Help me choose between Accent CRDi and Honda City GXi/VTEC

vravish · 17th February 2006, 14:07

Hi all, we already have a Baleno and an 800, and are looking for a new car for my dad. My dad will mostly be driven around by a driver. The car would mostly be used for city driving with the occasional out of city run - the total running per month would average out to around 2000 KMs...
We have a budget of around 8L and after a lot of test drives, we have got the short list down to Accent/Accent Viva CRDi and the Honda City GXi/VTEC. The price of the Viva CRDi is being quote at 7.4L and the Accent CRDi is 7.8L while the City ZX GXi is 7.9L and the VTEC is 8.74L.
I am now totally confused as to what to go for!
On the one hand, there is the economy of diesel with petrol like performance, on the other hand, there is the Honda brand and VTEC performance...
Any help regarding the CRDi and City in terms of maintenance costs, FE, rear seat comfort on long drives and any other tit-bits of info that can come only with owning the car is desperately needed...!
Thanks in advance...
Cheers!

suman · 17th February 2006, 14:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by vravish

My dad will mostly be driven around by a driver.

I would suggest Honda City GXI given the fact that he would be chaffeured around. If he drove himself & was an avid motor enthusiast and money was not the consideration, I would say City VTEC.

And, let me play the devil's advocate here - if its Diesel that you want to zero in on....try the Fiesta TDCI ZXI, it should make you feel happier than with the Accent CRDI!

vravish · 17th February 2006, 14:17

Hey Suman, thanks for the quick reply... We did test drive the Fiesta TDCi as well.. the car was ultra smooth though the engine left a little underpowered when we all went together for the test drive... Also we were told by many people that the Ford maintenance costs are very high...

Zappo · 17th February 2006, 14:21

Actually you are trying to compare apples and pears. Diesel and Petrol are two different things altogether. So sort that part out first. Do you need diesel? You say 2000km a month. Is that a conservative estimate? Or is that already a stretch? If 2000 is the max stretch to which you plan to run then maybe you do not a diesel car. That is because the diesel may need a little bit more on the maintenance costs as compared to petrol. In such a case a Honda may be absolutely fine. Also, considering that your father will be chauffered around I think the Accent's rear seat comfort is a bit of a suspect. On the same note you probably do not need a VTec. IMO its worth a VTec only when you are an enthusiast who loves to drive. For people who are chauffered around the requirements are different.

In fact since we are at it why do not you go ahead and check out the Hyundia Elantra. They have reduced the prices to a level where the base petrol now officially sells for a tad less than 7Lakhs. Elantra is the car to be chauffered around in when compared to a C-segmenter like the Accent. It is also bigger, more comfortable and powerful. Also makes a better style statement.

One thing though, the petrol i-DSI Honda City will be more frugal than the Elantra.

RX135 · 17th February 2006, 14:24

In your case, I suggest, Honda City purely for its snob value.

vravish · 17th February 2006, 14:30

Hey Zappo, we did also look at the Elantra but the rear seat sucks on the Elantra, in fact the underthigh support is quite bad. Also the boot is quite small compared to City and Accent...

As for the Petrol vs Diesel argument, the way we looked at it was, we already have a Baleno (Upper C-segment Petrol car) so were considering a Diesel so that we can use it for those long trips without worrying about spending a lot on fuel... So when we started out, we were looking primarily at Diesel cars only... However a friend of our suggested to look at Honda City as it is the most frugal among the Petrol cars... Also my dad pefers petrols as they are smoother... So we thought what the heck and took a test drive - my dad and wife immediately loved the city as compared to the other diesel cars we had test driven till then...

Also we would be using the car without driver at times, say when we go out as a family for weekends and so on, so the car should also be fun to drive...

goldie_malhotra · 17th February 2006, 14:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by vravish

As for the Petrol vs Diesel argument, the way we looked at it was, we already have a Baleno (Upper C-segment Petrol car) so were considering a Diesel so that we can use it for those long trips without worrying about spending a lot on fuel... So when we started out, we were looking primarily at Diesel cars only... However a friend of our suggested to look at Honda City as it is the most frugal among the Petrol cars... Also my dad pefers petrols as they are smoother... So we thought what the heck and took a test drive - my dad and wife immediately loved the city as compared to the other diesel cars we had test driven till then...

hey - if you like the smoothness of petrols, then go for the City, and add the VTEC for the extra performance.

