Team-BHP - My Silver Maruti Ritz (Petrol) : Ownership Experience

Team, I have finally made it to Team-bhp last month and hence wanted to share my ownership experience with all the members. My car-buying experience has been from last year, January 2012.

Prelude
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For around three months of time (Sep-Dec 2011), I had long discussions with my parents to bring home our first family car. Now a major debate was on whether to buy a pre-owned car or a new one. In my opinion, I wanted a new one. My Mom felt the same however my Dad and younger bro were insisting on a pre-owned one. My Budget was around 4 to 4.5 lacs and it has to be a Petrol Hatch.

Browsed many websites on used car market, visited Maruti True value outlets and Mahindra’s First Choice showrooms. However when I consulted few of my colleagues (car owners as well), their opinions were exactly opposite. They asked to buy a new car simply because of three major reasons:
1. A new car is always brand new from the showroom. Completely reliable, no accident history.
2. A new car is much more maintenance free apart from its regular service intervals.
3. A used car attracts higher interest rates on the EMI for the car.

Also checked out Team-bhp’s article on ‘Used car vs New car’ and I was convinced that I was taking a right decision. Discussed the above points with my parents and they agreed finally for a new car.

Shortlisting Process:
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Visited many car showrooms and shortlisted below cars:
1. Maruti Estilo
2. Maruti A-star
3. Chevy Spark
4. Chevy Beat
5. Fiat Punto 1.2 Active
6. Hyundai Santro
7. Hyundai i-10 Era

My priorities were as mentioned below:
1. Must be a Tall Boy.
2. Easy Ingress/Egress
3. Powerful engine.
4. Decent Fuel Economy
5. Decent Rear legroom, Headroom & Boot space
6. Good drivability both in city and on Highways.
7. Overall Practical than just good looking.

Starting with Maruti Estilo and A-star, both have average looks, however rear seating is just for 2. 3rd person gets cramped, hence rejected them. Checked the Chevy spark, offers were very good from Chevrolet however I am against the central speedo design.

I was almost about to book the Chevy Beat. Eye-catching front design, 80 BHP power under the hood and a comfortable hatch with nice suspension setup. Icing over the cake was Chevy's 3 year warranty period. However after examining the car completely, found two things against it: lack of Boot space and rear bench space. These points turned down my decision.

Lucrative offers on the Fiat Punto 1.2 Active were really tempting; however after sales service under the Tata Dealership was a concern.

Further checked out the Hyundai Santro which is definitely a tried and tested product in the market however it still featured the 10 year old Epsilon engine. Lastly, the Hyundai i-10 Era model was within the 4.5 Lacs mark which was almost meeting all the requirements, until my bro suggested for the MARUTI RITZ!

Honestly, wondered how I missed out such a highly practical hatch. Quickly referred our reliable T-Bhp review for Ritz, found every feature well explained with great details. It definitely ticked all my priority boxes.

Comparing the i-10 Era model with the Ritz, 3 things were in favour of the Ritz:
1) Power and Torque figures
2) K-series Engine
3) Steering feedback at higher speeds.

Comparatively, i-10 Era produces 68 Bhp and 101 Nm torque while the Ritz supercedes with 83 Bhp and 113 Nm torque. Engine-wise, i-10 has iRDe 1086 Cc engine which is much similar to Santro while the Ritz has a 1200 Cc K-series engine. Also i-10 has a not-so inspiring steering feedback at higher speeds while high speed stability is great in Ritz.

P.S No offence meant to any i-10 Era owners. This was only my personal evaluation.

Test Drive: I went with my bro to the nearest Maruti Authorized dealer (Fortpoint) and asked for a test drive. The car was easily available. Following were my first observations that left me impressed:

This 1200 Cc petrol motor is mated with a 5-speed gearbox. Slotted into the 1st gear and the car moved with a nice pickup. Each gear offered equally good power band and a smooth drive. The engine is very peppy to drive and gear shifts were smooth.

Clear view of the road ahead, even though there was no seat height adjust.

Drove through few potholes, didn't find any of them disturbing the car's composure. Felt comfortable.

