The first and second gears have had problems. Shifting from 3rd to 2nd is noisy, except when going very slow.
I think this is one of the best sports cars for starters, considering its cost. I use it daily and race it during weekends. Handling is superb, and with suspension mods, it turns like on rails. With minor modifications, lap times are only seconds short of highly modified pure racing cars.
It is a real head turner, and owners of expensive German imports are always surprised.
I do not consider the Swift Gti a sport car.
It only have around 100 HP, compared with a Golf VR6 of 174 HP or a Subaru Impreza WRX 224 HP.
Several compact cars can go from 0 to 60 MPH (100 KMH) in less than 7 seconds or on the lowers 7's. A Swift Gti goes from 0-60 in 8 seconds which is not fast compared with several sedans that has the same performance and also at a low price (Exa: Hyundai Elantra, etc, etc).
Finally I found the suspension and chassis very weak, specially due to my experience as a rally race driver.
Hahaha
my friend...
You should know something..
1) swift gti is not expensive.
2) swift is not hard to upgrade.
3) the engine is strong.
4) it is easy to put turbo and easy, when you put turbo
it will jump from 101 hp to (180 or 200 hp)
5) I have one if you want to drag with me
this is my email (nokia92@hotmail.com) thanx.
GTi a sport car?
Weak acceleration (0 to 60 MPH in 9 seconds), a chassis that cracks with the time and a top speed that is not even closer to 130 MPH.
Subaru Impreza Turbo: That is a real inexpensive sport car. More than 220 HP, 4 WD and 0-60 MPH in less than 6 seconds. I know that the GTi does not have turbo and that they are not comparable (I am not the same first writer again), but my argument is that a GTi is not an sport car and in performance is not even closer with today's pockets bargains like the Mazda Turbo Speed Protege, Mitsubishi EVO, Cooper S, Civic Vtec etc, etc, etc.
GTi owners, accept the facts, there are other inexpensive cars much faster than yours!
Subaru WRX and Mazda fan:
Inexpensive yes, but let me see hmm... for a price of a good second-hand Subaru WRX you could probably buy FOUR good GTI Swifts (!) This is what I mean by saying that they are not comparable. By saying this I am not defending Swift's weak quality, and I do not own one, hell I've never even driven one. However, I do believe that it lives up to it's reputation of a tough little hatchback with a rev happy engine. Something along a old Mini Cooper S lines perhaps...
I own a 1991 and I have to say that although I am thoroughly
satisfied with my GT, I must point out some points.
1.) The reason I bought it was because there are too many Civics.
2.) The Key Way scored my crankshaft and I was forced to change engines.
3.) The CV Axles are crap.
Other than that, I LOVE this car!!! I'm replacing it with a '93 so I can get the power options!!!
Bob from Canada.
"a GTi is not an sport car and in performance is not even closer with today's pockets bargains like the Mazda Turbo Speed Protege, Mitsubishi EVO, Cooper S, Civic Vtec etc, etc, etc. "
Hahaha, you are comparing a $7,000AUD 4cyl N/A, to cars that are over twice as much, and turbo, I mean how could you compare an EVO to a GTi.. also another thing I'd like to point out is that the GTi's engine was designed over 15 years ago! and they are as solid as a rock.
And I would not say the cooper S is a bargain (if your talking about the new one) because that is like $30,000AUD.
The new 2004 Toyota ECHO Hatchback seems to be the today's equivalent to the Swift GTi. It has 1.5l-4cyl.-108 horsepower with Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) technology taking it from 0-60 in 8.5 sec (manual transmission) It weights 2000lb ann uses 40 miles per gallon. And at around 10 grand it is hard to beat too!
I drive a 93 swift gti...it's great... only problem is CV joints.. other wise it is fine. I think this GTi is a sport car. When it is turboed..it can beat the integra type are on the 1/4 mile..i have seen this happen.
As the proud new owner of a 93 GTi, I can only say one thing. The closest comparison anyone can find to this car was the 1275cc Mini Cooper of the 70s. What people have to remember is that this car was designed as a challenge to the performance cars of its day, something it achieved quite successfully. Now, we live in a world of WRX, but some puritans like me remember where the bang for your bucks trend was started, and I have one still sitting in my driveway.
As a proud owner of a Minicooper S, let me tell you that a Suzuki Swift is very far from being a car icon of the nineties, because it is just another hatchback as it was the Honda Civic Si, the VW Golf Gti VR6, the Peugeot 205 Gti 1.9 (by the way all of them faster and better looking that the Swift Gti). An example of a real car icon of the nineties is a Mazda Miata for example, an inexpensive car that redefined the concept of a roaster.
I totally agree with you. I have a Citroen Saxo 1.6 VTS. It is faster from 0-60 than a Swift GTi, it has better handling and it is an inexpensive car also. I do not consider my car as an sport car, but instead as a Hatchback with decent performance compared with other inexpensive cars. I wish to have someday a real sport car as for example a Dodge Viper or a Lotus Elise. So grow up Swift GTi owners, your cars or mine are not head turners or F1 cars.
The suzuki swift gti 1995 model is a reasonable car for the price tag, the lack of such features like air con is disapointing,this car can reach speeds of 220kmph just before maxing out and hitting the valve spring pretty hard. the swift has wheel spinning qualities,and although it has a slow start due to this wheel spinning, second and third gear pull extremeky well for the 1.3 litre engine. With simple bolt on modifications such as cold air intake, extractors and exhaust system and multi point race plugs, the car can benifit extremely well, keeping up with, and occasionally beating those v8 yobbo's. The problems this car has arer, rattles in the boddie, runs very hot, legroom and no power steering. however small the swift seems, it is big in other areas.
To the VTS owner and all Swift owners. I own a Citroen yes a Citroen AX GTi with 110bhp. Guaranteed to beat VTS's and I feel the Swift is a great competitor to the VTS too. I am looking now for a Swift having a bit of trouble looking, but when I find and buy 1 I will modify to it an extent I can laugh at Turbo'd cars as by the time your turbo lag has finished I will have been long gone! Suzuki Swifts are great cars for what they are as are AX GTis. They're practically brothers, but now I want Jap as Citroen are (what rhymes with jap lol)
Its like this... The swift Gti has got to be the biggest bang for the buck... yes a subaru wrx would eat it for lunch (as long as the gti is stock) but, you can get a used swift gt for less than $2000, compared to $20,000+ for a subaru.
I own a mk2 gti with a hybrid IHI RHB turbo on low boost. on 1/4 mile, I can pull away from a MY04 base wrx modded with air filter, close ratio gearbox and straight thru exhaust for 4 car length. When you talk about sprinting, its all about torque. Don't forget swift gti is a very light car, curb weight is about 800kg.