Why bother around with a diesel ?

typeOnegative · 17th February 2006, 14:44

Baleno, upper C segment? Do you have the VXi or the LXi? If the Baleno is upper C segment, then what is the City?

In terms of cost of fuel, I dont think that the Hondas will ever be able to beat the CRDI. Though I cannot say much about the overall cost of ownership. If I were your dad, and since I would then be chauffered around, I would go for the diesel CRDI. Who cares about refinement, when one is not driving.

vravish · 17th February 2006, 14:45

Hey Goldie, you have a City VTEC right? How is your experience with the car?

suman · 17th February 2006, 15:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by vravish

Also we were told by many people that the Ford maintenance costs are very high...

Not true, I'd like them to come up with statistics; I have an Ikon 1.6 zxi for 5 years now and I haven't thought so - the level of indigenisation is much higher now compared to earlier and prices have really come down.

Don't let that bit about high maintenance costs fool you unless someone is comparing with Maruti maintenance costs.

Also, you can go for the TMP (total maintenance plan) they offer for 13.5k that covers you for 30000kms or 2 years - EVERYTHING covered except rubber & fabric; everything by way of material, labour & consumables

shan_jp · 17th February 2006, 16:32

If you zero in on Accent CRDi I would suggest you for Fiesta 1.4 TDCi. Any way power lag is not too much to feel on a realtime road trip. It is much better in terms of comfort, interior and refinement. I dont think you should be wary too much abt maintanence.

goldie_malhotra · 17th February 2006, 17:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by vravish

Hey Goldie, you have a City VTEC right? How is your experience with the car?

its an excellent car with loads of performance & space, great interiors and build-quality, breeze to drive in city traffic, with decently comfortable ride. and fe is 13-14kmpl w/o AC in city.
also quite fun to drive (or revvvv) on highways and very stable too.

no issues so far - but its a new car, with just 3k on the odo.

in short - a great car in its class, if you are not (too) picky about the price

Sumed · 17th February 2006, 17:27

Go for Diesel if you plan to use the car for more than 2500 km per month... If it is going to be less than that and rear seat comfort is what you are looking for... go for City. Once again if you are not going to drive it, ZX will do or else go for VTEC.
I have also heard good things about Optra rear seat comfort so you may want to check it out. (Personaly though I will prefer City).

lamborghini · 18th February 2006, 16:37

Hey bro,
Out of these 2, i would reccomend the NHC GXi.
It should suit your needs quite well especially since it is driver driven.
But IMHO, the Fiesta 1.4D would be perfect for you. They really aren't high maintainance. That is just a rumor and we have 2 Ikons with us and a Fiesta D (which we chose over the City and accent) and th Ikons haven't given us any major problems but my friends accent on the other hand is totaly messed up.
It all depends on how you maintain your car.
Cheers.

sridhar24 · 18th February 2006, 17:24

I feel Accent CRDI should better choice as it will be driven around a chauffer and it gives good economy but otherwise City is is a good choice if you want comfort.

17th February 2006, 14:07	#1
vravish Newbie Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 7 Thanked: 0 Times	Help me choose between Accent CRDi and Honda City GXi/VTEC Hi all, we already have a Baleno and an 800, and are looking for a new car for my dad. My dad will mostly be driven around by a driver. The car would mostly be used for city driving with the occasional out of city run - the total running per month would average out to around 2000 KMs... We have a budget of around 8L and after a lot of test drives, we have got the short list down to Accent/Accent Viva CRDi and the Honda City GXi/VTEC. The price of the Viva CRDi is being quote at 7.4L and the Accent CRDi is 7.8L while the City ZX GXi is 7.9L and the VTEC is 8.74L. I am now totally confused as to what to go for! On the one hand, there is the economy of diesel with petrol like performance, on the other hand, there is the Honda brand and VTEC performance... Any help regarding the CRDi and City in terms of maintenance costs, FE, rear seat comfort on long drives and any other tit-bits of info that can come only with owning the car is desperately needed...! Thanks in advance... Cheers!
	() Thanks

17th February 2006, 14:17	#3
vravish Newbie Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 7 Thanked: 0 Times	Hey Suman, thanks for the quick reply... We did test drive the Fiesta TDCi as well.. the car was ultra smooth though the engine left a little underpowered when we all went together for the test drive... Also we were told by many people that the Ford maintenance costs are very high...
	() Thanks

