USED Suzuki Swift Hatchback (05 - 12)

My car

I took delivery of an 08 plate yesterday and I'm very happy so far. I noticed a problem as within a mile up the road due to an annoying rattle in the drivers door, but I have been reading reviews here for a year before I purchased so was not suprised by it! The dealer has asked me to bring it in so they can sort it out.

I like the car more the more I drive it. It took a while to get the seat right because I felt too high up, but now I have that right I love it. It's miles better to drive than the GLX and that engine is so sweet. I'm still running it in but I can feel the car begging me to drive it faster.

I had planned to get a Mini because the swfit drops in value like a stone, but several spreadsheets later, I realised that the extra £5k for a similar spec mini cooper would have lost me just as much money and I could only afford that on a PCP. I will atleast own my swift at the end of it all!

Pro: sweet engine, cheap to buy, looks better than a mini (in my opinion), feels much bigger than it is in the cabin, very good equpiment levels, cabin looks great at night, Keyless entry, fun to drive.

Con: Needs a 6th gear, some of the reported issues (like the rattling interiors) should have been fixed at the factory by now! not so good running costs (9k mile servicing intervals, uses more fuel than it might with a 6th gear), Looks like I can expect a poor trade in value in 3 years.

My car

I have owned a Swift 1.3GL for 2 months ... I have actually been able to drive it for 1 month. Since I bought it BRAND NEW it has been back to the dealership (Simms, Darlington) approx. 7 times for the following faults: The gearbox in third gear moves and trembles when you accelerate or decelerate, the brakes squeal which I have been told is dirt, the gearbox has been changed once already and still the problem still persists - I have been told the problem with the gearbox is a quirk of the vehicle which for 9k is an expensive eccentricity - the dash board has that the age old rattle everyone in the review panel is talking about, the car vibrates at 60mph and over which I have been told is because the balance is out which is ridiculous, the car is brand new and I have not knocked it off any curbs or crashed, the driver side window rattles when open and my drivers door originally failed to close correctly and the plate had to be adjusted.

I have been given a checkerboard stripe for my car as compensation the cost of which does not even match the payment I make monthly on the car and the dealership has told Suzuki Main that the car is 100% operating within manufacturers specifications ... I am unconvinced that the specifications are even road worthy.

Would I recommend this car? Hell no! Buy yourself a Fiesta and enjoy extra quirks such as air con and heated front and rear windows on a Climate Edition for a fraction of the cost or the headache!

My car

My wife has owned this car for two years. Looks great and comes with loads of kit. Very simple and neat interior design. Plastic finishes a bit on the cheap side.Car developed a rattle in the dashboard after 10,000 klms. Although 93 bhp does not feel like it has that much power.Engine gets a bit vocal when pushed.Road holding and general handling very good. Worst feature by a long way is the clutch which has a very high biting point and is snatchy. Very easy to stall car even for an experienced driver.

My car

This is a real Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde car. I can understand why it receives rave reviews - it looks great, drives well, it's well specced and priced competitively. However, the long-term owning experience is not as good as the short-term impression.

There are some really poor elements to the car: The paintwork is sub-standard, chipping very easily (it contained flaws from new too). The brakes are terrible being both snatchy and noisy, grinding at low speeds. The suspension geometry is flawed, leading to replacement tyres at very low miles, but the biggest problem by far is the fuel economy - it is nothing like the book figure and you'll be lucky to get anything over 30mpg even taking care.

The plus points are a great gearshift, handling, safety and plenty of space, but the cost-cutting is evident in too many important areas. A great car to test-drive and I can see why they are popular, but the downside experienced through ownership should see you looking elsewhere. This is a car that you will enjoy at first but then begin to notice the unreliabilty and poor build quality as the months go by.