[RJ2285]

4th-Gen i-VTEC Honda City | Carnelian Red Pearl | 5 Year Ownership



Hi Bhpians,

This is my first detailed ownership review on the site so please excuse me for mistakes, if any. A lot has been said about the shortcomings of the 4th-gen Honda City with specific threads on the same. Also, with the SUV trend picking up in India, I don’t see too many ownership reviews of 3 box sedans off late. Most importantly, my car is achieving a milestone on 26th March 2021. The city completes 5 long years with us and hence I thought of penning down my ownership experience. I am happy to report that I have had an excellent fuss free ownership experience.

Honda’s current strategy in India seems flawed at the moment and I am a bit wary of what the future holds for them owing to the discontinuation of the Civic and CR-V with no clear view of the product offerings lined up for India in the near future. With the likes of Kia/Hyundai/Nissan getting aggressive, it is time Honda management pulls up their socks, gets back to the boardroom and carves out a clear strategy for India. They’d be foolish to not capitalise on the premium positioning they built in India over the years.

Keeping their strategy aside, I am glad I got to own the best 1.5L naturally aspirated Petrol engine available in the country today, especially when manufacturers are focusing on Turbo Petrols and because of the fun to drive element attached to turbo petrols, the demand for naturally aspirated engines is definitely going to witness a downward spiral.

The odometer stands at 63,500 kms at the time of writing this post.

I will try and provide as much information as possible. I hope potential buyers in the used car market find the review useful.

1. INTRODUCTION

What I Like

• Fast petrol. Butter smooth i-VTEC engine
• The City nameplate enjoys tremendous brand equity
• Extremely spacious cabin. Loads of sensible touches make it easy to live with
• Fuel Efficiency - Highway - 17kmpl, City - 11kmpl, Mix of both - 14kmpl
• Cavernous 510 liter boot will swallow your airport & holiday luggage
• Light controls, slick gearshift and easy maneuverability for the city. Effortless to drive
• Exterior Looks of the 4th-gen as compared to the 5th gen Honda City
• Rear space is more comfortable than its immediate peers, be it the Verna, Ciaz, Rapid/Vento twins
• An Enthusiast's car on the Expressway until 120kmph
• Honda's 10-year Any time Warranty ensures a peace of mind ownership
• 165mm ground clearance as compared to the 3rd gen Honda City’s 160mm
• V Variant is well equipped.(Misses features include Sunroof, Keyless entry, Start-Stop button and leather seats)
• All Black interiors


What I dislike

• Piano black finish on the center console is a dust magnet
• Alloy wheel design & skinny 175 mm tyres
• Light build quality, especially when compared to the Verna and Rapid/Vento twins
• Electric steering remains light & sensitive at high speed. No real feedback
• Lacks outright performance when compared to Turbo Petrols
• Center armrest positioned in a manner where it is difficult to slot gears
• Ride quality at low speeds
• Garish front Chrome grille
• Body Panel Gaps not acceptable in a million rupee car


The bulk of my driving experience across cars I have owned prior to this purchase were the Santro Xing ('04), Preowned Accent CRDi ('09), Manza ('10), and the Fluidic Verna ('12). we added a preowned Polo GT TSi to our garage in 2017 and after driving it for 30,000 kms having owned it for 3.5 years, we sold it and upgraded to the BMW X1 couple of months back. I will start an ownership thread on the BMW X1 soon.


2. OPTIONS CONSIDERED

Before the Honda City purchase, I drove a 2012 Hyundai Verna 1.4 CRDi as my daily drive and had clocked 81000kms in a short span of 3.5 years. As soon as it crossed the 80,000 kms mark, the itch for a new car could not stop me . During my growing up years, owning a Honda was always an aspiration. Thanks to their premium positioning with the likes of the Accord, Civic, 1st Gen City and the much talked about VTEC engine. The Honda City has been at the top of the segment charts for most of the 15 year run. That seemed to me as quite an achievement, considering it's petrol-only engine range. With that in mind and a budget if INR 12 Lakhs, I penned down my requirements for our next car:-

