Driven: Zen Estilo

Minardi · 4th January 2007, 19:59

the legroom on the estilo is certainly very less, but the rear seats are placed higher, so that the cramped feeling is less. the flip side to it is that even for a 5'11' (me) the head was touching the ceiling on the rear seat.

prasadee · 4th January 2007, 20:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWN

As a matter of fact, I shifted to 3rd after 4th (twice out of 5 times) instead of 5th.The longish gear lever is to be pulled tooo much towards the driver to shift into 5th.

I have the same issue with my WagonR. The absense of tilt steering demands that I keep the seat in a particular position that obstructs movement of the gear lever. Getting it to the 5th gear isnt as smooth as the other gears either.

CrAzY dRiVeR · 4th January 2007, 22:11

My father keeps complaining of that too...

He always manages to put it in 3rd instead of 5th even once... But, has never happened to me...

The gear lever has to be pulled to the drivers side, and then engaged, rather than pushing to to front and side at the same time...

BWN · 4th January 2007, 22:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

My father keeps complaining of that too...

He always manages to put it in 3rd instead of 5th even once... But, has never happened to me...

LoL....

For me it happened once when i was shifting to 5th at around 70 to 80 Kmph..... i slipped the clutch halfway but quickly corrected it.. juts imagine how it wud have been if i leave the clutch.... that too for a brand new car...

i seriously dont understand why such things are been passed on to the customer in india.manufacturers take us for a nice ride by such an attitude.its not gonna cost them more to correct the problem, but it will need some more dedication.i am sure this car in japan would have had a different gearbox alltogether.Ford and Fiat are much better in this aspect.

Even i dont understand what maruti or any other car maker gonna loose if he provides things like vanity mirrors on both sunvisors....or cup holders in all variants(which is anyway injection moulded)..... or atleast they should not highlight it in the specs of their models.... "New S mark on front grill" sounds too childish......

Why are they like this.... why ??? Why?????? Why??????

blueraven316 · 4th January 2007, 22:55

I drove the estilo too when my friend wanted to testdrive it, I have had 2 zens from 1996 onwards and that is the car I have driven the most in my life.
The NEw Estilo has good looking interiors but finish is not great, but at that price can't expect too much better, even the paint finish on the Dash (silver) is very dull, could have been brighter.
Spacewise yet another tall boy, handling capabilities I could not test as we were in city limits but it sure is nowhere close to the old Zen.
Engine is not that peppy either feels quite sliggish, I feel the Santro Xing is more peppy than this car, but don't know how the estilo would behave on the highway.
The worst part about the car is after you engage a gear the level keeps moving from left to right like a pendulum about 3 inches which is a lot and reminds me of a Truck or my older Tata Indica. Makes the car feel very loose and no solid feel at all. Old Zen lever is awesome.
I don't like Hyundai but would prefer a Santro or for that matter a Wagon R any day over this car.
For a Daily commuter, it's ok, but for the name ZEN, big disappointment.

ramki067 · 5th January 2007, 09:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minardi

the legroom on the estilo is certainly very less, but the rear seats are placed higher, so that the cramped feeling is less. the flip side to it is that even for a 5'11' (me) the head was touching the ceiling on the rear seat.

So... will this mean that it would be uncomfortable if you are travelling for long hours in the back seat?? I'm 5'6".

i_m_anaconda · 5th January 2007, 10:20

I had a chance to test drive Estilo yesterday. I did not find it even a little different to Wagon R. The shape is the only difference. The back seats seems to be more crampped up.

Overall shape gives me a fell that they have put a lot of water on Innova and said "Honey I Shrunk The Car"

nikhil3456 · 5th January 2007, 22:17

Test drove the Estilo in Belgaum on the Pune-Bangalore highway..
Cautiously reached a top speed of 105kmph.. Felt really stable..
Tubeless tires, power windows n a lot of goodies make it feel good..
Ergonomics are good..

