Car bashing

The hunt for my first car started 2 months back. After lots of research, tossing coins and test drives i decided to book ________.  Not so fast :P. There were atleast 4 cars which i finalized and wanted to book. Given that there are so many cars in the Hatchback segment, it would be unfair to finalize before doing a test drive of few cars. (Remember this line!)

Requirements:
Unlike the standard indian car owner, i wanted the following 2 options in my car for sure:
1. ABS
2. Airbags
Oh, one more thing: Petrol only.

With these requirements only the highest end variants would work for me. Imagine paying 6L+ for a Hatchback :(. I would prefer a stripped down version of car with these 2 options but alas, why would the car makers listen to the 0.001% kind of the Indian customers.

Rejected without Test Drives (TD):
1. Nissan Micra: Nothing great about the car except for the "truly" keyless entry and Ignition. I was impressed by the looks of Nissan March that I saw in Mauritius but Micra is way off in the looks Dept. No clue on their after sales service (A.S.S). They took 6 weeks to get back to me from the time i showed interest for TD.
2. Tata Indica Vista : Its a Tata and Taxi image :D
3. Chevy Beat: Not impressed by the Mileage, Boot space and reviews. For the features, it is truly VFM car but i never bothered to take a TD. I had booked for the TD but the Chevy folks took more than 1 month to give me a call back. I had decided not to even take a look at it.
4. VW Polo: This is one good car which i failed to TD because the showroom was closed :(. It was a bit out of my budget. Also,the cost of ownership and mileage was not really well known. Few people have reported some major issues in Team-Bhp forum. Type "VW reliability" in google and find out. I was not happy with the 1.2L 3-cylinder Noisy engine which VW has plonked in it. 1.6L is way out of my league in terms of price. But 100 BHP is the one to buy if you have too much of highway driving.
5.  Palio, Nano, WagonR, Alto, Estilo, Spark, Santro, UVA, etc etc - Never bothered to look at them.
6. Toyota Etios: Not yet launched =).

Test Drives: 
The OnRoad price of cars in Bangalore are much more as compared to other cities. I know it will be a shock but its true :P.

1. Honda Jazz (8.2+ after discounts)
This was my first TD. I loved this car very much and would have booked it if I was richer by 2x and earning 2x than current :D. My wifey was scared that I might actually book this. Anyways, she was scared of many other cars too. Whenever we did a TD and i spoke to the Sales Person (SP) for deals, she felt the same way. I am digging my grave by bringing it out again >:). Jazz basic and select models were having discounts of up to 55K. Even after this discount it was way out of my budget. Not to forget the amazing looking Jazz-X with few useful features and priced 9.25+ L onroad. Seriously, Honda has gone overboard with the price given City's success. Hope Vento beats the hell out of city and makes the "H" badge a bit cheaper. Honda is already thwarting the threat by giving insurance @ Re 1. Even Honda can bend to give discounts :P. 
Did I mention that I did the TD 2 times? :D.
After driving this car, I did not like any other car. But reality and depth of my pocket had no options but to let it go.
My Opinion:
- Buy it if you have too much of cash, you will never regret your decision.
- You will have a long affair with it and not to forget the costly sparingly available spares :D

2.  Fiat Punto (7.2-7.5 L for 1.2 and 1.4 Emotion Pack)
Even though 90% of the diesel hatches selling in India have Fiat engines, they are losers as a Car maker. They don't seem to learn from mistakes. Their A.S.S is the last thing you would trust and availability of spare parts is just next to it. They disappointed palio owners big time and looks like Punto owners are next. Even though tie up with Tata seems to have made things better, it doesn't sound logical to me. Fiat seems to be making huge profits by selling their diesel engine IP to Tata, Suzuki, etc and may be the reason for not setting up their dealerships and service centers in India. I would trust them only if they show that seriousness.
About Punto, its one of the best looking Hatches in India today. Its sales have gone from 2K units per month last year to <1K this year. IMO, Polo is seriously taking away Punto customers. Its a great handling car with worst in class turning radius and mileage.
My Opinion:
- Don't buy Punto Petrol if it is your first car. Many have regretted their decision.
- Spares and A.S.S - Fiat story continues.

