Sorry,

i do not have the link to todays new issue, 14-20 August,  but good reading IMO.

If not buying maybe worth flipping through at the newsagents.

 

george

It hardly seems a fair test out of interest did the swift win ?

I think the reason for the comparison is that Suzuki have a 5 door model now

and one cost £14,249 & the other £14,330

 

Very Different Emission so Tax Band & different insurance costs.  Fuel and running costs.

The Suzuki is maybe not what people want if they are after an economic to run car.

People say a Fabia looks Tall until compared with the roof height of a Swift.

 

So its best to read the article and decide if what Auto Express think are the things important when looking at a 5 door car around about £14,000 or less with discounts.

(Much more stuff as standard and not an option with the Suzuki, like Stability & Cruise Control.)

 

I like the idea of the new 1.2 Suzuki Swift 4x4, or any Swift 4x4 if they get around to doing an automatic.

A Fabia Mk3 4x4 would be even more ideal.

 

george

We have an auto (7 speed CVT) Swift Sport here in Australia. Most reviews say it's not as good as the manual version. Although most reviewers belong to the if it's not a manual "you're not really at one with the car" or "you're not in complete control" or "it's not as fun" camp.

I owned a 10 plate Swift before, couldn't get rid of it for love nor money when trying to trade in, got lucky with a local dealer who bought it off me for cash. That was February 2012, he eventually sold it 3 weeks ago.

Edited 14 August, 201312 yr by MilgeS

The biggest difference is the swift handles like a proper hot hatch. The monte handles like a tranny van!

The swifts got xenons with wash, cruise, climate, multi func wheel, keyless entry, push button start, stability, no extra charge for metallic and other stuff thats all extra on a fab.

I had the old ignis sport and then one of the first swift sports and had 7 years issue free motoring. Need a 5dr now though so wrote off the swift but thanks for the heads up, glad I havent ordered the fab yet.

Ha ha leerad so youre not all that pro suzuki then by any chance & popped out to save them , dont worry im not here to diss suzuki either & ive also had an ignis sport,nice little car but a bit of a bone rattler,totally reliable though.

Thanks for the heads up on the review george,i hada sneeky peek in tesco & it wasnt scathing of the monte,basically it isnt a hot hatch & does t handle quite as well but makes up for it with cheaper running & more practicality.nowt we dont know really & if anyone wants true performance they'll bypass both & buy a real performance car but end of the day yhe monte looks the part & isnt slow under normal circumstances in the same way as not many people in land rovers do much landroving.

The Swift handles better and so is more fun.

That's effectively why it won.

 

The Fabia II is an OK car, but if you want a cheap to run warm (not VRS hotter) hatch I personally think the Swift Sport is a better car.

 

I like the Fabia II because you get a fair bit for the money, but you can't disguise the fact it's an old design based on an older design.

List prices are much the same,so assuming price isn't the issue then it's the Swift if you want a good handling junior hot hatch,but if you need the extra space inside,slightly cheaper running costs and drive more sedately then it's the Fabia. 

There's no "better" car here it just depends what your prorities are.

Road tests like this where there has to be a winner can sometimes be misleading.

Ha ha leerad so youre not all that pro suzuki then by any chance & popped out to save them , dont worry im not here to diss suzuki either & ive also had an ignis sport,nice little car but a bit of a bone rattler,totally reliable though.

Thanks for the heads up on the review george,i hada sneeky peek in tesco & it wasnt scathing of the monte,basically it isnt a hot hatch & does t handle quite as well but makes up for it with cheaper running & more practicality.nowt we dont know really & if anyone wants true performance they'll bypass both & buy a real performance car but end of the day yhe monte looks the part & isnt slow under normal circumstances in the same way as not many people in land rovers do much landroving.

Nope, was vag all my life, but every one ive had was unreliable overpriced rubbish. Swapped to suzuki and loved it. Got old went to skoda, currently got an octy vrs tdi. The fab would be for the wife. She likes the suzuki though now but the boot space is rubbish compared to the fab! decisions decisions!

Aren't we comparing chalk and cheese here? These do not seem to be similar cars with similar engines, Ins groups,mpg, road tax costs.I would say one is warm hatch and the other all about style and practicality? Suzuki for the kids and Fabia for the more mature (or in my case 'old gits')

A Swift Sport isn't really a comparison for a Monte although my brother did consider one. The Sport blows the Fabia away in terms of fun and even his older model isn't that bad on fuel. It's main downside is the boot space but seats do fold down flat

Surely the Swift Sport should should be compared to a fabia VRS. A monte carlo is only a standard fabia with a daft name. I would imagine the VRS would be a lot lot quicker than the Suzuki.

It isn't comparable to a vRS since there's a 40bhp difference. Just as the Monte is no comparison to Swift Sport because of a 20bhp deficit. The Swift Sport is classed as a "warm" hatch, although I think it's pretty quick on good B roads. It's main competitor is probably the Twingo RS which is out of production now. 

They just really went for in the comparison i imagine  because they needed a 5 door at a very similar price.

 

They have plenty cars to compare with a 3 Door Swift Sport.

 

george

Bit of a rubbish comparison really you can't compare this car to a monte or a vrs it's right in the middle. Handles better and IMO is more fun than the VRS but in a straight line the vrs would leave it for dust but on a twisty bit of road would be interesting.

Anyway here's some pics of mine

Love tha handling and the challenge of keeping the engine and the revs on the boil real drivers car get out with a smile on my face every time. Boot is crap but that the only fault I can find.

Not bad. Not a million miles apart from the Fabia in styling either. I've had people mistake mine (a rare vehicle in Oz) for a Swift.