[SmartCat]

Ani, I'm replying to your PM here in the public forum:

Originally Posted by ani_meher

The seating is far lower, almost on the same level of my Beat. This was really surprising. Honda simply raised the car floor, but then kept the seat at ridiculously low level. You never get the feeling of seating in a tall car at all.

Seat height adjuster was probably set too low by the dealer.

The suspension is alright - if not a little bouncy

Agreed. Suspension is a bit stiff because of increased ground clearance. On the brighter side, there is no body roll and handling is tight.

the 1.5L CVT engine didn’t excite or soothe me the way Amaze diesel CVT did. The moderate engine. I drive a Beat 1.0 diesel, so I thought the 1.5 engine would seem a lot, but it is barely so, at least at city speeds. Does it get better at high speed?

There is a bit of learning curve with CVTs - power delivery is not like a manual. But with time, you will figure out its power delivery characteristics and learn to modulate your accelerator inputs. Numbers don't lie - BRV/City CVT gets to 100 kmph in 12 seconds, which is among the top 5 quickest automatics below Rs. 20 Lakhs price tag.

Watch this video from 3:25 to get a feel of performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORUMcNaluZY&t=297s

I played some songs on bluetooth, and felt that they sounded better on mobile speakers! There could have been some problem in the speakers, because it is very hard to believe that such pathetic speakers will be sold on a Honda car.

Definitely something wrong with test drive car. I would rate the speaker quality 8 out of 10.

Road noise was filtering in the cabin a little too much.

Spot on. One of the biggest negatives of BRV CVT.

Do you face any problem due to big size? I like its compact width, but am wondering whether the big size will pose problem for parking.

At 4.5 metres, it is as unwieldy as a Honda City or VW Vento. It is "big" only when compared to sub-4m cars or hatchbacks.

Any tidbit you want to share for/against this consideration of BRV?

FOR:

- Engine/power/performance
- Driving manners (steering sharpness, handling and braking)
- Space and practicality

AGAINST:

- Price (when compared to Eritga AT)
- Stiff ride
- Poor noise insulation

I was looking at Creta 1.4 or Seltos manual, or upcoming Ertiga Nexa automatic for upgrade till 12-13L.

If you really don't need a 7 seater, then BRV and Ertiga will end up being poor value for money. Remember that you are paying a decent sum for the 3rd row (in terms of R&D and manufacturing cost)

[DiMaGo]

Folks - with Honda Amaze Diesel CVT doing pretty well, is there any reason why Honda is not/would NOT bring in the same to bigger vehicles, like BR-V. I, would surely and happily own one. Or are there any technical constraints due to which Diesel CVT is not possible in a vehicle of BR-V's dimensions?

[indranilmuk]

Well I had a tough decision to make between BRV, Ertiga, Hexa, XUV, etc. One thing which I had marked as mandatory on my list was boot space. Where BRV kept most of it's rivals behind. Even with the few extra liters of additional boot space with all rows up, it was a better choice to me than Ertiga, XUV, etc. I had not checked the Hexa, since I wanted to go for a petrol rather than diesel, which is somewhat reasonably powerful as well as reasonably mileage friendly. I had chosen the BRV after reading the detailed review on this forum and some of the comments from the owners of the vehicle. I would say that it has been 8 months now with more than 4700 kms driven and two services done. I do not regret my choice.

[wangdu]

Originally Posted by DiMaGo

Folks - with Honda Amaze Diesel CVT doing pretty well, is there any reason why Honda is not/would NOT bring in the same to bigger vehicles, like BR-V. I, would surely and happily own one. Or are there any technical constraints due to which Diesel CVT is not possible in a vehicle of BR-V's dimensions?

That's something even I pondered for a while. My limited knowledge summarized it due to CVT's inability to work with high torque of diesel compared to that of petrol's with increasing revs. Now I argued with myself that even petrol CVT cars have high torque or for taking to extreme even some buses (diesel/high torque) run on CVT tech.

