Re: Upgrading from Swift. Which Hatch? Quote:
Originally Posted by Epic Hi guys,
I am back after a long time and unfortunately back to square one!! I have been going back and forth with choosing the right hatch and it has done no good till date. The good news is that I have narrowed down to 03 cars in that order:
1. New Honda Jazz
2. New Maruti Suzuki Swift
3. VW Polo 1.6
But here is the confusion:
1. Honda Jazz - I am all out for the Jazz but I have neither seen nor test driven the new car. The sales guys say, its the same engine and suspension and only cosmetic changes are there and ofcourse the price drop. But the waiting period is a whooping 04-06 months!!! Is it worth the wait? Besides, will the Jazz be as enthusiastic to drive as the Swift? It is definitely more spacious than the other two options.
2. Swift - As I currently own a Swift myself the only thing that pisses me off about the car are the rattles and the fact that it is prone to corrosion. For me, this is a major issue as I live bang opposite the sea. Not sure if the quality of the metal has been improved to handle this. I have been told by many experts that the quality of Maruti has improved to even better than Honda and Honda is selling more on its brand. Honda cars are equally prone to corrosion. Not sure how much of this is true but I don't want to go through the corrosion issue again. Also, the rear, specifically the windows and boot have become smaller than the previous model. Also as per GTO's review, the car is not as aggressive as the previous model.
3. VW Polo 1.6 - This sort of fits pretty good specifically because of the 06 year anti corrosion warranty. But I am worried about the cost of maintaniance. Again, I have been told that the cost of maintainance is almost equal to that of higend cars like Mercs. Again, don't know how much of this is true but I wouldn't want this. |
Good to see this thread open again and what a coincidence that I am stuck in the exact same dilemma with the three options you have mentioned! My views:
1. Honda Jazz - I am all out for the Jazz too, only the waiting period is keeping me away because honestly, I might not be able to wait that long! The sales guy told me that Honda does not compromise on quality and they are keeping production limited to single shift. While I believe that the long waiting periods have got something to do with localization levels as well as Brio launch. I test drove the car and I would not say that it is as fun to drive as Swift (I have owned Swift VXi 1.3). Two of its important characteristics are: 1) You have to rev it well to get it moving faster. 2) GC is low = 160mm - although the suspension is tuned accordingly so stiff ride at low speeds (depends on what kind of roads you are gonna drive it on). Quality-wise, IMO it has the best quality, interiors as well as overall, of the three shortlisted. If this car was available immediately, I would have bought it right away as it seems to me the most reliable of the three.
2. Swift - The rattles are supposed to have been reduced to a good level in the new Swift as per some of the reviews but it is too early to tell. Even in my Swift 1.3, the rattles became more evident after crossing 10k and kept increasing every 10k. Something that I did not like was the labour issues (which are resolved now) thus causing long waiting period on this one too. One major point is that while Maruti reassures that the waiting period will be reduced drastically by increasing production to multiple shifts, I wonder who is going to keep a check on the quality control? Regarding corrosion issues, may be you could go for a good corrosion prevention treatment and get it done in front of you. The car may not be as aggressive as the previous model, but I am sure it is more aggressive than Jazz! I had some clutch issues in my Swift 1.3 which could never be resolved so I am keeping new Swift as the last option.
3. VW Polo 1.6 - The cost of maintenance is around 7-8k per year it seems, according to some ownership reports. I believe this might increase with each passing year of ownership. Some points worth considering about this car are: 1) The VW facebook page is full of complaints and it seems a lot of people are in trouble! I do not see VW responding there, so I wonder if the A.S.S would be good. 2) There are reports that VW has not manufactured 1.6 after April / May 2011 (reason unknown). Not sure if this is speculation or fact, you might not be able to get a freshly manufactured piece! If you enquire around and find that a fresh piece is available, please do let me know. 3) There is a chance that an updated version with additional features (steering-mounted controls, etc.) might be launched soon. But with the current offers of upto 40k off, I think it is ok to go for current model.
IMO, in terms of reliability, Jazz is on top followed by Polo and then Swift. |