My experience with my Swift over the past 7 months.
After my initial dilemma between the Swift or the Getz, I finally decided for the Swift Zxi after reading reviews and a test drive of both the vehicles. Although the Getz is definately a more solidely built car, I felt the Swift was a better overall package with the available options & the price.
Between the Zxi & Vxi, go for the Zxi especially for it’s safety features.
The additional features are:
1) 185/70 R14 alloys vs. 165/80 steel rims
2) ABS with EBD
3) Dual front airbags
4) Front seat belts with 3-point ELR & pretensioners
5) Driver seat height adjuster
6) Automatic Climate Control
7) Keyless entry
8) Coloured outside door handles
9) Coloured outside door mirror cowls
10) Cigarette lighter
11) Rear parcel shelf
12) Light in luggage compartment
13) 12V accessory socket in luggage room
14) Rear window wiper
15) Rear window demister
16) Electromagnetic tailgate opener
Now to my driving experience.
Interiors:
Good: The front seats are wide & can be moved back to accomodate even tall people. The instrument cluster is clear & well lit during the night. Most of the controls are well placed & easy to use.
Bad: Very poor upholstery & plenty of rattles especially from the left B pillar(very annoying).
Engine & Gear box:
Good: Smooth & provides good acceleration.
Bad: Frequent downshifts required especially for overtaking.
Ride & Handling:
Good: Car handles really well & is fun to drive.
Bad: Very bumpy ride.
Brakes:
Good: Evidently ABS does a good job, especially on roads which have loose gravel or are slippery & even during sudden braking on high speed turns.
Bad: -
Fuel Consumption:
Average 12-14 km/l with a/c on.
Reliability:
Now here is where the problems are.
The car drives well & got smoother with time. But, at 6000 kms, I found that there was oil leaking from somewhere in the engine. I took it to the dealer & found that the leak was from the gasket, so got it replaced.
Now, 1 month later the a/c has stopped cooling! They found a leak in the pipe system from where the gas leaked out. After replacing the pipe, things seemed fine, but then a valve started leaking & the gas escaped again!
After 2 weeks at the workshop, I got my car back with their reassurance that all’s fine, only to find out 2 days later that the a/c stopped cooling again!
The guys at the service centre are as puzzled as I am, so after consultation with the a/c unit suppliers, they have now decided to replace the condensor unit.
End result: My car’s been in the workshop since the past 3 weeks & I hope to get it back in 2-3 days, but my confidence about parts being used in Maruti cars is definately dented.
Compare this to the Santro which I used for 7 years, but never took it to the workshop except for the regular services!