Suzuki Wagon R

dilan.gunawardena · February 18, 2017

Hi I am interested in buying a Suzuki wagon R. but I am confused with the best model to go for. can any one explain me the best option to go. what is the difference between stingray model and normal limited edition version 2016 ect.

will this car can travel in hill country considering the capacity of the engine..

Thanks

alpha17 · March 20, 2017

I have driven the 2016 Wagon R Stingray J Style a lot; around colombo,colombo to kegalle,kandy to kegalle,around kegalle.So I think I had experienced every kind of road situations.So I'll sort out the pros and cons.

Pros

-Fuel Economy(extremely economical.does around 16kmpl in colombo in traffic.during heavy traffic may go down to 13-14.outstation 20+ can be achieved easily)

-Interior space(impressive for a car of that size.lots of storage spaces.good legroom and headroom)

-options(again impressive for the car of that price range.adjustable rear seats.pre collision safety etc...)

-comfort is also not bad.but not good.but again for the price you pay it's good.

Cons

-This stands above all the pros.Acceleration???.extremely lazy engine.even the S mode doesn't make much of a difference.Below 4000rpm the car is like almost dead.There is a bit of torque below 2000rpm which helps during acceleration from a standstill,but suddenly it dissapears.To get some good acceleration you need to rev up the engine at least over 4000rpm,then it moves a bit.Also the engine is easy to rev.If you plan to use it in a hilly area forget about it.It does climb.But feels like it takes the whole day to do the climb.

So be careful about your decision.

Jor-el · February 18, 2017

This will answer almost every question you have on Wagon R.

dilan.gunawardena · February 18, 2017

Oh this is an excellent explanation thanks for sharing this.

WATZDT · February 18, 2017

That review is a one of the best of it's kind. Actually in my opinion, Stingray does have some of the valuable options than the normal FZ variant. But the appearance of the stingray is not that premium against the other grades of the vehicle. I personally like the appearance of the FZ, or FX Limited variant than the Stingray. As far as I know all the new wagonRs are equipped with S ene Charge hybrid system. Avoid the cars which only have ene-charge hybrid system, which was used only in old models. S-ene Charge hybrid system is more fuel economical and powerful than the normal ene-hybrid vehicles, You can identify it by a badge mentioning on the rear door of the vehicle.

iRage · March 21, 2017

On 3/20/2017 at 6:50 PM, DhoRK said:

Cons

-This stands above all the pros.Acceleration???.extremely lazy engine.even the S mode doesn't make much of a difference.Below 4000rpm the car is like almost dead.There is a bit of torque below 2000rpm which helps during acceleration from a standstill,but suddenly it dissapears.To get some good acceleration you need to rev up the engine at least over 4000rpm,then it moves a bit.Also the engine is easy to rev.If you plan to use it in a hilly area forget about it.It does climb.But feels like it takes the whole day to do the climb.

So be careful about your decision.

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Pretty common with all kei cars...the turbo variants of the kei cars have a bit more of a wider torque band. So yeah...they zip off the line quite quick (even faster than my 4a-ge) and then you just have to hammer the $&$% out of it to keep it going at a decent speed. Considering these are city cars they work well in Japan. Its just that in SL we expect it to be more of an all-rounder.

alpha17 · March 22, 2017

On 3/21/2017 at 11:00 AM, iRage said:

Pretty common with all kei cars...the turbo variants of the kei cars have a bit more of a wider torque band. So yeah...they zip off the line quite quick (even faster than my 4a-ge) and then you just have to hammer the $&$% out of it to keep it going at a decent speed. Considering these are city cars they work well in Japan. Its just that in SL we expect it to be more of an all-rounder.

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Yup.For daily colombo running you can't beat the Wagon R for the price.But it's the fact that it is faster than the 4a-ge I can't agree with.Has a little bit of oomph but.....I dunno.Anyway I've heard that the 4a-ge is a bit slower off the line.I've never driven one.But I've heard.Is it true??

iRage · March 23, 2017

On 3/22/2017 at 2:57 PM, DhoRK said:

Yup.For daily colombo running you can't beat the Wagon R for the price.But it's the fact that it is faster than the 4a-ge I can't agree with.Has a little bit of oomph but.....I dunno.Anyway I've heard that the 4a-ge is a bit slower off the line.I've never driven one.But I've heard.Is it true??

