[sunilch]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Thank you @sunilch. If you don't mind me asking what were the upgrades you made to the car?

Touch screen with Android Auto, Reverse Camera, TPMS, Faux Leather covers and Faux Leather mat in boot, dirt mats (some local ones).

I purchased a used one about a year back and all accessories were added by the previous owner. So I don't have the price breakup. Additionally, the car had a dash cam but it was removed by the owner during the handover.

[Iyencar]

A Short TD of the BRV CVT by a Grandi10 Owner

"It's up there" said the Spinny salesman as he pointed at something above the second and third row. "Huh?" the confusion on my face must have been painfully obvious.

Background: I now have one toddler, one dog, one cat, one wife and one Grand-i10 (the facelifted one, petrol MT with the touchscreen, etc.). Typically the baby is in the car seat and the wife sits next to the baby. Leaving about 6 inches for a dog that is tall, long, bony and refuses to sit on the floor or the front seat which is unsafe anyway. While this works for short drives around my area, as time passes the dog moves his rear legs above my rear seat and his behind into my wife's lap which I am told is disconcerting. The cat does what she wants like any other of her species. The bootspace which served us just fine pre-baby, is now woefully short. We have to choose between the large suitcase, cat litter tray, or the jhola which carries my one set of spare clothes (which is all I can pack in the time and space left after getting stuff ready for the other three dependents- my wife is a modern lady and is independent, fyi.) There is no permutation/combination in the world that can ensure a proper family trip that doesn't involve leaving either me or the samaan behind. This has to change we thought. My wife deferred to me for choosing a used car that would not break the already delicately balanced bank account and serve our needs. I thought a car that complements my MT Grandi10 should ideally give an alternative to the major cons of that car:

1. Seat more than 4 (duh)
2. An automatic would be nice to have
3. Ground clearance, ground clearance, ground clearance
4. Speed sensing auto door locks. I could write an essay on whoever was responsible for omitting this feature on my car. For now all I will say is your village is probably missing it's idiot.

The newcomer also had to live up to:

1. The smoothness of the Kappa engine
2. The superlative combination of the slick gearbox mated perfectly to the engine
3. Fit and finish. At 63k the 2017 car looks as fresh as ever
4. Apple Car Play has spoiled me. Either the new car should have it or should be in a price range where I have the financial leeway to spend on a touchscreen display.

The choices or lack there of:

Now if you think about it there are so very few options where you can have three rows occupied with a proper boot left over. The XUV500 would involve a roof rail and an Amazon basics bag because the boot wouldn't even fit my cat. The Hexa, well let me just say the the recent long term reports have put the fear of God in me. Even with a budget increased to 12 lakhs or so I would end up with a car that has run atleast 60k. Plus, keeping track of features dropped and reintroduced and wondering how to tell if the gasket is about to start leaking, yada yada. No time or money for this. The Triber I am not interested in because 3 cylinders and because Renault. The Ertiga gives neither the presence of the XUV, the boot space of the Hexa or the practicality of the Triber. Plus no automatic worth it's name.

My first choice naturally went to the king of the segment, the Innova. I started browsing knowing fully well that the Crysta was way way above budget. The next best option was the 2015 facelift. Sadly, the owners and dealers seem to think that a 156k run car is sparingly used and in "class condition" and if a doctor or a Parsi's bum has graced the front seat then we owe them the invoice value for the car.
Which brings us to the hero of this thread, the absolute enigma that is the BRV. A car that is a sphinx like SUV from the front , van from the side and hatchback from the rear. Anyone who doesn't own it seems to have nothing but disdain for it. The owners however seem to refuse to part with because as one Bhpian said in this 86 page long thread...what do we get instead?! Oh and smartcat has one. If it's good enough for a man who has mastered the financial universe, surely it should be good enough for someone like me who only understands the Dilbert comics in the Economic Times.

