[shivansh]

Hello everybody, I just got my registration approved. Nice to be a part of the community. This is my first post. Please forgive if I make any mistake.

Guys I am planning to buy a new car shortly. I need your wisdom to help me make the choice. I am looking for a sedan in the 12 lac range. Honda city seems to the perfect choice as of now. Now the question is which model should I go for. I am looking to buy only petrol version with manual transmissions.

I know that V M/T looks like the value for money model. But I looking at SV model as well. Do you think I should go for SV model and instead spend those savings on getting a ceramic pro coat and getting led modifications?

Also guys I am comparing the base model of Elantra to the V M/T model of city. DO you guys think that I should go for elantra instead. I know that base model of elantra doesnt offer much features, but it definitely makes an impression and gives an opportunity at the exclusiveness.

Please let me know if there is a thread where I could compare city to elantra.

[Nohonking]

Originally Posted by shivansh

Also guys I am comparing the base model of Elantra to the V M/T model of city. DO you guys think that I should go for elantra instead. I know that base model of elantra doesnt offer much features, but it definitely makes an impression and gives an opportunity at the exclusiveness.

Dear Shivansh,

A warm welcome to TBHP!

Honestly, your very first post is worth a thought. My 2 cents: First, Hyundai Elantra base variant on-road price will be somewhere upwards of 14 lac, which is significantly more than your sufficiently weighted 12 lac budget. Not only that, consider the extra insurance premium amount you'd be obliged to pay during the coming years. The question is, are you willing to spend more? Second, IMO for any manufacturer these days, the base variant is indeed focused more on marketing "so and so car launched starting at just this many lacs", so that they can woo more customers(like you) to consider extending their budget and walk in. Still, you may check and compare the features of Honda City SV and basic Hyundai Elantra.

That all said, the happiness associated with stretching further to Elantra is limited only till the time you make a decision and eventually buy. Later, during the entire course of years of possession, you may end up comparing the features of your base trim with those in uppers. This feeling will surely irk you every now and then, despite having spent a good fortune.

My take will be to rather go with City VMT (not SV) and be happy. Hope this helps. All the best with your buying and do not forget to share your take and eventually the pictures of the D-day.

Cheers,
Simmi

[quadmaniac]

+1 for the V MT. I own one and saving the 30k for SV doesn't make sense at all when you see what all you get:

- alloys
- reverse camera - this is super useful
- AVN

Etc.

[Durango Dude]

Originally Posted by shivansh

Hello everybody, I just got my registration approved. Nice to be a part of the community.

I have an Elantra the first model that came to India. It's 12 years old and I still have it as a beat car. The Honda City as a package is unbeatable value. I did have the latest Elantra in mind but wasn't prepared to spend some thing like ₹ 23 L for it the top model petrol. I didn't think much of the base model as even the top model misses out on some features. I didn't test drive the Elantra. So I went ahead and got the Honda City VX CVT it covers all bases and you pay for the refinement, ease of ownership, performance and fuel efficiency. Hyundai petrol's have never been known for their FE. The 2 liter Petrol is sure to be a gas guzzler. That said TD both and buy what suits you.

[shivansh]

Originally Posted by Nohonking

First, Hyundai Elantra base variant on-road price will be somewhere upwards of 14 lac, which is significantly more than your sufficiently weighted 12 lac budget. Not only that, consider the extra insurance premium amount you'd be obliged to pay during the coming years. The question is, are you willing to spend more? Second, IMO for any manufacturer these days, the base variant is indeed focused more on marketing "so and so car launched starting at just this many lacs", so that they can woo more customers(like you) to consider extending their budget and walk in. Still, you may check and compare the features of Honda City SV and basic Hyundai Elantra.

First of all, thanks a lot for the warm welcome. I completely agree with your point. I know I would feel the pain of overstretching the budget and still not getting features that would come with honda city. I am planning to focus on honda city only now. But will still test drive the elantra once.

I agree that V MT is the ideal choice that one should go for. The major additions features that one would get IMO are:
1.) Alloy wheels(they make a huge difference)
2.)7 inch display called digipad
3.) fog lamps
4.) Start stop button
5.) Rear view camera

Now I don't really care for fog lamps, rvms and start stop button. I was concerned about the 7 inch display but after reading and watching some reviews, I feel it anyways is quite buggy and wouldn't give a hassle free experience(correct me if I am wrong). Now the only thing that would pinch me is alloy wheels. They look superb especially with silver colored car.

Now the thing is that I wanted to get a ceramic pro coating done on my car and modifying headlamps for led lights and drls and also getting some additional accessories such as rear spoiler.

Now the cost of SV MT on road in jaipur is 11lacs and V MT is 12 lacs respectively. If I get the V MT version I am bound to overstretch my budget.
So basically if I get the V MT version I am saying goodbye to ceramic pro coating, led lights and spoilers.

What do you guys think would be a good decision?

