[Draunzer21]

I recently joined the forum and after reading so many car buying stories, decided to share my story of buying Swift in 2017.

I had joined driving class and was looking to buy a car at the start of 2017. My budget was just 6 lacs and had decided to buy Tiago at that time. It had just launched and it looked very nice. I was aware of Tata vehicles not being reliable but somehow I was attracted to the car.

I went to Tata showroom in Hadapsar, Pune along with my father and when we entered the showroom, there was no one except a brand new Orange coloured Tata Tiago. We checked out the car; my father and I liked it a lot. After almost 10 minutes a guy came from somewhere until then the showroom had just me and my father. We checked out the price and details of XM, XT, XT(O) and XZ. I had checked all the specs already and had XT(O) in my mind.
The next day I asked the person to come to Magarpatta for test drive and he came near my office and I took one of my friend who drives grand i10 to test drive Tiago. My friend drove the car and finally said there are too many vibrations and noise is also too much, this car is not so good, think about buying a Hyundai car. Executive asked me which variant I am thinking of buying and I told him XT(O), he simply said that you either have to buy
XT or XZ we do not order optional variants. That was final nail in the coffin. For next few days I again started going through comparison videos about Tiago and other cars just to make sure Tiago is the right car for my family
as that was going to be our first car. In one such video there was a comparison with Swift and I started thinking of getting a Swift; my friend's opinion also impacted my car buying decision and as I was very new to car driving, I took his opinion seriously.

Weekend came and I visited a Maruti showroom on Solapur highway - got all the details of Swift and took a test drive and the variant was ZXi petrol manual. I was very sure that I wanted a manual car. I always had this opinion that we can buy base model with safety features and then add accessories ourselves - obviously not a good thinking but my budget was also tight and swift VXi was costing me around 6.30 lacs at that time. I enquired about all the variants and then decided on LXi (Optional (O)). Many people might not be aware that maruti had an Optional O variant which had 2 airbags and ABS in the base variant of swift.

We booked the car within next few days and I told the executive to order Glistening Grey colour LXi Optional O variant as it had safety features and I was going to put every other accessory by myself. I was happy with my booking and selection and my family was also happy that we will have our first car.

All this happened in the month of February and then in March second week executive told me that my car has arrived and I can do a PDI. I went to the
showroom and checked the car, the car looked nice, I sat on Driver's seat and started the car and did not notice ABS LED, I also noticed that there was only driver side airbag. I enquired why there is one air bag and why there is no ABS and that is where I saw panic on his face. He checked again once we went into the showroom and finally told me that he had ordered LXi optional
instead of LXi optional O variant. I almost had a heart attack as I was eagerly waiting for my car.

I told him fix it and get me my car as soon as possible. I was frustrated and that day I did not eat anything. I was taking more pressure than that executive. In next week, I visited several other Maruti showrooms in Pune to check Optional O base variant and there was one Maruti dealer in Pune which had that variant in stock but the colour was granite grey which was almost like black. I checked the car, it had ABS and 2 airbags, for a moment I thought I should go for it but then that was not my choice of colour.

The executive from first showroom kept on calling me everyday saying I should get the car and he will give me discounts on accessories and what not. I told him give me my ordered variant and not anything else. Finally after almost 3-4 weeks of going around Pune and visiting all Maruti showrooms, I decided that I won't be able to wait for any more months and I might have to settle for Optional variant instead of optional O.

Towards the end of March, executive called me again and I told him I am okay with the optional variant. I went to the showroom with my dad, gave them in writing that I am okay with the variant, completed all formalities and went to accessories counter. Ordered floor mats, power windows rear, front fog lamps, Sony music system with speakers. Executive gave me mud flaps, car perfume and Ganesh idol from his side - that is what he told me but later I realized that Ganesh idol and perfume was given to everyone who bought a car.

On the day of delivery we went and realized that fog lamps were not there on the car. We checked and we were told that they were not available and they will visit our home in next 2 days and fit those on the car. I said okay.
I was not at all happy with the booking and delivery experience of Maruti.

Having said that, we took the car and went home and my family was happy to see their first car. No doubt the car looked nice and it has been almost 40K kms on the car now and it has been with me without any issues for all
these years.

• Did Maruti sales executive trick me into buying the variant he ordered by mistake? YES

• Could I have waited and got the variant of my choice? YES

• Did I make a mistake?
  Looking at my car today I think this was the car meant for me and my family and may be that was destiny.

[happymover]

Your post reminds me of our own experience in buying Maruti cars. In last 22 years, we have bought 4 new Maruti Cars from different dealers in Bengaluru. Except for the first car which was a M800, the booking and buying experiences of other 3 cars were not at all pleasant.

In 2017, we were looking to buy Celerio for my father. I had made up my mind to buy only the ZXI (O) variant (ABS & 2 Airbags) for my parents. I contacted as many as 4-5 dealers and all were pushing us to buy ZXI variants only, since O variants were not so popular then. I paid token advance to two of the dealers who made false promises on delivery dates and were never delivered. One of the dealer(Nexus) made me to wait for a month and after that was pushing me to buy a car with dent on the door. The salesman of RNS Motors asked us to talk to his manager who literally behaved like a "Bada Sahib" with us talking rudely to me and my already retired father.

We had positive buying experience only with Pratham Motors and have bought last 2 cars with them. Most of the other reputed dealers were very unprofessional.

