Should you buy a USED Suzuki Swift Sport? - Is simple always best?

It's just such a tough nugget of a little thing. The Swift Sport is everything a Mini Cooper S wishes it could be and will never be again. Now mechanically speaking, to be honest, there's really not even much point of me being in this video, so... Now this might surprise you, but owners of these actually do have some complaints about the driving experience. Okay, as with all of our videos, we do go into these trying to be as balanced and as objective as we possibly can be, but I've got to be completely transparent about something. For Jim, our resident mechanic, and myself, the Swift Sport represents everything we love in a car. Even for Sam behind the camera right now, and Cal that will be editing this, weirdly the Swift Sport has kind of become almost a re-driven spirit animal. However, as much as we love the idea of the Swift Sport, are these as good as we've built them up to be in our minds? At the end of the day, it's just a cheap little hatchback with a punchy engine and sporty suspension, right? I mean, surely after a few years and thousands of kilometres, the budget-conscious build quality must result in quite a few issues. Well, you know what, that's what we are here to find out, so let's dig into the Swift Sport and find out what goes wrong with these, starting with the exterior, and that's not much actually. See, really the only common complaint we came across from owners with these is that the paint on them is extremely thin and susceptible to damage. In fact, plenty of owners highly recommend that you PPF the front and the roof at the very least. Obviously, if you don't and you let stone chips go unchecked, rust and corrosion can build and that's just a nightmare. And aside from that, no, that's it. We really honestly couldn't find many other common complaints about the exterior. Now this is interesting because when you compare this car against other cars in this class, sometimes even costing tens of thousands of dollars more, they can often be guilty of electronic gremlins, plastics degrading and becoming brittle and rattling and falling off, all sorts of panel gap and other bigger paint issues and corrosion issues, yet the Swift Sport seems to avoid all of those things. Also, another thing these seem to avoid is just a convoluted range of models and engines and updates. Basically, you have two iterations, and even then the update just included some extra tech and updated safety features, but aside from that they have the same engine, the same transmissions, even the styling remained pretty much unchanged and locally, we primarily received just the single trim spec. There was a limited edition Red Devil, but the only difference from the regular Sport was just a bunch of red and black visual highlights. Internationally, you can find other special and limited edition models plus a mild hybrid version, but another advantage to these is because they're so light, this thing only weighs 970 kilos. To put that in perspective, it's only about 200 kilograms more than just the battery pack in a Tesla Model Y, but because of this, the running costs are so affordable. We're talking insurance, rego, taxes and all the consumables from fuel to tyres, brakes, suspension components, compared to bigger and heavier performance cars, these things won't break the bank. And speaking of the finances, another area that these things can beat so much of their competition is in just what they cost to buy. Currently, used examples are ranging from about $17,000 to about $36,000, but that's only part of the story. Take a 2020 manual example. They were selling brand new for around about $29,000. These days, they're swapping hands for around about $23,000. That means it's retained around about 80% of its value. Compare that to plenty of other cars in this class, and these are at the very, very pointy end of the field when it comes to depreciation, which actually, that's not great news if you're looking for a bargain, but it could be awesome news when it comes time to sell, if you ever actually did want to sell it for some reason. Actually, just on that, one owner that we spoke to mentioned how much he regretted selling his Swift Sport. Now, that's interesting because the car he replaced it with was a BMW M140i. That is an exceptionally good car, but does this mean that this is better than the BMW? Anyway, let's talk about design and the visuals, and we know looks are a subjective thing. That makes total sense, but I've got to tell you, everybody involved in Redriven absolutely loves how these look. It's just such a tough nugget of a little thing, and, like, okay, granted, this one isn't exactly standard anymore, but it goes to show that the Swift Sport, it looks awesome when standard, but then it lends itself so nicely to some intelligent mods. Overall, the design language, everything, just great. Actually, just on the whole mods thing, loads of owners that we spoke to mentioned how well these can respond to some intelligent modifications, not just visually, but also mechanically, but we'll delve into that more when we drive it. However, it's when you get inside that you'll see there are certain modifications that are almost mandatory, but we'll get to that in a second. Our