When I finally decided to go in for a new car, I had to weigh some options, namely whether to opt for a petrol or diesel version. Petrol seemed the sensible one since the difference between both did not amout to much, and also in petrol version you could have the option to convert it into gas which would be cheaper than diesel. I have so far not gone in for gas conversion on my Baleno since there are not many gas-dispensing stations around.
I owned a Maruti Esteem, so by choice I wanted to upgrade to a bigger one. I had 3 options, Baleno, Ford Fiesta and Honda City. I tried out all three. Honda and Ford had no discounts and schemes and the dealer attitude was nonchalant. Moreover price was also higher.
I decided on the Baleno Lxi instead of the Vxi version because I felt there was no need to pay an additional Rs 75, 000 for the features in Vxi when you could install the same in Lxi for a much lesser amount (except the height adjustment of the driver’s seat and the rear demister which are really of not much use.)
The dealer offered me I year free insurance( Rs 20, 000) and accessories worth Rs 25, 000 for which I had a Sony set installed and alloy wheels. Baleno Lxi comes with a 13 inch tyre which is too small for a car of this size. So I upgraded it to 14 inch tubeless tyre. So now my baleno has a sony set , alloy wheels and 14 inch tyres which are the additioanl features in a Vxi, and that too at a much reduced cost.
The car gives you a power feeling, and a smooth ride. The AC is powerful. The remote-controlled side mirrors are really a great and handy feature of this car. Mileage would be 10Kmph in city and 15 or more kmph on highways.
Another great advantage of going in for a Maruti car is the dealer network and connectivity. Recently on a trip to Salem from Trivandrum , my baleno was hit from behind badly and I thought that it was the end of the journey. I called up the nearest Maruti worshop and their Breakdown service arrived in a jiffy. Advised me to remove the bumper and continue the journey which they did. My dissapointment turned into joy for the fact that I could continue with the journey, albeit without a bumper. With any other car, you could not access such a wide network of workshops. It is always better to buy the car from the most reputed dealer in your state which has lots of workshops spread all over.
The arm-rest in the back seat is a really a very good feature for those travelling with a driver. The boot has ample space.
Among the cons of the Baleno Lxi I would cite the not too powerful headlights(this can be overcome by fitting powerful ones), the lack of a inside light in the front (you have to reach behind to put the lights on). The absence of the availability of fog lamps is another factor, the original ones cost Rs 10, 000.
All said and done I am happy that I decided to buy this vehicle and nobody so far has faulted me on my choice which is really encouraging.