Item: Used Suzuki Swift Sport 2012-2017
Rating: 4
Author: Steve Huntingford

Similarly&nbsp;hot rivals that are of equivalent size and performance to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/suzuki">Suzuki</a> Swift Sport are few and far between. The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/renault">Renault</a>&nbsp;Twingo RS 133 is perhaps the closest alternative. As mentioned previously, the Twingo has sharper handling when equipped with its optional Cup chassis, but its harsh ride and smaller dimensions make it less practical and more tiring as an everyday car.

Recently, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/volkswagen">Volkswagen</a> produced a hotter version of its Up, called the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/up/hatchback/review/n17310">Up GTI</a>. The trouble is that because it is so new, you’ll have to pay a lot more money to bag even the earliest example.

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There have been three recalls issued for the Swift Sport that you might want to pay attention to. The first is for brake fluid that might leak from cars built between 10 February 2013 and 22 March 2013, while rear brake calipers on examples made from 2 September 2014 to 22 December 2015 might also leak brake fluid. Finally, there are rear axle bolts that might work loose on Swifts manufactured between 29 October 2015 and 17 December 2015. More than likely&nbsp;the cars affected will have been sorted by now, but you should still contact your local Suzuki dealer just to make sure.

Hatchback

Suzuki is well known as a motorcycle manufacturer, but the car brand has been enjoying decent success in recent years, thanks to a line-up of neat, well-equipped and keenly priced models.

Its expertise focuses on smaller cars, although its high-riding SUV range is also hugely credible, especially the Ignis and Vitara, which are both rated highly by What Car?’s testers and which have enjoyed success at the What Car? Awards as a result.

Well priced, decent to drive and full of useful tech, Suzuki’s cars also generally stand out for delivering good fuel economy. The Ignis, Celerio and Baleno have all stood head and shoulders above the competition during our True MPG testing.

SUZUKI

Swift Sport

A sweet engine and surprisingly decent ride quality make&nbsp;the Suzuki Swift Sport a great-value used hot hatch

Used Suzuki Swift Sport 2012-2017

The original Swift Sport was rather expensive to insure, but premiums reduced with this second-generation car, because of&nbsp;its better safety tech and standard stability control. Fuel economy was also improved a little, to an NEDC combined figure of 44.1 mpg, while annual road tax is £155.

Suzuki offers fixed-price servicing on any of its cars that are over three years old; £129 for a 25-point check and £259 for a more extensive 35-point check-up. That’s competitive, although the 9000-mile/one-year service intervals mean those who do plenty of miles will have to book the Swift Sport in rather often for routine maintenance. &nbsp;

A sweet engine, surprisingly decent ride quality makes the Suzuki Swift Sport a great value used hot-hatch

Prices for an early Mk2&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/suzuki">Suzuki</a> Swift Sport start at around £4000, but you’d be better off spending a bit more to find a car with below-average mileage, a full service history and no previous accident damage. A budget of £5500-£6000 is enough for an example that hasn't yet hit 50,000 miles, while if you want a car that’s less than two years old, you'll need&nbsp;£8500.

<h2 dir="ltr">Check the value of a used Suzuki Swift Sport with <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/car-valuation/">What Car? Valuations</a></h2>

Since there's only one engine and one trim level, there’s not much to say here. All Swift Sports will be well equipped, with climate control, keyless entry, cruise control and xenon headlights. You’ll also get seven airbags (including one for the driver’s knees) and stability control as standard.

The only choice you do have is whether you want three or five doors. If you have to regularly transport passengers, get the five-door version; if you don't, you can save some money by sticking with three.

Our favourite <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/suzuki">Suzuki</a> Swift Sport: 1.6 Sport

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Engaging handling </li> <li>Thrilling performance </li> <li>A characterful engine with an enticing soundtrack </li> <li>Reasonable running costs </li> <li>Not hard to live with day to day</li></ul>

A popular choice with UK buyers since the days of the original Volkswagen Golf GTI, the hot hatchback mixes everyday practicality with higher performance and the sort of handling and agility that’s ideally suited to British roads. A good hot hatch should be fun and, since it’s likely to be your daily drive, it should also deliver respectable running costs.

