[moto_rrevver]

Introduction

Hello BHPians, before knowing my car and how I ended up buying it, I would like to give a brief introduction about me as this is my first post on TeamBHP. Please forgive me if my post does not live up to the standards of this community and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

1st Trip with her



I am a 90s kid from a small town Ghatshila in Jharkhand and passion of automobile and music is a gift for me from my dad. I am an Engineer started my career during the pandemic in 2020 and guess what is the first thing that comes in the mind of a petrol head as soon as he starts earning.

I went to Bangalore for my job and after 4 months our office got shut down because more than 50% of the employees were COVID positive fortunately I was not in that 50%. Returned home started working from home, started saving money for my first bike and it was July 2021 when I had to report back to Bangalore or Pune office. I choose Pune as most of my family and friends are in Maharashtra.

Search for a capable touring bike

As per my needs I started looking for a capable touring bike as I travel a lot and mostly with pillion, so a good pillion seat and comfortable riding posture was mandatory for me. As most of you have assumed, Dominar 400 was my first choice, it is hell of a machine, but my budget was not allowing for it, so I skipped it and started looking into other options.

Option 1 Dominar 250 -
This thing was closest to the mighty D400 but it lacked aluminum swing arm, was less on power and torque, and had less chunky front USD forks. It was costing me around 1.9 Lakh on road which was fine by me as I have capped my budget at 2 Lakhs.

Option 2 Suzuki Gixxer 250 -
Loved the engine, the refinement was way better than few of the Yamahas, it was a complete package. Got to know why everyone bets on Japanese engines, unfortunately had to reject it due to not so comfortable pillion seat. It was costing me around 2.1 Lakh on road.

Option 3 Yamaha MT-15 -
It was rejected before even getting the test drive, due to almost non-existing pillion seat, still I went for the test ride as this was the bike my heart wanted, and I know I would have bought it if I had to ride alone. Fuel economy of 50kmpl, R15's engine with upright riding posture and street naked body, nothing else was needed to please me. It was costing me around 2.0 Lakh on road.

Option 4 Java 42 -
It checked all my box only con for me was low ground clearance which was manageable. The only reason to reject this was the price tag as it was costing around 2.4 Lakh for the variant I selected after test ride. And for that price any day I'll pick the D400 after adding few more thousands.

Conclusion-
After riding all the contenders, went for the Dominar 250, booked the bike in mid August 2021 and they promised the delivery after almost 2 months in October as they told there is semi-conductor shortage and I checked with other dealers too no luck anywhere.

So a long wait and excitement started every day was feeling like a month now. Finally the time came, I did not sleep the night before the delivery, thinking about how my first ride will be and what other places I want to explore on my new machine. Called the dealership 1st thing in the morning and it was heart breaking to know that it will take 2 more months .

After waiting for 2 more months, it was October 2021 and again the same thing production slow due to semiconductor shortage. After waiting for almost 4 months now I was frustrated. Started looking for other options. Duke 200 was never in my list but knowing it was a very capable and frugal bike with upright seating posture and good pillion seat with the new generation Duke I went for the test ride, 1 thing to note I visited Java, Bajaj, Yamaha, Suzuki and KTM showrooms, the pre-sales experience of KTM and Jawa was the best they treated me like a customer who is out to buy a 2+ lakh bike should be treated. Loved the Duke, it had all the bells and whistles and lacked only slipper clutch which I think should be included in this segment. Came back home told my mom and my girlfriend (present wife) about the Duke and it was a big NO as soon as I said the words KTM Duke. My mom termed it as killing machine and my girlfriend was not comfortable in being a pillion of a chhapri bike according to her.

How the idea of pre-owned car came into play

1 fine day I was discussing all this with a friend and he suggested I should look into the pre-owned car market as during pandemic the costs were significantly low for pre-owned cars as automobile market was buried into the ground.

Obviously, I loved cars since childhood and my family never owned a car so I was not very confident about the idea as there can be several issues in the car which can cost even more than the value of the car itself to do the repair jobs, though I was a good driver, had did multiple long drives on friend's cars and self-drive rental cars but I know owning an old car can be a pain if anything goes wrong. Still, I choose to give it a try.

