OK, so it's my own car. I will be honest!! :P

I've had the car from new for nearly 5 months now and have covered 3,700 happy miles. Prior to the Sport I owned a 1.5 model for a year, then I test drove a Sport and that was it!

The car is powered by a 1.6 litre petrol engine with VVT revving to 6800rpm and producing 125bhp. Suzuki fitted a lower final drive to the 5 speed gearbox which helps the car feel punchy, but at the expense of noisy cruising on the motorway, and higher fuel consumption. 17 inch wheels are used with Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres as standard fit, these are in a unique size (at least for now) but are excellent!

Like the 1.5, it's attractively styled and looks smart. Different front and rear bumpers are used with a twin exit exhaust that has a hoooj silencer box slung sideways under the back. Makes a nice noise but the spare wheel is sacrificed :( replaced by a can of gunk and a 12v compressor. Keeps the boot warm though

The interior is a nice place to be, not too dark with some restrained silver trim, but not gaudy, well fitted and finished though plastics are hard. Thicker rimmed leather-clad steering wheel feels great and the seats are without doubt the best I've ever sat in. Extremely supportive and well bolstered, though they are narrower than the Fabia's so if you are on the larger side, you won't fit well. MP3 stereo system is standard, no iPod socket though :( and a fuel computer, clock and outside temperature display resides close to the windscreen. There is more space in there than it appears, but the trade-off is a small boot.

Out on the road and the ride is very firm as you would expect, though it is softer than some (Fiesta ST) and firmer than the Fabia vRS. It is quite a lightweight too, which, combined with well sorted suspension, makes it a riot down your favourite twisties it turns in sharply and is very neutral, well weighted steering, loads of grip from the Goodyears and lift-off oversteer if you want it Quick gearchanges are a doddle, the gearbox is a pleasure to use, which is just as well, as you will be doing some stick-stirring to keep the engine on the boil.

So, is it all flawless?? Well, no. While the keyless entry works well, it's easy to confuse it if someone is pulling a handle at the same time. That firm ride and low gearing get wearing after 2hrs on the motorway and results in 35mpg. There isn't a huge ammount of storage space in the cabin, and you hear the interior trim panels shudder over bad bumps. The engine also requires V-power or Tesco 99 fuel to give you its' best, which bumps running costs up a bit. There's also very little steering feel.

Overall, I love this car The driving experience seals it for me and the dealer has been able to rectify the couple of niggles I had very quickly. This car has rightly brought people's attention to Suzuki.

Faults so far:

Rattle from dashboard - sorted.

Creaking drivers seat - sorted.

2 ABS sensors replaced.

ABS Controller replaced.

Body Control Module replaced.

Edited 21 November, 200817 yr by Mike Wrightson

Driven a few of these and always very impressed with them. but as said if you do any level of motorway driving then really is not a good car. i also found the seats to be a bit to narrow (but i am not a small person)

however twisties and the rest it is a truly great and fun car to have, with easily accessible lift off oversteer and really is a car you can throw around.

I test drove one awhile ago and yes around the twisties it's a cracking little car

The boot was too small and they would not budge much on the price(When they first came out)

I test drove one awhile ago and yes around the twisties it's a cracking little car

The boot was too small and they would not budge much on the price(When they first came out)

it was on my list of cars to buy, when I bought the GP, but because they wouldn't budge on the price, or even offer me free duals, I rejected them... 11.9% off the fiat meant I got it at £11k, which is a bleedin bargin considering what they are askin for fabia 2's at the moment!

I really fancy one of these just wish it had a 6 speed box for motorway, ipod built in

can they be tuned for a little more punch?

I really fancy one of these just wish it had a 6 speed box for motorway, ipod built in

can they be tuned for a little more punch?

the punto (JTD) has a six speed box, and blue and me (2 USB ports for digital music, bluetooth hands free ect )

I really fancy one of these just wish it had a 6 speed box for motorway, ipod built in

can they be tuned for a little more punch?

They can be tuned, but since there's no turbo involved, you will only be able to gain 5-10bhp at best unless you start spending big money.

There are turbo and supercharger kits now available for them which pushes power up to 185bhp-ish :eek: That will set you back about 4-5K for supercharger, cheaper for the turbo.

isnt Suzuki supposed to be releasing a supercharged version anyway?

It would be most welcome if they did It hasn't been confirmed at all as far as I know.

There are turbo and supercharger kits now available for them which pushes power up to 185bhp-ish :eek: That will set you back about 4-5K for supercharger, cheaper for the turbo.

Seriously naughty, sleeper, cars :thumbup:

maybe they will do something based on the new WRC? it won a point on its first outing

the punto (JTD) has a six speed box, and blue and me (2 USB ports for digital music, bluetooth hands free ect )

yeah but its a fiat and thus will break down sometime soon when it least suits you

thats my worry still with fiat. Let me know if i'm wrong.

maybe they will do something based on the new WRC? it won a point on its first outing

Indeed, a 4wd 2.0 turbo SX4 with Swift Sport-like handling would be highly amusing

thats my worry still with fiat. Let me know if i'm wrong.

Although you overcame that worry when you bought a Skoda, a brand that used to be synonymous with unreliability?

Chris

yeah but its a fiat and thus will break down sometime soon when it least suits you

thats my worry still with fiat. Let me know if i'm wrong.

I'm up to 32k now, in 10 months, re-mapped since 4k, and (unlike the fabia's,*ducks the flaming!) it hasn't blown a turbo or a clutch yet! lol..... and , of course, hasn't broken down, my vRS lost its gearbox at 40k, so if the fiat gets past that without dying, then its done better!

