Thread Starter
#1
hello everyone,
This is my first thread on this forum and also the first ownership review.(really??)
I bought this car (sorry no name of my car) in feb 2011. Was set out with a limited budget of 3.5l (Max) and the theory was the cheaper the better.
i know people would say i bought the wrong car if my preference was cheap but let the story unfold.
so where were we?? oh yeah. the budget. Now 3.5 will get u some nice options in the market (not the second hand one). so was spoilt with choices. Not really.
Now the requirements:
a) should be big enough to give me breathing room.
b) should be cheap to run. ('cheap' is the key word of this thread)
c) would be driven by me and would carry me only most of the time. well 99% of time.
The selection Process:
Now i consider myself as a guy who has fair knowledge of automobiles and i knew what i was looking for. (in short MARUTI). remember the key word!
these are the options i TDed.
Alto: have driven this car many times but i somehow feel that inspite of being more powerful than an 800 it isnt as peppy as one. Maybe i am wrong.
was being pushed by my pop for this car but ye dil maange more.
K10: now thats a pocket rocket. lively engine better looking than alto.
but and this is a big but. i couldnt breathe. there was no room to move my right arm after sitting in it. No i cant live with something like that.
and yes the brakes leave a lot to be desired.
Wagon R: the new k10b engine has given this box some fangs. it really moves. while TDing it i suddenly encounered a hole in the road. big enough to eat a truck. so i swerved and by god i tell u this that was scary. the car was almost out of control. ya ya i was doing some good speed so what?
why give so much beans to this car whose handling is a goner.
any way the next was estilo and threre were pretty nice discounts on this car at that time. free stereo, speakers, wheel caps and much more.
but the looks were very girly. my opinion.
Now comes the star: test drove it. nothing special. same k10b engine i have been driving in TDs. it just did some things differently.
it gave me space to move. my right arm was thankful. seats were awesome.
the front seats are like Sofa. lots of travel. nice height. and thats where i am going to be. loved it
it did not scare the bejesus out me when i tried to swerve at high speed. nice composure.
Brakes were up to the mark.
Decided. A-Star it is.![[cheers]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Cheers.gif "Cheers [cheers]")
booked the car and initiated the loan process.
got the car on desired date. my pop accompanied me.
Now the dealership: SA was nice. even got scolded by my pop. since we had to wait for the car to arrive from gurgaon. and this was after i told SA the delivery date well in advance. we waited for around 3 hrs doing nothing.(well drinking chai and eating chips doesn't count). i was hungry. in the meanwhile the manager came to meet us explained the cause of delay. nice. it might be because my pop again scolded SA and senior SA. (i know he is short tempered). any attempt to pacify him from my end would have backfired. since he had to travel on that day to attend a marriage some 300kms away.
finally it arrived. got it washed. in the meanwhile my mom arrived as well.
so got the delivery and set off alone for home. and yes the SA poured some 5ltrs of petrol in it. i filled fuel at nearby bunk and then set off(again??).
My car is a white A-Star Lxi.
now why white. simply because i can not clean my car on a daily basis.
why Lxi. coz it was cheap(er). anyway doesnt make a difference since i managed to get front power windows from the dealer Free of cost.
Now the driving experience.
i didn't strain the engine in first 2k kms. after that i did. off course i had to. because of that keeda i have in me.
Lovely drive. very less cabin noise. and the built quality is nice. the plastics are cheap off course because that's what i aimed for.
My observation: i have heard so many people talk about that German thud when u close the door. well we have that as well in an Indian made car and that's A-Star. Don't believe me? check it out yourself.
now comes the driving experience part:
i love to rip it and the engine sounds sweet at high rpms. have bruised egos of many cars and suvs much costlier than my own. nothing else to say.
summing it up- its a car to drive.
Now the question of rear seats: i have sat in rear seats about two or three times and i did face problem. why because i am more that 6'. my mom also sat and did not complain.
The million dollar question: kitna deti hai.
my answer would be ' it depends on how you drive'
for example my dad had this car for over a month and he constantly crib about the poor mileage of 13kmpl he was getting and how bad a choice i have made.
so decided to call CID. Tagged along pop an his driver and immediately got the answer. he was changing gears at very high rpms. 3rd to 4rth was made at 70-80 kmph!!!![[frustration]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Frustration.gif "Frustration [frustration]")
ACP Pradyuman pointed it out but dad decided thats he doesnt know what he is talking about.
finally got a chance to do a long drive along with father. i managed 21 kmpl at expressway speeds(read 100-110) along with AC.
pointed it out again this time dad agreed.
so it all boils down to how u drive. I get around 18.5 kmpl in Delhi. with occasional ripping. i get a range of about 550-600 kms on a tankful. pretty happy with it.
now the boot: sufficient enough for me and thats all i am going to say.
Since i am thinking of making it a running journal i will keep on updating it.
and i will also keep on updating the Mileage i get along with the conditions it is running in. and would like to see the trend being followed on this forum as it will give us a better idea of how a car is going to behave in particular condition. For the country that's obsessed with mileage. i know i am.
Packing up.
![[:)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Smile.gif "Smile [:)]")
This is my first thread on this forum and also the first ownership review.(really??)