Pre-owned car hunt began

Must have -

1. CNG friendly engine, as it was a replacement for bike so it should be economical. I don't wanted to buy retro fitted CNG cars, either I wanted factory fitted CNG or I wanted to do the fitment from a trusted dealer myself.
2. For parts availability issues, I avoided discontinued brands in India.
3. No rusting issues at all.
4. No engine or gear box failure history.
5. It should be under 1.5 lakh as I was saving 50k as repairing budget.

Conclusion -

Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai (The most un-safest brands in India). It was a replacement for a bike and taking it under consideration, any car is safer than a bike.

Started searching the online platforms like OLX autos, Spinny, Car dekho, Truebill etc.

I was not looking for something specific in the car because I know under 2 lakh rupees you can't expect much and you don't have a lot of choices, I just needed a car with no rusting issues, a well-maintained engine and gear box and as it will be an old car so the availability of spare parts should be good.

Test drive 1 - 2010 Swift vxi
Good car peppy engine no major issues as such but many small issues. Very poorly maintained interior, over 1,00,000 on ODO, Broken engine mounts, noise from suspension.
Cost 2 lakh non-negotiable.

Test drive 2 - Santro xing GLS 2011
Again a good option well maintained interior, 85,000 on ODO, good owner who loved his car (very important point), minor scratches and dents here and there (manageable).

Test drive 3 - My SX4 vxi 2008 petrol
Went to a local dealer in Wakad, Pune he had lot of options but after looking the sx4 something clicked in my mind. Original paint, No rusting issues, powerful 102 BHP 1.6 liter reliable petrol engine, only 76,000 on ODO, superbly well-maintained interior (better than Santro and Swift), I will get decent boot space after installing CNG, better built than both Swift and Santro, all 4 power window, rear defogger, wider tyres 195/65 R15 for better road grip, not so silent cabin but quieter than Santro and swift, no noise from suspension, electrically controlled ORVM's and everything in working condition.

Costing only 1.5 Lakh with paper transfer.

Took the delivery

Took a test drive, went back home, searched for a mechanic on google with good ratings, took him to the dealer, got the car checked. After thorough inspection below were the points highlighted by the mechanic.

1. Tyres were 7 years old and dry rot needed to be replaced immediately.
2. 1 engine mount was broken.
3. Coolant hoses were dry rot needed replacement soon.
4. Suspension job was coming soon.
5. Weak AC, needed cooling coil cleaning and gas charging.

Rest everything was fine he assured me, and he assured that the ODO was not tampered, engine or gearbox was never opened, and car was not rusty.

Cost calculation by the mechanic as I instructed him all the parts should be original MGP.

Tyres - 20k to 25k
Engine mount - 2k
Coolant hoses (all) with labor - 2k
Suspension job - 15k to 20k (with swift parts as he told swift and sx4 lower arm and link rod are same and he was correct as now she is running with swift parts only).
AC job - 3K

Car cost after negotiation 1.4 Lakh
Repair cost - 50K
Cost of CNG fitment from a reputed dealer - 50k

Total - 2.4 Lakh I assumed at that time.

40k more than my budget but I was fine with it as it is a car, and I can spend 40k more than my bike's budget.

These are the pictures from the 1st day I bought it.

Experience after buying

I was more than happy but scared as if this decision goes wrong, I can't undo it and my hard earned 1.5 Lakh which I saved for this will go into drain so to avoid further losses I decided to drive the car for 2K km and if any major issues don't come up then I will go for further repair and CNG fitment work.

1st issue - After getting the AC fixed went on a small trip to Konkan coast with my friends and on Lonavala Khandala Ghat (Pune Mumbai expressway) the car started overheating. Stopped the car as soon as possible after reaching a safe place, did not drove at all after overheating as I know it will damage the engine. Did not think a lot about it at that time as nothing could be done, after the temperature was back to normal, we went there, enjoyed our trip, came back to Pune and meanwhile the car did not overheat even once.

