Maruti Wagon R Pros And Cons: Is It the Perfect First Car?

Maruti Suzuki Wagon R is the first tall boy of Indian automotive sector, launched in 1999. For most of the 2000s and 2010s, it was one of the favorite cars in India, with middle-class families loving its design and everything about it. Now, the Wagon R segment is getting less attention because the country is obsessed with big cars that have a strong road presence.

However, there are still millions of people who have never bought a car and will become first-time buyers. So, does this hatchback still have everything to be the perfect first car? I will tell you through the pros and cons of the Maruti Wagon R. Let's start, and in the meantime, join the 91Wheels WhatsApp Channel to never miss out on automotive updates.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki Wagon R Variants Explained: Which Offers The Most Value?

Maruti Wagon R Pros

Spacious

There is a reason why it's called the 'tall boy': it has a height of 1675 mm. People above 6 feet have ample headroom, and the overall space feels airy. The legroom and shoulder room are also good, and the boxy design says everything about the space on offer. Also, 341 L is the boot space, which is even bigger than its elder sibling Baleno (318 L).

Competitor Check: The Tata Tiago and Hyundai Grand i10 offer a decent amount of space, but neither of them are tall. So, tall passengers should prefer the Wagon R. Talking about boot space, the Tiago comes with 242 L, and the Grand i10 NIOS has 260 L. It's clear that in terms of space, the Wagon R is the king.

Fuel Efficiency

Want to save thousands of rupees every month on fuel? Just buy a Wagon R. It's one of the most efficient vehicles on the road, with a peppy engine. The numbers show that with the 1.0 L engine and manual transmission, this car claims 24.35 kmpl, and with the AGS transmission, 25.19 kmpl.

There is also a 1.2 L engine option, which offers 23.56 kmpl with the manual gearbox and 24.43 kmpl with the AGS. Finally, the CNG kit takes fuel efficiency to the next level with 33.47 km/kg.

Competitor Check: The Tata Tiago has good mileage, achieving 19 to 20 kmpl with the petrol engine in both manual and automatic transmissions. With CNG, it takes it even further to 28.06 km/kg. Additionally, the Tiago is available with automatic transmission in the CNG kit.

If we talk about the Hyundai Grand i10 NIOS, it achieves 20.7 kmpl with the petrol engine in both manual and automatic transmissions, and around 27 km/kg with the CNG kit. The i10 also comes with twin-cylinder technology.

Best AC for a Small Car

People who own this hatchback can't stop praising its powerful AC. Even in the scorching heat, it will cool down the interior in seconds, and often they have to turn it down because it starts to freeze. This is one of the best air conditioning systems in the car business, and even Maruti car haters won't deny it. Competitors like the Grand i10 NIOS do get rear AC vents, but honestly, the Wagon R doesn't need them.

Most Reliable Car

If you go to the rural parts of the country, you'll notice 15-year-old Wagon R running smoothly with over 3 to 4 lakh kilometers on the odometer. This car is engineered to last. Additionally, maintaining it is quite cheap; for just Rs 5,000 or Rs 6,000, a service is done, which is very low considering today's standard charges for Indian cars. The reliability factor leads to a high resale value, and the Wagon R doesn't lose its value easily. Barring the accidental models, it will cost around Rs 4 lakhs to get a three to four-year-old Wagon R, which is outstanding considering how fast cars depreciate.

Competitor Check: The Grand i10 NIOS is also a very reliable car and holds good value in the used car market. It offers more features than the Wagon R, which is why it costs a little extra. Speaking of the Tiago, it also holds good resale value but is not as reliable when compared to the other two.

Maruti Wagon R Cons

Unstable

Sadly, this vehicle is one of the most unstable cars on Indian roads and also one of the most unsafe. The reason is that Maruti uses cheap quality materials to build the vehicle, and the gross weight of this vehicle is below 900 kg. Additionally, driving it at high speeds of 110 or 120 km/h is borderline risky.

The Wagon Rs steering response and feather-light body can cause it to go in different directions, leading to accidents. It is strictly advisable to drive it with a light foot. In the Global NCAP, this vehicle received a poor 1-star safety rating.

Competitor Check: Both Grand i10 NIOS and Tigor are way better than Wagon R in terms of saftey and stability. That said, Grand i10 NIOS recieved 2-stars in the saftey test, but the Tigor got 4-stars at G NCAP.

Poor Fit And Finish

Maruti has done a lot of cost-cutting, and that becomes visible after the first few years of owning it. There are panel gaps, and the overall interior feels like it will come apart if you pull anything with force. This issue is not confined to any particular area inside the car but is overall. Poor fit and finish make you feel like you're in a cheap car. It is imperative for the company to improve the quality, as it sells in such high numbers but still comes with deteriorating quality.

Competitor Check: This issue doesn't resonates with Grand i10 NIOS and Tigor, as they feel premium and once can notice that company has given adequate amount of time to built the vehicle. So, if you want a solid interior than Wagon R shouldn't be on our list.

Uncomfortable

The Wagon R is not a comfortable vehicle, especially for long rides, because of its small tires and small seats. Everyone can agree that whenever you book a cab and a Wagon R shows up, it turns out to be extremely uncomfortable journey. This never happens with an Aura, Tigor, i10 NIOS, or even a Swift.

We all feel much better in Hyundai taxi cars because they don't feel as shallow inside as this car does. If Maruti corrects this issue, potential customers will increase rapidly because this is one of the main reasons why people move towards other cars in this segment.