[Shreyans_Jain]

Here’s the thing. It’s is understandable that you want to buy the City as you are smitten. Perfectly acceptable argument. But do note that if you think objectively, there are better cars to be had for the money you are looking to spend, especially as you are open to buying pre owned. It is 2021 and the Honda City is nobody’s first choice, except those who want a City only. 4th Gen or 5th becomes moot.

[AutoConsultant]

A lot of people have answered the comparison between the 2 models. I would just like to highlight a couple of points :-

1. Even if you buy it next year, there will be very few ZX CVT 5th Gen options available in the market, and if someone is selling them in a couple of years (launched in July 2020) there is a higher probability that these could be defective/accidental products

2. Just experience both the cars once, make your own judgement on the magnitude of difference between the two and then ask yourself whether the 3 lac premium is worth it. If you are planning to keep it for 7-8 years and feel that 4th gen's age might start to show in a couple of years, go for the 5th gen

I would recommend you go for the 4th gen if you are satisfied with its various aspects, it would be much more VFM. (This is coming from a 5th gen ZX MT owner - I plan to keep it for a longer duration and hence went with the latest model. Also, the ZX for 4th gen was discontinued. Moreover, the 5th gen is pretty rare on the road so that feels good especially after owning a Baleno )

[GaryTSI]

While I haven't been in the 5th gen City, There is a 4th gen City ZX CVT in my family and overall it is a good car but there are some specific things you may wanna watch out for,
The Infotainment screen isn't the best, no android auto nor apple car play, the inbuilt map navigation feels old and the worst issue is, these screen are notoriously glitchy also another thing to be pointed out that the backup camera resolution is quite bad and doesn't get adaptive guidelines and no parking sensors. In my case the touch response stopped working and it took us 10 months to get it replaced under warranty.
There will be some levels of little creaks and niggle from behind the Dashboard at times which automatically disappear and reappear time to time.
Maintaining the giant Gloss Black Plastic stuck in the middle of the dashboard is a cumbersome job, it's a fingerprint, dust and scratch magnet
The windows do feel a bit shaky when they're put down.
Please upgrade the tires to maybe 195 or just a better compound because it feels way undertired.
Please check out the Carpets as they're fabric and can get stained very easily but more importantly please check the carpet in the drivers footwell as the heel of the driver can easily cause a massive hole after being used a lot.

Apart from these concerns, the car itself is quite good. The engine is responsive and lives up to its reputation and even the fuel economy is very impressive, my dad manages to get around 14 in a city like Gurgaon and 24 on the highways, the CVT is quite good for what it is, low rubberband effect and generally gets the works done even under 2500 rpm but you can also use the paddle shifters if you are in a more enthusiastic mood. The seats are very comfortable and supportive and wouldn't be hard to get a good driving position, Nice and large Rear View Mirrors as well which do come in handy while parking. Apart from the Infotainment Screen, the car has pretty much every other modern luxury someone would want, LED lights throughout the car, Sunroof, Automatic Wipers and Lights, Eco mode, Sport mode and all useful technology.

At the end of the day, both the 4th gen and 5th gen make quite a compelling argument, so it's down to your own personal preference,
While the 4th gen might look better and cost you less, the 5th gen does package more technology and gets you slightly better built

[venkyhere]

One thing which I recognized only recently - the 5th gen city doesn't get wheel well cladding at all. Is the 4th gen also the same ? What about the earlier gens (dolphin and arrow) ? Quite surprising, considering the "premium pricing" (always highest in segment) Honda charges for the City.

[tirumalavoleti]

Strongly suggest 5th gen city. Must have features missed in 4th gen:
Traction Control
Hill hold
Nice Headunit supporting Android and Apple
DOHC engine
Better build(again percieved)
Not must, but good to have:
Lane watch camera

[dust-n-bones]

While 4th and 5th generation may have their relative strengths, whats with all Honda sedans in India wearing that garish chrome bar on the front, in chrome at that?

Is it only me who finds this bucktoothed jewelry a bit much?

