WAGON R BUYING EXPERIENCE
We were searching for a suitable replacement for our 11-Year old Maruti Esteem. This car had served us faithfully over the years, yet it was becoming increasingly difficult for us to maintain her in a good condition, and we had to let her go.
The replacement car would primarily be meant for my retired parents so it had to be easy on the pocket and on maintenance too. At 6”2”, my father is a tall man so ease of ingress and egress were major considerations.
06th August 2012 - MONDAY
When we set out shopping, we had a couple of cars in mind, the TATA Manza, TATA Indica Vista and the Ford Classic. We first visited the TATA Motors showroom at Himayathnagar, Hyderabad and quickly went through the On-Road prices for the Manza and the Vista. The lesser-than-expected exchange price offered for our Esteem (Rs 25,000/-), coupled with the absence of any corporate discounts, made us put these two cars on the backburner. A short drive down the Himayathnagar main road, and we pulled up into Mithra Agencies’, one of the authorized MSIL dealers in Hyderabad & Secunderabad.
From the MSIL stable, we had only one car in consideration – the Wagon R (called WR henceforth); primarily due to its tall stance. I must admit that personally, I wasn’t even keen on the WR, but it was my mom who kept on suggesting that the WR must be given a consideration – so we stopped to check it out.
The On road price difference between the two variants Lxi and Vxi was around 30,000/-. The additional features on offer for the Vxi were quite a few: all four power windows, internally adjustable Power ORVMs, factory fitted ICE, fog lamps, rear wash & wipe with a demister, and bigger tyres. I was very keen on looking at Vxi + ABS, for an additional Rs 20,000/-, but the 4-month wait for this option was simply not worth it. We collected all the information and went back home, to revalidate our decision.
Almost each one of us (My Parents, Wife & I) had reached a favorable consensus on the WR, so we called up the showroom for a test ride, which was made available for us within the next 20 minutes.
With me in the Driver’s seat, dad in the front passenger seat, mom, wife and the two kids in the rear, we set out on a short drive on the Vxi. I was skeptical if the WR would be spacious enough for 4 adults and 2 kids, but was proven wrong – the back benchers were more than happy with the seating space and the leg room. And I was impressed with the SUV-like driving position – a very welcome break from those years of bending in to get inside the Esteem. By the time we pulled up into our parking lot, all of us were sold on the WR.
We were unable to decide on the color of the car so I called up the Service advisor, and she offered to take us to the dealer stockyard at Nacharam, to check out the colors available. It was past 6 in the evening when we reached the stockyard. A majority of the new WRs’ was parked in a basement parking lot, which had less than adequate lighting – and this made it tough for us to zero down on a particular color. Black was totally ruled out and Blue also didn’t generate much enthusiasm. Chocolate Brown looked to be quite promising and we were almost sold out on that color, but when we stepped up to the first floor open parking lot, and saw the same color on a Ritz, we were disappointed. Chocolate Brown didn’t look all that attractive when looked at in natural light. We finally settled for Silver.
07th August 2012 - TUESDAY
Dad & I drove down to the Showroom to complete the payment formalities, and also to oversee the fitment of accessories in the car. By this time, the vehicle had arrived from the stockyard, and we stepped down into the basement parking lot to have a look at the VIN. I had the VIN decoder sequence in hand, and the last two alphabets of the VIN were a ‘B’ and ‘C’ which meant that the vehicle was manufactured in February 2012 – a 6 month old vehicle, which was acceptable. The ODO also showed 26 Kms, which was not bad either. The car checked out just fine.
Before I proceed further, let me put down the on-road price for the VXI, mentioning all the relevant components:
Ex Showroom Price – Hyderabad - 416347
Handling Charges - 4200
Life Time Tax at 12% - 49962
Insurance - 13886
Freebies - 9000
3rd Year Warranty - 2129
AutoCard (Loyalty Program) - 337
Unknown Component - 2750
TOTAL ON ROAD PRICE - 489611
The
discounts that were offered to us are as follows:
Corporate Discount - 4000
Manufacturer Discount - 25000
Freebies (Accessories) - 9000
For our 1999-manufactured Maruti Esteem VX, True Value offered us Rs
50,000/-. Finally we ended up paying Rs 3, 95,000/- for the vehicle. We got the following
accessories installed:
Leather Seat Covers - 4500
Rear Parking Sensors - 3900
Mud Flaps - 250
Floor Mats - 390 (Approx)
Steering Wheel Grip (250)
Reverse Horn - 100
I was dead against the installation of the reverse horn, but dad insisted and I gave in considering the fact that this car would primarily be used by him!!
