[nishchal316]

A Little Background

I have been driving a Chevrolet Cruze LTZ manual for the last 3 years and it has served me well. It is totally a driver's car. It's good to have a car which is very much capable of putting a smile on your face every time you floor the accelerator. Obviously, in terms of handling, I can’t compare it with the 3-Series, but it was a great upgrade from a petrol i20. A big one to be frank.

I still believe that no car comes close to the Cruze in terms of handling in this very segment. I have my car riding on Michelin Primacy high performance tyres, which are not really suitable for our Indian roads. But, in terms of grip, I couldn't find anything better. Since I had one of the most mod friendly cars, I had everything going from Audi headlamps to spoilers and a lot more. So these 3 years have been the best ones for an enthusiast like me. I would also recommend the car to anybody who wants a diesel car under Rs. 20 lakhs and just wants to drive like an enthusiast. I am sure you won’t be disappointed.

Why new car?

It's been 3 years and a lot had changed. Back then, I wanted something that was powerful and stylish and that was probably the only reason I went for the Cruze.

My brother planned to sell off his 6 year old Chevy Spark and this is when I decided to get myself a new car. So where did the Cruze go? I gave it to my brother. He is one of those persons who finds it difficult to cross the 60 kmph mark and I sure that's how the Cruze is going to be driven for now. At least now I can expect acceptable FE from the car.

Deciding on the car

Time has passed on and I have different priorities now. Something as powerful as the Cruze was no more in consideration. With the increasing traffic and the convenience of an automatic gearbox, I had made up my mind that I wanted a car with an automatic transmission and even more than that, my left knee always had pain because of the so called return action of the clutch of the Cruze. My daily run is just about 20 kms so I wanted to go for a petrol car. These were my requirements :
1. A petrol sedan under Rs. 15 lakhs
2. Automatic Transmission
3. A good performing engine
4. A more spacious car than the Cruze

The options I considered were:
Maruti Ciaz Automatic, Volkswagen Vento TSI, Honda City CVT, Hyundai Verna

Hyundai Verna
My cousin had a Verna 1.6 diesel and I liked the car inside out. But, since we had a Hyundai Santro earlier and currently have two Hyundais (i20 & i10) in the family, I didn't want to go for another Hyundai. More than that, the car is no way near in space compared to the Ciaz and the City. So I did not even TD the car.

Maruti Ciaz
This was among the most talked cars and thus, I decided to have a look at it. It certainly is the biggest in its class and the length of the car is easily noticeable. Step inside and you can notice acres of space. The automatic variant only comes with the 1.4 petrol engine, which they didn’t have for a TD. So, I didn't get to drive one and the unknown waiting period for the automatic variant made me leave this option.

Likes
Biggest car in its class
Certainly the roomiest
I personally liked the exterior, looks classy
Good looking interior with great equipment

Dislikes
Rear seat is spacious but not as comfortable as I would like
Under-thigh support is certainly lacking at the back

Volkswagen Vento TSI
I took a test drive of the car and my God, what an engine! This was a clear cut winner in terms of performance. The gearshifts from the DSG gearbox were lightning quick too. Another advantage of the gearbox is the manual mode which we are familiar with.

Likes
Amazing TSI engine and smooth DSG gearbox
Top notch German fit and finish
Great handling car

Dislikes
Expensive to maintain
Not a very spacious car
DSG reliability

The car certainly is a very good performer, but I was concerned about the reliability. I wanted a car that could easily serve me for 10 years without a fuss. Moreover, the space at the back wasn't great.

Honda City
Personally, I think the car looks really nice. The front of the car is very much similar to the outgoing model. However, the car looks great from the back. Sat on the front seat and the first thing I noticed was how comfortable it felt. The cushioning is certainly a lot better than the Cruze and it is really a comfortable place to be in. I loved the design of the dash board and the sunroof looked just a bit bigger than in the Cruze. Just like the front, the back seat was comfortable too. In fact, a lot more comfortable than the front seats. I was surprised to see how much leg room it had compared to the Cruze. Simply outstanding! Overall, I found the car more comfortable than the Ciaz and certainly a lot better than the Cruze.

