Bought an Estilo LXi some 6-8 months back. Had to go for a Maruti make was sure.
Friends often complain about poorer after-sales-service/lesser-mileage figures of different competing brands.
Within my budget, had just 2-3 options: Wagon R, Alto K10, slightly higher priced A-Star & an Estilo.
Each one had a common engine, some newly introduced K10B engine; Even the technical specifications were almost same; Similar max-torque figures, peak-power etc.
Even the claimed mileage figures were similar; somewhere around 19kmpl for each one. Suspension/Body weight & dynamics do make some difference to the overall performance of the car but in this case even suspension & gear shift mechanisms were also similar.
Rejected Alto K10 for slightly lesser features & A-Star for cramped rear passenger seats & very little boot space.
Though 8 out of 10 people suggested to go for Wagon R, chose an Estilo LXi over WagonR just because no-one could convince that how could a bulkier body deliver better performance with exactly similar tech specs. It wasn’t an aerodymanic design either, which could’ve cut the opposing air; Even the inside of the car would take longer to cool, for it has larger cubic capacity. That it would fetch better resale value was not my criteria of buying a vehicle. I was buying a car for myself & not for someone who’d buy from me after 4-6 years. Had it been an earlier model of 1.1 L engine I might have chosen WagonR, for atleast there would have been some difference in terms of power.
Am here to share the experience gained; Might be of some help to first-time car buyers like me.
Coming to the review:
Total kms clocked till date: 6620.
Inside: Plastic quality needs improvisation. Overall finish is okay.
Engine Performance: At 90-95 speed on highway: Engine makes sound, slight shakiness observed.
Mileage figures(100% A.C., windows rolled up all the times, using tank to tank method): Never below 14kmpl & never above 15.6kmpl in Delhi traffic.
On highway: Have been just twice. Once 17.9 kmpl. Second time, immediately after 2nd service: 18.4kmpl.
Suspension: Is okay; Could be better.
Boot Space: More than sufficient; Extremely spacious.
Passenger space: Had it been slightly more, passengers could have sat in luxury.
Gear Shift: Extremely smooth.
Looks: Completely an individual choice. Among the four shorlisted models: second to A-Star. Among all cars: i20, polo, beat, ritz . . ., the list will continue & Estilo might come somewhere down the queue.
Overall, in my opinion: A lethal combo of style, space, performance & mileage in its segment among Maruti cars.