Swfit Dzire LDI - 30 days, 6000 KMS.

womanonwheels · 8th January 2010, 20:43

"Marrying is similar to choosing a car. The minute you finalize one, hundred better options suddenly become available”

I always thought this was kind of true. However, buying a Swift Dzire LDI, I would be more than happy to differ!!. Let me give you a little background now. Five years ago, when I was in Gurgaon, I had a pre-owned ZEN and been a Maruti fan since then. Having driven friend’s Innova and Indica and Santro, I always found Maruti ZEN to be a very effortless drive. (No offence meant to the owners of the other cars, as they are one of the best cars in their own ways). But I used to drive it to Punjab from Gurgaon quite often and had a good experience in both long and city drives.

Anyway, year 2007 I shifted to Mumbai and decided to leave the car in Gurgaon with my brother. Got feedback from friends that getting registration transferred from other states can be a painful task. A car was also required for my mother and brother so this was a no brainer. For almost two years, buying a car didn’t cross my mind. I hated the traffic, roads were so unknown and intimidating and the priority was to buy a house first. So, availed facilities of the rickshaws and famous Mumbai locals.

August and September 2009, I started driving for my friend whose mother is very old and needed help. Drove his Alto and Innova a lot in the city and I began to realize how much I missed driving. Gradually, the want to drive became an urgent need and I had made up my mind that I have to get a car now. My husband however opposed the idea with the logic that both of us were working in BPO and had office transport. He wasn’t keen on investing a lot of money just for the weekends. So, let me be honest, I used some charm and allured him to the idea of at least buying a Pre-Owned car. There will be no EMIs and we would have our own car. He opened up to the idea little bit and that is when I went a step ahead.

Now, I gave him the logic of being able to buy a small car for some extra amount and we could use it for atleast 4 years. After some more gentle arguments and promises of cutting down on other expense (read shopping), I finally dragged him to a Maruti dealer (Laxmi Motors, Mira Road). I have read a lot of not so nice stuff about the Maruti dealers, but my experience so far has been very pleasant. On the first day we looked at Ritz and A-star as Alto was a little too basic car from an enthusiasts’ perspective. I did like A-star and found it to be a VFM car but the interiors and the space put me off and I was more inclined toward Ritz. We wanted some more time to research and came back.

Meanwhile, I went one step ahead and thought that if I am paying 5.5 lacs for a hatch than why not look for sedan. I had also dreamt of buying a Scorpio too when it was launched, however, it wasn’t a practical buy and out of budget too. We went through a whole lot of options but in the essence of time, I will mention only ones that were seriously considered and the reasons why I didn’t go for them.

1. Ford Ikon – Got feedback that parts and maintenance is expensive. Resale is not good either.

2. Mahindra Logan – Too new a car. Wasn’t sure of performance. Also, already very popular for commercial use.

3. Hyundai Accent – Outdated model. No resale. Very plain looks

Somewhere deep down, I knew I wanted a Maruti, so I went back to the Maruti dealer and looked at our options again and the dealer spoke about Swift and Swift Dzire both. I always found Swift a very good VFM car but felt it was too common now. This time I really paid attention to Swift Dzire and really really liked it. But the dealer mentioned about a minimum of four months waiting period for Dzire and I was disappointed. After a few more futile attempts of looking for options, I went back to Maruti and booked a Ritz ZXI

This is where this story takes an interesting turn. The car did arrive on time but as luck would have had it, the loan got delayed due to some issues. I am not a very big fan of HDFC bank anyway and the fact that they delayed my dream coming true, I just lost my temper and cancelled the booking. The Maruti guy quite helpfully agreed and told me I can deal with the matter how I wanted to. I had no option left a since, I had also used the down payment money somewhere else. I was getting all the help from the Maruti dealer and I was keen on buying a car ASAP. So I came up with an idea. I asked the dealer not to return the booking amount to me but to book a Dzire for me. By the time, the car would arrive; I would have also arranged the down payment. He agreed and I came back home with a heavy heart waiting for the car to arrive. The HDFC bank had already called and offered me loan on a slightly lesser interest. A week later I got a call from the dealer and he asked us to come over. It turns out another customer who had booked a Dzire LDI was stuck with a legal case and wasn’t able to buy the car. He told us we could have the car!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was ecstatic. However, there were two things to look at.

