Here are dealer experiences :
AAA – I live pretty close to them. On entering the showroom there were not a lot of customers but surprisingly no one approached me. Me and my dad checked out the SX4 , sitting in it, jumping in it , doing everything except ignition (since no key). After 15 minutes I got hold of a person and asked him if there were no salesmen, he then pointed to another guy and finally we had one.
We start to negotiate, I am able to squeeze more than the initial discounts he offered, an additional cash discount of 5k + some accessories like car kit, idol and perfume. Sun film , he didnt budge as the shop doesnt stock for SX4 (would have to be after market.
I asked him to check out my Maruti 800 for exchange and this is where it went downhill. The car is in my uncle’s name whose surname is different so I have to get it in my name first. He got a true value person to check out the car. He gets impressed with Maruti Service Masters servicing. The true value person starts over-revving the engine and points to some white smoke that comes with each over-rev and says engine gaya hai. Then he points to some rust (thanks to mumbai’s saly water) and says body gayi hai , then after looking at RC he says bahut kharcha hoga and values the car at 10k , I just got a Rs.11k servicing done on it by the way.
Anyway his logic was that the engine overhaul and Re-registration (after 7 months) would cost him 8k +8k which I am pretty sure is an exhorbitant amount. I tell him to change the quote and he increases 1k, I say ok to him and show him the door. Then starts blabbing about expensive authorised service of MSM and how I could have gotten stuff done for 1/15th of the price at local places, I show him the door again.
Rana Motors – Lots of people in the showroom when we enter (mom with us this time), receptionist asks us within 1 minute what car we want and asks us to sit. A nice chap comes in (Yash), he is smartly dressed. His Downpayment quote is more than AAA but EMIs are lesser, almost same price overall and same accessories (except steering cover , someone apparently got blind while putting it on).
He gets a vehicle for test-drive and all of us are impressed. Only thing missing the the fuel efficiency meter and trip meter. Maruti should really put these in, they make a fully loaded car and dont put these in.
Other than that the legroom and cabin space is awesome. The original seat covers look cheap and will need replacement but dont go in for factory leather, its too expensive.
The VVT engine is very refined and the cabin had almost no noise, we went over a few potholes, mom was sitting in the back, she did complain of some jerks getting directly to her. Suspension to blame I guess.
The Rana Motors guy will come to see my Maruti 800 today and I will update his verdict on the car.
Overall I am leaning towards Rana Motors guy , since he is friendly , agreed to a PDI before registration and looks more transparent. The AAA guy really put me off by finding problems in my maruti.