[AshBabu]

Note: This is my first Ownership thread in TBHP. Please condone any lapses

Fast Backward:

It was Jan 2012, we had our good companion Santro Xing which had served us for seven years and had become part of our family. It was an amazing hatch – good to look at, comfortable to ride, maintenance on the lower side and sunshine in one’s life. The only downside we felt was its boot space. For a hatch the boot space was fine but our travel requirements made for bulky luggages, and fitting in to the boot was always an issue

At the beginning of February 2012, we started to look out for a new car and our priorities were:

• It should be a sedan and Diesel, as running will be about 13000 – 15000 with highway and city mix. Boot space should be good
• Low maintenance and good service – Hyundai service was a bit on higher side though experience was good
• Decided to go for safety features like ABS, Airbags etc.
• Alloy wheels a must, as we had bad experience with steel rim on my trip to native place in South Tamilnadu due to bad road conditions. Our consideration was that Alloy would perform better.
• Maximum budget for OTR was 8.5 lakh

Cars under our consideration were:

1. Swift Dzire
2. Verna 1.4
3. Sunny Diesel
4. Vento diesel
5. Toyota Etios Diesel

The Search:

Maruti: We started our search in right earnest and visited Kapico Maruti showroom in Kilpauk. The SA was knowledgeable and the experience was good. The newer upgraded Dzire was launched during this period. Though I have not driven the older version, it was the best seller and it offered VFM. The only concern we had was boot space and were eagerly awaiting the newer version. We were disappointed in seeing the new Dzire. With the aim to bring the length under 4 meter, Maruti had reduced the boot size. Also my wife felt cramped at the back seat. Both of us felt that back seat space was far better in Santro Xing. We took a test drive. The vehicle was beauty to drive and handling was good. But the boot and space constraint was against this vehicle
We looked at SX4 also. I very much liked the look of this car and front and back seat space was good. The boot space was decent. We test drove SX4 also and was comfortable with the drive. The diesel version was over my budget and also sales number were not encouraging. We thought Maruti would replace this sedan at the earliest or upgrade the existing one.

Hyundai: Next we visited Kun Hyundai showroom at Anna Nagar. The Verna floored us by the look. It was good to look with all curves and fluidic design. 1.6 Diesel was offered for test drive. The drive was good, soft suspension was comfortable and the car had all bells and whistles. Interior was rich and driving position was comfortable. But at back we felt slightly cramped and lower seats added to the feeling. I drove the car in the city hence was not able to test at high speed. My wife was impressed with the car. On the cost front it was way beyond our budget with OTR coming to 10+ lakhs. The SA suggested to go for 1.4 Diesel version but again here also I need to stretch my budget 1 lakh plus.

Volkswagen: Next we visited Kun Volkswagen showroom at Anna Nagar. The car to me had a stately look and was clean. It was in direct contrast to Verna. The engine was too good and drive was smooth. But I had difficulty in getting in and out of the car and felt the seat was too low. Also the back seat was not comfortable for three adults. On the cost side it was again a great stretch on my budget

Toyota: Our next stop was at Lanson Toyota at Koyambedu. Toyota had released the Etios diesel version some six month earlier and was getting good review for performance and bad review for look. There was a waiting period of two months for diesel version. The Sales Officer Saravanan was knowledgeable and explained the features of the car in detail. The look was plain with no curves or lines and seemed outdated. The interior was nothing to write about. It was just adequate. During that period Etios came with grey and black interiors. The plastics and door covers cried loud of cost cutting. One great feature of the car was space, space and space. The front space looked very comfortable, and rear space was like football field. Segment best boot space was there to swallow all our luggage. We went for a test drive of diesel Etios, the engine was smooth to drive though noise was little bit high inside the cabin. Turbo lag was almost absent and lower end torque was splendid. I was graduating from petrol to diesel engine and this peppy engine and low end torque was a revelation. The front seat thigh support was good and the back seat provided excellent support apart from knee space. The reclined back seat provided best comfort. The car was devoid of any features like seat adjustments, electrical ORVM or arm rest etc. and with unconventional speedometer in the middle and single wiper. It offered ABS and EBD as standard feature. No discount or freebies offered.
We decided to drop Sunny from our consideration mainly due to Nissan’s limited dealership and apprehension of service. In Chennai, it would be fine but we generally travelled down south frequently and there was no service available in southern area.

We also visited Harsha Toyota at Velapanchavadi to check on models, price and freebies. Here also delivery promised in 2 months, no discount or freebies. VXD version was offered for test drive.