Since it uses the Wagon-R's powertrain, the engine is tried and tested..
Taking into consideration that the weight of the Estilo is lesser than the Wagon-R and the aerodynamics are far superior than the boxy Wagon-R, the fuel efficiency should be atleast 1.5kmpl-2kmpl more than the Wagon-R

But somehow the excitement I had during its launch died down after the test ride..
I think my 8.5 yr old Zen is peppier than the new one..

CrAzY dRiVeR · 6th January 2007, 00:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by nikhil3456

Test drove the Estilo in Belgaum on the Pune-Bangalore highway..
Cautiously reached a top speed of 105kmph.. Felt really stable..
Tubeless tires, power windows n a lot of goodies make it feel good..
Ergonomics are good..

Since it uses the Wagon-R's powertrain, the engine is tried and tested..
Taking into consideration that the weight of the Estilo is lesser than the Wagon-R and the aerodynamics are far superior than the boxy Wagon-R, the fuel efficiency should be atleast 1.5kmpl-2kmpl more than the Wagon-R

But somehow the excitement I had during its launch died down after the test ride..
I think my 8.5 yr old Zen is peppier than the new one..

Again... Maruti is claiming weight of estilo is 30 kgs more than wagonR

nikhil3456 · 6th January 2007, 13:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Again... Maruti is claiming weight of estilo is 30 kgs more than wagonR

Yeah sorry about the weight thing! Got wrong details from the Maruti dealer..
Checked up the website which says it is heavier than the Wagon-R!

mclaren1885 · 25th January 2007, 11:39

Here are my 2 cents .. Drove the estilo yesterday the top end model with airbags and abs ..

Shall not comment about its looks as its purely subjective ..

Interiors : Pretty decent for a car in that bracket , seats not comfortable for long drives , neat center console .. Acres and acres of wasted space on the dash , upholstry also pretty decent .. Humongous A pillars block view and make it seemingly dangerous specially with bikes lingering close to the car ..

Engine : Though its the same engine as the wagon-r i guess its way too refined .. Torque though is pretty impressive , 5th gear 30km/hr and no knocking , even with AC cruising in city traffic seems effortless .. Engine doesnt like being revved to redline though , weird for a suzi certainly after the 1L zens , 1.3L esteems and the balenos .. Noise from the engine is also not something to crave for .. The cabin is pretty quite ..

Gearbox : Lets one down big time , the gear shifts are notchy probably the worst i have seen on a suzi yet .. Something that bothers me is that the front passengers seat is in such a position that the gear lever brushes against it while using 1st and 2nd .. Clutch is way too smooth , good for the lady drivers for ur leg can glide over it as if u were skating on butter ..

Brakes : Shucks is it only me or do the ABS versions suck .. The brakes have only two modes : ON or OFF .. Nothing in between .. Tried hard braking ABS does work well but the feel is just not there .. Another disappontment ..

Handling : Well for starters im not a fan of tall boys , but blimey u feel as if ur driving a scorpio or an innova .. Its damn high seated .. Though visibility is not a problem except for that A pillar .. Suspension is pretty stiff for the kind of noises it makes over bumps and potholes .. Take it around a corner a little hard and there is no sign of understeer at all but plenty of oversteer and also the car (is that wht u can call it ??) dips seemingly dangerously .. However 1st option would be to change tyres from pathetic 155/65/13's i guess to 185's atleast to get better grip and handling .. Also the weight transfer is something that bothered me .. Let go off the throttle in a perfect straight line and the car dips , throttle back and it lifts the front end to an extent clearly noticeable and uncomfortable ..

Features : AC is brilliant .. Body kit also looks sweet on the car .. Double DIN , Airbags are all a bonus .. Headlamp levelling device present as per E-III norms , electrically adjustable ORVM's .. Build quality is also pretty decent , the doors have a nice thump when they shut compared to the older zen and the alto .. The steering is amazingly featherlite owing to EPS , added advantage for city driving ..

