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Thank you so much . . Just going in for floor lamination and seat covers. For the time being at least. Thanks again. God Bless.

Folks, one of my friend is looking for a 7 seater Petrol Automatic and other than BRV there is nothing that comes close to his requirement. Crysta Petrol AT is upward north of 20L and he doesn't need a vehicle of that size, as he uses his car mainly in the City and for occasional long drives. The decent interior space and boot space of BRV is also another key factor that got him hooked on to it. Diesel automatics are not an option.

One of the dealer in Bangalore is offering a cash discount of 1L on the V CVT variant. Few things that I am concerned about him to go ahead with this purchase:

- Even with 1L cash discount, I still believe BRV is not worth the price. That's one of the main reason why I bought Crysta 2.8 GX AT two years back.
- Build quality and parts quality. It's feels cheap. This friend of mine is using the 1st Gen Jaaz which is miles ahead interms of parts quality or build strength. He finds it acceptable though with BRV.
- The current BRV is already two years old. I know the new updated version is around the corner. Is it any good or is it just a cosmetic update and is it worth waiting for that?
- New Ertiga is a close competitor, but the low boot space and the lack of decent AT option still makes BRV a worthy option.

I can't believe the fact that even after two years, the market still doesn't have any decent option for someone looking for a 7 Seater Petrol AT option. My needs were similar then and back then BRV was the only worthy option in Petrol and it's still is the same situation. All in all, my friend would be mostly going ahead with the purchase. I am asking him to hold on until he sees the new Ertiga in person and also for the updated BRV. He is not too optimistic about the Ertiga w.r.t. boot space and other specs. And we don't have any exact time frame about when the new updated BRV will be launched.

Appreciate your inputs on the same.

Cheers,
Greg

Your advice is sensible - wait for the new Ertiga and see how it is. Visually atleast, the boot seems to have a wider base and in terms of litres, it is slightly higher. I guess he could use a luggage rack or a covered luggage carrier if he wants extra space.

I don't think there will be an updated 7 seater BR-V based on the new Brio/ Amaze platform. There will be a SUV version, but it will be a 5 seater like WR-V.

But if your friend goes ahead with BR-V, don't discourage him (much). It has been 2 years /25,000 kms so far - bumpers, plastics and "bendy" sheet metal have not fallen off yet.

"Even with 1 Lakh discount .." -->I wonder if Honda City V CVT is worth the price ;) ? Would the significantly more GC (& associated engineering), the last row 2 seats + boot space not make BRV worthy enough of its tag?

"Build Quality...cheap" --> Well, at !12k odo here, 80% of which has been with family on hills, villages, highways i.e. pot holes. inclines, gravel, stones, snow, slush, neck breaking speed bumps etc and guess what NOT a single squeak thus far. Well, it could be someone's preference of dual tone interior but the all black interior (piano finish etc) has it's own amazing appeal. And of course if Honda had added another few lakhs to the cost, there could be more appealing (luxurious?) interiors. But trust me when I say this that on my trips when I see the interiors all roughed up I don't break a sweat as I know it's all a quick clean up job. So, if it's family with young kids in city or going around then BRV shall serve well.

"Ertiga" - A 4 speed, reportedly low FE vs 7 speed CVT !? Not even talking of performance with full load yet. Also, for VFM feature do compare the key features as IIRC, ZXI didn't have the rear wiper or was it VXI, which is a must on long trips. My only grouse with CVT is rubber band effect but that's due to my own happy right foot in the wrong car.

In a nutshell, I wouldn't buy a car if I find key aspects of a car just "acceptable" as your friend is saying. See through the festive season for bigger discounts or newer launch.

Misc: October is a great time to buy as discounts are plenty due to not just the festive season but also due to dealers vying for annual awards which close in Oct. Else, last year's car in the the new year for possibly more discounts.

Cheers.

If you don't mind me asking, which dealer is this? Just yesterday, I visited Dakshin Honda, and the SA mentioned about 60K cash discount. He's ready to give me 50K exchange bonus for my old car (in addition to the car's valuation price).

