40 Days, 2200 KM - Experiences Driving my Audi A3 Technology Diesel
In the last 40 days, I have driven Myra in Pune's searing heat and heavy city traffic, let her loose on the Pune Mumbai Expressway and pushed her to the limits in heavy rain and mud on a Pune - Goa - Pune trip. And apart from having to put in hours of my time washing her up after her adventures, Myra definitely gets a big thumbs up from me, and more importantly, from my very discerning daughter!
A Big Thumbs Up - All The Awesome Things!
Haven't regretted buying her, even for a minute!
1. She absolutely glides in traffic, cabin noise is non-existent. More often than not, I tend to switch off the music, open the sun roof and roll down the windows, just to be able to hear the purr of the engine. Absolutely a delight! My daughter gave a big vote of confidence in the comfort of the back seat after an almost non-stop dash from Pune to Goa. On the way back, my wife took it one notch higher, curling up and going to sleep almost through the entire journey.
2. The kick when you press on the pedal is such a high, setting off at traffic signals with tires squealing is so hard to resist! My daughter keeps complaining that she can't sit up close to us, because every time I hit the throttle, she gets pushed back into the rear seat.
3. She glides effortlessly over rough patches if you keep your speed, and that's the best way to handle bad stretches - don't slow down. I found the ride quality so much better than what I have experienced in the Beemers with their RFTs. Of course, my Endy would win hands down on the uneven and rough detours that pop up every now and then on NH4 with all the construction work in progress, which is one reason I took the longer Belgaum-Chorla route into Goa, rather than my usual one through Azara and Amboli.
4. She absolutely hugs the road on tight corners, and with the stabilization program active, I find it hard to drift - although she does allow you to switch off the stabilization. My Ikon used to give me a similar feedback on curves, and I missed that in the Fiesta and of course, in the Endy. The Audi absolutely loves it when you throw her at curves, and is rock solid. Body roll is also almost non-existent.
5. And yes, we hit the expressway a couple of times. Respecting the rules of this forum, I will not talk about high speeds here, but let's say, hypothetically, if I wanted, she would come within sniffing distance of the 215 the brochure mentions, without much of a bother.
6. So far, with full AC and all the tire squealing, she's delivering between 12-15 kmpl. On long drives, put it on cruise control, and the mileage shoots up.
7. Oh, and yes - very important - I have not yet hit the underbody on any speed breaker yet, which is a big relief as far as ground clearance is concerned. This involves every giant speed bump on the NH4 detours, and some monstrous ones in Goa, where I have seen the Hondas grind hard every single time. I have maneuvered through them with a full load of 5 adults and a child, and it's been effortless.
8. Braking is also fantastic, and a big confidence booster. On the way back from Goa, we were doing a pretty good clip when the car in front slammed on the brakes to avoid a speed bump, and for just a split second, I imagined slamming my car into the one in front. The surface was pretty gravelly, but the car responded beautifully; no harm done!
9. A special note on air conditioning. Even in Pune's scorching 39 degrees today afternoon, with the sun roof shades off, the cabin easily stays at a very cool 20 degrees effortlessly. Unlike my Endy, which really needs a long time to cool down, especially if it's left in the sun for a few mins.
The Negatives - Although I Am Really Picking Bones Here!
Cabin Space: Yes, she is tinier than her cousins, and 5 is a close fit, especially on long journeys. The rear AC vents and charging station encroaches on leg room for the 5th occupants. Headroom at the back is problematic for tall persons, although leg space is more than enough. Frankly, I love her compact sports car-like built. And for large family occasions, of course, my Endy steps in well!
Random Squeaks: After the first week or so, the front passenger seat started giving out some squeaky noises, which went away after I adjusted the seat position a little bit. On rough surfaces, sometimes, the "fins" inside the AC vents tend to resonate.
Blind Spot: The car has a definite blind spot at the driver's 5 o clock, especially if you adjust your rear view mirror to capture the side of the vehicle, as I do, worried as I am always about bikes standing too close to Myra at traffic signals. Surprised me a couple of times, and now I am just a tad more careful when turning right.
Useless Spare: The Continental spare tire is pretty useless, half the width of the Pirelli OEMs and god forbid, you blow one of your main tires on a long drive, it will be pretty difficult to get back to town on the spare. Wonder how it will even feel to steer with that combination! Check the after-sales experience later on in the article for more on this.
The Small Things That Matter
1. Absolutely awesome integration with the phone over Bluetooth, including reading SMSes. Very easy to dial using the call list. Crystal clear reception, and voice pickup is great!
2. Very nice navigation system - better than the MapMyIndia system in my Endy. Anyone knows which one this is? Tom Tom? Garmin?
