[gopaneel]

It's taken a really long time for this to happen - My First Car! As mentioned in the title, it's a Toyota Glanza. More on that later, but I think this is also my first post on TEAM-BHP which is not a query or a request for help. It's more personal this time. I'm usually lazy about writing but this one is going to be long. So, I guess I'll start with some history and background. This might be too long and I don't know if I can hold your interests through the duration of the post, but I definitely have a lot to say. This is the journey to "My First Car".

Cars in the Family
The first car which I can remember is the 1964 model Ambassador in the family. The Ambassador was bought second hand by my maternal grandfather, very early in its life. He took great care of it. I was born in the second half of the 80s. Sometime later, my father bought the Amby from my grandfather. I think there was a Standard car with my parents before that but I can't remember. Our family was in Thiruvananthapuram with grandparents and lots of extended family nearby. The car was loved by all and also had a lot of memories associated with it. The main ones being our annual beach visit when uncles, aunts and cousins came down. About 10 of us - 6 adults and 4 children of various ages would all fit in comfortably and have a jolly trip to Shangumugham Beach and on the way back enjoy a dinner from one of the popular restaurants. My family moved to Cochin around 1998/1999 and the car came along as well. But the car was ageing and there was a need to travel often between Cochin and Trivandrum.

My father decided to buy a Maruti Suzuki 800 DX. DX meant it came with a factory fitted air conditioner and coil springs at the rear. While a downgrade in terms of size, it was our first new car and was an upgrade in terms of reliability, maintenance and fuel efficiency. The car served us well for almost the next 6 years, when it covered almost a lakh kilometres - a combination of city, intercity and interstate trips, quite often with 5 passengers and the boot loaded with luggage. This was also probably the first car I technically drove, when my father let me drive it in a playground.

Our next car was an upgrade in every sense. We moved from the 800 to a Hyundai Accent GLS in Forest Dew shade around 2004. The other cars considered were the Opal Corsa and Maruti Baleno(the original). This time around I was older and had some say in the choice of the car and the color. It was definitely a very exciting purchase for the family. The car was a 1.6L petrol with 100+bhp and was one the earlier cars in this range with ABS. Sometime later, I turned 18 and also got my driving licence. So, this also became our first family car I drove on the road. I also managed to scrape the same car near the wheel arch, because of my carelessness (trying to look cool driving) which led to a long gap when I wasn't allowed to drive. This car also served us well, again close to 6 years and 60,000+ kilometres, if I remember correctly.

In the meantime, my sister and myself had moved out of home. Parents were looking for their next change. I was not involved a lot since I was not in town. One of the cars I suggested and we had a look at was the Fiat Linea. But parents ended up buying the Honda City(2010). I made visits to the showroom in Bangalore to see the colors. I remember the sales advisor, even though we were not taking the car in the same city, helping me with the color options and also suggested we request for Michelin tires. The color choice was grey. The car is still being used by my parents. I don't remember how happy I was with the choice back then, but I'm sure glad today that they chose the Honda City over the Linea. Looking back, it was a great choice - the Honda's lovely engine and service support in contrast to the discontinued Linea and Fiat-Tata sales/service. This one I have driven a fair amount and love it.

On a recent Trivandrum - Cochin Trip


Driving
Like I've mentioned, we've had a car at home for as long as I remember. So, I was always eager to drive. But my father was clear that we had to be 18 and needed to have a licence before driving. So as soon as I turned 18, I joined a driving school for a four-wheeler licence. On my insistence, I was also allowed to get a two-wheeler licence. I was allowed to drive the Accent once in a while, when my father was with me but I didn't really get the hang of it. I also managed to scratch the car with my eagerness and over-confidence. So that led to a long break from serious driving, except on very rare occasions or a friend's car. But I still didn't get the hang of it.

My companion of long
While in college, while I could not really get a hold of driving, I also wanted to ride. While my father had a bike when I was growing up, he had sold it a long time back. With the rising traffic, he no longer considered two-wheelers safe. But after a lot of persuasion, my parents agreed to a bike and got me Honda Unicorn. I not just loved it, but unlike driving, also got the hang of it fast and found it effortless. The bike is still with me and has been with me in most cities I have lived in - Trivandrum, Cochin, Bengaluru, Trivandrum again, Jamshedpur and then Bangalore again. One of the highlights for me, was a ride from Bangalore - Cochin on a single day, in about 11 hours, including breaks. I also had a couple of crashes, one of which was really bad. I probably owe the bike and our relationship another thread.

