[Rajeevraj]

After a couple of years of dreaming I finally am the proud owner of an SX4. My heart has always said to buy an SX4, In the thread below I'll attempt to describe how my mind also arrived at the same conclusion(luckily for me). Before coming to the SX4, a short summary of the history behind my earlier cars so that the context is well set. This is my first post in this forum and hence please feel free to provide any inputs and suggestions.

Rewind to March 2006. I was couple of years into my first job and decided it was time to realize my dream of owning a car.I 'technically' knew how to drive and had a valid license. But my real world driving experience was almost non existant. I did not have the budget for even a new M800 and considering my driving expertise and the fact that I had to drive in Bangalore, I decided that the best option was to go for a second hand M800. This led me to Bimal True Value in KR Puram-Bangalore and soon I was the proud owner of a white M800. I had to request a friend to drive it home after delivery.

Forward to October 2007. 1.5 years of city driving and several highway trips had made me a confident driver. And like all typical humans, I started yearning for something better. My requirements were still modest. Main requirement was that it needed to have power steering. A white M800 will hardly turn a head on the road, so another requirement was a nice to look at car. Landed up at True Value again. Sales guy(same person who sold me the 800) suggested an Alto. But that did not satisfy my 2nd requirement. Thats when I saw the bright red Zen Lxi. Fell in love with it and ended up buying it. Added Aura alloys and it looked nice and sporty. A picture below (Note: I removed the stickering after a couple of months. Realized it it was stupid and probably not legal to have a ferrari logo on a Suzuki Zen)


The Zen served me well. I got married soon after and we enjoyed our time with the zen. No major issues apart from one issue related to the A/C during the 4 years of ownership. Our long drives were mostly to our hometown in Kerala (Calicut).

Soon our first baby had arrived and soon travelling became something that needed to be planned.The days of last minute bus bookings or tatkal train bookings were over. We realized that going forward driving would end up being the prefered mode of travel. Around the same time my sister in law and family moved to Bangalore. So in general any travel meant the 4 of us, 2 kids and loads of luggage.

For this kind of a situation the Zen was becoming inadequate. So sometime around the end of 2010 we started thinking about changing the car and getting a new one.

We put together what we expected from our next car and came up with the following list.

1. A new car. Another 2nd hand not prefered.
2. Spacious Interiors.
3. Like the typical Indian car buyer, we wanted a 'fully loaded car'. Things like ACC, Audio System, steering controls, USB, Aux, electrical mirrors, Alloy wheels etc
4. Unlike the typical buyer I was keen on having safety features like ABS and Airbags.(Which basically meant we needed to go for the top variant in most models)
5. Very good boot space
6. Reasonably fun to drive.
7. Budget of 5-6 lakhs max

My typical usage

• Minimal Daily use as my office is very close to my home and I take my bike
• Some weekend driving
• Main use was for long distance travel to Kerala

My brother in law was also in the market for a new car and together we hit most of the showrooms and test drove a few cars (Swift, i10,i20, City, Manza, Etios, SX4, Punto,fabia etc...). He ultimately ended up buying the Etios. After all these visits my summary was as follows

• None of the vehicles would satisfy all my requirements AND fit into my budget.
• Couple of long drives with by brother in law and the Etios and I realized I needed the boot of a sedan. Just loved the amount of boot the Etios had. And a return trip from Kerala generally meant loads of luggage (Even including sack of coconuts also from loving parents and grandparents) So the requirement 'Very good boot space' became 'enormous boot space'

Now, this meant I needed to compromise on my requirements. So revisiting them, I reliazed I was not willing to compromise a great deal on points 2-5. Budget could not be extended. Which lead me back to point one. 'The 2nd hand car'.

I decided to put down the conditions needed to be satisfied for me to consider another 2nd hand (Based on the negative points I observed during ownership of the 800 and Zen)

• Single owner
• Max 2 years old
• Run <30K KM
• Preferably a model being currently sold

So my requirements were modified to include these parameters.

1. 2nd hand acceptable under the following conditions.
   • Single owner
   • Max 2 years old
   • Run <30K KM
   • Preferably a model being currently sold
   • Preferably from a authorized preowned dealer.
2. 'fully loaded car'. Things like ACC, Audio System, steering controls, USB, Aux, electrical mirrors, Alloy wheels etc
3. Safety features like ABS and Airbags
4. Huge boot space
5. Reasonably fun to drive.
6. Budget of 5-6 lakhs max

I felt there was a good chance of getting a C Segment sedan in this budget. So I got down to the potential options I had(This was around May 2011). Spend a lot of time on Team BHP reading up reviews and feedback on all options and reached the following conclusions.

