New Maruti Wagon-R VXi Glistening Grey Ownership Review


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Hi all,
My previous car was 800 5speed DX (2001). we were very sorry to part with it. it had 62k on the ODO. gave an avg FE of 28KMPL on highways and ~22 on city. the reasons for exchanging were
1. Too low seats (my legs are little long and it was getting difficult on long trips)
2. my father is getting old and ingress/outgress is difficult
3. limited space @ porch so that i can't keep two cars

so our hunt began on which car. all my friends were recommending i10.. But somehow i didn't like the car. My plan was to go for MUL.

My uncle wanted me to buy Indica V2.. But one of my friends who owns an event management company discouraged me, he said that your avg run per month is very low for you to have a diesel. so my next choices were

1. Estilo
2. Figo
3. Santro
4. A-Star
5. Eeco

I went to Hyundai showroom and i10 and Santro were cancelled out... Santro being very outdated and i10 too low for me.

next visited Ford Figo was again ruled out, even though it had lot of space (i got a tip from a friend that the figo tends to hit speed brakers) moreover that too was on the low side.

next went to Maruti. A-Star was ruled out as i was not able to fit in the rear seat., so now remains Estilo and EEco. All my family stood against Eeco stating that it is a "Van".

so in the end it came to be Estilo...
OK i took a test drive, and was very happy with the new Estilo.

+ Very Light Steering
+ Lot of Space in the hatch
+ comfortable seats

- Rear leg room a little low

While we were almost on to Estilo, the price dealer offered for my car was too low.. so we planned to keep the old car also. then again my wife and me paid a visit to another MUL dealer near our house. Popular Kottayam.

They received us very Cordially, and while having all these discussions the y evaluated my car and gave me a very good price. The truevalue guy was a gentleman and it was he who suggested that i should check the "WagonR". He came with us personally for the TD.

+ Lots of leg room, head room
+ bigger tyres
+ rear leg room is ample
+ seat height is very good
+ tilt steering
+ Wide opening doors

- boot space is low
- rear seats are a little too angled
- no seat height adjuster
- steering bit tight
- little less power

But despite all the negatives, i found that WagonR is the car for me... so at first we decided to book Lxi. Then later learned that even with huge discounts over Vxi the price difference is ~30k. So i decided to book the VXi Glistening Grey.



the Dealer gave me
Sun control films
Mats
Mud guards
Perfume
Steering wheel cover


the other accessories i purchased were
- Reverse Camera with sensor
- Full mat
- Bumper guard
- Rain Gaurd


I am not much ICE fan. the integrated HU is crappy and does not have USB, (the adapter costs 5000)

Btw i have posted int his forum regarding the USB adapter i10 and SX4 has them. can anybody enlighten me on this and whether thay can be used in the Nippon HU that comes with VXi?

As we were going for my wife's home at Aluva for Onam, i requested the car to be ready on 2 Sept. at 10:00 Hrs (good muhurtham)

We got the Car and after coming to home we went to Ettumanoor Mahadeva Temple for the Pooja.

when we reached there the pooja time was almost over, and at the counter they said come back tomorrow, my wife was very sad and she cried. i comforted her and we went inside the temple i don't know how but the "Main Thanthri" came out and looked at and we asked it it possible to give the key for pooja? he agreed. it was surprising and we were very happy.

After driving an 800 for 10 years, Waggie was a gift for my legs and it gives good under thigh support. but the road view was very difficult for me as i cannot see directly in front (ie when entering a pot hole etc)

Some say that NVH levels are high. but it doesn't bother me.
i am not a fast driver i always stick to50 whenever possible. (40 on two wheels) even when i went to bangalore from Kottayam.

From the first day onwards i noticed a thud sound coming from the FL.
i thought some belt may be loose. as we had to goto aluva i didn't bother taking it to MASS.

The truevalue guy gave me my old Horn (TVS bought 9 years ago) said that it is a very good one and don't give it away.

i had that fixed at 430 KM.


after a few days the free steering wheel cover started irritating my hands some kind of allergy.. so i went to the dealer and bought MGA Steering wheel cover Black.

AC is good. and i keep the temp a little high (all of us not chill fans and my father has asthmatic problems). The mechanic said that i should not fiddle with AC thermostat and should always keep it to extreme cold or it is not good for the compressor is this ture?

upto 935 kms we were going short runs as instructed in the manual. i never crossed 3k rpm.