3. Beautiful ambient lighting with some really special touches - foot well lighting, auto vanity mirror lights etc
4. The red body looks especially good in combination with the black sun roof, the black paneling around the sun roof and the grills (not so in the White variants, for example)
5. Electronically adjustable seats including support for the back
6. Auto fold mirrors on locking - so convenient!
7. Auto electronic parking brake in start stop traffic - absolutely delightful!
8. Voice commands activated from steering wheel, navigation control on steering, and a special driver-set button (I use it to switch to next song in the list, or the next radio station!)
9. A nifty handwriting recognition pad which really picks up my left handed scribbles very well! More over, it's the feature that gets the biggest wow when I show the car off to friends and family - especially since they never get to drive it anyway!
One thing missing from the international version, sadly, is the 3G/4G SIM card in the card with Wifi zone. But I guess I can live with that.
Sunday, April 26, 2015
My Audi A3 Technology Diesel - Myra (Part 2 - The Booking, Buying & Delivery)
First, The Buying Experience
The Dealer: Audi Pune recently underwent a transformation from the old owners, Pashankar Auto, to the Chennai-based Jubilant Motors. Along with the change in management, Audi Pune also shifted from a small outlet on SB Road to a very large 3S facility in Baner, on the highway.
When I got my car, they were still in the city. Everyone at Audi Pune were awesome! I did 2 test drives, the cars came home, and Arun, the sales rep, was happy to let me really push them to the limits without wincing. I went ahead and booked the Premium Plus variant, because it was the lowest version with DRLs and leather upholstery. Went for Diesel, since the waiting time for Petrol was way beyond my tolerance level.
However, the next day, I called up Audi Pune and had some interesting discussions (which I am constrained to not divulge in detail) after which they upgraded me to the Technology variant. This was a fantastic development for me, since I would have really hated to have non-functioning options and buttons on the car!
A lot of folks have asked me whether I evaluated any other car, especially the new C Class. Frankly, no. It was always going to be an Audi, although I had TDed the 3 series beemer 5 years back, and felt completely let down by the experience. The 3 pointed star has never appealed to me; always made me feel it's one for the oldies. Yes, the new C class does look sporty, but still doesn't cut it for me.
The Bank: As always, my bankers, HDFC, were absolutely brilliant, providing me an unbelievable offer on the loan, and documentation was a breeze.
The Insurance: I went with the insurance provided by Audi Pune (Bajaj Allianz) - it was one of the promises I made them during my earlier "interesting discussions". With bumper to bumper, including tires, 0 dep insurance with consequential damage included, I think I got a pretty good deal, especially when I factor in the NCB I enjoy.
I also went for 5 year extended warranty, although I opted out for the total service plan, which seemed quite expensive.
The Delivery
I booked on the 21st of Feb, and I had a Goa trip coming up on the 5th, and Audi Pune promised to try and deliver her before that. Unfortunately, a combination of holidays and other factors meant I could only take delivery on 10th. But I guess it was destiny - after all, that was the day Ravi Shastri had won his Audi 30 years ago, and fired up the dream in me!
We went to the showroom at 630 pm, and a few min later, we set our eyes on Myra for the first time! She looked so stunning in Red! Audi Pune helped us with breaking a coconut and doing a little puja, and a photo session, before seeing us off with a very cute flagging off ceremony! The drive from the showroom on SB Road to my home in Aundh, through the late evening rush hour traffic rates almost as scary as the first time I brought my Endy, Samara, home 5 years back!
It was too late in the evening to take too many detailed pictures, but here are a few quick snaps I took before they fitted the number plates.
The Dealer: Audi Pune recently underwent a transformation from the old owners, Pashankar Auto, to the Chennai-based Jubilant Motors. Along with the change in management, Audi Pune also shifted from a small outlet on SB Road to a very large 3S facility in Baner, on the highway.
When I got my car, they were still in the city. Everyone at Audi Pune were awesome! I did 2 test drives, the cars came home, and Arun, the sales rep, was happy to let me really push them to the limits without wincing. I went ahead and booked the Premium Plus variant, because it was the lowest version with DRLs and leather upholstery. Went for Diesel, since the waiting time for Petrol was way beyond my tolerance level.
However, the next day, I called up Audi Pune and had some interesting discussions (which I am constrained to not divulge in detail) after which they upgraded me to the Technology variant. This was a fantastic development for me, since I would have really hated to have non-functioning options and buttons on the car!
A lot of folks have asked me whether I evaluated any other car, especially the new C Class. Frankly, no. It was always going to be an Audi, although I had TDed the 3 series beemer 5 years back, and felt completely let down by the experience. The 3 pointed star has never appealed to me; always made me feel it's one for the oldies. Yes, the new C class does look sporty, but still doesn't cut it for me.
