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-   -   Honda Brio : Test Drive & Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/official-new-car-reviews/107427-honda-brio-test-drive-review-41.html)

Guys,

Mom picked our car last afternoon, and have completed 50km already. Expected to get the number today / tomorrow.

Will post the Pictures once she shares them to me. I wont be driving them until July end when i am back.

Seen few ICE's on Sunday and Monday in Bangkok. Decided to wait for few months to see if mom feels there is a need for the new ICE.

This is the first petrol car she is driving and she is in love already. :)

Sorry to barge into this thread but I thought I should share this information.

Yesterday when I reached home I was walking the dogs and found someone in my neighbourhood had called the Honda chap for a demo.

There was a nice demo Brio parked nearby with a chap in a tie standing next to it.
I like the looks of the Brio and I am sure it is a competent little car, so since he had done his demo, I stopped for a bit and was briefly chatting with him.

I asked whether it would be possible to sit in the car and maybe drive it a little way down my lane just to see how it felt.

He said "No Sir, we have certain principles and rules and if you want a test drive you will need to book it on the helpline and fill the form, give your DL copy etc".

Now all these rules and regulations are perfectly fine by me so I didn't pursue the matter then. I understand that these guys are answerable to their management and cannot oblige just any passer-by with a TD.

By a stark contrast, see what happened immediately after this conversation!

This chap got into the Brio, switched it on, revved the engine like a lunatic, slammed it in reverse and shot backwards to the nearby cross-roads, crossed the cross-roads, slammed the brakes very hard, made the tyres squeal, and swung the car around by spinning the wheel. Had there been anyone walking by, or driving by, there would most certainly have been a big bang there and then!

Next, he revved it again like a complete halfwitted fool, smashed it into first gear and did a screaming wheel spin and shot off like a bullet towards the main road. My dogs started barking immediately in surprise!

I could literally hear the car protesting madly when he was braking, revving and engaging gear - I could hear the gears grinding into place, the way he was handling them!

This idiotic demonstrator is from Dakshin Honda on Hosur Road.

He chucked the rule book at me as a passer-by, but what sort of rules do these demonstrators themselves follow? Apparently none - seems that these rules are only for the outside public, not for the showroom chaps!

Frankly based on this experience/ observation of yesterday I would probably never go near that particular dealership and the experience turned me off so much that I would probably not consider a Honda as a potential vehicle for our family, ever.

Unfortunately I dont know that demo fellow's name or else I would most certainly speak to his Showroom Manager for what it is worth!

Cheers.

This can and does happen at almost every dealer. Forget outside the premises, you should see how cars are handled at SCs in the absence of owners.

Another instance could be when the cars are driven from stockyards to the dealerships.

Besides, test drive cars have a tough time even in the hands of the prospective buyer.

Not supporting the guy or his driving, but don't strike off a car/company just because of the nut handling it.

Isn't the Dealer should train these person - first-hand, especially - when you are sending the Demo car - to prospective buyer.

Frankly speaking - one reason, why i have not gone for TD - before i had full confidence in driving. Individual have self & social responsibility & with new cars - you are bound to make some silly mistakes, but not the basics though !.

I feel - the SM's / Dealership boss need to be informed about such incidents - afterall it is their business @ stake in the hands of such amateur(s) !

Yes, you're right. I have never really been a "Honda" person and hence I probably wouldn't buy one anyway, but I love the cute looks of the Brio.
Nothing against Honda per se - I just got so peeved when I saw the way he was driving - and the best part is, in front of prospective customers!

In a perfect world - yes, they should. About the self and social responsibility, If only our RTOs thought on the same lines while 'distributing' licenses.

And, more importantly, just informing the dealer won't make much of a difference. It's actually good that Shankar shared it with us, the end customers.:)

A very well composed review. I feel this small wonder will sell more on appeal then the price. Its a cute, stylish, fun to drive car for the city.

This is a great TD review!!

I have spent the past week or so browsing through the various threads on this forum reading about the Brio and i10 as we plan to replace our ageing Santro in a couple of months.

I was initially planning on a diesel hatch but then my monthly running has come down drastically from ~1200 kms to ~600 kms per month which prompted me to think of a good petrol hatch. I am currently in the process of shortlisting and I am considering the following petrol options - Swift, i10, Brio, Polo.

However, after considerable research, I've narrowed it down to the Brio and i10 making it a close fight indeed. My parents will have to take a test-drive to get a feel for both cars. Personally, I prefer the Brio over the i10 regardless of the fact that it is not as feature loaded as the latter. The only big grouse for me with the Brio is that there is no wash-wipe option on the rear windshield which is present even on my 2005 model Santro!

