[condor]

Between an Altis and City, I would lean towards the Altis.

REgarding the Zero-dep cover: This may be applicable only for the first 5 years of the car. So quite likely the City you saw will be on par with the Altis in a short while.

Spares wise: Altis should be good enough and run for a long time. You have not mentioned the price, but I suspect the Altis is a little cheaper. Do check cost of insurance + cost of running as primary factors along with the price.

[PrasannaDhana]

I would suggest the Altis. It is a much better car than the last Gen city. Period.

[Route66]

I would suggest the Corolla.

I picked up a 2014 model G manual variant in Oct 2020 with 13k on the ODO and right now it’s at 42k. Loved every moment with the car. I used to own a 2005 City back in the day. Those were better built then current City, but even then the comfort and NVH is far far better in Corolla. Completely different level.

I was able to get Zero-dep insurance this time, so I am set till Sept 2022.

Hope this helps.

[aniket13]

Originally Posted by Route66

I would suggest the Corolla.

I picked up a 2014 model G manual variant in Oct 2020 with 13k on the ODO and right now it’s at 42k. Loved every moment with the car. I used to own a 2005 City back in the day. Those were better built then current City, but even then the comfort and NVH is far far better in Corolla. Completely different level.

I was able to get Zero-dep insurance this time, so I am set till Sept 2022.

Hope this helps.

You have the same model/year that I'am looking for (except for the CVT part!). Can you please help by sharing the following from your experience thus far:

1) Did you get the car accessorized from the dealer/aftermarket stuff since purchase? The G variant comes pretty bare-bone with features but I heard Toyota provides a fair bit of official modifications from their end.

2) How has been your experience with the ASS and general maintenance of this model? What's the interval and cost of service?

3) Did you face any issues with spares availability/pricing? I've heard brake pads have been a known issue with the Altis, given how costly they are.

4) I know it is a reliable product - but anything I should be aware/careful of long-term (assuming I get a 50-60k kms run vehicle)? Any parts prone to go bust around 60-80k kms range?

5) Are you aware/have used Toyota Protect? - the dealer claims it to be Toyota's combined warranty+zero dep insurance which they provide for up to 10 years.

More importantly: could you please share details of your insurance - provider, premium cost, covers (add-ons), etc. So far I only have Acko providing insurance for the 8th year. I've heard IFFCO-TOKIO does offer Zero-Dep but through offline sources. I would love to have zero-dep for at least a couple more years for that peace of mind.

Originally Posted by vikramvicky1984

Only real flaw compared to city would be you won't enjoy at all if you drive spiritedly- it's terrible.
If it matters, Corolla make me feel like 50-55 years old while city maybe 25-30 years. ( I am 37).

Hi - can you please clear out if you were comparing the Altis manual to City CVT while sharing your experience on driving dynamics/pleasure? I'm looking for Altis CVT or City CVT hence want to clear this out. I have heard from owners that Altis CVT is much more superior to Honda's with very minimal rubber-band effect.

Originally Posted by aaggoswami

Was in the same boat in 2020. Ended up buying 4th Generation Honda City instead of Corolla. Must say a mistake I made. Corolla is much better built which could be reason enough to buy over City. 4th generation city isn't well built and it develops lots of rattles. Soft suspension doesn't help much and once car is loaded up, the front end lightens up more than expected. Moreover, suspension gets noisy over a period of time. Corolla is far better engineered, definitely safer and the 1.8 isn't as inefficient. Infact Corolla's 1.8 isn't as load sensitive as City's 1.5. Corolla any given day over City for me. I have driven 15,000 kms after purchasing City, can tell you that my second generation Swift had better high speed stability and was more forgiving than City. 1.5 engine is gem but that's about it. As a package 4th city doesn't make for a satisfying purchase.

I have a fair bit of experience with the 4th Gen City. The ones offered in the used car market are even worse with dealers professionally hiding stuff and selling a completely refurbished product. The car doesn't have any major parts failing out so need to give pros to Honda, but apart from that, rattling, rusting, electronic failures are common issues.

I have heard the Altis comes with soft suspensions too, but are they any different that City's? Both come with 15 in tyres which I believe is grossly unfortunate given the price of these products. Have never pushed City to above 100 speeds, not sure if I would do with the kind of driver I'am hence for me personally 100+ kmph stability is not on top of priority list. Is Altis better in low-mid range driving, city/rural settings, as compared to Honda City? (I know it is superior in high-speed stability).

