Good engine but horrible parts. Some were so cheap, it felt like these parts have been imported from China for 10 Rupees.
Now I have already booked a Honda Brio, anticipating very competitive pricing from Honda. I hope they have learnt from their blunder like Jazz pricing.
Now, I spoke to my SA at Honda regarding high price of spares cost in Honda cars.
His honest reply - “Sir, Honda parts are indeed costly, maybe 10% premium over suzuki parts for equivalent part but service costs are same”.
Plus he said Honda doesn’t sell cheap parts, they are built to last.
My ques: Guys how good is Honda servicing? My Hyundai Santro costs be close to 5k for regular paid servicing.
Few of my colleagues Honda city’s paid servicing is less than what I pay for my Santro .
So what is the truth?
Should I be going for Brio or Ritz?
It would be a better idea to see it (Brio) in flesh before speculating. Even Toyota had a reputation for excellent build quality and made to last parts but if you see the etios, you’d be hard pressed to find any of these. I just hope Honda doesnt skimp on the quality of parts.
I recently had the chance to examine multiple hatchbacks from various companies due to an event held by a GE Finance in my company premises. I can confirm your observation i.e. even I found the Ritz to have the worst gearbox, poor rear legroom and poor interior part quality. The new Swift was far, far better but I’m sure you must’ve also been told of the 8 month waiting period.
I think that even the Figo(which I found out to be a car built to a cost with flimsy doors etc. but with the most rear seat width and rear legroom and a much better gearbox that the Ritz) is better than the Ritz in terms of interior quality.
Im B2 segment hatchbacks, I found the Skoda Fabia and the Hyundai i20 to have decent interior quality. If you are averse to Skoda cars(due to their horror stories) you could look at the i20. But, in my opinion, the middle and top variants are overpriced.
While I’ve not yet had the chance to check out the Brio in person, the reviews indicate it to have very good interior quality.
(Just FYI, among sedans, the new Ford Fiesta impressed me but it’s not a car worth a 12L price tag. The Toyota Etios was the biggest disappointment for me with a horrible taxi like dashboard. The only thing good about it was that it had good interior space for a small sedan. The new Hyundai Fluidic Verna is ok for the price but the rear window is set too high and the rear seats are a little on the lower side creating a very bad effect for people sitting in the backseat.)
If its for your dad, then definitely Brio. Honda has a huge following + reputation because of two things, their build quality and service. So u might wanna capitalize on that.
The Ritz is a ticking time bomb, in exactly 5000kms itll start making so many noises u wont know if its a 4.5lakh sedan or a bullock cart. Besides it has absolutely nothing to offer apart from the ubiquitous Maruti Brand name.
So by all means go for the Brio, even if u have to pay a 50k premium over Ritz.
**Honda today launched its entry level hatchback Brio India. Starting at a price of Rs.3.95 lakh, the Brio is available in four trims.
Honda Brio E - Rs 3.95 lakh
Honda Brio S - Rs 4.35 lakh
Honda Brio S Option - Rs 4.9 lakh
Honda Brio V - Rs 5.1 lakh
The Brio is powered by the same 1.2-litre i-VTEC engine that powers the Jazz. In the Brio, this engine delivers 88bhp of power and 109Nm of torque. The Brio S Option and V will get ABS, airbags and USB/aux-in audio system with steering mounted controls. The V also gets alloy wheels, fog lamps and a different seat trim. **
Honda Brio is definitely a better option when comparing it to Ritz the car is better in looks and performance,looks and is way cheaper when compared to ritz
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