So, it was time for the test drive and unfortunately, they only had the SV automatic variant, without the paddle shifters. I really wanted to test those, but nevertheless, we took off in the SV. Coming from a diesel rocket, I never had much expectations from the motor. But boy this i-VTec engine really surprised me. The only thing missing was the whoooosh of the Cruze. Apart from that, this motor is really a capable one. Not as fun as the 1.2 TSI in the Vento, but still felt great.

The performance is really amazing and the way this car gets to triple digit speeds is also commendable. I had a big smile on my face and that's when the TD guy next to me said "Sir, ab sports gear mein daal ke chalao." I put the gear lever into S and buried the accelerator. I have to say, I was totally impressed with this car. However, on flooring hard, the car does become noisy. But who cares? I mean how many times are you actually going to be harsh on the accelerator?

This was the only car that ticked all my requirements. I went back to the showroom and got the Alabaster Silver metallic VX CVT booked. The sales guy told me that the car shall be delivered within 2-3 months. So all I had to do was to have fun with my Cruze for another 3 months.

Booking Experience

I got my Alabaster Silver metallic VX CVT booked with prestige Honda, Chandigarh on 3rd January, 2015 by paying a booking amount of Rs. 51,000. Two to three months of waiting time is what was told to me. The sales representative needs a special mention here. If anyone wants to visit prestige Honda, Chandigarh do look for Mr. Mrinal Sharma. He assisted me well and was able to explain to me all the technical stuff very well. This is rarely seen as most the SRs actually know nothing about the car. I remember I had also gone to have a look at the new Toyota Altis. When I was asked which car I was interested in, I said "Altis CVT." The SR replied, "Sir, Petrol ya Diesel?" Maybe he took CVT as a variant of the car.

Delivery and Initial Driving Experience

I got my car delivered on 22nd March, 2015. It had clocked only 9 kms at the time of delivery and the MID showed an FE of 8.5 kmpl. Straight away I went to the fuel station and got it loaded and also got the tyre pressure reduced to 33 in the front and 31 at the back. Since the car is selling in good numbers, I did not get any discount and they also didn't provide any free accessory with the car. I had asked for a free teflon and anti-rust under-body coating, which they refused. But, I somehow managed to get the floor mats and mud flaps for free. However, the Honda floor mats are not really good and I'll be getting new ones very soon. The car comes with 2 years/40,000 kms warranty and one can opt for a 2 year extended warranty by paying about Rs. 7,000 more. But, for now, I haven't gone for it. Here are my initial impressions.

Currently, I have just done about 300 kms and I simply love the ease of driving the automatic. No changing gears and a total rest for the left foot is such a relief. I am keeping it light on the accelerator for the first 2,000 kms. Since the car comes with the paddle shifters, I was really keen to try those. It comes with seven ratios to choose from - D1 to D7 if you are driving in the "D" mode and S1 to S7 in the "S" mode. I noticed that in order to move to a higher gear, the RPM has to be at around 1,500 or above. If the RPM is below 1,500 then it won't up shift. When you are driving in the "D" mode, you don't really feel the shift in gears. It's very smooth. However, when you shift via the paddle shifters, you do feel the jerks.

The engine is refined and responsive. All it takes is a little tap on the accelerator and the motor responds well. The "D" mode is more than adequate for driving in the city. Yes, there is that rubber band effect, but it's not much of a problem as long as you are light on the accelerator. Drive the car for a while and you get to know how to deal with the rubber band effect. Burying the accelerator does not help here. The key is to be gentle and you won't have any problem. For now, I'll be driving only in the "D" mode. However, I did try out the Eco and the Sports modes. Press the Eco mode button and you can easily feel that you are not getting the response when you press the accelerator pedal as you did in the regular mode. Put the gear in the "S" mode and you again notice a lot of difference. In the "D" mode the RPM usually hovers around 1500-2500 where as in the "S" mode, you see the RPM going beyond that. The car also becomes noisy in this mode. If you want to have fun with the paddle shifters, then this is the mode you need to be driving in.

