[Mlanuk]

Hello Everyone,

After a lot of deliberation, intense research on our forum, I picked up a new Honda City VX Petrol Manual in the Metallic Brown shade around July 2019. After nearly booking a Skoda Rapid Manual Petrol a few months earlier (thankful I didn't, the sales rep behaviour put me off), I was decided on booking the Honda Jazz (It ticked almost all the boxes for our city requirement except for the adjustable headrests on the rear seats - what with 50% chauffer driven use that we anticipated). At the last minute, we shifted to a higher segment considering that I kept my first / previous car for all of 8 years. Surprisingly, after all the research of my options and multiple test drives, I didn't even take a test drive of the City.

As I write this, the car is at the workshop for the 3rd scheduled free service, the mileage is just under 4,000 km. We have let go of our driver for a few months due to a change in our travel pattern and I usually drive it myself for short rides around the suburbs. For longer drives and where parking is likely to be an issue, I simply cab it.

To summarize, I'm so far very happy with the decision albeit with a couple of grouses. Firstly, I am pretty disappointed with the suspension. The first few months when I was being extensively driven around, the jerks and bumps filtering in to the rear seat was simply horrendous. My 2010 Swift felt better on Mumbai's broken roads. I suspect this is because of the tyre profile - I have tried various options of tyre pressures but since my usage is not high, the opportunity to get these changed frequently also does not arise. The front seat experience is better but still lower than expectations.

During a recent Mumbai-Pune trip I discovered the joy of cruise control and simply loved the ease on the Expressway. However, I noticed a rattle coming from the roof region. I initially suspected the IRVM to be the cause and it felt loose. Since the VX also comes with a sun-roof, I considered it to be suspect as well. As of now, I've left the note to the SA at the workshop to look into it and hope it is resolved.

I have managed a FE of around 7.5 - 8 kmpl all-city driving with 1 / 2 passengers and AC always on manual. A mix of highway and city saw it get bumped up to around 11 kmpl. I'm not sure if this is par or I need to take tips on the driving style (I revv hard occasionally only when I see a clear open stretch - something that is hard to come by in the city suburbs).

The touchscreen of the ICE is lag prone, as highlighted by many users but it isn't a bother yet. I notice that if the AC vent just above the touchscreen (the top of which also houses the mic, I believe) is pointed mid-height or lower, there is a fair amount of noise creeping in during phone calls (at the receiver's end). The situation improves when I point these central vents all the way up. I wonder if other users have noticed the same.

The cloth upholstery is stain-prone and I plan to get a leather upgrade and have been window-shopping for the same. Ditto for a dashcam, but I don't want anything to be cut / punch-holed, so the decision is on hold.

All in all, thank you Team-BHP for the tremendous inputs and Cheers as we all ring in a New Year!

[Durango Dude]

Originally Posted by Mlanuk

Hello Everyone,After a lot of deliberation, intense research on our forum, I picked up a new Honda City VX Petrol Manual in the Metallic Brown shade around July 2019.

Congrats on your new ride, post some pics. The suspension isn't soft as you've noticed, yes it jars: but you'll get used to it. The FE you're getting is kinda low. I've a CVT which delivers better mileage. Touchscreen is basic and lag prone, don't expect too much. How's the horn: mine is kinda 'meek' no one even bothers when I honk. Happy New Year and Happy Motoring.

[Mlanuk]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

Congrats on your new ride, post some pics. The suspension isn't soft as you've noticed, yes it jars: but you'll get used to it. The FE you're getting is kinda low. I've a CVT which delivers better mileage. Touchscreen is basic and lag prone, don't expect too much. How's the horn: mine is kinda 'meek' no one even bothers when I honk. Happy New Year and Happy Motoring.

Thank You, will try taking some photos worthy of being posted. Note your point on the FE being low but this is the most recent reading consisting of mostly crawling traffic. I also think I'm not yet used to watching my foot getting too heavy - I drove a Swift Diesel for 8 years and the harsh noise was easier to use as reference for keeping the revvs in check. The iVTEC is comparatively so silent (more so because it is petrol) that I will take a lot more time to get used to it. Have you had any niggles with the build, any rattles? So far I'm still on the complimentary floor mats which is not ideal as the driver side keeps moving - what about you?

Cheers.

[quadmaniac]

Originally Posted by praiththa

Hi all, I recently lost the rubber button (for car lock-unlock) on the drivers side door handle, don't know where and how.
Rest of the handle is fine with all sensors working. I showed it to the Honda service centre they said I will have to replace the whole handle as rubber button is not available separately. And it will cost 5k. kindly help.

So typical of Honda service. They were asking for Rs 600 for replacement of the key battery (battery = 200 and labor = 400!) - and I was able to do it myself for Rs 60 (cost of a good CR-2032 battery).

For this, can you not jugaad a small rubber part into the handle? Else I'm sure Honda will resort to this sort of plain daylight robbery. I would personally live without the rubber thing as long as I can, and your post prompts me to sellotape on my existing ones

[BlackMamba24]

Originally Posted by Mlanuk

Thank You, will try taking some photos worthy of being posted.
=====
Have you had any niggles with the build, any rattles? So far I'm still on the complimentary floor mats which is not ideal as the driver side keeps moving - what about you?