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From a stand still (like at traffic lights) kei cars always have pulled out quicker but it doesn't last for long. So from 0 to about 30ish (or 40ish) kmph they do get there faster, but then it just starts fading away (which is something that I hate about having to be stuck behind kei cars at traffic lights)

Yes...a stock 4a-ge is quite average at low RPMs and starts getting lively at 2500-3000 rpms upwards. Which probably explains why a kei car would do better off the mark (because all the little teaspoon full of HP and torque it has is geared/tuned to be put out at lower revs.

John Maioha Stewart · February 16, 2018

I have owned and driven a December 2014 Suzuki Wagon R Stingray J Style here in Sri Lanka for the past two and a half years and highly recommend it as a car suitable for Sri Lanka's style of driving and its speed limits. I would not drive it in Germany where I spend the other half of the year. I live near Negombo so most of my driving is in the Negombo / Colombo area, although last month my wife and I and another couple did a two day trip down to Matara and Galle, with two 'wheelies' in the back, with no problem at all. There is actually more sitting room in the Wagon R than in my car in Germany. The luggage space is minimal but, again, OK for the purpose my use of the car in Sri Lanka. I highly recommend the Susuki Wagon R and would not hesitate to buy another given the opportunity.

madhusharest · April 3, 2019

On 3/20/2017 at 6:50 PM, alpha17 said:

I have driven the 2016 Wagon R Stingray J Style a lot; around colombo,colombo to kegalle,kandy to kegalle,around kegalle.So I think I had experienced every kind of road situations.So I'll sort out the pros and cons.

Pros

-Fuel Economy(extremely economical.does around 16kmpl in colombo in traffic.during heavy traffic may go down to 13-14.outstation 20+ can be achieved easily)

-Interior space(impressive for a car of that size.lots of storage spaces.good legroom and headroom)

-options(again impressive for the car of that price range.adjustable rear seats.pre collision safety etc...)

-comfort is also not bad.but not good.but again for the price you pay it's good.

Cons

-This stands above all the pros.Acceleration???.extremely lazy engine.even the S mode doesn't make much of a difference.Below 4000rpm the car is like almost dead.There is a bit of torque below 2000rpm which helps during acceleration from a standstill,but suddenly it dissapears.To get some good acceleration you need to rev up the engine at least over 4000rpm,then it moves a bit.Also the engine is easy to rev.If you plan to use it in a hilly area forget about it.It does climb.But feels like it takes the whole day to do the climb.

So be careful about your decision.

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madhusharest · April 3, 2019

Purchased Vagon R 2017 stingray on 26 th April 2018 with 5000 km on odometer. Place is a leading and reputed in Kandy

After 4000 km use in 6 months , an engine noise came and went to the dealer as they said they give warranty As their word they send the vehicle to the Mother company A*W for the repair and now again the noise from Engine.

Heard from the dealer this engine noise is common fault but no car sale owner say the time you buy.According to my friend in Europe, said that even a recondition vehicles sell to Europe has some cover of the engine parts till genuine milage reaches to 80000 km.

Sri Lanka, dealers hide those information even mother company never exposed us too.

any body wishes to know what is the aftermarket warranty in Europe i can send some information specially Toyota witz .

Think wisely before you buy .( sell with warranty but repairs form a small point and say that get it done by agents.)

Not only this ,some Wagon R 2018 model available with them but the seat belt has 2016 logo.

though they are pioneers in used and brand new vehicles in Sri Lanka.

Careful.

Edited April 3, 2019 by madhusharest
spelling error

iRage · April 3, 2019

On 4/3/2019 at 8:20 AM, madhusharest said:

Purchased Vagon R 2017 stingray on 26 th April 2018 with 5000 km on odometer. Place is a leading and reputed in Kandy

After 4000 km use in 6 months , an engine noise came and went to the dealer as they said they give warranty As their word they send the vehicle to the Mother company A*W for the repair and now again the noise from Engine.

Heard from the dealer this engine noise is common fault but no car sale owner say the time you buy.According to my friend in Europe, said that even a recondition vehicles sell to Europe has some cover of the engine parts till genuine milage reaches to 80000 km.

Sri Lanka, dealers hide those information even mother company never exposed us too.

any body wishes to know what is the aftermarket warranty in Europe i can send some information specially Toyota witz .