Overall, the ride feels a bit stiff, but it gets better once you cross the 40-50 kmph mark. However, it is still comfortable and not really a problem. The tyres sure are skinny and I got Michelin XM1s as stock. There is some body roll when turning the car even at moderate speeds and these tyres really don't inspire confidence when you want to turn hard. But then again, I am comparing the City to the Cruze, which I think I really shouldn't be doing. The Cruze is in a different league all together. But, if I had to compare the ride with the Vento, I can easily say that the Vento rides much better.

The overall build quality, fit & finish feels good and is certainly better than the Cruze, but the VW Vento is a clear winner in this segment. I read a lot of people reporting panel gaps but I inspected the car well and didn't notice any such issue, which is good. My particular VX model comes with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, gear knob, leather seats and there is leather even on the doors panels. which is really nice. The center console looks good but the piano black finish makes it a big fingerprint magnet. The AC seems to be cooling well. However, it did take some time for me to adjust the vent towards myself as even a slight movement of the vent, changes the direction of the air flow. The rear AC vents don't have much throw. It is only when you keep the fan speed at 4 or 5 that you can feel the air coming from them.

The steering wheel feels good to hold in the hand and finding the desired position is really easy. However, I would have appreciated if it offered telescopic adjustment. I have adjusted my seat at the top-most position and the view of the front is adequate. However, the view in the Cruze was much better as I could easily see the far end of the bonnet. I can't see anything in the City. The audio and the cruise control buttons are well-positioned on the steering and are easy to operate. The steering feels a bit on the lighter side and some may find it too light. But, it is easy to maneuver around in traffic.

In terms of safety, it comes with two airbags at the front along with ABS and EBD. Most of the people will be OK with two, but it would have been better if they had provided two more for the rear passengers. Now it comes only with two disc brakes at the front. Most of the people find the braking good, but somehow, for me, they don't inspire much confidence. That's maybe because I am used to the excellent brakes of the Cruze - they really had a good bite, but then again, it had four discs. The car comes with 15-inch alloy wheels and I simply don't like the design. They are too boring for my taste. I did ask the dealer if I could get those replaced with those of the new Mobilio RS, which look really nice and are 15-inchers as well. But, I was told that those are not being sold as an accessory by Honda. Anyway, I'll keep the stock ones, but I do plan to change those skinny tyres soon. The car sits high and the ground clearance is impressive - I am sure that GC is not going to be a problem at all in the city. The headlights provide good visibility and I don't think would require an upgrade.

I play music via a USB pen drive and I had a bit of a problem. The songs were pausing in between and at first, I thought there was a problem in my car since I had been using the same pen drive in the Cruze and I never faced any issues. I searched on various threads and found another BHPian facing the same problem with his HP 8 GB V210w. I was using an HP 32GB V165w pen drive. So I thought that maybe there is some issue in reading HP pen drives and I tried Kingston and Sandisk and I encountered no such issues. Now recently, I switched to HP 16 GB V215b and still encountered no issues. So I don't know what the catch is, but I can tell that HP V210w and V165w don't work well in the City.

Now, as far as comfort is concerned, the back seat is where you would want to be sitting. Firstly, there is acres of legroom and somehow even tall people have no problems finding a comfortable position. I am 5 feet 8 and still, someone sitting behind me has a lot of legroom. Even if three people sit in the back, they would be comfortable. The cushioning of the seats is amazing and it simply feels like you are sitting on a sofa. The front seats are also very comfortable, but the rear seat is simply amazing.

The black and beige colour combination feels rich. The VX variant comes with 4 speakers and 4 tweeters and the sound quality is impressive. I'll rate it at 8/10 and it is much better than that of the Cruze. Just like most cars the front speakers are the powerful ones. Touch AC controls work very well. However, you do need to get your eyes off the road to operate them. The sunroof is easy to operate and comes with a tilt option. I do feel it is a bit bigger than the one in the Cruze.

Cost of Ownership And Accessories Installed

Cost of the car Rs. 10,23,556 + Vat @ 12.5 % Rs. 1,27,945 = ex-Showroom Cost Rs. 11,51,500
Add : Dep Cap Insurance Rs. 30,000 (approx). Didn't go for the company insurance
Add : Registration Cost i.e. 6 % of the cost of the car (excluding VAT)
6% of 10,23,556 = Rs 61,400 (approx.)
Total : Rs. 11,51,500+30,000+61,400 = Rs. 12,42,900
Add : Honda Genuine accessories
Rain visors : Rs. 3,000
Door side protectors : Rs. 6,500
Parking Sensors : Rs. 6,000
Grand Total : Rs. 12,43,000+3,000+6,500+6,000 = Rs. 12,58,500 (approx.)