1. Must be a manual transmission
2. Must be safer with atleast two airbags and ABS
3. Gasoline powered
4. Should be able to seat 4 adults comfortably
5. Should have a boot that can swallow anything and everything
6. Automatic Climate Control
7. Good ground clearance
8. Should be fun to drive
9. Better ride quality than the Verna (Boat ride)
10. Relatively cheap to maintain

I drew up a list in my mind of all the relevant cars I could think of. Below is that list. Keep in mind that this list was made in January 2016

1. Ford Ecosport
2. Honda City
3. Hyundai Creta 1st-gen
4. Hyundai i20 active
5. Maruti Suzuki Baleno
6. Skoda Rapid
7. VW Vento


Ford Ecosport

In the meantime, the first choice in my mind, the Ecosport was still relatively new in the market (It ticked almost all boxes). We went to the SC Ford showroom in Malad West. The guys were busy attending other customers. We meanwhile checked out the display car and already the major issue glaring at us was the lack of interior space. There was hardly any leg room left at the back with driver’s seat set to my liking and the width seemed enough for two and a half people only. We went for the test drive and I liked how solid everything felt. Even the materials used seemed worth the money being paid. My wife did not like the center console though. Steering felt nicely weighed and the driving position was great. Even the transmission felt nice and smooth and I couldn’t feel any lag. Purely on the criteria of interior space, we were clear this won’t work for us. Also another thing I realised in the showroom was that sideways opening rear door wasn’t too practical for us. You always need to plan and park if stuff needs to go in or out of the boot.

Hyundai Creta

Even though I had shortlisted the Creta, at the back of my head I always knew Hyundais are known for their diesel engines and in comparison to the Honda's i-VTEC engine, I would be left wanting for more. Nevertheless, we went to check out the car, but found the interiors to be very bland for the price. To add to that, we also found the steering to be lifeless with no feedback(typical of Hyundais).We loved the exterior looks though and knew for sure that this is one car that will sell like hot cakes and that we will see scores of them in the days to come. Finally, the Creta did not cut the ice for us.

Hyundai i20 Active

High Ground Clearance featured in my priority list and I always knew the i20 active with the extra cladding etc. would not sell in high numbers and hence purchasing this car would have a certain uniqueness attached to it. We loved the exterior looks and the interior ambience. It just took 1 test drive to realize that this car is not meant for me. The 1.2L Petrol was underpowered and I have always been an engine guy. I would not mind compromising on the interior ambience for once, but a lackluster engine is not something I can live with ever. This option went out of the window too.

Maruti Suzuki Baleno

After owning a 3 box sedan for years now, I did not want to buy a premium hatchback. However, the home minister really liked how the Baleno looked and said to me there is no harm in exploring this option. We went to see the car but did not like the build quality. The windows at the rear made my wife feel claustrophobic. I was not too impressed with the drive too and one thing was clear after checking out the i20 active and the Baleno that I was definitely not downgrading to a 1.2L engine come what may.

Rapid/Vento twins

At that point in time, the Rapid had a 1.6 litre gasoline engine. I read a lot of reviews on the forum where it was clear that the engine lacked the zing in comparison to what competition was offering. Heck, even Hyundai's VTVT Petrol engines(Hyundai at that time were known for their diesel engines) were considered to be far superior to the Rapid's 1.6L NA gasoline engine.(with all due respect to Rapid owners). I did not feel like test driving the car after reading the reviews. So Rapid was out.

Vento with a 1.2L TSi mated to a 7-speed DSG did not meet my requirement as I was looking at a manual transmission and hence Vento was not considered.

With that we ended up buying the best naturally aspirated petrol engine at that time.

Honda City i-VTEC V MT

Pic Source:- Team-BHP


3. BOOKING AND DELIVERY PROCESS

I approached Arya Honda (Prabhadevi). They were prompt in not only offering the best possible deal but also being responsive without being too pushy.

The entire purchase was completed within the space of a week. This was somewhat an impulse buy with TDs also limited only to the Ecosport, Creta, i20 active and Baleno over a single weekend.

