[Arnav612]

Honda City's have been staple in our garage from the 2nd Gen Dolphin to the 4th Gen Pre Facelift.
We had the 3rd Generation's early lot of cars in White, when the S Variant was the top end without alloy wheels and chrome inserts. it was such a hoot!

It had been on all kinds of stuff you could imagine in a semi-urban/semi-rural setup from the weirdest of hairpins in interiors of lonavala to repeated trips on the Western ghats. It was so rev -happy and had such a nice NA Engine note to it! As a kid I was exceedingly fascinated by how we could "open the screen" (flip open the HU to access the AUX port).

Yes, suspension was a sheer issue though. It was a little too softly sprung in my opinion. 4th gen solved it a fair bit.

Congratulations on having this car so long, and to more and more miles with her !

[RJ2285]

Beautifully penned down ownership review!

I remember in 2010 - I had just started working and dreamt of buying this car due to the "Honda City" brand image and the i-Vtec engine, but could not and settled for a TATA Indigo Manza giving myself this false satisfaction that the Manza was more spacious than the City whereas the reality was I could not afford the 3rd-gen

However, after 6 long years, I could afford to buy the 4th-gen Honda City after working my backside off in the corporate world Loving the car to bits. I intend to keep it for the long haul.

My Honda City long term ownership review:
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...ip-review.html (Honda City i-VTEC V MT | 5-year ownership review)

[mohitm29]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread. Being a proud owner of a 3rd Gen (Gem actually!) City, can't agreed more on the points mentioned in Likes and Dislikes. No offense to the owners of rest of the City's generations, but I too feel that this Arrow shaped City is the best looking City (after Type Z 2000-03). It still does not look veteran despite a decade old model. Love the BMW E90 inspired tail lights and it looks beautiful and unique from all angles you look.
I have been using it since 2015 (bought a pre worshipped one) and I haven't got bored of driving it. Though with the growing congestion, one has to be extremely careful driving her on the roads full of careless drivers & riders in Delhi.
Attaching here some of her pictures...

[supertinu]

I believe the 3rd Gen Honda City certainly was one of the best models and very high on refinement. One of my friends has one and I remember sitting in it when he had just bought it and I had got a Figo TDCi. Couldn't even feel the engine idling while sitting in it and then Figo later seemed like a truck

[mugen_pinaki27]

A lovely review indeed, Sir. Was and am still fascinated by the City from the mighty Honda. Sadly, the era of sedans is slowly disappearing. I hope this one doesn't fade into obscurity.

[B103]

Ditto here as well. Mine is also 3rd gen and 12 years which has close to 80K on the odo.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...-years-up.html (Dream comes true -- Silver Honda City AT, now 10 years up!)

Quality is so damn good. Keeps on running without a single incident of fuss. I too have changed only consumables like tires, battery etc. until now.

Suspension is tad soft and bottom thuds on average speed breakers with 4 passengers and their luggage onboard. I have learned how to drive the iVtec to extract peak torque now. It cannot still be compared to the turbo spooling in a diesel engine though but way better than driving similar non turbo petrol engines.

[bordeaux]

LOL Dude I got the same one. 2009 model that I purchased used in 2013 at 49,000 KMs odometer reading. It has done 1,69,000 KMs as of today and still feels the same form performance perspective. I and wife have taken it to 20+ Indian states and Bhutan for our road trips.

There is significant rattling now, the insultation is mostly useless and the engine noise is very audible in the cabin at high speeds. The problem is the engine sound is simply amazing when "IVtec kicks in" and simply irresistible.

I have been in the market for a replacement for almost 5 years now but nothing feels value for money like this car felt and this car simply keeps going on and on and I keep delaying the purchase. I don't think I'll also sell it ever. Mine is in a slightly worse condition as I am lazy and don't really take care of my machine. Still going on stock suspension & audio setup

Most likely, I'll end up getting Slavia as ventilated seats have gone at the top of my priority list. I am trying to avoid SUVs as they simply cant beat the fun of a sedan!

[evil_grin]

Originally Posted by ibisbrew

Also, can you please share the details of the Tein suspension. Tein Endura Pro was the only option and I was quoted 80k.

So I went with TRW (which does the job well, but it's no Tein for sure) in the meanwhile, and still looking for a reasonable upgrade.

Originally Posted by hey.rudey

1.5 L kilometres all on the original clutch plate, and yet have never faced an issue (other than cursing the eternally low suspension of course XD).
Thanks for sharing about this! Please do share about the Tein suspension, I'm planning on revamping the suspension setup. Would like to know more about it

Attachment 2254401

I didn't know much about suspensions to enquire about the details. I trusted the guys at Pitstop based on their reputation do chose the most suitable one. The Honda service center folks had spoiled me so much with their home pickup/drops that I did the same with Pitstop guys! I never even met them or go to their workshop before! Maybe I'm too trusting. And by not being there, I missed a good learning experience.
What I know is that only major part that was replaced was the dampers and that it wasn't adjustable. Looking at Teins catalog now, that seems to match with the Endura. It cost me 40k rupees in 2019.
The Endura Pro's dampening is adjustable hence more expensive. If you want to save money and don't have a strong need for adjustable dampers, or like to keep things simple, go for the Endura.

