In terms of fuel efficiency, on normal drives in the city, I get around 12-13 km/l & 14-18 km/l while on highways.
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Likes
- Power, without having to floor the throttle
- Responsive Gearbox makes paddle shifters mostly redundant
- Driving dynamics. Steering and Suspension
- Automatic Emergency Braking has been legitimately useful a few times
- Comfortable Seats for long drives
- The Interior looks wonderful, especially at night with ambient lights
Dislikes
- Significant left side pulling at low speeds, which the company is unable to fix
- Lack of features like Request sensors, back armrests, ventilated seats
- Surround sound
- Multiple issues with sensors, battery
- Noisy wiper blade
- AC is weak for rear passengers
My first memories about cars are the rides with my dad, wondering in awe how much he knew about cars, their maintenance, smooth driving, how he could remember where to turn to go to places, or know if the front of the car would hit the wall while parking or not. It was all magical to me.
The stories of his drives through the jungles of Mysore, seeing wild elephants, buffalos, all piqued my interest in cars and driving. I’ve heard from my mom that they had to take me on drives, sometimes in the middle of the night, to stop me from crying. Another thing I remember my dad saying is that I should study well and buy him a Benz after I grow up. Challenge accepted…
Growing up, he was adamant on not allowing me to drive until I was 18. Although he did teach me the basics on empty grounds and vacant wedding hall parking lots, I was never allowed to drive until I got my learner’s licence. So the very night I turned 18, I applied for a learner’s licence, and got my licence soon after.
So I started off with our Swift Dzire, then they bought me an i20 Sportz in my 2nd year of college, instead of the Dominar that I wanted to buy myself with the money I had saved up building websites. I have countless fond memories of that car, which my mom currently uses as her daily.
After I got placed from college, dad got himself a Renault Captur, giving the Dzire to mom, while I moved away with the i20. Once I got my first salary, I started my calculations on how long it would take for me to buy a Benz. Which, was actually demoralising, as I figured I won’t be able to afford one for decades, even with a then handsome package of 9LPA, considering living expenses and savings. So the Mercedes dream was put on hold, and I focused on building my career. Even then, dad was a hard core manual fan, and I was also sceptical of automatics, as the ones I had driven were Maruti AMTs and Hyundais. It was when my colleague bought a Polo GT, that I started to appreciate how a good DCT feels.
Then COVID hit, everything became remote, and I was lucky to land a remote role with an international company. After working for a while, I went back to my old calculator and plugged the new numbers in. There are many “rules” like the 20/4/10, I could satisfy some parts but not others, but when something really pulls your heartstrings, what do they say, rules are meant to be broken, right? So I decided to bend it a bit.
The search for the new car began, and it was not easy. I had a budget of 55-65L, which opened up numerous options in 2022.
MG ZS EV
- Mom loved the EV experience
- Insane pickup
- But interiors were lacking
- Didn’t really connect with the car
BMW X1
- Outdated interiors
- Last gen looks
- Not many features
- Poor performance, as I had driven the EV the previous day.
BMW 220i
- Stylish frameless doors
- Good performance (for someone driving an i20)
- Rejected as it was not value for money
BMW 320d
- Loved everything
- Was on the verge of booking, but mom’s leg won’t reach the floor in the back seat, due to the angle. So had to let it go.
Audi
- Test drove some models
- Rejected after the pathetic condition of their only showroom
Mercedes-Benz GLA 220d
- Didn’t consider the Renault petrol model
- The test drive vehicle was abused a lot, so wasn’t driving very well
- Didn’t have reverse camera, front sensors, etc.
Mercedes-Benz GLC
- Had massaging seats!
- Drove well
- Last gen interiors
- Stretching the budget
- New version around the corner with much better interiors.
Volvo XC40
- Best in class features, looks good
- Top-notch safety record
- Adaptive cruise control
- Rear seats were too upright
- Doesn’t have the badge value
Toyota Fortuner Legends
- Price for the new model had inflated above reasonable limits
- The interiors were a few generations old
- Might pick one up later, but definitely not first luxury car material.