Another theory I reasoned with is that a CVT (diesel) due to its inherent working would make the car noisy, thirsty with lesser life at high RPMs which CVT shall function in to take full advantage of changing ratios for speed & FE. Perhaps very few manufacturers provide diesel-CVT combo for this reason, I wonder.

And lastly, even if there are technical limitations, they might not be seeing any ROI given the sales numbers/projection.

That Sir, is the end of my technical exploration on this subject and I fill in tank full of dearer aromatic petrol.

[indranilmuk]

Originally Posted by indranilmuk

Well I had a tough decision to make between BRV, Ertiga, Hexa, XUV, etc. One thing which I had marked as mandatory on my list was boot space. Where BRV kept most of it's rivals behind. Even with the few extra liters of additional boot space with all rows up, it was a better choice to me than Ertiga, XUV, etc. I had not checked the Hexa, since I wanted to go for a petrol rather than diesel, which is somewhat reasonably powerful as well as reasonably mileage friendly. I had chosen the BRV after reading the detailed review on this forum and some of the comments from the owners of the vehicle. I would say that it has been 8 months now with more than 4700 kms driven and two services done. I do not regret my choice.

Well I forgot to mention that I have chosen the petrol manual top model and have also gone for the Style edition. The top variant not only has a better looks but most importantly it has a windscreen which is heat reducing and when I compare its windows with other cars, it seems that the windows are tinted indeed, that reduces the heat inside the cabin and the AC works perfectly fine. Being the top model it has a touch screen central console with a reverse parking camera and reverse parking sensors which comes really handy in critical situations. The car is powerful and also easy to maneuver in busy traffic in Bangalore. It also does cruise effortlessly in highways. Wondering what the CVT would have been, since the manual one is also good enough to make you feel sleepy in long drives with less traffic on the highways. I have obtained a mileage of around 16 - 17 kmpl on the highways and around 13 - 14 kmpl in the city.

[indranilmuk]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

One negative of BRV's version of 'magic seats' is that you don't get a flat floor cabin.

That is true but then I have felt in practical, even if the seats fold flat, it is very risky to dump those heavy suitcases on top of the leather upholstry of the seats. They can get torn by something sharp from the suitcases / bags. Rather, I felt Honda's approach to windup the seat totally to get a flat surface was a better option than having flat folding seats.

As somebody who has pushed both Civic (6 yrs) and BRV (3 yrs) to its limits, there are only 2 drawbacks of the latter when compared to the former:

- BRV understeers much earlier than the Civic (on winding roads)
- Electric steering of BRV lacks the feel/weight of hydraulic steering of Civic.

However, BRV is still enjoyable to drive in city limits, highways and ghat roads primarily because of quick steering, zesty engine and sharp brakes.

I have been to Marayoor and Munnar with my BRV. I have totally enjoyed the entire journey. At no place did I face any issues on the winding roads of the hills. Even though I drove pretty slowly, to enjoy the nature on the drive. I have let most of the vehicles go past me and allow myself a moment of calmness and tranquility. Those honking drivers, with all the urgency to reach their destination as fast as they can had always been so irritating.

[indranilmuk]

Originally Posted by SmartCat

If you can easily afford 20L for Hexa AT, clearly there is no contest between BRV AT and Hexa AT. After all, Hexa is about 40% to 45% more expensive than BRV in this configuration. It's like wondering which is better to buy and own -> Hyundai Eon or Hyundai Grand i10.

Hexa Vs BRV is a contest only for whom 20L is a stretch.

I did also face the problem of lights missing on the door panel for the ORVM controls and door lock, unlock and accidentally many times I end up adjusting my ORVM instead of unlocking the door for my family. This is because if I stop the car the doors get unlocked and the cabin lights turned on but otherwise if I drop them and then reverse to park the car in my bay then obviously I have to just unlock the doors to let them go. Even though, I still enjoy the car and am amazed with the power and mileage ratio, which is to me, quite optimal. Note that I run this car with AC on throughout. AC is also equally good no doubt.

