[Indraneel Bhat]

Originally Posted by KrishD

Great write-up Abirnale. I have been a proud owner of a SX4 Zxi for close to six years and a lakh km now. Its simply a joy to own, and possibly one of the most under-rated cars in its class.
Now of course, Maruti is all set to replace the current gen with the YL1. I would be amongst the few people who would be sad to see it go....

Abirnale --> great review!!! I was going to write a long term usage review of my own SX4, and then the amount of detail you put into yours is making me re-think my decision
Krish --> I totally agree with your sentiments. I own a 2008 SX4 having done 52,000 kms on it. Mostly used for holidays and runs within town with family. I cannot emphasize enough about the value for money that this car represents. People criticize it for it's looks, but there is simply no other sedan in it's class that offers the space, engine quality, ground clearance and big car feel that the SX4 offers. I love these aspects of the car so much that the perceived lack of fuel efficiency does not bother me. Speaking of fuel efficiency though, I get an avg. of about 14 kms per litre in combined driving conditions (city and highway). I personally don't think this is bad given it's size and the fact that our usage is not a lot. Truly an underrated car!!!

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by Indraneel Bhat

Abirnale --> great review!!! I was going to write a long term usage review of my own SX4, and then the amount of detail you put into yours is making me re-think my decision

Thanks Indraneel! Feel free to add your review comments to this thread! I would be glad to have others contribute to this thread of course! I plan to keep updating this thread on my regular servicing, short trip logs from experience perspective (and not as travelogue). So anything that adds to this information and is helpful for members and visitors is welcome

[arun_josie]

Nice and detailed write-up, abirnale!
You Caska HU looks like a stock finish. How did you get this space? removed the stock unit?

Originally Posted by Loud

Regarding SX4, all I would say is that this car could have performed better on the sales chart if the old DZire was priced a bit higher. The SX4 (during initial years of launch) faced competition from DZire because the need for a big boot and considerable interior space from the stable of a leading manufacturer was fulfilled by DZire at ~1 Lac less.

In fact the difference was 2L when I got by Dzire ZDI in 2011, atleast for the diesel variants. I felt that SX4 diesel was over priced especially when it is competing with the likes of Verna/Vento/Rapid.

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

Nice and detailed write-up, abirnale!
You Caska HU looks like a stock finish. How did you get this space? removed the stock unit?

Thanks Arun and yes, its like you remove the original HU and place this one. The original one is double din in size so when you pull it out, the space that is available is exactly what Caska HU needs. Moreover, the Caska HUs are specifically designed for target car. Like the one I bought was meant to be used only in SX4. If you visit Caska website here, you will find the entire range of custom built HUs for specific cars and models! There is a dealer contact details on the website too if interested.

I have preserved the original HU with me just in case if this gives problem at any point of time and i have to send it for servicing/ repairs, I don't want to be without a HU in the car

[Loud]

Originally Posted by arun_josie

In fact the difference was 2L when I got by Dzire ZDI in 2011, atleast for the diesel variants. I felt that SX4 diesel was over priced especially when it is competing with the likes of Verna/Vento/Rapid.

Yes I agree the SX4 is overpriced in comparison to Rapid and Vento but the Verna SX O comes at ~1 Lac more (okay it has more features). If the new SX4 is launched at the same price, it would be a strong VFM product.

[suzuki san]

Hi Abirnale,

Great to see a thread on the SX4 after a long, long time. Normally all one sees is criticism on other related threads about this car but I think that is usually by people who don't own or have never driven an SX4. People say it's ugly, bloated, ungainly etc. etc but I will go with the old saying of "Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder"!!! This car does everything well and nothing badly. Absolute value for money.

I also have an SX4 Zxi - just one month older than yours. Jan 2011. I paid Rs. 8.20 (On Road) as I paid at the end of the year and so got the advantage of all the year end discounts but only took delivery in the new year. In addition I have an SX4 Automatic Zxi - Dec. 2009 - for the city. However, as I am out of the country for 6 months of the year (the car sits in a closed garage while I am away) my mileage is just about half of yours - 18k Kms. Most of that has been highway runs (Bombay to Goa, Bombay to Nasik) and when I drive sensibly - which is not very often, I get an average of 13.5 Kmpl but I am not complaining. This drops to about 10 in the city. What can one expect from a 1.6 engine? With the automatic I get about 8.0Kmpl in the city.

The car has served the purpose for which I bought it. A reliable highway runner with plenty of boot space, excellent A/C, comfortable, good ground clearance and rugged enough to handle bad roads without worrying about the damage one is likely to do to the car. Finally of course is the main point that it is a Maruti so service is available easily all over the country. What more could one ask for? Well, a 1.8 or even 2.0 L engine would be great.

The tyre noise from the original JK Vectra's can get a bit annoying on concrete roads but I will be changing them soon.
The original headlights as you mentioned are pretty much useless so, after trying Osram Nightbreakers, which were still not good enough for high speed highway driving, I finally fitted 100/130 bulbs with a relay. Now I am happy with the lights. Interesting to read that MASS fits this in their workshops. I was not aware of that.

One issue I have faced is that at about 120-130 Kmph the car starts to feel very light. Almost like it is floating. Once past these speeds it is back to normal again and I have touched 182 Kmph on a couple of occasions.
The clutch sometimes feels a bit hard in bumper to bumper traffic.
I changed the speakers soon after buying the car but have stuck with the stock HU. Fitted a stand alone MMI GPS to handle the navigation. V-Kool tints. I really miss the arm rest on the long drives but have not seen anything that is a neat fit. I would rather not have an armrest than have holes drilled into the body with clamps etc. visible.

All in all I am happy with the car and have no plans of selling it in the near future.
Wishing you many more miles of safe driving.

All the best.

SS

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by suzuki san

People say it's ugly, bloated, ungainly etc. etc but... This car does everything well and nothing badly. Absolute value for money.

Thank you Suzuki San for your comments and appreciation. I can echo your observations very well being a SX4 owner Yes, it may not be a head turner but its definitely not ignorable! Like Arun and Loud said earlier, it only suffered market perception due to DZire and at the same time competition heated up by Skoda/VW, Hyundai and Honda on the same/ similar segment. But its still a real value for money.

Originally Posted by suzuki san

I also have an SX4 Zxi - just one month older than yours. Jan 2011... In addition I have an SX4 Automatic Zxi - Dec. 2009 - for the city. However, as I am out of the country for 6 months of the year (the car sits in a closed garage while I am away) my mileage is just about half of yours - 18k Kms. Most of that has been highway runs (Bombay to Goa, Bombay to Nasik) and when I drive sensibly - which is not very often, I get an average of 13.5 Kmpl but I am not complaining. This drops to about 10 in the city. What can one expect from a 1.6 engine? With the automatic I get about 8.0Kmpl in the city.

Wow! Thats double satisfaction from SX4! About running, mine is similar case - I am mostly out of the country at least 4-5 months a year and car sits in garage. When I am in town, the work commute is only 10Kms both ways. So only way I can quench my thirst is by planning trips to Goa (Sanquelim) and Maharashtra (Sangli) - almost 4 trips a year definitely. Never even once faced any issues, mileage is satisfactory too. 12-13 on highway (Avg Speed 80-90Kmph, South Bangalore to Sanquelim under 9 hours with two good breaks), 9 in city with full ACC, never shut down even at signals in bumper to bumper traffic.

Originally Posted by suzuki san

The car has served the purpose for which I bought it. A reliable highway runner with plenty of boot space, excellent A/C, comfortable, good ground clearance and rugged enough to handle bad roads without worrying about the damage one is likely to do to the car. Finally of course is the main point that it is a Maruti so service is available easily all over the country. What more could one ask for? Well, a 1.8 or even 2.0 L engine would be great.

Yes, I have too always driven with full trunk luggage and almost 5 people in the car all the time. I constantly keep it around 100-120 km/h but never stresses the engine or tries to overtake. And hence never felt the additional need for power. The 1.6l engine is good but if I get more, who doesn't want it?

Originally Posted by suzuki san

The tyre noise from the original JK Vectra's can get a bit annoying on concrete roads but I will be changing them soon.

Yes, exactly! I am looking at tyre options now as they are due for change in another 5K Kms. Let me know when you choose the new ones and if you get positive experience about them. I will most probably follow the suit.

Originally Posted by suzuki san

The original headlights as you mentioned are pretty much useless so, after trying Osram Nightbreakers, which were still not good enough for high speed highway driving, I finally fitted 100/130 bulbs with a relay. Now I am happy with the lights. Interesting to read that MASS fits this in their workshops. I was not aware of that.

Only suggestion is, be careful with MASS. Many of them use the average material. Not the premium relays like Hella or Philips. To keep the cost low/ competitive to the dealer, they cut corners almost everywhere. Nothing alarming but in long run may cause problems. My relay (don't remember what brand it is but definitely not philips or hella) causes one headlight bulb's dipper point to fry every 5-6 months. I am thinking to revert back the elay to stock bulbs and add a good quality hella lights separately on the new mount. Only thing that is keeping me away from it is look. I am not sure but prolonged use of 100/130 bulbs in regular assembly may cause the deflectors damage/ heat up issues?