Found Headroom and legroom very good with airy interiors.

Dashboard is well designed, giving a big-carlike feel.

Braking seem to be adequate (Though this doesn't have ABS)

Booking:
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Post test drive, we enquired about the Ritz pricing. Base model started from 4.5 lacs (Petrol). The Vxi variant costed around 4.80 lacs while the Zxi variant was 5.5 lacs. (whopping 1 Lakh difference between the base model and top-end). Maruti was running discounts in Dec 2011 especially due to year end. They offered 21K discount on the Ritz (Petrol variants only).

Initially, I wanted to go with the Vxi variant (it was 30K costlier). The feature list offered was all 4 power windows, Central locking, Rearseat headrests, Tachometer and yes, a rear seat parcel tray as well. Checked with the Maruti representative, was informed that they were out of stock for Vxi variant while the next stock will be arriving in Jan 2012 with no discounts. Hence from price point of view, the Lxi variant was costing 4.30 lacs On-road, thus fitting in my budget. Therefore booked the same.

Did PDI check few days later at the Maruti Stockyard in Bhiwandi. Carried with me the thorough T-Bhp checklist. Carefully examined every point, looked good. I made sure that even though the make was of Dec 2011, the car registration and Insurance was done in Jan 2012. After the initial financial formalities were done, informed the Maruti guys that I would take delivery of the car on 27th Jan 2012.

D-Day
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Got up early, did breakfast and got ready to leave for the showroom. All of us were very excited. Since this was my first car buying experience, a friend of mine also accompanied me just to make sure, every procedure is carried out perfectly and don't miss on anything at time of delivery. Went to the showroom with my family around 11 am. Did a final inspection of the car, front and rear, sideways, interiors and everything was squeaky clean. The maruti guys were very courteous and friendly. They explained each car detail and answered all the queries patiently. Ensured spare tyre, jack and other tools are tucked in properly below the car's boot. Regarding paperwork, verified the chassis and engine number on the main invoice. Checked all the Tax receipts and insurance papers, everything looked ok.

Freebies given by the dealer were Garware Sunfilm, MGA Air freshner, Floor mats, Mud Flaps, Steering cover, AntiRust underbody coating.

Thanked everyone and presented small gifts as a token of appreciation to few of the Maruti representatives who helped us in a smooth car-buying experience. Finally left the showroom around 2pm. Headed to the Ganesha temple nearby, did pooja with the priest chanting mantras, showered flowers, applied kumkum, thus greeting the new member in our family
Features in detail:

Standard features: The standard feature list offered on the Lxi variant is too bare. Only features like AC, power steering and split 60-40 rear seats are provided. No front power windows, tachometer, rear headrests, Wheel caps and not even a rear parcel tray? I feel other companies that offer cars in the same price range get much more in their feature list. Honestly, regret sometimes for not waiting and considering the Vxi variant.

AC/Heater function: AC is adequately powerful in this car and cools the cabin pretty quickly. Driving in Mumbai especially during summers at 33-35 degrees is quite hectic. On setting the AC to 2nd level, it takes around 5-7 minutes to restore a decent temperature within the cabin. Hardly remember setting the knob to 3rd or 4th level. 2nd level is sufficient in most conditions. Have used the Heater function rarely, maybe once or twice after I shifted to Bangalore. No complaints whatsoever.

Power steering: EPS Steering is light and very precise. It gets you exactly where it is required to. Manuovering the car in dense traffic is quite easy while on the highway, its confidence-inspiring. Steering feedback feels perfect at three digit speeds. (The max speed I have driven the car is 140 kmph during my Mumbai-Bangalore drive, I must say that neither at any instance the car felt instable nor the steering lacked of heavy feel to it)

Split 60-40 Rear seats: Wonder how Maruti has given this feature on the base variant though they have excluded the rear parcel tray! Anyways, much useful feature when you are carrying lot of luggage behind. The boot space is pretty limited (236 ltrs) in this car. I have used this feature twice till now. Once when I went to receive one of my friend at the International airport in Mumbai and the other during my Mumbai-Bangalore drive.