[emmenhr]

Hi Aniket13,
I understant the heart over mind predicament. But my two bits - you need to decide which is more important to you - mind (money) or heart (emotion).
Toyota's in general build sturdy, dependable but boring vehicles. On the other hand, Honda , for me, has always been more flashier though not as dependable as the Toyotas.
After living in the gulf for more than a decade, it was a clear perception in the market - if you dont want any issues, go for Toyota (corolla continues to be the best seller in the second hand market even now) ; if you want something fun to drive with style, go for other brands (here in your case - Honda).
BTW, at what price are you getting the Altis?
Happy Selection!!
Krish

[aniket13]

Originally Posted by condor

Between an Altis and City, I would lean towards the Altis.

REgarding the Zero-dep cover: This may be applicable only for the first 5 years of the car. So quite likely the City you saw will be on par with the Altis in a short while.

Spares wise: Altis should be good enough and run for a long time. You have not mentioned the price, but I suspect the Altis is a little cheaper. Do check cost of insurance + cost of running as primary factors along with the price.

Some providers do extend cover over 5 years - with that at least the City would be covered for the next 2-3 years against expensive bills. Honda also provides 10 years Anytime-Warranty so that's a major plus. I'm yet to confirm if the same if offered by Toyota.

Altis would be a lot cheaper than a 2017 City VX/ZX CVT.

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Avoid if possible cars with more than 1 owner. The Corolla is built better and will last long. The City is also good but build quality is not at par with the Toyota. The Corolla will be more expensive to maintain in case anything goes wrong. 1.8 litre will be more thirsty than a 1.5 litre. I wil still pick the Corolla over the City though. These are really from two different segments.

Can you please elaborate the risk associated with 2nd owner cars. FYI most of the Altis offering currently are 2nd owners, however, what I'm looking at is a corporate registered which was then transferred to the employee (owner).

Originally Posted by youknowitbetter

I think since the requirement in primarily for your father, he may find it easy to drive City around because of its dimensions. May want to consider the overall dimensions while considering the technical stuff

A gentleman in this thread mentioned that the Altis drives like a C-segment car, which is a huge positive. I have not yet experienced the car so can't tell how big of a difference it is from the City.

Originally Posted by Aravind_M92

If you plan on keeping the car for a year or two only, try negotiating more on the corolla. Or else go for the City.

I do plan to keep the car for at least 3-4 years. It will be used sparingly hence keeping it for longer makes sense. Also, not sure even 3-4 years down the line there would be an equivalent product matching the reliability + solidity of a Toyota that I consider upgrading upon

[sumeethaldankar]

Originally Posted by aniket13

Can you please elaborate the risk associated with 2nd owner cars. FYI most of the Altis offering currently are 2nd owners, however, what I'm looking at is a corporate registered which was then transferred to the employee (owner).

The more the no of owners the more likelihood that the car will be abused or not used as it should be. Means it is pre-pre worshipped. Also when you try and sell it off the new owner will be the 4th owner means resale value will further tank down than whatever it is. But such cars (D segment) will have poor resale anyways. If your running will be less then you may consider. Do get the car inspected by Toyota and not your garage guy and the odo verified before you make any deal.

[GreenerPlanet]

Hi Aniket,

Originally Posted by aniket13

1) Used 2017 Honda City VX/ZX CVT - around 20k - 30k Kms on the odometer.

2) Used 2014 Toyota Corolla Altis 1.8G/VL CVT - 50k - 60k Kms Odometer.


My biggest priority is a well-kitted, feature-rich, comfortable sedan with fuss-free ownership (even if something breaks) and good resale value, reliable engine, gearbox, spares, ASS network, well surrounded by insurance + warranty for that extra peace of mind.

I had a similar choice between City and Altis recently in the last 6 months and I went in for a City Vx CVT 2018 with 26k on odometer.

Few points I would like to make.

1. You can't go very wrong with either of them. But they will have different ride characteristics, go with one you like.

2. Don't sweat on the warranty. Generally I would also advice on max warranty, but options considered being a recent Honda and well, Toyota - you will do fine.

3. With regard to build quality, you will love honda or hate it depending on the prior cars you had owned.

Sure, the infotainment system in the Honda City will be crap and you will surely not get the SD card needed for navigation, and you will think the reverse camera has no justification for being so poor - but you will love the rest of the car - like I do

Just so you know, 2018 Honda City Vx, Automatic with sunroof would probably be 8.5+ lacs, and its always better to give top dollar for a good example than try save some on a poor one.

