads, cramped rear (isn't Figo said to be most spacious in its class?) and because mom doesn't trust Ford.

2. Toyota Etios
Pros Fantastic to drive, excellent ride quality on bad roads, spacious, Toyota badge. Felt an upgrade from Esteem.
Cons Weak AC, interior not so good but not that bad.
Verdict Finalized from first TD even without TDing another car. 5.5 lac for J model is in our budget!

3. Suzuki DZire
Verdict Didn't TD it. Hated its bulbous rear, cramped rear and pathetic interior plastic quality. Felt a downgrade from Esteem.
Deal-breaker The fact that a new version was due in near future.

4. Hyundai i10 1.1 Era and 1.2 Magna
Pros "Safe choice", excellent interior plastic quality, perfect for city.
Cons Bouncy rear, pathetic ride quality on bad roads, lack of proper boot.
Deal-breaker It was scary to imagine travelling in this little car on highways and at hill stations.

5. Hyundai i20
Verdict Didn't TD it. Sitting in rear made me gasp for air.
Deal-breaker The famed steering problem reports on Team-BHP. I was still ready to consider the car but rear seat was too cramped.

All other choices were eliminated due to the following reasons-

1. Tata Vista/Manza No offence meant to Tata owners but "it is a Tata!".

2. Fiat Grande Punto What if the Punto has a problem? Who will fix it?

3. Ritz The rear design says it all.

4. Chevy Beat Can't dare sitting in its rear seats.

5. Toyota Liva No need when we can go for Etios itself. Plus, engine and space was the real reason we liked Etios.

6. Suzuki Swift Crazy long waiting list plus cramped rear and practically no boot.

7. Skoda Fabia Buy a Skoda? Seriously?

8. Nissan Micra and VW Polo 3 pot engine? No thanks.

Booking Toyota Etios

Booking at Uttam Toyota, Patparganj
We reached Uttam Toyota with a cheque worth 50,000 rupees to book Etios J. The salesman refused to book J model and requested us to buy G model instead. Even after a lot of talks, they flatly refused to book J model since the profit margin on J model is less. We had to leave without booking the car.

Attempt to book at Galaxy Toyota, Motinagar
We phoned Galaxy Toyota Motinagar to book Etios J. They also flatly refused to book J model and requested to book G model instead.

Visit to Espirit Toyota
We visited Espirit Toyota after they answered on phone that they will book J model. When we visited the showroom, they didn't flatly refuse to book J model but tried their best to discourage us from buying J model by saying stuffs like 1 week waiting time for G model and 3-4 months of waiting time for J model. During the visit, we got a call from Galaxy Toyota, Dwarka saying that they were more than eager to book J model for us.

Booking at Galaxy Toyota, Dwarka
The showroom is a tiny one and it appears that no one buys car from them. It was no surprise that they were desperate to book any model for me, even if it was J model. We were told two months of waiting time. We accepted and the booking was done.

The unpleasant Toyota customer service
At regular intervals, we phoned them to assure ourselves that our car is going to be delivered as promised. But after two months passed, they still gave unclear answer as about when will the car arrive. For more than a month, we asked them to email us the proof of booking our car from the company and they kept promising us that they will send us the email and never called us back. They even stopped picking our phone.

It was when we phoned Toyota Bharat and immediately the dealer's angry call came asking us what wrong they have done to us, why we were deliberately trying to ruin their image in front of Toyota company. We coolly explained to them that it was not our intention, we only wanted to know about the car.

Again, the time passed, more than three months gone and still they never picked my phone, my complaints to Toyota company and their Facebook fan page only made them call us and then it was back to the scene as if nothing happened.

Shocking flaws in Etios and the cancellation
As time passed, we got to read a lot of negative reviews about Etios on their Facebook fan page (which actually felt more useful feedback/review than the ones on Team-BHP). Rain water getting inside, mileage in single digit, clutch failing, shockingly high maintenance & repairing costs, different ECU settings on different cars and lack of immediate availability of spare parts. Toyota actively deleted their posts. Even the happy customers complained mildly about single digit mileage and much higher noise and vibration than test vehicle which kept getting worse as the car aged.

