Driving pleasure wanted: Esteem or Swift?

GTO - Touring · 20th September 2005, 09:34

Well, I do drive a friends swift pretty often and I can tell you....its no slaggard at all. There would be hardly a seconds difference between the Swift and the Esteem to the 100. A good driver is worth atleast 3 seconds and can more than make up the difference.

The Swift is today. The Esteem is day-before-yesterday. For smiles per mile, and from extensive use of both these cars - the Swift wins by a huge margin.

GTO

hellspawn · 22nd September 2005, 23:42

well i wud go for the esteem....it has practicality with performance.as one of the members was referring to od test where verious performance cars were tested to c which one was the fastest through a series of straights,corners,hairpins.and yes they were suprised by the swift.btw they did not test an esteem so u dont know how it wud have performed?well tell me in a regular city drive how many wud u take a hairpin turn at 60 or cut across a corner at 100.....the answer is simple:the traffic wud just not allow u.so basically in start and go traffic the only place where u can actually test performance is when u screech forward when the light turns green,u feel the power when ur neck snaps back....the esteem gives u that,ikon,baleno,siena/palio1.6 give u that but not the swift.i drive a friends swift quite often and seriously i dont feel that im accelerating.i wudnt call it acceleration,i wud call it gathering up speed quickly...wide differnce between the two.i like it when im pushed back into the seat.and if the esteem has flimsy build quality, a lot of ppl who recently bought a swift also complain that the car has started rattling and squeaking within 1000kms..not 1,not 2 but i know 3 ppl,relatives of mine who are very unhappy wid the swift.they still wish that they wud have bought the esteem....atleast they wud have got a boot along with the squeaks and rattles.how else do u explain suzuki pricing a car at <4lac whereas outside in britain,europe its sold for >5.5l(the basic model).zxi cost around 6.5l in england(one of my friends staying in london told me this).obviously they had to cut corners.....so my 2 cents for the esteem.....(also rally goers prefer an esteem anyday).

frankmehta · 28th March 2006, 18:58

open the gas on the esteem and do the same thing on the swift and decide for yourself......a swift is a good overall car but for the goosebumps i'd take the keys to an esteem anyday(even over the newer cars_only for the acceleration though.........for the rest the swift is generations ahead)

n_aditya · 28th March 2006, 19:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankmehta

open the gas on the esteem and do the same thing on the swift and decide for yourself......a swift is a good overall car but for the goosebumps i'd take the keys to an esteem anyday(even over the newer cars_only for the acceleration though.........for the rest the swift is generations ahead)

I second that... the only car i would look at apart from the esteem is the Skoda RS.... awesome machine and awesome power....

correct me if i am mistaken... comparing the swift and esteem is ok but one thing we need to remember is that the swift is a newly engineered car in terms of handling etc while the esteem is still having the same old technology apart from the recent introduction of the mpfi engine...

speedbuster · 28th March 2006, 20:45

Driving pleasure??

I have driven my cousion's swift zxi for more than 800kms, and I have also driven esteem mpfi quite a lot.
my conclusion:

Swift looks fast, but isn't fast!
its vry sluggish from 1st to 3rd gear till 50kmph, only after that u get the shrill factor.

Esteem: oh boy, its pick up is awesome!
but it wont handle like a swift in corners, but who cares? u r not going to take ur car in a race track!

go for esteem.

S@~+#0$# · 28th March 2006, 20:53

I had the same question in mind a few months back and after researching it out, I decided to buy a sparingly used esteem and modify it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellspawn

u screech forward when the light turns green,u feel the power when ur neck snaps back....the esteem gives u that,ikon,baleno,siena/palio1.6 give u that but not the swift.i drive a friends swift quite often and seriously i dont feel that im accelerating.i wudnt call it acceleration,i wud call it gathering up speed quickly...wide differnce between the two.i like it when im pushed back into the seat.