to be continued

A Short TD of the BRV CVT by a Grandi10 Owner continued...
"It's up there" said the Spinny salesman as he pointed at something above the second and third row. "Huh?" the confusion on my face must have been painfully obvious. I had asked him where the reverse sensor indicators are, that is to say how do I know that my neighbour's car parked behind me wasn't closer than I though it was. So when he pointed behind me I thought that he knew he was dealing with an idiot and was telling me that the rear sensors were behind the car. I would have been offended if I wasn't already so confused. I considered making beep beep sounds and indicating "kidhar" with a hand gesture but that probably wouldn't have helped. So, I slot the gear into R and then kept the left arm behind the passenger seat rest and turned an inflexible torso backwards like a taxi driver from the 90s. And then I saw this device on the roof light up and beep and have some bars. I also saw numbers which made no sense. Then it hit me. Like Arjuna at Draupadi's swayamvar I was supposed to look at the reflection (in the rear view mirror). Say What?! Without much choice I made a clock wise turn in the opposite direction and like the Dillelahi of Mughal-e-azam saw this Anarkali do her sheesh mahal dance in the rear view mirror as I gently reversed.

The car: The TD car was a 2016 model with 84k on the odo. Everything fell into place when I sat in the driver's seat. There was absolutely no learning curve here. My biggest concern was whether it would mask the length well and was very happy to note that it does that brilliantly. Reversing even with that weird contraption was easy and judging the length of the car was not difficult at all. The driver's seat has a really long range of travel. During the day I'm 5'9" and when I raised the seat all the way up so I could see the bonnet, the roof was in my line of sight. So there wasn't any way to see the bonnet while driving but then again, it wasn't a problem at any point of time. The paddle shifters have a lovely click and are a joy to use though absolutely unnecessary for 90% use cases I think. The speakers are absolutely brilliant and it is a crime that they aren't supplemented with a modern touch unit. The front AC chilled very very quickly and with minimal noise while the rear blowers were fine except for the highest setting where I found them too loud.

The ride: I have driven a CVT extensively in the US so was well aware of the dance one needs to do with the right heel and toe. Doing this it was very easy to pick up speed rapidly. I drove over some really bad patches on purpose and the car didn't scrape at all while holding it's composure brilliantly. Note that the front tires were new Ceats and the rear were Goodyears. I have no experience with Ceat except in autorickshaws. The Goodyear co. is my enemy. They came stock on the i10 and were absolutely lousy. Almost ruined the ownership experience. I have sworn to never have a car with this brand ever again . I'm sure with any other decent brand of tires, the drive would be more supple. I drove fast on an empty stretch and braked hard. The car stopped on a dime. No drama.

Practicality: The rear is where all the magic lies though. Looking at pics online I was worried that the rear would be really claustrophobic and cramped but it did not feel any different from all the other cars I have been in. The grayish roof lining and the massive window area really help. The ideal seating for me would be one adult driving, and adult in the rear passenger seat with the baby in a child seat adjacent, the dog would be sent to the last row. I have no influence on my cat. This arrangement would work just fine for me in the BRV. I loved how each seat could be reclined, slid and completely folded. However, the motions weren't as smooth (age probably) and the seats were on the heavier side. Plus when the seats are all the way back I found knee room to be very tight. The practicality of this car is absolutely brilliant. The dog has more than enough headroom in the last row. A major plus is how far back the rear window extends. I can always open the rear window and give him some space to stick his nose out occasionally in case he starts drooling or atleast let fresh air blow directly into the extremities of the car. While the third row seating position is knees up, honestly is there another car where this is not the case? Even with my height I felt I could sit in there for a few hours at least. Growing up we have always traveled long distances in bumpy Taveras, Safaris and Qualis' with side facing seats so what's with this newfound disdain for a front facing third row?
The boot was the biggest disappointment. In my head 220 L was a LOT of space. Sadly most of that is height and not depth. It still can manage two large suitcases side by side I think. I kept my large laptop backpack sideways and even that fit in comfortably. I suspect a roof carrier might be needed though. Plus the space between seats is available for my use case (below the dog and the child seat)