P.S: Please suggest me what color looks best on honda city other than the white one(too common). Other 4 options are silver, mettalic grey, golden brown and magenta/maroon. I think silver looks great especially if paired with alloy wheels(but we already have a silver car). Metallic grey looks kinda dull to me. Golden brown looks good but the car looks shorter and the lines and curves of honda city get hidden in this color. Also it might get dull pretty soon. Don't like magenta/maroon as well. Also please let me know as to which color would get enhanced the most if I get a ceramic pro coating. Please let me know if anybody has got ceramic pro coat on their city. I would highly appreciate if they could share the pictures as well.

[quadmaniac]

Originally Posted by shivansh

Now the cost of SV MT on road in jaipur is 11lacs and V MT is 12 lacs respectively.

Actually I understand now where you're coming from. I was assuming that VMT is 9.99 ex-showroom and SV is 9.6 (similar to Hyderabad) - but for Jaipur, it's not and the price difference is indeed > 1L OTR. Unfortunate!

In that case, if you feel you're stretching for the VMT - did you consider the base SMT model? The SMT is quite well loaded and has all the essentials - doesn't compromise on safety and even has bluetooth telephony etc. Check this out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxTsKYkhWAs

With the money saved, you could splurge on whatever you think. To me, the reverse camera is a life saver, but totally understand that may not be the case for you. Further, you can add a rear parking sensor or an IRVM based parking camera to the base S as well, still leaving a lot of breathing space for the accessories you really want.

EDIT: To add, yes the digipad is buggy - but it's not completely unbearable. To me it's value lies in being a screen for the reverse parking cam (did I tell you how much I love it ). Even otherwise such bugs are usually cleared with a software update. The integration of the digipad with steering music controls etc, day/night visibility are all quite good.

[OSH]

Originally Posted by Aaron:)

Owners of the facelifted City, have the quality related complaints with the old City (inconsistent panel gaps, plastic quality etc) been addressed ? Some pics would be helpful too. A relative is keen on picking up a petrol V M/T.

If you are comparing the pre-facelifted models with the facelift, there has been an improvement for sure. However there is a lot left to be desired, firstly, the panel gaps are consistent but not very tight. As you have mentioned, the bonnet and trunk are the most ill fitted in majority of the cases.

Then there are all the cabin plastics, they remain the same, but the door card flexing while rolling the windows up/down has been fixed. You will find that the area where we usually fix idols (just above the AVN at the center of the dashboard) bends down when pressed, this was found by BHPian Shreyas Aterkar.

Lastly, the rattles that many 4th gen owners were facing has been sorted out, my car has completed a little over 1700 kms in one month's time and has no squeaks/rattles from anywhere. The fit and finish of all the other things like AC vents, AVN, instrument cluster, armrest area etc has improved, I feel this is the reason why the car does not rattle anymore.

Your relative is keen on the petrol engine which is very refined and silent so let him go ahead with the new City, nothing matches the iVtec, the engine is so quite that at traffic signals you fail to even notice the engine running. If you want any specific photos let me know.

Going OT here, but just wanted to let everyone know that the 4th gen may have the extra features over the 3rd gen, but the 3rd gen was in a different league when it came to quality standards. Whenever I step into my new car after driving my 2012 City, the feeling of a downgrade in terms of quality comes to my mind. Just by seeing and touching the interiors you can make out the fall in quality.

[shivansh]

Originally Posted by quadmaniac

Actually I understand now where you're coming from. I was assuming that VMT is 9.99 ex-showroom and SV is 9.6 (similar to Hyderabad) - but for Jaipur, it's not and the price difference is indeed > 1L OTR.

There are a lot of features in S MT that are a dealer breaker for me. Most importantly S MT does not have rear AC vents which is of utmost priority to me. Also no steering mounted controls, no automated ac, no black piano finish(which I really loved). So I am not really interested in S MT. I think SV MT is the one that is atleast buyable for me.

Going to test drive the city once again today.
Will keep you guys posted. BTW I'd love to know your prefernce on the color and what would look best with a ceramic pro coat

[riteshritesh]

Originally Posted by shivansh

There are a lot of features in S MT that are a dealer breaker for me. Most importantly S MT does not have rear AC vents which is of utmost priority to me.

Just to let you know that your idea of getting LED's retrofitted will void your warranty ( provided you plan to get it done from your dealer).
You can drop the ceramic coating for the time being, buy the VMT and perhaps after a year, when you gather 10~12000 again, go ahead with the Ceramic coating. It is just an aesthetic decoration for the viewers eyes, that can be postponed in lieu of driving a wonderful and loaded car.

[shivansh]

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

Just to let you know that your idea of getting LED's retrofitted will void your warranty ( provided you plan to get it done from your dealer).
You can drop the ceramic coating for the time being, buy the VMT and perhaps after a year, when you gather 10~12000 again, go ahead with the Ceramic coating. It is just an aesthetic decoration for the viewers eyes, that can be postponed in lieu of driving a wonderful and loaded car.