I bought this car (sorry no name of my car) in feb 2011. Was set out with a limited budget of 3.5l (Max) and the theory was the cheaper the better.
i know people would say i bought the wrong car if my preference was cheap but let the story unfold.
so where were we?? oh yeah. the budget. Now 3.5 will get u some nice options in the market (not the second hand one). so was spoilt with choices. Not really.
Now the requirements:
a) should be big enough to give me breathing room.
b) should be cheap to run. ('cheap' is the key word of this thread)
c) would be driven by me and would carry me only most of the time. well 99% of time.
The selection Process:
Now i consider myself as a guy who has fair knowledge of automobiles and i knew what i was looking for. (in short MARUTI). remember the key word!
these are the options i TDed.
Alto: have driven this car many times but i somehow feel that inspite of being more powerful than an 800 it isnt as peppy as one. Maybe i am wrong.
was being pushed by my pop for this car but ye dil maange more.
K10: now thats a pocket rocket. lively engine better looking than alto.
but and this is a big but. i couldnt breathe. there was no room to move my right arm after sitting in it. No i cant live with something like that.
and yes the brakes leave a lot to be desired.
Wagon R: the new k10b engine has given this box some fangs. it really moves. while TDing it i suddenly encounered a hole in the road. big enough to eat a truck. so i swerved and by god i tell u this that was scary. the car was almost out of control. ya ya i was doing some good speed so what?
why give so much beans to this car whose handling is a goner.
any way the next was estilo and threre were pretty nice discounts on this car at that time. free stereo, speakers, wheel caps and much more.
but the looks were very girly. my opinion.
Now comes the star: test drove it. nothing special. same k10b engine i have been driving in TDs. it just did some things differently.
it gave me space to move. my right arm was thankful. seats were awesome.
the front seats are like Sofa. lots of travel. nice height. and thats where i am going to be. loved it
it did not scare the bejesus out me when i tried to swerve at high speed. nice composure.
Brakes were up to the mark.
Decided. A-Star it is.
booked the car and initiated the loan process.
got the car on desired date. my pop accompanied me.
Now the dealership: SA was nice. even got scolded by my pop. since we had to wait for the car to arrive from gurgaon. and this was after i told SA the delivery date well in advance. we waited for around 3 hrs doing nothing.(well drinking chai and eating chips doesn't count). i was hungry. in the meanwhile the manager came to meet us explained the cause of delay. nice. it might be because my pop again scolded SA and senior SA. (i know he is short tempered). any attempt to pacify him from my end would have backfired. since he had to travel on that day to attend a marriage some 300kms away.
finally it arrived. got it washed. in the meanwhile my mom arrived as well.
so got the delivery and set off alone for home. and yes the SA poured some 5ltrs of petrol in it. i filled fuel at nearby bunk and then set off(again??).
My car is a white A-Star Lxi.
now why white. simply because i can not clean my car on a daily basis.
why Lxi. coz it was cheap(er). anyway doesnt make a difference since i managed to get front power windows from the dealer Free of cost.
Now the driving experience.
i didn't strain the engine in first 2k kms. after that i did. off course i had to. because of that keeda i have in me.
Lovely drive. very less cabin noise. and the built quality is nice. the plastics are cheap off course because that's what i aimed for.
My observation: i have heard so many people talk about that German thud when u close the door. well we have that as well in an Indian made car and that's A-Star. Don't believe me? check it out yourself.
now comes the driving experience part:
i love to rip it and the engine sounds sweet at high rpms. have bruised egos of many cars and suvs much costlier than my own. nothing else to say.
summing it up- its a car to drive.
Now the question of rear seats: i have sat in rear seats about two or three times and i did face problem. why because i am more that 6'. my mom also sat and did not complain.
The million dollar question: kitna deti hai.
my answer would be ' it depends on how you drive'
for example my dad had this car for over a month and he constantly crib about the poor mileage of 13kmpl he was getting and how bad a choice i have made.
so decided to call CID. Tagged along pop an his driver and immediately got the answer. he was changing gears at very high rpms. 3rd to 4rth was made at 70-80 kmph!!!
ACP Pradyuman pointed it out but dad decided thats he doesnt know what he is talking about.
finally got a chance to do a long drive along with father. i managed 21 kmpl at expressway speeds(read 100-110) along with AC.
pointed it out again this time dad agreed.
so it all boils down to how u drive. I get around 18.5 kmpl in Delhi. with occasional ripping. i get a range of about 550-600 kms on a tankful. pretty happy with it.
now the boot: sufficient enough for me and thats all i am going to say.
Since i am thinking of making it a running journal i will keep on updating it.
and i will also keep on updating the Mileage i get along with the conditions it is running in. and would like to see the trend being followed on this forum as it will give us a better idea of how a car is going to behave in particular condition. For the country that's obsessed with mileage. i know i am.
Packing up.
![[:D]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Big%20Smile.gif "Big Smile [:D]")
. If you drive alone 99% of the time, A- star is the best for you. Yes, the german thud, i have also checked it on my family friends car, its the VXI silver. Go for some nice alloys and debadge it. Totallly , rockstar you will become and what about dark tints (not that dark, but black) and get the foglamps and your car is a stunner. Actually your pop does too much revving, i think, because 70-80 in 3rd sounds a bit harsh. So where are the pics![[rules]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Rules.gif "Rules [rules]")
?.
![[;)]](https://www.theautomotiveindia.com/forums/images/smilies/Wink.gif "Wink [;)]")