1. I never wanted a diesel car. 2. It was the lowest variant of the car

The dealer told us a few benefits of having a diesel car and also how strong and reliable the new diesel engines are. He promised to give us good deal on all the Maruti accessories and promised that the car would be better than a VDI if we give him 3 days to get everything done. Anyways the paper work will take that long, so we agreed. We decided to get the below accessories from Maruti itself since I didn’t want to go for anything else for my new car.

ICE/ Sun Film/Power Windows/Reverse Parking Sensor/ Seat Covers/Teflon Coating/Antirust/Sill Guard/Rear spoiler/Fog lights

I was only introduced to Team BHP after buying the car so I was little concerned but I am doing lot of reading before I go for alloys and tyre upgrade.

Finally, on December 9th Thurs , at 9.30 after I finished work at office I went and got the delivery of my long awaited car. Maruti gives the customer the complete thali package to do the Puja before you take the delivery of the car. I did it but still went to a temple and asked a pundit to do it. Went home to freshen up and then went for a short drive. After that, I have done a few trips to my office and on 19th December did a Mumbai-Delhi-Chandigarh-Delhi Mumbai trip. I checked with the Maruti guys if it was ok to do a long trip with a 10 days old car and they assured there is no problem. I will paste a different travelogue for my 5100 km road trip. Here I would like to pen down a few observations after a month of owning the car.

Positives:- Don’t know where to start on this. I have driven this car for more than 6000 kms in less than a month and so far not a single complaint in form of a flat tyre or breakdown or anything else. I am totally aware that Dzire is not a hot favorite on our team BHP portal, because of the looks and I do agree looks are not the best that you can get from a Dzire. But I guess you own it and then you know what it feels like.

1. The ride quality is good. I am happy with the overall performance of the car.

2. The pick up is great and this one is a pleasure to drive especially on the long journey. Post the second gear, I love the kind of rush it gives me.

3. Car was pretty stable on 120+ on the amazing National Highways in Gujrat and was quite easy to drive on the hilly ghats of Rajasthan.

4. The noise levels inside the car are pretty decent for a diesel engine.

5. FE is another feature which is very important to me and the car has exceeded my expectations on this front. Before the first service, I was getting a mileage of 15-16. I got the car serviced before going to Chandigarh and have got 20 – 25 on my trip. I have got the second service done as soon as I came back and the FE is better than before in the city.

6. Boot space as known to all of us is toooo good.

Negatives:- As much as I am in love with my Dzire, there are few thing I should mention to benefit my fellow team members who ought to know this

1. Cost Cutting :- Maruti has decided to save a lot by keeping the interiors way too minimalistic. I am not sure if this is only for LDI or for the higher variants as well. Even Ritz has managed to provide better space in form of bottle/coin holders, neat dashboard design and overall much more sophisticated interiors. Does anybody have any thoughts if and how the dashboard can be re-designed for a better look

2. Manual AC transmission. Not sure if I can get this replaced?? Any thoughts??

3. No tachometer… very disappointing. Can I get one? For how much

4.Design – This is a done to death con of Swift Dzire. However, I did manage to get a nice Maruti Spoiler added to the rear and the boot looks really good now. Will post pics soon as I don’t have the data cable for my I phone in office

In a nutshell, I am happy with the car so far and it does feel like I have chosen the right one. My regret is that I came to know of team bhp only after buying the car but I am delighted I found it. With so much to learn on buying and maintaining the car, I feel like a kid in a candy shop. Kudos to the team!!! If anybody has any suggestions on modifying the car, please keep them coming. I will be back soon with pics of the car and my travelogue. Happy motoring

unni.ak · 8th January 2010, 21:27

Good review and waiting for the pics. A Mumbai-Delhi-Chandigarh and back to run-in a car, too much!! The 20-25kmpl mileage you were getting, was it with AC on, or a mix? With diesel economy, I'm sure you will do more trips now. Drive safe.