The Bangalore - Cochin Ride


I want/need a car
A few years into my first job, I decided it would be good to have a car, so I wouldn't have to get wet in the rain and to bear the humid weather in Trivandrum a little better. So I thought of getting a second hand car. This was in 2012. A few days into the hunt, I had the bike accident mentioned earlier. All the more reason to look for a car. Once I was recovering, I decided to intensify the hunt for a car. Found a decent Alto K10 and paid the advance. I also got a personal loan sanctioned. This was also the time I got into team-bhp. Armed with info from the forum, I went about doing background checks for the car. In my excitement or caution with all the checks, I think I scared the owner and he backed out saying he did not want to sell immediately. The car hunt continued but nothing worked out. Soon after, I also got married and then felt the need for a car even more. After the wedding, my in-laws who were moving back from Mumbai to get settled in Kerala, also got their Honda City (2nd-gen Honda City 2008) back. Since they had another car in Kerala, we said we wanted to buy the Honda City but they didn't agree to us buying it and instead insisted we use it. Thus we got our hands on the car. But as mentioned earlier, I was still not comfortable driving. So we found a driving instructor who would teach on our car. He was real good and with his help, I was able to strike a balance between confidence and caution. So I finally became comfortable with a car.

Off topic, but here's something that is probably worth mentioning. This was the time when the speed limit on Kerala highways was 70km/h and the automated speed cameras were also implemented. I felt this was unfair and the over-confidence was still there somewhere. This led to me racking up about 6 speed fines in the period of 1 year. The fines all went to my mother-in-law, since the car was still in her name. Soon after, the govt. increased speed limits to 85-90 km/h. I think I also grew sense and have had no more tickets since.

At Muzhappilangad Beach with friends on a trip to Kannur


Sometime after, my wife and I had to move from Trivandrum for our higher studies, which was always part of the plan. We had to give up the car, since neither of us could take it where we were going.

The wait continues
As I was doing my MBA, the Suzuki Baleno was launched. I liked the car and wanted to own this as my first car. This was in 2015. But once I completed my MBA and took up my next job in Bangalore, education loan EMIs and Bangalore expenses meant my first car was still some distance away. The bike, along with Uber and Ola, meant there was not much trouble commuting in the city. For outstation trips with friends and when the need arose within the city, we relied on Zoomcars and Revv. Thanks to this, I got to drive a lot of cars in this period. I loved driving and my friends and family generally agreed that I drove fairly well. So also got to drive my father's Honda City (3rd-gen) and my in-laws' 3rd-gen City a lot in this period. Thanks to a promotion in 2019, I finally felt I could afford a car. But now, I had no parking space and didn't want my car parked on the road. "My first car" - still not happening.

In between all this, I almost forgot about my interest in the Baleno and the new Swift (2018) was what I was interested in. Then the year 2020 begins. Soon after, corona reaches India and then the lockdown. The silver lining for me - lockdown helps me save up, at least enough for the down-payment. Parking was still a problem. In this period, my wife, being a doctor, had to keep going to work, except for a few weeks. The commute across town was getting difficult for her. So we decided to look for a place closer to her place of work. My only conditions were power backup and covered parking We soon found a decent place that met all our requirements. So now, there were no real impediments to getting a car.

Not so fast! I was fairly keen on the Swift as I mentioned earlier. But I soon read about a Swift update coming, the interesting part being the update to the Dualjet engine. I'd waited so long, so I think I can wait a little more. I had the ZXi variant in mind. The updated Swift gets launched abroad and the end of 2020 nears but no news of the update in India.

Thanks to team-bhp and the thread Would you buy the Skoda Rapid 1.0 (base trim) over similarly-priced Compact Sedans (higher trims)? in particular, the first car I check out in the showroom is a Skoda Rapid. But the showroom executives tell me the Rider is discontinued and the Rider Plus is also entirely booked for the year. I also realise, I have to be sensible and draw a line on the budget, so 8.5lakhs is the line I draw. The Rider itself seems beyond this so I can't look at the Rider Plus or other variants. Also, the showroom executives didn't seem impressed or interested when I mentioned I was looking at the Rider. The fact that I had gone by bike and had my helmet with me, probably also influenced them. The Skoda showroom was not a great experience.