The Bank: As always, my bankers, HDFC, were absolutely brilliant, providing me an unbelievable offer on the loan, and documentation was a breeze.
The Insurance: I went with the insurance provided by Audi Pune (Bajaj Allianz) - it was one of the promises I made them during my earlier "interesting discussions". With bumper to bumper, including tires, 0 dep insurance with consequential damage included, I think I got a pretty good deal, especially when I factor in the NCB I enjoy.
I also went for 5 year extended warranty, although I opted out for the total service plan, which seemed quite expensive.
The Delivery
I booked on the 21st of Feb, and I had a Goa trip coming up on the 5th, and Audi Pune promised to try and deliver her before that. Unfortunately, a combination of holidays and other factors meant I could only take delivery on 10th. But I guess it was destiny - after all, that was the day Ravi Shastri had won his Audi 30 years ago, and fired up the dream in me!
We went to the showroom at 630 pm, and a few min later, we set our eyes on Myra for the first time! She looked so stunning in Red! Audi Pune helped us with breaking a coconut and doing a little puja, and a photo session, before seeing us off with a very cute flagging off ceremony! The drive from the showroom on SB Road to my home in Aundh, through the late evening rush hour traffic rates almost as scary as the first time I brought my Endy, Samara, home 5 years back!
It was too late in the evening to take too many detailed pictures, but here are a few quick snaps I took before they fitted the number plates.
My Audi A3 Technology Diesel - Myra (Part 1 - The Decision)
Less than 5 weeks after first setting my eyes on a feisty red A3 in Pune's SB Road showroom, we took delivery of our diesel, red with beige Technology Diesel A3 on 10th March, exactly 30 years to the day Ravi Shastri won his Audi 100 at being crowned the Champion of Champions.
Here is what influenced our decision:
1. It's an Audi. Ever since Ravi Shastri won his in 1985, it's been my dream car. The Beemers come close, but I had evaluated the 3 series when I bought my Endy 5 years ago and somehow, at that time, the 3 series' ride quality and fun quotient hadn't seemed too different from that offered by my Ford Fiesta SXi. That test drive pushed me away from the Beemers.
2. White was never in the reckoning. Blue was upstaged by black. My wife and daughter shot down the black in favor of the stunning red. And I have to admit, the red really is an eye catcher.
3. The Premium missed too many features that were important to me - xenon lights, DRLs, leather seats to name a few.
4. The Technology variant was another couple of lakhs more expensive. However, the best part - after we went ahead and booked the Premium Plus, Audi upgraded us to the Technology variant at no additional cost, a cool two big ones as a discount for being their customer!
5. I would have preferred the petrol, but the dealer tried his best at convincing me otherwise, and succeeded. He talked about all other Audis coming in Diesel only, about petrol requiring higher maintenance and so on, but the clincher was when he said (and I don't know how true it was, but that didn't matter any more) there was only one Petrol model available with Audi India as of date, and he wouldn't be able to promise me a delivery date any time in the near future. Impulsive and impatient as I am, I didn't want to wait any longer than I absolutely needed to.
6. I had seen the Skoda Octavia and Superb very recently, and while they are great cars, they didn't have the 4 rings, and that was a lot.
7. The A3 TD blew me away. I love squealing tires, I love tearing away when the traffic lights turn green, I love the sound of the engines revving, and the way the A3 pushed you back into the seats - it was beautiful.
8. I have never been able to not give an Audi a second look, and the red A3 was no exception. It's beautiful. It looks compact and strong and very reliable! The DRLs are mesmerizing, and lines are strong and defining. The sun roof fits beautifully, and the tires look hot. Compared to a 3 series BMW, the A3 is a clear winner in my eyes.
9. I can't part with my Endy, and the A3 will therefore do duty driving my wife to and from work in the city at most times. We are a family of 3, and the rear seat is no problem for my daughter. When parents and cousins visit, the Endy will step in with its cavernous 8-10 seating capacity
10. I guess specs and comparisons and logic sometimes need to defer to the heart!
Here is what influenced our decision:
1. It's an Audi. Ever since Ravi Shastri won his in 1985, it's been my dream car. The Beemers come close, but I had evaluated the 3 series when I bought my Endy 5 years ago and somehow, at that time, the 3 series' ride quality and fun quotient hadn't seemed too different from that offered by my Ford Fiesta SXi. That test drive pushed me away from the Beemers.
2. White was never in the reckoning. Blue was upstaged by black. My wife and daughter shot down the black in favor of the stunning red. And I have to admit, the red really is an eye catcher.
