[car.lover]

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

Why not though they are quite different cars.

Comparison-
1. i20 Asta feels like a 15 lac car to sit in and drive around. Brio feels strictly a budget car.
2. Refinement and silence in cabin in i20 is far ahead of Brio.
3. Ease in driving in traffic in Fluidic i20 is better than Brio due to more powerful torque at low RPM (like your Santro is easier to drive than Jazz).
4. Asta is the model to kill for! Loads of gadgets and sunroof! Brio seems as poor as an 800 compared to it.
5. Mileage in i20 will be in single digit only. No need to tell about Brio's mileage.
6. i20 is far more comfier and luxurious to sit in compared to Brio.
7. Brio is overpriced by 1 lac. i20, yes, is overpriced too but there's no car to rival it.

The older i20 had several severe problems like poor pick-up, steering rattling and pathetic AC. Please check if these problems have been addressed in new i20 or not. If these problems are fixed then I would prefer i20.

Fantastic thread DevilsCry - am also based in NCR and have been TD'ing hatches for the past year but not as comprehensively as you

Will write about my selection process in detail later, but just to let you know that I have finalised the i20 Asta (w/o sunroof) and your thread plus GTO's review really helped a lot in arriving at the decision. Thanks

[Jazzper]

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

Other cars are also best accelerating in 2nd gear as well

The reason for choosing 3rd gear is to determine overall performance and ability of a car. This is also why magazines also publish 30-80kph time in 3rd gear for all cars. So that a car can't get away with title of being fastest car by having specific gear ratio for 0-100kph acceleration but with poor performance otherwise.

Thanks for the clarification, I dint knew about these factors and just thought that 2nd gear in jazz is so tall and that's the reason you can go all up till 80 in 2nd.

Regards
Ekz

[9thsphinx]

Originally Posted by car.lover

I am at the same juncture - buying a car for the wife and had narrowed it down to the Jazz, Swift, Polo and i20.

Dropped the Jazz because of Honda's problems and long term commitment (discontinuing the Civic, long waiting times for spares).

Dropped the Swift because she did not like the ride or the interiors - she feels it is too downmarket

Read about the new Polo pricing and went to the showroom yesterday to check and had a horrible sales experience. On the other hand, the Hyundai showroom experience was sublime. Plus the i20 is so ridiculously loaded that it would put everything south of the Passat to shame.

Considering that 90% of the driving for the missus is going to be kids school, market, etc. and at speeds below 60 kmph am finalising the i20 Asta. Getting a good deal as well

The Jazz is an excellent car. The engine is a gem. I don't know about your experiences with Honda's but we've had a fantastic run with the brand!

Test drove the i20 yesterday and I double you. The features offered makes it a pretty good value proposition. Plus, the wifey liked the looks minus the power. But since power is not a top priority considering how and where the car is going to be used, I think we're considering the i20 Asta too!

We were going to TD the Swift and Polo today. Worth wasting time?

Btw, what kind of deal are you being offered on the i20 Asta? I was quoted OTR comes to approx 670,000 including everything after all discounts + a scratch card (1gm - 20gms gold coin).

[car.lover]

Originally Posted by 9thsphinx

Test drove the i20 yesterday and I double you. The features offered makes it a pretty good value proposition. Plus, the wifey liked the looks minus the power. But since power is not a top priority considering how and where the car is going to be used, I think we're considering the i20 Asta too!

We were going to TD the Swift and Polo today. Worth wasting time?

Btw, what kind of deal are you being offered on the i20 Asta? I was quoted OTR comes to approx 670,000 including everything after all discounts + a scratch card (1gm - 20gms gold coin).

Exactly - power is not a priority for her and honestly the i20 may not scorch the road, but the gear ratios are well distributed so it does not feel underpowered. Tried an uphill start from standstill with 4 persons and AC on yesterday and not once did I feel it stalling!

Am getting an on road price of about 6.4L in Gurgaon. The road tax is lower and am getting free insurance plus loyalty discount (about 15K). Am negotiating for free seat covers, mud flaps and GPS. Looks like I will get the first two, maybe not the third.

On the Swift and Polo, I liked the drive of the first and the looks of the second. My wife found the Swift to be too downmarket from an interiors perspective (and too common as well). The Polo is good to look at and well built, but the customer service and after sales suck. Again, even after the new pricing, the Polo with a 3 pot engine and about a 100 features less is more expensive than the i20!

Lastly, on the Jazz - we loved the car, great space and premium feel for sure. I already have a Civic, so there is one Honda in the family, but I am really worried about Honda's long term commitment. They have discontinued the Civic. Dealers never seem to have the right stock, don't seem to be serious about selling the Jazz and overall am not getting the right vibes....so decided against it.

Good luck on your buy, let us know how it goes...we plan to take the i20 delivery by end of this month

[9thsphinx]

Originally Posted by car.lover

Exactly - power is not a priority for her and honestly the i20 may not scorch the road, but the gear ratios are well distributed so it does not feel underpowered. Tried an uphill start from standstill with 4 persons and AC on yesterday and not once did I feel it stalling!

