This is .......FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING TO CALCUTTA. .................BETTER still , FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY THERE TOO --- ALL OF YOU CHANGE YOUR ATTITUDES.

Firstly excuse me not to write about the Ambassador, its accident resistance and finally its perfect suitability for Calcutta. Please be fair to yourself and the newer cars in the market.

INTRODUCTION

The majority 80% of vehicles here are ambassadors which are prominently taxis as we know. So get a feel of what you would be surrounded with in a traffic jam. If at all there is any private car, chances are it will not be driven by the owner.People prefer keeping a driver. Parking is very difficult. You may visit NS Road for a task and return without it done just because you did not get a parking. Believe me, it happened to me. So if you have a driver he will somehow keep the car at some place while you get the work done. Also, that too keep an experienced driver as most places are ONE-WAY/ (2pm-8pm) (8am-2pm) , and he will make you reach your destination easily. Also keep a driver as driving here is very stressful . Abrupt lane changing is the norm. Floods occur easily.

THE CALCUTTA CAR BUYERS GUIDE

If you are buying a new car don't be tempted by words like 'josh' and 'zip'. Forget about that 90 bhp car. The top speed record is highly irrelevant. Where are the roads? You can never exceed 25kmph in traffic and 50kmph otherwise in the city and the car is always in 2nd gear. Use you commonsense and go for a HI-torque car with good LET (low end torque) and good mid-range. Hi- torque cars are absolutely necessary as uneven roads eat up the car's momentum and you tend to step down a gear and result in sticking in 2nd gear all the way. Prefer power steering too. Your criteria of choosing between cars should also be prefering a car with larger diameter wheel. A larger wheel has lesser vertical movement and the ride quality is better compared.

Driving in Calcutta is very stressful, so the final suggestion is to buy a car with good air-conditioning to keep your cool. Test it in the car on a sunny day around 12.00pm in the morning in congested traffic. Forget about fuel economy. It is just not possibe to get a good mileage here, more if you run the AC, which you will eventually have to run to escape from the backsmoke and humidity. I believe a person who is spending so much on buying a car should not worry about fuel costs.

Colour choice should be non - metallic. why? read on.. Forget about keeping your car dent free. Majority of vehicles here are driven by people who would not care less to kiss your car if necessary. (this applies to whole of India anyway) All you people who expect their car to be in original form, please change your attitude. If at all you still intend to, buy a solid color car ( either white or red ) . Metallic colors are difficult to match during re-painting. Sometimes they don't match at all, inspite of claims made by auto garages.

After the Mercedes Benz and BMW ,The best performing cars in Calcutta is the Astra and the Siena in the upper segment.

In the next segment it is all Maruti vehicles, right from 800 to Esteem as all of them are low maintenance cost cars.

After that comes other cars like Sumo, Omni if any body wishes economy, or Santro, Matiz, Accent if he wants to enjoy premiums at extra costs.

Buying SECONDHAND CARS

This is the most tough job.The second hand car market is inflexible and the dealers have taken people for granted here. Old car prices are much higher than Delhi prices.Wear and tear of cars in Calcutta is the maximum I believe, compared to the other metros due to a combination of slow traffic and bad roads.

So try to source a car from your close contacts. Atleast you will know the genuine history of the car.

And it is must to get prepared for clutch and suspension overhauls. Get the estimates for these expenses from the respective authorised service centres.

The Car dealers in Cal have taken buyers for granted . Don't be tempted by the gleaming cars parked at Second hand car dealers at Hazra road and Sarat Bose road. See the dillemma, car dealers here do not easily allow test-drives, as in Delhi. Here even a 2 year old Maruti 800 is considered a premium car, where as in Delhi the same 2 year old Maruti 800 in a much much better condition fetches a lower price.

1) CAR MAINTENANCE

Suggestion for Maruti owners only -- visit Maruti authorised service centre - AUTOKRAFT at Behala, Parnashree. Me and my freinds found their service very satisfying. Service centres like MACHINO TECHNO at Park Circus do not even allow to be present near your car when it is being serviced/repaired. Demand replaced parts as these will make way to the scrap market at MULLICK BAZAR near AJC Bose road. But do visit MULLICK BAZAR for it has shops that offer common car accessories at reasonable rates. But you must bargain before.

For premium accessories visit GLIX in Alipore for customised fittings or for a lower price deal there are many shops on LENIN SARANI. or DHARMATALA, NEAR CHANDNI MARKET.

Always check your 800s, Esteems and Zens cars for water seepage through floor gromets, if you have waded your car in flood water. It is commonly ignored and causes the floor pan to rust. remedy is to remove the carpet, drying in the sun. otherwise they will emit odour

Radial tyres are a must for your cars as the roads are made up of pot holes, tramlines and cobblestones. Also radials have low chances of aquaplaning.This was especially recommended for the 800 owners who easily opt for the lesser performing ones for lower cost.
warning : Never drive on tramlines. It rips the tyres.

It is absolutely necessary to get you car's underbody washed every month during rainy season

More in the next article..............HAPPY DRIVING