[Aravind_M92]

Everyone would be proud of their holdings. But to pass on a car to a new owner doesn’t mean he too has to share the shortcomings current owners have been facing at. Honda City has clearly made progress over the previous generation. Be it even the Second gen City. The car does hold up it’s chassis well. But the sheet metal parts are getting thinner by each generation

Pros of the 5th gen
- Bigger car
- DOHC engine
- Better Power output, but I believe power to weight ratio is same
- Better interiors
- 4 airbags
- Company fit Projector headlight
- better refinement and NVH levels
- Slightly better resale value
- If you’re getting it next year, you still will be under warranty

Pros of the 4th gen
- Personally I felt the handling is a little better. (Maybe because the 4th gen is my daily driver)
- The front seats feel more comfortable
- SOHC engine
- Don’t have to wait another year to get a car!
- comparatively lesser electric parts. Few parts to worry about

If you want a car city traffic and daily comfortable run, get the CVT. Manuals sure are for enthusiasts. But aren’t we all hypocrites! I see the shift to automatic cars in India is slowly catching up. And sure in a near foreseeable future, there might be more of autonomic cars.

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by Aravind_M92

Pros of the 5th gen

- DOHC engine

Originally Posted by Aravind_M92

Pros of the 4th gen

- SOHC engine

Not following. Is this a typo ?

[speedracer05]

I too was looking for a used 4th gen city automatic, but ended up getting a 2012 3rd gen zx. Following reasons swayed my decision.. hope it helps
1. 5th gen is overpriced
2. Both 4th and 5th gen have complaints of build quality (cabin noise, plastic creaking etc). 3rd gen is considered best built honda city by many.
3. 3rd gen has torque converter (a good one) which is way more fun to drive compared to CVT in 4th and 5th gen.
4. You can get 3rd gen in pristine condition for under 5l

Mine was 2012, zx automatic, 30k driven. Had full ASS service history and interiors looked brand new. I have been driving it for a few months and see no can noises or creak or any issues. Thanks to torque converter driving is a lot more fun compared to CVT of 4th, 5th gen.

I spent a little on new tyres a good android head unit and parking sensors and cameras. With these upgrade, this car feels right at home with 2021 car tech.
IMO if you find a good 3rd gen automatic, you driving experience will be better that 4th, 5th gen (especially considering the price)

[PrasannaDhana]

Having test driven both the cars, I would pick up the 5th Gen anyday.

True, it is 2 lakhs more expensive for the same VX trim, but gets 2 more airbags, much better interiors, seats and it will make you the difference during resale.

Personally 5th Gen feels built better than the 4th Gen.

Oh wait, you are looking at pre-owned cars?

Forget the city, buy a Rapid 1.5 tdi(Monte Carlo if you want to be unique) and enjoy far more enjoyable driving dynamics and build quality. Ride quality is pretty close too.

[for_cars1]

Having owned the 4th Gen City for 7 years and 90K KM as on date, I believe I'm qualified to comment on the same. One aspect that's really amazing is the supreme reliability and fill it shut it forget it kind of experience offered by the car.

It's still running on its first clutch at 90K KM. I remember the sales guy who sold me the car telling me "sir, you'll have to change the clutch at about 40K KM as it's a diesel and high torque engine, it will wear out" and I was thinking that sounds stupid.

Generally I've observed in my previous cars that at any point in time, there will be some small niggle or the other, for eg: some random button not working properly, some bulb. But in case of the 4th Gen City, it has been an absolutely niggle free experience (touch wood). Everything just works the way it should, period. Just needing the prescribed periodic servicing and consumables. Apart from that I've done one Tyre change at 29K KM and replaced brake disks at 60K KM.
They have engineered the car really well be it space, comfort, fuel efficiency, reliability, good build, even ground clearance with full load has been good enough.

I cannot comment on the 5th Gen City not having owned one. But I don't like it's looks from the rear angle and those bucket shaped tail lights look weird.

[landcruiser123]

Your choice will be dictated by what other cars you have in the garage.

