[speedzak]

Old Zen









Bas Khatam

[speedsatya]

Originally Posted by dceite

I think the pricing is a bit too much. Why i am saying this? Thats because the Maruti True value quotes 2.7 Lacs for my Feb 2004 WagonR 20k kms(which has the same engine as Alto 1.1.. ).. and add to that i am the first owner!
Going by that Alto 1.1 2002 model should not cost more than 2.2-2.3... again adding to the fact that its no longer in production... maybe even less!!

buy something thats still in production ....at 2.2 -2.3 you can get a good pre used wagon r or a xing

[DCEite]

Even though this is more than 3 years old thread, the debate still goes on.
Given a choice for a second hand hatchback today, i would still give one of these pocket rockets a shot. Personally, i like the Alto 1.1 over the Zen for the better city driveability, but where it looses out on the Zen is the revv happy nature of Zen's All aluminum 1.0 L gem.

[abhibh]

Given the choice Alto 1.1 over Zen anyday. Alto has better handling, breaking and stability than zen. Where as zen has a better rev happy engine & interior space.

[offroad_maniac]

Resurrecting this old thread as I got some query.

Recently come across a Jul 2001 Alto vx 1.1 (non p/s, Odo was 57k, seemed genuine).
The car looked good apart from two patches / dents on front bumper & one on a side.
Also there was some uneven surface & paint on front side of engine bay.
Please check below pic:


I have highlighted the area in red where uneven surface & paint was observed.The area in green are where the little patch works done.

SO, could it be due to accident? or is it normal?

(Note: The attached pic is just for representation)

I wish I could have taken few pics to share here, but as it was dark & my phone cam wouldn't have suffice.
The ride & engine response was good. Gear shift was also good. But I couldn't drive much as it was dark & tank was almost empty.

Initial observation are as follows:
A/C seemed sufficient.
Good body line.
Nice engine & suspension.
Smooth gear shift.
Power windows & Power mirrors were working.
No vibrations felt (but I could drove for just 5min, below 30kmph)

One more thing, the accelerator pedal looked more worn our than the Clutch & Brake pedals & it was also a bit lower (inside) than the rest.

The service history is not complete. Only there are few 10-15 service record in user manual. Nothing else

(Note: the RC book was hand written & no engine cc was mentioned & bhp was written as 10 )

Asking price is 1.15 lakhs. Seems much higher to me. Need some advice for it, what should be the proper price & what more needs to be checked?

(Sorry Mods for reposting here as I am not getting response on other thread. Please feel free to delete from here if unappropriate)

[offroad_maniac]

Hi Guys,
One more thing. Got to know about a Zen (2004) with price qouted as 1.75 lacs. Need to check the same in person, so need advice on proper price (dealer said its a proper maintained car etc.)

Also, what should be proper choice as a first car between similar year/ odo Zen & Alto 1.1 for purely good handling & peace of mind ? (considering both the cars are having similar prices).
which of these two will be easier to maintain?
I guess Alto's body parts & spares will be easily available but what about old Zen mpfi?


Awaiting replies for both of the above posts. Thanks in advance.

[paragpatankar]

Alto 1.1, but I guess I am biased ;-) . It is a fantastic car, I have still kept my 2002 Alto-VX with 63 K done in 9 years. The car is still vibration free, has a peppy engine, good dynamics and good FE.Also it is a Production model so parts availability easier compared to Zen.

[offroad_maniac]

Thanks Parag for the reply. I am also more leaned towards Alto 1.1, but these cars are kind of rare in used market. Guess because owners dont want to part with them.

I have came across only one model as posted above, so what should be the ideal price for a 2001 year Alto 1.1 vx, considering above posted conditions?

[himavanth_m]

I am not sure of the resale prices in Mumbai but in Hyderabad, I think 2004 Zen for 1.75 is asking a bit too much. Here in Hyderabad, a 2004 Corolla is generally sold for around 3-3.6 lacs. For a non-dealer 2004 zen, here in Hyderabad, the cost would be close to 1.2 - 1.4 lacs and not more depending on the number of owners the vehicle had and the service history. But I dont think the difference should be more than 10k between cities for zen 2004.

