[JKBKS]

Originally Posted by Sankar

Two to three people on board most of the times.
In the power band car is happy even with 4 or 5 on board.
I never lug the engine, engine is always kept on boil.

How does one keep the engine on boil?

Originally Posted by sanagg1

K10-Being an old design( more than a decade) that too for low powered engine at that time has certain structural weakness in comparison to A-Star.

If you are feeling poor pulling power in 2nd gear it is either you are in low toque rpm range ( driving style to be adjusted for boiling pots) or your natural driving style needs more torque. If the suggestion doesn't make you feel comfortable than....mmmm

..Start searching for diesel ! Higher-torque at low rpm motors.

cheers

Would appreciate if you could pls explain this driving style adjustment ? Been driving SUVs for 10 years now so could it be due to lack of my touch with small petrol cars?

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by JKBKS

How does one keep the engine on boil?

Keep the engine in the RPM range where it makes peak torque (Except when you're cruising). This will avoid lugging the engine.

[u_chill]

Till the time Maruti starts discounting on the Alto K10, the A-Star remains a better deal. You get an up-to-date car in all aspects as opposed to a K10 which is just an engine upgrade. However take a good look at the boot space available. I ruled out the A-Star for my use almost solely on the rear and boot space.

The reviews did not go in favor of the A-Star on counts of practicality in the Indian use context and comparison against the i10, which is substantially more car at a slightly higher cost.

I would also go for the VXI trim in A-Star, since as per my logic, one should maximize standard features even if the EMI gets a bit stretched.

[longhorn]

Originally Posted by JKBKS

Would appreciate if you could pls explain this driving style adjustment ? Been driving SUVs for 10 years now so could it be due to lack of my touch with small petrol cars?

In a diesel engine you get most of the power at lower rpms. There is no benefit in using high revs here. Petrol engines love to be revved. They produce their peak power at higher rpms hence are usually slow to respond at lower rpms. This is why the tacho in a diesel motor redlines at around 5-6k rpm while the redline for the petrol is at around 7-8k rpms. Low end torque is usually much better in a diesel engine than a petrol motor.

I haven't experienced any lag in the F8D motor powering the 800/Alto, but i have experienced this lag in 2nd gear in the K10B motor(TD vehicle), when you try to pull away after slowing down. The least lag(almost nil) that I have come across so far in small capacity petrol engines is the K12M from Maruti. The low end response is best in class.

On your query for the city runabout my vote goes for the WagonR. Very practical for city use. It's got a high seating position (= excellent road view) and its flat body panels are most suited for the city environment.

[acidkill]

i dont know about you, but i believe in "more car per car". So if you have ~3.5 then go for the Wagon R. Its a new generation car, it has the K10 engine, and it has all the space for shopping bags, visiting grand parents and for enthusiastic kids to jump around. Alto just does make the cut thanks to its vintage and the A-star is a little to tiny

Wagon R is Made for moms. Enjoy.

Id also suggest u go the Vxi way if you can

[David Murx]

I have bought Alto K10 and would suggest you to go for it. I was not much willing to upgrade to the new one but after doing the TD i was tempted to do so. The driving is much much better than the earlier one. Very smooth, powerful and comfortable. The gear shift has also changed giving you a totally different feel. And ofcourse it is a VFM.

[Aroy]

I bought the Alto K10 on 8th, the first one off the showroom. Here are my impressions.

- Drove 400 km in the rains and traffic jams of Delhi -> Kalkaji to Noida. With AC on, the 15km drive taking more than 45min each way, and 100km on open roads, got an average of 12.3km on the first tank full. Way above 10- for the competition for these conditions.
- With AC on you have to use first gear below 20kmph. It is same with my Esteem MPFI.
- The engine has two torque peaks, First one at 2500 rpm when the car jumps and other at 3500 rpm when the car pulls, pulls and pulls till 6200 rpm. To give you an idea at 80 kmph you have 2500 rpm on the tach in the fifth gear.
- The AC is one of the best I have seen.
- Alto K10, A Star, Zen and Wagon R have the same engine. With lower weight and normal cabin space (as compared to Tall Boy Designs), you'd get better acceleration, cooler AC with K10.

The lower variants of A Star have the same equipment level as Alto, hence to get full advantage of A Star you have to go for the ABS+Airbags, that is the Zxi variant. Lxi has
- No ABS
- No Airbags
- No Rear Defogger
- No security System
- No Audio System
- No Central locking
* No Electric Windows
* No Tachometer
* No Ashtray
* No Lighter
* No Vanity Mirror
* No Rear Luggage Shelf

The items in asterix are there, while the others are not there in the Alto Vxi.

Thus barring newer design there is no rationale for going for the Lxi variant. The vehicle to go for is the Zxi variant which is Rs. 4.2 lacs ex showroom compared to Rs.3.19 for the K10 Vxi. Also note that the on road price for K10 is Rs.3.5 lacs in Delhi. The A Star will be incrementally more as the Road Tax and Insurance is generally calculated on "undiscounted" amount.

For ferrying children and going to market the K10 is the car to get.

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Aroy

- With AC on you have to use first gear below 20kmph. It is same with my Esteem MPFI.

- The AC is one of the best I have seen.

For ferrying children and going to market the K10 is the car to get.

With AC and a full load of passengers I have to shift to 1st in my 800 cc Alto too, at dead slow speeds. But with AC and two pax, I can easily putter around in 2nd and 3rd gears between 10 KPH - 45 KPH easily, without lugging the engine. If this aspect is missing in the Alto K10, I don't see the rationale for an upgrade in my case , and the reason to forego the A-Star in the case of the OP.