Cheers.

Hello Mlanuk
Great to see a fellow iVTEC lover. I too have a 2017 (P) manual VX. So far it has been a niggle free ride. FE has also been good (I think) 14.7 for highway and city together. And few times I have even clocked 21 in FE with cruise control at 90km/hr. So overall I think your car’s FE is on a low side. Only niggle I have faced so far is while applying brakes suddenly in traffic I hear a screeching sound sometimes. Else so far so good.

[Durango Dude]

Originally Posted by Mlanuk

Have you had any niggles with the build, any rattles? So far I'm still on the complimentary floor mats which is not ideal as the driver side keeps moving - what about you?Cheers.

When I brought her home noticed headlights wouldn't come on, stalks were changed. There was a rattle from the left A Pillar was set right in the first service. I got my discs changed Nov '18. Had problems with the brake noise December '19 after almost 4 out station trips done in Sep and Dec, was set right. I got the City mats, interior foot well lights and reverse sensor, bumper protectors at the four ends at front and back they work well also side protection painted to my body colour from the accessories list of Honda. Otherwise stock, I need to change the horn, though, very weak and meek!

[ashik93]

Since the new BS6 version comes with Digipad 2.0, has anyone enquired with Honda if it's possible to upgrade our systems? And if so how much would it cost ?

[Mlanuk]

Originally Posted by Durango Dude

I need to change the horn, though, very weak and meek!

I generally avoid using the horn, although there are times when I'm just too pissed to bother when auto rickshaws zig-zag across the road. That, and emergency situations. However, whenever I've felt the need to, it has felt adequate.

[FrozeninTime]

I am in market to replace my Ecosport Diesel with a new car. Should I wait for new Honda City or go existing Honda City or go for Hyundai Verna petrol? I am confused

[Durango Dude]

Originally Posted by FrozeninTime

I am in market to replace my Ecosport Diesel with a new car. Should I wait for new Honda City or go existing Honda City or go for Hyundai Verna petrol? I am confused

Before I got the City I TDed many cars, starting with the Etios Petrol which just bowled me over, followed it up with the Hyundai Verna Petrol manual (last gen) expecting to be blown away being feature rich and all: it turned out to be the worst car I had TDed then. You should do a TD of both back to back and decide. City has the most comfy seating front and back, best engine, is fuel efficient, has a large boot; okay the ride is a little choppy on bad roads. My old car was an Elantra and an Accent before that. I was well versed with Hyundai's before that and have nothing against the company, in fact I love it for the great ownership experience I had with their 2 products over 2 decades. Regards the New Honda City 2019 it remains an enigma. We aren't getting the 1 liter turbopetrol according to the news and only getting the trusty 1.5 iVTEC with manual and CVT gear boxes and the BS 6 diesel hopefully with a manual and CVT (whether it will be de-tuned like the Amaze remains to be seen) I have a feeling that the yet to be launched new Honda City has sacrificed the seating comfort as the profile looks low slung like a Civic current gen.

[chaturgaurav]

I booked Honda City ZX CVT and went for PDI today. Wanted to check the car before full payment and registration. The car looked good and without any blemishes except for a very small superficial paint scratch just above the front bumper on the left side, which the SA explained that it will go away during the cleaning, just by rubbing.

Other thing that I observed and is also bothering me, is the idling engine noise in the cabin, which seemed higher than it should be. My Manza seems to be quieter than this. The noise increased slightly when I turned on the AC. Also noticed the idling RPM to be about 1,200 -1,300.
Should have recorded that as well.

Engine sound with hood open

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtqWG8DR9S4

Was the noise evident due to cold start? Is this RPM normal during idling?

I think I will need to make another visit to ensure the noise is similar on other cars as well, if there is.

[OSH]

Originally Posted by chaturgaurav

Other thing that I observed and is also bothering me, is the idling engine noise in the cabin, which seemed higher than it should be.

Did you wait for the RPM to come down ? Was it present even at idle speed after the warmup ?

The noise increased slightly when I turned on the AC. Also noticed the idling RPM to be about 1,200 -1,300.

If the AC is turned on during the warmup stage (RPM already high), then it will further increase the RPM as the AC compressor puts additional load on the engine. The best thing to do is, switch on the AC only and only after the engine has warmed up a little bit, say after 5 mins or so for most of the times. By this time the RPM will also fall to the idle speed of ~900 and will increase a little bit when the AC kicks in.

Engine sound with hood open.

That's exactly how the i-vtec sounds with the hood open but that tat-tat-tat noise should not be heard in the cabin. I'm not a 100% sure but I think its the sound of the idler pulley/bearing which will be heard even at idle RPM with the hood open, do give it a listen.

Was the noise evident due to cold start? Is this RPM normal during idling ?