We also tried A Class, C Class, S60, etc, but decided not to go with sedans for now.
After the GLA let me down, with a purely rational mind, I booked the XC40. But I just wasn’t feeling the excitement I thought I’d have. Something didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel like “my car”. I was very excited about the 320d, until mom’s veto. So I knew I was not incapable of excitement
We waited for a while, there was another COVID wave. The Mercedes salesman contacted me during the wave letting me know they had a new test drive vehicle, but my parents did not want to risk exposure, so we declined the offer.
The delivery date promised by Volvo was approaching, and there was no sign of the vehicle. I was somehow not feeling sad about it either. So we waited. Then one day, over breakfast, dad asked if we should call the Mercedes dealer, now that the wave had subsided. I said I’ll do it, but forgot about it. As if they had microphones under the dining table, the salesman called me that afternoon, asking if they can come the next day, and I agreed.
With my excitement meter revving up, I waited. The next afternoon, glistening under the sun, a Denim Blue GLA turned into my gate. Hmm, this looks good, I thought. We went on the drive, and this car was in pristine condition. The engine was smooth & powerful and the gearbox could read my mind. It had 360° sensors, reverse camera, auto-parking, etc. I knew then, this would be my next car.
Then came the hard news, the black and white colours had a 5–6-month waiting period. The 4MATIC models also were not available any time soon. As I had loved the Denim Blue, I asked them to check its availability. They had one in Pune, which could be delivered within a month! Transferred the booking amount instantly, sent the cancellation email to Volvo, and the wait began, again. This time, with all the excitement I had imagined and more.
Finance
I had 2 options for finance, the one provided by the dealer via Federal Bank, or arrange it myself from other banks. I had a pre-existing relationship with HDFC and Axis, and I checked with ICICI as well. Federal was offering 6.9% interest with no pre-closure charges. I checked with the executive, and they confirmed it was a fixed rate, not floating. Other banks either had higher interest, pre closure charges or processing fees. HDFC RM finally agreed to waive off the fees and pre closure charges, with 6.9% interest, but I decided to go with Federal, as they were provided via the dealer, with all the perks by default.
Everything went smoothly, and the bank even wired the funds before I signed any papers, as the manager was down with COVID. So we went to sign the documents, and that’s when I learned my first lesson. The rate was floating, not fixed, even though they had confirmed that it was fixed when I asked earlier. Now, after the RBI increased repo rates, my rates are at 9.2%. But, because there is no pre-closure charges, I’m paying extra every month to close it off sooner.
Insurance, Extended Warranty and Service Packages
My friend is an agent for New India Assurance, and he’s been handling the insurance for all our cars for a while. But as this was a high-budget purchase, I was a bit apprehensive of taking insurance that doesn’t have a direct connection to Mercedes. So I called the insurance guy from the dealer with my friend nearby, and we had a lengthy discussion of all the features and benefits included in their plan. Then we went to New India’s office to get clarity on their offering, and even their senior staff did not have much clarity on some questions we had. So my friend himself suggested me to go with the company policy. They had tie up with ICICI and I also took the maximum extended warranty as well. I am glad that I took the extended warranty, as I’ve had to replace multiple sensors in two years itself.
The service packages were expensive, and did not make much sense economically, so I skipped those.
PDI
Once the car reached the dealership, we went with the Team-BHP PDI checklist and did an exhaustive check. Everything was fine, except the front left door that was a bit difficult to close. Pointed it out to the advisor, and they said they’ll fix it before delivery.
Fancy number
I had a big dilemma there. I was going on a workation for 2 weeks, and wanted to take delivery before that, as leaving the car at the dealership for 2 weeks was unimaginable. But, due to the rules back then, temporary registration was not allowed, and they needed to fix the number plate before delivery. If I had to apply for a fancy number, the auction would only take place on Saturday, and I won’t get the car before I leave. So I half-heartedly opted for a random number so that I’d get the car that week itself. My friend tried to console me, saying people won’t look below the badge.
Continue reading BHPian bumpyroad’s review for more insights and information.