They sent a car home for a TD very quickly on the requested day. I requested a second TD to showcase it to my family and I walked away after paying an initial booking amount of INR 1L. I sold the Hyundai Verna to a dealer in Malad, Mumbai and got a good price for it. The balance amount was wired to Arya Honda within a week and delivery given within 5 days - i.e the following Sunday. The entire process from first TD to vehicle delivery was concluded in less than 15 days.

On the delivery date, They organised a small pooja, put minimalist ribbons on the door handles and explained all the papers to me and also gave me a thorough briefing of all the workings and controls of the City.












4. WHAT IT COST, ALL TOTAL

I paid INR 10.75 L all inclusive including 2+2 year extended warranty. What a killer price for a car that offers so much value. Heck, the top end Hyundai i20 Petrol DCT is priced at INR 14 Lacs on-road in Mumbai today!!

At the time of purchase, Honda dealers were doling out fairly generous discounts owing to GST, prices were going to increase.

5. EXTERIOR

Except for that garish chrome grille, I personally like the face. It looks clean and wears typically Honda lines. That said, I love the rear styling. I love the large premium-looking tail lamps. In person, the City looks more upmarket than the 3rd gen. The alloy wheels are definitely not to my taste and I hated the skinny tyres. Exterior paint, fit & finish are good but it lacks the sheer solidity of the European competition, especially in comparison to the Polo GT TSi we owned until few months back. The City remains a light sedan and gets respect everywhere. One can take it to a street vendor to buy vegetables as well as drive in to a 5 star and is respected equally. It enjoys tremendous brand equity in India.


The below pic is after ownership of 5 years and the odo at 60,000kms.













6. TYRES & BATTERY

I upgraded stock tyres to MRF Perfinzas 195/60 R15 at INR 5500 per tyre as recommended on the forum, but only when it was time to change the stock tyres. Thanks to regular wheel alignment and balancing.

Tyres changed at 60,000kms



Battery

The stock battery lasted for 2yrs 8 months. I replaced it in 2018 with SF Sonic for INR 3300/- plus taxes with exchange of old battery.

SF Sonic battery lasted 3 years and I replaced it with Amaron flo last week at INR 3500/- plus taxes with exchange of old battery.

7. INTERIOR



The interiors feel much more spacious compared to the 3rd-gen Honda City and it’s rivals at the time. The front seats are absolutely brilliant for long drives. A feeling of the seat hugging you from behind. The seats are on the lower side and one needs to bend down to sit on them. I am a big fan of the all black interiors and hence love the interior ambience to bits. Sections that have a piano black finish is a dust magnet. The back seat too is extremely comfortable with a decent under-thigh support. My wife and daughter love the rear seat, especially on long drives. Even with 5 people onboard, it does not get too uncomfortable for the middle passenger at the rear when compared to the likes of the Rapid/Vento.

I personally like the interiors of the 4th gen as compared to the 5th gen Honda City. After the launch of the Hyundai Fluidic Verna and its success, Honda definitely realised that interior ambience is important to Indian customers, and the 4th-gen reflects that line of thought. On the inside, the City feels significantly more premium.



The ergonomics in the 4th-gen are spot-on, making the cabin user friendly, and the center console is angled toward the driver. The steering feels premium and is a delight to hold, though i would have preferred a leather wrapped steering wheel. The large integrated controls (phone, audio, cruise control) are easy to operate. There is no dead pedal, but there is enough room to rest one’s left foot.

Big fonts make the instrument console effortless to read during the day. I am not a big fan of digital console fitted in cars these days. I love the blue rings ambient lighting around the speedometer. The MID provides the usual data set, including a distance-to-empty counter and average fuel economy.


I read a lot of reviews regarding feedback given to Honda on the touch panel for air-con in the 4th-gen City because of which Honda replaced it with knobs in the 5th-gen city. Personally, I did not face a single issue in the last 5 years of ownership and hence was surprised with the hue and cry around the same. The climate control interface is definitely cool to use. The single disadvantage is the need to take your eyes off the road to change settings, something that maybe a physical knob doesn't require. The air-con has been so reliable. I have had no troubles whatsoever with the air-con till date. Touchwood!

