Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review

[gpa]

Originally Posted by Thilak29

My all new Brio..SMT (O).. I shall update you guys on entire experience after couple of days..

Congrats, Thilak. Glad you finally decided on the Brio!

I look forward to your ownership report. Speaking of initial ownership reports, mine has been pending for over a month. I will get down to completing it this weekend!

[patnaik7]

Originally Posted by sandsun7

When it has a larger glass area, it would technically give you more visibility compared to a hatch with lesser glass area and more metal at the rear, even when it rains, won't it?

I am sure a lot of members in this forum have cars without rear wiper/defogger. they would be able to tell how difficult it is without the same and whether it is an absolute necessity or not. Personally, I have seen lots and lots of cars in my home state-kerala running/reversing without any problem even during the 4 monsoon months!!

The big glass at the back has more pro than cons at this point.Totally agree on the visibility point. Also, it sort of makes the car interior "happy" in the sense lots of light and good visibility....felt pretty cheerful at the wheel :-)

[arup.misra]

Taking delivery of my wife's new Brio today. (S-MT). Will have a review in place shortly. With sales of Honda plummeting, push hard for discounts on the Brio. You cannot believe how much you change bargain. Dealers are clearly overloaded with inventory.

[prashanthyr]

I took a good hard look at the Brio a couple of days back - must say that it doesnt feel cheap in the way the Liva feels. Kudos to Honda for managing to build the car to a price point without compromising on perceptible quality.

A couple of things I noticed - Wipers, Stalks, Side indicators seem to be a straight lift off the previous generation Honda City - which is no bad thing BTW.

Any other parts that are shared with a previous gen car? the door pull handles seem to be off the current City..

[ac 427]

Originally Posted by arup.misra

I'm pretty close to booking a Brio (as a second car). Had been on a couple of longish test drives over the weekend and here's what I observed

a) Ground clearance is definitely better than City (I own that too). Even with 4 people on board I didn't scrape it. Casually glided over in 2nd gear.

b) Found the low end torque not really put to the mark. A little drag from the red light proved that its wasn't the fastest. Things are different if you get it closer to the red-line. However not all drivers are going to red-line it correct?

c) AC certainly isn't that impressive. My TD vehicle was standing in the hot afternoon sun for a good one hour. It took a good 10 min+ for the AC to cool. Definitely a notch down than the City.

d) Took another TD in the evening with family in tow just as the heavens opened up. Didn't quite find the absence of rear defogger or rear wiper a let down. Mind you I've been driving Indica without defogger / rear wiper for 60k+ km in worst of weathers. This is not really a deal breaker for me

e) What is most irritating is the absence of the stick to adjust the OVRM's. This is especially a problem when you have two drivers with different heights.

What are your thoughts guys?

have bought the brio - i agree with you on almost all the fronts. though certain problems can be answered

1. ac - Acc to me, the ac under delivers because the glass area of the Brio is huge, if one puts in a decent VKool or equivalent sun protection (not a tint, but a sun protection film) the ac is sufficient. Infact here in mumbai during the rains, i feel the ac is more than adequate.

2. the FE during the 1st servicing can volatile to best - i have encountered FE from 9.6 kmpl to 15 kmpl...

3. no boot.

other than these I personally feel the Brio is a 10 / 10 in all angles.

cheers
ac

[arup.misra]

Congrats ac on your brio. Did I miss reading your review?

Originally Posted by ac 427

have bought the brio - i agree with you on almost all the fronts. though certain problems can be answered

1. ac - Acc to me, the ac under delivers because the glass area of the Brio is huge, if one puts in a decent VKool or equivalent sun protection (not a tint, but a sun protection film) the ac is sufficient.

Agree. The AC is sufficient if the car stays in shade. Keep it out in the hot sun for a few hours and you will be left wanting. Sun Protection films should solve this to a good extent. Will perhaps do it post monsoons.

2. the FE during the 1st servicing can volatile to best

FE seems to be settled around 13.5-14 not very volatile. First service due in a couple of weeks.

3. no boot.

Serious draw back but then I wasn't looking for a boot

other than these I personally feel the Brio is a 10 / 10 in all angles.

cheers
ac

[ac 427]

Originally Posted by arup.misra

Congrats ac on your brio. Did I miss reading your review?

