[greenhorn]

yup, despite all this noise , the swift seems better built than my indica
Still, it is no palio

[sathya_nars]

Good discussions... Inspite of these Quality oriented issues, these 2 cars sell like anything. If MUL corrects these issues, then it'll eat lot more of pie in these segments undoubtedly - then others will have to really worry about revising the package they offer.

Maruti, are you hearing?

[amit]

Originally Posted by rippergeo

phew! somebody gets it! what a relief!
BMW handles well and rides well(its still stiffer than a merc) but whats the price difference between a BMW and a swift?

Forget about the BMW. My Palio S10 rides AND handles better then the SX4 - at slow AND fast speeds. Not saying that the SX4 doesn't handle well. Point is that a Rs.5.xx Lac car outdoes a Rs.8.xx lac car in both these aspects. Yes, the Palio 1.6 ride quality is much more firm then the SX4 but it's just the finesse with which the Palio handles bad roads that's amazing to me even after 5 years of owning the car.

Putting it down in simple terms, the Palio is like a woman thats confident in her beauty, grace, attitude and sexiness. The SX4 is like a giggly teenager that believes the best way to impress a guy is by giggling and talking loud to attract male attention.

Now here is one more problem that's comes sometimes in my car. The suspension clunks over bad roads sometimes. The sound is similar to some metal clunking all over and feels as if some metal part is falling off as the car goes over bad roads.

A couple of times I have had the belt issue too but it doesnt happen everytime. I believe this 'chirrrrrr' sound has been faced by a couple of SX4 owners too.

[iTNerd]

cars don’t have to be superfast to be fun, and don’t have to be expensive to make you feel good. Maruti suzuki already made that point over here with the swift, which offers most of the delights of a mini without the annoying retro-ness. I do agree that the Swift has cheap interior materials, and that is a case of you getting what you pay, but at least the interiors (buttons, switches etc) are layed out well and the car has good mechanicals, not found in its class. If you didn’t let the car’s inadequacies (dull interiors, occasional rattling) overshadow it’s selling points, this car proves that you can have fun in a daily driver, all within a budget.

[watashi75]

I have a petrol Swift ZXi and I have a few cribs regarding the build, as opposed to performance and safety which some of us are discussing so passionately.

In all the scraps I have had till now nothing has happened to the other party while the Swift has turned for the worse each time. An auto deformed my front wheel arch - the auto guy didn't even realize it. A wooden vendor cart deformed my rear bumper - nothing happened to his cart. I have rubber beedings to protect the car from minor scratches but I don't think it is of much use since the bumper itself collapses at the slightest pretext.

The radiator is very near the front with hardly anything to protect it save for a single rod running in front of it. The grill in front too is made of rubber so it is even more easy to damage the radiator in case of a frontal collision. In fact I had a frontal collision with a bike. The bike guy was off in 2 minutes while I ended up with a broken radiator. In another thread somebody has reported a broken radiator after colliding with a dog.

The door rattles if the window is rolled down. The clutch is going strong but then it is only 10K. Door handles and other plastics have survived in their OE form till now.

Now, I am really happy when it comes to performance and ride handling. The turning radius is just a little bit more than an 800 which makes it a perfect city car. I often get mileage above 12 in the city but probably because I prefer long routes with less traffic.

On the highway it is a breeze cruising at 100 but a gale above 120. Overtaking in the 5th gear is a pain and it saddens me a lot to be overtaken by 800s and Sumos before I overtake them. I don't see it as a problem of the engine but the choice of gear ratios for giving it a high top speed. Infact both 4th and 5th gears are overdrive gears in the Swift. With proper tyres, suspensions, gears, GC and 4WD I don't see why we can't have a nice off roader based on the Swift!

I am happy that out of build, performance and safety Maruti has decided to compromise on build and not something else. As a customer if I had 5.7 lakhs I would splurge it on Swift anyday. Er...wait. Maybe instead I should splurge it on a 800 with EPS, ABS, airbags, climate control, central locking, power windows and a nice ICE with the money saved.

