[neel911]

Originally Posted by avdhesh15

How much did the whole thing cost you?

3200 for Amaron after giving old battery back. It comes with 2 years guarantee and some additional 2 years maintenance/warranty

[pixantz]

Originally Posted by komalthecoolk

I had already booked the CVT VX and a guilt feeling inside me was killing me for spending 15 Lakhs on a car when I have owned an i10 era for 7 years without major problems except my busted up lower back and aching left knee.

I thought you was going for the Verna because of an 80k discount somewhere mid September and also how you was smitten by its better seating for your back and all your other Hyundai crush story, also contemplating Ecosport after going through umpteen discussions with owners. And what next? You booked a 15lac City!! And the confusion continues....

I've seen people go by their heart, others go with their mind, still others go with vibes, advice, discussion, debates, etc. Then lots of 'em go with Team-bhp too. You've done it all and still say you're confused. Now either we're all missing something here or then have had something potent mixed in our drinks or then we're ok but you have something mixed in your drink and go through it all just for the heck of it,eh?

[themonster]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

I am very happy with XM2. My City as well as Jazz, both are running on the same 205/60R15 tires. They result in a massive improvement in stability, grip, road holding as well as aesthetic appearance. Plus, I have had no issues with punctues or sidewall bulges. Roads are a real piece of work here in Faridabad, so that is high praise from my side. Tire life seems to be pretty good too.

City got these upsized rubbers at around 35k km, and the suspension was already pretty much shot by then. I will not comment on how it affects bump absorption in the long term, but yes, there has been no accelerated wear of ball joints or arms or ends. Alignment does not get disturbed for months together.

Jazz has also run for 30k km on this set of tires. Again, the experience has been very good and I have had no issues whatsoever. The car is at close to 90000 km and is still running on the stock suspension. But the older Jazz was a very sturdy and robust car, quite unlike the current City. So it is not fair to make a direct comparison.

Thanks a ton !!
One last question, Are you running on stock alloys or steel rims?

Originally Posted by komalthecoolk

I actually thought the problem was with me and not the car as long as I was in Bangalore. Bangalore has horrible traffic but reasonably better roads than what Hyderabad currently has. Only after moving to Hyderabad and driving here and busting up my back on my i10 and then going on a 6 days road trip on a friends Tata Zest almost without any pain or tiredness, I realized it's my i10's hard suspension and anti-ergonomic seats that is my problem

I did a test drive of 6 cars back to back on the bad roads I have to use everyday and the most comfortable car considering the suspension + seating + space inside was the new Linea followed by City. I am really unsure of the future of Linea and Fiat, so the next best thing is this. I did do two 5Km test drives on the City CVT and felt realllly comfortable. Of course, I am 6 foot tall and the low seating worries me on very long drives (which I don't do much btw ). I just need to decide between SV-CVT or VX-CVT or come down one notch to Amaze CVT with a smaller engine. Confusion. Confusion.

Hello Komalthecool,
I am gonna jump right into this one.
I am a owner of the new 2014 Honda City VX, and I was one of the people who got my car from the first batch. I drive a Manual petrol i-VTEC, and I have covered about 72,200 odd kms till date.
I am going to be very honest. Most of the City owners here are from the inital production batches, and most of the initial batches had quite a bit of niggles (BHPian Crazy_Driver has made a thread regarding the various niggles). Honda has made an effort in improving the quality of the parts used, but it maybe a little too late (Not for the Aam Aadmi, but for the Team-BHPians in particular).
I am 6 feet 3 inches tall, quite obese (120 kgs) and shoulder width is quite wide.

