[freak1201]

Originally Posted by pganapathy

For example they get things like alloy wheels and fog lamps. These may be cosmetic add-ons, I agree, but there are people that value things like this. To each his own.

No hard feelings buddy.
I just thought that i had missed on an ACC or something that the Brio offers!

[sgiitk]

@freak1201; I do not think either of these are just cosmetic. You have not seen the fog we get in winters here. Fog lamps are a God-sent. Also, Alloys improve the handling and road holding by reducing the Unsprung Mass, not a deco either.

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@freak1201; I do not think either of these are just cosmetic. You have not seen the fog we get in winters here. Fog lamps are a God-sent. Also, Alloys improve the handling and road holding by reducing the Unsprung Mass, not a deco either.

Point well noted. I guess I meant it in the sense that these are very simple things to add on after market if you want.

Fog lamps I agree are a necessity in certain parts of the country where winters are bad, but otherwise is not that big a deal.

Alloys are only really useful if it comes accompanied with better rubber. The tyre is what matters, not the wheel. Yes, the lesser weight is useful, but becomes secondary if the accompanying tyre is useless. Kinda like some OEM cars where the tyres are picked considering economy and fuel efficiency, and handling becomes scary and it understeers easily.

[freak1201]

Fog lamps - probably a must in the north, but in places like Mumbai and Pune - the only place i would use them is while driving in the winters on the expressway, near Lonavala.
But yes, no point going geography specific.

The alloys - all said and done, we should appreciate the fact that all these passenger vehicles are no high end sports cars! Whats the max speed ill drive in the Jazz / Brio / Swift / i10 / i20? 140kmph, 150 probably? I, anyway would be a big fool to expect a good grip and handling even if I had alloys under such circumstances, add to that the condition of the roads. If not for handling at high speed, i doubt if allows do anything else than add cosmetic value!

I maybe wrong, but i strictly believe that the everyday used passenger vehicle, which one uses for daily use and once in a while highway drive does not require alloy wheels!

[pganapathy]

Originally Posted by freak1201

The alloys - all said and done, we should appreciate the fact that all these passenger vehicles are no high end sports cars! Whats the max speed ill drive in the Jazz / Brio / Swift / i10 / i20? 140kmph, 150 probably? I, anyway would be a big fool to expect a good grip and handling even if I had alloys under such circumstances, add to that the condition of the roads. If not for handling at high speed, i doubt if allows do anything else than add cosmetic value!

I maybe wrong, but i strictly believe that the everyday used passenger vehicle, which one uses for daily use and once in a while highway drive does not require alloy wheels!

A car can understeer at speeds as slow as say 50 kmph so wider tyres is not useful on the highway at very high speeds only.

Like I stated in a previous post, alloy wheels in themselves are not very useful if they are not accompanied by better tires (perhaps the most critical and overlooked part of most cars)

[sydras]

Originally Posted by Daewood

A car is essentially a private form of transport, and darker interiors firmly drive home that point into our psyche.
That's one of the main reasons apart from easy maintenance, why world over darker interiors are preferred, except in India.
Lighter interiors are preferred for public transport, as otherwise the sheer number of strangers inside
will give a sense a claustrophobia to the occupants.

I agree with you about the maintenance part. The beige interiors become a problem if you have a child, tend to eat in the car etc. and when giving for service (Mechanics with greasy hands touch the door handles and other areas within the car.).

Someone else pointed about the poor braking in the new Swift. I would also be concerned about this aspect. When I drive my brother's Chevy Spark, apart from the near hazardous reflections from the beige dash, I find that the Spark has really poor brakes as compared to my City or A-Star i.e. they just don't have the bite or stopping force. Even my old maruti zen had more predicable braking. I don't know if it's the lack of ABS on the Spark or just plain ineffective brakes but it makes for very risky highway driving where driving speeds are much more than in city driving.

[sgiitk]

@freak1201; Alloys are somethings which are good to have. Our roads are good enough to bend the steel wheels easily. With tubeless tyres becoming popular severe rim bending can lead to sudden deflation.

The reason for the alloy improving road holding (nothing to do with the tyre) is that they being lighter increase the resonance frequency [Ferq= 2*pi* (spring Constant/mass)**1/2). So if mass is decreased the frequency increases. Result better compliance with the road.

My view is that Alloys are desirable but not essential. By the way watch out, many vendors are not giving five alloys (but only four, with the spare a steel wheel).

