Zen Estilo - 10,000 km Report

[rrs1951]

Moderators: Please move this report to the appropriate forum, if necessary.

Here is the 10000km report on Zen Estilo Vxi, which I have. I bought this pearl silver coloured car in the third week of March 2008.


I will not write about the features of this car, but restrict myself to the experiences, and my own opinions.


On an average, my running is about 1000 km per month in Mumbai. I drive through dense traffic and more often than not, get caught up in traffic jams. So far the car has completed 10,246 km. Other than city driving, I made one trip from Mumbai to Pune and back, and another one, Mumbai – Goa – Mumbai.


Experience and Own Opinions:


The car has a nice aerodynamic shape, resembling Innova.

There is a fair amount of space for a small car. The car can carry four adults and maybe a small kid. There is enough legroom for both front and rear passengers. The head room is good. It's easy even for elderly people to enter and get out of the car. The boot has a decent size. The interior design is nice. Beige interiors help in giving a roomy appearance. Instrument cluster has large dials and you can read it at a glance. Quality of switchgear is good. The air-conditioner is powerful. I never had to set it at maximum. Electrically operated ORVMs are quite convenient, too. The seats, while comfortable enough, could have been designed to offer a little more thigh support. The ride quality is good, though not as good as my previous car, an Indica. According to one of my relatives who owns a Santro, the ride quality is better than Santro's. The brakes are very good.


Performance:


The engine is quite peppy. The pick-up is very good, especially once you reach about 1800 rpm. The torque characteristics are such that you don't have to change gears frequently. This car is designed to be a city car, and as such has excellent driveability in city. Basically a city car and is quite nimble in city. However, it should be driven more conservatively on highways when you approach turns and not like one of those Formula One cars, except on straight stretches. It copes up with the start and stop city traffic beautifully. Contrary to what I had expected from the various reviews, I found no problem with the gearshift. Never changed into a wrong gear so far. You require comparatively fewer gear shifts on this car due to the torque characteristics of the engine/gearbox. I get a fuel efficiency of 11.4 kpl with AC on all the time (tank full to tank full) within Mumbai, with all the traffic jams. I generally do not switch off the engine at signals, since I like to keep the AC on all the time.


This car is basically a city car. However, it managed a Mumbai – Pune - Mumbai trip and a Mumbai – Goa – Mumbai trip very well. You can comfortably take it past 100 kph on straight stretches. I stopped at 115 kph, though I could have gone further. The engine sound is noticeable above 100-110 kph. The electronic power steering cuts out at 70 kph, though you have to be really attentive to notice it. There was no problem negotiating the twisting and turning road in the ghats. The engine temperature did not go up noticeably during climbs. I got the following fuel efficiency figures on these trips:


18.4 kpl with AC on all the time (tank full to tank full) during Mumbai – Pune – Mumbai trip.
17.4 kpl with AC on all the time (tank full to tank full) during Mumbai – Goa trip (via Kolhapur).
14.6 kpl with AC on all the time (tank full to tank full) within Goa.
16.6 kpl with AC on all the time (tank full to tank full) during Goa – Mumbai trip (through Konkan).


Problems faced:


The horn was the only part that failed once. It was replaced free of charge. There was a little bit of rattling sound coming from the area which anchors the front right seat belt. It was so low that none of my passengers could hear it. This was fixed at the time of the third service.


The car met with an accident when it was about two months old. It was a “serial accident” where somebody braked suddenly and vehicles bumped into each other. My car was the sixth in line, but could stop without bumping into the one in front, which leads me to believe that the brakes are good. However, an Indica banged hard into my car from behind, resulting in some damage. (See photograph). However, considering the impact, I would say that the car took it fairly well, with the bumper (which actually came off), absorbing most of it. It was repaired at the authorised service centre within a couple of weeks. The car is sturdier than it looks and people give it credit for.




Cost of service:

1st service : Rs733/-
Accident repairs : Rs 2200/- (My expenses, the rest borne by the insurance company)
Horn replacement : No charge
2nd service : No charge
3rd service : Rs 994/-



To sum it all, Zen Estilo is a very good city car for a small family, though it can take occasional long distance trips well. I am more than happy with it.

