General Queries Of New Car & Bike Buyers


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I am starting this as a new thread because I have a few questions and I do not know under which thread I should put it. I have the following questions:

1. What does 'on road price mean'? Why does the price of a car changes depending upon the city in which it is being bought?

2. I bought a second had Maruti 800 last week. Can somebody give an idea about general maintenance of cars?

3. 800 has only 4 gears, so won't it be a problem to drive without 5th gear?

4. Whenever I am trying to change the gear, the car is stopping. what can I do to prevent it?

5. My seat adjustment is faulty so it is very inconvenient for me to sit and drive. Can the seat adjustment system be changed, and how much that would cost?

Please somebody help me out.
 
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Re: General doubts

1. What does 'on road price mean'? Why does the price of a car changes depending upon the city in which it is being bought?
On Road price is inclusive of your vehicle cost (Ex-showroom cost : cost to the dealer + his profit) + Road tax + Insurance + registration cost + local taxes, etc
Cost varies among cities due to the transportation cost from the manufacturing location and changes in local taxes

2. I bought a second had Maruti 800 last week. Can somebody give an idea about general maintenance of cars?
Consumables change, brake bleeding, battery charging, wheel balancing and alignment, etc

3. 800 has only 4 gears, so won't it be a problem to drive without 5th gear?
Gearbox is designed (gear ratios chosen) with only 4 combinations. Nothing wrong with it. GB with more gears will have close ratio combinations, thats all. There were Jeeps with only 3 gears

4. Whenever I am trying to change the gear, the car is stopping. what can I do to prevent it?
You mean engine stops while shifting from any gear? to be more specific, when the clutch is pressed? If so, check your idle rpm and tune it.

5. My seat adjustment is faulty so it is very inconvenient for me to sit and drive. Can the seat adjustment system be changed, and how much that would cost?
Sliding mechanism or the reclining mechanism? IMO it should cost less than a couple of grands.
 

350Z

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Re: General doubts

1. What does 'on road price mean'?
On-road price is the total sum that one pays for a car. Additional required charges such as insurance, road tax, registration etc. when included in the Ex. Showroom price (which is set by the manufacturer) forms the on-road price figure. For Example:

- Ex. Showroom Price: Rs.3,70,000

- (+) Insurance: Rs.11,000

- (+) Road Tax / Registration: 18,000

- (+) Number Plate: Rs.700

- On-Road Price: Rs.3,99,700

Why does the price of a car changes depending upon the city in which it is being bought?
Different cities have different tax structure which results in discrepancy between the on-road prices within the India itself.

2. I bought a second had Maruti 800 last week. Can somebody give an idea about general maintenance of cars?
Maruti 800 is a fairly reliable car. It should be easy to maintain one considering that previous owner also kept it well. On the regular basis, just make sure check the tyre pressure at least once in a week and keep the level of liquids under the hood in a check such as engine oil, coolant, brake oil etc.

3. 800 has only 4 gears, so won't it be a problem to drive without 5th gear?
Not an issue at all. Having five gears is not a standard. As a learner, you can do well enough on a car with four gears too.

4. Whenever I am trying to change the gear, the car is stopping. what can I do to prevent it?
This could usually happen when the clutch is not pressed fully.

5. My seat adjustment is faulty so it is very inconvenient for me to sit and drive. Can the seat adjustment system be changed, and how much that would cost?
Yes, it can be replaced but cannot say about the cost as it depends which part is faulty.

Drive Safe,
350Z
 
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Re: General Doubts of New Car Owners

5. My seat adjustment is faulty so it is very inconvenient for me to sit and drive. Can the seat adjustment system be changed, and how much that would cost?

Please somebody help me out.
Any ways, congrats .
[:)]
The seat sliding one side costs you 170 rs (recliner side and slider side costs you 150rs)
 
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Re: General Doubts of New Car Owners

Thanks everybody. Does the price of used vehicle also depend upon the tax in each city, i.e. can state levied tax influence the price of used cars?
 

