Team-BHP - 4th-gen Honda City : Official Review

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alive2Drive (Post 3854038)

Compared to the silent Hyundai and FIAT engines, this one will always sound louder. It is just that compared to the initial sound, the NVH levels have improved. Aluminium engines always tend to sound more compared to the others.

Hi Alive, I guess you're talking about the Honda diesel engine's characteristics here. I find the petrol Ivtec quite silent and smooth to the stent of buttery. My primary drive was a Toyota petrol before this which was smooth as well, but I find a Honda petrol to be more refined.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alive2Drive (Post 3854038)

I believe this is the first time someone has termed the FIAT diesel engine as quiet. :)
I drive a Punto and it's quite a raucous beast, but Maruti have tuned the same engine in the Dzire to emit quite low NVH.

I am looking a get myself a new car next year, and City is one of my options.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alive2Drive (Post 3854038)

Yes, I know its no match to the 1.6CRDI unit in the Verna in refinement and NVH levels, but I've already owned a fluidic Verna(albeit a petrol one) for 4 years and now enjoying the 1.6CRDI engine in the Hyundai Creta.

City and Ciaz seem to be the only sensible option in my budget. And Ciaz seems to be under-powered at least on paper with the age old 1.3DDiS engine. I think i'll take back to back test drives of both to judge the pros and cons of each better and then take a call.

So it was time for my CVT to see the doctor for the first visit. Less than a month and a 1000km on the odo. The CVT is a nice car. Love the smooth engine and lovely pickup. Been for a 250km drive on Pune Expressway and NH17. The car was amazing on the Exway, cruising at 100kph at just above 1500rpm delivering me a FE of 19.7k/l (as per MID). Highway manners are quite ok, but the European siblings would be bit superior in terms of highway stability IMO.

Anyway, first service was uneventful. Booked an appointment today with Hallmark Honda Nerul, got same day appointment, took the car, SA did thorough look through and accepted the car around 1130. Said car will be ready by 430. Promptly received call around 430 informing car was ready. Also got complimentary touch up for a scratch to my front bumper, apparently from some 2-wheeler who came kissing my car. Kudos to Hallmark Honda. I've been dealing with them for many years and have always found them very decent and their SA are all very customer focused. Will highly recommend them.

Total bill. Zero. First service absolutely free. clap:

I sent my Honda City (VMT Sunroof) for servicing to Eastern Honda (Kolkata) day before yesterday. On receiving the car I was shocked to see the quality of work done by the workshop especially the washing. Even the areas easily accessible were not up to the mark. Rather than writing, I am attaching some photos which will do the speaking. I would advise all the readers not to use Eastern Honda unless they are brave enough to handle the poor service.

To end, I am sharing this incident which could become a Joke of the Day on any auto website. I had asked for tyre rotation to be done. However, when the car came back, I could make out that it wasn't done (since I recognise the scratches on my alloys and one valve doesn't have a cap). On being confronted, the service advisor said that he had rotated only the rubber tyres but not rotated the alloy wheels since I had not asked for it!!! stupid:

An Interesting Fact that I found out about the ORVM Turn Indicators

I had to break one of those to find this out.lol:

I was in an incident last week involving a cow which broke by Right-Side ORVM ('Shattered it' is the right word).

The Turn Indicators on the ORVM are not actually LED. It's just one single Yellow coloured Bulb inside and mirrors being used to reflect the light from the yellow bulb across the whole band.

Other manufacturers. Try and Beat That in Cost-Cutting!:Frustrati

Quote:

Originally Posted by tejas08 (Post 3857153)

Assembling a turn indicator in a mirror was always cost cutting

No punching a hole in the metal fender (operation + waste cost)
No bracket behind the fender
No Hardware (nuts & bolts) for bracket/indicators (everything is snap fit in the mirrors)
No separate routing of wires (most are electric
you can create additional styling effects depending on the way you put the lines/glass

And we always thought that it was for the better :deadhorse

Got the software upgrade done for my VX CVT yesterday at Ring Road Honda, Gurgaon. The service tech told me that there are 216 cars countrywide affected out of which 84 are being called by this dealership. Looks like quite a few early CVT buyers were from Gurgaon. It took about 15 minutes to download the firmware upgrade once the car was connected to Honda's portal through the OBD reader, and computer.

I've driven about 100kms since yesterday and the car appears to be driving a lot smoother and in a linear delivery at lower speeds which was a little unresolved earlier at times while at very low speeds probably due to a slacker CVT belt. The steering weightage also appears to have gone up a little. Overall, a software upgrade worth the time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by outdoorlover (Post 3857914)

Got mine as well. I received a call from Whitefield Honda for the same. However, due to proximity from my home, I called up Magnum Honda (Yeshwantpur). I spoke to the manager and took a slot for that day. I was told that it'll take about an hour. I reached around 2 in afternoon. I waited for about 10 minutes. The Service head came with a unit in his hands and asked me to show the car. I asked him how much time it'll take and he said it actually takes about 5 minutes but they always ask for an hour's time due to backlog. Luckily that time, there was only 1 car ahead of me for the upgrade and so I got my turn in about 10 minutes. He plugged the machine to the car using the cable to the point below steering wheel. The car keys were turned to mode where all electrical systems turn on (including AC) but not actually starting the car. The firmware update took approx 6-8 minutes. Once it was done, he turned the keys to off mode (where the unit beeped once) and then back to on to complete installation. I was out in about 20 minutes :)

I do feel that car has become more smooth and responsive. The pick up at lower speeds in D mode is much nicer now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by siddd (Post 3856228)

On receiving the car I was shocked to see the quality of work done by the workshop especially the washing. Even the areas easily accessible were not up to the mark.
On being confronted, the service advisor said that he had rotated only the rubber tyres but not rotated the alloy wheels since I had not asked for it!!! stupid:

Sadly, barring a few service stations, who actually uphold work ethos above anything else, its the same story across the board.....I guess we have to take time off, take a prior appointment for servicing and be present there physically to ensure that everything is done as per schedule. Similar thing happened with me when I complained of slightly screeching sound on applying brakes (not from the tyres:)). The service personnel coolly added brake cleaning and servicing in the paid servicing schedule. I was physically present throughout the servicing. When I found the car was being taken for washing on supposed completion of servicing, I asked the service personnel as to why the brake was not serviced to which he replied that " he has cleaned by applying compressed air while checking tyre pressures". Naturally I was not satisfied with this (dumb) reply and took up the matter with the senior service advisor who assured that it would be done once the car went back for the main seal change (refer my previous post). So, it does not matter which manufacturer or dealer it is, most of them have become highly unprofessional, with maybe Eastern Honda leading the lot.

With next service due in a week, I was thinking if switching to synthetic engine oil would increase the replacement interval of oil by 10,000 Kms instead of 5,000 Kms for mineral oil?

I mean taking the car to svc for a complete day for servicing every 5,000 KMs seems to be an issue for us due to time constraints.

What if I switch to synthetic oil and increase the service interval by 10,000 Kms instead of usual 5,000 Kms?

My i-VTEC City has done 35,000 KMs till date, with a bit increase in running, it appears to be a bit cumbersome to spend a whole day for servicing the car every 5,000 KMs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluevolt (Post 3860312)

Bluevolt, while that may sound perfectly logical, Honda is likely to point out to the warranty clause stating that it will be void if you don't follow their guidance. However, I think many might do that post warranty.