Some of these points might come as a rant, but I am being very blunt and open about the truth, and what ever I mention are my personal experiences.
-The Driver's seat has about 60% sunken down (since mostly I drive the car) but when I don't drive the car, say for about 2 weeks or so, the foam return to the normal cushioning level for a short period of time; then it reverts back to the same.
-My passenger seat was fine for a long time, as the person who mostly sat there weighed only 55kgs or less. Later, when some of my other friends started regularly sitting there (weighting around 85kgs) the seat has again started sinking there too.
-The leather wrap on the steering wheel is a joke It gives grip, no doubt; but it isnt very soft, and over long journeys, your hands tend to hurt.
-The leather wrap on the gear knob: It doesn't even look premium, the gear box layout fades over 2 years and if you have sweaty palms, the leather becomes rough (sandpaper rough).
-The parts used in Honda Citys manufactured in the year 2016, are way more better than the parts used when i bought my city. The doors feel firmer, the ORVMs close a little more quietly, the outside noise is a little bit more insulated, boot has a spring loaded mechanism, etc.
-Driving pleasure is pretty good in the city, the car glides on highways and its a breeze to drive around the city.
- Coming to your specific city, Hyderabad; I had driven to Hyderabad, more accurately Secunderabad from Bangalore. The drive through the North-south corridor was excellent. But once I reached Shamshadbad, I saw lots of pothole ridden roads (due to the rains), and some were very deep. At the end of my journey, I needed a new bumper and fender lining.(some of the potholes in Secunderabad, especially around the railway station area are like a foot deep. The moral of the story = Always buy a car with good ground clearance. (eg. Scross/Creta/XUV500/Scorpio, etc)
-Mileage: Heavy traffic B2B: 10kmpl
Moderate traffic: 12-13 kmpl
Highway: anywhere from 15-20kmpl depending on driving style.
-Overall, I would say the city is an all rounder, and a pretty descent car; a perfect car for the highways (provided the headlights and the tyres are upgraded) and it has a soul (driving feel). If you would personally ask me, go with what your heart says.
-PS: Honda was very greedy in the starting when they launched the City, now it seems as though they have learn't their lesson; although they have jacked up the prices of the car (plus the government has increased their VAT, and other taxes this year) an their service centers are also greedy (read: Engine dressing; AC disinfection; Wheel Balancing, Rat Repellent)

PSS: I didn't mean to offend anyone by giving the above points, I just gave my perspective of the Honda City which I own; and since usually they delay in delivering my car at service centers, I got a chance to compare it with other Citys manufactured later on.

The City which I own will always be special for me; as it's my first car, and it has taken me all around south India (as of now); and it has been with me in every situation possible, even on lonely highways in the dead of night, cross country trips with friends and family, everything. It's just that Honda could have done better, the previous gen Accords, Civics and Citys are legends.

BTW no offense to all the BR-V owners on the forum; but Honda ready played pin the part on the Mobilo for the BR-V

[varunsangal]

Originally Posted by samy1117

... IMO, Cruise control is not fuel efficient as it slows down the car's momentum in declines and burns more fuel in inclines to match the set speed...

...I know that City's system is bit enthusiastic with the mileage figures and overstates it bit. Still, it's very good mileage...

Agree, the cruise control is possibly not the best for Indian conditions where the variation in the speed is fairly high. Also, no on-board computer (as yet) can match the human brain processing to accelerate just enough to keep the average yet return to same speed given the road ahead. I have stopped using it now.

IMO, City over states its mileage by 5-10% assuming no error at the filling station. What's your comparison of tankful to tankful vs City's on-board system?

Originally Posted by neel911

...Still trying to figure out why the battery lasted only 2.5 years.

Sometimes its just 'one of those pieces' which passed QC but were not up to scratch. Rare but not unknown.

Also, a lot is to be said for how battery is used. For e.g. leaving the car with ignition turned on (listening to music with engine turned off) reduces the battery life. Or not checking the battery water (even the maintenance free batteries have to be checked).

[adarsh76]

Seeing some of the bitter experiences from a few owners, seems there are some genuine issues in the New City although I have faced only a few niggles which were promptly repaired and never came back again.

But, my driving per month is mostly between 950 - 1000 kms and rarely goes upto 1200 kms. I'm wondering if that short driving is what not causing me much problems.

