The bookings for the Tata Nano were open and Nano was the news all around. The specs were impressive (except the small engine) and it seemed that the Nano was THE CITY CAR that we would ever need. Vinay and me had some money left and we booked the Nano....
March 2010:
There was such hype about Nano but the number of cars on road were a handful. We were given a time slot of July-Sep 2010, and I was almost sure that they would not deliver it any sooner. We really didnt care as we didnt have any requirement of car as such :)
In the last week of March 2010, I got a call from the dealer... We could get the Nano sooner than expected :) and we did get it on April 24th 2010 (I never thought that we could own a car so soon).
Pappa had come to Bangalore to take delivery of the car, and the ride from the showroom to our home was very comfortable... It is surprisingly spacious, comfortable and easy to drive. We could not do much on that day other than practicing to drive and getting used to the car...
The next day, Vinay, Pappa and me went to Nandi Hills. The drive again was comfortable (The AC is not very powerful, but does the job quite well) and all along the way we got stares and question marks on the face of the people :) The car handled well on the slopes and the engine is responsive and as good as (if not better than) the 800cc engine of Maruti 800.
The LX variant has Front power windows, AC, fog lamps and metallic colour in addition to the standard 600cc engine (which sounds like a silent 4-stroke auto :) and standard accessories. Although the car is suited for city driving, the traffic and the road manners of people makes me think some times that it is not worth driving in this mess :). The space inside the car is quite amazing. The head room and leg room in the front and back rows is comparable to Wagon R or a Santro. The seats are thin, but comfortable. The noise isolation inside the cabin is good too. With all windows closed, the engine noise is almost nil. With seat belts, and sturdy construction, it feels safe to drive. The turning radius is good too. You can move through tight corners and narrow lanes with relative ease.
Now, for the bad points. You dont get the left side ORVM! Also, the plastics are not of high grade and panel gaps are visible at many places. The gear shift is not as smooth as those found in other small cars.
All in all, you cant get any other car with these features at the price point that Nano offers (Although the wait was far too long :))
The saddest thing- Our new nano got its first official scratches from a pillar in the apartment :(
All due to my misjudgement. (The inaugural scratches were from the dogs in our street, but that is unofficial :)). Anyways, I'll get it fixed soon :)
Lessons learnt:
1. Drive slow
2. Dont expect Bangaloreans (not all, but most of them) to have road manners. When the dogs wont move even after honking so hard, how can I expect people to move?
3. It is not possible (in Bangalore) to keep the car as good as new. If you manage to keep it that way, you will have people ready to put a scratch on the car when you are not around.
4. Trust your judgment and dont trust others' judgment
5. People have to see and feel the Nano to really know what it is :). It is not at all bad :). It just cant be said that cheaper cars are not good.
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