[Nav-i-gator]

Originally Posted by vasi_raju

Dear BHPians,

I am writing this to get some gyaan and to decide if I need to go for the 5th gen all new Honda City V MT or a CVT.


I would like to understand from fellow BHPians who had been in my situation on decision making between MT vs AT and on transition from MT to AT to help me take a wise decision. :-)

I was exactly in the same position few months ago. Was driving a Chevy Beat - super silent engine, narrow width but good rear seat legroom and good quality interiors. Over time, suspension system started to eat up a lot of time and money, boot space and interior space requirements grew and we started looking for a new car. Got a City 5th Gen V CVT.

I had never driven any automatic car till the test drive I took. After taking delivery, it took just a couple of days to "consciously" get used to of the "uselessness of your left foot and only occasional usefulness of left hand". And it hardly took a week to develop the required muscle memory.

It is going to be hard to appreciate a manual transmission once you get used to of automatics in most types of driving conditions we normally encounter. It is only when you want to have a fast launch, or a bit more control while hard cornering that you feel a manual shifter would have been quicker and in control (basically, if you frequently do spirited driving, like hard cornering without shedding speed).

But you will love the ease of automatics once you get a feel of it. My advise - take a test drive of automatic version inside city and then on open highways to get a feel of both - what you will love and what you might miss.

Ohh, by the way, the steering is a joy to play with in 5th gen city. Chevy beat had a hydraulic assisted steering so I was used to of a bit heavy steering action and more direct feedback. This one is light (not feather light like MSIL ones) but have a great feedback of what's going on under the wheels.

[vasi_raju]

Thanks FlashMustang and Nav-i-gator.
I am eagerly awaiting to take the TD of the automatic now

People form Bangalore, did you book it from Dakshin Honda (or) Whitefield Honda?

I am in my native (Coimbatore, TN) now, but planning to visit either of the showrooms next weekend to understand the delivery timeline and offers. I was able to get the price list from Dakshin Honda over a phone call. Current timeline for delivery is 6 weeks from Dakshin Honda. Looks like they are not providing much offers. Max of ~10k as cash discount. Insurance can be obtained outside. If any of you booked it in either of these places, can you please share your experience, possible negotiation etc ?

Dakshin Honda (Bangalore) Price List for 5G Honda City

[TrackDay]

Originally Posted by vasi_raju

Thanks TrackDay I will TD today and shall share my experience.

I noticed a bump in the middle of the rear seat of 4th gen City yesterday in the showroom. Sat on it and felt like an odd position for the middle passenger. Did not notice it in the 5th gen (or maybe i missed it), but the rear seat pics of 5th gen looks (see pics) like a similar pattern to 4th gen. Any experience on its comfort will be very valuable.

A hump is indeed present, though it is not that prominent. As far as rear seat comfort goes, they are indeed a very good place to be in during a journey. The rear seat comes with rear AC vents, child seat support & 2 charging points. Check out my 5th gen V (CVT) Petrol here :
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ty-review.html (Athena | My 5th-Gen Honda City Review)

[vasi_raju]

Originally Posted by TrackDay

Attachment 2144179

A hump is indeed present, though it is not that prominent. As far as rear seat comfort goes, they are indeed a very good place to be in during a journey. The rear seat comes with rear AC vents, child seat support & 2 charging points. Check out my 5th gen V (CVT) Petrol here :
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-...ty-review.html (Athena | My 5th-Gen Honda City Review)

Thanks TrackDay.

Have read the ownership experience and it had been a point of contact for me to get more clarity about the V variant. Kudos to you

Took the TD for both MT and CVT today. The machine is definitely mind-blowing. Couldn't feel if the engine was on or not and the refinement is excellent.

I took the MT first after driving the Swift Dzire to the showroom. The clutch was butter smooth and felt so nice. Tried taking to many pot holes and speed breakers and felt the the suspension handles things very well. The MT engine was peppy for my driving style and felt very comfortable using it. The experience in the rear was also fantastic.

Then I got into the CVT machine and felt it to be a little more premium compared to MT (possibly due to Gear Box structure). I got used to it if few minutes. My wife was saying that it was more smooth compared to MT (in the rear). In the front, being a co passenger, she rated both the machines almost the same. I was driving on D mode most of the time and felt in couple of places where throttle of the CVT was bad. For eg, moving in an open road from 20 to 70 was so nice with MT which was not the case for CVT in D mode. (May be we should move to S mode if such requirement pops up?).

