[snaronikar]

Originally Posted by amit

Why can't I fill 28psi always?

It is recommended to fill in the tyre pressure what ever is given in manual. I do the same for my Ikon. Moreover, your FE also takes a hit if the tyre pressure is not proper (to the recommendation).

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Any car's steering gets stiffer with lower air pressure. This could be the case with your car too.

.

[RajaTaurus]

Originally Posted by amit

I reduced tyre pressure to 28psi front and rear against Maruti's recommended 32psi and the car has started going straight much better and longer then it used to!

With reduced tire pressure, the problem is not eliminated, rather is being absorbed by the rubber. If continued, the tires will wear out much faster tha it would have with normal pressure.

[amit]

Originally Posted by snaronikar

It is recommended to fill in the tyre pressure what ever is given in manual. Moreover, your FE also takes a hit if the tyre pressure is not proper (to the recommendation).

Almost all auto companies and specially Maruti overstate the amount of pressure to be maintained due to fuel efficiency. The average Indian car buyer will not mind a harsh ride but if he gets 0.5kmpl less then what he expects, all hell will break loose (Ask Fiat ). I don't blame the car manufacturers for the high tyre pressure, it's the obsession Indians have with fuel economy thats at work.

If you notice, with tyre pressure maintained at manufacturer recommended level the ride is always harsh. But on the flip side you do get better mileage. As for the SX4, I find the ride much smoother with 28psi then with 32.

I find the SX4 suspension very thrashy, hit a bad road and you get thrown all over your seat. All this happens even with 28psi but it's more tolerable at that level. The Palio on the other hand feels like it's riding on air cushions!

[Xehaust]

Id suggest not to fill 28 but rather 30psi.
4 psi lower is definately going to affect your mileage and tyre life. It all depends on you though. Lower psi will increase comfort but best way out is to maintain a good balance between the two. if recommend is 32, go for 30. 2 psi here & there is the best balancing method. Had changed my tyres to stiff compound tyres (at the time i dint know much about cars or tyres) & ride was harsh.

Now since i dont want to spend more money on new tyres again, im going along with these till they wear out & later buy comfort (Soft Compound) tyres. In order to improve ride, im filling 27 instead of recommended 29 and it has gotten much better.

Hope this helps

[sathya_nars]

SX4's recommended pressure is 33 psi.

[vnabhi]

Amit, I finally got to try a 'hands off' manoeuvre on my WagonR today. I could drive for 100 metres without the wheel tilting to any side. I had to take the steering after that as there was a bend on the road. I tried it again on the Raj Bhawan road, and had the same result for 150 metres, upto which the road was straight.
I also tried the same thing on my Fiesta, and found no difference when compared to the EPS-equipped WagonR.
Hope this helps.

[randomgyan]

Hi Amit,

Been driving an sx4 for a while now and also posted my 10k report.

Havent faced any of the issues ur talking about so maybe you should go back to the dealer and get them sorted out

As for the parking brake, I partially agree with you. My car holds on to itself on a slope but i have to pull the handbrake all the way up.

[maxaud]

I have been a silent follower of team-bhp for the past few weeks especially on the SX4 related forums. I have stuck on here and stopped visiting other sites because of the large, dedicated and intelligent following that this site has. I have kept myself updated and read almost all the threads pertaining to the SX4 here and honestly it has been a very rewarding experience. This is my first post here and so I wanted to give a background before I give a review of the first 600km on my SX4. I have tried to address/include most of the issues that other owners have faced till now. So here goes. Please forgive the gushing and the extremely long post.

600+ exhilarating km in the 3 days since I had the SX4 delivered to me and I am still not convinced that I own this massive piece of muscle. Every time I get into it and stroke the steering wheel, I tell myself "You are mine. All mine". I fell in love with this car when I saw the first ads. "The Men among cars" was the perfect tag line for this machine. Changing cars was at the back of my mind then as the tyres on my 4 year "young" Zen had just started giving up after 50000 km of dedicated and selfless service. But an SX4 was not even in consideration.

A couple of months later, I drive down to the Maruti dealership to test drive the Swift (I have worked up the Maruti stable starting from my Dad's 800 and I have never had reason to complain, so I remain a loyal customer). And I see this Copper coloured beauty in the showroom. I went back to the drawing board, recalculate the loan amounts and EMIs, stretch budgets to the very limit and finally I am the proud owner of a Supreme Red SX4. If you were to ask me what was THE deciding factor, it would be the tyres.


I like
1. The tyres and the clearance. I know how it is to have dragged the underside of your car on infuriatingly high and senseless bumps. I know how it feels to hit a pothole at high speed and feel sorry for the vehicle. My zen had seen and lived through this. Not any more.
2. The overall "highness" of the car. The crossover bloodline of the car is a boon for people who are into long distance driving and who like to take the less taken roads. It gives you if not the best, a little of both worlds... the luxury of a sedan with the stance of an SUV. Dont read too much into this though... as I have not driven a true blue SUV.
3. The power delivery is sure and smooth from upwards of 1.8K rpms if properly engaged. I have not taken it beyond 3k rpms as yet and I am so itching for it. It feels so under-utilized. Waiting for it to cross the 2.5K mark on the odo.
4. The boot. I drove from Kerala to Bangalore with stuff that would have filled the back seat of a zen, with space to spare. Boy this one has a fat ***.
5. The steering mounted audio controls. Such a thoughtful feature. But does this mean I will have to limit myself to the Nippon system available by default? Will this feature be supported by other ICE systems (other than the Kenwood and Sony listed in MGA accesories)?
6. I am loving all the looks and glances that I am getting. A Supreme Red SX4 is hard to miss.

