I’ve had an Esteem LX since Jan 2001 and its done about 30, 000 km so far. No major post-purchase hassles except that the underside of the gear box cracked during the warranty period. The dealer replaced it but it may indicate a quality problem.
Looks: It’s not that the looks are bad by themselves - its just that the car has been around for so long. On the road, the similarly priced newer models from other vendors may make you feel dowdy.
Seats: Too low, and they have started sagging. Getting out is definitely a problem, particularly for older folk.
Performance: Easy to drive, reliable, no major mechanical problems. However, the car begins to vibrate above 100 kph. I had the wheels balanced but the problem remains. This is an irritant during highway driving.
Fuel efficiency: Is a disappointment. I get about 8.5 km per litre with the AC on in the city and about 15 km per litre on the highway. This in spite of tuning the engine and trying out a set of new jets at an authorized workshop. I did expect better efficiency.
AC: Definitely inferior to other cars in the same class.