[maxaud]

So I finally got my Red Rapid in hand! After 3 days and just 140KM (started with 13) on the odo…



Likes
1. A very happy customer. Thanks are due to Mr. Fazel, the salesperson from TAFE for a wonderful experience throughout. Overall I found the TAFE folks very helpful and accommodating.
2. The awesome surge once the turbo kicks in! My wife can’t stop laughing at the stupid grin I have on my face every time it happens .
3. I have not pushed the car anywhere near its capability, but I think she’s going to keep me really happy. At 3000 rpm in 5th gear, she cruises along at a steady 120KMPH and I can just feel all that untapped oomph in there.
4. All that information on display on the MID. Keep fiddling with those up/down buttons.
5. She’s a looker!


Dislikes
1. No dead pedal. Forget that, there is no space for that left foot in a shoe. You have to do some maneuvering to give it a place to rest.
2. Not a fan of the interiors. Need some jazz to spruce it up. This certainly doesn’t look like the interior of a premium car, especially the quality of the brown plastic used. I already knew this when I bought it, and the same could be said for the Vento.
3. Shifting into 5th and back seems notchy. I am just not sure whether the shift is complete or not.
4. The radio on the OEM HU seems to be really weak at catching signals. There seems to be static most of the time. My SX4 does not even have an external antenna (not the kind of one that sticks out I mean) and it works quite well. Could it be because of a loose connection?
5. The wiper “service position”. Current owners may appreciate this better. The wipers cannot be lifted off the windshield from their normal rest position. The bonnet prevents this. They have to be specifically brought to a service position (albeit by a simple flick of the wiper stick) before they can be lifted. Takes some getting used to.


First Impressions
1. The car lurches forward on releasing the clutch; no accelerator. I did not face any turbo lag as such. Just yesterday I did an Electronics City to Yeshwantpur Railway Station run in peak hour traffic. The ~30km stretch took 2 hours. But I never had any issues with the lag.
2. Having said that, there is a world of difference between the clutch in the Rapid and the SX4. It really takes a toll on one’s legs, especially since I am in the run-in period and do keep shifting gears. But this is something I was prepared for and I also hope that post run-in I wont have to shift gears as often.
3. My turbo seems to kick in around 2100-2200 rpm. Is this ok? I was expecting it would be from around 1800-2000.
4. The suspension is supposed to be a stiff one, but compared to my earlier ride, it’s a lot softer. I would have preferred it stiffer, but the wife is happy.
5. I keep hearing that the rear leg room is ample for 4 people, even though I drive with the seat pushed almost all the way back. Never sat there myself. Don’t plan to either!

How it all started
I have owned an SX4 (still do) for a little more than 4 years and 75K kms that I have loved every bit of. My idea of a good vacation is to drive to some remote corner and lay still till it’s time to drive back. So the SX4 has seen many a rough road, or should I say lack of roads, and it’s been a trusted partner on all my getaways. Not once has it given up on me, apart from the OEM JK Vectra rubbers losing air on one too many an occasion towards the end of its life (that too on good NHs. Damn nails). A switch to Yoko 225 dBs, and this too was a thing of the past. The confidence it gave in going anywhere (thanks to the awesome GC) has been the single biggest advantage that this car has given me. And this indeed will be what I miss most in my new ride.

In recent years, the rising petrol prices had started to severely pinch my pockets. My fuel guzzler was eating into my trip budgets big time. My need for speed (stability & safety as well which is why I plonked the Yokos) and the wide tires did not help the mileage much. The average was a decent 10kmpl – City/Highway no bar. Sometime last year, we did a trip to Goa (Electronics City to Madgao in 9 hours, with breaks!). My friend driving the Fiesta Classic did the round trip with Rs.4500 worth of diesel, with fuel to spare. I spent Rs.9000, with an empty tank to show at the end of the trip. This was really when reality bit.