Is the AC of the Alto K10 fitted with a bigger compressor as compared to the one in the 800 cc Alto, which is very effective as well?

For the kind of usage mentioned by the OP, FE can hardly be an issue.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Gansan

With AC and a full load of passengers I have to shift to 1st in my 800 cc Alto too, at dead slow speeds. But with AC and two pax, I can easily putter around in 2nd and 3rd gears between 10 KPH - 45 KPH easily, without lugging the engine. If this aspect is missing in the Alto K10, I don't see the rationale for an upgrade in my case , and the reason to forego the A-Star in the case of the OP.

Is the AC of the Alto K10 fitted with a bigger compressor as compared to the one in the 800 cc Alto, which is very effective as well?

For the kind of usage mentioned by the OP, FE can hardly be an issue.

Gansan

I drive slightly faster so in my case I go till 20+ in the first, then till 50 in the second and if the road is open to 80 in third and then straight to the fifth.

I cannot comment on the Alto800 AC, but the Engine+AC combo seems to be same in Alto K10, Zen, A Star and Wagon R. The Maruti salesman did mention that in the BS-IV variant of Alto800 the AC was more effective. By the way I have to shift to first at slow speeds on my Esteem MPFI also!

The main reasons to upgrade from Alto 800 to K10 are
- Better Acceleration
- Better AC
- Bigger Tyres
- Less vibrations both engine as well as gear lever

[Gansan]

Originally Posted by Aroy

Gansan

I drive slightly faster so in my case I go till 20+ in the first, then till 50 in the second and if the road is open to 80 in third and then straight to the fifth.

I cannot comment on the Alto800 AC, but the Engine+AC combo seems to be same in Alto K10, Zen, A Star and Wagon R. The Maruti salesman did mention that in the BS-IV variant of Alto800 the AC was more effective. By the way I have to shift to first at slow speeds on my Esteem MPFI also!

The main reasons to upgrade from Alto 800 to K10 are
- Better Acceleration
- Better AC
- Bigger Tyres
- Less vibrations both engine as well as gear lever

Well, I did not mean to say I drive at 45 KPH, just that in city conditions second and third gears are sufficient between 10 - 45 KPH! Is this characteristic present in the Alto K10? The high speed characteristics are also important, but highway drives happen once in a blue moon for me! I want to know because my Alto is just one year old and I must be sure before deciding to upgrade. I have not yet found the time for a TD unfortunately.

I thought with a better engine and lighter body of the K10 model frequent down shifts will not be required, but that does not seem to be the case. I expected something like the Santro, where you can easily manage with 3rd gear. And the AC of my Alto is very effective, better than even some of the more expensive cars! But the loss of engine power is a trade off for this AC, not very noticeable at good speeds though.

[Aroy]

Originally Posted by Gansan

Well, I did not mean to say I drive at 45 KPH, just that in city conditions second and third gears are sufficient between 10 - 45 KPH! Is this characteristic present in the Alto K10? The high speed characteristics are also important, but highway drives happen once in a blue moon for me! I want to know because my Alto is just one year old and I must be sure before deciding to upgrade. I have not yet found the time for a TD unfortunately.

I thought with a better engine and lighter body of the K10 model frequent down shifts will not be required, but that does not seem to be the case. I expected something like the Santro, where you can easily manage with 3rd gear. And the AC of my Alto is very effective, better than even some of the more expensive cars! But the loss of engine power is a trade off for this AC, not very noticeable at good speeds though.

I suggest that you take a TD in heavy traffic to compare K10 to the normal Alto. You can definitely drive in third and fourth around 40 kmph, but the response will be sluggish. In Delhi traffic it is either stop-and-go where you are in first and second with AC, or smooth flow at 30-50 where you can go in third and in fourth beyond 40. I have no idea of traffic you face, but in Delhi if you are not nimble enough, some one will invariably jump into your slot! Thus lower gear faster response style of driving.

[SPARKled]

Th Alto K10 is pretty old and nothing can mask the Alto's age. Go for the latest and the most contemporary car that you can buy. it usually is much better designed and a lot safer too. The alto is already more than 7-8 years old. No amounts of K10's can hide this fact.

[sanagg1]

Originally Posted by JKBKS

Would appreciate if you could pls explain this driving style adjustment ? Been driving SUVs for 10 years now so could it be due to lack of my touch with small petrol cars?

Sorry for the late response although @longhorn has already answered the query quiet eloquently, I would just say

keep RPM at 3500 plus even at a speed of merely ~15 Kmph.
Irrespective of speed and gear keep it above 3500 and for spirited overtakes go to 5000.

cheers

[JKBKS]

Dear All,

I booked a Silver A-Star Lxi yesterday after a lot of negotiating with dealer. Got the best price for my trade-off as well as a cash discount and a few free accessories. Am very satisfied.
Would like to thank all T-Bhpians for educating me along the way. This is the second car after Scorpio that I bought after getting the feedback from the members here.

[Sheel]

I am in the same boat & do not have to buy an A* as one of my friend has it & is dead against going for another, can't make up my mind hence...
Wagon R, Estilo, KB10? It is very confusing, any more Cars from MUL stables in the budget(3.5L)
^^Second car, will be primarily used for point & shoot commuting mode.

P.s--any 3 pot motor will feel sluggish in low rpm compared to similar capacity 4 pot.