[bluevolt]

@TS,

I will suggest you to go and TD both cars. But the issue is that you will not be able to make a correct decision as one is petrol and other is diesel. First make out whether it will be Diesel or Petrol and then shortlist cars.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Honda City service costs would be around 30-40% cheaper than the Rapid's, but Honda insists on meeting your car every 5k km (though the costs are nominal) and replace oil every 10k km (mineral oil).

We have to change engine oil every 5K KMs and oil filter every 10K KMs for Honda City i-VTEC. May be earlier it was 10K KMs for IDSI variant.

Originally Posted by subodh

Honda is at the end of its product cycle as next Honda city will be launched next year and Rapid is brand new in market

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

The Honda City is pretty much at the end of its product life cycle and is due for a revamp sometime in the near future.

I see no new model at least till 2014 auto expo.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

We have to change engine oil every 5K KMs and oil filter every 10K KMs for Honda City i-VTEC. May be earlier it was 10K KMs for IDSI variant.

@bluevolt: Thanks. My apologies. It's 5k km intervals for mineral oils and 10k km for synthetic oils. Honda is a little paranoid about the oil change intervals, but it does more good than harm! Thankfully, their charges for oil are pretty reasonable at the service centres, at par with the cost of the same grade of oil in the market (not the same case with Skoda).

[AltoHoncho]

I am also considering a purchase of Honda City CE, looking at the proven record, Honda reliability and the price within the affordable EMI bracket. I am not able to find a review on the HC-CE edition especially any ownership one. The company brochure mentions no 'Advanced Audio system' but does it have a basic one by any chance?
I am impressed by the no-compromise/differentiation on safety features on this variant by Honda and thats one of the key reasons of my inclination to this one.

Any ownership review/advice or interior pics of the CE variant would help me in making a firm decision of the purchase.

[chevelle]

Originally Posted by AltoHoncho

I am also considering a purchase of Honda City CE, looking at the proven record, Honda reliability and the price within the affordable EMI bracket. I am not able to find a review on the HC-CE edition especially any ownership one. The company brochure mentions no 'Advanced Audio system' but does it have a basic one by any chance?
I am impressed by the no-compromise/differentiation on safety features on this variant by Honda and thats one of the key reasons of my inclination to this one.

Any ownership review/advice or interior pics of the CE variant would help me in making a firm decision of the purchase.

You can get an ownership review by Nitin below. CE doesn't have any audio system. Better to get one installed outside like Nitin did.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-d...ed-hooked.html

[abhifever]

Thanks a Lot for all your inputs.
I did contact the local dealers over the phone and enquired about the possibility of a CE. To my surprise he blatantly ignored the possibility of a delivery before June and was pitching for an upsell. He tells me that Honda is not very keen on that model and it's just to attract the attention of a prospective buyer.

So I might as well wait till I reach India and then decide on one.

[manishkapadia]

Having owned a city for the past 2 years and also have a Civic ( 5 years old ) and Jazz ( Year old ) in the family i can say that once you have a honda you will love the reliability of the vehicle .
There are more chances that you can keep a honda for a longer duration then a skoda vehicle due to the reliability / cost of running factor.

Hondas are no nonsence cars which are fun to drive. The City engine is also quite rev happy and you will enjoy redlining it.

There are 2 Skodas in my inlaws family . A superb and another Laura . Both of them are about 2- 3 years old and have spent a lot more than my city for upkeep and maintenance. Electronic failures happen in skodas and are rare in honda ( Actually all Japs ) . My inlaws they are of opinion that they will not buy skodas in future after their relatively new Superbs DSG gearbox failed.

[Baburajs]

First decide whether its a diesel or a petrol Then your question is actually answered. Being a VW vento owner I can vouch for the quality of the car. It should be similar in case of rapid. It is a hoot to drive and feels quite good . It has much better balanced suspension that city which will help in the pot hole ridden speed breaker prone roads of India. I havent scrapped anywhere in bangalore with my vento which says very much.

But as people say City is a no nonsense car with a great engine . the only problem I have with city is a very very dead steering ( more than the rapid ) and the very soft suspension. Am I am not a fan of interiors of City which is a little garish for my taste . but that is completely individual preference .

Go with you heart I will say .

[bluevolt]

Originally Posted by Baburajs

and the very soft suspension. .

This issue is well sorted out by Honda in the 2012 model. No fear of bottoming out every now and then.

[nitin.rai]

Originally Posted by bluevolt

This issue is well sorted out by Honda in the 2012 model. No fear of bottoming out every now and then.

True that, having done about about 700 kms in my 12 City.

[mnemonic]

Here are my two cents:

You mentioned that you have been in the US since 2007, this means automatics. Typically, repatriates have a challenge with manuals when they come back to India. In case you are one of them, then why not consider the crop of automatics like the Vento, Honda and the New Ford Fiesta?