3. The Premium missed too many features that were important to me - xenon lights, DRLs, leather seats to name a few.
4. The Technology variant was another couple of lakhs more expensive. However, the best part - after we went ahead and booked the Premium Plus, Audi upgraded us to the Technology variant at no additional cost, a cool two big ones as a discount for being their customer!
5. I would have preferred the petrol, but the dealer tried his best at convincing me otherwise, and succeeded. He talked about all other Audis coming in Diesel only, about petrol requiring higher maintenance and so on, but the clincher was when he said (and I don't know how true it was, but that didn't matter any more) there was only one Petrol model available with Audi India as of date, and he wouldn't be able to promise me a delivery date any time in the near future. Impulsive and impatient as I am, I didn't want to wait any longer than I absolutely needed to.
6. I had seen the Skoda Octavia and Superb very recently, and while they are great cars, they didn't have the 4 rings, and that was a lot.
7. The A3 TD blew me away. I love squealing tires, I love tearing away when the traffic lights turn green, I love the sound of the engines revving, and the way the A3 pushed you back into the seats - it was beautiful.
8. I have never been able to not give an Audi a second look, and the red A3 was no exception. It's beautiful. It looks compact and strong and very reliable! The DRLs are mesmerizing, and lines are strong and defining. The sun roof fits beautifully, and the tires look hot. Compared to a 3 series BMW, the A3 is a clear winner in my eyes.
9. I can't part with my Endy, and the A3 will therefore do duty driving my wife to and from work in the city at most times. We are a family of 3, and the rear seat is no problem for my daughter. When parents and cousins visit, the Endy will step in with its cavernous 8-10 seating capacity
10. I guess specs and comparisons and logic sometimes need to defer to the heart!
Friday, March 06, 2015
Bye To Pari
The old needs to make way for the new.. and 2 days back, on the 4th, we said bye to Pari, our Sea Grey Ford, who needs to make way for Myra (our Misano Red Audi A3 Technology 35 TDi), who is due to make a stunning entrance on Monday! We would have got her yesterday, but the RTO decided to take a long weekend off...
It's been a couple of weeks since we booked her - an exciting time of negotiations and balancing commercial interests with relationships, and while I cannot divulge more details, respecting the interests of the concerned parties, I should say I have been thoroughly gladdened and pleased with how both HDFC and Audi have treated us.
Way to go, guys!
It's been a couple of weeks since we booked her - an exciting time of negotiations and balancing commercial interests with relationships, and while I cannot divulge more details, respecting the interests of the concerned parties, I should say I have been thoroughly gladdened and pleased with how both HDFC and Audi have treated us.
Way to go, guys!
Movie Review: Dum Laga Ke Haisha
DLKH is a romcom with a serious streak and a social message: you don't need to be size 0 with the looks of a diva. Love is universal, you just got to look for it.
Aayushman Khurana plays a 10th napaas boy in Haridwar who is pressured by his parents to marry the super-sized Bhumi Pednekar, who is B Ed, with the potential to be the bread winner for the family. After a few very uncomfortable nights together, when they are unable to consummate the marriage, the girl has had enough and walks out of his home and his life, back to her parents. When a divorce court advises them to try and reconcile their differences for another 6 months before granting the separation, all it takes is a "husband carries the wife" race to bond them together and discover their love.
The movie is shot in the crumbling bylanes and ghats of the holy city, and you can almost smell the age of the crumbling wall plasters, the tapes, and the Bajaj scooters. Kumar Sanu's voice will bring back memories of the 90s. Aayushman and Bhumi do a great job, and the supporting cast is fantastic.
Watch it for something offbeat.
Aayushman Khurana plays a 10th napaas boy in Haridwar who is pressured by his parents to marry the super-sized Bhumi Pednekar, who is B Ed, with the potential to be the bread winner for the family. After a few very uncomfortable nights together, when they are unable to consummate the marriage, the girl has had enough and walks out of his home and his life, back to her parents. When a divorce court advises them to try and reconcile their differences for another 6 months before granting the separation, all it takes is a "husband carries the wife" race to bond them together and discover their love.
The movie is shot in the crumbling bylanes and ghats of the holy city, and you can almost smell the age of the crumbling wall plasters, the tapes, and the Bajaj scooters. Kumar Sanu's voice will bring back memories of the 90s. Aayushman and Bhumi do a great job, and the supporting cast is fantastic.
Watch it for something offbeat.
Welcome To The 40s
Celebrated my 40th birthday the other day... with family, and cousins from Mumbai. Had a lovely day - the rains overnight had brought a 14 degree windy chill to the city, the cloudy weather made it perfect for a cosy day at home.
