Suzuki Swift Sport Mk1
Discussion
Since we seem to have quite a number of fans of this little car, and are threatening to take over the Suzuki Swift Sport (Mk2) Review thread, I thought I would start a new thread here.
First question from me - Has anyone managed to find a roof rack for the Mk1 Sport, apart from the rather expensive official Suzuki one?
First question from me - Has anyone managed to find a roof rack for the Mk1 Sport, apart from the rather expensive official Suzuki one?
Never had a roof rack for mine.
Was a great little care, good handling and all the standard strenghts reviews state.
Only downside the hi RPM in top gear. always needed a 6th gear. Especially as my commute was mainly dual carriageways
I would have another, and i can guess the new version is even better.
Was a great little care, good handling and all the standard strenghts reviews state.
Only downside the hi RPM in top gear. always needed a 6th gear. Especially as my commute was mainly dual carriageways
I would have another, and i can guess the new version is even better.
bonesX said:
Anyone gone from a Mk1 to Mk2? And, is it better, and worth it?
I haven't. But all the reviews I have read say that it is a little more "grown up" than the Mk1, a little more refined, a little less pointy, a little less chuckable - like it has lost a little of its zing and character. But that overall it is a very good car. Personally I think the styling is overly fussy compared to the Mk1, especially in the area of the foglight surrounds, but this probably wouldn't entirely put me off. The 6-speed box would definitely be a big improvement though as 4000rpm at 70mph for the Mk1 is rather silly.
bonesX said:
Anyone gone from a Mk1 to Mk2? And, is it better, and worth it?
I have. The new one is less focused, has less character but is more usable day to day for me and therefore suits me better. I actually sold my Mk1 because I couldn't put up with the bumpy ride, whereas the Mk2 is more refined and the ride quality is fine now. I think the Mk1 is undoubtedly a better looking car.Sixth gear is a welcome addition and I've seen 48mpg from mine with an average of 42mpg over the past year. The worst thing about the Mk2 is the notchy gearbox and the fact it struggles to go into second gear. This is common and people say it'll ease over time. Mine is almost a year old now with 8000 miles and isn't any easier, and it can really suck the fun out of a spirited driving run when it takes three seconds to change gear.
They are still both great cars and I wouldn't swap my 2014 Swift Sport at the moment, even though I could afford something faster or 'better'. It's as annoying as it is fun, that's character!
Edited by Mercury00 on Friday 3rd April 20:36
I've owned mine since 2007 as an ex demo car, it has 53k on the now. I've just put it in part exchange for a new fiesta zetec s that I'm currently waiting to be delivered.
It's been brilliant in the time I've had it. Still brings a smile, I would've kept it but the ride is now too harsh as I damaged my back a few years back and it's starting to be aggravated by the bumps.
It's got a few niggles, interior is starting to rattle a little, and I think there's a coil pack starting to play up, but other than that, I'd recommend one if they can handle the ride quality!
It's been brilliant in the time I've had it. Still brings a smile, I would've kept it but the ride is now too harsh as I damaged my back a few years back and it's starting to be aggravated by the bumps.
It's got a few niggles, interior is starting to rattle a little, and I think there's a coil pack starting to play up, but other than that, I'd recommend one if they can handle the ride quality!
Mercury00 said:
I have. The new one is less focused, has less character but is more usable day to day for me and therefore suits me better. I actually sold my Mk1 because I couldn't put up with the bumpy ride, whereas the Mk2 is more refined and the ride quality is fine now. I think the Mk1 is undoubtedly a better looking car.
Sixth gear is a welcome addition and I've seen 48mpg from mine with an average of 42mpg over the past year. The worst thing about the Mk2 is the notchy gearbox and the fact it struggles to go into second gear. This is common and people say it'll ease over time. Mine is almost a year old now with 8000 miles and isn't any easier, and it can really suck the fun out of a spirited driving run when it takes three seconds to change gear.
They are still both great cars and I wouldn't swap my 2014 Swift Sport at the moment, even though I could afford something faster or 'better'. It's as annoying as it is fun, that's character!
Thanks for this mini-review. I'm doing a lot of motorway miles in my Mk1 at the moment (and have been for the past year and will likely be doing so for at least another 6 months if not longer) and the ride quality, 4000rpm at 70mph, and lack of Cruise Control are all really starting to grate now. A Mk2 would solve all of those issues in one fell swoop, and would also add a DAB radio and sat nav into the mix too. I'm seriously considering an upgrade. Sixth gear is a welcome addition and I've seen 48mpg from mine with an average of 42mpg over the past year. The worst thing about the Mk2 is the notchy gearbox and the fact it struggles to go into second gear. This is common and people say it'll ease over time. Mine is almost a year old now with 8000 miles and isn't any easier, and it can really suck the fun out of a spirited driving run when it takes three seconds to change gear.
They are still both great cars and I wouldn't swap my 2014 Swift Sport at the moment, even though I could afford something faster or 'better'. It's as annoying as it is fun, that's character!
Edited by JonRB on Wednesday 22 April 14:50
Mercury00 said:
bonesX said:
Anyone gone from a Mk1 to Mk2? And, is it better, and worth it?