350Z

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Re: General Doubts of New Car Owners

Thanks everybody. Does the price of used vehicle also depend upon the tax in each city, i.e. can state levied tax influence the price of used cars?
Yes, it effects to an extent since the car depreciates based on its on-road price.

Drive Safe,
350Z
 
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Some questions related to test drives?

Friends,tomorrow I am going for the test drive of various cars to check them out for my new car buying decision,but the problem is that this is going to be the first time I am going to buy a vehicle for myself,weather its new or used so I need to know the DO's and DON'T's for the test drives.
Actually the test drive is used to decide which car is better and which is more suitable for us,so here are some questions for you guys:-
  1. How to see which car is having more usable power?
  2. How to see which car is really more comfortable?Actually some cars seem to be faking comfort which ends up after an hour of driving.
  3. Which car is really more easier to drive?
  4. Which car is really more fun to drive?
  5. How to understand the power build-up of any engine?
  6. How to understand the gearbox of any car?
  7. Many times I have read about suspension being soft,hard etc,but how to feel it exactly in the real world?
  8. Many times I have read about ride quality,so how to check the ride quality of any car?
  9. What is body balance?How to check it?
There are many more questions,but I have forgot them and hence will ask them as soon as I remember them again..

Thanks in advance.
 
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Re: General Doubts of New Car Buyers & Owners

Guys isn't there anyone who can answer my queries?
I have to go for the test drives tomorrow,I need to know and understand it well before going for test drives.
 
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Re: General Doubts of New Car Buyers & Owners

it is very difficult to answer all these at once through a forum. I suggest you can have a back to back comparison with benchmark type cars which are well and good in each those features . I think skoda laura is one hell of a car with all features pointing north side which you can use as reference standard to measure the rest.
Otherwise its all boils down to individual comfort.a subjective one.
 
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Re: Some questions related to test drives?

Parulji,you can declare me arrogant or whatever in other threads,but let me help you out of this..
And yes,my reply is going to be painfully long..so you need to have a very strong mind to read it and even stronger heart to bear it..[:D]

Friends,tomorrow I am going for the test drive of various cars to check them out for my new car buying decision,but the problem is that this is going to be the first time I am going to buy a vehicle for myself,weather its new or used so I need to know the DO's and DON'T's for the test drives.
Do-Test the car at its best.
Don't-Don't talk to anybody,just talk to the car.Ask for the opinion of others only when needed.

How to see which car is having more usable power?
Power is always usable,only difference is between the way its delivered.
The cars which have a fantastic mid range(RPM) are always considered better because any car is driven in its mid range only for 90% of its life.So you will need to check the mid range and low end of the diesel car and mid range and top end of the petrol car.
In other words,any car which offers the maximum power where you want has more usable power.There is difference like some cars jump due to sudden power up while some remain slightly calm and deliver a power very smoothly.Like Swift jumps after 2000 rpm and Punto delivers power very smoothly.
I'll explain the power-range checking style in an another question.

