Is Tata Vista Refresh Really Good Enough?


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Hello senior members,

I am just about to buy a new diesel hatchback. My final choice is between Ritz, Figo, and Vista. I don't really mind overlooking Ritz. My real choice is Vista-Refresh but am scared to death to go ahead and place an order because of all the after sales service horror stories I have heard. The local Tata dealer assures me that all problems have been fixed in the new Tata-Refresh model (the one with Manza head light) and that the Tatas are now a vastly reformed lot. Are they?

In the event of not going for Vista, I may have to buy Figo. I test-drove Figo and found it a little noisy vis-a-vis Vista. What do I do? Is the new vista niggle-free? Can I trust the TASS? I hope some responsible TATA official would read this thread and get to know how they are distrusted.

Thanks. By the way I have just joined. Please help me.
 

350Z

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My real choice is Vista-Refresh but am scared to death to go ahead and place an order because of all the after sales service horror stories I have heard.
Welcome to The Automotive India, Begarkitta. Vista is one of the underrated cars in India. You would definitely like it if you have finalized on purchase according to the requirements. It’s true that Tata Motors in general is infamous for their after sales niggles, but I hope not all dealers are alike. We have a few owners of Vista on the forum and they seem to be quite satisfied with their decision. Do check out the following ownership reviews:

> http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...03-tata-indica-vista-vx-ownership-review.html

> http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...ar-my-vista-qjd-aura-abs.html?highlight=vista

> http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...ial-ownership-experience.html?highlight=vista

> http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...ista-qjd-vx-reached-home.html?highlight=vista


I test-drove Figo and found it a little noisy vis-a-vis Vista. What do I do?
Ford Diesel Engine is a little noisy. If the noise was from elsewhere (i.e. parts) – Please check another model, it might be specific to that test drive car.

Drive Safe,
350Z
 
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Welcome to TAI brother if you like Vista just blindly go for it ASS is normally a very subjective matter i have seen individual getting sad service at Audi but a great service at TATA, if the ASS is your main concern don't worry TATA's ASS has been improving.

regarding the car it's a wonderful VFM package no other hatches can beat Vista in term's of VFM quotient.
 
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Welcome to TAI brother if you like Vista just blindly go for it ASS is normally a very subjective matter i have seen individual getting sad service at Audi but a great service at TATA, if the ASS is your main concern don't worry TATA's ASS has been improving.

regarding the car it's a wonderful VFM package no other hatches can beat Vista in term's of VFM quotient.
+100 Visran is absolutely correct about the vfm factor.
 
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350Z and Visran,

Thanks for your kind replies and making me feel at home at theautomotiveindia.com. Believe me or not, I have been postponing buying for the last three months.


350Z, it was the engine that I found noisy in Ford. The vista-refresh I test drove was unbelievably silent. You know, it felt as if I was driving the vehicle on a thick sheet of rubber.

The vista I test-drove was a zx model. The music head unit and the plastic around it really felt cheap. The audio quality may be good for someone who occasionally tunes into an FM station or listens to old Hindi Movie songs. But if you want to listen to good classical music, the audio is very inadequate. Dont get me wrong -- most stock audio fitments are like this.

Thanks maximas007.
 
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Hi Begarkitta

My uncle runs a business and generally replaces cars every 2-3 years for the depreciation benefit. And since these cars are commercially used, generally the choices are Mahindra (if its a Scorpio, Bolero or Xylo) or TATA (if its a hatch).

Due to the above; I have had the opportunity to travel in (& sometimes drive) all the Indica models till now (except the first Vista). Based on my experience I can safely say that the current Vista is far far better than the models that came before it. Engine is much refined, its sure footed and fit and finish has improved by leaps and bound.
Infact the same TATA factory which makes the interior of the Vista also manufactures for FIAT and GM.
So its a very safe bet and VFM. Also currently huge offers are also being given by the company.

Next choice you can consider is Ritz. I know that you probably do not like it as the others ... but since a new model is coming very soon , you might be able to coax some extra discount from the dealer. Its has a proven engine, good handling and reliable ASS.
Except the tailgate, its has a good design.

On the subject of ASS; well its subjective. All ASS are good in normal servicing (change oil, brake pads etc.) as practically there is nothing to do. In US/UK, people sometimes do these at home. Only problem comes if there is a issue with the engine or there is a body work that needs to be done or some part needs to be ordered. Then you will really know how good the ASS is. And I can tell from experience that some well known brands dont have reliable ASS either.

So in summary; both Vista and Ritz are good buys. Ritz probably would fetch more resale value however if you keep it 6 years and above.. it should not matter. Good thing with both of these are that you will not have to depend upon ASS once the warranty is over. There are lots of garages where you would get good service at a cheaper cost.
 
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Chayan,

I consider your reply very valuable as it comes from experience. Thank you very, very much.

Mangalore has two Maruti dealerships. Both are so "satisfied" that they do not care for customers very much. Usually when you contact a dealer or their sales executive, they ask for your mobile number and start pestering you for months. Believe me or not, Maruti dealers did not even care to call! I asked for a test-drive with Messrs. Bharat Auto and the fellow there comes out with a petrol car and tries to convince me there is not much difference between a petrol and a diesel car!