I have got chances to lay my hands on a few diesel motors belonging to friends - the first gen Verna (which in my opinion was a much more spirited ride than the current one), the Palio(1.9) & Punto, the Octavia, the Innova, Figo etc. I found the “torque”ative nature of these mills quite appealing. That whoosh when the turbo kicked in was just something else.
So here I was, in the market for a diesel sedan. Question was – second hand or new? After several weeks of sleepless nights, drooling over used Laura L&Ks (the old PD engine is to die for!), refreshing the links on team-bhp classifieds, craigslist, carwale, cardekho, sulekha, OLX, quickrr every 5 minutes, my bank decided I was just not worthy enough to be granted a personal loan. My dreams of making a sweet deal were dashed, and I was back to square one. Second hand car loans were out of question as the interest rates were too high. So…

I had very simple requirements, nothing too detailed. It went something like this in decreasing order of importance.

1. <12L Rs. OTR. No compromise on that.
2. Should be a driver’s car, a joy to drive.
3. >100bhp.
4. Safety – Driver and passenger airbags & ABS were a must. Anything more was always welcome.
5. Looks. Has to be a head turner. (I will kill myself twice before going anywhere near the old DZire)
6. 4 people should be comfortable. Needs a fairly big boot.
7. Ground clearance. I die a little each time I scrape. I don’t always stick to highways either.
8. Climate Control
9. Steering mounted controls (got used to it)
10. Big ORVMs. This has been a major grouch for me in all the other cars I have driven. SX4 beats every other car hands down in this department.


Over the past 6 months, tried out the following cars :-

1. Hyundai Verna Fluidic (-- price, -- fun, ++ looks)
2. Ford Figo (++ price, --fun (lots of lag), --looks, -- GC)
3. Used Laura L&Ks (<>price, ++fun, ++looks, ++ everything else! But no loan…grrrr)
4. Volkswagen Vento (<>price, <>looks, <>fun)
5. Ford Fiesta – did not even test drive as it was way beyond budget for the features I wanted.
6. Linea (++price, ++looks, <>fun, does not cross the 100bhp barrier)
7. Did not consider SX4 (already have one), Chevrolet Magnum (dated), Manza, Etios etc.
8. Rapid (++price, ++ looks, ++ fun)

Obviously, the Rapid Elegance met most of my expectations. What did I sacrifice?

• Ground clearance (vis-a-vis the SX4)
• Steering mounted controls
• Large ORVMS (again in comparison the SX4)

Decision
So at the end of the day, it was not a very tough decision. At 11.45L OTR in Bangalore, this certainly is the best value for money sedan in this price bracket today. Linea would come a close second; that is of course just my opinion. Vento is priced 1L higher for the steering mounted controls and the VW badge.
The launch of Renault Duster briefly put a break to my plans. But at 13.5L OTR for the 108 bhp top-end version (the only one to have passenger airbag), this was again not an option. No one seems to have got their hands on the 85 bhp version either, which was anyway below my 100bhp threshold. Besides, I am still a sedan person.


Buying Experience
This brings me to the buying experience. Since I live in Electronics City, the TAFE showroom on Hosur Road was the most easily accessible. I met Mr. Fazel at the showroom the first time, who also brought the vehicle for the test drive. He was very helpful and accommodative and deserves special mention. Let me also add that sharing a mother tongue (Malayalam) made a difference. Once I had narrowed down to the Rapid, the negotiation started. The Elegance variant was my choice (because of the passenger air bag and the climate control).

1. The actual OTR price including the in-house insurance & extended warranty came to 11.61L.
2. There was a corporate discount of 15K on offer and nothing else.
3. I managed to convince Fazel (the salesperson) to throw in the rear parking sensors and visual indicators for free. The price of the setup was Rs. 4500/-.

Finally, as things stand, I bought a rear view camera with a “Worldtech” multimedia unit which mounts on top of the rear view mirror. All items including the floormats and the mudflaps were invoiced, but with minor discounts. Overall I got a discount of approximately Rs. 5000.

