Maruti Suzuki Ritz Vxi Silky Silver 1200 km done Background:
I wanted a car for safety reasons. The Hosur Road in Bangalore is like a nightmare. Car would be like an insurance premium for not ending up as a road-kill. Since money is the scarce resource my requirement was something on four wheels. Myself:
The first car I drove was an Ambassador of a driving school when I was in 5th. Then I started with our family car then the Premier Padmini. I liked it better than normal Ambassador. The one I still remember driving in high school is my aunt’s Ambassador with the Matador diesel engine. It was like the Ford Mustang of India at that time I guess. So the only diesel I have driven is this one. Then we switched to Mitsubishi Lancer LE 7 years back and it is like battle tank. We have lost paint on the bumper but it still doesn’t have a dent. From Padmini to Lancer was leap for our family so my parents don’t trust anything other than Mitsubishi.
For me all cars in the same segment are similar today except for the gear ratios and shift. I am a low rpm driver i.e. I would shift to the top gear in the minimum possible time. Normally I shift as soon as I hear the humming of petrol engine. I came to know that diesel is the best for me since my driving style requires lots of low end torque and I would never go above 80-90 except to check everything is ok with the car (e.g. Wheel Alignment etc.) Research:
I started with a test drive on Alto. I like the car but I was sure that I would have to sell off that car once my finances were better. In the same showroom there was a Ritz diesel which seemed to be something that I would not like to part for 7-8 or may be 10 years. It was slightly priced below Swift and not premium priced compared to A-star or Wagon R. Wagon R I liked but I felt it won’t be a perpetual machine.
The idea was ill keep this for my wife even if I buy a sedan 5 years down the line. So selling was least of the things in my mind. (i.e. after I decided upon Ritz.)
Important Parameters:
1.A pregnant woman should be able to get in and get out of the car easily.
2.I am ready to pay a premium for a back seat leg-room. To put in a different way I need leg space since all members of the family are tall.
3.The car should not become obsolete till I find it obsolete. My TD experiences: Alto: Criteria 3 was not met for sure Ritz: All 3 criteria were almost met. Back seat was a bit upright and rear leg-room was not more than swift. (May be a bit lesser than Swift in my opinion.) More over the TD was on the diesel and I was sold out on the performance Punto: I was surprised that the leg-room at the back seat is less than ritz or swift. More over the bonnet opening knob came off when I tried to open the bonnet. So it was a disaster. TD was on the diesel and turbo-lag was more than Ritz for sure. Since criteria 2 was not met for sure. Fabia: It was the best car in the category. Only issue I felt that more than normal engine noise while accelerating. The active version had a ex-showroom price tag of 4.75 lakhs, 20 day lead time and 20000 corporate discount. My parents were damn against it since the dealer from which we got the Lancer has Skoda dealership and commented that buying a diesel Lancer is better than Fabia considering annual maintenance costs. Even one of my friend asked me to buy a used Accord which would be at the cost of Fabia and will have a lower annual maintenance cost than Fabia. More over I felt 3 cylinder engine is not a good decision. And I found that VW Polo also comes in 3 cylinder engine made by Skoda. So I was not going to wait for Polo to be launched and buy it for 20-50k more than Fabia. Indica Vista: Good but the brand killed my interest in it. And yes a woman also should be able to drive it. Hyundai: My friend has a Verna which I liked. Santro - my near family members were not happy with Hyundai. i-20’s price was not justifiable at least for me. If they had put their engine in Skoda Fabia and sold it I would have been a good proposition. I am biased against Hyundai. In a way, it’s similar to my attitude to Indica. Jazz: Extremely pricey. Honda is not selling VFM cars. I would prefer Mitsubishi or Toyota. I had test driven Cedia, City and Altis. Chevrolet: Again Korean genes. Looks like VFM proposition but I feel it just appear so. Hyundai is better than Chevrolet. One thing I noticed is if the car is chauffeur driven, then the best car is Optra. Its back seat is the most comfortable which feels like a cradle.
Didn’t TD Swift, Wagon R, Estillo, Palio. I felt it’s too common. Decision: Ritz Vxi: My budget was 5 lakhs and Vxi On-road price was just with in my budget. I do only maximum of 700 km per month. I am a fan of kinked designs. I love A-star, i-10 and the tail lamp of ANHC. And, I felt since most people won’t buy, I would get some kind of exclusivity which I feel was a wrong assumption looking at sales. I wanted Baker’s Chocolate but the dealer told he can give Silky Silver immediately for which I agreed. I was told that silver is maintenance free and more demanded in second hand car market. (I couldn’t understand what is meant by less maintenance. It is always dirty with dust/water spots.)
Dealer gave floor mat and mud flaps.
Buying was a non issue. But rattling was there from the first day. I felt many times as if bikers were hitting hearing the rattling noise. It’s still there after 1200 kms and one service. The only way to reduce it is to put music I guess. The workshop guy was blunt in telling that it will rattle in bad road and cant be removed.
During first service Teflon coating and underbody anti rust coating was done.
Dealer – RNS Motors. Accessories
1.Sony Xplod USB HU
2.JBL 400W rear and 200 W front speakers
3.Art leather black seat cover. (Our Lancer has black leather –doesn’t get dirty. I like black than beige.)
4.Xenos central locking system.
5.3M Sunfilm – the lightest available for night visibility.
6.Extra fabric floor mat.
Some sound started coming from the A/C blower after first service. I took it back to service station and they removed the blower. For that they had to remove the steering column. After fitting back the steering wheel centering was not done properly. (It is slightly tilted to left when car moves straight.) Overall Experience:
1.It’s as smooth as a sedan but the gear is a bit hard. Especially the reverse gear it just doesn’t engage. I will have to lift clutch a bit to engage. Sometimes normal gear shift also seems to be a bit tough.
2.Everyone said smooth and spacious. Complaints were about gear shift. But I like short stick and shift. Most people who commented have Getz, Alto, Santro, City, Wagon R, Swift etc. Have to get my parents feedback to get the family opinion.
3.I feel the car moves a bit to left if I leave the steering. I feel it’s because the roads are slanted to the left.
4.Rattles Rattles Rattles.
5.Fun to drive. Cornering can be done easily at 40 km/hr and normal curves at 60 km/hr.
6.Mileage: 100% city driving (50% of the time below 30 km/hr) – 12 km/l |