[Highh5]

No, I'm no Maruti fanboy but I do own one.

But I do raise my voice whenever there is a talk about flimsy build quality, lower grade plastic used for million rupee car, when someone avoids safety features or rather provide shady sticker job special editions in place of that and even provide less compliant car for Indian customers.
We have heard enough how cars from Maruti stable are less desirable or criticized more for what I said above.

But still the fact is it commands single largest monopoly and surprisingly able to safeguard their market share, no matter how threatening the move is from the competitors.

Only reason why this thread is started to pen down why we choose maruti over others ? Share your thoughts, what struck you the most about Maruti that you decided to own one over others.

Mods: If any such thread exists, then merge this post or remove this thread as per rules.

[Dr.Naren]

Maruti cars in my garage : 4/7

Reasons :

1. Dad (yes, the most important.. His preference is Maruti always).

2. Service centres (This is the major plus point for Maruti).

3. Easy escalation matrix (If you are not happy or any issues.. You can escalate to higher levels easily and Maruti takes it seriously).

4. Good resale value. (but my SX4 and S-Cross doesn't have this advantage)

5. Easy availability of spares.

Three Maruti cars which I own are not on sale anymore (Maruti 800, SX4 and S-Cross 1.6 )

[SJM1214]

Recently (Sep2017), I bought MS Vitara Brezza. These are some the reasons why I choose MS car.

1.MS has a better option (under my budget) in my preferred segment.
2.Good FE with a proven engine (DDiS).
3.Low Service cost & good after-sales support.
4.Easy availability of spares.
5.The vast network of Service Centers.
6.Excellent resale value.
7.A Value for money proposition.
8.MSIL’s customer-centric approach.
9.More than 50% of market share.
10.MS showroom/workshop is within walking distance from my office.

[Leoshashi]

I may appear like a Maruti fanboy, heck 90% of my posts are related to Maruti. But that doesn't make me a fanboy. Reason why Maruti is perfect for me in the current situation:

1. Easy maintenance. For those who crib about the inflated bills at Maruti dealer workshops, probably don't know about existence of MASCs. I am very much satisfied with my existing MASS, and will stick to them for all my car related needs. I don't mind spending on cars, but I hate paying for useless stuff like engine bay coating. Also the quick availability of spares is one advantage which MSIL has. We easily get spares for decades old cars, whereas some BHPians I know are struggling for parts of their brand new Verna. When we had the Polo for a short while, they couldn't arrange for a simple radiator for 3 months. All these things make the owners tension free.

2. Super effective escalation Matrix: If you and your concern is genuine, one simple complaint at Maruti can ensure all hell breaks loose. They control their dealers and representatives like no other in the business. Period. Apart from Maruti, we have owned cars from VW and Hyundai personally, and have cars from Tata and other manufacturers in extended family. So I know what I am speaking.

Basically speaking, knowing that the reliability and after sales is sorted, gives a confidence. Now again this is a matter which depends on locality too. Some dealers of Tata and VW(like in Pune) are extremely supportive, and I won't mind owning a VW in the metros. But for my Tier 2 city, Maruti makes sense. No other brand inspires confidence.

3. Products: I'd love to own a VW Polo TSi but with a manual stick or the reliable DQ250 which Octy RS gives. But VW cannot expect me to own a Polo with the problematic DQ200 and then be stingy when it comes to providing support. Either give me reliable cars, or exceptional aftersales. Personally I'll be happier driving the slightly less fun Baleno RS.

What I hate about MSIL/would like them to implement: Please bear with me here, as this list will be long.

1. Have some control over the inflated service cost of your dealers. I agree strict action is taken once it's escalated, but why wait for escalation in the first place??

2. The sheer volumes and number of cars has resulted in decreasing level of service quality. This is an area which I'd like Maruti to work on.

3. Product and it's management: We all know Suzuki earns the most from India. So why are they stingy when it comes to providing us cars??

• The build quality of cars like Baleno leave a lot to be desired. I won't go into the details of crash norms, but how can anyone justify a body which gets dented if someone leans over it?? Why not give a decent build to all your cars??
  
• Where are cars like the Swift Sports, S Cross with 1.4L boosterjet, or the Brezza with a petrol engine?? I'd like to meet the person who takes decision like: We first go the CBU way, if demand is decent, we'll localise. There will be no demand unless the price is right, Sir. Such a stupid decision if you ask me. All your failures, be it the Grand Vitara or the Kizashi or more recently the S Cross 1.6 are a result of your own decisions. Even their 2 wheeler wing is working with similar thoughts. Remember the Inazuma and case of refund cheques anyone?? Even if Maruti launches the Kizashi and Grand Vitara today, with localisation levels as good as their other products, throw in some features to bring them to the norms today, plonk in the localised version of 1.6/2.0 DDIS and I bet, it will sell again. People have faith in your products, which is hard to earn. Ask Tata.
  
