[kiredd1005]

Great write up! How do you like the suspension set up on your car? Keep driving!

[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by kiredd1005

Great write up! How do you like the suspension set up on your car? Keep driving!

Thank you! The suspension setup is on the harder side but it hasn't bothered me much as I drive mostly on highways. I feel it only when I drive around occasionally inside the Bangalore city limits where the roads resemble lunar surface.

[kiredd1005]

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

Thank you! The suspension setup is on the harder side but it hasn't bothered me much as I drive mostly on highways. I feel it only when I drive around occasionally inside the Bangalore city limits where the roads resemble lunar surface.

I totally agree with you! One of the main reasons why I enjoy driving the Innova in Bangalore is because of the driving comfort. I can't find it on any other car!

[ulag62442]

Ive been very eager to explore coastal karnataka as well. Esp Mangalore - Udupi all the way up to Karwar. What is the best route to get to coastal karnataka from Bangalore? Is driving through ghats difficult/dangerous with heavy vehicles also plying the road?

[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by ulag62442

Ive been very eager to explore coastal karnataka as well. Esp Mangalore - Udupi all the way up to Karwar. What is the best route to get to coastal karnataka from Bangalore? Is driving through ghats difficult/dangerous with heavy vehicles also plying the road?

There are multiple ways to reach coastal Karnataka, really depends on which area you are planning to visit. Shiradi ghat is used by heavy vehicles but the roads are pretty wide. Few ghats like Charmadi/Bisile/Agumbe are devoid of heavy vehicles but are narrow. One has to just follow the usual rules of ghat section driving. I would suggest you to use this (The art of travelling between Bangalore - Mangalore/Udupi) excellent thread for the latest details on road conditions to coastal Karnataka. It’s updated almost on a daily basis.

[techcoze]

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

20,000 km service update:

The FE statistics:

In these 20k KM drive, approximate how much % driving was in city vs highway?

My Diesel MT seltos have never given more than 15.5 kmpl (T2T method, not MID) in last 6,000KM usage, 60:40 in city and highway. Did I make mistake of buying MT of mileage of AT and MT has no major difference?

[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by techcoze

In these 20k KM drive, approximate how much % driving was in city vs highway?

My Diesel MT seltos have never given more than 15.5 kmpl (T2T method, not MID) in last 6,000KM usage, 60:40 in city and highway. Did I make mistake of buying MT of mileage of AT and MT has no major difference?

My usage ratio is approximately 80% on highway and 20% in city.

[guyfrmblr]

30,000 km service update:

It's been a while since the last update. No news is good news. The car is just running fine without any issues. It completed running 30K kms last week and got the fifth service done at Advaith Kia, Lalbagh. The only complaint I had was that there was a faint squeaking noise heard from the rear of the car when driven over uneven surfaces. SA did a small TD and identified the issue to be with the torsion beam axle bush. It was replaced under warranty. Since the replacement required some time, I was asked to keep the car in the service center overnight. The noise is gone for good. The overall service experience was great as usual.

SA was constantly sending videos and images of all the work being done in WhatsApp:


Service costs - The costs can indeed be brought down by getting things like wheel alignment, polishing, etc done from outside but I don't have time to do multiple runs for those jobs and hence try to get everything done at just one place:


The running is mostly on highways to places around Mangalore which has roads in horrible condition.




City runs have increased a bit with the hybrid work model. The funny part is that I always get higher FE in cities rather than highways. I drive to the office at odd times and it's not uncommon to see such FE statistics while I get only around 15-17 kmpl on highways.

[guyfrmblr]

The car has run around 33.5K km. I heard a faint rattling noise from the engine bay while parking at my office basement parking last week. I opened the bonnet to check but couldn’t identify the source. The noise was pretty random. I immediately fixed an appointment with Advaith Kia for the following morning. The issue fortunately got reproduced in the service center. SA ran some diagnosis and found the issue was with the Tensioner Assembly. They had the part in stock and replaced it immediately under warranty. I was out with the car within an hour. It’s been a week since the replacement and the noise is gone for good.