Originally Posted by bordeaux

There is significant rattling now, the insultation is mostly useless and the engine noise is very audible in the cabin at high speeds.

I have been in the market for a replacement for almost 5 years now but nothing feels value for money like this car felt and this car simply keeps going on and on and I keep delaying the purchase. I don't think I'll also sell it ever. Mine is in a slightly worse condition as I am lazy and don't really take care of my machine. Still going on stock suspension & audio setup

Most likely, I'll end up getting Slavia as ventilated seats have gone at the top of my priority list.

I feel all of your car's problems are fixable if you send it to a good FNG. If you're not going to sell it then please do take care of your machine. You'll start enjoying it even more.
Replacing the Honda city is extremely difficult. The only true contenders are the Octavia/Jetta and the Compass Diesel MT. Or jump another segment to a 3 series.
There aren't any VFM cars anymore among new ones. And the few VFM ones are among discontinued old ones like the Civic or Linea.
I don't really see the point in buying another car from the same segment even if it's much more modern. Either fix your current car and keep using it or upgrade a segment or two.

Originally Posted by B103

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-...-years-up.html (Dream comes true -- Silver Honda City AT, now 10 years up!)

Suspension is tad soft and bottom thuds on average speed breakers with 4 passengers and their luggage onboard. I have learned how to drive the iVtec to extract peak torque now. It cannot still be compared to the turbo spooling in a diesel engine though but way better than driving similar non turbo petrol engines.

Reading your thread, I was unsure whether writing mine would be valuable. But this was a story i've been meaning to write for a long time.

You can increase the GC with tyres of higher sidewall height and removing the front mudguard. Suspension upgrades will reduce the softness.

Though I relish the kick that turbo diesels like the Creta 1.6 or Rapid 1.5 give, I cannot bear the turbo lag that comes before.

Originally Posted by mugen_pinaki27

A lovely review indeed, Sir. Was and am still fascinated by the City from the mighty Honda. Sadly, the era of sedans is slowly disappearing. I hope this one doesn't fade into obscurity.

Thank you. Fashion recycles.I suspect we may see a resurgence in sedans after many years.

Originally Posted by king999

As some one who owned a 2010 City for 9 years and (also) replaced it with the 1.8 Octavia, your review brought a smile and also a slight tear.

City->Octavia->3 series does seem to be the most common upgrade path around here.
Also, most of the people I know of who have sold their city regret it.

Originally Posted by Guru_Shikhar

What a crisp and beautiful review.
Meanwhile I had got a tempting deal on third gen city but did not think about it as it had clocked above 83k.
Finally I chose a 4th gen 2014 V idtec with 53k on odo and the car had justified the decision till date. Now I think I should have checked for 3rd gen too.

Cheers.

Yes. You should have checked for the 3rd gen. But don't fret about bygones. Make up for it by getting a lovely used Octy or 3 series the next time you upgrade.

Originally Posted by Almetal

I have a 2010 City and I still marvel at how well rounded this car is - Peppy, comfortable, low maintenance, good mileage, spacious.
And yes, it looks good even after 12 yrs.!

My Octavia 1.8 TSI is a hoot to drive, but the City has a charm of its own, that short throw manual gearbox is in a league of its own.

I'm in a huge dilemma nowadays, whether to let her go or continue using it for another 3 yrs, by when she'll need to be scrapped or sold outside NCR.

She's not my first car, but the one that is the most special to me, so many fond memories of travel and adventures, from an era when cars were simple and basic, not loaded with tech, touchscreens and gizmos.!

You summarised my review so well in such few words!
Driving the City in the city is great fun. They couldn't have chosen a more apt name.

You'll anyway be getting peanuts for it now in NCR. Just enjoy it for 3 more years and get a few less peanuts. Think of it this way: you're getting to enjoy your beloved for 3 more years at the price of peanuts.

Originally Posted by dazdandconfuzd

You're right. It will last another 100000km because ours just crossed the 210000km mark! I'm currently in the process of convincing dad to not sell it and hand me down the car for college!

Thanks for showing me the reassuring future. Good luck on convincing your dad. You're so lucky. When I was in college I had to make do with a bike. That too wasn't allowed on campus!

Originally Posted by amol4184

My favorite part being the small and squarish tail lamps.

Mine too! I fail to understand why car makers nowadays struggle to design good tail lamps.

