RE: Suzuki Swift Sport: PH Fleet
Discussion
Fire99 said:
BricktopST205 said:
True but the Civic lacks the creature comforts like climate, keyless entry, xenons, dab etc etc. There is no doubt the Civic is the better car for a driver but the Swift gives the same feeling of enjoyment (Having to wring the neck out of the engine) while being a lot more modern. I think that's what he was trying to point out.
Now I'm pretty certain the one I drove had AirCon and I have a canny feeling the later type R came with full 'Climate' if you wanted it. Keyless Entry I still see no need what so ever for and HID's (having had them on my last car) cause more annoyance for other drivers and not vast benefit than conventional projectors with decent bulbs..I'm not particularly a Civic fan (bar the engine) but I honestly don't see anything offered in the Swift that would be a deal breaker in the Civic, as a daily driver..
Regarding HIDS, symbols fitted some (a very, very good set) to her modified Fabia vRS mk1.
Yes, they were better than the standard lights, but nowhere near as good as the factory demons on my Audi. My point?. The Audi has reflectors to take advantage of the xenons, as opposed to standard headlights with an HID bulb thrown in, and the reason other road users might get annoyed with HID setups is they lack self-levelling plus you get that bright bloom around the headlight.
Neither HID / xenon headlights nor keyless entry would matter to me either, I'd be buying the car in because of it, rather than in spite of it to be honest. I've had much faster cats than a Type R but they remain something I'd like to own, partly because of their lack of turbocharged emission-friendly power plants.
KevinCamaroSS said:
davidcharles said:
KevinCamaroSS said:
I think Matt has lost the plot. A Suzuki Swift Sport is absolutely NOT a hot hatch.
its not??...why not?.... its a faster/sporty version of a hatchback....what else does it need to be a hot hatch?Same power to weight as a 30 year old hot-hatch? Woopee-doo, hardly cutting edge is it?
Fire99 said:
Now I'm pretty certain the one I drove had AirCon and I have a canny feeling the later type R came with full 'Climate' if you wanted it. Keyless Entry I still see no need what so ever for and HID's (having had them on my last car) cause more annoyance for other drivers and not vast benefit than conventional projectors with decent bulbs..
I'm not particularly a Civic fan (bar the engine) but I honestly don't see anything offered in the Swift that would be a deal breaker in the Civic, as a daily driver..
5 doors?I'm not particularly a Civic fan (bar the engine) but I honestly don't see anything offered in the Swift that would be a deal breaker in the Civic, as a daily driver..
Interesting, i drive a modified EP3 as a daily and have been toying with the idea of changing to a swift and keeping the R for the weekends. I just love the feel of a lightweight naturally aspirated revy car that is also reliable. I have a feeling i'd get more joy out the swift at normal sane speeds and maybe less chavs in ST's sitting on my numberplate.
Fire99 said:
BricktopST205 said:
True but the Civic lacks the creature comforts like climate, keyless entry, xenons, dab etc etc. There is no doubt the Civic is the better car for a driver but the Swift gives the same feeling of enjoyment (Having to wring the neck out of the engine) while being a lot more modern. I think that's what he was trying to point out.
Now I'm pretty certain the one I drove had AirCon and I have a canny feeling the later type R came with full 'Climate' if you wanted it. Keyless Entry I still see no need what so ever for and HID's (having had them on my last car) cause more annoyance for other drivers and not vast benefit than conventional projectors with decent bulbs..I'm not particularly a Civic fan (bar the engine) but I honestly don't see anything offered in the Swift that would be a deal breaker in the Civic, as a daily driver..
great_kahn said:
Suzuki Swift Sport, definitely a car for the minority who love to justify there purchase of the wrong car.
Hot hatch? Pull the other one.
That would make for the most bizarre reason to choose a car. How about a car others resent as they know a Swift Sport driver will be having more fun more of the time for less cash? Sorry if I hit a nerve Hot hatch? Pull the other one.
The level of cynicism here is getting silly - actually it looks like trolling the journos to me. If Suzuki is truly buying good reviews, they must be splashing a lot of cash around, as the Swift is pretty much universally rated as one of the most fun cars to drive for the money.
To me a hot hatch isn't defined by power output, it refers to anything which is 'the sporty version' of a normal hatchback, but still with the FF layout, so this fits.
