Entropy's Suzuki Swift Sport

[entropy]

Oh dear, another PHer with a Suzuki Swift Sport!

The stripes/stickers I'm not too keen on but as odd as this sounds I'm not desperate to take them off either. What drew me to this particular SSS is the bodykit for the rear bumper! Looking at it made me feel like a 17/18 year old. No spare tyre only tyre repair kit due to the exhaust system so I had to Ebay for spare tyre kit for £50.

Managed to write off my previous car so it was a case of beggars-can't-be-choosers when it came to getting a new car. Other cars on my radar was Fiat Panda 100 but only red ones were locally available (I have no interest trying to look after red paintwork); test drove a Renault Twingo GT - peppy, rorty, zingy, very appealling engine but intial handling felt it could be sharper but really my heart settled on the Swift and was top of my list.

I've owned this for a couple of months now and TBH I'm kinda in two minds.

125hp is just the right amount for a Jr hot-hatch; it doesn't feel just fast enough but feels quick - doesn't always feel like you're doing say 70mph on a motorway but feels quicker rather than cruising. Gear ratios are really short which makes it a nippy point to point car but cruising at 70mph is nearly 4k rpm. Also there's a rattle within the door cards but in these instances I turn the stereo up! The engine and exhaust sounds nice and rorty and absolutely fizzes makes you want to drive like Kris Meeke....

But this is a high car. The seats are on the high. The roofline is high... my goodness, there's acres of space above my head! I'm only 6ft but I reckon you could be 6'7", wear a helmet and still have room! This isn't going to help with cornering dynamics, is it? Get to a corner enthusiastically and this thing rolls quite a lot. The limits are low and easy to load up the chassis but the handling balance is spot on: this car gives you options whether by steering and/or throttle and play with understeer or oversteer. Even the ESP is spot on and will allow you to have a bit of fun with the chassis.

It's not as stiff as some claimed. I actually think the suspension could be a lot stiffer. The problem comes the wheels - it feels stupidly too big and can give a harsh ride at times. 16" wheels, lowered a bit more.

Tim Harvey said of the Pug 106 GTI that it was a car you stole from your own daughter. I'm not sure that I would apply it to the SSS but it is the ideal car to scare the MiL in! Its the natural successor to the 106 GTI but not the true successor. For me SSS should have a more kart-like handling. I do wish the limits could be a bit higher.

Thanks for reading.

[NadiR]

Fantastic car, great write up! My favourite junior hot hatch (though I may be biased)

I've just bought one as my first car. One of the main reasons I chose it over other options was due to the space. I'm 6"5 and struggle to fit in most small cars, yet there's tonnes of room in the Swift, it has a very comfortable driving position, feels bigger than it is, and I've got plenty headroom to spare.

[CABC]

interesting OP.
have you thought about stiffening it?

[avenger286]

Swifts are good cars. Can I ask why you tested a Twingo GT and not a 133? As from what you are saying in your post about the things about the ride you should of tried a 133 as there harder and more of a focused car than the swift which sounds like you want.

[entropy]

CABC said:

interesting OP.
have you thought about stiffening it?

Not seriously, no. More likely move on to something else.

avenger286 said:

Swifts are good cars. Can I ask why you tested a Twingo GT and not a 133? As from what you are saying in your post about the things about the ride you should of tried a 133 as there harder and more of a focused car than the swift which sounds like you want.

None local to me/reasonably get to to look at after having written off my previous car.

My heart was already set on the SSS anyway. Besides, Twingo 133 is a Renault and cambelt engine and expensive to change. Saw a Clio 182 advertised for shed money (dented rear bumper had something to do with the price) but was quickly sold.

[Shenanigans]

Cracking cars. Seriously miss mine. Most I've spent on a car and not regretted it! Biggest regret was selling the damn thing.

[NadiR]

Shenanigans said:

Cracking cars. Seriously miss mine. Most I've spent on a car and not regretted it! Biggest regret was selling the damn thing.

That looks fantastic! What wheels and front splitter does it have on?

[Shenanigans]

NadiR said:

That looks fantastic! What wheels and front splitter does it have on?

Thanks, thats Evo 8 wheels with a Greddy front lip. Think the Evo 8 wheels set it off brilliantly.

[entropy]

Shenanigans said:

Thanks, thats Evo 8 wheels with a Greddy front lip. Think the Evo 8 wheels set it off brilliantly.

Any other mods?

