New member of PW here. Joined just to leave my feedback on this thread. I test drove Stonic, Swift and Peugeot 2008 last week as i'm looking to switch from Alto. Yes, there is a big price gap between these 3 so i was considering low mileage options of P2008 and Stonic where Swift would have been brand new.
Look-wise, all three are excellent but P2008 would be my personal choice. Space-wise, Swift has slight better space than Stonic which is slightly better than P2008. 4 Adults, 2 having height of 6 ft to 6'2 and 2 having 5'6 or below would sit comfortably in all three. Quality-wise, Interior of P2008 is superior but Stonic is not far behind whereas Swift's interior way too inferior so much so that one would use word "cheap". I found sitting posture of Swift and Stonic to be most comfortable as per my preference and height (i'm 6'1 btw) but P2008 became dealbraker for me just because of that factor. Not only steering wheel hides the gorgeous instrument culture but i just wasn't comfortable at all while driving that beast. Needless to say, P2008 is far superior when it comes to pure speed and torque followed by Swift. Stonic lacks power in initial gears and isn't suitable to speed-junkies. However, i found handling of Stonic to be best among the 3 options. Feature-wise, all are fully loaded but P2008 takes the lead ofcourse with its small but important safety features.
So for me, P2008 was a no brainer if only it had good sitting posture as per my preference. Whereas Swift, is the most sane option considering its low price (among the three), parts availability and resale value. But your brother loved the way Stonic felt in hands, the way it maneuvered and satisfaction it brought. So instead of going for most sane option, i have decided to go for Low Mileage Stonic. Although most of my friends advised against it but for me, self satisfaction is way more important than future resale factor or high torque. I'm someone who enjoys his drives and don't need to reach from Point A to B in hurry.
Sorry for such long comment 
EDIT1: Just test drove City 1.5 Aspire, out of sheer curiosity. Very stiff ride, great back seating space but for my size, driving seat was compromised. Excellent power output but engine noise is definitely there.