17th February 2006, 14:21	#4
Zappo Team-BHP Support Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 5,922 Thanked: 2,699 Times	Actually you are trying to compare apples and pears. Diesel and Petrol are two different things altogether. So sort that part out first. Do you need diesel? You say 2000km a month. Is that a conservative estimate? Or is that already a stretch? If 2000 is the max stretch to which you plan to run then maybe you do not a diesel car. That is because the diesel may need a little bit more on the maintenance costs as compared to petrol. In such a case a Honda may be absolutely fine. Also, considering that your father will be chauffered around I think the Accent's rear seat comfort is a bit of a suspect. On the same note you probably do not need a VTec. IMO its worth a VTec only when you are an enthusiast who loves to drive. For people who are chauffered around the requirements are different. In fact since we are at it why do not you go ahead and check out the Hyundia Elantra. They have reduced the prices to a level where the base petrol now officially sells for a tad less than 7Lakhs. Elantra is the car to be chauffered around in when compared to a C-segmenter like the Accent. It is also bigger, more comfortable and powerful. Also makes a better style statement. One thing though, the petrol i-DSI Honda City will be more frugal than the Elantra. Last edited by Zappo : 17th February 2006 at 14:22.
	() Thanks

17th February 2006, 14:24	#5
RX135 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: pune Posts: 2,106 Thanked: 75 Times	In your case, I suggest, Honda City purely for its snob value.
	() Thanks

17th February 2006, 14:30	#6
vravish Newbie Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 7 Thanked: 0 Times	Hey Zappo, we did also look at the Elantra but the rear seat sucks on the Elantra, in fact the underthigh support is quite bad. Also the boot is quite small compared to City and Accent... As for the Petrol vs Diesel argument, the way we looked at it was, we already have a Baleno (Upper C-segment Petrol car) so were considering a Diesel so that we can use it for those long trips without worrying about spending a lot on fuel... So when we started out, we were looking primarily at Diesel cars only... However a friend of our suggested to look at Honda City as it is the most frugal among the Petrol cars... Also my dad pefers petrols as they are smoother... So we thought what the heck and took a test drive - my dad and wife immediately loved the city as compared to the other diesel cars we had test driven till then... Also we would be using the car without driver at times, say when we go out as a family for weekends and so on, so the car should also be fun to drive...
	() Thanks

17th February 2006, 14:44	#8
typeOnegative Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Vikhroli, Mumbai, India Posts: 1,503 Thanked: 27 Times	Baleno, upper C segment? Do you have the VXi or the LXi? If the Baleno is upper C segment, then what is the City? In terms of cost of fuel, I dont think that the Hondas will ever be able to beat the CRDI. Though I cannot say much about the overall cost of ownership. If I were your dad, and since I would then be chauffered around, I would go for the diesel CRDI. Who cares about refinement, when one is not driving.
	() Thanks

17th February 2006, 14:45	#9
vravish Newbie Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 7 Thanked: 0 Times	Hey Goldie, you have a City VTEC right? How is your experience with the car?
	() Thanks

17th February 2006, 16:32	#11
shan_jp BHPian Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bangalore Posts: 32 Thanked: 0 Times	If you zero in on Accent CRDi I would suggest you for Fiesta 1.4 TDCi. Any way power lag is not too much to feel on a realtime road trip. It is much better in terms of comfort, interior and refinement. I dont think you should be wary too much abt maintanence.
	() Thanks

17th February 2006, 17:27	#13
Sumed BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 70 Thanked: Once	Go for Diesel if you plan to use the car for more than 2500 km per month... If it is going to be less than that and rear seat comfort is what you are looking for... go for City. Once again if you are not going to drive it, ZX will do or else go for VTEC. I have also heard good things about Optra rear seat comfort so you may want to check it out. (Personaly though I will prefer City).
	() Thanks

18th February 2006, 16:37	#14
lamborghini Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 6,113 Thanked: 5,760 Times View My Garage	Hey bro, Out of these 2, i would reccomend the NHC GXi. It should suit your needs quite well especially since it is driver driven. But IMHO, the Fiesta 1.4D would be perfect for you. They really aren't high maintainance. That is just a rumor and we have 2 Ikons with us and a Fiesta D (which we chose over the City and accent) and th Ikons haven't given us any major problems but my friends accent on the other hand is totaly messed up. It all depends on how you maintain your car. Cheers.
	() Thanks

18th February 2006, 17:24	#15
sridhar24 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 1,046 Thanked: 88 Times	I feel Accent CRDI should better choice as it will be driven around a chauffer and it gives good economy but otherwise City is is a good choice if you want comfort.
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