It was a pleasure to drive it and my wife was telling that the comfort (in the rear) is so good that one can easily fall asleep.

I checked with the sales person and he was telling that CVT FE will be 2 km less than MT in city conditions.

Can someone throw some light on real time numbers ?
Also, for people who TD'ed ZX / VX and got the V variant how different was the comfort in V as it hosts a 15' alloy?

[namanchaudhary]

Originally Posted by vasi_raju

Thanks FlashMustang and Nav-i-gator.
I am eagerly awaiting to take the TD of the automatic now

People form Bangalore, did you book it from Dakshin Honda (or) Whitefield Honda?

I am in my native (Coimbatore, TN) now, but planning to visit either of the showrooms next weekend to understand the delivery timeline and offers. I was able to get the price list from Dakshin Honda over a phone call. Current timeline for delivery is 6 weeks from Dakshin Honda. Looks like they are not providing much offers. Max of ~10k as cash discount. Insurance can be obtained outside. If any of you booked it in either of these places, can you please share your experience, possible negotiation etc ?

Dakshin Honda (Bangalore) Price List for 5G Honda City

Attachment 2144175

Hi Vasi! I too recently bought a ZX MT(P) recently in Pune. Wasn't offered any discounts as such barring 10-12k. So I made a point to get the best deal possible without overpaying for any extras.

I called up a couple of dealers and straightaway spoke to the team leader and asked for quotations. I told them if you give me a good deal, I will make the booking in next 20 mins (probably the fastest deal he made for a car worth 15L). I told them I wont be taking any extras and will take insurance on my own. You tell me what discount can you offer me on Ex-Showroom. They tried shoving me basic accessory kit with mats and cushions worth 9k saying its a company policy. I said 'Sir, I have worked in Bajaj Auto as an ASM so I know how these things work. Request you to please not indulge in this(In reality I just interned there for 2 months, but got to know enough how these things work)'

So, from the initial quote of 15.61L I saved the following
Insurance- 29k (Dealer quote was 61k including all bells and whistles, where I got exactly the same policy from Policybazaar for 32k)
Basic Kit- 9k
Discount on Ex-Showroom- 15k

Total- 53k

Now as luck will have it, my car has arrived at the showroom, is also registered, but I am stuck in Delhi at parents now for the foreseeable future because of our office being shut due to Covid :(

Some pics of my first car

[shibulijack]

Originally Posted by namanchaudhary

Insurance- 29k (Dealer quote was 61k including all bells and whistles, where I got exactly the same policy from Policybazaar for 32k)

Hi Naman,
I've been looking into Insurance coverage in PolicyBazaar too, but couldn't find anything less than 40k that includes all the bells and whistles like Engine Protector, 24x7 Roadside assistance & Zero Depreciation. If it's okay with you, can you please share your insurer details along with the IDV?

Thanks!

[namanchaudhary]

Originally Posted by shibulijack

Hi Naman,
I've been looking into Insurance coverage in PolicyBazaar too, but couldn't find anything less than 40k that includes all the bells and whistles like Engine Protector, 24x7 Roadside assistance & Zero Depreciation. If it's okay with you, can you please share your insurer details along with the IDV?

Thanks!

Hi, attaching my copy of insurance. Among the add-ons you mentioned, I have zero-depreciation + 24x7 RSA but no Engine Protector. You can add that to our policy for INR1500 I guess. The IDV amount in 12.67L

[vasi_raju]

Booking V CVT in Lunar Silver Metallic with Dakshin Honda, Hosur Road, Bangalore.

SA's were in strict no negotiation mode. After couple of chats, SA agreed to give 8k worth accessories as compliment. Insurance can be taken outside.

Has anyone dealt with a case where the organisation is not listed with Honda to avail their corporate discount? I work for a world wide well known Organisation, but still Honda does not have it in their list. The same is the case for my wife's organisation.

[namanchaudhary]

Originally Posted by vasi_raju

Booking V CVT in Lunar Silver Metallic with Dakshin Honda, Hosur Road, Bangalore.

SA's were in strict no negotiation mode. After couple of chats, SA agreed to give 8k worth accessories as compliment. Insurance can be taken outside.

Has anyone dealt with a case where the organisation is not listed with Honda to avail their corporate discount? I work for a world wide well known Organisation, but still Honda does not have it in their list. The same is the case for my wife's organisation.