Brio is no doubt far superior to the i10 if you just consider the engine, but then you cannot beat i10 as a whole package. Also as you mentioned there is no wash-wipe option on the rear windshield of the Brio, which is present even on your 2005 model Santro! Though this may not sound like a deal breaker, it is one of the most important features you cannot afford to ignore. In rainy season when the rear windshield gets covered with muck rear visibility becomes almost zero. Also side mirrors are of little use, with water droplets on them & the window glass panes. The rear wiper comes in handy in such situations. So I won't be surprised if you ditch the Brio just for this reason.

Thanks for your inputs. You are quite right as I fail to understand why Honda would omit such a key feature on a car like the Brio. Then, this has been debated a fair bit on this thread so I would not get into that now. However, you are right when you say that the i10 is a better package. I will take opinions from my family as well as dad also uses the car a fair bit before I finally decide.

Another few thoughts I am mulling over is the rising cost of services for the Hyundai which have been on a steady increase over the past few years with the cost of a service for my very well maintained Santro coming to ~6k for every service which is a lot for the segment. My Alto's regular service usually are the ~3.5k range. Also the Hyundai claimed 20+ kmpl mileage figure from the i10 is far cry from the varying 12-17 kmpl (depending on driving styles) figure what I have heard from people who have been using the i10 extensively in Bangalore city traffic.

Just got back from a TD of the Brio. It is an absolute go-kart. Perfect for the city runs. :thumbs up

But what I liked most is this - A friend and I went for the TD. I am 6'1 and my friend is around 5'11. I got into the drivers seat with my friend in the seat right behind mine. With the drivers seat set to my liking, my friend at the back had ample leg room remaining and was pretty comfortable. I am pretty darn sure this wouldn't be the case in the i10.

I have a need for a 2nd car now. And the Brio is in serious contention. It just loves you back...

Edit - I know looks are subjective and all that, but the Brio just stands out with its quirky boot. 1 up from me for the Brio against the i10.

Hello GPA, hope you and your Alto are doing good!

We were in the same dilemna a couple of months back as my sister was moving back to Bangalore and needed a car. Initially, I assumed the Brio would be too expensive and decided on the i10. I even told my dad and he also agreed. the i10 is a fantastic car overall and is hassle free. And we have owned many Hyundais over the years and have never been disappointed with their hatches.

However, we checked the price of the Brio and were stunned to notice that the V M/T was cheaper than the top end i10.

My sister took a test drive and loved it. Booked it, got it delivered and it's been a month.

I absolutely LOVE the car. It's a FANTASTIC car!

Give the car more power and a better steering feel and I'll forget the Civic! It really feels like a go kart! Extremely chuckable and nimble with amazing ride quality.

The seats are really good for the price point and the interior is so spacious, it's surprising!

I absolutely love that little car! It really has a special charm. If I had to explain the charm, it feels like a cute eager puppy always out to please you!

For the first time, I'm actually jealous of my sister now.

In my opinion, if you re going to drive the new car (brio/i10) a lot, forget the i10 straight away. The brio will bring a smile to your face like almost nothing else in that price range.

Hi Nikhil,

Great to hear from you and thanks for replying to my query. I'm doing fine and so is the Alto - the running of which has come down drastically over the past few months. Will text you regarding a few queries on that which has been pending since the past few months now.

Your inputs on the Brio are very valuable since it was going to be a close fight between the i10 and Brio at home. Will ask my dad to read your inputs as well before we head down to a Honda dealer for a full fledged TD this weekend.

I'm thrilled to know you love the car and are envious of your sis. :D How has the car fared over the past month? Why not post a short review of it in this forum since there are only a very few ownership reviews as of now?

Cheers,
gpa

There is nothing more to say apart from what I have posted. I have driven the car for just 70 kms or so out of the 300 it has covered. As it's my sister's car, it has teddy bears all over the rear windshield and it's dangerous for my reputation to be seen driving a car like that! :P

We havent even finished a tank of petrol so I cant even comment on the mileage but to be honest I'm not expecting it to beat the i10's mileage.

:uncontrol Fair enough, I guess the info suffices.

I've spoken to nine people who are i10 owners and most of them make a reference to a figure between 12-17 kmpl in Bangalore city conditions. Will let you know the final decision although I have a feeling the tide will swing the Brio's way. :)