[Vasanth]

Originally Posted by bosem123

Hey Vasanth.. Glad to see that you've maintained your Brio in such pristine condition. I'm sure she would have fallen in love with you if she were a human But off the topic, tell me something. Have you ever thought of this car to give a more feminine vibe than others? I have somehow always felt as if this car has a somewhat feminine shape and is meant to be driven by a female, may be like the Beetle to an extent. Let me know if the thought ever crossed your mind.

Yes. It/she loves me back.

How many of you remember this ad ? (Screenshot from YouTube)

Initially the car was purchased for my mom. Later it was used by my sister. And past 3-4 years I am using it.
You’re right. It does give feminine vibes. But cars are made for everyone with driving licence regardless of gender. Just like in team bhp official review: there are few points which is a let down for female customers : No adjustable steering wheel, no height adjustable driver’s seat in the pre facelift model.
After all, it was Bertha Benz who first drove an automobile for about 100km and paved the very first road for all of us.

[Vasanth]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

We have a 2015 Brio and it is the perfect beater car for a city like Bangalore. Only thing I missed was not having CarPlay/AA/Bluetooth so gave it a little ICE upgrade early this month and it is good to go for another 4-5 years

Attachment 2149196

May I know the specs of your infotainment system?
We also do have plan of changing the whole unit.
We prefer system with Apple car play and android auto.
Very good touch response.
And we do not want an android system. Recently I got to check out one android display. It was good system except the fact that it looks like an old tablet is integrated in the dash.

Budget: up to 20k

[sam264_2000]

Congratulations on completing 6 years with your Brio! The only time I sat in Brio was in 2017 for a 250km round trip from Pune with 5 adults on board and the car was smoothly cruising at 100kmph!! 3 medium sized adults sat comfortably at the rear. I was surprised!!
When we decided to buy an automatic beater car for city and office drives for my wife in late 2017, her 1st choice was Brio. But when she came to know that the steering cannot be adjusted for rake or reach and no Bluetooth, she dropped the idea. Also IMO, Honda had over priced the car. Decent used car examples were being sold for 6Lakhs!! I was ready to pay that price but destiny had planned something else for us then.

Good luck with your Brio for the next 6 years!!

[Autocaptive]

Great write-up! What a coincidence that we also had a 3rd gen 2010 City V before we bought a Mystic Blue 2015 Brio S! It really was a special little car, I spent a majority of my teenage years driving/riding around town in it. I decided to sell mine due to concerns over safety and poor fuel efficiency (10kmpl in the city and 14.5kmpl on the highway).

Some of the quirks of the car that rubbed me the wrong way were that the brakes locked up really quickly, the gearbox wasn't as slick as our City and the car felt a bit skittish (can be due to the tyres). Barring these minor issues, no other hatchback I've driven since has given me as much thrill as it did.

We replaced our car with a Tata Tiago AMT in 2018 and suffice it to say that the Tiago is a big step down at least when it comes to power, NVH and smoothness. The Brio is a future classic in the context of the Indian hatchback scene and does what it's supposed to brilliantly, I just wish I'd bought the V variant of the car and I'd still be happily revving away to glory

[CosmicWizard]

Originally Posted by Vasanth

May I know the specs of your infotainment system?
We also do have plan of changing the whole unit.
We prefer system with Apple car play and android auto.
Very good touch response.
And we do not want an android system. Recently I got to check out one android display. It was good system except the fact that it looks like an old tablet is integrated in the dash.

Budget: up to 20k

This is Sony XAV AX5000. You can read up the spec online and it ticks all the boxes. I paid a little over your budget (including HU, reverse camera, wires/plates, installation charges) but you can find bargains online during those Amazon/flipkart sales.

[Avikbrio]

Originally Posted by CosmicWizard

This is Sony XAV AX5000. You can read up the spec online and it ticks all the boxes. I paid a little over your budget (including HU, reverse camera, wires/plates, installation charges) but you can find bargains online during those Amazon/flipkart sales.

I also installed the XAV AX5500 recently on my 2012 Honda Brio but the installation was done poorly. There is a large gap as the fascia plate does not fit well, the steering controls do not work, and android auto also does not work. Can you let me know from where you got the fascia plate from?

[Avikbrio]

Fellow Brio owner here since 2012! Your review accurately sums up the car. Although the Brio did not sell much due to its poor interiors, boot space and polarising looks, there is something about this car only Brio owners would know! My car has only driven 25k kms all these years and the suspension needs an overhaul (blame terrible kolkata roads). I recently gave it more life by upsizing to 185s and a brand new ICE and it still chugs around really well. I very much enjoy the go kart like feeling this car gives inside the city!