They have a strict criteria for corporate discounts. If employees from an organisation buy 100+ Honda cars in a given year, it is included in the corporate discounts list

[Nav-i-gator]

Originally Posted by vasi_raju

Thanks TrackDay.



Then I got into the CVT machine and felt it to be a little more premium compared to MT (possibly due to Gear Box structure). I got used to it if few minutes. My wife was saying that it was more smooth compared to MT (in the rear). In the front, being a co passenger, she rated both the machines almost the same. I was driving on D mode most of the time and felt in couple of places where throttle of the CVT was bad. For eg, moving in an open road from 20 to 70 was so nice with MT which was not the case for CVT in D mode. (May be we should move to S mode if such requirement pops up?).

It was a pleasure to drive it and my wife was telling that the comfort (in the rear) is so good that one can easily fall asleep.

I checked with the sales person and he was telling that CVT FE will be 2 km less than MT in city conditions.

Can someone throw some light on real time numbers ?

Well the FE is currently around 11-12 KMPL (shown in the MID) for me. It has barely run 1000 KM in 4 months (thanks to this stubborn COVID) so I am assuming it will go a bit up once the engine is used more. On highways, with Cruise control used as much as possible (in D mode) the MID showed a FE of 18.6 KMPL over a 330 KM trip which included quite a few slow moving bits at toll plazas and heavy traffic within towns. With Eco mode on, I think you can squeeze out a bit more. I however just can't use Eco mode, it is so sluggish (CVT anyways is not very friendly to quick throttle inputs) that I end up pushing the accelerator much more aggressively (with slow response and negative impact on FE).

Sports mode is quite good for some spirited driving. And even if you are in D mode and feel the need to quickly gain speeds, use the paddle shifters. Or, don't compare it with the MT at all and you will find it more than adequate for 90% of your driving needs.

[PrasannaDhana]

Did a test drive of 5th Gen Honda City 1.5 ivtec

My observations :

Likes

1. Looks - elegant, wide and long, just as how a 3 boxer should be

I wish the chrome strip was not there though.

2. Seats - Loved the support provided by driver's seat. Fantastic how the bolstering on the sides was so supportive, even to a big guy like me with a broad back and shoulders. The headrest was superbly useful too

3. Space - I am a 6'2 and this is the space I was left with when a 5'11 driver was driving.



The rear seat was also impressive. The rear armrest should have been a bit taller.



I am no stranger to spacious, ultra comfortable cars and I felt right at home with the city.

4. Interiors - simple, classy and elegant. Loved the soft touches on frequent contact points. The speedo console was classy too.



5. Refinement - no surprise as it was the 1.5 ivtec.

Dislikes

1. I might be going against the decades old tide here when I say 1.5 ivtec wasn't as interesting to drive as the 1.0 tsi. I mean, the ivtec kicking in yo feel is supposed to be after 5000 rpm, which you obviously did not do as the route wasn't necessarily a fast driving route, with a lots of traffic. If I were to pick my most favorite petrol engine today, it will be the 1.0 tsi, eyes closed. The tsi urged me to Rev the nuts out of it, which the ivtec didn't, at least as much.

2. Though the 6 speed MT was nice to use, the gear lever was too skinny and was a mismatch to the rather classy personality of the car.

3. ORVM - They are 2 sizes too small. I find it weird (in an interesting way) to have this unconventional placement of the orvm on the door instead of the A pillar.

4. Lane watch camera - call me old school, the lane watch camera was an irritation to me and was a distraction while I was focusing on the already small ORVM during lane changes and turns .

5. Brakes were spongy and the bite was weak. May be due to the test drive vehicle being abused all the time.

6. Price - 17 lakhs for the petrol top end MT. Damn!!

7. Elbow pads on doors have already been soiled, in all doors.

But when compared to Creta and Seltos, I definitely wouldn't mind spending on the C2 sedan over those pseudo SUVs.

I took my friend to convince him to buy the new city. He had already booked the Ecosport diesel Titanium. But the car takes forever to arrive. Hence visited Honda. Though the city isn't as nice as the Ecosport when it comes to driving dynamics, the city eats the Ford alive when it comes to comfort, space and interior quality. Hey, let's not forget the brand value of Honda City. Finally it was a decision of one person's (driver's) pleasure vs the pleasure of family members traveling. Moreover my friend isn't a keen driver too. Being a medico, I believe Honda City suits the profession better too.