Comparison with the Chevy Cruze

What I like better than the Cruze
1. A lot easier to maneuver around in traffic.
2. Coming back to a petrol car does make me notice how much more silent the engine is.
3. Loving the use of paddle shifters. Actually the only reason I went for the VX trim.
4. A lot more comfortable driving seat. At times, my lower back used to pain while driving the Cruze. But, the city is really comfortable.
5. Acres of space at the back - certainly a lot more than the Cruze. This thing can really shame some of the upper segment cars.
6. The big display in the center is a nice thing to have and is easy to read.
7. The music system sound much better than the one in the Cruze. The speakers in the Cruze did produce good bass and treble but the mid always sounded a bit washed away. The overall sound in the city is simply superior to the Cruze.
7. Buttons for picking up calls via Bluetooth. The Cruze had Bluetooth but only for audio streaming.

The things that I miss/dislike
1. Rear parking sensors should have been pre-installed. Yes, you get a display of the back, but having sensors pre-installed would have been perfect.
2. I am satisfied with the way the engine performs, but the pull of the diesel motor is missed.
3. The rain-sensing wipers are sadly missed here. Even the Maruti Ciaz has it.
4. Auto dimming rear view mirror. This feature is also available in the Ciaz.
5. No telescopic steering.
5. Spare wheel is not an alloy.
6. The big car feel of the Cruze.
Other than these, I am totally happy to own the city. These are a few things which Honda can improve on in the future, but they aren't really deal-breakers.

So overall, I am totally satisfied with the City. It is one of those few mid-sized sedans that offer immense comfort and even has the capacity to give tough competition to even some of the upper segment cars in terms of comfort. I have driven just a few kms at the moment and I’ll keep updating this thread about my experience with the car.

[nishchal316]

Some more photos of the interior of the new City.

[namanchaudhary]

Congratulations! God, a combination of Honda petrol engine and an automatic gearbox. What else could an enthusiast look for!

[Vik0728]

Originally Posted by nishchal316

Grand Total : 1243000+3000+6500+6000 = Rs 1258500(Approx)

These are a few things which Honda can improve in future but however aren’t really a deal breaker. Overall – TOTALLY SATISFIED

Congrats on your latest pick nishchal316, looks fab.

When the Honda City facelift was launched last year with the I-Dtec engine, I never really liked the design. But boy, has this thing grown on me. I just love the new City every time I see one on the road and those tail lights are the best after my personal favorite, Jetta's.

Now that you have 2 of the most "Mod-friendly" cars in India, I for one, honestly feel you must change the wheels on your City. That engine and the car's stance beg for better wheels & rubber.

Wish you many more happy mile crunching.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Carpainter]

Many many congrats on your new VX CVT. Enjoy the drive. I have also got my V MT delivered last month and I've put on the same kind of door guard like yours. And yes the rear parking sensors were missing so had to install them. Overall enjoying the drive. I wish you many many happy miles in your City.

[Turbo_asd]

Many congrats on the purchase of your steed. May the enthusiast in you be satisfied

It is highly recommended to get wider shoes for the City. Michelin XM2 will be up to the job. On a related note, you were lucky to get Michelins stock instead of the rotten MRF ZVTVs.

Thought the City is a mid sizer and the Cruze is an executive sedan, I honestly think of the City as an upgrade from the Cruze in quite a few ways. You will miss the turbo whoosh though.

Wishing you many smiles and miles on your first automatic car!

[nishchal316]

Originally Posted by Turbo_asd

It is highly recommended to get wider shoes for the City. Michelin XM2 will be up to the job.

Thank you all and thank you Turbo_asd
Yes the tyres are really not adequate for the car of this size . I am however considering the P3ST's as an upgrade and will be keeping the stock alloys.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Congrats on the new City.