Your ownership experience so far has given a sense of confidence. :)

It does indeed from a packaging perspective. But my point was that BRV is based on Brio/Amaze platform and Jazz/City are completely on a different platform, which in my opinion is a superior one.

Thanks for sharing your opinion. A feedback like this goes a long way to feel confident about the purchase.

With all that said, my friend went ahead and booked the BRV yesterday. I feel its a right decision, given his needs and the options available in the market.

He checked with both Whitefield Honda and Saphire Honda. Both offered the same discount of 1L cash without any exchange of old car. PMed you the details about the final deal.

Got this pic from BR-V Whatsapp group:



This guy was cruising (BR-V diesel) at 85 kmph when suddenly, the engine and electricals shutdown. He somehow managed to bring the car to halt (no power assistance to steering and brakes). Eerily, as seen from the pic, the speedometer and tachometer dials were stuck at 85 kph and 2500 RPM. Anyway, the car restarted after a couple of minutes and he managed to get home.

Any idea what happened there?

Meanwhile, my BR-V (27000 km on the clock) will start racking up more kilometers per month from now on as I sold my A-star to my brother.

bad battery cable, connection or corrosion at terminals
or bad wire connections at ignition button
or perhaps a bad main fuse which magically started working again
or less likely bad battery or alternator

let us know, now that the issue would have been diagnosed by technicians

oh! that's shining even on my dull laptop screen.:thumbs up I wish I could say that about mine more often which gets covered in dust every minute here in the polluted north.:mad:

Just wondering out loud, would the BRV have clocked more numbers if it was launched as an MPV instead of an SUV, and at a lower price point? I don't see many disadvantages in the BRV as a product when compared to the new Ertiga, as opposed to something like the Creta which it was meant to take on.

Nopes, mobolio was exactly this product.

Key Battery Life:
Guys, has anyone experienced multiple battery changes to the key? In my experience, I am changing the battery every 3 months. Is it me or everyone.
I have changed battery manufacturer (maxell, sony etc.) CR2032, but every 100 odd days, the 'Key Batt' indicator lights up on my dash.

Let me know. Is it a usual scenario or smething wrong with my key / battery. I have a WagonR too - but i don't remember changing it's batteries for a long time.

1) Maybe something is wrong with 'Key Batt' indicator on your dash :D
2) Use the spare key instead of the original. See if you get this problem on the spare key too. If no, something is wrong with the original key and hence needs replacement.
3) Do you keep your smartphone and remote key in the same pant pocket? Cellphone signals interfere with the remote key, and might be responsible for battery discharging quickly. Keep your remote key in another pocket and check.

I don't have a BR-V but I have a Grandi10 with keyless entry and the same battery. The CR2032 hardly lasts over 2-3 months. I've also used similar brands but I think they're all cheap knock offs. The one which came with the car lasted for like 4 years.
This time around I've ordered the Kodak ones from Amazon.

I don't think BRV was launched as an SUV. How could it be? It's a next gen 7 seater mobilio with way better looks & performance; crudely speaking. But 'lower price point' would have immensely helped, given Ertiga's two primary customer base - the extremely cost conscious middle class (Sr. citizens too) and the cab drivers. In fact I have seen more Ertiga cabs than privately owned so low cost of ownership (low maintenance & spares costs) which they get at FNGs instead of svc centers would have been a key factor.

Creta has always been brought in discussion with BRV but it shouldn't IMO. A person whose primary requirement is of space & comfort will go with BRV/Ertiga most likely in sub 13L budget. I know of people who just couldn't imagine driving MPV body, ignored practicality (space for 4+, 5 members) and went ahead with Creta and some spent more for XUV.

Not usual. My BRV key fob is going good since 2 years now. Every 3-4 weeks or so I get the other key into action so as to keep both fobs in working condition.

Given that you have used from different manufacturers, I'm assuming that at least one of it would not be defective or beyond shelf life. Any water spills on the fob could be other thought?

Whoops. I got the "Key Batt" indicator (accompanied by 3 or 4 loud beeps) on the dash too. Went to a nearby watch store and got the key battery replaced (Maxell CR2032, 3V Lithium). Paid Rs. 90.



Incidentally, the watch store owner said the old battery was fine. But I got it replaced anyway.