8. BOOT SPACE

We love our road trips. On an average, we do 2 road trips to Goa annually and have driven to Coorg from Mumbai thrice in the last 4 years coupled with multiple trips to Mahabaleshwar and Nashik. Hence, Boot space played a big part in swinging through the purchase. The boot measures in at a cavernous 510 litres (Best in segment).
The City swallows luggage like no one's business, be airport runs, long road trips or grocery shopping. This car is a workhorse and doubles up as a beater car too at times.

Pic Source:-Team-BHP


9. DRIVING POSITION, ENGINE, GEARBOX, STEERING, HANDLING

From a driver's standpoint, the car is extremely comfortable. The slightly higher stance making ingress and egress pretty comfortable.

The 1.5L petrol makes 117 BHP (@ 6,600 rpm) and 145 Nm of max torque (@ 4,600 rpm).

In fact, at regular driving speeds, you won't even hear the engine. It has good low end torque. Throttle response is sharp too. The engine feels extremely powerful and is excellent to drive until 120kmph. The Manual gearbox is pretty smooth with slick shifts and a light clutch with short travel range. Until we purchased the X1, My usage was 50-50 in Mumbai city as well as highway. However, post X1, usage is 95% City with the occasional highway drive. Driving in heavy traffic is not very stressful owing to the light clutch. However, even in the slightest open road even within the city, this engine loves to be revved hard. It is a different animal on the highway. Best part is, the car sounds sweet at high rpm and has an addictive engine note. The engine gets really loud above 110kmph and I miss the 6th gear available currently in the 5th-gen city.

10. FUEL EFFICIENCY

For the "Kitna deti hai" public, Fuel efficiency in different driving conditions in Mumbai:-

1. Bumper to Bumper Traffic -7.5 - 8 kmpl
2. Slow moving traffic - 10 kmpl
3. 50% City 50% Highway - 11.5 - 12 kmpl
4. Expressway at 90 - 100 kmph- 16.5 - 17kmpl
5. Expressway at 110 - 120ph - 14kmpl

In a nutshell, all I can say is that this car is such an all-rounder.

11. COST OF MAINTENANCE

1st Free 5000 kms service

General Check up, Washing and Cleaning was carried out. odo at 1,889 kms

2nd Free 10,000kms Service. - Odo at 6,330 kms


1. Engine oil replaced
2. Engine oil filter replaced
3. Front & Rear Brake pads checked for thickness

3rd Paid 20,000 kms service. - Odo at 11,994 kms


1. Engine oil replaced
2. Engine oil filter replaced
3. Air Filter replaced
4. Tyre rotation
5. AC Pollen Filter Replaced


Total Bill:- INR 5999/- including Taxes

4th Paid 30,000 kms service. - Odo at 22,445 kms

1. Engine oil replaced
2. Engine oil Filter replaced
3. Air Filter replaced
4. Brakes Checked
5. Auto Pest Control

Total Bill:- INR 4825/- including Taxes


5th Paid 40,000 kms service. - Odo at 27,435 kms

1. Engine oil replaced
2. Engine oil Filter replaced
3. Air Filter replaced
4. Brakes Checked
5. Tyre Rotation
6. Windscreen Fluid
7. Wheel Alignment & Balancing
8. Fuel injector cleaning
9. Throttle Cleaning & Scanning
10. AC Disinfectant & Motorcare treatment
11. Cowl Panel cleaning
12. PUC Certificate
13. Battery Testing
14, Pick up & drop charges

Total Bill:- INR 12,510/- including Taxes

The above service was done at at time when I was really busy at work and hence did not look into the quotation and approved everything the SA suggested only to realise that I was taken for a ride as he added so many add-ons I would have otherwise not approved.

