After owning a Maruti 800 for 5 years, I bought an Alto LX. I still dont think Power Steering is necessary for such small cars even though people may think I am outdated or so. So I saved about 30000 on that aspect. Since it is three years since, I think I can do some genuine review.
It has a nice engine. The time tested 800 engine with mpfi and 4 valves per cylinder which gives it an instant pickup(minus AC). It is very fuel efficient. For long journeys I get 20+ and the average was never less than 16. Also there is a sports car like roar if you rev hard. The ride quality is good. I have driven 300 kms a day without any fatigue. Nice cornering skills which lets you take turns with confidence unlike a Wagonr. It is not affected by crosswinds. For the 40000+km I have driven only serious repair came in the form of radiator fan going bust which cost me Rs.3000+ repair bill. It has its share of cons.
With AC the car would feel like u are driving a loaded truck or like you havent disengaged the hand brake. It is pretty obvious while accelerating from a traffic junction. But soon you get used to switching AC off and on. I would suggest an AC switch on the steering wheel to aid such task. Overall visibility is low and is very obvious when turning and negotiating bends and potholes. Suddenly you feel the thick A pillar blocking your view and start to strain your neck. Also the sideview mirrors take a very good toll of your sight too. then there is the seating position. It still is a pain to settle down on the driver seat. The rear is also congested and yes, m800 was better in this aspect. It is also noisy when compared to Santro, with sounds emanating from the window to the dashboard.
Overall it is a good package and it is not fair to expect a mountain for the price of a molehill.