Originally Posted by sunilch

To tell you honestly ... "Tere is post ne aasoon la diye meri aakhon mein"

This was the perfect car when it was on sale in India.
I wish I had 2 parking lots at home.

Glad we feel the same.
If I didn't have 2 parking lots, i probably wouldn't have bought the Octavia since selling the city was unthinkable.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

This model is easily a keeper for those who do not want to replace this car.

I feel that in a few years, it'll achieve the cult status that the Lancer/Cedia had.

Originally Posted by SILVER-ARROW

Well documented Post buddy!
I hate to hand over the steering wheel to anyone else

Its good to see more and more enthusiasts like us who treat their cars like extended family members and nurture the cars like a baby.

Thank you.
I hate to hand over the steering wheel no matter what car we're in!
I do treat it like extended family but I don't baby it. E.g. I didn't fix the scratches on its front bumper until it became unsightly. And i service it after it crosses 5k km even if it takes 1-1.5 years to do so.

Originally Posted by AKSarkar1

Firstly lovely review, as an ex-City owner I can definitely say that you ticked all the points in the review! There was just something about the car that even makes otherwise boring city drives at sedate speeds fun.

Thank you. Honda nailed it with this one when it tried to make a car that was fun like a beemer and reliable like a Toyota.
It is said that you have to pick two out of fast, reliable, cheap. With a used 3rd gen city, you can have all three!

Originally Posted by car_guy1998

Well written review, Samir Bhai!

And, you got a nice set of upgrades as well.

Thank you. I didn't understand why people made upgrades to their car untill I made a few critical ones myself.

[Duckdoc]

Your post evoked such memories of my Honda City run 135000 kms in a bit over 11 years. At 130000 km I gave it to my daughter.
When looking at niggles and issues across almost all brands, amazing that this one was faultless.
Recently, I sat in the front passenger seat and the comfort level was something and as she is a corner carver, the car was planted, reassuring and as rightly pointed out body roll is a phrase become popular only after the SUV craze.
The only issue was rusting at the doors which was acceptable at 11 years. After a paint job, it not only rides as good as new but also looks like one.
Posting pictures taken today:

[evil_grin]

Originally Posted by dazdandconfuzd

You're right. It will last another 100000km because ours just crossed the 210000km mark!

After how many kms and years did you replace the timing belt?

[Tony2298]

A very heartfelt congratulations on completing this milestone with your beautiful car and I hope you continue to so for the time to come.

A special mention of the Honda City. When the 3rd generation came out in 2008, I was in love.

Not only the City, every car Honda made then were so irresistible and were absolutely amazing. The City was one of the, if not the most desirable sedan in its class and a dream for Indians; the 8th gen Civic 1.8VTEC was so futuristic and sporty both inside and out that a well maintained example still manages to look delectable and grab eyeballs, I still remember when I was a kid I was amazed by its twin pod digital speedo and analogue tacho (beautifully lit in a cool electric blue theme!),the radically designed central fascia and those butterfly styled cross-blade thick Aerotwin Made in Japan Mitsuba wipers, so well ahead of its time or their flagship sedan the Accord which even had a monstrous 3.5V6 VTEC with 235BHP(!!) and came with Active Cylinder Deactivation tech(with 3different modes 6,4 and 3cylinder modes!) about which VAG is bragging now , also remember the Active Noise Cancellation tech which Ford offered and later deleted in their Endeavour, yep, the Accord had that too along with other futuristic tech like 6Airbags,ESP etc, all more than 12 years ago! I literally have tears on my eyes whenever I see those old brochures and then look at Honda India's lamentable position in India, which as of now has reduced to just 3 products, all of them having a quality similar or worse than even Suzuki, a far cry from the original Honda. Dare I say, if the Japanese conglomerates were focused in India then the Koreans and Chinese won't even have a chance to establish themselves in India, forget flourishing in here. I sincerely hope that one fine day, Honda listens to fanboys like me and pull up their socks and once again establish themselves in India like in their heydays by bringing some irresistible products to our shores. Heck, even the lazy Toyota and Nissan are doing some action in India, what stops Honda from doing so?

The car is slightly above 1 lakh km on the odo and 11 years old now. Even today, it drives better than a new Honda City. It can easily last another 11 years and 1 lakh km more. Being my first car, and being in love with it, I don't think I'll ever sell it. Other cars will come and go. But the first love stays

Completely resonate with you and I too would have done the same if I were in your shoes, these cars are gems and deserve to be retained, these aren't just made any more! First love after all is first love, the place which no other can take. She would be fine with proper maintenance and as you mentioned can even outlive your Škoda. While at it, a small question for you, in a hypothetical situation if Honda would have been selling the Civic with a proper VTEC Turbo, would you buy it over Octavia? It would be interesting to know. As far as I'm concerned, I would have bought the C-RV when I was buying myself a SUV and I was completely fine with the 1.6 i-DTEC with 9speed ZF AT or even the 2.0VTEC with CVT but alas they discontinued it altogether just before I was in the market.
Anyways, wish you a lot more happy miles with your machine,Stay safe and happy motoring!

