Thread Starter
#1
Would love to share my ownership details with all of you here. This ownership thread was posted on another forum back from 2013 untill now regularly. I will be posting the entire series of posts here. You can expect a detailed report on the day to day happenings of the car. The original thread is here: http://*********.in/showthread.php?...-CODE-6-Tuning&highlight=love+skoda+rapid+tdi
So the story began like this :
" The Past :
Having just got my license in April ‘13 but have been driving well before that in private compounds, etc .
But when I got it I started asking for a personal ride. Having the 2008 Swift Petrol VXI at home Dad very generously handed me the keys and it was mine. Loved the car, the handling, the power, the rev happy engine, reliability ( At Least mine never let me down ) and the aesthetics of the car had been making me crave it for the past few years after I got it all hell broke loose it was my personal ride. And being a teen who just got his license I was quite the ...lets say.ehhh.....the enthusiastic driver. The car just kept going no matter what I threw at it , saved my life on numerous occasions. This made me appreciate and love that car even more. But being the power hungry fool that I am I wanted something more. Something faster, better, more economical ( my swift’s mileage topped at 10 kmpl ), more stable, and more over the car had done 50000 kms and had an age of 5 years. It showed no signs of ageing but my family has a silent rule where all cars are changed every 5 years/50000 kms. Even though i loved it it had to go . Hence then my hunt started for a better, more powerful, mean machine which could take everything I put it through and ask for more.
Past Love :
The Decision
Skoda Rapid TDI Leisure Edition.
Budget : Sub 11 Lakhs
Options Considered :
Honda City 2013 SMT :
Loved the engine, the car, the handling was acceptable too, Honda’s tank like engineering made it a prominent option in the list. It was well below the budget even leaving me room for extra mods but the main reason I didn't go for it was that I wanted more and more torque and an efficiency that I could get only from a diesel car.
Hyundai Verna 1.6 CRDI :
Already have a 2012 Verna Fluidic 1.4 VTVT . Hence ruled out. And after owning the Verna and being aware of its handling it was a no brainer. It wasn't even an option since i wanted nothing short of an enthusiast’s car or at least semi-enthusiastic .
Honda Amaze 1.5 i-Dtec :
Never was a fan of the looks. Not so rev- friendly . Huge waiting period , the simplistic brio interiors. This also was ruled out.
Volkswagen Vento 1.6 TDI Highline :
I like the looks of the car. Looked amazing in white. Great engine acceptable handling , it had what i wanted TORQUE , great punchy engine, free revving engine, amazing German built quality. The engine was a bit noisy, was fairly put off by that. Great features USB, AUX-IN, SD Card , Bluetooth, parking sensors . I had almost everything that I wanted but the price was above my budget and the mid level Comfortline didn't have ABS, Airbags and I wanted all these safety features. Moreover the behavior of the sales reps towards potential clients was something unexpected from a company of such stature. And having gone to the VW service center along with a friend who had to have a few issues checked on his car, the after sales service was completely horrible. This was a major reason towards my dislike towards the brand and the car.
Skoda Rapid TDI Leisure :
Skoda had stopped the Prestige edition of the car and had brought about the Leisure which is the additional accessories pack on the mid level Ambition Plus variant. It was completely loaded; Parking sensors, Garmin navigation, Reverse Camera, Leatherette seat covers, Door Sills and Alloy wheels. Apart from this the car was brilliant. As it is similar to the Vento I shall not go too in detail about it but the car seemed better than the Vento by a small margin. It was under budget. And after having read many threads on many forums about the Rapid and its capabilities I had a soft corner towards it from the start. And to add on to this the Rapid in the Flash Red was amazing and was an eye catcher. It also had the essentials of ABS , Airbags etc.. So I had decided on the Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI Leisure Edition.
Initial Set Back :
After some discussions with my family we had decided that we would not get a sedan but would better suit us to have a hatchback for the use that this car would serve which is basically me. So the hunt started again towards a great hatch back under 8 Lakhs .