I am not very happy with the Worldtech thingy, but what the heck. That was the only thing I could bargain for. It was quite obvious that Rapid was having brisk sales, and they were not really keen on giving discounts. Every time I went to the showroom (4 times in total) there were at least 2 Rapids ready for delivery. As per Fazel, TAFE’s Hosur Road showroom alone was doing sales of around 40-50 units per month.

I had to cough up 2L on short notice to protect myself from an upcoming "price rise". Dont know how far this is true, but on the date of delivery, Fazel confirmed that TAFE had received communication from Skoda on the same. Prices were slated to increase by 20-30K on all models. Can anybody please confirm this?

Two threads on tbhp that greatly helped me during the delivery :-

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buying...heck-list.html
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/buying...cture-vin.html

I had ensured that I got to inspect the vehicle before it was registered in my name. I noted the VIN and confirmed that the month of manufacture as April 2012. I did not get to do a test drive as the vehicle was in the stockyard right in the middle of a lot of other parked cars. It was pretty obvious that it had not been touched for sometime - it was not an easy task to take it out of where it was parked. And the brake discs had signs of rust. The odo showed just 13km.

On the date of delivery, I reached exactly at the appointed time. It took nearly an hour and a half for the final delivery, but I was treated to my car getting a good rub before the delivery. They also installed the Worldtech unit in my presence, so I got to oversee the installation. I also performed the routine checks as per the team-bhp checklist in the mean time. Everything seemed fine and in place.

In the immediate pipeline:-
1. Need to spruce up the interiors. Seats, doors, handbrake, armrest and steering wheel to get the leather treatment. Karlsson, Augusta & Stanley under consideration. Need help here folks from Bangalore, please suggest. (EDIT: Have talked to Mr.Sajith from Karlsson and finalized on the interiors)
2. A better HU with rear-view camera i/p, touchscreen, android compatibility and pre-outs for the amps. Have narrowed down to this for the moment.
3. Component speakers for the front.

Future upgrades:-
1. Amp, rear components/co-axials as budget permits in the next 1 year.
2. Tyre upgrades and Tuning Box to happen after 2 years.

[mobike008]

Note from Moderator : Thread moved to Initiail Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing.

[dZired]

Nicely written report. Thats the first red rapid I have seen and looks pretty nice in this shade. Some interior pics will spice up this thread. Hope to see all the updates on your pending upgrades.

Just a personal advice: Go for a fit and sleek spoiler. I saw a black rapid some days ago with a spoiler and believe me it looked awesome.

I wish you many miles of happy motoring.
Take Care and Drive Safe.

[negativeH]

Great choice, Rapid looks awesome in this red shade.
I'll second the spoiler call, recently saw a Rapid on FB with a genuine spoiler (not the flimsy strip VW-Skoda sell) and it looked amazing; that one was red too.

So how do you find the world renowned diesel TDI after driving a petrol all these years?

[nurni76]

The Rapid looks stunning in Red. I agree with your points on the engine. The TDi is a real hoot to drive. I have driven a Vento and boy the engine just jumps after 2k RPM. Do post pictures of the interiors. Also what about the space in the rear compared to SX4?

[W.A.G.7]

Hotttt looking Rapid ! Congrats !! I like the choice of the colour. It's nice to hear about your good experience with the dealership. A welcome change from reading the problems (minor/major or both) with the dealership in most of the threads. Let's hope your experience continues this way.

[mempheS.D]

Post deleted by the Team-BHP Support : Please do NOT post one-liners that add little or no informational value to the thread. We need your co-operation to maintain the overall quality of this forum.

Please read our rules before proceeding any further.

[ashis89]

Congrats on your Rapid. It looks best in Red(just like the old Laura PD did in red) and will be a good mile muncher. Wishing you many happy miles in your red beauty.

[Karthik1100]

Congrats on the Rapid!

Here's the Rapid's cousin I bought last friday!

[mempheS.D]

Here goes my hearty congratulations to you maxaud (again) for being a proud owner of a new brilliant looking car in red. The new and lower GC maybe something that you ll need to get used to especially on humps like the one near the Wipro EC office.

Do share pictures of interiors after Mr Sajith splashes his magic leather.

[maxaud]

Originally Posted by dZired

Nicely written report. Thats the first red rapid I have seen and looks pretty nice in this shade. Some interior pics will spice up this thread. Hope to see all the updates on your pending upgrades.

Just a personal advice: Go for a fit and sleek spoiler. I saw a black rapid some days ago with a spoiler and believe me it looked awesome.

I wish you many miles of happy motoring.
Take Care and Drive Safe.

Thanks! I will post the interiors once the leather job is done. As for the spoiler, how I wish I could! On a stretched budget really, and I am getting dirty looks from the better half already. But I think I will include in my annual budget.

Originally Posted by negativeH

Great choice, Rapid looks awesome in this red shade.
I'll second the spoiler call, recently saw a Rapid on FB with a genuine spoiler (not the flimsy strip VW-Skoda sell) and it looked amazing; that one was red too.

So how do you find the world renowned diesel TDI after driving a petrol all these years?

I will go for the spoiler in due course, but nothing over the top for me. A simple one will do just fine. Its been 14 (ahem..legal) years of driving petrol only. And quite honestly, I think I am done being a petrol fan. There is this grunt, something raw, that only the diesel mills offer. Even when you are doing a 140kmph, there is this feeling that there is still a lot on offer. While on petrol, I can hear the whine of the motor. You may argue that its just the SX4, but I have heard it in the Civic as well. I am quite happy with the Rapid for now, and I cant wait till I go past the 4K rpms!

Originally Posted by nurni76

The Rapid looks stunning in Red. I agree with your points on the engine. The TDi is a real hoot to drive. I have driven a Vento and boy the engine just jumps after 2k RPM. Do post pictures of the interiors. Also what about the space in the rear compared to SX4?

The engine is a beauty for sure. Will be posting the pics soon. W.r.t the space, I will say that the elbow room is a wee bit lesser for 3 people in the back (and front. You can sense that the co-passenger is a bit closer than usual). I have lugged 7 people in the SX4 (short drive, obviously!), which I doubt can ever be done in the Rapid. But leg space is no problem at all. On long drives, 4 people can have a great time in this machine.

Originally Posted by W.A.G.7

Hotttt looking Rapid ! Congrats !! I like the choice of the colour. It's nice to hear about your good experience with the dealership. A welcome change from reading the problems (minor/major or both) with the dealership in most of the threads. Let's hope your experience continues this way.

Thanks. I am well aware of the Skoda horror stories and I still have my fingers crossed. I have a long time love affair with Maruti-Suzuki starting with my parents (800, the first gen Zen, Baleno, SX4-VVT) and then me (second gen Zen, SX4), I decided to take the plunge after much thought. But one things for sure, they sure know how to make great cars.

Originally Posted by ashis89

Congrats on your Rapid. It looks best in Red(just like the old Laura PD did in red) and will be a good mile muncher. Wishing you many happy miles in your red beauty.

Thanks. I also loved the old Octavia RS in yellow and red.

Originally Posted by Karthik1100

Congrats on the Rapid!

Here's the Rapid's cousin I bought last friday!

Congratulations on the thoroughbred cousin Karthik . Let the engines roar!

Originally Posted by mempheS.D

Here goes my hearty congratulations to you maxaud (again) for being a proud owner of a new brilliant looking car in red. The new and lower GC maybe something that you ll need to get used to especially on humps like the one near the Wipro EC office.

Do share pictures of interiors after Mr Sajith splashes his magic leather.

Thanks a lot memphes. I guess you mean the one mean bump as soon as you enter Neeladri Road, with potholes on both sides. Well, so far it has held good. Obviously I take extra care, where I used to non-chalantly bounce past on the SX4!
I have an appointment at Karlsson on Thursday. Have picked the beige (single colour, I like to keep it simple and clean) for the seats, door panels and arm rests. The steering wheel and the handbrake will get black. Will be having the pics up on saturday I guess!

