Forgive me for I have sinned ... I'm buying a Swift!

[barryd]

Forgot to explain the warranty fiasco! If anyone is interested ... read on!

Suzuki have a 12 month/12,500 miles servicing schedule but many of the cars on sale have been serviced way past the mileage limit, 5,000 or more, not had a service done within the 12 months maximum timescale, and quite a few had never had a service at all and were several months past the year deadline and/or thousands of miles past the mileage limit. As quite a lot of these were within the Suzuki dealer network this added to our difficulty in finding an unambiguously warrantied one. Lots of bluff about there being a 1000 mile/30 day 'grace' period when there isn't, why they don't simply read the flipping manual and ensure the cars are correctly serviced I don't know! If the mileage was only slightly over and/or the timescale similarly I doubt there'd be an issue but many weren't and we were not willing to take the risk as these would be down to a 'case by case' assessment' if a claim was made, having had the big bill to fix the MH's slave cylinder we don't want the concern with the car.

The car has the usual 3 year manufacturer warranty from new so long as its serviced at the correct intervals and/or mileage level (whichever comes first). After this they also provide a 'Service Activated Warranty', at present by having a car serviced at a Suzuki dealership it gets another year's full warranty for a maximum of 4 years making 7 in total, a big bonus though is that of 1st May this is increasing to 10 years so for us this means to December 2033. As the servicing costs aren't high (we've checked!) this is a real bonus for longer term car ownership.

Suzuki’s new 10-year warranty is free – here’s how to get it | Carbuyer

Free service-linked warranty now stretches to 10 years across all models – with class-leading EV battery cover for upcoming e-Vitara

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I think that suggests that Suzuki are pretty confident that their car wont break down. I did a fair bit of research on the second hand car reliability scale and narrowed it down to a Honda Jazz (a bit dull looking), Toyota Yaris or the Suzuki Swift as they all scored right at the top of the reliability charts. I hankered after an older Mini Cooper but they have so many problems the swift seemed the nearest option to the mini with the difference that it "hopefully" wont let me down.

So we now have two Suzukis (car and bike) and two Swifts, car and Motorhome.

 

[ontheroadagain]

Good choice.
Suzuki make great cars.
My wife has a Vitara.
Coming up to 7 years old and 100% reliable.
It gets serviced one per year and that is the only time it has ever been in a garage.

 

[Richard n Ann]

We had a Suzuki Celero hire car on holiday last year. Felt cheap after the VW. Might have been old though, and it was a lot better than walking

 

[Puddleduck]

My parents' last car was a Suzuki Swift. It stood up to all of the abuse except my Mum's leaving her heavy left foot on the clutch, never depressing the clutch pedal more than half way and forcing the car into gear ("oh, this gear box is getting stiff"). Three clutches and a new gear box in six months should have been a clue but "they don't make them like they used to".

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

My parents' last car was a Suzuki Swift. It stood up to all of the abuse except my Mum's leaving her heavy left foot on the clutch, never depressing the clutch pedal more than half way and forcing the car into gear ("oh, this gear box is getting stiff"). Three clutches and a new gear box in six months should have been a clue but "they don't make them like they used to".

Old's, their other favourite is fully depressing the clutch and sitting on the rev limiter with the throttle pedal. In our first property, the old guy further along the road was a constant source of gambling in our house. Will he manage to get the car in the garage but not end up going through the wrinkly tin end of the building and finishing up in the veg patch, again

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[Simon Meadwell]

They use Suzukis in Barbados for hire cars. Their roads are worse than ours .

 

[The Wino]

Okay, I was hoping it would take you lot a while to work out what I'm getting to keep you all amused but obviously not obscure enough!

Hettie's Crew, barryd and kelv are correct ... below is our 'new' little beauty.

We love our Smart Forfour but it's now coming up to 7 years old which is the longest we've ever had a car and we've wanted to get something newer for a while to give us a good few years of worry free motoring (and spend some dosh!) but they don't do Smart petrol ones anymore so that wasn't an option (I'd have had one like a shot if they did!), we were looking on and off last year for something but for various reasons we never got round to changing.

It got triggered again last Saturday when we were driving home from the lodges after yet another long day working on them and a lovely white Suzuki Swift went by in the opposite direction, I'd seen them before a though they looked like a good size for us as we have a limited garage length so anything much longer than the Smart was a no-no. I simply said to hubby how nice it was ... light blue touch paper and stand back!

Consequently since then in between sorting out our lodges we've been messing about trying to get a 'good' one via our Hull branch and other local dealers and been disappointed a few times mostly due to the warranty situation as many of the ones for sale have gone way past their 'mandatory' service period and/or mileage, even some being sold through the 'Suzuki approved' network! After some false starts we finally managed to get a very helpful lady at Suzuki head office who was well versed in the warranty requirements and confirmed the true situation in an email so we've got that for future reference in case we need it, even the local dealer didn't know the full terms so we put them straight!