Option 1 : Hyundai i20 Crdi Magna -
Loved the looks. Was sold on that even after knowing about the poor handling of the car and stability. The initial plan was to get a sub 7 Lakh car and modify it to my taste. The major drawbacks were the absence of ABS, Airbags and the now signature i20 led fog lamps. Nearly booked it when a known person suggested to check out the Punto 90Hp
Option 2 : Fiat Punto 90hp-
Initial reactions regarding the Punto was that the looks were brilliant but poor after sales and fiats horrible dealer experiences. But was shocked this time. RDC Fiat at Chennai has proved to be considerably better than its competition in my eyes. On a single call with no hassle at all they brought a Black Punto 90 Hp for test drive. When I saw the car I was shocked, it just looked soo good. Got in and then noticed the bad build quality of the car. But thought to myself might as well give it a shot. After a small test drive i was flabbergasted at its great handling. Finally i found a car that i would like more than my swift. Handling was great.But the ruberry gearshift and the lethargic initial gears i had a doubt but after a little more tests on the handling. I was pretty much sold on that test drive. After the test drive I had a great dilemma . All other options were thrown out and the only option was the fiat punto 90 hp. The booking was made and an amount of 1 Lakh was paid. But after a few conversations and intense thought for a few days decided that it was not in my heart to own the punto. Asked for the refund and Fiat co-operated very nicely. I must commend Rdc Fiat for after a long time I have got a good name about fiat again in my head.
Option 3 : VW Polo 1.2 TDI Comfortline :
This was only test driven after my friends pressuring me towards its merits . But it did not prevail the 1.2 litre engine didn't feel fulfilling enough. It was out of the list once again due to the same experience i received from VW due to the Vento.
Option 4 : Maruti Suzuki Swift 1.3 MJD VDI :
This was the last one left on the list and i felt this was the only car that could let the transition from my earlier Petrol Swift be easier. After a lot of discussions was nearly finalized on the car. Was going to book a White Swift VDI.
Twist :
After my parents saw that none of these cars was going to satisfy me greatly and saw that no other car than the Rapid would change that. They finally gave in and told me to go ahead and buy the Rapid Leisure in the same Red that I wanted. I couldn't have been more happier and grateful towards my loving parents.
Skoda Rapid it is :
02.09.2013
Called up my sales executive that I had spoken to initially a Mr John Babu from Gurudev Motors, Teynampet, Chennai. This was one hell of a call.
Me : Hello John ?
John : Hello , Good Morning Mr. Nitin
Me : ( Surprised he even bothered to keep my no. after so long ) John i'm ready for the rapid. Lets book it.
John : That's great sir, As you had previously wanted a Red Rapid Leisure Tdi is available with us and you can have it in 5 days after registration once the money is transferred.
Me : Good, Can you come collect the cheque today ?
John : Yes sir surely .
Me : Thanks John will get back to you on the time .
John : Very well sir, Thank You , Good Bye .
This was one of my most unforgettable calls that I had made in my life. It was decided I was getting a Flash Red Rapid TDI. I was over the moon.
Booking :
Mr. John came over that day with his superior a Mr. Sukumar and the booking forms were filled and the cheque collected and the order was processed. I informed them that I would like to conduct a PDI on the car. They were initially resistant to it but gave in and allowed me to do it after a small talk .The VIN no. was also given the next day. On decoding, it was found that it was a January 2013 produced car. On asking them for a August/July car they kindly told me that this was the only car that they had and another could be ordered but it would take time. As i wanted the car as soon as possible i agreed with them that if the PDI went well i would take this car itself. And if all went well the car would be delivered on friday the 6th.