As far as the alto 1.1 is concerned, I have never driven it, but zen is sure a good car to drive. For the history, please check the insurance for any accidents. Also do check with RTO for pending cases on the vehicle.Also do check with maruti service center for records of damages for the vehicle. Even if vehicle is repaired out of service center and without insurance, I think the Maruti A.S.S will be able to tell if the vehicle is given to them. Even then 1.15 lacs for a 11 year old vehicle is a bit too much. i wouldnt want to spend more than a 1 lac on it.

Bargain well before you make the purchase decision. The dealers take a lot of commission on the vehicle. Do try to check out the vehicles outside of dealers for better deals

[offroad_maniac]

Thanks Himavanth for the reply.
Will try to bargain more. Having office today also :( so currently running low on free time.
Will post here whatever new.

Happy driving

[swarnava.m]

Firstly, being a happy owner of the Alto VXi 1.1 for the last 8 years, and having driven the Zen MPFI extensively, I would recommend you to go for the Alto blindly.

Originally Posted by offroad_maniac

Resurrecting this old thread as I got some query.

Recently come across a Jul 2001 Alto vx 1.1 (non p/s, Odo was 57k, seemed genuine).
The car looked good apart from two patches / dents on front bumper & one on a side.
Also there was some uneven surface & paint on front side of engine bay.
Please check below pic:
Attachment 839778

I have highlighted the area in red where uneven surface & paint was observed.The area in green are where the little patch works done.

SO, could it be due to accident? or is it normal?

It would be great if you could have the car inspected by a Maruti A.S.S. As per my experience, any major accident, no matter how good the repair quality is, always leaves a footprint, and experienced service guys can very easily detect it, just by inspecting the area of impact, in this case that would be the engine bay.

(Note: The attached pic is just for representation)

I wish I could have taken few pics to share here, but as it was dark & my phone cam wouldn't have suffice.
The ride & engine response was good. Gear shift was also good. But I couldn't drive much as it was dark & tank was almost empty.

Those are precisely the most impressive parts of this machine. However, I would recommend you to take longer and more demanding test drives before coming to any final conclusion, as a short drive is hardly sufficient to expose inherent problems with the vehicle, if any exist. It does happen in many cases that while the vehicle performs excellently for the initial period, but after a few minutes, it reveals its real character. Look out for that.

Initial observation are as follows:
A/C seemed sufficient.
Did you check for the lag in the engine while the AC was running? From my experience, this lag is much more prominent than that in other cars, and frankly speaking, it's the only part of the car that really bothers me.

Good body line.
Nice engine & suspension.
Smooth gear shift.
I can vouch for that!! 8 years and no problems with the GB ever!!

Power windows & Power mirrors were working.
What do you mean by power mirrors? Mine is the top model and it only has internally adjustable ORVMs. There is a small lever on the inside, and that has to be used by hand. Power mirrors, AFAIK, come in cars of a higher segment. (Correct me if I am wrong).

No vibrations felt (but I could drove for just 5min, below 30kmph)
That is another thing you should check for, especially small vibration of parts of the dash and plastic parts inside the cabin. Since the car is 9 years old, it is very much probably that when you drive with the windows closed, and the road is not smooth, you will notice a lot of cabin noise. At first you may be able to ignore it, but with time, it will definitely bother you.

One more thing, the accelerator pedal looked more worn our than the Clutch & Brake pedals & it was also a bit lower (inside) than the rest.
This is a little weird. Do get that inspected at the A.S.S.

The service history is not complete. Only there are few 10-15 service record in user manual. Nothing else

(Note: the RC book was hand written & no engine cc was mentioned & bhp was written as 10 )
If you are buying the car, you should definitely get the RC done up properly.

Asking price is 1.15 lakhs. Seems much higher to me. Need some advice for it, what should be the proper price & what more needs to be checked?
1.15 is not bad actually, considering the fact that this car is an excellent performer, way above all others in its class. Even the new Alto K10 only matches 90% of the performance of the 1.1 (except the AC ), and also that since this car was in production for a short period of time, it is something like a limited edition. It will continue to be a front runner for many years to come. However, maybe if you do bargain, you can get a slightly better deal in the end. Your call.

As for further inspection, it would be best if you asked the A.S.S. to conduct a proper inspection. They should be able to give you a detailed report.