We had originally plumped for a 2024 'flame orange' one (subject to viewing) that had to be shipped down from Newcastle but when we went to see it we immediately spotted it had a dent in the front nearside above the wheel arch to which the 'rectification' had been to leave the dent and do a bad paint job to try to hide it! Needless to say we weren't very pleased and wondered what else had been bodged. Another had loads of scratches and scuffs, not mentioned at all in the advert or told to us when we enquired originally, but fortunately the sales chap we eventually dealt with was very honest about it and sent us a video of the damage before we made the trip (to Chesterfield), very glad he did especially as this was on a 14 month old 'Motability' car with only 718 miles so not something we'd expected!

We don't like the styling of the latest model with a bonnet that looks like it's open all the time and the raised dash display which blocks the front view, we did however want an auto but there is a bit of a dearth of 'good' ones (manuals are 10 a penny!) so ended up looking for highish mileage ones as we only do 1,500 a year so this would actually benefit us in the long run as we'd bring it down to an average mileage car for future resale, we found though that they just weren't looked after at all so we shelved that idea. As we'd exhausted the search for a 2024 one at a sensible price and/or sensible mileage, we decided to look at ones just a little bit older, ie late 2023. Even then there wasn't much around that appealed but then this one suddenly popped up with only 3,354 miles on at a very good price as it literally had just had £750 knocked off it to clear it so we've snaffled it at just the right time.

The observant amongst you may notice that it's had 3 owners which rang an alarm bell with me, however it's not that there's anything 'wrong' with the car, just turns out it wasn't suitable for the purchasers ... the first owner was the dealership as a demonstrator for a short time, the second was a 'regular' customer who found it just a bit too small so px'd it for a Vitara, this was repeated with the third owner in quick succession - it seems that some people like a small sporty car but forget they actually need a Hummer! I think the dealer got a bit fed up of seeing it 'yo-yoing' on/off their forecourt (not a good thing for prospective buyers to see the same car on the forecourt again and again) hence the price reduction.

The 'little chap' will be staying with us for a long time and hubby's chomping at the bit to get his paws on it! As we've had so much difficulty trying to get one the 'benefit' has been that we established good relations with the various Swift dealers whilst trying to do so, and having been so busy with other stuff at the same time, the dealer has taken pity on us so has arranged for it to be delivered FOC from the Nottingham branch direct to us on Tuesday lunchtime rather than us go to them. The sales chap and manager have been over it with a fine tooth comb and we've been assured that it's not got a mark on it at all, if there had been any possible issues they would have insisted we go to them to check it out first rather than waste time having the sales chap deliver it, this has given us some reassurance. Similarly we've been totally honest about our Smart and the 'dire' state it's in due to us being back and forth to the lodges with stuff and dogs jammed in it and not had the time to clean it yet - it was thoroughly assessed by the local Suzuki dealer and despite the 'mud' etc he still offered us a very good px which the Nottingham dealer is standing by despite not seeing it, to be fair though it does clean up beautifully so they shouldn't have any problems selling it although I think their valeter might quit!

Before anyone gets excited about trying to think of a meaning to the registration number there's no point as I'll be putting my private 'WFZ' plate on.

Used Suzuki Swift 1.2 Dualjet 83 12V Hybrid SZ-T 5dr Auto - (CE73WUK)

Used Suzuki Swift 1.2 Dualjet 83 12V Hybrid SZ-T 5dr Auto - (CE73WUK) - Nottingham - 3,354 miles - Hybrid Petrol

www.stoneacre.co.uk

View attachment 1045679

I sourced a small automatic a couple of times for my mother in law from a dealer who specialised in ex motabilty cars. He said that the good thing is they're all serviced by main dealers on time and are low mileage. The bad is that generally they all need attention for bodywork issues and quite often the interior is badly treated throwing in walking frames and sticks etc. So I'm not totally surprised about the dented one.

 

[The Wino]

Lenny, I have a 2023 MG4 (bought from new) and I think it is a great car.

If you are buying new, the software issues the early cars experienced should be sorted out, but if you are considering a used car, I would suggest strongly that you make sure the car has had all the software updates done before purchase as the LKA (lane keep assist) was a bit of a nightmare. I have persisted with mine as I liked the drive so much and it is a keeper. Since the latest software update, the car in my view is a dream for journeys long and short.

PM me if there is any other info I can help you with.