• Was not keen on buying a 2nd hand Tata/Fiat- So ruled out Tata Cars and the Linea.
• Ford Fiesta-Seemed a good option. Satisfied most conditions(apart from ACC). But dropped it once I heard the new Fiesta was coming(Did not know they were retaining the Fiesta Classic) and was also doubtful of a 2nd hand Ford
• Honda City: Good option. Did some enquiries. Minimal chance of getting an under 2 year old car within 6 lakhs. But kept the option
• Verna: Again a good option. But the largely negative reviews about the Verna Transform put me off. And with the impending launch of the Fluidic Verna would mean I would be buying a previous generation
• Dzire: Did not like the looks. Hence did not consider
• SX4: Again a good option. Satisfied most of my conditions. And as mentioned in the beginning was my favorite car. Love the rugged looks, the high ground clearance, high driving position and the equipment levels in the Zxi. Considering my usage the low milage when compared to others was not a major issue. Main negative was that I was doubtful if I could get the VVT model.

Gave my contact at the various used car dealership and told to keep me informed when a car that potentially met my requirements was available. Preference was towards the SX4 as it was a car I loved and potentially the best one I would get in my budget.

So after all the analysis it seemed like the analytical mind agreed with the heart and they both pointed towards an SX4. The wait began to get a vehicle that met all my requirements..

[Rajeevraj]

One day in August I get a call from Bimal True Value- From the same guy who sold me the M800 and the Zen. He had 2 2009 model SX4's that had come in. One was Midnight Black and the other was Silky Silver. Both had run 20,000 odd Km and were single owner vehicles. Quoted price was 6.5 Lakhs but was negotiable. Seemed to meet most of my criteria for a preowned car. I was excited about the black since black was my favorite color. Potential issue was that 2009 model's meant it was probably the Non VVT version.

Test Drive and Dealer experience.
So on a cool Saturday morning Me my wife and my baby went to check out the cars. I straight away went to the black one. Looked good at first glance. But closer inspection revealed a number of scratches. I decided to do a test drive in any case. The observations were as follows

• Startup and intial movement was fine. The high seating position meant good visibility. But when I moved into 2nd gear, there seemed to be some major vibrations. That put me off
• Ground Clearance was a major plus. The outer ring road where I did the test drive had some major humps and they were cleared without any fuss.
• The interior seats were little dull and somewhat dirty and my wife did not like that
• The car had a reverse sensor fitted and I wanted to test that. Reversed very close to an auto and nothing from the sensor. The sales man then went behind and checked and turns out that the bumper did not have the sensors at all.
• Overall was not satisfied with this vehicle.

Silver was not my favorite color and I was not even looking at the Silver SX4.Was still thinking looking at the black one with a 'So near yet so far look'. My wife was going around the silver and came up to me with a lot of excitment. She told me that the silver had the 10 spoke alloys and false wooden interior on the door. It instantly struck me that this meant that the Silver was a VVT model. I had a closer look and sure enough, it was a VVT.Following were the observations

• It was a December 2009 model.
• Closer look revealed a well maintained car. Minimal scratches.
• And additional benefit was that the previous owner had put in black G-Sport Seat covers and floor mats and the car had a working reverse sensor.
• It had run 27777 KM.

Now I was really excited since this perfectly met all my requirements. The critical thing was pending. How it drove.

• Set off on a test drive. The difference was immediately noticable.
• The pickup was smooth, no vibrations or rattles from anywhere.
• I took a decent test drive and half way through had decided this was the one.Did not seem like I was driving this car for the first time.
• Spent some time checking everything else and it all seemed to be working fine. The ACC worked pretty good and the music system seemed good enough for me.
• The huge boot looked like it could take any amount of luggage

Negotiation and sealing the deal and delivery.

• As mentioned earlier, I could stretch my budget to around 6 and this was quoted at 6.5. Since the same guy had sold me the 800 and the Zen, I knew him pretty well. So just asked the best price he could give me. He said it was 6.1. I tried to bring it down to 6 but did not succeed. In my mind I had thought 6.1 would be good. So I did not push much.
• For the Zen they quoted 1.6 lakhs. I sold the alloys seperately to a friend and hence I was ok with this deal. Could have gotten a better price by direct sale, but did not have the time for that.
• Paid the booking amount of Rs5000 immediately. I could take delivery the day after my cheques cleared and I had around a week to 10 days to close the deal.
• Gave him the full payment by the following Thursday and by Saturday August 27th the car was ready for delivery
• Reached the showroom on 27th at 4pm and the car was ready as promised. It had been polished and cleaned and did not really look like a 2nd hand car. The final formalities were all done without any hassles and I was given the key.
• Complimentary I got 4 lts petrol a Ganesha idol and a car care kit.
• They also transfered the petrol from my zen(worth around 1500) to the SX4.
• RTO transfer will take 45-60 days and will be done by them.

True Value Feedback

• I maybe little biased since all 3 of my cars were from there. But I have not found any reason to complain. For all 3 cars the delivery experience was smooth and no reason to complain.
• They do charge a premium but in return for a hassle free experience I am ok with that.

