I have purchased Maruti Suzuki A-Star VXI in July 2009 & the car has crossed more than 25000 kms till now . I’d like to share my experience with the car at this platform as my decision to buy this car was influenced by this very site. I wanted to buy a small hatchback keeping in mind the Mumbai traffic . Also the car should be fuel efficient, aesthetically superior & will demand least maintainence in the longer run. I compared Hyundai i-10, Maruti WagonR & finally Maruti A-Star which I bought.
Maruti A-Star satisfies almost all the above criteria , that helped my decision . After driving in different challenging conditions & multiple road patterns , I can safely say the car is one of the best bets in the requisite price range. My experience with A-star is mostly pleasant & I have not faced any major issues till now . Here are a few benefits which I came to know while my driving stint :
Great pick-up in traffic
Great control on bends/slopes
No visible power loss even on highway despite being a 3 cylinder engine
No vibration even at 130+ kmph
Good performance even on rugged tracks.
Great looks(people will comment)
Fuel Consumption(with AC) 13-14 Km/Lin Mumbai traffic.18-19Km/L on highway
Driving Comfort . Actually driver leg space is best in the class compromising rear leg room.
Some issues that may come :
On a long drive don’t carry more than 2 suitcases ( small ones). Hope that your family is not a joint family. Calliper pin greasing issues can come after 10000 km. Some people may have issues with visibility in front of the bonnet.
My overall assessment would be : Go for this car if your budget is approx 4 lakhs as this will provide you with most of the benefits that you can get in this level hatchback. But if you want a big car with lots of leg space for rear passengers. A-star is not the best choice. On all other parameters, this A-star will "stop at nothing".