Would I buy one ??
Certainly not .. But id sure recommend this car for city use like bangalore .. Its just perfect .. Small , good all round visibility , excellent torquey engine , brilliant AC , smooth clutch , good FE , feel good factor because its a new entrant ... Go onto the highways and it could spring a few worries .. Specially the stopping power ..

That said have already booked one (without the ABS ofcourse) for my aunt , for the above pros + the car will be either chauffeured 95% of the time or will be driven by my aunt .. Added to this the excellent *** by Maruti and the lower maintainance costs ..

sajo · 25th January 2007, 12:15

Nice one there Mclaren. What was the final price quoted (after discounts, if any) for the ABS and driver side airbag version?
Only if they had a 4 speed auto, it would be the perfect city car. (For all the moms ofcourse

).

ravradha · 30th January 2007, 15:46

Request Estilo owners to post their report on driving 1000 Kms plus in their Estilo.

binoyjude · 7th April 2009, 18:54

Hey,I love my Estilo Vxi.Its done 9600kms and 2 yrs.No problems so far.The best about the car is the driving comfort and the height.The seat position is also very comfortable.Over all very good.I would check the milage and keep you updated.

4th January 2007, 19:59	#16
Minardi BHPian Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 413 Thanked: 15 Times	the legroom on the estilo is certainly very less, but the rear seats are placed higher, so that the cramped feeling is less. the flip side to it is that even for a 5'11' (me) the head was touching the ceiling on the rear seat.
	() Thanks

4th January 2007, 22:11	#18
CrAzY dRiVeR Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bangalore / TVM Posts: 18,019 Thanked: 78,927 Times View My Garage	My father keeps complaining of that too... He always manages to put it in 3rd instead of 5th even once... But, has never happened to me... The gear lever has to be pulled to the drivers side, and then engaged, rather than pushing to to front and side at the same time...
	() Thanks

4th January 2007, 22:55	#20
blueraven316 Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,109 Thanked: 21 Times View My Garage	I drove the estilo too when my friend wanted to testdrive it, I have had 2 zens from 1996 onwards and that is the car I have driven the most in my life. The NEw Estilo has good looking interiors but finish is not great, but at that price can't expect too much better, even the paint finish on the Dash (silver) is very dull, could have been brighter. Spacewise yet another tall boy, handling capabilities I could not test as we were in city limits but it sure is nowhere close to the old Zen. Engine is not that peppy either feels quite sliggish, I feel the Santro Xing is more peppy than this car, but don't know how the estilo would behave on the highway. The worst part about the car is after you engage a gear the level keeps moving from left to right like a pendulum about 3 inches which is a lot and reminds me of a Truck or my older Tata Indica. Makes the car feel very loose and no solid feel at all. Old Zen lever is awesome. I don't like Hyundai but would prefer a Santro or for that matter a Wagon R any day over this car. For a Daily commuter, it's ok, but for the name ZEN, big disappointment.
	() Thanks

5th January 2007, 10:20	#22
i_m_anaconda BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Delhi Posts: 45 Thanked: 11 Times	I had a chance to test drive Estilo yesterday. I did not find it even a little different to Wagon R. The shape is the only difference. The back seats seems to be more crampped up. Overall shape gives me a fell that they have put a lot of water on Innova and said "Honey I Shrunk The Car"
	() Thanks

5th January 2007, 22:17	#23
nikhil3456 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 41 Thanked: 11 Times	Test drove the Estilo in Belgaum on the Pune-Bangalore highway.. Cautiously reached a top speed of 105kmph.. Felt really stable.. Tubeless tires, power windows n a lot of goodies make it feel good.. Ergonomics are good.. Since it uses the Wagon-R's powertrain, the engine is tried and tested.. Taking into consideration that the weight of the Estilo is lesser than the Wagon-R and the aerodynamics are far superior than the boxy Wagon-R, the fuel efficiency should be atleast 1.5kmpl-2kmpl more than the Wagon-R But somehow the excitement I had during its launch died down after the test ride.. I think my 8.5 yr old Zen is peppier than the new one..
	() Thanks