Am getting an on road price of about 6.4L in Gurgaon. The road tax is lower and am getting free insurance plus loyalty discount (about 15K). Am negotiating for free seat covers, mud flaps and GPS. Looks like I will get the first two, maybe not the third.

On the Swift and Polo, I liked the drive of the first and the looks of the second. My wife found the Swift to be too downmarket from an interiors perspective (and too common as well). The Polo is good to look at and well built, but the customer service and after sales suck. Again, even after the new pricing, the Polo with a 3 pot engine and about a 100 features less is more expensive than the i20!

Lastly, on the Jazz - we loved the car, great space and premium feel for sure. I already have a Civic, so there is one Honda in the family, but I am really worried about Honda's long term commitment. They have discontinued the Civic. Dealers never seem to have the right stock, don't seem to be serious about selling the Jazz and overall am not getting the right vibes....so decided against it.

Good luck on your buy, let us know how it goes...we plan to take the i20 delivery by end of this month

I agree with the gear ratios on the i20 - doesn't necessarily let it feel underpowered, although the 1.2L engine really is! I loved the 3rd gear on the i20 - ditto on my Jazz. It can take you all the way from 10 to 80. This gear will be used the maximum in the city and it works! The floor mats, mudflaps and Teflon coating are included in the price i've been quoted. So you might want to bargain a little there. I might not go for seat covers though. The OTR in your town is 30 grand lesser than what we pay here in Gujarat - WOW!

The only reason we were thinking of the Polo was because of the German engineering and the tank like quality of the car. It's built to last and it's safe. There's a thread somewhere else on this forum where the driver was safe even after the Polo was totalled after a major accident. The straighforward looks help it too. Sadly, the 3cyl engine doesn't.

The Swift is a commuter car and I only wanted to consider it for it's no-nonsense, hassle free maintenance and comparatively cheaper spares. What did you infer of the Swift's massive A-pillar? Did it pose a hindrance while driving? I think the i20 has a big A-pillar too. Don't remember that being a problem though.

With 3 Honda's in the family, we were thinking of going the Brio way, but after checking out the i20's features, i think the Brio doesn't qualify here, except for the fantastic engine it offers. Not sure about the Civic being discontinued already - I've heard news, but not sure they have been finalized. Honda's are known to be reliable cars. I would still recommend you try a different dealer for the Jazz. I personally would have picked the Jazz over the i20. Wait, I actually did at one point of time, and I don't regret it!

[gemithomas]

I just got to see this thread. Excellent writeup/research. I was going to recommend the i20 right after seeing the picture of where your car would spend 90% of its time. THen i scrolled down to see that you are preferring the same.

My reasons for the i20 is very simple. When you plan to spend 90% of the time in the car on those kind of conditions you need just one thing - "You need to feel good spending time inside the car". And i believe the i20 could be the only winner considering competition.

[DevilsCry]

Originally Posted by car.lover

we plan to take the i20 delivery by end of this month

Originally Posted by 9thsphinx

With 3 Honda's in the family, we were thinking of going the Brio way, but after checking out the i20's features, i think the Brio doesn't qualify here, except for the fantastic engine it offers.

Originally Posted by gemithomas

I just got to see this thread. Excellent writeup/research. I was going to recommend the i20 right after seeing the picture of where your car would spend 90% of its time. THen i scrolled down to see that you are preferring the same.

Thanks gemithomas for appreciating my thread

So, car.lover and 9thsphinx are both locked on i20 which gemithomas recommends as well. I'm waiting for Govt to throw petrol prices out of control so that I can pick i20 for dirt cheap

However, there's one more concern (only for me though). EcoSport is scheduled to launch by Jan'13. Eagerly waiting for its price. Instead of the cars listed above, I might go with EcoSport if it's priced well.

[gemithomas]

Seeing what Ford has been capable of doing. The Eco Sport would surely fall slightly above the Duster/Ertiga Pricings.

If everything goes well they would create a Fusion Story is what i believe.

Me too waiting eagerly for the EcoSport. Our Fusion is turning 7 and Figo would have done around 70K km. So it might just be the right time

[frequentflyer]

Tested Brio and Polo for the wife in lieu of Spark. The Brio was preferred due to the ride and its glaring back seat probs (head rest cosmetic), poor boot, light ride and exposed front seat rails, plus por ride at the back over pot holes. Exceptional engine of course against the noisy Polo 1.2. But the Polo is a finished car. The Brio is not. We are still undecided on what to buy.

[sridhu]

Dear DevilsCry

Thank you for this post. Loved it. I am in the process of choosing a premium hatch at this point & stumbled on your post. Basically I wanted a hot-hatch with creature comforts as befits my status as a middle aged dude.

That beast does not seem to exist!

So, narrowed down to Jazz, i20 & Swift. Currently it is a toss up between the first 2 as I drive a Honda City & dont want a Honda, really.

Question: Have you tried out the i20 with the 1.4L engine? Any opinion?

[DevilsCry]

Originally Posted by sridhu

Question: Have you tried out the i20 with the 1.4L engine? Any opinion?

Sorry no. The i20 1.4L comes only with auto gearbox which is not what we're looking for.

