[ank1477]

Hi All,

Finally I have my new car – Maruti Ritx VXI (petrol); took the delivery yesterday. This was something that I was thinking about off and on for the last 2 years. The urge to acquire my own vehicle grew stronger in the last 3-4 months and at last it has arrived. Here is the complete booking, buying and ownership (only 2 days) experience:


Alternatives that were considered, and why I chose this car
Initially I had thought about a budget of 4 lacs for my car and I had begun by looking at the Alto and wagon R, however they were not really satisfying my requirements. I needed to have a car which would easily fit in 5 people and sometimes even a 6th person. So Alto was not the best choice. The Wagon R was a sensible car but its looks were really not enticing. Then last year came the Beat, Figo and the new Wagon R. However they all would have taken my budget to around 4.5 lacs as I did not want the base version on any of them because I wanted power windows.

Thus started the most confusing 6 months where I kept on reading reviews and more reviews to narrow down my choice. I even looked at the i10, micra, indica vista apart from beat, figo, new wagon r.

Beat and Figo were the top 2 contenders at one point of time but there was lot of talk about Beat not having enough space and Figo petrol not being as good as the diesel version. I did not need a diesel. So again there was a dead lock. So finally I thought about further increasing my budget and looked at the Ritz (did not consider swift as it was everywhere). It seemed to fit almost all my requirements and at the beginning of this year it was down to Figo and the Ritz. I really liked the figo for its interiors, the good music system, and the fact that it was getting voted the best car of the year everywhere. However the two major drawbacks were that it was a Ford (my family, especially my wife, was concerned about the cost of service and spares) and the not so good petrol engine. Ritz had the k-series engine and well it was Maruti (I guess the safe choice). It had good space and from the reviews I gathered that the quality of plastics was better than most other maruti cars. Most reviewers noted that the design of the car was the major reason why it was not a hot seller. But, I always liked the car for its presence and that it looked different. Even my wife liked it.

In January and February we went to various dealers to have a look at the car. The comfort of the seats was immediately evident. We also sat in the new Wagon R and Beat. Wagon R did not have the finesse of the Ritz and Beat seemed too small for us. I did not take a test drive as I am a new driver and have just got my license. So finally it was the Ritz. I immediately fixed upon the VXI variant as it had all the required features apart from the music system.

Complete booking & delivery experience from the dealership
After going to two other Maruti dealers I went to Vitesse, Andheri in Mumbai as the sales person there was known to 2 colleagues who had also brought their cars from him. My first visit was on the 21st of February and after considering everything I booked my car on the 12th of March after negotiating for the freebies and accessories and paying the booking amount of 10000. We chose the colour white as we thought this colour made the profile of the car stand out. The darker colours did not accentuate the body shape and arches.

The sales person informed me that I could get the car within 4-5 days of the bank (I intended to take a loan for 3.5 lacs) disbursing the loan. The same day I went to the SBI, Thakur Village branch (this is where I live) to get started on my loan application. I submitted all the required documents within 2-3 days and after continuously following up with the bank the approval was obtained on 22nd and the disbursement done the day after. The dealer then promised me delivery by the 30th. However I wanted to do a PDI before registration which the dealer agreed to and this was done on the 25th. I satisfied myself that the car was ok and was a 2011 model. I was tremendously helped by the PDI articles on this forum, my own experience being very limited.

The car was delivered on the 29th. Overall the buying experience was good. The salesman followed up on all his commitments and was never very pushy. I had to ask for a driver from them as I could not drive it myself to my house. One bad thing which happened the on the way home was that the right wheel arch of the car was hit by a car from behind and it got a scratch . Before I could understand it the car was gone. Anyways it had to happen sometime and I took it philosophically.

On-road price, discounts etc.
On road price: 5.05 lacs before discount
Extd warranty (2 yrs) – 5k
Discounts: Consumer – 25k, corporate – 3k.
Freebies: Sunfilm, Mudflaps, floor mats, air freshner, steering cover, body cover.
Accessories(paid): Remote locking, Revere sensors, under body coating, cushion combo, charger, fabric seat covers
Did not take the music system as I had read less than flattering accounts of the maruti systems. I am planning the get it installed from outside (I have a budget of 11-12k, do let me have your suggestions)

What I like:
- The super smooth engine.
- The smooth accelerator, brake and clutch pedals( my experience on this is limited but seemed nice to me)
- The seat comfort.
- The Tachometer on the dash
- The indicator lights.
- The exterior shape, even the rear (I especially like the rear, don’t know why so many people dislike it)
- The Air conditioner – have not really used it that much but still feel it has potential
- Interiors look solid, however they would not win any design award. I feel the interior design of the hyundais and fords are superior and eye catching.
- Most other things


What I dislike:
- Nothing to dislike so far. However Maruti could have provided some things like the rear defrogger, steering adjustment and built in music system for this price.

Road test, driveability:
As mentioned already I am a new driver. So I have just driven within my locality twice(quite a nerve wracking experience, at least for my wife) and would not be able to comment on the mileage and highway experience. However the car feels solid and refined. All the equipment and parts seem to work fine and it feels good to drive the car.

Driving experience update

Almost a week with my Ritz. Sadly it has already been hit thrice. The first 2 times were minor scratches on the wheel arch and on the body. However the 3rd was due to a Toyota Corolla reversing and backing into the front right fender while my car was parked in the society. How that can happen is beyond my imagination. That has led to a small gap between the bumper and the fender. I was totally heartbroken when I saw it and could not sleep at night. The maruti guys told me it would approximately 6k to get it fixed. However the owner of the corolla has agreed to bear the charges and I will get it fixed during the 1st service.

