Honda Brio: Love @ First Drive (Long Term Ownership Review)

[bReeze AkA brIo]

Re: Honda Brio - Love @ First Drive

Keep it as it is. Do not interfere with electrical wires. Will void the warranty, mechanic might leave some wire untapped hence spark or fire.

Keep things stock. Upgrade tires at 40K, go for MRF ZLO or Bridgestone. Mich are soft compound and will not be durable on Indian roads.

Am planning for 185/65 conti's before heavens open up this year. I already have MRF's, and am not happy with it. The spare tyre has a slit wall, after a miss-calculated pot-hole . But, it did handle well on highest speed attainable on this peppy pot (pic attached).



Family car has been doing with Conti for over 55k kms, (2nd pair of 4nos doing the rounds as of now), and it had faced the biggest of pot-holes but never faced a problem.

Plus, the drive comfort was on par for Conti. MRF, i feel is way too bumpy on Mumbai's non-existing roads.

 

[brandoo]

Re: Honda Brio - Love @ First Drive

Then go for Bridgestone. Between don't total car at this point in time. good run in will always help car in long run. Drive below 100 till 3-4K.
185/65/R14 will do word of good for handling and breaking but FE will drop marginally. Hence its your choice. Fiesta classic/Figo all run on 175/65/R14 and definitely under tyred.

 

[bReeze AkA brIo]

Re: Honda Brio - Love @ First Drive

Then go for Bridgestone. Between don't total car at this point in time. good run in will always help car in long run. Drive below 100 till 3-4K.
185/65/R14 will do word of good for handling and breaking but FE will drop marginally. Hence its your choice. Fiesta classic/Figo all run on 175/65/R14 and definitely under tyred.

That pic was 5 months old. Just wanted to check its breathing capacity. Now, the ODO is close to 9k, and i drive in 80-100kmph zone on expressway for FE.

 

[brandoo]

Re: Honda Brio - Love @ First Drive

Grt. Brio will never let you down, just that you have to baby her on bad roads, take a timely peek under the hood, rotate tyres, at 10K service opt for tyre rotation, balancing, and alignment. Go easy on pot holes, speed breakers and bad tarmac.
You will pay less in terms of wear and tear, tyre longevity, break pads will last the distance if driven sedately and smoothly.
Generally Hoda's are own by gentleman/ lady.

 

[bReeze AkA brIo]

Re: Honda Brio - Love @ First Drive

Got the scuff plates checked yest. One of the rear plates isnt glowing , hence need to send it back to the buyer for a replacement. Guess, i'll have to wait for few more days, before fixing it up [thinking].

 

[bReeze AkA brIo]

Re: Honda Brio - Love @ First Drive

Having slight trouble with the AC for past 2-3 weeks. When using AC after every stop-over, a foul damp smell comes in the air . After driving for a while, it disappears.

On consulting with SR @ Hallmark Honda, he said its due to condensate formation and suggested to turn AC off and let fan alone run, before turning the engine off. This hasnt helped either.

Any suggestions on what the issue could be / what needs to be done ?

Any Brio owners facing this issue?


Mods, Please update thread title to Honda Brio SMT(O) - Falling in Luv with every drive - "8 months n 9k+ kms"

 

[coldfire2005]

Re: Honda Brio: Love @ First Drive (8 Months & 9K Kms)

They are Ac vent Cleaning sprays which are available in market or online , which might be able to fix the foul smell and clean the area , but if it is some thing else then it is better get it looked by Honda ASP

 

[coldfire2005]

Re: Honda Brio: Love @ First Drive (8 Months & 9K Kms)

I have been hearing how bad MRF tyres are i am taking Brio next month , should i upgrade from showroom its self ? and for which brand of tyres should i go ?

 

[bReeze AkA brIo]

Re: Honda Brio: Love @ First Drive (8 Months & 9K Kms)

I have been hearing how bad MRF tyres are i am taking Brio next month , should i upgrade from showroom its self ? and for which brand of tyres should i go ?

I personally would prefer Conti 185/65. Ride comfort would be great, especially on uneven roads here in Mumbai.

If your driving would be on good roads, check out for Michelin XM2. Seems good. Softer rubber.

MRF, i feel it is bumpy, plus i had a bad experience with its side wall.

Maybe you should drive a little bit and maybe trade in for new sets within 1000-2000k, if in case you feel it aint sufficient for your liking.

Meanwhile, congrats on ur new ride. Which color and trim did you go for?

 

[jaixon]

Re: Honda Brio: Love @ First Drive (8 Months & 9K Kms)

I have been hearing how bad MRF tyres are i am taking Brio next month , should i upgrade from showroom its self ? and for which brand of tyres should i go ?