Solution - Got it checked by a good independent garage and thank God it was not a major issue the radiator was dirty got it cleaned it took 800 bucks for radiator cleaning and 300 bucks for opening and fitting charges. The mechanic sent me the picture of my clogged radiator from inside and it was bad why don't people change their coolant on time "it is as necessary as an oil change" my mechanic quoted. After that till date the car has never overheated, I have done a lot of long trips, and some high speed runs too and never faced any issues after the repair.

High Rise sequential kit CNG fitment with RC registration

After driving 3K km that is 79K km on the ODO went for CNG fitment with a very reputed CNG fitment center in Pune. Others were quoting 42K to 45K for a good sequential kit with filter, as I did my research before getting the job done and I know the importance of CNG filters. For reference go through the below thread.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techn...ters-time.html (The importance of changing CNG Filters on time)

But my guy was asking for 53K still I went for him as I know brand or type of the kit matters less than fitment quality, so I spent extra for hassle-free ownership experience, and I was right. Till date no issue related to CNG and current ODO reading is 1 lakh plus KM. I change low pressure CNG filter at every 10k KM service, as it is cheap, and precaution is better than cure.

He also said that no suspension modification is required for CNG in SX4 as the rear suspension of SX4 is built to last and it is one of the best car Maruti has ever sold in the Indian market. I was happier with my decision after hearing this from a professional.

Fitment of CNG


Boot space after fitment

Getting new shoes for her

The old tyres were hard as rock and had 0 grip left in them it was Bridgestone Turanza 300. I was searching for the best tyres available in the market, didn't want to change the size or speed rating which is 195/65 R15 91V, was looking for soft compound as my car does not comes with any safety features like ABS or EBD so the tyres were the only layer of protection for me, I don't care if fuel economy will take a hit as I already converted my car as Bifuel CNG/Petrol.

After a lot of research went with the Yokohama blue earth GT AE51, it costed me 26K for all 4 wheels, I know it is on expensive side for a 13 year old CNG car but it's not like that, I believe if you keep your things maintained and in good shape it will always serve you well and never break down when you need them the most.

After getting the new tyres fitted, I felt the difference immediately. Went to an empty road, slammed the break and it gripped the road firmly and no squeeky sound whatsoever, cabin became more silent and this is one of the best tyre for wet grip too. Only con is, it is a soft compound tyre so while taking it off the tarmac you need to be very careful and yes you will not get the best fuel economy.

Suspension job

Got all the moving parts of the front suspension changed, except the shock absorber as it was in a perfect condition. All genuine MGP parts used as swift parts are compatible with SX4 so it was not a very expensive job. Steering rack bushings also changed.

Total cost with labor - 12000 bucks. This is the reason our Indian uncles are fan of Maruti, cheap maintainance. The genuine parts are even cheaper than the after market ones.

Rubber parts

All the coolant hoses and engine mountings were about to give up so decided to get it changed before it completely gives up on me.
Used all Maruti genuine parts, some hose were difficult to get and were taking longer if I ordered from MGP retail outlet so ordered them from Boodmo. I love this thing about Maruti's, any car, any make, any model you will get the genuine parts, for few cars it may take some time after ordering, but I can bet on it you will get all the parts.

Got all mounting and hose replaced as preventive maintenance costed around 10k including parts and labour.

Surprise repairs

It's a pre owned 13 years old car you will get some surprise definitely.

While changing the hose behind the engine there are 3 4 parts of engine cooling system line. 1 metal pipe connected to thermostat cover, thermostat and thermostat housing, and internals of this pipe and thermostat was a bit rusty so the mechanic suggested that if it goes bad it can result in coolant leakage issue and as for the job, he had already opened many components including intake manifold so he suggested that it can be done in the same labor charges now and if I plan it to do later I will have to pay the labor charges again, so I decided to change all of those 4 components including all the hose and mountings. Which costed around 10K

The AC condenser fins were too much bent which was not providing optimal cooling inside the cabin changed it with original MGP condenser and it costed 6600 bucks after that the AC is working perfectly till date.

