Chilling with my Cool New Car (Ford-Figo) and the Story so far..

Hello fellow BHPians I don't know from where to start, although I have been an avid reader of Team-BHP for the past 4 years, this is my second post in the forum. I'm very lazy in writing/penning/typing - so please forgive me if you find any typo/grammatical mistakes; consider me a novice. It all started in 1991 when my father got our first car – a faun coloured Maruti 800 (second Hand) every one just loved it and she was with us for quite some time when around 1996 he sold it off and bought another white coloured one (the Oldest model) Oh Boy! I could barely get inside her (being 5'11'' myself) by that time I was just learning how to drive. As my father had got a car from the office, managed with it for a few years. Then in 2000 sold it off and got another "800" (again second hand), this time our stars were not so bright as this car had been thru an accident and sold off by its owner to us after repairing/repainting etc. For an year it ran fine and then it started giving all the troubles. In 2004 I started working and after a year, collected enough dough to buy a new car for the family. My father argued as he wanted to go in for the Wagon R and I wanted to go for the newly launched swift!!! After a lot of arguments I forcibly made my father to agree for the swift, so finally we got a silver coloured one in 2005. What a car it was everyone in the family just loved it except my father-who disliked the duck like-rear end of the swift and said its too big for him to drive.! Anyway we were overjoyed by the comfort it offered and made a lot of long trips in it in the following years. Its still parked in our courtyard and the only thing I have started disliking about it is it's a petrol guzzler – just drinks like a fish… It was 2010 and I was contemplating for a new car, as the family was growing and father had changed his job & he required a vehicle full time. After a lot of review-reading and test-driving I went ahead and bought a Scorpio on the 27th Dec 2010. Loved the ability of the vehicle to go anywhere any time excluding the squeaks/rattles and quality of the interiors. After 3 months Me and my wife decided we would make a pleasure/business trip to Meerut-Mumbai-Hyderabad-Meerut. Everything was fine until the time we met with an accident while coming back short of Babina. Came out of it without a scratch but the vehicle was in a mess. Well the Reason-a lot of them but majorly the high CG of Scorpio-toppled it over at high speed while turning. Towed the vehicle back to Meerut and got it claimed by the insurance - under constructive total loss. Had spent 11+ lakhs (including the ice & accessories) on the SUV and got back a total of 7. And then again the grueling search began. The problem in India is that no car is a perfect buy. Kept a budget of 11 Lakhs extendible to18 if the need arose. Really wanted to go in for the Yeti as it perfectly matched the dream of my car but after reading the horror stories of Skoda's *** and everyone in the family discouraging to go ahead with such an expensive buy I dropped the idea, although I did go and take a test drive. What a Car-was blown away with its shear flexibility. My Second choice was the Chevrolet Cruze and the moment I sat in it I felt so cramped with my head touching the ceiling & the drivers seat pulled fully back, didn't even take the test drive. (Test drive for Optra was not available as there was no car and the SE himself discouraged me to go for it-Sorry Mr.Poitive). Third choice was the Vento TDI Highline, couldn't get a test drive as again there was no vehicle for it. The dealer had a golden colour-older model (Aug Manufacturing) ready for delivery and was pushing me for it as I wanted that specific colour. Opted out-as I suspected something fishy and to wait for 4 to 6 weeks was just out of question-I wanted the car on the 22nd/23rd Nov. Honda was just nowhere in the list - as I only wanted a Diesel engine. Another thought was to go and pick up the scorpio once again, but I didn't want to hear those squeaks-I'm little too finicky about noise. Maruti was also not in the list as I was too bored driving (800/Swift/Dezire (at my in laws place) it all these years, although lot of people suggested to go for the SX4. Waved and said Tata to the TATA (manza). Did visit the Hyundai showroom for a test drive of i20, but like as before - no car available and the top model with ABS & air bags was coming to be a whooping 7.84 lakhs on road. If I had to spend that much then might as well go in for a sedan. Many strongly advised for Etios as it was Toyota but I just did not like the interiors, but still I did go and checked it out and again the same-there was no test drive vehicle and the wait was 4 to 6 weeks. Couldn't wait that long. The Ford show room was adjacent to Toyotas, so I said to myself that why not take a test drive of the much talked about VFM Figo TDCI. Went in side the show room - and the lady at the reception refused to cater me until and unless I gave her my name and phone number for their records. We argued for some time but finally I had to give them my number and then a SE came to guide me. He showed all three variants of the figo, but since I wanted the ABS & Air bags – this only came in the top model "Titanium". I was bowled over by the space it offered, which no other car in its class has( including Fabia & i20). The interiors were decent and the plastic quality was not bad either. The only thing I disliked was the controls of turn indicator and window wiper were "Ulta" and the rear windows were not electronically controlled. Nevertheless-not a deal breaker. Then we went for the test drive, how cool was that.!!! What dynamics-the car just gripped the road no matter what you do, we glided at 120 and it was a piece of cake. Almost nil Turbo lag and a butter soft clutch – figo had won my heart. Came back home and talked with everyone, my wife was ok with it but the elders were like Son don't go in for Ford-its not a good choice, U will repent it later… Called up the SE and told him to get the car at home for another TD by wife. The same followed in the evening and she was happy with it. The Figo was costing me 6.5 Lakhs OTR in meerut, so I inquired for the same from Delhi and the price was coming to be 6.35 OTR. The very Next day – went straight to the dealer-with the pay order and got the delivery of the vehicle in Chill colour (mix of silver and gold). No Discount offered, only freebies were floor mats and mud flaps. Ex-showroom Rs.572500. Registration Rs.33295 Logistics Rs.4650 No. Plate Rs.850 Extnd. Warranty Rs. 4510 Insurance Rs.17195 – zero% depreciation. The less we talk about the dealership the better, was kind of disappointed with them (Astro ford-Dwarka Delhi) comparing to the kingly treatment I had got during the delivery of my scorpio, this was heart breaking. Did the PDI and gave a go ahead for the registration. The vehicle had cloaked 16kms during delivery and to my delight-I was offered the new model (with alloy wheels and tilt steering in Titanium variant). I'm pretty happy with the experience so far the ODO reads 1000+Kms, mean while I got her iced (Pioneer double din-5" touch screen, Front comps-Polk audio, rear comps-Infinity Reference, Subwoofer-Rockford, Mono block-Rockford, 4 channel amp-JBL, wiring kit Scosche) and gifted her a new set/pair of shoes Yokohama A-drive 195/60. The dislikes are the same as for every Figo owner. Another thing I noticed was the GC of the vehicle is not so bad, as it has been talked about in the forum. Sorry Guys-the reviews have been overly written in the forum so no point me going in detail of the car. So that is it - Happy Revving to you all. Attached Images

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