2nd Vehicle Life Tax
I already had a Honda Activa registered in my name. That means, for registering this car, I would need to shell out an additional 2% Life Tax, which was working out to be Rs 8237/-. To avoid this, we decided to transfer the ownership of the Activa to my wife, so that I continue to have a single vehicle registered against my name. This process consumed some time, with the required documentation to be put in place, and the wife’s signatures taken. This process was taken care of by an agent to whom I paid Rs 1200/-, at the dealership itself.
08th August 2012 – WEDNESDAY
Having checked our Almanac for an auspicious time, we were finally ready to take delivery of the vehicle after 11:00 am. I took out a print out of the PDI Checklist only to conveniently forget to put it in my bag, before leaving our place, much to my consternation. Nevertheless, I was able to recollect the key points in the checklist:
-A thorough inspection of the vehicle for any dents/scratches.
-Get a detailed walk-through of the various features of the car by the company technician.
-Duplicate keys – FA Kit, Spare Tyres and others.
Our Esteem, which had faithfully served us for nearly 7 years finally bid good bye to our home, as we drove down to the showroom. At the showroom, while Dad completed the formalities with True Value, for the handover of the esteem, Mom & I waited for the delivery process to commence.
At the basement, our Silver Wagon R was all set for delivery. I went through the accessories check list to make sure all the accessories were in place. The reverse parking sensors took time to understand, but I could get a hang of them quickly, and I must say that they can be very helpful in tight parking spaces.
The technician came in, and both of us verified that the Chassis Number, Engine Number and Battery number present on the vehicle matched those present in the Service Manual. He then gave me a quick walk through on the various features of the WR. I couldn’t understand the importance of the rear fog lamp though. This might be useful in fog-like conditions, but for most part, I doubt if I would be using it, and one wrong move by a careless biker, right into my bumper, and this light will go for a toss! I liked the [secretive] storage space underneath the front passenger seat, and the theatre-like dimming effect on the front and rear cabin lights was interesting too!
Minor Hiccup
The LORVM was dangling loose from its assembly, and that was a cause of concern. The technician gently nudged the mirror inside the assembly and it fit in snugly. I am still concerned about this though, and plan to observe it for a couple of days. As for now, I plan to drive in the city with the LORVM closed.
We waited for some time before New India Assurance gave me a call on my mobile and quickly walked me through the details of the insurance policy. As explained earlier, the annual premium worked out to be around 13.5 K.
At around 01:30 pm, we had the customary Pooja performed on the vehicle and all set to head out. A lady who was in charge of the overall delivery came down with a check list and a box of sweets. She confirmed
-- I found the vehicle to be in a good condition and
-- The delivery time was as expected (1 Hour). Though we were in the showroom for close to 2 hours, the actual time for the delivery of the vehicle was an hour and the remaining time was for disposal of the old vehicle – I agreed
--I understand completely the various features of the vehicle.
Wishing me good luck with the car, she went back on her way. We picked up one of the service advisers and drove to a nearby petrol bunk for a complimentary 5 litre petrol. On top of that I added some more, we drove back, dropped off the service adviser, and gingerly made our way back home.
Post noon, as my elder kid got off her school bus and walked back home, she was super excited to see the new car and let out squeals of joy. We gave her a short ride in the car, and she was excited to the hilt. Later in the day, the remote control keys would become a constant source of entertainment for her, and I promised that whenever we all head out, she would be given the honour of unlocking the car.
Overall Experience with the Buying Process
I was satisfied with the overall experience. The sales personnel (Ms. Suvarna & Mr. Kishore) were more than helpful during the entire process and did go out of their way occasionally to speed up the process.
I have only one grouch though.
When we were heading back after having a look at the cars in the stockyard, we were informed that there would be an additional bonus of Rs 5,000/-. Naturally we were pleased. However during the time of payment we were informed that there was no official communique yet from MSIL, so we would have to go ahead and pay Rs 5K. If at a later date, the communique does come through, we would be refunded the amount through a cheque drawn on my name.
Though I do understand the enthusiasm of the sales personnel in trying to close a deal, it would have been better, had the folks confirmed this discount with the official communique in hand.
