Review: Roughed up my New Estilo to it's Limits(guess there is more to)!

[MillionSwords]

This is a report after 1700KMs and First Service.

Maruti Zen Estilo:

1. Feels like heaven (raymonds ishtyle) - the comfort is real great. I have been driving the Older Zen and a Maruti 800, a Baleno and a Wagon-R a little bit. I can tell for sure, this has a smoother and more comfortable touch to it.

2. A-Pillar band on your line of sight! - damn it is real bad! Sometimes I feel like peeping out of the window to see who's in front, while I take a turn. I always have this problem, just around the first right turn near my house. It is such a silly big mistake from Suzuki's side to have employed this A-Pillar design.

3. Gear Shift is rough - but over 20 days it gets smooth, and as smooth as ice cream! Wow it is a wonderful experience now after 1700KMs and first service.

4. Road grip is neat. Very impressive.

5. Seating position is much comfortable compared to any other car. Be it the Baleno, the wagon-r, or the old Zen - estilo has a touch to it, the interior is designed in such a way that it is comfortable all people to enter and exit with ease. Especially the elder folks would love it a lot! I find the leg room the best in class.

6. The car always feels light, and a very responsive engine. The sound is great when it revs. When I took it to the Ghats, it was smooth, and did not bother at all, 3d gear was smooth, and could easily take the curves and ghat roads. I almost (90%) drove with the A/C on to the hillside. Never felt any problem with the A/C on, tho it was taking it's toll that needs to have!

7. 5th gear is something you need to wait for. When you find the road to shift gears, you will be a happy man, shift it, forget it. It is that simple, after shifting to the 5th gear, and finding a deserving road, you can take the feet off the clutch pedal and peacefully drive!

8. Suspension was easy and soft. It is very soft-tuned to merit the bad roads in the city, i found it to be taking on the poth holes after monsoon and bad road edges very nicely and apart from the in-car noise, nothing else was disturbing. Though I felt at some speedbreakers the suspension could have been tuned tough.

9. Turning radius - wow so little and is useful for city roads. Parking becomes so easy with the amazingly responsive electronic steering. U-Turns are no more a worry to me.

10. I'm unable to see the bonnet, how much ever I jump to see, i can't see the bonnet, and the design is such, we get used to it onver a time. I was cautious (still am) about where the bonnet is.

11. Gear Throw: I have to mention this, the gear throw is L O N G. Yeah seriously that long. I took my friend's Baleno for a drive after I bought my Estilo, and compared it. The throw is real long, and because it is smooth it is not making much of a problem, the pillion wont have space to rest their hands and keep it on the gear.

12. interiors - though I'm not too concerned, are very cool. Beige colors for all the seats, steering and doors., feels like a rich car.

The rest worth mentioning are you can buy variants with ABS and SRS Airbags. provisions are already there, and it needs to be fitted on request. Not sure about the cost.

I roughed it up on pavements, dividers, rough terrain, and drove it like a dirt track car, and it took it all nicely, and never made a noise what so ever! The chasis is placed high, and is good to clear off unwanted contacts on bad Indian roads!

See the Estilo standing Majestic @ Harrison's Folly Point, Panchgani, MH, India!

[HappyWheels]

Good to your exitment on having the Estilo.

I am surprised that you said that your Estilo is having its gear as smooth as ice cream. It was acknowledged by Maruti that the gear box of Estilo is flawed and they have agreed to change it on my dad's car.

[kchatt]

Atleast someone has some good things to say about the Estillo. I am a zen lover but the OLD one. Estillo doesnt even look like a Zen.

Enjoy your new ride but tell us how it feels after 50K km

[AviatoR]

Very nice report, one of the first few that i hav read about estilo! Could u also update on the FE and also the stability of the car at highway speeds?

[NIP]

Originally Posted by kchatt

Estillo doesnt even look like a Zen.

no offence...but i think we should leave this and move on.

[arunnn]

Hi Million Swords & other estilo owners,

Did you face any problem with the reflection of the light coloured dash board components in the wind screen. I read somewhere that dark colured dash boards ( generally gery ) are prefered to reduce the reflection.

[superavi]

The thick A pillar, while hurting visibility, protects the passengers from a frontal collision. If you notice most new designs, they have thick A pillars. Do peer from the window before that turn.