25th January 2007, 11:39	#26
mclaren1885 BANNED Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Bangalore (the city of modded cars) !! Posts: 4,818 Thanked: 46 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/1 (10)	Here are my 2 cents .. Drove the estilo yesterday the top end model with airbags and abs .. Shall not comment about its looks as its purely subjective .. Interiors : Pretty decent for a car in that bracket , seats not comfortable for long drives , neat center console .. Acres and acres of wasted space on the dash , upholstry also pretty decent .. Humongous A pillars block view and make it seemingly dangerous specially with bikes lingering close to the car .. Engine : Though its the same engine as the wagon-r i guess its way too refined .. Torque though is pretty impressive , 5th gear 30km/hr and no knocking , even with AC cruising in city traffic seems effortless .. Engine doesnt like being revved to redline though , weird for a suzi certainly after the 1L zens , 1.3L esteems and the balenos .. Noise from the engine is also not something to crave for .. The cabin is pretty quite .. Gearbox : Lets one down big time , the gear shifts are notchy probably the worst i have seen on a suzi yet .. Something that bothers me is that the front passengers seat is in such a position that the gear lever brushes against it while using 1st and 2nd .. Clutch is way too smooth , good for the lady drivers for ur leg can glide over it as if u were skating on butter .. Brakes : Shucks is it only me or do the ABS versions suck .. The brakes have only two modes : ON or OFF .. Nothing in between .. Tried hard braking ABS does work well but the feel is just not there .. Another disappontment .. Handling : Well for starters im not a fan of tall boys , but blimey u feel as if ur driving a scorpio or an innova .. Its damn high seated .. Though visibility is not a problem except for that A pillar .. Suspension is pretty stiff for the kind of noises it makes over bumps and potholes .. Take it around a corner a little hard and there is no sign of understeer at all but plenty of oversteer and also the car (is that wht u can call it ??) dips seemingly dangerously .. However 1st option would be to change tyres from pathetic 155/65/13's i guess to 185's atleast to get better grip and handling .. Also the weight transfer is something that bothered me .. Let go off the throttle in a perfect straight line and the car dips , throttle back and it lifts the front end to an extent clearly noticeable and uncomfortable .. Features : AC is brilliant .. Body kit also looks sweet on the car .. Double DIN , Airbags are all a bonus .. Headlamp levelling device present as per E-III norms , electrically adjustable ORVM's .. Build quality is also pretty decent , the doors have a nice thump when they shut compared to the older zen and the alto .. The steering is amazingly featherlite owing to EPS , added advantage for city driving .. Would I buy one ?? Certainly not .. But id sure recommend this car for city use like bangalore .. Its just perfect .. Small , good all round visibility , excellent torquey engine , brilliant AC , smooth clutch , good FE , feel good factor because its a new entrant ... Go onto the highways and it could spring a few worries .. Specially the stopping power .. That said have already booked one (without the ABS ofcourse) for my aunt , for the above pros + the car will be either chauffeured 95% of the time or will be driven by my aunt .. Added to this the excellent *** by Maruti and the lower maintainance costs ..
	() Thanks

25th January 2007, 12:15	#27
sajo Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 2,625 Thanked: 1,157 Times	Nice one there Mclaren. What was the final price quoted (after discounts, if any) for the ABS and driver side airbag version? Only if they had a 4 speed auto, it would be the perfect city car. (For all the moms ofcourse ).
	() Thanks

30th January 2007, 15:46	#28
ravradha BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 255 Thanked: 286 Times View My Garage	Estilo - 1000 Kms Report Request Estilo owners to post their report on driving 1000 Kms plus in their Estilo.
	() Thanks

7th April 2009, 18:54	#29
binoyjude BANNED Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: New delhi Posts: 59 Thanked: 0 Times	Hey,I love my Estilo Vxi.Its done 9600kms and 2 yrs.No problems so far.The best about the car is the driving comfort and the height.The seat position is also very comfortable.Over all very good.I would check the milage and keep you updated.
	() Thanks