[maxaud]

Updates
1. Got the leather work done at Karlsson on Thursday and I have to add that they did a great job. Neat, seamless and very professional.
2. Completed 550km on the Odo today.
3. Completed my first highway run today. A 160km round trip to the Heritage Winery and back. The mileage reported was a wonderful 18.2kmpl for the trip! (Max rpm was limited to 3K and I was frequently down shifting for bumps and slow traffic; situations where I wont be down shifting post 1500km on the odo)

Am loving it

• A gentle tap on the accelerator around the 2100 mark on the tacho makes my ride surge forward. Oh the joy!
• On the highway, this really helps put the wayward Indica taxis and the young turks in Swifts (I have the greatest respect for the Swift, but not for the under developed brain behind the wheel) in place.
• I chose to overtake a few such idiots to let them know what I had with me and then let them pass. With great power comes great responsibility

A few pics from today's trip to Heritage Winery, courtesy a friend.





A few pics of the leather job done by Karlsson. I apologize for the lack of quality, focus and the insufficient detail. I did not have my camera on me and my friend was not suitably motivated . These dont do justice to the quality of the work. I promise to post better ones.





Off-topic
The Heritage Winery is a good place to spend an evening. It is about 10 km from Channapatna town on Bangalore-Mysore highway and about 4 km in-road from the highway. Quite, secluded and peaceful, the winery itself is nothing great to speak about. There is no vineyard; just the manufacturing and bottling unit.

We were not expecting anything much anyway, just needed an excuse to take the car for a drive. The guest house is neat and it had a restaurant too. Since we had kids with us, the restaurant was great news. But what can you expect from a tiny restaurant so isolated from civilization? A charming menu and great food apparently, much to our welcome surprise! The place seemed to be run by a young Goan couple, who made sure we had a wonderful evening. Word of caution, the place is not a fast food joint and the food takes time. We were in no hurry and spent a good 3 hours on the table enjoying the wine, wind and company.

[DeKay]

Maxaud,
The car looks fantastic. I was never a fan of the red color for the rapid, but I must say that your pictures have changed my perception.

The leather wrapping on the steering looks pretty good. Did the folks at Karlsson remove the steering wheel for the procedure? I had asked them for the same, but they told me that they would have to remove the steering wheel and then do the stitching work. I wasn't comfortable with that, so declined.

Did you get seat covers from them as well? What was the overall cost of the work?

[maxaud]

Originally Posted by DeKay

Maxaud,
The car looks fantastic. I was never a fan of the red color for the rapid, but I must say that your pictures have changed my perception.

The leather wrapping on the steering looks pretty good. Did the folks at Karlsson remove the steering wheel for the procedure? I had asked them for the same, but they told me that they would have to remove the steering wheel and then do the stitching work. I wasn't comfortable with that, so declined.

Did you get seat covers from them as well? What was the overall cost of the work?

Thanks DeKay

The steering is wrapped up pretty neatly; tight and clean. No, the steering wheel was not removed during the procedure. I would have definitely not agreed to that.

I had also checked regarding the feasibility of wrapping the gear knob, but they said that Skoda/VW gear shifts come with a special clip for actuating the reverse gear. So it was unwise to remove the shift for any kind of after-market fitting. So I guess they are knowledgeable on that front (could be a case of learning from mistakes as well!)

IMO, removing the wheel would only be required if you have to wrap up the centre console. This I did not do because I have airbags in there and I dont want to lose the Skoda badge.

Seat covers, armrests (front+door panels), steering wheel and handbrake sleeves came to ~33K.

[blackasta]

The mean machine looks impeccable in Red, and oem Alloys looks great too.
Leather work is very nice with excellent finishing - looks like factory fit!
Just curious - in the second picture from top - there is an orange hue on the hood. is it just a reflection of something (building etc) or does the color reflect sunlight like this when viewed from certain angles?
Happy mile crunching!