My First Car
Sometime in December, I think enough is enough and I decide to head to the Maruti showroom to ask them in person, if they have news on the Swift update. It was a Mandovi Motors showroom that I visited. Clean and neat showroom, which seemed professionally managed unlike the Skoda showroom. Unlike the Skoda, they also took me seriously even though I walked in with a backpack and my helmet. For a brand which sells India's most affordable cars, they definitely provide a good showroom experience. Since everybody was busy, I had to wait and was soon assigned a senior sales executive/manager. I asked if they are expecting an updated Swift soon. I was told they usually start trainings about 3 months before a new launch. They were not aware of any training for a new Swift and therefore said they don't expect an update in the next 3 months. Since I knew about the car fairly well and was sure about the variant I was looking for, there was not much discussion about the features or variants. I appreciate that the executive respected my knowledge and did not try to push a higher variant or educate me without reason. Being December, I asked for discounts. I was offered 15k, if I remember correctly. I also asked for his opinion about buying a car in December. He said with the discounts in December and an impending price hike in January, I should go ahead. But again, he did not want to force me but just wanted to know what I was thinking. Since my wife was working on the day, I did not take a test drive but requested for one the following day, i.e. a Sunday. He agreed and said he could bring a car to our apartment but I said I would prefer to visit the showroom.

Back home, there are a couple of concerns:

1. Should I go for it in December or wait for January?

1. About the Swift ZXi, itself, there were two concerns. The dark rear seats due to the black vertical door handles and the lack of a touch screen with Android Auto.

About the first, I do a search on team-bhp but the results seem very old. So I create a new thread: Default Discounts in December or new model year car in January? (Discounts in December or new model year car in January?). Once again, thanks to all those who replied. Since I had grown quite impatient, I decide to listen to the replies that suggest I go ahead. About the Swift ZXi, the back seat is a concern. But I was more bothered by the lack of a touch screen. I rely on Google Maps a lot. I did not really want to mount a phone holder on the windscreen after spending so much on a car. So I decide to look at the CarWale app for other cars in the range. I must say, it's a very useful app to compare features and get on-road prices. I did not consider the i10 or i20. I think it's the lacklustre Kappa 1.2 playing on my mind. I somehow also did not see myself in an i10, so it was ruled out. Of the other choices in the range, I see that the Baleno Zeta, which is fairly well kitted including a touchscreen with Android Auto, is priced at just about 15k over the Swift ZXi. So I immediately head to a Mandovi Nexa showroom. I realise when I reach the showroom that in the hurry I've put on my t-shirt inside-out. I fix that in the basement parking itself. In the Nexa showroom, I tell them I am looking specifically looking at the Baleno Zeta. I first realise the price on CarWale was incorrect. In reality, the Baleno Zeta is priced about 45k more than the Swift ZXi. Makes sense with the amount of features it has over the Swift ZXi. I am then told that the Zeta is out of stock for the year and unless there is a cancellation I can only get one next year. They then try to push the Alpha variant. They tell me things like the reverse camera is available only on the Alpha and tell me even if I fit the accessory camera on the Zeta, it cannot be placed in the factory location of the Alpha, which is above the number plate but instead will need a hole in the bumper. I drop the idea of the Baleno because of the price and the unavailability of the Zeta. The Arena showroom experience also felt better than the Nexa even though there were no suits. I head back home.

I make up my mind to book the Swift after the test drive. I still browse through a few cars on the CarWale app. I see the Glanza G, same as the Baleno Zeta, also priced at 15k over the Swift ZXi. I tell myself this must also be an error. In the evening I tell my wife about the Swift test drive scheduled tomorrow.

