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-   -   Maruti: Vitara Brezza vs S-Cross (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/suvs-muvs-4x4s/175366-maruti-vitara-brezza-vs-s-cross.html)

Hi Folks,
My first post here. Happy to be accepted by the TBHP community. A little background about what lead to the search for a new car-
We live in Bangalore. My family and I are very fond of taking weekend trips. Currently we own a 2014 Celerio VXI which to me is a great city/small family car. Spacious(in its category), economical, reliable. We have made a few trips to Mysore, Hyd and the car does not complain when cruising at 80-90Kmph. I was a proud owner of 2009 Honda City ivtec which I sold last year after having moved from another city. The reason I mention about the City is because I am aware of the drive/ride quality, comfort and safety of a car like it compared to Celerio when on the highway. We plan to go on some longer trips(Western Ghats, Kerala, Goa etc) where Celerio may not be a great choice. In a nutshell the upgrade from Celerio focuses on following features-

a) Better ride quality and comfort.
b) Better seating all around- front and rear, for longer journeys.
c) Better boot space to accommodate more luggage.
d) Added safety features- driver and passenger airbags at the minimum, ABS.
e) Ground clearance compared to the City. Minimum 170 would be good.
f) Engine preferably with 90-100BHP and around 200Nm torque. Diesel or Petrol, either is fine.
g) Decent drive quality and steering response within the city; superb on the highway and winding hilly roads.
h) Overall a reliable machine with decent service/after-sales.
i) Features like keyless entry, auto-ac, auto dimming IRVM etc are good to have. But their omission is not a deal breaker at all.
k) Ownership of 3-5 years
j) Budget(ex-showroom)- 9-10 lacs.


I test drove the below cars and made a few observations-

1) S-Cross 1.3 Zeta- Ticks all the boxes. Boot space could have been better considering its 4.3m length. 1.6 is mouthwatering but beyond my budget.
2) Brezza- Again ticks all the boxes like S-Cross. But build quality is a notch lower. Mass market product.
3) Duster- Loved the car. Buy beyond my budget if I want to opt for the 110PS variant. 85PS might be underpowered for the highway. But if I had the money 110 Rxz AWD would have been my definite choice.
4) Creta- I am not a Hyundai fan. But given Creta's popularity I took a TD. The best interiors. Excellent city drive. Gave up it's composure on mildly rough/potholed roads. SX variant beyond budget.
5) Jazz- I considered Jazz because of the space and power/torque of idtec. Some basic features missing. The NVH on the idtec was a deal breaker. Otherwise I had almost decided to get the Jazz.


So now I am down to-
S-Cross 1.3 Zeta which gives me keyless entry, auto ac, disc brakes all around, abs, cruise control, excellent ride quality.
Brezza Zdi+ which is more or less the same as the S-Cross 1.3 Zeta but the interior fit and finish is not great. Build is a notch lower. Might be easier to sell in the second hand market.

I always spend lot of time looking at different cars before finalizing one. Usually my hunt starts 3-6 months before the purchase. Would love to hear what you would pick and why. Also if you think I have missed some car that should be part of this list then please let me know.

Thanks

Just try to extend your budget and go for S Cross 1.6, you will never regret your decision for another 10 years. On a side note, if you don't have anything going against the yanks try the VFM EcoSport.

I would go for S-Cross, simply for more space, better quality, and lower waiting period. The S-Cross just feels a more mature,complete vehicle when you drive it as compared to Brezza.

You may also want to look at soon to be launched BR-V. I am not sure how competitive pricing would be, but they have kept on improving NVH of their engines, with every new launch so expect better NVH than Jazz.

The Vitara Brezza has two advantages over the S-Cross:

Looks (although that is subjective)
Ground clearance (although S-Cross' 180 mm is more than adequate).

In all other areas, the S-Cross blows the Vitara Brezza out of the water. Simply no competition. The S-Cross has better build, quality, cabin space, seats (more supportive) & slightly more boot capacity. The S-Cross also feels better engineered and has superior road manners.

I'd pick the S-Cross. As Csnanjappa suggested, if you can stretch your budget, nothing quite like the 1.6L. Wide grin guaranteed every time you floor the throttle. In EMI terms, what's the difference between the 1.3 & 1.6 anyway? But even if it has to be a 1.3L, I'd pick the S-Cross over the Vitara Brezza, despite the former's ugly styling.