hot tip here when it comes to parts and accessories, not just for these, but really for any car, is to hit the link below and check out our mates at Automotive Superstore. They have everything from performance engine and suspension parts, brakes, aftermarket wheels, dash cams, car care products, and over 400,000 other parts and accessories, so chances are, no matter what you need, they're going to have it. And if you're not sure what parts are going to suit your car, all you've got to do is jump on the website, type in your rego, and it will filter down to the parts that are perfectly suited for your car. Plus, they ship Australia-wide, so it is super convenient, and this is awesome when it comes to the Swift Sport, because easily the biggest complaint we came across with these interiors was that the standard infotainment systems are completely ----. Now, this is something that we've seen with quite a few different Suzuki models, and owners highly recommend that one of the first things you should do is bin this system and, yeah, fit an aftermarket system, ideally from Automotive Superstore. See what I did there? Look, it's great that it has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and Bluetooth, but owners have reported dropouts, the system can just become painfully slow, using it is not intuitive, and overall it just feels like a cheap Timu-spec system, because that's kind of what it is. However, 2024 examples are being delivered with a Pioneer infotainment system, and it is a massive, massive improvement, although the speakers haven't changed, and according to the owners, this is another thing that you could probably update as well. But you know what? Aside from the infotainment system, that's about all we could find for common complaints and issues with the interior. Okay, some of the interior plastics do feel a bit on the cheap side, but of course they do, it's based on a really budget-conscious little hatchback. If you're expecting a luxurious interior in here, you're an idiot. But on the flipside of the hard plastics, one of the positives to this is that these interiors, according to the owners, are incredibly resilient. Quite a few owners we spoke to use this car as their track car, so there's different sets of wheels and tyres being thrown in the back, they've got their helmet off so it's banging against the door or up against the dashboard, and some people use it as a family car, and even with kids trying to abuse the interior, these things just hold together so well. Even with this car, David that owns this, he uses this on a daily basis, it's a 2018 model, it's got quite a few Ks on it, but interior-wise, it looks great. Like honestly, it doesn't even need a detail, this needs a wipeover and it will look as good as new. And look, okay, if the car has been treated really poorly and has spent most of its life living in the hot Aussie sun, some of the interior plastics can get a bit brittle and rattle. This is obviously massively disappointing if we're talking about an AMG, and some of those are guilty of that, but in a Swift, isn't that to be expected? For me, in a car of this budget, it just kind of adds to the character. Now in terms of design in here, look, it's funky enough, I suppose. It's nowhere near as impressive as, say, a Mini Cooper S or an Abarth 595, but in terms of fit, finish and build quality, it far exceeds both of those cars. This thing is superior in every way in terms of build quality compared to them. Even when it comes to the switchgear and the stuff you use, like, nothing feels cheap and nasty at all, everything feels, oh, wipers, nothing, it all feels very, very good. These wipers aren't very good, they're a little bit on the noisy side. You know what David should do, he should go and get some Wipetech wiper blades, which he could do if he hit the link below, because that way he could get some of the best wiper blades ever delivered to his door, they're a breeze to fit and they're going to wipe a damn swipe better than these ones. And if he ordered a set via the link below, he's going to get 15% off and free express shipping. And you know what? You can do all of that stuff too. Actually, you know what? As a thank you present to David for lending us his car, and because his wipers suck, we're going to give him a set for free, and if you want a set for free, all you've got to do is lend us your car, if we feature it, you're going to get a set for free. Message us on the socials. And then as far as using this interior in terms of practicality, you've got a pretty little glove box there, you've got a spot for your phone just here, which is good, because it's underneath the USBs and power outlet. Two cup holders. Some people complain that these are too small for a large bottle, but I think they're good for a small pretentious coffee, like a double ristretto. Now, don't get excited, this is all aftermarket, this whole center console thing, because there's another cup holder back here. This also has USB ports on it, which is pretty cool. Door bins, quite small, and there's a spot to collect, I don't know, fingernail clippings and life's filth just there, and that's about it for practicality up front. Now, the only other small complaint we heard from owners was that the seating