Accessories

I wanted it to keep her stock so no major mods.

1. Remote locking system - As my car already had factory fitted center locking so it was not a problem to add center locking remote, it took 20 minutes for the accessories shop guy to fix the Black Cat center locking system.
It was not a necessity, but I did not want to unlock my car in the traditional manner by inserting the key. Costed 3500 bucks

2. Parking sensors - I got Sonilex 4-point parking sensor and this is not optional, I believe parking sensors are necessity for sedans. Costed 2000 bucks

3. Window visors - To drive in monsoon with a little bit window rolled down to avoid fogging. Costed 500 bucks

4. Fog lamps - No fancy fog lamps only the 35 watt halogen ones from Uno Minda with relay for circuit protection which comes factory fitted with the SX4 Zxi. Fog lights are kind of important in Maharashtra's monsoon. Costed 3000 bucks.

Picture after fog lamp installation.


5. Bluetooth dongle - As SX4 did came with factory fitted Kenwood audio system which is more than decent I would say, but it lacked Bluetooth connectivity, so I bought a Portronics Bluetooth receiver named auto 12 which does it's job very well for playing some music and taking calls using Bluetooth. It costed me 600 bucks only and it is holding up till date.

Body work

After getting my SX4 in perfect running condition it was time to retain it's beauty, as these 13 years she had been through a lot which was evident on her body. Swirl marks, small scratches, deep scratches and small dents, all over the body thankfully no rusting.

Started search for a good body shop and found Brotomotive on youtube, was impressed by their work, it was nearby my house, so decided to give a visit. Parikshit was there and he guided me with the process and gave me a quotation of a whooping 1 Lakh rupees. I don't doubt the quality of the job they do but for me spending that much on an old car was not worth it, so I went with my local trusted mechanic after he promised me that he will do the job with good quality paint and in a closed room under 40K and will give me 2 years of warranty if Paint bulging happens.

After the paint job she was looking fabulous.

Pictures after paint job

Final result

After spending almost 3 Lakh rupees I have a reliable, less driven, perfectly working CNG/Petrol Bi-Fuel car which does not have a single unwanted noise or a single scratch on the bodyline as the paint job turned out to be amazingly well according to the price I paid. There is not a single switch or button in the car which is not in working condition.

I know many will say that I spent 1.5 lakh rupees on a car that is not even worth 1.5 lakh, but as I said I want it perfect or I don't want it at all.

Kitna deti hai

CNG - City 15 to 18 KM per KG, Highway - 20 to 22 KM per KG
Petrol - City 10 KMPL Highway - 16 KMPL

15th year Re-registration and how it make sense for me financially

Maintainance cost -

Oil filter every 10K km - 200 bucks
Engine oil every 10K KM - 2500 bucks for Castrol Magnatec fully synthetic
Spark Plugs every 20K KM - 600 bucks NGK BKR6E 4 Pc
CNG filter every 10K KM - 600 bucks

Air filter every 20k KM - 500 bucks
Spark Plugs every 20K KM - 600 bucks NGK BKR6E 4 Pc
Coolant every 20K KM - 1000 bucks for Motul inugel ready to use coolant without water.
Gear oil every 20k KM - 1000 bucks for Shell spirax 80w-90 Api gl-4 for manual transmission.
Break oil every 20k KM - 350 bucks MGP

CNG cylinder inspection every 3 years - 2000 to 2500 bucks

So every 10K KM minor service and every 20K KM major service.
Cost of minor service - 5000 bucks including labor
Cost of major service - 8500 bucks including labor

No major repair coming under 5 years as all the major parts have been replaced including the tyres, front suspension and break pads.

Re-Registration -
Paid the green tax and did the fitness test in Pune R.T.O. and now she is registered for another 5 years till July 2028.
Costed me around 12K including brokerage.

