samishka

you are right, but what I was trying to say is when someone starts a topic about a Maruti vehicle (excluding Technical matters) others mistake it for a marketing trick.

He may be a rich guy who can maintain a Subaru.

Since I am a new comer to this AL Forum, I found some old questions left unanswered, which I found I could answer well. As a Maruti Wagon R owner, I answered one with mentioning Pros and Cons of Wagon R, and another with Prices of second hand Wagon Rs. (Not a comprehensive price list though). It is sad to note that most guys mistaking this as a marketing practice by A*W. No, I'm by no way associated with A*W. I'm just another customer of theirs. While A*W has a fairly good after sales service, their accident repair section is a totally different story. They did an extremely poor accident repair job for my Wagon R, using casual incompetent labourers. (I remember another person has written to an AL forum about a similar experience with his Alto.) Further, A*W boasts about their so called '5 year sales record'. They actually owe it to then Maruti Head Mr. Jagadish Katthar who strived to make Maruti Dealers more customer-centric, and also to our SL govt. which imposed heavy import duties on cars with >1500cc. Finally I would like to state that Maruti owners and even Chery QQ, Tata Indica, Hafei-Micro Trend and Geely owners have the right to participate and express their opinions in Auto Lanka Forums.

It won't be long before most of these guys will be driving Kirloskar Toyota Corollas and Shriram Honda Civics.

A 1500cc Mitsubishi Lancer is a more sensible option as a daily runner, instead of fuel guzzling Legacys.

Who else drive a 2000cc AWD Subaru Legacy RS other than a boy-racer. A down-to-earth person will never buy such a car for their daily running.

"The logical upgrade for Two-Wheeler owners" applies only for India. I am also against for Maruti continuing with this outdated car, instead of positioning the Alto as the entry level Maruti. I personally dislike Reconditioned (Especially Domestic Model) Vehicles. Assuming your friend who bought a Maruti Alto, wanted a small car that is brand new, then he has done the right thing. I never recommend the M800 to anyone unless that person * is in a strict budget * needs a brand new car * Not worried about the lack of comfort, lack of space and the POOR Brakes. If I can convince that person to stretch his/her budget, then I advise to go for the Maruti Alto, which is though cramped, is far better than the M800. For Sedan lovers there is no choice other than buying a second-hand Japanese one, since a brand new sedan (of decent quality) now costs more than Rs. 4 million.

Here comes the ideal MARUTI car for performance enthusiast. http://www.autolanka.com/ad.asp?ID=11919

R in Wagon R officially stands for RECREATION.

My opinion as an owner of a Maruti Vehicle, Maruti 800 is not meant for doing serious Performance Enhancements unless its brakes are improved at the same time. (I do not think it is feasible) Otherwise it is a waste of money doing such engine mods, just to find you have no control over your vehicle's power. On the other hand, modifying a MARUTI ALTO LXi (800cc) is the sensible option to do the modifications what Ek3's friend has done to his M800, since when compared to M800 it comes with servo-assisted brakes and a solid body shell. (ALTO is the only solidly built Maruti car.) However, for serious performance driving, the best Maruti cars to modify are the OLD Zen (1000cc) and OLD Alto VXi (1100cc). One must not forget that all the abovemetioned Marutis are hatchbacks and not Sedans. Therefore these cars can not be compared with Legacys, Hondas and Corollas, but with Toyota Starlets and Nissan March K11s. These hatchbacks are very nimble unlike sedans. Further cars like Legacy RS and CIVIC Type R are meant for those who are into DRAG RACING. Only well-heeled Boy- Racers can afford to buy and maintain those cars. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I could see in another forum, that one member has gone into the extent of calling Marutis as "Junk". Most people here in Sri Lanka, tend to belittle these Indian-made Suzuki cars because of the Maruti prefix. I think only Sri Lanka's A*W is marketing Maruti vehicles under Maruti-Suzuki brand (Except SWIFT)while in Maruti's other export markets they are sold as Suzuki.(Refer SUZUKI Global Website) Though Marutis lack the finesse of their 'Made-in-Japan' conterparts, they are the cheapest BRAND NEW cars to be found with Japanese Technology. Further Suzuki's stake in Maruti-Suzuki has increased over the years, while the Govt. of India has withdrawn from the Joint Venture and India is now Suzuki's main export hub. Finally I would like to add that, anybody who hopes to buy a car should refer some unbiased reviews (in the Internet) about the car they are going to buy. Then you will not regret later. Long ago I used to crave for a Crystal-light M800, later after reading a review I found out that to make that car even cheaper Maruti has Stripped off some features earlier used to be in that car. Later I opted for the much better Alto. However in April 2006 when I visited the A*W showroom they tried to convince me to buy a Zen (Old Model). Again because I have done my research, I knew that the production of Zen has been stopped a month ago, and also the redesigning of that car was limited to its exterior. They could not sell me a Zen. Later I found that there is a 1 1/2 month waiting period for the Alto and because I was desperate to buy a car, and I had a budget of 1.5 Million I finally settled for a Wagon R.(that too with the knowledge of the inherent notchy gearshift of Maruti Wagon R.) At their showroom I also asked them that why don't they allow us to test drive any of the vehicles. This might be the reason most people ended up buying a Maruti 800 when they discovered its many short comings it was too late. I feel that at least half of the buyers would have stretch their budget and buy an ALTO had they were allowed a test drive. It's true that M800 is nothing compared to bigger cars, but it delevers what its potential buyers expect from it. In a Maruti official's words the Maruti 800 is positioned as "the logical upgrade for Two-Wheeler owners".