position was just a little bit too high, which kind of throws off the ergonomics just a little bit, and yeah, I do tend to agree, it would be so nice if it was just a little bit lower, and if the steering wheel just came back just a tiny bit more. There are seat lowering kits out there, but just be careful, because how legal they are will depend on where you're watching this from. But overall ergonomics, it's okay. It's so close to perfect. And then when it comes to what actual stuff you're going to get with the Swift, really great news here, it's loads, especially for what these things cost. In fact, there's far too many things to list. If you need them all, go to redriven.com, check out the free Swift Sport cheat sheet, because we've listed out everything there, including the common issues, which obviously there are very, very few. Oh, also, we've included everything that the updated models come with as well. However, when it comes to some of the safety systems, there have been some complaints about these, but we'll elaborate more on that when we drive it. Now, something that we weren't expecting to bring up in this video, but it's something we cop a lot in the comments section, is that we're accused quite often of always recommending Japanese cars over European cars, and that's complete bullshit. There's plenty of Euro cars that we also recommend. But the reason that we're drawn to this car, and Suzuki's in general actually, is that they're just, they're stripped out, they're functional, and they just give you exactly what you need, and they do all of that stuff so incredibly well. These Swift Sports fly in the face of this annoying obsession that manufacturers have with just giving cars more stuff, more performance, more features, more tech, more everything. More does not equal better. This is a great example of less being more, because remember, more stuff is just more things to go wrong. And look, even though we honestly don't care where a car was made, or who even made it, we're betting there is not a single European manufacturer that has the balls to make something as simple as this. The Swift Sport is everything a Mini Cooper S wishes it could be, and will never be again. Also, something else I want to bring your attention to is just how supportive the community is around these cars. If you're looking at buying one of these, or you own one, please join an owner's group or a forum, because the advice and knowledge they can give you, they gave us when we were researching this, is honestly priceless. Now in the backseat, I'm exactly 8cm shorter than Taylor Swift Sports obsessed partner Travis Kelsey. This is in my driving position, and I'm blown away here. Like I have knee room, I've got a decent amount of foot room, the seats are relatively comfortable. How do they do this? We find this, we found this in the Suzuki Alto Works, and in a lot of really little Japanese cars. The use of space is so intelligent. Okay, the door's just here, there's not a lot of space this way, but I don't feel claustrophobic. This is a pretty nice place to be. But look, despite this technically being a space for three people, it really is a two plus two. Three adults across here, that'd get pretty squeezy. And then as far as features and practicality in the backseat, under the aftermarket armrest you've got cup holder there as we mentioned before, UNO pocket here. You do have bottle or cup holders in the doors, but once you've got a leg there you can't actually get to it. And more little spots for life's filth in either door there. And then in the boot, actually, also pretty good. Fun fact, this is only slightly smaller than the boot of a five door Mini Cooper S. Although the aftermarket strut brace here does obstruct some of the actual loading capabilities. One annoying thing, the seats don't fold completely flat, and they also don't tumble forward, so you end up with this lip here, and that is a bit annoying. Loads of cars in this class are guilty of that. Now this might surprise you, but owners of these actually do have some complaints about the driving experience. First of all, and as we alluded to before, some of the safety systems, their calibrations aren't ideal. Owners of the post-update cars have complained that the autonomous emergency braking can be all Gen Z and they're just far too sensitive and can be triggered too easily. Even the collision warning alert, it can apparently go off if the air in front of the car is too thick. Obviously, I'm kidding, but do expect the collision alert stuff to be coming on all the time. However, this sort of stuff is not exclusive to the Swift Sport. We hear this from owners of more recently made cars all the time. Now this next complaint, honestly, it is a bit of a trade-off, but the complaint is that the road and just interior noise can be a bit intense. But to have a car tip the scales at under a ton, well, some sacrifices have to be made and in this case, it clearly is sound deadening. Next up, a few owners have made some complaints about the shifting, especially from first to second and third and then back again. Now the hot tip here is to do what David has done and fit a short shift kit, aftermarket bushes, maybe update the fluids as well. Actually this shifter, it feels like David has