It was clear to us that Etios was a testing product by Toyota and Indians were the scapegoat. The biggest worrying factor was that when the dealer was not even interested in giving us the car, what will happen if we had a problem in the car? Hence, the booking was cancelled almost 4 months after the booking date.

During the cancellation, they still could not provide the proof that they had booked our car from the company. We concluded that they never had booked our car in first place and were only riding on impossible hope of us getting irritated and booking G model.

Booking Ford Figo: Uncovering the booking scam

Fresh from frustration from Toyota experience, my dad decided to buy a car only if it has no waiting list. We decided to go for a Figo since it seemed best choice after Toyota Etios.

Visit to Harpreet Ford, Dilshad Garden and the booking
We wanted to buy a white Figo Petrol LXi. But they only had a silver Figo LXi in stock. My dad refused to let us to have a look at other dealers and their Figo's and booked the Figo on the spot saying "buy it before someone else takes it". It was ready to be transported from their Gurgoan stockyard and be available the next day.

Avaliability of white Figo's in other dealers and the cancellation of the booking
We phoned Delhi Ford, Bhikaji Kama Place & Harpreet Ford, Moti Nagar and told dad that not only white Figo's were available in stock but also they were offering free insurance worth Rs 12k, something which Harpreet Ford, Dilshad Garden didn't offer. Dad calmed down and let us cancel the booking at Dilshad Garden.

Theorizing the booking scam
By now, we had guessed that there was some kind of scam involved in booking of cars. We made a theory that a salesman is paid a bonus if a car is booked but not when a car is bought. Hence, when a person directly buys a car without booking, the salesman doesn't get a bonus. The theory explained a lot why dealers plead a lot to book the car but never to buy the car itself. Also, once the booking/purchase money was with them, they might cancel freebies and discounts, especially on base models claiming "we didn't know that you were buying base model, the discounts are for higher models only". We decided to purchase the car directly without booking.

Visit to Delhi Ford and their stockyard
We informed them that we wished to see that if they indeed have a Figo in their stockyard and not making up a story "the car is in stockyard, will be delivered within 2-3 days". They easily agreed and took us in a Figo to their stockyard in Vasant Kunj. To my surprise, my mom found Figo as spacious and comfy as Toyota Etios. Mom also commented how silent Figo was. I let her know that we were sitting in a diesel Figo. I was really happy.

Their stockyard is in some kind of farmland surrounded by jungle looking areas and narrow roads. Upon reaching there, we were greeted with hundreds of Figo's, hundreds of Beat's and a few other Ford and Chevy cars. I wanted to take a pic of such a beautiful scene of hundreds of cars standing in a farmland with so much greenery around but was afraid to take the pic (should not have been afraid, what a stupidity!).

We found two white Figo Petrol LXi. Satisfied, we returned to their showroom and were ready to buy the car.

As expected, they made a request to book the car instead of buying the car directly. We calmly asked if the insurance was still being given free. And here! They said that the insurance was no longer being offered for free. We again had to back out.

The purchase at Harpreet Ford, Motinagar

First day After a phone talk, Motinagar salesman agreed not to book the car and still offer to purchase the car directly with insurance 100% free.

Me and my mom went there (dad was in office and sister was outstation). Turned out that dad was not gonna make it that day so we had to postpone the purchase for next day. It was a funny scene when the salesman tried his best to make us book the car. They were ready to book the car only for Rs 1000.

The purchase We returned the next day with the cash money. The salesman was relieved to see that we didn't run away. Again dad was not available so we (me and mom) had to go ahead and purchase the car on our own.

Discounts Insurance was 100% free. They refused to give us teacher's discount (dad is Physics teacher at Amity School of Competition) saying that insurance was a big discount enough.

Final priceThe final price was INR 3,91,600. We didn't spend money on stuffs like Teflon coating, rust coating and 3rd year extended warranty etc for varying reasons. For example, I believe that Teflon coating might damage original company painting and I, myself, am far better mechanic than the best mechanic they have, etc.

Freebies Freebies included hard plastic mudflaps, floor mats and sticker-type number plates.

