Need help to chose, Swift or vitz?

Tharindu Lakmal · December 19, 2023

Need some advice from you guys.
So I've been collecting money for my own car for a while and now I'm ready. I have the financialls figured out, and it's not going to hurt my wallet .So currently planning to buy the car this month and my budget is 50 lakhs maximum.
I am going to use this car as my daily drive, and I am looking for a hatchback with good long-term reliability, relatively good maintenance cost, and good pickup while driving. So below two options were the only vehicles that met this criteria for me, which is

Toyota vitz 2008 up 1300cc version (Usually priced around 50 laks or more) and
Suzuki swift japan 2009 up 1300cc beetle model (around 45 laks)

most of these are clocked more than 100000km in the current vehicles. I want to know the Advantages and disadvantages of these two,
- Which is the most reliable
- Which has more space,
- Common issues Overall,
- The most advantageous vehicle for the price
- Max price that you think is good

If there are any other models that you recommend, hit me as well.
Personally, my pick was the swift, but everyone was saying to go for the vitz. So I needed to get some insights.

Thanks in advance.

RusT · December 19, 2023

Hi,

Both these cars have been extensively discussed in the forums, I think you can get a comprehensive idea of both from the already available articles.

Adding on top of that, I'll add my opininon the 1300cc Vitz as I use one as my daily.

Regarding the space, the car has ample space as a hatchback both in the front and rear. Since the gauge cluster is mounted in the middle you get multiple storage bins which I find useful. Rear seats and legroom are comfortable for a hatchback. This is based on my parents and friends opinions on long trips. The RPM meter is only included in the highest grade of the Vitz.

The reliability factor depends on how well the car has been taken care of. Make sure you set aside 2-3 lakhs for preventive maintenance. Only issue I had with mine was an EVAP issue which gave me a bit of a headache☹️ @iRage helped me a lot with this issue.

Otherwise the car has been really good for me so far. So make sure you get the vehicle inspected thoroughly because when I was searching I had to inspect close to 10+ vehicles which were all dressed up or abused before finally settling.

Common issues would be the age related issues such the rubber seals cracking. In addition, steering rack issues and wheel hub problems are ones to look out for. Spare parts won't be an issue as it is one of the most common vehicles on our roads. Also keep in mind that the Vitz has low ground clearance 😁

One suggestion I would add would be the Mazda Demio, both the Swift and Demio also have 1500cc models as far as I know but no idea about the fuel consumption. Also Mazda Axela hatchbacks pop up for sale now and then if you can find one in good condition but would be a bit pricey.

Our veteran members would be able to provide more insights.

Happy hunting

SamN · December 19, 2023

Twelve years ago, I owned a Beetle model Swift at the same time the market was flooded with 1000CC Vitz. Everyone compared fuel economy and reliability of the Vitz, but nobody talked about the driving pleasure. Personally, I enjoyed that ride and am so happy about my decision. From my perspective, if you buy a car to impress neighbors, office colleagues, or in-laws, then go for a Vitz. But if you want to spend your money for your own satisfaction, then go for a Swift. P.S. Currently, I'm looking to buy a Swift RS for my wife because I love that vehicle more than toyota eco-box.

iRage · December 20, 2023

The Swift is a much nicer car to drive and you get a lot more features/accessories for the price (for the same price you will get the bare necessities in a Vitz).

When new both cars I would say were equal in terms of design related flaws/issues/etc...but as the others have mentioned, after X many years, it all depends on how the previous owners have taken care of the car.

Stayaway from the 1L Vitz. That is horrid. The engine is simply gutless and you might be tempted to just jump out of the car and run instead. The 1L Vitz was sold as city running cars for businesses and teenages just getting their license and running a car with their part-time job salaries or as 2nd run around vehicles for families (so yes it was sold to compete with the likes of the Alto and other Kei cars). The normal versions were the 1300 and 1500 versions. They are no frills A to B cars. Quite unadventurous in stock form but if you want you can do some very modest tweaks to the suspension, wheels, air intake etc and the car livens up a little.

Space wise...well..they are both hatches...go..check them out and see which works for you. The concept of space is somewhat personal as well. If you are a small person then it might feel spacious but if you are a life-sized teddybear then either car will make you feel cramped.

Driving wise..again..Swift is way ahead of the Vitz. The closest a Vitz would come to in driving pleasure is a Vitz RS/G's/GR Sport. Those can hardly be found in SL. Also, ride wise...this is where it gets tricky. The Swift has slightly stiffer suspension whilst the Vitz has primitive softer suspension (which usually makes the ride softer). However, because of the type of suspension and things like the seat design the Swift actually does feel a lot better on long drives than the Vitz.

Maintenance requirements and reliability...again...depends on how the car has been taken care of in the past. As @RusT mentioned the Vitz being a common car you can find spare-parts at any parts shop. Plus you get a whole choice on quality of parts as well as there are plenty of chinese, taiwanese, japanese 3rd party parts and fake originals and originals (because it is there it doesn't mean you should buy the cheap or fake ones).

If your budget is 5mil...then plan to spend up to about 4.5mil on the car. The rest leave it for a rainy day. You will have to attend to some must-dos as soon as you get the car and after a few months of use you might discover issues that need to be fixed. In a way this is good because now your only option is the Swift

People will tell you to go for the Vitz because it is a Toyota and there are tons of them around and their owners brag about how their car get a million miles to the gallon and all those BS about resale, etc... Just ignore all that. Decent cars, like Swifts, Lancers, Mazdas, all sell quite easily as long as the car has been taken care of. AND...they are priced reasonably. So you buy at a low price and sell at a reasonable low price. Common Toyotas are significantly overpriced. You buy at a high price and then you hold on to it trying it sell it at a high price until some broker comes along, tells you some BS and buys it from you at dirt cheap anyway.

Tharindu Lakmal · December 20, 2023

@iRage Thanks you for the well detailed reply. You are absolutely right. My gut always said to go with the swift (Also i find it really good looking as well.) But everyone said otherwise. But when checking the prices i find the vitz are overpriced a lot and not good looking either.
I can find a decent swift around 45 so i decided to go with the swift. I will post my journey with the swift soon.
Thank you guys.