I totally agree with you on that hellspawn. The swift is way too heavy to give you this kind of feel.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RX135

Esteem and swift both employ same engine. Esteem is much lighter than heavily build swift. So, why would swift be faster than esteem, unless the gearing is really screwed up on Esteem? In fact, it should be the other way round.

Yes it really is the other way round, the gear ratios on the Swift are screwed up and guess what you can't tweak it by changing a few gearwheels with that of the Maruti 1000 or the Zen. Whereas, I got my gearbox modified on my esteem to have closer ratios and trust me she flies. Maruti has made the swift's gearwheels incompatible with the other cars in its stable meaning you cannot mod a swift's gearbox easily to improve its ratios.

Esteem really is a pocket rocket..... I was told that even the spares of the esteem are comparitively cheaper than the swifts.

zaphod · 28th March 2006, 20:57

Well, the esteem feels rather light and scary at high speeds, it also is a very skittish and unstable while turning fast - I'd definitely go for a swift - you might lose a few seconds on the straights but corner carving is where the fun in driving is.

Disclaimer : I havent driven a swift - just giving my opinion from what I;'ve heard about the car.

n_aditya · 29th March 2006, 07:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by speedbuster

Esteem: oh boy, its pick up is awesome!
but it wont handle like a swift in corners, but who cares? u r not going to take ur car in a race track!

u never know.... i never imagined my esteem would be doing the rounds of the race track near chennai so often... and btw there was a turbo swift and it was not as peppy and fast as most cars....

n_aditya · 29th March 2006, 07:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by zaphod

Well, the esteem feels rather light and scary at high speeds, it also is a very skittish and unstable while turning fast - I'd definitely go for a swift - you might lose a few seconds on the straights but corner carving is where the fun in driving is.

Disclaimer : I havent driven a swift - just giving my opinion from what I;'ve heard about the car.

hey zaphod... the esteem handles pretty well.... body roll is evident yes but overall it manages just fine... i have personally encountered high speed turns... esp at the chennai mmst race track.... 135kmph on C1.... there was some body roll but with good tires you will feel more confident on the turns....

the light and scary feeling is there yes.... and after some experience the scary part disappears....

S@~+#0$# · 29th March 2006, 08:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_aditya

there was some body roll but with good tires you will feel more confident on the turns....

Yes, I upsized to 185/60/14 Yokohama AVS ES100 rubber and the car has become very sure-footed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by n_aditya

the light and scary feeling is there yes.... and after some experience the scary part disappears....

Good one mate

.

pyrocrypt · 29th March 2006, 08:58

i ride an esteem..but when it comes to the swift...the stock is may not be that good but with a K&N filter attached the acceleration is awsome ...in the recent kerala team bhp meet one of our members had a swift with K&N(for pics and details see the kerala meet thread)...the car while in the second gear reached 100kmph..the breaks on swift are awsome ... so if you are looking for pure driving fun(ie fast)buy low end model of swift do performance upgrade.the vehicle will rock.

dhirajs · 29th March 2006, 09:38

The baleno Lxi is available for 5.45 on road after discounts here in delhi.Avoid the swift & esteem!if u are taking a loan ,u will just have to shell out 2k more per month.

zaphod · 29th March 2006, 09:57

Aditya, I have the old carbed esteem which manages to reach 160 speedo indicated with 2 people on board - 175/70 michelin certis for rubber - turning isnt that bad at moderate speeds as Ive found out in the autocross - i was beating guys in mpfi esteems easily but go over 120/130 and i'm afraid the car is going to become a cessna !

Oh yeah...how could I forget ....doh !!!!

and I even have one.... forget em both and go for a baleno Lxi - just upgrade to 195's on 14/15 inchers !

I've taken it to 170 speedo and it still feels stable - the acceleration is awesome - it' s just that the car doesnt feel very smooth and relaxed until you try hard and keep below 2000 rpm ??? and the torque ...... oh boy.... crawling at 1000 in 2nd is amazing

zaphod

dodgeviper · 29th March 2006, 10:49

I'll go for Swift, Esteem is very old now. Not even much changed in Esteem.