[kalpeshc]

Nice review - somehow I too have always felt that this is a better car than what a lot of people have said on this forum. I am talking as a potential first-car owner

[AviatoR]

Nice review - sorry to hear about the accident although luckily there's not much damage to the car and its back on the road again.
I too feel this car is a capable car and the only reason for all those criticisms is that it replaced the ZEN which has a legendary status here.

[krish3]

Good report. Quite honest review at that.

As an owner of the Zen which was stopped for the estilo, I don't like this car.

But I have driven this car (test ride) and found it very comfortable and I liked this car except for its shape and a few weird colors that it offered.

Why it could have failed was its Shape and the NAME. The car that it replaced was too cute to be replaced.

You are getting a good mileage for Mumbai.

I too get around 16-17 in bangalore and around 20kmpl in highway.

Happy Driving!!!

[karthik_rao]

Hi,
I have also just about completed a year and 10000 km of driving in Mumbai. Have done a couple of trips each to Malshej and Pune/Lonavala.

I get a city mileage of around 12.5 with A/c, as I mostly drive on a clean stretch of JVLR.

The complaints I have are:
1. Not so good build quality. always some noises and rattles from Windows, seatbelts. Low quality plastics. My phone charger came off after just 4-5 uses.
2. Engine noise is scary at higher RPMs. I often wonder if the engine's gone kaput, but then it ticks along real quiet at lower RPMs.
3. Ride and Grip - I find the ride quality quite bad, even compared to other small cars like Santro. Grip does not inspire any confidence.

I suppose the famed Service network is what goes for this car, though I am not too happy with Service Quality.

Overall, I would not buy this car, or any other Maruti model again.

[Porus]

Originally Posted by kalpeshc

Nice review - somehow I too have always felt that this is a better car than what a lot of people have said on this forum. I am talking as a potential first-car owner

Dear Potential first car owner Kalpeshc,
GO FOR IT, I bought my maruti estillo few days back and its excellent. Of course it is NOT my first car. The estillo replaces my 15 yrs driven M1000, beat that ! I would gladly recommened the Zen Estillo. My review thread is open and will be posting my updates every 1000 kms.

Originally Posted by AviatoR

Nice review - sorry to hear about the accident although luckily there's not much damage to the car and its back on the road again.
I too feel this car is a capable car and the only reason for all those criticisms is that it replaced the ZEN which has a legendary status here.

The old Zen or new Zen for the matter. Like someone said "whats in a name ?" The old one was only "ZEN" the new one is "ZEN ESTILLO". Sharing is caring. LOL They share the legendary name zen, but as a co passenger in the old zen i feel the new zen is a completely different game altogether.
Its a seperate different car borrowing a known name.

Originally Posted by krish3

Good report. Quite honest review at that.

As an owner of the Zen which was stopped for the estilo, I don't like this car.
But I have driven this car (test ride) and found it very comfortable and I liked this car except for its shape and a few weird colors that it offered.
Why it could have failed was its Shape and the NAME. The car that it replaced was too cute to be replaced.

You are getting a good mileage for Mumbai.
I too get around 16-17 in bangalore and around 20kmpl in highway.
Happy Driving!!!

WOW !!! Impressive mileage figures. I am waiting to check my first mileage report. Full tank till full tank refueling it on tuesday morning. I would be impressed if MY red beast clones your mileage. Im sure it would be less as mine is restricted to city driving in mumbai. Are your figures with A/C on ? or on and off A/C ?

Originally Posted by karthik_rao

Hi,
I have also just about completed a year and 10000 km of driving in Mumbai. Have done a couple of trips each to Malshej and Pune/Lonavala.

I get a city mileage of around 12.5 with A/c, as I mostly drive on a clean stretch of JVLR.

The complaints I have are:
1. Not so good build quality. always some noises and rattles from Windows, seatbelts. Low quality plastics. My phone charger came off after just 4-5 uses.
2. Engine noise is scary at higher RPMs. I often wonder if the engine's gone kaput, but then it ticks along real quiet at lower RPMs.
3. Ride and Grip - I find the ride quality quite bad, even compared to other small cars like Santro. Grip does not inspire any confidence.
I suppose the famed Service network is what goes for this car, though I am not too happy with Service Quality.
Overall, I would not buy this car, or any other Maruti model again.