Thanks for the advice. I am still undecided between the two variants. I wanted to know if the warranty would get void even if I go for plug and play type leds or if I get them fitted by the dealer itself.

Also I am still undecided on ceramic pro. I will visit the ceramic pro shop here in jaipur soon. I would first see if the aftereffects are really drastic or mediocre. If I get a white or silver car, I think the effects would be minimal. I know that ceramic pro is brilliant on black colored cars, but then city doesnt come in black.


Also I would like to mention that I am really interested in super shiny car. Hence that thought about ceramic pro. Looks do matter a lot to me

[adarsh76]

Originally Posted by OSH

Lastly, the rattles that many 4th gen owners were facing has been sorted out, my car has completed a little over 1700 kms in one month's time and has no squeaks/rattles from anywhere. The fit and finish of all the other things like AC vents, AVN, instrument cluster, armrest area etc has improved, I feel this is the reason why the car does not rattle anymore.

Don't confirm it now itself. I did not have any rattles till 30,000 kms. But then it started to. Fixed once, now it has started again. The culprit is the Wiper Cover at the exterior and needs to be replaced. Let me see how it would be after the replacement. If the car travels more on rough roads rattles would come at any point of time.

I don't think there is any fit and finish issues for the other parts for the 4th Gen owners.

[McLaren Roxx]

Originally Posted by shivansh

There are a lot of features in S MT that are a dealer breaker for me. Most importantly S MT does not have rear AC vents which is of utmost priority to me. Also no steering mounted controls, no automated ac, no black piano finish(which I really loved). So I am not really interested in S MT. I think SV MT is the one that is atleast buyable for me.

Going to test drive the city once again today.
Will keep you guys posted. BTW I'd love to know your prefernce on the color and what would look best with a ceramic pro coat

Originally Posted by riteshritesh

You can drop the ceramic coating for the time being, buy the VMT and perhaps after a year, when you gather 10~12000 again, go ahead with the Ceramic coating. It is just an aesthetic decoration for the viewers eyes, that can be postponed in lieu of driving a wonderful and loaded car.

Originally Posted by shivansh

Thanks for the advice. I am still undecided between the two variants.

Also I am still undecided on ceramic pro. I will visit the ceramic pro shop here in jaipur soon. I would first see if the aftereffects are really drastic or mediocre. If I get a white or silver car, I think the effects would be minimal. I know that ceramic pro is brilliant on black colored cars, but then city doesnt come in black.


Also I would like to mention that I am really interested in super shiny car. Hence that thought about ceramic pro. Looks do matter a lot to me

Hello, welcome to TBHP.
I would recommend opting for V as it carries quite a lot of features over the SV.

Also, there is a thread about the pros/cons of ceramic pro, you can go through it and decide. I personally would not opt for it, simply because it is too expensive - close to 26k for the basic package. Would rather prefer maintaining it via a regular yearly/bi-yearly schedule.
If you do opt for it, it is best to get it done on a new car in order to preserve that factory finish.

IMO, City looks best in either White or Golden Brown colors. The latter looks almost like black in the dark.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...ly-useful.html

[samkat1]

Do we get an option where the genuine LED headlights and Taillights can be oped for a VMT model? I do not want the warranty to be void by going for an after market setup.

[Nohonking]

Originally Posted by samkat1

Do we get an option where the genuine LED headlights and Taillights can be oped for a VMT model? I do not want the warranty to be void by going for an after market setup.

Dear samkat,

Unless there's one listed in Honda genuine accessories catalogue or the dealer is providing, there is no way that you can opt for one keeping the warranty intact.

On another note, as a viable solution, you may search for some OEM replacement high quality aftermarket LED lights(matching OEM specs) which may get fitted "with absolutely no modifications" in the wiring or chassis, and something which may be easily reverted to the OEM without leaving any mark. This way, god forbid if you happen to claim any warranty related issues, you can always revert to OEM and proceed. This is something I have done on my Honda Jazz to give her daytime eyes(daytime running lights - LED DRLs). Thanks.

[OSH]

Originally Posted by samkat1

Do we get an option where the genuine LED headlights and Taillights can be oped for a VMT model ?

The entire set of OEM LED lights is very costly, set means the headlights + foglamps + taillamps. Just to give you an idea, headlamps cost nearly 30k, taillamps (4 pieces) 40k, foglamps 15k, so thats nearly 85k. Please note that these prices may vary, I had found out these prices in the very beginning.

When you add your local taxes and labour charges it will easily cross a lakh, even after all this there is a slim chance that your service center will create problems in case of warranty claims as they will need to cut/splice some wire or the other to do this fitting. Warranty parts are taken care by Honda themselves and not dealers, so in such cases the service center and Honda both will not bear the cost of your claims.

Also the first problem you will face is getting these OEM parts, Honda will not sell these over the counter, you will need to have really good connections in your service center for them to procure and fit the lights. Any part you order has to be according to your car's VIN, they will need to get the VIN of their showroom ZX variant car to even place the order.