We've got a six month old Mg4 trophy. Not got around to the update yet it drives great. A lot of people go on about EVs having read all the "facts" from the press and slate them but I find most who have actually had one like them and wouldn't go back. I had someone saying what happens if you go to a b and b and they don't have a charger...... when was the last time you saw one with a petrol pump!

 

[Lenny HB]

We happened upon the Dacia Spring whilst mooching around, a very cheap small EV:

Dacia Spring Review 2025, Price & Specs

Read the definitive Dacia Spring 2025 review from the expert What Car? team. Check specs, prices, performance and compare with similar cars.

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It felt cheap though with a small range in basic form but the killer was the speed, 0-62 took over 19 seconds with a top speed of 78mph, added to that it's abysmal safety rating meant we decided it wasn't for us.

That was my thoughts too and only 2 rear seats we often need 3 as sometimes we go out with daughter & grandkids.

 

[HUSKY 499]

Forgive me for I have sinned ... I'm buying a Swift​

My sin was much bigger, Kon tiki
size'd ,on the other hand wife bought a Vitara ,it has been great

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[DandG5515]

We've had 6 Suzuki cars old and new since 2005, none have ever let me down, or cost me a large amounts of money to run. (Currently have a splash and a celerio). Family and friends in Australia have them as they are so reliable. One Australian friend has 300k on his and it still runs great. In my opinion the most underrated car brand.

 

[Northernraider]

Okay, I was hoping it would take you lot a while to work out what I'm getting to keep you all amused but obviously not obscure enough!

Hettie's Crew, barryd and kelv are correct ... below is our 'new' little beauty.

We love our Smart Forfour but it's now coming up to 7 years old which is the longest we've ever had a car and we've wanted to get something newer for a while to give us a good few years of worry free motoring (and spend some dosh!) but they don't do Smart petrol ones anymore so that wasn't an option (I'd have had one like a shot if they did!), we were looking on and off last year for something but for various reasons we never got round to changing.

It got triggered again last Saturday when we were driving home from the lodges after yet another long day working on them and a lovely white Suzuki Swift went by in the opposite direction, I'd seen them before a though they looked like a good size for us as we have a limited garage length so anything much longer than the Smart was a no-no. I simply said to hubby how nice it was ... light blue touch paper and stand back!

Consequently since then in between sorting out our lodges we've been messing about trying to get a 'good' one via our Hull branch and other local dealers and been disappointed a few times mostly due to the warranty situation as many of the ones for sale have gone way past their 'mandatory' service period and/or mileage, even some being sold through the 'Suzuki approved' network! After some false starts we finally managed to get a very helpful lady at Suzuki head office who was well versed in the warranty requirements and confirmed the true situation in an email so we've got that for future reference in case we need it, even the local dealer didn't know the full terms so we put them straight!

We had originally plumped for a 2024 'flame orange' one (subject to viewing) that had to be shipped down from Newcastle but when we went to see it we immediately spotted it had a dent in the front nearside above the wheel arch to which the 'rectification' had been to leave the dent and do a bad paint job to try to hide it! Needless to say we weren't very pleased and wondered what else had been bodged. Another had loads of scratches and scuffs, not mentioned at all in the advert or told to us when we enquired originally, but fortunately the sales chap we eventually dealt with was very honest about it and sent us a video of the damage before we made the trip (to Chesterfield), very glad he did especially as this was on a 14 month old 'Motability' car with only 718 miles so not something we'd expected!

We don't like the styling of the latest model with a bonnet that looks like it's open all the time and the raised dash display which blocks the front view, we did however want an auto but there is a bit of a dearth of 'good' ones (manuals are 10 a penny!) so ended up looking for highish mileage ones as we only do 1,500 a year so this would actually benefit us in the long run as we'd bring it down to an average mileage car for future resale, we found though that they just weren't looked after at all so we shelved that idea. As we'd exhausted the search for a 2024 one at a sensible price and/or sensible mileage, we decided to look at ones just a little bit older, ie late 2023. Even then there wasn't much around that appealed but then this one suddenly popped up with only 3,354 miles on at a very good price as it literally had just had £750 knocked off it to clear it so we've snaffled it at just the right time.

The observant amongst you may notice that it's had 3 owners which rang an alarm bell with me, however it's not that there's anything 'wrong' with the car, just turns out it wasn't suitable for the purchasers ... the first owner was the dealership as a demonstrator for a short time, the second was a 'regular' customer who found it just a bit too small so px'd it for a Vitara, this was repeated with the third owner in quick succession - it seems that some people like a small sporty car but forget they actually need a Hummer! I think the dealer got a bit fed up of seeing it 'yo-yoing' on/off their forecourt (not a good thing for prospective buyers to see the same car on the forecourt again and again) hence the price reduction.