[HandfulOfHell]

I really like the seat covers in your car. Have they held up well? If yes, can you kindly share details of (1) where you got them from (2) what's the primary material and (3) how much did they cost you?

[guyfrmblr]

Originally Posted by HandfulOfHell

I really like the seat covers in your car. Have they held up well? If yes, can you kindly share details of (1) where you got them from (2) what's the primary material and (3) how much did they cost you?

Yes, they have held up very well for the last 3 years. I got them from the Kia showroom. It came as part of the Basic Accessories kit during the purchase of the car and hence I don't know the individual cost of it. The material is artificial leather. It used to be listed in their website but I no longer see it. You can just contact any Kia showroom for the same.

[guyfrmblr]

3 years and 40,000 km service update:

The car has completed 3 years and the odometer stands at 40,500 km. It has been a pleasant ownership experience with this car so far. The car just chugs along without throwing any tantrums. With the hybrid working model, the car is seeing a good amount of city roads these days. I would say the ratio of highway and city driving stands at around 60:40. We have taken the car for multiple long drives in the near past and it's an absolute joy to drive this car on highways.

The 6th service i.e. 40,000 km service was done at Advaith Kia, Lalbagh yesterday. I didn't have any complaints as everything was working as expected. The overall service experience was great. My SA, Mokshith explained all the work that needs to be done in the morning and provided an estimate of around 10K. I asked him to add their usual exterior and interior cleaning, polishing into the job card as I don't have time to do these things myself or take the car to detailing centers. I'm aware of the fact that this kind of work leaves a lot to be desired at service centers but I don't have any other choice due to time limitations. The overall estimate came to around 15.4K.

I started receiving the pics and videos of all the jobs that were done from Mokshith:






The stock Goodyears have some more life left and can be used for another 10K km according to Mokshith.






The service cost breakup:




Fuel statistics till date:


After a recent drive to Goa:


This pic was taken somewhere near Halageri on the fantastic SH-76 during a recent drive to Sirsi:


Somewhere between Dharwad - Anmod:

[Neversaygbye]

Originally Posted by guyfrmblr

3 years and 40,000 km service update:

The service cost breakup:
Attachment 2432802

Attachment 2432803

Noticed that for S. No. 31 and 71 in the bill, the quantity is zero yet the final amount is non zero. Also for the labour there seems to be an overlap between S. No. 11 and 41. Am curious to know what these numbers mean.

[guyfrmblr]

The car is sold! It has been 3 years and 46000 km since I bought this car but the fuss free ownership came to an abrupt end as I'm traveling abroad on a long term assignment. The car was bought today by a gentleman who stays close to my home and I'm confident that he is going to take care of the car well.

It was a wonderful experience owning this car. It never posed any problems and was super reliable. It was always a pleasant experience to drive this car and had a lots of great memories with it. I think this will be my last diesel car as I don't think there will be any model from any manufacturer in the coming years. The engine + AT gearbox of this car is a match made in heaven. I'll surely miss it.

The last shot of the car before it was handed over to it's new owner:

[guyfrmblr]

While the Seltos is gone, my Omni turned 20 this year. Got it completely repainted since the paint had faded a bit. Renewed the fitness certificate for 5 more years. The reliability of this car is at another level. Zero breakdowns in the last 20 years, never got stranded anywhere, almost zero maintenance and the list goes on.

The demand for this car is unbelievable. I get instant cash offers on this car from random strangers. The usage has drastically reduced in the last few years and is solely used for running local errands. It barely goes beyond 2-3 kms radius of my home. My parents will take care of it while I'm out of the country. I'm going to retain this car for many more years.

Everything is stock (including the sliding door rattles that came from factory) in the car except for the new paint:










Got a new set of wheels:


New set of seat covers and floor mats: