Volkswagen Vento
₹ 8.69 Lakh Onwards
Review after 600 kms
Pros : Great over-all quality.
Cons : Lacks features like Blue-5, steering wheel controls, etc
Look and Style is quite good. I have got used to people taking a second look.
Comfort: The climatronic A/C is very good. Cools (not chills) uniformly. Although a bit noisy at blower speeds above 3. Suspensions are superb. Comfortable even on recently dug-up & filled up roads ( I think most Indians know I am trying to say). Strangely though, I have sometimes experienced a big 'thud' on relative small pot-holes. One probable reason could be suspension's bottom spring mount plate which is mounted pretty low. Driving position is very good. I could adjust the seat to 'my' ideal position. Internal space is quite good. My wife & kids are very happy. In my previous car, we were used to storing a lot of sundry items (files, purse, etc.) behind the rear seats; this is simply not possible in Vento. Anything you keep there is bound to fall on the seat due to it slope. Stereo sound quality is ok, but lacks many features (I am not just talking about Blue-5 which I really miss. But also about simple CD navigation / information features).
Pickup: Sometimes, while over-taking on highways, I felt the power was lagging.
Mileage: I got around 400Kms from my first tank-full (50 Ltrs), an average of 8 Kmpl. In my next one, I have average of about 12 kmpl. Could be because my initial driving was mostly in city (my workplace is around 3Kms away from home) & it is only in last week that have driven on highway
Best Features: Smooth ride, overall build quality, looks, driver information system, A/c
Needs to improve Need to provide Dead pedal, Blue-5, Steering mounted controls & a better stereo. Mileage could also be improved.
Driving: Drive is really smooth. Absolutely no vibrations or sound in idling. Braking is great & very stable. Dead pedal is something I really miss. Sometimes, while over-taking on highways, I felt the power was lagging. The gears are smooth & have a good feel. But needs to be changed fast, especially on lower gears. Arm rest is at correct height & really conformable. Overall the car is very stable, even at high speed (although I rarely travel at more than 110kmph). The steering wheel gives a feeling of being in command & responds very well in all speeds & road conditions. The rear view mirror is hopeless. It is better to turn-back see for yourself
OTHERS: The driver-information system (or whatever they call it) is pretty interesting. But not exactly accurate. I have take care that I concentrate on the road & not on this display. In 2-3 days of taking delivery of the car I noticed that bonnet alignment was a bit out. There gap on one side was more as compared to other. When I took the car to showroom, initial reactions was that I am imagining it! (The difference was hardly noticeable), however on closer scrutiny, it was found that one of mounting bushing of the bonnet was missing. Was promptly replaced. Central locking is a biggest pain. My 3 years old can open the car from inside even if I engage the central lock (that too, manually). Locking only disables opening from outside. Another problem the dealer who could not explain the features well. Also the manual is not of much help.
Over-all, in-spite of some minor issues, I am quite happy with this car! I feel I have got a good deal for my money.