hsejars · 8th January 2010, 21:32

Congratulations womanonwheels! Your writeup is lovely so I look forward to reading your travelogue(s) - I am pretty sure more will be coming :-)

vigsom · 8th January 2010, 22:18

6000 kms in 30 days

- the next best to Around The World In Eighty Days

That takes some strength to achieve.

sachinj12 · 8th January 2010, 22:32

Holy Cow, 6K in 30 days

!!!. Anyways, a neat and crisp write up

.

vivprasad · 8th January 2010, 22:37

Absolutely amazing, the 6K in 30 days. Congratulations on your new acquisition. I have taken a longish ride (about 65 kms) on a Dzire and it was very comfortable.

By the way, what rpm/kmph did you maintain on average before the first service, and what after?

womanonwheels · 8th January 2010, 22:42

The mileage I have mentioned is with AC on 80% of the times. hate to drive with windows rolled down.... especially on highways

Klub Class · 8th January 2010, 22:46

Waah...You are pretty fast in clocking miles my friend...!!The mileage you're getting is also good

Wish you a Happy and Safe Motoring..Driver Her Safe

goandude · 9th January 2010, 08:34

I did 10,000 km in 4 1/2 months and thought it was good but 6 k in 30 days is wow! I too love driving my VDI and it can be quite addictive but even then, this is great driving. pic of spoiler please..

kartho · 9th January 2010, 09:06

should i say very well written for the detailed post or very well driven for the 6k in 30 days...

great going ! enjoy your dzire... congrats

gaddiwale · 9th January 2010, 13:14

[quote=womanonwheels;1672874 Before the first service, I was getting a mileage of 15-16. I got the car serviced before going to Chandigarh and have got 20 – 25 on my trip. I have got the second service done as soon as I came back and the FE is better than before in the city.[/quote]

6000 km in 30 days amazing! You are geting an impressive FE too. Request you to post photos of your car. See you there in the forthcoming Mumbai-Pune meet. Chreers!

sdp1975 · 9th January 2010, 13:25

Congrats on the car.Looking forward to the 5100km travelogue. Good that you got the car quick.

btw, I think the "most kms driven in a month" would go to - you guessed it right - hvkumar.

12349 km in Dec 2005.

vijaythacker · 9th January 2010, 13:41

congratulations on your dzire LDi.Car with much talked and appreciated fiat's engine.Enjoy your ownership and looking forward to see your travelogue as well.Do post some pictures of your ride.

shantyrocks · 9th January 2010, 14:16

hii..
Congratz on your dezire ldi..!
This car is worth buying for the performance it gives .
I own a swift Ldi and do miss the tachometer.
6k in i month is great going..!
You can procure after market tachometers but i strongly advice you against it as it involves lot of wiring which can be potentialy harmfull.

Wot about pics??

All the best and drive safe..

...and men can be such emotional fools sometimes..isnt it...

navan49 · 10th January 2010, 10:31

Hi Womanonwheels,

Very good write up. It is great 6k in 30 days. Mine is 10200kms in 4 months. In this speed your will reach 1lakh kmo in 15 months. Enjoy driving.