The Decision:

Dzire was rejected outright due to space constraint. We felt it would be better to continue with Santro rather investing in this new car. With drawbacks as stated above, Vento was also out of our list.

Verna was very much on top of our list, but 1.6 Diesel was way beyond our budget. Though the SA was advising on taking 1.4 Diesel, we were not inclined to do so. Our thoughts were, if we have buy Verna it should the higher engine version. With heavy heart we dropped Verna from the list.

We were left with Etios which we thought was VFM and a practical family car with no bells and whistles. The interior and design was a letdown but the reliable engine and Toyota quality was the advantage. We decided to go for VD version as it had Alloy wheel, ABS, EBD and Airbags for driver and Passenger. The total cost was about 40k above my estimated budget, which we can stretch.

Lanson Motors was selected as it was nearer to our home than Harsha Toyota.

The Delivery:

On 06-Mar-2012, we booked the car at Lanson Motors, Koyambedu by paying an advance of Rs. 50,000/-. The color option given was Serene Bluish Silver or Silver or White. Now the wait for the new car started with April end as expected delivery date.

Meanwhile I had a phone call from Saravanan informing me that Toyota might revise the price of Etios from 1st April. Also he said there was a Red and Black Etios readily available and can be delivered immediately. We again visited the dealer to have a look at both the colors. The black Etios impressed us very much and were on the verge in deciding to take delivery of the vehicle. But my brother in law was against it as maintenance will be difficult. So we decided to wait for the delivery even though 10k plus increase was expected.

As I had sold my Santro already, I was finding it difficult to manage my commute. At end of March, I called Saravanan and checked with him on possibility to get delivery of my car at the earliest. Saravanan informed me that he will check delivery and get back in first week of April. As promised he called me on 04-Apr and informed that a white Etios VD is being delivered second week of April to OMR branch. If I am willing to take this color, he would block the car for me. I immediately confirmed to take white color. He mailed the Performa Invoice and requested me to go ahead with loan arrangement. The cost of the car:

1. Ex.Show room price : Rs. 7,68,079.00
2. Road Tax & Registration : Rs. 86,308.00
3. Insurance : Rs. 28,799.00
4. Toyota Care (up to 20k KM) : Rs. 2,979.00
5. Total cost : Rs. 8,86,165.00/-

I went for car loan with ICICI bank and all formalities were completed and we were ready for delivery. The car reached Chennai on 17th April. The PDI was done and nothing downside was noted. Car was dirty in the yard and had Bridgestone Turanza tyres. We paid the complete amount on 18-Apr. The car was registered on 19th and delivery taken on 20th April.

The following accessories were bought from Lanson Toyota:

1. Rubber Mat – Rs. 652.05
2. Luggage tray – Rs. 1,202.25
3. Gear Knob – Rs. 583.95
4. Mud Guard – Rs. 629.75
5. Bumper Protector at four corners – Rs. 572.50
6. Protector fixing & Painting – Rs. 789.00
7. Toyota Security System – Rs. 6,446.35
8. Reverse horn – Rs. 190.07
9. Total cost for the accessories – Rs. 10,278.00

We took the delivery of the car after a small ceremony and the key was handed over to me by Sales Manager Ramesh along with Saravanan. The car was decked up for the occasion and was majestic. Saravanan explained me the features in the car, service intervals and maintenance care. Overall our sales experience was good with Lanson Toyota. Also the Service Manager was introduced to us, which I thought was good practice followed by Lanson Toyota. The odometer reading of the car was 13 km.

At Dealer - White Knight Decked for occasion:



The sales experience was good at Lanson Toyota. Saravanan was prompt in his reply and always kept me informed of the progress. In fact he even called after a year or so for conveying festival wishes.

The Accessories:

We left the dealership and drove went straight to 3M store at Nungambakkam. I have already booked an appointment with them. Mr.Dushy was the Store Manager and he had earlier explained to me on the packages available for new car. Anti corrosive coating and sun film work was done at the 3M shop. I went for 5 years warranty coating. For windshield CR 70 was used and windows and rear RE50 was used. The cost break up is given below:

1. Anticorrosive coating (5 year warranty) : Rs. 3269.00
2. Sun Film – Side and Rear: Rs. 5675.00
3. Sun Film Windshield: Rs. 7750.00

The work was completed at about 6:00 pm. After a short drive in the city, we returned home satisfied with the day’s outing.