I have. The new one is less focused, has less character but is more usable day to day for me and therefore suits me better. I actually sold my Mk1 because I couldn't put up with the bumpy ride, whereas the Mk2 is more refined and the ride quality is fine now. I think the Mk1 is undoubtedly a better looking car.Sixth gear is a welcome addition and I've seen 48mpg from mine with an average of 42mpg over the past year. The worst thing about the Mk2 is the notchy gearbox and the fact it struggles to go into second gear. This is common and people say it'll ease over time. Mine is almost a year old now with 8000 miles and isn't any easier, and it can really suck the fun out of a spirited driving run when it takes three seconds to change gear.
They are still both great cars and I wouldn't swap my 2014 Swift Sport at the moment, even though I could afford something faster or 'better'. It's as annoying as it is fun, that's character!
Edited by Mercury00 on Friday 3rd April 20:36
I'll stick with my Mk1 then as it's more of a run around/hooner, and it doesn't see any motorway
I test drove a Mk2 this afternoon and formed a similar opinion.
First the good things:
It feels like it is in the next class up, with a much more contemporary interior, nicer seats, much better ergonomics, much higher level of equipment, and all altogether much nicer place to be. The leather steering wheel is a nice bit of tactile luxury. It also has a lower seating position which I liked a lot. It makes the Mk1 look and feel very dated, basic and cheap.
The 6th gear is a very welcome addition, as is the more comfortable ride and much better sound proofing. It is far quieter, more refined and more comfortable than the Mk1. When I took it out onto the motorway and set the cruise control, it felt like a car that could eat up the miles on my daily 100 mile round trip commute. Overall, a much more grown up car, and something you could use every day - far more so than the Mk1 which is extremely wearing on the motorway.
Now the bad things:
It has no character. All the fizz, vigour, vivaciousness and hooliganism of the Mk1 has been dialled back or lost altogether, and the Mk2 feels rather soulless and anodyne. The controls are way too light and lack the precision of the Mk1. Also completely gone is the way the Mk1 will pivot around you and put a smile on your face from doing something as trivial as a flick-flack through a mini-roundabout. It just all felt a little joyless in the Mk2. Furthermore, you forgive the lack of power in the Mk1 because it has such great throttle response, and because it is such fizzy fun. However, it's much harder to forgive the Mk2 because, although it has more power and is lighter, the throttle response is much less sharp, there is more flywheel effect, there is less engine braking effect, and the whole thing feels more sluggish despite also feeling slightly more accelerative. I realise that this doesn't really make much sense, but it's palpable.
After I had finished the test drive and returned to the dealership, I realised that for the whole drive I had been trying to like the Mk2, and had been trying to convince myself that it would be ok if I bought it. There were rare fleeting glimpses of the Mk1 but they were mere echoes. When I left the dealership in my Mk1, it only took one mini-roundabout to get me grinning and thinking "God, I love the Mk1". That pretty much said it all really. The clutch in the Mk1 felt really heavy after the Mk2 though, but the steering had so much more heft and precision, the gearbox was more snicketty, the brakes were more positive (although that might be down to the fact that I run EBC Yellow Stuff pads), and it just felt so much more alive.
Summary: (for those for whom the above is TL;DR)
The Swift Sport grew up and is a better daily driver for it. But also far less fun.
First the good things:
It feels like it is in the next class up, with a much more contemporary interior, nicer seats, much better ergonomics, much higher level of equipment, and all altogether much nicer place to be. The leather steering wheel is a nice bit of tactile luxury. It also has a lower seating position which I liked a lot. It makes the Mk1 look and feel very dated, basic and cheap.
The 6th gear is a very welcome addition, as is the more comfortable ride and much better sound proofing. It is far quieter, more refined and more comfortable than the Mk1. When I took it out onto the motorway and set the cruise control, it felt like a car that could eat up the miles on my daily 100 mile round trip commute. Overall, a much more grown up car, and something you could use every day - far more so than the Mk1 which is extremely wearing on the motorway.
Now the bad things:
It has no character. All the fizz, vigour, vivaciousness and hooliganism of the Mk1 has been dialled back or lost altogether, and the Mk2 feels rather soulless and anodyne. The controls are way too light and lack the precision of the Mk1. Also completely gone is the way the Mk1 will pivot around you and put a smile on your face from doing something as trivial as a flick-flack through a mini-roundabout. It just all felt a little joyless in the Mk2. Furthermore, you forgive the lack of power in the Mk1 because it has such great throttle response, and because it is such fizzy fun. However, it's much harder to forgive the Mk2 because, although it has more power and is lighter, the throttle response is much less sharp, there is more flywheel effect, there is less engine braking effect, and the whole thing feels more sluggish despite also feeling slightly more accelerative. I realise that this doesn't really make much sense, but it's palpable.
After I had finished the test drive and returned to the dealership, I realised that for the whole drive I had been trying to like the Mk2, and had been trying to convince myself that it would be ok if I bought it. There were rare fleeting glimpses of the Mk1 but they were mere echoes. When I left the dealership in my Mk1, it only took one mini-roundabout to get me grinning and thinking "God, I love the Mk1". That pretty much said it all really. The clutch in the Mk1 felt really heavy after the Mk2 though, but the steering had so much more heft and precision, the gearbox was more snicketty, the brakes were more positive (although that might be down to the fact that I run EBC Yellow Stuff pads), and it just felt so much more alive.
Summary: (for those for whom the above is TL;DR)
The Swift Sport grew up and is a better daily driver for it. But also far less fun.
Edited by JonRB on Monday 27th April 20:40
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