8th January 2010, 20:43	#1
womanonwheels BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 99 Thanked: 107 Times	Swfit Dzire LDI - 30 days, 6000 KMS. "Marrying is similar to choosing a car. The minute you finalize one, hundred better options suddenly become available” I always thought this was kind of true. However, buying a Swift Dzire LDI, I would be more than happy to differ!!. Let me give you a little background now. Five years ago, when I was in Gurgaon, I had a pre-owned ZEN and been a Maruti fan since then. Having driven friend’s Innova and Indica and Santro, I always found Maruti ZEN to be a very effortless drive. (No offence meant to the owners of the other cars, as they are one of the best cars in their own ways). But I used to drive it to Punjab from Gurgaon quite often and had a good experience in both long and city drives. Anyway, year 2007 I shifted to Mumbai and decided to leave the car in Gurgaon with my brother. Got feedback from friends that getting registration transferred from other states can be a painful task. A car was also required for my mother and brother so this was a no brainer. For almost two years, buying a car didn’t cross my mind. I hated the traffic, roads were so unknown and intimidating and the priority was to buy a house first. So, availed facilities of the rickshaws and famous Mumbai locals. August and September 2009, I started driving for my friend whose mother is very old and needed help. Drove his Alto and Innova a lot in the city and I began to realize how much I missed driving. Gradually, the want to drive became an urgent need and I had made up my mind that I have to get a car now. My husband however opposed the idea with the logic that both of us were working in BPO and had office transport. He wasn’t keen on investing a lot of money just for the weekends. So, let me be honest, I used some charm and allured him to the idea of at least buying a Pre-Owned car. There will be no EMIs and we would have our own car. He opened up to the idea little bit and that is when I went a step ahead. Now, I gave him the logic of being able to buy a small car for some extra amount and we could use it for atleast 4 years. After some more gentle arguments and promises of cutting down on other expense (read shopping), I finally dragged him to a Maruti dealer (Laxmi Motors, Mira Road). I have read a lot of not so nice stuff about the Maruti dealers, but my experience so far has been very pleasant. On the first day we looked at Ritz and A-star as Alto was a little too basic car from an enthusiasts’ perspective. I did like A-star and found it to be a VFM car but the interiors and the space put me off and I was more inclined toward Ritz. We wanted some more time to research and came back. Meanwhile, I went one step ahead and thought that if I am paying 5.5 lacs for a hatch than why not look for sedan. I had also dreamt of buying a Scorpio too when it was launched, however, it wasn’t a practical buy and out of budget too. We went through a whole lot of options but in the essence of time, I will mention only ones that were seriously considered and the reasons why I didn’t go for them. 1. Ford Ikon – Got feedback that parts and maintenance is expensive. Resale is not good either. 2. Mahindra Logan – Too new a car. Wasn’t sure of performance. Also, already very popular for commercial use. 3. Hyundai Accent – Outdated model. No resale. Very plain looks Somewhere deep down, I knew I wanted a Maruti, so I went back to the Maruti dealer and looked at our options again and the dealer spoke about Swift and Swift Dzire both. I always found Swift a very good VFM car but felt it was too common now. This time I really paid attention to Swift Dzire and really really liked it. But the dealer mentioned about a minimum of four months waiting period for Dzire and I was disappointed. After a few more futile attempts of looking for options, I went back to Maruti and booked a Ritz ZXI This is where this story takes an interesting turn. The car did arrive on time but as luck would have had it, the loan got delayed due to some issues. I am not a very big fan of HDFC bank anyway and the fact that they delayed my dream coming true, I just lost my temper and cancelled the booking. The Maruti guy quite helpfully agreed and told me I can deal with the matter how I wanted to. I had no option left a since, I had also used the down payment money somewhere else. I was getting all the help from the Maruti dealer and I was keen on buying a car ASAP. So I came up with an idea. I asked the dealer not to return the booking amount to me but to book a Dzire for me. By the time, the car would arrive; I would have also arranged the down payment. He agreed and I came back home with a heavy heart waiting for the car to arrive. The HDFC bank had already called and offered me loan on a slightly lesser interest. A week later I got a call from the dealer and he asked us to come over. It turns out another customer who had booked a Dzire LDI was stuck with a legal case and wasn’t able to buy the car. He told us we could have the car!