Checking for flaws and finding one We had seen the car for two days. We didn't find any flaw or scratch on the body or glass. We checked everything from Ford logo on side glass to under-body painting.

The time came when we had to sign the paper saying "received the car in excellent condition". They were trying their best to get it signed as early as possible. I stopped mom from signing the paper and went out to inspect the car again. And surely, I found a 10 inch radius scratch on the windscreen by the wiper which was visible when sitting inside and when flashing a source of light on it. It was hard to capture on a camera so I didn't do so.

The coverup They sent in a lot of men , both staff and mechanics who spent over three hours cleaning the windscreen hoping to make scratch as least visible as possible and gave us a lot of explanation ranging from "that it is not a scratch, just a dirt", "scratches are common on new cars and automatically disappear on third day", "why such a big issue, you are going to scratch the windscreen one day anyway" etc. They almost emptied Figo's windscreen fluid reservoir and filled up using only water even after a lot of argues from us.

The admittance They waited for night to fall so that in the dark, the scratch ceases to be visible. But no success, I could still flash light from my phone and show them the scratch. By then dad had arrived and told them if the scratch is going to disappear then we will come to get the car on the day, the scratch disappears. Since all the paperwork was already finished, money was paid and it was beyond closing hours, they finally gave in and signed on papers admitting to give us a car with scratched windscreen.


Caption for the pic: Attempt to hide windscreen scratch by applying some kind of cleaner and waiting till night to reduce visibility

Official reporting of the flaw/damage In the process, they did a lot of lame attempts of writing the statement to fool us, like "small skatch on mirror", "small skatch on side glass". After a lot of argues, the statement got better and the final one now read "10 inch skatch an bindscreen". Mind you, I didn't make any spelling mistake here.

The statement was made on all the three papers which deals with acceptable of the car in excellent condition (I can't remember name of the paper). We will decide during the first service about what to do with the scratch on the windscreen.

Driving out After the paperwork, we cheered for the photo, took a box of (cheap) toffees, duplicate key and drove the car out of the showroom with a paid slip of three liter petrol. We were all happy.

---My initial ownership review of Ford Figo---
Please note that due to my low experience with other cars, my review will be mostly relative to Maruti Esteem'1995. The odometer at the time of review reads 290km. It has been around 3 weeks since the purchase.

What I liked

• Superb seating position and visibility outside for driver and all the passengers.
• Unbelievably quick AC.
• Soft and form-regaining bumpers.
• Very solid paint quality. Appears to be in league of cars like Honda Accord.
• Feels alive at speed of 80km/h and above due to precise steering response, fantastic handling and zero body roll.
• The aerodynamics. The air friction both at low and high speed is minimal. You can feel the car breezing through and it doesn't decelerate as quickly as most cars when you release the throttle.

What I didn't like

• Seat plastics is too hard. It is tiring to travel long journeys only due to this reason.
• No thigh support in rear seat unless you slid your foot under the front seat.
• Dashboard and window outside plastics are plain horrible in quality (when compared to my Esteem'95).
• Movement in first gear is a bit jerky and not as smooth as I expected from an ECU fit car. Don't know if other cars have this problem since I have driven only carburetor fit cars. When new, carburetor cars move very smoothly in first gear.
• Getting inside and out is a pain. Consider the fact that I never had problem in getting in and out of my Esteem.
• Ride quality is pretty basic, not as good as my Esteem. Over bad roads, it is plain horror.

Can't decide if I like it or not

• Too low ground clearance. If I accelerate a bit too fast while getting the car in my garage which is elevated from road, the suspension gets depressed and the car's belly touches the ground. I should hate it but I am a big fan of low cars.
• The looks. It is not as modern looking as most cars today but at same time, it looks far more well designed than most cars today. It even somehow matches the sketch of my dream car which I often make in my notebook while getting bored in a class, especially the headlights, the bumpers and the overall body shape and roof going low towards rear. I never knew that I was designing a Ford Figo subconsciously.
• Doesn't look as tall/big as its rivals, making it appear like a cheap car but then I don't like tall cars.