6th Paid 50,000 kms service. - Odo at 32,053 Kms

1. Engine oil replaced
2. Engine oil Filter replaced
3. Air Filter replaced
4. Brakes Checked
5. Tyre Rotation
6. Windscreen Treatment (INR 1534/-)
7. AC Disinfectant (INR 885/-)
8. Battery Testing
9. Pick up & drop charges

Despite my feedback the previous service, the SA added the above unwanted items in the bill. Upon escalation, I was offered free detailing as a compensation for the error from their side. However, I declined the offer and decided i will not take my car to Arya Honda, Kalina, Santacruz, Mumbai for servicing going forward. I decided I will service my car at Solitaire Honda, Andheri as I had read good reviews on the our forum.

Total Bill:- INR 6,530/- including Taxes


7th Paid 60,000 kms service. - Odo at 39,312kms

1. Engine oil replaced
2. Engine oil Filter replaced
3. Air Filter replaced
4. Front brake pads replaced
5. Tyre Rotation
6. Battery Testing
7. Pick up & drop charges

Total Bill:- INR 7,280/- including Taxes

8th Paid 70,000 kms service. - Odo at 51,232kms

1. Engine oil replaced
2. Engine oil Filter replaced
3. Air Filter replaced
4. Front & rear brake pads checked
5. Tyre Rotation
6. Battery Testing
7. Pick up & drop charges
8. AC Pollen Filter Changed
9. Clutch and Brake pedal Rubber replaced
10. Wheel Alignment & Balancing

Total Bill:- INR 11,390/- including Taxes

9th Paid 80,000 kms service. - Odo at 56,276 Kms

1. Engine oil replaced
2. Engine oil Filter replaced
3. Inspect Valve Clearance
4. Fuel Filter replaced
5. Brakes checked
6. Air Filter replaced
7. Pick up & drop charges
8. Windscreen Fluid
9. Battery testing
10. Motor care Treatment
11. Throttle body cleaning

Total Bill:- INR 9,883/- including Taxes

9th Paid 90,000 kms service. - Odo at 57,864kms

1. Engine oil replaced
2. Engine oil Filter replaced
3. Inspect Valve Clearance
4. Fuel Filter replaced
5. Brakes checked
6. Air Filter replaced
7. Tyre rotation
8. Windscreen Fluid
9. Battery testing
10. Basic Car care sanitization

Total Bill:- INR 11,944/- including Taxes

10th Paid 1,00,000 kms service. - Odo at 63,521

1. Engine oil replaced
2. Engine oil Filter replaced
3. Inspect Valve Clearance
4. Fuel Filter replaced
5. Brakes checked
6. Air Filter replaced
7. Tyre rotation
8. Spark Plugs replaced
9. Battery testing
10. Basic Car care sanitization

Total Bill:- INR 10,212/- including Taxes

In addition to the above, I carry out detailing on the car every 12 months and the damage has been around INR 6000/- per detailing.I have tried multiple outlets from Kamyo, 3M etc.

12. Way forward

A lot has been said about the niggles of the 4th-gen Honda City that was launched in 2013. But touchwood, I did not face any of those issues thankfully. Maybe the issues reported by owners were ironed out in production post 2015 as I got my car delivered in 2016.

All in all, I have been very happy and plan to keep this car for the next 5 years owing to Honda's 10 year Anytime Warranty. The ownership until now has been fuss free. Thanks to the pandemic, my daily running has come down drastically. Also, we currently have 3 cars. In addition to the City, I bought the BMW X1 with Warranty and BSI for 3 years couple of months back and my wife drives the Honda Brio. Thanks to the X1, the Honda city will be used only in Mumbai City, especially where I feel it will be difficult to find a good parking for the X1.

I will keep updating this thread and will share more pics soon.

Thank you for reading and hope you find this ownership thread useful.

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[knrn]

Hi RJ2285. Thanks for the thread.

I just love when I get to write the first comment on a new thread. Yippee!!!!

Coming back to the topic- I loved the simplicity and lucidity of your writing style, the way you have detailed your 5 year experience in clear words is a delight to read.
No doubt this is the best 1.5 NA engine in the country.

