Wagon-R LX (i.e. basic model, with AC, but without power-steering), is my second car. My first car being a Hyundai Santro XP (ZXi, but the DXi model, i.e. AC+power-steering etc.). The Santro was the third car in our family, first being a used Fiat, second being a used M800. Actually, I’d not have bought Wagon-R (or any car for quite a few years), had my dad’s M800 not got stolen. When it did, and we gave up hope, I was all set to buy a M800 deluxe model, as I am value-buyer. So I test-drove a M800, and one thing which I did test, was to take her for a spin with the AC on, and on a steep flyover. That was my short test. I can say that she just barely managed to keep going, and with a lot of strenous sound. So I immediately thought that this is not what I’d like to buy. Next option (though slightly over my budget) was Indica DLX. Test drove it, but believe me or not, I had to sit-and-exit 4 cars at the dealer before I got (the 5th one) which had everything working. Two had non-functional ACs, third had a problem with the brakes, fourth one had a problem with the transmission. Given that experience, the next thing I thought of was another Santro. This is when my parents stepped in, and said that why don’t I give Wagon-R a try. Must admit, I disliked it’s looked, was prejudiced against it. I was dead against it. I liked the peppy Santro, but I agreed to test-drive it. I went to one showroom (a different one, than the one where I tried M800). Took the baby for a spin, and was amazed. I was a little tight on budget, so I though that I’d give the Santro (just 1yr old by then) to dad, and keep the new car. So I was all set for a non-power-assisted steering. Strangly, I didn’t feel slightest bit of problem manuevring the car, and felt grand driving it. The car felt slightly heavier (obviously w/o the power-steering), but it gave a very +ve feel. While it was not as peppy as my Santro, but it was none-the-less quite powerful. Also it seemed to have a very refined engine pitch. Yeah, the cabin was absolutely soundly. Even now (after 2.5yrs of owning the Wagon-R), I still do double-ignition. The engine is absolutely inaudible. The bet thing I liked about it though was the leg-room. Believe me or not, I’ve driven some big-cars (Honda Civic, Accord, Nissan Xterra), and also some of the most cramped cars, and Wagon-R was a pleasant surprise. I’m 6ft tall, and for me, Wagon-R had ample legroom s.t. I could do a full-strech. Very useful in long-drives. The gear-shift seemed a little stiff at first, but after second service, it was smooth as silk. IMHO, Wagon-R is slightly more fuel-efficient than Santo. One thing which I don’t feel too good about Wagon-R is that it’s ground-clearance, which is slightly better than Zen, but not good enough for Indian roads. It should’ve been more, but within city, and on most highways it’s not a problem though. The engine seems to be quite tropicalized, and I’ve never (in the last 2.5yrs) faced a problem of overheating, or any cold-start problems. I’ve done around 20K kms on her, and always stict to the maintenence schedule. I’ve taken her on fairly long drives (non-stop). From Bangalore to Pondicherry (~330Kms each way), I’ve done in 6 hours, continuous peak speeds of 110Kms (though some bad patches had to be done at 40Kms too). This was fully-loaded conditions (4 adults, 1 baby, and 2 suitcases). I just remained careful to take the bends little easy -- afterall she’s pretty tall.
In a nutshell, I love my Wagon-R, and am glad that my parent persisted, and I made the purchase. If you are value concious yet would like a fairly functional car, which has decent build and good engine, go for it. If you are most into the ’’looks’’ thingy, Wagon-R may not be your thing, but then who knows... beauty is in the eye of the beholder! ;-)