Conclusions: This thing is bloody brilliant as a used buy. It really doesn't appeal to the heart. It bowls the head over and the heart eventually starts developing feelings for the car. It lacks the premium-ness of my Grand i10 which even though was from a segment below feels richer, plusher and more luxurious. The car I drove had some difficulty in the sliding mechanism and the chrome around the start button had already worn off. In contrast, the chrome in the start button, the gear knob,around the ac vents, the brushed aluminium of the handles in the Grand i10 are as they were on day 1 even after 60k odd kms and 5 years. Both the engines are equally good. Not comparing the manual of the Hyundai vs the CVT of the Honda since that wouldn't be a fair comparison although both are mated well to their engines. The shape of the BRV doesn't bother me because if I'm inside the car what does it matter? The practicality is outstanding. Mechanically it gets most things right: legendary engine, smooth gearbox, projectors, paddles, lovely speakers, comfy seats. None of these can be added on later. Since it was a sales dud availability is not that great. On the plus side the prices are very reasonable. My friends who work at a Honda dealership have only good things to say about this car. The particular car I drove was however overpriced even by Spinny standards (7.69L). Spinny had a 2017 model with only 20k odd kms for just 50k INR more. For now I am waiting and watching. As soon as a good one comes up in the 6-7L range I hope to snag it.

[riteshritesh]

Well. I have a BRV CVT 2016 Model in Silver which is now touching 70000 kms. I live in Mumbai and would have loved to change by offering it for sale to you, but as you said what instead. I was considering the Innova Hybrid but it doesn't have the 2nd Bench seat in VX version and it would have a long waiting period anyways. Have been waiting for a Hyryder for the last 4 months to replace another car, but overall it is a bad time for buyers (used or new).

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Oh and smartcat has one.

In 2016, if one wanted a 3 row MPV/SUV with automatic transmission, there were only 2 choices - BRV and xuv500. Between these two, it took about a second to decide:





Ertiga/Innova/Lodgy/Aria/Mobilio were all MT cars.

[Iyencar]

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

Well. I have a BRV CVT 2016 Model in Silver which is now touching 70000 kms. I live in Mumbai and would have loved to change by offering it for sale to you, but as you said what instead. I was considering the Innova Hybrid but it doesn't have the 2nd Bench seat in VX version and it would have a long waiting period anyways. Have been waiting for a Hyryder for the last 4 months to replace another car, but overall it is a bad time for buyers (used or new).

Thank you for your reply. Off topic but I believe there is a bench seat on the VX Hycross. If I had new car money that would have been the car I considered. you're right, the prices in the used car market are all over the place right now.

Originally Posted by SmartCat

In 2016, if one wanted a 3 row MPV/SUV with automatic transmission, there were only 2 choices - BRV and xuv500. Between these two, it took about a second to decide:
.
.
Ertiga/Innova/Lodgy/Aria/Mobilio were all MT cars.

Yes. When my wife saw the T-bhp review pic of the XUV boot with the backpack she laughed. I think that pic single handedly pushed the XUV behind the BRV. I forgot to mention, even though the old Innova was MT only I am kind of open to considering it because of the space and brand value. But the short TD of the CVT has really made me realise the benefits of a good automatic gearbox in Mumbai.

[sunilch]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Conclusions: This thing is bloody brilliant as a used buy. It really doesn't appeal to the heart. It bowls the head over and the heart eventually starts developing feelings for the car.

Used car prices are still high and will take time to come down (until wait times for new ones reduce I mean). Moreover, you are looking at a niche requirement - AT + 7 Seater. BRV actually did good numbers in absolute terms but most of those owners are holding onto the vehicle for obvious reasons. There is very limited choice for "What Next?" even if the buyer is ok for MT.

In your expected budget you will easily get MT and it is not hard to drive. In fact if you read the review here, it tells you that the gear box for MT is quite sorted with tall gates as well. I drive the V MT and hence I am saying from experience. I couldn't find a CVT without paying extra 1-2 lacs and since I am the only member in the family who drives it, I was ok with saving that extra sum.

So if you are the only member who will drive it 90% of the time, you should look at MT too. All other things will remain the same with the car.

[Iyencar]

Originally Posted by sunilch

Used car prices are still high and will take time to come down (until wait times for new ones reduce I mean).
.
.
In your expected budget you will easily get MT and it is not hard to drive.
.
.
.
So if you are the only member who will drive it 90% of the time, you should look at MT too. All other things will remain the same with the car.

Thank you for your inputs @sunilch. I did consider the MT initially, but then since we already have another MT car which we'll very likely hold on to, we decided to go for the CVT especially since the option is available in this model. Plus, it's getting more and more tedious to drive an MT (light as the clutch may be) around the always dug up Mumbai roads and resultant traffic. The prices for this car aren't too bad even with the increase for the CVT gearbox. It just is all over the place and needs patience. Luckily we are in no tearing hurry. Regards.