I drove Esteem and touched 100 km/ph or I can say i did not get chance to touch more.

But I bought Bright Red Swift VXI and touched daam 160 km/ph in Noida Express way. I wanted to touch 170 but road ends. Still 3 people on board and car is still stable.

I prefer to go for Swift

prince85 · 29th March 2006, 11:13

Well, as far as the speeds are concerned, around 2 years back i managed to drive my gf's esteem vx mpfi(2002) to 185kmph(speedo), the car looked like it could have done more but there was this Hyundai Accent or a Toyota Corolla(i dont remember) who came in the way. We were 4 in the car. I just wanted to push the car to its limits and maybe beyond.

Those days i had no idea how important tires are coz we did those speeds in stock 155/80/R-13 Goodyear GPS-2(tubed tires)

. Now after being a T_BHP member for nearly 6 months i feel how lucky i was to come out of that drive safe.

Anyways, personally own an Esteem Vxi 2006 after selling my 1997 Esteem LX. Top speed i could manage in mumbai is 120kmph. Test drove a Swift before i bought the esteem and IMHO, though it has the same or modified engine as the esteem, it ain't anywhere close to the esteem in terms of driving thrill.

Cheers

20th September 2005, 09:34	#16
GTO - Touring BHPian Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 710 Thanked: 54 Times	Well, I do drive a friends swift pretty often and I can tell you....its no slaggard at all. There would be hardly a seconds difference between the Swift and the Esteem to the 100. A good driver is worth atleast 3 seconds and can more than make up the difference. The Swift is today. The Esteem is day-before-yesterday. For smiles per mile, and from extensive use of both these cars - the Swift wins by a huge margin. GTO
	() Thanks

22nd September 2005, 23:42	#17
hellspawn Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: noida Posts: 1,686 Thanked: 7 Times View My Garage Infractions: 0/1 (10)	well i wud go for the esteem....it has practicality with performance.as one of the members was referring to od test where verious performance cars were tested to c which one was the fastest through a series of straights,corners,hairpins.and yes they were suprised by the swift.btw they did not test an esteem so u dont know how it wud have performed?well tell me in a regular city drive how many wud u take a hairpin turn at 60 or cut across a corner at 100.....the answer is simple:the traffic wud just not allow u.so basically in start and go traffic the only place where u can actually test performance is when u screech forward when the light turns green,u feel the power when ur neck snaps back....the esteem gives u that,ikon,baleno,siena/palio1.6 give u that but not the swift.i drive a friends swift quite often and seriously i dont feel that im accelerating.i wudnt call it acceleration,i wud call it gathering up speed quickly...wide differnce between the two.i like it when im pushed back into the seat.and if the esteem has flimsy build quality, a lot of ppl who recently bought a swift also complain that the car has started rattling and squeaking within 1000kms..not 1,not 2 but i know 3 ppl,relatives of mine who are very unhappy wid the swift.they still wish that they wud have bought the esteem....atleast they wud have got a boot along with the squeaks and rattles.how else do u explain suzuki pricing a car at <4lac whereas outside in britain,europe its sold for >5.5l(the basic model).zxi cost around 6.5l in england(one of my friends staying in london told me this).obviously they had to cut corners.....so my 2 cents for the esteem.....(also rally goers prefer an esteem anyday). Last edited by hellspawn : 22nd September 2005 at 23:44.
	() Thanks

28th March 2006, 18:58	#18
frankmehta Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 4,000 Thanked: 3,577 Times View My Garage	open the gas on the esteem and do the same thing on the swift and decide for yourself......a swift is a good overall car but for the goosebumps i'd take the keys to an esteem anyday(even over the newer cars_only for the acceleration though.........for the rest the swift is generations ahead)
	() Thanks