[Josh]

All I have to make a decision to upgrade my current Honda City Gen 3 2011 model. It is currently at 55K as my drive is mostly in city and highways. For office I have office transport. My budget is around 10-12 L as I feel that is value more me - the car at this level would still cost me 12-14 K per month including depreciation, insurance and fuel.

The requirement I have is it should spacious (leg room and luggage), good sitting height (ingress) with decent mileage and maintenance costs. I will keep the car for 8 years.

In this budget I feel BRV will give good value around dec (year end discounts) and early next year. It will mostly be discounted in mid 2020. I have seen Hector but it’s pricey and maintenance is unknown. Honda is known to be driver friendly and fairly affordable in maintenance. Currently dealers are offering 50-100K discounts and lot of fairly new BRV in resale as well.

Do you see any other vehicle offering space in this range?
Also any risks you foresee if the model is discontinued with respect to spares?

[SmartCat]

Originally Posted by Josh

All I have to make a decision to upgrade my current Honda City Gen 3 2011 model.

We have a 3rd gen Honda City in the family too. I can safely say that Honda BRV is not an upgrade when compared to City in the traditional sense. It is just a different body style.

My budget is around 10-12 L as I feel that is value more me. Do you see any other vehicle offering space in this range?

If your budget is Rs. 11 to 12 Lakhs, consider the top variant of Maruti Ertiga or XL-6 (captain's chair, all black interiors) since you will get a fully loaded feature rich variant. For this price, you will probably get just the mid-variant of BRV. According to me, BRV "V" variant offers the best balance between features and price.

The requirement I have is it should spacious (leg room and luggage), good sitting height (ingress)

Yeah, BRV scores well in this department when compared to City.

with decent mileage and maintenance costs. I will keep the car for 8 years. Also any risks you foresee if the model is discontinued with respect to spares?

Absolutely no risks in maintenance or spare parts department even if BRV is discontinued.

[Sreesh1009]

Hello everyone,
Just wanted to know about the horns on the BRV. Are the OEM horns better? Has anyone tried replacing them?
Thank you

[sdaityari]

Originally Posted by Sreesh1009

Hello everyone,
Just wanted to know about the horns on the BRV. Are the OEM horns better? Has anyone tried replacing them?
Thank you

Ever since I purchased the BR-V earlier this year, this is one issue that I've really struggled with. I'm not at all happy with the OEM horn and I've been contemplating changing it. However, I've also been trying to honk less which makes me prolong this action

Meanwhile, I'm just back from a trip to Landsdowne. This is the first time I went with a packed house of 7 adults in the car. Although I was comfortable driving even in ghats, I felt a slight lag when overtaking on single lane highways, which led me to shift to the S mode occasionally. In fact, I could feel a significant improvement in performance once I dropped off two people at their respective stops. Can you guys please share your experience?

[AdityaDeane]

Can anyone confirm this from their nearest Honda Showroom?

I was in talks with my nearest Honda Showroom (about 60-70Kms away), about buying a B-RV and I insisted on the S MT variant cause even though Dual Airbags are standard, ABS and EBD isn't, in the E MT Petrol variant. But the sales guy insisted that no sir, because since 1st July ABS has become compulsory on all vehicles, it now is standard on the E MT variant as well.

Can anyone check in their nearby showroom if a new E MT exists and if the ABS unit is actually there in it's engine bay?

[riteshritesh]

I was in unforeseen circumstances yesterday, in the Mumbai Rains. As it had been raining consistently, I took the decision to leave the Jazz at home and take the BRV CVT, due to its higher GC. Normally, when the driver is on leave (Ganpati Holidays), I prefer the smaller Jazz and what a brilliant decision to take the BRV! My route is from Dadar West to Deonar (via the Freeway and back).

While going Dadar TT was just starting to get flooded and just encountered one flooded patch while entering 5 gardens. Rest all was smooth.
The Car was low on fuel ( showed a range of 25 kms against my drive back which is 9 kms), so decided to refill once I reached back home. I was expecting empty roads when I left office at 5 pm, considering that everyone had rushed back home.

