[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by kuljitcingh

reignofchaos -

I am a newbie to car purchase and I wanted to know how much did it cost you extra for the tyre upgrade. And is there an option to tell the dealer to upgrade to new rubber before the delivery itself and get the delivery with the new tyres altogether? Or is it an after-market event.

Also, do you think this upgrade would work on my SMT version of Brio?

thanks.

It was done after market as a friend of mine owns a leading tyre chain in bangalore so I got a very good deal. I'm not sure if he'd like the financials to be publick so if you wish, I'll pm you the details. Getting things like tyres changed is best done aftermarket.

The rim size is the same so this should work on S-MT as well.

[kuljitcingh]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

It was done after market as a friend of mine owns a leading tyre chain in bangalore so I got a very good deal. I'm not sure if he'd like the financials to be publick so if you wish, I'll pm you the details. Getting things like tyres changed is best done aftermarket.

The rim size is the same so this should work on S-MT as well.

Thanks reignofchaos.
Can you please send me the details of the tyre upgrade in a PM since I am also interested.
Also, we would really love if you could post an intital ownership report or may be some pictures alone!

[omatunto]

Is the essential kit(floor carpet & car cover) for Rs 3K & Extended warranty(3rd & 4th year) for Rs 8K worth buying while taking the delivery of the Brio? This is being provided by Magnum Honda, Bangalore.

[reignofchaos]

I paid 1300 for the car cover and 1200 for mats from Whitefield Honda. Both are very good quality so its worth it. Not sure why they are charging you 3k for the same.

Extended warranty can be picked up anytime after delivery as well.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by omatunto

Is the essential kit(floor carpet & car cover) for Rs 3K & Extended warranty(3rd & 4th year) for Rs 8K worth buying while taking the delivery of the Brio? This is being provided by Magnum Honda, Bangalore.

I will say 3k is not too bad. Make sure the mats include one for the boot. I avoid the extended warranty, since in most cases it covers the drive train only. Check the terms and conditions, and what is covered.

[omatunto]

Thank you. I will pick up the mats & cover. But will skip the ext., warranty.

[sammyboy]

No updates at all from Brio owners? Guys please put down your experiences, there are a lot of ppl like me on the borderline waiting for your views.

[cruiser_1982]

I walked into Capital Honda showroom in OMR to check on Honda Jazz, but as usual the dealer was quoting august/september as the time frame for getting a jazz if I book after the bookings officially open. So I checked out the Brio and took it out for a spin. Brio was surprisingly spacious inside. I am 6 foot 3 inches tall and on the heavier side, but still was able to find a perfect seating position in the front and there was enough space on the back seat for my wife. The interiors looked very good, felt very good and was screwed well for the segment. The only grouse was the 180 litre boot, which does not look very usable. The boot is deep and hence we need to stack one luggage/shopping bag over the other to effectively utilize the boot. The all glass hatch in the back was looking better in person and was built solid enough.

When I drove the car, I was grinning widely without my knowledge. The car was absolutely fabulous to drive. The gear lever was great to use, the shifts were short and slots well. The engine revs up freely and felt very peppy. The Brio handled well, I was able to take it to 80 kmph and was also able to drive in bumper to bumper traffic. The steering, though EPS did not feel as vague as in some other cars. I did get some feel out of it and its absolutely light at parking speeds.

When I parked the car, I was impressed with the Brio. I am actually looking for a car to replace my ageing OHC and only the smaller boot is stopping me from booking Brio.

[libranof1987]

I test drove the car today.

The first thing that comes to mind is - the looks are a hit or miss.And this is applicable mostly for the rear. Either you find it chic or downright disproportionate.

Given it's a Honda, the engine is a delight to drive and responds very well to throttle response.

However, I wasn't very comfortable with the way the rear handled itself during braking; it felt as if, the rear was to eager to get ahead. Anyone echoing the same observation?

The gear box is a typical Honda - smooth, but not as much as that in the City.

But cost cutting is glaring in all variants except VMT. I mean, what's with leaving the door exposed near the storage compartment!

And guess what - there's a significant varying panel gap at the front-most end of the bonnet. It might just be to aid air intake but not sure. Doesn't look very nice though.

Also, the rear bench is definitely for just 2 adults; and that too, not very tall ones. A 6-footer has his head rubbing against the roof; the slanting design towards the rear makes things uncomfortable for a person sitting at the back.

I found the SMT version redundant; one should rather buy a bare EMT or a SMT (O) - that's with ABS and Airbags over SMT. VMT is just stupid extravagance.

I feel all the variants are over-priced by at least 20k.

A defogger/rear wiper should have been present in SMT(O) and VMT.

Overall, a nice peppy car for the city!

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I test drove the car today.

The first thing that comes to mind is - the looks are a hit or miss.And this is applicable mostly for the rear. Either you find it chic or downright disproportionate.

Agree! The way it looks is a bit of a 'hit-or-miss' thing.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Given it's a Honda, the engine is a delight to drive and responds very well to throttle response.

Echo the same opinion. And it's a bit surprising considering that the engine + transmission is a carry-over from the Jazz. Looks like Honda have got the tweaking absolutely bang-on!

Originally Posted by libranof1987

However, I wasn't very comfortable with the way the rear handled itself during braking; it felt as if, the rear was to eager to get ahead. Anyone echoing the same observation?

Somehow didn't get this feeling. Perhaps I hadn't really 'tested' the brakes like you did

Originally Posted by libranof1987

The gear box is a typical Honda - smooth, but not as much as that in the City.

Agree. I find the Jazz's 'box a bit notchy at times, especially when shifting to 2nd gear. It doesn't slot in confidently and hesitates a bit.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

But cost cutting is glaring in all variants except VMT. I mean, what's with leaving the door exposed near the storage compartment!