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was ecstatic. However, there were two things to look at. 1. I never wanted a diesel car. 2. It was the lowest variant of the car The dealer told us a few benefits of having a diesel car and also how strong and reliable the new diesel engines are. He promised to give us good deal on all the Maruti accessories and promised that the car would be better than a VDI if we give him 3 days to get everything done. Anyways the paper work will take that long, so we agreed. We decided to get the below accessories from Maruti itself since I didn’t want to go for anything else for my new car. ICE/ Sun Film/Power Windows/Reverse Parking Sensor/ Seat Covers/Teflon Coating/Antirust/Sill Guard/Rear spoiler/Fog lights I was only introduced to Team BHP after buying the car so I was little concerned but I am doing lot of reading before I go for alloys and tyre upgrade. Finally, on December 9th Thurs , at 9.30 after I finished work at office I went and got the delivery of my long awaited car. Maruti gives the customer the complete thali package to do the Puja before you take the delivery of the car. I did it but still went to a temple and asked a pundit to do it. Went home to freshen up and then went for a short drive. After that, I have done a few trips to my office and on 19th December did a Mumbai-Delhi-Chandigarh-Delhi Mumbai trip. I checked with the Maruti guys if it was ok to do a long trip with a 10 days old car and they assured there is no problem. I will paste a different travelogue for my 5100 km road trip. Here I would like to pen down a few observations after a month of owning the car. Positives:- Don’t know where to start on this. I have driven this car for more than 6000 kms in less than a month and so far not a single complaint in form of a flat tyre or breakdown or anything else. I am totally aware that Dzire is not a hot favorite on our team BHP portal, because of the looks and I do agree looks are not the best that you can get from a Dzire. But I guess you own it and then you know what it feels like. 1. The ride quality is good. I am happy with the overall performance of the car. 2. The pick up is great and this one is a pleasure to drive especially on the long journey. Post the second gear, I love the kind of rush it gives me. 3. Car was pretty stable on 120+ on the amazing National Highways in Gujrat and was quite easy to drive on the hilly ghats of Rajasthan. 4. The noise levels inside the car are pretty decent for a diesel engine. 5. FE is another feature which is very important to me and the car has exceeded my expectations on this front. Before the first service, I was getting a mileage of 15-16. I got the car serviced before going to Chandigarh and have got 20 – 25 on my trip. I have got the second service done as soon as I came back and the FE is better than before in the city. 6. Boot space as known to all of us is toooo good. Negatives:- As much as I am in love with my Dzire, there are few thing I should mention to benefit my fellow team members who ought to know this 1. Cost Cutting :- Maruti has decided to save a lot by keeping the interiors way too minimalistic. I am not sure if this is only for LDI or for the higher variants as well. Even Ritz has managed to provide better space in form of bottle/coin holders, neat dashboard design and overall much more sophisticated interiors. Does anybody have any thoughts if and how the dashboard can be re-designed for a better look 2. Manual AC transmission. Not sure if I can get this replaced?? Any thoughts?? 3. No tachometer… very disappointing. Can I get one? For how much 4.Design – This is a done to death con of Swift Dzire. However, I did manage to get a nice Maruti Spoiler added to the rear and the boot looks really good now. Will post pics soon as I don’t have the data cable for my I phone in office In a nutshell, I am happy with the car so far and it does feel like I have chosen the right one. My regret is that I came to know of team bhp only after buying the car but I am delighted I found it. With so much to learn on buying and maintaining the car, I feel like a kid in a candy shop. Kudos to the team!!! If anybody has any suggestions on modifying the car, please keep them coming. I will be back soon with pics of the car and my travelogue. Happy motoring
	() Thanks

