Thread Starter
#1
Search for new car.
After using Santro for 4yrs we could feel the need for a bigger car. My search for a bigger car started a month before I zeroed on Figo.
Cars in our list: i20, Polo, Liva.
i20: Liked the car, nice interiors good engine, big enough for a family of 4 but with a 5th person it becomes a bit cramped up. The rear sitting is also a bit low and secondly there were too many on the road. I was more interested in the sports model which was going above 5.5 Lakhs if I remember correctly. I then moved to Polo.
Polo: Rock solid car, classy interiors good engine, found the rear seats to be uncomfortable (this is personal opinion) and did not find it to be spacious. As the car was going to be driven by both me and my wife the dashboard was highly placed so it was a bit difficult for my wife. Hence that option was out. Moved to Liva.
Liva: Nice car and has good looks. Somehow I did not like the interiors at all, the color was such like the car was parked for years in the sun and the dashboard color has faded. Secondly the console was placed in the center and I just don’t like that. Rear sitting was too good, best from the options I had seen very spacious and the boot was good enough. However did not find the car to be well built, whenever the doors opened from inside it made a sound like some spring is being pulled (a cling sound)same was for closing the doors, felt like it is too delicate missed the thud sound that comes when you close the doors of the other cars. What I liked the most was the short-throw clutch. So this option was out as well. I was left with FIGO.
Figo: Frankly speaking I was not sure how this was going to be as I had heard a lot about A.S.S issue for ford. Went to the dealer saw the cars and he took us for a test drive, I first took the Diesel . When I started the car I could hear the engine sound and I was like, is this going to sound like this all the time..? I drove the car and the sound was gone, I could not make out if I was driving a diesel car. I then took the petrol and it was super cool. I actually had to see the RPM to make sure the engine was running. I then asked my wife to take a test drive and see how she feels. I finally get the GREEN signal.
Things that I like about this car:
1. Road visibility best in class.
2. Rear comfort is good, I am 5’10 and when I adjust my seat, there is still good amount of space left for the person who sits behind me.
3. Build quality, stability at high speeds, steering response is excellent. I personally like the steering to be a bit heavy compared to Polo and i20 which are super light.
4. Boot space is best in class
5. Other features like, blue tooth connectivity, auto doors lock, keyless entry.
Things that I would like to have in Figo:
1. Power windows for all.
2. Steering mounted controls or at least a remote control for the music system. It becomes really difficult to keep changing channels while driving alone.
3. Ground clearance could have been better.
4. A dead pedal .
Finally the booking process:
Went to Planet Ford at Paud Road. The sales rep was good and he explained all the features of the car. I was not sure if I should go for a Zxi or Titanium as most of my drive was going to be in the city and sometimes to Mumbai. Finally I went for a Zxi, at that time I had heard that ford has made some changes in their zxi models. The car that was kept at the show room was luckily a zxi and I asked the sales rep, are you going to give me the same model or the changed one. He was suprised, then comes the truth. He mentioned he needs to confirm if he has the same model with all the features that were there earlier for e.g (internal electronic mirror adjustment, rear wiper). He finally come after about five minutes and says, sorry sir I do not have that model, we have the new ones.
After hearing this I was like..what is this, further he mentions that the price may also increase. Now this is no good news. I told him let me think and I will get back. We left from there and I was like, this was the only car which gave so many features and that too at a perfect price range compared to all the cars I had shortlisted. A day passed I was in office and I get a call from them saying, Sir I have the old Zxi model with me you can come and book it asap. Ohh…how is this possible, I asked him what car is this. He explained, someone else and booked the car and has now cancelled it. I was still not convinced. I said ok, I would like to take a look at the car before I pay you the booking amount. He said the car was in the yard and it was not possible to get the car here for display. So, I took the address of the yard where they have their cars.
What a site it was, so many figos out there and they were so closely parked to each other, there was hardly any space to open the door for anyone to enter without touching the other car. I finally got to see my car. I took a close look at the car and I spotted a scratch at the left front door. I asked him what is this and the person there mentioned “ aare saahab ho jata hai kabhi kabhi”. He mentioned he will remove the scratch completely and I will not even come to know there was a scratch. I said, fine looking at the way the cars were parked I thought it may have happened. Rest everything was nice. Car was neat inside, engine was clean to signs of any leak anywhere. The car seemed to be OK.
