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Have you ever driven a car that completely exceeded your expectations?
Maybe it was a cheap runabout that was far more fun than it had any right to be, a rental you ended up loving, or a car you never thought you’d want until you drove one.
What was it, and what made it such a pleasant surprise?
Let’s hear your story.
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My biggest surprise has probably been my 2008 Suzuki Swift Sport.
I have never been particularly interested in very small cars. Perhaps it is the influence of living in the UK, but I always associated cars of this size with a teenager’s first car — something bought to build up a few years of no-claims history before eventually being able to insure a “real” car. Suzuki was certainly never a brand I had seriously considered.
That changed last year when a friend sent me a FB Marketplace advert for a cheap, slightly scuffed Swift Sport. It had recently experienced a mild encounter with some local wildlife and the repairs had only been partly finished.
Mostly out of curiosity, I started researching them. I was surprised to discover how popular these cars are as affordable first Nürburgring and track-day machines. They are simple, light, naturally aspirated, apparently capable of handling plenty of abuse, and still able to deliver a lot of fun without frightening running costs.
So, naturally, I bought it.
After several essential DIY repairs — and one rather less DIY episode when it failed its CT and needed new front suspension arms followed by a proper alignment — it has served me very well as a second car.
It has not reached the Nürburgring yet, but on small, twisty roads it already delivers far more smiles than I ever expected from it. To the point that I now consider it one of my best car purchases.
I will probably keep it until it dies. Judging by the reputation of these little Swifts, that may take quite a while.
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