Karthik, your mileage figures seems lesser than 20 kms quoted above. Like i said above, i await to check my estillo mileage per litre and compare it to yours.
Im sure the phone charger was an accessory fitted - its basically a screw system ?three four twists and it would be in hand. Happened to me in my old car when the lighter was placed new. a friend pulled it first time and whap in hand .

For the ride and grip, I didnt get the same feeling at high speed(test drive vehicle mine is still under 60kmph speed limit ) . I feel may be if you are checking higher speeds than 100 kmph ? I think you get the feeling due to one of 2 following reasons :-

1).Stock 13 tyres - Solution :- Replace with wider 14"

2)The power steering cut off at high speed suddenly makes the steering feel harder than the usual soft feeling. Solution :- Mental note to self- Do Not Drive Over legal highway speed limit. * gulp*

On an ending note Im happy to see so many Zen estillo owners ( My Zen estillo is just 10 days and some 300 odd kms old compared to all your big 10000 kms estillos ).

Viva Estillo !

[Porus]

Dear RRS1951,

Excellent report on the Zen Estillo,

As a new proud owner of my red beast, im glad to read and share your experiences with excitment.Awaiting to check my own FE.

Santro's comparision is right bang on target and i agree with you totally.Although i do not share the indica ride opinion. Tell me do you find a difference in the power / pick up between the indica and estillo ?Which one's better.

Also just for information basis, can i know how much did you pay for the vxi back in march 08.

Thank You

Porus

Originally Posted by rrs1951

Moderators: Please move this report to the appropriate forum, if necessary.

Here is the 10000km report on Zen Estilo Vxi, which I have. I bought this pearl silver coloured car in the third week of March 2008.


I will not write about the features of this car, but restrict myself to the experiences, and my own opinions.


On an average, my running is about 1000 km per month in Mumbai. I drive through dense traffic and more often than not, get caught up in traffic jams. So far the car has completed 10,246 km. Other than city driving, I made one trip from Mumbai to Pune and back, and another one, Mumbai – Goa – Mumbai.


Experience and Own Opinions:


The car has a nice aerodynamic shape, resembling Innova.

There is a fair amount of space for a small car. The car can carry four adults and maybe a small kid. There is enough legroom for both front and rear passengers. The head room is good. It's easy even for elderly people to enter and get out of the car. The boot has a decent size. The interior design is nice. Beige interiors help in giving a roomy appearance. Instrument cluster has large dials and you can read it at a glance. Quality of switchgear is good. The air-conditioner is powerful. I never had to set it at maximum. Electrically operated ORVMs are quite convenient, too. The seats, while comfortable enough, could have been designed to offer a little more thigh support. The ride quality is good, though not as good as my previous car, an Indica. According to one of my relatives who owns a Santro, the ride quality is better than Santro's. The brakes are very good.


Performance:


The engine is quite peppy. The pick-up is very good, especially once you reach about 1800 rpm. The torque characteristics are such that you don't have to change gears frequently. This car is designed to be a city car, and as such has excellent driveability in city. Basically a city car and is quite nimble in city. However, it should be driven more conservatively on highways when you approach turns and not like one of those Formula One cars, except on straight stretches. It copes up with the start and stop city traffic beautifully. Contrary to what I had expected from the various reviews, I found no problem with the gearshift. Never changed into a wrong gear so far. You require comparatively fewer gear shifts on this car due to the torque characteristics of the engine/gearbox. I get a fuel efficiency of 11.4 kpl with AC on all the time (tank full to tank full) within Mumbai, with all the traffic jams. I generally do not switch off the engine at signals, since I like to keep the AC on all the time.


This car is basically a city car. However, it managed a Mumbai – Pune - Mumbai trip and a Mumbai – Goa – Mumbai trip very well. You can comfortably take it past 100 kph on straight stretches. I stopped at 115 kph, though I could have gone further. The engine sound is noticeable above 100-110 kph. The electronic power steering cuts out at 70 kph, though you have to be really attentive to notice it. There was no problem negotiating the twisting and turning road in the ghats. The engine temperature did not go up noticeably during climbs. I got the following fuel efficiency figures on these trips:


18.4 kpl with AC on all the time (tank full to tank full) during Mumbai – Pune – Mumbai trip.
17.4 kpl with AC on all the time (tank full to tank full) during Mumbai – Goa trip (via Kolhapur).
14.6 kpl with AC on all the time (tank full to tank full) within Goa.
16.6 kpl with AC on all the time (tank full to tank full) during Goa – Mumbai trip (through Konkan).


