Maintenance factor and the service intervals of small cars

On a whim or catching onto some fancy or even the famous “he has got it, so why can’t I” thing, many people go and buy cars. That saying, at the final moment, in all excitement of owning one, many forget that there are many factors to be dialed in. Some like the fuel efficiency, maintenance costs, service schedules and all. Well, the sales person would definitely provide inputs about this as also the service manual would contain this information, however at the time of buying a car, these things rarely register, especially so on an impulsive buy. Recently we had carried out a poll on our FB fanpage regarding which major thing they wanted from us and most of the suggestions bordered on getting the service schedules or maintenance costs of cars. Though, we haven’t put up a dedicated section for it, for the time being, here is a list of some of the small cars which are there in the Indian market and would definitely be on the list of first time car buyers. The cost of first free service as also the first paid one and the interval specified by the manufacturers as on 5/9/2011. These include the likes of regular check-ups, engine oil change, wheel balancing as also alignment.

Tata Nano :

The smallest car from Tata has a very reasonable buying cost and the cost of the first free service is Rs 200 for it. The service interval for the first free service is 1000 kms or 1 month. The cost of the first paid service works out to be Rs 1200 and it is to be done in 18 months or 15k kms. Rs 1200, in some cases works out to be similar to the EMI one has to pay for the Nano.

Maruti Alto K10 :

The cost of the first free service for the Alto works out to be cheaper than the Nano. The cost is Rs 50. The first free schedule for the service, though, is same as the Nano. However, the first paid service happens at around the 15k kms or 18 months interval and is costlier than the Nano. The cost is Rs 2200.

Maruti A-star :

The cost of the first free service for the A-star is similar to the Alto at Rs 50 and the service interval also is the same. Why even, the first paid service and its interval are also the same. Seems like the part sharing and especially the engine ones seem to have given this effect.

Maruti Wagon R :

The bigger than both the A-star as also the Alto, the Maruti Wagon R with the new K series engine also has similar maintenance charges as its siblings, the A-star and the Alto.

Maruti Estilo :

The Estilo also mirrors the service intervals and costs of the A-star, Alto K10 as also the Maruti Wagon R.

Maruti Alto F8 :

Older technology has got its own price. The first free service of the Alto F8 costs Rs 1100 with the service interval hanging in at 1 month or 1000 kms. Then on, the service interval and the costs work out similar to that of the K10 engined Alto.

Hyundai Santro Xing :

The smallest offering from Hyundai has got its first free service at 2 months or 1200 kms and the cost for the same works out to be, as its name suggests, free.  The service schedule for the first paid one is 18 months or 26k kms and the cost for the same is Rs 3750.

Hyundai i10 :

Like the Santro, the i10 also has the same service schedule with the first free one being at the 1200 kms mark or 2 months. The cost for the same is zero. The first paid one has the same interval as the Santro with the same costs attached to it.

Chevrolet Spark :

Apart from the 3 years maintenance thing that Chevrolet cars carry, this one is for those who don’t opt for that offer. The first free service stands at the 1000 kms or 1 month mark while the cost associated with it is nil. The first paid one happens at the 18 months or 15k kms mark and its cost is Rs 2500.

Chevrolet U-VA :

Like its smaller sibling, the U-VA also has a first free service at the 1k kms mark or within 1 month of purchase while the first paid service happens at the 18 months mark or 15k kms with the service cost being Rs 100 more than what the Spark owner has to pay.

Fiat Punto :

The not so small car from Fiat, the Punto has a first free service at around the 6 months or 5k kms mark and the cost is Rs 1250. Also the first paid service is at the 35k kms mark or 30 months with the cost being Rs 4750.

Nissan Micra :

1 year or 10k kms is the mark when the first free service for the Micra springs up and the cost for the same is Rs 1200. The cost of the first paid one is Rs 3k and the time for it to be done is 36 months or 30k kms.

These relative comparisons between the service costs shows that even though the service cycles may be longer, they aren’t relatively cheap and another thing that even if the car was brought at a relatively cheaper price, its maintenance means that the running costs wouldn’t be that easy. As and when the time goes, we would gather more information about the service and maintenance costs of the other cars and would keep our readers updated on the same. More to come. Stay tuned.