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Old 25th March 2012, 13:20   #1
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Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

Looking to buy a hatchback and after test driving a lot of B-segment vehicles, finally narrowed down to the Honda Brio S MT and Swift VXi.

Would like to comments on what makes a better buy and why.

Honda Brio S (MT)
Price: 5 Lac onroad (approx)

Pros:
- Integrated Stereo with steering mounted controls
- Quickest 0-100 kmph timings amongst current hatchbacks in same segment.
- Free revving i-VTEC engine
- Honda Reliability
- Cheaper than Swift VXi

Cons:
- No internal adjustment of OVRMs, even manual. Shocking !
- Space at the rear not better than the Swift. Boot space lesser than the Swift.
- Manual antenna


Swift VXi
Price: 5.5 L (approx)

Pros:
- Maruti A.S.S
- Smooth free revving engine with very good Fuel economey
- Light controls - clutch, gearbox extremely smooth, light and precise.

Cons:
- Visiblity from drivers seat is not good. I have personally experienced it.
- For a tall driver (like me), the shin area of the leg keeps hitting the plastic below the steering column
- No company fitted stereo even though its costly than the Brio
- Dark interiors sometimes get very boring and claustrophobic to be in.
- Poor brakes
- Too common on roads

Have not compared other parameters since both cars are more or less same in other areas.

So which one to go for??

Last edited by DCEite : 25th March 2012 at 13:23.
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Old 25th March 2012, 13:32   #2
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

After experiencing Honda first hand, and Suzuki (Maruti) for all this while, i would suggest a Honda. Gone are the days when Suzuki were cheaper then Honda and were chosen because of that. This is no longer true.

My BIL is also looking at a hatchback to buy in a few months time, and Brio is coming on top as far as driving ease and quality is concerned. Although we have not driven a Swift yet.
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Old 25th March 2012, 13:35   #3
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

IMO, Brio SMT is makes more sense.

There are 2 more Pros for Brio (SMT).

* Slightly wider tyres (175/65/R14 Vs. Swift's 165/80/R14)
* Keyless Entry

Last edited by mukeshgoel : 25th March 2012 at 13:38.
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Old 25th March 2012, 14:02   #4
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

your TCO for a Swift would be much lower over,say,a 5 year period.

Reliability is as strong in a Suzuki as in a Honda.

In the end,what appeals to you more will get your vote
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Old 25th March 2012, 14:28   #5
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

Reliability wise there is no problem with both Honda and Suzuki. Both can go on for a lakh kilometers without much of a fuss. You can take a TD of the the Swift VXi and if you are satisfied with the braking capability then you can go ahead for it. However, I would suggest the Brio. You can get the mirrors replaced with the ones from the V version which I presume has internal adjustment. The manual antenna can be removed and you can go to an audio installer and get an antenna of your choice wired to the HU. The space at the rear is more or less similar to the Swift. But if the 30 litres of boot space matters to you then you can go for the Swift. IMO all round the Brio is a better car.

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Old 25th March 2012, 15:21   #6
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

If you are going to hit your leg on the plastic below the steering column all the time, do not even consider the swift. Note that it will force you to either put your leg in a funny position every time you drive, which is not good for your body, and worse is dangerous when you are driving, especially in an emergency. If your body does not react normally in an emergency, or you suddenly are more concerned about the pain in your leg, you may wind up having an accident because of that.

That said, see if there is a possible solution to the problem, like being able to cut out the offending plastic part. If not, then the Swift should not be a consideration unfortunately.

Assuming this can be dealt with, then the choice of car is harder.

A couple of questions need to be answered first and then we can guide you better.

Do you intend to drive the car out of the NCR area a lot. If yes, then Maruti's widespread A.S.S is a huge boon. If not, and I assume the NCR area has pretty good Honda A.S.S, then the A.S.S should not be a determining factor at all.

How many people use the car on a regular basis. If it is one or two, then rear leg space means very little. Additionally, luggage space is not an issue as the rear seat can be folded down to accommodate enough luggage. I do that on my Alto and have no problems as it is mostly just me in the car.

How much of your driving is in the city and how much is on the higway.

Do you generally drive on good roads or regularly go on bad roads.

Do you want a more comfortable car or do you want a good handler at the expense of comfort on bad roads.

My recommendation between the two cars is the Brio for the following reasons.

If A.S.S is fine it is a better car.

The Brio is a better handler.

The Brio is definitely better in town. It is lighter and smaller and has the better engine.

The Brio is cheaper up front and has a stereo, which will be an additional cost on the Swift.

The poor brakes on the swift are a safety concern.
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Old 25th March 2012, 15:49   #7
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

Even though both cars are on par, I would go for the BRIO just for the sake of exclusive factor. Almost every 3rd-4th car on the road is a SWIFT and I won't like to be a part of that herd.

In a Brio, what you'll get is a super refined engine, the 'H' badge, fatter tyres and different looks. Initially i hated the back, but now I am OK with it considering the package and price.

I would suggest to go for the E MT for the cost benefit. What you get in a S MT is body colored mirror covers/door handles, stereo with steering controls, power windows all around and few bits here and there without any add-on safety equipment.

If you are going to drive the car yourself and will have the rear bench vacant most of the time, I hope you could live with front only power windows. Get the handles/mirror covers painted in body color, Install a good ICE (depending on your taste), add sporty set of alloys (depending on your taste and will) and save some money too.