Problems faced:


The horn was the only part that failed once. It was replaced free of charge. There was a little bit of rattling sound coming from the area which anchors the front right seat belt. It was so low that none of my passengers could hear it. This was fixed at the time of the third service.


The car met with an accident when it was about two months old. It was a “serial accident” where somebody braked suddenly and vehicles bumped into each other. My car was the sixth in line, but could stop without bumping into the one in front, which leads me to believe that the brakes are good. However, an Indica banged hard into my car from behind, resulting in some damage. (See photograph). However, considering the impact, I would say that the car took it fairly well, with the bumper (which actually came off), absorbing most of it. It was repaired at the authorised service centre within a couple of weeks. The car is sturdier than it looks and people give it credit for.




Cost of service:

1st service : Rs733/-
Accident repairs : Rs 2200/- (My expenses, the rest borne by the insurance company)
Horn replacement : No charge
2nd service : No charge
3rd service : Rs 994/-



To sum it all, Zen Estilo is a very good city car for a small family, though it can take occasional long distance trips well. I am more than happy with it.

[rippergeo]

I have always held an illogical grudge against the Estilo, because its sharing a name with the original Zen, but this review helps me see that this is a different car altogether. It does its job well, and thats all that matters.

[rrs1951]

Santro's comparision is right bang on target and i agree with you totally.Although i do not share the indica ride opinion. Tell me do you find a difference in the power / pick up between the indica and estillo ?Which one's better.

Also just for information basis, can i know how much did you pay for the vxi back in march 08.

Dear Porus,

My Indica was a petrol model with a 1.4L engine. It had more power, and it was better for highway driving. I find that Zen Estilo has a better pick up and is better for city driving. I had to change gears more frequently in Indica. Indica had much more space and better handling at speeds above 100 kmph. It also had better seats (my experience is limited to the driver's seat!). The first three years (approx. 30000 km) were trouble free. Maintainance costs started rising after that. Initially, it was the rubber hangers (which support the silencer) giving way and the silencer scraping speedbreakers and eventualy breaking at the welds. After six years, there were problems related to suspension though I would not blame Tata Motors for that. It so happened that once, in bumper-to-bumper traffic, the front left wheel went into an open manhole which I could not see because of the truck in front, and the wheel alignment was never the same again. (That's one reason why we should keep safe distance, even in dense traffic).

I don't know what problems I will face when my Estilo crosses 30000 km. it's really difficult to compare at this stage. I can only say that the fit and finish, workmanship and the quality of components, especially electrical switches, is better in Zen estilo.

As for the price, it was Rs 3,81,000/- ex showroom in March '08. With company registration, the on-raod price was approx. Rs 4,60,000/-. The only accessory I fitted into the car was a Sony stereo system costing around Rs 13,000/- inclusive of 4 speakers.

[Porus]

Originally Posted by rrs1951

Dear Porus,

My Indica was a petrol model with a 1.4L engine. It had more power, and it was better for highway driving. I find that Zen Estilo has a better pick up and is better for city driving. I had to change gears more frequently in Indica. Indica had much more space and better handling at speeds above 100 kmph. It also had better seats (my experience is limited to the driver's seat!). The first three years (approx. 30000 km) were trouble free.

-I see your Indica ( a fav of mine in those days ) was Total Value For Money . The Estillo (Current favourite) would be a 1 L engine and the gear ratio ensures there is ample power in each gear.

Originally Posted by rrs1951

I don't know what problems I will face when my Estilo crosses 30000 km. it's really difficult to compare at this stage. I can only say that the fit and finish, workmanship and the quality of components, especially electrical switches, is better in Zen estilo.

As for the price, it was Rs 3,81,000/- ex showroom in March '08. With company registration, the on-raod price was approx. Rs 4,60,000/-. The only accessory I fitted into the car was a Sony stereo system costing around Rs 13,000/- inclusive of 4 speakers.