Completely agree! Although Honda wouldn't. They think it's a styling-feature! (LOL)

Originally Posted by libranof1987

And guess what - there's a significant varying panel gap at the front-most end of the bonnet. It might just be to aid air intake but not sure. Doesn't look very nice though.

That air-intake looks really interesting! Almost 'ram-air-intake' like! But that panel-gap is evident, albeit from some angles.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Also, the rear bench is definitely for just 2 adults; and that too, not very tall ones. A 6-footer has his head rubbing against the roof; the slanting design towards the rear makes things uncomfortable for a person sitting at the back.

Completely agree. Although I'm a 6-footer, my head doesn't touch the roof. But if I'm sitting at the back, and the driver negotiates a speed-breaker badly, I've had it. *grins* Even more so because the ride is stiff. While negotiating speed-breakers, the car is a bit bouncy, just like the Jazz. It doesn't really 'soak-in' the speed-breaker.

Originally Posted by libranof1987

I found the SMT version redundant; one should rather buy a bare EMT or a SMT (O) - that's with ABS and Airbags over SMT. VMT is just stupid extravagance.

I feel all the variants are over-priced by at least 20k.

A defogger/rear wiper should have been present in SMT(O) and VMT.

Overall, a nice peppy car for the city!

wholeheartedly with every view.

[DCEite]

I am looking for a replacement of my WagonR and Brio is one of the contenders. Would appreciate if someone could comment on following:

1. The S-MT version is with "single tone" beige interior while the V version is with dual tone. What exactly is the difference. Is the S-MT dashboard all beige instead of beige+black?

2. How good is the car for a tall lanky driver? I am 6'0 ft and there are very less number of cars that i feel completely comfortable in (one of the reasons i can't do away with the WagonR so easily). I am specifically concerned about underthigh support in the driver's seat and space between the knee and central console.

3. Does the base model (E ?) come with all four power windows?

Inputs would be highly appreciated.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by DCEite

1. The S-MT version is with "single tone" beige interior while the V version is with dual tone. What exactly is the difference. Is the S-MT dashboard all beige instead of beige+black?

SMT has single biege tone; the whole dash is just beige. The VMT has a helping of a darker shade of beige.

2. How good is the car for a tall lanky driver? I am 6'0 ft and there are very less number of cars that i feel completely comfortable in (one of the reasons i can't do away with the WagonR so easily). I am specifically concerned about underthigh support in the driver's seat and space between the knee and central console.

Well, if you're 6ft; make sure you sit only in the front seats when you get inside the Brio.

It will NOT be pleasant in the rear seat.

--

To be frank, SMT is unnecessary unless you don't have any plans of going in for your own ICE. I'd rather suggest SMT(O).

[sammyboy]

I test drove the Brio for a very short duration, only about 10 mins or so hence cant really comment on too many things however, as most other people have mentioned
: Interiors are very well put together
The engine feels perfect for city driving
Not really bothered about the rear seat and less boot space as I am looking for a city car only.

The only things I am not too sure about are:

The effectiveness of the AC in peak heat. Even Bangalore has started getting pretty warm these days and with such a huge glass area I would want to see how well the AC is able to cool the car.

Lack of rear wiper/defogger : After driving the Ikon (without these) for over 6 years I realise the importance of these features while driving at night in the rain.

Will want to hang on until i commit to this car until i get some positive feedback from the owners.

[reignofchaos]

Originally Posted by DCEite

I am looking for a replacement of my WagonR and Brio is one of the contenders. Would appreciate if someone could comment on following:

1. The S-MT version is with "single tone" beige interior while the V version is with dual tone. What exactly is the difference. Is the S-MT dashboard all beige instead of beige+black?

2. How good is the car for a tall lanky driver? I am 6'0 ft and there are very less number of cars that i feel completely comfortable in (one of the reasons i can't do away with the WagonR so easily). I am specifically concerned about underthigh support in the driver's seat and space between the knee and central console.

3. Does the base model (E ?) come with all four power windows?

Inputs would be highly appreciated.

1. It is primarily the seat covers - the V has slightly better seat fabric. AFAIK the dash is the same.
2. I'm 6'1" and I drove this car around 4000km (bangalore to calcutta and back) in a week and I didn't feel any sort of pain in my back. The front seats are fantastic for tall drivers. In fact I felt they are better supportive than the far larger Cedia which is my other car.
3. I believe all the models have power windows on all four windows.

Originally Posted by sammyboy

The only things I am not too sure about are:

The effectiveness of the AC in peak heat. Even Bangalore has started getting pretty warm these days and with such a huge glass area I would want to see how well the AC is able to cool the car.

Lack of rear wiper/defogger : After driving the Ikon (without these) for over 6 years I realise the importance of these features while driving at night in the rain.

Will want to hang on until i commit to this car until i get some positive feedback from the owners.

The lack of the rear wash/wipe is a major issue in the rain. While getting out of calcutta on NH6, it was raining heavily and I had a hard time looking behind. However thankfully the car is dynamically sound and staying in my lane, I didn't encounter any trouble. However yes, I'd really like a rear wash/wipe.

The AC is okay. Does the job fine. Its not a super quick chiller like the d segment cars but does okay - neither better nor worse than the segment competitors. Orissa and AP were hot and it did the job adequately considering the heat and also the fact that my car is black.

Someone mentioned of a loose rear end - I felt this issue when I td'ed the test drive car on stock mrfs. After upgrading the rubber in my car to 195/60 ZLOs, this is not seen at all. Plus the steering feedback is significantly better.

[omatunto]

My dealer, Magnum Honda, Bangalore, indicated my car is due in mid-March. Could others who have booked the Brio update on this?