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    Ambassador in Toyota Hatch dressing

    11 years ago | Alex

    User Review on Toyota Etios Liva [2013-2014] GD

    Detail Review:
    Rating parameters
    (out of 5)

    4.0

    Exterior

    5.0

    Comfort

    4.0

    Performance

    5.0

    Fuel Economy

    4.0

    Value for Money

    PURCHASE:
    New

    DRIVING:
    Few thousand kilometers

    Exterior As usual Toyota's Conservative Styling (who cares if the car is reliable and save your fortune), Styling is is decent for my eyes compared to other ugly looking out there. wish the side skirts and spoilers ame with the car for free which will add more style, but I am happy with the price I paid for this car.

    Interior (Features, Space & Comfort) Can you show me a reliable car in India that has comparable space for this price. As my title says its ambassador in toyota's dress. I have a old ambassador, My family feels same kind of comfort as Amby in this car. Once 8 people 6 adults and two 8 year old kids went in the car. No worries, this car can pack a whole family and take them with comfort and thats why I compared this car with Ambassador.

    Regarding gadgets this car does not even provide basic things like Cd player, but we have the flexibility to put anything we want. Like the cooled Glove BOX(don't forget to open the small door inside the glove box to let the AC air flow inside).

    Also lot of people in this forum are complaining about road noise, I am really surprised my car is reasonably quiet in the city as well as in the Highway, it is quieter than   any other car I went  or drove in India, I took the option Rust coating at the time of purchase (toyota people told me that this rust coating has sound deadening compound that reduces road noise and that might be the reason why my car is very quiet.

    car has two speaker components in the front (two 51/4 speakers in the front and two tweeters on the dash) I added two 6X9 speakers in the rear behind the rear seats with a custom tray

    3 Adults can sit comfortably in the rear seat, AC is powerful at any load or speed.

    Engine Performance, Fuel Economy and Gearbox Milage is outstanding if less load (4 people and lighter things in the trunk), once got 24kmpl when I drove 500KMS in one stretch at 80km/hour. I now have 9000kms and the car still drives same as it was new, waiting for 10,000 km servive

    This car doesn't drive like a small car, it is very stable and feels big when driven on the Highway no problem overtaking it is little sluggish even when you pass, this  might be because the engine is still new and hasn't been broken in, hope more kms I put in the car the pickup will increase.

    Ride Quality & Handling Ultra smooth, can drive on second gear in bumber to bumper traffic without changing gears, literally no engine knocking. Once on a heavy rain on the NH my car slid a bit, if not ABS my car would have hit the road divider, ABS saved our life during sudden breaking.

    When more people and heavier loads are taken in the car, it hits the speed breaker quiet often which is obvious in any other car in India, can install stiffer springs(bilstien) in the rear to  solve this problem. when few people travel in the car, the car jump over the speed breakers with great ease.

    Future upgrades I am planning to install Biltien B3 coil springs for the rear to stiffen the suspension, I think the front suspension is good. When time comes to replace the front struts, I will replace it with Bilstein struts after 60,000kms. Also planning to install strut tower brace connecting two front struts inside the hoodto control the wandering so that the car handles sharply. Install 15 inch wheels.

    Final Words I couldn't be more happier with the purchase, myself and my family are completely satisfied with Liva. As a previous Camry/corolla owner, I like toyota for their rock solid reliability. Regarding Liva, this car is made for ordinary Indian people with basic  luxury features like cd player missing  but they haven't compromised anything otherwise (reliability, safety, quality) and have produced a car that is as reliable as their most expensive Lexus brand cars.

    Areas of improvement Stiffer Coil Springs/Suspension, more free goodies (CD Player). I hate the front seats( wish they split the front seats  with a separate neck rest), more lumbar support for the front and rear seats for back support. Add a RPM tachometer for diesel cars as their petrol versions, Clock in the dash , Rear Wiper. Automatic rear view mirrors. 15 inch wheels. All these features for a Rs20000 price increase. Will ToyotaListen.

    Space/Milage/Toyota's rock solid reliabilityStiffer Coil Springs for the suspension would have been better
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