Now onto the drive experience. I am taking it slow and steady but have been to 2-3 trips in the suburbs and the highway. The engine is refined and smooth and the gear shifts are precise and easy. Was wondering about the engine performance of the car in 3rd gear which so many people have praised and finally found out today on the highway. The car is absolutely wonderful in 3rd gear and quite effortless. What a pleasure!

Apart from this the other good things I have noticed so far the nice brakes. They are very effective.

One thing which I have not liked so far is the body roll which happens while negotiating pot holes (and believe me there are huge pot holes in Thakur Village). I would have expected a better cushioning on these.

Two mistakes which I have committed so far are:

1) Once or twice I cranked the engine thinking that it had stopped. However it was still running. It is so silent. I hope I have not damaged anything
2) Last night I was parking the car and mistakenly i engaged the reverse gear without pressing the clutch. It gave a huge grinding noise and I cursed myself. Hopefully too much damage has not been done.


I hope I have been reasonable in putting forward my view and have not offended any one. Would love to have feedback from everyone. I will be posting pics in some time and will also update with my driving experience in the coming days.

Regards

[iSpoke]

Congrats ank1477 for the new car - Ritz,
Plz post the pics, expect very few replies today.
World Cup Fever!

[bluevolt]

Congratulations ank1447 for you Maruti Ritz. Nicely written review as well. You have made a very wise decision by investing in a Maruti, it will never let you down. How is the K12 performing? Ritz is a very good car when it comes to practicability. Do post some pictures of your car including engine bay and keep this thread updated regularly with service experience. Drive safe.

[BusyBoyKK]

Originally Posted by ank1477

So finally it was the Ritz. I immediately fixed upon the VXI variant as it had all the required features apart from the music system.

Regards

ank1477,
Perhaps I am one among others who is not watching cricket but on TBHP.

Be assured you have chosen a practical and nice car. Well written review and congratulations! Have fun and drive safe!

[Reinhard]

Hey, congratulations on your Ritz. I fully agree about your remarks regarding the rear looks. Its a really nice car, and I personally also find the rear design a lot better than many other hatchbacks out there, including Swift.

Our views differ a bit on the Tachometer though. I'd prefer the conventional one in the dash. Maruti has done a bit of "improvisation" there, to cut costs, so that they make the same dashboard for all trim levels and simply snap on the "rally like" tacho in case of VXi/ZXi/VDi.

Wishing you unlimited happy and safe miles with her. And photos eagerly awaited.

Cheers!

[pacman2881]

First of all congratulations on your buy. Ritz is a good choice and it should serve you well. I own a Vdi myself and just like you I initially considered Ritz as Swifts were everywhere. It turned to meet all my expectations and it has been a very good companion for the past 1.5 years.

Awaiting some snaps of your car

Originally Posted by ank1477

- The exterior shape, even the rear (I especially like the rear, don’t know why so many people dislike it)

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Hey, congratulations on your Ritz. I fully agree about your remarks regarding the rear looks. Its a really nice car, and I personally also find the rear design a lot better than many other hatchbacks out there, including Swift.
Cheers!

Good I have some company! Looks are subjective and I can understand people not liking it but the kind of hate towards the rear design surprises me.

Originally Posted by Reinhard

Our views differ a bit on the Tachometer though. I'd prefer the conventional one in the dash.
Cheers!

Initially I was not comfortable with the tacho position but now I find it to be apt because I don't have to look all the way down to know the RPM helping me to keep my eyes on the road.

[Schoudhury]

Welcome to the Ritzy family.
Once to start driving the car reguraly you will really like the hight seating position.
And i tell you one more thing, if you have any elderly person @ your place mark my word, they will always tell you getting in and out of Ritz is really easy compared to any other car.
Anyways ,drive safe and keep us also posted , oh yes put some nice pics also .

Cheers

[hellboy999]

Hey firstly congrats ank1477 for the new Ritz..You seem to be a new driver just like me.Do share in your driving experiences specially since you stay in a traffic fever city like Mumbai.I too have started driving recently in Mumbai and still getting acquainted with the roads and rules.


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[PCS]

Exactly, even i am finding Ritz Rear to be good looking after owning the car for 1.7 yrs. The Car rocks in terms of space, mileage, performance, comfort, dealer experience, service quality, spares cost !!! uffffffffff phew. What else one need man. everything is here.

[SankalpDesai]

A very sensible choice indeed.
Congratulations on buying the Ritz. And as Schoudhary rightly mentioned, elders would love getting in and out of this car.

Ritz is a complete package for people looking for a peppy engine, good space to carry 5 people and luggage and better spares and service.

Pictures awaited.

[ank1477]

Guys, thanks for your responses. Since I am a newbie I don't think I am allowed to post pics on the forum yet, as per the forum rules. Can someone clarify,please?

[headbanger]

Congrats ank1477!!! Ritz is a fabulous package. Drive her carefully thru run-in period. Keep her below 2.5K rpm

[hellboy999]

Originally Posted by ank1477

Guys, thanks for your responses. Since I am a newbie I don't think I am allowed to post pics on the forum yet, as per the forum rules. Can someone clarify,please?

Hey you are allowed to post pics even if you are a newbie.Go ahead and post the pictures by attaching them via Advanced Reply.

[hellboy999]

Hi anks just now I went through your driving experiences..Just a small suggestion..could you please make a new post so that we can come to know you have something new to share.

As far as the cranking up the engine when its still on is considered, its not such a good practice.I have done it myself on the i10 due to the silent engine but over time you will get used to it and not do it.

Also try to avoid shifting gears when the clutch is not pressed.Novice drivers do make such mistakes though and the car would not mind much for the first few times as long as we learn at each step.Happy Driving till then..

[ank1477]

@To everyone who has a ritz vxi - what is your opinion of the amount of body roll on the car while negotiating pot holes or bumpers on the road? Do you consider it to be fine?. I does seem a bit pronounced to me.