How to see which car is really more comfortable?Actually some cars seem to be faking comfort which ends up after an hour of driving.
Comfort always comes from 2 factors:-
  • Suspension.
  • Seating.
Suspension:Softer suspension gives more comfortable ride at lower speeds or city speeds while tighter suspension gives a flat ride on highways.Also cars with softer suspension roll more than the ones with tighter suspension and body roll is also associated with comfort as more the roll less is the comfort.
Seating:Seating also comprises of two parts:-
  • Seats,their placing and their adjustment:Placement of seats plays a very vital role,they need to be placed perfectly,neither too tightly,nor too away from each other.Same way the back angle,lower squabs and seat height all needs to be perfect.How to check all three of these?Simple it is:-
    To check the back angle,you need to rest your back on the seat for 5 minutes and if you feel strain only on head and lower back then the back angle is okay but if you feel strain in the back also then the back angle is not that good.
    To check the lower squabs(lower portion of seat) you need to first check if the squab is completely resting your thighs or not.If its resting them completely then its good.Larger than thighs squab is always good but smaller must be avoided.
    To check the seat height,you need to sit on the seat and rest your feet on the floor.Now check if your thighs are completely resting on the lower portion of the seat and is the backrest perfectly high for your back,backrest must be as high as your neck(atleast) and above are headrests.Now again return back to thigh support(it can make or spoil the comfort so be extremely careful with it)check if the thighs are completely resting on the seat,they must not rise up above the seat.This will result in back ache in long journeys.Now if the thighs are perfectly resting on the seat then you need to use your hands,the hand method is simple:Open your hands perfectly and try to push your arms under your thighs just above your knees at the corner of the seat.If they get pushed inside easily then the thigh support is not that good and if they don't push inside easily then the thigh support is perfect.Take Honda Cars or Skoda Laura as a benchmark here.They have perfect seats.
  • Cushioning:Simple it is,neither very hard nor very soft.Again benchmark a Civic or City here or a Tata Safari.

    Fake comfort means the seats look big and comfy but they are not well contoured,are either very soft or are not well placed.
Which car is really more easier to drive?
Hmm,its upon you..you may like the hatch for its practicality,sedan for its comfort and performance or SUV for its commanding driving position,its totally upon you.
The only factors that influence the ease of driving are:-
  • Good seating position.
  • Light clutch.
  • Good gearbox.
  • A responsive engine.
  • A good steering wheel which is light in city and well weighed on highways.Benchmark Fiesta Diesel here in this field,its simply perfect.

Which car is really more fun to drive?
Again its upon you,for me fun-to-drive means acceleration,dynamics and net performance.Now it depends on you what you want from your car,what makes you happy in your car?

How to understand the power build-up of any engine?
Let me carry on from the first question,I'll mention just one method to check the power build up and the method is called 'Second or third gear extreme push method(invented by me[:D])'.This method is very easy to implement,which is as follows:-
Move the car,now shift to second gear and leave the accelerator.Let the engine RPM fell to 1000 and now leaving the clutch and brake pedal(just remove your feet from them)press the accelerator completely to the metal(though its not good but here its to be done)now notice the RPM raising and this way you can notice how engine is performing in any rev range.This way you can easily notice the power build up by increase in performance and power trailing off by decrease in performance in any rev range.
If you wanna check the power delivery in more detail taking more time then do this in 3rd gear.If you don't get it once then try it twice,or thrice and you will understand it completely in no time.But yes,ENGINE IS ALWAYS TESTED USING TACHOMETER NOT SPEEDOMETER.So keep your eyes on RPM not speed of the car.

How to understand the gearbox of any car?
The simple method is 'push in lower three gears to the redline'.Higher two or three gears are always meant for cruising and are always long while first three are for accelerating the car so push in all three,check the top speed you attained in each gear at the highest possible or any fixed RPM and get the ratio between them.This will let you know which gear is shorter and which is longer.

Many times I have read about suspension being soft,hard etc,but how to feel it exactly in the real world?
Soft suspension means the ride at lower speeds is very good and at high speeds the car remains unsettled for even small bumps.
Tight suspension means the bumps are always felt at lower speeds but as the speed builds up the car becomes more and more planted.The ride becomes even more settled.
In this you need to benchmark Skoda Laura TSi or vRS.And if possible then drive a Ford Fiesta 'S',it has the perfect suspension setup for enthusiastic drive.

Many times I have read about ride quality,so how to check the ride quality of any car?
Already mentioned in the suspension part,softer suspension means better ride at lower speeds and tighter one means better ride at higher speeds.

What is body balance?How to check it?
More the body rolls bad is the balance.More is the tendency of car leaving the line from back(can be easily noticed in older DZire,Scorpio and sometimes in Innova too)on sharp turns at high speeds,worse is the body balance.
Here you need to take the Fiesta as a benchmark and for SUVs you need to take the Aria as a benchmark.

