[iceman7]

Originally Posted by gpa

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....

... 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!

I can understand the frustration when there is no rear windshield wash and wipe function. But don't make it a deal breaker. That besides, you should seriously consider the leg room available in both the cars. Like Nikhil mentioned, it is surprising how Honda have found so much space in a car the size of a Brio. I was left wondering how this could be done. Maybe the boot is smaller or something.

Overall, the Brio seems to be very neatly put together and has that special something which scores it a few brownie points.

[whencut86]

Originally Posted by iceman7

I can understand the frustration when there is no rear windshield wash and wipe function. But don't make it a deal breaker. That besides, you should seriously consider the leg room available in both the cars. Like Nikhil mentioned, it is surprising how Honda have found so much space in a car the size of a Brio. I was left wondering how this could be done. Maybe the boot is smaller or something.

Overall, the Brio seems to be very neatly put together and has that special something which scores it a few brownie points.

The rear wiper and rear windshield defrogger is a boon in today's conditions. The other day when I was driving in bumper to bumper traffic the rear windshield became misty totally with the AC knob in 2 position. To make things worse the outside of the windshield was totally dusty as well. But I think something can be done after market to solve these. But the absence of these was not a deal breaker for me. The way the car pulls in traffic and the way you can slot in and out of small spaces and cramped traffic is terrific. To top it the interior passenger space is stand out. But the boot space is just okay. I managed to squeeze in a small suitcase and 2 travel bags with some effort and it can fit in 1 big trolley case/suitcase. If its for city use with occasional luggage loading people can live with it. There are shortcomings, but it is great VFM. Drive it in traffic and people will realize what a car Brio is. I've done about 800 KMS in 20 days and its an absolute joy to drive my Brio. End of the day it brings a smile to my face after all and that is what matters.

[SrikantDora]

I would choose Brio over the i10 for couple of reasons. S MT is a real VFM with all necessary features & is a real winner over i10. The amount of space Brio has got is commendable & is at par with i20 apart from the boot. It drives better & manoeuvring in city traffic is easy, all thanks to the light steering which in spite of being light makes you feel connected to the road. Handling is spot on & it handles corners pretty well too with minimum body roll. Ride quality is superior as expected from a Honda & way better than the Hyundai. Now all Brios are coming with the parcel tray as a complement from Honda(As per the SE) so it wont invite theft any more

About Brio not having a rear wash & wiper, IMO Honda engineers would have struggled to put a wiper on the all glass tail gate as it would protrude inwards as a box & make it look ugly & will look like a design flaw.

[gpa]

I stopped at a Honda showroom en route to work this morning and got a feel for the car. Since it was fairly early in the morning, the sales manager arranged to give me a TD of the Brio on the spot.

Took her for a 5 kms drive on the ORR which had a sprinkling of heavy traffic as well so I got a feel of how the car will perform in traffic as well as on the open road.

My observations:

- The Brio simply outclasses the i10 in terms of driving performance. To quote Nikhilb2008 from a few posts behind, "it feels like a cute eager puppy always out to please you". A very cute eager puppy indeed!

- The boot is definitely smaller than the i10, but interior space is much better. I am amazed how spacious the car feels. Rear doors don't open as wide as the i10 though, but getting in and out won't be a hassle unless it is parked in a really tight spot.

- The engine is super refined and loves to be revved and does get a tad noisy in the upper echelons of the rev band, but this is something that doesn't bother me. When I was reversing the car into the parking bay, I was going over some rough patches and thought I stalled the car and accidentally turned the key to start thinking the car had stalled when in fact it was running.

- The a/c cools well. The car (Rallye Red) was standing in the hot sun with all the windows rolled up when I entered it and by the end of the drive which was about 20 mins the cabin had cooled down to a large extent.

- The S MT (Option) variant is great VFM as you get adjustable steering with audio controls, ABS, internally adjustable ORVMS and two airbags!!! The only difference from the V MT is you don't get fog lamps and alloys.

Will be taking another TD on Saturday from another dealer with the car loaded with five people to compare the performance with the a/c on then although I believe there won't be too much of a differentiation.

The Brio loves you back indeed!

[Gansan]

I have my eye on this car! Have not done a TD yet though. But is the Jaaz not being offered at attractive terms now? What is the price difference?

[whencut86]

Originally Posted by Gansan

I have my eye on this car! Have not done a TD yet though. But is the Jaaz not being offered at attractive terms now? What is the price difference?

The dealers in Chennai from what I have seen are not that keen in selling a Jazz. They'll want you to look at the Brio and insist on getting the Brio. Moreover in Chennai, Jazz has a waiting period of 5-6 months. This I inquired when I got delivery of my Brio 3 weeks back from Capital Honda.

[gpa]

Originally Posted by Gansan

But is the Jaaz not being offered at attractive terms now? What is the price difference?