The cake was amazing - my wifey and kiddo had managed to put a beautiful summary of my life on a lemon grass cake - have a look!
The cake was amazing - my wifey and kiddo had managed to put a beautiful summary of my life on a lemon grass cake - have a look!
Movie Review: Ab Tak Chappan 2
It's as bad as it gets. Predictable. Emotionless. No build up. Nothing in it absolutely. Even Nana can't save this one.
Movie Review: What We Did On Our Holiday
Here's one offbeat movie that will really shock you as subtly as it can, and leave a lasting impression long after it has finished. It's about celebrating all our faults and our mistakes, and still loving life. It's about moving on, accepting everything that life throws at us.
And yes, an absolutely stunning Rosamund Pike, in a role that makes her a lot more lovable than the deadly Gone Girl.
And yes, an absolutely stunning Rosamund Pike, in a role that makes her a lot more lovable than the deadly Gone Girl.
Movie Review: The Interview
Finally, I got my hands on the movie that almost triggered a nuclear war between the US and North Korea!
If I were the Korean fella, I would be pretty pissed too! :)
If I were the Korean fella, I would be pretty pissed too! :)
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Movie Review: Badlapur Don't Miss The Beginning
There has been a refreshing bunch of movies coming out of Bollywood lately - Shamitabh and Roy, in the last few days itself - and Badlapur keeps the trend going with a fantastic crime thriller, an excellent cast, great music and some awesome editing and screenplay!
Badlapur is about a young man's revenge for the murder of his wife and child in the course of a botched bank robbery. Nothing extraordinary in that - but where Badlapur differs is that the focus isn't on mindless physical violence. There are no blazing guns and the angry, bloodied hero taking on a dozen monster-sized goondas. It's a revenge on the mind, it's a revenge that takes 15 years to be completed, and even then, at the end, you aren't really sure it's over. You aren't sure who wins. Is it the perpetrator of the crime who gets redemption and release through death, or the victim and perpetrator of the revenge, who has to live with some uncomfortable questions. It's the mental violence, the mind games, the raw human feelings that tug right at your heart, and refuse to let go, long after you have left the theatre. The scene after Varun comes back to his empty home, as the camera pans across the toys and the clothes, every single item reminding him of his beautiful family, lives shattered in a terrible twist of fate... Vinay Pathak's reaction when he has to let his wife sleep with Varun... the scene in the morgue...
The cast is absolutely top notch. Varun Dhawan takes a huge risk early on in his career, and comes up with flying colors. As the dark, brooding anti hero, Varun leaves his Student of the Year act far behind. Nawazuddin Siddique is absolutely a delight as the bank robber and murderer who gets caught, and spends 15 years in jail, waiting for an opportunity to get out and live his riches, never losing hope. Huma Qureshi and Vinay Pathak have small but incredibly memorable roles, while Yami Gautam, as always, is absolutely stunning on screen. Radhika Apte is smoking hot, and delivers an astonishingly brave scene by Bollywood standards. Watch out for this girl in the days to come!
The locations, the screenplay, the cinematography, the sound track - absolutely top notch. And yes, don't miss the beginning... an opening shot on MG Road in Pune, a car parked in a no parking zone, a cop tow truck pulling up, a simple every day scene on Pune's streets plays in the foreground, until suddenly you realize, there's a bank robbery going on... the subsequent events are conceptualized and shot absolutely brilliantly.
Overall, definitely a must watch, but keep your kids at home..
Badlapur is about a young man's revenge for the murder of his wife and child in the course of a botched bank robbery. Nothing extraordinary in that - but where Badlapur differs is that the focus isn't on mindless physical violence. There are no blazing guns and the angry, bloodied hero taking on a dozen monster-sized goondas. It's a revenge on the mind, it's a revenge that takes 15 years to be completed, and even then, at the end, you aren't really sure it's over. You aren't sure who wins. Is it the perpetrator of the crime who gets redemption and release through death, or the victim and perpetrator of the revenge, who has to live with some uncomfortable questions. It's the mental violence, the mind games, the raw human feelings that tug right at your heart, and refuse to let go, long after you have left the theatre. The scene after Varun comes back to his empty home, as the camera pans across the toys and the clothes, every single item reminding him of his beautiful family, lives shattered in a terrible twist of fate... Vinay Pathak's reaction when he has to let his wife sleep with Varun... the scene in the morgue...