Conclusion -
A proper shiny sedan in pristine condition for 3 Lakh rupees after all major repairs done, registered till 2028 with low maintenance cost (Because it's a Maruti). Total ownership time almost 7 years till 2028 (if possible will extend it again for 5 years), and I drive around 10K per year so the engine will be in reasonably good condition for at least 50K KM more, that is 1.5 Lakh KM on ODO. Happy me!

Please let me know how you guys feel about my decision.

[adiiityaaa]

Excellent and thorough review mate! You made a practical decision by purchasing SX4 over a bike. Adding a CNG Kit was also an economically good decision. Wish you many many happy miles with your beast!

Reminds me of our pre-owned SX4 which we sold few days ago after she met with an accident. It was gem of a car and was indeed one of the best cars made by Maruti till date. Ours also had a CNG Kit installed, which made the car suitable for city drives as well. The repair cost quoted from various shops was not so acceptable considering the age of the car, hence had to let it go. She's now replaced with a Chevrolet Beat!

[AKSarkar1]

I personally think that the SX4 was one of the best cars produced by MSIL in that era. Back in 2008-9 the car was an absolute headturner. I distinctly remember there being a SX4 ZXI in Black and the combination of those 5 spoke wheels and the black colour in a sedan body wooed many car buyers.

They say life goes in full circle and that has come true for me as well, currently working as a Public Servant my official vehicle is the last generation of SX4 in White. The car has clocked up close to 1.9L and still continues to be whisper quiet. While the outside may not be as snazzy as the newer vehicles on the market today, I can say with full confidence that the interior is everything that one can ever need both in terms of looks and practicality. The maintenance also is extremely pocket friendly.

Without a doubt, if I were to be buying a 2nd Hand car in that budget and from that time period, I would any day go for the SX4! Wishing you many many happy miles in this beauty!

[venukrithish]

SX4 is a great car. I'm surprised you didn't pick a diesel. Petrol and Cng is also a great option anyways. And 1.5L is a great price. Currently the used market prices are going crazy. And absolutely love the paint job. It really looks pristine

[TheFonz]

A thumbs up to your decision for going for a car over a bike and making a sensible buy.

You seem to have done your homework before going into the second hand market and that seems to have served you well. You are setting an example for first time buyers on how to spend money, time and effort.

Wishing you many happy miles. Do keep this forum updated on your future endeavours with the SX4.

[Mustang Sammy]

Good choice, and an excellent write up. The SX4 indeed is a solid product, with good road clearance and a decent engine. Suspension, as you said is rock solid. Far superior to most of not all offerings from Maruti today.

[avdhesh15]

As an ex SX4 (2010 sky blue ZXI), I can assure you it's one of the best cars I've owned. Absolutely fuss free, feels strong, and decent power. Will follow this thread given the nostalgia! All the best.

[ritedhawan]

I agree with your decision to buy the Sx4 albeit 13 years old. You bought the vehicle when it was at the cusp of long-term parts replacement stage and they include engine mounts , suspension \ steering OH ..etc. However, since, its a Maurti, you can bet car longevity, parts availability.etc This is the right choice.I have gone through the breakdown of costs. They are adequate. However, I would highly recomment brining down the engine oil + oil filter replacement period from as high as 10k km to 7.5k km.

[moto_rrevver]

Originally Posted by venukrithish

SX4 is a great car. I'm surprised you didn't pick a diesel. Petrol and Cng is also a great option anyways. And 1.5L is a great price. Currently the used market prices are going crazy. And absolutely love the paint job. It really looks pristine

Yes I am aware of the crazy current market price of pre-owned cars. I am lucky, I bought it when no one was buying during the pandemic.

[Siddj38]

Congratulations on Sx4.

We sold ours back in 2021 due to the stupid NGT rule in Delhi. Even though I replaced it with Civic, I still miss the car a lot. It's one amazing car. Gives the fun of sedan while the practicality of SUVs over bad roads.

In our 13 year of use, the car never gave much problem. I'll have a couple of suggestions for you.

