What a Maruti 800 is
Maruti 800 is a well engineered car. It is a good package for the price and worthy enough to be kept. It is reliable and simple. More suitable for daily commuting and short inter-city travels. Wherever you go you can easily find an authorized service centre (their TV commercial is no
exaggeration).
What a Maruti 800 is Not
It is not a luxuary car. For you, if a car is more of a status symbol than just a means of transportation this car is not for you. If you do a lot of highway travel look for a safer and faster car. You cannot expect a lot of performance from its engine; it has good initial torque (good for city commuting) though.
You will enjoy Maruti 800 If ...
It is your first car, you just want an upgrade from your current two-wheeler for family commuting, the maximum amount you can spend for a car is in the region of Rs. 200000, you want a car just for city commuting, you want a second car for your spouse/children.
Used One or Brand New
If you are planing to own this can as an interim arrangement, go for a used one. You will save a lot of money otherwise you would end up losing as depreciation. There are good cars on sale with used car dealers. Also look for ``True Value’’ service from authorized dealers. But, if you are planning to keep it for a long time, say 5 years or more, go for a brand new.
If you are looking for a used one ``True Value’’ outlets would be the most reliable option. They perform Maruti-recommended checkups and do required servicing. There are a lot of information available on the Web regarding the points to look for while selecting a used car.
My experience is that, if you drive a used car around 700 km per month, on an average you will be spending Rs. 500 per month for maintenance!
Feel
If this is your first car, you won’t find any shorfall with its design and mechanicals. New model comes with a fuel injected engine (as opposed to carburated ones). So they have better fuel mileage and accelerator response. You will find handy switch gears and utility
arrangements. Overall ergonomics is good.
If you have experience with any new generation car you you will realise that this is a ’’cheap’’ quality car to ride. You will soon find that the ride is bumpy and controls are a bit stiff. And because of mere basic suspension, cornering will be bad experience. You may also be annoyed by the plastics trims extensively used with interiors.
Conclusion
There is something called Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). For a car this means the total money you will be spending in a period of time. This is not just the fuel and service bills. But it also includes amounts like insurance, road tax, etc.. I think, Maruti 800 is still the cheapest car to own. And it is worth the money one hundred percent.