Hey anup, i have put up a review, i guess the mods are trying to moderate it yet


cheers
ac

[thoma]

I have always wondered if the Brio's radiator fins get easily bent by flying debris on our streets. The design of the air-dam allows even big stones to go through. A friend of mine who had test driven the car was unimpressive of this and was a deal breaker along with the rear end looks. Any thoughts anyone?

[CowlFlap]

Originally Posted by thoma

I have always wondered if the Brio's radiator fins get easily bent by flying debris on our streets. The design of the air-dam allows even big stones to go through. A friend of mine who had test driven the car was unimpressive of this and was a deal breaker along with the rear end looks. Any thoughts anyone?

Absolutely agree! Actually, those are the fins for the condenser; as explained by a Honda salesperson. Heard in these forums somewhere that the Thai guys configured a DIY for this, though not sure if it affects warranty. The gaps do appear wide, and in the TD car I did notice some nicks on the cooling fins. Haven't (yet) heard of any damages as a result of debris striking this area though.

[MaxTorque]

Hi Everyone, I am seriously considering Brio. Probably S MT variant. The dealer is offering free insurance as part of some special celebration. No other discounts. The on the road price is Rs.5.28 lakhs in Pune. Is it a good deal..? is there any probability to get more discounts..?

[rony180]

Originally Posted by MaxTorque

Hi Everyone, I am seriously considering Brio. Probably S MT variant. The dealer is offering free insurance as part of some special celebration. No other discounts. The on the road price is Rs.5.28 lakhs in Pune. Is it a good deal..? is there any probability to get more discounts..?

MaxTorque - Brio SMT is a very practical car with a competitive pricing. If you love to drive and are not too much concerned about the rising petrol prices, then its a great bet.

Plus Honda's after sales service would put a smile on your face as it will give you the premium feel. Basically with a Honda, you can rarely go wrong.

I got my Brio SMT in Kolkata at an on-road price of 4.88 (before 2012 budget). So its worth checking with some other dealers as I think you should be getting it for less (not sure about Pune road tax/registrations though).

However, if you can spend a few bucks more, I would advise you to go for the S(O)MT as its a great safety deal for an affordable price (well I didn't take it for budget constraints!).

Go for a test drive soon to judge the car better (if not already taken)

[gpa]

Originally Posted by CowlFlap

Heard in these forums somewhere that the Thai guys configured a DIY for this, though not sure if it affects warranty.

Originally Posted by thoma

I have always wondered if the Brio's radiator fins get easily bent by flying debris on our streets. The design of the air-dam allows even big stones to go through.

The air-dam is large and yes, flying debris can cause damage if not in the city but certainly at highway speeds. I am also considering a DIY for this in the form of a fine mesh grille painted black to suit the air-dam. Will examine the air-dam and the surrounding areas this weekend to see if this can be done.

[9thsphinx]

When we're talking about choppy rides in the back seat, would current Santro owners feel the difference? What I already know is the Brio is a much more fun to drive car than the Santro 1.1, but what I am trying to find out is how comfortable are the back seats on even and uneven roads as compared to the Santro. Any current Brio owners wish to comment?

[Blow Horn Ok]

Guys, my brother-in-law has booked a Brio SMT (Urban Titanium) in Noida. He said, he opted for a wooden panel look for the dash costing 5000/-. According to the dealer, this is not a sticker job and comes fitted from the factory. I am still wondering what is that and whether it is worth.

[joslicx]

Originally Posted by 9thsphinx

When we're talking about choppy rides in the back seat, would current Santro owners feel the difference? What I already know is the Brio is a much more fun to drive car than the Santro 1.1, but what I am trying to find out is how comfortable are the back seats on even and uneven roads as compared to the Santro. Any current Brio owners wish to comment?

My wife singularly praised the back seat of Brio when I drove it. At that time I had an i10 so her reference point was the i10. So the back seat of Brio is definitely much better than the i10.

As for Santro 1.1, well I havent been in it ever so cannot say. But if the i10 experience can be extrapolated for Santro as well, then we have the answer to that.