Went to the show room paid the booking amount. Completed the loan formalities and I was done. Initially they were only giving me mud flaps and matting and corp discount. I was not ready for just these two thing, I bargained and got the art leather finish seat covers & extended warranty, they were ready to give me tinted classes but I did not go for it. I had nothing more to ask for as the car came in with almost everything. Now, we were anxiously waiting for the day of delivery. The big day comes 9th Aug 2011, as promised the car was ready. I again took a look at the car, the scratch from the front left door was removed and I could not believe it was done really well. Completed all the formalities, did a basic Pooja and we were ready to go.
Drive from showroom to home:
Started the car switched on the AC, it was super cool at 1, there was no need to increase the blower. I was very conscious as after Santro driving a Figo was big difference as the car was huge compared to Santro from inside. I came to the first signal and I applied the brakes. I found the brakes to be week, then I thought it is because the car is new. We reached home and then in the evening took the car to the temple for a formal Pooja. On the way back I had to do a lot of breaking as there was traffic and I could immediately sense there was not enough bite when I used to apply the brakes, the car used to roll. Further even when the brake pedal was fully pressed at the speed of 20km the wheels never locket. I was still not convinced that there can be an issue in a brand new car. I kept my cool and reached home. While parking I could feel some vibrations on the steering whenever I had to take a full right turn, U-turn. This vibration was so mild that a new person would not have ever realized. This used to come only when I had to take a U-turn towards right, left U-turn was fine. Next day I immediately went to the service center and blasted them. They took a test drive and here comes the surprise. They told me the break booster is not functioning and drive shaft needs to be replaces. I got wild and told them to keep the car and give me a replacement. I am not taking this car, how come these issues did not come up in the PDI, there was no answer. They kept the car for 3 days and called me saying the car is ready and it took time as the booster was not available and had to be ordered.
I was not at all in the mood of taking the car back as I knew I would carry a phobia that the brakes are not working fine. I took the test drive and there was a huge difference in braking. There was a lot of biting now. The drive shaft was also replaced under warranty everything was fine now. I took the car. The car was low on fuel so I stopped by I fill around 14liters of petrol. Now, another shock the petrol gauge was not ready to show the level of fuel neither did the DTE showed the correct reading. I was like, ok I should not get angry, took a U-turn again to the service center told them the issue and they told me this was a genuine issue and they have found this with other Figo owners as well. Fuel gauge was replaced under warranty as well. Finally everything was settled. In all this the service center guys were very helpful, they never argued for anything and made sure that before they handed over the vehicle to me I was fully convinced. I appreciate that part and I should really say the A.S.S is excellent.
Everything was going good till now and suddenly the brakes started making squeaking sound whenever i used to brake, somewhat same like in the Maruti Vans. This started coming after I completed 500Km. Took the car to the service station told them the issue and they replaced the brake pads with new ones.
Experience after all the issues:
Now I have clocked 9400km and so far it has been a pleasure driving FIGO. I like the handling and the way it glides over uneven/bad roads. The suspension is excellent, not too soft not too hard. Steering response is excellent and gives a lot of confidence while on high speed. I wish figo could have had more power in the second gear, I can feel the power only after touching 3000 mark and zoom it goes. I generally do not rev the engine so much but at time it is need to get the pickup. Currently I get about 12. something in city and 15+ on the highways with ac if I maintain my speed at 80km. To tell you about the music system, no words, its fantastic. I have not yet heard a company fitted music system like this. Aircon is too good, very effective. I have not yet ever gone beyond second level of blower. Gears are super smooth, clutch is also very light. The car in the rear is very roomy, thanks to the design of the front seats which are not too big like the i20.
I have noticed one thing not sure if Figo owners are facing the same issue. Mornings when I start the car and move to the second gear I check the brakes, first time they work well, again when I brake it’s a bit weaker then what I experienced earlier. When I drive it for a while and use the brakes they are very effective. Does the braking improve as the disc gets heated?
Thanks everyone for reading this review, content written is totally based on my personal opinion. Please do not take it otherwise.