The 'little chap' will be staying with us for a long time and hubby's chomping at the bit to get his paws on it! As we've had so much difficulty trying to get one the 'benefit' has been that we established good relations with the various Swift dealers whilst trying to do so, and having been so busy with other stuff at the same time, the dealer has taken pity on us so has arranged for it to be delivered FOC from the Nottingham branch direct to us on Tuesday lunchtime rather than us go to them. The sales chap and manager have been over it with a fine tooth comb and we've been assured that it's not got a mark on it at all, if there had been any possible issues they would have insisted we go to them to check it out first rather than waste time having the sales chap deliver it, this has given us some reassurance. Similarly we've been totally honest about our Smart and the 'dire' state it's in due to us being back and forth to the lodges with stuff and dogs jammed in it and not had the time to clean it yet - it was thoroughly assessed by the local Suzuki dealer and despite the 'mud' etc he still offered us a very good px which the Nottingham dealer is standing by despite not seeing it, to be fair though it does clean up beautifully so they shouldn't have any problems selling it although I think their valeter might quit!

Before anyone gets excited about trying to think of a meaning to the registration number there's no point as I'll be putting my private 'WFZ' plate on.

Used Suzuki Swift 1.2 Dualjet 83 12V Hybrid SZ-T 5dr Auto - (CE73WUK)

Used Suzuki Swift 1.2 Dualjet 83 12V Hybrid SZ-T 5dr Auto - (CE73WUK) - Nottingham - 3,354 miles - Hybrid Petrol

www.stoneacre.co.uk

View attachment 1045679

If that's not much bigger than a smart car they must have doubled in size lol .

 

[The Wino]

If that's not much bigger than a smart car they must have doubled in size lol .

It's the smart forfour that she had not the one that looks a bit like one of those old blue invalid cars!

 

[Minxy]

If that's not much bigger than a smart car they must have doubled in size lol .

Forfour not forTwo.

It's the smart forfour that she had not the one that looks a bit like one of those old blue invalid cars!

Oi! The ForTwos look nothing like invalid cars! Mind you my Dad had several of the latter so maybe that's why I like small cars.

 

[Northernraider]

It's the smart forfour that she had not the one that looks a bit like one of those old blue invalid cars!

I thought she had the wee puddlejumper called peanut ?

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[Minxy]

I thought she had the wee puddlejumper called peanut ?

Not for a long time ... my first was a peanut headlight one called Perky, however funsters named him 'The Flying Plum'!

Second was a blue & silver one called Lube

Third was a white coupe called Kermit

Fourth was another white one called Snowy

Fifth was a black cabrio called Slug

Sixth was a black coupe called Peanut

Seventh was a lovely chocolate brown one called Errol (as in Hot Chocolate!)

And finally our ForFour called Elmur

It's a shame they don't make them 'new' now as I'd have another new/nearly new ForFour like a shot but the Swift is a lovely car too, it'll be strange not having a Smart car though!

Oh forgot to say, we twice had the blue coupe, the black cabrio and a white coupe at the same time! The drive got a bit crowded!!!

 

[Minxy]

Our Kia is coming up for 13 years old longest we have had a car, bought it new.
Now doing something I said I'd never do looking an EV. Thinking about getting a new MG4.

Thinking about this, I'm not sure it's a good Idea for you to get an EV ...







Why?








You'd end up replacing all of the electric gubbings!

 

[bobnick]

Thinking about this, I'm not sure it's a good Idea for you to get an EV ...







Why?








You'd end up replacing all of the electric gubbings!

He will be telling us how they build it wrong (only kidding uncle Lenny)

 

[Mr porky]

Phils second car was a swift,
Cracking car served him well and as it was bought at auction when we traded it in after 2 years it wasn't such a massive hit on the wallet.
Unlike trading in morelo motorhomes

 

[The Wino]

Not for a long time ... my first was a peanut headlight one called Perky, however funsters named him 'The Flying Plum'!

View attachment 1046610

Second was a blue & silver one called Lube

View attachment 1046612

Third was a white coupe called Kermit

View attachment 1046611

Fourth was another white one called Snowy

View attachment 1046613

Fifth was a black cabrio called Slug

View attachment 1046614

Sixth was a black coupe called Peanut

View attachment 1046615

Seventh was a lovely chocolate brown one called Errol (as in Hot Chocolate!)

View attachment 1046617

And finally our ForFour called Elmur

View attachment 1046618

It's a shame they don't make them 'new' now as I'd have another new/nearly new ForFour like a shot but the Swift is a lovely car too, it'll be strange not having a Smart car though!

Oh forgot to say, we twice had the blue coupe, the black cabrio and a white coupe at the same time! The drive got a bit crowded!!!

I suppose at least when your playing the Okey cokey with cars you're not changing the motorhomes so often!

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