Smart Fuelling

Hi, in this write up we share some known tips that can bring down your monthly fueling expenditure - considerably!

Read On..

1. Fill up with regular Fuel.
Unless your car requires premium fuel, filling up your car with high-octane fuel is a waste of money. That pricey premium fuel won't boost your car's fuel economy or performance in the least, so skip it.

If you're not sure what grade of fuel works best for your car, open up your owner's manual and take a look. As long as your engine doesn't knock or ping when you fuel up with regular unleaded, you're good to drive on the cheaper fuel.

2. Don't top off.
Don't bother topping off when filling your car's fuel tank. Any additional fuel is just going to slop around. Why waste your money paying for fuel your car won't use? Stop pumping at the first indication that your tank is full when the automatic nozzle clicks off.

3. Tighten up that fuel cap.
Fuel would evaporate from your car's tank if it has an escape. Loose, missing or damaged gas caps cause. So be sure to ask the "Bhaiya" to tighten up that gas cap each time you get your car fueled up.

4. Go for the shade.
The hot summer sun that makes the inside of your car feel like a sauna also zaps fuel from your tank. If you let your car bake in the sun there's going to be a greater amount of evaporative emissions that take place than if you park in the shade. So park your car in the shade of a building or tree whenever possible. And buy a good windshield shade. A windshield shade blocks sunlight and helps to keep heat out of the inside of your car.

5. Use your garage for your car.
Got a garage? Clear it out and make room for your car. Parking in your garage will help your car stay warm in winter and cool in summer, and you won't have to depend as much on your air-conditioning or heater when you drive.

6. Pump up your tyres.
Don't get caught driving on under inflated tires. Under inflated tires wear down more quickly and they also lower your car's mileage. Tires that have low pressure offer more resistance so the engine is going to work harder to keep the car at a steady pace. Your car's mileage may plummet by as much as 15 percent. Driving on under inflated tires may also reduce the life of your tires by 15 percent or more

7. Check your tyre pressure once a month.
Buy a digital gauge and keep it in your glove box. Compare the pressure in your tires with the recommended pressure listed in your owner's manual and on the placard in your car door. Then inflate your tires as needed. Be sure to check tire pressure when your tires are cold. A good time is early in the morning after your car's been idle overnight.

8. Keep your engine in tune.
Fixing a car that is out of tune or has failed an emissions test can boost mileage by about 4 percent. So be sure to give your car regular tune-ups. You'll also want to watch out for worn spark plugs. A misfiring spark plug can reduce a car's fuel efficiency by as much as 30 percent.

9. Replace air filters.
Keep a close eye on your engine's air filter. When the engine air filter clogs with dirt, dust and bugs, it causes your engine to work harder and your car becomes less fuel-efficient. Replacing a clogged air filter could improve your gas mileage by as much as 10 percent. It's a good idea to have your engine air filter checked at each oil change.

10. Use the right oil.
You can improve your car's gas mileage by 1 percent to 2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. Opt for motor oil with the words "energy conserving" on the API performance label. This oil contains friction-reducing additives.

11. Don't skimp on maintenance.
Be serious about auto care. Your car's performance depends on it.

12. Be a Decent Driver.
Show your best behavior on the road. Drive smoothly, avoid much breaking, avoid frequent gear changes, do not accelerate un-necessarily, don't show road rage - remeber those old road side notices - "Speed thrills but kills", "Drive carefully -there's someone waiting at home"

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Shef and Manks

Ford Fusion - Power Packed

Today we bring to you one of the most respected vehicles coming from the blue oval – the Ford Fusion. This is one of the cars we were finding tough to get out from – the test drive seemed very short and we wanted to keep on driving! Ford Fusion is unique; it’s intelligent and is the first one of its kind in India. This car has been conceived to take the us urban drivers quite a few steps forward. Read On

About the Fusion:

Ford calls the Fusion an Urban Activity Vehicle (UAV) but true to its name, it's actually a mixture between a hatchback, MPV and SUV - all mended into one very distinctive shape.