Think wisely before you buy .( sell with warranty but repairs form a small point and say that get it done by agents.)

Not only this ,some Wagon R 2018 model available with them but the seat belt has 2016 logo.

though they are pioneers in used and brand new vehicles in Sri Lanka.

Careful.

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Just because the place is reputed it does not mean they are actually decent. Most of the large and so called reputed car sales in SL sell all kinds of junk in SL...in fact the old so called pioneering car importers are the ones who started the whole buying scrap in Japan, fixing it up and selling in Sri Lanka business to increase their profits.

Warranties that apply in Europe or other countries do not apply in Sri Lanka. The Wagon R you are talking about is specific to the Japanese market and as such and in Japan the average warranty period (bumper to bumper) is 5 years (50,000kms or so) and depending on the manufacturer and the components the warranty period is slightly extended. Severe manufacturing defects are usually covered for "lifetime" (which is a rather relative term). The minute the vehicle is exported out of Japan the manufacturer's warranty gets voided (sort of) because for the warranty to remain valid the car needs to be serviced at a manufacturer's dealer in Japan. Some manufacturers let their agents in other countries provide warranty services but then you have to pay a fee and register your vehicle with the manufacturer's agent in that country (usually it is a very high price). Now a days the manufactures provide warranty parts services to registered car exporters so that these exporters can give a third party warranty (i.e. non manufacturer warranty). To do this the car exporter needs to be registered in Japan as a car exporter. The labor is not covered under this and is the responsibility of the car exporter/importer or third parties such as Sterling and all those other fancy named so called warranty providers.

In Europe your friend said the warranty is 80,000km becuase in some European and American continental markets the warranty mileage is 50,000miles (about 80,000km). Suzuki/Toyota/Nissan/etc in Japan provides the same warranty terms for Japan Domestic Market cars exported to European countries. The only difference is the manufacturer's agents and car salesmen in Europe and other countries are somewhat better and ethical than our car sales rats..and most of these countries have lemon laws and strict import control procedures. So the cars getting imported are of better quality because the car importers in Europe have no incentive in importing junk.

kush · April 3, 2019

I still cannot believe why people buy expensive stuff without proper warranty or service. Things go wrong on new stuff be it a TV, Camera or your car. Person pays Rs. 8.0 Mn. on a new Audi does not want to stretch extra Rs. 500-600 K for the agent import with a service baking and a warranty.

Wagon R is available with the agent with a good warranty for Rs. 200-300K more or may be even less

iRage · April 3, 2019

On 4/3/2019 at 2:29 PM, kush said:

I still cannot believe why people buy expensive stuff without proper warranty or service. Things go wrong on new stuff be it a TV, Camera or your car. Person pays Rs. 8.0 Mn. on a new Audi does not want to stretch extra Rs. 500-600 K for the agent import with a service baking and a warranty.

Wagon R is available with the agent with a good warranty for Rs. 200-300K more or may be even less

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Answer is simple...people are driven to purchase cars beyond their means. On one hand they are forced to pay exorbitant amounts for the most basic of cars thanks to the existing policies in place . On the other hand they are pushed in to these things by society telling them what they should be driving (because we have turned it to a culture that values people for what they have rather than who they are)

Edited April 3, 2019 by iRage

noddy · April 4, 2019

The Wagon R users have lot of issues as well,

1. they wash the car engine and this gives issues

2. put more air like 32 or 35 PSI- so every thing rattles and the suspension does not absorbed buy wheels the first.

3. as the manual says most of the wagon r users put 0-20 oil ????

4. The belt issues - only happens when the engine is washed the belt is loosened then it start slipping !!!!!

iRage · April 4, 2019

On 4/4/2019 at 12:39 AM, noddy said:

3. as the manual says most of the wagon r users put 0-20 oil ????

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I still have not seen a manual that gives a specific (and only) viscosity to be used in an engine. Isn't it always a range of viscosity chartered against (ambient) temperature ?

noddy · April 4, 2019

well I saw a japanese manual that says 0-20 and 5-30 so i put 5-30 oil

I think you agree with the other points ???

iRage · April 4, 2019

On 4/4/2019 at 1:20 AM, noddy said:

well I saw a japanese manual that says 0-20 and 5-30 so i put 5-30 oil

I think you agree with the other points ???