To me a hot hatch isn't defined by power output, it refers to anything which is 'the sporty version' of a normal hatchback, but still with the FF layout, so this fits.
Fire99 said:
N
The Swift has its charms but it's still a disposable 'white-goods' hatchback where as the Civic with that intoxicating engine creeps into the 'special' category where a mint, standard one is worth preserving (and driving)
I cant think of a more 'white goods' hot hatch than the CTR. Cheap jap with jap plastics and decent but mass produced running gear, devoid of any style but a decent performer.The Swift has its charms but it's still a disposable 'white-goods' hatchback where as the Civic with that intoxicating engine creeps into the 'special' category where a mint, standard one is worth preserving (and driving)
Borne out by the fact they were cheap and plentiful and now you see lots of them at shed money being driven round by Barrys with a big smokey exhaust.
Just because it was mildly good doesn't mean it wasn't cheap disposable 'white goods'.
The SSS, is an absolute gem of a car. Without question one of the best cars I've owned and would have a spot in a dream garage. Really.
It's a really sweet tool for the job of urban runabout, but it's abilities extend beyond that. It feels like a pretty unique package in terms of fun/cost/practicality/performance/creature comforts
Completely unnecessary heel-toe-ing, trying never to touch the brake, using momentum, nipping in and out of traffic is all great fun. Being able to park in smaller spots, not having to worry about the car as much etc all make it a real pleasure to own.
Loving keyless entry which I've never had before, and when you're faffing with kids, bags, shopping etc, it's one less thing to worry about. Get in and drive. Super light, very chuckable.
Gutless below 4k RPM which is fine by me. Keeping it in the upper rev ranges is super fun at 30-40mph.
Very decent infotainment system. Super comfy seats (love cloth), great gear change.
Cheap to maintain - fuel economy is not anywhere close to other cars in the class, but it's an N/A, revvy engine so you sign up for that.
As another poster mentioned, I can drive 'nicer' cars but I choose this every time. Where my head is right now, I am considering having the SSS as our only car.
...I also think in white it looks like a little Group B rally car.
It's a really sweet tool for the job of urban runabout, but it's abilities extend beyond that. It feels like a pretty unique package in terms of fun/cost/practicality/performance/creature comforts
Completely unnecessary heel-toe-ing, trying never to touch the brake, using momentum, nipping in and out of traffic is all great fun. Being able to park in smaller spots, not having to worry about the car as much etc all make it a real pleasure to own.
Loving keyless entry which I've never had before, and when you're faffing with kids, bags, shopping etc, it's one less thing to worry about. Get in and drive. Super light, very chuckable.
Gutless below 4k RPM which is fine by me. Keeping it in the upper rev ranges is super fun at 30-40mph.
Very decent infotainment system. Super comfy seats (love cloth), great gear change.
Cheap to maintain - fuel economy is not anywhere close to other cars in the class, but it's an N/A, revvy engine so you sign up for that.
As another poster mentioned, I can drive 'nicer' cars but I choose this every time. Where my head is right now, I am considering having the SSS as our only car.
...I also think in white it looks like a little Group B rally car.
s m said:
What about the Mazda2 115ps Sport?
6-speed - slightly lighter, nearly the same performance
Beautifully engineered drivetrain, responsive engine, probably the nicest gearbox I've ever used. They've not developed it as a drivers car though. After the Swift it feels like driving a sensory deprivation capsule. The ride and handling compromise isn't as good as the Fiesta or Swift, and there's less steering feedback. It's also off the real world pace of the Swift.6-speed - slightly lighter, nearly the same performance
It's a real shame they didn't drop in the 130ps 1.5l (or even the 2l) and put some engineering effort into tuning the ride, handling, feel of the controls, and generally injecting some character. They could have produced something really fun. Wasted opportunity IMHO.
chappardababbar said:
Completely unnecessary heel-toe-ing
It's taking me a while, but I'm getting the hang of this in the Swift now. Modern over-servoed brakes 
chappardababbar said:
Loving keyless entry
I love the headlamps - so much better than the pathetic nineties era ones I was used to.chappardababbar said:
Gutless below 4k RPM which is fine by me.