Design and Interiors:

The Fusion's design is what sets it apart from the regular hatchbacks and saloons. Basically, the Fusion is a jacked-up version of a hatchback but the styling is distinctly SUV. The high bonnet-line, prominent grille, beefy bumpers and large block-like headlamps give it the look of an off-roader, as do the pronounced wheelarches and a thick rubbing-strip across the lower body.

The rear quarter-glass and raked front windscreen are very MPV, however. The D-pillar, housing vertically-stacked tail-lights, is upright to liberate great headroom for the rear passengers. The tailgate drops down to bumper level, making the boot very accessible, as it has no load lip to haul heavy items over. From the rear, the beefy bumpers and flat tailgate make the Fusion appear a cross between an SUV and a hatchback. The Fusion has the same wheelbase as the Ikon, but the similarities end there. Where the Ikon looks sharp and sleek, the Fusion is blunt and square. The Ikon is a conventional sedan, while the Fusion is a hatchback.

Side by side the Fusion looks far larger than the Ikon, and it's this height, partly thanks to the large 15-inch rims, which makes it so practical for the cut-and-thrust of urban traffic. Standing taller than most cars, the Fusion has loads of road presence, perfect for the 'might is right' driving. It comes with 195/60 R-15 tubeless tyres, and while we feel the tyre profile maybe too low to cushion the occupants from our roads, the Fusion's ground clearance of 195mm (15mm better than the Ikon) will tame even the largest speed breakers.

The instant we slipped into the Fusion we very well knew that we were not sitting in an ordinary car. We didn’t had to climb in the fusion as we do in the SUVs, nor did had to crouch down to get into a sedan, In a fusion, you can simply slide in and slide out. The glass area is huge and we could not find any blind spots – oppose to our experience in many Hatchbacks and Sedans. Like in an SUV, sitting high up gave Shef a feeling of better control, making maneuvering and parking a lot easier for her.

Once we settled down inside we discovered all the bits and pieces packed into the interior. The dashboard is pretty clear and logically laid out. The military-style circular air-vents and ribbed storage box on top of the sharply chiseled dashboard are a reflection of the Fusion's rugged image. There is a typically Ford, like the rotary control for the electric power mirrors (only available on the high-end version) The power-window switches at the rear come from the Ikon. Creating a taller car creates more legroom, It's easy to get comfortable in the driver's seat thanks to generous seat travel and a steering wheel, which is adjustable for height. The rear seat benefits from the tall roof as well. Passengers can sit higher up and more comfortably and not in the 'knees-up' position that most saloons with a low-roof line force you into. \The smart-looking, 'shingle-style' headrests are easy to adjust, and the rear passengers get treated to individual roof lights too.

But it's the versatility of the rear seat that is the real talking point of the Fusion. It comes with what Ford has dubbed a 40:20:40 split seat. There's a provision for a centre console (the '20' part of the split), a useful accessory that can be easily fitted by removing the centre squab. It's cleverly designed with a generous storage box and a couple of cup-holders, and it also doubles up as an armrest. The way the base of the rear seats folds upwards like a movie-theatre chair is another clever touch and allows you to pack tall items in the cabin which wouldn't otherwise fit in the boot. It's something we first saw in the Honda City in Thailand, but sadly the Indian-made City only comes with fixed rear seat.

Engine and Transmission

Fusion comes with the very same 1.6-litre, 16-valve, twin-cam Duratec engine that comes in the European Fusion. This made in Belgium, all-aluminium engine develops 100bhp and has a 'drive-by-wire' throttle control. This does away with the traditional cables required to operate the throttle and improves response and driveability. The IB5 gearbox is similar to the Ikon's but in the Fusion the shift is cable-operated to improve feel and isolate the gear lever from engine vibrations.

Ford Fusion car is available in two variants - Ford Fusion and Ford Fusion+. Both the variants come with hydraulically operated and power assisted steering system. A high ground clearance, optimized suspension and small turning radius make Ford Fusion agile and fun to drive. Special attention has been given to Ford Fusion’s chassis to ensure high level of stability.