Aftermarket Modifications:

Pioneer DVD single Din HU with 4 nos. 160W speakers (6"): This one has DVD/Aux/USB/FM functions.The installation took almost 2 hours to complete however the wiring of the unit and speakers was very well done. Regarding speakers, was confused between Sony and Pioneer. The shop owner recommended me about Pioneer which he felt better of the two. The HU functioning is very good and Pioneer speakers have a crisp output and nice sound clarity. Total cost: Rs. 9500/-. No issues till date.

Remote Locking with central locking (Xenos): Got 1 year warranty with this product. There were 2 sets of remote locking keys given by Xenos. Unfortunately, within few weeks of installation, one of the remote keys stopped functioning. Called the helpline for Xenos (Western region), the technician arrived in 24 hours time and got it fixed right away. Since then, no further issues. Central Locking works perfect. Cost: Rs. 3200/-

Front and Rear bumper sets: Applied them from the local accessory shop guy. Wanted to paste them attached closely below the headlights in the first place. (Observed few Ritz models with this pattern). However found it looked better between the headlights and the Fog lamps. Pics attached. Set of four costed around Rs.350/-

Rear parcel Tray: This is a primary requirement in any car. Dont know why Maruti misses out on such basic things. Had to purchase a wooden one separately for Rs.700/-.

Dual Horn (Roots): The OEM horn is very feeble and hardly can be heard on busy streets. These dual horns are also referred as Skoda Horns in local market. Sound is pretty loud and clear, making overtaking quite easy on highways. The Dual horn set costed around Rs. 550/-.

Front Fog Lamps: There are no fog lamps for this variant. It was a local brand (can't recollect the brand name) Fitted these for Rs. 750/- a pair. After few months of installation, both stopped working. Replaced them with Volga fog lamps, a pair costing Rs. 1000/-. No issues thereafter.

Philips Halogen headlamp bulbs: The stock headlights (55-60W) are very ordinary and I didnt find enough illumination at night. Hence fitted Philips Halogen headlamp bulbs (90-100W) coupled with separate cut-out switch. These are extremely useful on highway driving especially while overtaking trucks and buses. No issues till date. Cost: Rs. 400 for 2 Bulbs + Rs. 800 Relay switch.

Windscreen Sunfilm: Got the Garware Windscreen sunfilm installed (Light Grey color). Made sure it is an RTO approved one. Perfectly applied, no peel-offs since installation. Cost Rs. 500/-.

Chrome Mirror covers: The mirror cover is matt black in color for Lxi variant. Enquired about Chrome mirrors and got them at Rs.450/- a pair. These look much better than the standard black ones. As of now, one of the mirror cover has faded-off its shine. Will be replacing with new ones shortly.

Wheel caps: Personally, I feel the wheel-caps/allow wheels add much grace to any car. Hence, fitted wheel caps on the first day itself worth Rs. 600/- for a set of four. As of now, couple of them have lost its color. Will replace them in next month.

Total cost around Rs 21,000/- with labour charges. (Note that this was as per January 2012 after-market accessory prices)

Major Niggles/issues so far: I would say, none so far. Proper and timely servicing has ensured nothing major has creeped up as of now.

Maruti Service experience: I have completed three service intervals till date. Have done all my services through Maruti Fortpoint service station (Manpada, Thane). The service representatives were attentive, courteous and cooperative. I make sure, I wait at the service center and get it done in 3-4 hours time and dont leave the vehicle for the whole day. (Especially during the 3rd service when they changed the car's engine oil to Mobil Fully synthetic). So far, very good experience with Maruti service. Guys, if you can please suggest a good Authorized Maruti service center in Bangalore (KR Puram area)?

Driving Experience till date (as on 3rd June 2013)
At the time of writing this review, the car has completed 14100 kms including my Mumbai-Bangalore drive. I can differentiate driving conditions as below:

City Driving: Power delivery is linear with a good range of torque spread through all gears thus making city drivability effortless. Frequent gear changes are required when driving in heavy traffic since the 1st and 2nd gears are quite short. Infact shifting to 1st gear is only required if the vehicle comes to a complete stop. In slow moving traffic, 2nd gear usually can be used with a slight hold of clutch to keep the vehicle moving. Moving steadily at a speed of 30-35 kmph with 5th gear slotted, the car is effortless, no issues of engine knocking.