PDI - 04.09.2013 ( Wednesday )
The PDI was to happen and after my approval they would go ahead with the registration, So me along with 3 other friends headed to the yard at noon to have a look at the car. Gurudev s yard is at the Indian Express Estate. Very shockingly it had very minimal security. Considering Skoda s sales the yard was appropriately sized. There were many Rapids, Few Fabias Lauras And Superbs. It was quite evident that the Rapid was their highest selling car. My Rapid had been parked in front away from the rest of the cars so that identification would be simpler. The car was Shining and spectacular. But I was shocked on seeing the other cars at the yard, 80% of the other cars had the new Skoda Logo whereas mine only had their Old logo with the green and chrome. So fairly disappointed I left the yard and told Mr. Sukumar that this car was unacceptable and that I would require a car with the new logo. They expressed that there was no Red available with them with the new logo. I also gave them an option to re-badge the car and give it to me. They kindly asked me to come by the showroom to discuss the matter in person. I headed there with a friend. We were introduced to a Mr. Moorthy who tells us that the car that they allotted to us was ordered by Gurudev only towards July end and that Skoda has given them this car. And there was not much they could do. They refused to re-badge the car as they said these were practices that they did not want to indulge in saying that the company fitment was the best. They offered to let me buy the new logos when they arrived as spares at the service centre. I did not budge and told them that it was not possible for me to have a car which was a January manufacture let alone with the old logo. Then Mr. Moorthy showed me his order list and the cars that had arrived just now at the yard in which there were a few rapids of the same model. In which 2 cars stood out of which 1 was a white Rapid manufactured in January with the new logos ,and a March Manufactured with the old logos. Here i was presented with 4 options.
Option 1 : Stick to the January Manufactured car and take delivery on Friday.
Option 2 : Wait till Gurudev Receives a recently manufactured Flash Red Rapid with the new trend badging which could take a minimum of 2 months.
Option 3 : Go for the March manufactured car, with no re badging on the cars.
Option 4 : Go for the July Manufactured White Rapid with the new logos.
The January '13 Manufactured Car
Skoda's with the new logo :
The ' New trend logo ' ( As Gurudev Motors quoted ) :
My Reply :
I told them that i'll go for the march vehicle itself and that I would still like to do a PDI and on confirmation they can process the car.Since the insurance was done outside of Skoda I had my insurance agent keep everything ready so that as soon as I give the approval the policy can be handed over to Gurudev and they can proceed to registration.
PDI - 05.09.2013 ( Thursday )
I go for the PDI with another friend. This time Mr John is present at the yard to help me carry out the PDI and assist me. He was greatly helpful and the PDI was conducted. The car was satisfactory and Gurudev was given the go ahead. The insurance agent was given all details and the policy was ready and delivered to Gurudev Motors
My Rapid :
first look ( Thats Mr. John helping with the PDI )
The rear :
Sweet Surprise :
Mr. Sukumar told me that since the PDI was done and insurance was delivered and form 20 signed . The car would go to the RTO for registration on Friday and that delivery could be done on Saturday. Oh , the joy
Delivery & Demonstration :
Delivery was scheduled for 6PM at Gurudev Motors. Since earlier appointments had gotten over sooner than expected me and my Family arrived at Gurudev Motors at 5.30 Pm
-Second First Look
The side view :
( If you look closely above the Indicator the Leisure badge is missing )
The Car was Gleaming, and I'm sure I creeped a few customers at the showroom when they saw my huge smile. But was shocked to see that the Leisure badging wasn't installed and the door sills also were not installed yet. On inquiry we were told that the Leisure Edition was merely an accessories pack which was installed after registration of the car and since we were a bit early these were not installed and Mr. Sukumar also wasn't available. But still all the procedures took place very smoothly and there was no hassle. The papers were signed and we were taken for the demonstration. By now the Leisure badging was installed and the door sills were also done but the no. plate wasn't there, there was a slight mix up on it. They told us that it would be ready on Tuesday because Monday was a govt. holiday. But then after some small checks it was found to present and that too was installed. The no. is TN 07 ** 5200 . Not bad for a non fancy no. eh ? The demo was given, Each and every feature was explained along with a few tips and tricks on using the car in various situations. All this was done and a small Pooja was done on the car and we headed off . The whole process was good and i can't complain.