Go for a tyre upgrade when you take delivery or wait till you use up the present set of tyres. If you drive anything more than 100km the exchange price of your tyre would fall dramatically. MRF's don't get fetch a good price anyway. 185/65r14 I feel is the ideal upsize if you have stock alloys but stick with 175/65r14 if you are on steel rims. In case you are upgrading to alloy wheels try 14inch 4x100 6J wheels with 195/60r14. You can also consider upsizing to 15 inch alloys (4x100, 6J) in which case 195/55r15 tyres would be ideal. There might be a slight drop in fuel efficiency but the handling would improve.

As for tyres I went for michelin XM 2's in 185/65r14 on stock alloy wheels.You can check out my thread http://www.theautomotiveindia.com/f...11760-our-first-automatic-honda-brio-vat.html for pictures of the upsize. It is soft compound but is 2ply and strengthened for roads in developing countries. I haven't heard of anyone getting a sidewall cut on the XM2 like the older XM1 and XM1+. The ride is so plush at the right tyre pressure that you will be spoilt and would never settle for a lesser brand. Road noise is minimal. Breaking is impressive. Continentals are impressive too if you can source them. I dont like bridgestone except the turanza er300 but it only comes in 185/60r14. Yokohama C drive is good with great performance in the wet but has soft side walls. Please keep in mind your requirements and expectations and purchase accordingly.

Good luck !

 

[bReeze AkA brIo]

Re: Honda Brio: Love @ First Drive (8 Months & 9K Kms)

Some more pics of my "pEppY pOt"



tHe pEppY pOt in fuLL gLorY (after Power Shine, courtesy 3M Car Care)



cUtesT pOrtIon (Fog lamps fixed during delivery)



CR70 on Front Side Glasses & Front Wind Shield (Courtesy 3M Car Care)



bAck to fRoNt aLong iTs sides



thE aLL gLass boot (toughened glass)



check out the "iLLuminated siDe sTep gArniSh" (courtesy ebay.in)



Front driver side entry



Rear seat entry



The neat dashboard, spread out well and within reach for the driver





Front & back illuminated scuff plates (courtesy ebay.in)







Illumination through the back door



Amber Light Instrument Cluster, glows the moment car is unlocked. A nice feature



Vanity mirror for passenger side



Cargo boot protector (freebie from Hallmark Honda)



SRS Airbags for Safety



Amway Vinyl Cleaner

 

[jihu123]

Re: Honda Brio: Love @ First Drive (8 Months & 9K Kms)

The illuminated scuff plates looks really good. Did it require any wire cutting & how much did you buy it for?

 

[bReeze AkA brIo]

Re: Honda Brio: Love @ First Drive (8 Months & 9K Kms)

The illuminated scuff plates looks really good. Did it require any wire cutting & how much did you buy it for?

Thanx .

Got it for 1445/- including shipping from ebay.

Wire had to be peeled a bit. Wouldn't void the warranty in such cases.

 

[bReeze AkA brIo]

Re: Honda Brio: Love @ First Drive (8 Months & 9K Kms)

Need Help Auto-Experts on TAI.

I need to change stock MRF, as they are giving me bumpy rides on Mumbai roads. There is pretty much noise as well which creeps into the cabin.

So, my choice is Continental as it has been a tried and tested product on our Family Car (Getz). But in a dilemma

1) upsize to 185/65 r14

2) retain same size of 175/65 r14

Would upsize lead to warranty being void? Would there be any other problem with upsize (apart from about 1.1% drop in mileage) ?

Or should i opt for Micheline Xm2?

 

[bReeze AkA brIo]

Re: Honda Brio: Love @ First Drive (8 Months & 9K Kms)

Came to get the foul smell from AC checked @ Hallmark Honda, Nerul. the asst service manager took a round along with me, and informed this is condensation forming, and as of now there are no solutions to it. In case i wanted to get the AC cleaned, would have to pay up for it as this isnt covered under warranty as its a natural phenomena. Meanwhile, informed him about the kiri kiri sound from rear side of car (inside) and a thud sound from FL shock absorber on rough roads. He took the car into the bay after a thorough ride, checked all shocks. Surprisingly, found oil leak from RL shock. He said he was quite sure of the problem being this and not from front side. Also, checked the sound and seems like the seat cover people @ Orchis, Vikhroli had jammed the rear seat lock (seating area). Solution : RL shocks being changed under warranty, and seat locks to be fixed (paid). Here i'm in the customer lounge, watching my 'peppy pot' getting pampered with new shock and seat locks. Expecting delivery of vehicle by 6pm. Wonderfull work by asst service manager Mr.Tabrez