There's a Toyota showroom located less than a 5 minute walk from my house. I think I'll check the place out and the Glanza. But I'm all ready to book the Swift. On Sunday morning, as we are on our way, I stop at the Toyota showroom and tell my wife that we'll take a look. It's a Sunday, so staff and crowd are minimal. A senior executive walks over and I tell him we want to take a look at the Glanza. The display car is a silver one. We walk around, sit inside and we really like it. I am particularly impressed with the roomy, airy back seat full of light. The G variant pricing is just 15k over the Swift ZXi and its quite loaded for a base variant including a touch screen with Android Auto. We ask for a test drive and they get the car ready. It's a short drive, but I like the engine smoothness and free-revving nature even though the car feels light and doesn't feel like it's sticking to the road. But my wife in the backseat really loves the ride. Back at the showroom, we tell them we are looking for finance and the corresponding executive gives us the details. He offers Bank of Baroda/SBI both of which I read in team-bhp have the best rates. I am pleasantly surprised they did not push for a private bank mentioning ease of processing. The sales executive himself a senior employee did not push for the the top variant. About the reverse camera, he said it can easily be fitted in the same location as the factory cam. Also, when I mentioned I had a test drive booked for the Swift, he did not say anything to push me towards the Glanza. While negotiating, he offered discounts of 15k as shown in their material. I mentioned I will trust the offer, will not check anywhere else and asked for the best offer. He offered 20k as the final offer, along with the basic accessory kit - floor mats, 3D mat for the boot and mud flaps. Overall, I was very impressed by the showroom experience, particularly about how professional the executives were. The only thing that could have been better was if they offered a longer test drive. I had the Arena executive calling me in the background. We were going, even though, I think we had mostly made up our mind on the Glanza now. I mentioned I would get back to them the same day about my decision.

We reach Mandovi motors. The executive I met the previous day has an off-day being a Sunday. Its an junior executive who meets us. We go ahead with the test drive. They provide a long enough test drive and the car is really fun to drive, especially over undulations and on corners. But my wife in the backseat was not enjoying it. The dark/enclosed back seat, her car sickness and my enthusiastic driving make her miserable. It was just as I had thought. I tell the executive I will let them know soon. We head back to the Toyota showroom. The executive asks how it was and I honestly tell him the Glanza was more comfortable but the Swift is more fun to drive. I guess by now, he knows we've come back for a reason. Finally the choice is made!

We agree to move forward. The next step is availability but that also needs a decision on the colour. I had a preference for the gray, in case of the Swift. I also liked the blue Swift. But the demo car which drove our decision for the Glanza was silver and both of us thought it looked nice. I am generally not a fan of silver but this looked darker than the usual silver. The test drive car was blue which my wife also liked but I somehow didn't see myself in that blue car. They did not have a grey Glanza in the showroom. We decided to go with the silver. The executive checked and confirmed silver was in stock. At last, I pay the booking amount for my first car - it's a Glanza.

[gopaneel]

We inform our families about the car booking and they're all very happy.

The Buying Process
As we pay the booking amount, the documentation also starts. All this while, one concern I had was that I had no address proof in my new place. I ask about this and was told it could be taken care of. So I provide copies of all that I am asked for. Thanks to Whatsapp, hard copies required are minimal except when something needs to be signed. Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing - no need to get photocopies or send emails but leads to soft copies of your ID proofs floating around.

I am told, the car is in stock and can be delivered in the next few days. Thanks to team-bhp, I mention I will need to check the car before it is registered. I had signed the registration documents but I decide to leave this much to trust. The executive agrees he will bring the assigned car to the showroom and take my approval before registration. However, the next day, I am told the identified car had an existing booking and we would therefore have to wait for the next lot. It would therefore take longer than expected. Since there was no choice, I didn't fret much but did feel a little impatient. Then the following day, I am told the car is available after all. I understand they have a policy of waiting x days before a car is re-allocated in case the purchase does not go through. The excitement is back. In the meantime, we agree to taking the loan from Bank of Baroda. I am a little worried if the bank will get the loan process done quickly enough, while they hold the assigned car.

Accessories
Other than the basic kit they offered, the only accessories I asked for was the reverse camera and a car cover. I did not like the chrome door/bumper protectors or any of the chrome garnish. I was never a fan of the door visors. I also don't like art-leather seats too much and since the fabric seats in the car were dark colored, opted against seat covers. I particularly appreciate how the executive or dealership did not push for accessories.

The Loan Process
The executive from the showroom who was responsible for loans, was fairly proactive and he dealt with the bank. So things mostly happened on time. I was not entirely happy about all the paperwork for the loan, on top of which they also made me submit blank signed cheques. But it seems a common practice. I also got an acknowledgement for these, even though I had to nag them for it. But considering the low interest rates and being a public sector bank, it worked better than I expected.