The next day was planned for adding accessories and upgrading ICE. Earlier I have identified and finalized Leo Car Accessories located in Woods Road (near GP Road) for doing the modification. Leo was recommended by a friend. The accessories planned were – upgrading ICE to touch screen (stock one was very basic), additional speakers at rear (Etios came with 4 tweeters only), Rear camera, Velcro mat, upgrade horn. Also we decided on Feather Artificial Leather seat cover with Leo. The cost break up is given below:

1. Full floor mat – Rs. 1,800.00
2. Pioneer 2450 BT HU Touchscreen DVD – Rs. 20,500.00
3. Scoch clamp – Rs. 650.00
4. OE Harness – Rs. 650.00
5. Wood ring to mount speakers– Rs. 350.00
6. Vibe Slick 692 Speaker (420 watts peak, 140 Watts RMS) – Rs. 4,900.00
7. Xenos camera – Rs. 2,300.00
8. Bosh horn with wiring – Rs. 1,620.00
9. Labour Charges – Rs. 700.00
10. Cutting charge (rear tray for fixing speaker) – Rs. 200.00

The total cost worked up to Rs. 33,670.00, and a discount of Rs. 1,250.00 was negotiated. So the upgrade cost was Rs. 32,240.00

Feather Seat cover cost was – Rs. 8,850.00

The whole day was spent on doing the modifications. As the rear parcel tray has be cut for fixing the speaker, the car was stripped down by removing all the seats and using a welding machine to cut the metal part. It was really pathetic to look at your new car stripped to bare minimum for all these work. The speaker was mounted on wooden ring and ensured no vibration was there. The rear camera was fitted at the back above the name plate and the wiring was run to the HU, which was capable of displaying the output. Since 2 DIN was provided as stock, Pioneer HU was direct fit in to the panel. Next seat covers were fitted and seats assembled back again. Finally the horn was fixed in the front. Leo Accessories were competent and did their job professionally.

The White Knight was armored and ready for travel battle.

Drive in First Month:

The first one month was sedate driving within city and few times to my office. My office was about 55 km one way with 22 km stretch in by pass road. Otherwise it was city traffic and medium traffic through out. In the bye pass road I was able to drive the car to near 3 digit speed. The mileage was a healthy 15.2 km with AC always on. The ride was planted, gears smooth and slick and it was great to drive this car. I was graduating first time from petrol to diesel car and found the clutch a bit hard and sound invasive in to the cabin. The lower end torque was addictive and the car was able to pull from stand still in second gear. Another aspect observed in diesel engine was, by just releasing the clutch and without pressing the accelerator, the torque generated was sufficient to set the vehicle in motion. It was some time before I got used to these characteristics and my love affair with this peppy engine started growing.

First Service (26-May-12)

The first service was done on 26-May-12 @ 945 Km.

The service was just an inspection and wash. Lanson agreed for home pick up and drop at free of cost. The car was picked up at about 9:30 am and it was dropped back at my home at 12:30 pm. I had promptly received a SMS once the car had reached the service station. Also another SMS in between informing the status and finally the actual delivery time SMS. Elated to enjoy the good service of Toyota.

Drive between First and Second Service:

On the first week end of June 12, we decided to do a highway run to Yelagiri hill station which was about 220 km from Chennai. On a Saturday morning we left Chennai early and took NH4 Bangalore road and proceeded towards Vellore. The trip included 15 km ghat road with 14 hairpin bends. The highway handling was superb even at 120+ speed. The engine speed was about 2500 rpm in the 5th gear. The noise was acceptable level though bit high. As the engine speed climbed to 3000 rpm and speedometer to 140 km/hr, the noise level was invasive. We returned to Chennai the same day and Etios gave me a mileage of 17.8 km/litre. The handling was great and cornering in hairpin bend was a breeze. The steering was quite responsive even at higher speed.

Trip to Yelagiri:



Following months the White Knight saw many highway trips to my native place (about 450 km from Chennai), Coimbatore, Salem and Kanyakumari. In Tamilnadu with most of the highways being 4 track, it was easy to maintain 120 speed and response from the engine was always encouraging, brake confidence inspiring and cornering ability great even at that speed. Not even once I felt uncomfortable in driving the vehicle at high speed or any discomfort in driving long stretch of hours. The driver seat provided good support and was comfortable. The feedback from steering always provided the confidence that you are in control.

The quality of Toyota was evident, in that my next visit to Service station was for my second service only.