1. Even though many Swift's parts are compatible with SX4, the lpad capacity and quality of parts is different

2. Make sure there is no water after wash in the fuel lid area. It is prone to rust and very hard to find new

3. Change the glovebox lock. Sooner or later it will break on a 15+ yr old car and there is no way to open the lid once it's broken without applying some serious force and misalign the lid.

[krackr]

Originally Posted by moto_rrevver

Introduction

...
Please let me know how you guys feel about my decision and.

A nice objective decision-making process you have there. I had the SX4 VXi when it came out and I still have fond memories of the pleasant ownership experience that it provided. I admire the ability that car enthusiasts like you have to understand the quality of the after-market refurbishings. With that in place, a quality pre-owned vehicle makes absolute sense. Somehow I have never been able to do that. For me, this was a sedan-SUV combo, clearly a superior product. Wishing you joyous miles!!

[moto_rrevver]

Originally Posted by TheFonz

A thumbs up to your decision for going for a car over a bike and making a sensible buy.

You seem to have done your homework before going into the second hand market and that seems to have served you well. You are setting an example for first time buyers on how to spend money, time and effort.

Wishing you many happy miles. Do keep this forum updated on your future endeavours with the SX4.

Thanks TheFonz, I will surely keep the thread updated. And yes, I did a hell lot of research before going for it as I knew, if I made a mistake, there was no going back and it will be a huge financial pushback in the beginning of my career.

Originally Posted by ritedhawan

I agree with your decision to buy the Sx4 albeit 13 years old. You bought the vehicle when it was at the cusp of long-term parts replacement stage and they include engine mounts , suspension \ steering OH ..etc. However, since, its a Maurti, you can bet car longevity, parts availability.etc This is the right choice.I have gone through the breakdown of costs. They are adequate. However, I would highly recomment brining down the engine oil + oil filter replacement period from as high as 10k km to 7.5k km.

Thanks for the suggestion, I will surely try to get the oil replacement done before 8K KM, as many of the mechanics suggested me including my CNG guy, but I always use fully synthetic oil so I delay it a little bit between 9k to 10K KM.

Originally Posted by venukrithish

SX4 is a great car. I'm surprised you didn't pick a diesel. Petrol and Cng is also a great option anyways. And 1.5L is a great price. Currently the used market prices are going crazy. And absolutely love the paint job. It really looks pristine

I would love to have a diesel, as I learned to drive on a friend's Hyundai Getz prime diesel and whenever I rented a car I always preferred swift diesel or polo tdi because of the low fuel expense but at my budget I was not able to find any diesel option except Beat diesel, but as I said, I was refraining myself from discontinued manufacturers in India due to lack of oem spare parts availability.

[IshaanIan]

The SX4 is the perfect car congratulations on your purchase. That paintjob looks quite amazing I always recommend a used SX4 to anyone wanting to buy their first car as it was one of those durable products that came with a durable engine. The M16 motor is rev happy but also distributes enough power through the rev-band so it is easy for first timers including learners to gauge and it is also potent enough to offer them up some fun when required. The seating position is not low since it was originally designed as a crossover and the ergonomics are bang on where nothing feels out of place. Ground clearance is epic and I simply love the 5 spoke 16inch wheels on the pre-vvt models.

[amit_purohit20]

With all the reasons you have mentioned it surely makes financial sense to own this car till it lasts and then directly scrap it - who knows you will get a good amount at the end for refund as per Govts. Policy

What matters more is you chose a car over a motorbike is that it does not makes sense to risk not only yours but your better half's life by riding a motorbike over long distances. If you ask truthfully to any pillion person he/she would always prefer a car over a bike considering the pain what has to be endured for long hours. With a car you are much safer in an accident, you can cover longer distances, are safe from environmental factors and also safe when it comes to personal safety.

Your car looks awesome, drive it to the extent that you have extracted every penny you have invested and have fun. Drive safe!

Regards,
Amit

[raptor_diwan]

Great choice! Without a doubt, going for the car instead of the Dominar is an ideal decision. The way you've set it up, I'm confident it will serve you well for the next five years, and it looks fantastic. Congratulations!