Wagon R Lxi : 8000kms review

BunnyPunia · 12th March 2007, 10:54

I was quite impressed with long term reports by members here and it actually makes sense to talk about your machine once it has put in some thousand kilometers on the road than talking about it within a week of its purchase etc…
I will start with the Wagon R, which joined our other two cars, the Ikon 1.6 and Zen Mpi in September 2006.
Recently, it completed 8000kms and heres a somewhat deep inside into the vehicle :

Looks

This is a very subjective issue, but I guess once you start living with the WagonR, the looks grow on you. I do imagine the car shod with lower pro 15inchers many a times and wonder how it would look with them! The latest treatment given by the MUL guys has done some wonders to the way the car looks now.

As the body is quite tall, the 13inchers do look tiny but they do perform quite well, if the car is used the way it is designed for

Interiors

I guess this is one of the strongest points of the WagonR. These are lotsa small places to keep your stuff including small cans/glasses. The interiors look and feel big, bigger than say the likes of the new Zen. With the front seat pushed all the way back, the front leg room is quite impressive even for a 6ft guy like me. Havent got a chance to sit at the rear for a considerable amount of time and hence cant comment.

Engine, gearbox
We also own a 2000 model Zen Mpi which has clocked around 1,44,000kms. Obviously comparing the WagonR’s engine to the Zen’s wouldn’t be fair but still its gives an idea about how small engines work and feel. The WagonR’s engine, to me, feels better than the Zen’s only in roll-ons, that is, in city traffic, when one is crawling at low speeds in high gear : the car picks up well from speeds like 15-20 in 3rd and so on. The engine however sounds rough once you give it the stick but somewhat loves revving all the way to the limiter. Yes, she spins the wheels in 2nd too, but then that’s missing the point, isn’t it. It’s a city car and feels best when driven sanely.
The gearbox is one thing which tops my list of changes : its horrible to say the least. For someone new to WagonR, he/she wont be able to shift in reverse and 5th at all. The less I talk about it, the better it is.
Fuel economy : tanked her up yesterday and this time the car returned 13.2kmpl. this includes sane city traffic driving, around 15% a/c usage. Yep, fuel economy is on the low side, our zen in similar driving conditions in Delhi returns around 15 even after 1.44lac kms!
On the whole, we are satisfied, though not happy with the gearbox.

Suspension, handling
What can you expect from such a car? Tall boy design and all… well it handles (surprisingly) quite well for its height and the power assisted steering is a delight in city traffic. Suspension too is decent enough and the car can take the rough roads too. Only when you are doing triple digit speeds that you have be careful while changing lanes, otherwise its good enuf for this kind of vehicle.

So…
I love the car, it is the best choice (as per my personal opinion) for someone looking for a practical city vehicle. Pricing is good, interiors are roomy and practical, decent FE and it’s a Maruti : for me peace of mind is a big thing!

Other WagonR owners, do you also face the gearbox problem? Has it been resolved? What FE figs are you getting?

mobike008 · 13th March 2007, 14:55

Nice review with pictures. Wagon R is meant for city driving and not a great one on the highways.

Also due to its notchy gearbox which is not fixed up in it's face lift is really a pity as its losing out on popularity pretty fast.

carCrazy25 · 13th March 2007, 22:23

Wow the Wagon R looks a lot better now.
My sis is buying it, hopefully my mom likes the new looks.

DCEite · 13th March 2007, 22:42

Nice review their Bunny. I agree with most of your points.

Quote:

For someone new to WagonR, he/she wont be able to shift in reverse and 5th at all.

Well after 3 years, i still cant!

Nah its a nice car. A good all rounder.. isnt it.

CrAzY dRiVeR · 13th March 2007, 23:01

Absolutely...

Donno Why i dont seem to have such horrible issues with the gearbox... The gearbox is far from perfect... But still hasnt given me any real issues as such...

benbsb29 · 14th March 2007, 11:26

The Wagon R is quite a practical car, although i cannot digest its looks.
Had opportunities to travel in my teammates car while going out for teamlunches, and is spacious.

Somehow, i prefer the looks of the car pre-makeover, as against the newer looks.

johy · 14th March 2007, 11:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by benbsb29

The Wagon R is quite a practical car, although i cannot digest its looks.
Had opportunities to travel in my teammates car while going out for teamlunches, and is spacious.