The angle at which Ford Figo looks best


My Facebook profile pic announcing purchase of Ford Figo


Showroom worker fits floor mat in boot (part of freebies)


Showroom worker fits one of the mudguards (part of freebies)


Almost sedan like boot space


Never forget to check for air in the spare wheel while purchasing a car


Note the missing fancy aluminium finishing and music system on base model


You get mechanic window operator in base model, no external left mirror. Note the bonnet opening lever is on passenger side


On a Ford car, try not to confuse indicator and wiper levers. External mirror adjustable internally. Power steering available even on base model


Rear leg space is quite generous though the seats are a bit small in size, the thigh support is poor and the inclination is not as much as it was in my Esteem. This, combined with hard plastic makes long journeys (>50km) tiring. Need to find appropriate seat covers since it is supposed to be most comfortable in car in its class over long journeys


My Figo crushing a lemon with its MRF ZV2K tires during the worship. Different Figo's come with different tires. MRF, Apollo and Goodyear. I believe that MRF is the best choice among them


The ants can't reach the bonnet and eat the sweet because of slippery nature of the painting.


Dogs do recognize new cars and like to sleep under them


The corners of Figo's headlamps get misted up on prolonged use of headlamps


This pic should give ideas to modding-lovers. Btw, you get a key slot on te hatch door in base model since the hatch door is not operable from the driver


A friend of mine tried some hands at photoshopping

Performance: Gearbox behaviour

First gear behaviour without accelerator

• Put in first gear, don't use accelerator, keep AC turned off. Release the clutch slowly. The car moves ahead smoothly.
• Lightly press the brake and release and press the clutch. The car moves ahead and stops quickly as if showing aggression.
• Turn AC to max. You have to release the clutch even more lightly to move the car ahead.
• On gentle slope, you have to keep AC turned off and release clutch patiently in order to move the car ahead without pressing accelerator.

First gear behaviour with accelerator

• If you press accelerator lightly, the car moves ahead smoothly.
• If you press accelerator a little more then the car jerks as the engine RPM varies by large amounts and unpredictably (though I don't have tachometer to prove this). Feels like damaging the engine and hence accelerating fast on first gear should always be avoided.
• If you want to accelerate fast, immediately put in 2nd gear. Travelling beyond 15km/h in first gear is not suggested at all.

Neutral gear behaviour

• If you are in neutral and the clutch is depressed then engine RPM is very low, though I don't have a tachometer but it feels like 800-1000RPM. If you release clutch, the engine RPM distinctly increases. I am at a loss to explain why it is so.

Second gear

• This is one strange gear. Since first gear can only be used to move the car from standing position and you have to be in 2nd gear immediately after moving the car, you should expect the vehicle speed under no throttle to be rather slow. But, it is a bit too fast which makes it uncomfortable to drive in in bumper-to-bumper traffic in 2nd gear.
• Even if you brake and bring the speed lower than the idle speed, the car will again accelerate to the idle speed once the brake is released.
• I am not sure but sometimes it seems that the vehicle charges ahead for a moment if you press the clutch in the 2nd gear.

Rest of the forward gears work just as what one expects them to.

Reverse gear

• During the first few times, I had difficulty putting into reverse gear. It would not go smoothly into rear. It felt as if some mechanism was preventing it to slot in rear gear. Later found out that it was some safety mechanism.
• You have to wait for like 2-3 seconds in neutral before putting in reverse gear.
• It is kind of impossible to slot into reverse from 5th gear. So far, I always moved gear around before slotting in reverse from 5th.

Best gearing for different speeds as observed by me

Short gearing/mileage oriented - press throttle only lightly

• 1st gear: 0-15km/h
• 2nd gear: 15-25km/h
• 3rd gear: 25-35km/h
• 4th gear: 35-50km/h
• 5th gear: 50-60km/h (best mileage)

Tall gearing/performance oriented ( red light sprints for example) - press throttle a bit more but not too deep

• 1st gear: 0-18km/h
• 2nd gear: 18-36km/h (most powerful acceleration)
• 3rd gear: 36-54km/h
• 4th gear: 54-72km/h
• 5th gear: 72+km/h

Performance over speed breakers

• One word: pathetic. You have to slot all way down to 1st gear just to jump over a speed breaker.
• If you attempt to pull away quickly, the car jerks, leaving you with no choice but to patiently wait for the car to jump over, pick speed mildly before accelerating as quickly as you wish to.