Other than this, I had no problems whatsoever. All our queries were answered with patience, and I would have no problems recommending this dealer to anyone wanting to buy a Maruti car in the vicinity of Himayathnagar and its neighbourhoods, in Hyderabad.
Wish List/ Things to Do-- Alloy wheels for the car. This would take some time.
-- Portable Vacuum Cleaner, Portable Compressor and Jack and a Fire extinguisher. Saw an offer on Indiatimes Shopping today, advertising a complete car care package for about 2.2K. Need to check it out as well as other options.
13th August 2012 - 500 Kms Done
I have taken the car out to Kurnool on the Weekend ( Around trip of around 500 Kms) followed by a regular home to work commute. Let me put down my experiences with the WR on the highway.
Highway Cruising
WR is a comfortable highway cruiser. You can do speeds in the vicinity of 120 Kmph with absolutely no problems whatsoever on this car. I did push this car to a max speed of 140 Kmph, but then with no ABS, no AirBags and kids inside the car, I definetely wouldn't want to do those speeds over a sustained amount of time. I was more than happy sticking to 100 +/- 5 Kmph. A dead pedal is a must, and cruise control, even if offered as an option, would be very much welcome!!
Luggage Space
With 4 adults/2 Adults and 2 Kids travelling in the car, space can be a premium on those short weekend trips. The max this car can swallow is a medium sized suitcase and a medium sized duffel bag. Anything above that would be a squeeze, and if you have no options left, you would have to pile on additional baggage, at the risk of blocking out the rear windscreen - you would then have to solely depend on the RVMs - I wouldn't recommend it! -
Overtaking
Overtaking can sometimes be a pain - there is a considerable amount of lag in the 3rd gear, and I had to literally floor the pedal, and the WR would respond after an initial lag of 3 to 4 seconds - leaving me no options, but to downshift to the 2nd gear to overtake. This continues to be one of my main complaints, and I so miss the responsiveness of the Esteem here!
Maneuverability
This car is a breeze to drive in the city, thanks to its excellent maneuverability - you could nudge this car into tight spaces, with absolutely no problems at all - and with both the RVMs open, you get a good view of the traffic around you, and can can take quick decisions, if required.
Others
Air Con is effective, and cools the cabin effectively. You would need to set the blower to position 3 or 4, when driving in a vehicle parked under the sun, but after some time, you can reduce it to position 1 or 2. Headlights are more than adequate and the low bean illuminates the road ahead very effectively. ICE is adequate - I am not a big time music afficonado (used to be, during college, but have moved on since:-( ), and the factory fitted ICE sounded ok.
About the FE - folks at the showroom have claimed that 15.1 Kmpl is standard in city conditions - I am yet to check it out myself. Total fuel bill for the up & down trip to Kurnool came to Rs 2500/- and I still have adequate gas left in the tank to continue for a couple of days at least before refilling again.
Pictures to Follow:
My Comments on the pictures
Pic 1) - The WR is all set to head out of the showroom.
Pic 2) - The WR's rear profile. Rear demister and rear wash and wipe are now standard on the VXi and a welcome addition indeed!
Pic 3) - A close-up of the rear parking sensors and the rear fog lamp. Not quite sure how long the rear fog lamp will stay intact, given the crowded city environs that this WR will spend a majority of its time on!!
Pic 4) An additional cabin light at the rear is very welcome. Both of these dim theatre style.
Pic 5) - Doors open real wide - a very big plus.
Pic 6) - Additional [secretive] storage space underneath the front passenger seat.
Pic 7) - The 'K'- Series Engine that powers the WR. Battery is from Exide.
Pic 8) - A closer look at the headlamp assembly.
Pic 9) - Stock Tyres on the WR.
Pic 10) - Space can be a premium on this car. The black bag blocking out the view of the rear windshield from the driver's seat is a strict No-No.
Pic 11) - Factory fitted Nippon ICE - Plays a single CD, FM/AM, has an AUX port, but no USB.
Pic 12) - Bottle Holder for the front passenger. You have one for the driver as well.
Thanks for your patient reading. Comments/Questions most welcome. The first servicing for the Tall Guy is due after 1000 Kms or 1 month, whichever happens earlier. I have a short out-of-town trip coming up on the WR.
Will continue updating this thread.
10th August 2012, 07:14
(6)
Thanks
