[BlackPearl]

Congrats nakul0888 for the Brio and thanks for the crisp and unbiased review. My friend has a brio and it is a hoot to drive. It is not selling well due to the points you have mentioned, but then hot hatches never sold well in India e.g. Palio 1.6 GTX.

[nakul0888]

Originally Posted by MaxTorque

Nice and crisp review Nakul. The all black interior looks nice in Brio. I too own a Brio, but this interior option was not available then. Is it difficult to keep the car clean due to shoes marks?

Like you said, I too like the steering wheel the most, the contours give perfect grip.

Happy miles ahead.
Any pros and cons of tyre upsizing?

Thanks!
It's super easy to maintain the interior. I wish every car maker offered an all black interior option. The beige has to be a lot tougher to maintain.

My wider rubber definitely gives better grip, steering's improved a bit.
But these Bridgestones are a bit too noisy at high speeds.

Originally Posted by aneezan

Congrats on the Brio, looks hot in red, a color I think you love, looking at the other car at your home. Hope you have a great time with it.
I too looked at the Brio during my latest car search, but it was just too short for me.

Thanks aneezan!
Yep I love the red colour of my brio. But actually I wanted the Polo in black. But VW didn't have any in stock. Also the VW SA told me black cars are going to be banned because they are hard to see at night!
Don't know if there is any truth in this.

Originally Posted by abhinav.s

Very crisp review covering most of the points. Congrats on the new go-kart! Wish you many happy miles with the car.

IIRC, Brio comes with 14' wheels stock. So you upsized to 16' or 15'? If 16' then did you notice any contact with the wheel wells? Nice set of alloys!

Thank you!
I up-sized to 16'. It's R16/55/195 section tires. Didn't go too low profile because of bad roads. No, there was no contact with the wheel wells.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Congrats nakul0888 for the Brio and thanks for the crisp and unbiased review. My friend has a brio and it is a hoot to drive. It is not selling well due to the points you have mentioned, but then hot hatches never sold well in India e.g. Palio 1.6 GTX.

Thanks bro!
Yeah you are right. Hot hatches don't sell well here especially if it's a bit flawed and not a Maruti. When the brio was launched I was hoping that Honda would later put a 1.5 vtec under the hood. Guess it won't be happening anytime soon.

[CountMe91]

Congrats on your new car. The Brio in Red looks hot, specially with the new set of shoes. I have extensively driven the Brio. The beautifully refined 1.2 iVtec engine is a truly a gem. It can evoke the enthusiast in you when you want to. Only glitch I have faced is the mileage in city. I could not clock better than ~12kmpl in city with AC. Blame it on my spirited driving I suppose.

During my recent purchase, I had short listed the Brio initially but had to cancel it from further consideration because family was not fond of the rear hatch design. They considered the car low in height and the budget interiors somehow did not appeal to them.

[nakul0888]

Originally Posted by CountMe91

Congrats on your new car. The Brio in Red looks hot, specially with the new set of shoes. I have extensively driven the Brio. The beautifully refined 1.2 iVtec engine is a truly a gem. It can evoke the enthusiast in you when you want to. Only glitch I have faced is the mileage in city. I could not clock better than ~12kmpl in city with AC. Blame it on my spirited driving I suppose.

During my recent purchase, I had short listed the Brio initially but had to cancel it from further consideration because family was not fond of the rear hatch design. They considered the car low in height and the budget interiors somehow did not appeal to them.

Thanks!
Sad, your family doesn't know what its missing.
But then again different people have different priorities. When your family looks at the brio what they probably see is a average hatch with tiny boot.
I look at it as the best bang for buck hatchback on sale and see it as a bargain.

[ajaypjayaraj]

As you rightly said "different people have different priorities", add to it the fact that 10 guys buying the same car might have different purposes in mind, as in just a city car or wife's car or only car in family or so on.. they probably wont be missing anything.

I think their choice is their happiness.

[arnabchak]

@ Nakul

Brilliant and crisp review!!

But, shouldn't you have opted for the safety rich V variant?

On ways of priority, it made greater sense considering you spent close to 50K just on tyre and alloy upgrades and not buying the V spec?

Just my point of view!!

[nakul0888]

Originally Posted by arnabchak

@ Nakul

Brilliant and crisp review!!

But, shouldn't you have opted for the safety rich V variant?

On ways of priority, it made greater sense considering you spent close to 50K just on tyre and alloy upgrades and not buying the V spec?

Just my point of view!!

Thanks!

Well I would have opted for the "V" Variant if it too came with the option of all black interiors. But sadly only the "Exclusive edition S" variant came in that spec. That's how I ended up not buying the "V" variant.
Alloys and tires just happen to be a bonus for buying the cheaper middle variant. In short I chose style over safety while buying the brio.

