| M-800 40K km review
Hello,
Our Maruti 800 (non MPFI version) just completed 40K kms, some days after its 7th Birthday! The colour is Ruby red, which was very new when we bought the car. I rarely find cars in this colour. So we have that exclusivity factor! Here is a small review:
The car is going great. Absolutely no major problems. There are some minor creaks & rattles which will be taken care of during the servicing, which is scheduled at 41K kms. The delay is due to the fact that the last service was a bit late at 36K kms, which included a tyre change as well. The new tyres are Bridgestone radials, of standard size. There has been a significant improvement in the steering after the tyre change. It has become much lighter than what it was with cross ply tyres. Ride has improved a bit too.
The engine is a gem. Very refined and smooth. Acceleration is quite sufficient with AC off & car not fully loaded. But with AC, acceleration is bad, as with any other M-800.
Now something about the AC itself: The blower is very noisy. So noisy that at full blower speed, the streo cant be heard properly. So, we never use the highest speed of blower. Cooling is sufficient in the morning and evening. In the afternoon, its ok if the car is started after being parked in shade, but if started after being in sunlight for 3-4 hours, then the AC simply throws air of about 28-29 degrees celcius into the cabin. Experienced this a couple of times. So in such cases, better to roll down the windows and enjoy wind from outside.
The car delivers fuel efficiency of around 16.5-17 kpl in Mumbai city, with AC on for 60 percent of the time. Pretty good figure.
To sum up, here are some Pros & cons:
PROS: - Good engine
- Great Fuel efficiency
- Reliable. No major problems till date.
- Good service center (Sai service)
- Needs no maintenance except regular services.
CONS: - AC ineffective in afternoon
- Brakes not up to the mark
- Less boot space.
- Rear ride quality not so good.
- Headlamps weak on highways.
| 
27th October 2007, 16:07