Air Conditioning

What's unique to the Indian-spec Fusion is the air-conditioning system, specially developed for our hot and humid climate. The Fusion comes with a 'variable swash plate' or scroll-type air-con compressor. Ford claims this design optimises AC performance and vehicle driveability. A larger evaporator and a more efficient condenser have also been used to improve cooling. In our brief drive around ‘Bhagat Ford’ in the hot and sultry June posed no problem for the air-con, despite the considerable glass area.

Suspension

The fusion suspension is more elaborate than the Ikon's, and is tuned for heavy loads and Indian conditions. Up in front are conventional MacPherson struts, mounted on a sub-frame for better support. The long-travel suspension uses dual-path top mounts for better isolation. The springs are offset to reduce friction and optimise damping. The rear gets a twist-beam axle with decoupled dampers and springs. The springs sit under the floor and the dampers are pushed to the extremes, a space-saving design that doesn't intrude into the loading area. The twin-tube rear dampers are significant, more reliable and capable of ironing out a wide range of road inconsistencies. Ford has marginally softened the ride on the Indian Fusion, at the expense of high-speed handling.

Our Verdict:

Ford claims to have put the Fusion through a grueling 240,000km durability simulation and subjected it to scorching temperatures of Rajasthan to validate the engine cooling and air-conditioner performance; we just drove lot for about 20 kilometers on all sort of tracks – mind blowing in deed. This car is a must buy for a people seeking loads of adventure and are ready to shell out those extra bucks for the low mileage the car delivers – rest all’s perfect. Hope you found this review interesting.

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Shef and Manks

Innova – Amazing Re Defined!

Hi, today we write about the Toyota Innova. This is one vehicle that we have driven loads. Our aunt owns one and we frequently accompany their family to all sorts of trips in this wonder vehicle. Toyota Innova indeed redefines what an MPV should be. It’s the optimum combination of luxury, comfort and utility. Read on..

About the Innova:

Toyota Innova can be best described as a big sedan with ground clearance of an MPV. This vehicle offers excellent ride quality and luxury coupled with enormous space, superior performance, world class safety, advanced styling and durability. Innova's engine is CRDI based. This 2.5L engine has been specially modified to suit Indian conditions. Also, the Innova is really a mini-van, offering practicality instead of a rugged image.

Design and Interiors

As soon as you step into the interiors and you’re in for a shock. You think you’ve walked into a luxury car by mistake — there’s a plushness you don’t associate with cars in this category. The dashboard with its interesting two-tone and geometric design looks and feels better than a Corolla’s, and the plastics, switches and buttons have a tactile feel comparable to a luxury car. Power window switches come from a common parts bin, shared with the Corolla.

Interior space and comfort are world class, and the Innova feels far more spacious than both the Tavera and the Qualis. The front seats are pretty generous, with seat- and steering wheel-height adjustment on some models. The thoughtfully designed middle row is placed quite high off the floor, allowing a comfortable seating posture. Though not quite as comfy as the Safari’s middle-row seats, the Innova has plenty of legroom and width for the central passengers.

The rear seats are economy class but compared to its rivals, the Innova excels. The middle and rear seats flip forward, and tilt in all kinds of permutations, typical of other MUVs in this market. What’s unique is a 50:50 split for the rear seats. It adds to the versatility of the Innova, but limits the rear-most seats to two passengers.

Engine

Innova comes with a 2.5-litre common-rail turbo-diesel and a 2.0-litre petrol. The 16-valve, twin-cam diesel engine produces 102bhp and 20.4 kgm of torque, quite modest for a common-rail unit of this size. However, Toyota has traded power for economy however it’s a fuel efficient vehicle in its class. The immediate impression of the first time rider of this car is silent diesel engine. Noise and vibrations are incredibly low. There isn’t a lack of power either and with a fully loaded close family, the Innova manages to canter effortlessly past the 120kph mark. The suspension clearly lacked the compliance of a regular car though.

Ride and Handling

The Innova rides on a rigid tubular section chassis. It uses double wishbones with coil springs up front and the rear uses a non-independent suspension, with four links and a lateral rod with coil springs. The Innova is not available with a four-wheel drive option; need not be missed unless you wish to go for some serious off-roading.