Somehow, i prefer the looks of the car pre-makeover, as against the newer looks.

Practical - I think it has an overpractical look about it, I think too much for most people to digest. I do not like the look of the new WagonR too much, but I must confess Bunny's silver beauty here looks pretty slick in that lovely evening light. I think it looks good in white too, just like the Santro does in white - but I am surprised I don't too many takers in that color.

Nice ride Bunny!

Su-47 · 14th March 2007, 11:56

BunnyPunia,

Nice review. I had to drive a relative's wagon-r sometime back on a highway, and its handling was better than I expected.

If I can make a suggestion, please remove that plastic cover thing from the drivers seat. Your bottom will thank you

Cheers,
Su-47

BunnyPunia · 14th March 2007, 18:03

as a surprise, a month back, when i drove my 'then gf's' (wife now

) Wagon R which is around 2 yrs old, i found the 'box to be very nice!

anyways, yeah, the lights added to the look of the car in the pic...

one more thing i found out today, my bro, who usually drives the car ( i drive the ikon mostly), he keeps the air pressure at around 28psi for a more comfy ride and i think if one sticks to the company recommended pressure (around 32?), the avg should go up to around 14...

su-47 : yeah, its already on its way out. we somehow never saw/thought about it, but when i saw it in the pics, i immediately noted it...

review of ikon (55000+kms) and zen (1.44 + lac kms) coming up soon

tathagata · 25th June 2007, 16:37

Nice write up. The car too looks nice in the pics though I also prefer the pre-makeover look of the car. I myself own a 1st. generation Wagon-R and I am still holding to it only because of its' ease of drive and hassel free maintanance. Yes the gears do give me some problems time and again but I have learnt to live with it now.

BunnyPunia · 26th June 2007, 15:04

update : we got the gearbox thingy rectified from the workshop. shifts have become smoother now. the car has now clocked over 11,000kms too

CrAzY dRiVeR · 4th July 2007, 08:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by BunnyPunia

update : we got the gearbox thingy rectified from the workshop. shifts have become smoother now. the car has now clocked over 11,000kms too

My shifts have become a bit hard. Was real smooth except for the first gear. Now both first and fifth have become a bit notchy.

I guess nothing that the service guys can't correct.

ramkya1 · 9th July 2007, 18:57

Hai There,

This is actually short term ownership report.......

Just took delivery of a WR - LXI, had booked it during the 15K offer period, finally got it for 17 K off,,on the road 395000/- all told. We installed Scorpio brand Power windows for the front, Rs.5000/- an Xplod system, 4 oval speakers, extra horn, wheel caps, steering grip, rub strip,, etc... etc, all totalled to around 22K.

Car is for my wife, sold off the 5 yr old Santro LP. During the WR test drive, the gears were sticky, the demo guy told in the new car it would be fine. The gears on the new car is notchy, 5th gear near impossible to engage, but reverse is smooth. 2nd and 3rd are also very notchy, I have to engage it carefully.

I guess what we have to get used to is the pick-up, clearly less than the carb engine and the Santro. Once its rolling it OK and the EPS a great convenience. I find it's a great little car in terms of space, FE, decent power and lots of cubby holes for sundry. In comparision to Fusion, I find the Wagon R more convenient in traffic. No wonder out of 10 cars I see here, at least 3/4 of them are Wagon R's.

The sound proofing is thin,, when I put the volume on my Xplod at around 25, the back panel and number plates do a jig, passers by around me gape at me; on the Fusion the sound proofing is great.

Just my 2 pennys worth.....

--Ramky

=============

CrAzY dRiVeR · 9th July 2007, 21:06

Guys,

Have got the gear problem sorted out. Actually, the rod under the shifter was damaged when something hit the underbody and that cause the notchy shifts. Replaced that and life is back to normal again.

By the way, Bunny, forgot the thread? Time for some updates.

snaronikar · 10th July 2007, 12:06

Hi, Guys,
I am driving Wagon R from past 4 years and own one from past 3 years. Yes, it does have the gear problem. The shifting to reverse and from 2nd to 1st is very notchy. Usually it is very hard from shifting from 2nd to 1st. and from Neutral to Reverse it shifts with a "thud" sound. I'am leaving with it from past 4 years.....I even asked the mechanic in servicng and he informed that all Wagon R's will come with this problem and company (MUL) needs to rectify this.....

