Buying a used Honda Brio

In Brief

The Honda Brio was supposed to be Honda’s next big small-car in India - a car that would give Honda the numbers and mark the next generation of the Hondas in India. But sadly it didn’t. There isn’t much wrong with the car besides the pocket sized boot but India’s appetite for diesel engines was miscalculated. The Brio comes with only a petrol engine, which in the premium hatchback segment puts it at a disadvantage and is the reason why the Brio hasn’t sold well. Like any Honda though, the Brio has its set of followers and so a handful of new Brios keep trickling out of the Honda factory every month.

On the Road

The Brio looks like a city car to punt around but can handle highways and twisties quite well too. Powered by the 1.2-litre 88PS i-VTEC motor, the Brio is one of the peppiest hatchbacks in India. The engine is happy to rev fast and long without much protest and with the wheels at all four corners and light steering, it’s fun to chuck it around corners. The Brio feels planted and agile at all times and the 5-speed gearbox is good enough to extract the best out of the engine. The Brio also comes with a 5-speed automatic, which draws away a bit of fun from the package. It feels a bit slow and doesn’t have a proper manual override. The automatic is a boon in city traffic though and if you are mainly going to use it in town for a office commute, it’s worth a look. 

Moving in

Honda sure did pull a rabbit out of the hat with the Brio’s interiors. We knew Honda was good at packaging after seeing the Jazz but with the Brio, it was quite a revelation. Because look at the Brio from the outside and you’d be certain that it’s going to be a cramped hatchback for four, but step in, every time,  and the space inside brings a smile onto your face. The seats are comfortable, especially the front seats that look a bit like racing buckets, and the leg and shoulder room in the rear is very good. Small rear windows can feel a bit claustrophobic though. Steering mounted audio controls, ABS and airbags and USB and aux connectivity are standard. The design is a bit of an oddball that looks good when new but one that can quickly feel a bit childish. It’s well built though. The light beige upholstery has a tendency to stain and show.

Efficiency

The Brio with the manual gearbox returns an ARAI certified efficiency figure of 18.4kmpl and the automatic comes up with 16.5kmpl.

Buying used

Typical Japanese mechanical reliability stands true to the Brio as well. If there is one sound hatchback to buy in the pre-owned car segment, it is the Brio. All you need to do is follow service schedules that will cost you about Rs 4,000 every 10,000km and a major service every 40,000km that will cost close to Rs 10,000. Also, since the Brio is a fun car to drive, the brakes are used harder than most hatchbacks and the brake pads as a result tend to wear faster. This will cost you about Rs 2,000. Besides this, there’s nothing we found that can be held against the Brio. 

Non ABS Brios manufactured between February, 2013 and January, 2014, essentially all variants under the top trim were part of a recall due to a wrongly assembled proportioning valve. This valve is part of the braking system which adjusts brake distribution pressure to the wheels so check if the car you are looking at is part of the recall. Chances are you will find very few such examples because the recall was on cars manufactured last year.

Money-wise

A top spec Brio MT manufactured in 2011 with about 40,000km on the odometer will cost close to Rs 4 lakh if maintained in good condition. Add or subtract Rs 20,000 depending on the car’s condition. Add about Rs 50,000-60,000 for a car that’s a year younger. The automatic depreciates faster because there’s lesser demand for automatics in the pre-owned car market. A 2013 Brio AT in top trim will cost around Rs 4.2 lakh.