• Why is is that the same Alto in Algeria gets dual airbags and ABS, but we dont?? Start as basic as you wish, but atleast give an option of a fully loaded variant in each model? Did we get a rear wash wipe/rear fogs/defogger in 800 ??
  
  
  
• Give the engine which a car deserves. Like the 1.6 Diesel can be localised and it can easily be powering cars like Ertiga, S Cross or the Upcoming Vitara
  

Regards,
Shashi

[Nissan1180]

I guess the reasons might differ. Most would say "service" because that's what people have been used to. Maruti service is the best. I also believe that a lot has changed over the past decade in the Indian automobile industry. When we bought the Baleno VXI, it was a fantastic car with great features, superb built quality (no rattles till date, 74000 km), an AC that's better than what most cars below 15 lakhs currently offer and an engine that makes most Maruti petrol cars look truly disappointing. We enjoyed the journey. It is a superb car, even today. Most parts are SGP, which means they're made in Japan and are expensive, but you don't need to replace things! That's the beauty of it. The Baleno is with us now, although a new owner would be able to share the pleasure of driving it soon.




We graduated to a Tata Hexa last month Reason for change: need for a car that has higher seats (SUV) and an automatic gearbox. The only car with an usable automatic gearbox and high seats is the Hexa (below 20 lakhs). There's no competition in that segment.

[giri1.8]

Have had cars from multiple makers in the past, but sadly none could match Maruti's A.S.S and reliability!

Another reason was that, Swift was a brand in itself, balanced ride and handling, phenomenal resale value, cheap spares(compared to Germans), overall perceived value. Can't afford to get any cars that are considered flop, since I am into business.

Hyundai we had was equally impressive, but current diesel engine on the i10 grand or xcent didn't feel powerful enough, built quality seems better than Maruti, but no where near the Germans.

Germans make the best cars, but overall experience certainly not worth it. One has to wait for appointment to get their service, if there is anything other than routine work, car will stay in the shop for more than few days! Getting the bill is the most anxiety inducing part of ownership, have to be double careful while driving to not break anything since they would cost a bomb to replace.

Will my next car be from Maruti? I am not so sure about that, not very happy with built quality of cars like Baleno and Dzire(no offence to the owners)

[Sutripta]

Of late it has become fashionable to dump on Maruti. The common points being 'built light' and lack of safety features. While one might debate these points, the fact remains that overall the Maruti ownership experience is uneventful, in fact boring. No other car brand in India comes anywhere near that. (Eg. At one time, Hondas were like that, except for the higher initial cost. No longer I believe. Toyotas are still like that, but the initial cost will likely choke a lot of people. Maruti does it, while keeping a check on initial cost).

So my advice to anyone wanting my opinion on which car to buy has invariably been 'If Maruti has a product in its portfolio which more or less covers your needs, stick with Maruti'. And I own and use non Maruti cars also.

One thing which gets my blood pressure up is dealing with less than honest dealers. (I am not talking about dealers technical incompetence). And then when you find out that the companies policy favours dealers over customers, I bid that brand goodbye. Unfortunately this is the norm in India, caused by poor car sales for most of the brands.
Maruti, because of its sales volumes, can keep their dealers under some sort of control. Eg. Counter sales of spares, availability of workshop manuals and parts catalogues : - easily available with Maruti. Check that with other brands, and you'll immediately know how important the the company thinks you, the customer, are.

Regards
Sutripta

[H_Dogg72]

Having a high market share does not mean they have good cars. Yes, they're good for the kitna deti hai janta, but all the criticism is valid for maruti. They make unsafe tin boxes, period.
Their service and repair times are magical, and that along with the economy and resale are enough to gather the highest market share.
I had a wagon R. It was pretty cheap, but boy was it a rubbish car. Even from the sale part where they denied the existence of an abs/airbag variant to the over all build quality that dinged up and rusted, it was terrible. Again, plus point of not having *anything* go wrong with the car in 8 years was massive (just a clogged radiator). Meanwhile my 3 year old polo gt has a defective ignition transformer that costs 15k.
Also there's not one maruti car on sale which has ESP or >2 airbags OR a MADE FOR INDIA crash test passed car.

[Paradiddle]

Maruti Suzuki, is the king of Indian roads, leading in almost every segment of passenger cars.

We own a Maruti Suzuki Ertiga and we are honestly very satisfied with it. The car came with almost all the features we were looking for in a city commuter at a very reasonable price. The cost of maintenance is low and I don't have to worry about finding a service center. The feather to its hat is the fact that it holds its value well.

In my opinion, almost all Maruti Suzuki cars are an excellent value for money package which is what appealed to my family and which is what appeals to the average Indian consumer.

[The Brutailer]

Easy. Maruti’s Indian customer service and Suzuki’s solid Japanese Technology. Brilliant combination.

They’ve been in this game longer than anyone (in India) and are literally everywhere. Normal people (the intended market for M-S) don’t like taking risks. For them a car is not a frequent investment.