Summarizing the different aspect of Etios:

Pros:

• Engine & Performance: No turbo lag at low speed. Great drivability in city. In most of the highway run, I have driven the car between 120 to 140 speeds, the engine rpm being at 2500 to 3100 rpm. The turbo kicks in at 1800 rpm and flat torque available till 3000 rpm making driving a breeze in highway
• Gears: Gears are smooth and slick, with short throw. No need to shift gears frequently at lower speed
• Build: Toyota was criticized for cost cutting but no niggles or rattling observed in the car. Space is good in front and back. Driver seat support was good and I was able to drive even 500 km at a stretch (with normal tea or food break) without any tiredness
• Handling & Braking: High speed stability, cornering and steering feedback was great. I have pushed the car to 160 km in a particular free stretch in the highway run. The car was stable, handled curves confidently and steering feedback inspired confidence in me to continue in that speed. The engine rpm was above 4000 rpm and noise level was quite unbearable. Etios has very good braking which provides great confidence and has the bite to stop as expected.
• Mileage: Another great aspect is the mileage. I was constantly getting about 16.8 km/litre in the city drive with AC 100% on. On the highway, maintaining between 100-120 speed limit I was getting about 20 km/litre. But if the speed increased to 140 km/hr then the mileage dropped to 15.5 km/litre
• The suspension had offered stable and comfort ride throughout.
• Good service offered by Toyota dealer.

Cons:

• Interior was great let down. I had grey and black interior in my car. The plastic was of poor quality which were hard to touch. I thought beige color would have been better. But after looking at changed beige interior in 2013 upgrade, I was happy with my interiors. In my opinion the light color further highlighted the low cost material used.
• Unconventional center console. Though got used to it, still not comfortable. Also single wiper design. It did its job as expected. Nothing to complain about, but still two wipers would have been better
• No features for eight lakh car. No seat height adjustment, electrical ORVM, Car information system, steering audio or phone controls etc. The odometer showed the km run and had two trip meter only. Since the car was OBD II compliant, I got ELM 327 mini (from Deal Xtreme website for $13.8 and shipping free) and connected to OBD port. With Torque Pro, I was able to monitor many parameters and also log them in my phone.
• Whenever the car went over speed breaker, a thud sound was heard from the front wheel. When I checked with service, they assured me it was normal.

[AshBabu]

Few Pictures of White Knight





Good Space in front and back:





Plain interiors and unconventional console

[AshBabu]

Second Service (23-Feb-13)

The second service was done on 23-Feb-2013 @ 9989 km.

Lanson service was again good. I left the car at about 11:30 am and received it the same day about 6:00 pm. The following work was done:

1. Oil Filter – Rs.501.50
2. Fluid W/S Washer – Rs.57.73
3. GSKT Oil PAN Drain – 35.50
4. Toyota Motor Oil – 1220.11

Regular inspection was done. The total bill worked out to Rs. 1815.00. But they said this was covered under Sales TVP and hence it was zero billing to be paid by me.

After second service, the drive and performance got even better. During my purchase decision there were lot of negative aspects discussed in the forums on Toyota Etios. But honest and detailed ownership opinion in TBHP forum helped me in my decision. I was very happy I made the correct decision and now continue enjoying the fruits of it.

Drive between Second and Third Service:

Two minor incidents happened during this period which necessitated visit to service center.

It was May end, when I was reversing the car in to my parking lot, due to carelessness I smashed the left rear indicator into the nearby pillar. The rear light was broken.

On 01-Jun-2013, I visited the service center (@ 12082 km) for replacement of LH tail lamp. The SA said that whole assembly need to be replaced.

Cost for LH tail lamp+ Labour charges – Rs. 1628.00

The next was minor accident involving a motor bike rider. This person was riding very closely on the left hand side and trying to overtake me. Somehow he had lost control and tried to stop his bike. I am not sure whether the bike foot rest or something else got caught in the rear and pulled out the rear bumper. The clip holding the bumper to body was completely broken and the bumper was hanging out.

So on 07-Oct-2013 I visited the service center again (@ 15589 km) to repair the bumper. The SA told that for dent clearing and painting to be done for the rear bumper and the estimate was Rs. 9000.00. Though the estimate was higher side, I decided to go ahead and claim insurance for the work.

The work detail is given below:

1. Body Paint and Repair – Rs. 4,321.00
2. Support RR Bumper- LH – Rs. 198.00
3. Cover RR Bumper – Rs. 2,810.00
4. Piece RR Bumper – Rs. 165.00
5. Retainer RR Bumper – Rs. 686.00
6. Clip – Rs. 274.00

Total cost was Rs. 8,456.00. I paid Rs. 1000/- only and rest was settled by insurance claim.