If this'll be your only (or primary) car, I'd go for a newer model if all other conditions are met. OTOH, if you have a nicer car at home and this car will be secondary, go for the 4th gen City and save some $$$.

Originally Posted by 07CR

With this in mind, can someone help me in determining if the 3+L premium for a 5th Gen City would be worth it, or should I go with the 4th Gen City ZX CVT rightaway? How good is the 5th gen WRT to 4th gen in following criteria-

[mohitchalla]

Overall, the cars compare neck and neck and the 4th generation is much more value for money.

If you are stretching your budget for the 5th generation City, I would recommend you to aim for the Toyota Corolla Altis (latest generation sold in India). That car is a segment above in every possible way.

P.S.: Ground Clearance issue plagues almost all sedans sold in India. Rather than worrying about it and letting it affect your purchase decision, just remedy it by adding spacers on the rear suspensions.

[Nav-i-gator]

Having driven both the cars quite extensively (I own 5th Gen now), let me put my views as well. Hope that helps.

1. Space wise, there is not much difference. The seat comfort is slightly better in 5th Gen.

2. I hate that thick chrome bar at the front, on both gen's . 4th Gen facelift have a thinner chrome strip though, which looks less garish.

3. Interiors, at least look wise, are much better in 5th gen.

4. Biggest difference is on the safety and convenience front though. 5th gen comes with all the safety features right from the base V variant. And android auto/car play as well.

5. Touch screen is just average on 5th gen, but even less so in 4th Gen. Don't get me wrong, it does the job. But there are much better touch screens available on lesser segment cars.

6. Lane watch Camera is a good feature. But the Camera itself (including the rear camera) is not good in terms of resolution. Rear camera does not have adaptive guidelines, but do come with 3 modes - normal, wide angle and zoom, which is helpful in parking in tight spaces.

7. Ground clearance - I have not found any issue with GC itself, but the 5th Gen front overhang is l-o-n-g, so we need to plan/be careful while taking on steep slopes. 4th Gen also have this, but slightly lesser.

8. CVT - 5th Gen is better in controlling the rubberband effect. it is quite discernable when you try to enthusiastically launch the car from standstill, or nudge a bit while driving sedately. But in kick down mode - let's say you are slowly accelerating to 30KMPH and suddenly push the A pedal all the way, it takes about a quarter of a second, and then it flies - all the way to Revv limiter!! It can give a lot of TC or maybe even frugally tuned DCT cars a surprise in kick-down mode (20-80 or 40-100 KMPH acceleration runs).

9. 4th Gen is quite VFM and still a compelling preposition.

[PetrolHead2272]

Originally Posted by Shreyans_Jain

The summation of my 7 year ownership is that the City does not age well. The car works like a charm for the first 30-50k km, after which all kinds of small problems keep on cropping up.

You are absolutely right. I own a 3rd Gen City, which has clocked around 24k kilometres. It hasn't been driven that much and undergoes long durations of hibernation as we only use the car very rarely. The other day, we touched the highway on our City after at least a few years. My dad was driving and every time we exceeded 100 Km/hr, the car started bumbling at certain intrusive vibrations started to be felt on the steering.
We used to own a red colour SX4 (2007-13) earlier, that had the same fate as the City - i.e. long hibernation durations. However, there was no such bumbling and steering vibrations at all. Even at speeds one shouldn't be doing, it remained rock solid and super stable.
This made me question the impeccable reputation of Honda City. A friend of mine used to own a 4th Gen, but sold it within four years due to the never-ending niggles.

Coming back to the topic of the thread,
I would vote for the 5th Gen City eyes closed. The 4th Gen City is comparable to Tata Cars in terms of niggles. In case your heart is set on the 4th Gen City, do try to get one that has clocked less than 30-35k kilometres.

Originally Posted by venkyhere

Not following. Is this a typo ?

Nope, the 5th Gen City gets a slightly different engine. While the old City uses Single Over-Head Camshaft (SOHC), the new one uses Dual Over-Head Camshafts (DOHC). Due to the change in the engine, power has gone up by a mere two BHP