Innova is quite well behaved on the road. Straight-line stability is of no issue, and lane change characteristics are quite good actually. The rack and pinion steering arrangement appears to give some benefits here. Around corners, the Innova handles well for an MPV. The suspension is tuned to be a lot soft. The rear coil springs help a lot in this department. The ride quality is pretty good.

Our Verdict

We are really blown away! This car really makes us believe that you will never go wrong with a Toyota.

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Shef and Manks

Our Fav SUV - The TATA Dicor

Deciding on this second review was a Cake Walk! – Shef and Me review our favorite and affordable SUV - The Safari Dicor this time. We test drove this earth beige Safari (top model) at the Hind Motors outlet at Chandigarh and this is what we have to share:

About the Dicor:

The Tata Safari is no doubt the most popular and the most affordable SUV in India – Oh Come On! The Scorpio is more of a MUV rather than an SUV – we’ll talk about this one in a review coming soon. Anyways, back to Safari – This vehicle used to share an identical Chassis and suspension like other TATA vehicles like the Sierra, Sumo etc. Safari Dicor seems a bit of that old wine in a new bottle.

Design and Interiors

Much like its predecessor, The Dicor holds that BIG BOY SUV image, it has a comparatively longer bonnet. TATA’s have added some extra chrome and clear glass headlamps to the face – more of age defying tactics.

The Safari still holds that big, macho SUV image. It continues its high stance with a rather long bonnet; it exudes ruggedness; even in the face of its rather more timid looking clear lens headlamps and some extra chrome that has gone into its anti-ageing process. The changes in the new Safari are hardly noticeable, the Dicor being a little more civilized though.

Once Shef got inside, I could see a smile on her face. The Dicor treated us with well designed interiors with comfortable seats and more than luxurious cabin. The beige interiors with a hint of aluminum are a breezer compared to the Dicor’s predecessor.

The rear legroom is amazing and comfortable, unlike the last row of seats, which aren't fit for extended drives. Once these seats are folded, loads luggage room is generated. Overall, a pleasing looking neatly put together cabin.

Engine and Transmission

DICOR actually stands for Direct Injection Common Rail. In contrast to the agricultural origins of this engine, an ultramodern Delphi Multitec 1600 bar fully electronic CRDI system does the job of supplying fuel. This enables Dicor to provide all round performance in acceleration and noise reduction. The engine is excellent, once the turbo spools up and that intercooler pounds to the atmosphere you definitely are taken for a Ride!

The Safari uses double-cone synchro rings in the gearbox, hence shifting is much easier; The clutch though as good, its quite heavy and is unable to keep the vibrations of the motor at bay.

Ride and Handling

TATA realizes that the major advantage of an SUV is its ability to absorb undulations. The Safari manages this very well; it copes very well with most potholes but the forte of the Safari's ride lies in its ability to absorb bumps at higher speeds. This can really take the strain out of any highway drive. The ride of the safari seems quite bumpy while off-roading at low speeds.

Dicor uses independent double wishbone with torsion bar up front and coil spring suspension with 5 link at the rear, which work well; even when the car is not full of people. It also comes equipped with shift on the fly which allows shifting between 2WD and 4WD effortlessly!

Our Verdict

Dicor is an amazing vehicle! It has a spacious cabin, which can comfortably seat 5 (2 more bit uncomfortably) and loads of luggage. It is also one of the most feature packed cars. Dicor lets you cruise all day long without feeling too tired, If we were looking for a comfortable SUV which is a highway cruiser, easily maneuverable in the city and not get stuck on our monthly visit to a village, we would look no further.

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Shef and Manks

Our Grand First Review!

Choosing this FIRST blog post has involved quite a bit – Me and Shef have been debating hard since yesterday for deciding on the FIRST automobile we would be reviewing here. We wanted the first post to be GRAND so we chose the ‘Grand Vitara’

We test drove the Grand Vitara at the local MUL dealership, with the sales staff of the local Maruti Franchisee not being very friendly, we had a tough time to convince them for a small test drive. Anyways, here’s what we have to share:

About the Vitara:

The Grand Vitara seems to be a solid choice among compact SUVs. The vehicle is an appropriate mix of off road capabilities and luxury. It’s rugged enough to include a low gear tackling of rugged trails and unimproved roads. The Vitara comes loaded with latest safety features, is the biggest, most powerful, most luxurious and most expensive vehicle in Suzuki’s line-up.