3. Ford Figo (5.37L - Titanium Petrol)
Worst in Class power, best in class spaciousness, dull looks and not recognized for their A.S.S. FYI, Ford is the only car maker in US that didnt need aid from the govt during the recession. I was not impressed by the fact that the car struggled to pull 1+3 passengers on an average gradient. With AC On, it was struggling like crazy. I didnt enjoy the drive. Even though it had great visibility and handling, there was no power to take full advantage of it. The boot space is amazing but if you fill it up, it will not move >:). The Mileage and over-heating of the engine are few complaints that i read about. Even though the stereo is USB enabled, there is no USB slot. The ford folks have created themselves an opportunity to earn 1K more by providing that USB extension cable. Not to mention the wafer thin bumpers which will crack at the drop of a hat. (Not proven yet, neither do i want to).
My opinion:
- Buy if you are particular about ABS, Airbags and budget is strictly around 5L.
- Mileage, A.S.S might let you down in the long run.

4. Hyundai i10 (Asta - 5.8L after discounts, New - 6.3L)
Before the launch of New i10, the old i10 was being offered with 25K+ discounts. I spent around 3 hrs at the showroom, took a TD and gave a reverse offer to the SP that I will book it now if you convince me and give me better deal. After checking out the UK website, i was disappointed to know that all the car makers give skinny tyres and small wheels in India. Even the highest end i10 was not equipped with Alloys. They learnt their lesson and the new i10 sports Alloys for Asta. However, they are just R13s :(. This is one of the better cars for driving in city and especially for new drivers.Its a big no for the Highways unless you go and upgrade the tyres to better profile. I have not checked the new i10, so no comments on that. Looks like they have prepared themselves to thwart the threat from Alto-K10, A-Star Auto, Ritz, Etios, Figo etc. Phew, this car does compete with everyone ;).
My opinion:
-You will not regret booking this car if you want A.S.S peacefulness
- Easy to drive in the city.

5. Hyundai i20 (Asta 1.2 - 7L)
Hyundai expected to sell 2K units per month when it launched i20 but today its selling around 6-7K units per month. It is spacious, has the same 1.2L Kappa engine as the i10, Hyundai badge + A.S.S and cool features. Wonder how many people are buying the Asta :-?.  Since i was strict with my requirements, i didnt want to compromise on the safety features and Asta was my only option. I didnt like the long travel distance of the clutch, everytime i depress the clutch, my shin would scrape the under belly of the dash. This was reported by my colleague too. One SP accepted this fact while the other fellow said my driving style is wrong :). It seems Hyundai is planning to make amends for its best selling model. I have heard of AC and steering horror stories of i20. But Hyundai is not Fiat and I expect all these to be ironed out over the course of time. I was not happy with the fact that 1.4 was not available for the same price and it was available only in Auto Trans Trim. I am not impressed by the mileage figures for the 1.2. Having a big car with a small heart (1.2L engine)... hmmm. It might struggle to pull you up that slope in most of the malls :).
My Opinion:
- Buy it if spaciousness is topmost priority. I am sure many are impressed by the stereo and interiors.
- Light steering is a mixed bag. Its up to you to judge.

6. Suzuki A-Star (Dont know, Dont care)
I was stupid to listen to the SP to take a TD of this junk of a machine after learning that there are huge discounts and freebies with this car. Auto transmission was a big no because you compromise on the Mileage big time and might get bored of driving. The car was okay  till 60 kmph and reached 80 when accelerated for sometime. I dont think it is suited for highways from any angle. No comments on the crampy interiors and boot space. I guess A-Star is no star.
My Opinion:
- Don't buy it if you have prior driving experience, you will regret your decision.
- Good to buy if your req has ABS,Airbags and you might get it for 4.5-5L.
- 1.0 K-Series (or K10) engine is better than Figo's 1.2L petrol in refinement and Mileage.  

7. Suzuki Ritz (5.85 after discounts)
Except for the questionable looks, this is the best VFM hatch and a perfect all rounder. Will you believe me if i said i went to the showroom with the cheque to book a readily available White Ritz ZXI. There were many thoughts and negative reactions for this car from my family. I dont blame them, I would blame suzuki for such a design. Santro's looks were questionable when it was launched but over the period of time, it became the best seller and the mass accepted it. But it was a decade ago when the likes of Punto, Polo, Swift were not born yet. Truly speaking, once inside the car do you really care on how it looks outside. The order of the day is not just a good heart but good looks too ;). [Esp if you are spending around 6L :D].
I convinced everyone in the family regarding the price vs features vs freebies. May be, thats what I thought until they heaved a sigh of relief when i told them I am not booking it. Just missed it by a whisker.
My Opinion:
- K12  is gem of an engine. You will never regret buying this fat bottom if your digestive system is rock solid.
- Your family might not appreciate the looks and you will always end up defending the VFM tag + features.

That ends my TD vehicle list.