I had started doing highway driving frequently. Though the stock head lamp was fine to an extent, I thought of upgrading them to 100/90 watts. So I visited Leo Accessories and upgraded the headlights. The total cost came to about Rs. 3100.00

The thud sound was heard whenever the car went over speed breaker. When I browsed TBHP forum, there were reports of this issue from many owners. Also I understood that newer designed suspension was available which eliminated this sound, and also can be done under warranty. This is the advantage of TBHP forum where information is shared with all and the end users can take an informed decision. I decided to check during the third service with the dealer on this replacement.

One more issue observed was, there was slight water dripping on the passenger side under the dashboard. This happened when the AC was 100% on (normally it was) and we have driven for about 2-3 hours.

Third Service (14-Dec-2013):

White Knight went to third service on 14-Dec-2013 @ 19692 Km

The two issues were reported to the SA. Though the SA tried to convince me that the thud sound was normal, I was firm in correcting it. Then a test drive was taken along with a mechanic and the noise was observed clearly. The SA agreed for replacing the suspension under warranty. On water dripping, the SA said it was block in the AC pipe which need to be cleaned. Both the issues will be addressed during the service. Since suspension change will take one day, they informed me the car will be available on 16th only (the next day being Sunday). I was fine with it and asked them to proceed with the work.

Lanson informed promptly on Monday that the car was ready for delivery. As I was busy with office work, I was able to take delivery only on 17-Dec. As usual the service from Lanson was top class and I was enjoying Toyota Q service immensely.

The work and cost break up given below:

1. Transmission Drain plug replacement – Warranty
2. Front Shock Absorber Assy – R&R – Warranty
3. Front Shock Absorber Assy OTR side – Warranty
4. Gasket Plug – Warranty
5. Radiator Fan motor screw – Rs. 143.80
6. Tire wheel Balancing – Rs. 431.00
7. Oil Filter – Rs. 516.40
8. Fluid W/S Washer – Rs. 71.00
9. Gasket Oil Pan Drain – Rs. 40.00
10. Toyota Motor Oil – Rs. 1,240.00
11. Grease – Rs. 32.00

The total cost paid was: Rs. 2,475.00. After paying the bill, I remembered reading in the forum that Toyota Smile package was good to have. So I enquired about it and decided to go for it. As labour charges are 50% and it covers next service also, which protects against any inflation. The Smile package cost was Rs. 5,587.00 and my bill was reworked and balance amount of Rs. 3,112.00 was paid. Now I am covered for 30000 Km service also.

Now the thud sound was gone even when I went over any speed breaker at some speed also. This gave me peace of mind.

Drive between Third and Fourth Service:

Minor incident happened to White Knight on 20-Mar-14. Again a bike person crashed on the front bumper which caused dent and left one side bumper hanging. It was great distress to see your beloved car getting hurt for no fault of yours. The car was left in service center on 20-Mar-14 (@ 23749 Km) for front bumper body work and painting. The total cost came to Rs. 9628.00. I claimed insurance and just paid Rs. 1000.00 only. The remaining amount taken care by the Insurance.

My highway driving increased and almost every month I was driving to my native place. White Knight was a beauty to drive and the composed driving made these trips enjoyable one. On highways I was maintaining a speed on 120 – 140 and was constantly getting a mileage of about 18 km/litre. For sedate driving the mileage increased to 20 km/litre.

Few more Pictures:









White Knight at Night:







Fourth Service (11-Aug-2014):

White Knight reached this milestone on 11-Aug-2014 @ 30226 Km.

A day before the service I had observed some screeching noise coming from the front wheels. This was reported to the SA. The front wheel was inspected and observed that brake pad had worn out and need to be replaced. I was not surprised as I was used to do hard braking frequently. Next, the tyres were checked and SA said that it was good for another 10k Km. Also I decided to do interior enrichment and exterior beautification (polishing) along with the service. Since the wiper was causing lines, it was decided to change wiper blade.