Performance under AC load

• Drop in performance is surprisingly not much considering that Figo has such a powerful AC. Could be magic of ECU management.
• When the car is heavily loaded and making a turn and/or going up an inclination in first gear, only then you feel a need to slow the AC.
• Slowing the AC is anyway what you are going to do a lot since it is hard to maintain optimum AC settings. It always gets too cold or too warm.

Handling

• One word: dream-like! With whatever little experience I got in crowded Delhi road, it is just amazing! I just want to find a curvy mountainous road or a racing track to test out its handling. I wonder if even a Mitsubishi lancer can beat Figo in handling.

Ride quality

• Ride quality is highly dynamic to what tire pressure you maintain. You can almost transform the car's characteristics just by changing tire pressure. I don't think that it is possible in other cars.
• Zero body roll, no bumpiness in rear, no jerking sideways, ahead or backwards makes it a somewhat stationary experience on roads.
• No matter how much you change tire pressure, you can't remove the feeling of the road's texture. You are constantly reminded of on what kind of road you are travelling at, hard cemented roads or soft rubber-tarmac roads. May be it is to do with the tires I have.

Performance of AC

• I am sure that I have written many times about its AC but once again, I would like to say that it might have the best AC among cars under 12 lac! Even the rear passengers get as much enjoyment as the front passengers.
• The fan is operable only till speed of 2. After this, the noise from fan is unbearable.

Vibration and silence inside cabin

• You just need to roll down windows a bit in traffic to appreciate how much silence you get inside the car.
• Though the engine is a bit noisy when you are outside the car, it hardly gets inside. I often wondered if the car has started at all or not.
• Vibration can be felt whenever the engine is under strain. Other than this, you get vibration when the battery kicks in to start the engine.
• Overall, I rate noise and vibration level as good. It is well under the limit to allow me to travel over long distance very comfortably.

Build quality

• Definitely a whole different feel from my Japanese Esteem. Metal sheets are much thicker. The paint layer alone feels as thick as my Esteem's metal sheets.
• Feeling of solidness everywhere. Doors close firmly without affecting the whole body. However, the feeling of closing the door is not as awesome as one feels in an i10. i10 has such a buttery smoothly closing doors.

Ride quality over potholed and broken roads

• Don't even ask! It is so pathetic when compared to my Esteem and Toyota Etios. However, when I look at Team-BHP, it appears that almost every other car is worse than Figo when it comes to handling broken roads. Hence, this part of review is best left to those who have experienced more cars than me.

Are headlamps really that bad?

• I read in forums on Team-BHP that Figo's headlamps give poor visibility. I honestly can't find difference between them and Esteem's headlamp performance. They are both pathetic when it is night and other cars are using full on headlamps without using dipper. May be it is a competition among people on who can blind who more. As long as other cars use dipper, I have no problem seeing the road with my Figo's headlamps.

Interior plastics

• Please someone tell Ford that people are willing to pay premium so please ramp up interior plastics quality a bit!
• The seats are so hard that some parts of my body especially legs ache over a period of time.
• The plastic on dashboard and pretty much over everything else is so hard that they don't feel good on touching.
• You would faint on seeing the quality of plastics surrounding the windows when looking from outside.
• The only good plastics are on the door handles (available only on base model). They feel pretty good, smooth and soft to handle.

Issues during the first week

• The rear suspension emits a screeching sound whenever I am taking out the car from garage, down a slope and apply brakes. No matter how hard or gently I brakes, it always screeched.
• My dad once complained of front brake disks or front suspension (can't determine which one) screeching when braking while coming down a flyover during 2nd week.
• Now all the screeching issues are gone. Looks like the lubrication has finally circulated to all parts. The car is pretty much new after all. Manufactured on 31st August, reached the dealer directly, not stockyard, given to me around 9th September with only 23km on odometer. I saw inside other Figo's at the dealer and found odometer readings ranging around 29km.
• During the first week, you get cautious not to rub the car's belly with ground and sometimes do rub it but from 2nd week onward, you easily learn not to rub it again.