I booked Red Swift Zxi which i have never test driven and which was always my default choice. What's the point of choosing if you dont have choice ;). There are chances that I will be getting the new design swift 2011 but I am still not sure. You can expect a new post after 3-4 months regarding the same. Don't be surprised if i change the car and my safety reqs too. Muhahahaha >:)

-- Before taking the TD of Punto my friend who is still learning to drive put a big dent on the Linea TD vehicle :D. I had a fight with the SP before starting that TD. Both of us escaped without coughing up rokda to the Fiat guys.

Cribbing is good for health

Everyone wants to have a say, be it sports, food, politics or anything and everything. But, there are no doers. Its just talk. We blog, tweet, etc to show concern on how the Tigers have stopped mating, Why India is still mediocre, Planning for a meeting to plan for the actual meeting to actually do something for the country which seldom kicks off! Where am I heading, hmmm, where else, I voted again :). I will crib about all the other people who are not voting. I am tired of hearing things like "I will vote only if None of the above option is given" or "If the candidates are worthy enough". Come on, be practical. It will take time and lots of reforms and hell lot of votes from the people who are not voting now. The political parties will never bother to improve infrastructure/facilites for the middle class because the return on investment is ZERO. Why should they do something for you if you dont even bother to take their future in your hands. Just hope all you people start taking voting seriously and participate. If you want to have access to Online Voting, prove that you are worthy enough to get such a facility.

Did you wait for the govt to come and gift you the passport? (You were ready to stand in queues and beg at the govt offices for hours together)
Did you wait at your home when you did not get your Gas on time?
So what are you waiting for now, go get yourself a Voter's Id and start voting.

One more class of people are there who go back to their hometown to vote and then blame the authorities for not doing anything in their city/town of residence. I wish people outside india show such passion for their country :).

The govt can bring a reward based rule instead of bringing a rule to punish people for not voting. Think about something like tax rebates based on your salary. I hope Mr Nandan gets the UID project on track soon!

Trust me, I am feeling much better after so much of cribbing :P

myPhones

I managed to get all the phones used by me in one frame :)

1. Nokia 3310 [March 2004 - Dec 2005]
This is one amazing piece. It had great signal quality, decent battery life (which i screwed by using it when on charging). It was 2 yrs old when it was handed over to me (rather i snatched it from my Dad). I did try some modifications on it to make it look jazzy and cool, but it turned out to be a colored soap box. It was in working condition when i stopped using it. I still remember how i used to torture it by typing SMSes with my feet :). Talk about being Rough and Tough. It had this amazing feature: it used to break down into 3-5 pieces depending on the height from which it was dropped before it came in contact with the ground. Free SMS and Free Calling were the order of the day then and the phone didn't disappoint me to let me take full advantage of it. I handed this to shravan who failed to take advantage of it. It was dead by the time he started using it.

2. LG White Sleek Phone [Jan 2006 - Jun 2007]
My Love-Hate relationship with Reliance CDMA started with this sleek white phone which later turned brownish. Incidentally this was my first phone buy, 2400 bucks only. Like the previous one and the future ones, this was not spared from torture (as is apparent from the looks). It had some irritating ring tones. I remember one of my colleagues requesting me to change it.

3. ZTE Classic Cheapest model [Jun 2007 - May 2008]
Time had come to throw the old phone and replace it. But Reliance, as usual, was offering better price for new SIM card based phones rather than the old model ones. I decided to change my number and get a new  phone + connection for 700-800 bucks. This had an amazing feature, it would not let the user speak for more than 5 minutes. After which, it could be used for ironing clothes. Then, one fine day, its microphone got screwed and i had to junk it.


4. LG Some Weirdo Color model with FM [May 2008 - March 2009]
My first color mobile, FM mobile, etc etc. I used a wired headset with it. It made my biking experience enjoyable with its decent FM. I had to stop using the FM after I had a near miss. Yeh India hai mere yaar, You can drink, drive and survive but not drive closing your ears and survive! It was a very decent phone until i dropped it multiple times when it was charging to screw the charging port. The phone is still in working condition. It needs help in charging though ;).

5. Not Apple, Chinese hiPhone [Dec 2008 - ...]
My first GSM, Music Player, Camera mobile which is being used only as Music player and camera. I got this phone imported from china. My colleague had got it for me (of course, i had to pay for it). Unfortunately, our jobs got knocked off during this period and I was about to resell to somebody even at a minor loss. I couldn't change my number during this Job hunting season and decided not to get a new number and put this mobile to use. However, this has been serving me in quite a few trips. It has auto Turn Off feature(!!!) too. Oh, Did i forget to mention 1 GB memory :-? [I invested 5-6K on this piece of $h14]


6. LG Some Weirdo Color Model with FM 2 [April 2009 - ...]
Same as 4. Supposed to be advanced but it is worse than 4 and cheaper too. Both are sub 2K phones. It's going strong after lapping more than 600 hrs of talktime and few thousand smses.

