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

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrGonzo (Post 4082950)

Posting on behalf of a Non TeamBhp friend.

"Can any one tell me where can I find the VIN on the Honda City 2012. The only thing I can find is under the bonnet, which is of zero help. Any thing precise would be greatly appreciated."

I guess in Honda City 2012, you will find it embossed on a metal, on the B-Pillar (passenger side).

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrGonzo (Post 4082950)

Thanks guys! Found it. It's in the bonnet, right under the windshield. Hard to notice as it's angled a bit downwards.

took delivery of my (Wife's) honda city VX CVT on 29 October 2016
what impacted me the most about taking delivery of this vehicle is how immediately aware you are that its YOUR car and not just a TD vehicle. although driving for 22 years there were moments when i felt like an absolute learner when auto rickshaw or motorist came too close!!! 'sallgood!
will write a detailed review but short points below

the good

very smooth
great looks
instrument cluster and stalks are pretty intuitive
so far the engine has been responsive - although trying to keep the revs down for the first 1000km
more than adequate sound system

the bad

no sat nav on the VX model
rear seat head restraints are foam.... taking you back to the Maruti 800 days
dealer did not walk me thru the entire list of accessories EG - scuff plates on door sills and SAT NAV which is standard in the VX(O) model
tie rods / strut on the left front wheel was rusted - only noticed 2 days later when at 3M for undercoating
in particular i am concerned about what could be an improper weld on the rear left boot but of course the dealership guy said it was nothing to be concerned about - what other response is he going to give a customer to is on the premises to take delivery of the vehicle.

in closing i must thank all you guys who invest so much time effort and energy into writing ON POINT INFORMATIVE reviews which have helped me in this decision

best wishes to T-BHP community

My Honda City Diesel has clocked 57K Kms in odo

Off late clutch is vhard, have signs of gear slipping while shifting gears, is it sign of clutch worn out and need replacement ??

My old Ikon clutch lasted for morethan 90K, still running good.

Do modern day cars clutch worn out more quickly ?? that too from Honda ??

Any one in the forum face a similar problem

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckmraja (Post 4086053)

Ditto

Car is at 59k km. Diesel. Clutch is on its last legs. Gears have also become rough and clunky.
My Jazz's clutch lasted a good 85000km before it gave out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hserus (Post 4087476)

Are you sure about the clutch itself being on its last legs? 59K is a touch early for a clutch. Gears too becoming rough and clunky suggest that you need a lube / fluids topup first.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...zx-clutch.html is a nice thread for any kind of clutch replacement and evaluating whether or not you need one

Yes, the clutch is needing replacement. This is on a car which is primarily used on highways.

As for the gears, I am also pretty confident it needs more lube. But the good people at Delight Honda Faridabad insist that oil levels are OK and "Saar, diesel ke gear aise hi hote hain." Unfortunately, there is no way for the owner to check gear oil levels at his own end. Regardless, gear oil will be replaced at the upcoming 60k service. So, let's see.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hserus (Post 4087486)

Check the gear oil, check any rubber bushes that are on the gearshift that will wear out in time ..

Highway driving means far less use of gears and clutches so they should actually last much longer than a car that is used in stop and start city traffic!!

Get a second opinion from a good mechanic first.

Again, I am quite sure the clutch is dead.

My previous gen Jazz's clutch lasted 85k km. That car has spent it's entire life stuck in Delhi NCR traffic. My Scorpio's clutch also lasts around a lakh km or so. Now, the City's clutch is shot in 60k km, highway running. In direct comparison is the other diesel Amaze in the family, which has the same clutch as the City. That car has again been used locally only and it's clutch is also on its last legs at 35k km.

The point I am trying to make is the deterioration in the quality of parts Honda has been using. On a related note, the City's suspension has also lasted only about 60℅ of the Jazz's suspension life, despite being used on better roads.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hserus (Post 4087476)

Are you sure about the clutch itself being on its last legs? 59K is a touch early for a clutch.

It depends on the quality of the clutch parts, the flywheel, the plate etc. There are instances of clutch wearing down at even 20-30k with no fault of the driver. The easiest sign is slipping, and poor torque displacement which I'm sure the OP has detected also, having driven so many other cars.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain (Post 4087495)

Again, I am quite sure the clutch is dead.
My previous gen Jazz's clutch lasted 85k km. That car has spent it's entire life stuck in Delhi NCR traffic. My Scorpio's clutch also lasts around a lakh km or so. Now, the City's clutch is shot in 60k km, highway running. The point I am trying to make is the deterioration in the quality of parts Honda has been using. On a related note, the City's suspension has also lasted only about 60℅ of the Jazz's suspension life, despite being used on better roads.

