Team-BHP - Honda BR-V : Official Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by riteshritesh (Post 4369643)

A few pointers Mohan. Forget the AVN navigation and you being happy with it. Google maps on your phone is ultimately going to be your last resort. This, after owning the City ZX CVT which has a Navigational AVN.
An XUV/Hexa AT for your 99% city driving is not going to keep you happy after the honeymoon period is over. This, after selling off the Innova and using the BRV CVT. If you have plans of retaining the Ritz for regular use and the Big Diesel for outstation or occasional extended family rides within city, then makes perfect sense.

The rationale of most of the BRV buyers is a need for a sedan like delicate car to move 6 people within the city most of the times, with a road trip thrown is as an incentive.

Correct. Absolutely nailed it. To be frank, and as I said in the thread, I had made the decision to overlook these flaws and buy the BRV. Then I found out about the lack of backlit buttons. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how Honda can make any car (let alone the 14 lac BRV) without backlit buttons!! I mean what were they thinking? That pretty much ended the debate for me. I would still buy the BRV because my use-case is exactly as your described it. But, I would buy it ONLY if I can get backlit buttons by paying a bit extra. What I am not willing to do is to pay extra and then some up with my own arrangement of LEDs and such.

Quote:

Originally Posted by vikash49 (Post 4369662)

About nine months back, I was exactly at the same cross roads, split between the BRV CVT & the Hexa AT! You could read more about it here

Thank you. Will go through it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thecapri (Post 4369666)

Hello Mohan - I had the exact same situation about an year back. I too found the BRV good but a bit costly. Hence i bought a pre-owned Mobilio ( 1 year old). It saved me valuable bucks. May be you want to go the same route. Not necessarily Mobilio but in your case an XUV. Cheers

I am very happy with my Mobilio. Its heavily used during year end when I tend to travel long distance.

Yes, this definitely looks like the path that I will ultimately take. But, thank you for the suggestion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcat (Post 4369916)

BR-V modified by a Kerala company called Automots:

- Silver & black paint job
- Body kit
- Cross bars
- Vossen alloys & Yokohama tyres
- Bang & Olufusen audio
- Strutmasters performance suspension

This BRV is looking awesome. Wondering how easy/difficult would it be to carry the black films. Otherwise the alloys wheels, blackened chrome upfront look good. Would be eager to see the interiors as well. Any idea how much would this cost?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohansrides (Post 4369686)

Yes, this definitely looks like the path that I will ultimately take. But, thank you for the suggestion.

It's been a while this thread has been kept interested. I really do want to see pics of your purchase. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by arun_kun (Post 4370571)

21k kms in a year and still going strong :)clap: Video of one of my visit to our farms.

At times BRV does give a sense of driving an off-roader, doesn't it? But we are wary soon enough. Glad it was your farm else the way BRV was tasked to go over the bushes I was feeling uneasy in my gut thinking if a big stone or something is hiding in the bushes.

All: Any one had the air filter installed from dealer ? Also, any feedback on window magnetic shades that is also being sold by dealers?

Cheers:thumbs up

Quote:

Originally Posted by wangdu (Post 4370746)

It's been a while this thread has been kept interested. I really do want to see pics of your purchase. :)

Cheers:thumbs up

I am going to be a while. I usually take a lot of time to consider all options. Today, I have asked the BRV dealer to bring the car at night, so that I can actually see what I cannot see inside the cabin.

I am also awaiting word on the Toyota Rush and the new gen XUV (with a rumored Petrol engine).

Quote:

Originally Posted by mohansrides (Post 4370794)

Well, it looks like a coal mine. Only the headlight level adjuster is lit (small mercies). What's not lit is -

- Steering mounted buttons
- PRNDS in AT variant.
- Driver side windows/mirrors control panel

If you want proper solutions -

- The steering wheel and buttons are a straight lift from 3rd gen Honda City. And in 3rd gen Honda City, the buttons are lit (I know this because my brother owns one)
- The transmission in AT variant is the same as that of 4th gen Honda City. And again, PRNDS are lit in Honda City.
- Visually, the driver side windows/mirror control panel on BRV looks like it has been flicked from a Honda Jazz. Not sure about this though.

Maybe you can source original Honda parts and put it on BRV.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcat (Post 4370828)

Even if I source all that, there has to be a source of light behind those buttons, right? Or am I wrong?

At this point, I am just evaluating if I can manage to drive the car with the dark interior. That is the first test. Then we will see. But, really, I am pissed off with Honda for this. Even hatchbacks have this; and they cost half as much as the BRV.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smartcat (Post 4370828)

Well, it looks like a coal mine. ..

If you want proper solutions -

..

Yeah, a coal mine it seems so at first.

Well, it took me about a week or two (like it would in any other car) to get accustomed to the gear mode layout in CVT and even less for the window controls. The gear position on the display was there to help.

It will only be for aesthetics that I would like to have these lit up (thanks for city pointers) because really, while driving I wouldn't spare a second or more to know which button is where and for what. I guess that would be the case with all seasoned drivers. My other car Polo TSI is all lit up, buttons, gear position, steering wheel and what not but it was never a functional 'need'.

I guess all that just gets stored in muscle memory after a few days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ani_meher (Post 4370791)

By repainting the black rubber that gives BR-V the butch look, they have transformed it back to Mobilio!

Now, this is just spiteful. There was no need to go to these levels to prove a point. Also, personally speaking, I don't think that the Mobilio resemblance is absolute. The BRV is actually longer and wider (and maybe taller too). But, if you look closely at the pictures, the BRV hides those increases well. The roofline at the rear slopes aggressively down to visually shorten the length. The rear overhang, and the section between the rear door and the rear bumper also appear shorter in the BRV

The mobilio actually looks bulbous in comparison.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wangdu (Post 4370746)

Ya, I took that risk as I am well aware of the topography :). It was during the rainy season when bushes(soft) grow a lot and thought I would put BRV to test. Since it weighs 1200+ kgs & 210mm of clearance it did take me to quite few places where I would not venture out in hatch or sedan. Worst roads I have driven and got a quite a bit of scare is when google maps has taken through some god forsaken roads from Sringeri to Hornadu.