Alto LXI - Just Go for it. Review on Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 LXi

Friends, 70% of the people who think of a car like Alto belong to the middle class.(There are a fortunate few for whom Alto is a second car). People from this class think a few thousand times before going for a car. Alto is all they can afford due to the fact that they have little savings or have other financial committments. A wrong choice can put such people through a lot a Trauma.

To all such people(I'm one of them), - YOU CANNOT GO WRONG IF YOU BUY AN ALTO LXI.

Maruti has kept it pretty simple - A small peppy engine which scores high on reliability and fuel economy. A power steering which makes life very very simple. An a/c which is efficient if operated correctly. Cute looks. Basic interiors. Decent space for 4 people.

You will find people complaining about space and lack of power with a/c on. Yes thats true. The pick up is not good when you switch on the a/c, especially if you have 4 or more people in the car. But you have to learn to live with it and learn how to drive.

The space is good enough for 4 people. We have to learn that small cars are meant for 4 people only. Why Alto? Even bigger and more expensive cars do not have enough space with 5 people seated.

Those who want power and space should go in for a Logan or a Ford Ikon or a Swift. There's no point in complaining about the space and power later.

It is not a defect. It is by design.

Now my own experience.

I drove a Maruti 800 for about 9 months and 9000 kms. Then I upgraded to an Alto. I have driven the Alto for 9300 kms and 10 months now. The experience has been really good. The car is deifinitely more powerful than Maruti 800. The build is stronger and most importantly, the brakes are really very good.

Since I have used the 800 for some time, I can definitely feel and experience these things and believe me, good braking at high speeds gives you confidence.

In the city it gives me an average of 14-17 kmpl and on highways, it is 20-21 kmpl if driven sensibly, without an a/c. This is with about of 3 passengers. The car is reliable and can be driven on highways whenever required.though it is not a highway car. It can touch 120 kmph with 5 passengers. I once tested the car on the Mumbai Goa highway. I drove for about 175 kms. Vashi to Diveagar(near Shrivardhan). The road was a combination of highways, ghats, good and bad roads. Alto passed the test with flying colours.

The ride is a little bumpy for passengers in the rear, especially on bad roads.

The suspension is average, so is the ride quality. Interiors are basic. The power steering though is a delight.

Driving in the 5th gear is also a good experience as the car can reach 110 kmph without much fuss.(ac off)

The car is very easy to drive in city traffic.

The ac is nice and powerful. Keep your windows open for 1-2 minutes after you switch on your ac, especially if the car is not parked under shade.

I have been told the the electronic power steering does not require routine maintainance as against the oil changes required in hydraulic power steering. The cost per km is about Rs. 4 in the city and Rs. 3.60 on highways

The car gets smoother after 1000 kms and becomes really smooth after 4-5 thousand kms.

Spares are cheap and service centers can be found almost in every part of the country.

My advice is .go for a car which is one degree below what you can afford. This will ensure that you have enough money to pay for fuel. I could afford a Wagon R but decided to restrict myself to an Alto. Now even with the increase in petrol prices, I do not have to worry about my EMIs.

So my dear friends, Alto is definitely a car that you will love. You can never go wrong with an Alto if you have the right expectations. Aankh band karke bharosa kar lo.Just go for it!

Update After my Konkan trip

Friends,

In August 2008, we travelled to Konkan. The route we took was Mumbai - Pune - Patan - Koynanagar - Chiplun-Guhagar - Velneshwar - Ganapatipule - Mahabaleshwar - Pune - Mumbai.

The reason I took a longer route to Konkan was: NH17 was in a bad shape, especially from Pen to Mahad after the floods in Konkan. On Day, 1 I travelled from Mumbai to Guhagar via Pune-Patan. It was a distance of 420 kms and we covered it in 11 hours with leisurely breaks in between.

My cute little Alto did not let me down.no overheating, nor any other problems. 420 kms is too much of a distance for a small car. I had a total of 5 people, all adults in the car. The rear passengers were in some discomfort as was expected in a long trip in a small car.

But we managed.with 6 bags in our car.

Now post Diwali 2008, the car has travelled almost 12500 kms, and continues to be trouble free and reliable.

Update after using Alto for 17 months(March 2009)

The car continues to impress with its simplicity and reliability.

You can get a decent pickup even in the 3rd Gear at a very low speed. Recently I travelled to Mahabaleshwar. Again, stable and simple! No hiccups.