The cast is absolutely top notch. Varun Dhawan takes a huge risk early on in his career, and comes up with flying colors. As the dark, brooding anti hero, Varun leaves his Student of the Year act far behind. Nawazuddin Siddique is absolutely a delight as the bank robber and murderer who gets caught, and spends 15 years in jail, waiting for an opportunity to get out and live his riches, never losing hope. Huma Qureshi and Vinay Pathak have small but incredibly memorable roles, while Yami Gautam, as always, is absolutely stunning on screen. Radhika Apte is smoking hot, and delivers an astonishingly brave scene by Bollywood standards. Watch out for this girl in the days to come!
The locations, the screenplay, the cinematography, the sound track - absolutely top notch. And yes, don't miss the beginning... an opening shot on MG Road in Pune, a car parked in a no parking zone, a cop tow truck pulling up, a simple every day scene on Pune's streets plays in the foreground, until suddenly you realize, there's a bank robbery going on... the subsequent events are conceptualized and shot absolutely brilliantly.
Overall, definitely a must watch, but keep your kids at home..
Waiting For Myra
So, there we go. Less than 2 weeks after first setting my eyes on
a feisty red Audi A3 in Pune's SB Road showroom, we went ahead and booked a diesel,
red with beige Premium Plus A3 today.
All the excellent arguments against pricing and cramped rear seats, and the comparisons to other lower segment cars notwithstanding, here is what influenced my decision:
1. It's an Audi. Ever since Ravi Shastri won his at being crowned the Champion of Champions in 1985, it's been my dream car. The Beemers come close, but I had evaluated the 3 series when I bought my Endy 5 years ago and somehow, at that time, the 3 series' ride quality and fun quotient hadn't seemed too different from that offered by my Ford Fiesta SXi. That test drive pushed me away from the Beemers.
2. White was never in the reckoning. Blue was upstaged by black. My wife and daughter shot down the black in favor of the stunning red. And I have to admit, the red really is an eye catcher.
3. The Premium missed too many features that were important to me - xenon lights, DRLs, leather seats to name a few. The additional 2 lakhs or so seemed worth it. Rather, saving a couple and missing out on all that didn't seem to make much sense.
4. The Technology variant made no sense.
5. I would have preferred the petrol, but the dealer tried his best at convincing me otherwise, and succeeded. He talked about all other Audis coming in Diesel only, about petrol requiring higher maintenance and so on, but the clincher was when he said (and I don't know how true it was, but that didn't matter any more) there was only one Petrol model available with Audi India as of date, and he wouldn't be able to promise me a delivery date any time in the near future. Impulsive and impatient as I am, I didn't want to wait any longer than I absolutely needed to.
6. I had seen the Skoda Octavia and Superb very recently, and while they are great cars, they didn't have the 4 rings, and that was a lot.
7. The A3 TD blew me away. I love squealing tires, I love tearing away when the traffic lights turn green, I love the sound of the engines revving, and the way the A3 pushed you back into the seats - it was beautiful.
8. I have never been able to not give an Audi a second look, and the red A3 was no exception. It's beautiful. It looks compact and strong and very reliable! The DRLs are mesmerizing, and lines are strong and defining. The sun roof fits beautifully, and the tires look hot. Compared to a 3 series BMW, the A3 is a clear winner in my eyes.
9. I can't part with my Endy, and the A3 will therefore do duty driving my wife to and from work in the city at most times. We are a family of 3, and the rear seat is no problem for my daughter. When parents and cousins visit, the Endy will step in with its cavernous 8-10 seating capacity
10. I have woken up every morning these last two weeks with the A3 on my mind. I guess specs and comparisons and logic sometimes need to defer to the heart!
The countdown begins now - and I am eagerly waiting for the call!
All the excellent arguments against pricing and cramped rear seats, and the comparisons to other lower segment cars notwithstanding, here is what influenced my decision:
1. It's an Audi. Ever since Ravi Shastri won his at being crowned the Champion of Champions in 1985, it's been my dream car. The Beemers come close, but I had evaluated the 3 series when I bought my Endy 5 years ago and somehow, at that time, the 3 series' ride quality and fun quotient hadn't seemed too different from that offered by my Ford Fiesta SXi. That test drive pushed me away from the Beemers.
2. White was never in the reckoning. Blue was upstaged by black. My wife and daughter shot down the black in favor of the stunning red. And I have to admit, the red really is an eye catcher.
3. The Premium missed too many features that were important to me - xenon lights, DRLs, leather seats to name a few. The additional 2 lakhs or so seemed worth it. Rather, saving a couple and missing out on all that didn't seem to make much sense.
4. The Technology variant made no sense.
5. I would have preferred the petrol, but the dealer tried his best at convincing me otherwise, and succeeded. He talked about all other Audis coming in Diesel only, about petrol requiring higher maintenance and so on, but the clincher was when he said (and I don't know how true it was, but that didn't matter any more) there was only one Petrol model available with Audi India as of date, and he wouldn't be able to promise me a delivery date any time in the near future. Impulsive and impatient as I am, I didn't want to wait any longer than I absolutely needed to.