Grand Vitara competes with the Tata Safari, Ford Endeavour and Honda CR-V. In comparison to the competitors, the Vitara has a huge number of pluses, for example its lush cabin and fantastic engine, along with its decent off-road ability, capacity to host 7 passengers and mind blowing looks.

Under the hood of the Grand Vitara is a gutsy 2.0-liter Inline-four cylinder (I-4) engine with a double overhead camshaft (DOHC), which churns out 119.5 bhp @ 5,500 rpm and 170 Nm of torque @ 3,500 rpm. It may be linked to either a 5-speed manual transmission or 4-speed automatic transmission, depending upon the variant. Both the transmissions are responsive and shift smoothly..

Fuel and Economy

In the city and highways, Vitara is the king on the road. You just need to foot the accelerator a bit to make up that gap in traffic. This 1.7 tonne beast would respond as quickly as a Lancer Petrol. Vitara’s cruising ability is excellent this makes it an amazing highway car.

However, even more impressive acceleration is the torque. The Grand Vitara comfortably cruises on steep uphill roads in third gear where other SUVs would struggle. On off-road course, the gear stick never needed to be shifted into low. As claimed by MUL, the Vitara would give 16/22 kmpl (city/highway), we don’t believe this!

The Vitara’s ride and handling are really disappointing. The body-on-frame construction and non-independent rear suspension makes the bad impression. Potholes, ruts and speed-breakers are easily felt, and on an undulating surface, the Grand Vitara tends to pitch around, and feels nervous.

Interiors

Loads of leather and wood in the interiors. The seats are comfortable. The instrument panel is well laid out. The dash looks very attractive with wood. Ergonomics are amazing!. There is plenty of space too. The second row has legroom, but not as much as expected. There is a third row though. For a car of its price, people will expect a luxurious interior (like in the Accord, Mondeo and Camry). The Vitara definitely lives up to these expectations.

A quick Sneak Peak

Fuel Economy : 16/22 kmpl (city/highway)
Available Engines : 2.0L Inline-4, 119.5 bhp
Available Transmissions: 4-speed Automatic Transmission (AT) 5-speed Manual Transmission (MT)

We hope you found this review useful.

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Shef and Manks

Welcome to our Blog!

Getting Started....

While I was at office today, Shef gave me a call :

"Hey Manks, its been quite some time since we have been test driving all sort of cars, why not share this information with all people considering to buy or know more about cars in India? Why not start our own Blog and share whatever we've been able to gather??"

I loved the idea and just created this Blog. Thanks Shef!

Our Story: The first thing we talked about on or maiden date was CARS - Cars is one of our biggest passion - probably THE thing that broke the ice between us and got us closer together - I remember taking Shef for Darjeeling Tea, the very first day we met. While sipping and chit chatting, I noticed a Porsche Cayenne pass by, forgot what we were talking about and very bluntly exclaimed - " Hey, that takes preference!"

I realized that Shef wasn't one of my friends who would ignore my peculiar habit of commenting on cars and DAMN, we had come out to know each other better, with our families waiting anxiously back at home - we were to decide if we'd liked each other reasonably enough to get married!

I was shell shocked when Shef said: "Cayenne is available in 2 variants 4.5L V8 and 3.2L V6". Whoaaa, I had found the woman of my dreams! We got married in Feb 2007, drove our Accent to Manali hills for Honeymoon, Cars still being a major topic of our chit chat!

About Us: I am a 'Marketing Manager' of a huge education portal, and Shef's leading the SEO team of a web development company. I drive an Accent and Shef has a Santro - We are Hyundai freaks! We've been test-driving loads of cars and are fond of building a database off our experience.

We would rather drive up to Kasauli Hills rather than watching a movie at a cineplex, we prefer buying Maisto Car miniatures in place of expensive drawing room accessories, we love accompanying friends to car window shopping , we dream of owning an SLR Roadster one day!

We plan to compile our thoughts and experience about automobiles in this Blog -- Hope you enjoy whatever we have to share.

Thanks for Passing By!

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Manks