Car Comes Home
Things move along. I get to see the car on Wednesday. I also check the VIN threads to see the corresponding values for a November/December manufactured car. Interesting fact, the executive told me the Glanza comes from the Manesar plant. I also learn the VIN format is same as a Baleno and not in the Toyota format. I memorise the team-bhp PDI checklist before leaving home. I get the first glimpse of my first car and I am super excited. With the PDI, I am not entirely thorough but cover everything I can think of. I however, did not go for a drive but just started the car to check for engine noise. The VIN confirms it is December manufactured even though it is just the 16th of the Month. I give the go-ahead.

PDI + The excitement of seeing your car for the first time


In between, I was a little worried that our allotted parking was a tight slot and I also had to accomodate my bike there. So I requested the executive to get the demo car to check if it would be ok. They got the car and they managed to get it into the parking without much trouble. Yaay!

The registration would be done on Thursday but I am told the number will come only on Friday. With all the cars at home and my bike, we have never got them home before registration is completed and the number is available. I check with my parents and they tell me Friday is a good day. We are not particularly fussy about auspicious times but try to avoid inauspicious periods, which so far whenever I have asked my parents, have never been told of one that needs to be avoided. They usually asked me to avoid the "Rahu Kalam"- a particular time for each day of the week, which is something a lot of Malayalees follow. So Friday is the day! I ask for delivery by 4:30PM, outside the rahu kalam, when I can wrap up my office work for the day and there is still enough sunlight to see all is ok with car. In between, made a couple of trips to the showroom for remaining documentation and to pay the down-payment amount.

However, while the registration is done on time, the number allocation keeps getting delayed. It's Friday afternoon and the number is still not allocated. I don't want to leave the car at the showroom for much longer and since it's a short drive home, agree to take delivery even though the number is not allocated. My wife also leaves work early and we head to the showroom. I myself found it amusing that the showroom was so close we walked over. We see the car parked at the entrance as we walk in. Inside the showroom, our executive took me through all the documents and asked me to install Toyota Connect on my phone. The Fastag was from HDFC. I wasn't too happy since I had not read good things about HDFC Fastag. We were then asked to select an idol. We then went over to the car parked at the showroom entrance. A few of the staff gathered, clapped while the key was handed over and photos were taken. I was then given a demo of the basic features/functionalities by our executive. Thanks to team-bhp, I had carried a few chocolates which I gave our executive and to our loan executive. We were all set! Without the registration number and plates, we decided to head home even though both me and my wife had the rest of the day off. This was a little disappointing since home was less than two minutes away. A word of thanks for Mr. Shivakumar, our executive at Ravindu Toyota.

New car, Yaayy!


Some time after we were back home, I got a message from the RTO that our number had been allotted. Earlier, we had requested a number adding up to nine and had to pay extra for the same, with a receipt. Number was as per this. I called up our executive and he asked me to forward the message to get the number plate done. Since it is an HSRP, it had to come from the RTO office. I was eagerly waiting and a few calls next day, was told the number plates had arrived. I rushed over and got the number plates fitted. They used a screw instead of a rivet, I don't know why but I was in no mood to question or complain. They also stuck the third number plate on the windscreen. I got some fuel and then went home since I did not want to go anywhere before the temple visit. I called up the temple, which was a few kilometres away, and they said they do a Vahan Pooja till 7/7:30PM. My wife worked till 6:30PM on the day but we decided to give it a shot anyways. We managed to reach on time and found that the temple was on a very crowded road with no parking inside. But in the end, we managed to get the pooja done. Finally, we're all set to go!!

The busiest spot for a pooja! And a photo with the pooja decorations at a calmer location.


Updates
I've been composing this for a few months, spending time on and off. So the car is no longer really new. So, mentioning a few updates/events:

First Service
First service done a week before completing one month, at 747kms, since I had to head home to Trivandrum. No issues reported except that I felt it was a little difficult to get into first gear. They mentioned it was fine.

My trip home got extended to almost 3 weeks. The car was left covered during this entire period.

Brake Noise
Sometime after coming back from Trivandrum, I notice a noise while braking at low speeds. Fairly clear while braking towards a speed breaker. I go to the Toyota service station on a Sunday. They do a test drive with me, notice the sound and take it inside to get all the brakes cleaned. They mentioned they did not see any issue but mention they will compare with another car if its still there. On my way back I notice the issue again but also observe it is more pronounced on slopes. I take it back to Toyota a few days later. This time a more senior technician comes for a detailed test drive and he agrees there is a sound. They make a recording and mentioned they will share it with Toyota Kirloskar Motors and ask for their input. They keep they car for a day and then confirm the issue is common to all Toyotas. I am not too happy but since it is on record, I am assuming it is not too bad. Other than the noise, there is no other issue. It is a fine grinding noise.