Originally Posted by suzuki san

One issue I have faced is that at about 120-130 Kmph the car starts to feel very light. Almost like it is floating. Once past these speeds it is back to normal again and I have touched 182 Kmph on a couple of occasions.
The clutch sometimes feels a bit hard in bumper to bumper traffic.
I changed the speakers soon after buying the car but have stuck with the stock HU. Fitted a stand alone MMI GPS to handle the navigation. V-Kool tints. I really miss the arm rest on the long drives but have not seen anything that is a neat fit. I would rather not have an armrest than have holes drilled into the body with clamps etc. visible.

Thats new to me - neither steering nor clutch issues I have seen/ faced so far. About arm rests, trust me the way I have done fitting would be very good. I had hunt in the market for many options and finally settled for the seat attached ones. The only intake I did is did not overlook the work. The slight alignment and height issues could have been avoided. They are of the same quality like in Innova captain seats of second row. So if you like them, you would like these two. Else not. There are no visible clamps and nuts in this kind of arm rest fitting.

Originally Posted by suzuki san

All in all I am happy with the car and have no plans of selling it in the near future.
Wishing you many more miles of safe driving.

Indeed! Wish you too a very happy driving and many more amazing miles.

[Meer]

Hats off Avinash on a detailed and wonderfully balanced thread... You have covered the entire experience very well and those charts look great. Keep updating the thread

We have 2 things in common - owned an Esteem VXi in the past and now own a SX4 ZXi.

My SX4 is 2008 model, done close to 50k and niggle free as ever. Maruti service still continues to deliver and as you mentioned, when you do face an attitude problem you can always move to some other dealer!

Originally Posted by abirnale

Headlights are not strong enough.

I first went to Phillips HID (white lights, jazz but low substance) and now happy with Osram Night Breakers.

Originally Posted by abirnale

Should have integrated blinkers on ORVM.

There are loads of options in aftermarket, I got mine fitted over the stock ones and they have worked hassle free for 4+ years now through rain and shine.

Originally Posted by abirnale

Gears are good but sometimes the reverse gear feels like stuck, won't engage.

When this happens, the best option is to put the car in first gear and then it will easily go to reverse

When you go for next round of splurge try Phase 1 mods - FFE + CAI, the results will blow you away. I got it done couple of years back and enjoying great low end torque and in gear acceleration, best thing is that I can potter around in 3rd gear without needing to downshift to 2nd / 1st.

[suzuki san]

When you go for next round of splurge try Phase 1 mods - FFE + CAI, the results will blow you away. I got it done couple of years back and enjoying great low end torque and in gear acceleration, best thing is that I can potter around in 3rd gear without needing to downshift to 2nd / 1st.[/quote]

Hi Meer,

Where did you get the FFE and CAI done? I have got the FFE done on two of my previous cars - an Esteem and a Zen - by two reputed "tuners" in Bombay but was not very impressed with the quality of work or the sound. What CAI do you have?
Regards,
SS

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by Meer

Hats off Avinash on a detailed and wonderfully balanced thread... You have covered the entire experience very well and those charts look great. Keep updating the thread

We have 2 things in common - owned an Esteem VXi in the past and now own a SX4 ZXi.
....
....
There are loads of options in aftermarket, I got mine fitted over the stock ones and they have worked hassle free for 4+ years now through rain and shine.
....
When you go for next round of splurge try Phase 1 mods - FFE + CAI, the results will blow you away. I got it done couple of years back and enjoying great low end torque and in gear acceleration, best thing is that I can potter around in 3rd gear without needing to downshift to 2nd / 1st.

Thank you Meer!

Can you please point me to the aftermarket blinkers please? I am looking for one preferably in bangalore or someone who would help from other place to ship and provide remote help to fit.

I am not much inclined to do the mods to engine but you never know! Another 25K Kms and probably I will give it a try what say?

[Meer]

Originally Posted by suzuki san

Hi Meer,

Where did you get the FFE and CAI done? I have got the FFE done on two of my previous cars - an Esteem and a Zen - by two reputed "tuners" in Bombay but was not very impressed with the quality of work or the sound. What CAI do you have?
Regards,
SS

I did it from Tune Up Plus in Baner, Pune. It was a specifically done for my car FFE with headers till the end pipe. It has held up well in past 2 years, did 25k kms during this time. I can chug along in 5th at 30 kmph speed, there is also torque steer if you are in mood, which gives a good feeling. The CAI is Cosworth.

Originally Posted by abirnale

Thank you Meer!

Can you please point me to the aftermarket blinkers please? I am looking for one preferably in bangalore or someone who would help from other place to ship and provide remote help to fit.