[TwerkyC0ffee]

Beautifully written, @Vasanth. I have always liked the looks of Brio, especially the unconventional rear end. It certainly deserved more attention and love in our market than what it got.

Honda City's alloys look really good on Brio. Honda should've offered them as standard fitment, especially in the top trims. Your car certainly looks more 'complete' and upmarket with these wheels. Cheers!

[metalSeeker]

Great review. Tempting me to share a review of my 9-year-old, 65000 km Blue Brio Took her for a drive to Goa in Dec 2020 when Covid cases came down. The feel and thrill of that are what keeps me going even today. Love this car so much !! Planning to keep it till eternity

[CosmicWizard]

Originally Posted by Avikbrio

I also installed the XAV AX5500 recently on my 2012 Honda Brio but the installation was done poorly. There is a large gap as the fascia plate does not fit well, the steering controls do not work, and android auto also does not work. Can you let me know from where you got the fascia plate from?

I got the whole package and installation from Glamour Car Accessories in Koramangala. The new HU sits quite flush in the slot with no gaps and steering controls also work just fine. CarPlay works flawlessly but Android Auto does hang and reboots at times. Not sure if it is problem with the phone or the HU.

[M00M]

Great thread Vasanth. I own the Honda Brio 1.2 VX AT too in the same colour as yours. I did some upgrades when I bought it: upgraded tyres to Michelin, 5th rim was replaced to original Alloy wheel, removed the Honda HU and I put in the Honda City AVN system, got the rear spoiler installed, exhaust tail pipe finisher, oh and I almost forgot I installed the Honda original handrest that they had introduced in the Amaze, got that fitted in Honda ASS.

My car has done 20000 kms in 5 years. Recently I did a day road trip of 600 kms and the car returned 17 + kmpl with AC. I keep getting second thoughts of replacing it but then whenever I drive it, it seems very perfect tiny city car, and even the people who want to buy it give very low resale values. So I guess the car isn't going anywhere. How is your AC doing ? I think it takes some time to cool up.

No other issues with it in 5 years. Trouble free. And I love that rear glass hatch.

[1985Darkkid85]

Finally a post to boast about my Honda Brio V(mt)!

About to hit one lakh kms soon & she still keeps miles munching like no tomorrow.

Plan to run it till 1.5l kms , as I'm getting very poor offers for resale!

[vtecblast]

Damn, I have a facelift one and you motivated me to write my ownership experience. The car's side profile when parked is the most addictive sight. If I'm sitting in a café where my Brio is visible I'll keep looking at it from time to time, and fall in love with the car.

This vehicle has been my favourite highway driver. I have lost count of how many times I have took it on highways, in one occasion I covered close to 700kms in a single day. There was a big smile on my face like what an amazing machine this is.

Originally Posted by Vasanth

2. Scratches on the door sill
Is there any way to remove these scratches ? I have tried polishes but did not really work.

3. Door damping
How good is door damping ?
How much does it cost?
Does the road noise really reduce significantly?

Answer 2: Scratches are unavoidable. 3M's invisible guard were working for me but doesn't last longer than 3 months. So, removed it now.
Answer 3: I have got CTK Damping sheets inside my door. Costed ~9k don't remember the exact cost. They have helped in enhancing my audio system's performance (stock unit). And I got a prominent door thud now. Though there aren't any marginal difference in road noise as all in my highway drives.
Wishing you more happy miles ahead

[kn3006]

Congrats Vasanth! She is an absolute beauty. My Brio is right now about to finish 9 years and is close to around 88,000kms ( effectively she has been around the Earth twice! )

I must say that it has been a great experience driving it so far. And what a niggle free experience we have had. I still remember walking into the showroom and falling in love with it at first sight. It feels so easy to navigate the car, felt almost like I had an oversized gokart. In a city like Bombay, this was the perfect hatch to own.

Some interesting figures! I have managed to touch 154 kmph before the rev limiter kicked in. I have managed to get an efficiency of 25.2 kmpl.

[Vasanth]

Very heartwarming to see other loyal and cheerful owners of Honda Brio.

Originally Posted by M00M

So I guess the car isn't going anywhere. How is your AC doing ? I think it takes some time to cool up.

No other issues with it in 5 years. Trouble free. And I love that rear glass hatch.

Yes. The AC takes up a while to cool up especially after parking under the sun. Other than that, no problem.