Hyundai Creta long term review: After 25,089km and 12 months

The long-term stint of Hyundai Creta in OD garage that started with a journey from Leh to Kanyakumari via Mumbai is coming to an end. In this occasion I have good news and bad news. I think it is better to disclose the bad news first so that the good news that followed would reduce the effect of bad news. So here is the bad news!

The second half of the Creta's stint was not very pleasant as it had to face some unpleasant road incidents. The first one was in Pune, a drunk on a bike came and hit the stationary Creta damaging the front bumper. Followed by that, the Creta was in the workshop for a month as the insurance claim took time. The second one was in Mumbai, the very day I picked up the Creta from the service centre. On my way back home, it was involved in a pile-up that happens way too often in Mumbai's heavy traffic. The car in front of me jammed his brakes, and I managed to stop without touching it. Before I could finish the sigh of relief, the car behind hit me and he was slammed by the car behind him.

Fortunately, the incident did not result in too much visible damage, but there is a minor dent in the rear. The third incident happened one fine morning when the engine started, the indicators of ABS, traction control and steering wheel with an exclamation mark came on and the steering wheel felt very heavy to turn. The roadside assistance promptly sent a flatbed to carry it to the nearest service centre, and it was delivered back the very next day. Since then there is no major incident except three punctures at various times.

Rats found their way into the Creta's wiring which deactivated the power steering and set off a bunch of warning lights. The issue was fixed in a day

As I bid farewell to our long-term Creta, it's the time to say thanks to the people who helped me perform my long-term test. First of all, thanks to the drunkard who hit me in Pune and put my car in the workshop for a month. Secondly, thanks to the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) for providing roads full of potholes. The Wagon R in front of me braked urgently to avoid falling into a pothole. Thanks to the good brakes and ABS in Creta, I could stop it without hitting the Wagon R, but the car behind me stopped after I used my brakes! I have a suggestion to the BMC –– if you think removing the first, potholed layer of road will uncover the perfectly laid layer underneath it, you are mistaken! You will only get 20 layers of even worse tarmac underneath. It is easier to lay a better surface after the monsoons! We have tolerated these deplorable conditions for all these years, thanks to your shoddy work!

Thirdly, I'd like to thank the piglet-sized rats of Mumbai for finding tasty snacks in the electrical wiring of the cars. Here, I have a suggestion to the wire manufacturers, please add rat poison to the insulation compound for social cause! I am very sure it would be appreciated by thousands of car owners in Mumbai!

Now, it's time for good news –– the Creta has got nothing to do with the above-mentioned bad news! Sadly the above events are a fact of every car owner's life in the great city of Mumbai. As a vehicle, the Creta has been a fantastic companion. I have been fortunate that my long terms for the past two years have been the "Car Of The Year" winners, and it is a hat-trick with the Creta! Ever since the Creta become my partner, it not only helped me with shoots but also was my trusted companion for three drives to Kerala. It is an ideal vehicle for long drives. At the end of the drive you remain as fresh as you started. The credit goes to the suspension, comfortable seats, comprehensive features, easy steering and the psychological effect of having a good safety net. Though there are some missing features compared with her younger sisters, I have no complaints. There's also no two ways about the looks of Creta, I simply love the grille and the design of the head lamp. In fact, I don't want to part ways with my love. I think I should try to get an extension to compensate the time I lost due to the insurance claim. Let me call Hyundai!

Date acquired: Sept 2015   Total mileage: 25,089km, Last report at: 17,369km, Fuel: 452 litres, Economy: 17.1kmpl

Also see:

Hyundai Creta long term review: Introduction