Toyota's Diagnostic Questionnaire for NVH. Looks like they left it in the car by mistake.


Trips

• Tumkur drive: I wanted to go for a highway drive and since we were close to Tumkur, drove to Tumkur with my wife, had breakfast and came back.
• Lepakshi: Did a short trip to Lepakshi, with a couple of friends. This was still in the running-in period. So kept speeds under 80km/h.
• Coorg: A long trip for the car and a break for me and my wife after a long time. A couple of close friends joined. This was our first highway run after the running-in period. Had good fun, driving on the curves and revving the engine.

The Coorg trip


Accessories and Other Purchases

• Basic accessory kit - door mats, mud flaps, 3D mat for the boot, car perfume (unused) and idol offered complimentary with car
• Reverse camera @ Rs.3700 along with the car
• Car cover @ Rs.1300 along with the car
• Jopasu car duster @ Rs.695
• Dedicated phone cable to be kept in the car for Android Auto
• PROKLEAR RAW XTREME CX Waterless Car Wash Kit @ Rs. 599
• I wanted to get leather covering for the steering, which was not present in the G variant. I had checked with Karlsson and they had mentioned 4k+ for the work. They also said they might take out the steering and I was not comfortable with that. So asked at the dealership during the first service and they mentioned the same rate so asked them to go ahead. They charged Rs. 3800 and seemed to have done a neat job of it.
• KARTER Heavy Duty Premium Tyre Pressure Gauge @ Rs. 690
• 3M Car Care Glass Cleaner

Accessories - Reverse Camera, Leather Wrap for Steering, Phone Cable and Cleaning Equipment (Jopasu Duster is always safe in the boot)


A Quick Review
What I've liked

• The space! Most of our friends who've gotten into the car are pleasantly surprised by the amount of space in the car. A couple of friends, who are also looking to buy cars soon, were disappointed by the space (or lack of it) in cars they were considering including the Sonet, Venue, Altroz and i20. With the i20 and Altroz, it may not have been about the space but about how bright and airy it feels in the Glanza. The bright, airy and roomy back seat is also what caused a change of heart from the Swift to the Glanza
• For a model that is effectively 5 years old and the Glanza G being a base variant, it's is pretty well loaded. Some of the features I can think of are - Start/Stop button and keyless entry, auto-folding ORVMs, auto-dimming IRVM, touchscreen with Android Auto/Apple Carplay, footwell and puddle lamps, a proper MID with quite a lot of settings (alarm, door locks, etc.), ISOFIX seat anchors, tilt and telescopic adjustmentable steering, LED projector headlamps, fog lamps, etc.
• The lovely engine and the gearbox - free revving fun on the highways and enough torque to go over speed breakers in second gear. And decent fuel efficiency figures, in spite of this. I hardly miss the 1.5 VTEC in our Honda City.
• The light clutch makes city driving really comfortable. I was not looking for an automatic this time since I feel manuals will become unpopular in a while and this will probably be the last manual I could own (I love a perfect shift, particularly on the highway). Thanks to the light clutch, I don't regret my decision in the Bangalore traffic. One of my friends, turned down the Altroz and Ecosport because he felt the clutch was hard after driving the Glanza.
• We've not owned a Maruti (can't deny Glanza is a Maruti) in the family since our 800 and it's been a while. It's mostly been Hondas in my family as well as my wife's. Reading about the Baleno, I really expected Celerio grade doors (I thought those felt tinny). But I have been pleasantly surprised. I personally think the boot and bonnet feel solid while the door close sound/feel is similar to the City's. The Ford, Skoda and Tata surely feel heavier but it's not bad with the Baleno.
• Steering feels light and therefore nice in the city as well as on the hills
• Lots of storage including space for 1L bottles in each door
• Lots of lights in the cabin - split map reading lights in front, light at the center, footwell lights at the front, puddle/courtesy lamps under front doors, glovebox lights and luggage compartment lights
• Alloys tyres sized 195/55 R16
• With regard to the Baleno, the Glanza was cheaper by 30k for the same variant, offers an additional year of warranty and free roadside assistance (not sure if Baleno offers this). I also thought the Toyota showroom experience was better than Nexa.
• Small things - nice sounding dual horns, ability to change auto-lock settings, usable armrest with storage space, etc.