My neighbour also changed from a Cruze LTZ to the new City Automatic. Two other cars in his group had problems with service and huge maintenance bills after warranty period got over- so he decided to sell the Cruze within extended warranty period. Peace of mind and automatic transmission were the main considerations and none does this better than the City.

Is the visibility better in the Cruze compared to the city? Is this with similar seating positions? Because I remember the Cruze had a very big dashboard.

Also, incase you haven't noticed- please check the last two pages of the review thread for the discussions on the tyre upgrade. It might affect your warranty, specially the suspension.

[nishchal316]

1000 Kms Update : Tyre Upgraded & FE Reports

Tyre Selection

The car came equipped with the Michelin XM1 175/60 R15 which really never inspired confidence and felt inadequate for a car of this size . So I decided to get them changed . I wanted a better ride and good grip and the two options I considered were the Continental MC5’s and the Michelin P3ST 195/60 R15. The moment I went to a local dealer, he kept forcing me towards the MC5’s . He took my XM1’s for 4k each and all in all I just had to pay a total of 4k for the new tyres. Got them installed and took the car for a spin and could instantly note some differences.

Firstly I could instantly feel the changes in the grip level. The car felt very stable and controlled when cornering . Body roll had reduced by leaps and bounds. But some how the ride felt very stiff. Infact It had gotten worse. I could feel each and every patch on the road inside the cabin. I was happy with the handling characteristics but in terms on ride quality I was actually disappointed . Reported it to the dealer and asked him to change the tyres to the Michelin P3ST’s and I had to pay another Rs 3200 for the upgrade i.e. 7200 in total for upgrading from XM1’s to the P3ST’s . Again took the car for a spin and this time around I was pleased with the ride. The grip and body roll levels are well controlled and the ride has also improved and is certainly better then the stock XM1’s.

Here is my rating of the MC5’s and the P3ST’s :

Continantal MC5
• Grip Level – 8/10
• Controlled Body Roll – 9/10
• Ride Quality – 6/10
• Tyre Noise – 7/10

Michelin P3ST
• Grip Level – 8/10
• Controlled Body Roll – 8/10
• Ride Quality – 8/10
• Tyre Noise – 8/10

Fuel Economy

I had got the tyres upgraded at around the 400km mark and the car has been driven only within the city with AC on 90% of time. I want to keep it light on the throttle for the first 3000kms so these 1000kms have been covered with a soft foot. The car has only been driven in the ‘ D ’ mode for now and I have not yet used the Sports mode or the Eco mode . So far I am happy with the results and this is how it goes:

FE at the time of delivery Indicated : 8.5kmpl
FE for the First 1000kms Indicated : 13kmpl

So far I think the car has returned good figures and I hope these go on rising. I will be testing the mileage in the Eco mode and will report about it soon .

[nishchal316]

Originally Posted by CrAzY dRiVeR

Congrats on the new City.


Is the visibility better in the Cruze compared to the city? Is this with similar seating positions? Because I remember the Cruze had a very big dashboard.

Also, incase you haven't noticed- please check the last two pages of the review thread for the discussions on the tyre upgrade. It might affect your warranty, specially the suspension.

Yes visibility in the cruze is better. I usually keep the seat in the top most position and in the cruze, the bonnet is quite visible but that is not the case in the new city.
Well i have switched to 195/65 R15 and i hope its not going to cause any trouble.

[Mahareddy]

Hi
hope you are enjoying your ride. I bought my VX CVT back in May of 2014. My two close friends later bought one for themselves. We really liked the car in silver so we three own it in the same color. Out of the three two are VX CVT's and one is VX i-Dtec.

[Mahareddy]

Originally Posted by Mahareddy

Hi
hope you are enjoying your ride. I bought my VX CVT back in May of 2014. My two close friends later bought one for themselves. We really liked the car in silver so we three own it in the same color. Out of the three two are VX CVT's and one is VX i-Dtec.

Attached are the pictures.
Thank You.

[Mahareddy]

I got the tires changed too.Got Bridgestone Potenza GIII 205R.And also after market alloys that looked decent and neat.

[sgiitk]

Anybody with experience with the old and new AT's of Honda. Their comments and observations will be most welcome. Also, use on hills and the like!