Well, this review is sweet again(my past two reviews were sour) as it is regarding a long and hardcore love story that I have towards this product. With the kind of experience I have received from this product, it would be an injustice if I don’t post a review on it.
It all started in 2000 when I first saw the Wagon R in a motor show. I was working with the General Motors dealer in Thiruvananthapuram at that time and was in charge for displays and this Exotic Green Wagon R parked in the very next stall, without any delay caught my imagination. I was using an Omni at that time and was in love with the seating position, and I found the Wagon R providing the same kind of tall seating. I do agree that Omni is a big no-no when it comes to comfort, but since all of us are above 5’8”(Myself 6’3”) and no car except Omni could seat us properly, we did not have another option for the kind of money that we had.
Things were not different when my parents saw this car. The boxy design could never win any beauty contests(as is the case even now), but very easily made a place in all our hearts. The Santro was an option available at that time, but could never get into the hearts of me or my parents. The Omni we were using was only six months old and therefore we thought that we would replace it after one year. Due to our horrid experiences with an Ambassador which we used for a long 10+ years, we had decided while buying the Omni that we will not use it for more than two years. We had also decided that we will buy only new cars and that we will not use it for more than three to four years. After one year, the need of a car in our house was zero, as my father was transferred to a faraway place and was given an official car. Since the usage of the Omni reduced, and we sold it off but did not think of another car till 2004 when the needs for a car arouse.
One fine morning in 2004, my father who was then posted back to our home town, declared that we are going in for a new car. It was around this time that the car had a minor model change with new head lamps, tail lamps grille etc. and a new set of colors. There were no second thoughts regarding the vehicle and the unanimous decision was in favor of my much desired car, the Wagon R. Thus, a brand new Wagon R LXi Silky Silver drove into our house as well as into our hearts. I had fixed Alloy Wheels and Stereo along with side beading, remote central lock and art leather seat covers.
Satisfaction on the vehicle: Owned this car for 4.5 years, i.e., till December 2008(66, 000 Kms). Till that time it gave no trouble, not even a minor accident. Tyres lasted for 55, 000 Kms(it would have covered more than that but we had to appoint a driver in the mean time, who was not very careful about the car) and the battery was replaced in 60, 000 Kms(life not at all bad for an OE battery). Mileage I used to get was around 16.5 in city drive and 18 on highways both with AC on full time. Clutch was replaced in 60, 000 Kms due to the rough use by the driver.
Satisfaction with the services: The car was always serviced as per schedule at the authorized dealership(Indus Motor Company) from where it was purchased. Till the 20, 000 Km service, there were no major problems, but after that the services have been totally dissatisfactory, with the vehicle having to be sent for a second or a third time for repairing over looked concerns. At last, by 50, 000 services, I stopped going to this dealer. More on my experiences with MARUTI DEALERSHIPS will be posted in another review as the space won’t be sufficient and more over, I don’t want to post tragedies in a love story. Services were later shifted to a Maruti Authorised Service Center(referred to as MASS) who could provide much better experiences as compared to Dealer Workshops.
Time for a change: After this period(4.5 years / 66000 Kms), we were offered a good deal on the car by a friend of mine who is running a used car dealership. Well, we had the decision of replacing our cars once in four years. We also found that being December, there is a very tempting offer on new Wagon R(Not the K-Series). Quite interestingly, there was no other choice in the family; Ritz was not launched at that time. Even though we did not want to let go this car, we took the hard decision by recalling the AMBASSADOR EXPERIENCESwhich we had to undergo few years agojust out of sentiments towards the car we had owned. When I visited the dealership, I was amazed to find that Wagon R VXi will cost Rs.10, 000 less than what it had cost me in 2004, due to the offers prevailing. This time, even though my family members wanted to opt for silver(not again), I stood for a different color and this time the choice was to go for Blue.
Experiences on the current car: I was amazed to find few improvements over the previous model.
a) Cabin lights will go off only after few seconds or only after the door is locked / key is inserted into the ignition key barrel.
b) Central lock will work only if all the doors are properly shut.
c) Boot lid can be operated from inside the car.
d) Improvement in torque.
e) Improvement in gearshift over the previous car(even though it still had a rubbery feel).
f) Jerk in certain gears in the low speeds in the previous car has been completely eliminated.
g) Light is available in the boot also.
h) Clutch feels much lighter that in the previous model.
i) Power steering is much better.
Mileage is also marginally better(0.5 Kms over the previous vehicle)
But I really missed the 50:50 split seats which were there in our previous car. That was a really useful feature as the seats could be converted into near flat beds. But the positive side of a bench type seat is that it can seat three persons comfortable. In the 50:50 split type, the person in the middle would be a bit uncomfortable. The current vehicle has done 60, 000 Kms in just 2.5 years and it is going strong. I use the car for daily commuting to office. I also own an Alto since 2007 and is currently nearing replacement age. I really wanted to go in for the K Series, but under strong objection from parents and better half, considering Ritz or other vehicles. They say that they will not allow another Wagon R in the house! But Ritz does seem to be a better package now, as it is too good for long distance trips also. Moreover, there is a fabulous diesel engine available.
Experiences of servicing the current car at dealer workshop: Bought the vehicle from Popular Vehicles. Did the 1000 Km service there and stopped with that. Then went to Sarathy till 50, 000 Kms, now again back to the old MASS who is still doing a fabulous job even after handling almost the similar number of vehicles the dealership workshops are handling.
Positives that I feel about Wagon R: Extremely good in the city, Good driving position, Easy to park, Responsive power steering, Torque, Mileage, Strong body when compared to many other Maruti cars.
Negatives that I feel about Wagon R: Bit bouncy in rough roads(not a major issue as the suspension cannot be too soft for a tall boy design), Leg room not very great(After all, it is only a 3.8 lakhs car), few rattling sounds which can never be repaired(a concern I have heard even about Swift) and above all of coursethe dealerships and dealer workshops!