Some of the nice features - Touchscreen ICE with Android Auto, Keyless Entry and Start-Stop, Useful MID


The lights in/around the cabin - glove box, at the front, footwell, puddle lamps, at the centre and inside the boot (notice the Jopasu Duster ). Please excuse the poor quality of pics.


What I've not

• Uncomfortable head rest at the back seat. If I'm not driving, I love the back seat. Those head rests really ruin the back seat comfort despite the space and bright windows
• The car feels light with a single passenger and it feels like the rear wheels lose contact with the road if you rush over a speed break or a bad expansion joint. The suspension feels much more comfortable and stable with 4 passengers and a boot full of luggage
• While the steering is nice in the city and on the hills, it is too light for the highways. You really have to grab onto it after 100km/h and that feels tiring after a while.
• It's neither a Maruti nor a true Toyota. The car comes from the Manesar plant but is sold/serviced by Toyota. I felt the Toyota technicians don't know the car as well as they know the Toyotas. I think there is also an impression that the Maruti parts are inferior to the Toyota parts. So if you have have some issue that is not straight forward, I'm not sure how easy it will be for a Toyota service center to fix it.
• One of the reasons I went for Glanza over Baleno is because I felt the Toyota service centres would be less crowded. I don't think that's the case, at least at my service center. It's a sea of Innovas, Fortuners and Etios. Its particularly not great being in a parking lot surrounded by Innovas and Fortuners. I think I've had a better experience when we were using the 2nd-gen Honda City in Trivandrum and we got proper attention because the Honda service center was not crowded.
• I mentioned earlier that the doors don't feel light. I'm probably contradicting myself here but the sheet metal on the doors are definitely not confidence inspiring. I saw a couple of micro dents on the demo car which were too tiny to even be explained and would not have existed if the sheet metal was better.
• The LED projector headlamps on the Baleno have a bad reputation. But on the other side, they don't seem great. Dividers are particularly difficult to see. I feel the stock halogens on our Honda City and my Honda Unicorn are probably better. I haven't had to drive in rain yet but I really don't know how these will fare in rain.
• In comparison with my friend's Venue, the NVH seems poor in the Glanza. It's more noisy inside the Glanza, particularly on bad roads. Because of this, the Venue feels much well put together inside than the Glanza.

I think that's it for now. I will try to keep posting updates on this thread. If any of you are still reading, thanks for your time.

Signing off for now

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[GTO]

Thanks for sharing a great report! Your car will go to our homepage tomorrow .

I personally too would buy the Glanza over the Baleno. The price difference is nothing, but the "T" badge does carry more weight. While Maruti's after-sales is good, Toyota's is even better. Glad you looked around and bought the Glanza instead of the Swift. While the Swift is a lot of fun to drive, the Glanza is superior as a family car.

Wishing you a minimum of 150,000 happy km & road-trips with your car. Congrats!

[AKSarkar1]

Heartiest congratulations!! Love the Glanza, especially in this colour. I think the Glanza is easiest one of the best cars in its segment. I think if I had to go for a car in this segment, it would most definitely be the Baleno/Glanza.

Wishing you many many happy miles ahead!

[Phukan23]

Originally Posted by GTO

Thanks for sharing a great report! Your car will go to our homepage tomorrow .

I personally too would buy the Glanza over the Baleno. The price difference is nothing, but the "T" badge does carry more weight. While Maruti's after-sales is good, Toyota's is even better. Glad you looked around and bought the Glanza instead of the Swift. While the Swift is a lot of fun to drive, the Glanza is superior as a family car.

Wishing you a minimum of 150,000 happy km & road-trips with your car. Congrats!

As GTO said only for the "T" badge Glanza will be the pick over Baleno. Congratulations and always keep us updated with your car.