Even if you are not one of those easy going auto box lovers, getting used to a diesel will take some time and effort. Would you take a liking to the torque and forgive the diesel clatter and hum? This is something only you can answer. I would rather that you come down, take both the cars for long test drives and decide based on it.

Also- a fellow friend and colleague who is going through the same predicament, albeit in NCR found the City to be wanting when faced with cratered roads, which Bengaluru has in abundant supply i presume. The Rapid/Vento on the other hand will perform admirably better under our standard "testing" conditions.

My personal pick would be the Rapid over the City, but am not known for my rational thinking when it comes to cars (I own Fiats), so I would leave it to you.

cheero!

[InfinteLoop]

Originally Posted by abhifever

As this is my first entry into this distinguished Forum,let me start off with a BIG Hi!!
I Have been an ardent reader of this community and a huge afficionado of various Test Drive reports in it.Now,for the obvious reasons that this is a car enthusiasts place,
I have found the information on every entry to be worth my time.Looking forward to be a part of this in the coming years!!

Now coming to my query/concern:-
I am in the US since 2007 and am looking forward to owning a Car once I am back next month.
Have paid advance for a Swift ZDI , but the recent price hikes are demotivating and I was wondering why not think about a Sedan considering the 'not considerable' price difference.

My Picks:-
Have been reading a lot off late about Skoda Rapid TDi(Ambition) and the ANHC(CE).Irrespective of my monthly usage I would prefer one of the below mentioned cars
Why Rapid?
Highly successful Diesel Engine.
'Premium' brand value.Not sure how premium though .
Strong build and planted drive,a driving enthusiasts car.
I like the looks on paper.Haven't seen this car in person.

Why not Rapid?(This is where I need your valuable inputs)
I did read in a forum that the maintainence could be 8 to 10K for the first three years following which it could shoot up to 20K annually.Could you please validate this?
Skoda has discounted itself from a 'Premium' brand to a 'not so Premium' brand in India and considering that it's contained
by VW makes its future more unpredictable-could be for good or bad.Having said that can we speculate the resale value of this car 5 to 6 years from today?

Why Honda City?
A very trusted brand/car in India.
Awesome looks,complimented with an even better engine.Good value for money.
Good resale value.
Maintainence is supposedly much cheaper than Skoda Rapid.

Please help me in making a decision.I know it's not a Black or White answer, but your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Kindest Regards!!
Abhilash

No brainer I would go for a Rapid.
a few things for you to ponder over.
1. The sheet metal thickness of rapid is much higher as compared to the city which translates to safety.
2. Diesel Efficiency is future and inflation proof. You wont be able to tell when the fuel prices will be hiked up again. What ever happens, if you own a diesel, you will still have the most economical running machine over petrol(Provided you drive as much - Diesel cars or not meant for the occasional weekend running around).
3. Honda is planning to release diesel cars - when this happens the resale values of the petrol variants of the Honda will be further hit. Also, due to price correction of over 1 lakh recently for the Honda city, I doubt the older Honda owners are getting the same resale value they enjoyed for all these years.
4. the Rapid Ambition is unbeatable VFM.
5. Even if you have budget for Rapid Elegance, you can go for the ambition and use the saving for fitting an high end ICE!! Stock ICE of the Elegance & NHC just does the job.
6. You need to send the city in for service 3 times the first year. Rapid needs visit to the service center only after 1year/15000 kms after delivery of the vehicle(I guess service costs work themselves out).
7. Basically to make your decision easy - Rapid - go for it if you drive and love driving. City - go for it if you want a car to put in the show case with the occasional drive.

If you are the normal working class - after buying a petrol vehicle, your days will be spent deciding whether to take the bike or the car for the regular trips. If you buy diesel car - your bike will most probably be on the classifieds the very next week.

[GenuineOptimist]

Originally Posted by abhifever

Thanks a Lot for all your inputs.
I did contact the local dealers over the phone and enquired about the possibility of a CE. To my surprise he blatantly ignored the possibility of a delivery before June and was pitching for an upsell. He tells me that Honda is not very keen on that model and it's just to attract the attention of a prospective buyer.

This is actually true. Honda has apparently told all dealers not to actively sell the Corporate Edition because the profitability is less. The CE is just a signal model to convey to the market a Honda city is even available for less than 7 lakhs ex-showroom (it is 6.99 lakhs).

I'm disappointed with this approach by Honda. After-all what is the point from a customer perspective to just show a model in the brochure and then discourage buyers from it? This appears that Honda is disrespecting the serious Indian car-buyer.

[paragpatankar]

I spoke to the SA at Magnum Honda today, and he said current Honda City CE waiting is now 4 months in Bangalore. But other variants are available within couple of weeks. Makes sense from Honda perspective to sell the higher margin models while they still have latent demand , but I guess once that dries up, Honda will need to rethink. The glut of Sedans in the 5-10 L segment will make them think I hope.

[pamiboy]

I like the looks and features of both these cars and would like to know which of these two cars (City or diesel rapid or the vento) would be preferable in roads over ghat section (with steep inclines) and long drives.