[Draunzer21]

Originally Posted by happymover

Most of the other reputed dealers were very unprofessional.

I never knew car buying is such a hassle but that was a good experience; I have some tips now after reading team-bhp forum. Hoping to use it while buying my next car - hopefully not Maruti.

[Venkatesh.C]

Your disappointment is understandable. Sales guys can be unscrupulous. Few are genuine. To make a mistake is human, to admit to it takes another level of human. Hope the swift makes you fall in love with it through trouble free performance for many many years to come.

[RGK]

Originally Posted by Draunzer21

• Did I make a mistake?
  Looking at my car today I think this was the car meant for me and my family and may be that was destiny.

This happens sometimes. It is more important to have a trouble-free ownership and a good experience. Forget the past and enjoy .

[silverado]

Originally Posted by Draunzer21

Did I make a mistake?
Looking at my car today I think this was the car meant for me and my family and may be that was destiny.

Sales person definately covered up for his mistake, he was destined to be protected from this mistake.

It was great that your did a PDi, and you discovered the mistake as well.
You had everyright to cancel the booking if the car was not registered in your name in RTO. You could have escalated this case with Maruti Customer care as well. Was Vxi variant easily available? if yes you could have bought that.

Buying a car doesnt happen often in our lives, so you should not have accepted the car.

[Draunzer21]

Originally Posted by silverado

You had everyright to cancel the booking if the car was not registered in your name in RTO. You could have escalated this case with Maruti Customer care as well. Was Vxi variant easily available? if yes you could have bought that.

Buying a car doesnt happen often in our lives, so you should not have accepted the car.

Vxi had single airbag option available and car was not registered. I could have gone to Maruti but somewhere I just gave up that's why the impatience word.

But I completely agree on - buying a car is once in a decade event, I would surely be careful during my next purchase.

[mohan41]

I had booked Ertiga ZDi in 2012 at the time of launch. I waited for 6 months , lost patience and downgraded to VDi which had no airbags. Looking back, I realize I should have waited longer patiently.

[svsantosh]

Originally Posted by Draunzer21

Could I have waited and got the variant of my choice? YES

CAVEAT EMPTOR

Glad the Maruti is serving well, for your next car, please lookup the above Latin phrase.

[poder420]

So I own 3 maruti cars. The first one ,an alto800 vxi (2013) I had a bad experience, the day we went to the showroom there was a contest where we won a free induction if we booked on same day, I wanted to get the car anyway so I booked it. But after delivery the sales executive didn't give the induction as offered. The dealership also gives 5 litre petrol coupon which he didn't give.
Second car, ignis 2018. Sales person was least bothered about selling the car.wouldnt get back on time on queries, really bad experience.
Third car, was good experience dealership offered discounts and gave me 5 litre petrol coupon too.

[Baristyro]

This reminds me of the time when my dad was finally buying a new car after years and years of convincing. Case in point, it was 2015 Q3, and his 2000 Daewoo Matiz had been acting up for the past 3-4 years. We were all wildly attached to the Matiz but it was getting quite hard and expensive to run (the fuel pump was giving up again and again).

That's when Maruti launched the Ciaz, and somehow that car just clicked with my dad. Main reason being, drumroll, the 7-8 inch infotainment screen shown in the commercials, in 2015, this was NEW! No other car in the category had this thing.

Moreover, I was young, 15-16 years, and this was the first time in my life I was gonna be part of a car buying experience; me and the Matiz were roughly the same age.

I was on cloud 9! We reached our nearest Maruti showroom, saw the brand new car on the showroom floor. Ciaz passed the first impressions test with flying colours, moreover the showroom staff was friendly as well. Next day, my dad test drove the Ciaz and the VW Vento(on my request) and concluded the VW was great but it was simply too sporty for his tastes, and the Ciaz was more comfortable, suspension wise. The Ciaz was final now.

Here came the catch, the 7 inch infotainment screen only came with the top of the top ZXI+ variant, which would take another 6 months to hit the market. They were selling the ZXI(O) variant with quicker delivery(less than 1 month), and it had everything except the infotainment display. AND I WAS SOLD! In the high of my childish energy, I remember throwing multiple fits in favour of the ZXI(O).

A huge huge salute to my dad, this man stuck to his guns. No matter the waiting time, he wanted the ZXI+. He had me and my mom, and the Maruti sales team testing his patience, and he succeeded!

February 2016, 5-6 months after the booking, the sales rep called us to inform about the arrival of our Silver ZXI+. It was the first ZXI+ in the area, and the sales rep told us that other customers are going gaga over this model, offering outright cash and what not, but no need to worry, I've put the rumaal on this for you. Moreover, this car got bigger, gunmetal grey alloy wheels, I guess 195-55/R16.

Eight years later, in 2024, I can safely say my father's decision to wait was so damn right. Somewhere around 2020-21, me and my dad updated the infotainment system to run Android Auto and Apple Carplay, using a guide on Tbhp and couple videos on YouTube.

Right now, for a car that's 8 years old, the car has stood the test of time wonderfully, my dad frequently uses Apple Carplay to reach known/unknown places. His decision to wait for 6 months is paying off big time! Just because he got a higher variant means we don't have to think about "upgrading" anytime soon.

Finally, here's a snapshot of her getting a long awaited wash. Notice the wheels, one of the special rewards of my father's patience.