[freak1201]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@freak1201; Alloys are somethings which are good to have. Our roads are good enough to bend the steel wheels easily. With tubeless tyres becoming popular severe rim bending can lead to sudden deflation.

The reason for the alloy improving road holding (nothing to do with the tyre) is that they being lighter increase the resonance frequency [Ferq= 2*pi* (spring Constant/mass)**1/2). So if mass is decreased the frequency increases. Result better compliance with the road.

My view is that Alloys are desirable but not essential. By the way watch out, many vendors are not giving five alloys (but only four, with the spare a steel wheel).

Yes, its become a practice to provide the spare as a steel rim alongwith 4 alloys these days.

[Thilak29]

Can anyone confirm water leakage issue in Brio? Is that for real?

[adityasiera]

Test drove the Brio S(o) MT yesterday, i was quite surprised by the sheer roominess of the interior.
I may be going for the Brio next week. My observations for the car

1.Brilliant engine, makes a sweet noise post 4000 rpm(i think the ivtec kicks in there)
2.For the price, no other car offers as many safety features
3.The new models(made after march 2012) come with the parcel tray, internally adjustable mirrors, tilt steering.
4.Decent Onboard sound-system. Putting a woofer may be tricky.
5.Great visibility from all angles
6.140 -0 in a straight line, no drama whatsoever.
7.The interiors look and feel as big as the indica, esp the front..
Negatives:
Ride is bit harsh on the rear, once loaded with 4 passengers it softens out
The MID is basic,( seems thai guys are able to hack it to display more)
No mess/grill infront of the radiator (Again Thai guys are doing DIY mess to solve the issue)

overall i feel, its a as much nice as the swift vxi,(save for the brakes and the waiting period).

[DCEite]

Originally Posted by adityasiera

3.The new models(made after march 2012) come with the parcel tray, internally adjustable mirrors, tilt steering.

S(O) MT anyway comes with Internally adjustable mirrors (electric)
The S(MT) and E(MT) lack even manual adjustment internally.

[prashant316]

Both the cars, though having a minor considerable difference in their price are acutally very closely matched.

The pros and cons mentioned by you pretty much sum up most of the story.

IMHO, the choice here boils down to what car suits your personality.

If you are a person who enjoys bright light and open air, Brio is the one for you (because of its beige interiors and very roomy feeling due to large amount of glass)

But if you are a person who prefers style and looks more, then Swift is the car for you (because of its new and slightly European design)

Both cars are almost evenly matched in performance (though Brio may win the 0-100 battle in most conditions) and efficiency. And most importantly to me, they both carry their own individual styles.

The choice is yours, take your pick. You wont go wrong. Happy Driving.

[B103]

Originally Posted by Guna

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?

Is the Honda service manual saying that the car has to be serviced every 3 months? I remember seeing it as 6 months. Now-a-days, most of the Italian and German cars have a 1 year service period.

Initially, I too had been getting the call from Whitefield Honda to bring down the car for a quick checkup, every 3 months. I refused twice. They are calling me only at the end of 6 months, these days.

Till date, I had done all the services at the end of 6 months only. This car is definitely not a punk to service it at the end of 6 months.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by B103

Is the Honda service manual saying that the car has to be serviced every 3 months?

The manual says 6 months /10,000 so is open to interpretation for 12months. Honda is permitting 12 months on a Synth so no issues there either. I will switch to a full synth at 12 months.

Tthe wall rate charts in the service centres do not even have the 5,000 service listed for Brio. Of course the dealers like the easy moolah and call you. When I got the call about the 1st service response the lady mentioned a date three months down the line. I asked her to check the chart in front of her nose and tell me whether the three month service and its rate are there. Pretty hilarious. The service vouchers are 1, 6, 12 months.

Once the warranty is over it is 12 months/10000 for me.

[B103]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

Once the warranty is over it is 12 months/10000 for me.

During the warranty period, we have to take the car for servicing once in 6 months to an authorized Honda service center. There is a rider that the warranty can become void if this is not complied to.


I was thinking about continuing 6 month services, at the end of warranty too. Professor's post is making me rethink.

SA can be informed that you are going to return only after one year and therefore to check everything closely. Tyre alignment needs to be done after 10K KM, battery is maintenance free these days -- so what is the need for taking the car for servicing at the end of every 6 months!!