For reasons, I have not considered Micra, Liva, Punto, Skoda etc. Ford dealership was very courteous as was Tata. But the local Tata dealer is very unpopular. In my limited experience I know that (1)Tata vehicles may have minor problems that can easily be set right but (2) the service centre workers often mess up the vehicle and then try to pass off the responsibility by saying "all Tata cars have these manufacturing defects"

My question is, if Tata service centres are this notoriously bad, why don't they do something about it. Are Tatas as bad as Indian bureaucracy? At Mangalore we have only one Tata service centre and we have no option but to go to it at least during the warranty period. For me it ununderstandable how TCS and TataSky are so successful and how/why Tata Motors is this dismal.

I often trust my instinct and it has served me right. My instinct tells me that Vista-Refresh is a solid vehicle. There is something royal about its space. Looks are, of course, subjective. But the vista dashboard finish was honestly very cheap. Here again, this point has been made so many times, that Tatas have neither cared to get the feelings of the the customers or they don't care.

Figo diesel may be good but I don,t think its SOHC engine is as refined as Fiat's DOHC engine. In cabin you would not know that you are driving a diesel vista.

Thanks again. Please give me more information. It will help people like me and thousands of others who flock to this forum.
 
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JUNE
Vista:5332
Figo :4826
Ritz :5927

Will you be making your decision based on the monthly sales of the product?
 
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Visran,

"Will I be making my mind up on the basis of sales figure?" Definitely not. If sales figures were all, I should be buying an Alto and not a Rolls Royce. Having said that, there is some consolation in knowing how many are on the same boat with you -- herd mentality, no doubt.

By the way, I just called a "Territory Manager" (something like that; "Area Manager sounds OK) of Tata Motors and he offered to call me back to save my money. I asked him square to his face why their after-sales-service is so disreputable. He talked to me for a long time and the sum and total of what he said amounts to this: TATAs have woken up to the fact that you cannot sell a fine product with a shabby service back up; that they are doing everything in their capacity to improve the situation. He said that two special engineers from Bangalore have been posted at Mangalore to attend to complaints.

I really do not know how much of this is sales talk and whether I should accept what this person says. I am generally very weary of these people. Anyway, it was very nice of him

Finally, Vista does seem to be doing well right?

Thanks Visran for taking time off to answer my query.
 
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Visran,

I "have been" making up of mind for the last three months. But everytime I read a TASS horror story my mind quickly unmakes the decision. Honestly, I dont know what to do. But one thing is sure: if it is not vista-VX, it is going to be Ritz-Vdi.

Thanks. Please give me more information on Vista-refresh if you can..
 
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Visran,

I "have been" making up of mind for the last three months. But everytime I read a TASS horror story my mind quickly unmakes the decision. Honestly, I dont know what to do. But one thing is sure: if it is not vista-VX, it is going to be Ritz-Vdi.

Thanks. Please give me more information on Vista-refresh if you can..
Please just for the heck of it check the beat desiel it has superb build quality , amazing low end torque and nice features too and will be cheaper then figo , vista , and ritz . The top end model is 6.40 in Mumbai with 3 years warranty , oil change every 15 thousand Kms .people are getting anywhere between 18-19 in city and 22-23 on highways .
But remember above 100 kmph it will get bit noisy ( though not as much as the polo ) it has limited boot space too.
If you have more then 4 people most of the time traveling with you then close your eyes and buy the vista or figo you won't go wrong with any of them .

Regarding a.s.s what visran said is right don't go on horror stories told by people rather ask reviews about a.s.s of tata where you live if you get consistent bad reports from owners of tata vehicles only about the a.s.s then it means that the one in your city is not good ,so decision must be taken carefully and that is applicable not just to tata but maruti, ford, Chevy also.

My choice is actually going to confuse you because I like vista, figo and beat all so just drive again all 3 whichever car gives you great feeling inside your heart buy that all are proven cars and have no problem .
Ritz I didn't say anything because personally iam not a fan of the car nor I have driven it .
If you have any more questions please ask here and let us know what you bought .
 
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Raja,

Let me first thank you for taking time off to answer a beginner's doubts and fears.

Regarding a.s.s what visran said is right don't go on horror stories told by people rather ask reviews about a.s.s of tata where you live if you get consistent bad reports from owners of tata vehicles only about the a.s.s then it means that the one in your city is not good ,so decision must be taken carefully and that is applicable not just to tata but maruti, ford, Chevy also.
In Mangalore we have only one Tata dealership who also runs an attached service centre. Honestly this guy is bad. However people say that after the launch of Vista-refresh (Manza headlight) things have improved both in terms of production quality and in dealership/service. I really don,t know.

I tried beat-diesel. It is a bit too cramped for the requirements of our family. Otherwise it is an interesting vehicle.

There is something specific I would like to know: do you people perceive a definite quality improvement in the newer vista-referesh vehicles compared to the 2009-10 vehicles? If so in what respects.

Thanks again to all. Thanks Raja.
 
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I know it's really very confusing for the buyer in today's scene to select a hatchback .
Yes you are right the beat is cramped and if it dosent serve your family purpose please omit from the list.
Regarding vista here is the latest 1 year review from our forum member
http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...-qjd-one-year-26000-kms-ownership-review.html
You can also ask them questions through pm .
Satisfies owners are Appu, drive tech .
They will be in much better position to tell you things you need to know in detail as they are living with the cars .
 

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