Indeed, a 4wd 2.0 turbo SX4 with Swift Sport-like handling would be highly amusing

and yes, that would be cool.... I'd certainly consider buying that one! :eek:

Although you overcame that worry when you bought a Skoda, a brand that used to be synonymous with unreliability?

Chris

yeah but i know its been made with parts from a golf/tt????!!!! beside they have never really been unreliable? thats just the british.

They can be tuned, but since there's no turbo involved, you will only be able to gain 5-10bhp at best unless you start spending big money.

There are turbo and supercharger kits now available for them which pushes power up to 185bhp-ish :eek: That will set you back about 4-5K for supercharger, cheaper for the turbo.

I would LOL at someone who spends £4-5k on a turbo or supercharger on a car with a list price in the c£11k territory. Plus at the end of the day you end up with a mere 185bhp.... + massive insurance + highly undesired come resale.

If you want a fast car then buy one in the first place. Once the costs of the turbo & supercharger are paid for you then need to add in much bigger brakes, certainly uprated clutch & possibly gearbox engine mounts for sure and of course better suspension & a freeer flowing exhaust to make the most of what you have done.

So that £11k car is now somewhere between £16-£20k in total spend of which the £5-9k will have pretty much zero residual.

Now what can you buy for £16-19k new? Astra VXR, Focus ST, Cooper S, Mazda MPS, Megane R26, Leon Cupra. Of which IIRC the highest output is 260bhp and all will be much less to insure and clearly be a much nicer place to be in.

Save your bucks mate - let some **** waste their mony on such projects.

Oh read in the paper not long ago that one **** spent £40k modifying his Saxo VTS and its worth.. £2k lol I quite enjoyed that one in the eye for the ***** who ruin our car parks & road race. :eek::sofahide::rant::rally::wrthless::iagree:

Now what can you buy for £16-19k new? Astra VXR, Focus ST, Cooper S, Mazda MPS, Megane R26, Leon Cupra.

Unless of course you actually want a 185bhp Swift...in which case all the above would be unsuitable.

Rob.

Unless of course you actually want a 185bhp Swift...in which case all the above would be unsuitable.

Rob.

But surely there is a point where common sense comes into the equation and the cost makes it an unviable thing to do.

I mean lets say you buy a Pug 107 which is about £6.5k would you seriously put on modifications to make its total cost to you not far off £13-14k...? Especially when (even if you dont accept it) it will be unappealing to 99% of the population (maybe a lot higher) and therefore you might have to take amassive loss of it when you sell it & unless everyone who buys small city run abouts Swift included can they really afford to take those sorts of losses?

Basically its the same as saying for a £10k car 'll go diesel and save £1200per year on the fuel savings and IMHOP thats worth while but when say your in the £30k+ list price the £1200 a year savings for a diesel are really insignificant vs the depreciation charge + in general people who buy those cars can afford to take those losses, but to have similar 1st year losses on what was a 10k car is really painful.

I couldnt care less & would seriously ROFLMAO if someone did that and suffered the following consequences - and even more so if they had been warned.

Also increasing the performance by that % level could make it an uninsurable car!

@Welshy: How much have you spent on your FIAT Coupe Turbo, just out of interest?

Especially when (even if you dont accept it) it will be unappealing to 99% of the population (maybe a lot higher) and therefore you might have to take amassive loss of it when you sell it & unless everyone who buys small city run abouts Swift included can they really afford to take those sorts of losses?

I guess it depends if you buy your car for what you want or what the next prospective owner might want.

If you like the way a Swift drives but you want more power then it makes perfect sense to buy a Swift and make it more powerful. If your motivation for car choice is based on £s and %ages, then you probably wouldn't make this choice.

And you're assuming that everyone who buys a "small city runabout" can't afford a more expensive car and couldn't afford the losses on it...which I can assure you isn't the case...

Rob.

@Welshy: How much have you spent on your FIAT Coupe Turbo, just out of interest?

What modifications or servicing?

Anything. Modifications, servicing, repairs, consumables.

Anything. Modifications, servicing, repairs, consumables.

Well 52 months o ownership:-

4 tyres - Costco Special Deal Michellin Pilot sport 2 205 16's = £268

Front Pads - Brembo special deal with Partco £35 (should have been £130)

Rear Pads = £20 (lucas as Lucas make the reas OEM)

20 Sprak Plugs - I guess that will be for Bosch/Champion = £100

Thermostat = £50

Brake Fluid x2 = £40

Oil - well I get my Mobil 1 oil from Costco for £15 and Id say Ive used around 7 so = £105

Oil filter x4 = £16

Pollen Filter x4 = £32

2 Headlight bulbs = £16

2 indicator bulbs £6

2 New number plates = £30

So a total of £718 (and the tyres are not even worn down to 4.5mm yet....) so that annualises to £165 for parts/consumables. (I do all the servicing myself).

Things which may need changing in the next 12-15months at a guess:-

Front Brake discs - discount price £65 the pair

Um Handbrake cables not really required but maybe = £40

So as you can see its not expensive to run Oh & my exhaust is the original and its now 11-12 years old and done 60,000 miles. Which is what makes me really question why quite a number of Fabia vRS owners have changed their exhaust as the car at the oldest will be only 4odd years old this seems highly short lived especially as my Golf GT TDI 115 which is now with a friend still has the original exhaust on and its like now even 8 years on so either Skoda are using inferior parts, or whoever is servicing their cars are misinforming them that they have corroded beyond repair, or they live with the exhaused sat in salt or its ... I dont know why would someone scrap a perfectly servicable part - desire to waste money??