[Shenanigans]

entropy said:

Shenanigans said:

Thanks, thats Evo 8 wheels with a Greddy front lip. Think the Evo 8 wheels set it off brilliantly.

Any other mods?

I'll PM you so I don't hijack this thread.

[entropy]

Had a pretty eventful past couple of weeks.

Stereo conked out and replaced it with a Kenwood. OE aerial doesn't fit into the aerial socket so I've got not radio. Kinda annoying as I use the radio to listen to the news bulletins these days.

Managed to run over a small rock in the middle of a country road and slashed a tyre



Space-saver I bought off Ebay came in handy



Replaced them with Kumho Ecsta PS51s all round. They were fitted with ditchfinders when I brought it and were scary in the wet. Really impressed by the Kumhos, they're progressive when you're about to reach the limit. I brought them on the strength of MX-5 owners rating the tyres.



These boots a 205s as opposed to the OE195s which on paper is a bit too small and I always found the grip could be better. Now handles better, feels stiffer and feels like a proper hot hatch should rather than a spirited shopping trolley. Downside is the ride can be really bouncy and tiring on rough sections of motorways, expansion joints.

Last week I was stopped by the rozzers for the rear lights not working. Previous owner stuck black laced headlight protectors and was told to take them off as they were too dark so I spent an afternoon taking them off. Absolute PITA.



So with the new boots I've been slightly more inclined call the SSS a keeper. Major downside for me is the driving position. I can never feel entirely comfortable over a long journey. The pedals feel too high, the steering wheel is offset to the left and I'm constantly messing with the height adjustment.

[molineux1980]

I've bought a SSS recently, it's great fun, but I'm having a little trouble with ankle pain on the accelerator pedal on a long journey. No idea why!

Good call on the tyres,i've the MOT in Nov, I think the tyres need replacing so may look to 205's.

[marcp8v]

Same issue here, ankle kills me after an hour or so, otherwise I really enjoy the little thing, went from a 330d to the swift, was aiming for a EP3 type R and got fed up looking at dogs, saved half my budget and bought a clean 06 with 80k on the clock. Dont really miss the power, I've got a simota intake on mine and it sounds awesome, reminds me of my old Mk2 Golf GTI I had when I was 18.

[molineux1980]

Oh, I'll have a look at that intake, I'd like a little more induction noise.

[entropy]

Failed its MOT

Dangerous defects:

Offside caliper completely seized - a bolt sheared off, garage can't get it off!
Leaking fuel pipe


Major defects:

Corroded rear brake hoses
Cracked exhaust
Broken coil spring
Corroded front brake pipes
Imbalanced brakes across rear axle


Hefty repair bill. Need to find a competent mechanic in Southampton willing to sort out my rear brakes.

[anonymous-user]

Don't know what it is with Japanese cars and rusting, it is the one thing that totally puts me off them. If they could nail the rust issue then they would literally be the best cars in the world.

I have a similar age Renault and it looks like brand new underneath, the exhaust is the original and looks like it is a year old.

[BricktopST205]

Joey Deacon said:

Don't know what it is with Japanese cars and rusting, it is the one thing that totally puts me off them. If they could nail the rust issue then they would literally be the best cars in the world.

I have a similar age Renault and it looks like brand new underneath, the exhaust is the original and looks like it is a year old.

My older Ignis Sport which is a 55 plate has absolute 0 issues with rust on MOT and has just ticked over 100k. The underside is very clean. It just depends on how well they have been looked after. Mine was a one owner 40k car and have owned it for nearly 8 years now so know the history.

Rusty brake pipes effect all cars and just jap ones. That MOT list is rather small to the average home mechanic. 100 in parts max.

Edited by BricktopST205 on Tuesday 9th February 13:10

[entropy]

Where I took it for its MOT that garage was more interested in doing MOT and routine servicing so I took it to a different garage for them to have a look.

They diagnosed the RR brakes not working due to ABS pump failure, hole in the backbox, cracked fuel filler neck as well as brake plumbing.

ABS pump can be re-conditioned for under £300,
Fuel neck pipe £50 off eBay
Few hundred for exhaust/custom (TBH, I fancied a fruitier exhaust note!)
Few hundred for brakes?

+/- £1000 to put right?

It's worth about £1500

Keep or get rid?

Decisions, decisions....

[entropy]

Managed to keep it going for another year.

Unfortunately the car started misfiring yesterday so I took it in to the garage this morning. There was a problem with the coilpack and turns out the sparkplug exploded in half which also stripped the threading.

Born Slippy is no more