There are many more questions,but I have forgot them and hence will ask them as soon as I remember them again..
Bring the questions on..I am here to either answer them or to forward them to right person.

BTW,I deserve at least 10 repo points for this post!![;)]
 
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Re: General Doubts of New Car Buyers & Owners

Thanks a lot Jayadev.
A very very thank you TSIVipul also sorry for any rude behavior I showed to you.After reading your post I understood why there are two green reputation symbols under your pic.By the way,why don't you try to post such content in every post?
Printed the whole post and will use it as it is.
Any more suggestions?

I yesterday booked the tested rives and today I will test drive Honda city and Civic,Tata Safari and Aria,Mahindra XUV 500 and new Fiesta Petrol.
I enquired for the test drive of Skoda Laura petrol but they said its not available,they will call me back once they have the car available for TD and send it to me.Though they are offering the test drive of Superb petrol,they said it is same as Laura.Should I go for it?
 
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Re: General Doubts of New Car Buyers & Owners

You should decide your budget first. Although you can do the test drives of all cars so you can make out the driving aspect , the ease/difficulty which is subjective to each person.
Cars like superb are a segment higher than your requirement so you need to compare the features of cars in its similar segment.
 
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Re: General Doubts of New Car Buyers & Owners

Thanks a lot Jayadev.
A very very thank you TSIVipul also sorry for any rude behavior I showed to you.After reading your post I understood why there are two green reputation symbols under your pic.By the way,why don't you try to post such content in every post?
Printed the whole post and will use it as it is.
Any more suggestions?
Welcome madam,I know I am very kind person,no issue at all.
Such content can't be posted in every post,I can't be such a bore!![:D]Until something senseless is posted,the day is not completed.
Not only printing will help,you will have to keep it in your mind,else you can't implement it all.

I yesterday booked the test drives and today I will test drive Honda city and Civic,Tata Safari and Aria,Mahindra XUV 500 and new Fiesta Petrol.
I enquired for the test drive of Skoda Laura petrol but they said its not available,they will call me back once they have the car available for TD and send it to me.Though they are offering the test drive of Superb petrol,they said it is same as Laura.Should I go for it?
In case of Laura and Superb,though the engine and gearbox is exactly same but the on-road behavior is far different.Superb has superb straight line stability while Laura is having fantastic agility.Same way,Superb has a lot lot more space than Laura and same is with features and price.
So maybe they are trying to convince you for base variant of Superb.
Which dealer you contacted?
Try out with Giriraj in Delhi and Gurgaon as well as Nawab motors too.They both had TSi one month back when I inquired for TD for someone.
 
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Re: General Doubts of New Car Buyers & Owners

Very good explanation TSIVipul.

Right advice from superbad.
Back to back TD of cars from different segments or even a series of test drives across segments within a short period will add to the confusion.

Select a segment and check all the options and then short list one or two in that segment. If you want to go for a car in higher segment for better performance and comfort, then compare them only with short listed car of the lower segment. Following this sequence will help to ease confusion. Some times it may require to go back and do a repeat TD of some cars either short listed or left out.

Request Parul to stick to subject of this thread.
Since you have another thread regarding your new car requirement, please discuss points related to your car selection and querry about various type of cars there only.
 
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Re: General Doubts of New Car Buyers & Owners

Very good explanation TSIVipul.

Right advice from superbad.
Back to back TD of cars from different segments or even a series of test drives across segments within a short period will add to the confusion.

Select a segment and check all the options and then short list one or two in that segment. If you want to go for a car in higher segment for better performance and comfort, then compare them only with short listed car of the lower segment. Following this sequence will help to ease confusion. Some times it may require to go back and do a repeat TD of some cars either short listed or left out.

Request Parul to stick to subject of this thread.
Since you have another thread regarding your new car requirement, please discuss points related to your car selection and querry about various type of cars there only.
 

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