12th March 2007, 10:54	#1
BunnyPunia BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 895 Thanked: 1,257 Times View My Garage	Wagon R Lxi : 8000kms review I was quite impressed with long term reports by members here and it actually makes sense to talk about your machine once it has put in some thousand kilometers on the road than talking about it within a week of its purchase etc… I will start with the Wagon R, which joined our other two cars, the Ikon 1.6 and Zen Mpi in September 2006. Recently, it completed 8000kms and heres a somewhat deep inside into the vehicle : Looks This is a very subjective issue, but I guess once you start living with the WagonR, the looks grow on you. I do imagine the car shod with lower pro 15inchers many a times and wonder how it would look with them! The latest treatment given by the MUL guys has done some wonders to the way the car looks now. As the body is quite tall, the 13inchers do look tiny but they do perform quite well, if the car is used the way it is designed for Interiors I guess this is one of the strongest points of the WagonR. These are lotsa small places to keep your stuff including small cans/glasses. The interiors look and feel big, bigger than say the likes of the new Zen. With the front seat pushed all the way back, the front leg room is quite impressive even for a 6ft guy like me. Havent got a chance to sit at the rear for a considerable amount of time and hence cant comment. Engine, gearbox We also own a 2000 model Zen Mpi which has clocked around 1,44,000kms. Obviously comparing the WagonR’s engine to the Zen’s wouldn’t be fair but still its gives an idea about how small engines work and feel. The WagonR’s engine, to me, feels better than the Zen’s only in roll-ons, that is, in city traffic, when one is crawling at low speeds in high gear : the car picks up well from speeds like 15-20 in 3rd and so on. The engine however sounds rough once you give it the stick but somewhat loves revving all the way to the limiter. Yes, she spins the wheels in 2nd too, but then that’s missing the point, isn’t it. It’s a city car and feels best when driven sanely. The gearbox is one thing which tops my list of changes : its horrible to say the least. For someone new to WagonR, he/she wont be able to shift in reverse and 5th at all. The less I talk about it, the better it is. Fuel economy : tanked her up yesterday and this time the car returned 13.2kmpl. this includes sane city traffic driving, around 15% a/c usage. Yep, fuel economy is on the low side, our zen in similar driving conditions in Delhi returns around 15 even after 1.44lac kms! On the whole, we are satisfied, though not happy with the gearbox. Suspension, handling What can you expect from such a car? Tall boy design and all… well it handles (surprisingly) quite well for its height and the power assisted steering is a delight in city traffic. Suspension too is decent enough and the car can take the rough roads too. Only when you are doing triple digit speeds that you have be careful while changing lanes, otherwise its good enuf for this kind of vehicle. So… I love the car, it is the best choice (as per my personal opinion) for someone looking for a practical city vehicle. Pricing is good, interiors are roomy and practical, decent FE and it’s a Maruti : for me peace of mind is a big thing! Other WagonR owners, do you also face the gearbox problem? Has it been resolved? What FE figs are you getting?
	() Thanks

13th March 2007, 14:55	#2
mobike008 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 11,703 Thanked: 14,829 Times View My Garage	Nice review with pictures. Wagon R is meant for city driving and not a great one on the highways. Also due to its notchy gearbox which is not fixed up in it's face lift is really a pity as its losing out on popularity pretty fast.
	() Thanks

13th March 2007, 22:23	#3
carCrazy25 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 76 Thanked: 0 Times	Wow the Wagon R looks a lot better now. My sis is buying it, hopefully my mom likes the new looks.
	() Thanks

13th March 2007, 23:01	#5
CrAzY dRiVeR Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bangalore / TVM Posts: 17,181 Thanked: 73,503 Times View My Garage	Absolutely... Donno Why i dont seem to have such horrible issues with the gearbox... The gearbox is far from perfect... But still hasnt given me any real issues as such...
	() Thanks

14th March 2007, 11:26	#6
benbsb29 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Brisbane Posts: 9,968 Thanked: 13,223 Times View My Garage	The Wagon R is quite a practical car, although i cannot digest its looks. Had opportunities to travel in my teammates car while going out for teamlunches, and is spacious. Somehow, i prefer the looks of the car pre-makeover, as against the newer looks.
	() Thanks