There appears to be rust inside all four of my wheels. I can't exactly point where the rust is lodged at. Is it brake pad? Is it just some part holding the wheels? I put in my fingers and felt it, it is definitely rust.

Is music system needed?

• There is a 12V output which makes me wonder if I really need a music system. I have a smartphone (HTC Mozart) which has loud SRS sound. Only a wire and I can use my phone as a music player (either by playing from phone memory or from internet). The airtight system of the car should boost the sound from my phone but I have yet to test it.

Overall rating

• I rate Ford Figo as an average car with sheer practicality and unbeatable VFM.
• Ride quality gets a 'satisfied' rating from me.
• Performance gets a 'so-so' rating from me.
• Handling gets top stars from me.
• Comfort gets a question mark from me. I need to add more padding to the seats to get truly comfortable and to rate it 'happy'.
• Mileage report can't be done on a brand new car.
• Overall feeling is that of a normal hatchback, not as premium feeling as a Suzuki Swift.
• I recommend diesel Figo to anyone looking for a VFM car with sheer practicality and comfortable ride with good mileage.
• As for petrol Figo's, there are really few people who should know themselves if they want a petrol Figo or not.

I hereby close my post. I hope that anyone finds this post useful or interesting. Sorry for mistakes if there are any. It is my first ever post and also sorry for poor quality photos. They were all taken from my phone (HTC Mozart) on heavily cloudy days.

Help anyone?
I would be grateful if anyone can guide me about the following issues.

• What should be done regarding the scratch on the windscreen? I don't want to replace it. Original is the best. Should I claim for some compensation instead?
• What should be done to make the seats softer and hence more comfortable for long journeys?

Thank you and happy revving

[sachinj12]

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

I would be grateful if anyone can guide me about the following issues.

• What should be done regarding the scratch on the windscreen? I don't want to replace it. Original is the best. Should I claim for some compensation instead?
• What should be done to make the seats softer and hence more comfortable for long journeys?

Thank you and happy revving

Ask for a replacement windshield. The new one will be original too. I got my wind shield replaced within 3 weeks of ownership.

Regarding the seats, you can get seat covers and add additional foam in between to give extra cushioning. Keep in mind that the cushioning installation should be done well. Else your seat will become uneven and uncomfortable.

Regarding the rusting issue, I presume its that of the disc breaks? If so, its normal nothing to worry about.

Congrats on your gasoline. Drive safe

[DevilsCry]

Originally Posted by sachinj12

Ask for a replacement windshield. The new one will be original too. I got my wind shield replaced within 3 weeks of ownership.

I don't want to make you anxious but following posts on Figo's Facebook fan page, it appears that some owners had problem of water leaking through windscreen rubber linings. Turned out that all of them had windscreen replaced under warranty. Sorry, I should have been more clear. It is not the problem of getting original windscreen, it is the problem if they can fit the glass as good as original. Let's see what I will do.

By the way, what was the reason you changed the windscreen?

Originally Posted by sachinj12

Regarding the seats, you can get seat covers and add additional foam in between to give extra cushioning. Keep in mind that the cushioning installation should be done well. Else your seat will become uneven and uncomfortable.

Thanks for the tip. I will be looking for best combination of foam and seat covers.

Originally Posted by sachinj12

Regarding the rusting issue, I presume its that of the disc breaks? If so, its normal nothing to worry about.

Congrats on your gasoline. Drive safe

Thanks. That gives me peace of mind

[Turbanator]

Very nice review - straight from heart !

I will advise you to stick with the original windshield if the scratch does not obstruct your view . Instead settle for any accessories maybe worth or little less than the price of glass - it will depend on how you tackle with these guys - try to get them emotional first & involve some senior person from dealership or even insist for a joint inspection with Ford .

[patil]

Really a wise switch from the Etios to the Figo. The Figo is a far better car compared to the Etios when you consider the pricing, features, fit and finish, quality of materials.

Though people in India swear by Toyota quality the Etios and Liva are lacking in quality and the design of the dash is very old school. The Figo is an absolute value for money car.

