Read enough of reviews, did a lot of research and took a lot of test drives before deciding on the Ritz. I test drove the wagonR, i10, getz, and the swift, and finally decided on the Ritz for its comfort, space, fresh new looks, price and of course maruti brand name and service backup.
Some people may not like the looks, but it is really nice. the front is really huge, gives a big car feel and the back is lil like the new Honda-CRV.( try and notice it)
Swift is anyday better ride quality(of course Ritz is not bad), but Ritz wins out and out on milage, space and comfort.
I bought the Ritz LXi petrol on July 1st, and have done 5000kms already. Almost 50-50 of city and highway. Delivery was lil before than normal waiting period, Sai service was quite good to deal with. No complaints from the dealer or the car yet.
Sitting inside the car with the family and you don’t feel claustrophobic at all.
There is enough of legroom even for the back seat. The headroom is amazing. The big dashboard makes you feel like a Honda civic.
The gear box is like butter. Only, one may need a lil while getting used to the reverse gear. The gear shift is perfectly placed.
AC cooling is pretty good. I hardly turn the blower more than 1 in city traffic.(I have 3M sun film on my windows).
Body roll is quite evident on low speed turns, not as much on higher speeds.
The machine responds accurately to every push of the pedal and the electronic power steering is just precise.
The immobilizer is the perfect device for your peace of mind. You may park it anywhere, and no one can start your car and drive it.(Of course anyone can break the glasses or tow the car.)
The luggage space is a bit less, but won’t actually matter much.
While picking up the car, just remember a Teflon coat or music system may not be as important as an 3 years extended warranty. It really covers a lot of parts for a total of 5 years( the manufacturer provides 2 years warranty anyways).
I also got the fixed type artificial-leather seat covers done, so that the original seats remain intact for years.
Now the mileage, Oh… amazing. It actually improves as you drive. In the first 1000kms, I got around 12.8km/l in city with AC. And highway 15.4 km/l with AC.( I always drive with AC… zero fatigue). Now recently my trip to Goa, I took the NH4 till Nipani and then the Ajra- Amboli road. Did the entire trip with 2 halts. The mileage was 18.3km/l with AC. And my city mileage is 13.9km/l with AC. I calculated with the full tank to full tank formula.
Power and pickup is amazing, though not tried it’s full capabilities, still I got enough whenever I needed.
For best mileage and control, I drive at 80-90 kmph on highways. I have done a max speed of upto 115 kmph, cud have done more, as the car is really capable of much more, but driving in limits is the best option for everyone’s safety.
For this price, I wouldn’t have got a better car in this segment.