I paid Rs:3,60 L all inclusive price for Mumbai delivery not much difference in price.

Originally Posted by rippergeo

I have always held an illogical grudge against the Estilo, because its sharing a name with the original Zen, but this review helps me see that this is a different car altogether. It does its job well, and thats all that matters.

Rippergeo i too had a massive gudge against the word ZEN but the moment i sat in the Estillo the grudge became a pleasure to know the Legendary name Zen continues. Its meant to be experienced

[krish3]

Porus-: My Zen mileage doesn't differ much without A/C in city. It usually gives around 17 without AC.

I just completed a trip to Coorg... with high speed driving(100-140) and AC (90%). It still gave me around 17kmpl. My usual highway speeds are between 70-90kmph when it gives around 20kmpl.

The car though has started rattling like a rattlesnake after encountering the bad roads of Coorg

[Volt]

Its good to see satisfied Zen Estilo owners on the forum. I too think its a good city car. Its been dealt a bad hand by Maruti by adding the prefix Zen. They should have continued with its orginal name i.e. MR Wagon and positioned it as an alternative to the Wagon R from the same stable. As things are now, they are not helping either car.

[rrs1951]

Its good to see satisfied Zen Estilo owners on the forum. I too think its a good city car. Its been dealt a bad hand by Maruti by adding the prefix Zen. They should have continued with its orginal name i.e. MR Wagon and positioned it as an alternative to the Wagon R from the same stable. As things are now, they are not helping either car.

True, volt. One cannot compare Zen Estilo with the old Zen. They are totally different cars. Zen Estilo is similar to Wagon R with whom it shares the engine and possibly the gearbox. Even the dimensions of Zen Estilo and Wagon R are almost the same (except the height), give or take a few millimeters. Only the shape is different.

It would be fairer to compare Zen Estilo with Wagon R rather than the old Zen.

[rah1735]

Hi I Am Also A Zen Estilo Owner. My Car Is Lxi Brought In June 2007 And Has Done Around 14000 Kms.my Father Uses It With A Driver And Sometimes He Drives It Himself. My Dad Loves The Car And It Gives A Fe 0f Around 20 Km/ltr With The Ac On . This Is On The Higher Side But It Is More Because We Stay In A Place Where There Are Mostly Highways. We Had To Fix A Rear Door Lock Once Which Did Not Lock, Cost Us Nil As The Company Changed It Under Warranty. Otherwise After Regular Service The Car Feels Ok . I Dont Drive It Much As A I Have A Innova. But Whenever I Have Driven It Has Felt A Little Unstable At High Speeds.

[simonkayar]

It is a wonderful car and I have clocked close to 30k kilometers with mine. You can read my initial ownership review here (Estilo - Way to Go). I was waiting for it to complete 30k to write a good ownership report. Instead, I will put a few points below as summary of the experience

• The car is extremely easy to drive in city, quite peppy and fun. No issues with gear shifts or bumper to bumper traffic.
• The AC is super cool. Mostly I keep it in first position and rarely go to the second (Bangalore weather also helps)
• It is not bad at highways but I think it is not advisable to go over 100 often with it. I have done many trips including Ooty, Kodaikanal, Coorg and numerous visits to Pondicherry (once in two months at least)
• Mileage I get is 14 with 100% AC ON in city and 18 on highways
• No issues so far. There was some sound coming near bonnet but got fixed in service.
• Had a minor accident (after signal was stopped on the other lane an auto rushed and hit on the fender. Had to replace it with insurance)
• Quite Spacious inside (especially leg room for driver)
• Vxi comes with some nice features as well (Electrical OVRMs, remote central locking, all four power windows and a lot more.

I have some suggestions too that potential buyers must be aware of

• It can accomodate 5 people but it is going to be tough for the back seat guys. 4 - no issues.
• The leg space for rear seat is less. But I found that the space has gone to the luggage space (I knew it and was happy about it as we mostly drive as 2+1child )
• Not the best great highway hatchback (My brother-in-law is in travels and he said that it could be risky trying to swerve it in high speeds)
• Looks and the Zen Tag - Very subjective (If given a choice between the ZEN and the ESTILO I would any day choose the Estilo as it suits me better)