Gansan,

Take a TD and see how the Brio woos you

I didn't ask for any info on the Jazz so can't help you there. The OTR prices (Bangalore) for Brio V variant is 6.49 lacs and the base Jazz variant is 7.15 lacs.

gpa

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by gpa

- The S MT (Option) variant is great VFM as you get adjustable steering with audio controls, ABS, internally adjustable ORVMS and two airbags!!! The only difference from the V MT is you don't get fog lamps and alloys.

Actually, you get fog-lamps, alloy-wheels, 'different' upholstery and adjustable steering on the 'V'. The S(o)MT gets everything else but these. The difference between the two is around 40k-45k and at 6 lakhs OTR, the S(o)MT does seem like good value.

You rather save that money and spend it on a new set of larger wheels and wider tyres. That's what I'd do.

[Ranjimso]

Guys, I took a TD of the S MT at Magnum Honda and pretty impressed with the car and the sales folks. The OTR is 545174.

I asked them for cash discount and the obvious answer was "Honda does not provide any cash discount". I asked them for accessories and he said there's not much of a difference when it comes to accessories from S MT to S (O) MT. He has offered me just tints and i think he should agree for mud flaps.

Is there anything else I can push for? Also, let me know if someone has bought from Magnum Honda (Mekhri Circle) whether these guys stick to their words. He has assured me delivery of "Urban Titanium" within a week. I have read in earlier posts people complaining of delayed delivery. Would appreciate if someone can tell me if that problem is taken care of.

[gpa]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Actually, you get fog-lamps, alloy-wheels, 'different' upholstery and adjustable steering on the 'V'. The S(o)MT gets everything else but these.

Actually, you do get the tilt steering even on the S(O) MT as well. Just checked the brochure handed to me this morning which makes the 6 lacs OTR deal all the more sweeter

Yes, better tyres are certainly on my to-do list especially if the car is shod with MRFs. I did make a request to see if the car can be delivered with Michelin instead of MRFs but they couldn't assure me on that.

[suhaas307]

Originally Posted by gpa

Actually, you do get the tilt steering even on the S(O) MT as well. Just checked the brochure handed to me this morning which makes the 6 lacs OTR deal all the more sweeter

Yes, better tyres are certainly on my to-do list especially if the car is shod with MRFs. I did make a request to see if the car can be delivered with Michelin instead of MRFs but they couldn't assure me on that.

Are you sure? I remember quite clearly that the S(o)MT does not come with adjustable steering. I remember the sales-representative telling me this. I'd taken a test-drive of the V which had the feature, but when I'd gotten into the S(o)MT that was in the showroom, I couldn't adjust the steering wheel. Perhaps it is a recent addition?

You will mostly get the MRFs. Why don't you take it to a reputed tyre-store and get them swapped straight away. 195/55 R15" would improve the handling a great deal and give you better stability for those highway drives. Larger tyres and wheels would give it a chunkier look too. The 50k you'd save by buying the S(o)MT over the V could be spent on the new tyres and wheels. At least, that's my plan.

[anandtheleo]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

Are you sure? I remember quite clearly that the S(o)MT does not come with adjustable steering. I remember the sales-representative telling me this. I'd taken a test-drive of the V which had the feature, but when I'd gotten into the S(o)MT that was in the showroom, I couldn't adjust the steering wheel. Perhaps it is a recent addition?

You will mostly get the MRFs. Why don't you take it to a reputed tyre-store and get them swapped straight away. 195/55 R15" would improve the handling a great deal and give you better stability for those highway drives. Larger tyres and wheels would give it a chunkier look too. The 50k you'd save by buying the S(o)MT over the V could be spent on the new tyres and wheels. At least, that's my plan.

Hi, i can confirm that tilt steering is present in S(o) MT. My friend has the same variant.

[gpa]

Originally Posted by suhaas307

You will mostly get the MRFs. Why don't you take it to a reputed tyre-store and get them swapped straight away. The 50k you'd save by buying the S(o)MT over the V could be spent on the new tyres and wheels. At least, that's my plan.

Ditto! I will try to get the car shod with Michelin. Else, a trip to Madhus will be on the cards soon after taking delivery of the vehicle. Will have to check with Nikhilb2008 on possible options for an up-size for the Brio.

[aravind.anand]

Originally Posted by gpa

Ditto! I will try to get the car shod with Michelin. Else, a trip to Madhus will be on the cards soon after taking delivery of the vehicle. Will have to check with Nikhilb2008 on possible options for an up-size for the Brio.

If you don't mind waiting longer, then you can wait for the next batch of Brios to arrive and check if its got the Michelins I wanted Michelins on the City, when my dad bought it. But the dealer told me it would be a long wait, as as per him, if two batches come shod with MRF, it is likely that the next would be shod with Michelins. But my dad wasn't ready to wait for a tyre, so got the MRF. Sigh!

[creative420]

Just wanted to ask the Brio owners...what is the FE you guys are getting in city and highway? Have been thinking about going for this considering my max run in city will be 10kms a day and a highway run of max 600 kms once in 3 months. Is 15kmpl in bangalore a realistic figure? *fingers crossed*