1 Service @ 935 on 5 october.


I reported

  • thud sound from FL
  • Headlights dimming when AC is on
  • rust near the catalytic converter
When the vehicle was delivered, the SA told me that the thud sound is not because of any belt, but coming from the axle, so keep going and we will get the axle replaced at next service under warranty. i fumed and throwed a tantrum . Another seniro SA came and i got a TD scheduled for 8th. the SA said that the problem could be wheel bearing. after a 30 km test drive. i got it corrected.
the for the Head light dimming he said that i am driving very slowly so when the compressor kicks is the head lights will dim a little. and the rust he says every car has it and showed me another one.


the initial FE was ~ 16 KMPL (upto 500km (100% AC))
now @ 1333 km i am getting 21.72 on highway (100 % AC)
city 13.33 (100% AC)

fr.JPG

fr1.JPG

1rear.jpg

side.JPG

side1.JPG

Now planning to fit alloys. which one is better non-mga or MGA?

Second and Third Service details


Accessories list till 20-10-2012

LED upgrades till 20-10-2012 Philips X-Treme Vision bulb upgrade

20K service + LED boot light + LED tail lamp

OBD II ELM 327 ECU reader (Bluetooth) Installation

Adding clear lens side turn indicators

New Tyres

Rain Guards for the ORVM!!!

Changing fog lamp to LED

Changing the reverse lamps and Front cabin light to CREE LED
 
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Re: Ownership+1000km review WagonR VXi

congrats buddy and great review!! well for alloys i will say go for non mga!!
 
Thread Starter #3
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Re: Ownership+1000km review WagonR VXi

congrats buddy and great review!! well for alloys i will say go for non mga!!
Thanks...
i visited the dealership they are offering NON-MGA 14" for 3750/-
but some say that MGA is good they have accurate holes, offset etc... so i am a little bit confused...
 
Thread Starter #4
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Real Blue eyed boy

Here i am posting new pics of my real blue eyed boy.
I think MUL could have added real blue lights. anyway i got them for my boy.[:)]

Oh i forgot to mention another point the new waggie is lacking on storage space, cubby holes etc... the passenger side dash is too clean you can't put anything there. MUL could added a pocket there....[confused]

Now guys i want some serious piece of advice.
Q. should i keep my stock 155/65 14" stock tires and upgrade to alloys
OR
wait till the tires worn out and plus-size to 15" alloys(if possible)?
Please note that my old car took 10 years to accomplish 62K!

If i am plus sizing
1. what is the needed air pressure
2. will the vehicle become hard to steer (will the load increase on EPS?)
3. does it have any impact on FE?
4. has any other negative impacts?
 

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Re: New Maruti Wagon-R VXi 1000+ Kms Ownership Review

upsizing to 15 may affect your suspensions and void its warranties. you have a long time before you decide so conduct further research. adding wider tyres can be good to and your car looks hot with those blue lights
 
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Re: Real Blue eyed boy

Here i am posting new pics of my real blue eyed boy.
I think MUL could have added real blue lights. anyway i got them for my boy.[:)]

Oh i forgot to mention another point the new waggie is lacking on storage space, cubby holes etc... the passenger side dash is too clean you can't put anything there. MUL could added a pocket there....[confused]

Now guys i want some serious piece of advice.
Q. should i keep my stock 155/65 14" stock tires and upgrade to alloys
OR
wait till the tires worn out and plus-size to 15" alloys(if possible)?
Please note that my old car took 10 years to accomplish 62K!

If i am plus sizing
1. what is the needed air pressure
2. will the vehicle become hard to steer (will the load increase on EPS?)
3. does it have any impact on FE?
4. has any other negative impacts?
Upsizing the tyres to 15" needs low profile tyres.Low profile tyres can harm the ride quality.So IMHO,go for 14" alloys now.And when your tyres are worn out,you can put some wider tyres.
If ride quality is not a problem for you,then you can upsize to safer limits.
Low profile tyres are wider and have more grip.So obviously there will be slight decrease in FE.
 
Thread Starter #7
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Re: Real Blue eyed boy

And when your tyres are worn out,you can put some wider tyres.
I have decided against the 15" as the ride quality and FE decreases..
Now kindly advice me whether i should opt MGA or non-MGA alloys (for MGA they claim that they have accurate holes, correct offset etc..)
 