1st encounter of mad traffic on Wadala Bridge. Took 1 hour to cross due to 1 spot being flooded. BRV waded with ease, but then I had just 12 kms of range and I could see Dadar TT in the Red on Google Maps. Switched off the A/c and despite people warning of waist deep waters, drove through 2 flooded areas without any incidences. Car dying due to empty fuel tank was more on my mind than water entering the exhaust.

2 videos from my Dashcam footage.

https://youtu.be/V2WvIzb-KDA

https://youtu.be/M4fuMPr72Ug

See the Mercedes going kaput in the 2nd video. It was more due to an incompetent driver than the ability of the car. I have a question:

In a manual transmission, it is possible to keep the Accelerator revving, while going through water (clutch control) to avoid water ingress through exhaust pipe. How do you do that in an Auto Car? Not sure if it was necessary, but the situation and panic demanded that accelerator be kept revving. So I did the inevitable, Using my left foot on the Brake, right on the accelerator continuously pumping and using my left foot to steer the car. It was a jerky ride due to left foot not having so much practise to control the brake, but we survived (with some smoke coming out of the bonnet for around 2 minutes, due to water splashing on the radiator).

The Brakes will need atleast a week of usage, to get rid of the noise caused by water ingress in them.

[wangdu]

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

..The Car was low on fuel ( showed a range of 25 kms against my drive back which is 9 kms), so decided to refill once I reached back home. ..

..So I did the inevitable, Using my left foot on the Brake, right on the accelerator continuously pumping

..and using my left foot to steer the car. It was a jerky ride due to left foot not having so much practise to control the brake,

Please fill up at the very first opportunity even if the range indicator shows some distance (it's a lagging indicator) and can be brutally sadistic. I've been bitten once so forever shy now. Moreover we all know the impact of low fuel on catalytic converter & fuel pump.

We could use hand brake too as left foot on brake is really uncomfortable (and risky due to no real control on the pedal).

that would have been some scene

[rrnsss]

Hello All,

Currently my car to commute on the highway is my VENTO .

I am considering buying the BRV - Automatic and I need your advice.

My Situation is as follows.

1. The vehicle will spend 99% of it's life between Chennai and My farm (Near Pollachi) and Chennai (1200 Km round trip)
2. On an average the car will do 7500 Kms a year.
2. Mostly driven by driver , but occasionally driven by me as well.
3. I strictly do not allow the driver or myself to cross 100 kmph and avoid driving after sunset as far as possible.
4. I am single, but I have 4 dogs. Every time I go to my farm, I have to pick and choose the two dogs who come along with me. It breaks my heart to see the disappointment on the faces of the two who get left behind. Three of them are in their golden years and I do not want to make such choices as their happiness is precious to me.
5. Luckily one of the four does not enjoy car journeys and my domestic help here in chennai also likes to keep one dog in the house with him, for security and company, when I am at the farm.

I am looking for a car that has the following capabilities.

1. A car that is Safe and Predictable and Reliable on the highway
2. A car that is not big and unwieldy ( The reason why I sold my innova , also lack of automatic and Airbags )
3. Automatic transmission with ABS/EBD ( cruise control if possible)
4. Easy to maintain , easy availability of spares, should the need arise ( Love my Maruti in this aspect)
5. Flat folding seats that create a flat surface that can house at least 2 dogs in the boot
6. A powerful AC at the rear that can keep my dogs cool during the journey
7. Ability to keep the car running (AC running) while the doors are locked and ability to carry the keys with me, when I stop for refreshments or when I go shopping near my farm.
8. Reach and rake adjustable steering wheel
9. Driver Seat height adjustment


Can BRV AT owners please give your opinions?

Also , how often should the CVT's belt be changed? How often does the CVT require maintenance ?

What is the maintenance interval of the BRV ( VW is once a year which is good )?

I am a super sedate driver. I drive typical "grandpa style". Slow and Easy.