This is my first car, and I am driving for the first time. I got my Beige Lxi model delivered on April 4 2007. Maruti didn’t give any accessories and I had to buy the bare min. like reverse horn, engine light, rubber mats, dicky mat, mud flap etc. I had also done teflon and antirust coating, all from SK Wheels.
I like the look of the model very much. However, compared to other small cars like Santro, WagonR and Maruti 800 (I have driven them all, albeit for short durations, except the 800), the few points I miss are as below.
In Maruti 800 there is a footrest kind of thing beside the acclerator, which is basically the arch of the front wheel. Its very useful for keeping the foot at rest, and is lacking in all the car models I have tried.
The gear shift is a problem in both WagonR and Estilo. 1st, 2nd and 3rd are ok, but 4th, 5th are stiff, and Reverse is somewhat problematic. This may be generic to all Maruti cars. Comapred to it, Santro has a smooth gear shift.
I miss the hook present in WagonR for keeping things suspended.
The co-passengers sit is a bit flared up, so for a hefty co-passenger, the drivers hand may bruise the co-passenger during 1st or 2nd gear shift. This is not a problem in wagonR.
The adjustable driver’s seat has a max. limit to bring towards the front, and my wife finds the gap between the streeing and the seat a little wide for her.
The door opening handle from inside seems to be a bit filmsy compared to WagonR or Santro. Its more like Maruti 800.
The colours are a bit wild, and there seems to be lack of good colours. However that may be because its targeted at young adults.
I have driven the car only for some 100 km, so I am not in a position to talk about the mileage. However, the car is smooth riding, the power streeing is good, and overall the space inside is enough for a small famliy like ours. I will recomend it to any friend of mine.