In a surprising turn of events, my friend chose the 4th generation Honda City top end (now the V variant) over the 5th Gen. 4th gen City V ivtec and ecosport titanium diesel cost the same (11.7 lakhs on road). He was so satisfied with the 4th Gen and he might finalize the payment procedures tomorrow. His argument was that he is getting the same engine + gearbox, better space (his current ride is a swift diesel) and brand value at the same price of Ecosport. The 5th Gen City base petrol itself is 13 lakhs on road.

And who wouldn't love that red shade!!( also love how macho my gentle giant is lol)

[for_cars1]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

...

In a surprising turn of events, my friend chose the 4th generation Honda City top end (now the V variant)

The 4th Gen City is much sportier and sharp looking compared to the 5th Gen.

In the 5th gen City, I personally didn't like the boxy dashboard with its squarish AC vents and the low placed tail lights which makes the rear look narrow and meek compared to the high placed tail lights of the 4th gen which gives it a much better and upright rear stance.

But overall, the 5th gen being an evolutionary higher model is bound to be a better car though I prefer the 4th gen sportier looks more.

[sam264_2000]

Originally Posted by PrasannaDhana

In a surprising turn of events, my friend chose the 4th generation Honda City top end (now the V variant) over the 5th Gen. 4th gen City V ivtec and ecosport titanium diesel cost the same (11.7 lakhs on road)... The 5th Gen City base petrol itself is 13 lakhs on road.

Thanks for sharing your observations PrasannaDhana. IMO, for 1.3 lakh extra, 5th Gen V variant is more VFM than the 4th Gen given the additional safety features, newer generation model and DOHC engine. But I do agree that the 4th Gen looks sharper and sportier than 5th Gen. Congratulations to your friend on making a wise choice of going with City over EcoSport for the same money.

Originally Posted by namanchaudhary

Hi, attaching my copy of insurance. Among the add-ons you mentioned, I have zero-depreciation + 24x7 RSA but no Engine Protector. You can add that to our policy for INR1500 I guess. The IDV amount in 12.67L

Is this quote for ZX CVT? It is significantly less than what is quoted by the dealer. About 50% less. Question - At what point in car buying process did you get this quote and submit it to the dealer? As far as I know, insurance companies require car details like VIN number and color of the car to finalize the quote, right? That would mean we have to book the car first, then let the manufacturer allot the car to you and only after that you submit the quote to the dealer, correct?

[namanchaudhary]

Originally Posted by sam264_2000

Is this quote for ZX CVT? It is significantly less than what is quoted by the dealer. About 50% less. Question - At what point in car buying process did you get this quote and submit it to the dealer? As far as I know, insurance companies require car details like VIN number and color of the car to finalize the quote, right? That would mean we have to book the car first, then let the manufacturer allot the car to you and only after that you submit the quote to the dealer, correct?

This is for ZX MT. I communicated to the dealer while paying the booking amount that insurance will be done from outside. Once the car reached the stockyard, and when registration formalities were being taken care of, I got a call from the dealer to provide insurance. They gave me the VIN no. and colour using which I made the purchase.

PS- I see you're from Pune too. Can connect you with the showroom person to get the same deal as I got

[vasi_raju]

Thanks TrackDay, Nav-i-gator, FlashMustang, namanchaudhary and all BHP friends for your input. It helped me on choosing the right variant.

I have booked V CVT in Lunar Silver Metallic and now the waiting game starts :-) SA told that he will get to know the delivery details by May 2nd as they know about the allotment made on that date. Hoping that it will reach us by end of may.

As you mentioned namanchaudhary, their corporate policy is strict, so no discount barring the 8k on accessories.

Since V comes with fabric seats, I would like to understand from our V, VX owners about artificial leather work for the seat covers, steering wheel wrap, door padding etc. Knowing that only Honda seat covers are air bag compatible, have you guys tried understanding if the same can be done outside? SA from Dakshin Honda, Bangalore was telling that though you can get the seat cover done, the front hand rest will not be covered as it is not included in the package. Similarly the door padding (places where there are fabrics) cannot be made from them. So I am wondering if any of you have thought about it. I wanted to get it done as I feel it might be a difficult to maintain the fabric. TrackDay, may be you can throw some light on the fabric and dust accumulated since you have the same variant :-)