stolen it out of a Lotus Exige, it's fantastic. But the other tip from those in the know when it comes to the whole gear change being a bit crunchy is just slow down your shifts a bit. Just be smooth and precise and you shouldn't have a drama. Now next up, and look, this might be due to the budget constraints so this car can sell at what it does, but the standard intake and exhaust, it's not the most, let's say, musical. Also, the standard suspension on the wrong road can be pretty bouncy. However, as David has proved with this car, those things are easily fixed with the right modifications. Also, owners highly recommend ditching the standard tyres, even in terms of the actual tyre size. Going up slightly in size with the tyre and switching out to something like a Michelin Pilot Sport 5 can make a hell of a difference to this car and you know what, that is saying something because these are just spectacular to drive, even in stock form. But you know what, this car with these mods, honestly, this is up there. Even compared to some of the really expensive exotic stuff I've been honoured to play with, this thing is way up at the pointy end. I cannot get over how wonderful this is to drive. It's raw and so fun, yet it is refined enough to actually live with on a daily basis. It almost feels like you don't actually drive a Swift Sport. It's almost like you put it on and wear it and it becomes this extension to what you want a car to do. A lot of people say it feels like it's driving a go-kart. It's better than that. And look, obviously what excites someone about cars will vary from person to person. If you're the sort of person that is obsessed with brand image or straight line acceleration or being able to show off how much debt you can handle, well, this is not the car for you. But if you want something that is honestly super easy to live with every day, but then will make you laugh hysterically like that when you're going through some corners, this thing, this is the car. Or at least it would be unless something mechanically were to go horribly wrong. What's the story there? Are these mechanically fragile? I can't really talk to you about that because I'm not a qualified mechanic. But you know who is? It's Jim. Yes, they are incredibly reliable and really not much does go wrong. There are a few things that we have heard, but pretty much anecdotally really, a few high-pressure fuel pump complications and a few head gasket issues, which was mainly from production complications where they're just not put together right. And most of those were picked up in warranty or even pre-delivery vehicles. So it's really hardly worth mentioning really. There have been a few with turbo complications. Not very many, I might add. In some cases the turbos just need replacing, but very few and far between. There was also a recall on these for the vacuum pump. So if you have one, just check your VIN, see if it's affected by it. So yeah, mechanically overall in standard form, a very, very stout little unit. However, because they are relatively affordable, some of them are being modified. Now you just got to make sure if you're buying one that's been modified, just make sure the mods have been done really well and maybe driven with some mechanical sympathy. Or better yet, there's plenty of them out there to choose from. Just get one that hasn't been modified and do the tweaks yourself. And if you are going to modify it, they do respond fairly well to that. And they're a really good little package for track days as well. You know what, Suzuki is usually considered to be this under-the-radar brand, but they've gone and made this little nugget, which is a pretty good little package. And it's up against cars like the Cooper S and the Abarth 595. Now, I actually highly recommend you go and watch the videos on both of those cars, because it makes for a really interesting comparison. Spoiler alert, mechanically this thing is far superior to those. So we pretty much think it goes without saying, yeah, we recommend that you buy a Swift Sport. In fact, we'll go as far as saying we think you should maybe sell whatever car you currently own and buy one of these instead. Obviously, like any used car, there are dodgy examples out there that need to be avoided. And even for the great Swift Sports that pass pre-purchase inspections with flying colours, it still might be too small for some or maybe not luxurious enough for others. But in those cases, we just recommend you change your lifestyle to accommodate owning a Swift Sport. I mean, if you need to carry more stuff, just don't. If you've got too many kids, have less or just pick two. Or if you want to go off-road, trust me, going around corners in this thing is way more fun than going off-road. In fact, you know what? If I hadn't managed to buy a mint condition Fiesta ST at a ridiculously low price, this would be the one and only car I would have in my garage. If I had a two-car garage, I'd have one of these and a Pajero Evo. Or maybe this and an MX-5. Or maybe this and a Suzuki Jimny. Or maybe this and one of these. But we've got a question for you. Why wouldn't you buy a Swift Sport? I mean, it's just, it's such a wonderful car. What have you got against it? Let us know in the comments. See you next time.