Wagon R - Multi Utility Vehicle

 

Well, lot of Wagon-R customer have already provided a lot of pros & cons of the car. Still i am tempted to write about my own experience as i would like to see more of Wagon-R's on the road. I would like to see everyone owing 'Value for Money' vehicle. After lot of research for a year i suggested my father to purchase new Wagon-R instead of going for second hand vehicle. Model - Dec 2005. It has clocked 20,500 km on odometer till date. Trust me guys if use it carefully and if maintained well, you will never face trouble with Wagon-R. Practical & Good vehicle for small & middle-class families.

 

Pros:

 

1) Space : Spacious for 4 people, extremely practical seating which can be used as reclining seats - creating bed for two to sleep. Its boot space is also more spacious than any other cars costing upto 5 Lacs. Good legroom for front & rear seats. There is also lot of utility space inside the vehicle for example: space in dashboard, on all doors, between the two front seats etc. You can also check and confirm.

 

2) Ecomomical : My Wagon-R's city mileage is 14 kmpl without a/c. Around 12.5 kmpl with a/c. Mileage on highway 19 kmpl without a/c. 16-17 kmpl with a/c. To achieve such mileage the Wagon-R should be driven only between 55-70 kmph

 

3) Maintenance Free: Apart from normal servicing twice a year which might cost you around 2000 rupees or even more depending upon the kilometer it has run or as per periodic maintenance schedule. The spare parts are really cheap. You must always get your vehicle serviced only at authorised dealers as they are well equipped with proper expertise & equipments to service your car.   

 

4) Practical: To tacke the urban areas traffic & parking problems & practical living it is always better to have small car. For family of four - five members; Wagon-R is the best option. Boot space is good enough to hold lot of luggage. Rear seats are independtly foldable, making space for more luggage - sadly this option is not available with new Wagon-R. Maruti Suzuki should have continued with 4 - seat option because the new 5 seating option has not made much difference for comfortable rear seating. In long-term the Tall boy design will help our grandparents and parents to move in and out of the vehicle very easily without bending their backbone much.  

 

5) Value for Money: Overall it is very good and practical vehicle and Wagon-R is not just urban car; you can also go for family holiday in this vehicle. Go for Wagon-R, you will never repend your decision. I feel Premier's RIO interior rear seating is inspired by Wagon-R. From my point of view the advantage of having only front doors power windows is very good safety idea. The reason: if your Wagon-R is caught in water deluge which happened in Mumbai earlier in July-2006 and if your vehicle door is stuck due to water pressure. You will also not be able to operate your power windows without power from vehicle battery (which might not operate if vehicle is under water). In such case the rear doors manual opening of windows should certainly work and you would be able to get out of vehicle within minutes.

 

Cons:

 

Body Shape: The width of the vehicle should have been more to accomodate 3 person comfortably in the rear seat.

 

Tyres: Maruti Suzuki should provide tubeless tyres. As from article which i have read somewhere. The tubeless tyres weigh less than the normal tube tyres. Good for mileage. From safety point of view i think the tubeless tyres would not burst at high speeds. They have better grip on the road. You also do not have to worry about tyre puncture as they can be driven atleast till you find a puncturewala (unless you are stuck in jungle). So always carry a spare tyre incase you don't have one. 

 

For music lovers, there is space which you can use below the quater glass i.e behind the rear seat to fit the speakers by cutting the plastic sheet and fit the speakers or else you can also go for box speakers there is good space in the rear. I am certainly not in favour of having a parcel tray fitment in the rear just for speakers.

 

Some Safety tips: Always drive as per instruction provided in manual book. Driving any new vehicle above 60 kmph within first 1500 km should be avoided. This will keep the engine smooth and enhance its life. This would certainly help your vehicle to be more economical & maintenance free. On highways and ghats especially for any turning always drive at less than 50 kmph. This will reduce body rollover in extreme turning points. Rest you will learn from my above article. Happy & Safe Driving 

 

Economical, Practical & Value for MoneyDesign