Tuesday, June 08, 2004
I Bought a car (Finally)
I bought a Maruti Suzuki baleno a few days back.
baleno.marutiudyog.com is the url I think.
The reason I bought it was simple - I was looking for a car which gave max value for the 5.5 Lakh ex showroom which was my loan limit. and the choices I had were the cars in the lower C segment - Ford Icon Flair ( for 5 Lakh), new Fiat Petra ( for 4.75 L - which came after I had booked this car), the Hundayi Accent GVS ( Their entry level model) and the Opel Corsa 1.4L entry level model.
The pros- performance, big car - more space than the rest, maruti's service network, power rear view mirrors.
The cons - other models pack few more goodies ( like a music system, probably a read defogger) and cost lesser.
So far I have only one long drive - if you call 35KM two ways as a long drive. I drove it near the 1500 RPM mark most of the time - which was good enough to drive but not enough to accelerate with the AC on. A lower gear was required to hit 2000 RPM mark to accelerate. However when you get the power, the acceleration is amazing. overtaking is easy. It can eat the potholes easily ( which is one thing I tend to miss on crowded roads - which is practically all roads)
I am yet to discover whether I enjoy driving or not. I think i get tensed up too soon and dont tend to ignore either the traffic in front or at back or the signals. I would be much more comfortable maintaining a distance with the car in front - but invariably when i do that someone comes in between and compacts the distance. Well - I still have much to learn.
My city drives were not any more pleasant. It took me four days to be able to cross a speed of 45 KMPH and to be able to put the 5th gear.!!! most of the time it was 1st and 2nd. The first drive was a 12 KM drive lasting about 2 hrs!! later it got better with 15 KM in 1 hr and so on.
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I bought a Maruti Suzuki baleno a few days back.
baleno.marutiudyog.com is the url I think.
The reason I bought it was simple - I was looking for a car which gave max value for the 5.5 Lakh ex showroom which was my loan limit. and the choices I had were the cars in the lower C segment - Ford Icon Flair ( for 5 Lakh), new Fiat Petra ( for 4.75 L - which came after I had booked this car), the Hundayi Accent GVS ( Their entry level model) and the Opel Corsa 1.4L entry level model.
The pros- performance, big car - more space than the rest, maruti's service network, power rear view mirrors.
The cons - other models pack few more goodies ( like a music system, probably a read defogger) and cost lesser.
So far I have only one long drive - if you call 35KM two ways as a long drive. I drove it near the 1500 RPM mark most of the time - which was good enough to drive but not enough to accelerate with the AC on. A lower gear was required to hit 2000 RPM mark to accelerate. However when you get the power, the acceleration is amazing. overtaking is easy. It can eat the potholes easily ( which is one thing I tend to miss on crowded roads - which is practically all roads)
I am yet to discover whether I enjoy driving or not. I think i get tensed up too soon and dont tend to ignore either the traffic in front or at back or the signals. I would be much more comfortable maintaining a distance with the car in front - but invariably when i do that someone comes in between and compacts the distance. Well - I still have much to learn.
My city drives were not any more pleasant. It took me four days to be able to cross a speed of 45 KMPH and to be able to put the 5th gear.!!! most of the time it was 1st and 2nd. The first drive was a 12 KM drive lasting about 2 hrs!! later it got better with 15 KM in 1 hr and so on.