Best wishes,

Srini

[rajshenoy]

Corolla is definitely one segment higher than that of city (Assuming this is the 2014 model) and not the older Altis.

I was looking for a brand new Honda city in 2019 and finally went for used Corolla 2014 model for better build, rear seat comfort and ingress/egress for senior citizens(also the new Honda city launch was due). Go for VL variant as it has all the features that you will ask for. I own a manual GL variant which is pretty frugal too(CVT might be bit thirsty due to 1.8 NA)

All you need is an aftermarket HU and you should be all set.

[samitjain]

Own both 2014 corolla cvt and 2018 honda city cvt. Corolla is a much superior product and would definitely suggest to go for corolla. Excellent car for both city and highways. AC is superb in corolla without rear ac vents and City ac is pathetic even with rear blower. CVT is superb in altis. Ride quality is far better in Corolla and to top it all legendary Toyota service. Honda service interval 6 months against corolla 1 year.

[aniketi]

Originally Posted by aniket13

The Honda City is my initial preference due to the following reasons:
Recent car > decently reliable product > still in production > not so costly to maintain plus spares are decently priced. However, the most important factor tilting my brain towards the Honda City is the fact that I would still be eligible for Zero Depreciation Insurance from a handful of providers and Honda's Anytime Warranty up to 10 years.

On the other hand, the Toyota Corolla Altis presents an upper segment > bigger engine plus a substantially better CVT (from reviews, I haven't done a Test Drive), Better fit and finish, better build quality. On the negative side - smaller boot, lacks a lot of features when compared to a City VX, older discontinued product, No Zero Dep Insurance, No Warranty, Second owner vehicles in abundance (hard depreciating when I sell in future). I'm not too worried about the odometer reading as these vehicles are made to last lakhs of Kms.

I think you already have the answer. Go for Honda City for the obvious reasons you already mentioned. Corolla is out of production and will be difficult to maintain in long run, costly too. Also you will get better features in Honda City which you will find useful in day to day running.

[aniket13]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

Corolla is definitely one segment higher than that of city (Assuming this is the 2014 model) and not the older Altis.

I was looking for a brand new Honda city in 2019 and finally went for used Corolla 2014 model for better build, rear seat comfort and ingress/egress for senior citizens(also the new Honda city launch was due). Go for VL variant as it has all the features that you will ask for. I own a manual GL variant which is pretty frugal too(CVT might be bit thirsty due to 1.8 NA)

All you need is an aftermarket HU and you should be all set.

Could you please share the price you paid for the Corolla? Also I'm repeating a few queries I shot at another member above so copy+pasting them here to get you inputs (@Mods: please let me know if there's any other way to do this):

1) Did you get the car accessorized from the dealer/aftermarket stuff since purchase? The G variant comes pretty bare-bone with features but I heard Toyota provides a fair bit of official modifications from their end. Please share a rough cost idea of these upgrades.

2) How has been your experience with the ASS and general maintenance of this model? What's the interval and cost of service?

3) Did you face any issues with spares availability/pricing? I've heard brake pads have been a known issue with the Altis, given how costly they are.

4) I know it is a reliable product - but anything I should be aware/careful of long-term (assuming I get a 50-60k kms run vehicle)? Any parts prone to go bust around 60-80k kms range?

5) Are you aware/have used Toyota Protect? - the dealer claims it to be Toyota's combined warranty+zero dep insurance which they provide for up to 10 years.

6) Do you get Zero-Dep insurance for your Altis? Please share details.

Originally Posted by samitjain

Own both 2014 Corolla CVT and 2018 Honda city cvt. Corolla is a much superior product and would definitely suggest to go for corolla. Excellent car for both city and highways. AC is superb in corolla without rear ac vents and City ac is pathetic even with rear blower. CVT is superb in Altis. Ride quality is far better in Corolla and to top it all legendary Toyota service. Honda service interval 6 months against corolla 1 year.

The reviews I have collected so far are in-line with what you have shared. My only apprehension is about owning an elephant which could cost a bomb if something goes wrong (given older discontinued used car, higher-segment, No zero-dep/warranty). Can you also please share your inputs against the points mentioned in the above quote reply.

[samitjain]

Originally Posted by aniket13

...

4) I know it is a reliable product - but anything I should be aware/careful of long-term (assuming I get a 50-60k kms run vehicle)? Any parts prone to go bust around 60-80k kms range?