Price Unregistered Approx. 2.5 Million Registered (Depends on Age, Mileage, Condition) Old Shape Non-Crystal light 2002 - 2003 -> Approx. 0.9 - 1.1 Million Crystal light 2004 - 2006 -> Approx. 1.1 - 1.35 Million New Shape 2006 - 2009 -> 1.5 Million upwards While Maruti makes an Automatic Version (which is far more expensive and comes with less features than the M/T model), it is never imported into Sri Lanka.

Even though one can buy a used Subaru Legacy for less than 1.5 million, it is way too expensive to run and maintain. No other car can beat MARUTI 800s rock bottom running and maintenance costs. However the biggest drawback in the MARUTI 800 (which in turn based on 1986 Suzuki Alto) is the lack of Booster-Assisted Brakes. (Better brakes are essential when you enhance the performance) On the other hand MARUTI Alto (based on 1998 Suzuki Alto) is a better option.

This is true for MARUTI 800 and Maruti Alto LXi (800cc). However some simple cosmetic modifications (using Alloy wheels, Rear spoiler etc.) done with a good taste should not make them a laughing stock. In my opinion, Among Maruti Hatchbacks, only Maruti Alto VXi (1100cc) is worth modifying. [This is the same car marketed as SUZUKI ALTO outside Japan and South Asia, since 2000. If Toyota Starlets and Nissan March K11s (1000cc) can be modified, then why can't a Maruti Alto VXi ?]

Between the Maruti 800 and Alto, the Alto is the better car. However only Maruti Alto VXi 1.1 (rarely found, because it was discontinued in 2004) has got performance to match its looks.

I'm Using a Maruti-Suzuki WagonR. It is one of the most versatile small cars. However the indian model lacks the finesse found in its Japanese counterpart. What I like - 1. High set driving position. 2. Versatile interiors. 3. Easy to get in and out. (no need to crawl as in a typical car, nor to climb as in a van) 4. Easy to park and easy to cut through the traffic. (Due to its compact dimensions) What I dislike - 1. Notchy gearshift. (Inherent to Maruti WagonR and Zen-Estilo) Sometimes the reverse gear needs double de-clutching to engage 2. Noisy engine. (Beyond 3000rpm) 3. Uncomfortable. (Due to stiff suspension setup) 4. Scary handling (Beyond 60 kmph) Regarding its boxy shape, for me it looks nice when viewed as a mini-MPV and not as a Hatchback. (Looks are subjective)

I repeat my answer given in the previous page. (Seems nobody has noticed it) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 66 - series of registration numbers were given to the vehicle type called Motor Wagon, Which is essentially a Lorry with a partly open wooden body designed for transporting passengers instead of cargo. These are now almost "extinct". They were a common sight in Tangalle, Hambantota area even in the early 90s. Majority of these vehicle were based on 1940s "Kaapiri" Fords. As far as I know they were first given MW registration numbers (before 1956) and later when retro-fitted with Diesel engines, they were given 66 SRI numbers. However the only vehicle I saw with a 66 - (dash) number was an Isuzu Elf with an abovementioned type of body, and that too was in 1994, in Thissamaharama. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would like to add that 66 series came out long before even 64 series.

33 Sri was the (post-1956) registration number series given for Commercial Vehicles run by Petrol. (Buses, Lorries, Single Cabs, Vans, Ambulances and Hearses)

66 - series of registration numbers were given to the vehicle type called Motor Wagon, Which is essentially a Lorry with a partly open wooden body designed for transporting passengers instead of cargo. These are now almost "extinct". They were a common sight in Tangalle, Hambantota area even in the early 90s. Majority of these vehicle were based on 1940s "Kaapiri" Fords. As far as I know they were first given MW registration numbers (before 1956) and later when retro-fitted with Diesel engines, they were given 66 SRI numbers. However the only vehicle I saw with a 66 - (dash) number was an Isuzu Elf with an abovementioned type of body, and that too was in 1994, in Thissamaharama.

Remember seeing in an A*W ad recently, stating the price of the Indian Swift at Rs. 3.2 million (approx.) and the price of the Japanese Swift at Rs. 4.5 million (approx.). (Shocked to see such a price tag for a Hatchback)

Indian Swift uses an old generation (G-Series) 1.3 litre engine while the Japanese Swift uses a new generation (M-Series) 1.5 litre engine.