In fairness, it's got the low down instant torque to pull onto a roundabout much more cleanly than the tiny turbos in some of the competition.chappardababbar said:
fuel economy is not anywhere close to other cars in the class
Maybe not, but 40mpg is very achievable, 45mpg on a long run. I'm sure I'd get more from a Mazda2 or Fiesta.Had my sport for over 2.5 years now, It is a 09 so not the newer model.
It is a good fun car, Maybe not the best put together interior what with rattles all over the place but the mechanicals are strong.
Tyres are only 195,45,17 so not massively wide and allows the swift to show what its chassis is all about. You can throw it about the place with abandon, The front grips then the rear which I personaly think is set up amazing just seems to throw itself into the fun (hard to explain but its the feeling it gives)
The sound of it above 4.5k revs is great, Goes from quiet doormouse to shouty doberman.
It is also great around the city and parking in supermarkets being small and light.
I have put 23k on mine in the 2.5 years going from 21k-44k and have yet to spend a penny above services,tyres and front brakepads.
Would I buy another? No I will keep the one I have, I dont like the new seats, The more grown up feeling of the newer one and suzuki have dialed out the rawness of the older sport.
It is a good fun car, Maybe not the best put together interior what with rattles all over the place but the mechanicals are strong.
Tyres are only 195,45,17 so not massively wide and allows the swift to show what its chassis is all about. You can throw it about the place with abandon, The front grips then the rear which I personaly think is set up amazing just seems to throw itself into the fun (hard to explain but its the feeling it gives)
The sound of it above 4.5k revs is great, Goes from quiet doormouse to shouty doberman.
It is also great around the city and parking in supermarkets being small and light.
I have put 23k on mine in the 2.5 years going from 21k-44k and have yet to spend a penny above services,tyres and front brakepads.
Would I buy another? No I will keep the one I have, I dont like the new seats, The more grown up feeling of the newer one and suzuki have dialed out the rawness of the older sport.
Itsallicanafford said:
...my hot hatch only has 103Bhp, make of that what you will..
We could spend all day arguing with the trolls over what's hot and what's not, that doesn't really matter.The main thing is.. is it fun?
I bet you have more fun in yours than the average Golf R driver.
I spent most of 2009 driving a friend's Swift Sport. He had two for his business so I took the spare. Of course, that was the first generation car and it was somewhat removed from the current package, but probably not that far off.
My enduring memories of it, other than the rock hard seats, are directness of the chassis and the steering. The gearshift could be a little stiff when it was cold but it smoothed out nicely as you warmed it up, and the engine was pretty bland and flat at low RPM but revved out nicely, which was where it did it's best work. I really enjoyed driving it. It was a car where you could readily put the throttle to the floor and not encounter silly speeds.
Both cars lasted very well too. A couple of years later, he gave his daughter his main Swift Sport when it had over 100,000 miles on it and was still performing nicely.
My enduring memories of it, other than the rock hard seats, are directness of the chassis and the steering. The gearshift could be a little stiff when it was cold but it smoothed out nicely as you warmed it up, and the engine was pretty bland and flat at low RPM but revved out nicely, which was where it did it's best work. I really enjoyed driving it. It was a car where you could readily put the throttle to the floor and not encounter silly speeds.
Both cars lasted very well too. A couple of years later, he gave his daughter his main Swift Sport when it had over 100,000 miles on it and was still performing nicely.
I think the point being raised here, and the reason for PH running the car on the fleet, is that fact that as an OEM, Suzuki are the last to offer a 'sporting' N/A version of their car. As they are no longer making this version, it means that the choice, for us as consumers, is now narrowed - until the new version appears, albeit turbo'd...
It's frankly irrelevant whether you like the car or not, surely the market is better off for having the car, than not? It's shame that other OEMs don't fancy trying to replicate the success of the SSS. Thank goodness for Suzuki being brave enough to offer it then and I welcome the soften of the prices of used models when the new one is announced at the Geneva show.
It's frankly irrelevant whether you like the car or not, surely the market is better off for having the car, than not? It's shame that other OEMs don't fancy trying to replicate the success of the SSS. Thank goodness for Suzuki being brave enough to offer it then and I welcome the soften of the prices of used models when the new one is announced at the Geneva show.
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