Superavi

[MillionSwords]

@ no offence...but i think we should leave this and move on. - yeah man thats a dead meat statement every one still says, though that may be true, the torque of the new Zen is not as powerful as the old Zen, it is made lke this. Lets see what it gives best! and love it that way, like how we love our wife or GF.

@Arunnn - yeah that is a good point I wanted to write in my review, but forgot. The reflection is minimal, but not that there is no reflection. I always drive with a "POLAROID" sunglasses, and have a paid in the car always. I have been using 2 pairs of Polaroids for more than 3 years, and I vouch for them. They keep the eyes cool, and hence you never feel the heat in the body too. It cuts the glare, and the straight white lights from the sun or road reflection do not come in at all!!! [if u have a polaroid, see thru it vertically and horizontally - u could tell the difference urself!!]

So wearing a Polaroid, I never had to bother about the reflection on the windscreen, which comes in minimal for me. But to check whats it looking like I do once in a while remove goggles and see, - though the reflection minimized, there is some!

@superavi - damn thanks man, that is a breather. You have given a news that makes me feel good now, and yeah, I guess when not running with the A/C I guess peeping out is cool and easy, and I do it always.

On the contrary when the A/C is on, it is a menace, but we all can rest assured that this thick A-Pillar is for extra safety and hence brush it aside.

@AviatorR - man as I think I wrote in my review, upto 100KMPH I never thought I was doing that speed, I had windows rolled up, A/C on and the stability was amazing. - Straight and a steady steering grip keeps it right on toes, (matter of fact I had only one finger on the steering).

Above 120, usually any vehicle needs a extra attention. @120 I felt the same grip, and good response on the steering. So better get used to how your particular vehicle reacts to how much of steering, and deviation. I think the steering deviation from a Ford or a baleno is much different from this Hatchback(Estilo) - so every car has it's own fingerprint. Understand that, do some test shakes at speeds above 100KMPH and then decide for yourself.

I felt the grip and stability were GOOD!

Some patches of the road on the highway were noise, some were with less noise, (rubberised roads were different and the concrete roads were noisy), but overall, the car was smooth and not much noise was heard inside.

Please do raise your concerns about the Estilo here, and i would be more than willing to contribute to talk back about the issues.

[PS: I bought some rat-cakes to plant around my flat's gutters, to celebrate happy birthday for my (Tom &) Jerry friends. Tom's are scared of these Jerry's so they keep safe distance. I planted cakes, lets see in a day or two what turns up. I also bought a sticky-pad to place inside the engine bay, to catch the mouse if it enters there!]

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

How is the under-thing support on long drives?

I find this lacking in my WagonR. The seats are rather flat.

[MillionSwords]

I did not find any trouble with the "under thing" support (lol man).
My first impression of the Estilo when I took the test drive was that, the ***-support of the front seats were very good, and the back seat was not that comfy!

Still we cannot comment about the back seats because we never sit there. Only dolls and a pillow lay there. Else the front seats are very very comfy and never bothered me or my back.

A good seat coer would give more support and cushion!

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

How is the under-thing support on long drives?

I find this lacking in my WagonR. The seats are rather flat.

I agree, even I miss under-thigh support on long trips on my WagonR, though it is great for city-driving.

[simonkayar]

Great to see your review man. I am planning one too (mine has done 5k now).

[VBV]

This is wrt "Not able to see the bonnets". One wise driver once told me not to see bonnets. His opinion was that its a wrong way of driving.

VBV

[ram_hyundai]

in an innova no driver would be seeing the bonet.its this factor which counts"oh my its touched the other cars rear bonnet "and still you got a feet difference between that car and yours.this is a design advantage which you have in a car like estilo or spark.try to enjoy it.
ram

[vipul_bscity]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I agree, even I miss under-thigh support on long trips on my WagonR, though it is great for city-driving.

I admit that Wagon R seats are quite flat, but till the time you are not used to more good seats, WagonR seats are also not a problem.

I have driven a Wagon R long back for 3 years and 44K Km, even quite longer (750KM in day for 2.5 day = Total 1750 KM, Mumbai to Patna Via Nagpur & Varanasi) and it was absolutley not an issue.

Somehow I still love WagonR and miss its drive too. One of the best small car

- Vipul