You have mentioned twice that this is a driver's car till 120 kph. But what after that and what made you write this observation?

After 5 years, and with an X1 under your belt, your insight into this car would be very knowledgeable for us readers.
Thanks in advance.
Happy driving.
Cheers.

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by RJ2285

• Fast petrol. Butter smooth i-VTEC engine
• The City nameplate enjoys tremendous brand equity

Great and detailed review @RJ2285. Although I never ever considered buying a Honda for myself, I've always been a fan of their engines and the 5 speed ATs. Like you rightly said, the City = sedan just as Swift = hatchback or Dalda = hydrogenated veggie oil.

I'm also pleasantly surprised to see the service cost at just about INR 01/km which is pretty competitive. I believe that the sunroof, push button start aren't required in a dusty, climatically irate country like ours, so the variant you chose was just right. Few complaints against Honda:

1. I've seen some stock touchscreen HUs on the 2017 and later years dance after 2 years of ownership - and they get happily covered under warranty. If the Big 3 viz. Pioneer, Sony, Kenwood/JVC can work flawlessly for several years, why can't these?

2. headlights have always been pathetic, except on the VTEC (2000-2002)

3. Stock battery on the 2014 and later City doesn't cross the 3 year mark ever

4. Puny air filter that gets fouled very quick

If I were you, I'd have chosen silver for the City, but your ownership experience has been above silver. Great !!

[KPR]

Great thread. Great car. But what I see here is increasing service cost gradually over services? I don't see parts failing for a petrol as such. You've already mentioned that ASS has taken you for a ride! These Marutis, Hondas, Hyundais aren't as good as Indians claim esp w.r.to servicing. They are costly and we customers must be extra alert whenever we give for service. No doubt about it.

Originally Posted by RJ2285

3rd Paid 20,000 kms service. - Odo at 11,994 kms
Total Bill:- INR 5999/- including Taxes

4th Paid 30,000 kms service. - Odo at 22,445 kms
Total Bill:- INR 4825/- including Taxes


5th Paid 40,000 kms service. - Odo at 27,435 kms
Total Bill:- INR 12,510/- including Taxes

6th Paid 50,000 kms service. - Odo at 32,053 Kms
Total Bill:- INR 6,530/- including Taxes


7th Paid 60,000 kms service. - Odo at 39,312kms
Total Bill:- INR 7,280/- including Taxes

8th Paid 70,000 kms service. - Odo at 51,232kms
Total Bill:- INR 11,390/- including Taxes

9th Paid 80,000 kms service. - Odo at 56,276 Kms
Total Bill:- INR 9,883/- including Taxes

9th Paid 90,000 kms service. - Odo at 57,864kms
Total Bill:- INR 11,944/- including Taxes

10th Paid 1,00,000 kms service. - Odo at 63,521
Total Bill:- INR 10,212/- including Taxes

[ArTigor]

Nice! thats a crisp ownership thread, the car looks gorgeous for a 5 year used car. Maintaining a car in stock condition in Mumbai, itself is a great task I think.
I am surprised at one thing though, I see that within 5 years of ownership you have got 11 services done that means one service every 6 months, thats a short service interval for a car that has run at an average 1000 km per month, does Honda reccommend so? While I know a lot of people get their vehicles proactively serviced every 6 months(including my dad) even if the service schedule mentions 1 year, yet the intermediate 6 months service is and should be a minor service and doesnt include oil and filter change.
As per you records oil and filter are changed almost every 6 months(less than 6k km at some places as per record), in fact an oil change was done at 56276 km & then at 57864 km, is it that the City requires so frequent oil changes as per schedule or another case of a customer being taken for a ride?

I remember untill I took the servicing matters of all the vehicles in my hands, a MASS in Malad used to recomend & undertake engine oil and filter change every 6 months on our Ertiga, Dad was never bothered about the cost so it just went unchecked until I corelated the same with service schedule in owners manual and found ot that it was unnecessary.

[TrackDay]

Nice and detailed review, especially regarding service details. Any plans to upgrade in terms of exteriors ? The 4th gen facelift looks really fresh with those clear rear lamp cases and reworked front lights and bumpers ! Also how about a new touchscreen ?