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DIfferent manufacturers put it in different ways...Toyota for example puts it in a graph.

Here is the picture of the Wagon R manual...there is a host of oils they recommend. In their case they leave the actual selection up to the service adviser I suppose...

The Turbo has the heaviest oil....again these are just recommendations. As the car gets older and more mileage racks up they would advise heavier oil depending on the circumstances...

gdgy · April 5, 2019

On 4/4/2019 at 9:13 AM, iRage said:

DIfferent manufacturers put it in different ways...Toyota for example puts it in a graph.

Here is the picture of the Wagon R manual...there is a host of oils they recommend. In their case they leave the actual selection up to the service adviser I suppose...

The Turbo has the heaviest oil....again these are just recommendations. As the car gets older and more mileage racks up they would advise heavier oil depending on the circumstances...

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A*W recommends 5w30 (6 months or 5000km) stating that's what Suzuki Motor Corp JP recommends for Sri Lankan conditions.

According to them, SL driving conditions usually falls in to "harsh or severe" catogery. (Dusty congested roads, creeping traffic, overloading)

I think this is rather fair considering that wagonR is a Kei car supposed to do "Kei car stuff", but here in SL it's expected to be a all-rounder.

But on the other hand third-party warranty providers/approved service stations recommend 0w20. They advice even not to opt for 5w20 which is odd cause 5w is the winter grade which we wouldn't need to worry about here in SL.

Edited April 5, 2019 by gdgy

kush · April 5, 2019

On 4/5/2019 at 8:18 AM, gdgy said:

A*W recommends 5w30 (6 months or 5000km) stating that's what Suzuki Motor Corp JP recommends for Sri Lankan conditions.

According to them, SL driving conditions usually falls in to "harsh or severe" catogery. (Dusty congested roads, creeping traffic, overloading)

I think this is rather fair considering that wagonR is a Kei car supposed to do "Kei car stuff", but here in SL it's expected to be a all-rounder.

But on the other hand third-party warranty providers/approved service stations recommend 0w20. They advice even not to opt for 5w20 which is odd cause 5w is the winter grade which we wouldn't need to worry about here in SL.

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Our Wagon R brought from A*W with their warranty, they change oil every 10,000 km. I believe they use synthetic 5W30

gdgy · April 6, 2019

On 4/5/2019 at 12:46 PM, kush said:

Our Wagon R brought from A*W with their warranty, they change oil every 10,000 km. I believe they use synthetic 5W30

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Yes it's a fully synthetic oil specially made for cars with start stop system (Castrol Magnatec 5w30). But I am not so sure on 10,000km limit.

First oil change is after 10,000km/12 months claiming it comes from the factory with high grade fully synthetic 0w16 oil, but then on they tell you to change it every 5,000km or 6 months.

Hyaenidae · April 6, 2019

On 4/6/2019 at 12:54 AM, gdgy said:

First oil change is after 10,000km/12 months claiming it comes from the factory with high grade fully synthetic 0w16 oil, but then on they tell you to change it every 5,000km or 6 months.

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1

Well, the general consensus is that if you're using fully synthetic oil, OCI should be 10,000kms/1 year.

OFC the agent would advise you to change oil every 5k kms or 6 months, double the profit for them after all. Guess they would threaten you with voiding your warranty if you do otherwise.

kush · April 6, 2019

On 4/6/2019 at 12:54 AM, gdgy said:

Yes it's a fully synthetic oil specially made for cars with start stop system (Castrol Magnatec 5w30). But I am not so sure on 10,000km limit.

First oil change is after 10,000km/12 months claiming it comes from the factory with high grade fully synthetic 0w16 oil, but then on they tell you to change it every 5,000km or 6 months.

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Just did the 15 k service with no oil change, however they request you to do a service every 5k no choice as I'm on warranty

Mercedes, Porsche change every 10k and 15k or one year

Kia 5k 6 months although book says 10k 1yr

gdgy · April 7, 2019

On 4/6/2019 at 4:58 PM, kush said:

Just did the 15 k service with no oil change, however they request you to do a service every 5k no choice as I'm on warranty

Mercedes, Porsche change every 10k and 15k or one year

Kia 5k 6 months although book says 10k 1yr

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Then I stand corrected. This is good news for agent bought WagonR owners.