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Re: Real Blue eyed boy

I have decided against the 15" as the ride quality and FE decreases..
Now kindly advice me whether i should opt MGA or non-MGA alloys (for MGA they claim that they have accurate holes, correct offset etc..)

MGA alloys don't have those killer looks.And you can get much better aftermarket alloys.Plati,Neo,ADR,and even Aura,etc is worth looking at.
So IMHO,check the design of MGA.And if you like that,go for it.

Otherwise go for the other.[:D]
 
Thread Starter #9
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Re: Real Blue eyed boy

MGA alloys don't have those killer looks.And you can get much better aftermarket alloys.Plati,Neo,ADR,and even Aura,etc is worth looking at.
So IMHO,check the design of MGA.And if you like that,go for it.

Otherwise go for the other.[:D]
Thank you very much for your comments.. i want to upgrade to alloys for the following reasons...
1. less weight
2. better cooling of tires
3. better cooling of brake pads.

can you guide me on the approximate price and good quality alloys and any shop in Kottayam (some say that buying alloy is very tricky as they can be low quality also..)

i just asked about MGA because they said that it has correct holes and offset (kindly enlighten me on the offset.).

if i am moving to a wider tyre later, do i have to buy alloys considering that also (future proof)?
 
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Re: New Maruti Wagon-R VXi 1000+ Kms Ownership Review

Dont go for local brands or even chinese things.
Plati is a good brand and will also be pocket friendly.
Holes and the offset will not be a problem,I think.

Yeah you can go for wider tyres later(on the same alloy wheels).
 
Thread Starter #11
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Re: New Maruti Wagon-R VXi 1000+ Kms Ownership Review

Dont go for local brands or even chinese things.
Plati is a good brand and will also be pocket friendly.
Holes and the offset will not be a problem,I think.

Yeah you can go for wider tyres later(on the same alloy wheels).
Can you please tell me the approximate price for the Plati 14". i think it is better to go for 5 instead of 4. am i right? the dealer is offering NON-MGA @ 3750/-

Is Plati easly avilabe? is it easy to get a replacement if i broke one?
 
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Re: New Maruti Wagon-R VXi 1000+ Kms Ownership Review

Can you please tell me the approximate price for the Plati 14". i think it is better to go for 5 instead of 4. am i right? the dealer is offering NON-MGA @ 3750/-

Is Plati easly avilabe? is it easy to get a replacement if i broke one?
Plati 14" should'nt cost anything more than 3k per wheel for a regular. And most importantly, when you are going for alloys, never buy from dealerships who offer nothing but age old design at horrifying costs.
 
Thread Starter #13
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Re: New Maruti Wagon-R VXi 1000+ Kms Ownership Review

The website does not offer a dealer's list. if some local dealer is offering plati, how will i make sure that it is genuine?
 
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Re: New Maruti Wagon-R VXi 1000+ Kms Ownership Review

Btw i have posted int his forum regarding the USB adapter i10 and SX4 has them. can anybody enlighten me on this and whether thay can be used in the Nippon HU that comes with VXi?
The adapter can be bought as an after market accessory for 800bucks. However i am not sure of its quality.


The website does not offer a dealer's list. if some local dealer is offering plati, how will i make sure that it is genuine?
You can check out their website and get their showroom locations.
 
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Thread Starter #15
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Stupid me................

The adapter can be bought as an after market accessory for 800bucks. However i am not sure of its quality.
Thank you. but when i inquired the price was ~5000! (MGA for WagonR, while i guess that MGP for SX4 may cost less) are you sure that it costs only 800 is it 13pin DIN?



You can check out their website and get their showroom locations.
Only Ludhiana address is there i will mail them.

Now comes my Stupidity. After installing the Blue-Eye i decided (very foolishly) to change the numberplate lights to LED.[frustration]

i bought a pair, and started changing them.................
in the end i got them fixed...with the following results
1. got nick and cuts in my hand
2. had to open the hatchback doorpad
3. one of the rubber spacer is loose
4. lost a few grommets of the door pad
5. lost 3 hours.[frustration]

learned my lesson never again i will do such a thing it was my foolish ego that prevented me from visiting the garage. in the end all's well except for the above and God saved me. took the car to the temple this morning too.
 

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