[arindambasu13]

Nice long term review. I own a 2019 4th gen City iVTEC and identify with most of the positives and negatives that you have written down. I have driven most of the popular 1 liter turbo petrols currently in the market and the iVTEC definitely holds its own against all those engines. I am an engine guy as much as the next person and really love the performance and tractability of this engine both in the city and the highway. The City is a solid all rounder which offers performance, practicality, comfort and reliability all in one package.

[Nav-i-gator]

A really nice and detailed ownership review, many thanks.

The city does command a general respect in India. If you buy one, the only question that people would ask today might be - why not an CSUV? But no one doubts the choice amongst sedans itself (not that we have too many choices either). Timely updates and generational changes have kept the city contemporary as well.

Ivtec is a proven engine, does the job as a commuter car and is reliable. Though good to have, but the revv happy nature of the engine is not something that I will pride on too much. I mean, for once-in a -while fun is OK, but we don't revv the nuts out of our cars very often just to get the "Vtec kicked in YO" feel.

I never liked the front and back designs of 4th gen, nor I like the front fascia of the 5th gen (the back is beautiful though). And at least for the feel of it, City doesn't feel as solid as a Rapid/Vento too.

But in terms of sheer practicality and all roundedness (space, comfort, plush ride, big boot, all bells and whistles that you really need, and for a change, perhaps the best "base variant" you can buy of any car south of 2 Million in India), it is extremely difficult to discard a City if you are in the market to buy a single garage family car.

P.S. I own a 5th Gen City V CVT.

[tirumalavoleti]

Very good detailed long term review. You have mentioned all the likes and dislikes very aptly.

The prices of the new cars definitely makes it worthy to keep the existing cars for longer time.

Regarding variants, Honda city has the V variant as a perfect blend of features and comfort. Even the current gen VX has all the needed features including the 6 air bags.

Wishing you many more safe miles

[AutoConsultant]

Originally Posted by RJ2285

4th-Gen i-VTEC Honda City | Carnelian Red Pearl | 5 Year Ownership


All in all, I have been very happy and plan to keep this car for the next 5 years owing to Honda's 10 year Anytime Warranty.

Thanks a lot for such a detailed review. Honda City has been an aspirational car for many (including me) and I find myself lucky enough to own a 5th gen City now. Few points/queries from my side :-

1. 4th gen City looks better from the front, the chrome has been integrated nicely as compared to the 5th Gen. Tail lights on both the models are equally impressive and 5th Gen has the better side profile

2. Honda has rightfully reduced the piano finish elements from the dashboard. Even the wooden strip I have in my car attracts a lot of dust.

3. The service schedule of 6 months just does not make sense, especially for petrol cars which, on an average, won't be driven that much in that time period. Glad they have increased it to 1 year for the 5th gen, hope this reduces the service cost

4. Can you provide more details on the 10-year Anytime Warranty? Currently they are offering a 3+2 year package. Do you get this option at the end of this period?

Congrats on the ownership experience which gives folks like us some sort of reassurance about our decision Wish you many more kms ahead!

[sunilrs]

Great thread and thanks for the details review !!! I own a Honda City VX in the exact same colour at about 66,000 kms in its 6th year of ownership in Dec 2015.

I opted for the VX version for the then price of 11.8 Lakhs (which seems awesome value today) and felt the extras were quite worth it - I quite enjoy the sunroof in the monsoons and winter. I did consider the Ciaz at that time but the engine just did not feel fun to drive and the Verna was a little too cramped.

My car history has been the Maruti Esteem + Maruti Alto, Honda City ZX (10th Anniversary Edition) which we used for almost 12 years before selling + VW Polo (the one and only diesel I have owned) + Swift and currently own the Honda City (Fourth Generation) and a Baleno AT. I am on the look out for an additional car in the 25-35 range but not able to make up my mind but am in no hurry.

