Aug 10, 2010 01:03 PM
15815 Views
Well let me start about my self. I am person who will spend two months of review when I plan to buy a 2000/= worth mobile. So when it comes to your Car which worth 4Lakhs at least 6-9 months of review underwent by me. All the pros and cons before owning a four wheeler. And I thank Mothshut Members as their review helped me a lot in finalizing the car I am going.
Segment: I was sure of Hatchback as Sedan in Bangalore is a Parking menace attached to it.
Brand: Considered After Sale service, No. of Dealers and their Location, Ease of Location for Servicing, Company’s reputation in general, product quality, reliability, maintenance and resale value and in all I felt Maruti outscores all other in the Market by a big Margin. Nearest rival was Hyundai but forgive me because I am bit biased towards Maruti.
Fuel: I was not interested in Diesel. So I was very particular that I will go for a Dual fuel which meant I have limited choice. But that doesn't mean that I didn't try non dual vehicles. I did a test drive of Tata, Hyundai and Maruti.
Specifications: To be honest I went and read all of them and did a compare study but after driving a Year now Only thing that matters is Gears, Clutch, Brake and Seating comforts. So summary is you should seriously compare Interior, Exterior, Safety and Comfort features only. All others like dimension, transmission, Weight Torque, HP or BP, Length/Width blah blah doesn't matter. I am not discouraging you to look at them. You should have a look and understanding of those technical descriptions.
Cost: I got the best I wanted in less than 5 Lakh with maximum thrust on Safety and Comfort. I have added all four power windows, Autocop and reverse horn, tinted glass. When you compare you get plus/minus in many features so you should the best judge what trade off you are going to do. For example Since DUO doesn't have VXi model you will not get E-ORVM, this feature cannot be externally added also.
POWER: Engine starts at the first try every morning. No startup problems till now. It is quite powerful, if not very powerful. Its 16 valve 1061cc engine delivers enough power that can carry 5 Adults at a very decent speed. I read about drag in LPG mode. Yes Agree there is a noticeable but not annoying reduction in power. When you are driving in the Banglore Traffic you don't need pickup of Ferrari right. Trust me it’s really good for traffic and highways in Petrol and LPG mode. I am used to it and its not annoying/irritating at all. I went to chennai on Wagon-r duo and enjoyed the entire trip at a Good speed and very decent pick up.
LOOKS: I found her quite decent in looks. Not many agree, especially female folks who hate tall boy design. Interior is very upholstery used is quite decent and smoothing to eyes. Materials are of good quality not cheap look and feel. The instrument cluster is "readable" and not at all confusing. Lot of pockets, hooks and holders and storage places to keep magazines, bottles and personal stuff.
In Exterior the orange-back headlamps, new Tail lamp Design, Roof rails that and a high mounted tail lamp add a beauty to it. All these make the WagonR look much attractive than its older version.
Safety: I touch speed of 100+ kmph (in HIGHWAYS) without many efforts even when running on LPG mode. An efficient Power steering is one of the best features which make it easy to maneuver in Zig Zag, Steep/Inclined roads. Many a time I have handled the steering with just my palm of one hand. The suspension gives a perfect balance at any speed. The headlights are also very powerful offering clear sight for a pretty long distance, which makes driving at night a bit more comfortable. Central door locking system wipes off the possibility of any door being left open(provided the windows also are closed) Dashboard does NOT make a rattling sound while driving over bad roads. Brakes are really good. Shock absorbers could have been better.
FUEL OPTION: You have 3 diff modes.
LPG
Petrol
Auto (Don't confuse yourself Auto is only at the starting when It automatically first picks Petrol and after sometime LPG. If while driving LPG is over then you can switch with just push of a button. Please don't expect it to switch automatically to petrol.) The dual fuel option helps me drive it on LPG and with reserve petrol I don’t have to worry about fuel getting over. For last one year I have driven it 90% times on LPG and quite happy because of the Economy factor. LPG costs 33.91/= and gives 13KM/l where as Petrol which roughly 70% costly gives you 15KM/l. That make driving in LPG more economical than Petrol. The LPG fitment in the WagonR Duo is certified by the Department of Explosives (DOE) and is covered by a complete vehicle warranty. Tanks for LPG (22.5 liters ask the service team to suck out excess air from it during first service and Petrol (35litres
Space: Its really spacious for a Small family of four. Stepheny occupies the boot space but it still large enough room for luggage. Yaar its sufficient. I heard people cribbing about stepheny eating up the space. Come on I am not going to use it as mover/packers trolley. It can accommodate two large suitcase, three Bags, a 5 liter water bottle what else you want.
A/c: It is quite powerful and decent cooling with minutes at least for the Front seats.
Dealer: I got it from Kalyani and very happy with the dealers. They are decent, courteous and friendly people who hear out to you.
After Sales Service: Really no doubt on Maruti. I sent a letter of appreciation to Maruti HQ two months after purchase and in that letter just mentioned some area of improvement on reverse Gear being rigid. Trust me I got a letter from HQ asking me to take to service station and a call from Kalyani immediately to see if they can see something they do for it.
Before buying I read Mouthshut, Team Bhp and spoke to friends who have the vehicles. Got review for Hyundai, Tata's and Maruti. Had a good discussion with friends. Finally zeroed in on Maruti and Hyundai. Santro provided a Look which was my wife favorite and she was dead against Wagon-r duo's look. Well since wife is the final boss I had to convince myself between Wagon R and Santro. I had to decide and after lot of discussion with friends and reviews I went for Wagon-R Duo (Tough time convincing my better half)
After One Year of Driving:
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I am happy that I went with Wagon R DUO. Its really economically and doesn't pinch my pocket. Now my wife also doesn't crib
about tall boy design. I got more than I paid for. I am happy with my choice. Its a value for money and I thank members of this forum who helped in choosing such a beauty.
Cons of Wagon R DUO:
Reverse Gear shifts not that smooth. Gear 1-5 if fine and is as expected..
The LPG tank reduces the boot space.
Power windows had to be fitted separately.
No Vxi version in DUO so you mis E-ORVM.
MIL goes on and off at random. Problem with DUO as cltuch is sensitive.
All in all, it’s a perfect family car. I hope this review helps you in making a good choice.
Wish you all the best. Thanks.
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