14th March 2007, 11:56	#8
Su-47 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 692 Thanked: 337 Times	BunnyPunia, Nice review. I had to drive a relative's wagon-r sometime back on a highway, and its handling was better than I expected. If I can make a suggestion, please remove that plastic cover thing from the drivers seat. Your bottom will thank you Cheers, Su-47
	() Thanks

14th March 2007, 18:03	#9
BunnyPunia BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 895 Thanked: 1,257 Times View My Garage	well well... as a surprise, a month back, when i drove my 'then gf's' (wife now ) Wagon R which is around 2 yrs old, i found the 'box to be very nice! anyways, yeah, the lights added to the look of the car in the pic... one more thing i found out today, my bro, who usually drives the car ( i drive the ikon mostly), he keeps the air pressure at around 28psi for a more comfy ride and i think if one sticks to the company recommended pressure (around 32?), the avg should go up to around 14... su-47 : yeah, its already on its way out. we somehow never saw/thought about it, but when i saw it in the pics, i immediately noted it... review of ikon (55000+kms) and zen (1.44 + lac kms) coming up soon Last edited by BunnyPunia : 14th March 2007 at 18:12.
	() Thanks

25th June 2007, 16:37	#10
tathagata BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Kolkata Posts: 58 Thanked: 14 Times View My Garage	Nice write up. The car too looks nice in the pics though I also prefer the pre-makeover look of the car. I myself own a 1st. generation Wagon-R and I am still holding to it only because of its' ease of drive and hassel free maintanance. Yes the gears do give me some problems time and again but I have learnt to live with it now.
	() Thanks

26th June 2007, 15:04	#11
BunnyPunia BHPian Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 895 Thanked: 1,257 Times View My Garage	update : we got the gearbox thingy rectified from the workshop. shifts have become smoother now. the car has now clocked over 11,000kms too
	() Thanks

9th July 2007, 18:57	#13
ramkya1 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Palakkad, Keral Posts: 1,826 Thanked: 431 Times View My Garage	Gears Are Aweful !!!! Hai There, This is actually short term ownership report....... Just took delivery of a WR - LXI, had booked it during the 15K offer period, finally got it for 17 K off,,on the road 395000/- all told. We installed Scorpio brand Power windows for the front, Rs.5000/- an Xplod system, 4 oval speakers, extra horn, wheel caps, steering grip, rub strip,, etc... etc, all totalled to around 22K. Car is for my wife, sold off the 5 yr old Santro LP. During the WR test drive, the gears were sticky, the demo guy told in the new car it would be fine. The gears on the new car is notchy, 5th gear near impossible to engage, but reverse is smooth. 2nd and 3rd are also very notchy, I have to engage it carefully. I guess what we have to get used to is the pick-up, clearly less than the carb engine and the Santro. Once its rolling it OK and the EPS a great convenience. I find it's a great little car in terms of space, FE, decent power and lots of cubby holes for sundry. In comparision to Fusion, I find the Wagon R more convenient in traffic. No wonder out of 10 cars I see here, at least 3/4 of them are Wagon R's. The sound proofing is thin,, when I put the volume on my Xplod at around 25, the back panel and number plates do a jig, passers by around me gape at me; on the Fusion the sound proofing is great. Just my 2 pennys worth..... --Ramky ============= Last edited by ramkya1 : 9th July 2007 at 19:00. Reason: spelling
	() Thanks

9th July 2007, 21:06	#14
CrAzY dRiVeR Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bangalore / TVM Posts: 17,181 Thanked: 73,503 Times View My Garage	Guys, Have got the gear problem sorted out. Actually, the rod under the shifter was damaged when something hit the underbody and that cause the notchy shifts. Replaced that and life is back to normal again. By the way, Bunny, forgot the thread? Time for some updates.
	() Thanks

10th July 2007, 12:06	#15
snaronikar Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 2,845 Thanked: 29 Times View My Garage	Gear Shifting Problem in Maruti....... Hi, Guys, I am driving Wagon R from past 4 years and own one from past 3 years. Yes, it does have the gear problem. The shifting to reverse and from 2nd to 1st is very notchy. Usually it is very hard from shifting from 2nd to 1st. and from Neutral to Reverse it shifts with a "thud" sound. I'am leaving with it from past 4 years.....I even asked the mechanic in servicng and he informed that all Wagon R's will come with this problem and company (MUL) needs to rectify this.....
	() Thanks