Yes it was because of the cold start. The ECU raises the RPM to somewhere between 1100 - 1300 on its own to shorten the warmup time of the engine. The older generations of the City had a blue 'C' symbol light up on the dashboard to indicate low coolant temperature because of the cold start and during this time the RPM used to go up but in the present gen that symbol is gone, so now only the RPM rises but there is no warning light to indicate the same. As long as the RPM settles down to ~900 after the warmup, nothing to worry as I have seen my RPM sometimes reach 2000 for a few seconds when starting in very cold conditions.

I think I will need to make another visit to ensure the noise is similar on other cars as well, if there is.

Yes that would be the best thing to do if you are listening to this engine for the first time. While you are there, just wait for 2-3 mins after a cold start and you will notice the rpm settle to ~900 or even lesser without AC. Then you can switch on the AC and see a slight rise in RPM to be sure.

Congrats on your new buy. Are you getting the BS6 or BS4 version ?

[fhdowntheline]

@chaturgaurav- please do not worry about engine noise at cold start, etc. Just let it warm up for a minute and drive slowly for the first five minutes or so. The City CVT is near dead silent on the move, especially when you give it light inputs on the pedal, it will glide stealthily to about 70-80 kph with the engine registering a mere 1400-1600 rpm. Drive it in that zone and the fuel efficiency will also be decent enough.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by chaturgaurav

I booked Honda City ZX CVT and went for PDI today. Wanted to check the car before full payment and registration.
Other thing that I observed and is also bothering me, is the idling engine noise in the cabin, which seemed higher than it should be. My Manza seems to be quieter than this. The noise increased slightly when I turned on the AC. Also noticed the idling RPM to be about 1,200 -1,300.
Should have recorded that as well.

Firstly congratulations on booking a fabulous vehicle. I got my V MT around a year back, and enjoying the car every day. The IVTEC is one legendary engine, and you can look forward to fantastic performance in the days ahead.

The idling RPM that you mentioned is absolutely fine and normal on a cold start. it will eventually settle down to sub 1000 RPM once the engine operating temperatures are reached. To be doubly sure, check with any other test / stockyard car. Im sure things are fine. Also, the engine does quieten down much more once the mechanicals are bedded in after the run in period of couple of thousand kms.

[chaturgaurav]

Originally Posted by OSH

Did you wait for the RPM to come down ? Was it present even at idle speed after the warmup ?
If the AC is turned on during the warmup stage (RPM already high), then it will further increase the RPM as the AC compressor puts additional load on the engine. The best thing to do is, switch on the AC only and only after the engine has warmed up a little bit, say after 5 mins or so for most of the times. By this time the RPM will also fall to the idle speed of ~900 and will increase a little bit when the AC kicks in.

I think I did not wait for the RPM to come down before switching on the AC. I was more engrossed with the sound. I do plan a second visit, will pay more attention this time.

That's exactly how the i-vtec sounds with the hood open but that tat-tat-tat noise should not be heard in the cabin. I'm not a 100% sure but I think its the sound of the idler pulley/bearing which will be heard even at idle RPM with the hood open, do give it a listen.

Yes it was because of the cold start. The ECU raises the RPM to somewhere between 1100 - 1300 on its own to shorten the warmup time of the engine. The older generations of the City had a blue 'C' symbol light up on the dashboard to indicate low coolant temperature because of the cold start and during this time the RPM used to go up but in the present gen that symbol is gone, so now only the RPM rises but there is no warning light to indicate the same. As long as the RPM settles down to ~900 after the warmup, nothing to worry as I have seen my RPM sometimes reach 2000 for a few seconds when starting in very cold conditions.

This does instil some confidence. Definitely the tat-tat-tat sound was not their inside the cabin, just the engine buzz which seemed a bit high.

Yes that would be the best thing to do if you are listening to this engine for the first time. While you are there, just wait for 2-3 mins after a cold start and you will notice the rpm settle to ~900 or even lesser without AC. Then you can switch on the AC and see a slight rise in RPM to be sure.

Lets see what does the next visit bring. I sincerely hope that I am just overreacting here.

Congrats on your new buy. Are you getting the BS6 or BS4 version ?

Thanks OSH

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

@chaturgaurav- please do not worry about engine noise at cold start, etc. Just let it warm up for a minute and drive slowly for the first five minutes or so. The City CVT is near dead silent on the move, especially when you give it light inputs on the pedal, it will glide stealthily to about 70-80 kph with the engine registering a mere 1400-1600 rpm. Drive it in that zone and the fuel efficiency will also be decent enough.

Thanks @fhdowntheline for the info. I will give the engine little more time on my second visit. Should be fine I guess.

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Firstly congratulations on booking a fabulous vehicle. I got my V MT around a year back, and enjoying the car every day. The IVTEC is one legendary engine, and you can look forward to fantastic performance in the days ahead.

The idling RPM that you mentioned is absolutely fine and normal on a cold start. it will eventually settle down to sub 1000 RPM once the engine operating temperatures are reached. To be doubly sure, check with any other test / stockyard car. Im sure things are fine. Also, the engine does quieten down much more once the mechanicals are bedded in after the run in period of couple of thousand kms.

Thanks Arindam. This makes sense, I think the engine noise I experience is indeed the combination of cold start and new engine and should settle during running in.