It has been 4+ years since I posted my feedback on Skoda Fabia. After a disastrous experience with Skoda Fabia(on obscene maintenance costs).
I sold it off within 2 years of purchase and got Zen Estilo. After 4 years and 70, 000+ KMs. I can say I am delighted with my choice. After about 40, 000 KMs, I had to replace my clutch(at that time, I had a driver).
Clutch replacement cost me about 6, 000/-. Barring this, my maintenance expenses have been very reasonable. Overall I would have spent about 30-35, 000 Rs on maintenance so far. This translates into about 45-50 Paise per kilometer.
My vehicle still runs like a new vehicle - no funny noises, no rattling. Needless to say that Maruti invested heavily in ensuring customers are happy with every service. I certainly will recommend Zen Estillo to all consumers who need value for money.
I am generalizing based on my experience - Japanese car makers have specialized Value Engineering, while their European counter parts focused on Image Engineering. Considering the condition the vehicle is in, I am sure I can run it comfortably for another 70-80 K kilometers.
My kids are eager to learn car driving. I have already recovered all the money I invested, going to keep the vehicle for few more years.
Considering the good experience I had with Zen, I certainly would have preferred to opt for Ertiga as my next vehicle.
However, considering my upcoming trips off the roads, I will be purchasing a Mahindra vehicle(again for value engineering).
I believe Mahindra vehicles have improved a lot since my Bolero(2003-2008). I will keep you updated.