[theabstractmind]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

Thank you for your inputs @sunilch. I did consider the MT initially, but then since we already have another MT car which we'll very likely hold on to, we decided to go for the CVT especially since the option is available in this model. Plus, it's getting more and more tedious to drive an MT (light as the clutch may be) around the always dug up Mumbai roads and resultant traffic. The prices for this car aren't too bad even with the increase for the CVT gearbox. It just is all over the place and needs patience. Luckily we are in no tearing hurry. Regards.

For your use case, it is the perfect vehicle. I have a similar use case but a smaller dog - and I miss the practicality of the BR-V which I almost ended up buying but unfortunately could not. Though my current car does the job about 90 percent of the time, when I have to add another two passengers it becomes difficult. The foldable rear seats of the BR-V is a boon in such situations. But go for one with a lower running and well maintained one.

[Caadmara]

Not a clue about the BRV but throughly enjoyed your humorous writing style. Thank you and do write more!

[ScorpWarp]

I drive 2017 BRV MT and wholeheartedly agree that BRV is head over heart car. I did not like it initially but bought it for the practicallty it offered. It is roomy, offers good head room, has a descent rev happy engine and has NO body roll. Also, it can seat 6 not so tall adults for a long ride as well. I am thinking of upgrading to Meridian so asked Spinny for a quote. My BRV is 5 year old with 22k total mileage. Spinny offered me 6L as top price. When I expressed my disappointment, the evaluator said 'Sir, they add 2L on top of quoted price when selling, your car is good, don't sell it or if you must then sell to friends or family' I was surprised with his honesty. So, I still own it but the discounts on Meridian are very tempting. I am thinking of bittting the bullet and let go of this very practical, family friendly, reliable BRV.

[tc89]

Check Honda Auto Terrace, Good cars do come up there and I bought mine (2018 WRV 6.1K on the odo) from here.
Wish you good luck

[Iyencar]

The Search Continues

This is a rant. Proceed only if you want to spend time doing something which adds no value to your life. So, since my last post I have spent an ungodly amount of time looking up the usual suspects (OLX, Marketplace, Cartrade/wale/dekho/24/other uninspiring start-up names/T-bhp/couple of used dealer websites) for a CVT BRV. If time really is money then boy am I poorer now.

Just to be clear I have had a grand total of, wait for it...ONE car that has actually been physically checked at a Honda service centre. Saving that report for the end of this post. Literally and I literally mean it when I am using the word literally, every other car has had an issue that has been pulled up in two minutes by the good folks at Honda on a computer. Replaced fenders, bumpers, shot suspension (~70k expense), AC work done + side fenders + rear bumpers replaced in the SAME car.

The used dealers are in a class of their own. If a teenage boy had the same confidence these guys do in their cars, he would have no problem asking any girl out. Special shout out to the gentleman who wanted a token of 1 lakh on a car priced at 9 lakh to allow it to be inspected at an authorised service centre. Did I mention all of them claim to have a warranty on their engines and gearboxes? Note that for some of them to share the VIN details of the car, I am expected to traverse to the other end of this perpetually under construction city. I would do it if I had the convenience of an automatic car. But to buy an automatic car I need to get to the dealers. See my problem? Spinny which does get a car to my door has only added insult to injury. The one car they got me to check has 84k on the odo and is priced riduculously. Neither do I want such a high run CVT nor pay so much for it. I mentioned as much to them in the numerous follow up calls I have been getting. Until one fine day a new boy called me from them only to again ask if I wanted a BRV. Yes, of course I said. Ok, we just had a 40k run CVT for 8 lakhs he said. "I'm sorry "HAD?"", I asked. Yes sir, we just sold it. "So why on earth did you not call me BEFORE selling it man?" What are they getting from making a grown man cry?