Its very evident that Honda is deteriorating, coming from a multiple car owner like you its validated even more. This has almost become a chorus, people who graduate from a Honda to a Honda always say that there is a huge difference between what it was and what it is, and there isn't anything good to say. The clutch should've gone on for at least 20k more given that its largely restricted to highway duties where there isn't much gear changing and absolutely no half-clutch driving.

The 1st Gen Jazz, the earlier Civic and perhaps, the first iteration of the arrow-head City were all built with reasonable quality and great durability. The current gen versions have slipped down the well and how.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hserus (Post 4087486)

Highway driving means far less use of gears and clutches so they should actually last much longer than a car that is used in stop and start city traffic!!..

Not necessary that only city driving should cause premature clutch wear. Cars used for pure city commutes should easily last for 80+ thousand Kms.

Using the 6th gear while driving at speeds less than 60kmph will also cause the clutch to slip and wear out prematurely.
This is not specific to the City, but generally applicable vehicles with tall gear overdrive.
It is important to switch to 6th gear only above 60kmph if you want a longer clutch life.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dark.knight (Post 4087500)

It depends on the quality of the clutch parts, the flywheel, the plate etc. ...

Its very evident that Honda is deteriorating..
.

It would be useful to know if more 4th Generation City users have faced premature clutch wear (less than 75 to 80 K Kms for a typical user), only then can a blanket statement be made on the clutch quality.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain (Post 4087495)

Again, I am quite sure the clutch is dead.
again been used locally only and it's clutch is also on its last legs at 35k km.

The point I am trying to make is the deterioration in the quality of parts Honda has been using. On a related note, the City's suspension has also lasted only about 60℅ of the Jazz's suspension life, despite being used on better roads.

Shreyans, only thing I can say is if you are hot happy with the car, sell it off and buy another. But which one in India within this budget would you get a perfect one? Won't be easy to find.

If you have noticed, niggles on new Toyota Innova Crysta also reported on TBHP.

Solution to this: A surgical strike against quality checks for car manufacturers similar to the black money / fake notes scam.

I think all TBHP members led by the moderators should appeal in PM's twitter account.

Quote:

Originally Posted by adarsh76 (Post 4092094)

Public at large and used car dealers in particular are well aware of Honda's falling standards and the resale value of this 4th gen City is nothing great. It's done 60k+ km. NCR used car markets were anyway spooked by the diesel ban and now they have banned cash. So, as much as I want to, it just does not make financial sense to sell it off.

Personally, I see very few cars under 20L that are a genuinely robust and well engineered product being sold at relatively honest prices. For instance, the Tiago, Grand i10, Ecosport, S Cross and Jetta(base MT). Hopefully, I'll be able to add the Hexa to this list soon.

Quote:

Solution to this: A surgical strike against quality checks for car manufacturers similar to the black money / fake notes scam.

I think all TBHP members led by the moderators should appeal in PM's twitter account.

Jokes aside, there is not much which can be done in a free market. Companies and products have their reputations built over time and you can't deny that. Cars are made and priced accordingly. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy.

On a related note, just about every segment is ripe for disruption today. If someone is brave enough to offer a genuinely word class product priced on cost+ basis, they can really shake up the market.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain (Post 4092193)

So, as much as I want to, it just does not make financial sense to sell it off.

Personally, I see very few cars under 20L that are a genuinely robust and well engineered product being sold at relatively honest prices. For instance, the Tiago, Grand i10, Ecosport, S Cross and Jetta(base MT). Hopefully, I'll be able to add the Hexa to this list soon.

Jokes aside, there is not much which can be done in a free market. Companies and products have their reputations built over time and you can't deny that. Cars are made and priced accordingly. Nobody is forcing anyone to buy.

Resale value for Diesel vehicles might take a hit due to the environmental concerns and the subsequent ban which can happen. But if you keep on waiting its only going to get reduced if yours is a diesel version. If its a Petrol, no need to worry on the resale immediately as long as hybrid petrol versions or electric cars make an entry with competitive pricing.

From the list of cars, none of the cars comes close to the practicality of City or Ciaz especially for someone like me who needs big cabin space including rear side, large boot and a petrol automatic.

I have heard something good about S Cross. But still people are not willing to buy this car. The styling is a turn off for me at least. And based on my experience with my Wagon R, I don't have a good thing to say about Maruti.

I am really serious for what I said about the check on car manufacturers. Good thing is already Airbags are going to be made mandatory as well as crash tests. We have seen how manufacturers were crying to avoid these safety measures just for the sake of profit.

It's a corporate world and the mantra seems to be "Profit is the priority".