You might want to wait for the VW Polo with turbo-charged 1.2L TSi petrol engine which comes with 7 speed dual clutch autobox (better than manual gearbox, actually!). This is the first true hot hatch India is receiving.

[Shiv_1984]

Originally Posted by DevilsCry

Why not though they are quite different cars.

Comparison-
1. i20 Asta feels like a 15 lac car to sit in and drive around. Brio feels strictly a budget car.
2. Refinement and silence in cabin in i20 is far ahead of Brio.
3. Ease in driving in traffic in Fluidic i20 is better than Brio due to more powerful torque at low RPM (like your Santro is easier to drive than Jazz).
4. Asta is the model to kill for! Loads of gadgets and sunroof! Brio seems as poor as an 800 compared to it.
5. Mileage in i20 will be in single digit only. No need to tell about Brio's mileage.
6. i20 is far more comfier and luxurious to sit in compared to Brio.
7. Brio is overpriced by 1 lac. i20, yes, is overpriced too but there's no car to rival it.

The older i20 had several severe problems like poor pick-up, steering rattling and pathetic AC. Please check if these problems have been addressed in new i20 or not. If these problems are fixed then I would prefer i20.

I disagree on few points.
1.i20 Asta feels like a 15 lac car to sit in and drive around. Brio feels strictly a budget car.
Let's take petrol, Nevertheless its a car loaded with features and gizmos but all that aristocracy will go off when you push the pedal and see the car barely moves. Its highly underpowered. Drive a brio and you will feel the difference. What i am trying to point out is, a car worth 15 lacs is not only because of the gizmos and features on offer but also drivability,power, handling and VFM to list a few. i20 petrol doesn't even come close to an ivtec. So you decide what you want.

Coming to diesel
Its a fabulous car undoubtedly but then we all know it costs close to 9 lacs whereas a brio s(o) MT costs <6.5lacs. It also depends on what factors do you consider when you call a car budget.

2. Refinement and silence in cabin in i20 is far ahead of Brio.
My cousin owns an Asta(o) and i own a Brio. As far as the NVH is concerned, brio is equally good if not more. Even he agrees. Engine clatter is felt inside for sure in CRDI but is highly controlled. Switch on the A/C in the i20 and it becomes more prominent.
I don't particularly understand cabin refinement so no comments.

4. Asta is the model to kill for! Loads of gadgets and sunroof! Brio seems as poor as an 800 compared to it.
Amazing . First tbhpian AFAIK who compared Brio with an 800. There are people who consider it technically better than swift, so for them Swift becomes Omni. Don't compare just to prove your point. Make it sensible.

7. Brio is overpriced by 1 lac. i20, yes, is overpriced too but there's no car to rival it.
I feel its perfectly priced, and right below Jazz. Look at the market before you decide on this. All prices blore OTR.
Swift/ritz Vxi - 6.15(without ABS)/6.10(with ABS)
-> none of them comes with ICE

Brio S(o)MT - 6.24 (ICE, Airbags and ABS)
If you still feel Brio is overpriced, would surely be interested to know the reasons.

As a matter of fact, its a wrong comparison as a whole. Just the way you cannot compare a City with an Elantra. i20 CRDI is a car worth the price it asks for (could have been lesser by 50k) and so is Brio. In fact, i feel Brio is one of the most VFM car in the market now.

Aloha
Shiv

[DevilsCry]

Originally Posted by Shiv_1984

I disagree on few points.

1. Thanks for making a detailed post. My post is outdated. Brio's price has been slashed by a huge amount since then. Now it is only a bit overpriced.

2. I think it is a compliment to i20 if a petrol Brio is as silent as a CRDi i20 which is a diesel.

3. I tested the i-Gen i20 not the older i20. The i-Gen i20 is quicker off the start line than Brio.

0-20kph timings:
Honda Brio: 1.32 sec
Hyundai i20: 1.11 sec

I just came back home from driving in peak traffic and I know which car I would prefer, the car quicker in 0-20kph sprint or in 0-100kph sprint.

4. I'm entitled to express my feeling what a car felt like to me. I don't see why someone should have a problem if I called i20 to be as awesome as a 15 lac car and Brio to be as basic as a Maruti 800. This is exactly what I felt while driving. This is not an official T-BHP review but a personal review.

[Pedaltothefloor]

Nothing like a 1.4 Fiat Punto if its the ride and handling that matters to you.
On the other hand, if you are a free revving junkie; go with the Jazz X. It's not as strongly built as a Fiat and I feel unsafe in it but it's very peppy and fun to drive. In fact, I find it to be a better car than the Honda City.

[Saminxs]

My first comment/post. I was planning to buy a new car and was confused amongst Honda Brio and Swift and then i saw this post and man, i was really blown over by the details and comparison and also all the parameters kind of were applicable to me. Guess what? I bought Ford Figo, a car which i was not even considering. I am a novice and don't even know how to drive properly so i do not think i have any right to or should comment on anything about other cars but i like Figo and its solidarity and stableness. Just wanted to say Thank you DevilsCry and Team-BHP.