For your requirements, My choice would be in the order:
1. S-Cross 1.6
2. Ford Ecosport.

S-Cross offers all that a European car offers, is fast and looks better than Brezza, while the Ecosport offers best safety in its class being a bit short on space.

Thanks for the suggestions. Almost everyone is unanimous about S-Cross so far. I was always inclined towards it myself.

csnanjappa & 250cc suggested EcoSport. A great driver's car but do not like the looks much. Space is not as great compared to the Marutis in contention.

GTO The EMI difference with 20-25% downpayment for 5 years is roughly 4.5K.

Many are suggesting the 1.6 S-Cross. Then I start to venture into 110PS Duster category. Does anyone feel the Duster might be a better choice if I extend the budget?

Thanks.

Been there. Then you would look at the duster AWD, scorpio S10, then think about a Honda City VX (with cruise control and sunroof) and wonder if you really need to spend the extra 3 lakhs. Then you would think dangerously about an XUV w6. Enjoy the dilemma!

Ha ha! Spot on. Frankly speaking I did let myself wander and consider all the cars you mention. For various reasons the Duster 110PS 4X2 MT is the only one that stuck in my mind. That's the reason I decided to take a TD. And I loved the car very much. A dated model though with some makeup applied.

If the choice is between S-Cross 1.6 and the Duster 110 PS, I would choose S-Cross due to better engine (my opinion), much better interiors (Duster's interiors are dated).
Where the Duster scores is the GC, stance, imposing looks (subjective anyways, I prefer the understated looks of the S-Cross) and acres of space including the huge boot. Also, price wise the Duster is a tad overpriced.

Do take extensive Test Drives of both contenders before making a decision, all the best :)

I totally advocate the S Cross 1.6 Alpha. It is cleanly the best vehicle in its segment at the moment. It will age well and will still fetch a resale price when you sell it, because 5-7 years down the line there will be some enthusiast who will buy it.
It is a heck of a vehicle!
4 Disc Brakes and that delicious 320NM torque! Much better interiors and build quality.
Don't even think about it. Just DO it!

Go and be a bit mad. Don't worry, I'll keep you company as Im slightly mad too. I bought a Yeti almost 5 years ago and everyday I have a BIG smile while I get into it and drive it!
There is nothing that comes close and by the Grace of God I am not looking to sell in a hurry!

If its between the three You are inclined, I would definitely go for S-Cross.
Somehow, Brezza does not inspire the confidence, that You would feel with the S-Cross, And Duster is definitely dated, and looks and interiors are not up to the price level, my take..

Go for S-Cross 1.6, stretch, if its possible, would be worth it.

If it is toss up between Vitara Brezza and Scross, it has to be S Cross. If it is a S Cross it has to be the DDIS 320.

I think that seals it. S Cross DDIS 320 100 out of 100 times for me, despite the price and the styling.

I share the same dilemma and after much thought and consideration, I have come to conclusion that s-cross is the superior product. It's not recommended to purchase a vehicle during hype period as it may cloud our judgement sometimes.

Additional advantages of s-cross over brezza.

Less waiting times and we already know waiting for Brezza is running into 6 months.

More possibility of getting discounts on S-Cross especially during upcoming monsoon season.

The Nexa brand though some may not agree with it.

There is always a sense of satisfaction knowing that you own a car which is much superior in every possible way than a more popular car and yet crowd fails to appreciate real value of car.

It's a big differentiator and being contrarian is sometimes a wise decision too.

S-cross 1.6/1.3 would be the best choice without doubt. The mature handling, 4 disc brakes, superb suspension, extremely comfortable seats and a really premium interior seal the deal over Brezza. And since you plan to hit the highways frequently there's nothing like the DDIS 320. With S-cross 1.6 you just cannot go wrong. Its as good as The Perfect Car if you like the looks (personally i simply love the mature styling). Even the mighty Duster cant match the overall package. Hope you can make your decision soon. Happy purchasing!! :)

Yes, hype can be a misleading thing. Just because something is right for the masses around you, doesn't mean it is right for you yourself.
Yes, I also agree that there is a sense of satisfaction in owning an unconventional vehicle that ticks all one's personal boxes, even if those around you, disagree with YOUR decision.
Personally, I vastly prefer being contrarian. I actually enjoy the feeling because I know Im not a part of the common herd.
Basically it is different strokes for different folks.