@CrazyDriver - FYI - In your niggles post, there was a complaint which I'd mentioned i.e. Accelerator pedal vibration at high speeds. Just want to let everyone know that it's not a complaint. This usually occurred on highway driving in 'S' mode with full load and on accelerating hard during overtaking or going steep uphill. When I informed this to Honda A.S.S. they had an investigation and told while accelerating too much on 'S' mode I need to up the gear manually using the paddles since the engine RPM comes closer to the redline. I tried that way and yes that was correct.

So, later I asked them how does SV CVT which does not have paddles adjust to this kind of driving? What they said is, for that model when vibration occurs the driver needs to adjust by taking foot of the accelerator for a split second and compensate. I don't know in real world if any SV CVT owners have faced this issue.

[samy1117]

Originally Posted by varunsangal

IMO, City over states its mileage by 5-10% assuming no error at the filling station. What's your comparison of tankful to tankful vs City's on-board system?

True. In tankful to tankful, City's on-board system shows about 0.4 KMPL higher than actual mileage. I usually get around 23 to 24 KMPL in tankful to tankful method. If my actual mileage is 23.2 KMPL, City's system would show 23.6 KMPL on average.

Not sure about the effects of having bit bigger tires (195/60R15) on the mileage figures. My guess is that the bigger tires will have impact of atleast +0.25% on mileage figures.

[komalthecoolk]

Originally Posted by pixantz

I thought you was going for the Verna because of an 80k discount somewhere mid September and also how you was smitten by its better seating for your back and all your other Hyundai crush story, also contemplating Ecosport after going through umpteen discussions with owners. And what next? You booked a 15lac City!! And the confusion continues....

I've seen people go by their heart, others go with their mind, still others go with vibes, advice, discussion, debates, etc. Then lots of 'em go with Team-bhp too. You've done it all and still say you're confused. Now either we're all missing something here or then have had something potent mixed in our drinks or then we're ok but you have something mixed in your drink and go through it all just for the heck of it,eh?

Haha, I thought no one would have noticed me lurking around the different threads and yes, I have been influenced by various official and personal reviews and vendor discounts etc. But one eye opening weekend, I test drove multiple cars back to back on the bad roads I had to traverse. Putting comfort first, my whole world turned upside down and I ended up with City CVT as the most comfortable and fun car to have. However, I see a lot of complaints mixed with love from the City owners on this thread.

Originally Posted by themonster

The City which I own will always be special for me; as it's my first car, and it has taken me all around south India (as of now); and it has been with me in every situation possible, even on lonely highways in the dead of night, cross country trips with friends and family, everything. It's just that Honda could have done better, the previous gen Accords, Civics and Citys are legends.

BTW no offense to all the BR-V owners on the forum; but Honda ready played pin the part on the Mobilo for the BR-V

Thanks for your impartial feedback about the City. I was ready to shell out 15L for the top end CVT but am starting to feel that even a lot of City owners feel like it's not worth it. If I'm not getting value for money even at this price range, may be it's time to dial down the notch a little and explore some options lower. I wonder if people think even smaller Hondas like the Jazz CVT are not value for money. Thank you all for being honest about your experiences with your cars

[varunsangal]

Originally Posted by samy1117

True. In tankful to tankful, City's on-board system shows about 0.4 KMPL higher than actual mileage. I usually get around 23 to 24 KMPL in tankful to tankful method. If my actual mileage is 23.2 KMPL, City's system would show 23.6 KMPL on average.

Not sure about the effects of having bit bigger tires (195/60R15) on the mileage figures. My guess is that the bigger tires will have impact of atleast +0.25% on mileage figures.

The difference in figures for my City remains between 5-10%.

Wider tires would definitely have an effect on the FE figures. The Swift's mileage dropped 2kmpl when I switched from 165 to 185. However not sure how it impacts the figures on the on-board system.

There has been some discussion to figure out the working of the on-board system elsewhere as well, but no conclusion.

[Shreyans_Jain]

Originally Posted by themonster

Thanks a ton !!
One last question, Are you running on stock alloys or steel rims?

Stock alloys. Note that I keep the tires inflated to 26-28psi. Ride gets too bumpy at 30.