Last edited by Blow Horn Ok : 25th March 2012 at 16:09.
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Old 25th March 2012, 20:39   #8
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

One cannot go wrong with both these cars. If the car is going to be driven a lot on high ways, then Swift would be a better choice. Brio would be a good choice if the car is primarily intended for city use. Swift is also more prone to dents and scratches in city traffic due to its shape!
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Old 25th March 2012, 22:24   #9
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by DCEite View Post
Looking to buy a hatchback and after test driving a lot of B-segment vehicles, finally narrowed down to the Honda Brio S MT and Swift VXi.
Brio for me anyday. Honda is more of an aspirational brand than Suzuki for me. Add exclusivity also to it. If you can afford S(O)MT, then nothing like it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by vigsom View Post
your TCO for a Swift would be much lower over,say,a 5 year period.
Do you have any numbers [approximate] to quote? Would like to know what extra cost comes in a Honda in almost 1L kms [or even 50K kms considering it's a petrol].

Quote:
Originally Posted by Blow Horn Ok View Post
Even though both cars are on par, I would go for the BRIO just for the sake of exclusive factor. Almost every 3rd-4th car on the road is a SWIFT and I won't like to be a part of that herd...
+1
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Old 25th March 2012, 23:17   #10
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

Brio is a good car. If you are planning to hit the highways frequently, blindly go for swift. You will not regret the sporty and peppy engine that swift has. If planning to drive mostly in the city then I would go for Brio.
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Old 25th March 2012, 23:56   #11
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by swiftnfurious View Post
Do you have any numbers [approximate] to quote? Would like to know what extra cost comes in a Honda in almost 1L kms [or even 50K kms considering it's a petrol].
I don't know about Brio, but at least in case of Honda City, I had to take the car for service every three months. Service intervals must not be so close in Maruti?
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Old 26th March 2012, 00:47   #12
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Guna View Post
I don't know about Brio, but at least in case of Honda City, I had to take the car for service every three months. Service intervals must not be so close in Maruti?
As per the Swift manual, Minor service every 10000 kms & Major Service every 20000 kms.

Minor Service is oil change & stuff - costs 1500-2000.
Major Service costs around 3500-4500 & has a lot more oil changes, sparks change, coolant change, and lot of other things.
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Old 26th March 2012, 08:42   #13
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

Quote:
Originally Posted by swiftnfurious View Post
Honda is more of an aspirational brand than Suzuki for me. Add exclusivity also to it. If you can afford S(O)MT, then nothing like it.

Do you have any numbers [approximate] to quote? Would like to know what extra cost comes in a Honda in almost 1L kms [or even 50K kms considering it's a petrol].
As aspirational brand it sure is (Honda) ;a friend just graduated from a Spark to a Brio for the feel good factor

If you don't want to be part of a herd , as someone pointed out,go for the Brio.

On the numbers front , please take the case of any Honda and pit it against an equivalent Maruti and do the calculations ; you'll get the answer(the only exception is the Baleno since it sports a lot of SGPs )

A few examples where Honda "wins"
  1. Honda demands a 5k kms service
  2. cost of spares
  3. labour costs? not too sure of this

Last edited by vigsom : 26th March 2012 at 08:47. Reason: addition
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Old 26th March 2012, 08:56   #14
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

I own the new Swift VXI and recently had a chance to drive a colleagues Brio. Here are my observations:

i. Engines are closely matched on paper. However, and this came as a surprise to me, the Honda engine seemed to be straining every time I built up the revs. This could be attributed to the new engine factor on the Brio (about 1000 kms old), but hey, I never felt anything of the sort in the 2000 odd kms that I have clocked till date on the K12 even during the run in period. The K12 is a gem, and delivers awesome power in a linear fashion. The more you pile on the revs, the better and faster and sweeter sounding it gets.

ii. Gearshifts on the Brio are undeniably notchy. There is no comparison at all to the super slick tranny of the Suzuki. none at all. Again, could be due to the fact that I drive a new example- but the shifts on the Suzie were far better right out of the showroom.

iii. Steering- lovely, lovely weight on the Swift's steering, and full of feel. The Brio has a neutral steering, nothing to write home about. Both steering wheels feel good to hold, Honda's made of softer material.

iv. Manouverability - The Honda is one seize smaller than the Swift, and has better all round visibility aided by the rear hatch. Driving in city traffic is easier. Also easier to park in tight spots. But give the Swift even a patch of open road, and that glorious engine note above 2.5K RPM starts giving you the shivers

v. Handling- Swift. Enough said. Slap on some better tires, and just see the car transform into a road hugging missile. I personally run 195 15 inchers.

vi. Exclusivity- No doubt goes to Brio- as of now. That rear hatch though just does not work for me. Though it may just appeal to you.

Somehow, all the hype about the Brio that I had been reading in the reviews suddenly seemed exaggerated when I actually drove the car for about 50 odd kms. Maybe because it was yet to be run in.

SO at the end of the day, whichever pulls at your heartstrings more, go for that. Both are practical choices, maintenance friendly, and will give you lots of joy if you are a free revving engine junkie like me! As a drivers car though, the Swift has a discernible edge.

Last edited by arindambasu13 : 26th March 2012 at 09:03.
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Old 26th March 2012, 08:58   #15
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Re: Honda Brio S MT or Swift VXi ?

If you are ready to pay 5.5. lakhs for the Swift Vxi, then why not the S(O)MT Brio for the same cost (I think). Additional safety features for an exclusive car, equally good as the Swift
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