8th January 2010, 21:27	#2
unni.ak BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 777 Thanked: 84 Times View My Garage	Good review and waiting for the pics. A Mumbai-Delhi-Chandigarh and back to run-in a car, too much!! The 20-25kmpl mileage you were getting, was it with AC on, or a mix? With diesel economy, I'm sure you will do more trips now. Drive safe. Last edited by unni.ak : 8th January 2010 at 21:28.
	() Thanks

8th January 2010, 21:32	#3
hsejars BHPian Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 86 Thanked: 5 Times	Congratulations womanonwheels! Your writeup is lovely so I look forward to reading your travelogue(s) - I am pretty sure more will be coming :-)
	() Thanks

8th January 2010, 22:18	#4
vigsom Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: NSEW Posts: 3,761 Thanked: 25,462 Times	6000 kms in 30 days - the next best to Around The World In Eighty Days That takes some strength to achieve.
	() Thanks

8th January 2010, 22:32	#5
sachinj12 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,187 Thanked: 168 Times	Holy Cow, 6K in 30 days !!!. Anyways, a neat and crisp write up.
	() Thanks

8th January 2010, 22:37	#6
vivprasad BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Lucknow Posts: 154 Thanked: 114 Times	Absolutely amazing, the 6K in 30 days. Congratulations on your new acquisition. I have taken a longish ride (about 65 kms) on a Dzire and it was very comfortable. By the way, what rpm/kmph did you maintain on average before the first service, and what after?
	() Thanks

8th January 2010, 22:42	#7
womanonwheels BHPian Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 99 Thanked: 107 Times	The mileage I have mentioned is with AC on 80% of the times. hate to drive with windows rolled down.... especially on highways
	() Thanks

8th January 2010, 22:46	#8
Klub Class Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: KA17\|KL65\|KL41 Posts: 4,867 Thanked: 1,935 Times	Waah...You are pretty fast in clocking miles my friend...!!The mileage you're getting is also good Wish you a Happy and Safe Motoring..Driver Her Safe
	() Thanks

9th January 2010, 08:34	#9
goandude Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Mysuru Posts: 1,763 Thanked: 1,283 Times	I did 10,000 km in 4 1/2 months and thought it was good but 6 k in 30 days is wow! I too love driving my VDI and it can be quite addictive but even then, this is great driving. pic of spoiler please..
	() Thanks

9th January 2010, 09:06	#10
kartho BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Pune Posts: 132 Thanked: 2 Times	should i say very well written for the detailed post or very well driven for the 6k in 30 days... great going ! enjoy your dzire... congrats
	() Thanks

9th January 2010, 13:14	#11
gaddiwale BHPian Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: BANGALORE Posts: 399 Thanked: 77 Times	[quote=womanonwheels;1672874 Before the first service, I was getting a mileage of 15-16. I got the car serviced before going to Chandigarh and have got 20 – 25 on my trip. I have got the second service done as soon as I came back and the FE is better than before in the city.[/quote] 6000 km in 30 days amazing! You are geting an impressive FE too. Request you to post photos of your car. See you there in the forthcoming Mumbai-Pune meet. Chreers!
	() Thanks

9th January 2010, 13:25	#12
sdp1975 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,700 Thanked: 1,273 Times View My Garage	Congrats on the car.Looking forward to the 5100km travelogue. Good that you got the car quick. btw, I think the "most kms driven in a month" would go to - you guessed it right - hvkumar. 12349 km in Dec 2005.
	() Thanks

9th January 2010, 13:41	#13
vijaythacker Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 1,498 Thanked: 74 Times View My Garage	congratulations on your dzire LDi.Car with much talked and appreciated fiat's engine.Enjoy your ownership and looking forward to see your travelogue as well.Do post some pictures of your ride.
	() Thanks

9th January 2010, 14:16	#14
shantyrocks BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: thane Posts: 741 Thanked: 5 Times	hii.. Congratz on your dezire ldi..! This car is worth buying for the performance it gives . I own a swift Ldi and do miss the tachometer. 6k in i month is great going..! You can procure after market tachometers but i strongly advice you against it as it involves lot of wiring which can be potentialy harmfull. Wot about pics?? All the best and drive safe.. ...and men can be such emotional fools sometimes..isnt it...
	() Thanks

10th January 2010, 10:31	#15
navan49 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: CHENNAI Posts: 1,000 Thanked: 73 Times View My Garage	Hi Womanonwheels, Very good write up. It is great 6k in 30 days. Mine is 10200kms in 4 months. In this speed your will reach 1lakh kmo in 15 months. Enjoy driving.
	() Thanks