My Corolla is now 7 years old and without warranty for last 2 years. I haven't travelled much in Corolla, but except the service, have not spend anything over and above in the car. My Honda Music system was replaced in warranty but took more than 6 months. Under normal circumstances there should not be any additional expenditure in maintenance of corolla. Accidental repair is a differenct scenario altogether.

[aniket13]

Originally Posted by GreenerPlanet

Sure, the infotainment system in the Honda City will be crap and you will surely not get the SD card needed for navigation, and you will think the reverse camera has no justification for being so poor - but you will love the rest of the car - like I do

Just so you know, 2018 Honda City Vx, Automatic with sunroof would probably be 8.5+ lacs, and its always better to give top dollar for a good example than try save some on a poor one.

Best wishes,

Srini

Thanks, Srini. Brilliant choice, you really can't go wrong with both of these. Infotainment system and parking camera are trash in both Altis and City - probably the 1st thing that needs an upgrade. Honda City surely holds more value at the moment, especially compared with an older Altis. I think there won't be any discussion had it been a 2017 Altis vs 2017 City!

How is the City holding up after 4 years? Any failure points I should be aware of? Rusting issues, paint issues, mechanical (quite rare), rattles, servicing experience. Also, how would you rate your experience with City CVT as compared to the Altis CVT (assuming you TD'ed the Altis). I have also heard that City's CVT needs more maintenance than Altis - is this true?

Originally Posted by aniketi

I think you already have the answer. Go for Honda City for the obvious reasons you already mentioned. Corolla is out of production and will be difficult to maintain in long run, costly too. Also you will get better features in Honda City which you will find useful in day to day running.

I'm apprehensive about the build of Honda City, especially the ones available at used car dealers. Is it still the same timeless machine? While an Altis can most probably, easily outlive the owner with very less failure points.

Honda City would be easier to maintain, cheaper to maintain, more practical to use with all the features, and hold better resale value.

[lamborghini]

Somethings that seem to be clear is that your head is pushing for the City, while the heart is pushing for the Corolla.

Given you want a feature rich, well specced sedan - the City is your only choice. The Corolla is a no-nonsense vehicle on the other hand.

We own the 2017 Altis VL : The car is running impeccably, and the brake pads lasted nearly 30K kms / 4 years of 90% city driving in Mumbai which IMO is worse than Pune traffic.
Yes, the new pads are pretty pricy, and going forward I may choose to switch over to after-market options. If you choose a reputed brand, quality should be fairly decent.
In terms of niggles, the car has had its odd niggles - we've had to replace the wheel bearing too at the 30Kkm mark - mostly due to the exceedingly bad roads the car travels on, and the front passenger seat vibrates like crazy - the guide rails were suggested to be replaced at a whopping 16K which we've ignored for now and plan to see an after market fix! That being said - there are no rattles, the car is performing flawlessly, and is a car that can truly be taken everywhere unlike the City thanks to it's ground clearance and seat comfort - and despite being 4.5 years old it still feels tight!

I've had the opportunity to sit in the odd City here and there, and honestly have not come away as impressed from a chauffeur driven perspective: the seats are lower than that of the Corolla which can be a pain as people age, the NVH + rattles + ride quality compared to the Corolla doesn't feel as relaxed (though the Corolla isn't really the king of NVH to begin with but scores better on ride and rattles) - heck, my mother preferred our Etios to a cousin's 4G City as far as rear seat comfort was concerned (only comfort, not ambience)! Lastly, the Ground Clearance - the city though improved from the 3rd Gen, is still a low car in the 4th gen - a full load + soft suspension will see you bottoming out if you're not careful. Overall the corolla just feels a lot more abuse friendly than the City thanks to these virtues and felt like a better chauffeur driven car.

That being said, it's the complete opposite when it comes to self driving. The city feels lighter, more nimbler, and has a more pleasing dash + feature set to make it appeal more to the driver in you.

Personally given your low running, If your father is ok with the Corolla's bigger dimensions, heavier steering, and boring dash over the City - I'd pick the Corolla over the city given it's mainly chauffeur driven. Try and negotiate hard / look at other vehicles so you have a little kitty to cover the higher cost of maintenance. And whatever you do, don't change to the R16 rims on the VL - we picked up the VL for the better safety kit primarily, but the R15 gives a much better ride quality.
I'd also look at options like the Ciaz AT.

EDIT: Regarding insurance : if the car has Zero Dep currently, there are some vendors who would extend it to 10 years such as Royal Sundaram