I echo a lot of your feedback on the City and the ownership has been absolutely hassle-free experience owning this car with good service (Linkway Honda Chandivli now renamed as Viva Honda). The only time the car threw me for a loop was one day it just stopped at the flyover near domestic airport and we later diagnosed it as a bad battery. But other than that one incident, have had absolutely no other problems with the car

My car was primarily chauffeur driven in Mumbai for 5 years and I have been driving it myself now since I moved to Noida a few months ago and I thought it would be interesting to share both perspectives.

As a chauffeur driven car, it offers loads of space in the backseat and it is so easy to sit comfortably but the rear seat is awfully bumpy and you are thrown around quite a bit at every bump and pothole of which there is never a shortage and it was out of this frustration that I was on the verge of selling this car. The AC works really well too.

However, since I have shifted to Noida I have started driving again after almost 8-9 years and I have fallen in love with the City all over again. The engine is very smooth and the gearbox just works effortlessly, great driver's position and there is absolutely no stress all the way up to 120 kmph. But I would agree with your view that the steering just does not do the engine justice and one starts feeling nervous around the 100 kmph mark. The driving position is great and I really dont mind the armrest and there is loads of storage and cubby holes. The only thing i miss right now is an HU which supports Apple CarPlay and better headlights (in Bombay it never mattered so much due to the traffic but here it does). I would add that the cruise control function is quite useful on the expressways here (could never use it in Bombay).

[vsrivatsa]

Originally Posted by RJ2285

I will keep updating this thread and will share more pics soon.
Thank you for reading and hope you find this ownership thread useful.

Great Long Term ownership review. The 6 month service interval from Honda is certainly a pain. My iDTEC has completed 7 years and I have now shifted to an 8-Month-Once Service Interval given that I am anyway out of Warranty.

Originally Posted by RJ2285

A lot has been said about the niggles of the 4th-gen Honda City that was launched in 2013. But touchwood, I did not face any of those issues thankfully.

I think two small niggles that are present across the 4th Gen City is the flexing of the doorpads when you move the Window Glass Up & Down as well as the rattle from the Speedometer Dash/Glass. Honda Service now knows how to fix the Speedo Rattle and hence its gone but the doorpad flexing is a design Issue. I wonder if they fixed that in the 5th Gen or not.

Originally Posted by AutoConsultant

1. 4th gen City looks better from the front, the chrome has been integrated nicely as compared to the 5th Gen. Tail lights on both the models are equally impressive and 5th Gen has the better side profile

The 4th Gen Facelift has a better front. The original 4th Gen has a very big front grille (like a moustache) - they trimmed it well in the facelift.

Originally Posted by AutoConsultant

4. Can you provide more details on the 10-year Anytime Warranty? Currently they are offering a 3+2 year package. Do you get this option at the end of this period?

Scroll down on this page: Link to find details on the 10 Year Any Time Warranty. You need to buy it each year separately after the 5th Year. I went for it until this year when the quote was approx. 20K for the year as mine is a Diesel - seeing the 20K price I decided to give it a skip.

[car_guy1998]

Overall, a very nice and detailed ownership review from your side!

Well, the Honda City looks smashing in this colour apart from golden brown, which I own.

And, yes, 6 months service interval of Honda is a pain when compared to other manufacturers intervals, which has 1 year of intervals.

And, you did a right thing in purchasing Honda's 10 year anytime warranty, which gives peace of mind in the long run and I sometimes felt that I could have bought this one for my City iDTEC, which has run 1,06,000 Kms.

[karan561]

Hi RJ2285,

Really loved this Maroon Shade on the City, never knew it was called ' Carnelian Red Pearl ' , thanks to your thread now I know

Really appreciate this point under the Requirements section;

1. Must be a manual transmission

& Honda Manuals are very slick (& short) best to enjoy that V-TEC Engine

This is my first detailed ownership review.

For a 1st One, this was indeed a very detailed long term ownership review for the 4th Gen City.

Also thanks for detailing out the 10 Odd Service Bills/Expenses will surely help & be regarded as a reference for many BHPians & other TEAM-BHP viewers.

Thanks for sharing.