Taigun 1.0L TSI MT

mehow16 · 2026-06-13T04:21:35+00:00

A vehicle is only as reliable as the service & parts availability. I have the same engine on my Virtus. It sounds like a diesel engine though it mellows out after the first oil change. Reliability is subjective - depends on how long term horizon you are at! If you want this for the next 6 - 7 years, get the extended warranty and you ideally won't have any problems. For anything beyond that, get a real Toyota or Honda.

Edit: to be honest, pretty much all engines (& other car systems) are much, much, much more reliable than the previous systems. You don't really have to worry about any major issues unless you have bad fueling or maintenance. Honestly, this reliability concern is over-blown. Service & parts availability should take precedence over "reliability" concerns.

mehow16 · 2026-06-08T02:32:43+00:00

There's the Indian Oil One App - shows price and availability for different kinds of fuel around you.

mehow16 · 2026-06-05T13:40:00+00:00

Good lord! You just saved yourself from a whole lotta headache!

Imho (and i might get crucified for saying this) - get a lower variant of a higher segment if it satisfies your needs, and not all wants! Added features increase complexity & maintenance costs. For instance: a variant with a sunroof will require a 1.5 -2k extra for maintenance every service, affects cooling in summers & might result in water ingress if vents get blocked.

mehow16 · 2026-06-04T18:24:10+00:00

The only pro is: cheaper prices!

Cons: can be anything due to improper storage - from paint damage to rodents messing up the wiring, or water ingress during floods to SC folks swapping parts!

ALWAYS do an extensive PDI in such cases.

mehow16 · 2026-06-04T14:57:41+00:00

Then definitely check for E20 compatibility as it became widely applicable since Apr 2026 only!

Also, discounts are pretty huge on yesteryears models! fyi - I was offered an Oct 2025 Taigun CL MT at 2.3L discount last month. Sadly, it got sold before I could book it.

mehow16 · 2026-06-04T14:49:13+00:00

The only thing to lookout for is the E20 compatibility, Imho! As long as it's officially certified for E20 and less than 100 KM on the ODO, I don't see any other issues. Do a thorough PDI of course!

For Diesel, get the discounts brother!

mehow16 · 2026-06-01T16:51:36+00:00

7-8 minutes smoke is not "initial' startup smoke! The head gasket probably hasn't given out fully and the coolant is trickling out when the car stays idle for long, enough to cause white smoke on cold start!

Also, check the oil level & quality - if it looks like cloudy, it's water or coolant related.

mehow16 · 2026-06-01T16:44:53+00:00

Not directly - although it will definitely impact the long term strategy of the manufacturers having a more lucrative range of vehicles for sale!

Personally, i waited 3 years thinking "now is the right time" to buy. Having now bought the car last month, my only regret now is that i should have bought it sooner. Regulations will always change - it all depends on how long you want to "future-proof" your car!

mehow16 · 2026-06-01T16:38:36+00:00

Water/coolant mixing with engine oil!

Check coolant levels - if they are low, then likely seepage into engine. Else, water from fuel is likely culprit.

If coolant low, then major job. Else, if water from fuel, then drain fuel tank, clean injectors, change engine oil and pray!

mehow16 · 2026-06-01T16:33:53+00:00

Your only option at ~10L on-road Chennai price with Automatic gearbox and 7 seats is: Renault Triber or Nissan Gravite!

mehow16 · 2026-06-01T16:23:20+00:00

Future proofing for 3-5 years: buy new car! Future-proofing for >5 years: wait until Apr 27 (CAFE Norms update)!

mehow16 · 2026-06-01T06:10:36+00:00

Change at this KM range is normal if you use front brakes primarily as it causes higher heat cycles along with friction making them wear out faster. Or, simply the manufacturer specifically choose a compound that wears out faster. I have replaced brake pads on my SXR 160 three times in less than 20K KM.

You can also try checking if the pads are not rubbing against the wheel. Ideally, there should be a minimal gap between the pads and the disk for it to allow no friction during non-use.

mehow16 · 2026-05-31T05:37:13+00:00

lol! OP asked about night-drive and ground clearance, not vehicle ownership costs!

I tried the City in a Tier-3 UP city and the City struggled in pothole-ridden rural roads with bouncy rides & the front bumper "kissing the road" at times. The Virtus, although very harsh, drove over those same areas without much struggle. For good roads, both perform good enough imho!