6. I had seen the Skoda Octavia and Superb very recently, and while they are great cars, they didn't have the 4 rings, and that was a lot.
7. The A3 TD blew me away. I love squealing tires, I love tearing away when the traffic lights turn green, I love the sound of the engines revving, and the way the A3 pushed you back into the seats - it was beautiful.
8. I have never been able to not give an Audi a second look, and the red A3 was no exception. It's beautiful. It looks compact and strong and very reliable! The DRLs are mesmerizing, and lines are strong and defining. The sun roof fits beautifully, and the tires look hot. Compared to a 3 series BMW, the A3 is a clear winner in my eyes.
9. I can't part with my Endy, and the A3 will therefore do duty driving my wife to and from work in the city at most times. We are a family of 3, and the rear seat is no problem for my daughter. When parents and cousins visit, the Endy will step in with its cavernous 8-10 seating capacity
10. I have woken up every morning these last two weeks with the A3 on my mind. I guess specs and comparisons and logic sometimes need to defer to the heart!
The countdown begins now - and I am eagerly waiting for the call!
Coffee On The Wall
Got this forward on Whatsapp today... lovely story!
Coffee on wall:
A story from Murlidhar Gupta
I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighbouring town of Venice (Italy), the city of lights and water. We enjoyed our coffee, a man entered and sat at an empty table beside us.
He called the waiter and placed his order saying, ‘Two cups of coffee, one of them there on the wall.’
We heard this order with rather interest and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two. As soon as he left, the waiter pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying ‘A Cup of Coffee’.
While we were still there, two other men entered and ordered three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. They had the two cups of coffee but paid for three and left. This time also, the waiter did the same; he pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying, ‘A Cup of Coffee’.
It was something unique and perplexing for us. We finished our coffee, paid the bill and left.
After a few days, we had a chance to go to this coffee shop again. While we were enjoying our coffee, a man poorly dressed entered. As he seated himself, he looked at the wall and said, 'One cup of coffee from the wall'.
The waiter served coffee to this man with the customary respect and dignity. The man had his coffee and left without paying. We were amazed to watch all this, as the waiter took off a piece of paper from the wall and threw it in the dust bin.
Now it was no surprise for us – the matter was very clear.
The great respect for the needy shown by the inhabitants of this town made our eyes well up in tears.
Ponder upon the need of what this man wanted...
He enters the coffee shop without having to lower his self-esteem…
he has no need to ask for a free cup of coffee…
without asking or knowing about the one who is giving this cup of coffee to him.
He only looked at the wall, placed an order for himself, enjoyed his coffee and left.
... probably the most beautiful wall you may ever see anywhere....!!!
Coffee on wall:
A story from Murlidhar Gupta
I sat with my friend in a well-known coffee shop in a neighbouring town of Venice (Italy), the city of lights and water. We enjoyed our coffee, a man entered and sat at an empty table beside us.
He called the waiter and placed his order saying, ‘Two cups of coffee, one of them there on the wall.’
We heard this order with rather interest and observed that he was served with one cup of coffee but he paid for two. As soon as he left, the waiter pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying ‘A Cup of Coffee’.
While we were still there, two other men entered and ordered three cups of coffee, two on the table and one on the wall. They had the two cups of coffee but paid for three and left. This time also, the waiter did the same; he pasted a piece of paper on the wall saying, ‘A Cup of Coffee’.
It was something unique and perplexing for us. We finished our coffee, paid the bill and left.
After a few days, we had a chance to go to this coffee shop again. While we were enjoying our coffee, a man poorly dressed entered. As he seated himself, he looked at the wall and said, 'One cup of coffee from the wall'.
The waiter served coffee to this man with the customary respect and dignity. The man had his coffee and left without paying. We were amazed to watch all this, as the waiter took off a piece of paper from the wall and threw it in the dust bin.
Now it was no surprise for us – the matter was very clear.
The great respect for the needy shown by the inhabitants of this town made our eyes well up in tears.
Ponder upon the need of what this man wanted...
He enters the coffee shop without having to lower his self-esteem…
he has no need to ask for a free cup of coffee…
without asking or knowing about the one who is giving this cup of coffee to him.
He only looked at the wall, placed an order for himself, enjoyed his coffee and left.
... probably the most beautiful wall you may ever see anywhere....!!!
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Movie Review: Roy
Roy. There are two ways to do it. Join the critics and talk about how excruciatingly slow it is. Look at it as the story of a brooding writer-director who is making a movie about himself, using a heroine who looks like the girl he has just fallen in love, and broken off, with.