So congrats on the new purchase and wise choice and happy motoring.

[DevilsCry]

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Very nice review - straight from heart !

I will advise you to stick with the original windshield if the scratch does not obstruct your view . Instead settle for any accessories maybe worth or little less than the price of glass - it will depend on how you tackle with these guys - try to get them emotional first & involve some senior person from dealership or even insist for a joint inspection with Ford .

Thanks for appreciating the review. All my family members also say that retaining the original windscreen is best since the scratch is not that glaringly visible. It is visible only when you pay attention.

This indeed calls for bargaining to get some freebies. I will try for seat covers with foam padding when I visit them next time.

[sachinj12]

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

I don't want to make you anxious but following posts on Figo's Facebook fan page, it appears that some owners had problem of water leaking through windscreen rubber linings. Turned out that all of them had windscreen replaced under warranty. Sorry, I should have been more clear. It is not the problem of getting original windscreen, it is the problem if they can fit the glass as good as original. Let's see what I will do.

By the way, what was the reason you changed the windscreen?

A stone chipped my windscreen. You know how its on our highways. Anything and everything appear out of nowhere.

BTW, I don't own a Figo, its a Swift Dzire. MSIL did a good job in replacing mine. Couldn't tell any difference between the old and the new except the crack.

[VeluM]

Congratulations on the Figo! I drove one recently (test-drive) and found it to be a very comfortable drive even though the car is low. Getting in and out was a little awkward (hang on to the A-pillar), but once seated it was very comfy.

I agree with Sachinj12: get the windscreen replaced ASAP and stay there to ensure that they do a proper job with the sealant/beading to ensure a proper seal. The glass will be Original as well, since these are all manufactured by OEMs anyway.

About the ride on poor roads, if you get a decent deal on the tyres, change to a different brand (Michelin/Yoko), because MRFs are built to last, not to be comfortable. These will refuse to wear out and might wear out your patience before they give up, and therefore are pretty pocket friendly.

Thanks for the detailed and honest review! This is one of the few Petrol Figo ownership reviews on TBHP.

Wish you a trouble-free ownership!

[bluevolt]

Congratulations on getting the new Ford Figo.

Do keep the thread updated regularly.

Wishing you happy and safe driving!

[mobike008]

Congratulations and very exhaustive from the heart review of the buying experience and review of the Figo. Your thread can serve excellent source for prospective buyers of the Figo.

Great job! Thanks for sharing

Drive Safe.....

[RadiantKarma]

Hey DevilsCry,

Hearty congratulations for the absolutely VFM possession! The car indeed comes equipped with phenomenal AC and brilliant handling.

It was shocking approach on the part of Toyotas for denying you the base variant. Looks like the variant is silently being phased out as there were very few takers. But this certainly is not the way to go about it!

Anyway, let this not spoil your party. Enjoy your ride with safe driving!

[bblost]

This is such a lovely review. Perfect landing place for anyone keen on buying the Figo Petrol.

Please keep us updated with the many many miles you will add.

[DevilsCry]

Originally Posted by RadiantKarma

It was shocking approach on the part of Toyotas for denying you the base variant. Looks like the variant is silently being phased out as there were very few takers. But this certainly is not the way to go about it!

Actually, as per discussion on Etios' Facebook fan page, there are many people who want to buy base model of Etios but are easily forced to buy G model instead by the dealers.

This is just a scam by Toyota (company or dealers, I am not sure) to advertise Etios having price starting from 4.99 lac by having non-existent J model when actual on-road price is more than 6 lac.

Thanks for wishing. I am not very disappointed for cancelling Etios since there are many fields where Figo is better than Etios.

[HappyRoadie]

Congrats on your purchase. An excellent review with awesome pictures. It is indeed a VFM car. Wish you many happy and safe miles.

[AvonA7]

Congratulations @DevilsCry !

A very good, detailed and honest feedback of your ride. The 2nd last pic is fantastic, white Figo is my favorite and the Green brake pads (mostly I have seen red) + those stickers + alloy design ... very attractive. Thanks for sharing, wish you many many happy and safe miles on your new ride