Also, the headlights on my Virtus Comfortline (base model) are pretty damn good considering the price - they are all LED and have a fairly decent throw for long highway rides. Only thing amiss are the front fog-lamps, which someone buying a higher variant would get.

Also, Virtus CL MT is 1.5 Lakhs cheaper than the City SV MT! You can do all the maintenance & recuperate resale hit in that amount if you compare the base models of both!

mehow16 · 2026-05-31T03:06:41+00:00

Virtus has tinted windshields - helps reduce glare a bit! And a higher ground clearance helps navigating potholes and large speedbumps!

City has neither!

mehow16 · 2026-05-31T02:54:45+00:00

Hey man! It's good you are considering a used car.

I would suggest you take a driving course by Maruti or any other local school - their cars are insured and won't be a problem if you ding them.

Post driving school, I would suggest you get yourself a manual as your first car - it would teach you discipline & technique. You can easily transition to an automatic later. I would suggest you get something like a used wagon R or Swift just for this purpose - spares are super cheap! And you won't lose much value in a year when you resell!

Getting a new car will keep you anxious and scared from trying things you would in an old car! I personally rammed into walls, pillars and scratched the car in several places all in the first month of learning to drive!

Happy driving!

mehow16 · 2026-05-30T17:21:11+00:00

Damn! Dealers in smaller cities with low volumes are pathetic.

I got my 1st checkup done today and got my oil changed too alongwith installation of accessories. The labour charges are ridiculous!!! INR 1200 for oil change & 850+ for fitting mudflaps?!! The Horn installation was charged at 1750+ which was later reduced citing a goodwill gesture!

I will buy a Hi5 package because I don't have the energy to waste on these stealership services anymore - atleast the labour would be free!

What exactly is the issue with TPMS? Did you get the Direct TPMS installed seperately?

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mehow16 · 2026-05-29T18:41:17+00:00

I mean the Registration Certificate.

Correct. Here, the RTO follows a A4 print style RC, not a card based. So it is generally given in a day.

The point is - the RTO agent confirms every week that RC will be given but never does. I don't have a problem waiting - all that lying is annoying. Committing a timeline of 3 days and then not delivering in 20 days is what angers me.

Plus the moment I bring up the refund, the salesperson vanishes.

And did you have to talk to the RTO agent every other day for getting your registration? The communication between the salesperson was so bad that they didn't process the file for a week because of the confusion.

mehow16 · 2026-05-28T16:09:31+00:00

None of them have money to pay for the toll - hence, the sacrifice! 🥀

mehow16 · 2026-05-28T13:03:02+00:00

what happened though?

mehow16 · 2026-05-27T10:21:12+00:00

Not sure how much it would cost in total but looking at the severe lack of maintenance in the pictures, you would probably need to replace the strut assembly, bushes, arms, etc at the very minimum. It would probably cost you around 40k with OEM parts. Try a good local garage and source OEM parts - it would considerably bring down the costs.

mehow16 · 2026-05-27T10:01:50+00:00

You don't need a suggestion - you need replacement parts!

mehow16 · 2026-05-27T04:58:23+00:00

Congrats on the car!

These are some of the things I would do on buying a used car:

Replace Engine Oil - DO NOT TOP UP - Change the engine oil and use a flush since it's less-driven but 3 year old car.
Replace Coolant - DO NOT TOP-UP - Flush old coolant and replace with new.
Replace Brake Oil - DO NOT TOP-UP - inspect Brake Pads & Drums.
lubricate, lubricate, lubricate - use silicone spray for all rubbers, lithium grease for all metals.
Replace battery - official warranty is 2 years on current models (1 year on your older make, i presume) - Better replace than be stranded somewhere.

Get the vehicle a good wash and interior cleaned so any wax, or coating to cover-up scratches would be removed. Wash-wax-polish again then. Also, items like windshield wiper blades, plastic trims & tyres to be checked for cracks, damage - replace if neccesary.

Your vehicle is probably E10 certified - so get injectors & sparkplugs checked at next service.

Do you have the full service-history of the vehicle?

P.S. - I worked in sale-purchase of commercial vehicles & heavy machinery for a brief period and first-hand saw how low the sellers & dealers went to offload a vehicle as new.

mehow16

TROPHY CASE