BEST CHOICE FOR YOUR FIRST CAR!. Review on Maruti Suzuki Alto LX

In my previous Mouthshut review on the Bajaj Pulsar more than 3 years back I'd made a cocky remark that the Pulsar would be my last two-wheeler as the next vehicle I buy would hopefully be a car. Well, seems like that turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophesy because here I am, giving you a low-down on my new Maruti Alto LX. I am no expert on automobiles and I know most of us are not; hence I won't try to make you feel stupid by spewing automobile jargon. Instead, I'll give you my end-user impressions of this car.

All right, first of all here are the facts about my Maruti: Purchased in May 06, driven about 4000 km, 70% in city, 30% on highways, first free service completed.

So here we go...

Looks and Interiors:

As far as exteriors are concerned, the Alto is way above the M800 which is nothing more than a box on 4 wheels. The Alto is more voluptuous and suggests a little more class. I don't much fancy the angular grill on the LX but the subdued headlamps are in keeping with the car’s demeanour. The interiors of the LX are functional but not great. The speedometer is large and easy to read. But the odometer and tripmeter are on the same digital LCD so you have to switch between them using a button and there is no tachometer, which are both major disappointments. And there's enough plastic all around you to make a Greenpeace activist see red. There's sufficient space in the dashboard cabinet for storing bare essentials. But the boot is surprisingly spacious and can accommodate enough luggage to last a young couple a week-long holiday.

Mileage:

Now I've heard all sorts of mileage figures for the Alto LX in different forums and to be honest, even after driving my car for over 5 months, I cannot declare one precise number. A lot depends on the driving habits and conditions I guess. Here are the figures (in kmpl) I got for my car over a period of 5 months using the proven full-tank-to-full-tank method: Highway: 19.27, 19.19; City: 17.27, 16.50, 14.60.

While I drive at around 60-70 kmph on highways in 5th gear with the AC mostly off, the traffic and road conditions inside Pune city force me to drive sub-optimally most of the time. Anyways, you go solve the mileage mystery from the data I have presented. I wouldn't dare quote a figure myself.

Power:

My blunt advice in this matter is this: If you don’t wish to feel like you are driving a 4-wheeled autorickshaw, kindly don't touch the AC. That's right, the moment you switch the AC on, the LX gets a kick in the pants. The drop in acceleration is painful and embarrassing. With the AC off, the Alto gives a decent enough punch on level roads when you floor the accelerator but it again struggles when you're driving up a gradual but long upward slope. All in all, the Alto is not a performance vehicle.

Comfort:

The Alto may not be the most comfortable car to drive given that it's a small cramped car to begin with but I still find myself in reasonable good shape after 4-5 hours of non-stop driving. You need to get the seat adjustments and driving posture right and make sure there's good music playing on the MP3. The AC in the Alto is designed to turn the occupants of the tiny cabin into frozen meat within 5 minutes which is a shame because it does so at the cost of the driving power that this car so desperately needs. Maruti got this AC thing pretty much skewed in the Alto I must say. The suspension is a bit stiff which, experts tell me, is the norm in most small cars, so you end up feeling almost every pothole and pebble that you drive over. In brief, while the Alto is definitely roomier than the M800, don't expect living room comfort behind the wheel.

Reliability:

This is where the solid Maruti reputation steps in. Like all other Maruti cars, you can rest assured the Alto too has peace-of-mind built into it. Mine has covered long distances on indifferent roads and in bad weather without protest. Well, it’s a new car, but when you drive even a new car for over 30km on a road that seems to have suffered the depredations of an artillery column, and it still makes it home in one piece (which is what happened during my last big trip), you've got to show some appreciation. No wonder Marutis have such good resale value in the second-hand market.

Safety:

For all its underdog looks, the Alto is a pretty safe vehicle to drive. More than seat-belts and crumple zones, the Alto, due to its puny size and responsive MPFI petrol engine, is a very street-smart and quick-witted car. For sure it wouldn't stand a chance in a head-on collision with a Scorpio but it knows how to stay out of the way of an oncoming Scorpio and that's what makes the difference between comedy and tragedy, doesn’t it? I've driven mine around tight corners, squeezed it into tiny gaps between larger vehicles and escaped collisions with buses all because my LX almost telepathically reads my wishes and carries them out without fuss. That's the beauty of small light cars. They are actually safer than big bulky ones because they are better at avoiding accidents than bigger vehicles with massive momentums and other forces working on them. Most accidents anyways are caused by over-confidence on the part of the driver rather than factors beyond his control. And hence, the inherent insecurity felt by a small-car driver actually makes him a safer driver. Believe me you.

In the previous paragraph, I've given some idea of how the LX handles and can only underline the absolute ease and fluidity in driving the Alto LX. You simply don't need the electronic power steering except when you are parking in limited space alongside other vehicles, which is why the EPS-equipped LXi - costlier than the LX by 20 grand, it’s a misfit in this segment - doesn't sell that much anyway. Driving on Pune's pock-marked roads is incredibly challenging but the nimble Alto side-steps most of the potholes surprisingly well. However, the gear box does have this habit of getting a little grumpy in stop-and-go city traffic in the sense that the gears don't seem to shift very smoothly when you shift them too frequently. On the highways, they're fine.

So what's my final word on the Maruti Alto LX?

Considering all the pros and cons, it's still the best entry level car. If you are a first-time car buyer and are looking for a respectable, functional and inexpensive model, I'd say this: While there’ll certainly be bigger better cars in life later on but for now – LET'S GO...FOR THE ALTO LX!