[CountMe91]

Yes true. Brio is a beautiful hatchback and should be a perfect choice if you are driving alone 90% of the time. But when a car is to be used 60% for family deeds, then your priorities differ.

Originally Posted by nakul0888

Thanks!
Sad, your family doesn't know what its missing.
But then again different people have different priorities. When your family looks at the brio what they probably see is a average hatch with tiny boot.
I look at it as the best bang for buck hatchback on sale and see it as a bargain.

[goingelectric]

Nakul0888, those are nice set of boots (reminds me of the BBS ones from the 90s), and of course, one of the best hatchbacks in India. FE drops a bit when you up-size boots, I've noticed that with the cars of couple of my friends.
Mine are shod with the OEM fitted 14s, I would love to go for a 15 and my only question to you is do you feel the difference with ride and handling (BLR is famous for potholes and speed breakers!).

[nakul0888]

Originally Posted by goingelectric

Nakul0888, those are nice set of boots (reminds me of the BBS ones from the 90s), and of course, one of the best hatchbacks in India. FE drops a bit when you up-size boots, I've noticed that with the cars of couple of my friends.
Mine are shod with the OEM fitted 14s, I would love to go for a 15 and my only question to you is do you feel the difference with ride and handling (BLR is famous for potholes and speed breakers!).

Handling has definitely improved. It feels more stable at high speeds, there is more grip. Steering weighs up nicely quite a bit more early than before. I haven't feel any comprises on the ride though. Its pretty much same as before. Might be because I haven't gone too low profile. My car is shod with R16/55/195 section tires. I think for a brio it is enough.

If you are up sizing to R15/50/205 sec tires, be careful when dealing with pothholes. There is more chance of your alloys getting bent because of these low profile tires.

Always best not to go overboard if you are on a budget.

[nakul0888]

As of now the Go-Kart is 9months old and has done 5400kms. Absolutely trouble free ownership. The only gripe is the squeaky brakes early in the morning due to the excessive brake dust and minimal use of the car. It goes away after the 1st kilometer though.

Other than that I am thoroughly happy with the Brio. I am also surprised about the build quality. Have been through really rough roads and no squeaks or rattles or anything. The Bridgestones are holding up really well. They are much better suited to our conditions than Yokohamas or Hankooks. I am really impressed with the mileage as well. I am getting 16kpl consistently and mind you this is with a heavy foot.

Looking back and remembering about the earlier Fabia and its brief 1 year of ownership really gives me the shivers now. Somebody ought to give the Head of Skoda a Honda or even better a Toyota and teach him what "Happy Motoring" really is....

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by nakul0888

Other than that I am thoroughly happy with the Brio.

Sums up the ownership experience nicely. I am one of those lucky few who have both the new Blue Swift Petrol and the red Brio in his garage (the Brio is my wife's, but I do drive it a fair bit myself regularly). I must say that both are joy to drive, and while the Swift feels relatively heavier and more suited for long distance high speed drives, the Brio absolutely excels at being a light, chuckable, and fairly powerful city slicker. Enjoy driving both immensely. The Brio has clocked just about 10,000 clicks, while my Swift is at around 20,000 clicks.

Both steering wheels are nicely weighted, and good to hold, but the Brio steering is a work of art at this price point.

The 1.2 K Series and VTEC engines on each are very similar, but have their own strengths. The Brio is definitely more peppy lower down in the rev rage. Both cars have solid mid range performance. I havent really pushed the Brio upwards of 3000 RPM yet, so yet to unearth the VTEC magic in pure form. The Swift has seen about 4000 RPM on the tacho tops and at those revs, the engine is snarling its way to some good numbers on the speedo

[nakul0888]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Both steering wheels are nicely weighted, and good to hold, but the Brio steering is a work of art at this price point.

The 1.2 K Series and VTEC engines on each are very similar, but have their own strengths. The Brio is definitely more peppy lower down in the rev rage. Both cars have solid mid range performance. I havent really pushed the Brio upwards of 3000 RPM yet, so yet to unearth the VTEC magic in pure form. The Swift has seen about 4000 RPM on the tacho tops and at those revs, the engine is snarling its way to some good numbers on the speedo

Oh man, you should really give it some more beans to really enjoy it. It's actually post 3500 rpm the real fun starts and it goes on all the way to the redline.
Reminds me of a quote in a Fb post, " 5000 rpm- Where diesel engines stop working and real engines start theirs"

On a more serious note I am glad to have met someone who's got a swift and Brio. My friend is considering buying petrol swift/ritz/Brio/I20.
So I would like to know more about your swifts service cost. My friend seems to think MASS is cheap and cheerful. But I have heard otherwise here on T bhp. Which is more easier on the wallet? What about their boot sizes ? Which is the better family car? And if you could have only one out of the swift and Brio, which will it be ??
Your opinions will be real helpful.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by nakul0888

.
So I would like to know more about your swifts service cost. My friend seems to think MASS is cheap and cheerful. But I have heard otherwise here on T bhp. Which is more easier on the wallet? What about their boot sizes ? Which is the better family car? And if you could have only one out of the swift and Brio, which will it be ??
Your opinions will be real helpful.