[evil_grin]

Originally Posted by Tony2298

Not only the City, every car Honda made then were so irresistible and were absolutely amazing.

While at it, a small question for you, in a hypothetical situation if Honda would have been selling the Civic with a proper VTEC Turbo, would you buy it over Octavia?

The 8th gen civic is still one the of most beautiful cars on the road. I briefly considered getting one as my next car. The Accord was a grand machine. I saw one in Chanakyapuri, Delhi. It was able to look regal even beside luxury cars.

The 10th gen Civic handles better than the Octavia and and a Turbo charged one with a manual would have been tempting, had it been available. But I'd still have got the Octavia since I wanted a fast automatic and try something other than Japanese.

[speedracer05]

Well, I have too have nothing but praises for 3rd Gen city! They just dont make em like this anymore.

I own a 2012 automatic (with sun-roof :P).



What I love about it -

• Lovely looking car to this day

• Best comfort in this price bracket. Especially the large, wide seats

• Acres of space

• Great road and surrounding visibility

• Vtech + "allright handling" = quite a bit of fun

• The half sunroof ticks a box in wife's checklist

• Only Gen that came with a torque convertor automatic (a very good one) + paddle shifters with clutch locking at >60kmpl speeds. This means convenience at low speeds and equal to manual performance at higher speeds.

• Also you can redline the vtech in sports mode + paddle shifters which is not possible in 4th and 5th Gen CVT. Arguably 3nd Gen was the best city automatic

What I dislike about it -

• Low GC, but a pair of Roger abs helped with it. I know a lot of people hate it, but I tinkered around a little and found that putting it on the topmost coil retained near stock plushness and car does not bottom out on speed breakers anymore

• Handling and high speed manners are average at best. I have driven quite a bit of fabia, rapid, ecosports etc and city does not come close to how sorted, well mannered and secure they feel

• Sheet metal, paint and built quality feels average when compared to likes of fabia and rapid

• Missing current age tech. I added a android HU, but miss auto folding ORVMs, 360 camera, TPMS etc

We are in the market for a 2nd automatic, but surprisingly nothing is coming close to our ~9 year old city automatic (without breaking the bank).

[RT13]

Heh. Loving this thread.

My father has the same 2009 in gold. He utterly babied it during the running-in and there were some amazing service guys in Honda Chennai back then. It’s done barely 60k kms since (he retired and it mostly does highway duty and even then the pandemic cut that out). Utterly beautiful engine. As you mentioned, so quiet at idle that more than a couple of times I’ve made the mistake of thinking it was off at a signal and cranked it (much to Dads chagrin).

One thing which I don’t think you’ve covered is the incredible turning radius. It does a u-turn easier than our Alto! Amazingly engineered.

Clearance - a cousin of mine who runs a garage, swapped some bushings for those of a Scorpio few years ago and that has significantly reduced the scraping of the undercarriage. It’s just a few mm but makes a world of a difference.

Noise - just get the doors insulated. You’ve spent a sweet sum on your system anyway, you’ll be amazed what a difference that’ll make. It’ll even make the doors feel heavier and close with a better thunk.

Not sure I agree with you on the speed confidence only up to 100 part. Maybe it’s the tyres. Yokohama tyres on my Dad’s car and it’s rock steady to 130-140.

Seats - man you’re so right! I always loved the seats in his car with the excellent lumbar support but I thought perhaps most cars of that segment and above had it. How wrong I was! Just yesterday I sat in the backseat of a friend’s month-old Skoda Superb. All of 40 big ones on road here in Bangalore. And I was utterly horrified at the lack of lower back support. I have a bit of a dodgy back so my back either thanks me in spades or screams bloody murder. And after 3 hours in them, suffice it to say, it wasn’t happy. Sure the cabin of the Superb looks swish but good lord why would anyone be chauffeured in those back seats?! On the other hand, the 2009 Honda City back seat still feels so inviting.

So much to love about the car that I’ve always had an eye out for one in good shape.

Enjoy yours as long as you can dude.

[Vasanth]

That’s one gorgeous Red Honda city you have. Have you time traveled? Because that doesn’t look like it’s 11 year old. Those reflections on the bonnet took my breath away! Your review was to the point. Being an old owner I can relate to it. I miss this car. We had this generation in Beige colour for 5 years. The i-vtec engine is magical. You just can’t hear it even from the outside.
That chunky steering wheel, fiery orange instrument cluster, from the side profile: the way bonnet and windscreen flows on a single plane are some of my favourite things of this car.
Take care of her. Drive safe.