Maruti’s cars are boring and reliable. And what’s wrong with that?

[SmartCat]

While Maruti has a market share of 50% among Aam Janta, I wonder what is their market share among Team-BHP members! 30 percent?

Anyway, I'd like to believe that most of us bought a Maruti after assessing all the available choices. And not because it carries a Maruti badge. You can see this in member ownership reviews too.

Final decision is always done based on (sub-conscious) weightage assigned to each parameter like looks, safety, features, ease of maintenance & service and so on.

[amvj]

Originally Posted by smartcat

While Maruti has a market share of 50% among Aam Janta, I wonder what is their market share among Team-BHP members! 30 percent?

Anyway, I'd like to believe that most of us bought a Maruti after assessing all the available choices. And not because it carries a Maruti badge. You can see this in member ownership reviews too.

Final decision is always done based on (sub-conscious) weightage assigned to each parameter like looks, safety, features, ease of maintenance & service and so on.

Thank you for your post. This exactly reflects my thoughts.

We are not buying Maruti blind folded. After evaluating quite a lot, the purchase is made.

I am happy to have an Italian car (Fiat) or a properly built German (VW) but we are in a dreary market. Fiat is lacklustre here. VW ownership threads are always horrible to hear. Ford's USP is long gone and now they come with watered down products (read Figo) which no one prefer.

Another important fact is, we are not like the Europe where the government provides free education, health care, pension schemes etc. Hence we have to stick with reliable, trouble free ones since we need to save money for our children, health care and pension. This is not the case with VWs here which are quite a lot expensive after the warranty ends. If I am in Europe, I certainly would not buy a Suzuki or a Hyundai. I feel secured there. The Government protects the citizens but that is not the case here.

So why Maruti ?
Proper after sales service support, Japanese reliability, Maruti takes feedback very seriously.

[Arjun Reddy]

Maruti is probably a necessity . I probably will always have a Maruti in my stable. Currently have a 2008 Maruti 800 which I use like a scooter, the short dashes to the grocery store, drop my son of for his badminton etc. Have owned a couple of Esteems and a Swift previously.

The ease of reaching a MASS, easy availability of spares , the peace of mind that nothing can go wrong, easy escalation, I remember there was one Dr Kumar( do not kind of remember if I got the name right ). Any escalation in writing to him and probably the MD of the MASS would be at your place.

Would be interesting if we can turn this thread into a poll. Do you own a Maruti or have you owned a Maruti? I am guessing around 50% own one and around 80% have owned one.

The service is so good at the MASS, they probably the only company that follow up for an insurance renewal on a 10 year old car. They come and collect the cheque and drop off the policy.:Clap:

For every other car after the 4th year, I am the one who is chasing the insurance companies for a policy.

[blackwasp]

Originally Posted by Highh5

Share your thoughts, what struck you the most about Maruti that you decided to own one over others.

The first four wheeler in our home was a Maruti. Its not for nothing that their tagline says 'India comes home in a Maruti Suzuki. But somewhere down the years, they do not provide an upgrade choice to people like us. I'm not saying that they make bad cars, just that they are not suitable step-up to owners.

Case in point, I know people who upgraded from M800 to Ciaz. This is an upgrade, but what is next? Once you have a Ciaz, S-Cross, Baleno, you don't have an upgrade - unless you are happy to upgrade to new models - e.g. upgrading from WagonR 1.1 to the new one, or old Dzire to the new one etc.

For daily drivers, I will still prefer a Maruti Suzuki, especially for commutes. We have a WagonR CNG with us that does almost 4-5k kms a month. Just basic service once every 2 months does the job, nothing else. However, for the highways, from the MSIL stable, I will choose the S-Cross 1.6, but its no longer available. So you get the gist. We enthusiasts are few in numbers and even for a company having 50% market share in India, keeping a second engine option on S-Cross proved not worth the trouble.

For us, the fuss free ownership, easy access to parts as well as cheaper maintenance lead us to choose a Maruti.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

2. Super effective escalation Matrix: If you and your concern is genuine, one simple complaint at Maruti can ensure all hell breaks loose. They control their dealers and representatives like no other in the business.

Oh yes, having been on both sides of this, I can vouch that just a small displeasure will lead to massive running around. Its just that very few people resort to this escalation, but none the less, the ones who do keep the dealership on their toes.

[libranof1987]

Why Maruti Suzuki has been dominating the Indian market?

1) Scale: the sheer scale of Maruti Suzuki's scale makes a lot of things easy for them: no. of dealerships and service centres, an R&D budget, invest in upscaling infrastructure and also ability to absorb some failure

2) Understanding the Indian mentality: I don't know if they've understood the Indian mentality right or if they've created it in the first place
- Importance of FE being the prime example

3) Being customer centric: the tight ship they run with the dealership and one of the best records of customer service

This thread essentially has the same discussion going on:

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post4338592