I am not much inclined to do the mods to engine but you never know! Another 25K Kms and probably I will give it a try what say?

There are 2 options for the blinkers. AFAIK the recent SX4 facelift this year had integrated blinkers in OVRM, you can get that original part from MS. I am not familiar with the accessories market in Bangalore, but you can check in any of the accessories shop, they would surely have it (e.g. Sachin's Auto Shop in Koramangala). I know of few places in Pune.

Phase 1 mods I suggested do not require any changes to the engine

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by Meer

I did it from Tune Up Plus in Baner, Pune. It was a specifically done for my car FFE with headers till the end pipe. It has held up well in past 2 years, did 25k kms during this time. I can chug along in 5th at 30 kmph speed, there is also torque steer if you are in mood, which gives a good feeling. The CAI is Cosworth.
...
Phase 1 mods I suggested do not require any changes to the engine.

Thank you Meer. I have been researching for the phase 1 mods and specifically looking at FFE & CAI. Especially after you stated that it won't need any changes to engine thereby ensuring its longevity and probably un-impacted warranty too. The only thing I have for now in my car is K&N Filter that is under hood

I looked at your post on your ownership thread and still couldn't figure out the cost and looks etc. Can you please help me with some pictures of your mods - either here or at your ownership thread...

[suzuki san]

Originally Posted by abirnale

Thank you Meer. I have been researching for the phase 1 mods and specifically looking at FFE & CAI. Especially after you stated that it won't need any changes to engine thereby ensuring its longevity and probably un-impacted warranty too. The only thing I have for now in my car is K&N Filter that is under hood :

Hi Avinash,
Do you find any significant change with the K & N filter?
I have fitted it in my Swift before but was not really that impressed.
In fact, I did not think it was worth the 4500 I paid for it.
Would appreciate your thoughts on this.


Meer,
Would be much obliged if you share the contact details of the Tune Up Plus garage in Pune. Is your FFE MS or stainless? Have you removed the catalytic convertor or is it a cat back system? I was quite surprised to hear that you had a Cosworth CAI. I thought they had shut shop in India?

Kind Regards,
SS

[abirnale]

Originally Posted by suzuki san

Hi Avinash,
Do you find any significant change with the K & N filter?
I have fitted it in my Swift before but was not really that impressed.
In fact, I did not think it was worth the 4500 I paid for it.
Would appreciate your thoughts on this.

Kind Regards,
SS

I think yes. "Think" because it could be totally the feeling but nothing genuinely noticeable. I have seen the fuel economy slightly improved over stock air filter usage. But it could be my improved driving style than earlier.

Regardless of what I observe, it would still be a good investment as the filter is lifelong and pretty reliable in long run as well. I think so because the difference of 1-2K during almost 1lakh kms of usage of this filter wouldn't even be noticed compared to all other expenses!

[abirnale]

Got myself a new Thule Freeway 968. Haven't put many KMs (still at 39KKms) though. This post specifically highlights the story of Thule cycle carrier and my rockrider bicycle not playing well with each other!

I bought a Thule Freeway cycle carrier that is compatible with sedan, hatchback as well as rear door SUVs that does not have spare tyre on the door. Cost - INR 9900. The problem I found upon buying the carrier is that my cycle frame does not fit well onto the carrier. It seems like the RR5.1 is heavier as well as the frame internal dimension is such that it can't be easily (read - almost impossible) put on the carrier. Good thing still is that the carrier is scalable for future cars but my cycle isn't!

Now, let the pics do talking.

It is easy to fit in the trunk when folded - but note, you will need to fit your other luggage "well and thoughtfully" to ensure there is enough space to carry things around.


The carrier when fitted on the car trunk - Rear View, from Rear Left and Rear Right -




The straps fit into the thin opening like space on the metal sheet of trunk - total 6 of them to be strapped to ensure they all fit snugly.


The care must be exercised that such that a wrongly tensioned hook should not make your rear light assembly move/ push out!

It has nice rubber cushions that rest on the trunk lid. No dent possibility.



Now the bad part - when I try to put RR5.1 on the carrier, it looks like below -


Of course there are solutions - I can use an extension tube that can be used to hang the cycle. But its most likely that I will go for little more costlier, lighter and hybrid kind of bike as my usage is increasing day by day. I had tried a trek bike on this carrier before I purchased from BOTS shop but did not visualize that my RR has different kind of frame!

About my car running updates - a 40K Kms service is due soon. Planning to cleanup and detail the entire car this time. This shall happen mostly after I return from Bangalore TBhpian's Kannur overnighter. So Stay tuned.