[cartech]

Last week I took test drive of SWIFT ZXi at Sai Services Mumbai. I was surprised that there were no rattles whatsoever!! The ODO read 5300 kms and the car was painted as TD car. TD was done at 2.00pm and the car was parked in hot open lot. AC did very good job to cool(Climate Control).

Has Maruti fixed the ratteling problem? BTW I am booking ZXi on 17th/18th after finance formalities are complete.

[srishiva]

Its being a little too harsh on the Marutis. Parts falling off ? I don't think its going to happen. The cars are reliable.
Other than the door panels (both inner plastic and outer steel), I don't find anything much wrong in the swift. Its lively and the mechanicals are good.
Its a pretty stiff car and would not be that good in ride quality.

If lakhs of customers who have bought it do not complain (other than the rattling niggles), whats the point of the blame ? Its the same customer difference that exists on either side of the Atlantic when it comes to ride quality and stiffness. It means we Indians are ready for sporty cars.

[supremeBaleno]

Yesterday's DC had an article about MUL selling 2 lakh Swifts in less than 3 years (it debut-ed on 25-May-05), making it one of the fastest selling cars (or the fastest, not sure). That surely says something about the car and what it offers for the price.

[GTO]

now if everyone of us started writing souped up reviews then half of population can be scared away from any manufacturer.

If lakhs of customers who have bought it do not complain (other than the rattling niggles), whats the point of the blame

Which part of which review do you find souped up? And yes, I can bet you that rights & WRONGS of each manufacturer have been discussed on Team-BHP. Search through the forums and I will be proven right. Let me start with myself…of the 4 cars that I own, I have been vocal about Mercedes’ inflated pricing / electronic nightmares, Honda’s overpricing / fragile build / after-sales service, Tatas niggling issues and Mahindras after-sales service / niggling issues / all things Logan.

There are couple of millions of Maruti owners who are still having ball of a time with the cars

There are lakhs of Indica owners enjoying their cars too. Should we adopt a stand of silence on the Indica’s problems too? It really isn’t about defending the cars that we own. It is about accepting the good and the bad of each manufacturer. In fact, that is one of the beautiful parts of this community i.e. we can be frank & upfront in our opinions to benefit potential buyers. And we can get the point across to manufacturers. Do you know how much time car manufacturers spend on Team-BHP? If we don’t tell them where to improve, who will? Advertising-driven car magazines? Ill-informed car salesguys? WE are the best freely available feedback mechanism there is, for potential car owners and manufacturers alike. All they need is a computer and internet connection to really “connect” with actual car owners.

I know that Maruti screens extensively through Team-BHP and, hopefully, adopts the constructive feedback. You know what I think is wrong with Maruti / Suzuki? Its that they are taking a step backward in quality. I mean, come on….even Hyundai is making massive strides in quality. You can see it in their cars…..to the extent of the Sonata giving the Accord a run for its money in the States. See the sheer quality of the i10!! In developed markets worldwide, Hyundai is gaining respect. And more importantly, I can tell you, at a far greater pace than Suzuki is. Hyundai IS putting in the efforts. Sadly, the same cannot be said about Suzuki or Mitsubishi. Lets not be blind to the facts.

Screen through this thread itself, as also this thread (Is Swift Build quality so poor... ??) for owner comments. No one is saying that the Swift / SX4 are bad cars….but yes, I will be the first in posting where they / anyone else can improve. THAT is the very point, Srishiva.

Think about the potential if Maruti actually were to up the bar on overall quality =

If MUL corrects these issues, then it'll eat lot more of pie in these segments undoubtedly - then others will have to really worry about revising the package they offer.

Exactly!

[raghu.t.k]

I agree to most of the points on the refinement and finesse, and not having the best of the engines in Maruti vehicles. On the interiors, I really liked the interiors of Aveo, when it was first launched.