Highway Driving: Overtaking is effortless due to the torque spread well in higher gears. If you are driving with a higher gear and low rpms, overtaking sometimes requires a downshift. There is slight amount of body roll if sudden maneuvering is required or while driving through ghat roads. This is quite acceptable due to its tall boy design. The 3rd gear can go all the way upto 70 while the 4th gear can pull cleanly till 110 and the 5th one further more. I have managed 140 in this car however it took quite sometime to reach that speed since the engine was already running at higher rpms. Having said that, I didn't feel the engine running out of breath. Normally I keep the engine at ease by cruising steadily at around 90-100 mark in 5th gear. That is sufficient enough.

My Driving pattern:
It has mostly been city driving and some occasional highway trips. Have used it for office drives (70 kms) as we did carpooling amongst office colleagues for few months. Also mostly around Thane city & Mumbai suburbs. Visited several places in Maharashtra like Vajreshwari, Nasik, Titwala Ganesh, Kamshet, Malshej, Guhagar, Lonavala, Pune. Long distance excursions so far have been Goa and Bangalore.

I have shifted to Bangalore six months back and now plan to explore Karnataka and neighboring states. So far done with Mysore (2 times), Belur, Halebidu. Planning for visiting Yercaud (Tamil nadu) this weekend.

What I like:

Looks: The front looks neatly designed while I love the gorgeous-looking boomerang tail-lights. Though this is subjective, i feel it stands-out from the rest of the conventional tail-lamp designs in other cars.

Good Seating height: You get a nice all-round view of the road in the vehicle. I had test driven the Chevy Beat, but found the seating quite low compared to this car.

K-series Engine: This engine seems to be the best in its segment. Super-silent on idle. It so silent that sometimes I tend to crank the engine when haulted at traffic signals. stupid: Even at higher speeds, dont feel under stress and keeps asking for more from the pedal.

Gear-shifts: The Gear knob in the Ritz is placed quite higher than the other cars. The gearbox is smooth and very precise.

Suspension and comfort: Ritz tackles our roads with aplomb. Maruti has tuned the suspension superbly and tackles most of the potholes with ease. Rear seat comfort is equally good, unless there are any major hiccups.

Silent & Roomy cabin: The interior in the Ritz also deserves a mention here. Almost a silent cabin, with great headroom and decent legroom. Very much airy inside, no claustrophobic feel.

Boot space: Boot space is quite decent enough (236 Ltrs) for a car of this size. I remember, I had rejected the Beat for this obvious reason. We can fit-in 4-5 medium-sized bags at ease. (packed them comfortably during my Goa trip with 4 people on-board) :)

What I Dislike/Room for Improvement:

Bare-bones feature list: Ritz falls in B2 category of car segments. Cars that are a segment below like the WagonR LXi and Estilo LXi get front poer windows and rear-seat headrests. Not sure why Maruti cant afford giving these features in the Ritz LXi variant!

Rear window visibility: Rear window has very limited visibility due to which parking in tight spots is an issue. Havent felt it much of a concern in day to day driving. Installation of Reverse parking sensors is advisable.

Feeble horn, OEM Headlamp bulbs (60-55W) don’t produce enough illumination at night, Plastic quality is ok, A bit of squeeze for rear space for three adults, Rear Tyres are 165/80 R14 (lousy JK Vectra)

Finally the million dollar question..Kitna deti hai?
It gives a decent mileage of 13-14 kmpl in the city while 17-18kmpl on highways. During my last Belur-Halebidu trip (NH75), I drove at a constant 70-80 kmpl mark with 50% AC and surprisingly got a wonderful overall mileage of 21 kmpl!

To sum up, it has been 1.5 years since I own this lovely hatch and I am very happy with it. Even more happier now since I have got this opportunity to share my ownership experience with you all. Looking forward to advices/suggestions from fellow team members. Thank you TEAM-BHP!

Pictures below: