7 years in a vtec, now changed stable

[Ash_vtec]

Hey guys,
Picked up an OHC vtec back in 2001, and its one of the most fulfilling choices 've made with regard to an automobile thus far. It replaced an esteem, and what a replacement it was. Flawless service, bang for the buck, cheap thrills (if you could call it that) are words that come to mind when you think of this car.

It always caught on the first crank and i now know what is meant by japanese reliabilty because the damn internals were bullet proof !! Relatively cheap maintainance for a relatively quick car was one of its USPs. One of the most addictive things was redlining it and consequently one major grouse was that it was impossible to drive slow !! It had a judicious blend of highway running and being caught up in the urban crawl an it performed with equal aplomb in both cases. The car was more or less stock till 2006, when i decided that things are getting a little boring so spruced her up a bit with leather upholstry, a new alpine cda 9883e with i pod interface and some new morel speakers. Also plonked in Remus Titanium exhaust with a 4x1 setup and the ubiquitous k&n "performance filters". ALso slapped on some fatter rubber (195/60/14 Pirelli P 6000) as the stock Bridgestone was abysmal to say the least. Now it had the soundtrack to match the pace and the seat of your pants told you you were going a wee bit faster. One could say that the old girl got a mid life botox in 2006 to reduce the monotony of a stock car.

I wont dwell into too much detail of what i liked about the car, as i concur with most of the positives listed on this forum. Yes, its fast, averagely comfortable, handles decently (predictably), those cup cake sized brakes did a fabulous job, and was built pretty decent for a japanese economy sedan. And one thing that was missed is that the ergonomics are the BEST 've seen so far, as everything falls to hand perfectly and your driving position is SPOT on without having 16 way adjustable seats et. al. and if you're under 50 the low driving positon wont even register as a problem but would come across as sporty!

The flip side was that it was about as well equipped as a cave. The brochure advertised seatbelts as a feature !!!!! Also towards the end, the cabin insulation went for a flying leap as wind noise, tyre noise and rattling brake pads increased fatigue on long hauls.

All in all one of the most rewarding automobile purchases.
I sold the car yesterday with 57k on the clock(yes sparingly used car !!) to a friend, so i know where i can find it Booked a silver fabia elegance for the urban commute as the vtec was proving to be a tad uncomfortable in BLR traffic. Also need to make space for something bigger, badder and foolishly impractical. Watch this space.

Cheers,

[sushrutha]

Good write up,
We all know how good an OHC is ;-)
Let us know about how you feel about graduating from a Sedan(OHC) to a hatchback(Fabia).

[sridharps]

vtec was proving to be a tad uncomfortable in BLR traffic

Is it because of the size? Or is it because the low end torque was a bit low? I have heard some people say that the Honda engines can be a bit of a pain in start-stop traffic conditions.
I noticed that in the Civic, of course, but I must say I have never driven a OHC Vtec. The Civic is a bit of a pain to drive in traffic conditions, much as it is great to drive on highways.

[mjothi]

Nice LTR. Seems, you have selected the Fabia hatch for the city drive. Good.
Waiting for the initial drive report of it.
Congrats.

Also need to make space for something bigger, badder and foolishly impractical. Watch this space.

What's this??

[nitrous]

Congratulations.
Are you getting the Fabia petrol or diesel?

[iraghava]

Ummm....a Fabia after the OHC? I hope you've done a TD before taking this decision?

And I have to say one thing, the more I drive new cars, the more I appreciated the visibility & glass area of the OHC. Nothing in the market has all round visibility like it.

[Ash_vtec]

@sushrutha: yeah great car. Just feel a car with more creature comforts is more suited for urban conditions. moreover a hatch for ease of parking, chose this hatch because i feel its like a mini tank that you can take to the super market

@sridharps: yes, partly because of the low end torque which requires you to constantly keep shifting in traffic, and as good as the gearbox is, it becomes a chore. the size is not an issue at all. it lacks a comfy ride and the seats are best left as sporty. The car is brilliant when you are in a boy racer mood, and lumpy when you just want drive home after a long day. also the ride of the fabia is LEAGUES ahead and its so feature loaded. Incidently was made a delicious offer for the vtec which i could not refuse.

@mjothi
yes, needed a tool for stress free commuting and the fabia seems to have ticked most boxes. would have loved an auto but sadly that option is unavailable. however the fabia's gearshift is easily the best in its segment. take the 1.4 petrol on a test drive to see what i mean.

@ nitrous
thanks the 1.4 p. the diesel is a tad too unrefined for my liking. 3 pot motor. just a personal preference.

@iraghava
Yes, TD taken. no denying the OHC is a brilliant car. Just a little long in the tooth, and not exactly commuter friendly when you spend long hours in traffic. Brilliant highway car though. Low GC, jerky vtec (mine was the 2001 ECU @ 108 bhp), lack of any semblance of punch before 4000 rpm are some of the reasons i chose a smaller commuter friendly car.

[snaronikar]

Good write up. In terms of handling, OHC was better than NHC. But Fabia...hope you know the cost spares and A** for Skoda vehicles ;-)

[GTO]

A Vtec to a Fabia petrol? That's an unusual change, but I guess one that works for you. Why didn't you wait until problems with the petrol Fabia's were sorted out completely? There are still mixed reports doing the rounds.

Congratulations either ways.

[ssjr0498]

@ sush: I always thought it was the other way round!!

@ ash: Would not want to argue, but I think the vtec has enough low down torque for a daily drive in Blr traffic.

But in the end, its your personal choice so I respect it.

Waiting for the Fabia review.

Cheers
Shrey

Originally Posted by sushrutha

Good write up,
We all know how good an OHC is ;-)
Let us know about how you feel about graduating from a Sedan(OHC) to a hatchback(Fabia).

[danlalan]

I thought the only change from you would be to go from VEEtec to VEE Rs. Suprised at the downgrade. But have you thought about the lack of power???
Now those fast drives will be nothing but cruzing.

[Ash_vtec]

@ GTO: thanks, but what problems are you referring to?
@ danlalan: bought this for the urban crawl, the v6 vtec will satisfy the fast drives for now.

P.S. the last line of my ownership review should answer all those questions about me losing my fun car

cheers,

[abhijitaparadh]

bought this for the urban crawl, the v6 vtec will satisfy the fast drives for now

the last line of my ownership review should answer all those questions about me losing my fun car

Only thing I can think of is
you are trading OHC vtec for an Accord V6 (or you already have it) and getting Fabia as a second car for city driving.

[Thad E Ginathom]

At last!

A review of the Fabia petrol coming up.

Looking forward to it!

[ajmat]

Been there, done that

The Vtec is the second most tactile car that I have owned, the first being the Peugeot 309SRi.

As I always say, it does what it says on the lid - City. The low gearing makes fast progress on a long journey tiring. Braking from high speeds is nose heavy and the safety game has moved on. The small seats gave me a back ache.

With the correct suspension tweaks, headers and free flow, it completed the package. For my city commutes, it was fine but jostling between trucks on the outer ring road was scary.

I loved the car, my new beast provides speed (a lot more) with safety however, it is not as exciting as the Vtec but it is much more capable for my practical needs.