In this segment, there is no other car to beat the Swift

I am driving this car since January 2008. Was lucky enough to get my car delivered within 20 days of booking :-). The waiting period then was approximately 3 months.

I have clocked 11,000 plus kilometers in these 10 months, both in the city and on highways. The Swift is a pleasure to drive, the best parts of the car being

a) Really spacious front seats. I am on the heavier side but still find the car very very spacious. The back seats are just ok.

b) The air-conditioning is super cooling, I never keep the thermostat to "full a/c" but the cabin cools within a few seconds.

c) One of the most peppy cars I have driven. The engine is very responsive and delivers great power. Overtaking is never a problem on highways. The Swift gives great control at high speeds (the steering feels a little dead though when you are above 140km/h). I touched 180kmph speed while driving on Mumbai-Pune express highway but did not feel like the engine is being strained.

d) ABS is a real plus. I usually drive at high speeds and have found the ABS in action on many instances. It is really good to have the ABS. Worth spending that Rs.25,000 more if you are a speed freak.

e) The cabin is well insulated, outside noise and engine noise is heard very minimal inside.

f) Fuel economy: I mostly drive in Mumbai city traffic with the a/c on always. I get an average of 11.6 kmpl in city. When I go out on highways, i get an average of 16.5 kmpl. Now isn't that good for a petrol car?

Things that could have been better:

a) VXi does not have seat height adjustment. The company fitted seat position is a bit low and front left corner is not greatly visible, this makes it difficult to judge the car especially in city traffic like Mumbai's.

b) This strange rattling sound keeps creeping up sometimes. Cant really figure out what causes this, but can be a bit irritating.

c) The gear box - It is rough. Could have been more smoother, but it is ok.

Power, Handling, Braking, Air conditioning is too goodGear box is a bit rough and stuffy, rattling sounds start developing after a few months of driving