So the story began like this :
" The Past :
Having just got my license in April ‘13 but have been driving well before that in private compounds, etc .
But when I got it I started asking for a personal ride. Having the 2008 Swift Petrol VXI at home Dad very generously handed me the keys and it was mine. Loved the car, the handling, the power, the rev happy engine, reliability ( At Least mine never let me down ) and the aesthetics of the car had been making me crave it for the past few years after I got it all hell broke loose it was my personal ride. And being a teen who just got his license I was quite the ...lets say.ehhh.....the enthusiastic driver. The car just kept going no matter what I threw at it , saved my life on numerous occasions. This made me appreciate and love that car even more. But being the power hungry fool that I am I wanted something more. Something faster, better, more economical ( my swift’s mileage topped at 10 kmpl ), more stable, and more over the car had done 50000 kms and had an age of 5 years. It showed no signs of ageing but my family has a silent rule where all cars are changed every 5 years/50000 kms. Even though i loved it it had to go . Hence then my hunt started for a better, more powerful, mean machine which could take everything I put it through and ask for more.
Past Love :
The Decision
Skoda Rapid TDI Leisure Edition.
Budget : Sub 11 Lakhs
Options Considered :
Honda City 2013 SMT :
Loved the engine, the car, the handling was acceptable too, Honda’s tank like engineering made it a prominent option in the list. It was well below the budget even leaving me room for extra mods but the main reason I didn't go for it was that I wanted more and more torque and an efficiency that I could get only from a diesel car.
Hyundai Verna 1.6 CRDI :
Already have a 2012 Verna Fluidic 1.4 VTVT . Hence ruled out. And after owning the Verna and being aware of its handling it was a no brainer. It wasn't even an option since i wanted nothing short of an enthusiast’s car or at least semi-enthusiastic .
Honda Amaze 1.5 i-Dtec :
Never was a fan of the looks. Not so rev- friendly . Huge waiting period , the simplistic brio interiors. This also was ruled out.
Volkswagen Vento 1.6 TDI Highline :
I like the looks of the car. Looked amazing in white. Great engine acceptable handling , it had what i wanted TORQUE , great punchy engine, free revving engine, amazing German built quality. The engine was a bit noisy, was fairly put off by that. Great features USB, AUX-IN, SD Card , Bluetooth, parking sensors . I had almost everything that I wanted but the price was above my budget and the mid level Comfortline didn't have ABS, Airbags and I wanted all these safety features. Moreover the behavior of the sales reps towards potential clients was something unexpected from a company of such stature. And having gone to the VW service center along with a friend who had to have a few issues checked on his car, the after sales service was completely horrible. This was a major reason towards my dislike towards the brand and the car.
Skoda Rapid TDI Leisure :
Skoda had stopped the Prestige edition of the car and had brought about the Leisure which is the additional accessories pack on the mid level Ambition Plus variant. It was completely loaded; Parking sensors, Garmin navigation, Reverse Camera, Leatherette seat covers, Door Sills and Alloy wheels. Apart from this the car was brilliant. As it is similar to the Vento I shall not go too in detail about it but the car seemed better than the Vento by a small margin. It was under budget. And after having read many threads on many forums about the Rapid and its capabilities I had a soft corner towards it from the start. And to add on to this the Rapid in the Flash Red was amazing and was an eye catcher. It also had the essentials of ABS , Airbags etc.. So I had decided on the Skoda Rapid 1.6 TDI Leisure Edition.
Initial Set Back :
After some discussions with my family we had decided that we would not get a sedan but would better suit us to have a hatchback for the use that this car would serve which is basically me. So the hunt started again towards a great hatch back under 8 Lakhs .