Now for the piece-de-resistance. A carwale certified car. One that the dealer called me himself about (after I rejected an earlier car he had). One with only 15k on the odo. Single owner. AND he was willing to send it to my preferred authorised service centre for inspection. I could barely sleep the previous night. Was this the end to my endless online surfing for cars? Time I could better use for endlessly surfing about dogs? Will I actually be able to drive on the WEH and cross the hell that is Malad without losing my mind? Anyways set everything up at the dealership and waited with bated breath. Got a call from the service centre that the car is here and had my heart racing. Thought of telling my wife my wife my pupils are dilated because of how beautiful she looks even after all these years. She knows me too well though. And then came the call: Within 10 minutes of loading the car onto a ramp they found complete rusting on the bottom. Right shocks or steering rack probably shot. Car pulled significantly to the right. It gets better... the rear windshield, dicky, bumper have been replaced. Twice. Potential expense of atleast 2 lakhs (on a 8.5ish lakh vehicle). The best part was the cheap black paint used to make a pathetic attempt at covering the rust. Called the used car salesman who was more shocked than I was at the issues. That or he was a great actor and should go into politics. The conversation ended with him telling me the black stuff was anti rust paint. Didn't explain why it was the consistency of water and only used to cover 20% of the base.

Is there a way to crowdfund a BRV CVT search? Can ChatGPT help? Signing off for now.

Oh wait wait... about the carwale certification: There is Carwale Absure certified, Carwale certified cars, and cars with just a Quality report. The clunker I saw was a certified car (not Absure) with a very professional looking pdf. Gave a 5/5 for suspension as well as the exterior. It also mentioned the car did not have seat covers or a reverse cam- it had both. It's like your mother grading your board exam paper. Ok I'm really done now. If you read this far-how on earth do you have the time? Oh, probably because you're not looking for a BRV CVT.

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

every other car has had an issue that has been pulled up in two minutes by the good folks at Honda on a computer. Replaced fenders, bumpers, shot suspension (~70k expense), AC work done + side fenders + rear bumpers replaced in the SAME car.

I don't think any of these are reasons to reject an used car, especially if it is in short supply in the market.

1) Shot suspension? Point it out to the owner and give a lower quote
2) AC work done? Good! It is a positive, not negative. It is less likely that you will have AC repair issues.
3) Replaced fenders & bumpers? No problem, as long as the chassis is not damaged.

But yes, rusting issues are bad and such cars should be avoided. Any other mechanical or body work issue can be fixed after purchasing a car. It is a common negotiating ruse to point out flaws in the car and asking for a lower price.

Just set aside a small amount for servicing after purchase (incl repair work). Within 6 months, you will probably have to spend on new tyres, new battery or insurance.

[suzuki san]

Originally Posted by Iyencar

If I had new car money that would have been the car I considered. you're right, the prices in the used car market are all over the place right now.

Hi Iyencar,
I have sent you a PM about my BR-V. Let me know f you are interested.
Cheers,
SS

[chandrda]

It had been sometime since I had gone on a vacation, so decided to do Bangalore - Munnar - Thekkady - Coimbatore - Bangalore trip covering around 1600 KMS in the BR-V

BR-V was due for 60K service in January end and I missed the date since my Europe trip got prolonged. Got the BR-V serviced 4 days before the Munnar trip. Except that the clutch was a bit hard, there was no complaints at all. Service center did clutch bleeding and issue is 90% resolved for now.

This was my 1st real long trip in the BR-V and my previous SUV was a Duster Diesel. So the expectation and comparison was set against BR-V.

But BR-V performed exceptionally well in the whole trip. The more I drive BR-V, the more I am convinced that this vehicle was built for highway cruising and not for city driving.

On the highways, I maintained a steady speed between 80-90 KMPH. BR-V was rock solid at this speed, good braking and returned a mileage of 16.86 KMPL.

Since we were only 4 (2 kids) and reasonable amount of luggage, the performance on the ghats were satisfactory. But I think with 7 people on board and with some luggage, BR-V petrol will struggle on some of the ghat sections I encountered. The mileage dropped to 9 in the ghats.

AC is not very effective on a hot day, but it was the same in Duster as well. Compared to BR-V and Duster, my 20 year old palio will freeze the occupant even on peak summer day.

Overall, I was pretty satisfied with the BR-V and also wifey gave a stamp of approval to retain it for another 3 years atleast.

Some Cons I observed -

1. Under thigh support
2. Arm rest. though I have a after market arm rest, but it was just OK
3. Headlights are just enough to cruise at 80 KMPH.
4. ABS kicks in a bit early when doing 80-90 KPMH

Regards