The following were covered under Smile package:

1. 30000 KM service inspection – Rs. 1,196.00
2. Oil Filter – Rs. 538.00
3. Fluid W/S Washer – Rs. 71.00
4. Air Refiner – Rs. 360.00
5. Oil Pan Drain – Rs. 53.00
6. Toyota Motor Oil – Rs. 1,248.00

Additional changes which were done were:

1. Front Disc Pad Labour – Rs. 225.00
2. Front Wiper Labour – Rs. 75.00
3. Exterior Beautification – Rs. 1580.00
4. Interior Enrichment – Rs. 1080.00
5. Wiper Blade – Rs. 660.00
6. Disc Brake Pad – Rs. 2,630.00
7. Brake Disc skimming – Rs. 1,400.00

Total cost paid was: Rs. 7,650.00

The reliability and quality of Toyota vehicle need to be experienced to believe. Though I see many criticize Toyota for high cost and less features in their car, the trouble free and low cost ownership really compensates for this aspect. I remember reading in various forums on reliability of Etios questioned, based on cost cutting and relatively cheap material usage. But throughout my ownership and odometer on 30000, I have not had any single rattling or any other issues. Also the spares cost seems to be cheaper and reasonable.

Drive after Fourth Service:

The saga of the White Knight continues providing good companion either in city or highway. The reliability is top notch and drivability is great. It is great practical sedan for the family with low cost maintenance.

Another issue which cropped up was (25-Oct-2014 @ 33758 Km), the wiper fluid was not spraying. I took the car to the service center and we observed that the tube was chewed by rat. Also rat bite of compressor wire observed. Wiring harness was done and wiper hose was replaced.

1. Wiring Harness – Rs. 113.00
2. Wiper Hose kit Labour – Rs. 100.00
3. Hose – Rs. 376.00

Total cost paid: Rs. 589.00

I checked in TBHP forum for a solution for rat menace. Three solution were suggested:

• Ultrasonic device to drive away rat
• Spray which keeps rat away
• Tobacco leaf to be used

I decided to try the last solution. I bought tobacco leaves and put it into a net like bag. This was tied to the four corners in the engine bay area. This seems to work and till today there was no sign of rat in the engine bay. I refreshed the tobacco leaf after 4 weeks. Hope it continues to work.

Summary of work done till now on White Knight and Cost:

[Eddy]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing the report.

[Samba]

Congrats to you on your prized possession. Its a no nonsense practical car.
Just read the whole review, must admit you know your car inside out! Its really one honest & detailed review.

I own a Etios petrol from 2011 with 38,000kms on the odometer. I was having a smile reading your review. If you go through my ownership thread you will find we have many verdicts in common!

Many people say about the cost cutting measures of Toyota but one good thing is, they have not compromised on the quality. Even my car is rattle free at 38,000kms & the maintenance cost is also low. Its cheaper to maintain than my Alto K10 & its a fact am not kidding!

I have done many highway trips in my car and as you mentioned the high speed stability is quiet good. It improved specially after upgrading the new shock absorbers which addressed the thud sound too. During high speed corners i feel the stock tyres not to be very reliable. They do not do justice to the cars handling. After some spirited driving on curvy roads i have got burning smell or some smoke from the front stock tyres. So planning to upgrade them to soft compound tyres like Yokohama earth one or Micheline xm2. As from your review i see you do a lot of highway driving and you maintain a higher speed too, so i will suggest you to upgrade to better tyres. That will improve the braking and handling of the car further.

Wish you many more happy miles with your White Knight.

[Tushar]

Amazing level of detail AshBabu. By far one of the most informative reads regarding both the Etios and Toyota as a brand. I must say, that even after 30,000 kms, White Knight looks showroom worthy.

A friend of mine had an Etios of his own. The interior quality was really off putting, but once you're over that, the comfort and performance is easy to fall in love with. Above all else, the fact that you are not only happy, but praising the after sales is a big deal.

I have vicariously lived through this review and its astonishing to see how many people encounter the same problems with bikers (Being one myself). Your service and repair expenses look pretty reasonable though. Thanks again for the great write up. Will definitely recommend this thread to any future Toyota buyers.

[AshBabu]

Originally Posted by Samba

After some spirited driving on curvy roads i have got burning smell or some smoke from the front stock tyres. So planning to upgrade them to soft compound tyres like Yokohama earth one or Micheline xm2. As from your review i see you do a lot of highway driving and you maintain a higher speed too, so i will suggest you to upgrade to better tyres.

Thanks Samba. Stock tyres - Bridgestone Turanza - had served me well till now. I thought of changing them in 30k service. But SA advised that the tyres will hold good for 10k more.

Originally Posted by Tushar

Above all else, the fact that you are not only happy, but praising the after sales is a big deal.

Thanks Tushar. Lanson Toyota Koyambedu service has been good. They have been straight forward in their dealings and prompt in providing service.