Option 1 : Hyundai i20 Crdi Magna -
Loved the looks. Was sold on that even after knowing about the poor handling of the car and stability. The initial plan was to get a sub 7 Lakh car and modify it to my taste. The major drawbacks were the absence of ABS, Airbags and the now signature i20 led fog lamps. Nearly booked it when a known person suggested to check out the Punto 90Hp
Option 2 : Fiat Punto 90hp-
Initial reactions regarding the Punto was that the looks were brilliant but poor after sales and fiats horrible dealer experiences. But was shocked this time. RDC Fiat at Chennai has proved to be considerably better than its competition in my eyes. On a single call with no hassle at all they brought a Black Punto 90 Hp for test drive. When I saw the car I was shocked, it just looked soo good. Got in and then noticed the bad build quality of the car. But thought to myself might as well give it a shot. After a small test drive i was flabbergasted at its great handling. Finally i found a car that i would like more than my swift. Handling was great.But the ruberry gearshift and the lethargic initial gears i had a doubt but after a little more tests on the handling. I was pretty much sold on that test drive. After the test drive I had a great dilemma . All other options were thrown out and the only option was the fiat punto 90 hp. The booking was made and an amount of 1 Lakh was paid. But after a few conversations and intense thought for a few days decided that it was not in my heart to own the punto. Asked for the refund and Fiat co-operated very nicely. I must commend Rdc Fiat for after a long time I have got a good name about fiat again in my head.
Option 3 : VW Polo 1.2 TDI Comfortline :
This was only test driven after my friends pressuring me towards its merits . But it did not prevail the 1.2 litre engine didn't feel fulfilling enough. It was out of the list once again due to the same experience i received from VW due to the Vento.
Option 4 : Maruti Suzuki Swift 1.3 MJD VDI :
This was the last one left on the list and i felt this was the only car that could let the transition from my earlier Petrol Swift be easier. After a lot of discussions was nearly finalized on the car. Was going to book a White Swift VDI.
Twist :
After my parents saw that none of these cars was going to satisfy me greatly and saw that no other car than the Rapid would change that. They finally gave in and told me to go ahead and buy the Rapid Leisure in the same Red that I wanted. I couldn't have been more happier and grateful towards my loving parents.
Skoda Rapid it is :
02.09.2013
Called up my sales executive that I had spoken to initially a Mr John Babu from Gurudev Motors, Teynampet, Chennai. This was one hell of a call.
Me : Hello John ?
John : Hello , Good Morning Mr. Nitin
Me : ( Surprised he even bothered to keep my no. after so long ) John i'm ready for the rapid. Lets book it.
John : That's great sir, As you had previously wanted a Red Rapid Leisure Tdi is available with us and you can have it in 5 days after registration once the money is transferred.
Me : Good, Can you come collect the cheque today ?
John : Yes sir surely .
Me : Thanks John will get back to you on the time .
John : Very well sir, Thank You , Good Bye .
This was one of my most unforgettable calls that I had made in my life. It was decided I was getting a Flash Red Rapid TDI. I was over the moon.
Booking :
Mr. John came over that day with his superior a Mr. Sukumar and the booking forms were filled and the cheque collected and the order was processed. I informed them that I would like to conduct a PDI on the car. They were initially resistant to it but gave in and allowed me to do it after a small talk .The VIN no. was also given the next day. On decoding, it was found that it was a January 2013 produced car. On asking them for a August/July car they kindly told me that this was the only car that they had and another could be ordered but it would take time. As i wanted the car as soon as possible i agreed with them that if the PDI went well i would take this car itself. And if all went well the car would be delivered on friday the 6th.
