[ArijitM]

I have been driving one Esteem for last 6.5 months. Have driven 5000 KM so far. Was thinking of putting a review for some time. So here it goes:

Overall I am pretty happy with the car. Engine is very smooth - it has silken feeling while driving & offers good control. Basically a no-nonsense hassle free entry level sedan which I was looking for. Maruti really does well with its service network. Very low on maintenance - till now I have spent only some Rs 400 for oils etc in first serive. No paisa in 2nd service.

Now the negatives
1. Interior plastics are shabby..also utility space in dashboard/glove box is pretty less.
2. You feel little powerless in 40-60 kmh while in low rpm.
3. A tall/bulky person would find interrior space to be bit cramped.
4. I am getting an FE of 11.5 in full city w/o AC with regular petrol. Is it the negative point or plus point?? Any technical suggestion to up the FE

Before buying I was very confused about whther to buy Ikon or Esteem. I dont regret buying Esteem but just curious to know what a similar LTR from Ikon owners would be

[MalluDude]

Originally Posted by ArijitM

Before buying I was very confused about whther to buy Ikon or Esteem. I dont regret buying Esteem but just curious to know what a similar LTR from Ikon owners would be

Ikon Flair, you mean, right? The esteem's got a gem of an engine, something which ikon's 1.3 L can't come up to. But ikon's a tad bigger car.

[esteem_lover]

You feel little powerless in 40-60 kmh while in low rpm.

At those speeds i am normally in 2nd or 3rd gear & there is quite a good engine response.

[ArijitM]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

At those speeds i am normally in 2nd or 3rd gear & there is quite a good engine response.

Then Maruti advises to shift to top gear in 40+.. I shift at 50+

[Equus]

The low end torque bothered me a lot. My brother had an Esteem in Mumbai and in bumper-to-bumper traffic, it was a real pain. Otherwise, it rode like a dream!

[typeOnegative]

Originally Posted by Equus

My brother had an Esteem in Mumbai and in bumper-to-bumper traffic, it was a real pain. Otherwise, it rode like a dream!

It will drive like a dream - zippy as hell from a standing start. But ride like one? Dream on. That ground clearance is awful.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by ArijitM

4. I am getting an FE of 11.5 in full city w/o AC with regular petrol. Is it the negative point or plus point?? Any technical suggestion to up the FE

What route do you take to office ?

[ArijitM]

Originally Posted by esteem_lover

At those speeds i am normally in 2nd or 3rd gear & there is quite a good engine response.

But Maruti recommends to shift to 5th gear at 40+...I generally shift at 50+

[ArijitM]

Originally Posted by shuvc

What route do you take to office ?

I start from near Baguihati -> Rajarhat -> Sector 5 --> Karunamoyee (my wife takes over from here) -> Kankurgachi -> Ultadange -> VIP-> Back home !

Do you recommend fitting special filter or some upgrade?

[mobike008]

Originally Posted by shuvc

What route do you take to office ?

Will this improve the FE? .

IMHO, 11.5 for an esteem is quite low, probably you drive a lot in heavy traffic.

[ArijitM]

Originally Posted by mobike008

Will this improve the FE? .

IMHO, 11.5 for an esteem is quite low, probably you drive a lot in heavy traffic.

Yes guys.. I also feel it is bit on the lower side.. I was expecting that at least 5K + it should return me 13 w/o AC... So any plan of action?

[esteem_lover]

Originally Posted by ArijitM

But Maruti recommends to shift to 5th gear at 40+...I generally shift at 50+

No petrol car will give you torque at that low a rpm. stay in 3rd or maybe 4th inside the city unless you get a free stretch. 11KMPL in city is good mileage. check your highway mileage.

[DCEite]

Originally Posted by ArijitM

But Maruti recommends to shift to 5th gear at 40+...I generally shift at 50+

Forget what Maruti says. If everyone starts going by their recommendations, every Maruti will run like a Bullock cart, and give FE of CD-DAWN.

Maruti cars viz Esteem, Zen, WagonR, Baleno have longish gear ratios anyways, so they liked to be revved in the lower speed range to extract full power.

[shuvc]

Originally Posted by ArijitM

I start from near Baguihati -> Rajarhat -> Sector 5 --> Karunamoyee (my wife takes over from here) -> Kankurgachi -> Ultadange -> VIP-> Back home !

Well I follow almost a similar route.
In the morning
Lake Town - VIP - Ultadanga - EM Bypass - Nicco Park - Sector V
In the evening
Sector V - Rajarhat - VIP - Baguihati - Lake Town

Without A/C and I believe driving more aggressively than you, I comfortably clocked 11.5 to 12.5 with the Baleno all winter - it's dropped slightly with the switch to 195 tyres in Jan.
Same stretch last summer , with 90% AC, similar driving, the worst I got was 10.5

I guess you should be getting more from the Esteem. 12+ surely.

[kpzen]

The FE u are getting is pretty low considering the driving style.....
Get it inspected by a good engineer at some MASS ...
How is the fuel quality in Kolkata?