Thanks again.
Jango.
After using Santro for 4yrs we could feel the need for a bigger car. My search for a bigger car started a month before I zeroed on Figo.
Cars in our list: i20, Polo, Liva.
i20: Liked the car, nice interiors good engine, big enough for a family of 4 but with a 5th person it becomes a bit cramped up. The rear sitting is also a bit low and secondly there were too many on the road. I was more interested in the sports model which was going above 5.5 Lakhs if I remember correctly. I then moved to Polo.
Polo: Rock solid car, classy interiors good engine, found the rear seats to be uncomfortable (this is personal opinion) and did not find it to be spacious. As the car was going to be driven by both me and my wife the dashboard was highly placed so it was a bit difficult for my wife. Hence that option was out. Moved to Liva.
Liva: Nice car and has good looks. Somehow I did not like the interiors at all, the color was such like the car was parked for years in the sun and the dashboard color has faded. Secondly the console was placed in the center and I just don’t like that. Rear sitting was too good, best from the options I had seen very spacious and the boot was good enough. However did not find the car to be well built, whenever the doors opened from inside it made a sound like some spring is being pulled (a cling sound)same was for closing the doors, felt like it is too delicate missed the thud sound that comes when you close the doors of the other cars. What I liked the most was the short-throw clutch. So this option was out as well. I was left with FIGO.
Figo: Frankly speaking I was not sure how this was going to be as I had heard a lot about A.S.S issue for ford. Went to the dealer saw the cars and he took us for a test drive, I first took the Diesel . When I started the car I could hear the engine sound and I was like, is this going to sound like this all the time..? I drove the car and the sound was gone, I could not make out if I was driving a diesel car. I then took the petrol and it was super cool. I actually had to see the RPM to make sure the engine was running. I then asked my wife to take a test drive and see how she feels. I finally get the GREEN signal.
Things that I like about this car:
1. Road visibility best in class.
2. Rear comfort is good, I am 5’10 and when I adjust my seat, there is still good amount of space left for the person who sits behind me.
3. Build quality, stability at high speeds, steering response is excellent. I personally like the steering to be a bit heavy compared to Polo and i20 which are super light.
4. Boot space is best in class
5. Other features like, blue tooth connectivity, auto doors lock, keyless entry.
Things that I would like to have in Figo:
1. Power windows for all.
2. Steering mounted controls or at least a remote control for the music system. It becomes really difficult to keep changing channels while driving alone.
3. Ground clearance could have been better.
4. A dead pedal .
Finally the booking process:
Went to Planet Ford at Paud Road. The sales rep was good and he explained all the features of the car. I was not sure if I should go for a Zxi or Titanium as most of my drive was going to be in the city and sometimes to Mumbai. Finally I went for a Zxi, at that time I had heard that ford has made some changes in their zxi models. The car that was kept at the show room was luckily a zxi and I asked the sales rep, are you going to give me the same model or the changed one. He was suprised, then comes the truth. He mentioned he needs to confirm if he has the same model with all the features that were there earlier for e.g (internal electronic mirror adjustment, rear wiper). He finally come after about five minutes and says, sorry sir I do not have that model, we have the new ones.
After hearing this I was like..what is this, further he mentions that the price may also increase. Now this is no good news. I told him let me think and I will get back. We left from there and I was like, this was the only car which gave so many features and that too at a perfect price range compared to all the cars I had shortlisted. A day passed I was in office and I get a call from them saying, Sir I have the old Zxi model with me you can come and book it asap. Ohh…how is this possible, I asked him what car is this. He explained, someone else and booked the car and has now cancelled it. I was still not convinced. I said ok, I would like to take a look at the car before I pay you the booking amount. He said the car was in the yard and it was not possible to get the car here for display. So, I took the address of the yard where they have their cars.
What a site it was, so many figos out there and they were so closely parked to each other, there was hardly any space to open the door for anyone to enter without touching the other car. I finally got to see my car. I took a close look at the car and I spotted a scratch at the left front door. I asked him what is this and the person there mentioned “ aare saahab ho jata hai kabhi kabhi”. He mentioned he will remove the scratch completely and I will not even come to know there was a scratch. I said, fine looking at the way the cars were parked I thought it may have happened. Rest everything was nice. Car was neat inside, engine was clean to signs of any leak anywhere. The car seemed to be OK.