PDI - 04.09.2013 ( Wednesday )
The PDI was to happen and after my approval they would go ahead with the registration, So me along with 3 other friends headed to the yard at noon to have a look at the car. Gurudev s yard is at the Indian Express Estate. Very shockingly it had very minimal security. Considering Skoda s sales the yard was appropriately sized. There were many Rapids, Few Fabias Lauras And Superbs. It was quite evident that the Rapid was their highest selling car. My Rapid had been parked in front away from the rest of the cars so that identification would be simpler. The car was Shining and spectacular. But I was shocked on seeing the other cars at the yard, 80% of the other cars had the new Skoda Logo whereas mine only had their Old logo with the green and chrome. So fairly disappointed I left the yard and told Mr. Sukumar that this car was unacceptable and that I would require a car with the new logo. They expressed that there was no Red available with them with the new logo. I also gave them an option to re-badge the car and give it to me. They kindly asked me to come by the showroom to discuss the matter in person. I headed there with a friend. We were introduced to a Mr. Moorthy who tells us that the car that they allotted to us was ordered by Gurudev only towards July end and that Skoda has given them this car. And there was not much they could do. They refused to re-badge the car as they said these were practices that they did not want to indulge in saying that the company fitment was the best. They offered to let me buy the new logos when they arrived as spares at the service centre. I did not budge and told them that it was not possible for me to have a car which was a January manufacture let alone with the old logo. Then Mr. Moorthy showed me his order list and the cars that had arrived just now at the yard in which there were a few rapids of the same model. In which 2 cars stood out of which 1 was a white Rapid manufactured in January with the new logos ,and a March Manufactured with the old logos. Here i was presented with 4 options.
Option 1 : Stick to the January Manufactured car and take delivery on Friday.
Option 2 : Wait till Gurudev Receives a recently manufactured Flash Red Rapid with the new trend badging which could take a minimum of 2 months.
Option 3 : Go for the March manufactured car, with no re badging on the cars.
Option 4 : Go for the July Manufactured White Rapid with the new logos.
The January '13 Manufactured Car
Skoda's with the new logo :
The ' New trend logo ' ( As Gurudev Motors quoted ) :
My Reply :
I told them that i'll go for the march vehicle itself and that I would still like to do a PDI and on confirmation they can process the car.Since the insurance was done outside of Skoda I had my insurance agent keep everything ready so that as soon as I give the approval the policy can be handed over to Gurudev and they can proceed to registration.
PDI - 05.09.2013 ( Thursday )
I go for the PDI with another friend. This time Mr John is present at the yard to help me carry out the PDI and assist me. He was greatly helpful and the PDI was conducted. The car was satisfactory and Gurudev was given the go ahead. The insurance agent was given all details and the policy was ready and delivered to Gurudev Motors
My Rapid :
first look ( Thats Mr. John helping with the PDI )
The rear :
Sweet Surprise :
Mr. Sukumar told me that since the PDI was done and insurance was delivered and form 20 signed . The car would go to the RTO for registration on Friday and that delivery could be done on Saturday. Oh , the joy
Delivery & Demonstration :
Delivery was scheduled for 6PM at Gurudev Motors. Since earlier appointments had gotten over sooner than expected me and my Family arrived at Gurudev Motors at 5.30 Pm
-Second First Look
The side view :
( If you look closely above the Indicator the Leisure badge is missing )
The Car was Gleaming, and I'm sure I creeped a few customers at the showroom when they saw my huge smile. But was shocked to see that the Leisure badging wasn't installed and the door sills also were not installed yet. On inquiry we were told that the Leisure Edition was merely an accessories pack which was installed after registration of the car and since we were a bit early these were not installed and Mr. Sukumar also wasn't available. But still all the procedures took place very smoothly and there was no hassle. The papers were signed and we were taken for the demonstration. By now the Leisure badging was installed and the door sills were also done but the no. plate wasn't there, there was a slight mix up on it. They told us that it would be ready on Tuesday because Monday was a govt. holiday. But then after some small checks it was found to present and that too was installed. The no. is TN 07 ** 5200 . Not bad for a non fancy no. eh ? The demo was given, Each and every feature was explained along with a few tips and tricks on using the car in various situations. All this was done and a small Pooja was done on the car and we headed off . The whole process was good and i can't complain.