[pixantz]

Originally Posted by komalthecoolk

I was ready to shell out 15L for the top end CVT but am starting to feel that even a lot of City owners feel like it's not worth it. If I'm not getting value for money even at this price range, may be it's time to dial down the notch a little and explore some options lower. I wonder if people think even smaller Hondas like the Jazz CVT are not value for money. Thank you all for being honest about your experiences with your cars

Tell you what bro, if we start setting all our values in life totally according to what others experienced we would be forgetting to live and enjoy our own life. Yes, keeping them as a reference is helpful but not to the hilt. Personal experience always matters. You yourself have driven all those which interested you and came out liking the City. That pretty much says a lot doesn't it? At some point you will have to put your faith somewhere.

Most of the recent buyers have confirmed that build quality has improved in the recent batches. Anyway you look at it, as a package, the City is indeed a hard to beat product if you are even a bit of an enthusiast and not a point-A-to-point-B types. Yes, at times the price is a wee bit on the upper side but personally I think its worth it. Maybe you can choose another variant and be happier.

Sometimes I wonder, if people have 15 lacs to spend on a City and then crib on the value, how come they didn't put a couple of lacs more and go for the Altis?? I imagine they would certainly have better build quality and "value" as they call it there? Or the better "built" Linea for that matter? Or the Verna? There is a reason. What is that reason?? Go figure.

[hserus]

Originally Posted by adarsh76

@CrazyDriver - FYI - In your niggles post, there was a complaint which I'd mentioned i.e. Accelerator pedal vibration at high speeds. Just want to let everyone know that it's not a complaint. This usually occurred on highway driving in 'S' mode with full load and on accelerating hard during overtaking or going steep uphill. When I informed this to Honda A.S.S. they had an investigation and told while accelerating too much on 'S' mode I need to up the gear manually using the paddles since the engine RPM comes closer to the redline. I tried that way and yes that was correct.

Let us say that I've seen this even on my wife's 2009 i10 that I bought some months back for her to learn driving.

She wasn't terribly good at switching gears and would frequently try to take the car upto say 40..45 but in second gear. Then occasionally the engine would rev even if she took her foot off the accelerator.

Pressing gently once on the accelerator would sort it out, that and upshifting to at least third.

So I guess it comes down to learning the driving style appropriate for your car as even an old fashioned manual can run into such an issue.

When you're in S mode the transmission will hold each gear for a bit longer than it would in D mode, to boost the engine rpm - but that's equivalent to trying to accelerate to high speeds in a low gear in a manual. The way you drove was probably the equivalent of hitting 100+ in third gear, which would certainly cause issues.

Use S for the initial punch in acceleration but for sustained driving stick to D mode instead of flooring the pedal on S is very good advice from your ASS.

[Shashankjk]

Originally Posted by pixantz

Personal experience always matters. You yourself have driven all those which interested you and came out liking the City. That pretty much says a lot doesn't it? At some point you will have to put your faith somewhere.

Most of the recent buyers have confirmed that build quality has improved in the recent batches. Anyway you look at it, as a package, the City is indeed a hard to beat product if you are even a bit of an enthusiast and not a point-A-to-point-B types.

Sometimes I wonder, if people have 15 lacs to spend on a City and then crib on the value, how come they didn't put a couple of lacs more and go for the Altis?? I imagine they would certainly have better build quality and "value" as they call it there? Or the better "built" Linea for that matter? Or the Verna? There is a reason. What is that reason?? Go figure.

Nicely said. Couldnt Resist liking this post and thanking. On a serious note, people in India go for the brand, the legacy and pride that gets associated with owning a honda and the amazing ivtec engine.

[pixantz]

Originally Posted by Shashankjk

people in India go for the brand, the legacy and pride that gets associated with owning a honda and the amazing ivtec engine.

This got me thinking and I realised that as far as I've seen, Indian buyers, around 99℅, may be going for the brand or maybe the pride of owning a particular brand. But as far as 'legacy' is concerned, only about 1℅ of the remaining buyers are really aware of the legacy of a brand and allow that aspect to have an influence on their choice about buying a car.