Niggles
1. Maybe its something wrong with my driving and not getting used to the car, but at low rpms it seems to stall in 2nd gear. I have never ever downshifted beyond the 2nd gear unless the vehicle has come to a complete stop before. But in the SX4, I have stalled a few times doing this. Could be my still not getting used to it, but I have not faced this in any other car before (and I kinda pride myself in my adaptibility, so its kinda hurting my pride. especially in front of the wife ;-) ). Has anybody faced this?
2. I like notchy gears. But this seems to be a bit too notchy. All gears are a little tight for my liking and the reverse gear especially. But I hope this will go away as the vehicle gets to know me better.
3. The reported "third gear" vibration, which I think is present in all gears but predominantly felt in the third because this is the most frequently used gear and handles the most of the rpm range during normal driving, is also present. Will be reporting this during service. But I really dont think this is going to go away. A luxury car should not suffer from any such feedback.
4. The already said to death rear visibility. But I will get used to it. Thats my problem. I should not have bought it if I cant reverse it properly.
5. Finish. The door liners and beading. They are not smooth and have tiny hairs sticking out. And they are not laid out in straight lines. Instead they snake all over the place. Not a nice thing to show to an NHC owner.
6. The handbrake seems a bit flimsy as noted by a few here. There are indications that it is not holding the car properly on minor slopes. Definitely need to get this checked.

I did a tank-to-tank test which included around 340km of highway driving at max speeds of 100km/h and aruond 75 odd km in city limits with climate control always on. It gave a figure of 12.69 which I think is decent. I am expecting City/Highway mileages of 10/14kmpl post the first service. Anything beyond that will be a bonus in this car in my opinion.

Unlike what a few others mentioned here, I really do not have any problems with the engine noise levels. At least for now, there is absolutely zero noise while the engine is idling and at low speeds. At higher speeds there is a hum which, like the reviews here indicate, seem to be from the tyres.

The suspension is anything but silky smooth. I prefer the control and feedback that a stiff suspension gives to the luxury of a soft ride. No regrets there at all. The vehicle is totally in control at all times and I cant wait to take it to higher rpms.

Will be going in for the first service by this weekend and hopefully continue to contribute to this lively forum.

Cheers! cheers:
Arun

[Sreenivas]

Hi Arun ,,,,

I own a Red SX4 done 600 km so far ...... Been liking this car and started liking it more ,,,,
The 3rd gear knob vibration issue .. I guess this can get sorted out ..

Your 1st point in niggles ... even I face the same issue sometime

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[bIte tHe bulLet]

hey arun,

thats a really nicely written review. it's informative. it's personal. it's evolved and most importantly, it's intreresting!!

we have been wallowing between picking up an sx4 or the swift DDiS for a while and now, we've decided to wait for the linea / bravo duo to launch before taking any decisions.

congrats on the ride and i hope she gives you many years of trouble free and happy service.

cheers and drive safe dude.

[rjvora_2000]

Hi,

what is the average in Zxi model
1 City
2 Highway

[maxaud]

Hi Sreeni,
Had checked a couple of reviews by other owners and other sites like BSM. The stalling in the second gear has been noticed by others too and it seems to be because of the relatively higher torque band. Check this (Tests - So who's driving? - Business Standard Motoring
) review.

[Sreenivas]

Thanks Arun, link was informative

Have you got Teflon done for your car ?
I suggest you should do it for your car, because of the bright red color
I had read lot of negative stuff about doing Teflon, but I still got it done and realized its worth doing it, it gives real shine and keeps away very minor scratches

Rgds
Sreeni

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by maxaud

"

5. The steering mounted audio controls. Such a thoughtful feature. But does this mean I will have to limit myself to the Nippon system available by default? Will this feature be supported by other ICE systems (other than the Kenwood and Sony listed in MGA accesories)?
Arun

Sorry dude, you are kinda stuck to the stock ICE if you wanna use the steering mounted audio buttons.
I found this to be the best feature in an car under 8 lacs, but unfortunately the stock ICE sounds as bad as my WagonR's Nippon system.

[Sandegov]

Could you let me know where are you getting your SX4 serviced and also your exp about the same.

I got my first service done from Mandovi and am not very satisfied. Few things that i observed after my 1st service:
1.I feel the power has reduced, switching on the AC makes it even more evident. Never had this problem before the first service.
2.Am not at all happy with the clutch play after the first service.Its such a pain now to drive in the city Bumer-bumper traffic.Moving the car from standstill on a slope is one headache and I often end up stalling.Never had this problem before first service.

When i took the car to RNS to show it to the guy whom i knew and got the car from, he just sat in the car and ripped arnd at 4k-5k rpms (had never even crossed 2k before that) and said everythings fine no sir. When i told him abt the power drop when the AC is on he said - Maruti no sir thats why . Thought no point in breaking my head with this fellow and returned back home(20 Kms from service station).

My car is due for second service in some time and would really appreciate if someone lead to the right place .