(Sorry Mods for reposting here as I am not getting response on other thread. Please feel free to delete from here if unappropriate)

Originally Posted by offroad_maniac

Hi Guys,
One more thing. Got to know about a Zen (2004) with price qouted as 1.75 lacs. Need to check the same in person, so need advice on proper price (dealer said its a proper maintained car etc.)

Also, what should be proper choice as a first car between similar year/ odo Zen & Alto 1.1 for purely good handling & peace of mind ? (considering both the cars are having similar prices).
which of these two will be easier to maintain?
I guess Alto's body parts & spares will be easily available but what about old Zen mpfi?

The Alto's parts are easily available, since even a week back, I have had no problems in procuring even minor parts of the car from a Maruti Genuine Parts Dealer. Not sure about the same for the Zen.
Awaiting replies for both of the above posts. Thanks in advance.

Originally Posted by offroad_maniac

Thanks Parag for the reply. I am also more leaned towards Alto 1.1, but these cars are kind of rare in used market. Guess because owners dont want to part with them.

I have came across only one model as posted above, so what should be the ideal price for a 2001 year Alto 1.1 vx, considering above posted conditions?

Overall I think going for the Alto would be the best option, superb VFM. Very well refined engine, excellent low-end torque (good for city driving, you will have no problems strutting around at 30 kmph in 4th gear), and very good highway characteristics too. (I did a 135, couldn't go further since I ran out of road ). Do let us know your further findings with the car. Wish you a happy and fruitful buying experience.

[paragpatankar]

Originally Posted by offroad_maniac

Thanks Parag for the reply. I am also more leaned towards Alto 1.1, but these cars are kind of rare in used market. Guess because owners dont want to part with them.

I have came across only one model as posted above, so what should be the ideal price for a 2001 year Alto 1.1 vx, considering above posted conditions?

I had checked at one Maruti Truevalue six months ago for my then 58K Km run 2002 Alto VX I was offerred 1.4 Lakh as the opening quote -this is at the same garage I usually get my service done, so they have seen this car for last 5 years, guess that helps. I did not get more quotes, or negotiate, since I was not intending to sell really, so this is the only data point I can offer you.
In Bangalore the Road tax is high, so the prices are higher than other places. For Mumbai I guess you would have a difference of 10 to account for the road tax itself ?
If the car is in good condition I think 1.15 L is a pretty good price. On the spares/maintenance, there are absolutely no issues in getting parts as the Alto is still a production model.
You should find its entire service history from a Maruti dealer-that will tell you if the ODO reading is true or not. Also it might give you clues on any accident/damage etc--minor scratches/dents etc are normal in a old car, I would actually be suspicious if it has very few ;-)

[rajeev k]

Good Vx Altos are seen on the road and hence would be available for buying. Any day the Alto Vx is the one vis-a-vis Zen. The Alto Vx is a car that stands tall amongst the tiny hatchbacks, Zen included.

[rajushank84]

I like the K-series Alto. It feels peppy and easy to drive.

Zen felt good, had a luxurious feel to it (at that time) and well-sorted out dynamics when cornering and all but I found it a bit cumbersome to take U-turns and all. But I had only short drives on it, not extensive enough to really compare.

The comparison would be more fair if Alto didn't have the electric power steering

The Zen's seats were more comfortable, though. I don't find Alto's seats comfortable at all. Even 800 and Nano seats seem more comfortable than current Alto seats.

[offroad_maniac]

Originally Posted by swarnava.m

having driven the Zen MPFI extensively, I would recommend you to go for the Alto blindly.
Wish you a happy and fruitful buying experience.

Thanks a lot Swarnava for your advice & well wishes.

Originally Posted by paragpatankar

If the car is in good condition I think 1.15 L is a pretty good price. On the spares/maintenance, there are absolutely no issues in getting parts as the Alto is still a production model.

OK. So 1.15 seems good for this. So will do a more detailed drive & also check with some Maruti A.S.S guy for cars health & repairs/accidents etc.

Originally Posted by rajeev k

Good Vx Altos are seen on the road and hence would be available for buying. Any day the Alto Vx is the one vis-a-vis Zen. The Alto Vx is a car that stands tall amongst the tiny hatchbacks, Zen included.

Also the availability of spares scores more points over Zen. Thanks