Being aware of the legacy of a company makes a huge difference to the outlook you have towards an automobile company, I think. It makes you see things in a different light and when you see a particular model and the nuances, you know exactly where they are coming from. What the company stands for, what is the DNA, what you can expect from it, what is that one irresistable quality, or two, which makes your heart fall in love, how you associate reliability and/or other traits with the brand are among many things which make up an image. It makes you like/love or dislike a particular brand/car. It's like a matter of the heart.

But on further thoughts I also realise that everyone is not capable of that inclination towards the technical aspects. Most of the time. Everyone can't be an enthusiast in that level. To each his/her own and all is well as long as you're enjoying yourself and having fun :thumbup: .

The scene here is buying a car means firstly, how much is it going to cost me and more importantly, how much is it going to sell off for when I'm done. All else falls between these two points. People even choose the colour based on resale value!! Can you believe that? Well it's true. Its pretty rugged out there. I know a couple of people who love the Kinetic Blue colour of the EcoSport but have gone ahead and bought the silver just to be "on the safer side" resale value wise. What that effectively means is that you choose the colour of your car not based on what you like but based on what the guy you sell it to will like! Boss, it doesn't get smarter than this ) . Value value all the way.

No offence to anyone. I was just sharing some of my observations. Happy motoring.

[Shashankjk]

Originally Posted by pixantz

This got me thinking and I realised that as far as I've seen, Indian buyers, around 99℅, may be going for the brand or maybe the pride of owning a particular brand. But as far as 'legacy' is concerned, only about 1℅ of the remaining buyers are really aware of the legacy of a brand and allow that aspect to have an influence on their choice about buying a car.

Oh..my bad. Actually I meant the image and history not in terms of decades but over past couple of years and a past few models. Realised that it would be wrong to call it legacy.

Actually legacy builds up an image over time and folks fall for the image. People forget or even don't understand the legacy and go for what the brand image stands for. Example - Suzuki is known for cost effective cars with good resale value. Honda probably for reliability as seen, especially for last few generations(though this gen has thrown up surprises in earlier batches:o). That doesn't mean that other cars aren't reliable or cost effective. My first car was a Maruti and it was always reliable but still you would associate reliablility with Toyota and Honda more for private vehicles. Similarly I would associate low cost of ownership and hassle free maintenance with Maruti more than Hyundai or any other brand.

Keep in mind that image does change over continued good feedback as we have seen in good interior quality of Hyundai which has seen a marked improvement over previous years.

As far as thinking about resale value goes, you are right but I would probably give less weightage to that than my favourite color. Though I agree that it plays on the mind of a first time buyer.

[adarsh76]

Originally Posted by hserus

Let us say that I've seen this even on my wife's 2009 i10 that I bought some months back for her to learn driving.

She wasn't terribly good at switching gears and would frequently try to take the car upto say 40..45 but in second gear. Then occasionally the engine would rev even if she took her foot off the accelerator.

Pressing gently once on the accelerator would sort it out, that and upshifting to at least third.

So I guess it comes down to learning the driving style appropriate for your car as even an old fashioned manual can run into such an issue.

When you're in S mode the transmission will hold each gear for a bit longer than it would in D mode, to boost the engine rpm - but that's equivalent to trying to accelerate to high speeds in a low gear in a manual. The way you drove was probably the equivalent of hitting 100+ in third gear, which would certainly cause issues.

Use S for the initial punch in acceleration but for sustained driving stick to D mode instead of flooring the pedal on S is very good advice from your ASS.

Yes, exactly as you said. In fact, I was of the notion that in 'S' mode too the gear would up shift automatically. I always use 'D' mode for normal driving, 'S' mode is only used while overtaking. Have to say that the acceleration in 'S' mode is really great. Don't have enough good roads in Kerala to enjoy 'S' mode though.

Anyways, I did this sort of driving only once or twice. After that, I am using paddles to up shift and have a seamless overtaking whenever required.