Not bad, I spent <13K over the last 6 years on phone (Got some 2K worth talktime too. Anyways, leaving it for simplicity purposes). Kanjos, Makki choos. Time to change my mobile based on the above collected stats. 6 phones in 6 years, means i gotta get a new one next fiscal.

A snap of all the phones in my house now (includes Asko's and Shravan's)

Just like that

Most of the times i love to start with something like "Its been long time since  I did this that blah blah ... ". This is no different. I managed to start with the same words ;). In 2010, I have been to the theatres 4 times already. This is equal to the entire 2009 or may be more. Recession is gone? Dream on buddy! I would love to write a review of all the movies I watched but unfortunately my memory power is not helping me.
But I do have a parody for one of the songs (Co-created by 3 Idiots - Shravan, Asko and Me):
Give him some shoe shine, give him a brain,
Give him another trance, He wont dance again...
Na Na Na
Na Na Na
Give him a sore throat, Give him some pain (if possible lots of pain),
Give him another glance, he wont sing again...
Na Na Na
Na Na Na

No points for guessing who "him" is. Anyways, apart from doing such humorless and uncreative stuff, i have been upto nothing. Which is good because thats what i have been doing for so many years in a row now. Am a veteran! :). End of 2009, had been on a road trip to Goa. Hopefully will post a blog for that sometime this year (before i forget the places visited, routes taken, etc).

Everything is "Fair" for a party

From learning Pottery to spinning tops, flying kites, folk dance to DJ. It was a visual treat and a fascinating one too. The party was on the theme of Village Fair mixed with some modern amenities for the urban folk. This is more of a photo blog, so enjoy the pics. I enjoyed the Cotton Candy :).

Getting these pics copied from Asko's book did take sometime though ;). First we tried Bluetooth, then FTP and later decided to use the usb memory lying near our laptops. Asko did have doubts on using it on his book, fear of virus i say. tch tch. I did ask him to buy a condom for it, it went in vain though. Anyways, given that format is always around the corner, he decided to take the usb stick and stick it up his book. 

 

Whos the Farmer?

This is not about FarmVille. This is the story of how i managed to get returns from one of the hazaar plants that tried to take shelter in my pot. I got to harvest Moong dal in my garden (If i can call one pot in my balcony my Garden :-?). The harvesting is happening in a staggered way (even though there is only one plant :D). All the beans do not ripe/dry at the same time. So i have been harvesting one at a time over the past few days. Some pics to enlighten what i am talking about. This was planted by my cousin in the already overcrowded pot a couple of months back (I think). One moong dal grain has given almost 75 moong dal grains :D. It could have been more if we had used better soil and the plant didn't get infected so early.

I have been unsuccessfully waiting for the 6 month old Lychee tree (Plant) to grow. It seems to have forgotten its purpose on this planet. Anyways, may be it didn't like the other 10 plants growing in the same pot ;). Not to forget the 6-8 Chilli plants which were quick to sprout and grow but seem to like the Lychee way of living. Next what? Time to get more pots i guess.

Move V

2009 is drawing to a close. The last 2 weekends will be busy ones. More about them when they become past tense :). I have a long list of movies which are there on my system begging to be watched. I am more interested in watching Avatar/3 Idiots in theatre. Its been ages since I went for a movie in a theatre. Damn costly tickets i say. Its lack of options that drives the ticket sales at the insanely priced Multiplexes. All the crooks have joined hands and have similar pricing patterns. I don't feel that the recession is over but the retail and entertainment industry claims that recession is history. When people say worst is behind them, they should know whether its right behind to come back any moment or its history. I still feel its just standing next to me waiting for a chance >:). I wish Bangalore had more Multiplexes than the number of upcoming states. If these people continue such pricing practices, I don't see an end to the piracy business. I would feel bad to watch a pirated movie if the ticket costs were around 30-40 bucks. At 250-1k per ticket, i am encouraged to go the wrong way. On one hand we have the TV channels which play a new movie for 6 hrs (#@$@#) on the other hand the magnificent Multiplexes. Difficult choice eh? Anyways, whats the point of ranting in my blog :P, i will continue my movie watching in HBO/Star Movies.