OK let me try and answer these questions the best I can:

1. Swifts service costs remain reasonable. I have done about 4 services till now and my average cost, including a 20k kms major service, has been an average of Rs. 2000- 3000 (roughly). The Brio's service cost has also been somewhat similar. I dont think there is much to choose between them as far as costs of maintenance are concerned. However, Honda has very limited service centers, fortunately I live near one, otherwise it would have been a pain in driving to and fro. My Swift has been going to one Maruti service station for the last 8 years (I earlier had an 800), and servicing has been very good. No complaints thus far.
Fuel efficiency wise: I get about 12 -13 kpl in both cars, in chock a block Bangalore city driving, with about 40-50% times the AC being on. Highway drives with fairly high speeds and regular downshifts,my Swift gives about 17.5 kpl. For the Brio, I havent yet taken her out on a long trip to ascertain highway numbers, but I suspect they would be somewhere in the 17-19kpl range. Wallet friendliness wise , tough to choose between them. However, Brio spare parts seem a tad bit costlier than the Swift's, maybe about 10-15% more.

2. Boot size, both are equally poor, and again, little to choose between them. The Swift has a higher loading lip, hence slightly difficult to load heavy items. But then again,I dont use the boot much, since its mostly 2 people travelling, and I stack bags on the back seat most times when required. Space wise, front seats are better and more supportive on the Swift, but overall space management is way better in the Brio, including a surprisingly spacious back seat. On another note, the Brio front seating is quite low. Awesome good from a driving enthusiast perspective, but for slightly senior/aged family members, ingress/egress would be an issue. The Swift on the other hand has a much higher seating position, but poor A Pillar and rearward visibility. I guess the Brio would be a more family friendly buy, given the better space management, and the ease of use for lady drivers. Just pointing out certain positives and negatives of both.

3. Your third question is quite unfair, I say I love both the Swift and Brio, both are excellent driving machines. I have always had a massive soft spot for the Swift, and saved up for 4-5 years for the new Swift launch in 2011, when I sold off my 800. Having bought it, I have loved every bit of the driving experience, and continue to do so- the steering, slick gearshift and tight handling is a heady mix for driving pleasure. The Brio, when launched, seemed a little too odd looking from the rear, but once I started driving and living with it, I have actually come to love its squat, low stance and nice crisp design lines. I did have an issue with notchy gear shifts for the first 5k kms, but now, after clocking 10k kms on it, the issue has has more or less disappeared, especially after the engine is warmed up well. I love its free revving engine (slightly one up over the Swift's K12!), and the lovely steering- and of course, its compact dimensions, which make it a peach to punt around, and ideal for ladies too. But because of the long standing love affair, if I was asked to really choose between the two, I guess my heart would still lie with the Swift. It would however, be a very tough call.

[nakul0888]

The Go kart has just completed its first year and has done about 6500 kms.
The ownership experience is typical Honda affair. No nasty popping up anywhere to ruin your day. It's just start, rev, shift and smile every single time.

I have got the first service done at Vivaan Honda, Kochi. Initially a bit of a frustrating experience since I had to wait a bit (around 25 mins) before an SA came to attend my car because two of their SA's were on leave that day. Because of this I missed the 12.20 show for Dumb and Dumber 2. Needless to say I was cross. But then again everything was going wrong in my household towards the end of this month.

First, I cracked my Polo's Tail lamps.
Then a Thunder strike short circuited our new Plasma TV, our Internet modem, UPS of our PC.
My 2 month old "smart" phone packed up- needs a new board
My brothers even "smarter" phone lightly slipped out of his hands. Not too serious of a fall. An old gen phone would have easily come off unscathed, but this smart phone was too smart for all of that and its power button along with a portion of its side collapsed in on itself. It was just one bad thing after another.

Unfortunately brio was bit by the bad luck bug too.

The right hand side rear shock was leaking and needed to be replaced. Wipers had to be replaced as well.
SA told me warranty is not a possibility since I had upsized the tires.
So along with the regular service, the total bill came upto nearly 5000/-.
1800 bucks for the rear shocks.

Here is the damage



But it was all for the better I suppose as the car feels noticeably more planted on the road at low speeds as well as high.