Initial Ownership Experience
Driving my own SX4 is a dream come true. I have just driven around 200km till now and intial observations are as follows

• No major issue driving a big car in the city. In a couple of days was used to it
• Reversing is a concern since I am used to hatches. But getting the hang of it and the sensor is helpful.
• The high seating position is great. Gives a good view of the road
• ACC works pretty well. Have not got a chance to test it on a long journey as yet
• Mileage seems on the lower end of the range expected from this car. But mostly due to the fact that most of the driving has been in very slow stop start traffic
• The wide tyres and the ground clearance. Bangalore is known for its big humps and it feels nice to not have to hold ones breath while going over the biggest humps.
• The engine seems nice and peppy. Fun to drive.
• Music System sounds good. From the reviews it seemed to be a negative. I did not feel so.
• Steering audio controls a real help.
• Headlight on indicator is a cool feature. I did not know it existed. So it was a pleasant surprise
• The interior center light coming on when engine is switched off is another nice feature that I liked

Things I wish it had

• Bluetooth option
• electric folding of mirrors
• Some more space in the back. The center hump is a hinderence to the middle passenger.
• DTE and real time mileage indicator. Felt this was an important feature in a car known for low mileage.

Overall since I was upgrading from a Zen, everything about the SX4 seems wonderful to me. I suppose as I use it further there will be more things that I dont like that pops up. Will keep this thread updated.

Last but not the least. Some pictures of my proud possession.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial ownerships forum. Thanks for sharing!

[anup7649]

Congrats Rajeev. You will really love to drive on bad roads because of grt ground clearance.

Cheers,
Anup

[ashis89]

Congrats Rajeev for your 'new' SX4. You can't blame because your car definitely looks new. The 1st pic showing the side profile looks best,i just love its stance. SX4 is a great car,ideally suited for Indian road conditions due to its high GC.
Enjoy your ride. Best wishes

[W.A.G.7]

Congrats on the new purchase! The beauty of lateral upgrades! Looking at the pics, the car doesn't feel one bit second hand. It looks straight off the showroom floor. Also any plan for a tire upgrade? But retain the alloys, they look good.

[SankalpDesai]

Hey Rajeev, that's a good buy. SX4 is a steed and loves the highways. Hence going by your set criteria, this is an apt vehicle.

Coming from the Maruti stable, SX4 and Dzire have really been the de-facto choice of entry level or mid size sedans for the Indian masses. Its quite trouble free and I personally like its stance too. Silky Silver looks clean. Good for you to have found this piece and a great deal only sweetens the experience.

Enjoy many miles in the beautiful countryside of Kerala.

[hdnivara]

Congrats Rajeev. Thanks for sharing.
The car looks pristine and it's massive GC will be a boon in Bangalore.
Seems like you've built a good rapport with the sales guy at True Value.
Share FE figures once you start crunching miles.

Keep the thread updated and drive safe.

[lsp]

Congrats man!! that car looks almost new!! has been maintained very well. Hope u maintain it like that and enjoy many many miles with her.

Silver is my favorite color. It doesn't show dust so much and the scratches hide well in it.
Congarats once again!!

[Habanero City]

Congrats on a good bargain and full value for money buy.
Looks good and wishing you miles of happy and safe driving.
Does the car have a sunfilm, if so details please.
How are the tires for 28k run?


HC

[bluevolt]

Congratulations on owning a Maruti SX4.

You will be surprised by the car's ground clearance, its equal to a Scorpio.

Wishing you happy and safe driving!

[james]

Congrats on the new car! The SX is an awesome car for the city! Its got good GC and a small turning radius. Just remember that even tough the car is high, the approach angle isnt that great! If you come down a hill onto level ground at anything more than 20kph, the bottom of the front bumper is bound to scrape the road.

Happy motoring!

Cheers!

[souravc]

Congrats on your new car , it looks a fabulously maintained car - does not look pre-owned at all . Good car for the city and fantastic for the highway ! I love the cars driving position , leaves you less fatigued even after a long drive and the best part is height so that one does not bang his head when getting inside the car like we do in our Vento ! Wish you many miles of happy driving .
A bit OT - since you are from Bangalore and have been owning a Maruti over the years, I thought I would ask . Would you by any chance know UM Cars (near KGA /Diamond District )? Are they still there ? Around 6-7 years back when I was in Bangalore , i used to swear by their service - had a pre-owned M800 which they helped keep free on any trouble at pretty reasonable low rates .

[JustCause]

The SX4 is a very underrated car in the Maruti stable. Though this factor gives it a poor resale in the second hand market, it is a boon for used car buyers.

To a select few, who look beyond the mileage, it offers immense value, practicality & is a workhorse. It really is, an SUV amongst cars.

Congratulations on your *new* SX4. Wishing you millions of happy miles on your SX4.

[filcord]

That's a very good report. Congratulations on the "new" car, and hope you have many years of use.
I suppose you still have the OE JK tyres? They should be good for anotehr 10,000 km at most.
When changing try Bridgestone, or the ones I chose, Yokohama ES501 Decibel. The difference will be obvious. The Yokos are super-silent.