28th March 2006, 20:45	#20
speedbuster BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: delhi Posts: 126 Thanked: 0 Times	Driving pleasure?? I have driven my cousion's swift zxi for more than 800kms, and I have also driven esteem mpfi quite a lot. my conclusion: Swift looks fast, but isn't fast! its vry sluggish from 1st to 3rd gear till 50kmph, only after that u get the shrill factor. Esteem: oh boy, its pick up is awesome! but it wont handle like a swift in corners, but who cares? u r not going to take ur car in a race track! go for esteem.
	() Thanks

28th March 2006, 20:57	#22
zaphod BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NO IDeA/Madurai Posts: 236 Thanked: 4 Times	Well, the esteem feels rather light and scary at high speeds, it also is a very skittish and unstable while turning fast - I'd definitely go for a swift - you might lose a few seconds on the straights but corner carving is where the fun in driving is. Disclaimer : I havent driven a swift - just giving my opinion from what I;'ve heard about the car.
	() Thanks

29th March 2006, 08:58	#26
pyrocrypt Newbie Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 7 Thanked: Once	i ride an esteem..but when it comes to the swift...the stock is may not be that good but with a K&N filter attached the acceleration is awsome ...in the recent kerala team bhp meet one of our members had a swift with K&N(for pics and details see the kerala meet thread)...the car while in the second gear reached 100kmph..the breaks on swift are awsome ... so if you are looking for pure driving fun(ie fast)buy low end model of swift do performance upgrade.the vehicle will rock.
	() Thanks

29th March 2006, 09:38	#27
dhirajs BHPian Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Delhi Posts: 144 Thanked: 12 Times	The baleno Lxi is available for 5.45 on road after discounts here in delhi.Avoid the swift & esteem!if u are taking a loan ,u will just have to shell out 2k more per month.
	() Thanks

29th March 2006, 09:57	#28
zaphod BHPian Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: NO IDeA/Madurai Posts: 236 Thanked: 4 Times	Aditya, I have the old carbed esteem which manages to reach 160 speedo indicated with 2 people on board - 175/70 michelin certis for rubber - turning isnt that bad at moderate speeds as Ive found out in the autocross - i was beating guys in mpfi esteems easily but go over 120/130 and i'm afraid the car is going to become a cessna ! Oh yeah...how could I forget ....doh !!!! and I even have one.... forget em both and go for a baleno Lxi - just upgrade to 195's on 14/15 inchers ! I've taken it to 170 speedo and it still feels stable - the acceleration is awesome - it' s just that the car doesnt feel very smooth and relaxed until you try hard and keep below 2000 rpm ??? and the torque ...... oh boy.... crawling at 1000 in 2nd is amazing zaphod
	() Thanks

29th March 2006, 10:49	#29
dodgeviper Newbie Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Faridabad Posts: 24 Thanked: 0 Times	I'll go for Swift, Esteem is very old now. Not even much changed in Esteem. I drove Esteem and touched 100 km/ph or I can say i did not get chance to touch more. But I bought Bright Red Swift VXI and touched daam 160 km/ph in Noida Express way. I wanted to touch 170 but road ends. Still 3 people on board and car is still stable. I prefer to go for Swift
	() Thanks

29th March 2006, 11:13	#30
prince85 BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 971 Thanked: 123 Times	Well, as far as the speeds are concerned, around 2 years back i managed to drive my gf's esteem vx mpfi(2002) to 185kmph(speedo), the car looked like it could have done more but there was this Hyundai Accent or a Toyota Corolla(i dont remember) who came in the way. We were 4 in the car. I just wanted to push the car to its limits and maybe beyond. Those days i had no idea how important tires are coz we did those speeds in stock 155/80/R-13 Goodyear GPS-2(tubed tires) . Now after being a T_BHP member for nearly 6 months i feel how lucky i was to come out of that drive safe. Anyways, personally own an Esteem Vxi 2006 after selling my 1997 Esteem LX. Top speed i could manage in mumbai is 120kmph. Test drove a Swift before i bought the esteem and IMHO, though it has the same or modified engine as the esteem, it ain't anywhere close to the esteem in terms of driving thrill. Cheers Last edited by prince85 : 29th March 2006 at 11:16.
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