The Golf GTI remains one of the best hot hatches on the market, along with its main competitor,&nbsp;the&nbsp;equally as responsive and cheaper to buy Hyundai i30 N. But there are some terrific options for even less money than both of these cars. We're big fans of the Ford Fiesta ST, which is definitely one of the best hot hatches ever and certainly one of the most fun to drive. It's full of character and its engaging handling makes it a bit of a hoot at all speeds.&nbsp;

If you’ve got a bit more money to spare, there are even faster cars available, such as the Honda Civic Type R. This latest version is sublime to drive, either on road or on a track, as it's so sweetly balanced. It's also incredibly quick in a straight line&nbsp;and round a corner, and yet it's as practical as a regular Civic.&nbsp;

Hot hatch

Since the Swift Sport is a hot hatch that’s meant to be driven enthusiastically, you should inspect any used example thoroughly for signs of previous accident damage. Look for any mismatched paint or uneven panel gaps and pay for an&nbsp;HPI inspection to find out if the car has previously&nbsp;been written off.

Make sure also that the car has a full service history. While <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/suzuki">Suzuki</a> does incredibly well in reliability surveys (it finished top of the pile in our most recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2018-what-car-reliability-survey/n17826">Reliability Survey</a>), you’ll want some assurance that the car has been looked after correctly, particularly if the previous owner has thrashed it a bit.

The Beatles once sang ‘Money don’t get everything, it’s true; what it don’t get, I can’t use.’ Well, this doesn’t apply to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/suzuki">Suzuki</a> Swift Sport, because while it’s true that you won’t have vast amounts of power to play with, you will be able to use most of its performance more of the time, which is more fun. And, because&nbsp;used examples start&nbsp;from just £4000, you won’t have to pay vast amounts of money to get one.

When the original Swift Sport hit the market, it made a bit of a splash, because it offered hot hatch fans an engaging drive for a surprisingly small outlay. This second-generation model carried on that tradition, but it’s a little bit more refined, comes with a six-speed manual gearbox and can be found with five doors for greater practicality. But it still maintains its cheeky nature and willing, naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine, this time with 136bhp, which is enough to get it from 0-62mph in 8.7sec and up to a top speed of 121mph.

Aside from the performance, the Swift Sport is a hoot on a back road. It weighs just 1045kg, so you can carry plenty of speed into corners, because it’ll change direction with alacrity and generate plenty of grip. It isn't as precise as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-reviews/make/renault">Renault</a>&nbsp;Twingo RS 133 (especially one with the Cup chassis package), but given that the Swift Sport has a much more comfortable ride, especially over lumpy and rough roads, you can forgive it that. Aside from that&nbsp;and a more positive-feeling clutch, there are few complaints you can make about how the Swift Sport drives.

However, you might have something to moan about if you need a big boot, because the Swift Sport is a little short in this department. Okay, it is a small car, after all, but the Twingo has sliding rear seats, allowing you to maximise boot space. The Swift Sport's loading lip is rather high, too, making it a little difficult to put heavier items into the back. Still, you can at least have the Swift Sport with five doors, so rear passengers don’t need to scramble through the front. Impressively, the steering wheel can be adjusted both up and down to help you get a comfortable driving position. It’d be better if you could lower the seat a bit, but this is true of most small cars.

Even though all the Swift Sport's dashboard surfaces are hard, scratchy plastics, you can understand why when you consider its generous standard equipment and low price when new. It’s all well screwed together, too.

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Used Suzuki Swift Sport 2012-2017 review

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Wondering what the best used Suzuki Swift Sport 2012 - 2017 is for your money? The expert What Car? review team can help you out.

Since there's only one engine and one trim level, there’s not much to say here. All Swift Sports will be well equipped, with climate control, keyless entry, cruise control and xenon headlights. You’ll also get seven airbags (including one for the driver’s knees) and stability control as standard.,The only choice you do have is whether you want three or five doors. If you have to regularly transport passengers, get the five-door version; if you don't, you can save some money by sticking with three.,Our favourite Suzuki Swift Sport: 1.6 Sport

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