[warrioraks]

Originally Posted by gopaneel

I think that's it for now. I will try to keep posting updates on this thread. If any of you are still reading, thanks for your time.
Attachment 2142799

When it comes to longform reading, I am a sort of impatient guy and do skip sections. But I read every line of your thread with keen interest. A very genuine and honest way of describing your experience.
Congratulations on the car. If I was in the market considering Baleno/Glanza/Swift, even I would have gone with a Glanza. Just because of the Toyota name.
The points you shared of Toyota service centers being crowded and engineers not knowing the car as well as Maruti engineers are fly in the ointment. However I do feel with Toyota, you are in safe hands. With decent sales numbers that Glanza has and the way Maruti-Toyota partnership is going, Toyota engineers will very soon pick up the skills and expertise. The good part is - you can take your car to any neighborhood mechanic and get the work done once your free services are over. After all, it's a Maruti under the hood and any mechanic worth his salt should be able to fix things.

Happy mile munching to you and Glanza!

[Amsdoc]

Congratulations on your 1st car! It is really a great feeling to have your own car and the freedom it grants you. Great review as well!

As opposed to some of the opinions here, I however cannot believe that anybody with the right mind would buy a Glanza over the Baleno just for the badge! Whoever buys it, would definitely and only do it for the price/offers, as the op rightly has done. Surely a Maruti offers more peace of mind...it is their car after all, plus there are more service centres and I imagine the resale price will also be better for a Maruti as they are much more preferred in tier 2-3 cities. Also I cannot understand how Toyota can sell a Maruti rebadged car, cheaper than Maruti!

That said, its a very good car and you will have many memorable miles in it! Enjoy!

[Almoral]

Congratulations for the new car. The post is very well written . Wish you many safe and exciting kilometers in the vehicle. Do update about you ownership experience.

[Raghu M]

First of all, congratulations on the acquisition. That was a lovely review too. Very engaging and felt like the entire process was explained really well. You also have great observations on the features. I am pleasantly surprised at the list of features the Glanza base has. Lot of high end cars do not have many features in the base versions. One question - why are you comparing the NVH levels of the Glanza with the Venue? The Venue is in a different segment altogether and ought to be good on all fronts. Any specific reasons?

[BNG-motorhead]

Congrats! She is a beauty and the T badge will ensure peace of mind, good decision. The brake noise you mentioned, same experience on our ignis. Felt it was coming from the rear, like a scraping sound(very faint). The service center folks couldn’t find anything and I let it go as well.

[FloatingCanvas]

Congratulations on the new car! Wishing you many happy miles!

Might be due to the lighting conditions or angles, but I love the colour more from the front view, than from the rear. The former looks more deeper silver and classy while the rear angle shot makes it a routine light silver.

I agree with your observations on the NVH levels, light steering and inadequate headlamps. I had been on a Blr-Mysuru drive in a colleague's Baleno was surprised at how much road noise creeps post 80kmph and the engine noise at 100+kmph. The steering as you point, was too light for comfort post 100kmph. I feel a 6th gear or a taller 5th gear might have helped to cruise at lower RPMs. My daily driver is a 2014 i20 Elite (Diesel) and draw my reference from there.
My i20 came with stock headlights as poor as my Dad's Tata Nano (2009). Upgraded to better Phillips lamps with a relay kit, else it would not be driveable on city ring roads, let alone highways. I found the Baleno low beam to be fine for city but high beam was a big let down. The way it lights up when using for "passing" gave me high expectations of illumination capabilities.

That said, it is a fantastic car for mostly city use. The clutch is unbelievably light and the steering a joy in city. The space inside is slightly more than the i20, I feel. At least, it is more open. And the mileage is the icing on the cake. While I struggle to get 14kmpl in city traffic, in my Diesel i20, a petrol Baleno gives 19+kmpl with a light foot. Unbelievable!

Also, how is the rear camera and display? The Baleno I drove had a static line for guidance and was displayed on the rear view mirror, which was not so great in bright sunlight due to glare on the mirror surface. A dynamic reversing guide on the display is quite helpful for city parking, but so many current gen cars skimp on it!

[cpabhijit]

Congrats on your first car. It's a Maruti afterall and will serve you well for years to come.

Your writing style is engaging and kept me hooked!

[Fire0072]

Congratulations on your new purchase. Your choice of colour is spot on as well. I got a chance to drive around the city with a friend's Glanza, and It was simply brilliant and effortless to commute inside the city.

Wishing you countless happy miles with your car. Stay safe.

[viXit]

Congratulations on the new car!

A first car will forever remain special.

Only request to you is to be mindful of your high beam in the city. These headlights are particularly punishing