Or, you can indulge yourself in it. Fall in love with the handsome hunk in Arjun Rampal, with his whiskey and cigar, his coat and hat, and the typewriter. You can fall in love with the beautiful Jacqueline Fernandes in her double role, her beautiful dresses (which, I hear, have been designed by herself). You can admire Ranbir on his Harley as he majestically rides through the woods on curvy roads when he isn't bobbing on the choppy waters in the yatch. You can groove to Chitti Kalaiyaan and Suraj Dooba Hai. You can sway with Jacqueline as she does the ballet on the beach. You can drink in the warm colors on the palette, and you can appreciate the beautiful subtleties on screen. Admire the significance of Ranbir's character, stuck in limbo on the yatch in the middle of the ocean, as the heartbroken director withdraws into his room, unable to take the script ahead. You can wait till the end, and watch Ranbir's character unite with his love and walk into the painting.
You can criticize it and get on to watching the world cup. Or you can immerse yourself in Vikranjit Singh's beautiful movie and indulge your senses.
Or, you can indulge yourself in it. Fall in love with the handsome hunk in Arjun Rampal, with his whiskey and cigar, his coat and hat, and the typewriter. You can fall in love with the beautiful Jacqueline Fernandes in her double role, her beautiful dresses (which, I hear, have been designed by herself). You can admire Ranbir on his Harley as he majestically rides through the woods on curvy roads when he isn't bobbing on the choppy waters in the yatch. You can groove to Chitti Kalaiyaan and Suraj Dooba Hai. You can sway with Jacqueline as she does the ballet on the beach. You can drink in the warm colors on the palette, and you can appreciate the beautiful subtleties on screen. Admire the significance of Ranbir's character, stuck in limbo on the yatch in the middle of the ocean, as the heartbroken director withdraws into his room, unable to take the script ahead. You can wait till the end, and watch Ranbir's character unite with his love and walk into the painting.
You can criticize it and get on to watching the world cup. Or you can immerse yourself in Vikranjit Singh's beautiful movie and indulge your senses.
Movie Review: Tusk
When podcaster Wallace Bryton, always on the lookout for the strange and the weird, goes missing in the remote mountains of Canada, his best friend and co-podcaster Teddy and girlfriend Allison join forces with a detective to look for him. What they find will horrify them, as much as it will thrill you while you live through Wallace's transformation from man to walrus!
The best scene of the movie - the sequence at the very end.
The best scene of the movie - the sequence at the very end.
Movie Review: Friends With Benefits
Never got to seeing this before, although I had caught bits and pieces on TV... but I must say this ranks as one of my most favorite friendship movies of all time. Mila Kunis is highly underrated as an actress, and her character in FWB is one you will relate to, and fall in love with!
A perfect movie to watch on DVD with your special someone!
A perfect movie to watch on DVD with your special someone!
Movie Review: Dolly Ki Doli
Dolly and her "family" run a very profitable business - the business of one-night marriages, in the course of which she drugs her in laws and husband with glasses of spiked milk, and runs away with the riches.
But as the victims keeping piling up, is she stretching it too far?
DKD is a nice, simple movie with yet another gorgeous performance by Sonam Kapoor, the very lovable Rajkummar Rao, the dashing Pulkit Sharma and a tiny cameo by Saif Ali Khan. Not too predictable, with a couple of nice twists and turns, DKD is definitely worth a watch.
But as the victims keeping piling up, is she stretching it too far?
DKD is a nice, simple movie with yet another gorgeous performance by Sonam Kapoor, the very lovable Rajkummar Rao, the dashing Pulkit Sharma and a tiny cameo by Saif Ali Khan. Not too predictable, with a couple of nice twists and turns, DKD is definitely worth a watch.
Movie Review: Birdman
Birdman is a dark comedy about an actor (Michael Keaton), famous in the past for his role as an iconic superhero, as he struggles to overcome his recent reverses and resurrect his career through a play on Broadway.
Shot mostly in the darkrooms and tired corridors behind the stage, Birdman is vibrant with power packed, layered performances and an intense screenplay. Do watch out for the father-daughter scenes Keaton plays with the stunning Emma Stone, and Emma's scenes on the terrace. Watch out for Birdman's flight of fantasy, and the wonderfully dark end!
Awesome!
Shot mostly in the darkrooms and tired corridors behind the stage, Birdman is vibrant with power packed, layered performances and an intense screenplay. Do watch out for the father-daughter scenes Keaton plays with the stunning Emma Stone, and Emma's scenes on the terrace. Watch out for Birdman's flight of fantasy, and the wonderfully dark end!
Awesome!
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