My first car was an Alto xfun, which was well used to go around Gurgaon and Delhi. And I need to say I was well satisfied with it, though did not own it long enough to hear the rattles. But I still miss it dearly since it was my first car, had taken good care or it. Hardly had any scratches but for a minor dent on the bonnet from a road rage at mathura. Now I have a SX4, and after nearly 3k, I have no serious issues with it. Though would not compare it to a fiat's build or engine(my first choice, but for its after sales service). The noise inside is high compared to a fiat. But what I liked best, was the features like the ABS, Airbags or iCats provided in maruti, were not even dreamt of by others until they introduced it. When I had narrowed my choice between NHC, and SX4, the deciding factors were the features. I had even asked the Honda dealers if they were available as options.

Yes I would have expected a much more refined engine, better interiors, but I would do the same even if I had a E Class, drooling over the S Class.

[srishiva]

Sonata doesn't give a run for Accord's money. Now thats just a perception. Even the fine Altimas, Malibus and Mazdas dont.

Hyundai had no choice, whereas Maruti still has. That seems to be the problem. They are THE mainstream cars. They will shave plastic and sheet metal to save money until the competition improves (in all aspects)

[srijit]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

This is exactly the reason why i did react, now if everyone of us started writing souped up reviews then half of population can be scared away from any manufacturer. lol

Chill, it aint that bad. There are couple of millions of Maruti owners who are still having ball of a time with the cars

I have to disagree with you on this one, Jaggu. I dont think that these are "souped up" reviews. In fact, most of the reviews and long term owneships that I have seen at Team-BHP sounds amazingly truthful and down to earth.

Why is it that we need to defend Maruti from criticism? Is it because everybody is lying about the "perceived" lack of quality of the Swift and SX4, or is it to justify our own purchases? (I too have a Maruti vehicle). As you can see from the quote below, Maruti is doing just fine without any help. A few critical reviews wont dampen their sales. But if it might get them to improve their product, then it is a must.

Originally Posted by supremeBaleno

Yesterday's DC had an article about MUL selling 2 lakh Swifts in less than 3 years (it debut-ed on 25-May-05), making it one of the fastest selling cars (or the fastest, not sure). That surely says something about the car and what it offers for the price.

There are a ton of people who buy cars just by looking at the price. My parents are among them. Our 2 year old, 15,000Km run car rattles so much that I had had to increase the volume of songs when I am alone in the car.

But my parents dont notice a thing when they are inside (and the song is muted). As far as they know, the car is fine as long as it is running. It's these kind of people that are driving Maruti's sales.



ps: I have read reviews on Team-BHP about the Skoda's and the Safari's (my other intrests). I am amazed at the openness and candor of the reviews, even in the minutest detail. It makes me feel that manufacturers are learning from their mistakes and taking care of their customers, who in turn love their cars.

pps: A BIG "Thank You" to everyone who has written a long term report on their car. It really helps.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by srishiva

Its being a little too harsh on the Marutis. Parts falling off ? I don't think its going to happen.

srishiva, I've read in a recent review in the May edition of an auto mag that the test car given to them had its door handle coming off!

GTO has done the right thing by starting this thread, so that Maruti could take preventive steps and prevent its quality from taking a nose dive. A well-informed buyer cannot be taken for granted, unlike the days when people bought cars by blindly going by the manufacturers reputation.

[iTNerd]

Is it because everybody is lying about the "perceived" lack of quality of the Swift and SX4, or is it to justify our own purchases?

No one is lying about the lack of quality. That is one MAIN area that Maruti needs to work on to remain competitive (apart from price). But even with the niggling rattles, no superb build quality, the brand Maruti itself invokes affordable and cheap cars, that are reliable and low on maintenance. So, inspite of the shortcomings, maruti cars are pretty ahead in terms of sheer value for money, reliability, safety and after sales and these are very important issues that most new buyers look into when deciding on within 6-7 lacs bracket. The occasional rattling, better interiors etc, are something, that can be tolerated.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by srishiva

Sonata doesn't give a run for Accord's money. Now thats just a perception.

I can tell you for a fact that Hyundai has Honda / Toyota looking over their shoulders. I would even go further in stating that they help keeping the Jap manufacturers pricing in check.

The current gen Sonata has managed 50% + of the Accords sales, in some months. In my opinion, that is enough to warrant some warning bells. Why? Because it was never managed before....and Hyundai is gaining increased acceptability in developed markets.