Went to the show room paid the booking amount. Completed the loan formalities and I was done. Initially they were only giving me mud flaps and matting and corp discount. I was not ready for just these two thing, I bargained and got the art leather finish seat covers & extended warranty, they were ready to give me tinted classes but I did not go for it. I had nothing more to ask for as the car came in with almost everything. Now, we were anxiously waiting for the day of delivery. The big day comes 9th Aug 2011, as promised the car was ready. I again took a look at the car, the scratch from the front left door was removed and I could not believe it was done really well. Completed all the formalities, did a basic Pooja and we were ready to go.
Drive from showroom to home:
Started the car switched on the AC, it was super cool at 1, there was no need to increase the blower. I was very conscious as after Santro driving a Figo was big difference as the car was huge compared to Santro from inside. I came to the first signal and I applied the brakes. I found the brakes to be week, then I thought it is because the car is new. We reached home and then in the evening took the car to the temple for a formal Pooja. On the way back I had to do a lot of breaking as there was traffic and I could immediately sense there was not enough bite when I used to apply the brakes, the car used to roll. Further even when the brake pedal was fully pressed at the speed of 20km the wheels never locket. I was still not convinced that there can be an issue in a brand new car. I kept my cool and reached home. While parking I could feel some vibrations on the steering whenever I had to take a full right turn, U-turn. This vibration was so mild that a new person would not have ever realized. This used to come only when I had to take a U-turn towards right, left U-turn was fine. Next day I immediately went to the service center and blasted them. They took a test drive and here comes the surprise. They told me the break booster is not functioning and drive shaft needs to be replaces. I got wild and told them to keep the car and give me a replacement. I am not taking this car, how come these issues did not come up in the PDI, there was no answer. They kept the car for 3 days and called me saying the car is ready and it took time as the booster was not available and had to be ordered.
I was not at all in the mood of taking the car back as I knew I would carry a phobia that the brakes are not working fine. I took the test drive and there was a huge difference in braking. There was a lot of biting now. The drive shaft was also replaced under warranty everything was fine now. I took the car. The car was low on fuel so I stopped by I fill around 14liters of petrol. Now, another shock the petrol gauge was not ready to show the level of fuel neither did the DTE showed the correct reading. I was like, ok I should not get angry, took a U-turn again to the service center told them the issue and they told me this was a genuine issue and they have found this with other Figo owners as well. Fuel gauge was replaced under warranty as well. Finally everything was settled. In all this the service center guys were very helpful, they never argued for anything and made sure that before they handed over the vehicle to me I was fully convinced. I appreciate that part and I should really say the A.S.S is excellent.
Everything was going good till now and suddenly the brakes started making squeaking sound whenever i used to brake, somewhat same like in the Maruti Vans. This started coming after I completed 500Km. Took the car to the service station told them the issue and they replaced the brake pads with new ones.
Experience after all the issues:
Now I have clocked 9400km and so far it has been a pleasure driving FIGO. I like the handling and the way it glides over uneven/bad roads. The suspension is excellent, not too soft not too hard. Steering response is excellent and gives a lot of confidence while on high speed. I wish figo could have had more power in the second gear, I can feel the power only after touching 3000 mark and zoom it goes. I generally do not rev the engine so much but at time it is need to get the pickup. Currently I get about 12. something in city and 15+ on the highways with ac if I maintain my speed at 80km. To tell you about the music system, no words, its fantastic. I have not yet heard a company fitted music system like this. Aircon is too good, very effective. I have not yet ever gone beyond second level of blower. Gears are super smooth, clutch is also very light. The car in the rear is very roomy, thanks to the design of the front seats which are not too big like the i20.
I have noticed one thing not sure if Figo owners are facing the same issue. Mornings when I start the car and move to the second gear I check the brakes, first time they work well, again when I brake it’s a bit weaker then what I experienced earlier. When I drive it for a while and use the brakes they are very effective. Does the braking improve as the disc gets heated?
Thanks everyone for reading this review, content written is totally based on my personal opinion. Please do not take it otherwise.
Thanks again.
Jango.
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